Ready for a Party!

I was excited to get all dressed up for Rich’s 25th High School Reunion. I have been losing weight over the last few months. I put on this dress and some make-up and felt like a million dollars. Recently, a friend suggested that I create a photo journal of my progress since it is sometimes hard to see the changes in myself. I have been getting a great deal of positive feedback from my co-workers.  So here is my first photos since I started. I am down about 20 lbs so far.  It is amazing how such a small amount can make a huge difference.  I love going to the gym now, but find it challenging to find balance throughout this whole process.

 

Daddy's Little Girl

I was trying out Dad's combat boots. He is my hero. I always wanted to be like him.

How Could You Not Love That Face?

I often look at this photo and wonder if I was very angry or just about to burst into tears. Mom said that after 15minutes of trying to make me smile, she told the photographer to just take the picture. I was not a happy camper that day.

GLEE - Season Finale Performance - "Over the Rainbow"

This is one of my favorite songs.

Unplanned Adventures

Rich was working in his shop a week ago while talking with me on speaker phone. Suddenly I heard weird noises and the phone went silent. No big deal, I thought Rich must have dropped the phone. I tried to call back a few times but he did not answer. Then I began to worry slightly. He may have just been cleaning up a spill or something which had happened before, but I did not know. He finally answered the phone and proceeded to tell me that he cut his hand badly with an X-acto knife while cutting plastic. Thank goodness I was driving home only a few minutes away. He was waiting on the front porch with a towel wrapped around his hand. We spent the next 4 hours in the Emergency Room. Rich had cut through the tendon on his left index finger over the first knuckle down to the bone and across the top of his 3rd and 4th fingers. The image is similar to his injury, but his tendon was cut not torn. The ER doctor was unabled to reattach the tendon and just sutured the wound closed. The doctor applied Dermabond (super glue) to the cuts on his middle fingers. He received a big dose of antibiotics and a referral to a hand surgeon.

So now we have to wait and see how it heals. The surgeon recommended splinting the joint for 6 weeks, instead of surgery, to allow the tenden to reattach. The doctor said that he sees this type of injury only a few times a year and that Rich was lucky the cuts were not deeper on his middle fingers or it would have been more severe. He goes back to the surgeon on Tuesday to have the sutures removed and a new splint to be made. Rich can't return to work for at least 6 weeks because of lifting and mobility restrictions to his left hand.

Rich applied for short-term disability which he should be able to get. His manager told him that she wanted to keep him, but can't guarantee his job is safe, because he is not eligible for Medical Leave since he has been employeed for less than 6 months. She stated that she has very been impressed by Rich and will try to everything that she can to keep him. So we hope and pray that all with work out.

My First Piano

I have been yearning for my own piano since I was a little girl.  I dreamed of having a music room with a Baby Grand and playing beautiful music. Finally, my wish was partially fulfill. My co-worker, Muijesara, generously offered to give me her upright since her children no longer play played.  Then to my pleasant surprise, another co-worker, Corrina, offered to transport it 50+ miles to my home.  Now I can play at any moment and not have to find time to practice at the church.  I give great thanks to my wonderful co-workers and friends for this blessing.

Sunday Nap

Frostbite and I love to curl up on the couch after church for a sunday nap. We could lay there for hours. She is our substite baby until the real one comes along.

Camping at Lake Groton

This was our 1st year at Lake Groton, but we had so much fun that we plan to return often.

We stayed at the Stillwater campground.

We had very little grassy area, so both our tents went up over rocky ground. This would not have been that big of a problem had the air matress not had a leak. The matress only stayed inflated for a few hours.
















Jeremy whipped up his tent with no problems. To bad he has little interest in boy scouts. I did most of Rich and my tent by myself also until I needed help with the support pulls. I was wishing I had a dome tent like the on Jeremy borrowed from his friend. That would have been even easier.














I have had this tent for years, but only stayed in it once with Liz at the Shakespearean Festival. She mocked it because it had the wrong connector and the right side stood higher. She said it was made by a poor 6yr girl a the Korean sweat shop. We still laugh about that trip.















This path is only 10 feet away from our site.
















Wouldn't mind living close this place for the rest of my life.















The lake was huge. We could not get a pic of the whole lake. This is only a 3rd of the lake.
















Whipping up some breakfast burritos.






























Breakfast is over. Where did the boys go?















How is it that even when camping I get stuck doing the dishes.


















We had a furry friend that burrowed a hole under the wood pile and came out for food.















Heres a pic of our new car.