August 2012

Yes, I know It's been a while...  I could make promises about blogging more but my history speaks for itself... 

Anyway, I wanted to share a little about what's new in our lives and tell you about my new toy (this is mostly going to be about my new toy...). 

Another summer has come and (almost) gone.  There are a few days left but it has started getting cool at night (last night it was in the 50's) and it's still nice during the day.  Perfect fall nights. 

The lake was a lot of fun this year.  I had some great birds at the feeders and around the cottage including a nesting pair of Eastern Bluebirds!  However, someone entered their home and stole their eggs so they left.  I am going to put a lock on the lid so that next year we can try again.  I also saw a Cooper's hawk, pied billed Grebes and a pileated woodpecker among the many other species of great Michigan birds. 

The last week of July I finally made my big purchase- a Big Green Egg!  We were in need of a new grill (I had no temperature control because it would catch on fire every time I tried to use it) and every time I walked into DC Meats, our local butcher shop, the Egg displays were staring me in the face.  I researched several types of grills and smokers and I found that the Egg was superior to everything else on the market.  I finally took the plunge and I am totally in LOVE! Yes, it's a grill, and a smoker but it's so much more than that.  My greatest examples of how wonderful it is: I made cookies for dessert one night- Oh...My...Goodness...  They were FANTASTIC!!! And the next morning I made pancakes on the "grill."  There was no "grill" taste or smokiness in the pancakes- everyone was amazed!  You would not believe how great it is! 

This past week I grilled some steaks, a very normal grilling activity.  (I would consider myself a good cook.  I enjoy cooking and grilling and Bobby has always commented how he enjoys my food.)  When we were done eating, Bobby said, "That was the best steak I have ever eaten.  I could eat another one it was so good."  Everything I have made on the Egg has turned out amazing!  The chicken was moist, the burgers didn't shrink up and dry out and the steaks....  WOW!  This has been the best purchase I've made in a long time.

So really, nothing is new in our lives.  We are still working hard and enjoying our off time and trying to hang on to summer as long as possible.  Life is good!

Happy Turkey Day!! (Thankful Thursday)

Happy Turkey Day to all! I hope that everyone had a great day full of family, friends and everything there is to be thankful for. I am thankful for so many things so I thought I would post a Thankful Thursday post on this very special day.

I am very thankful for my family. I have a wonderful, thoughtful husband that is so great. I have been sick for the past few days and he has taken good care of me. Today, we started our day at Bobby's parents at a large gathering of his mom's family (and when I say large it was actually small. Today there were about 40 people at his parents and if everyone would have been there it would have been closer to 70-80). We then went to my aunt and uncles for a very nice gathering of my (much) smaller family. We played Left, Right, Center and mom ended up winning $30.00! What a great win!

I can't express how thankful I am for my freedom and the men and women who have dedicated and sacrificed their lives to the preservation of that freedom. I love that I live in a country where I am not censored and the only limits are those that I impose upon myself.

I am thankful for my job. In a time when there are family's struggling to make ends meet, I have a career that I can count on.

And even though I can not include everything, (this may sound silly) I am very thankful for Sophie and Lucky. Every morning when I come home from work they are waiting for me at the door and they let me know how much they love me. While I've been sick this week, they've stayed with me to keep me company and cared for me in their own ways. They always know if I'm having a bad day- they are such good kids!

This was a great Thanksgiving. We had an enjoyable day with our families and, as always, the food was fantastic! I hope everyone has fun Black-Friday shopping!

November!

I can't believe this year is almost over! Last night we went to a friends wedding and my husbands cousin reminded me that I hadn't blogged in a while- thanks Paula! So, here's the update:

Bobby's doing well at work and is glad to be back. He's on the ambo and surviving but ready to go back to the engine.

We held our annual Pumpkin Carving Party and it went well. I was really behind this year; I didn't send out invitations and ended up having to send out a mass text a few weeks before. I was so unprepared for the party (funny since I set the date and time and Halloween comes at the same time every year) that I didn't have any of my fall/Halloween decorations out until the day before.

Saturday (11-5), my mom and I went to the Indiana Dunes to see the South Bend Elkhart Audubon Society's private presentation of Saw-whet Owl banding. The Saw-whet Owl is a very small owl that travels through Indiana on it's migration to warmer climates. This presentation was very interesting and we were even able to pet the owl- she was very soft!

A few days ago Bobby and I took a trip to our favorite Indiana getaway- Nashville (Brown County), Indiana. We rented a beautiful "cabin" that was on 10 acres and had a small fishing pond. We went down on Sunday and started our vacation by visiting the Indiana Raptor Center located in Nashville. Lori and Patty were great! We learned so much and got to see the most beautiful birds. We saw a Kestrel, owls, vultures, falcons, hawks and the most beautiful Bald Eagles. That was SO amazing! We toured the facility, watched the birds eat and were offered knowledge of the birds and what the facility does to teach the public and rehab/release injured animals back to the wild. These ladies were amazing!

Monday morning we were eating breakfast on the front porch and had a wonderful show. We saw so many birds- I was in bird overload! I didn't know where to look and just when I thought I saw something in the tree I would hear another bird and look in that direction. It was great! If this place was so busy in the fall I wonder what it's like in the Spring when the migrating birds are headed north. We've already started talking about our Spring trip to Nashville.

On Tuesday we packed up and thought we would toss a line one last time into the pond to try and catch something. The previous day was unsuccessful and we both wanted to leave having caught something. So we fished for about 25 minutes on our way out and NOTHING! Not even a bite! but just as Bobby shut his door a fish jumped in the pond, kinda like a big HA HA from the fish. Bobby was not too happy. After we turned in our key we went to the Brown County State Park and decided to do a trail before we left. The park is beautiful and a must see! There is so much to do: hiking, horseback riding, camping, a swimming pool (summer) and the lodge in the park has an indoor water park. I think we will try to stay in the park on our next trip.

Even though we had a great time and we are already planning our next trip to Nashville, it was nice to be home. I missed the "kids" and there's nothing like your own bed. Now, I just have to get used to this silly Eastern time change. I HATE that it gets dark so early in the winter.

I Guess We Have a Boring Life

Yes, I know I said I was going to post more often but there's nothing really new. I had a nice vacation at the lake and didn't want to go back to work. Bobby has been lucky and has spent a lot of time up there this year (even though he says he is ready to go back to work I secretly think he likes living at the lake). The lake has been REALLY warm- 88 degrees- soooo nice. So we have very boring lives- nothing new.

Blogging is so Hard to do

I'm not sure why I find it so difficult to keep this blog updated. Whenever I think about posting I always get distracted- stupid Facebook! Anyway, here's the short, very short, version of our lives since April.

The first part of May Bobby and I took a holiday in Chicago. We stayed at this beautiful B&B, The Villa D'Cita and had dinner at Geja's, a fondue restaurant that was WONDERFUL! Then on our way home we stopped in Portage and saw Thor on the 3D IMAX. It was a nice little get-away.

We have been spending a lot of time at the lake. I have seen a lot of interesting birds, a Rose Breasted Grosbeak, a Redheaded Woodpecker and we even saw a Bald Eagle fly overhead last week. I start my vacation tomorrow and am looking forward to many hot days at the lake.

Bobby saw the doctor last week and has been officially released to begin strength training. I know he is ready to start back to work and is looking forward to a change in his daily routine.

My partner and his wife sold their house and are in the buying mode, which has become contagious. I have been looking at houses and am ready to get out of Mishawaka. I made a list (I love lists) of things I would like to do to the house to get it ready to put on the market and started we cleaning out yesterday. We have so much stuff! I am almost overwhelmed with all the boxes and things that need to go to storage (or the trash) before we can even think about a realtor. And as I'm "cleaning" I seem to be making a bigger mess because now I have several piles on the basement floor- Goodwill, garage sale, library donation, Better World Books donation, trash, save... Holy cow! I just need to stay positive and not become discouraged.

So, that's us in a nutshell. Yes, we have boring lives, which could be good- I'm not complaining. As I have said many times before, I hope to start blogging more, but you can see how that has gone.

That Time Again

It's that time again!!! LAKE season! Wednesday, Bobby and I went up to the lake so I could do a little work (he's not much help with one arm but he tries). All I wanted to do was hang my bird feeders and pull out some Day Lilly's because I want to plant a Hummingbird/Butterfly flower mix.

My mom once said that if there was a statement that described Bobby it would be, "Bobby rigged a system," or, "Bobby rigged it up" and for anyone that knows him knows how true this is. And he came through with his "systems" when it came to hanging my feeders. He set up a pulley system for my feeders by the house so it is easier for me to fill them. He told me how to hang them and I got up on the ladder and he supervised/directed.

Then, when I was hanging my new feeder, using a similar method as the others, I didn't secure the wire enough to the tree and when the ring took the weight of the feeder (it held 6.3 pounds of food!) the wire gave way from the tree and my feeder crashed to the ground, breaking into several pieces. Very sad, but my own fault. I was not thinking when I was twisting the wire to the tree and didn't secure it enough.

So, my feeders were hung, at least some of them, but I only got about 1/3 of the Lilly's pulled out. As far as I can determine they have been there forever! The bulbs are deep and there are so many! The plan is to try again tomorrow. Hopefully the weather will be nice and I can work in the yard.

While we were there I could hear some of the birds have already returned. I could hear Purple Martins but didn't see any and none had taken residence in the Martin house that we put up last year. I can't wait to see if we have any new birds!

When Did I Become Like My Parents?

It's funny how people say they don't want to be like their parents but somehow, no matter what, we end up taking on the traits of them. I have wonderful parents. I am very blessed that my parents have always been around, are very caring and have taught me many important life lessons.

For years my parents have been feeding the stray cats in their neighborhood and for about the past 3 or 4 years they have had raccoons that have come to the food bowl to partake in the evening meal. Now, you know it's bad when you go over to your parents and your dad informs you that the raccoons like Jelly Belly, Jelly Beans- but just the pineapple ones. After he had been feeding the family of raccoons, or The Coonies, as he named them (Rosemary and George), he discovered that they would let him pet them. So now anytime we are over at my parents we have to check the food bowl to see if there are any visitors and if they do arrive, we enjoy feeding them too.

Well, somehow Bobby and I have become like my parents. In the fall Bobby made a food trough so we could feed our stray cats. For about the past two weeks we have noticed some nightly visitors to our house and now have four raccoons that eat at our house. So every time we walk up the steps from the basement or walk into the kitchen we have to check to see if anyone is eating. Last night we sat in the hot tub and had to be VERY quiet just in case someone decided to visit. Somehow I was very lucky in the parent department.

I guess if I have to be like someone, it might as well be like my parents. Come to think of it, maybe that's one of the reasons I enjoy my birds so much.

A Week Later

It has been a little over a week since Bobby had his surgery and he is doing well. He is still in pain but has taken himself off of the pain meds. However, his bicep has started spasming, which was expected, and is a little more painful that he anticipated. He is bored and is having a hard time sitting and relaxing since he has been doing that since November. He has his first appointment on Monday with the doctor so hopefully he will be cleared to drive. He just wants to get out of the house for a while and have the freedom to decide when to do that. You don't realize how nice it is to be able to just get up and go whenever you want to until you are forced to give up the keys.

Someone Needs to Post More

Why am I so bad at this? Every time I think about posting I get distracted and start doing something else- I should be better at this!

I wanted to post a quick update on todays events. Bobby had surgery again today on his right shoulder. Somehow, somewhere, something happened and when he went to get released to go back to work it was discovered that he had a full tear in his rotator cuff. So after being off since November, it was back to the table and will be six more months off work.

His surgery wasn't until 12:45 and everything was right on time. The anesthesiologist was in the room at 12:30 to begin the meds, gave him the nerve block and they took him back right after. The Dr. said the surgery went well and he is very confident that everything was fixed (again). (The pictures of the tear were amazing! I can't believe it was so big- no wonder Bobby was in so much pain!)

But we got home and he was feeling good enough to sit on the porch with his cooling machine (this really cool device that has a wrap that goes around his shoulder and has 43o water circulating through it- a safer way to ice) while I went and filled his prescriptions. He seems to be feeling better than last time; at least he is in a better mood. Hopefully he can get some sleep. I have to make sure I can keep him medicated because when that nerve block wears off in a few hours I'm sure he will be hurting. Please keep us in your prayers.

Fun February? Not So Much...

February has been an interesting month. Bobby and I were looking forward to his return to work but it turns out that he is going to need another surgery. He had been experiencing some sharp pain in his shoulder and I thought it was just the healing process but when he went in for his final check up the doctor thought differently. After some poking around, he discovered that Bobby's bicep tendon was extremely inflamed and when it did not reduce with a cortisone shot- to surgery he goes. So Dr. Ratigan is going to do some sub scapular repair and a bicep tenotomy which means (at least) another three months out of work... Bobby has an MRI on Monday to see if the surgery can be done orthoscopically or if the doctor needs to open his shoulder up to do the repairs.

You know you've been in the cold too long when you walk outside and think, "Hey, it's kinda warm out here!" and when you look at the thermometer in the car it reads 22 degrees. I am really ready for the spring. We visited a store the other day and were looking at their bird feeders, houses and seed- I'm ready to feed my birds again! Hopefully it will get warmer soon so we can at least clean out the Martin house and start feeding the Orioles. Summer, summer, summertime!

I will post when we know anything about Bobby's next surgery. I'm sure it will be out patient and I know it will be a long recovery. Just when he was ready to get back to work too...

Would Anyone Like A FlatTop?

Last night Bobby and I met some good friends for dinner at the new FlatTop Grill in Mishawaka and let me say, it was wonderful! A few years ago I went to the Mongolian BBQ in K-zoo and liked it so when I heard about this new place, it was a must try.

You start by filling your bowl with rice or noodles, veggies, add some different sauces and then choose your meat. Then you can turn your dish into a unique experience by adding bread, moo shoo wraps, lettuce wraps, tofu and even shrimp to your meal. Set your bowls on the counter and the chefs cook it up for you on a huge griddle. Your stir-fry is brought to the table- enjoy!

One of the many great things is since you make it yourself, if it's not good, go make another bowl. The difference between an all you can eat bar and a single bowl was $1, so why not? There were plenty of choices- veggie, meat and sauces. And if you were unsure of which sauce to pick, there's a sauce person that allows you to sample- who doesn't like to sample?

We really enjoyed our meal. I really liked that we weren't rushed and that we could sit, visit and taste our food. I guess they offer a breakfast bar on the weekends and I am very excited to try it soon. You can make omelets, scrambles, pancakes, french toast and don't forget the bacon and sausage. Someday we will try breakfast, we just have to make sure we are able to crawl out of bed early enough, since breakfast ends at 11. Restaurant

A Winter Wonderland

According to WNDU, the airport reports that since Thursday, we have received 38.6 inches of snow. Before I left from work on Saturday morning, I cleaned off my car (6:30). As I went to leave at 7, I had to do it again. When I got home from work Saturday morning I had to wade through the snow that was mid calf. CRAZY!

So yesterday afternoon, Bobby and I went over to his parents to pick up the snow blower. As we were driving through the city of South Bend, I was really surprised to see so many people out walking around in the street. I guess I think that if the sidewalks are not clear and have that much snow on them, I probably wouldn't go out in the snow. But hey, that's me.

The main roads were pretty clear but the side roads were not. People were driving on the side streets down the center of the road, trying to stay in the ruts, and when we would meet on the road they were not very quick to get over.

After we left his parents we went over to his grandma's to dig her out. It was amazing to see all the snow that had fallen. Bobby said that he had been there the night before and used the snow blower to try to get ahead of the snowfall. Hard to believe from the picture.

Right now the snow has stopped and the sun [was] shining. Hopefully we are done with the snow for a bit- when is spring?

My Husband's a Winner!

Well, we already knew that, at least I did. But today when I got home from the gym he said, "Hey, come here and listen to this," and he hands me his phone. As I'm listening, I recognize the radio DJ and then I hear him say, "What's your name?" and it was Bobby! While I was gone, B100, the local country radio station, played movie trivia and Bobby knew the answer! So he won 4 tickets to the RV show that's sometime in the near future. Should be fun!

My Great Husband

For Christmas, Bobby said he wanted to make me a bird feeder to put up at the lake in the summer. Last night he presented me with a beautiful feeder that he made. I am so lucky- he is such a thoughtful guy!

I love it! I think it's so cute! I can't wait to hang it up at the lake in the spring.

The Year in Review

It's hard to believe that 2010 is at a close and tonight we welcome in 2011. This is the first New Years Eve that I have actually been excited to begin the new year. This has been a crazy year and I have so much to be thankful for so I thought I would give a quick year in review for all those events that didn't get their own posts.

2010:

January: Bobby and I rang in the New Year with family and friends and then a few days later found ourselves at the IU Med Center in Indianapolis. In late 2009, my dad was diagnosed with cancer and had surgery at the beginning of the year. The surgery was a success! and his follow-up appointments have gone well. Bobby was great and stayed with my mom and I and then drove my dad home in a horrible snow storm. That night we were so tired, we both practically collapsed in bed. Just as Bobby drifted off to sleep, he yelled out, "BUMP!" and jerked the whole bed.

April: Bobby and I celebrated our first anniversary! Marriage is tough and it is a lot of work but it's worth it. Bobby is a great husband and takes good care of me.

After several months of rotating partners at work Josh was TDY'd to Medic 12 for the month of April. He then decided to stay another month, then another and finally said he would stay and be my permanent partner. I am very fortunate that I have someone that I can rely on that not only has excellent patient care skills but is someone that I can be myself around. It makes for a very looooonnnnnggggg day when you're working with someone that is difficult to get along with. I have had the opportunity to get to know his wonderful family and consider them an important part of our lives.

May: I graduated!!! It's official, I am a college graduate! I graduated from IUSB with a BA in History and a minor in Anthropology. Bobby, my parents and grandmother all attended the ceremony and saw me walk across the stage- what a great feeling!

June: Bobby and I headed to Florida for a quick, 4-day trip to visit Jen and her kids. Ryan, Jens hubby and proud soldier in the US Army, was stationed in Germany and she and the kiddos were following shortly. I medicated my husband for his first flight and we arrived in St. Pete where I had a surprise for him: a convertible. Well, somehow the car rental people saw me coming because the offered us a 2009, yellow, Corvette convertible, at an affordable price, of course. It was a great time and we got to see Jen and the kids just before they left.

July: Bobby and I took our annual summer vacation at the lake and this year decided to take on the project of painting the cottage. It was a long process and there are still some things left to be finished but it looks GREAT!

It was a Hertel/Price fun night in July when we ended up in the ER with my dad and Bobby. Bobby broke his toe and dad had to be cardioverted because of A-Fib. I was back and forth between both rooms all night. Talk about an evening of fun...

September: After many wonderful, relaxing days and nights at the lake it was time to bring our summer to a close. The pier was taken out, the water turned off and leaves were raked ending another great summer.

November: Bobby went on disability after his shoulder surgery. The doctor said that it was not as bad as he thought initially so instead of 6 months, he should only be out of work for 3 months.

December: Christmas came and went and I finally found my Christmas Spirit! Bobby decorated the house and put up a little tree in hopes of helping me find it and it worked. He's a great guy!

I am excited about this coming year. To all my friends and family, may you have a healthy, safe and happy 2011. Please be safe tonight and use a designated driver- it's not worth the risk.

Update!

My mother keeps wanting an updated blog, so here goes:

Bobby had shoulder surgery November 4, and is recovering quite well. The doctor said that his rotater cuff looks great and there was not major repair work that needed to be done. He's out of work until the first of February and in therapy twice a week to regain his strength. But, he's soooooo ready to go back to work. I think he's bored at home- no, I know he's bored at home.

Christmas has come and this year I am a Grinch! Sad, but true. Usually I am singing Christmas carols right after Halloween but for some reason... nothing. We didn't get a tree and I didn't put any of our Christmas decorations. I think the main reason is that this year I have to work on Christmas Eve and that's when the family celebrates.

I have been sick over the past few days. Last Sunday I hurt my back and had trouble getting around. Then I began feeling sick and, after several months of being pain free in my neck, I began having horrible pain and throbbing headaches. I had to miss the (big) Willis-Temple Christmas (which is always a blast because everyone is there and even Santa comes!) because I was so sick and hurting.

I came back to work today and it started off rough- I was very sick. But as the day has gone on, I have been feeling much better. Bobby even stopped by with a surprise from Paisano's, the lemon tort with kiwi sauce- my fave!! It was really thoughtful of him.

I am going to try to post more frequently. I always say that but I really want to try this time, even thought we don't do much in the winter.

Thank Goodness for the Mishawaka Police!

Thank Goodness for Mishawaka Police!

About 4 years ago someone tried to break into my house while I was home, sometime after midnight. For a long time I was scared to be home alone- until Bobby.

Tonight, after he had gone to bed I was sitting at the table in the dining room- doing what you might ask?- FACEBOOK. Well suddenly I heard the screeching noise of the screen door on the back door opening. Oh My Goodness! To say I was scared would be an understatement. I ran into the bedroom, flung myself on the bed and scared the crap out of Bobby, waking him up out of a dead sleep. And to wake up to that- he didn't know what was going on and I couldn't form the words to tell him.

He got up and had to tell me to call the police. Then I couldn't find the phone- are you getting how much of a mess I was? Crazy! So the fine officers of the Mishawaka police dept came out and they were here quickly. They didn't find anything except that the door wasn't latched. So now I'm here in bed, still jacked up, trying to calm down and listening to Bobby snore. Urgh! I wish I could sleep.

I Will Take Two Tylenol and a Heating Pad Please

This 4-day we ended up at the lake working on the cottage... again. No, it is still not done. Our vacation project has turned into the most drawn out event- I can't wait for it to be done so we can enjoy the place again. And after a day of up and down the ladder and painting, I am going to need the Tylenol and heating pad so I'm not sore tomorrow. So as promised, here are some pics of our project so far. We still have plenty to do but it is coming along nicely, if I do say so myself. I can't wait for dad to see it when he comes back from Canada.


So, here is the before. We had already power washed the front- that's why there is some paint missing.


And this is what it looks like now (at least the back):

Bobby did a great job painting and replacing a lot of rotten boards- I mean A LOT! Then today he put down the rock in the back and put up the new shutters- they look GREAT! We still have some painting to do and more rock to put down but I think it looks great so far! We are excited about the progress but ready to be done!

On a sad note: This summer I began feeding the birds at the lake. I had about 8 feeders around the cottage and Bobby finally put up mom's Martin house- a little late in the season to get Martins but we did have some Sparrows nest in it. When we got up to the lake on Wednesday, I filled my feeders like I always do. But apparently the time has come and most of my birds have flown away. Bobby and I noticed a few weeks ago that we didn't see any Blue Herons and the arrival of the Sea Gulls always notes the end of summer- and they're here, landing on the raft with their dinners and leaving a huge mess! It seems a bit early in the season for the birds to leave the area but, maybe they know something we don't. I wonder if this means we are going to have an early winter or a cold/snowy one. Just have to wait and see. I really miss seeing my birds this weekend and I know the cats we disappointed too. So now I am on a mission to make my "aviary" (as Pam calls it) better next year.

Also this morning another first- Bobby and I saw a juvenile Muskie under the pier. This is a hybrid fish that is stocked in the lake. It was about 8 inches long, brown with spotted fins and more square than a bass. This is interesting because it was thought that the only ones left in the lake were between 45-60 inches long- yep, no joke. It's a big fish. Someone must have stocked the lake recently since this fish does not breed and this one is the smallest I have ever seen. - At least I thought it was neat.

So back to work we go. I got a text from one of the other Medic 12 lieutenants letting me know our brand NEW truck was in service. However, during a call this morning, someone went to move the truck and didn't realize the side door was open- BIG SCRATCH! At least I wasn't driving, considering my reputation for wrecking trucks!

3 Years Since the First Beer

Today is the 3rd anniversary of the first beer Bobby and I shared together. Wednesday, August 1, 2007, while I was on my way home from mowing the yard at the lake, Bobby called me to talk and we decided to meet up at Mr. G's Bar in Osceola. We sat and talked for a few hours, drinking beer, talking and eating Tootsie Rolls. It was truly the beginning of our relationship, even if we were just friends. I remember that when we said we were going to leave we stood at the back of my Pontiac and continued talking. I think we stood there for another hour, just not ready to say goodbye. I made a promise that evening that when I came back from my dive trip to Canada that I would take him out for his birthday. Unfortunately, I forgot when I returned and never did call him to go out out and celebrate, but I think I made up for it when I called him a few nights later to go to Giannetto's, which has become one of our favorite places to eat.

August is a special month for us. Our beers, the Perseide shower on the 12th at Lake Michigan and Mojito night (ask me sometime why I can't drink them anymore- Yuck!) are all memorable events that happened in our relationship. It's funny how a single event can change our entire lives. Love is something that happens when you are not looking for it. And I will never say this again, but, I'm glad Bobby didn't listen to my advice 3 years ago. If he had, our lives would be completely different and I can't imagine my life without him.

What Happened to July???

It's hard to believe that August is here! Where has the time gone? I feel like it should still be 2009 and here we are in August 2010. The spring/summer always go so fast. Seems like we dread the snow and the cold, which seem to linger, but the summer just slips away.

After we were in the emergency room with Bobby's toe injury, he was off work for a round (3 days no work), lucky him. Then we were both on vacation for 13 days (one of the several perks to our schedule- take off 3 work days and get 13 days off).

we had planned to spend the vacation at the lake painting the cottage. I know, it really doesn't sound like much fun but we were both really excited to do something different to the cottage. We decided (with the ok of my parents) to paint the cottage yellow with white trim and red shutters. (I will post pics soon) It is VERY cute (even though it's not done). Oh yeah, nothing seemed to go right. The power washer didn't take off as much old stuff as planned so we had to scrape A LOT. Then we found several trim boards that were rotten. So those had to come off and be replaced. And I can't forget the high humidity and several days of rain, so we had to wait for the house to dry before we could paint.

Once we started painting it went really quickly. We bought a paint sprayer and it was AMAZING!!! Anyway, the house is really cute and not white any more (it has been white for as long as I can remember).

Oh, and then there was the other emergency room visit to Three Rivers ER because Bobby was having problems with his right leg- broken toe leg. I was worried and made him get it checked. I think I am going to write a book about Michiana ER's, eh, maybe it will just be a picture book.

On a sad note, today we attended a funeral of a longtime family friend of both our families. John was a great man who was caring and always had a joke to tell. He will be greatly missed.

p.s. This was the first lunchon/wake that I have attended that had an open bar. He would have loved it.