Is There a Doctor in the House??

My sister is a doctor!! :)
I went home with Stefani this weekend for her graduation, and my whole family was home. All except Eric, so that was a bummer. But we had a good time. Family dynamics can be quite an interesting situation in our family. The ceremony was very boring! Megan and I were entertaining ourselves by taking pictures of random graduates stopping for pictures with their own family.
We drove back on Sunday afternoon. I don't know if any of you have listened to books on tape, but Stefani and I spent the whole 8 1/4 hours listening to a book and we didn't quite get through it. I need to know the ending!!!

Our holidays aren't quite what they should be. Eric still hasn't heard about a job, so he's dumpy and I'm dumpy, and it's really hard to get in the Christmas spirit when you aren't looking forward to what comes next. He's really frustrated, and we're trying to be patient and trust the Lord, who knows the plans He has for Eric. Time is running out, however. Keep us in your prayers as we keep trusting and try to make the holidays what they are truly meant to be. A celebration of the birth of God's son. It's not about us at all. Jesus is the only reason for this season, and Eric and I need to remember that.

Small Group

I thank God very often for my small group from church. Last night we got together for a Christmas party, and it was the most fun I've had in a while. Our group just clicks very well together, and I love the wonderful women. Our group truly seems to be a support and cares about the little things going on in all our lives. God has blessed me with some great friends.
And boy, these friends sure can cook!! :)

10 Cookies

Yesterday, Clay Beasley came down to play playstation with Eric. That was fine, they were upstairs and I got a few minutes of peace to read. I was trying to be all Suzy-homemaker and be the perfect hostess, so I offered some cookies to Clay. I think by the time he left, he had eaten at least ten. We had two cookies left in the box! Eric couldn't believe it. I thought it was kind of funny. Guess from now on I'll have to put a limit on it! :)

Update

Please pray hard. Eric found out yesterday that he has a job through the end of the year. After that, he's done. He has not heard from anyone on another job, so things are not looking that great. What a great way to welcome in the holiday season. Merry Christmas to us!

If you can pray for me also. I'm going through something really tough right now that I don't really feel like sharing, but prayers would greatly be appreciated.

Holidays

It just hit me how quickly the holidays are going to fly by. Eric and I are going to Missouri for Thanksgiving in less than two weeks. I have a lot of work to get done before then! Three weeks after that, I will be returning to Missouri for my sister's graduation. After ten years of college, she's finally done!!! A week later, my parents will be coming out for Christmas. Why is it that in the one time of the year we want to slow down and spend a little extra time with family, that's when we make ourselves so busy that we can't even truly enjoy the time we do have? This Christmas emphasizes that so much more because my family is coming out Christmas Eve. We are spending Christmas day together, and the very next day, Megan leaves for London. One day together. That's all we have. It really makes me realize how good those families have it that live near each other. I don't take a minute I have with a sister or parent for granted.

My Weekend

Leaving work early isn't nearly as fun when you're leaving because you can't stop itching. Friday, I left work at 2:30 because my whole upper body was itchy. I went home and took a shower, hoping that it was something easily relieveable. However, as the evening progressed, the itching got worse. My mom and Megan had gone on a college vist to Goshen and came on over for the weekend, and Stefani came over from Perrysburg to enjoy some time with us. We went to bed at 12:30, and the itching was starting to creep down into my legs. At 2:30, I woke up itching so bad all over my body that I couldn't sleep. I thought maybe another shower would help, but when I got in the bathroom, I saw that my whole body - neck to ankles - was covered in hives. I was a bright red mess!
So shortly before 3 in the morning, Eric and I headed to the Montpelier ER. I was given three shots, one in the arm, and one in each butt cheek. Let me tell you, Eric was laughing at me trying to walk out of the hospital! The nurse said that rashes and hives like that are so hard to explain, I might never know what caused it. She gave me some follow up prescriptions, kept me for a half hour and then sent me on my way. My rear was so sore!!!! It hurt to sit at all on the ride home.
We got home at about 4 in the morning and I zonked out til 9. I was feeling better, so all us women headed to Grandma's for the day. It was a great day, but in the evening, I started to get itchy. My nurse aunt looked at my back and I had a poison ivy-like rash running across my back. It went away by the time I got home that evening, and the next morning it was running across my stomach, but went away by the time I was leaving for church. Who knows. I praise the Lord for it not being more severe than it was, but I'll be happy if it never happens again! :)

Ugh

After taking a few minutes to let the chastizing work its full effect, I am finally posting again. I guess I don't post often because I just don't feel that I have anything interesting to say. Sorry! :)
I've spent the last week of evenings and even a full day and a half off from work painting. We are finally painting our bedroom, and it's really beginning to feel like our own home. We're finally putting "us" into our house. However, words of advice. If you have the chance to paint before you officially move in, do it! I have been painting around our bed frame, which is huge, and it's kind of hard to do. We have also been sleeping in our guest room. I tell you, I might be spoiled, but I'm used to a queen size bed. The guest bed is a full. I feel a bit cramped, not only cause the bed is smaller, but also because I have a wall on one side and our queen mattress shoved up on the other side.
I just want my normal, clean house back!!!
If anyone really loves to paint, feel free to join me! :) Just kidding.

Good News

Mom called last night about the boy from home I had asked for prayer for. Wade is doing incredibly well considering the circumstances. He is walking! He really doesn't have much luck with his left side, since most of the right side of his brain is gone. But he never really lost consciousness through this whole ordeal. He remembers laying on the couch at home and trying to get up. He remembers the er. His short term memory is not really good though. He doesn't really have any skull left on his right side, but they did put a piece of the skull in his stomach to keep it growing good marrow, and they will eventually do surgery to take it back out and replace it in his head. I just praise the Lord that he wasn't killed and that he seems to be recovering slowly. Continue to pray please.

San Diego

What an amazing trip! I had such a great time in San Diego. It was the perfect combination of doing things and just relaxing. We went shopping a lot, went to Mexico (which by the way, you think resorts, you get third world country), and even attempted (stress on attempted) surfing. I made a fool of myself. :) But it sure was fun.
Wow, there are too many details to write down, but I will say that I would go back in a heartbeat. Only next time, I'm taking Eric with me.

I'll Fly Away

The countdown began a long time ago! I'm finally going back to San Diego to see my sister and I leave in two days! I'm ready for a vacation. It's a little bittersweet since I'm going by myself, but it will be good to see Julie. She's making all kinds of plans for the weekend, including a trip to Tijuana.
Preparing to leave is not so much fun at work. I've been putting in a bunch of overtime to try to get all the things I need to get done before I leave finished. It's a no win. If I don't put in the overtime, I don't get it done. But what I would really rather be doing is spending that time with my wonderful, thoughtful, adorable husband, and I can't. Yeah, I know, I'll only be gone six days, but I still consider myself a newlywed and I'm going to miss him!!!

Life

Praise the Lord for my mental health! That's a weird way to start, but there have been a couple of things lately that have really gotten me thinking. What makes a person so paranoid that they beat their roommate senseless with a hot iron? What can cause a person to have so little hope in the world that they jump off a second tier stadium seat to their death, thinking that it is the only option they have? I know I'm a little nuts, but neither of these things have ever crossed my mind. How many times a day do I walk past someone who is internally dealing with the same kind of issues as these? Sometimes I think that I'm so absorbed in my own little bubble that I miss the many opportunities God gives me to just take a minute to smile at someone I pass or take a minute to help a stranger in need. Who knows, maybe I could brighten their day just a little. How many times does God just want to whack me over the head and say, hey! pay attention here, I'm trying to show you something? He must get so frustrated with me. Yet He never gives up on me. We have one amazing God!

Camping

We had been waiting all summer for this past weekend. The second annual camping trip with three other couples. It's one of the highlights of the whole summer. So it finally came, and we packed up and headed to Pokagon to camp. This year, we would not be the only ones without a dog, but one of the two couples actually bringing a dog. All went well in that respect. Mugsy behaved and didn't even bark at night. He did growl once, but soon was quiet. I was so proud!!
There was a repeat event from last year however. That would be the rain! Yes, that's right, both years we have gone, it has rained all weekend. This means huddling under the two canopies we have along, trying to keep the dogs from getting too muddy (fat chance), slapping at the mosquitos that have taken up residence on your body, and shivering just hoping it will end soon. On Saturday night, we heard that we were officially in the red area on the radar with yellow stretching back to South Bend. No end to the rain in sight. Chance of hail. So we packed up all our stuff in the pouring rain and headed home a day early. Boy was I exhausted.
All in all, we had fun seeing the other couples again, however, I'm beginning to think that next time we should plan an indoor activity with those couples. :)

Vehicles

Eric and I are looking for a new vehicle. Not because we want to, no! Because we have to. Sunday we were in an accident. A 64 year old man fell asleep and came into our lane. We couldn't quite make it far enough out of the way for him to miss us, and the Corsica is totaled. But praise the Lord! No one was hurt. The man had his airbag go off, yet he had not bruises, burns, cuts or anything from it. None of us were hurt in the slightest. God was definitely looking out for all of us because so much else could have happened.
We test drove a vehicle last night, and I think Eric is in love. It would be the perfect thing, if we were looking because we want to look. However, because we have to look, they are going to have to come down a bit for us to be able to "drive that one away today!" :) Pray for a great deal on a vehicle, and pray for a good settlement from insurance, and that Eric and I will have wisdom in making a decision. But mostly Praise the Lord for watching over us!!

Prayer Request

Please pray for Wade Ragar. He was in first grade when I was a first grade teacher's aide. He's now just finishing seventh grade. His dad was going to go hunting with a friend and decided not to, however he left his gun loaded. Wade and a friend were playing with it and the friend accidentally shot Wade in the head. He lived, however it hit him in the right side of the brain, and the left side of his body might be permanently paralyzed. Please pray for the families of both boys who will be dealing with what if questions and the anger, pain, and sadness this has caused, and also for healing for Wade. This boy was a pretty special kid to me.

Too Hyper!

We took Mugsy to the vet on Monday. He is now an it. :) The poor thing had to stay overnight, and we were warned that he would have to wear a cone around his neck to keep him from licking the stiches. That was fine, no problem. When I went to pick him up, they said that somehow in the night he had managed to get the cone off his head and was chewing on it. Silly puppy. They claimed that he acted like he didn't know anything was different. Eric and I were relieved that he was doing well. Until we got home. Mugsy doesn't seem to realize that he needs to take it easy for a couple weeks, and just wants to play like normal. Since we were told not to play with him and get him excited, he gets into trouble to get us to pay attention to him. All he wants is for it to be normal, yet we won't play like he is used to. Poor thing! And he hates the cone. He manages to get it off every time we put it on. I'm ready to be able to treat him normally!

That's Work!

Mom and I went apartment hunting for my sister on Tuesday. I had never had to look for a place anywhere, and I tell you what. That is hard work!!! We headed to Toledo for our first appointment at 10:00 and couldn't find the office building. We had to call them to give directions. The second was ok, they flat out said that they might not have any openings. So we headed to the third. Eh. Oh, by the way, Stefani had given us a great checklist so we could check all the things she wanted to know. None of the first three were overly great, plus, the third said Stefani had to let them know that very day if she wanted it or they would have to let it go to someone else. Talk about pressure!!
So Mom and I thought we would look at some she hadn't listed. We called one, and they didn't have any available. So we decided to head to the fourth. We had a lot of time to waste, and were getting frustrated. The fourth was nicer, however, why would any apartment complex put down hunter green carpet through the whole place???? What if you have red furniture? Stupid! So we had some more free time. We called another place, however they said that today was not a good day for them, could we come tomorrow?? No, no we can't. By that point, I told Mom that we needed to do something else for a while or we'd go nuts! We walked around a bookstore for a while, then went to find the last apartment. Maps aren't always right, just to let you know. The last one was nicer also. At that point, I was just ready to be home.
We got back to my house after 7:00, and Stefani called to see how it went. We were on the phone with her for at least three hours! It was a long day! Not something I would want to do any time soon again. :)

Father's Day

I was talking to my mom the other day when we realized something. Mom is coming with Megan when she comes to live with us for the summer, and will be staying until Dad comes out for the yearly visit to Ohio. I was excited about them coming, and still am. However, I realized that they will be out here over Father's day. My wonderful father, poor man, will be in Missouri by himself. Four daughters, a son-in-law, and a loving wife, none of which will be there for him on his special day.
When Mom and I talked about this, she felt horrible, because she had been so excited to actually be able to be with her father for a Father's Day, yet realized she couldn't be in two places at one time. Eric even said, "So go home" to me. (Did I tell you I have the best husband?) :) However, since I am traveling that direction the very next weekend for a wedding, on the very weekend that my wonderful Father will be coming this way, I can't go for Father's Day. This stinks.
Why does it always seem that one weekend you will have absolutely nothing going on, yet the next, you have too many things and end up missing some of those things?

God is Great!

You know, it's been a great day! The Lord is really doing great things for my family right now. My sister finally got a job, and it's going to be close to me!!! My little sister will be here in 10 days to live with us for the summer, and she got a summer job too. And my other sister (yeah, I have lots of 'em) got her new car. Mom's Bible school went really well, and my husband is just wonderful! I think God is just trying to remind me just how much he cares for us and that in times of need, he is always there. Praise the Lord!!

We're Back!

Wow! What an amazing trip. It was so relaxing, and the mountains are absolutely beautiful!! We drove through Cade's Cove on Saturday, ate a picnic lunch, then headed for Gatlinburg. We hillbilly golfed and walked around some, then headed back to Knoxville. Sunday after church, we went back to the mountains and hiked a trail up into the mountains to Laurel Falls. That was absolutely the most beautiful thing! Kind of cold up there though. :) Eric even said that even though Stefani won't be down there for much longer, he would like to go back some time. I'm all for that! It didn't even seem like that long of a trip back home. Might be because Eric drives so fast.......

I need a vacation!

I tell you what. It's a long time from Christmas to Easter, and then especially to any more holidays. I really need a vacation. I need to just get away from this office for a while and regroup. I know that I'm a crab right now, and I really feel bad about it. However, I just can't help it! We're going to Tennessee for our anniversary next weekend and I can't wait. It will mean three weeks in a row that I'll work four day weeks. And after that, we start summer hours again!! Praise the Lord for summer!

Nerves

I was asked to sing a special on Sunday at church. That's fine no big deal. I will be singing by myself, which I don't normally do. I'm a harmonizer, so I usually sing with at least one other person and take an alto part. So I'm a little nervous about that. However, I'm realizing that there is a baby dedication (for my cousin) this Sunday. That means that there will be a lot of guests in church. My family will be there to hear me sing. (Add pressure here.) I've practiced the song once at the church with the mics and monitors, and I won't sing it again until first service, in front of everyone. There is a big difference between belting it out in your car and trying not to waver into a microphone! So please, feel free to pray lots for me!!!

Kids

It always amazes me how kids never run out of things to say. Eric and I went with his brother Corey and my cousin Eli, who's 8, to a MudHens game last night. I don't think there was a full minute on the hour drive to the game that E wasn't talking about something. From his favorite baseball team to what's going on at school to "How do you not know Bonkers???" (Bonkers is a fun spot for kids in Missouri that he's been to with my mom). The whole way home was more talk. He was so excited about going, and probably felt pretty special to get to go with grown-ups that weren't his parents! He's such a good kid! Very well behaved and polite! And definitely long winded! :)

Trouble

There could be trouble in my house! My oldest sister Stefani is finally going to be done with school. After ten years of post-high school, she will be out on her own and is looking for a permanent job. She's been calling me every time she gets another interview. Granted, she applied to 19 universities hoping to work in a counseling center on campus. Anywhere from Denver to Florida to Pennsylvania, to near here. She's gotten a lot of interviews! There is one problem location though. As many of you know, Eric is a huge Ohio State fan. Well Stefani had a phone interview and was offered an in-person interview to........Michigan. :) I've already been pre-warned that there will be NO Michigan in my house. I tend to think of it in terms of how close she will be and how much more often I will get to see her. But who knows what will happen. She might end up somewhere completely different. I would love to have a sister close though!!

Baseball

So Monday I decided to go to the North Central baseball game to watch Eric help coach. I figured it would be a nice time to take Mugsy out, and it kept me from having to run all over the house trying to watch him. It was a beautiful day! Perfect for a ball game. I knew it started at 4:30, so when I got off work at 5:00, I raced home to get the dog and get to the game. I had no need to race. When I got there at 5:30, they were in the second inning. SECOND!! Well, I arranged my chair and sat so that Mugsy couln't be a nuisance to anyone. Several kids came to play with him. It was a great day! Until the game drug on and on. Eric asked me to go get his coat out of his car because he was cold. When the sun went down and it started to cool off, I realized that I hadn't prepared for a long game. I had no coat! So I sat there for the rest of the game, freezing, trying to hold as still as possible for Mugsy, who was sound asleep in my lap. Mosquitos were biting me, however I needed to hold still. Mugsy's so much cuter when he's asleep!! The game finally ended at 8:10. Yes that's right. It was a 3 hour 40 minute game. I will never go to another ball game unprepared for any kind of weather!

Mugsy

Well, we finally got a puppy. He's the cutest little Jack Russell Terrier. He's seven weeks old, and he has the tiniest little legs. He loves to sit in our laps. His favorite location is sandwiched between Eric's leg and the arm of a chair. Just the cutest little puppy ever. Except when he decides to pee. I'm sure most of you know that Jacks are very intelligent dogs. Well Mugsy has decided that if we don't give him the attention he deserves, all he has to do is go into the living room and urinate on the carpet. Last night I had had enough. Eric was frustrated, I was frustrated, and Mugsy just wanted more attention. And those adorable puppy dog eyes are really hard to resist. You can feel your resolve to be firm melt away when he gives you that look and a little whine, saying, "I'm sorry, don't be mad at me!"

We have our work cut out for us. You don't really realize how much time and attention a new puppy can take. And by the time you do figure it out, it's too late. He's already won his way into your heart!

So Many Babies!

Wow, so there have been a lot of babies born recently. Every time I go visit a cousin or someone who just had a darling little girl or boy, I start to think...."What if that was me?" I see the little bundle of joy, and see the radiant looks on mom and dad's face and imagine what it will be like when I am the one in the ugly hospital gown glowing at our own little miracle. Will he/she have red hair like his/her daddy? I hope so! And then I walk out of the hospital hand in hand with my wonderful husband, off to do whatever we have planned or whatever we need to get accomplished and it's so nice to be able to just go and do. No one else to get food, diapers, babysitter for. No bottles to forget, pacifiers to lose, smells to discern, tears to wipe. So no babies for us for a long time! I like it just the two of us! For now. :)

I'm Cold

I sit here in my office with a space heater blowing directly on my feet. I can truly say that I am tired of winter. I think the worst part of the transition to Spring is the mess winter leaves behind. Our driveway is one big mud puddle, and our yard isn't much better. I could handle it if it just happened once. However, every time it starts to look promising, we get another cold blast and snow to melt into puddles again. I just might go insane!

Hooked

Thank you Jules! You hooked me into this crazy mess, and now people will suffer through my endless rants. Or they'll not read it. Either way, I can express myself! Go first amendment! Well anyway, I'm not sure whether it's worth the time to type what I'm thinking or not. Enjoy if you take the time! :)