Once-In-A-Lifetime

So, we're back from New York City. And Sara was in the MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE!

What a mind blower.

It was a great trip because we got to spend time with Kurt and Jenny (my cousin and his wife) and their FIVE kids and also with my Uncle Ardon who lives on 81st street in New York (where they blow up the balloons). Not so much a "go see a show" or "visit museums" type trip which wouldn't be so bad if we could be sure we'll be back -- but it IS incentive to try to return soon.

We left early on Monday morning. Tim drove the whole way. As we entered New Jersey, we watched as Exit 6 slid by and the sign said "something about Asbury". . . turns out that was our exit. AAA made a common mistake on our triptik -- they thought we wanted to go to ASBURY PARK. . . go figure.

So I called Jenny and we got on the right road and were at their house in 10 minutes tops. They have this great, old (well, PART old) stone house with winding stairs and lots of pets. That last part was difficult for Tim but he's always a trooper when the accommodations are free.

Kurt and Jenny were so gracious with their space (and nosh) -- they really barely knew us but welcomed us like it was "old home week." It was so lovely.

Tuesday, Tim drove us into Philly. We visited the Betsy Ross house, the Independence Museum and the Liberty Bell. We even had Philly Cheese steak sandwiches at Sonny's. (We weren't really impressed with those but we probably shouldn't have had the cheese whiz...)














On Wednesday, we headed into New York City! We came through the Lincoln Tunnel and entered the crazy world of New York drivers -- in our RENTAL CAR! aaaaaaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeee! We had some close shaves but did get to 81st street where Uncle Ardon was waiting. He and Tim found FREE parking and the kids and Roberto and I took a walk to see the balloons being blown up and a bit of Central Park. Once we were all back together, Uncle Ardon took us on a whirlwind tour of NYC -- Wall Street, Ground Zero, Chinatown and Little Italy -- and Five Points.

We had grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner and hit the hay -- I slept not much because A) I was excited, B) I was worried I'd oversleep, and C) I thought I was going to roll off of Uncle A's loft on to the floor and become a vegetable right on top of my children... but nothing bad happened and we were up at 4:30 a.m. to catch the subway to Herald Square!

. . . where, as it turned out, we were NOT allowed to "squat." Disappointed but not daunted, we walked into the higher street numbers looking for a place to light. Everywhere we stopped, we were either told we weren't allowed or, at one point, that the kids would march by in "silence" because it was close to where everyone was performing for T.V. and would detract from whatever act was on-air.

We finally found a spot at 40th and Broadway -- then another policeman started moving people out from under some flags behind us. We did not move -- even when he tried to tell us we needed to. The guy next to us had been sitting as long as we had and between the two of us we must have made an imposing sight because we ended up CLOSER to the curb with a great view!

Sara tells us the band stopped for the longest break in front of us which was really cool because we got lots of pictures of her!

We had a lovely dinner of ham and "fixin's" with Uncle Ardon, Roberto, Kurt, Jenny and all of our kids (except Sara). We watched the Tivo'd parade and I rewound to Dunbar. . . over and over and over. We drove back to Kurt and Jenny's to spend our last night "out East."

Our trip culminated in a leisurely Friday at Kurt and Jenny's where Tim and Noah helped Kurt and Soren clear some particularly large "brush" and the ladies went shopping for Indian groceries. We had a wonderful meal and then jumped back in our rental to drive through the night so we'd be home to meet Sara at school by noon today. We passed the Dunbar buses on our way home. . . but the kids still got home an hour early and Sara had some fun stories to tell.

It was a fabulous and memorable week.

That fan thing again. . .

Life is full of sayings that are cliches for a reason. . . they are TRUE! Time does "fly" when you're having fun. Kids do grow up fast. It's all true. And how sad is it that we don't know how true those cliches are until it's too late to do anything about it?

Tim and Noah did the Boy Scout thing today and Sara had band practice. I was SO looking forward to having the whole day to myself. Instead, Mary and her new "boo," Ethan (who spent the night in Noah's bottom bunk after having dinner with us last night) were here off and on. I did get a nap but not the kind of quiet-guilt-free-do-nothing day I had been looking forward to.

Thing is, he's a nice kid and he reminds me A LOT of Tim when we were young. Quiet, polite, funny but not obnoxious, plays guitar, sings, parents own a boat and they SKI (although it's mostly tubing now).... scary, huh?

What's most scary is that I see how much she likes him already on her face and I know, no matter how many times I say "have your own life" she won't listen. Because she's young and she doesn't know yet that cliches are true. She doesn't know that, as stupid as I seem, I'll be smart in a couple of years and she'll wish she'd listened. It's not that I don't like Ethan. He's great and, in about 6 or 7 years, he might even be a "keeper." But not now. Not the same stuff I did. I love Tim but we really should have waited. No one should get married right out of college... I can't take it back and, if I'm honest, I'm not sure I would because how many other things would change? But I'd rather see my children (particularly my daughters) do things better, different. Try their wings solo. Same old, same old. I hope it's not too much to hope.

I'll keep watching and whispering as often as possible but, and this is one of those true cliches too, it's SO hard to watch those wings unfold and not be able to guide them anymore. Not really. I guess I'll just have to be here when she lands, hard or soft.

So I'm looking at them, and I'm seeing me and Tim, a picture on top of a picture. . . I hope I can watch a new picture unfold. It would be SO much more entertaining.

This Ain't So Bad. . .

Okay. So I've decided that this whole college thing is blown WAY out of proportion. At least I was all worked up about almost nothing. Mary and I have the best of both worlds. I see her almost as much as ever and have had to adapt to very little. And she's having the time of her life! She loves college. Loves her classes and she has made a bazillion friends. I'm pretty proud of her.

I went to my second day at my new paralegal job today. I think I'm gonna get some books. There's so much I don't remember or even KNOW. But it's a small office and the folks seem willing to help me muddle through. I might be good at it. . . you never know. It's hard to leave a job I did very well and start something new. I feel at a loss. But I've been the Executive Assistant to the President of the Commonwealth Fund for KET. I can do ANYTHING!

Dropped some Pampered Chef stuff off at the 560 today and chatted briefly with Shannon. I feel like I've been gone forever but no one was surprised (and only Shannon seemed pleased) to see me. Whatever.

Anyway, life goes on and on and on. . . and we just do the best we can. I know God is with me and helping me cope when I remember to ask.

Tennessee for Labor Day

Well, we went to my cousin, Dawn's, house for the long weekend. She and her husband, Tim have FOUR kids. It's an instant party. They have a pool so it's always fun to be there and play around in the sun.

Dawn's an accountant but her passion (or one of them) is photography. She was working on a slide show of a wedding she recently shot during a lot of the weekend and trying to get it posted. It's up now and here (read the post about the wedding and click on the "click here" link). In her spare time she shot pictures of me and the girls and then we did a "lifestyle" shoot of our whole family. We wandered all over McMinnville. It was very hot. . . but the climax was a dip in the river -- fully clothed!

We brought some pictures home with us -- Sara took some of them -- but Dawn's working on them so I'll point you to her blog/website and if you keep checking back, you'll see them eventually.

She's got a great eye and we hope we can send Sara to stay with her next summer to "intern."

Other than photography, we spent a lot of time being serenaded by Griffin, Dawn and Tim's eldest, on his guitar. He's unusually talented -- and not just for his age. He gets better every time we visit. He's learning lots of different instruments.

Speaking of which, Noah is now in the BAND. I got him a saxophone last week. We'll see how long this lasts.

Also, I started my new job today. I'm working as a paralegal at -- no more secretary positions. In fact, at one point I dared to instant message Tim and I mentioned that the office was cold and I was borrowing the secretary's space heater. . . and he said "Do you realize what you just said? You borrowed a heater from the secretary and it's NOT YOU! You made it!" It felt good.

Then I spent a couple of hours three-hole punching a foot high pile of medical records.

Life is good. Even when it's just normal.

Undecided. . . college major or theme for a life?

What do you want to be when you grow up? I don't think I ever knew for sure. I've told myself for 20+ years that the reason I'm always dissatisfied with whatever job I have is that: I'm a frustrated teacher, I didn't know enough while I was in college to make a mature decision and get my certification. . . and on and on. Or the job was beneath me. I am, after all, a college graduate, albeit by the skin of my teeth. Why should I be happy as a secretary for my whole life? Well, because other people are, duh! It's just never been enough.

As of this coming Friday, I am no longer a KET employee. I loved this job, or parts of it, and I'm sad to go but I got to the point where I just couldn't stand to go anymore. There's really no one to blame but myself. I'm sure if I had a stronger will or could get my mind right, I could handle anything. It's a question of wanting to. Why would I want to do the menial tasks I have been doing for 2 years when a lying, backstabbing, slovenly idiot is doing the job I asked for a year ago and could have done just as well or better? Why would I want to stay in a job where I type other people's itineraries and make other people's travel plans? Where there is no opportunity for me to grow?

Well, I didn't. So I looked for something else and found it. I'm starting as a paralegal at on Tuesday, September 4.

Am I sure it's the one I've been looking for? Where I'll finally feel like I can stay? I dunno. I'm going to try it on for size and I'm not going to be afraid to try again. I thought KET would be IT. My last job. Not. No job is perfect. I'll have issues wherever I go, but I've learned about what I can take and what I'm just not into. I'm just not into being passed over.

In my sort of "exit interview," my supervisor told me she'd seen this coming. After almost two years of telling me how valuable I was she'd seen it coming. If I was so "valuable," why didn't she do something to stop me? She can't claim ignorance, we had a conversation very recently where I told her what I wanted. Her constant refrain was that I wasn't a "secretary." Ha -- maybe she doesn't know what a secretary is, having never had to be one, but I was one and I don't ever want to go there again, and I'll make sure whoever I work for from now on knows it.

I'm mourning. I liked KET. I liked pledge drives and T.V. and meeting pseudo-celebrities. I liked the thought that it might be a possibility that some day I'd be "talent." I'm not sure what I did wrong that I became less than valuable -- so much so that I was, in the end, expendable -- but it makes me sad.

So, do I know what I want to be when I grow up. Nope. Something good. Something worthwhile, where I'm helping someone do something and making a difference. And not typing someone else's stuff. I have to be away from my family all day for my job. I want it to be worth the sacrifice. I think that's why I'm so picky. . . at least I hope it is, and not just that I hate working and would rather be a pampered princess eating bon bons on the couch. . . . nah.

Oh yeah. . . a p.s. to the Harry Potter Rant

I'm almost finished listening to Deathly Hallows on CD. I'm catching things this time around that I missed the first time. I think I've changed my mind a bit about Harry. He has grown and I do like the way she deals with his "end." Some things still don't make sense . . . and why doesn't Umbridge get a "comeuppance?"

Anyway, while I don't think I need to "eat crow," I was a bit harsh after my first read through. However, I don't think I'll be taking anything about the Epilogue back.

Just my two cents.

She's on her way. . .

and so am I. I started the day by accepting a new job as a paralegal. After 14 years in Lexington, I finally found a firm that doesn't care about a piece of paper. Michele took it well. And I start at on September 4. I'm excited and nervous. And, again, I'm not the only member of my family to be so. . .

Mary's roommate at college is the niece of our Pastor at St. Luke UMC. Her name is Lauren and she's a peach. The eldest of two girls, her mom is the principal of the small, private school she attended in Ashland (several hours' drive from Asbury) where she was one of TWO Seniors to graduate last year. I've coached Mary about tomorrow afternoon and the high likelihood of a meltdown and bout of homesickness on Lauren's part. They are planning to come to church Sunday. I think we're about to adopt a third daughter. . .

Anyway, tonight was the President's Convocation and faculty reception on campus. It was amazing. Held in Hughes Auditorium, named for the founder, a place bathed in the Holy Spirit, we sang hymns and learned some interesting facts about the "Fearless" freshman class of 2011. Surprise, surprise. . . the most popular major is (drum roll please) Undecided! Education majors (Mary's group) are the third most popular. The newly-minted president, Dr. Sandra Gray (first woman president of Asbury) spoke and assured the parents that the new freshmen students are now in good hands. "They are our kids," she said, comparing their responsibility to the Good Shepherd's for his sheep. I was comforted by the commitment of the faculty and I think it finally hit Tim just how blessed we are that Mary is at Asbury.

The most poignant part of the service was the Litany of Celebration. The President, Provost and Faculty, Class Sponsors and Students and then the Parents each had a part to read. All of the readings were wonderful and then we parents stood up. . .

"We confess that we stand at a crossroad in our lives. We ask for the courage and confidence to release our children to this community of faith and learning. We pray that our children will be reminded of the good shared with them through the years. May such blessings sustain and encourage them even now. We, too, desire a new and loving relationship found only when children leave home and return as friends. We commit ourselves to prayer, both for our students and for Asbury College. It is with joy and expectation that we come into this family, realizing what God desires for our children is far more than we can understand. (Italics mine and yeah, this is where I started crying) This, by faith, we believe and accept as God's plan and purpose."

I DARE anyone to stand next to their college freshman child and say these words without shedding a tear.

After the service in the auditorium, there was a reception at the Library with the faculty. My friend Judy's husband, Marty is a Psych prof. We chatted with them and they pointed us toward the English-as-a-second-language professor, Marcia Hurlow, whose daughter is a Junior at Dunbar this year -- small world. Dr. Hurlow's daughter, Marjorie (or Jorie) is in the choir at PLD and sings Alto. Odds are pretty good that she knows Mary but we haven't had a chance to compare notes much yet.

Our next stop was the Education Department and, as we walked through the stacks of books, Tim pointed ahead of him. Standing there was one of the best people we've ever had the pleasure to know -- Tim Crook, former principal of Northside Elementary School, where Mary attended from 1st through 4th grade. He and his family attended our church in Versailles and we loved them! He is now an assistant professor at Asbury and will be Mary's adviser! Small world. . .

So we chatted with a couple more people -- including Dr. Gray herself, I just had to thank her for being Mary's Good Shepherd -- and started for the car. The campus is charming and they're doing a lot of work on the buildings and grounds. Most of the buildings are red brick Georgian and you could basically pick them up and put them in Oxford -- they'd fit perfectly on Miami's campus. It's been really hot here but the walk back to the car was nice. While the parents had been meeting the faculty, the students had broken up into their "Transition and Guidance" (TAG) groups and were doing campus tours. As we turned a corner, Tim realized Mary was just ahead with her group. He stopped on the sidewalk and was looking at her. I tugged on his sleeve and indicated we shouldn't embarrass her -- but then a voice said "Hi Mom, hi Dad!" and Mary came running over! In front of her new friends! Wow! Turns out TAG groups have monthly gatherings or parties and she wants to invite them to our house for a barbecue. We've spent the last two days telling kids from out of town to feel free to come home with her to do laundry and have a home cooked meal -- and tonight she confirmed that she's okay with that!

So, we're parents of a college student now. The wings opened a bit tonight and when she could have flown away, or just rested where she was, she flew back to us for a moment. And it was extremely sweet.

Tim and I are blown away by Asbury. It's an amazing campus, peaceful and calm and all of the kids are polite and helpful. Of course, it's orientation. . . . but I've been there before and I always feel good there. Like something wonderful is happening, invisible but important. Now I know why -- God is working there on the future and, while we cared before, now we're invested in that future and I'm so grateful. . .and excited to see what He has in store!

Amen!

The Big Day

So tomorrow we take our baby to college. I'm not sure where the time has gone. We certainly don't have any more money to show for the time that's passed. But we do have a beautiful daughter (we have two but only one is leaving for college). I'm amazed at how fabulous she is. How smart. How normal. She's not addicted to anything and isn't pregnant. She has a good idea of what she wants to "be when she grows up." I'm blown away by her maturity. Yes, she's still a teenage girl and behaves as such most of the time. But she's light years ahead of where I was as a college freshman. I'm not sure she isn't light years ahead of me right now in some respects.

Yes, I love her deeply and no, it's not an unbiased opinion. But a few people agree with me.

And tomorrow she leaves. To quote Dr. Jones, Sr., "just when (she) was getting interesting." I admire her and respect her. I like being around her. I hope she feels the same about me.

I'm excited for her and what she's about to do; the world she's about to discover. But I might not be opening the door to her room for a while and I think we'll all be a bit sad for a few days.

I'm anxious to see what colors the butterfly develops on her wings. . . and I only hope I can see them through my tears.

Hobo Dinners

NPR is doing a series right now for which they have invited input from listeners. You e-mail a story about your favorite summer food. . . here's what I sent:

Hobo Dinners

For 23 years I have been going to Dale Hollow Lake (the Tennessee side) with my husband and his parents for vacation. It’s a pilgrimage of sorts. We camp – well, sort of. Tim’s folks have a big RV now -- but in the beginning they had a truck camper and we’re still sleeping in a tent. Back when I first joined them, we were cooking all of our meals either over the open fire in the campsite pit or over a Coleman stove (I think we went through at least two).

As we began having children, the favorite meal on vacation became “hobo dinners.” This distinctly American delicacy is prepared in aluminum foil and cooked in the hot coals of the fire pit. When our kids were younger our hobo dinners consisted mainly of a hamburger patty, some onions and carrots for flavor and salt and pepper for spice. The kids would toss out the onions and smother their burgers in ketchup.

Part of the ritual is preparing it yourself – a huge rite of passage for each of our three children was the day they could finally assemble their own hobo dinner. You must complete the ritual by engraving some sort of identifying label on the outside of your meal with a black Sharpie marker. It's sort of a contest to see who can be wittiest with their moniker.

This past May, our eldest child graduated from High School. Her senior year was bittersweet, as I’m sure every parent has experienced, as we passed through each event “for the last time.” Concerts, dances, holidays . . . it all went so quickly. She had a busy summer and while our youngest child, Noah, went to the Lake with his grandparents twice this summer, Mary, our graduate, Sara, our middle “angel,” Tim and I could only catch a three day weekend. It was two weeks ago. We left Friday night and arrived at the Lake around dusk.

We had eaten dinner on the road and we were leaving Sunday around lunch time. We had one night for which we needed a dinner and the kids asked for . . . you guessed it, hobo dinners.

Our kids all prepare their own now. We added a few new ingredient choices this year: sweet potatoes in addition to “new” red potatoes, mushrooms and all the Chef Paul spices in my in-laws' cabinets. A smorgasbord of ingredients from which you picked your favorites.

I watched as Mary laid her hamburger patty out on the foil. She placed a baby carrot in the middle vertically, two purple half moon slivers of onion at the top on each side and about 5 slices of new potato along the bottom in a smile. “Meet Mrs. Tastyface,” she announced proudly.

Mary is 17 and she will be a freshman at a small college here in Kentucky in the fall. She’s blonde, but not stupid. She wants to be a teacher. In that one moment, I saw her at 4 or 5 making her first hobo dinner, at 17 as a teacher’s assistant at a local elementary and at 25, teaching someone, perhaps her own child, to make a hobo dinner. This was not her “last time.” It’s just the beginning.

HP SPOILER -- Beware, I'm about to spill it! Maybe. . .

I can't stand it anymore! I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at 1 a.m. on Sunday morning, and no one else in my house has yet -- I've got to vomit up all the stuff in my head before it explodes! I don't think I'll be blowing anything too much for those who haven't read it but I can't guarantee anything at this point so, if you haven't read it and you don't want it "spoiled," DO NOT READ ON! If, however, like me, you are the only soul in your home (or workplace or whatever) who has read it and cares about it. . . feel free.

I'm so down today. I guess I'm in mourning but I'm also somewhat disappointed. I've been reading reviews and they all gush about how neatly everything was tied up -- well, that's my problem with it. The whole "19 years later" epilogue is like reading a story by a 14-year-old for Freshman lit class. Or some of the horrible fan fiction submitted in recent years. I mean really, all those names honoring the dead. . . yoiks! It's too cute, too adolescent.

And having to flash back and use memories to fill in the great gaping holes. It was too pat. The idea that Harry would choose to sacrifice himself is not believable either. He's spent the last 7 years being selfish and stupid -- never studying, being exactly the overrated punk that Snape makes him out to be -- how is it possible that the same kid who causes his best friend to abandon him -- yeah, I said that -- could give his life? Unfortunately, I just don't buy it.

I was VERY sad to see beloved characters go and, frankly, don't see why it had to happen. I guess I can understand the first casualty because it's hard to drag an owl cage across the British countryside, but Dobby?

I guess I just feel sort of robbed. I had hoped Harry would find a brilliance in himself, a strength. Perhaps that he'd learn from some of what Hermione had been exhibiting for all these years -- she needed to tell him to "look it up, for cryin out loud!"

I just found him to be a whiner -- and why did Fred have to die? And Lupin and Tonks? I'm just so sad about it all.

I was right about Harry himself being a horcrux tho -- I've said it since I put the sixth book down the first time (yeah, who hasn't read all the books at least 6 times?). Also, that Snape wasn't either good or bad. . . .just human. If you didn't figure out from the Snape/Lily/James memory that Snape was in love with Lily, you're completely daft! But I think going back as far as she did with it was a bit contrived.

I guess I'm saying I don't think it was enough that Harry be WILLING to die -- I think he should have. A tragic hero is so much more interesting.

After everyone else in my house reads it, I'll go back again. I've already got the audio cd's on their way -- Jim Dale rocks!

I'm sure I'll recover but until then -- blech, ptooey. . the vomit is out.

I've said it before. . .

Time flies. . .

See below for pictures from our cruise if that's what you're here for but I thought I'd ramble for a bit.

As I get older, I feel like my life is like looking through a fan. Not a japanese fan, more like one you make out of paper in kindergarten. I'm watching things go on around me and it all folds in on top of whatever went before. That doesn't make much sense but let me try to clarify. Mary is now 17 years old. I remember her at two -- not just because we have pictures but because I really remember. So we're at the airport on our way home and I see a little girl who resembles Mary when she was about two. So I looked at her and "over" her was Mary at two and then Mary now. I'm sad sometimes because I feel like I missed so much when the kids were small. Now they are moving on and becoming people of their own. Making decisions and choices that I have nothing to do with.

Scary a bit. I'm proud of most of their choices. Hopeful. Sometimes it seems like my life is over. Like I've done what I was supposed to do and now I'm just waiting for the "spectatorship" to start. Watching them make their way. I hate it. I want to go back and start over. I'm sure everyone feels that way.

I don't always feel like this. I don't think it's deep or even different. I'll miss them.

My new favorite way to vacation

Well, Tim and I are no longer "cruise virgins." We celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary aboard Carnival's MS Inspiration. It was wonderful beyond words -- sure, there were some problems. . .we paid WAY too much for manicure/pedicure treatments, the photography is constant but buying the pictures is archaic. . .I have some ideas and I'm going to be writing a letter this weekend.

But for the most part it was one for the books.

We flew into Ft. Myers and stayed with my mom and dad on Friday, June 22. They took us to dinner (joined by my Aunt Peg, Uncle Ron and their friends Gil and Lois who brought us an anniversary card and flowers). Then Saturday mom and dad drove us to Tampa. Honey (their dog) rode with us. She's my baby sister. . .

Here are some of my favorite shots, so far (we haven't had the waterproof camera developed yet). . .

You could see the ship as we approached down the street. It was very cool. Tim and I at the port before we boarded -- my dad took this picture.
I immediately thought of Noah when I saw this huge chess set -- someone was always playing.

Towel animals:

Grand Cayman pictures will go here . . .


Calica/Playa del Carmen, Mexico:
Hacienda at the ranch where we got on our horses for our ride on the beach. . .

Our postcard shot. . . >>>>>>>>














We celebrated our anniversary with our new friends at Table 229 in the Carnivale dining room (5:45 seating):










Left to Right: Donna, Hanak, Roy, Jana (server), Rommel (co-server), Elaine, Kelly and Tim

Almost the end of the (fiscal) year

Well, Summer Celebration is over for another year and as June quickly draws to a close, we are busy beavers getting budgets ready for July 1. Well, not "we" -- I don' t have much to do with it except to cut and paste information.
Here are some pictures from Summer Celebration:
Tim and I had a good time -- he dealt Texas Hold 'Em (aka KET Hold 'Em). We had a blow mid-party because we got word that our dear friend David Gichuru had drowned while on vacation in California. Tim was still processing when this picture was taken I think.









Me and my boss, Michele Ripley, president of the Commonwealth Fund for KET. She called it "Kelly's party" all night. . . well, it was.





Mary and I posing in an Austin Healey. My big coup was getting the Louisville British Sports Car Club to bring 7 of their cars as "decoration" for our James Bond themed event. Mary was there to hold a kitten for the silent auction -- we'll never do that again -- bidding war, icky.

New Year, New Me

So, I turned 42 a couple of weeks ago and I've been at my job for over a year. . . I decided it was time for a change. So I'm back on Weight Watchers and I've lost seven (or six, depends on the day) pounds so far! I also colored my hair. I went in for brown/brunette. I picked a color in a magazine that had a sort of auburn glow. Well, see for yourself. . .

Pictures from Christmas Break

So here are some pics from our Christmas travels:

Talula is Bob and Janet's dog. A gift from Tim's brother, Tony, after he came back from Florida. And speaking of Tony. . .



Here he is with his new fiancee, Cassie. She's sweet and seems grounded and laid back . . . we're excited to have her in the family!
Tim's Aunt Ollie is 97 years old! Tony told her she had to "hitch" a ride home and she said, "Oh yeah?" She's a pistol but gets lonely. . . who wouldn't when you're far and away the only one in your age bracket?


Tim's cousin, Michael, is one of the younger cousins who is finally married and starting a family -- we've been it for long time now. Here's Michael's son, Kameron. We had a lot of fun pushing the snowman's hand and watching the K-man dance along!

Here's Lily, the newest little flower of the family, and her mom, Amy. Merry Christmas!

Happy New Year!

Well, the holidays have come and gone (with the notable exception of Epiphany of which I hope to have one soon so I know what to write here) and life continues.

Mary has turned 17. . .oy, my life is a cliche. . . Noah is 10 (my baby in double digits) and Sara will be 14 this month! My own birthdays bother me much less than those of my children.

Tim and I will celebrate 20 yars of marriage in June. What a milestone! We've worked so hard to get here and I'm proud of what we've accomplished together. And what is to come will be even better. We're talking about a cruise to celebrate. . . anyone with any suggestions write me!

So, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year -- make this one count!

K