Keep up with HotRodHanna

My new kitty!

2009-08-09T15:50:00.001-04:00

She looks really bored here, but she is so friendly! She was a stray that had been coming around Erika’s house, so I transplanted her to mine. I named her Sundae. She is totally white on the bottom, spots on top… like vanilla ice cream with toppings. Corny, I know. I put a box and towel out for her underneath the fireplace overhang on our back patio. After 2 days at her new location she is still coming back for food and affection, so we’ll see how long she lasts!

Cole being adorable

2009-08-09T15:45:00.001-04:00

Cole really likes the teddy bears!

Latest project

2009-07-26T22:47:00.001-04:00

Hubby surprised me with a new patio and back steps when I came home from CA! It is so nice to be able to walk out the back door now. We ate outside a few times, when the weather was still mild, and it is so nice to sit and listen to the birds, look at the tree and the sunsets. ~sigh. We have much to be thankful for. Our latest project involves making a planter around the patio and up the side of the house. I have plants sitting around in pots waiting to be planted, but the project seems to get bigger and more involved as the days go by. At this rate, nothing is getting done very fast. What started as digging a few holes and sticking plants in them, has now come to include borrowing a rotatiller (and borrowing a truck to pick up the rotatiller), buying a wheel-barrow, purchasing stones to outline the planters, buying a level to level said stones.. etc etc. My poor car has hauled a lot of interesting things, and she was struggling to get 25 bricks 3 miles. We put some on the floor in the back seat to distribute the weight a little but it didn’t help much. We actually stood on the scale with one to see how much they weighed… 20lbs each. And I realize now that I have no pictures of the actual stones. Oops. I will post one soon.

Nephew Pictures

2009-07-23T19:52:00.001-04:00

I admit I completely forgot I was supposed to edit some pictures I took of the boys while I was in CA. Here are a few, I will upload them to Snapfish soon. Mom, I can make the bottom ones landscape if you want too, I think.

Mom made curtains!

2009-06-15T22:17:00.001-04:00

I love my new curtains!! Mom came out to visit, and spent most of her time helping me unpack, clean, put stuff away, and she made curtains too! Fantastic job, btw. They look just like I imagined when I found the pattern and fabric. Sometimes, you just need your Mom around. I am so glad she was able to make it out here!

My new laundry room

2009-05-28T18:00:00.001-04:00

Ok, so it doesn’t look like much, but I am so tickled pink at the deal I got on that carpet! It’s brand new commercial grade carpet, that I got for $40 at a flooring showroom. It was a scrap that they couldn’t do anything with, and they were nice enough to cut it in two pieces and load it into my car!! That just made my day. Now I don’t have to freeze my feet, or put shoes on every time I go down for laundry! So yes, I am quite proud of my little laundry ‘area’. This is the disaster the rest of the basement is in…

911, What are you reporting?

2009-05-28T10:36:00.001-04:00

Not exactly the ‘welcome to the neighborhood’ I was hoping for. We turned our gas fireplace on for the first time yesterday. Within 20 minutes or so there was a REALLY strong smell of wood burning. Not a good feeling in a new house. It’s gas, and it has fake logs, so logically one would think that something else was burning besides that. We sniffed the outlets, felt around the walls for hot spots, sniffed in the basement, upstairs, etc to no avail. Finally we decided to give up and call the fire department. That’s what they are there for right? And I was hoping they had one of those nifty thermal imaging cameras like we had in Palm Springs to see heat in the walls. They did! Except they call it “Fire Spy” here. Oooo. I was mortified to have a full response toned out, but better safe than sorry.

{For those of you in CA, when the fire department gets a call here, they have these air-raid sounding sirens that go off at the station that can be heard for miles. I am not kidding. They are staffed with lots of volunteers so that siren is in addition to their pagers. I feel like we are in the Blitzkrieg sometimes it goes off so often!}

Anyway, you can gauge their response time by counting from when you hear that siren go off to when they show up at your door! So after dutifully telling the dispatcher we would wait outside the house, I was bad, and ran around putting down painters tarps and cardboard on our wood floors and very light colored carpet. Can you guess why?

So after finding nothing in the walls, and saying that it smelled more like paint than smoke (not helpful) they concluded that it was just the fireplace getting ‘broken in’, and burning of dust and particles inside. Ok…. So we left the fireplace running and opened all the windows and doors (it was fairly cold out), and of course after they leave the smoke detector started going off every five minutes and we had to keep fanning it. Hubby came up with the brilliant plan of placing a box fan on two chairs pointing up at the alarm, and that quieted the nerve-shattering noise. I am sure all the neighbors are wondering what is wrong with those ‘new people’. They all seem to be quite friendly. Walking around the neighborhood in the evening is very popular here, and everyone likes to stop and say hi and introduce themselves if they see us in the yard or garage. On the plus side, our grass is coming in! Hubby says yesterday… “ I hope it rains tomorrow – it’s free water.” I started laughing hysterically and asked if he ever imaged that sentence would come out of his mouth.

Moved in… mostly. And loving the red!

2009-05-25T22:08:00.001-04:00

Painting has commenced

2009-05-21T21:43:00.001-04:00

The dining room looks really cool! But that awesome bluish-grey color is only the primer. It does look almost good enough to leave that way! I love the way the kitchen looks too! That color warms everything up!

We had to take the front door off the hinges to get the refrigerator inside.

Almost there….

2009-05-15T14:53:00.001-04:00

We are so close to done!! We are set to close this coming Weds, it will get painted inside on Thurs and Friday. Hopefully, we will be moving in Friday night/ Saturday! Yea! And I love my new ‘seamless’ sink!!!

Flooring is here!!

2009-05-01T20:56:00.001-04:00

It is so exciting to see all the beautiful wood floors. Wood floors were rare in CA, or maybe I just wasn’t very observant. So it is really an exciting step for me! (Picture me wiggling in my chair)

And… they finally installed the stones around the fireplace. Makes it look very cozy. :) We are a little leery of how yellow it looks, but they are in, and the carpet is ordered… not much we can do about it – so, why stress over it? I will find some curtains to tie it all together. I am excited about paint too! We can’t make any alterations to the house until after closing, but we intend to paint before we move in. Just a basic beige (do you know how many shades of beige there are!?), but this morning room area is going to be a fantastic cranberry color. I am so excited. This is me ‘stretching’ myself artistically, and Hubby is being very gracious. Spring is here… our trees are getting leaves! They look so pretty green!

Driveway and Sidewalks are in

2009-04-29T10:16:00.001-04:00

I’m not sure what goes between the sidewalk pieces, in front of the driveway, but I’m sure we’ll find out soon. Apparently they only put one layer of blacktop on the driveway for now. Then 6 months from now when it has settled and what not, they give it another coat.

Oops and wows

2009-04-25T21:04:00.001-04:00

We went to check on the progress of our house on Friday afternoon. It is going splendidly, thank the Lord. The have the cabinets up in the kitchen, base boards throughout the house, railings, bathroom tile, primer on the walls, and some of the appliances are in. One teensy weensy problem we noticed right when we walked in… they installed the island in the kitchen sideways. Its 90 degrees off- the cabinets were supposed to open towards the stove… now they open towards the sink and dishwasher. The

sales rep panicked and called the contractor to come over and look at it, then he started making calls. Apparently, in some homes they install them long ways like that, and whoever installed it made sure it was the proper distance away from the other counters. So, after some deliberation, Hubby and I decided that we actually liked it better facing that way. Since it was technically up to code, they let us keep it that way. I think it actually opens the kitchen up a bit. I was very excited to see that in all my lower cabinets there is a shelf that slides out! And I am going to have to invest in a cute step ladder because there is no way I will be able to reach those top shelves! I can’t wait to see what it is going to look like when the counter tops come in!! They have almost finished grading the lot! This was taken at the back of the house towards the side yard.

We have siding!

2009-04-21T15:15:00.001-04:00

The shutters and front door are supposed to be painted a hunter greenish color.

It’s looking like a house inside too!

2009-04-17T23:01:00.001-04:00

Part of the basement

Our slider, opening the right way finally!

My kitchen, and pantry. Doesn’t look like much, but I’m excited!!

Dining room / Living room

Pumping insulation into the attic

A leeettle bit of drywall

2009-04-13T23:04:00.001-04:00

Or as they say out here, “sheet-rock”. I still can’t get used to that term. The image that always pops into my head is giant slabs of granite. Why would I want those on my walls? The brickwork is finished! And from what we could see, they have drywall up in the garage. Hooray.

Progress!!

2009-04-09T21:27:00.001-04:00

This was as of yesterday, then I went by today and saw they have bricks up in the front! Yea! There is a little brickwork on either side of the garage, then up the one side of the front to the peak. They estimate the completion date to be May 20th.

We Have WALLS!

2009-03-26T19:41:00.001-04:00

and it is a little bit of a worry that it’s raining on the floor.

We are eating off paper plates, and the washer/dryer have been retired.

Today we have basement walls…

2009-03-20T22:32:00.001-04:00

They started our house!

2009-03-17T22:21:00.001-04:00

As some of you may know, we have sold our condo (at the end of the month), and we are having a home built by a developer. We are really excited! It has been a long process, but the Lord has rewarded our patience. We are moving in with some very generous friends at the end of the month, and the house is supposed to be completed by the end of May. Hopefully everything goes smoothly!

Las Vegas

2009-01-18T18:18:00.001-05:00

We just got back from a 5day trip to Las Vegas. We went with S & E. The guys were attending the Consumer Electronics Show, and the girls were shopping. The weather was pleasant, and we did lots of walking! If you ever go to Las Vegas, the show to see is ‘La Reve’ at the Wynn Hotel/Casino. It is a fantastic Cirque type show and the effects are amazing. We saw ‘O’ at the Bellagio too, and this is one is similar, but much better in our opinion.

This was the view from the airplane of the Grand Canyon.

New Blog

2009-01-18T17:55:00.004-05:00

Check out this new blog. It's set up for you to submit pictures of your kids when they're misbehaving... in which the caption should read.. "Mommy said NoNo!!!"

Jim’s Graduation

2009-01-18T17:50:00.001-05:00

Jim graduated from Azusa Pacific in December. This is a delayed post! This was the reason for my trip back to CA in December. I had a wonderful time, and I am so proud of Jim! Many months of night classes and homework paid off! CONGRATS!

New Years Eve at the Sikora’s

2009-01-01T13:50:00.001-05:00

Scott and I went to his parent’s house for New Year’s Eve. Michael and Scott R. slaved away in the kitchen to present a fantastic gourmet meal. We had crab tower appetizers, roasted potatoes and mushrooms, pork loin marinated in cloves, maple syrup etc, filet of beef with a cherry port reduction sauce, and the list goes on. It was delicious! The kids opened a few presents, as we relaxed by a roaring fire. It was about 25 degrees outside, with a howling wind. Then we played 2 hilarious games of men vs. women Pictionary. Happy New Year!

2nd Annual Ornament Exchange Party

2008-12-21T01:33:00.001-05:00

I’m back, in one piece

2008-12-20T00:02:00.001-05:00

Thank the Lord, I made it home ok, and with no pain at all! We made it home from the airport at 2 am Friday morning. I am very tired, and yet the holiday comings and goings are still unrelenting. Thank you all for your concern!

From Facebook

2008-12-17T00:09:00.001-05:00

Just to keep those of you on this forum thingy updated, here are some posts from my Facebook page:

Monday
I am having a good visit with my family out in CA, but I have been sick the whole time. I started out the trip thinking it was just a passing cold, which I attributed to our recent cold weather. However, when I landed in Phoenix, and again in Orange County, I thought my eardrums were going to explode. Everything sounded like I was with plugged ears off and on (mostly on). I sound funny, and am starting to get a bad cough. I was able to find another flight going out Thursday morning (I was supposed to fly home Tues) so hopefully I will be a little less congested by then. I have an appointment with my old family doctor in Hemet on Tues, so maybe he can hook me up with ear drops or something. I just worry about causing permanent damage to my ears! So, at the moment I am sniffling over my mother's computer. My sister, mom and I are going to hit the craft store, so that should make me feel somewhat better I'm sure... I'm really sorry about missing Weds night ladies!! I wish I could be there.

Tuesday
This sloshy feeling in my ears is NOT my brain liquifying, as some might imagine. I can tell you it is a freaky feeling tilting my head from one shoulder to the other and feeling fluid moving around in my ears, but nothing comes out! I went to see the doctor who validated my concerns about flying. He said the membrane in my ear that is suppose to look like a sail fluttering in the breeze, is concave, red and rigid. Hmmm. He concurred that if I had flown today, I would very likely have burst my eardrums. He likened it to ear trauma divers get from surfacing too fast. (I suppose ascending and descending 30,000 ft. three times in a day, with already swollen ear drums may have caused a leeeetle damage. So, in order to attempt Thursdays flight without incurring more pain and suffering, I was given a cortizone shot, Nazonex to take at night, Singulair at night, Allegra once a day. Then every 4 hours I am to take a double dose of Sudafed, and Ibuprofen. I hope I can keep it all straight. But it is encouraging to know that I was not just imagining things, and this was a serious problem.

Darrah’s Etsy

2008-12-06T23:51:00.001-05:00

Darrah’s Etsy shop! <---Click here.

She is moving her jewelry on to it, and creating new fall/winter themed jewelry. She has also made these incredibly cute pocket/cell phone holder bags out of old jean pockets. Some she has even converted to hold pads of paper on the refrigerator. Most just look really cute hanging on your purse strap.

Headaches and new additions

2008-12-06T21:07:00.001-05:00

We FINALLY got our new washer and dryer, but not after major inconvenience and headaches. The story goes like this…

On November 16th, Sears had a fantastic Friends&Family sale. They were offering these Samsung washer/dryer PAIR for the price of ONE of them! We had planned on going with (and researched) the much cheaper, non-electronic, top loaders but when Hubby’s brother Michael told us about this, it sounded too good to pass up. We had some problems with our washer, but it was still hanging in there. Anyhoo, the sale was from 6pm-9pm, so off we went. When we got there, they were out of them but were still placing orders for people. We were told that for a little bit more money, we could get the set in blue instead of white, and they would come in sooner. No problem. The salesman said to come back the next day, and he would see if he could get a hold of a white set and confirm our order.

When we came back, the sales person canceled the order for the blue ones, and ordered the white ones –but told us after he rang up the sale that the delivery date would be at the end of January. No way! So he canceled the white order, and un-canceled the blue order. He printed everything out – it all looked legit, and said that they would show up on Weds, Dec 3.

In the meantime, our washer started flooding the laundry room again! So, I could no longer use mine. Darrah was kind enough to let me use her machines, and I have been hauling laundry next door and back all week. Wednesday came, and we got the run around on the phone from Sears. One associate said the order was canceled, another said it would come on Friday, and two others hung up on us. So I marched down to the store, and saw for myself that the store computer said they were ‘promised’ on Weds. We had already invited Matt & Ben Ruga (& their truck) for dinner to help us with it, so they just played video games with Hubby instead. Friday came, and still no washer. They said to call back in the evening after the trucks came. We called Steve & Erika and they brought their truck over. We called at 7, no washer; and at 9, no washer. They said to call back on Saturday. Meanwhile, on Friday night we had a 10pm soccer game at which Hubby injured his knee. He has been hobbling around in pain, but we think it’s just a badly bruised or strained.

On Saturday morning I called Sears and a nice female associate said that they were in the store. By this time they knew me by last name (as the crazy lady who keeps calling about the washer), said she saw our name on the ‘Samsungs’. I called to see if Brian was available to help carry them up the stairs, since Hubby was now out of commission, and we called Steve & Erika again. They were nice enough to meet us down at the store. We get there… and they have no idea where our washer and dryer is. No record of it coming in on the trucks, and no idea what that woman saw with our name on it. After an hour or so of looking for it, exchanging heated words, etc we were ready to scream. Some how, in this day and age, they are unable to track an item for you! How is this possible?! Everything you order online is traceable, how can it be so hard for Sears? They couldn’t tell us where our washer was, or even a close guess as to what day it would arrive. AAAAACK~! So what do we do? They have our money- we have no washer. I pitched a fit, and finally the sales manager told us that they would give us a ‘comparable’ deal on a washer they had in stock, or we could buy the blue floor models of the same kind we ordered. They were sitting in an outside garage, and had been scratched and dinged up a little. I complained a leeetle bit more, and the manager agreed to take $100 off because of the dings and scratches. I just wanted to get a washer home, I didn’t care if it was hot pink.

Long story short, we have a new washer and dryer in our house. Thankfully, they work well so far, no puddles on the floor! What a headache though. I think we will think twice about buying something in a store that has to be ordered/backordered.

Go Flyers

2008-12-06T08:52:00.001-05:00

I love hockey! I never thought I would get into it, but I really, really love it! I have come to know the players, and have a few favorites… and I actually understand the game! Other sports seem so dull now. I keep waiting for a fight to break out at a football game, but I am always disappointed! And now, even professional soccer players look like they are moving around the field soooo slowly. Hubby and I went to a game up in Philly with Steve and Erika on Thursday night. We lost in overtime, but it was so much fun! We got all-you-can-eat seat tickets for $35 each! You can eat more than $35 at a game. Thankfully, I was able to show some restraint.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T22:32:00.001-05:00

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We had a house full! We drove to Lancaster to pick up Ray and Ruth Land on Wednesday. Cindi was kind enough to cook the turkey, and we had enough food left over to feed 5 or 6 more! Michael is a great cook too and he made the gravy. Grandma Sikora was there, and Cindi’s brother Steve and his wife Suzie stopped by for a visit.

What are you thankful for today?

Fall Gathering

2008-11-24T21:51:00.001-05:00

We had a Ladies Fall Gathering at my house this past week. It was so much fun! We swapped recipes and decorating ideas. Darrah put some of her jewelry out, and nearly everyone brought sweets! We had so many wonderful treats there was enough for everyone to take some home. Why is it that women congregate in the kitchen? : ) Someday I need to get a bigger kitchen to accommodate more people!

Out of the goodness of his heart

2008-11-08T09:29:00.001-05:00

We have a new toy in our house. Hubby bought a new HP TouchSmart computer. The screen is huge, and you can actually touch the screen to do things and/or use the traditional mouse and keyboard. He has been having great fun with it! Then to my surprise he told me that it was for me! He wanted to get me a desktop pc so that I wouldn’t have to hunch over a tv tray to work on ‘my’ laptop like I normally do, and he wanted to replace it with something faster to handle the mountain of pictures I try to store and work on. Isn’t he a doll, doing all of this just for me? ; ) He has worked very hard on it, uploading all my pictures, videos and programs, and I am very thankful to have such a considerate husband. It is a lot more comfortable to work on… and it is pretty cool.

In other news, we are not selling our house anymore. Well, it’s more like it didn’t sell in the time we had to get into a new home, so we took ours off the market. I’m sure it’s no coincidence that we decided to sell our house right before the economy tanked, so we took it as a sign from the Lord and we are moving on. We are very comfortable here, and very thankful for it.

Mom and Papa John were out here for a visit a few weeks ago! It was so good to have them here. Sometimes, I just miss my mommy. Fall is in full swing so we took a trip up to Lancaster and road on a train to get a view of the countryside… and Papa John is a train enthusiast. It really is beautiful country.

I am frequently in awe at the wonders of God’s creation, but no more so than in the fall. The beautiful colors that can take your breath away, and the multi-hued trees look like they have been hand-painted by God.

This was a two person job. There are two teams of horses and the driver you can’t see is steering the actual corn-picking apparatus, while the boy is

keeping the trailer in line right behind it. The white barn is vented for drying tobacco, the other stores tons of corn cobs! Maybe for feed?

Fall Fun

2008-10-18T22:44:00.001-04:00

We found this quaint road with beautiful trees, turning every color of fall. We tried to coax, cajole, beg and plead with Lily to get her to smile, she was not cooperating! But, in spite of her running away from me most of the time, she still looks adorable, and I managed to get a few shots to turn out ok. Look at her cute little curls! Did I mention that it’s beautiful here in the fall ?!

Celebrating Autumn

2008-10-09T16:06:00.001-04:00

I am celebrating Autumn with Clairol #22.

Darrah celebrated Autumn by hosting a PartyLite party at her house. Everything was very fall and gave you warm fuzzys inside. She made this fabulous pumpkin dip for

ginger snaps and mulled cider in the crock-pot. It is so exciting to see the leaves starting to change. The bursts of red and

gold in the trees is just a glimpse at the beauty that is to come!

UPDATE ON GRANDPARENTS:

I spoke to them today and both said they were feeling much better than they expected to! They have bruising from the airbags, but thankfully no further injuries that they can find. They seem to be in good spirits, and are still trying to decide what to do about a vehicle. Thank you all for your continued prayers for them.

Prayers Needed

2008-10-08T23:17:00.001-04:00

My grandparents, Ken and Eunice Fournier were in car accident earlier today. I don’t have details on the accident itself, but both of their airbags deployed and they have cuts and bruising from them. My Uncle Dan took them home to their house, and they are going to the Doctors in the morning to get checked out. They are shaken, I’m sure frightened and by tomorrow, will be very sore. They, along with our family, would value your prayers. Grandma has considerable neck and back pain on a daily basis, and I’m sure this is will take her a very long time to recover from. Coupled with the economic strain that has resulted from plummeting stocks on Wall Street, and the loss of most of their grandchildren moving out of the area, they are in much need of prayer. Please lift them up. My heart goes out to them. I love them dearly, and regret that I am so far away.

The Sikora’s

2008-10-05T22:53:00.001-04:00

It was time for our annual family picture!

Heavy Metal

2008-09-30T22:52:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday, Hubby and I drove up to Valley Forge National Park to listen to a concert of sorts. A friend from work had told me that his friend, Doug Gefvert was a Carillonneur and played at the Washington Chapel there on Sunday afternoons. A Carillon is a set of bells. There were at least 50! It was a fascinating experience! We climbed this teeny tiny spiral staircase up the bell tower to

the small room that houses the ‘piano looking’ instrument used to actually play the bells. It consists of wooden levers, which are connected by cables directly to the bell clappers. Similar to a piano, the harder the lever is depressed, the sharper the note will sound. Some of the larger bells require more force to strike, and are linked to foot pedals. I took a short video of him playing Amazing Grace. He is very talented! This is his profession, and he skillfully answered all of our questions.

The Washington Memorial Chapel that houses the bells is a tribute to George Washington, as seen in all the carvings of soldiers. The grounds are beautiful as well and hopefully we can go back after the leaves start to change. It will be magnificent. This was a great learning experience, and we had so much fun!

In October they are playing the original silent b/w version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame inside the chapel, and they have hired an organist to play along with the movie.. and there will be bells involved as well. How incredibly cool is that going to be!

Pictures to make you chuckle

2008-09-23T23:31:00.006-04:00

Swim day at Grandpa's house.

Grinning with mouth full of pear

Giving big brother 'the look'.

Flying Leap

Taking a hike

My Sister's Wedding

2008-09-20T22:19:00.009-04:00

I finally got the pictures done from Juliana's wedding! It was a beautiful day, the bride was radiant, and everything turned out great! You can see them at http://flickr.com/photos/hotrodhanna/ . Click on the albums on the right side to view them.

Tea Parties and Tupperware

2008-09-20T22:02:00.007-04:00

I had a Tupperware Party at our house. It was a Tea Party theme. Turned out very cute, and it sounds like everyone had fun! Many thanks to all who came!

The house is still on the market, several nibbles but no bites so far. We are still praying about it, if the Lord wants it to sell, it will!

Funny Sign

2008-09-14T20:52:00.001-04:00

I found it quite funny that the important qualification for this position was being able to sell shoes to women, not selling women's shoes. hahaha.

Exhaustion

2008-08-23T21:18:00.002-04:00

This has been an insanely busy few weeks. We have been house shopping, found a floor plan we love, signed with a builder, consulted an attorney, interviewed realtors, put our house on the market, got it ready to show... all the while working overtime to pay for all this, answering phones and scheduling for Jim and Brian's carpet cleaning business and getting ready for Juliana's shower. Ug. I leave Monday morning for CA and I will be gone for 2 1/2 weeks. It all sounds pretty straight forward, but it has been incredibly stressful for both of us. We keep praying that if this isn't something we are supposed to do that the Lord would show us, and so far there are no major roadblocks, so we'll wait and see. The builder won't start building until we sell our condo, and the contract gives us two months to do so. If our house doesn't sell in time, we'll just stay put, no harm done, we get all our money back. So we are praying about it and we'll just wait on the Lord. Again, easier said than done. I am so tired I am ready to collapse and I haven't packed a thing yet. Laundry is still piled high. I am looking forward to getting away for a while, spending time with family and being their for Juliana's wedding, but I will still be worrying over the house situation in the back of my mind. I can't help it, I worry about everything. Intellectually I know the Lord will work everything out, but we still try to be cautious and not put ourselves in a precarious position. Prayers are greatly appreciated!

All done!

2008-08-02T15:53:00.004-04:00

I finally finished the laundry room! I made the shelves myself : )

Brunch with the Girls

2008-07-16T16:19:00.003-04:00

I was in the mood for crepes, and aside from IHOP, there aren't any spectacular places where we can get crepes for breakfast. So, I made them! Fresh strawberries, cantalope, Jersey blueberries, whip cream, chocolate sauce... they were awesome! Lily even liked them!

Thank You!

2008-07-14T00:17:00.003-04:00

Many thanks to ComfortablyCrazy for making a custom apron for my neice! She loves it! She was helping Grandma 'Cinna' in the kitchen. Apparently she was walking around in just the apron and undies for most of the day, she was wearing all she wanted to wear! Visit her Etsy site HERE for other aprons, or contact her if you have something special in mind! Thanks again H!

Beach Day

2008-07-13T23:29:00.007-04:00

Saturday was beach day, or as they say here, we went to the "shore". The kids looked like they had a great time, Hubby got to play some volleyball, and I brought my camera! We have dunes and boats at the shore! I miss seeing the piers of CA, there is a pier in Atlantic City with shops on it, but its not the same as having one every 2 miles or so that you can walk on, fish off of, etc. It was a beautiful day, 80's and humid as usual though. And they have bitting FLIES here!! I hadn't encountered them before, but Yikes! They are huge and they hurt when they bite!! Hubby said they are called green-heads. Me no like. All in all, a good day though. I got to play with the black&white setting on my camera. Here are a few of my pictures! I am really frustrated with slide.com, I can't get some of the pictures to rotate. Grrr.
My niece refused to smile most of the time, but she is very photogenic if you are patient... and yes, that is a very sandy sandwich she is holding. It lasted a painfully long time, and she ended up eating the whole thing. Ew.

Happy Birthday Darrah!

2008-07-11T21:54:00.004-04:00

Brian, Erika and I treated Darrah to a spa day for her birthday! Looked like she enjoyed her alone time, and the pampering! We brought her tea sandwiches and champagne during her pedicure. I discovered frozen grapes! Awesome idea, they are like mini popsicles, and they make champagne keep bubbling! Sure to spice up any event.

Yellow

2008-07-10T23:03:00.003-04:00

I have been feeling a little out of control lately, so I decided to tackle a project: redecorating the laundry room... by myself. It was either that, or get my hair cut. No one goes in the laundry room but me, so I figured there would be no harm in giving it a whoorl. I found a yellow that I really liked on the paint chip, but now that its on the wall I'm a little undecided. It seems a bit more in-your-face than I intended. I was thinking more antique-y. Too late now! I was however, quite impressed with myself! It only took about 3 hours to paint the whole thing! I found some mahogany stain and I am going to try to make some shelves next. I have some antique tin signs that I want to hang up also. I read that if you are painting a small space that you should paint the ceiling too, so that there isn't an abrupt starting/stoping line at the ceiling... making the room appear smaller. I pondered this, and decided to try it. I think they are right! I will post more pictures as the project progresses.

Sweet Crunchie Goodness

2008-06-29T16:57:00.003-04:00

My brother in law Scott picked up some Crunchie bars for me when he was in the London airport! I am so excited! These are my favorite candy bars of all time. They are made by Cadbury and are really hard to find! I used to stock up on them when we would go visit my Aunt Ruth in Canada, and I ran across them at a specialty store in LA. Needless to say, when I heard he was passing through England, I made a plea for chocolate! Yea, success! They don't 'expire' until Jan '09 so I am going to make them last as long as I can, although I may finish them off before too long.

Shady Maple

2008-06-27T00:58:00.003-04:00

Today I went to Lancaster with my In-Laws, and Lisa and the kids. We met Kathy there who had brought along Ray and Ruth Land. They hadn't seen Cole before, and it was fun to see them interacting with their great-grandchildren!

We passed these kids and their pony on the way home. Looks like the boy in the hat is the 'brake'. I love the flag too.

Wildlife

2008-06-23T19:46:00.004-04:00

My kitten is growing so fast! And I saw a few of these birds as I was driving home today. They are a really beautiful blue.

The kids are here!

2008-06-22T22:54:00.009-04:00

Lisa and the kids are visiting from Florida! They are growing so fast, and are so much fun! The newest member of the family is exceptionally smiley. He is so cheerful and has a contagious smile!

My New Toy

2008-06-19T20:04:00.004-04:00

I discovered that we have a T-fal/Krups outlet here! Yea! They have lots of pots, pans, cookie sheets, coffee makers, indoor grills etc, seconds and discounts galor. I have a weakness for kitchen utensils and gadgets, and shoes. Hubby and I have been getting increasingly frustrated with our toaster oven, and I found a discounted refurbished one! It's really cool. The door opens all the way, and easily too! It has 2 removable racks, and a broiler pan. It can toast, defrost, broil, and bake. I did chicken in it tonight! It is fantastic. I can cook chicken at 350 for 30 mins and it only takes 30 minutes! You don't have to wait for it to preheat, and you don't heat up the whole kitchen with the big oven. It has a timer too, so when the timer goes off, it shuts off! How cool is that? I know that I can do that with my big oven, but I like the fact that this uses less energy and doesn't heat up the entire kitchen. Woohoo. :)

Sunday School Picnic

2008-06-15T00:13:00.012-04:00

This is a week late, but I figured I would slip it in here. Here are some of the darling faces of Dorothy. It was really hot and humid that day.

And this very special lady
had a BIRTHDAY today!

Soccer Season

2008-06-14T23:43:00.009-04:00

It's that time of year again. Hubby is playing outdoor soccer with several of the guys from Superior Walls, and meeting. (For those of you back home in CA, yes, we play soccer indoors here during the winter.) Hubby is on the right, Erika's hubby is on the left. Friday nights are now soccer nights, I grab the lawn chair and watch with the other wives as our men work out their fidgets and frustrations from the week. I must admit, my man looks pretty handsome out there! He really loves to play, but sadly we are both feeling the effects of "swift-footed Time". This little girl is the daughter of one of Hubby's soccer friends. I have discovered that I love taking pictures of kids! They are so expressive, and they do the funniest things!

Update

2008-06-06T10:07:00.006-04:00

Today is Grandpa and Grandma's

55th Anniversary! I love them both so much and was delighted and honored to have them come a visit me. I know it was a long and tiring trip but they were real troopers about it. I miss them terribly. They have given me 30 years worth of wonderful, fun, loving memories that I will cherish forever.

In other news,

Miss Diana is growing by leaps and bounds. She is getting cuter by the day, and is starting to get those cute little rolls here and there. It seems she has some colic, so prayers for mom's ear drums and baby's tummy would be appreciated.

Tomorrow is our Sunday School Picnic, so hopefully everything goes well and we have no injuries. Last year Craig twisted his ankle and had to hobble around on crutches, we felt really bad for him.

Soaring

2008-06-05T08:26:00.009-04:00

Grandpa and Grandma F. just spent a wonderful week out here in the Garden State. It was so much fun to show them around my new environment, and give them a little insight into my daily life. We spent one day in Lancaster. We visited the tabernacle and drove through the countryside admiring the barns and clotheslines. We also spent a day down in Cape May, gawking at the victorian homes.

I found something new around here too! I found a river cruise starting in Millville, on the Maurice River. It was so much fun!! It was a little flat bottom boat and we went down stream for about an hour and came back, about 16 miles roundtrip. It was a beautiful day, and the scenery was amazing. We saw a pair of bald eagles and their 2 one yr old chicks! They were beautiful! There were many Osprey and several Blue Herons to admire as well.

Dianna Elizabeth Sikora

2008-05-19T04:24:00.003-04:00

After much anticipation, little Dianna is finally here! She was born at 3:08am and weighs about 7 lbs.

Reprieve

2008-05-16T08:44:00.006-04:00

The Flyers narrowly avoided elimination and live to see another game! In a edge-of-your-seat game the Flyers won 3 to 2. Woohoo! We can actually see the game much better from home in HD, and it's narrated!! (And you can see Marti's eyes!) But you can't get the same passion and energy you find in the stadium. (Hubby does try though!) They had about 3 fights in the last minute of the game, and it's much more fun to watch up close!

A sad day in Mudville...or Philly. Whatever.

2008-05-14T13:54:00.006-04:00

The Flyers lost, again. But this time we witnessed it in person. It was bad, very bad. Hubby and I drove up to Philly to watch Game 3 in Round 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It has been very exciting, and we were hoping they would win (since they lost the last 2 games in Pittsburg) since they were at home. The whole night was a bit rocky. To start with, parking was a nightmare. There was a baseball game starting 30 min before the hockey game... and the stadiums are across the street from each other. It took us over an hour to park. Then we start watching the game and it got worse. I think 'Penguins' is an odd name for a team of large, aggressive, sweaty men, but what do I know? They beat the pants off us, on our home turf, in front of a sold out stadium. I won't bore you all with details. Then it took about 2 hours to drive what normally takes 1 hour, mainly because the parking lot was so jammed up. We did get free bright orange XL tshirts! This is the only time you will ever catch me wearing orange. I am partially deaf now, but I had a great time yelling and screaming! Maybe next year...

Found the kitten

2008-05-14T13:46:00.007-04:00

Found the little guy under the porch finally. I guess she only had 2 kittens. One of the girls that works here took the other one home. And I was having a stare-down with the goat, who kept trying to steal my sandwich. All in a days work... What did you do at work today? : )

My new kitty

2008-05-10T20:37:00.006-04:00

I adopted a cat. This one my husband can't complain about because she lives at work! I adopted a stray cat that lives under the restaurant. She is very little, and just had kittens apparently! I haven't found them yet though. I treated her for fleas and ticks, and set out her food dish when I'm done working. She is so sweet, and comes when I call "kitty". She purrs and rubs up against my legs when I come outside, then follows me around till I go back in. We also have a pet goat named Marika (Mar-ee-ka) that lives behind the restaurant! And a rooster! :) I now have only to step out the back door to get my animal 'fix'. Wahoo! I have missed being around all the wildlife.

New Acquisition

2008-05-09T11:15:00.005-04:00

TaDa! I finally found a high chair. At a yard sale, for a really good deal! It is very 'retro', and perfect for Lily and which ever munchkins come to visit. And no, Darrah still hasn't had the baby yet.

Way To Go Flyers!

2008-05-03T22:31:00.007-04:00

Umberger was amazing tonight. Woohoo! Flyers won 6-4 in a tense game, moving them on into the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. :) Lots of cheering in this house. I have come to really enjoy hockey! We should be buying up stock in Tums though. I was going to post a cool picture from the game from the Flyers website, but I'm not sure if that would be legal or not.

Springtime in NJ

2008-05-03T21:02:00.002-04:00

Spring is here! The cherry trees are done blooming, and I wasn't quick enough to take pictures of those. Even the dogwoods look like they are almost done, but the colors are still stunning. Blooms from white to dark pink they brighten up the landscape. The woods are getting greener by the day, and now the azaleas are blooming too! Darrah, Erika and I went for a walk yesterday,,, to try to induce labor. We stopped at WaWa for a sandwich, picked some lilacs on the side of the road then took a chocolate break. We strolled around for 2 hours- smelled the flowers, picked a few and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine.

Remodeling

2008-05-02T12:31:00.003-04:00

So the room isn't completely back together, but it's come a long way! I love our new room! Just a warning to those of you looking to buy black wood furniture... make sure you really like to dust first. Its a daily chore. But on the bright side you can write love notes in the dust... how romantic. : ) I left my house in the middle of upheaval when I went out to CA, so it's nice to have things back to 'normal'.

Healthy As A Horse

2008-04-16T01:41:00.005-04:00

I know, he is too cute for his own good. JakeJake is doing very well. We had a bit of a scare on Sunday when we found a 'squishy' spot near the back of his head. The doctor sent them to Loma Linda ER to get another CT scan, but they wanted to see the original scans first.. so they came home with no news. On Monday, doctor had them go to the local ER and they actually did another scan. They were able to get the originals and said that there were no changes and he looked great. There weren't any fractures near the spot of concern, therefore it was just a bruise-like hematoma under the skin and should go away after a while. His face looks great, he still has a little black under the one eye, but other than that he is as adorable as ever. He has got tons of energy too! Auntie has to take naps when they do- it's tough keeping up with those two boys! I am really going to miss them!! Yes, that is a hospital bracelet on his foot. He had a fit when I slipped it off his foot, he tried putting it back on. So we left it.

Our family has always had animals around. We were raised to love and care for our pets, and animals in general. From the time I could walk, we had pets. I remember a duck named Charlie, chickens, and numerous cats over the years named kitty, just to name a very few. As we got older, our animals got bigger. My little nephews are no different. If you don't have pets, you go catch something. They have a beautiful dog named Chester, which sounds like "Teh 'TAH" from Jacob. The influction in his voice sounds just like we do when calling the dog. Chester was bad this week though and killed the baby rabbit that Jim had been watching out the window lately. On a brighter note, Caleb has been collecting caterpillers! Not the fuzzy kind, he informed grandma, 'They pokey". He keeps some leaves in their bucket for food, and when they escape each morning, he finds a few more to replentish the bucket. Jim also found a lizard on the porch which is now in a fish tank in the living room. Caleb named him Algea. We aren't sure why. The bad part about Algea is that he eats crickets, live crickets. Bugs give Auntie the willies, but the lizard is fun to watch.

Getting Better

2008-04-08T11:54:00.008-04:00

Chub Chub is continuing to improve! A relative told us that it could take up to 48 hours for the Morphine to completely clear out of his system, and it looks like they were right. He has been more hyper than normal lately, but last night he was more subdued and borderline grumpy. I suppose that was a good thing, now he is moving slightly slower and seems to be more aware that he is 'hurt'. His balance is still a little off, probably becuase his eye is still about half shut, but its getting better each day. It's cute to see him tilt his head back to try to see things with both eyes. He has an appointment this afternoon with the family doctor.

This is where he fell, it's behind the garage. It was hard to get out of Caleb exactly where he fell from but we think it was somewhere below the top landing on the stairs. We think he may have hit the ledge on the way down which helped to break his fall. It could have been a lot worse, so we are very thankful!

Grandma gave him a 'George' balloon with a big band-aid on it. Very cute.

Big Brother is helping Daddy put a fence up around the front porch.

He's Home!

2008-04-06T19:58:00.002-04:00

Jacob was discharged today. Thank you for all your prayers! We are thankful his injuries weren't more serious. Apparently he was getting squirrelly at the hospital and they want him to be quiet, so home was as good a place as any. The neurologist cleared him to go home, so far everything looks good. The eye doctor also said his eye looks good, he can see a little bit out of it now. We will continue to moniter him at home and look for any signs of altered mental status, and try to keep him as calm and quiet as possible. No rough-housing for a little boy (and his brother)? Seriously? It's going to be harder than they think. Later on in the week he will need to go see a plastic surgeon and possibly have another CT scan to make sure everything is healing as it should. Bottom line, he is home and laughing and being as charming as usual.

Prayers Needed

2008-04-05T22:47:00.003-04:00

Earlier today my little nephew Jacob fell off a wall and landed on his face. He was taken by ambulance to a trauma center, and is in ICU where they are monitering him closely. He has skull fractures and his right eye is swollen shut. The doctors say there is no swelling of the brain as of yet, but the concern is that a bleed will start. They have let him sleep some, and he is still wearing a neck brace. They are encouraged that he does cry when he is awake. He has undergone at least 2 CT scans so far. They haven't given a lot of details on what the treatment plan will be. They did mention that there was a concern that they don't want the skull fractures to heal too quickly either. I will be on a plane out to Hemet tomorrow. Your prayers for Jacob and his family would be appreciated. Thanks.

Life Happens

2008-03-30T22:48:00.006-04:00

It has been so long since I have blogged, I think I may have forgotten how. A lot has happened recently. Most importantly, I turned 30! Ug. And yes, it was as bad as I thought it would be. My family and friends have been supportive in helping me through this difficult time. :) Hubby and I went on a cruise earlier this month. Pictures are below. We spent a few days with his sister and her family in Florida. It was so warm and relaxing, that it was hard to come home to 40 degrees.
Easter was fun. We had Steve & Erika and Brian & Darrah over for lunch. I polished the silver, got out the 'good' china and served corned beef and cabbage. I love it, but its my mom's sauce for the meat that really makes the meal. If any of you like vinegar and want it, I'll post the recipe.

This past weekend Darrah, Erika and I went down to Atlantic City to celebrate my birthday. We ate at P.F.Changs, then wandered around and shopped. I got this great dress to match my pink 'turning 30' shoes that I got in Florida. They let me wear the dress out of the store. Then we wandered around the casino. We each put a dollar in the nickel slot machines and then realized we didn't know how to work the machines. Have you ever tried to read the 'help' screens on slot machines?! We were even more confused, so we just started pushing buttons which turned out to be more fun. Then we ended up going to Erika's to watch a movie and eat ice cream. Aren't these girls great? They helped take the edge off feeling old.

In other news, Hubby is in the process of changing jobs. He has been working under a general manager that has a knack for making life miserable for everyone. Hubby decided to accept a job offer from J.Ruga and to do the computer work for his businesses. This should be a lot less stressful and he will have the opportunity to do more of the developmental side of things that he really enjoys.

Hubby finally got his bonus from last year and suggested that we go out and look at bedroom furniture. So, Saturday afternoon we drove up to Cherry Hill and looked around. Wouldn't you know, after 4 stores, we found a set we both really liked, at JCPenny. We decided to buy the set because we loved it, and it was on sale! Now Hubby wants to get the bedroom painted before we move the new furniture in, and we might as well paint our bathroom while we are at it. But...our walls are terrible and need to be sanded down... and we still have STUFF in our bedroom that has to come out if we are going to sand or paint.... so, this week we are going to be living upstairs in the guest bedroom while we pack up stuff and move all our clothes into the dining room I guess. Anyhoo, since we both work all week, things are going to be crazy around here. It will be nice to have a new bed and new furniture. The set we have been using was 'rescued' from someone else that had gotten a new bedroom set.

See? Its just one thing after another. Life gets busy, and before you know it- months have gone by. Oh! If I forgot to mention, I have a job now! I am waitressing at a little mom and pop diner in Dorothy. I really enjoy it. It's got that small town feel, with all the regular customers. It's not rocket science and it keeps me moving... which is pretty much the only exercise I get, but it's doing the trick! I only work about 20 hrs, 4 days a week, but I'm hoping to cut back to 3 days once they hire someone else. I like working, but my housework does suffer. And I don't have time for my scrapbooking either anymore, which is bad because fun pictures keep piling up!

Anniversary Cruise

2008-03-30T22:17:00.004-04:00

We had a great time on the cruise- a relaxing vacation. It was so beautiful! The water was 10 different shades of blue and the islands smelled wonderful with all the flowers in bloom. We left out of Ft. Lauderdale. It was a 5 day cruise and it stopped one day in Georgetown, Grand Caymen and one day in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. This was an anniversary/my 30th birthday present, and we had so much fun. I had a minor panic attack while trying to snorkel, but other than that, it was a great trip. Yes, for those of you who know me, I actually went snorkeling! As in, ALL the way in the water! I clung to a life ring and my life vest for dear life and after a while I was enjoying myself. And yes, I know how to swim, I just DON'T LIKE to. It was worth it though. I have always wanted to do it, I was just a big fraidy-cat. The water was a bit murky in Jamaica but we still got to see some really pretty fish, lots of different kinds of coral and that funky sea cucumber. For those of you who haven't cruised before, you should try it!! It really is a great deal (if you shop for deals and go in the off season), the food is gourmet, the views are spectacular and you don't have to keep packing and unpacking. I had everything in my head that I wanted to blog about, but life gets busy and I didn't have time to post.

Ft. Lauderdale

2008-03-30T21:41:00.003-04:00

We stayed at Scott and Lisa Rochons for a few days after our cruise. It is so beautiful in Florida this time of year! It was so nice to wear shorts and sandals!

Auntie's Helper

2008-02-14T00:35:00.015-05:00

I am still editing and uploading pictures from my all-too-brief trip to CA. ChubChub is growing up so fast! He was more than willing to help me out in the kitchen... I can't imagine why!

Mom and I tried to give the boys haircuts one day. I am surprised that more little kids don't have bowl cuts! They squirm and wriggle like you wouldn't believe!! I never thought a haircut could be so much work! The sucker was a huge help. I have a new appreciation for little kids with haircuts. Hats off to you moms that do-it-yourself.

These are my favorite little guys!! I miss them like crazy.

Catching Up

2008-02-12T09:44:00.000-05:00

It has been forever since I posted last, apologies all around! Hubby and I celebrated our first anniversary in January! To celebrate, we left sunny NJ and I went with him on a business trip down to Atlanta, GA. It snowed while we were there. Unbelieveable. I think cold weather follows me around on purpose for some reason. When I moved to NJ last February, they said it was the coldest winter they'd seen in a long time. When Hubby and I went to Italy several years ago, they said that it was the coldest it had been in 60 years because of some Siberian winds. Now we head to the South, to the center of a drought, and get snowed on! It was beautiful, and it cleared the streets because it scared the locals. We had a fabulous dinner in the little town of Newnan where we were staying. I had roasted elk, and fried green tomatoes! When in Rome... right? After Hubby finished his work we spent a day sightseeing in Atlanta. Since it was about 25 degrees, we didn't do much. We did however visit the World of Coca Cola. It was so much fun! Check out there website and visit if you are ever in the area. The best part was that they had free samples at soda fountains of Coke products from around the world. Some were disgusting, but some were really tasty, like Vegita Beta from Japan, and Bibo -the bright yellow Pine Nut candy soda from South Africa. They also had a lot of memorabilia and history of Coke, and a 4D movie about how they put happiness in every bottle. Hubby was convinced that they suck the moisture out of the building so it makes you really thirsty. I wouldn't put it past them. They also had a working mini-bottling factory that you could watch every step of. It was facinating and they said they produced enough bottles on site to supply the free sample bottles that each visitor gets and for their gift shop/cafe. We were impressed! Hubby said that Tim Ruga is a huge Coke fan, so we'll be sending our sample bottles in a Coke-care-package to Malawi.

A Day No Mice Would Die

2008-01-06T17:02:00.000-05:00

Was not today. After many days of being tormented with snap traps licked clean without being sprung, and several days of empty sticky traps, today was the day we found our little friend. The bad part was that he was actually kind of cute. Little gray fellow with a white stripe on his head. Not at all the menacing creature I expected to find. But it was very sad to see his feet stuck on a sticky trap and him trying desperately to get free. If it weren't for Hubby's aversion to mice I would have called him to dispose of the poor thing so I wouldn't have to see it suffer. Can you tell I miss all of the pets we had? I would have put him in a cage and kept him, but Hubby would have been grossed out. So, we made a compromise. I would 'take care' of the live mouse in the cupboard, and he agreed to dispose of any and all arachnoids in the house from now on. So without a good reason to have him boil water, I had him empty the upstairs trash while I took care of things. I don't think I've ever had to kill a small animal on purpose. Well ok , I did shoot at a few squirrels but I don't think I ever actually killed any of them. So anyhoo, I packaged the little guy up in an opaque bag and into the big garbage bag with Hubby then promptly took out. A sad day, but hopefully the last we see of mice droppings. Ew.

Sick, Again

2008-01-04T04:39:00.000-05:00

I am so tired of being sick. I had a hacking cough for most of December and now it looks like Hubby and I both have bad colds. My face and head feels like I had a run in with a cinder block while I was asleep. It is not pretty when both of us are sick, it's downright lousy. We both stay in our pj's all day, and neither of us feel like doing anything. So, the cereal bowls begin piling up. Real healthy when you're sick, but I am not in the mood to cook, and he isn't exactly volunteering to do it either. I want my mommy! Mom's are the best when you're sick. They always know which drugs to give you and take great care of you. Oh man, what am I going to do when we have kids and I get sick?? Is there a pre-plan for that?!

Our New Years was good. We went to Erika's for a dinner party, ate great food, played some Scattagories and chatted it up with friends. Then we stopped by Mark and Andrea's where a YP's bash was in full swing. The adults were playing a game called CatchPhrase, which has a handheld electronic thingy that you pass around the room. It randomly comes up with words in particular categories and you have to make your team guess the word. Kind of a cross between verbal Pictionary and Taboo. It was hilarious, and a blast to play! For anyone that likes Pictionary, look into this game- its perfect for large groups. So then we headed home, being the old people that we are. We arrived home just in time to see the ball drop, then we fell asleep. Wahoo. That was our evening.

Hubby is taking me down to Atlanta for our Anniversary! He has some work to do for JohnR down there, but then we'll have a little relaxation time. AND..... I booked another trip back to CA! I am so excited. I miss the boys so much! The problem is fitting in time to see everybody while I'm there. I'll be there 1/29- 2/6.

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-30T09:33:00.000-05:00

Whew~ What a whirlwind past few weeks, and it's still going! Lots of company over, lots of invitations out. It has been fun, but a little exhausting. Cookies, did I mention all the cookies I've made? I even tackled Mom's famous Almond Roca! And like she has discovered, next year that's all I'm going to make! People love it and it is exceedingly easy to make! It was really weird not being at Burbank Conference this year, but we hope to be able to go next year. I had 10 people seated around our table Christmas Eve and it was so much fun. Did I mention I love to cook? :) Hubby's sister and her family were up from Florida and so his whole family came to dinner (just missing Jen who went to CA).

We even had our own little holiday party here. Pete and Niki were visiting from Iowa and the 4 of us girls got together again. We had a blast. We saw the idea in a magazine to have an 'Ornament Party', in which each guest brings an ornament as a gift for each of the other guests. It was a really cool idea! We only served hor'dourves, which even ended up being way more than we could eat. Erika brought an amazing Goat cheese and leek tart, amongst other things, and Darrah made bacon wrapped scallops and priscutto wrapped asparagus. All of us watched the movie "The Christmas Story" about Ralphie and his Red Rider BB Gun. Then, since the guys had a football game coming on at 8pm, we left to go to Darrah's next door. We changed into pj's, roasted marshmallows over the stove, played Scrabble and generally clowed around. So much fun!

I tried to make Christmas cards this year! Yea for the effort, but I didn't get around to nearly as many as I wanted to send out!! So some of you may be getting them in the days to follow, consider them as early MLK Jr. Day greetings. So for everyone out there,,, here is the official Photoshop-ed picture for 2007. Yes, that is our condo in the background.

We got snow!

2007-12-09T19:37:00.001-05:00

I know it sounds crazy, but it's still a novelty for me ok?! It officially feels like winter. Granted it only lasted for two days, but it was really cool. (I learned something cool... if you put your wipers up, they wont freeze to the window!) I have been sick for the past 2 weeks and have been feeling miserable. After 2 trips to the doctors office, and about $100 copays and meds, I am finally feeling better.

Mom, John and Jaime were here for Thanksgiving. It was so good to have them here! Mom did the turkey because whole birds gross me out. Everything turned out great, we took them sightseeing in Philly, Lancaster and DC. But the night before we left for DC Hubby twisted his ankle, so he stayed home, and I was sick by the time we got down there and ended up staying in the hotel all day. We went to a really quaint restaurant in Alexandria called the Gadsby Tavern. George Washington actually frequented there!

We went to Hubby's work Christmas party last night and had fun! Tomorrow we are having a cookie baking party at Erika's! Tis the season.

Catalogue Clutter

2007-11-28T10:08:00.000-05:00

For those of you who receive 4 or more catalogs a day in the mail, this website is for you! Check out catalogchoice.org. It is a free service, and once you give them your name(s) and address you can select the magazines you want to unsubscribe from. Fantastic. I saw this on the morning news one day and decided to sign up. They say it takes about 10 weeks for it to take effect, but still, if there is a hope of unclogging the mailbox I'll jump at it. Save a stack of the catalogs you want to delete, because there are literally hundreds to choose from and I forgot which ones I actually get, and some of them ask for the 'customer number' on the back of the catalog.

Ratatouille Screening Party

2007-11-16T19:25:00.001-05:00

The three of us thought that a wine and cheese party was the perfect compliment to a cute movie about food in Paris! We had great fun finding different kinds of cheese, along with and crackers and wine. We also had grapes and apples to go with it. Oh, and we had sushi... just because we like sushi too. We dimmed the lights, unfurled our cloth napkins and watched this really cute movie about a lovable rat who has a passion for cooking. I highly recommend the movie. I have a shameless habit of turning the silliest little thing into an excuse to have a party, but we have fun!

Life Is A Gift

2007-11-13T17:11:00.000-05:00

Today before you say an unkind word -
Think of someone who can't speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food -
Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife -
Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion.

Today before you complain about life -
Think of someone who went too early to heaven.

Before you complain about your children -
Think of someone who desires children but they're barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep -
Think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive -
Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job -
Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another -
Remember that not one of us is without sin and we all answer to one MAKER.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down -
Put a smile on your face and thank GOD you're alive and still around.

Wake up cat

2007-11-11T19:44:00.000-05:00

I saw this on Yahoo video. I don't normally peruse YouTube and such, but I was cracking up at this one. Anyone who has had a kitty can relate! This one is for you Dobug!

I tried putting the actual video on my blog but couldn't make it work, so here is the link.

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=1322921&fr=yvmtf

Mearns-Kilcup Wedding

2007-11-07T15:38:00.000-05:00

We were just at Calista's wedding this past weekend. It was a beautiful wedding. The bride looked radiant, the flowers were amazing, the food was delicious, and the company superb. Peter and Nicole were there and it was really good to see them. All in all, we had a blast. It was a semi-formal wedding, so we were all too eager to dress up! Husbands grudgingly complied. After that Hubby and I drove down to North Carolina so he could do some computer work for John's business. The drive was spectacular.

If any of you haven't seen fall on the east coast, I highly recommend it. The colors are simply stunning. Fall is now my favorite time of year. If I can remember to take my camera outside, I will try to get some pictures. There wasn't much 'fall' to speak of in California, so I really appreciate it here. The weather is cooling off, so we have our fireplace going in the evenings. I have been baking pumpkin and apple pies, pumpkin bread, mulling cider on the stove, etc. LOVE IT! Poor Hubby has also had to endure all the fall leaves and floral arrangements that are popping up around the house. And it's time to get all those scarves and sweaters out of storage! Yea! My closet was officially rotated last week.

Las Vegas

2007-11-07T15:13:00.000-05:00

Hubby went to a computer conference in LV and I got to go with him! We did a lot of sight seeing and got to see Hoover Dam. It is truly amazing if any of you get the opportunity to see it. I flew from NV to CA for a few days while Hubby was in class. It was so good to see my family! I miss my grandparents especially, and was thankful I got to spend some time with them. I also got to see Sara and Aubrey, and she is growing up so fast!

Jacob's First Birthday

2007-11-07T15:03:00.001-05:00

Chub-Chubs is now 1 year old!! I am so thankful I was able to be there for his first birthday party. He is getting cuter all the time, and I miss seeing him grow up! I gave Big Brother a set of walkie talkies as an early b-day present for him so he wouldn't feel too left out. We had great fun playing hide and seek with them after the party.

Josh and Amy's Wedding

2007-11-07T14:21:00.000-05:00

I finally have some pictures to post! Here is a slide show of the wedding, and of course..... my nephews!!

Shiny

2007-10-11T10:53:00.000-04:00

I got my first piece of Otis B jewelry and I love it! I had been looking for a nice pearl bracelet for a while and till I saw this really cute one on Darrah's website, and saw that she has slashed her prices! Her jewelry is fresh, flirty and stylish. I'm not really the jewelry type, but I like to have a few really nice pieces. All of her creations are made with semi-precious stones, so they really are high quality, not just beads on a string. My sister in law recognized her work right away, "Is that one of Darrah's? It is so cute!" Click here for her website, or I have it listed under my links.

Busy Bees

2007-10-11T08:26:00.000-04:00

It has been forever since I posted anything and I'm feeling guilty, especially since there has been so much going on that I could post about. At the end of September I flew to AZ for Josh and Amy's wedding. It was beautiful, she was beautiful, and everything went smoothly. I still haven't gotten around to editing the pictures yet. I got to spend time with family, and it was so good to see all of them. My nephews seem to be getting cuter by the day and I miss them so much!

So I got home on a Monday, and that Thursday my sister flew out here! I figured she wasn't in school or working and deserved a break from packing, so why not come see me? She is here for 2 weeks or so, and we have been kicking around. She now knows how boring my life really is, and how quickly the days can fill up with meaningless little tasks. How sad is this - I saw 2 tractor-trailer accidents this week and I thought that was incredibly exciting. Ug.

Two weekends ago, Do, Erika and I drove down to DC for their picnic. It was very small this year because there was a wedding in NJ at the same time, but we had a good time regardless. It was good to get a chance to just sit down and chat with people we don't get to see too often. Do's beau Craig was able to meet us there too, since he has been working in Virginia for the past few months. (Yes, this was part of the ploy to get my sister to come out and stay with me) Then we went to the DC meeting on Sunday.

On a sad note, we had a goodbye dinner for Peter and Nicole. He got a job in Iowa and we found out they were moving. We had a great time at Applebees, not talking about moving, and giving them "un-birthday" gifts, and by Friday they were gone. Us girls are going to miss Nicole terribly. She was part of our transplant club! (Wives who married men in Dorothy and moved here from somewhere else) She is always a beacon of love and cheerfulness. She is the type of person you want around if you are having a bad day, becuase she can always bring out the best in a situation, and she is sooo much fun to hang out with. Hopefully they come back to visit often, Iowa is lucky to have her back.

This past weekend, Hubby and I took Do and Craig up to Lancaster, PA and toured around Amish country. The shops are amazing, and the countryside is spectacular. The leaves are just starting to turn here. Driving on meandering roads, leaves floating down around you, hearing the clop clop clop of passing horse and buggy, seeing the tractors in the fields, looking at the quilts hanging over fences... ~sigh~ I love Amish country. We did the touristy thing and took a guided tour of an old order Amish house, and learned more about their way of life. Did you know that Amish women hold their dresses together with straight pins? They think it was because there used to be a shortage of buttons, and you can pin as fast as you can button anyway so why bother with extras? I wonder if there is some poor Amish girl that is as klutzy as I am? She probably has pin prick marks all over her. My sister bought a beautiful wall-hanging quilt that is in shades of blue. Hubby and I bought a hutch! We had a bit of difficulty bringing it home but we finally got it here and in good condition.

This coming weeking Hubby and I are headed for Las Vegas. He has a work seminar for the week and I am flying from Vegas to CA to spend a few more days with family. It's Jacob's first birthday too! I am so excited I can be there for the party!! Hubby and I will have a few days for sightseeing too, so we booked an airplane tour of the Grand Canyon and a walking tour of Hoover Dam (Hubby hasn't seen either yet). He also is excited to go see a Lance Burton show. So hopefully, we will have a fun, safe time!

Storage galore

2007-10-11T08:24:00.000-04:00

We got a new hutch for the dining room! I am tickled pink, and Hubby actually really likes it too. We got it in Lancaster County. I don't think its made by the Amish because we didn't pay that much for it. But it's the style we like and it looks very sturdy, so we were ok with it. It has lots of cupboard and drawer space and even has a board that you can pull out for even more counter space.
How perfect for football nights! This will keep them out of my kitchen :) I am waiting till we can semi-secure the top piece to the bottom piece before putting things in it. Of course my first reaction is to bolt everything down and secure it to the wall so it wont budge. Hubby has to keep reminding me that there are no major earthquakes in Jersey. Oh yeah. No wonder I couldn't find Quake Putty in any stores around here! It is helpful to secure things when you have kids flying around the house though.

Here is something else I found that I really liked. If you have a muffin pan sitting around, fill it with potpourri and tea lights. It looks and smells like fall.

Beautiful Days and ER Visits

2007-09-13T20:31:00.000-04:00

The weather has been absolutely perfect here lately. Blue skies, puffy white clouds, highs in the 70's and low humidity. D, LG and I went to this 'new' park I found to feed the geese. (Note the huge swan too in the one picture) The park is not really new, but it's new to us! I saw it on the map and went hunting for it one day. It is a beautiful lake surrounded by lush green trees and grass. It even has a sand volleyball court and a covered eating area. You can even fish there, just can't go out on the water. It's accessed off a minor road and surrounded by trees. If you weren't looking for it you would drive right by and never know it was there. Therefore, it is deserted most of the time and it looks like the transients haven't discovered it yet!! Yippee!!

In other news, we made a trip to the emergency room last night. Hubby has been working really hard lately and has been stressed. His company is splitting into two separate companies and it is apparently a nightmare. Hubby's job is secure but his work load has doubled for the time being. He is trying to handle the logistics of the split and make sure that both companies will have working computers, databases etc. So, he has been a little stressed.

Anyhoo... we went to my in-laws for dinner and got home around 9. He mentioned he hadn't been feeling well, and when I took his BP he said it was low for him. When he laid down for bed at 11 or so he said his chest was feeling tight, he couldn't take deep breaths and started feeling dizzy. He said felt like he was going to pass out so we decided to go to ER. I was thinking it was anxiety or stress related, and that would probably explain the shortness of breath, dizzy, feeling faint etc, but the tightness in the chest was a little disturbing. We spent the night in a noisy ER, listening to angry people yell at the receptionist about the wait and how they weren't being seen because they weren't white, yada yada yada. The staff was very kind and considerate in spite of being abused. It was very odd to sit back and watch, to feel so powerless - to be on the 'other side' of the equation for once. They ran an EKG, took chest x-rays and did some blood work.

Bottom line, his heart is in great shape. The doctor thought that it might have been his reflux that caused the tightness in the chest/stomach area. He is supposed to follow up with his regular doctor, get a complete physical and go to a stomach specialist. He had a bleeding ulcer a few years ago, and it seems like stress may have aggravated an already weak spot. We finally got home at 5:30 this morning. Long night, tense at times, but we made it through. Thank the Lord that Hubby is going to be ok. Today was a beautiful day too. Drove with the sunroof open.

Got curtains?

2007-09-09T17:03:00.000-04:00

I finally have living room curtains! Gone are the plastic vertical blinds. It took a week or two to find the right color combination. I would buy them all over town, bring them home and pin them to the wall so Hubby could see what I was 'seeing in my head'. Then back to the store they would go if he didn't like them. Finally I think we found a winner. It looks so much more 'home-y' now!

The Perfect Fitting Jeans

2007-09-07T09:28:00.000-04:00

I was reading Diagonally Parked's blog and checked out the website that she found called zafu.com. It is a fantastic site for all of us who are not built exactly like the models they fashion clothes for. I would love to take a good look at the woman they supposedly create size 10 clothes for. Anyway, you can find jeans, pants and BRAS!! You put in your measurements, and problem areas and they search for the best fitting product for your body type, and tell you where you can find it. Wahoo! Thanks Rebekah!

Expansion issues

2007-09-06T21:09:00.000-04:00

Good news, my black molly fry are growing like weeds. Still very cute, but I think we're down to about 4 I think. This evening, Hubby noticed a little pale object that looked suspiciously like a baby fish. Oh brother. Yep, that's what it was! We had noticed that one of the yellow mollys was really fat this past week. I thought she was just pigging out at feeding time. Yes, I have apologized. Upon closer inspection, she is down to normal size, and there are tiny yellow fry popping there heads out of the rocks. What am I going to do with these fish?! It's not like I can catch the little buggers. I guess I'll wait to see if they survive, then deal with I then.

On another note, we have Amish Friendship Bread being passed around here. As any of you that have been a part of it know, once you get tagged you have bread starter coming out your ears. And you have a hard time giving it all away! So, I've been trying to find a way to make regular bread with the starter instead of the sugary yummy bread it's supposed to make. I tried to make rolls substituting the starter for the yeast/milk starter recipes call for, but the rolls didn't rise. Hockey pucks to be exact. Following the Amish bread instructions, once you mix the ingredients you put it right in the oven, without having to knead it, or let it rise. So the fermenting process is different from when you use yeast, but I'm not sure if that necessarily means that the normal bread ingredients have to change. Can't I just substitute starter for starter? Today I used the starter from Day 6 of the 10 day cycle. I'm going to wait til Day 10 to try it again. The only problem is that if you follow the Amish bread instructions, you end up with about 5 cups of starter. Grrrr. I suppose there is plenty of it... I'll just go by trial and error. Unless someone has some suggestions...

Rock On Baby

2007-09-03T16:35:00.000-04:00

This is my best friend's daughter. The look on her face is classic. What a cutie! and I love the shirt!

Small Fry

2007-08-31T22:22:00.000-04:00

I finally got my tank set up after all these months! It's been up for about 3 weeks and my casualty rate is about 25%. Freshwater fish are a lot cheaper so it's not so bad. Apparently, our city adds a lot of phosphate to our water supply so it is reeking havoc on the pH and other stuff I obviously don't understand. I have been taking water samples to Petsmart every other day to get tested because I don't trust my wimpy little test strips. After a week of topsy-turvy chem tests I finally got them leveled out, but my water will be cloudy for another few days. So, I brought home 5 new fish on Thursday! Two of which are the black mollies. On Friday, I noticed tiny black baby fish! Wahoo! How fun is this?! Because I have larger rocks on the bottom, they are able to hid in the crevasses, under the larger rock, and in the little sunken ship. I am tickled pink! My husband...not so much. He does get upset when they die though. Recently, however, he took pleasure in flushing 2 trouble-makers that were biting chunks out of the other fish. I know I have been a delinquent blogger... but you know... life happens.

Trip to the city

2007-07-28T01:03:00.000-04:00

Today we took an all-girls trip to Philly. The 4 of us girls are related by marriage- our husbands are all cousins. I moved from CA, E from Idaho- then DC, N came from Iowa, and D is from northern Jersey. Now we live less than an hour apart (D lives next door), and we see each other at least once a week. I am so thankful for their friendship. They are amazing women that are fun to hang out with and interesting to talk to. We have spent time with each other in pairs on many occasions, but this is the first time all 4 of us went out together.

D used to live and work in Philly so she knew her way around really well. We took the train in, and our first stop was to an upscale boutique that she used to work at. Whew~ I was breathing air over my price range, but I politely sipped my champagne and munched on my biscotti and watched everyone else ooo and aah over things. We finally found the 'pricey' dresses upstairs and I saw this hat that seemed to be shouting my name. Had the price not been so close to a mortgage payment, I would have been tempted. So, we settled for trying things on and prancing around. Then we wandered around and did a little shopping, before settling into a quaint sidewalk cafe named Rouge overlooking Rittenhouse Square. The food was delicious, and the experience... positively divine. Before calling it a day we took a taxi over to Fabric Row off South St. Keren you would have loved it! It's just like LA except it's much smaller. I even found a shop that sells feathers and silk flowers! Nothing near the Millinery Supply store, but enough to get me by. What fun we had walking the streets, talking, laughing and having an all around good time just being girls.

Six Months

2007-07-23T08:41:00.000-04:00

I can hardly believe it, but Friday was our 6 month anniversary! Wow. Time flies by. I hate to admit I really had no idea, until a bouquet of roses was delivered to the house. Hubby had said he wanted to take me out to our favorite restaurant after his soccer game, but I didn't put 2 and 2 together. He can be so incredibly sweet! It was a nice surprise. Why is it that no one tells you how hard marriage is BEFORE you get married? Everyone tells you how great it is, and how nice it is to spend your life with someone. But they leave out that you lose a little part of yourself, life is a constant compromise, you can't just do whatever you want -your actions involve someone else too now, you disagree often, you have to share your toothpaste, you have to re-learn how to make sandwiches, (in some cases) you have to cope with not being able to see your family on a regular basis, and you are tired ALL the time. Yes, there are many positives, and Hubby's incredible sense of humor has helped a lot, but really people.... do your friends a favor and tell them marriage is HARD WORK and to be taken seriously. It's not just something you do just because you like someone and you think that it's the obvious 'next step' in your life. I love being married to this wonderful man, but marriage takes daily maintenance.

I end up doing this!

2007-07-14T10:59:00.000-04:00

Click on the comic to see it better.