December 23, 2004
Merry Christmas!!
We have arrived and we are trying to get settled. I have no internet access at home until January 12th. ARGH!!! I miss you all desperately and am praying you are all well and enjoying the start of the holidays with your families. For those of you who sent me Christmas cards, you are so wonderful and I can't express how those cards have brightened my days filled with unpacking and trying to fit all our things into a shoebox-sized apartment. Once we are settled and I have internet again, I will post pics of our new digs.

A few shouts out:

Kelly, the boys' are so cute and I love the card! Jen, you did a great job!

Becca, I pray you are enjoying your vacation and getting some much deserved pampering and relaxation. I think today you are seeing the Grand Canyon. I miss you so much already!

Cara, I know you are busy this week moving into your new place, you've been in my thoughts and prayers daily as I know we are going through so much of the same right now... So wonderful to be with family though, isn't it?

Sandi, you are so sweet and thoughtful to send a card. I miss you and look forward to the next weekend we can all get away and be together again.

I know I am leaving people out, I apologize, I am typing this at A's hotel. My time is short and I have tons to do before the day's end. I love you all and wish for you many blessings. And for those of you who may have gotten my new address from Becca, the street number is not 622 it is 825 (it changed 2 days before we moved - more on that once i have internet again!)

I love you and wish for you a safe and healthy Christmas and a prosperous New Year filled with many blessings.

Until next time, God be with you and yours this holiday and may Christ's mercy and grace be upon you and those you love.
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December 07, 2004
So Long, Farewell...
For Now.
Tonight is my last night with internet until who knows when. I will try to read up on everyone as I get a chance at other computers.
The movers come tomorrow to pack us up and then not until Saturday to load the truck, so the girls and I will be hobos for a few days. Because of the change in the movers' schedule, my entire schedule is changing and we will not be going to visit my grandma after all. She and I are rather upset about it, but I do hope that she will take us up on the offer of a plane ticket in the coming months for her to come visit us in the Sunshine State.
The good news is that the girls and I will reunite with A a couple days sooner, since we are now going to skip out of V's Christmas Around the World party next Tuesday at school and just leave for our old/new home state on Sunday.
I have to enter a tidbit about how much I am going to miss my friends in the Greater Metro area here. I have been so blessed to have met and become close with some phenomenal women in my short time in the Peach State. I can't express my gratitude for your friendship and love in a way that feels adequate. I am certainly a better person for knowing you and will miss you more than words can say. I am blessed to have cemented these friendships in such a short time and I know that no matter the physical distance, we will remain close. In particular, I want to thank Becca for coming over a few times in the last week - I got so much work done due to your help with the girls and I had so much fun sharing stories and wine with you. I love you and so appreciate your thoughtfulness - and gosh, I realized that I am not going to see sweet Rachael again until she is a bonafide toddler! :( And rarely has being up at 4 am been so much fun! And to L, my darling-scattered-crazy-loud-caring-scrapping twin - I can't be more grateful for everything you've done for me - always being there to listen or lend a shoulder or offer distractions from my crazy life... I could not have imagined at the start of this year that I would meet two women who instantly have become my family, the sisters I didn't grow up with, but I feel such a kinship with you I can't believe we've only just begun our journeys together. And to the two others that I hold so dear here, I am so lucky and so blessed to have you in my life. Your friendships mean so much to me and I pray each day that you continue to be part of my life. I never imagined that I would feel sad to be going home, but each of you makes it a bit difficult to return to our families. Thank you for sharing yourself, your time and your families with me and my family. I look forward to future visits and continued friendship through any other means - I might just have to get some unlimited long distance plan!
And to all of you out there in cyberspace, I pray you have a delightful Christmas filled with peace and goodwill, good health and good company, love and tenderness.
I will update as soon as I can.
Until Next Time, God Bless You.
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December 04, 2004
My Mom of the Week answers
Thanks to you who asked questions! They're great ones. I am going to just answer 'em all.... Plus, I need a break from packing. :) This was so much fun and a wonderful (long) break from doing my chores! I nominate Sue to be the next MOTW, so give her a couple days to get a post up for questions!

What do you enjoy most about being a mom? Gosh, there is so much... I guess the daily hugs and kisses are the things I really enjoy the most - that I am the best healer/comforter/carer/bather/playmate that my girls know. Given a choice, they always choose mommy. :)
What do you enjoy least about being a mom?
Cleaning up after them. I don't mind washing and folding laundry, I just have a serious problem putting it away. I know this will improve as they are old enough to have more "chores", but man, it is a long time away....

What is your favorite:Movie? hmmm... tough one - I have so many old favorites... Top Gun?
TV show? Toss up - I watch three: 7th Heaven, The Apprentice, ER - rarely else do I have the TV on - we aren't even going to get cable when we move!
Song? hmmm.. another tough one - I LOVE music! So many genres... how can I pick just one song? I guess I will go sentimental and pick Prince's "Kiss" (see explanation below)
Musician/Band? Again, I don't know how I can pick just one. If I could only listen to one for the rest of my life? Well, I guess I have to pick Michael W. Smith - he's definitely the one musician that his music has traversed nearly 20 years of my life, even before I was a christian.
Book? Again, I have read a lot and enjoy books... I guess the one book I have read the most times has been John Grisham's Rainmaker. I think one of the most changing books I have read, though, is Life-Giving Love by Kimberly Hahn.
Food? Salad. You can pick salad and still get a ton of different possibilities. That is, if I had to pick one food to eat for the rest of my life.

What is your all time fave breakfast, my dad would make pancakes sometimes on weekends - I would love to have pancakes made by my Dad
lunch, see "Salad" above
supper, anything I have eaten with my Dad's older sister - last thing was delicious authentic Mediterranean food when I was in London in March
snack, baklava! (memory brought on by the night I spent with my aunt and uncle in London!)
and drink non alcoholic plain old boring old water - but I am really diggin' Diet Coke with Lime
and alcoholic :) ? A nice Merlot - my current fave: Pepperwood Grove
What would be your dream outside the home paying job be? Nothing. Working at Veronica's school reminded me that I just cannot work with people. Forced to answer this question, I will have to say some sort of youth minister position at church - Life Teen!
What is your fave color? Purple - or green
What is your fave movie of all time? see above
Do you have any pets? Not currently. In my life, I have had the following: a wonderful dog, Tizzy. She was a collie-mutt I had from 3 years old til I was nearly 19. It was devastating when she died. I also had a couple guinea pigs (one at a time) when I was about 11. In adulthood, I have had a peach-faced lovebird (LG), who died just last year. I fed him out when he was a baby 8 years ago; I also had an African Grey Congo parrot (BG) who I also fed out as a baby about 8 years ago. He killed himself (a cat tried to get him and he freaked out in his cage and broke his neck) almost 5 years ago. He would have been great with the girls.

What was your favorite subject in school? Gosh, I loved school. I guess my favorite subject was probably Chemistry - until I took it in college.
How often do you shave your legs? shave? my legs? you've got to be kidding! ha! Actually, I prefer to get them waxed - about once a month or less - pretty lucky here
What do you and your hubby plan on doing for your 10th wedding anniversary? Haven't talked about it, really. Just celebrated our 6th - okay, we didn't celebrate cuz we were 500 miles apart.

Do you think you will dye your hair again? LOL, just kidding. Absolutely! I will just be more careful when I take the bottle off the shelf - probably check the label 5 times - I have too many white hairs to let this just go....
Where did you meet your DH? At the hotel he was working at the time. My department at a big insurance company had an employee appreciation party and he was working. I watched him make a fool of himself as he sang along with Prince's "Kiss". And he gave me his number without even a hello.
Did you know the gender of your babies before you had them? With Veronica, I was wrong. With Ana I was right. We found out by ultrasound before they were born, though. With Gabriella, I was wrong.
What's your favourite Christmas memory? I don't know if I have a particular memory. I guess it would be seeing my Dad and my little brother playing together when J was just about 1 - the Christmas before my Dad died, I am certain was his happiest.
Ever been overseas? Been to London twice and been to Paris and Versailles. We are planning a trip to London maybe the end of next year and taking the girls! We hope to take a side trip and fly back to the States from Paris. We'd like to take advantage of my aunt and uncle's beautiful flat in London before he retires in a few years.
Which blog introduced you to blog-world? I think I read Julia a few times after she left iP, but didn't regularly read blogs until after Kelly left iP.
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December 02, 2004
Whoever Said the Holidays Were Hectic?
So, this is my schedule for the coming weeks:

Thursday, Dec. 2: laundry and clean out laundry room and linen closets, vacuum in prep for beautiful friend and darling baby girl's visit. Sort through ALL the toys and bag up what will go Friday to be donated for less-fortunate children - something I will like to start doing each year before Christmas with my children.
Friday, Dec. 3: L and her son are coming over for the day, hopefully I can get the office sorted and the girls' clothes sorted along with the playroom - maybe the kitchen sorted as well as taking toys to a donation center
Saturday, Dec. 4: The girls and I have a Christmas party to go to in the evening. I suppose I should take some gifts for the hosts and some of the other guests that I won't be seeing again before I move
Sunday, Dec. 5: CHURCH. I sure need it this week. Clean out my closet and sort out clothes that will go to Goodwill, clean out my bathroom cabinets and closet
Monday, Dec. 6: Finish up any straggling things in the apartment before pack day, hopefully have fundraiser items in so I can deliver them to A's former co-workers and other Atlanta area friends. Deliver clothes and rugs and straggling items to goodwill
Tuesday, Dec. 7: Volunteer for the day at V's school and listen to one of my favorite priests talk to the kids at school. Pack car with everything that can't be in the apartment when packers come: jewelry, money, important documents, sex toys (hee hee), clothes for 10 days for me and the girls, anything that we might need before our goods arrive in FL
Wednesday, Dec. 8: Packers come. I have no idea what time. I have to take the girls to the house of a family from school so they are not under foot. That night, sleep in an apartment filled with boxes to be close enough to make it on time to school next morning
Thursday, Dec. 9: School day. Hoping my friend will watch little A so I can have a much needed break (I have a coupon for a facial!!), Get V from school and drive to the far side of town to get V's and my hair cut and maybe a color re-touch on mine before spending the night with a friend
Friday, Dec. 10: Truck comes and men load all our earthly possessions onto a tractor trailer. With any luck, this will be a smooth, painless process unlike last year's debacle. Final clean of apartment and turn in keys. Pick up the girls from my friend's house and head up to Triangle area of NC to visit my grandma and aunts before my big move.
Monday, Dec. 13: Drive back to greater Atlanta area and stay overnight with a different friend, L.
Tuesday, Dec. 14: Load car for last time and take V to school for her last day and Christmas party. After party, load the girls into the car and head to FL.
Wednesday, Dec. 15: Leave girls with amazing mother-in-law while I go on to our new apt. and unpack like crazy.
Thursday, Dec. 16: Unpack like crazy before heading to Jacksonville to see the Michael W. Smith Christmas concert/show. Crash at beautiful hotel that will go to waste because I will be exhausted.
Friday, Dec. 17: Drive back to new apt. to unpack like crazy while A works a few hours and then head back to the coast to get the girls from in-laws. Stay overnight so we can take in-laws to the airport for their trip.

That weekend is also A's 30th birthday and I am desperately wanting to do something nice for his birthday, but I really think the timing sucks. I don't know how I will plan anything in the next two weeks that does not have to do with the move....

Anyway... I will miss you all and will try to get online when and where I can to check in on you. I hope to have myself back online sometime before the New Year, but I can't make promises.

If I don't get a chance to individually wish each of you a happy holiday, I will do so here:

I love you and wish you a wonderful Christmas and holiday season. Be safe and thankful and blessed.

I'm going home. (tears up)
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Shame on Me (grin)
Well, my friends, this may be one of my last real updates for a couple weeks. Our computer is being packed up next Wednesday (5 more days) and I have a lot to get done between now and then, so I will be turning this thing off (for the first time in months, it will be off while I am at home) this afternoon. I felt I owed a real update about what is going on and what will keep me from my beloved friends and efriends for the coming weeks.

First, I am glad to be home after a week of being a hobo in Florida. Within 3 minutes of us walking in the door Sunday night, Ana was stripped down to her diaper and hugging her pillow. That is kinda how I felt, too. I was so happy to be home and able to let it all hang out (not literally, in my case) - and to be sleeping in my own bed. On the other hand, I am freaking out over how much I have to get done before the movers come next Wednesday.

I am looking forward to spending a bit of time, no matter how small, with some of my closest friends before I leave. As a matter of fact, I overbooked myself for today and have to call one friend and cancel. Good thing I had plans with her for tomorrow as well. But, my other plans include a beautiful friend and her darling baby girl. I can't wait! She even offered to help me get some things done, so I have decided that tonight is the time to go through all the toys and let the girls pick out the few favorite things they want to keep - the rest (most practically brand new and some still in boxes) will go tomorrow to a donation center for children in need. And the darling baby girl may find herself with a few "new" things for herself this evening as well. Because this beautiful friend is on a weight loss mission as my buddy, we will be dining on a delicious salad with grilled chicken and drinking refreshing cold tap water. lol

--My indecent night on Tuesday--
(disclaimer: if you can't take things I say with a grain of salt, you might just want to skip this next section because I just don't want to offend anyone or make them think I would do anything inappropriate or without first consulting my husband.)

So, let me tell you about the other night. I had a just-what-the-doctor-ordered evening - well mostly anyway. ;) Tuesday night, a friend came over. Okay, well he is my friend's 24 year old stepson who recently moved to the north Georgia area and is currently living with an aunt and her two teenage sons. While I was in Florida for Thanksgiving week, I gave the young man, we'll call him Dave, a key to stay at our apartment in our absence. I figured he would appreciate having some time by himself and the freedom to go out til all hours, etc. if he so desired. The only rules were no girls in my apartment and leave it like you found it.

Anyway, Dave had to bring the key and swipe card for the gate back (since I am moving out next week and all), so I made dinner Tuesday and he came by after work. We drank a bottle of red wine with dinner and before I opened the second bottle, I offered him the couch for the night, rather than expect him to drive 50 minutes home after finishing 2 bottles of wine with me. Horror of horrors, I had a young man stay overnight in spite of my husband's absence. We stayed up late talking about the fun irresponsible things you do when you are single and young and free of responsibility for others (which he still is, but I am so not). After finishing the second bottle of wine, he made Vanilla Cokes (coke with vanilla absolut in it!) and then we switched to water. lol I knew my mommy duties would resume once the girls awoke in the morning and I didn't want to feel like h*ll.

It was totally fun and just what I needed... to escape the reality of my life right now. You can't exactly talk about how frustrating your children are or how worried about your credit you are when you are with a virtual boy - they just don't understand or care. So, we talked about crazy stuff we've done in the past - I think he was shocked by some of my past indiscretions and certainly shocked at my husband's comments on the phone just that night.

Speaking of my husband's comments: He has such a sick sense of humor.... I love that about him. When he first called, the girls, Dave and I were eating dinner and I joked that since we were polishing off a bottle of wine, I had already started spilling deep dark secrets. A said, completely deadpan "as long as there is no kn0b-polishing". ?!?!?!?! I have rarely been rendered speechless, but I sure was then. Later, when he called back, we had nearly finished the second bottle and I asked if A had a problem with the couch offer. His response: "I don't know how I feel about any adult male staying overnight in our apartment after you've drunk a bottle of wine. I know how you get when you're drinking."

Funny. As if a.) I would have an affair; b.) if I would, as if it would be with my friend's son; c.) If a and be weren't enough: as if he would have been interested in some old fat girl like me; d.) as if I would have an affair with anyone other than the mailbox guy, who I have missed the past few years. (this last comment inserted in the hopes that my dear husband is reading this blog on occasion.)

So, I had fun. I was a good girl and drank 4 bottles of water after the alcohol, so aside from being tired the next morning, I felt pretty darn good - and refreshed! A night free from stresses was just what I needed.

And then back to reality. The movers are coming next week and up until yesterday morning, we still had hopes of buying a house. Dashed hopes now. You see, this is something that I am not proud of, but it is what it is: when I quit my job to stay home with Veronica (she was 11 months old, so that would have been just over 3 years ago), we were not in a financial state that this was REALLY feasable. So, we went into debt. Now, if I had been honest with Adam at the time of the incurring debt, I might have had to go back to work, but I wasn't. And for that, I will forever be sorry. It has caused a great deal of stress in our marriage in the last couple years and even though we are financially able for me to stay home now, we are still paying for the mess that was created back then. Thus, we are unable to afford a mortgage with the rate we are being approved at right now. So, the good news is, we are on the right track and with any amount of help from above, we will have better credit scores in 6 months and will revisit the home-buying idea then. Also, I now know where we will be living in 2 weeks. As much as I love A, I was not looking forward to living like hobos til the closing on a house.

Anyway.... I have a lot to do before the movers come. I have to go through each room and try to get rid of things that we don't need/use. I also have to sort through and decide what will go into the apartment and what will go into storage.

Next entry will be my schedule! Yikes, once I typed it all, I had to make it an entry unto itself.

Until next time, God Bless you.
Posts written by humble servant
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