They keep coming!

Just a couple more pictures from the dance--rumor is that Andy was a dancing machine.  His motto: Go BIG or Go home!

An Enchanted Evening Part 2

Now that Andy and Julia are home, I have pictures from my actual camera and from the camera of my friend Sara who generously shared. Andy and Julia had a fantastic time, and Andy admitted that at the end of the night when they played Butterfly Kisses, he got emotional.  From that first dance to Butterfly Kisses with Savannah to this last one with Julia, time flew.  Childhood is indeed fleeting.

What a gift to have a picture of these precious girls under such an amazing sunset!

Everybody limbo! Oh yeah!  I almost won the limbo contest at my ten year high school reunion.  That's where Julia gets it.  Ha!

Check out their ride - a party bus!

We face another last tonight as Julia cheers her last game. I can't go as I am working in the nursery, but I will attend the banquet afterward.

An Enchanted Evening

Tonight, Andy and Julia attended their sixth annual Father/Daughter dance.  This was the 12th year in a row for Andy, and it is the last year for both Andy and Julia.

I picked Julia up from school and went immediately to my Dad's house where Tiffany met us and did Julia's hair.

We then drove to the restaurant to meet Andy.

The fifth grade girls and their dads shared a limo for this last hurrah.

It looks like they are having fun.

Fifth grade girls - I love so many of these girls. I don't know some of them.  I am sure I love them too.

Sweet friends have been texting me pictures throughout the night. This was the last slow dance to Butterfly Kisses -an emotional moment for Andy.

Fifth grade -where has the time gone?

Andy and Julia should be home within an hour, and I will hear all the fun details if Julia can stay up long enough to share :)

Final Thoughts on NYC

Lodging:

We stayed in a studio apartment on the border of Brooklyn and Queens.  Our lodging was clean and comfortable.  We stayed four nights and brought a couple of towels as only one towel was provided per person for the stay, and we did not have laundry on site.  Our hosts actually live upstairs, and they have small children.  We could hear the children from time to time, but we never heard them at an unreasonable time.  I could see where some might be bothered by that, but child noise does not bother us at all.  We are more bothered by people who are completely intolerant of children.  I understand being bothered by out of control child behavior, but normal activity and noise is not a problem.

Someone asked, so I will share our process in choosing lodging.  We went with HomeAway which was recommended by a friend.  This is the actual link to our apartment: 

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p193339

I looked at several places and read the reviews before making my choice.  The difference between a hotel and a private apartment is that when you book an apartment, you put down a deposit  and commit to the stay.  It is not like a hotel where you can cancel and likely be refunded any money you already paid.  I found the apartment to be more affordable and the reviews to be consistent.  When I looked up hotels, the reviews were often all over the place especially for those that we could afford.

We had a basement entry.

comfy bed

I had no intention of cooking, but we had a fridge for leftovers and dishes for when we split a salad, all very handy.  Some of the hotels had these things, and some did not.  We also had free, safe street parking which was offered at some hotels, but when reading the reviews I found that the free parking was in the lot and there were maybe 9 spaces - a gamble I did not want to take.




I woud stay in NYC this way again.   It worked out very well.  The owner was reasonable and told us that he should never count the money when he is paid by his guests.  He has never had anyone pay too little but often had to give money back to those who paid too much - a nice commentary on humanity.  The only downside to this process was that we had to meet the owner and pay in cash for our lodging which did not happen until our last day.  Other guests indicated that they got great tips from him on where to eat and things to do.  I was not crazy about carrying the cash with me.

Cheesy Tourists:

We left home early on Tuesday morning, and the first time we heard from the kids, Julia called to request that we bring something back for her.  Wyatt called shortly afterward with the same request.  We really thought we would find some fun trinkets in Chinatown reflecting Chinese culture, but we did not.

We ended up finding a reasonably priced NYPD shirt for Zach in Chinatown, and he loves it.  For Savannah, we purchased the classic NYC jersey worn by John Lennon in his most famous picture.  Andy bought the shirt with said picture on it for himself.  For Wyatt we found a cool snow globe (he's a collector of trinkets such as these).  Julia loves purses and shoes. Initially, we were going to give her the purse I bought to use while in NYC but decided it was too big, and I ended up really liking it.  We bought a small cross-body purse for her, but she is trying to take my NY purse.  We always buy magnets for our fridge when we travel, so we got one for us and one for a co-worker of Andy's.  One of the reasons we had to return to Manhattan the last night was to get Julia something.  Of course, I also bought a charm for my bracelet to commemorate both our trip and 20th anniversary.

Surprises:

The thing that surprised me the most about NY was the prices. I really expected everything to be outrageously expensive and found that prices were actually fairly reasonable.  When we arrived to the blistering heat, I thought we would be spending $3 a piece on water bottles, but they were $1 just like at home.

Our meals were very inexpensive especially considering that we ate out for every meal.  Nothing was more than we would have paid at home and often was less.  A slice of NY pizza makes for a full meal for me, and we could find that for $2.50 or less a slice.

ATM machines were available everywhere, and I was surprised at how many places only took cash.  That was a bit of a problem as we needed our cash for tolls on the way home.  We stayed close enough to a grocery where we could get cash back on purchases that we were okay on that since we were not about to pay ATM fees.

I did not expect such pricey tolls.  I knew when we flew tot he Northeast a few years ago that the truck carrying our supplies paid $60 in tolls one way, but I assumed that was because it was a big truck.  The toll roads were the worst we drove, so almost $40 in tolls each way for less than stellar roads seems like robbery.

I expected to walk to the point where my feet hurt.  I walk and run enough at home that I didn't expect that to be a big problem.  I went into the trip knowing my tennis shoes should have been replaced but did not expect the blisters.  By the end of the first day,  my feet were blistered in three places, and the number increased on the second day.  Lovely.

The heat really got to me. Andy was surprised by how much water I drank.  I was surprised by the fact that Andy did not seem as bothered by the heat.  Usually, I can take the heat, and he cannot.

Final Thoughts:

I really wrestled with whether or not to take this trip as it was expensive and far away.  We have traveled more than usual this summer, and summer is going crazy fast as a result.  This may be our last normal summer with Zach, so it was hard to leave the kids. However, over the last few months, I have felt convicted that we should celebrate marriage.  With the staggering divorce rate and the number of people choosing not to marry in our culture, I felt that a strong marriage should be cause for celebration.  Instead of bemoaning the negative, we should embrace the positive.  Our children should see us celebrate and see that we enjoy each other's company.  They should leave our house with a positive image of marriage as should our friends and our children's friends.  

When Savannah and I attended the wedding in Kansas City a few weeks ago, I witnessed a really neat idea for the wedding reception.  Married couples were asked to celebrate their marriages with a danceto kind of have an anniversary celebration at the wedding. As the dance went on, the DJ asked couples to leave the floor if they had been married less than 10 years, then less than 20, and 30 and so on.  Finally, he got to 60 years with one couple left on the floor.  While I know that divorce and death can make this wedding tradition painful, I thought it was beautiful and a great reminder that we really need to celebrate marriage.  I hope to someday plan weddings for my children, and I would really like to include this neat addition to the reception.

Andy has put up with me for 20 years.  I married up.  Here's to the next 20!

Flashback Friday

Our honeymoon

We spent the week at Myrtle Beach and took a dinner cruise.  I remember that I was sick and had had to call home to get an antibiotic.  I didn't feel great that night, but we met a really fun couple and had a great time with them that evening.

I posted this picture on Facebook a week ago. Some of the comments included things like:

"Is that Savannah?"

"Why is Nicholas Cage on your honeymoon?"

We were laughing about the comments, and I mentioned that whenever I post pictures of us from 20 years ago, they tend to be my most popular FB posts.  I love Wyatt's response to that comment.  He said, "Why wouldn't everyone love that picture.  You're were just so cute together."  Isn't he the sweetest?

For the first time in 20 years, we are taking a trip that is longer than a weekend alone together this year.  

Have you seen this blog?

Andy has a  blog now and is putting up some really cool stuff.  He's a natural writer, and we invite you to take a look.

Happy Birthday Andy!

It is official this year.  Andy is 40.  He celebrated his birthday in China last year, and the natives called it his 40th birthday because they add a year at birth.  He got his favorite strawberry rhubarb pie as is our custom for his birthday.  He and the boys enjoyed it.  We girls aren't fans.

I am a lousy wife, so Andy cooked his own dinner; ribs, fried apples, grilled corn on the cob all served with a yummy salad.  I regret that I did not go with my plan of having the yard decorated with cows to celebrate this momentous occasion...may still do that next week.  Why not?

Wyatt was thrilled with the meal stating that it was the deliciousest, then correcting himself when he realized just how awkward that word is.  Zach complimented Andy on the ribs, and Wyatt chimed in to Zach with "We are eating boys, right Zach?!"

In other family news, we were lazy today and did not go to the pool. Julia wanted to play on the Slip 'n' Slide.  She had a great time.  Wyatt was pouting at the time, so he didn't play.  However, Shiloh loved it!  Julia switched to the sprinkler at one point, and Shiloh really went to town choking herself on the water.  I missed the photo opp on that, but you get the idea from the Slip 'n' Slide pictures.

Andy takes a princess on a date

 Andy and Julia attended the Father Daughter social at Julia's school last night.  They had a fabulous time.

After six years of attending this social with Savannah, Andy learned to be ready with flowers for his special date.  Julia insisted that her hair be fixed in the same style as it was for Jonathan's wedding, so we met Tiffany at my parent's house for the style.  I had to work last night...not sure what is up with that as I requested the night off.  My manager was kind enough to allow me to arrive late so that I could see Julia off to the dance.  I also requested next Friday off, but I am also working that one.  Thank goodness for family as Tessa will take Julia to her AHG sleepover next Friday, and I will arrive after work to finish the night and to participate in the morning activities with her.

 One of my sisters ordered Julia to strike this pose. 

I have to share the story of the dress.  Julia has her own ideas about clothes.  If she shops with me, we will not agree on the clothes we buy.  I have learned that if I simply bring the clothes home, she will like them. However, I did have to let her pick a dress for this occasion.  She has been a good sport and worn an old dress of Savannah's for every fancy occasion for the last year.  We hit e-bay too late to get the dress here on time, so Julia and I had to brave the mall.  I once found a beautiful dress on clearance at a store that is typically out of our price range for Savannah.  After trying a couple of stores with no luck, Julia and I went to this store.  Nothing worth buying was on sale, but the prices were just beyond the budgeted amount, so I let Julia try on a few dresses.  Some of them were vetoed before she headed to the dressing room because they were too grown up for a six-year-old.  I absolutely loved one of the dresses she tried on. It was black with white sash with beaded butterflies. The skirt was trimmed in white.  It was little girlish enough for my taste but mature enough for Julia's taste.  Julia knew I loved it and rejected it outright.  Can you imagine what she will be like as a teenager?  I should buy stock in Tylenol right now.  I thought this purple dress was a little too grown up, but Julia chose it.  I think the sparkles sold her on this one.  When we went to the counter to buy the dress, I expressed that I really liked the other dress better, and Julia stated, "you don't know about fashion!"

She was most excited about the chocolate fountain and almost turned down her favorite meal...a beef 'n' cheddar from Arby's because she figured she would fill up at the chocolate fountain.

This game is lots of fun, but I cannot say that I understand playing it in dressy dresses.

When the rest of the kids and I made it home last night, we found Julia sacked out on the couch like this...still wearing her dress, coat, and tights.  Savannah and I helped her change after she fell asleep on the couch.

BONECRUSHER!

Saturday, August 14, was Zach's first high school football game.  It was a scrimmage in which the varsity got to play the first half, the Junior Varsity played the 3rd quarter and the freshmen took the field  in the 4th quarter.  The opposing team had only enough players for a varsity squad plus some substitutes so played their first string the entire game.

Zach came into the game on the first play of the 4th quarter to cheers from the team screaming, "Get 'em Bone Crusher!  Crush their bones!"  While not the most Christian approach to athletic competition, the cheers caught on with the crowd and as reported from some other parents in the stands, even a couple of girls from the other school shouted encouragement to him! 

I was part of the chain gang, so had a great view of each play.  Zach plays nose tackle and was covering for the injured freshman center on offense, so he played the entire fourth quarter.  At nose tackle, he showed incredible quickness off the snap of the ball.  In fact, on one play he hit the opposing center before the snap was finished, which contributed to a fumbled exchange with the quarterback and a fumble recovery from one of Zach's defensive line buddies.  When he played center, the opposing team chose to send their linemen at the corners instead of up the middle, so Zach had to seek out  guys to hit.

The whole team did really well and the Freshman team actually outscored the opposing varsity squad by a touchdown, 6-0, in the 4th quarter.  Probably the best thing about the game for me though, aside enjoying good football and my son playing good football, was the head coach commenting to me that he loves coaching Zach not just because of his strength but because of his attitude that lifts the rest of the team!  From the cheers from his team (Varsity to other Freshmen) and friends in the stands, the impact of his spirit and attitude was as forceful as his impact on the opposing line!  I'm proud of my son, BoneCrusher, though I still call him Zach.

posted by Andy

est. July 24, 1993

Andy and I were married 17 years ago today.  This is the story of our love.

While attending college in a town about an hour and and a half from home, I found a job I loved through a friend.  Because I liked the job so well, I stayed over the summer in my college town.  However, just before my fifth year (education is like a double major, so even with a full course load, it is hard to get out in four years), the doctor's office where I worked hired a temp, and I just could not work with her.  Risking my job, I left for home for the summer.  This is where some divine intervention took place. 

I left my college town and college boyfriend and opted to wait tables at a Mexican restaurant.  Unbeknownst to me, a very good high school friend also secured a job at the same restaurant.  We started our training with two other people.  Andy was one of them.  He also was home from his college and had bused tables at the restaurant in the past but had reached the age where he could serve alcohol and therefore wait tables.  Andy had the look of a rebel.  He dressed like a hippie and knew the crew, so he maneuvered through the restaurant with confidence.  I was attracted to him almost immediately. I told my friend Kim that I hoped to kiss Andy by the end of the summer. 

Restaurants are dark places where parties among the staff are abundant.  The group invited us to one of their favorite places to hang out after work, a bar that stayed open most of the night.  Kim was unable to go at the last minute, and the only other person I even remotely knew was Andy.  We ended up talking most of the night.  He personally invited me to another outing with just a few crew members including his sister shortly thereafter.  Soon we had added a movie date and a dinner date to our outings, and Andy called me to say he wanted us to be an exclusive item.  Oops, I needed to make a phone call and end my relationship with the guy I had been dating.  In all honesty we never dated exclusively.  I think I knew that I could not marry him and kept my options open, so I made that call and Andy and I continued to date.

Summer wasn't even over when I knew he was the one.  Our talks of marriage started very early in our relationship.  By the end of October, we were engaged.  Our relationship continued through cards, letters, and phone calls across the miles as our colleges were about three hours apart. We probably would have waited two years to marry except that my sister was also engaged.  Tiffany and I decided that we would not put our parents through two weddings in two years, so we started planning a double wedding which really sped things up for Andy and me.  At some point Tiffany's fiance decided that he did not want me planning their wedding.  Tiffany told him that he did not have to worry as she would not be marrying him, so I would not be planning his wedding... a good decision on her part, I might add.

For reasons I don't really know, the ball kept rolling for Andy and me, and we were married just over a year after we started dating.  I used to say that we should have waited another year.  Andy, however, was always convinced that we would not have married had we waited. Our first year of marriage was tough.  I started teaching in my hometown. The first year of teaching is brutal for most teachers, and I had much additional stress.  To this day I still refer to it as the worst year of my life which bothers Andy a bit since it was our first year of marriage. Andy attended his college, traveling to stay there during the week and working at home on the weekends.  I worked a second job so that we could make ends meet.  Our marriage started off poorly as I was really angry with Andy over the planning of our honeymoon and working a grueling schedule that basically left me without a life.  In addition we both made a huge mistake when we took in a friend of his to help her out and to help us financially. I really thought we would end up divorced.  My advice to a young married couple would be that that they should not have any roommates.  That's a recipe for disaster, and our roommate wasn't even home much!

After we survived the first year, things just got better.  Andy and I traded places, and he worked two jobs until Savannah was born.  When he stopped that, he told a friend that he would never do that to his family again as it is much too hard on a family.  That friend moved out of state in order to stop the the two job rat race. We still had our bumps in the road, but somehow we made it. Life really changed for us in 2002 when Andy attended a retreat at our church.  It completely changed him, and I went from having a great husband to a phenomenal husband.  I would like to attend the retreat myself, but scheduling and finances have kept me away every year. 

From the start we had a dog.  We picked up Molly right after our return from our honeymoon, and she brought us much joy in her four short years of life.

Oh my! the hair! enough said

This is a favorite picture of mine, but poor Savannah is so fair and tiny that she is practically washed out.

We don't usually celebrate our anniversary.  It has fallen aside along with our birthdays, but we do have a restaurant gift certificate that I think we will use tonight.  With my new work schedule, I have hardly seen Andy this week.  I have to go to work in an hour and a half, and he isn't even up because he is on call and was up at 4:00a.m. working on some mess. I think we need a night to ourselves.