Here We Go Again...

That's My Girl!

2009-10-08T13:21:00.002-04:00

For the second year in a row my niece Anna Kathleen has made the cut! She is just too stinkin' cute!

Anna in Parenting 2008

Anna in Parenting 2009

Coasters and Burp Clothes

2009-10-04T22:06:00.003-04:00

I actually have a lot of things to blog about. Joel and I have been super super busy! When are we not? But I thought I would do a quick post to show you all something I made recently!

I recently took a stab at making quilted coasters for my secretarys birthday gift. Sue always makes me something for my birthday. In the past she has made me two sets of earings and my last birthday she made me a beautiful bracelet. I wish she sold her stuff online so you guys could all enjoy it. I actually had her make me a pair of pear earings to match a necklace my husband bought me. :-) She is so talented. She even made jewlery for a whole bridal parties. The cool thing she also does is makes the boxes she puts the jewlery in. Se is a skilled lady at origami and makes beautiful boxes for her masterpieces.

This year's bday present

Last year's bday present.

The earings she made me to match my necklace.

Here are the coasters....

I also made some burp clothes for my friends baby (the one I made the quilt for)! These were fun to make. I'm not happy because the set is not all pink. I ran out of time and wanted to do pink ribbon, but I made a purple one made a long time ago, so I just threw it in there. They are so easy and fun to make and are great gifts.

I've always thought about making some blog posts tutorials on how to make some of the things I'm venturing into. I love how other people blog about their creations and share how to do it. However, like the way I cook, I look at the directions and then wing it myself. :-)

Elementary Days

2009-09-01T09:56:00.002-04:00

Everyone seems to be reconnected with their friends on Facebook. I've found old High School friends, College friends I've lost touch with, and even friends I've made through other church connections. But recently, I've been receiving friend requests from my Elementary School friends. It has been awesome. I moved after Bloomfield, NJ when I was going into 7th grade. So I actually was able to graduate from Elementary School there and then move NY for middle school. Back then I kept in touch with a few which then dwindled down to one. Last week there was a Brookdale Elementary School reunion about 40 minutes away from where we live now. So, spontaneous me (hahah) decided I should go and see everyone. We had a great time. We talked for hours and reminisced about teachers, kids we haven't seen for a while, funny things, softball games, birthday parties, and of course what we were doing now. I'm looking forward to seeing them all again.

The Girls

Class of 1995...atleast those that showed up :-)

Now for funny pictures of me in Elementary School...

My softball days

Me and my favorite teacher, Ms. Booth

My best friend Anna from Elementary School's wedding Last September

My attempt at creativity!

2009-08-26T15:27:00.009-04:00

For a while now I've been baking and cooking for fun. I love it and it's relaxing for me. I love cooking for other people. It is fun to do things for people that I know they will enjoy and especially make their bellies happy. I've recently been trying to get a little more creative with my cooking, but especially with my baking. In the past I've made several cakes for my nieces' and nephew's birthday parties, which has been really cool. My niece always has special requests. :-)

Eliza's 2nd Birthday - M & M Butterfly Cake

Eliza's 3rd Birthday Party at the Carousel in Central Park - Carousel Cake

Hudson's 1st Birthday - Number 1

Just recently, my very good friend was having her god daughter's dedication and wanted to do cupcakes for the party after. She was worried she wouldn't have time etc, so I offered to do it for her. I made 60 cupcakes, but not just any cupcakes...marshmallow flowered cupcakes. They were so much fun to make. It took me about 5.5 hours from start to finish. AHH...but how cute are they???

People at the party loved them so much that someone asked my friend if I would make them for a baby shower the next weekend and they would pay me! WOOHOO...So I made more cupcakes for the next weekend. So much fun :-)

Hungry now?

The Search is on!!

2009-08-11T15:54:00.006-04:00

Since my beloved Dog Cosmo went to doggie heaven the end of June, the debate has been about how long to wait before you get another dog. How long is the grieving process? Is there a dog code? Is this like how long do you have to wait to date again after a break up? (good thing I don't have to worry there)

Putting my dog down was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. He was getting old and losing weight rapidly on top of other on going medical issues. We had to take care of him in the most humane way possible, even though it meant losing him. My parents and Joel stayed in the room with Cosmo till the bitter end. I cried for days after that.

Cosmo was my first dog. We bought him when I was a freshman in High School. We took him home from the breeder on Valentine's Day 1998. My mom, brother, and I all shared him. We shared the love, the responsibility, and the vet bills. Even though he was an expensive little guy he was part of our family and anyone who has lost a dog knows that when you lose a pet it leaves a big hole in your heart.

It's been about two months since then and my husband is constantly sending me links to different dogs. My family is pretty allergic to animals so that really limits our choices and we could never get a dog from the pound because they are never hypoallergenic. :-( but the pound does break my heart.

So the doggy search is on! I have no idea if we are ready for a new dog. I keep telling Joel we can look after we go to Ocean City or after another event is suppose to happen. I guess there is no good time, so we might as well bite the bullet. I once had a friend say, referring to another couple, that a dog is not a good idea as a first child. I beg to differ! Bring on the pooch!

I made the count down as of four days prior to this post because that's really when Joel and I started emailing some sites and people about their dogs. I'm also secretly looking for a dog for my parents as they miss Cosmo so much and are not keen at this point about another dog. But I know I can win them over with some cute little guy!

So we shall see...We'll keep you posted.

Quilting!

2009-07-24T10:06:00.006-04:00

Well it seems like my friends just keep having babies! It's so exciting! :-) Congrats to all the new moms out there and the moms to be. So I ran out of gift ideas and decided to start making quilts! I've crocheted in the past a blanket for my niece when I was in college, but I wanted to do something different.

My mom is part of a sewing class on Wednesday nights here at work which is a perfect time because the Hubby places basketball every Wednesday night! And what a perfect mother daughter bonding time! (brownie points please) My wonderful friend Pam is having a little girl the end of August so I decided to make her a quilt. Check it out! :-)

Close Up!

The Front

The back

The quilt!

Here is a beautiful quilt my mom made for my Aunt's birthday. My Aunt Brenda loves butterflies.

Kettles can be fun!

2008-12-11T23:00:00.002-05:00

Goal: Raise $100.00 in an hour

Prize: Walter will do a little dance.

Hey...whatever it takes. Go Walter and Lila!!!

The Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

2008-11-30T21:12:00.003-05:00

The Jonas Brothers perform at the Dallas Cowboys Halftime show on Thanksgiving day kicking off The Salvation Army Kettle Campaign. Not a huge fan of the Jonas Brothers, but it was still pretty cool that they did this for the Army! Woohoo

Best Commercial Ever...too cute...

2008-11-17T14:05:00.002-05:00

It's a girl!!!

2008-04-17T14:46:00.008-04:00

My sister-in-law Lori gave birth to my beautiful niece. I'm an aunt again for the 5th time!! Anna Kathleen Russell came into this world on April 15th at 1:39 pm. She weighed 6 lbs 2 ozs and was 18 inches long. She's is just adorable and such a sweetie. I was able to hold Anna just a few hours after she was born. Welcome baby girl! You have a great name ;-).

Anna Kathleen

Paige & her new sister

Mommy & Paige

Jonathan, Charlie, & Anna

The beautiful family

Papa & Anna

Grammy & Anna

Aunt Kathleen & Anna Kathleen :-)

lovin' her already :-)

He's Here!!!

2008-04-02T19:45:00.009-04:00

My sister Christine had her baby yesterday! I'm an Aunt again! He is so beautiful, little Hudson Edward Pritchard. He was 6 lbs 3 oz & 19 1/4 inches. Joel and I went to the hospital yesterday to hold him. He is so sweet. My niece just adores him. Welcome baby!!

Great Girls Weekend

2008-04-02T19:38:00.004-04:00

This past weekend I went with my friend on a Women's Spa weekend with her church. We had such a great time. We went shopping and caught up on lots of stuff. :-) The Inn we stayed at was really nice. It was so nice to see everyone and get to know them even more. We had devotions every day and ate together. My room stayed up really late every night and had tons of girl talk. :-)

It was a relaxing and great weekend.

(Joel had fun with his guys weekend too :-))

My Sister's Keeper

2008-03-24T16:03:00.004-04:00

I just finished reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. WOW. What an intense book. Ms. Picoult wrote this in such an amazing way, I still can't believe she pulled it off. Each chapter was told by a different person's point of view. It was incredible. I would not recommend this to everyone, it was heavy. But it was all around a great book. I have two other of her books on my shelf waiting to be read. I'll keep you posted.

Synopsis - "Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate - a life and a role that she has never questioned… until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister - and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable… a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves. My Sister's Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life… even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less? "

California (A post that is way overdue)

2008-03-09T15:00:00.008-04:00

Two weeks ago Joel and I went to San Diego to visit my college roommate. Two of my other college friends met us out there. We had so much fun. It was so nice to see everyone. The weather was nice! We crammed as many activities as we could into the time that we were there.

The first day we went to Disneyland the whole day. We saw the parade (day and night) and the fireworks. We hit every ride we wanted to and acted like we were 5 again. I have too many goofy (no pun intended) stories to tell.

The next day we went to California Adventures and Hollywood at night. Honestly, I've been to LA before and its kind of seedy. However, California Adventures was pretty cool. We went on this awesome ride called Soarin'. It made you feel like your were flying over oceans, bridges, deserts and fields. It was so cool. They also had smells "shot" out, so when we were going over the forest it smelled like the most amazing pine.

The next day we went to the beach, Old Towne San Diego, and San Diego city. It was so much fun to be with my friends again and reminisce about the funny things that happened to us in College as well as make memories and funny times with them again.

California here we come!!

2008-02-25T11:55:00.008-05:00

...and we are off!!! Joel and I are leaving for San Diego. We are off to visit my college roommate who moved out there for work. My other two college friends are meeting us there. Big college reunion on the other side of the country!!! I can't wait to see my girls, go to Disney, and other amazing places in San Diego & LA! I LOVE VACATIONS!!!

...I'll post pics when I return from soakin' up the sun!

My Christmas presents are all here!

2008-02-10T16:59:00.004-05:00

Oddly for Christmas I asked for Knives. I know...that sounds really really weird. But I swear that in cooking good meals comes down to knowledge, creativity, and GOOD KNIVES. If you have ever tried to make a meal with a dull knife you know exactly what I'm talking about. So because I just love Rachel Ray (her recipes, mag, & 30 minute meals show, not so much the talk show) I asked for her knives, sharpener, and garbage bowl! My sister normally likes to do presents with a theme, so she did Rachel Ray for me this year. I got the knives and sharpener Christmas day, but the bowl I wanted was on back order till February. The bowl came in and my they brought it over to my house this week!!! My Rachel Ray present is complete!! Thanks!!!

Happy 4th Birthday Charlie!

2008-02-10T16:28:00.000-05:00

Our adorable nephew turned 4!!! Happy Birthday Charlie!!!

My man is 25!!!

2008-02-01T23:18:00.000-05:00

So my hubby turned 25! Can you believe it? I can't because that means I will soon be 25..AHHH! Anyway, Joel's birthday is very close to Christmas so I always try to make his birthday extra special so it doesn't feel like a run on from the holiday. Since Joel's friend Andrew has a birthday two days before him, we often do stuff together and make it a big get together with our friends. So this year 5 or us met in Syracuse and went to a Brian Regan show. We stayed in a two bedroom suite, ate a lot, and had a really good time hanging out and reminising about college. The show was amazing. I laughed so much and so hard I was exhausted after. The weekend was great and it was super awesome to be together with friends and celebrate together.

Joel is truly amazing and I love him to pieces. He is my best friend and my rock. He makes me laugh more than anyone else I know and he is the person I want by my side through it all.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (which was a while ago)....

2008-01-20T21:44:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years was wonderful. Joel and I were surrounded by family and friends and it was truly lovely. As always my mom and I cooked and baked way too much. We are still finishing off baked goods and things like that.

Thanksgiving was fun. It was our first full day back from Europe. While in Europe I was having niece and nephew withdrawal, so I was able to spend time with them just as soon as I got home. We ate so much and watched FOOTBALL (we missed Football so much while we were away)!!

Thanksgiving Pics!

Christmas eve was really nice. We had friends over for food, desserts etc. We sang carols and my dad read the Christmas story. Christmas Day was amazing as usual. It was so much fun to be with everyone and watch people open their gifts and watch the children play and fight over their gifts. :-) Our tree was stuffed (mostly for the kids)!! However, it seems that every year Joel always gets EVERYTHING from his Christmas list. I don't know how he does it. :-) We had our Christmas dinner catered by Nisa (the women who catered my bridal shower). It was incredibly YUMMY!!

Christmas Pics!

In my family, New Years Eve usually consisted of awesome snacks and watching the ball drop on TV as my mom made fun of the people who were actually in Times Square. Every year she tries to convince us that watching it at home is better than being there. Since I've never been there...I don't really have a stand on it. Last year, we had a college reunion at our place for. It was fun and exhausting. This year Joel and I stayed with the fam. We played games, watched movies, watched the ball drop, and ATE. On New Years Day all the family came over. We had a nice dinner and spent a lot of time together.

New Years Day Pics!

(my poor dog)

Well that was basically my holidays. Tons of family and food. It was awesome!!!

.....My next post...Joel's 25th Birthday...

Europe BABY!!

2007-12-22T21:43:00.000-05:00

So I know its been forever since I posted, but my next post just had to be about Europe! Joel and I went to London, Paris, and Scotland. We had the greatest time. We were non stop tourists. We went to London first and spent our time there touring every corner. We stayed with Joel's cousins Scott and Kathy and their two boys Elijah and Caleb. It was so nice to see them and spend some time with them. We were there for about 4 days. From there we headed to Paris. We spent our 2nd Anniversary at the Eiffel tower and walked the Champs Elysse and saw the Arc de Triumpe and Louve at night. We stayed there for about 4 days then headed to Scotland. The history and castles were incredible. I think it was Joel's favorite place. While we were at one of the castles we saw Princess Anne. oooh....Royalty. We also went to Roslyn Castle. Most of you saw it in the movie The Davinci Code at the very end. It was beyond beautiful. The architecture inside and out was beyond belief. We stayed in Scotland at this nice hotel and had an amazing Scottish breakfast everyday. We were in Scotland for about 3 days. After that we went back to London for a couple more days. There is so much to talk about that we saw that it would take up the whole screen. The title of this blog is a link to all my millions of pictures :-). ENJOY!! Here are a few to start you off... (I know there are a lot, but I have so many!!!)

LONDON!!

(Buckingham Palace)

(Westminster Abbey)

(The London Eye...it was awesome)

(Piccadilly Circus)

(Us in front of one of the million museums we went to)

(Entry to the Parliament)

PARIS

(Eiffel Tower)

(Notre Dame)

(Inside Notre Dame)

(Mulin Rouge)

(The Louvre)

(An amazing sugar crepe)

(Sacre-Coeur)

(A PANINI!!!)

SCOTLAND!!

(Edinburgh Castle)

(The lady in the grey dress suit is Princess Anne...we saw royalty)

(Roslin Castle)

(On the Scaffolding of Roslin Castle)

I have a lot of catching up to do in my blog...Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Joel's birthday etc...someday I'll get around to it.

Wicked & Things to Come

2007-11-05T11:45:00.001-05:00

I totally forget I didn’t blog about Wicked…how could I?! So any who…Joel and I had such a good time. It was amazing. I know that sometimes the critics are cheesy and call things magical or whatever. But it really was magical. The scenery hits you as soon as you go into the theatre. It is so detailed and intricate. They didn’t cut any corners. I highly recommended the play. I thought it was amazing how they tied this story in with the Wizard of Oz that we have grown up with. And the talent… OH MY! To be honest, I’m a huge fan of Kristen Chenoweth (the original Glinda), but the girl who played Glinda was phenomenal and did just as well. And whoever played Elphaba was incredible. I’m already dying to see it again!

This past weekend we had a great time watching our nieces and nephew for an overnight sleepover. It was Eliza’s first overnight from home and she did really well. We told her it was a slumber party with her cousins and that seemed to work! The kids were so cute, but needless to say we were exhausted!

Below - Eliza (with Uncle Joel's hat on), Paige, & Charlie playing outside!

On another note, Joel and I are very busy packing for our upcoming trip. We can’t wait. I am a little nervous right now just because we are getting things together. But come Wednesday we won’t be able to contain our excitement. Joel has put together a really awesome itinerary. We are totally booked with sight seeing and tours etc (And shopping …but don’t tell Joel I snuck that in). We will be gone for 2 weeks!!! We are going to London, Paris, & Scotland!! In two weeks we will have been on 5 plan rides all around Europe. We have been very blessed and fortunate to make this possible. While we are in England will be staying with Joel’s cousins who are living over there. We can’t wait to see them!

Joel and I will be coming home the day before Thanksgiving. I can’t miss my favorite holiday! I will blog about the trip when I return. So until then…I hope you all have a wonderful November and a great turkey day!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

2007-10-30T21:21:00.000-04:00

I am so excited! Tonight we are going to see Wicked on Broadway. I can't wait! What an awesome Halloween. The City is going to be crazy!!!! I have been listening to the Wicked CD for months and sing it all the time. I may even shed a tear when it play starts. hahah JK. My wonderful family is making this all possible. When the fire happened they gave us money to go out to dinner and a show to get a way from it all. So finally we are taking them up on their offer.

GO SOX!

2007-10-29T11:34:00.000-04:00

Pumpkin Carving 2007

2007-10-28T22:11:00.001-04:00

It's our second Halloween as a married couple, but our first Halloween that we actually carved pumpkins. I picked the design and Joel carved it out. He thought they were girly designs, but oh well...I thought they were cute! For Halloween we have GREAT plans...but I'll let you know about that soon!

A book I can't put down...

2007-10-23T08:00:00.001-04:00

My Favorites!

2007-10-21T09:21:00.001-04:00

Pics of the Kids from Pumpkin Patch 2007

(Me and my nephew Charlie (age 3))

(My niece Paige (18 months))

(My hubby Joel (with the sun in his eyes) with our niece Eliza (2.5 years old)

me again....

2007-09-26T15:05:00.001-04:00

Ok...so I have not blogged in a while...I'm sorry. In fact, this Blog was written a couple of weeks ago and just never got around to posting it. Life has been so busy and I love it! This summer was a blast. Joel and I went on so many little day trips and outings I can't even remember. We had an amazing time in Maine with my family and a great time with Joel's family in Rockport & Boston for Labor Day. My new love is to travel or do all the little things around my home town I wouldn't typically do.

Joel and I are still planning to go to Europe in November and we can't wait! Just 23 days away We hope to hit Paris, Scotland, Ireland, and will definitley be hitting up most of England! So excited! Nothing like being with your favorite person and getting to learn and see new things together!

Any who...several nights ago (as you would know since that METS are not playing much ball anymore ;-)) Joel and I were given incredible tickets to the Mets game from my brother. They were amazing seats. We also had Diamond Club Access. WOOHOO. I kept the tickets a secret from Joel...all the way up him getting home from work and us having to leave immediatley for the game! We had dinner at the Diamond Club right in Shea Stadium. The game was awesome. First, I got Dunkin Donuts delivered to my seat...that's what I call a sports game! Then, a foul ball hit the chair behind me and I got clobbered by a million guys....but it was still fun. Since the Mets were losing pretty badly, most of the stadium was empty by the 7th innning....oh well we stayed because we believed. The Mets made an amazing comeback attempt. In the bottom of the 9th the Mets were down 10-3, but we had great seats and nothing else to get home to so we stuck it out. With 1 out the Mets scored 6 runs in the 9th making making it 10-9. The crowd was so loud and there was like 10 of us (jk...there was more but it was still empty). It was louder than the the first 8 innings put together. Yes, the Mets lost, but what an amazing game!! To not cause any confusion on where my loyalty stands...I was watching the score board waiting for the F go up next to the Sox game winning it 7-3. GO SOX! As Pete says, "I'm a secondary Mets fan"...but I'm still a fan.

(I can't believe I'm sharing this picture with you all.)

On the way out we went through our little special door for the Diamond Club people. As we were getting on the elevator to go down to our car, Omar Minaya came out. Now let me just say...I didn't know who this guy was but I will never forget him. Joel yelled Omar and he looked at Joel and pointed and winked. Joel was ecstactic. For those of you who don't know he's the Mets General Manager. Joel and I then squeezed onto the very packed elevator. I was trying to push my way in and didn't even realize that I was literally rubbing shoulders with Frank Robinson (hall of famer, triple crown winner - pretty much the man). Joel was in awe. He had this adorable cheesy smile staring at the guy the whole ride.

Needless to say it was just an amazing night!!!!

btw.......GO SOX

Eliza

2007-08-12T19:33:00.000-04:00

Taken on our family vacation in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. I'll post on Maine later. How cute is she!!!???

Food Network

2007-07-12T11:36:00.000-04:00

So it's been a couple years now and I think I have to admit but I love the Food Network. It is actually very entertaining and educational, so don't pick on me. It all started back in the day (College) with Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals. She really kept my attention and made me think that I could cook great meals and have time to enjoy my evening. Then it escalated to Giada's Everyday Italian. I occasionally watch Barefoot Contessa because she's just so darn sweet. Joel and I occasional catch the beginning of the Iron Chef when they tell you what the secret ingredient is - namely for the unintentional comedy. I enjoy watching Unwrapped with Marc Summers. It's interesting to find out about my favorite foods and snacks and how they are made and processed etc. Plus I'm still waiting for him to comeback with Double Dare, but I guess I wont hold my breathe. I just recently just got caught up in the Next Food Network Star. Boy is Alton Brown mean! I'm cheering for AMY (not a fan of any of them really, but if I had tochoose)!

And now it's come to this... ACE OF CAKES!

Who could not like this show? It's got quirky people and Duff, who has the greatest laugh in the world. The funny thing about my obsession with this show is, I HATE cake! At my wedding, Joel and I had our own special Cheese Cake! My fascination with this show is just their skill and creativity to make some of these cakes inall different shapes and sizes and their wit while they make them. It's incredible. I secretly want to work there because it looks like they are having so much fun. I wish I could do that kind of stuff, but I will stick to making my Niece's birthday cake(pic in one of my previous posts), which I think I did amazing on (ifI can say so myself).

(Pics of My wedding Cakes)

Anyway it's no Discovery Channel's Man verses Wild where you learn how to survive alone in the wild.

Which, btw my husband is obsessed with this show because he now thinks he can be dropped off anywhere in the world and survive for days on end with only a knife - he's got a vivid imagination! - And I must admit its pretty cool and the host isn't half bad looking :-), but the Food Network is still educational and fun.

Avenue Q

2007-07-02T11:03:00.000-04:00

Last week I went to see Avenue Q on Broadway in NYC. I had no idea what it was about - I just remembered one of my college suite mates playing the songs over and over again. My sister's friend was in the show. She played the character on the far right, Christmas Eve (that's not her in the picture though). She did a great job and was really funny. The show was hysterical. Some parts were a bit much, but over all the show made me laugh really hard! It was a complete satire on living in the city present day and all that life brings you. The show was definitely not PC at all. :-) Avenue Q used puppets for some of the characters, which you would think would be distracting and weird, but it was funny and the way they did it was very cool and different. It's pure talent to do that kind of thing on stage.

However, the best part of the show was going with my sister....FINALLY, a girls night out! Boy, have I missed those nights!!!

I'm back...I think, well at least for now!

2007-06-19T21:19:00.000-04:00

Ok, I know it's been a long time since I blogged. So here I go.....

Life has been interesting but fun! Joel and I moved out of our apartment and are very happy about that. We are currently crashing with the rents and trying to buy something or waiting till the Lord tells us what He wants us to do, wherever that may be.

I know I haven't blogged, but I've enjoyed reading all your blogs. Blogging is insane though. If you don't blog people get curious, they tell you to update :-), or they kick your off their links on their page....hahaha. Anyway, thanks for bearing with me.

With bumping into a lot of people that we haven't seen in a while in the past two weeks, thanks to Congress, we've been asked what's new and what are we up to? Well...I honestly don't know. We are enjoying just being together, doing random things, taking walks (sounds corny, but we do) spending time with the family (mine and Joel's), spending time with our Church and being as active as possible, and of course.....being Aunts and Uncles and loving it! We have 2 beautiful nieces and a handsome nephew! They are 3, 2, & 1 year old! Look what I made for my Niece Eliza's Second Birthday :-)

(pic of the cake and of us with Eliza...or as Joel calls her, Little Lizard)

We do have some exciting news...Joel and I are planning a two week Europe trip in November for our Anniversary and "lets do something awesome for ourselves since the fire really stunk." (which has consumed a lot of us). We are going to visit Joel's cousin in England and travel all over England, Scotland, and France. We are so excited! I'll definitely post on that.

Last Sunday we went to Joel's cousin's corps and held the flags for their baby's Dedication. It was so nice to see this commitment that the parents made, as well as the family to participate in the spiritual growth of this beautiful baby, Benjamin Joel. Benjamin is truly a blessing and a miracle. Over the winter we helped Jenny and Samuel (the parents) set up the room and the house for this new blessing (that's another thing we were up to :-))

(Me and Benjamin Joel the day he was born) (Jenny, Samuel, and Benjamin at
the Dedication)

The Month of May was crazy for us. We had both of our Niece's birthday parties, Youth Councils, Chris' college graduation in Boston, & 3 Weddings; among other things.

My tribute to May....

So I hope this is a good recap...(is this ok Allison?) :-)

New Obsession?

2006-11-06T20:05:00.000-05:00

My new obsession is not clothing, shoes, purses, or anything girly (it can't be new it's my current one). BUT...my possible new obsession is DVR. We just got cable in our apartment (oh by the way we've been in for about 1 month or so), we had awful satellite, but now we have digital cable!! It's awesome. It helps that our land lady pays for a million movie channels and on demand channels as well, what a perk.

Anyway, as if that wasn't enough, Joel and I discussed the possibility of getting a DVR. We looked into it and it wasn't that much more a month and our land lady had no problem with us getting it. Let me just say how convenient DVR is. It tapes all my daytime shows while I'm slaving away at work. It tapes all my evening shows while Joel and I doing errands or at the corps for some reason or another. After thinking about it...DVR has set us free from our rigid schedules. How pathetic is that? haha

Anyway, its awesome. If you have TIVO you know what I'm talking about. It pauses live TV....WHO DOES THAT?

For My Husband...

2006-10-09T18:09:00.000-04:00

LETS GO METS!!!!!

It's looking like a good post season ahead of us. :-)

Towels

2006-08-26T22:28:00.000-04:00

Who thought towels could be such a major decision? Joel and I spent an hour in Kohl’s the other day trying to pick towels. I was determined that I was not leaving there until we had towels to eventually bring to our new place (and who knows when that will happen). What a major decision on colors and style. Plus, I don't even like bath towels. I use what they call a bath sheet. I need it to cover all of me…not just some of me! None of this half covered stuff.

Anyway, we left Kohl’s at 8:00pm with 4 bath towels, 5 hand towels, 4 wash clothes, and 1 bath sheet!!!! Honestly, the sets are only for company. Who really brings a bath towel, hand towel, and wash cloth every time you take a shower. I'm lucky if I remember if I washed or didn't wash my hair yet that morning while in the shower. Anyway, we have a one bedroom apartment...who will visit? But the display in the bathroom must look nice...as Joel calls them...fancy towels :-)

So what did we pick?....Our bathroom is dark grey and white, so I wanted to add just a touch of color. Then there was the decision of what colors to get. Apparently, matching towels aren't cool (like a set of all blue or all grey, not that cool apparently). So my bath towels had to be different from my hand towels. Also, the wash clothes and the bath towel should match.

We decided that the bath towel color would be a light grey (pewter). After the long decision of what color the bath towel would be, we found out that they didn't have matching wash clothes in stock! AHHHHH.....so we ignored that and started looking for the "other" color. Normal people would go with a blue...so we decided to go with a brighter green to add some color into the room.

In the end we managed to get 5 hand towels (I was wanting 6 just in case...oh well we settled for 5). And low and behold we bought the wash clothes in the green color and we'll just have to suck up the mess up in our wonderful fashionable design of every other color towel.

My soon-to be bathroom colors

(my land lady was upset with her tile choice because it only kind of matches,

but oh well, a shower curtain covers it...the tile is really nice in general :-)

The infamous pewter towels and the infamous palm towels
(the palm towels aren't really that bright, but still bright)

Spontaneous…that’s me…

2006-08-23T19:05:00.000-04:00

Recently, I have lost my will to be spontaneous. I have to have things planned out and organized. I asked Joel to take me out of my comfort zone and make me do things that I would not normally do. Well he rose to the occasion. I get a call last Friday at work asking me what we were doing for the evening. I gave my usual answer..."I don't know...what do you want to do?" And he replies..."Let's go to a Mets game." I immediately panicked inside. The game was in 5 hours, we would need to eat, get gas in the car, figure out how to get there....and we did not even have tickets yet. BUT with all that said, we went!!!

It took us two hours to get to amazing Shea Stadium in wonderful Queens, NY (the word amazing was used for Joel). We got there 15 minutes before the game. I wanted to get there early enough to get our free Pedro shirt at the gate. So, God must have made extra shirts available at our gate to keep me going on this spontaneous thing. We actually got our shirts which definitley came in handy as a blanket for me in those windy nose bleed seats. :-)

We get there and walked all the way up to our section, which I think is the best section...tons of crazy cheap fans :-). When we got there we had to start walking higher up the stadium. We looked at each other and we said, "forget that." We plopped right down in the box seat section of the nose bleeds. The whole time I thought people were going to come and say that we were sitting in their seats...OR...even worse, security was going to walk by us and realize he did not seat us and then kick us out. The first four innings I was a nervous wreck...constantly asking Joel if security was coming towards us. Talk about getting out of my comfort zone! About the 5th inning I began to relax and enjoy myself while I was actually doing something that I don't like...breaking the rules! I'm turning into a rebel! AHHH (I feel like geek more and more these days) :-)

Done anything spontaneous lately?

Mets, Me, and OOB!

2006-08-15T20:00:00.000-04:00

So much has happened in the last 3 weeks. I still think it's all processing in my head. We have had a great summer to say the least. Three weeks ago Pete and Lorinda took us to a Mets game. We had great seats! I think if I yelled a players name they may have actually heard me...probably not turned around, but still - it could have happened. We were in such "special" seats that some one came and took our food order and then had it delivered to us in no time at all. It was so cool. It was living like the other side for a couple hours.

A few days later Joel and I were off to Maine. 6 days of no work was a real treat. The better treat was to be around family (both sides) and having fun with everyone in a different setting. We got to see Joel's parents and brother which we had not seen for a while, so it was nice to catch up and spend some time with them. PLUS, I turned 23! HOLY COW! How old am I?

Now we are back home, catching up on work and starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our apartment is almost ready. Our land lady let us pick our own colors for the place and that was exciting. We saw the colors and they look fantastic! I actually got to decorate the way I wanted it! We are so excited and at the same time a little nervous about what's in store for us. Things are finally starting to fall into some sort of place. We hope to be in there sometime in September, but still aren't holding our breathe.

Mets, Me, and OOB! (cont.)

2006-08-15T19:55:00.000-04:00

The Girls Are Back In Town!!

2006-07-23T10:13:00.000-04:00

My amazing friends came down to NY!!! We had such a blast. Joel was away with his college roommates camping somewhere in PA and my girls came to keep me company while the husband was gone. We had so much fun...late night coffee runs, shopping all day, and as usually our fun trip to NYC.
I miss these girls so much. It made me really miss my college days, but we are all growing up... how sad. Diane is off to law school in the fall and Steph is possibly moving to CA for her career. So crazy. I love these girls. Friends like these girls are hard to come by. Even though we aren't down the hall or even in the same room anymore, we still are as close as ever.
These are pictures of our trip into the city. We were there with the fam and battled the city in the ridiculous heat. Good times ;-)

My Family & The Fourth

2006-07-05T19:34:00.000-04:00

I am so blessed to be close to my family. This year has had a lot of changes and interesting (to say the least) events for me and Joel - and we definitely would not have been able to get through them without our family. About two weeks ago Joel and I said goodbye to his mom and dad who received orders to move to Cleveland, OH as the General Secretary and Program Secretary for the NEOSA Divisions. Although we are saddened and wish it was different timing (for our own personal selfish reasons), we are happy for them and proud of them as their new appointment holds a lot of new challenges and responsibility. We know that they will do well as they go there seeking God's will for the NEOSA Division. We are looking forward to seeing them in Maine in a couple weeks and then venturing out to Ohio for a visit in October - ROAD TRIP!!!

This weekend we spent a lot of time with my family, which means all the siblings together and their 3 adorable kids. We were very fortunate to have my great Aunt Lily spend the 4th with us as well. We ate, ate, and ate some more. It was great! We spent some good quality time playing wiffle ball, playing in the kiddie pool, and breaking our bodies on the Slip & Slide - even though the box says for ages 5 - 12 (which we broke the rule on each end). We won't talk about the injuries I incurred from that thing - OH MAN!

Tuesday night, we sat with my parents and Aunt and watched the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular. It was absolutely incredible. My parents didn't understand why this guy (Steven Tyler from Aerosmith) was on stage, and I couldn't understand why Dr. Phil and his wife ever got the job of hosting the event. All in all the fireworks were awesome. I would love to be on a boat in the Charles River one of these years for the fireworks. What an experience that would be. Over the years I have become more like my father in the way that we get very emotional over patriotic holidays & songs. As I think of all the sacrifices made and those to come I don't think there is a better reaction than complete sincere emotion for our country, its leaders, and our troops. It's a good thing to be sensitive to.

Enjoy the pictures

EBAY makes me happy!!

2006-06-18T21:41:00.000-04:00

This past Christmas (I know it's June) Joel and I decided not to put up a christmas tree, our place was just too small and the only tree we had was a tree my mom handed down to me that was huge (best kind but just not workable :-). It was disappointing, but I had a tree at my parents house and a tree at work, so it was very minimal time without the tree. After Christmas, Joel and I went to the Treasure Island sale and bought a nice tree that will fit nicely in our....well wherever we end up. :-)
I was really looking forward to buying "Our First Christmas" ornament from Lenox. It had to be the best. Well Christmas came and went and I never got my ornament. I thought my chance had gone away. Then the other day I was playing on ebay and I was wondering, maybe someone somewhere is selling one! Sure enough, they were! I bid a couple times and finally won! I was so excited. I hope that ebay doesn't begin to be a very bad habit. :-) Two days ago, my ornament came in the mail, original packaging and all. Just like it said! Woohoo for Christmas excitment in JUNE!

Here it is...(i'm not too into Gold, but its Lenox, and it looks so classy)

My Wallpaper

2006-06-12T18:50:00.000-04:00

Taken 3 weeks before our wedding....

I have this as my wallpaper on my computer. I look at it everyday and smile. Just thought I'd share with you! I love sharing pictures. (not bad for making an easy post either)

books can be enjoyable?

2006-06-08T16:25:00.000-04:00

(Here it goes Allison…)
I've always been forced to read books for school, so much so that even during the summer or vacation picking up a book was just insane. Why would I torture myself...it was like school work again! Once I went to college I was required to read roughly 2 books and various textbook chapters in a week. Something I am totally incapable of. But in college you have no choice but to rise to the occasion. So I did, but not happily. The only time I enjoyed reading for class was in one of my elective classes, Children's Literature. :-) After I graduated college, I started to miss the whole learning experience. I wanted to pick up books that I thought I would just enjoy reading and maybe if I could get that far, I may pick up a book someday that could further my education. I was getting sick of reading what smart guys had to say.

So, I'm proud to say that on the right column of my blog, I have removed three books from my reading list in the last week. I actually read them. I finished my Nicholas Sparks book “Nights in Rodanthe” (one of my favorite authors, what a romantic). Then I read two Mitch Albom books, "The Five People You Meet in Heaven"(my favorite of the two) & "Tuesdays with Morrie." Both good books about life’s lessons taught to us in interesting ways and from different perspectives. When I told people I was reading these books (especially Tuesdays with Morrie), I came to find out that I must have been the only one on earth who had not yet read it, at least that's how it seemed. Anyway, I never thought I would enjoy reading, but I was wrong. I guess it’s never too late to try to enjoy something or give something a second chance.

I've now changed my right column to Books I’m Attempting to Read and Books I’ve Recently Finished (maybe it will push me to read more since people are noticing I'm stuck on the same books all the time....Jonathan!)
;-)

Run Charlie Run

2006-06-02T08:30:00.000-04:00

Just had to share...

My 2 year old nephew Charlie, ran 72 laps around my parent's upstairs. He ran through the kitchen, dining room, and living room with his game face on. He thought he was accomplishing the greatest thing in the world. I laid on the couch while cheering, keeping count of his laps, and admiring his energy. It was a big thing for a kid who just had a busy day with the family and who was up way past his bed time.

It's the small things in life that make me happy!

A Year Gone By...

2006-05-30T10:51:00.000-04:00

A year ago....

...Joel and I graduated from college.
...my niece Eliza was born.
...Joel and I started working in the real world by starting our first full-time jobs.

Two Sundays ago, we celebrated my niece's first birthday! I can't believe the time has gone by so fast. It seems not that long ago that Joel and I were busy planning a wedding. We have now been married for almost 7 months! Time flies when you are having fun! :-)

And in life, some not so enjoyable things have happened. But through it all, we have come to learn (not like we did not know already) that everything just does not go as planned. Apparently we just are not the people that get their cake and eat it too....AND...that's ok! I'm sure we are not alone. We thank God for what we do have left - the more important things in life. We have come to grow and learn that it's how we use our circumstances that teach us and make us who we are. When I was younger and had to do things that I didnt want to do my father always told me that it would build my character. Not such a bad thing to acquire. God has blessed us these past months despite our circumstances. I think it is in those times that we learn the most.

Eliza's 1st Birthday Party

Me and Joel...a year ago...

It's A Girl!!!

2006-05-05T13:32:00.000-04:00

After much anticipated waiting, the baby finally came!! My brother Jonathan and his wife Lori just had their second baby yesterday. It's a girl! Paige Elizabeth Russell! She arrived about 8:15 pm on 5/4/06. She weighed 8 lbs 8 oz and is 19.5 inches long!

So WOOHOO, I'm an aunt again (for the 3rd time)! My parents got off the plane in NY from KY just in time to find out that they got a new granddaughter. So we all rushed to the hospital to see her. I got to hold her when she was only 2 hours old, all red and newborny. So cute!! I'm now the proud aunt of 2 gorgeous nieces and a handsome nephew. Joel's pretty stocked about it too. ;-)What blessings God has given my family.

Here are some pics. I'll keep updating!

Top Five

2006-04-19T14:29:00.000-04:00

Thanks Amy for the idea, we have some things alike ;-)….

5 Restaurants you never get tired of:
1. Chili’s
2. Two Vine (Italian & French Bistro - In the heart of Rochester)
3. Natraz (Indian-Nyack)
4. Ciceros (Pizza – Bardonia)
5. Any restraunt that doesn’t serve American food

5 Places You’ve Lived:
1. Hamilton, OH
2. Syracuse, NY
3. Harfort, CT
4. Various places in Northern Jersey
5. Bardonia, NY (then Rochester and now currently still nomading around NY)

5 Movies you could watch over and over again:
1. Elf
2. Pretty Woman
3. My Best Friend’s Wedding
4. What About Bob?
5. Goonies (and I’m sure there are some obvious ones I’ve forgot)

5 Books on your Nightstand:
1. My Study Application Bible
2. Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks
3. His Needs Her Needs by Willard Harley Jr.
4. One of the Harry Potter Book
5. SuDoku Books (I’m a dork, I know)

5 Websites you visit daily:
1. Gmail.com
2. Some recipe or cooking website
3. Different Blogs
4. Joseph-Reps.com
5. Ofoto.com

5 Places you like to shop:
1. Anne Taylor Loft
2. KOHLS!!!
3. Gap
4. Grocery Store (hahaha)
5. H & M

5 Jobs you’ve had:
1. American Eagle Sales Associate
2. THQ Summer Temp (Cand, Development, and Property)
3. RWC Student Government Web Designer
4. SLC Pre-Camp Staff
5. Babysitter to many families

5 Things you would do with a million dollars:
1. Pay off School Debt
2. Buy a condo in Rockland (yes a good one almost cost that)
3. Buy an SUV and not worry about the gas
4. Build a dream kitchen
5. Shop at all the stores I can’t afford but love (buy a Louis Vuitton Bag or Seven for All Mankind Jeans)

5 Things you would rather be doing than what you’re suppose to be doing right now:
1. Sleeping
2. Watching a good movie with the husband or just spending time with him
3. Cooking Dinner (weird I know)
4. Spending time with my Family on my parents back porch (good times there) or in OOB!!
5. Spending time with the RWC girls or Devos with the girls from work...just plain ol' Girl Time

Your Turn!

Amazing Weekend!!!!

2006-04-18T23:15:00.000-04:00

here it is for those of you who were waiting.... :-)

Two weekends ago, Joel and I had the opportunity to do the teen activities for the SFOT Family Retreat. The retreat was held at the Willow Valley resort in Lancaster, PA. We had a blast and the teens were awesome. The first night we went to LaserDome. Everyone got to play laser tag and got a bunch of tokens for the arcade, which was my favorite part. The teens had a great time too. After LaserDome we were starving, but it was 11:15. What do you do with 10 teens at 11:15? Of course, you look for the GOLDEN ARCHES! We ventured around Lancaster to find an open McDonalds. We found one, but only the drive thru was open. Yup 12 of us ordered from the drive through. God gave us the nicest McDonalds worker ever. She acted like she hit gold when we came through. All the teens yelled from the back of the van "THANK YOU." She was thrilled.

The next day it poured! OH MY. We had planned on going bowling and when we called about going there two weeks earlier they said they would be opened. But, when we called that morning to double check our directions, they then told us that the alley was open but to junior leagues, so there would be no open lanes! Joel and I just looked at each other and we thought the same thing..."what are we going to do?" We went to the teens who were waiting patiently and told them what happened. We expected moaning and groaning, but they said not to worry about it and we'll figure out something else. Joel jokingly said, "Anyone interested in going to the Intercourse, PA Pretzel Factory?" Surprisingly...They were all excited about it. So that's what we did - we went to INTERCOURSE! The factory was lame, but we all made the best of it. Our tour guide was about 12 years old and really didn't get too excited about the whole thing. But it was still a good time. After the factory, Joel called the alley to see if they might have 2 lanes open by then, AND THEY DID!! So we went and bowled a few games and ended up just having a really great time with the teens.

Being in the van with the teens was so much fun also. It reminded me of
when I was younger and our times of being really really loud in the van and joking and telling stupid stories. It was a lot of fun to reminisce.

Joel and I got to do some much needed clothes shopping also when we went to the outlets in Lancaster. We made out pretty well. It was so much fun. We also got to go in the jacuzzi every night and swim with the teens. It was just a great experience all around. We couldn't have had a nicer group to be with.

(Pic of all of us at the Bowling Alley)

To TOP it OFF!

2006-04-12T10:36:00.000-04:00

Just about every Tuesday or whatever day board meetings fall on, our department buys bagels, muffins, and some Danishes for our council that meets. My department is also generous enough to buy some extra for us. Which can I just say I appreciate a blueberry muffin once in a while. It's a nice treat...it's that mid afternoon sugar rush to push you through til the end of the day!

I have noticed that in the afternoon after the bagels etc are brought together from the leftovers from the council and the ones that the department has yet to eat there is always a muffin that just sits there pathetically. Why??? Because someone has cut off the top of the muffin. (I'm sure we've all seen that Seinfeld episode...TOP OF THE MUFFIN TO YOU!). I don't know who does it, but believe you me, I'm looking in to it. I don't think it's bad if you take the muffin and only want the top. I understand it's the best part. But it is clearly an insult when you take off the top and leave the stump behind. PLEASE, just take the whole thing! Like someone wants to eat your stump! It is always clearly cut off. It is always intentional. Seriously, who does that?! The only acceptable form of partial muffin taking is if you cut it in half, from top to bottom, leaving a little bit of the top and bottom for the next person. But, instead the muffin cutter decides to take the very essence of the muffin every time! A muffin is simply not a muffin without the top. It's like a zebra without stripes or a chair without a cushion! No one would want either of them!

Every week, the poor stump is left behind to be thrown out at the end of the day. The muffin top stealer never gives it a chance to be enjoyed by someone else.

ps. My Retreat with the teens post is coming soon...I didn't forget!

Prayer Journal

2006-04-06T21:41:00.000-04:00

I started a prayer journal this past week! I know this isn't a new concept or a new trend, but I've never had one before. I've heard amazing things that you experience when you start a prayer journal. So, the other day I wrote in my new journal a list of people I wanted to pray for. I then wrote out my prayer, things that I had on my heart, and other things related to my personal walk with Christ.
I can say that just within the past two days I have seen prayers answered. It's amazing. I have looked back at my prayer list and seen what God has done. It's incredible. Not only is it nice to see prayers answered, but it is reassuring and comforting to know that we have an incredible and miraculous God.
If you don't have a prayer journal, I recommend it. It has truly blessed me.

Please pray for me and Joel as we are away this weekend in Willow Valley doing the teen programs for the SFOT officer's family retreat. We are looking forward to a great time.

Slowly but surely....

2006-03-25T12:20:00.000-05:00

...I'm trying to get back into what life used to be.

After staying quiet and to myself after the tragedy that Joel and I experienced almost a month ago, I've decided to take a step out of my very comfortable shell. Last weekend I went away with Joel to see our best college friends. We went up Josh's cabin in the middle of nowhere. It was a nice time to relax, catch up with friends, and a time to forget about what was facing me back at home. While Joel and I went four wheeling through the acres and acres of open land and trails in the woods, we stopped on the highest part of the property and looked out at God's beauty.

Our Shadows... :-)

Then again, I went out of my shell and ventured to FET. Yes, of all places...FET. (For those of you who are not army, it's basically a church meeting Friday night with other army churches in the area and we meet in NYC.) It was Greater New York Youth Night. I think it was the best youth night I've ever been to. Way to go Stoops and Hickmans! I wasn't planning on going but last minute I decided to go with the Vaughan's. It was so much fun to spend time with Lorinda! Plus I got to spend time with her three awesome kids! While I was there I was able to hang out with people that I don't normally get to spend time with. It was so much fun. Thanks Mhairi and Amber for making my venture even more worth while. Amber and Aunt Vicki told me about an Aldo outlet just down the block from where we were. I got gorgeous shoes for only $15. I can wear them to work and for casual times...BONUS!!!

All in all, I've been told that I really haven't addressed our tragedy in my blog, and honestly I'm not sure that I'm ready to really tell my story in blog form. I think it would be a pretty long blog, maybe eventually I will, I hope to sometime. I could always give little updates now and then.

I do want to say that Joel and I are grateful for the overwhelming response from our family, friends, and church. God bless The Salvation Army. They have really taken care of us in so many ways. We are blessed to be where we are during this difficult time. Everyone's help and prayers will never be forgotten.

We thank God for our family and friends everyday. Thank God we are OK. We still have each other, which is far more important than any material thing. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we continue to see what God has in store for us.

Selected Lyrics by Natalie Grant

2006-03-03T15:42:00.000-05:00

HELD
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we’d be held.

This hand is bitterness.
We want to taste it, let the hatred numb our sorrow.
The wise hands opens slowly to lilies of the valley and tomorrow

If hope is born of suffering.
If this is only the beginning.
Can we not wait for one hour watching for our Savior?

ANOTHER DAY
Another Day
Another Chance To Love The Ones I Love
To Find My Way
To Laugh, To Dance
Watch The Sun Come Up
Another Day I Get To Live
As If Every Breath Could Be The Last I Take
I Get Another Day

I’ve Got A Hand That I Can Hold
Someone Who Knows My Soul
A Safe Place To Lay My Head At Night
So Why Do I Forget
How Much I’ve Been Blessed In Life
Forget What Means The Most To Me

As I’m Waking Up I Feel My Beating Heart
So Grateful That I've Come This Far
And Thank God

…I Get Another Day.

I'm too flexible....ha!

2006-02-22T20:31:00.000-05:00

I always thought that physical therapy was for old people who are just falling apart or for those who have had serious accidents and traumas to their body. Apparently not. Tonight I went to my first physical therapy session. It was humbling to say the least. I’m 22 and have been prescribed by my doctor to go to 2-3 sessions a week for one month for my shoulders.
For 2 years I’ve been struggling with extreme shoulder pain. Ironically it did not occur from an accident or trauma it just kind of developed. For a month I thought it was a bad sprain, I was wrong. This pain has taken over both my shoulders and has been inconvenient and debilitating. After MRIs, X-rays, and cortisone shots all I got as a response was that I’ve had rotator cuff tears in both shoulders, and from what they don’t know. The results from my first session…I’m too flexible. That’s right, my problem is that I’m too flexible and my cuff is just rolling around and pinching everything...GROSS. I need more strength in my shoulders and boy did they try to accomplish all that in one night. I’m ok now and preparing for this next month of PT ahead of me, but apparently in a day or two I should be decently sore. Here’s to humbling experiences...

Beautiful Baby

2006-02-21T09:48:00.000-05:00

Of course my sister just had to put Eliza in the Regis and Kelly's most beautiful baby contest. She wasn't one of the final 10 out of the 10s of thousands of pictures sent in. I think they got it all wrong. How could she not. Am I just bitter?...Probably. Anyway, the kids they picked were all older except for one. Pretty sure they were toddlers, but who's being picky. :-) She's beautiful and healthy so what more could Joe and Chrissy ask for. They are blessed and I'm a lucky Aunt.

I told you I love pictures, its my time to brag! :-)

I Love To Share Pictures

2006-02-19T16:51:00.000-05:00

This is a picture that was taken at our wedding. My friend Ivette did some great photoshop work to give it its uniuqe look.

The Monster a.k.a Charlie

2006-02-17T21:59:00.000-05:00

This week has been interesting. It’s had its ups and downs and those moments in between. Recently, I have been missing the girls from school and all my friends and my amazing corps up in Rochester. In about a month I will be with all my friends in this great cabin in PA. I can’t wait. Things have been different moving back to Rockland. I’m so thankful that I am by family. I have missed it for so long. It is very important to me in my life right now to have that continual support. I do miss my friends and the tight group that we all used to have. I guess I’m going through withdrawal from college.
The week started out great with a great doctor’s report, a wonderful valentines day, and the opportunity to join a fantastic women’s small group bible study. Then Wednesday, the Army world found out that our incredible leaders, Colonel Knaggs, are being appointed to Australia. While we hope and pray for all the best in this exciting new appointment, we wish we can keep them here. My family and I will greatly miss them as friends and leaders.
Toward the end of the week, work got really busy. But I don’t mind, I love keeping busy.
Last night I got to sit in traffic for 2 hours, but it was all worth it when I walked into my brother’s house and saw my nephew Charlie’s face beaming as Uncle Joel and Aunt Kathleen came to bring him up. Joel and I are watching Charlie for an over night so Jonathan and Lori can have one last weekend together relaxing before their next little bundle arrives in just a matter of weeks. I can’t wait. Joel and I brought Charlie back to my parent’s house to watch him here, sometimes it's just easier to be home. The more I think of it…I think Charlie was excited to go to Grammy and Papa’s house. ;-) Either way…I’m the lucky one who gets to spend time with the cutest boy ever. So far we've taught him..."Papa's the man" & "What's up Gee?" He clearly says, Grammy, Papa, & Uncle Joel. So far I get AH Deen (Aunt Kathleen).

Sunday will be my first time singing with the songsters. Because of the long free weekend at the Training School, my in-laws will be able to come to the corps. I feel like I’m in a play and everyone is coming to watch…how embarrassing. It’s been exciting getting involved in a corps again. :-) Joel and I have really missed our ministry in Rochester.
I’m looking forward to the long weekend, maybe it will give me some more interesting things to blog about. ;-)

Valentines Day

2006-02-15T09:36:00.000-05:00

Growing up, my parents always made Valentines Day special. They always gave us something little to say that I love you. They also taught me and my siblings that Valentines Day is more than for romantic love but it was also a time to tell your family and friends how much you love them….so to my family and friends, I LOVE YOU!!
Then of course you reach High School and College and its all about who is going to send you a rose or valentine. I always thought there was too much hype. All my single college friends dreaded this holiday. I know I had a serious relationship, but even if I didn’t it still would have been a fun day to tell people that you love them and how much they mean to you.
I have to admit, having that someone special on Valentines Day is pretty nice. Joel and I took this holiday very low key this year. Normally, Joel goes all out for it, but we just had a wedding so we are broke and we had corps activities yesterday. We celebrated by going out to dinner the day before. We had incredible Indian food. If you are in Rockland and want to try some great Indian food go to Natraz in Nyack; a little costly for the amount that you get, but it was worth it.
We actually spent our Valentines Day dinner at the training school with Joel’s mom and dad. What a tasty meal…blah! But we had great company and that’s what it’s all about. We then went back to the Ashcraft’s house before songsters and got to spend time with Joel’s cousin Jenny, Armida, and Matt. That was fun to catch up and just talk.
Songsters was interesting. Lorinda and I are too chatty so we always get in trouble. Kathy doesn’t help the situation either. :-) Loreita gave me a really sweet valentine and it was addressed to her big sis!! OH I just love them all!!!! Joel played with Lorissa and Peter in the gym as usual and tired them out.
The greatest valentine’s gift of all was a great report from Joel’s doctor. Trying not to get into too much detail because things are looking better, but his lymph nodes are diminishing greatly and hopes of good health in the end are not that far fetched. As I was sitting with him in the doctor’s office thanking God for being so good to us, I was thinking about all the people who are sharing their Valentines Day with a loved one who is sick or not doing well. I also think of the person who is not able to share their day with their loved one at all because of a recent loss or because of being away (business, military, etc.) I have many things to count my blessings for.

Me and My Valentine:

Blizzard 06

2006-02-12T15:57:00.000-05:00

FINALLY SNOW!!! Probably the one thing I miss about Rochester, of course my friends are number 1! Everyone thinks I'm crazy for wanting snow, but there is something about the snow that makes me happy. It's just not natural to have nice weather in these months, it messes me up. Church was cancelled and so was my parents flight to KY. They have to wait until tomorrow to head out.

Joel and I stayed at my parents house last night because we were suppose to start dog sitting Cosmo today. We came early so we wouldn't be snowed in our apartment all day. Plus, its quiet here, no crazy kids upstairs! :-) I haven't left the house all day. Joel and my dad snow blowed and shoveled for a couple hours. And of course, Joel just had to throw my dog in the snow. Cosmo hates it, but deep down I think he likes it. :-) Joel ventured out to Chili's and picked up some yummy food for us.

Game plan for the rest of night? Movies/TV reruns & hot cocoa!!! :)

Happy Birthday

2006-02-10T22:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, February 10th was such a great day. After work, Joel and I had a blast from the past when we went to our high school's varsity basketball game. We attended different high schools growing up. He attended Clarkstown North and I attended Clarkstown South. Yes we were rivals, but I tended to like his school more, so it worked out really well. Anyway,North won! I know I attended South and I should be sad, but I love North at Heart. It was Keith Maynor's birthday yesterday so we went with Keith and his wonderful wife Pam. Keith also attended North for a a couple years and Joel and Keith were there together for a year before the Maynors moved. It was fun for us all reminisce. We had so much fun laughing at how all the high schoolers were acting and laughing at how pathetic the cheerleaders were...it was no Bring It On. After the game we went to the New City Diner. What a high school thing to do, but how much fun! I love Pam & Keith. What great people. It was awesome to catch up with them. I bothered Pam with questions all night about training and her thoughts about what she will encounter after training. Don't get any ideas, I was just curious. But I will "Never say Never." We all know what happens when you say never... My heart is open to whatever God has in store for me, time will tell.

February 10 is also my nephew Charlie's birthday. I can't believe he is two years old. I was a junior in college when he was born! How crazy is that. He is so gorgeous and smart, and yes I swear he is related to me. Today we went to Charlie's birthday party. It was all centered around trains. Charlie loves trains. ALL ABOARD??? (I know I'm a dork) Charlie was not interested in any gifts unless they were trains. We bought him clothes...he wasn't amused. :) but Jonathan and Lori were happy. It was so much fun to be with the family and see Charlie and Eliza (my beautiful niece) play. They are getting so big. Eliza is going to walk soon! Now all they need to do is learn to share.

And another wonderful person who had a birthday yesterday was Joel's grandfather, Grandpa Berkhoudt. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

All Will See...

2006-02-10T09:27:00.000-05:00

HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD

by Chris Tomlin

The splendor of a King, clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in Light, and darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
Trembles at His voice
How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God
Age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the end
Beginning and the end
The Godhead Three in One
Father Spirit Son
The Lion and the Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb
Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God
How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God

I found out that one of my favorite Christian radio stations that I was able to listen to up at school broadcasts over the internet. Now, when I'm at work, I don't listen to the local pop garbage (ok I like some of it), but I'm blessed with continual Christian music all day. I do have a radio station in my area (99.1), but that only comes in strong when it feels like it. I thank God for people who have started these "daring" stations and I'm also so glad to hear how many people actually listen to it. How great is our God.

*I'm still working on getting use to this whole blog thing...so bare with me. I am no intellectual so don't expect theological and philosophical blogs.*

Awesome Responsibility

2006-02-09T09:21:00.000-05:00

Well, this is my first blog. I'm not too sure if I'm going to enjoy talking to my computer everyday; especially when people will read it and comment on it, but I guess its the trend. The first thing that came into mind when I started typing this blog was a forward that I read the other day. I normally hate forwards, espcially those ones that say you will die or have bad luck if you don't send it on, but I have been getting some really interesting ones recently from my husband and others at work. Forwards are always good for pick me ups during work, but this one was different...

A driver did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection. The tailgating woman behind him went ballistic, pounding on her horn and screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to drive through the intersection with him. Still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed and placed in a cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects. He said, "I'm awfully sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping the guy off in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the "Choose Life" license plate holder, the "What Would Jesus Do?" bumper sticker, the "Follow me to Sunday School" bumper sticker and the chrome plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car."

This email really hit me hard, I wouldn't call it a pick me up. It's a funny email, but at the same time it makes you think about the things that you do and how other people perceive it. I've always agreed with the comment that sometimes Christians are our own worst enemy. I thought about the people who I am friends with who are not Christians but who know that I am. My day to day actions, things I say, and attitude are always being watched. I am suppose to be an example of God's love. Little room for error there. What they see "Christians" do, will help them form what a "Christian" is. What a scary but awesome responsibility.