THE ROOSTER HAS LANDED!!!!!!!!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Christmas Happenings
Well, I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas, I know our family did. Ever since I have been with Jonathan, our Christmas holiday is always a bit crazy. We always spend the morning/afternoon with Jonathan's family and then spend the evening with mine.
This year was a little different but still crazy. Jonathan and I woke up early to open our gifts for each other (although we tried not to spend that much on each other since we are getting a new stove soon). We then got to eat lunch with Jonathan's parents and grandparents at the Brethren home. I couldn't believe how many people were there for dinner. I thought the employees did a great job accommodating the large crowd.
Next, we were off to the Swigart house for another filling dinner. We got there and things were in full swing. Complete with the smells of a cooking ham and a house full of anxious wound up children. By the time everyone arrives and brings there gifts, we have a mountain in front of the Christmas tree (a rather small tree this year Dad..). Every year we have the idea to "go slow" so that everyone can enjoy there gifts. But when dad declares it time to open gifts, it always manages to turn into a feeding frenzy. People hollering back and forth "Thank You. I love it" across the room. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get any good pictures this year. I never seemed to have my camera when I needed it.
Now on to a sad story. On December 26, we sadly had a fatal car accident across the road from our house. About 6:20pm that night, Jonathan and I had just sat down to dinner, when the lights in our house flickered. We didn't think too much of it, until 10 minutes later, we heard the sound of fire engines and ambulances. We knew the accident looked bad but we certainly never thought it was fatal. From our house we could see a truck in the road an a utility pole down. We went to bed at 11PM and the police and fire were still working on the scene.
After watching the news the next day, an SUV with a 19 year old and a 22 year old was traveling on Gordon-Landis Road, missed the stop sign and pulled out in front of a truck traveling full speed on St Rt 49. The SUV flipped and was launched into the utility pole. We later found out that the 19 year old boy from Lewisburg, was killed in that wreck.
Even though I never knew this boy, I still felt heart sick for this boys family. Christmas probably won't be the same for this family ever again. I know that when I come to that intersection I will always have those pictures in my head of what we saw.
So next year, when I start to feel annoyed buy the craziness of our Christmas Holiday, I will definitely be thankful to have that full and crazy house.
This year was a little different but still crazy. Jonathan and I woke up early to open our gifts for each other (although we tried not to spend that much on each other since we are getting a new stove soon). We then got to eat lunch with Jonathan's parents and grandparents at the Brethren home. I couldn't believe how many people were there for dinner. I thought the employees did a great job accommodating the large crowd.
Next, we were off to the Swigart house for another filling dinner. We got there and things were in full swing. Complete with the smells of a cooking ham and a house full of anxious wound up children. By the time everyone arrives and brings there gifts, we have a mountain in front of the Christmas tree (a rather small tree this year Dad..). Every year we have the idea to "go slow" so that everyone can enjoy there gifts. But when dad declares it time to open gifts, it always manages to turn into a feeding frenzy. People hollering back and forth "Thank You. I love it" across the room. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get any good pictures this year. I never seemed to have my camera when I needed it.
Now on to a sad story. On December 26, we sadly had a fatal car accident across the road from our house. About 6:20pm that night, Jonathan and I had just sat down to dinner, when the lights in our house flickered. We didn't think too much of it, until 10 minutes later, we heard the sound of fire engines and ambulances. We knew the accident looked bad but we certainly never thought it was fatal. From our house we could see a truck in the road an a utility pole down. We went to bed at 11PM and the police and fire were still working on the scene.
After watching the news the next day, an SUV with a 19 year old and a 22 year old was traveling on Gordon-Landis Road, missed the stop sign and pulled out in front of a truck traveling full speed on St Rt 49. The SUV flipped and was launched into the utility pole. We later found out that the 19 year old boy from Lewisburg, was killed in that wreck.
Even though I never knew this boy, I still felt heart sick for this boys family. Christmas probably won't be the same for this family ever again. I know that when I come to that intersection I will always have those pictures in my head of what we saw.
So next year, when I start to feel annoyed buy the craziness of our Christmas Holiday, I will definitely be thankful to have that full and crazy house.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Our Snowy Weekend
Jonathan and I definitely have very different opinions of snow. I think it's beautiful only if I am in the comfort of my home. I only drive in it if I absolutely have too. Jonathan, however, would be perfectly happy living with snow 12 months out of the year.
Last Thursday I was anxiously waiting to get off work. I had taken Friday off and couldn't wait for my long weekend. I had planned on finishing my shopping and maybe get a bit of cleaning and baking done. I then noticed just how bad the weather was going to be for the weekend. I realized that all my running would have to be done on Friday. I then started looking forward to just getting things done at the house on Saturday and Sunday while we would be holed up inside. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get the shopping finished. I just didn't have the eye that day. On Friday night, we went to our Church Christmas program, came home and prepared for the rest of the weekend.
On Saturday, Jonathan was so excited to see how fast the snow was coming down. I was getting a little nervous. But, I had no where to be that day and I wasn't worried about driving. As the day went on, Jonathan began to get antsy in the house. He began looking for any reason to get in the car and be in the snow. I just casually mentioned how good some hot bread would be from our bread machine. That's all it took. He grabbed the keys and was off to Suttons with a smile.
On Sunday, we decided to take our chances and try to get to church. Luckily they were still having services and a bigger crowd then expected showed up. After Church, we were off to Jonathan's parents house for Sunday Dinner. Not even the snow would keep us from Geneva's cooking. The drive down Red River definitely proved to be challenging. I figured if the buggies could make it through to get to church, then we would be OK. After dinner we spent time playing with Brownie, the "oh so lovable wonder pooch". He was such a good boy, he even posed for some pictures. He loves the snow just as much as Jonathan. We then headed back home where I spent the evening making my famous Ginger Bread Men. Also, worrying about the nerve wracking drive to work that awaited us the next morning.
Last Thursday I was anxiously waiting to get off work. I had taken Friday off and couldn't wait for my long weekend. I had planned on finishing my shopping and maybe get a bit of cleaning and baking done. I then noticed just how bad the weather was going to be for the weekend. I realized that all my running would have to be done on Friday. I then started looking forward to just getting things done at the house on Saturday and Sunday while we would be holed up inside. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get the shopping finished. I just didn't have the eye that day. On Friday night, we went to our Church Christmas program, came home and prepared for the rest of the weekend.
On Saturday, Jonathan was so excited to see how fast the snow was coming down. I was getting a little nervous. But, I had no where to be that day and I wasn't worried about driving. As the day went on, Jonathan began to get antsy in the house. He began looking for any reason to get in the car and be in the snow. I just casually mentioned how good some hot bread would be from our bread machine. That's all it took. He grabbed the keys and was off to Suttons with a smile.
On Sunday, we decided to take our chances and try to get to church. Luckily they were still having services and a bigger crowd then expected showed up. After Church, we were off to Jonathan's parents house for Sunday Dinner. Not even the snow would keep us from Geneva's cooking. The drive down Red River definitely proved to be challenging. I figured if the buggies could make it through to get to church, then we would be OK. After dinner we spent time playing with Brownie, the "oh so lovable wonder pooch". He was such a good boy, he even posed for some pictures. He loves the snow just as much as Jonathan. We then headed back home where I spent the evening making my famous Ginger Bread Men. Also, worrying about the nerve wracking drive to work that awaited us the next morning.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Our First Christmas Together as The Yoders
Merry Christmas Season Everyone!! This is our first Christmas together as husband and wife. This is actually our fifth Christmas together, but this year is definitely different.
Activities are in full swing. The first event every year is Jonathan's company Christmas dinner with Garber Electric. It's always held the first Saturday in December. They always have a beautiful dinner and a great program. It's always a great way to start the Christmas season off.
This past weekend we went to the Salem Church of God Christmas Program. Something we do every year, but for some reason, this year was even more phenomenal. The story for this years program was a struggling single mother of teenagers. Her own children helped there mother surrender to the love of Jesus through there local church. They put on an awesome program. Complete with there huge choir singing amazing songs, orchestra, dancing and kids of all ages. Many sponsors from all over the community donate money to the church to help them make the program happen. All money donated from the audience is used to provide food to needy families through out the community. I highly recommend there show to everyone. I already can't wait until next year!
As many of you have already seen, we put up our Christmas tree a few weeks ago. We recently added our Christmas train to the base of our tree. Jonathan got the train for us for Christmas last year and we have brought it out for the first time this year. This train is something that, as a kid, I always wanted under my Christmas tree. I can't wait for my kids to one day wake up Christmas morning and see the tree all glowing and a the train humming around and around. Maybe someday, when we have space, we can add to our train set and have our own train room just like all the Yoder men have.
Also, for those that were helping us look, we have just found the perfect "Our First Christmas" ornament. It's of Mr. and Mrs. Snowman sharing there first Christmas. I tried to get a quality ornament hoping it will look good every year we hang it on the tree. Something to remind us of our Christmas's past.
I have included pictures of our Christmas train and our ornament for you to see.
I was hoping people might want to share some Christmas memories on there own blog. If anyone has memories of there first Christmas together with there spouse.
Any Christmas traditions that you may do every year? We look forward to starting our own traditions and also keeping some that our families have given us.
I can't wait to hear all your stories!!!
Activities are in full swing. The first event every year is Jonathan's company Christmas dinner with Garber Electric. It's always held the first Saturday in December. They always have a beautiful dinner and a great program. It's always a great way to start the Christmas season off.
This past weekend we went to the Salem Church of God Christmas Program. Something we do every year, but for some reason, this year was even more phenomenal. The story for this years program was a struggling single mother of teenagers. Her own children helped there mother surrender to the love of Jesus through there local church. They put on an awesome program. Complete with there huge choir singing amazing songs, orchestra, dancing and kids of all ages. Many sponsors from all over the community donate money to the church to help them make the program happen. All money donated from the audience is used to provide food to needy families through out the community. I highly recommend there show to everyone. I already can't wait until next year!
As many of you have already seen, we put up our Christmas tree a few weeks ago. We recently added our Christmas train to the base of our tree. Jonathan got the train for us for Christmas last year and we have brought it out for the first time this year. This train is something that, as a kid, I always wanted under my Christmas tree. I can't wait for my kids to one day wake up Christmas morning and see the tree all glowing and a the train humming around and around. Maybe someday, when we have space, we can add to our train set and have our own train room just like all the Yoder men have.
Also, for those that were helping us look, we have just found the perfect "Our First Christmas" ornament. It's of Mr. and Mrs. Snowman sharing there first Christmas. I tried to get a quality ornament hoping it will look good every year we hang it on the tree. Something to remind us of our Christmas's past.
I have included pictures of our Christmas train and our ornament for you to see.
I was hoping people might want to share some Christmas memories on there own blog. If anyone has memories of there first Christmas together with there spouse.
Any Christmas traditions that you may do every year? We look forward to starting our own traditions and also keeping some that our families have given us.
I can't wait to hear all your stories!!!
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Out Sick
I'll have to tell my latest stories next week. I am sick this week and my head is a little fuzzy. I don't wanna say anything too silly. Gotta go before I infect everyone. Sniff Sniff......
Sunday, November 18, 2007
A Little Wiser
Well, the last of our leaves have finally fallen. This time, we went to Jonathan's grandfathers house and borrowed his leaf sweeper. Jonathan was pulling it behind his 4-wheeler and ended up with a massive pile in the middle of the yard. Just as Jonathan was starting to bag the leaves, one of our other neighbors walked over. He asked "Ya collect'n leaves??" Jonathan says "looks like it". Our neighbor then confessed to also dumping his leaves in the fields across the road just like another neighbors did. He then offered us his yard wagon to help get the leaves across the road. That was such a big help. He says we can just help ourselves when ever we need it. ( I don't think we will ever just help ourselves though) So, a big thanks to Grandpa Lavy for letting us borrow the leaf sweeper and the neighbor with the wagon that allowed us to discretely schlep our leaves across the road. But, we still have the 11 bags of leaves sitting in our shed. Those, with permission, will now be heading to the Senior Yoder household to be thrown in to the garden. Hopefully the dogs can get a few good runs through them before the leaves turn into compost.
On Sunday, we decided to pull our Christmas decorations down from the attic. It's always so much fun pulling things out from the boxes. Every item has a memory of who gave it to me or what great deal I got on it at after Christmas sales. Luckily, the tree I had at my apartment was a perfect fit for our house. Not to big and not to small. For those who always ask what it looks like, I have posted a picture. And also one of Jonathan "collect'n leaves". I don't think it was work for him though. He really loves his 4-wheeler. I'm sure I will have pics this winter of him plowing snow with a smile on his face.
On Sunday, we decided to pull our Christmas decorations down from the attic. It's always so much fun pulling things out from the boxes. Every item has a memory of who gave it to me or what great deal I got on it at after Christmas sales. Luckily, the tree I had at my apartment was a perfect fit for our house. Not to big and not to small. For those who always ask what it looks like, I have posted a picture. And also one of Jonathan "collect'n leaves". I don't think it was work for him though. He really loves his 4-wheeler. I'm sure I will have pics this winter of him plowing snow with a smile on his face.
Friday, November 16, 2007
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WENDY!!!!!!!!!
I hope you're having a great day! You deserve it.
Sorry, if I knew how too, I would have put you an e-card on here.
Alejandro says happy birthday too.
We miss you guys so much. Hope you guys have a good winter out there (if that's what you call it). We will be thinking of you while we trudge through the snow this winter. We hope to see you guys sometime next year.
Love you
Sorry, if I knew how too, I would have put you an e-card on here.
Alejandro says happy birthday too.
We miss you guys so much. Hope you guys have a good winter out there (if that's what you call it). We will be thinking of you while we trudge through the snow this winter. We hope to see you guys sometime next year.
Love you
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Reminder to Fellow Bloggers
I wanted to take this time to give our fellow bloggers a reminder about open blogging. I started this blog knowing that anyone in the world could read what I post. But I really didn't think anyone else would want read this blog outside of family and friends.
Well, this weekend I realized that wasn't so. I received 2 comments from an undesirable stranger that I was forced to take off the blog for fear of offending everyone else. He ended up commenting again after I deleted the first comment and then I was forced to delete the other. He was insulted that I removed his comment.
My reminder:
Strangers around the world are looking at our blogs even though we may not think they would be interested. Just because they don't comment, doesn't mean they aren't there. We need to be extra careful about how much personal information we reveal on our blogs. Being careful about last names and current or future locations. I was a bit spooked this weekend to say the least.
This was definitely the hard lesson learned.
The good lesson learned. Now that we know people around the world are reading about us, What do we want to say to them??
Well, this weekend I realized that wasn't so. I received 2 comments from an undesirable stranger that I was forced to take off the blog for fear of offending everyone else. He ended up commenting again after I deleted the first comment and then I was forced to delete the other. He was insulted that I removed his comment.
My reminder:
Strangers around the world are looking at our blogs even though we may not think they would be interested. Just because they don't comment, doesn't mean they aren't there. We need to be extra careful about how much personal information we reveal on our blogs. Being careful about last names and current or future locations. I was a bit spooked this weekend to say the least.
This was definitely the hard lesson learned.
The good lesson learned. Now that we know people around the world are reading about us, What do we want to say to them??
Sunday, November 11, 2007
A Mouse in the House
For the past two weeks I have gone to work and had to listen to the latest happenings with a girl that I work with. She is currently battling with mice in her house. Everyday she has come in telling us about all the crazy things that she and her husband have been doing to catch these mice in her house. So far, her mouse body count is up to five and she is still fighting with them.
Anyway, Friday evening about 6:30pm, Jonathan and I were sitting at the dinner table eating our pancakes and bacon (yes, breakfast for dinner). We had just started eating when I saw something run behind the refrigerator out of the corner of my eye. Instinctively, my bare feet lift up and I yell to Jonathan "oh my gosh, I think I just saw a mouse". Jonathan has his back toward the refrigerator so he didn't see anything. I'm pretty sure he didn't believe me. He didn't react at all and I began to doubt what I might have seen. Maybe I was a bit more hyper to the idea since I had been talking about them for the past two weeks.
So, about this time, Jonathan's dad rings the doorbell to pickup something from Jonathan. As he is walking in, Jonathan says "she thinks she just saw a mouse". The guys then began to shake the refrigerator to get the "so called mouse" to come out. Nothing happens. So then they move the refrigerator out just a bit, and wouldn't ya know it. The mouse comes running out and some how manages to zip into a hole that is in the bottom part of our kitchen cabinet. He won't come out.
That was all it took for me. I left my pancakes and bacon sitting at the table, threw on some flip flops and grabbed my keys. I peeled out of the driveway leaving Jonathan behind. I was off to the hardware store. I'm pretty sure that when the guy said "can I help you find something ma'am?", I looked like a crazy lady. I told him "I need mouse traps, STAT". Of course they were out of the cheapie $1 traps, so I had to settle for the more expensive ones that they said were less mess. I didn't really care about the mess at the moment, just something that would get the job done.
So, I flew back home and tore open the package. I loaded the traps with bait (peanut butter) and set them where I wanted them. At about 8pm, Jonathan and I were watching TV when we heard some commotion coming from the kitchen. I got up to see what it was, and there he was. The mouse was belly up, stuck in the jaws of the trap. SUCCESS! Jonathan put on his gloves, grabbed the mouse and threw him in the field across the road.
We still have the traps sitting out for a few more days, but I think there is only the one. Hopefully this is a lesson for any other rodents that want to invade our home.
Anyway, Friday evening about 6:30pm, Jonathan and I were sitting at the dinner table eating our pancakes and bacon (yes, breakfast for dinner). We had just started eating when I saw something run behind the refrigerator out of the corner of my eye. Instinctively, my bare feet lift up and I yell to Jonathan "oh my gosh, I think I just saw a mouse". Jonathan has his back toward the refrigerator so he didn't see anything. I'm pretty sure he didn't believe me. He didn't react at all and I began to doubt what I might have seen. Maybe I was a bit more hyper to the idea since I had been talking about them for the past two weeks.
So, about this time, Jonathan's dad rings the doorbell to pickup something from Jonathan. As he is walking in, Jonathan says "she thinks she just saw a mouse". The guys then began to shake the refrigerator to get the "so called mouse" to come out. Nothing happens. So then they move the refrigerator out just a bit, and wouldn't ya know it. The mouse comes running out and some how manages to zip into a hole that is in the bottom part of our kitchen cabinet. He won't come out.
That was all it took for me. I left my pancakes and bacon sitting at the table, threw on some flip flops and grabbed my keys. I peeled out of the driveway leaving Jonathan behind. I was off to the hardware store. I'm pretty sure that when the guy said "can I help you find something ma'am?", I looked like a crazy lady. I told him "I need mouse traps, STAT". Of course they were out of the cheapie $1 traps, so I had to settle for the more expensive ones that they said were less mess. I didn't really care about the mess at the moment, just something that would get the job done.
So, I flew back home and tore open the package. I loaded the traps with bait (peanut butter) and set them where I wanted them. At about 8pm, Jonathan and I were watching TV when we heard some commotion coming from the kitchen. I got up to see what it was, and there he was. The mouse was belly up, stuck in the jaws of the trap. SUCCESS! Jonathan put on his gloves, grabbed the mouse and threw him in the field across the road.
We still have the traps sitting out for a few more days, but I think there is only the one. Hopefully this is a lesson for any other rodents that want to invade our home.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
A Leafy Predicament
OK. So it was a slow weekend. My mom asked if I had blogged anything new yet today. I had to tell her no because we didn't do much other than rake leaves this weekend. And of course, after talking to her, she manages to find some humor in our situation.
Well, as many of you know, I was born and raised in the comfy suburb of Vandalia. I had always been around the country scene with my grandparents living on the outskirts of Laura. (Although visiting now, it doesn't look like the "country" I remember). Anyway, I had always loved the country but I was never countrified. I would always end up back in my bed in cozy suburbia.
So, when Jonathan and I bought our house, we compromised on an area that was country but still had easy access to the comforts of the "city".
And now, I begin my transformation to becoming countrified. Saturday was the first day that I realized that we have to find creative alternatives to dumping our yard waste. Saturday, Jonathan was going to mow the lawn. But, we noticed that there were too many leaves on the ground to just run through them with the lawn mower. We then grabbed our newly bought rakes and began the overwhelming task. Sadly, when we looked up into our trees, we still had over 2/3 of our leaves still on our trees. As we finished our raking we looked at each other and asked "what are we gonna do with all these leaves?" We couldn't burn them. The neighbor suggested we just throw them into the fields across our lot. But, no matter which way the wind blows, they will just end up all over the road and back into our yard. We ended up bagging them up (a total of 11 bags of leaves, and still much more to come). We then decided to put all 11 bags into the truck and haul them over to Jonathan's parents house. We were going to put them into there garden, like they do with there leaves. But when we got there, the wind was blowing so hard that there leaves were blowing all over the place. I knew that wouldn't be right. If we dumped our leaves there, they would just blow all over there yard and end up having to be raked up again by his dad. So, we headed back home again with the leaves still in the truck. When we got home we just sat in the truck pondering our predicament. The only thing we could come up with was to throw them into our shed out back. We were tired and ready to just give up. And that is were the leaves currently sit, with many more bags of leaves still waiting to be raked.
So today I had an idea. Why don't we take them to my dads house in the suburbs and just let the city pick them up from my dads curb??
I am now begging, does anyone else have any other creative ideas on how we can get ride of all our leaves??
Well, as many of you know, I was born and raised in the comfy suburb of Vandalia. I had always been around the country scene with my grandparents living on the outskirts of Laura. (Although visiting now, it doesn't look like the "country" I remember). Anyway, I had always loved the country but I was never countrified. I would always end up back in my bed in cozy suburbia.
So, when Jonathan and I bought our house, we compromised on an area that was country but still had easy access to the comforts of the "city".
And now, I begin my transformation to becoming countrified. Saturday was the first day that I realized that we have to find creative alternatives to dumping our yard waste. Saturday, Jonathan was going to mow the lawn. But, we noticed that there were too many leaves on the ground to just run through them with the lawn mower. We then grabbed our newly bought rakes and began the overwhelming task. Sadly, when we looked up into our trees, we still had over 2/3 of our leaves still on our trees. As we finished our raking we looked at each other and asked "what are we gonna do with all these leaves?" We couldn't burn them. The neighbor suggested we just throw them into the fields across our lot. But, no matter which way the wind blows, they will just end up all over the road and back into our yard. We ended up bagging them up (a total of 11 bags of leaves, and still much more to come). We then decided to put all 11 bags into the truck and haul them over to Jonathan's parents house. We were going to put them into there garden, like they do with there leaves. But when we got there, the wind was blowing so hard that there leaves were blowing all over the place. I knew that wouldn't be right. If we dumped our leaves there, they would just blow all over there yard and end up having to be raked up again by his dad. So, we headed back home again with the leaves still in the truck. When we got home we just sat in the truck pondering our predicament. The only thing we could come up with was to throw them into our shed out back. We were tired and ready to just give up. And that is were the leaves currently sit, with many more bags of leaves still waiting to be raked.
So today I had an idea. Why don't we take them to my dads house in the suburbs and just let the city pick them up from my dads curb??
I am now begging, does anyone else have any other creative ideas on how we can get ride of all our leaves??
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Happy Halloween!
This is Jack. The newest edition to the family. Only for one day though.
We carved him up last night and tonight he gets to glow in the dark. He also gave us some really great pumpkin seeds to toast.
Jack is ready to greet everyone with a smile.
We carved him up last night and tonight he gets to glow in the dark. He also gave us some really great pumpkin seeds to toast.
Jack is ready to greet everyone with a smile.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Our New Specs!
PRAISE!! I passed my 90 days at my new job. As of September 4th, I officially have health insurance with my new job. Talk about a nervous Nelly!! I was a nervous wreck for 90 days without health insurance. Jonathan has finally ditched his overpriced health insurance with his job and has joined with my job.
SOOOOOOOO, the first thing we did was, go to the eye doctor. I haven't worn glasses for about fifteen years and desperately needed to be able to see my computer screen at work. Jonathan just needed glasses from this decade. (lol)
And to those who have teased me for so long about my squinting, I finally have glasses. Thankfully the eye doctor told me that I didn't need to wear them all the time just yet, just when I wanted to see clearer. Right now, that's only when I'm at work. Jonathan, poor guy, can't see across the room without his.
So here we are! Our New Specs!
SOOOOOOOO, the first thing we did was, go to the eye doctor. I haven't worn glasses for about fifteen years and desperately needed to be able to see my computer screen at work. Jonathan just needed glasses from this decade. (lol)
And to those who have teased me for so long about my squinting, I finally have glasses. Thankfully the eye doctor told me that I didn't need to wear them all the time just yet, just when I wanted to see clearer. Right now, that's only when I'm at work. Jonathan, poor guy, can't see across the room without his.
So here we are! Our New Specs!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Nothing Exciting this Weekend.
This was the first weekend in a long time that Jonathan and I were not obligated to be anywhere. Of course that was nice for Sweetest Day weekend. On Friday, we heard a secret about a restaurant in New Madison that was serving all you can eat Walley for on $9.95. With the salad bar, drink and ice cream included for the price, we could only manage to eat one plate of fish and fries. And it was still worth the price. Anyway, this place could be worth making a monthly trip to for the fish. Maybe next time we will drag our parents there!
On Saturday, I started the day with breakfast and a Sweetest Day Rose. Then we were busy with yard work. We took advantage of the slow weekend to get things done around the house. My slowly dying marigolds finally got the Yank this weekend. The lawn furniture got put away and we spent a bit of money at the hardware store buying miscellaneous yard tools. I now know what they mean by "start up costs".
After we spent most of the morning and afternoon outside, Jonathan headed to his chair for a nap and I headed to the kitchen. It was time to make my yearly batch of applesauce. Unfortunately this year, I got my apples kinda late, so it was slim pickens. A small batch for this year. I have left "how to" pictures for anyone who may be interested or might just be bored. I have only been doing this for a few years (only since I've known Jonathan's mother) and I totally look forward to it every year. It's one of the few Suzy homemaker things I can do well. Next year we hope to start my first garden. If all goes well, I may need some help learning how to can my veggies. Any volunteers??
For Sweetest Day dinner, we didn't want to go out since we were tired from the long day. So, we rented some movies and threw a porterhouse steak on the grill to split. MMMMMMM. A nice night at home.
On Sunday we went to church, ate dinner and then visited Jonathan's parents.
A beautiful October weekend to be at home.
On Saturday, I started the day with breakfast and a Sweetest Day Rose. Then we were busy with yard work. We took advantage of the slow weekend to get things done around the house. My slowly dying marigolds finally got the Yank this weekend. The lawn furniture got put away and we spent a bit of money at the hardware store buying miscellaneous yard tools. I now know what they mean by "start up costs".
After we spent most of the morning and afternoon outside, Jonathan headed to his chair for a nap and I headed to the kitchen. It was time to make my yearly batch of applesauce. Unfortunately this year, I got my apples kinda late, so it was slim pickens. A small batch for this year. I have left "how to" pictures for anyone who may be interested or might just be bored. I have only been doing this for a few years (only since I've known Jonathan's mother) and I totally look forward to it every year. It's one of the few Suzy homemaker things I can do well. Next year we hope to start my first garden. If all goes well, I may need some help learning how to can my veggies. Any volunteers??
For Sweetest Day dinner, we didn't want to go out since we were tired from the long day. So, we rented some movies and threw a porterhouse steak on the grill to split. MMMMMMM. A nice night at home.
On Sunday we went to church, ate dinner and then visited Jonathan's parents.
A beautiful October weekend to be at home.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
A Cute Joke
I recently heard a joke from a lady at work. I thought it was cute enough to share.
Here it is:
A lady was lying on her death bed when her husband walks into the room with a shoe box. Her husband says "honey, I brought you the box you asked for. Why was it hidden in the back of the closet?" The wife replies "well, I had it hidden from you because I wanted to give it to you as a last dying gift." The wife tells her husband to open the box. When he opens the box, he notices 2 crocheted dolls and $90,000. The husband asks "why do you have 2 crocheted dolls in here?" The wife replies "I crocheted a doll for every fight or disagreement we had". The husband was blown away. He thinks to himself "WOW, she says we only had two fights in our fifty years of marriage!" The husband then asks, "so honey, now where did you get this $90,000 from?" The wife replies, "that's from all the crocheted dolls I sold".
Here it is:
A lady was lying on her death bed when her husband walks into the room with a shoe box. Her husband says "honey, I brought you the box you asked for. Why was it hidden in the back of the closet?" The wife replies "well, I had it hidden from you because I wanted to give it to you as a last dying gift." The wife tells her husband to open the box. When he opens the box, he notices 2 crocheted dolls and $90,000. The husband asks "why do you have 2 crocheted dolls in here?" The wife replies "I crocheted a doll for every fight or disagreement we had". The husband was blown away. He thinks to himself "WOW, she says we only had two fights in our fifty years of marriage!" The husband then asks, "so honey, now where did you get this $90,000 from?" The wife replies, "that's from all the crocheted dolls I sold".
Monday, October 15, 2007
The 21st Annual Swigart Hog Roast
One of the days I always look forward to is the second Saturday of October. That is when the Swigart family comes out of the woodwork and gathers for the annual family Hog Roast. We have it at Swigart Park (yes, that is where we got married) every year and it's always a good time. I would say we had close to 200 this year. No, it's not ALL Swigarts. We also invite our family, friends and also neighbors that live near the park along with anyone driving by that wants a pig sandwich. For the most part, we see a lot of the same faces every year. It's a time when people can show off there best dessert or hot dish. (How many ways can we make potatoes?)
Unfortunately, this year, we didn't get there in time to see them pulling the pig off the roaster. Sorry I didn't get any pictures of the pig for everyone to see. At 5pm we all seem to migrate around the food shelter as if we are ready to charge. My cousin Monte gives the blessing (via bullhorn)and kindly reminds us to go easy on the first round so everyone gets to eat what they want. After the blessing is over, it's a mad dash for the front of the line. CHAAAAAARGE! We weren't fast enough. We were about midway in the line. Since the line moves slow, we are left to ponder and fret over what may or may not be left when we get there. But never fear, there is always enough to go around. And everyone manages to be sickly full by the time it's over.
When everyone is finally filled up, they fire up the old John Deere for hayrides. We ride up and down the paths that are set through the woods. Don't forget to hang on tight! You never know when you might hit a rock and get a good bounce in the air. When the sun goes down, the hayrides are especially fun. The moon and stars are out to guide our way (along with the head lights). The older kids like to hide in the woods to try and scare us along the path.
After everyone has had there fill of fun, it starts to get cold. People either leave or head to the campfire. One of my favorite things is to be sitting next to Jonathan in front of the campfire. We enjoy the apple cider that heats over the fire while some grab a stick and bust into the marshmallows. The marshmallows usually end up looking like light torches swaying in the air.
At about 10pm, we are completely satisfied with the fun for the day and we are ready to go home. We give our hugs and say goodbye then make the cold mad dash in the dark to our car.
Another year in the books for the Swigart Hog Roast.
Unfortunately, this year, we didn't get there in time to see them pulling the pig off the roaster. Sorry I didn't get any pictures of the pig for everyone to see. At 5pm we all seem to migrate around the food shelter as if we are ready to charge. My cousin Monte gives the blessing (via bullhorn)and kindly reminds us to go easy on the first round so everyone gets to eat what they want. After the blessing is over, it's a mad dash for the front of the line. CHAAAAAARGE! We weren't fast enough. We were about midway in the line. Since the line moves slow, we are left to ponder and fret over what may or may not be left when we get there. But never fear, there is always enough to go around. And everyone manages to be sickly full by the time it's over.
When everyone is finally filled up, they fire up the old John Deere for hayrides. We ride up and down the paths that are set through the woods. Don't forget to hang on tight! You never know when you might hit a rock and get a good bounce in the air. When the sun goes down, the hayrides are especially fun. The moon and stars are out to guide our way (along with the head lights). The older kids like to hide in the woods to try and scare us along the path.
After everyone has had there fill of fun, it starts to get cold. People either leave or head to the campfire. One of my favorite things is to be sitting next to Jonathan in front of the campfire. We enjoy the apple cider that heats over the fire while some grab a stick and bust into the marshmallows. The marshmallows usually end up looking like light torches swaying in the air.
At about 10pm, we are completely satisfied with the fun for the day and we are ready to go home. We give our hugs and say goodbye then make the cold mad dash in the dark to our car.
Another year in the books for the Swigart Hog Roast.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
All By My Lonesome
Well, I'm all alone. My hard working husband was given orders to work out of town this week. He told me on Friday and I thought, no problem!! I lived for nearly 4 years on my own. I can handle this.
Now that he is gone, I notice every little noise in the house. The traffic by the house seems louder. I have to keep the TV on so that these other noises don't startle me.
What has happened?? I think I miss my husband and it's only been 2 days!
I guess this is a good time to get some cleaning done, maybe catch up at work or crack open a good book. I was so desperate last night that I went and pulled weeds in the yard!
I think tonight I will start chapter 3 of my new book and just read until I fall asleep.
Hopefully Friday will come quick.
Now that he is gone, I notice every little noise in the house. The traffic by the house seems louder. I have to keep the TV on so that these other noises don't startle me.
What has happened?? I think I miss my husband and it's only been 2 days!
I guess this is a good time to get some cleaning done, maybe catch up at work or crack open a good book. I was so desperate last night that I went and pulled weeds in the yard!
I think tonight I will start chapter 3 of my new book and just read until I fall asleep.
Hopefully Friday will come quick.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Aren't They Beautiful!!
Well, I came home from work this week to find Jonathan and these beautiful flowers waiting for me. I was definitely surprised and happy to see them. I got a little nervous thinking maybe I had forgotten some important day. But Jonathan said "nope".
He just felt like giving them to me.
Jonathan isn't exactly an over-the-top romantic guy, so these moments are extra special to me. Sometimes he really surprises me. Love ya babe!
He just felt like giving them to me.
Jonathan isn't exactly an over-the-top romantic guy, so these moments are extra special to me. Sometimes he really surprises me. Love ya babe!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
His Last Haircut
This past weekend was kind of a sad weekend. My step-mothers father, Keith, passed away last Wednesday and we had the services on Sunday and Monday. He has been in my life for for over 20 years and I pretty much considered him my grandfather. It's only been in the last few years that I really got to know him. His wife, Esther, passed away 4 years ago and he was no longer able to fully take care of himself. He then stayed with my parents off and on over the next 4 years. This is about the time that I had moved to Kentucky, but was still coming home on weekends to see Jonathan. I had the opportunity to talk to Keith off and on and heard allllllllll of his stories. Every conversation reminded him of a great story of the past. Then he would aways tag the conversation at the end with some sort of joke to make us laugh.
Well, this past spring, Keith needed to be put into the nursing home because he needed much more care then the family could give. He spent a lot of time traveling back and forth from hospital to nursing home due to Congestive Heart failure. He would do well for about a week or so and then end up back in the hospital for another week. He also had the opportunity to speak with the Pastor of his church while he was sick. She stated that she enjoyed visiting him and assured the family that he felt that he had the chance to get "right with the Lord".
He knew his time was rapidly approaching.
His final days. On Monday he was at the hospital and very tired. He told the doctors that he had had enough. That he was tired and ready to go see his Esther. So on Tuesday, he went back to the nursing home to be as comfortable as the nurses could make him.
On Wednesday, after he woke up, the nurses gave him a bath and cleaned him up good. In the afternoon he told the nurses that he wanted a haircut. That he wanted to look good when he saw his Esther. The beautician arrived to his room and gave him a snazzy haircut, trimmed his eyebrows and gave him a good shave. She finished up at about 330pm.
Keith passed away at 4:30pm, about 1 hour after his last haircut.
I can only assume that Keith new exactly where he wanted to be and was trying to get himself presentable to meet his bride, Esther.
Over the weekend, the family spent a lot of time together crying and laughing. I think we were all comforted knowing that the Lord had taken him home to see his Esther and the rest of his family.
Well, this past spring, Keith needed to be put into the nursing home because he needed much more care then the family could give. He spent a lot of time traveling back and forth from hospital to nursing home due to Congestive Heart failure. He would do well for about a week or so and then end up back in the hospital for another week. He also had the opportunity to speak with the Pastor of his church while he was sick. She stated that she enjoyed visiting him and assured the family that he felt that he had the chance to get "right with the Lord".
He knew his time was rapidly approaching.
His final days. On Monday he was at the hospital and very tired. He told the doctors that he had had enough. That he was tired and ready to go see his Esther. So on Tuesday, he went back to the nursing home to be as comfortable as the nurses could make him.
On Wednesday, after he woke up, the nurses gave him a bath and cleaned him up good. In the afternoon he told the nurses that he wanted a haircut. That he wanted to look good when he saw his Esther. The beautician arrived to his room and gave him a snazzy haircut, trimmed his eyebrows and gave him a good shave. She finished up at about 330pm.
Keith passed away at 4:30pm, about 1 hour after his last haircut.
I can only assume that Keith new exactly where he wanted to be and was trying to get himself presentable to meet his bride, Esther.
Over the weekend, the family spent a lot of time together crying and laughing. I think we were all comforted knowing that the Lord had taken him home to see his Esther and the rest of his family.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Whirlwind Weekend!
Well, we made it back safe and sound from Pennsylvania. We started out early on Friday making the 8 1/2 hour drive. With 2 guys driving as if we were winning the Indianapolis 500, we definitely made good time.
Our first stop was to Belleville PA, where Jonathan's grandparents live. I absolutely love the drive every time. We have to first drive through the mountains before we reach Big Valley. You can tell immediately when you have gotten to Big Valley. You go from heavily wooded to a great valley opening. Big Valley is a 32 mile long valley that sits between the Kishacoquillas mountains. There is one main road in and out that goes through each town in the valley. If you head off the main road, you are likely to be on a dirt or gravel road. Each town is small and heavily populated with Amish people. And there are non-Amish who who live there that love the Valley just as much. We arrive to Jonathan's grandparents and were treated to a homemade pizza dinner by his grandmother. The guys had to help chop wood first. With 3 of them working, it really didn't take long.
In case you didn't already know, Jonathan's dad was raised Amish as a young boy. His family later left the Amish church but stayed in Big Valley. As adults Jonathan's dad and his 2 Uncles later moved out of the valley. After our hearty meal, and a bit of visiting we had to move on.
It was now raining and dark and we were on our way to Smoketown on Friday night. We got lost for about 20 minutes, but eventually figured out where we were supposed to be. We arrived to Uncle Titus and Aunt Charlotte's house about 9:15pm. We were exhausted and ready for bed.
The next morning, while Jonathan's family headed off to a family gathering, Jonathan and I went to have a day out with Thomas the Train. He was located at the Strasburg Railroad just about 3 miles down the road. Thomas was in town for only a short time so we and the rest of the worlds 2-5 year olds were there. I knew there would be lots of kids, but I hadn't expected the huge crowd that was there. With all of those kids, I have never seen so many runny noses and temper tantrums. Oh well, I guess this was all a part of the Thomas the Train experience. We took Thomas the Train on a half hour ride through Amish Country and then came back to Wait for another train. We ended up on the every hour train at 11 am on a 1 hour trip. We chose to ride in the open car, which was refreshingly chilly. Our final destination was to Paradise. Yep, that's right. I said Paradise Pennsylvania. We stopped there and headed back while riding through Amish country. I have never seen corn so tall as it was there. We also saw lots of Tobacco plants, Pumpkin Patches and lots of wild berries. In some parts of the ride, we were actually riding above the corn. We also got to see some of the Amish harvesting corn, which was quite interesting. We saw the Tobacco that was hung in great big barns with flaps open all around the barn. After we got our fill of the Thomas crowd, we decided to go to the Choo Choo Barn. It had a really large indoor train display. A whole town under one small roof. Everything was absolutely clever. Unfortunately we forgot our camera to take pictures of this little town.
We later met back up with the family and headed off to Jonathan's cousin Glenda's house. She and her husband recently got a great deal on a really big house. Perfect for there family with 4 children. We cooked out and visited with the family.
Next, we headed off to some family friends of Jonathan's mother. Fannie and Rhoda. They just happened to be a few towns over from everyone else that we had visited.
Whew! what a busy day.
On Sunday, we packed up and were treated to some of Aunt Charlotte's Baked Oatmeal. WOW! how awesome is baked oatmeal? How come no one told me about this stuff before?? I liked it so much that I came home and made it myself. I think Jonathan and I are addicted to it. If you have never had it, I will give you the recipe.
Anyway, we were on the road once again heading back home. With Mario and Dario at the wheel, we made good time once again.
Our first stop was to Belleville PA, where Jonathan's grandparents live. I absolutely love the drive every time. We have to first drive through the mountains before we reach Big Valley. You can tell immediately when you have gotten to Big Valley. You go from heavily wooded to a great valley opening. Big Valley is a 32 mile long valley that sits between the Kishacoquillas mountains. There is one main road in and out that goes through each town in the valley. If you head off the main road, you are likely to be on a dirt or gravel road. Each town is small and heavily populated with Amish people. And there are non-Amish who who live there that love the Valley just as much. We arrive to Jonathan's grandparents and were treated to a homemade pizza dinner by his grandmother. The guys had to help chop wood first. With 3 of them working, it really didn't take long.
In case you didn't already know, Jonathan's dad was raised Amish as a young boy. His family later left the Amish church but stayed in Big Valley. As adults Jonathan's dad and his 2 Uncles later moved out of the valley. After our hearty meal, and a bit of visiting we had to move on.
It was now raining and dark and we were on our way to Smoketown on Friday night. We got lost for about 20 minutes, but eventually figured out where we were supposed to be. We arrived to Uncle Titus and Aunt Charlotte's house about 9:15pm. We were exhausted and ready for bed.
The next morning, while Jonathan's family headed off to a family gathering, Jonathan and I went to have a day out with Thomas the Train. He was located at the Strasburg Railroad just about 3 miles down the road. Thomas was in town for only a short time so we and the rest of the worlds 2-5 year olds were there. I knew there would be lots of kids, but I hadn't expected the huge crowd that was there. With all of those kids, I have never seen so many runny noses and temper tantrums. Oh well, I guess this was all a part of the Thomas the Train experience. We took Thomas the Train on a half hour ride through Amish Country and then came back to Wait for another train. We ended up on the every hour train at 11 am on a 1 hour trip. We chose to ride in the open car, which was refreshingly chilly. Our final destination was to Paradise. Yep, that's right. I said Paradise Pennsylvania. We stopped there and headed back while riding through Amish country. I have never seen corn so tall as it was there. We also saw lots of Tobacco plants, Pumpkin Patches and lots of wild berries. In some parts of the ride, we were actually riding above the corn. We also got to see some of the Amish harvesting corn, which was quite interesting. We saw the Tobacco that was hung in great big barns with flaps open all around the barn. After we got our fill of the Thomas crowd, we decided to go to the Choo Choo Barn. It had a really large indoor train display. A whole town under one small roof. Everything was absolutely clever. Unfortunately we forgot our camera to take pictures of this little town.
We later met back up with the family and headed off to Jonathan's cousin Glenda's house. She and her husband recently got a great deal on a really big house. Perfect for there family with 4 children. We cooked out and visited with the family.
Next, we headed off to some family friends of Jonathan's mother. Fannie and Rhoda. They just happened to be a few towns over from everyone else that we had visited.
Whew! what a busy day.
On Sunday, we packed up and were treated to some of Aunt Charlotte's Baked Oatmeal. WOW! how awesome is baked oatmeal? How come no one told me about this stuff before?? I liked it so much that I came home and made it myself. I think Jonathan and I are addicted to it. If you have never had it, I will give you the recipe.
Anyway, we were on the road once again heading back home. With Mario and Dario at the wheel, we made good time once again.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Happy Birthday Seth!!
Today is my nephews 21st birthday. I can't believe it. I was 9 years old when Seth was born and it still seems like yesterday that he was chasing me around the house saying "aunt hummer".
Unfortunately I don't get to celebrate with him today. He is an Army man and is based in Germany. He has managed to make it in and out of Iraq. Right now he is in Germany doing "busy work" waiting for his next orders. He may be getting out this winter but with the military you never really know where you could end up next. He could get out but still be called back for many more years if needed.
He joined the Army at 17 and is now 21. He has seen more in these few years then I would ever want to see. I'm not sure he wants me too, but I pray for him every day that he stays in Germany and keeps up the "busy work" until he gets out. I also pray that he finds a succesful path when he gets out. That the adjustment of military life to life at home is as smooth as possible.
Finally, I definitely want him to know how proud I am of him. I worry so much about him that I sometimes forget that he is willingly serving our country.
I hope you have a very Happy and Safe Birthday Seth.
We all miss you and love you loads.
Unfortunately I don't get to celebrate with him today. He is an Army man and is based in Germany. He has managed to make it in and out of Iraq. Right now he is in Germany doing "busy work" waiting for his next orders. He may be getting out this winter but with the military you never really know where you could end up next. He could get out but still be called back for many more years if needed.
He joined the Army at 17 and is now 21. He has seen more in these few years then I would ever want to see. I'm not sure he wants me too, but I pray for him every day that he stays in Germany and keeps up the "busy work" until he gets out. I also pray that he finds a succesful path when he gets out. That the adjustment of military life to life at home is as smooth as possible.
Finally, I definitely want him to know how proud I am of him. I worry so much about him that I sometimes forget that he is willingly serving our country.
I hope you have a very Happy and Safe Birthday Seth.
We all miss you and love you loads.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Saturday Good. Sunday Not So Good
Well, this weekend was quite interesting. We started out early on Saturday for Plain City for the Shekinah Festival and Quilt Auction at the Shekinah Christian School. I was a little worried because rain was scattered about everywhere. But, we lucked out. It stayed dry for at least the time that we were there. They auction off many items every year to raise money for there school. I have never seen so many beautiful quilts. If you go to www.shekinahchristianschool.com you can see all of the quilts that they auctioned off this year. Plus, all the baked goods being sold. mmmmm.
We were then off to the Greenville Cruise In. Jonathan wanted to put his truck in the show but we knew the rain was on the way. So we went up to just look at everyone Else's really cool cars. I think attendance was down because of the weather, but it was still a good turn out. It started to rain about 6:00pm and that is about when we left.
So, on Sunday, after we went to church, ate dinner, and made a quick trip to visit Jonathan's grandmother we wound up back at Jonathan's parents house. We began to play with our/there dog Brownie. He is such a good boy but a little hyper. I thought this might be a good time to remove the knots out from behind his ears. We have done it before other times, so I wasn't too worried about it. Jonathan tried to hold him and I began the cutting. I cut a small one out and then went after the big one. I had cut a little bit when brownie let out a small yelp. I thought we were just scaring him and then held him again. I finally was able to get the knot. When I looked at the ball of hair in my hand, I saw a small bit of blood and a a small bit of Brownies ear. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!! I HAD CUT MY DOGS EAR!! I had only a small piece in my hand, but when I looked behind his ear I saw a very large bloody opening behind his left ear. WHAT WENT WRONG??? Brownie was in a nervous shock and I was crying. After I gathered myself, we finally determined that he needed stitches. We began the frantic call to all the vets in the phone book. Most vets were not in on Sunday and were referring us to the Dayton Vet Hospital in Moraine. We didn't want to drive that far but we knew that he needed the stitches tonight. We found a vet in Versailles that referred us to an emergency on call vet in Maria Stein. So we gathered up and headed North. Brownie was so good on the way up, he just drooled a puddle in his cage. He was very curious at everything (he is such a countrified dog).
Apparently the Vet had to wrastle a bit with him before she decided to just gas him.
When he came out he had his tongue still hanging out and was only half awake. SO, after 9 stitches and a hefty vet bill later, we went home. He stayed the night on the porch in his cage and slept it off. We finally made it home about 10:30 on Sunday night completely exhausted. Now he has to take an antibiotic for a week and somehow we have to make sure he doesn't scratch.
We went to see him today and it's as if nothing happened and he doesn't seem to be scratching, maybe rubbing a bit though.
It's amazing at how resilient pets are and how forgiving they are. after I had cut an his ear, he still wanted to love on me. I was feeling terrible for what I had done, but he tried to assure me that everything would be OK.
We were then off to the Greenville Cruise In. Jonathan wanted to put his truck in the show but we knew the rain was on the way. So we went up to just look at everyone Else's really cool cars. I think attendance was down because of the weather, but it was still a good turn out. It started to rain about 6:00pm and that is about when we left.
So, on Sunday, after we went to church, ate dinner, and made a quick trip to visit Jonathan's grandmother we wound up back at Jonathan's parents house. We began to play with our/there dog Brownie. He is such a good boy but a little hyper. I thought this might be a good time to remove the knots out from behind his ears. We have done it before other times, so I wasn't too worried about it. Jonathan tried to hold him and I began the cutting. I cut a small one out and then went after the big one. I had cut a little bit when brownie let out a small yelp. I thought we were just scaring him and then held him again. I finally was able to get the knot. When I looked at the ball of hair in my hand, I saw a small bit of blood and a a small bit of Brownies ear. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!! I HAD CUT MY DOGS EAR!! I had only a small piece in my hand, but when I looked behind his ear I saw a very large bloody opening behind his left ear. WHAT WENT WRONG??? Brownie was in a nervous shock and I was crying. After I gathered myself, we finally determined that he needed stitches. We began the frantic call to all the vets in the phone book. Most vets were not in on Sunday and were referring us to the Dayton Vet Hospital in Moraine. We didn't want to drive that far but we knew that he needed the stitches tonight. We found a vet in Versailles that referred us to an emergency on call vet in Maria Stein. So we gathered up and headed North. Brownie was so good on the way up, he just drooled a puddle in his cage. He was very curious at everything (he is such a countrified dog).
Apparently the Vet had to wrastle a bit with him before she decided to just gas him.
When he came out he had his tongue still hanging out and was only half awake. SO, after 9 stitches and a hefty vet bill later, we went home. He stayed the night on the porch in his cage and slept it off. We finally made it home about 10:30 on Sunday night completely exhausted. Now he has to take an antibiotic for a week and somehow we have to make sure he doesn't scratch.
We went to see him today and it's as if nothing happened and he doesn't seem to be scratching, maybe rubbing a bit though.
It's amazing at how resilient pets are and how forgiving they are. after I had cut an his ear, he still wanted to love on me. I was feeling terrible for what I had done, but he tried to assure me that everything would be OK.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Our New Wheels!
We woke up on Saturday and Jonathan hopped on the cumputer. He just "happend" to come accross some cars on a dealerships website. We have been talking for a long time now about when the best time to trade in my Cavelier would be. We knew we wanted to have something more durable for the winter, but we couldn't decide what we wanted. Jonathan wanted me in a BIG gas hog and I wanted something small and gas friendly. I was definitely not comfortable with anything that was huge.
So, we left on Saturday with 2 ads in had. One for a Jeep Liberty and one for a Ford Escape. The Jeep was the right price but it was very dirty. We then took the Ecape for a ride. We liked it, but I really wanted a moon roof. As we were pulling back into the lot, the salesman waved us over to a different area. He led us to a 2006 Mercury Mariner. This car is just like the Escape except it is much more detailed on the inside. The best part was the fact that it had a moon roof. So, we were sold. We went in looking for one thing and came out with another. It was the same price as the Escape with fewer miles and it had the moon roof.
And we managed to come to a happy medium. Something small enough that I could drive and something that was comfortable enough for Jonathan. I like the moon roof and Jonathan likes the V6.
Now the only thing we need is a name for it. Any ideas??
So, we left on Saturday with 2 ads in had. One for a Jeep Liberty and one for a Ford Escape. The Jeep was the right price but it was very dirty. We then took the Ecape for a ride. We liked it, but I really wanted a moon roof. As we were pulling back into the lot, the salesman waved us over to a different area. He led us to a 2006 Mercury Mariner. This car is just like the Escape except it is much more detailed on the inside. The best part was the fact that it had a moon roof. So, we were sold. We went in looking for one thing and came out with another. It was the same price as the Escape with fewer miles and it had the moon roof.
And we managed to come to a happy medium. Something small enough that I could drive and something that was comfortable enough for Jonathan. I like the moon roof and Jonathan likes the V6.
Now the only thing we need is a name for it. Any ideas??
Monday, August 27, 2007
A Sad Day Remembered
Today is the 1 year anniversary of one of the saddest days I have lived. Today is the day that Comair flight 5191 went down in Lexington , Kentucky. To most, this was just a regular Sunday morning, but to the families and to the Comair family, this was absolutely devastating. Every Comair employee that worked there at the time, can tell you exactly where they were when they got the news.
I was at my parents house. It was 8am Sunday morning and I was up with my dad, drinking coffee and watching the morning news. The news came across and I nearly dropped my coffee. I instantly started to cry. I couldn't believe it. How did this happen? Is this real? Did I hear them right? I did.
Due to miscommunication and bad runway lighting, the flight crew mistakenly took off on the wrong runway. The runway they took off on was too short for the plane to clear the trees that were ahead of them. The plane went down in the dark just after 6am. 50 souls were on board and only one survived. I did not know any of the passengers but I was familiar with the flight crew. I can recall talking to all three of them at some point in my Comair career. First Officer Polhinke was the only survivor. I can recall talking to him only 3 weeks before the crash.
After I got the news and managed to calm my shaking hands, I began to frantically call some of the flight attendant friends that I knew. Thankfully, they were still in bed and completely unaware of what had happened. I called Jonathan and tried to tell him, but I was sobbing so much he couldn't understand what I was talking about.
Jonathan later picked me up for church, and I was completely in shock and unable to talk. We stood up to sing our worship songs and after only a few bars, I was in tears. I began to sob uncontrollably. Thankfully, everyone was singing loud enough that they couldn't hear me. Jonathan had to put his arms around me to comfort me.
The whole day was a complete blurr.
I felt the need to be at work with all of my work family. But when I called to see if they needed help, I was told everything was under control. So I didn't have to go back until Tuesday. The Comair team did and excellent job of taking care of the victims families and even did a great job of keeping the employees updated.
So now a year later I sit here and reminisce. But I am somewhat torn. Sadly, some of the victims did not die on impact. Some were still alive when rescue crews arrived but later perished in the heat of the fire. Some passengers were lucky enough to die on impact. But were they saved?? The unsaved wouldn't have had a chance to pray to God for His love and forgiveness. However, the people who died the worst possible death had that chance. As awful as I think it would be to die like that, I think they were the lucky ones.
So today I sit here and pray for the families and also for F.O. Polhinke who is no longer able to fly. I pray that he is aware that the Lord chose him to be the one lone survivor. That he was given a second chance for a reason.
The point of this blog today, isn't to scare people, but to ask people: Are you ready for "on impact"? If you died today without a moments notice, are you ready??
Today's blog is dedicated to all of my wonderful Comair friends. I miss you all dearly.
I was at my parents house. It was 8am Sunday morning and I was up with my dad, drinking coffee and watching the morning news. The news came across and I nearly dropped my coffee. I instantly started to cry. I couldn't believe it. How did this happen? Is this real? Did I hear them right? I did.
Due to miscommunication and bad runway lighting, the flight crew mistakenly took off on the wrong runway. The runway they took off on was too short for the plane to clear the trees that were ahead of them. The plane went down in the dark just after 6am. 50 souls were on board and only one survived. I did not know any of the passengers but I was familiar with the flight crew. I can recall talking to all three of them at some point in my Comair career. First Officer Polhinke was the only survivor. I can recall talking to him only 3 weeks before the crash.
After I got the news and managed to calm my shaking hands, I began to frantically call some of the flight attendant friends that I knew. Thankfully, they were still in bed and completely unaware of what had happened. I called Jonathan and tried to tell him, but I was sobbing so much he couldn't understand what I was talking about.
Jonathan later picked me up for church, and I was completely in shock and unable to talk. We stood up to sing our worship songs and after only a few bars, I was in tears. I began to sob uncontrollably. Thankfully, everyone was singing loud enough that they couldn't hear me. Jonathan had to put his arms around me to comfort me.
The whole day was a complete blurr.
I felt the need to be at work with all of my work family. But when I called to see if they needed help, I was told everything was under control. So I didn't have to go back until Tuesday. The Comair team did and excellent job of taking care of the victims families and even did a great job of keeping the employees updated.
So now a year later I sit here and reminisce. But I am somewhat torn. Sadly, some of the victims did not die on impact. Some were still alive when rescue crews arrived but later perished in the heat of the fire. Some passengers were lucky enough to die on impact. But were they saved?? The unsaved wouldn't have had a chance to pray to God for His love and forgiveness. However, the people who died the worst possible death had that chance. As awful as I think it would be to die like that, I think they were the lucky ones.
So today I sit here and pray for the families and also for F.O. Polhinke who is no longer able to fly. I pray that he is aware that the Lord chose him to be the one lone survivor. That he was given a second chance for a reason.
The point of this blog today, isn't to scare people, but to ask people: Are you ready for "on impact"? If you died today without a moments notice, are you ready??
Today's blog is dedicated to all of my wonderful Comair friends. I miss you all dearly.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Married Life
Everyone keeps asking how married life is. Well, 7 weeks married and all is well.
It is definitely an adjustment though. Starting all the daily routines now for 2 instead of 1, and just making sure the other has what they need for the day. We now do our daily devotions together and has become a wonderful learning tool for the both of us. What I love the most is the, Honey I'm home kisses I get every day.
We still have a busy schedule through the week and even busier one on the weekends. Unfortunately, I have been sick all of this weekend, which kept me from getting the list I had for this weekend, done. But the next several weeks we are once again, booked solid. My favorite season is right around the corner and I am totally excited that I get to share it with my new husband. Fall is always the busiest and most fun time of year (for me at least). In September we will be going to the Shekinah quilt auction then we are headed off to Pennsylvania to visit my new Yoder family. We will also be visiting Thomas the Train in Strausburg. I can't wait!!
Then all of the festivals about this time. And of course all of the yummy apples. I finally get to make my applesauce for the year. MMMMMM!
We will be sure to take plenty of new pictures as we share our first Fall season together as husband and wife.
It is definitely an adjustment though. Starting all the daily routines now for 2 instead of 1, and just making sure the other has what they need for the day. We now do our daily devotions together and has become a wonderful learning tool for the both of us. What I love the most is the, Honey I'm home kisses I get every day.
We still have a busy schedule through the week and even busier one on the weekends. Unfortunately, I have been sick all of this weekend, which kept me from getting the list I had for this weekend, done. But the next several weeks we are once again, booked solid. My favorite season is right around the corner and I am totally excited that I get to share it with my new husband. Fall is always the busiest and most fun time of year (for me at least). In September we will be going to the Shekinah quilt auction then we are headed off to Pennsylvania to visit my new Yoder family. We will also be visiting Thomas the Train in Strausburg. I can't wait!!
Then all of the festivals about this time. And of course all of the yummy apples. I finally get to make my applesauce for the year. MMMMMM!
We will be sure to take plenty of new pictures as we share our first Fall season together as husband and wife.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Honeymooning on St. Pete's Beach
We left on our honeymoon on Monday July 9Th before the crack of dawn. We flew Air Tran all the way to Tampa International. We then drove to St. Pete's Beach which was about a 35 minute easy drive. It rained a little bit on our first day in the morning but other then that is was sunny and HOT the whole week. We stayed on the beach at the Grand Plaza Hotel. It was the only round hotel on the beach and had a revolving restaurant. The beach was absolutely beautiful. We even watched, from our room, 2 weddings that were held on the beach at the hotel. They were both beautiful.
Of course we had to make good use of our car, so we took a day and just drove up the coast. We tried to get to Clearwater Beach, but the construction was so bad that we couldn't find a place to park. So, we headed back and stopped at Sand Key beach instead. I think it was the better choice since it wasn't so crowded. We also found some really great shells there too!!
We also took a boat ride on the Dolphin Racer. We got to ride through the Bay and into the ocean to watch the dolphins jump behind us. WOW! that was really awesome to see!! Some were really big and some were just babies. They jumped off and on, but we did see 5 jumping at one time behind us in the Bay.
We definitely got what we wanted out of the trip. Which was a relaxing, go-with-the-flow kinda vacation. Just what the doctor ordered after a VERY busy year.
Of course we had to make good use of our car, so we took a day and just drove up the coast. We tried to get to Clearwater Beach, but the construction was so bad that we couldn't find a place to park. So, we headed back and stopped at Sand Key beach instead. I think it was the better choice since it wasn't so crowded. We also found some really great shells there too!!
We also took a boat ride on the Dolphin Racer. We got to ride through the Bay and into the ocean to watch the dolphins jump behind us. WOW! that was really awesome to see!! Some were really big and some were just babies. They jumped off and on, but we did see 5 jumping at one time behind us in the Bay.
We definitely got what we wanted out of the trip. Which was a relaxing, go-with-the-flow kinda vacation. Just what the doctor ordered after a VERY busy year.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
THE BIG DAY!!
July 7, 2007. OUR WEDDING DAY!!
I have started this blog for all of our family and friends who live near and far who have been a part of our lives. Thank you to Jonathan's Aunt Connie for this great idea. I have promised to post our wedding pictures and this will be our gathering place. We were so happy to see so many people at our wedding (sorry if we didn't get a chance to talk to you). The weather was warm but comfortable. The wedding was at Swigart Park in Laura, Ohio along with our reception. The ceremony was under a tent while our guests sat at there tables. I thought the ceremony went pretty well, except for me stepping on my dress and nearly falling down the aisle(thank God my mother saved the day). She pulled the dress out before I fell. WHEW!!
Our goal was to have a beautiful but simple ceremony with a casual reception. We had a pig roast with all the fixins and a beautiful cake. I think we managed to pull it off. Thank you to so many who took the time to share our day. If you feel like checking in on us, just check this blog every now and then to catch all the latest happenings.
I have started this blog for all of our family and friends who live near and far who have been a part of our lives. Thank you to Jonathan's Aunt Connie for this great idea. I have promised to post our wedding pictures and this will be our gathering place. We were so happy to see so many people at our wedding (sorry if we didn't get a chance to talk to you). The weather was warm but comfortable. The wedding was at Swigart Park in Laura, Ohio along with our reception. The ceremony was under a tent while our guests sat at there tables. I thought the ceremony went pretty well, except for me stepping on my dress and nearly falling down the aisle(thank God my mother saved the day). She pulled the dress out before I fell. WHEW!!
Our goal was to have a beautiful but simple ceremony with a casual reception. We had a pig roast with all the fixins and a beautiful cake. I think we managed to pull it off. Thank you to so many who took the time to share our day. If you feel like checking in on us, just check this blog every now and then to catch all the latest happenings.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
This is our story
Every couple has a story. This is ours. This is the story of how Jonathan and Sommer came to be, Jonathan and Sommer.For those of you that already know the story, this might be a good time to day dream.Our story begins July 5, 2003 (clearly, Sommer is telling the story).My family was throwing a last minute family reunion after a long lost cousin unexpectedly arrived into town with his family. When thunderstorms began to ruin the fun, the men moved to the garage, while the women moved inside. All of us women were inside waiting out the storm, when my cousin Shelly started talking about this crazy guy that she and her family spent the day before with at a church function. They were at a pond and this crazy guy brought his 4-wheeler. He was pulling someone around the pond trying to water ski, when oops! he drives right into the pond. After my cousin tells me this story, she then says that I should meet him. So three weeks later, on August 10, we went on our first date. Jonathan picked me up is his hot rod truck (WOW). We went to Unos for pizza and then walked around the Taylorsville Dam. (the first time ever I had been home by 7pm after a date). For our second date, he met me at the Darke County Fair (little did I know that 4 years later I would become a Darke County Girl). By October, I had transferred my job to the Cincinnati/N. Kentucky Airport. The next three years, we spent driving back and forth somehow making it work. And, During this time Jonathan also introduced me to the Love of Jesus. I spent so much time studying the bible and asking Jonathan so many questions. It has been a slow process and I am still a work in progress, but I am so thankful to have found Jonathan and grateful for what he has brought into my life. On May 5, 2007 I officially asked the Lord into my life. I can't imagine where I would be today if I had never gone to that unexpected family reunion. On February 24, 2006, Jonathan and I went to Carraba's for dinner, where he asked me to marry him. Of course I said YES!! This was definitely a very challenging year. We spent the year trying to plan a wedding, trying to find a home, and I had to find a new job.The wedding planning was the easiest part. I had everything planned the first 4 months or so. We looked at several houses (we also peeked through a lot of windows...Shhhh). But we finally found our house in February of 2007 and we got our keys in March. I was all by myself when I got the keys. I walked into the house, looked around and began to cry. I couldn't believe all the work that needed done that we didn't see before. I moved out of my apartment in KY on March 31, 2007 (I cried then too). But since our house wasn't ready and I still didn't have a new job yet, I needed a new plan. I spent the next 2 months staying on the floor at my friend Reba's apartment in KY and working in Ky and driving to my parents house in Dayton. I am so grateful to them for all of there help. I saved so much on gas with their help. While I was in Cincinnati, Jonathan, his dad, and cousin Steve worked so hard to get our house ready. I couldn't figure out exactly when they were sleeping. They replaced all the windows, painted, new baseboards, and carpet and flooring. I moved in in May and lived by myself until we got married. I finally got my new job and started on June 4. I applied for so many jobs, but knew that this job was the one when I saw the posting. I applied in February and didn't get it until June. But thank God, I got it!!. So many times this year I questioned why things were taking so long to progress, but I kept reminding myself that everything happens for a reason and when it's supposed to. It was completely out of my hands. Everything did eventually work out no matter how much I worried.
And that is our prequel.
We were married July 7, 2007
And that is our prequel.
We were married July 7, 2007
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