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Wednesday, 04 November 2009

  • Currently
    It's Time
    By Michael Bublé
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    A rundown of the last few weeks

    I've got to get better about this posting regularly thing...

    We had a huge snowstorm about a week ago and Greeley got 8-10 inches. Michael loved it because Justin worked from home for two days and we got to run around and play in the snow. The only bummer was that it was too powdery to do much more than make snow angels in it. Plus, Greeley doesn't seem to have any good hills for sledding.

    The St. Clare's group that I belong to (we crochet/knit things for the hospital, nursing homes, shelter, etc.) is putting together a table at the St. Mary's fall festival this weekend and I've been working on items for that. I'll post pictures later, but I've gotten a couple pairs of baby booties, some stuffed balls for baby toys, and 2 pumpkins finished. I'm working on a shawl that I hope to finish today or tomorrow

    Yesterday I cooked up a huge batch of chili in the crock pot - on the day it was 66 degrees instead of 40. Bad timing, but yummy chili. Good thing it freezes well.

    Tonight we have class. Justin and our friend, Jennifer, are teaching an adult formation class at St. Mary's called Journey to God on Wednesday nights. The class focuses on Salvation History and has had a good turnout every week so far. It's been really great for Justin to be able to do something he loves and help out the parish at the same time.

    Justin's mom is flying in next week for his birthday. We're all really excited to see her. Being here in CO has been a blessing because we're closer to her and flights are cheaper so we've seen her a lot more often. It also helps that she gets frequent flier miles and Southwest has lots of specials from Seattle to Denver.

    Oh, and I'm going back to work so we can put Michael in preschool and pay off debt- something he and I both need. He's way smart for his age and needs the structure and interaction. I have a great opportunity to work with a photography studio nearby. Please pray that I get the position. It's something I would really enjoy, pays well, and has opportunities to move up the ranks quickly.

Monday, 28 September 2009

  • Currently
    The Soloist
    By Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., Catherine Keener, Meggan Anderson, Halbert Bernal
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    Blessings - or The Silver Lining

    God truly is wonderful and He shows me this each day, more if I'm actually paying attention.

    Being out here in Colorado and far away from family has its advantages and disadvantages for sure, but the advantages are the only things popping out at me right now. This past week has been a challenge for me emotionally, spiritually, and physically with Justin getting sick and then being in excruciating pain and the doctors not knowing what was the cause. We had to go to the emergency room twice, the second time being the worst because we had to wait over 2 1/2 hours to get a bed while Justin was writhing in pain in the waiting room. This hospital visit was a huge challenge too, because the county health department wasn't allowing anyone under the age of 12 past the waiting room because of the flu risks. If we weren't here in Greeley, I don't know if I wouldn't have been able to stay with Justin as much as I did. We were blessed to have the help of the missionaries, a few FOCUS families, and other friends who cared for the boys. Our family probably wouldn't have been able to do that (being older, spread apart, etc.) And we also had friends bring us meals so I wouldn't have to worry about getting dinner together after picking up the boys and getting home from the hospital. We even got help cleaning up the house yesterday, which had been neglected since last weekend. (And this was after I'd told Justin jokingly that I almost wished we could afford to have someone come in and clean-except I didn't want them to see the mess). The Big Guy sure has a sense of humor. =)

    Well, Justin's home now. He was released from the hospital Saturday afternoon. They performed laparoscopic surgery on him Friday evening to see what they could find. He'd had surgery several years ago to remove his appendix and scar tissue from that surgery had adhered his colon to his bladder. A small infection had caused it to flare up and start pulling apart, causing the intense pain in his abdomen. It was a quick fix, praise God, and nothing serious. He's recovering well at home. I'm thankful that this happened after our previous hospital visits because it means we don't have to pay any more out of pocket (except doctor's visits) since we've already reached our family deductible.

    We are so thankful to all of our friends, family, strangers even, who prayed for us. And also for those who were able to give of their time caring for the boys, helping us at home, or preparing a meal. You all our in our prayers and we pray that our Heavenly Father blesses you for your generosity and kindness.


Saturday, 05 September 2009

  •    Good news! Justin went to meet a friend of ours this morning who's going to help him with the adult formation classes and he remembered that she and her husband have some rental properties here in town. One of them will be available soon and another in December/ January. We're hoping to go tour one or both of them this weekend. Both are within our budget and well taken care of - both great things. Praise be! The only thing is, if we decide to rent the one that opens up in December/January, we'll be moving either right before we leave for Christmas and the FOCUS National Conference or right after we get back. Ick. But, at least it would be just across town and not another state like when we moved last summer. So, here's praying!

      We've made plans to head to the mountains tomorrow for a mini break that is very much needed at the moment. I told Michael that we'd get him a magnifying glass to help him explore his world in more detail. So, when we went to Wal-Mart earlier, I found him one. It was a bit more than I expected to pay but says it's an unbreakable lens - a definite plus for a 3-year-old. Michael's so funny because he's been walking around the house with it saying, "It's a mystery!"  I'm excited to see what he finds with it tomorrow. Probably a lot of bugs as he's wont to do. I'll probably have him bring his bug-catching net too.

      Despite my earlier post about the scam on craigslist, I'm a big fan. Last weekend, Michael and I went to a lady's house here in Greeley and picked apples from the huge tree in her back yard that was laden with fruit. I only picked the ripe and almost ripe ones that were within my reach and still managed to get about 4 dozen small to medium apples. I've made two batches of apple bread and tonight after mass, I think I'll make an apple pie or two. I'm hoping our neighbors will be back today or tomorrow so I can share one with them. They flew to Ethiopia last Friday to get the baby they're adopting. His name is Micah and he's 7 months old. John will have a playmate soon!


Friday, 04 September 2009

  • Currently
    Duplicity [Blu-ray]
    By Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti, Dan Daily
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    Here we go again!

      Since we moved to CO, we've been renting a house. We started out with a one year lease and then extended it another 6 months. Well, our lease is up November 5th and we've decided to pack up and move. One reason is, we feel our luck is just about run out with the appliances/fixtures in the place. We've had to have the refrigerator and the dishwasher replaced, oh, and the furnace too, the blinds to the back patio just broke, and there got to be only 30% of the roof left since wind, heavy rain, and hail seem to leave most of it on the patio/ground. Plus, 2 winters ago, the previous tenants were gone for about a month and the pipes froze, busted, and flooded the basement. All of the carpet, etc. was replaced but there's definitely mold down there. Ever since we moved our bedrooms to the basement to stay cooler over the summer, I haven't been able to stop sneezing and I can't even remember the last time I could breathe freely through my nose.

      We've been looking for a house to rent somewhere between here and the Support Center. We want to be closer to J's work but still near Greeley as Justin is deeply involved with the K of C here in Greeley and because he's starting an adult formation class at St. Mary's on Wednesday nights. Plus, we have a lot of friends here in town. I found a great house about halfway between that was at a great price (exactly what we're paying now) but much bigger and newer. Too bad it was a complete scam. Grrr...I hate dishonesty like that! Anyway, please pray that we find a good place soon so we can tell our landlord that we don't plan on renewing or extending our lease I've got to get packing if we're going to be out by the beginning of November, esp. since we'll be in KC for about a week in mid-October!

       On another note, little John had his 6 month appointment today. Somehow, he hasn't gained any weight since his 4 month appointment even though he's been eating rice cereal and oatmeal and a few fruits and vegetables, all while still nursing. The doctor thinks my milk supply is low so I'm going to go to the breastfeeding clinic at the hospital on Monday (if they're open) or Tuesday. We may have to supplement with formula like we did with Michael. My supply was low then, but I was pumping because I was working full time. So, we'll see. I have to take John in again in a month to get his weight checked and so the doc can see if his eczema has improved any with the new prescription we have for him.




Tuesday, 11 August 2009

  • More pictures

     
    On that same trip to KC, we were fortunate to meet with several of our Mission Partners. We met one family in Lawrence. We ate homemade ice cream at this great shop on Massachusetts St. and then went the park.



    As you can see, Michael had a great, sweaty time. =)



    We went to the Bass Pro in Olathe so Michael could see the fish and animals.



    My boys. =)



    Me and my big boy.



    There's a fabulous park right next to the FOCUS national office with a big pond, bridge, walking paths, porch swings, and great playgound. Michael likes to look at the ducks on the water.



    And of course, climb on everything in sight. =)



    This is the new home I built for our hamster, Lucy. It's just a plastic tub. I cut a hole in the lid and covered it with hardware cloth. It's much roomier for her and easier to clean.



    You can see her wheel (blue) the car she sleeps in (red) and the climbing/tunnel toy built from a puzzle set from the pet store.



    It only took me a couple of hours. The hardest part was drilling the holes and then screwing the nuts and bolts in.