First Snow of the Year!

My little sister called me on Dec 5 to come help decorate the tree at my parents' house. I arrived, and as we were listening to 'Winter Wonderland' and working on the lights, it started to snow. Not just a little, but big, wet, beautiful snowflakes. She ran outside, no coat on, and started catching snowflakes on her tongue. Oh, the joys of the first snow! We went into town to get some ornaments from my apartment, and took a few pictures on the way. When we got back, we finished with the tree and she and Zachary went out for a snowball fight.

Christmas Tree Comes With Christmas Mouse!

We went to get a Christmas tree a couple weeks ago at a friends tree farm. The one we chose turned out to be a huge one. When we got it in the door at the house and laid it on the floor in the kitchen, the cats were curious, and Socks climbed up in the tree. A few minutes later I saw a little mouse on the kitchen floor, so I called the kids to come see. We caught the little guy in a tupperware container, and were talking about how cute he was, when he jumped up the side of the container. Joanna jumped back, I shrieked and jumped, Isabeau screamed, Gabe jumped, and the cats saw the mouse on the floor and leapt after it, chasing it back into the tree. It all happened in about 3 seconds, but it was hilarious after the fact. We had a Christmas mouse! A few days later, I woke up to find the Fajita (the other cat) playing with the dead mouse, and then she and Socks proceeded to eat it. Ugh. No more Christmas mouse. The cats still think the tree is their personal playland, and they toppled it over a couple days ago.

In NYC with the Ingrassia family

I'm in NYC for a few days! Tonight we're planning on heading out to see the Christmas lights. It's so nice to relax and just hang out with friends. It's chilly, and going to get worse, but the sun is shining and it's a great day. Last night Vic, Mary, and I went out for dinner at a place called Frenasia. I loved the atmosphere and the decor - dim red lights , red candles on the tables, and it overlooks the water - very nice. This morning I had a chance to chat with their mom, Peggy. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed our morning visits last time I was here. I hope to take some good pics tonight, so I'll put some up soon.

Adoration? A Crush? Love At First Sight?

Since I began staying with Joanna and her kids, Gabe(12) and Isabeau(4), I've taken the kids over to my parents farm several times. They and my siblings, JJoy(11) and Zachary(15), enjoy hanging out, playing with Smoky(JJoy's kitten) and Rusty(the dog), and doing pretty much anything. Zachary and Gabe share a love of video games, strategy games, and many other things such as bball, etc. Isabeau loves anything having to do with the big kids, and has been able to pick my sister and brother by name out of any picture since the beginning.
Another development has been that Isabeau has fallen head over heels for Zachary. All he has to do is smile at her, and she's gone. He and Seth came over to watch The Unit with me, and as soon as she heard he was coming, she informed us she would be waiting in the kitchen until he arrived. She was miserable when she found out she had to go upstairs instead of spending time with him. Several hugs later, and she went up, only to come down to get good night hugs from him a couple more times before staying upstairs. I took her to my parents house the other day, and she literally threw herself into his arms as soon as he asked for a hug. She hates leaving, writes notes to him during church (and delivers them to him in the back), talks about him a lot, and constantly wants to know when she can see him. She loves JJoy as well, and all 4 of them are awesome together, but she quite obviously adores him. It's really funny.

Thanksgiving Day!

God is so good. A friend of mine and her two kids were able to come over to my parents house for Thanksgiving dinner, as well as a bunch of relatives, and even my brother who has been activated for deployment to Iraq shortly. Lots of laughs. Our little miss Isabeau (4) has fallen in love with Zachary, and spends as much time as possible in his presence. All the kids took off after dinner up to the barn where JJoy and Zachary introduced us to 'Extreme Bowling'. They had a lane set up with 2x2 lengths of wood, complete with a side strip for rolling the bowling ball (nerf ball) back to the bowler. Plastic pins finished out the bowling alley. Zachary, Gabe and I also tackled the ping pong, which I had not even attempted in years. When the adults joined us 'kids' up there, Joanna and I challenged each other as well. Everyone enjoyed the day and between mom and Joanna (my friend) there was plenty of food and some to spare.

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving with my family, some relatives, and my roommate and her two kids. Lots of food, good fellowship, and even some ping-pong and 'bowling' in the barn after dinner. Here are some pics from our day.

Talk about accident prone!!

Yep, that would be me. I slipped on the wood stairs in our house last Saturday, and managed to get my shoulder stuck under me as I slammed down all 10+ stairs, landing with a thud at the bottom and waking my roommate with a bang. We're pretty sure it's the rotator cuff this time, and unfortunately on the same side as the previous injury, therefore inflaming the other muscles as well. I saw the doctor, who thinks I should wait to see what happens, as there is a good chance it is simply swollen, but not torn. Pray that's the case!
I am finding it's difficult to remember not to use that arm, because now it flares up randomly if I move it, and sometimes if I don't. Ugh.
But God is amazing. The other day I had a very cool conversation with a friend about how easy it is to see God's touch in creation. Seriously, everywhere I look, I see beauty that only a master artist could come up with. Isn't it gorgeous?! I love to go walking - in the field, down the road, through the woods, and anywhere else. How can people say there is no God? I just can't understand it. His love for us is displayed everywhere. Out in nature, particularly by or on the ocean, is the one place I feel at peace regardless of anything else going on.
I'm babysitting for a friend, so I'd better go check on the kids. One was sent to bed in tears for disobedience, and it seemed the end of the world - she wanted to see and be with 'Miss Lisa', and anything else was terrible. Another time, hopefully soon. I do love this family, and each of these 4 kids.
A cold day, but nice enough. I spent the afternoon making cookie dough to freeze and cranberry relish. Getting ahead feels great, but I'm having difficulties finding a place in the freezer for them.

Fall is too good to be over so soon!

The weather went from nice, warm, and feeling like fall to cold, raining, and miserable all too quickly. Today we are stuck inside freezing (my toes are numb) and trying to get the house straightened up. My good friend Carmel is arriving tonight, and I'm so excited! She gets to be here a week, so I'm hoping it clears up soon. Maybe a trip to Boston, or NYC or something.
My little sister, Joanna, is sick, so she, Zachary and I had to postpone our camping trip to the cabin. It would have been a challenge getting things up there anyway ahead of time, so it worked out, but it's still very disappointing. We played games yesterday afternoon instead.
It's been a busy few weeks, so I'm hoping to slow things down this next week. With Carmel being here, I cancelled all my doctors' appts for the week, so there will be nothing we actually HAVE to do. On Tuesday we are having my birthday party at my parents' house, but even that will be pretty laid back. A movie night I think. Then again, whenever I think one thing, pretty much the opposite usually happens, so we'll see.

Fall in NY is a beautiful time! And oh, the joys of kids!

Hello, friends! Oh, I love the fall, with the gorgeous colors, the leaves on the ground to be raked up and jumped into, and the cool evenings while still keeping the warmth through the days. Wait...the weather part isn't exactly the way it's been - sort of cold, colder and coldest is more like it! I know it will get colder, and yes, there are still a few days where a light jacket is enough, but for the most part, it is chilly. We've had a few rainy days, but tomorrow is supposed to be the beginning of a sunny stretch, and I am excited! Particularly because it is Gabe's birthday, and we are having some of his friends over for a small party. I made chocolate cupcakes for him to take to school today, and apparently they were a hit, since he didn't bring any back home. :)
I may be heading to the Adirondaks with a friend some day soon to see the colors up there (I can only imagine! They are supposed to be way better than around here even!). I'll be taking a lot of pictures I'm sure.
God has been blessing my SS class, as we started the year with 5 kids, and now we have 3-4 kids from the community that have started coming as well! Their parents are telling me they talk about our lessons at home through the week, so I know they are reall getting what we talk about.
I am still looking for work, but times are tough, and I haven't found anything so far. Most places won't even give out applications anymore since so many people are out of work and asking for them. But guess what?! The gas prices are going down a bit, and for us, every bit counts! It's now at $2.42/gal. I'm curious what the rest of the country is at. :)
I am currently helping take care of a very precocious 3yr old, Isabeau, who is adorable and drives me insane! Don't get me wrong, I love her, but she doesn't stop talking! However, she is very sensitive to when people are having a bad day, and does try to help. For instance, this afternoon I had a headache, my shoulder was sore from the injections I got this morning, and my leg is throbbing now whenever I go up stairs, drive, etc. I flopped down on the couch after a couple hours, and she was calling her mom on her play phone. I heard her close the conversation with "I have to go mom, Miss Lisa's head is hurting and I have to go give her a hug to help fix it, and then I'm going to read her a book." She proceeded to climb up on the couch beside me, give me a hug, and then sit by my head and 'read' me a story. I was touched by her concern, and it makes all the time we've spent with her so worthwhile.
Yesterday her brother Gabe (11) was working on cleaning his room, and I was keeping him on task pretty regularly, but I had received some mail that made things look a little bleak, and though I was hiding it pretty well I thought, he came out and asked if I would let him give me a hug. After the hug as he went back to cleaning his room, I was in tears because of the compassion of an 11yr old boy. They're both good kids.

Dental work and a Missionary Conference

This has been one of those weeks where I do not understand why God is making me go through this, and can't He see that I can't handle it? I have a lot on my plate right now. Last week I had the pleasant responsibility of taking Isabeau to the dentist to have some cavities filled. Well, the pleasant part ended right about when I picked her up from school. The appointment was supposed to be next week, but they had a cancellation and called me at noon, asking if she could be there by 3:45, oh, and not to eat or drink anything for 4 hrs prior. No problem, the school was great about holding her to that. I attempted to get my things done before we had to leave, but most of it ended up getting shoved into tomorrow's workload. She was slightly cranky, thirsty, and hungry, which made our 50min drive somewhat stressful for me. The appt went well - they sedated her, and once that had kicked in, they wrapped her up like a papoose and went to work. The normally 1/2 hr ordeal turned into over an hour as she kept kicking herself free of the blanket and straps that bound her. I had to hold her arms and knees down, while others held her feet and head. She screamed pretty much the whole time, though we had brief moments while we rewrapped her and scooted her back up the bed each time. A root canal and 10 cavities filled, complete with silver caps, and we were done. Unfortunately, my work was only half over. Every time her head started to hang forward (at least once or twice every 5min or so) I had to pull the car over and prop her up again. She screamed, cried, howled, etc the entire drive home (almost 2 hrs). She was still under the sedation the whole trip home, so the next day she remembered nothing. I, however, was exhausted, and quite willing to hand her over to her mom when we arrived home.
There is also a lot of stress within my family, which only adds to everything else.
We had a missionary from Bosnia in town this weekend for a conference. He seemed like a great guy, and very much a family guy. He had no qualms about playing with the kids, hiking up the Phippens hill, and talking with anyone and everyone. One evening during the service the nerve in my neck acted up, and I went in the other room, hoping it would go away. It didn't, only got worse, and when Sue came in, she went and asked the pastor to come pray for me. I ended up going home, but there was no relief until almost 5am. At church in the morning the missionary made a point of coming to ask how I was doing, and wanted to know more about it. I didn't know it, but apparently he had also come in to pray for me the night before. He's a very caring and compassionate guy, and I can see how he and his wife would be perfect for the Bosnian people. He loves them so much - it's obvious in how he talks about them.
So no, I have no idea what God has in mind, but I know He's with me, and He will carry me through every step.

the days of relaxation - NOT!

So much for having time off to relax! Between taking the kids to doctor appts, picking up and taking care of Isabeau 2 days a week, dealing with unemployment and other paperwork, all my doctor appts, and all of the other things that come up in between, I am pretty busy.
The last few days have been CRAZY! I went apple picking on Saturday with my friends Joanna, Gabe, and Isabeau, who I live with. It was so much fun, and the kids had just as much fun as Joanna and I did. A beautiful day, perfect for getting out and enjoying the weather. I'll be putting some pictures up soon. I finished off the day by going out to dinner with my family and some friends from CO who were visiting.
Yesterday my wonderful brother Seth came over to put up a shelf in my room (I have no clue how to find the studs), so it's starting to have a lived in effect, rather than a 'guest room' feel. Since our friends were leaving in the afternoon, I went over to visit for awhile after church. Mom made an awesome meal, complete with fried chicken, etc. Mmm.
So today my shoulder has bothered me quite a bit. Actually, the last week or so the pain has been worse again. So I have an appt set up for another procedure. Hope it works.

Zachary's Birthday Party

My younger (can't say little anymore) brother asked me to make him a 'football' cake for his 15th birthday. So I made the cake this morning, but when I went to take it out of the pan, it came out in so many pieces I couldn't put it back together again very well. Since I want Zachary's cake to be perfect, I drove all the way to Bennington and got another cake mix, came home, made the cake again, and this time it was a success. Next on the agenda is to go over to my family's house to decorate it (Joanna asked to watch the decorating part of the process). The party begins at 5:30 this evening, and I think he'll have a great time, and the rest of us as well. :)

Living in Hoosick Falls, NY

I'm done moving, and loving my living situation. It's working so well to be with the Pattersons. Joanna works during the day, so I take the kids - Gabe(11) and Isabeau(3) to any appts they have, and pick Isabeau up from school/daycare on Joanna's two late days at work. Gabe has football practice several evenings, so Joanna and/or I will usually take Isabeau out to watch him, and she enjoys the playground right beside the football field. His first game was the other day, and he played very well. Their team won, something like 25-0. We're proud of him.
Isabeau is quite the talker. I don't think she stops talking for more than a couple seconds at a time from the moment she wakes up till she goes to sleep at night. I love her, but at times it is a bit much. Ok, a lot too much. :) She has more 'friends' (stuffed animals) than I've seen in my life! Her room is filled with books and 'friends', all of which are usually on the floor within minutes of cleaning the room. Oh well. She loves cuddling, and often comes to join me on my cot or gets me to come to wherever she is.
Joanna is one of my closest friends here, and she is always an encouragement to me. No matter what is going on, she's willing to listen and offer advice if she can.
So all in all, living in Hoosick Falls isn't as bad as I thought it would be. But then, I'm not out and about in HF either. Time will tell.

the crazyness of August

Hmmm. Lots of decisions to be made, and they all came about very quickly. I've been looking for a car for awhile, so the Hyundai Santa Fe I bought a couple weeks ago has been wonderful. I'm thoroughly enjoying it, and I'm not sure I could go back to a 'little' car again.

I was laid off from my job at the Coffee Connection due to the economy crisis, so I'm not sure what is in store in that aspect. September 1 will be my last day. I've spent the last few weeks working on packing up my things, to be ready for a quick move if that worked. I now have a place to stay in Hoosick Falls, so I plan on moving this Thursday or Friday.

A major decision has been what to do now that I'll be jobless. I've come to the conclusion that now (or soon, at least) would be a good time to drive west. So yes, I'll be packing up my Santa Fe and leaving the East coast. Not quite sure when though. I had wanted to go the end of Sept, but my doctors want me to try one more set of procedures before I go, which could put it into the middle of winter. If that happens, I'll probably sit tight until spring, since my final destination is going to be Homer, Alaska, if all goes well.

So a lot is up in the air right now, and until I know more, I'll just stay in this area, helping my friend out with her two kids as needed, and hoping that the rest and relaxation will help my shoulder/neck heal much quicker.

For now, I've been exploring and enjoying the scenery around here. This picture is at Grafton State Park.


I have some good friends in Petersburg that have the cutest daughter, and I had the opportunity to hold her for awhile on my latest visit to their house.

My darling Isabeau had to go to the emergency room one night, and the nurse was wonderful and gave her popsicles and a stuffed animal to take home! She is much better now, and full of her usual energy. She is one of 'my girls' from Sunday School and I love her and her family to death! Isn't she adorable? I get to pick her up and watch her and her big brother for a few hours once or twice a week. They are like siblings to me now.

Changes, changes, changes

In just a quick few days my life has been turned upside down. Not all bad. In fact, I'm excited about a lot of it, or at least some of it.
I'm going to be leaving the Coffee Connection at the end of August, so I'm looking for another job. A few possibilities for here, but most likely I'll be heading out west. Either to the Seattle area or Alaska, probably. As many of you know, I hate change. And yes, I'm nervous about this, but excited at the same time. I've also been looking for a car for the past 3 months. A couple weeks ago I was a victim of an online scam, and lost thousands of dollars by attempting to buy a car off of Craig's list. So if you were planning on using that site anytime soon, I'd recommend against it. Shortly after that, I found a car I liked, went down and looked at it, signed a bill of sale for one price with two thousand as a deposit. The next day on my way down to pick up the car I received a phone call from the salesman informing me that they had to do more work on the car and it was going to cost $1500 more than the original price. I argued for half an hour, and then asked for my money back, since I was not going to pay what they wanted. That's when they told me they couldn't get my deposit back to me for another 5 days, for various reasons. I took a look at the car, and they hadn't even done most of what they said they did! The car wasn't clean, hadn't been detailed, only had 1 of the 4 brake rotors replaced (they had claimed the extra $1500 was mostly due to the cost of replacing all 4). The manager I spoke to told me that it was my word against her salesman's, and his story was 100% different, and she chose to believe him. I won't recommend Nemer VW to anyone. I don't trust them at all.
Yesterday I finally found a car I think I'll be buying. And yes, you may all give me a hard time about it, because I'm going a totally different route than I had planned on. Instead of a small sedan that gets good gas mileage, I chose a Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, which is an SUV and gets bad gas mileage. But I do like it, and it's a private sale (see Ben, I was listening to you!) from a friend of mine. I'm also going to be moving out, though whether I'll get a room at a friend's house or an apartment I don't know.
I'm still trying to deal with my shoulder/neck injury, and am now also trying to take care of my recently fractured finger (I slammed the car door on myself - it was early and I was still half asleep!). I'm still going to Amsterdam for injections once a week, and I've been sent back to the chiropractor (for injuries to the other side of my back due to the last car accident) twice a week. I'm also going to see another pain management doctor an hour north in VT on the 20th. The hope is that he'll have more of a plan as to what I can do besides long term narcotics, which is what everyone seems to want me to do.
Work has been extremely slow, and I'm feeling it more so recently, due to the fact that more guys are stopping to 'say hi and visit' a lot more frequently. They are there anywhere from 15min to 4hrs, depending on when more customers drive up behind them and make them leave. It's kind of funny actually, and the other girls who work for us give me a hard time, because apparently they saw it happening before I realized it.