Getting Better

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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