Summing up the Past Five Weeks of 2010

- Matt received a job offer for a really amazing job in Houston, TX.  We got the official offer right as we were leaving town for Thanksgiving.
- One road trip to Philly for Thanksgiving.
- One cold for two weeks.  (It was me and I couldn't think straight for days.)
- One side trip to Gettysburg with Krister & Sheri.
- A double birthday party while in Philly for Sheri and Matt.
- One week with my sister Megan and her sweet little girl Cora.  We explored Boston for the last time.
- Helped put on one huge Christmas event.
- Attempted to say good bye to some of our Boston friends.  Sad.  (I missed an official good-bye with my best Boston friend, but we hope to see each other later anyway!  Often.  No need for a good-bye!)
- A trip to Utah to visit family.
- Two days in Boston to clean up our apartment, clean out the storage unit, pack bags for my family which will be the only items we'll have for one month in Houston, and supervise the movers pack up all our things.
- A trip to Atlanta to visit family for an early Christmas.
- Four flight delays keeping us in the airport literally all day long.  One bag lost (all my things) but recovered the next day.
- One grueling week of house/condo/apartment hunting.  Finally signed a 12 month lease on an apartment less than a half mile from Matt's work.
- Moving into our apartment in two weeks and will be moving once again at the end of our lease.  Hopefully at that time we'll get to move into a more permanent residence in the Houston area.  

Roughly 900 miles in our tiny car, 8 flights, two cab rides, one rental car....That's a lot of traveling with a baby in such a short amount of time!  We all made it and while it was too much all at once, each part was so much fun.  What a way to top off 2010.  It started off by having my first baby and ended it with a move and a new job.  This was quite a year!

40 Years

This doesn't even scratch the surface, but here I go....

2 sons
3 daughters
6 granddaughters
6 houses
4 states
6 cats
1 dog (for about 6 months)
2 sons served 2 year missions and a 2 year service mission of their own
3 sets of braces
15 super awesome years of waking kids up at 5am to get ready for early morning seminary (mom)
13 associate degrees, 9 bachelor degrees, 1 beauty school graduate, 1 MBA, and soon 1 Doctor of Optometry.  (This tally includes Mom and Dad's education as they graduated within this 40yrs.  Also included are all the son/daughter inlaws, most of whom were apart of the family before they graduated.)
Always delicious family dinners at home but we all remember our night out at The Rheinlander or our infamous tuna on toast Christmas Dinner when the ham was still half frozen.
Countless gray hairs, late nights, and pep talks
Lots of skiing, running, walking, and sewing
A bunch of adventures around the globe
A hundred root beer floats (make that several hundred!)
A thousand track meets, tennis matches, dance recitals, cheer-leading, student government, choir recitals, t-ball games, boy scout camp outs, bicycle road races, spelling tests, book reports, and more!
A million gallons of milk
A billion frequent flier miles (dad)
One successful career in fatherhood and pharmaceutical sales
One successful career in motherhood and homemaking
and
40 years of marriage

I guess you could say every day of those 40 years were well earned! 
We all love you Mom and Dad!  
Congratulations on your 40th wedding anniversary.

Cher Impersonation "ho-oo-oo-"

My baby makes a new funny laugh that sounds a little like Jack from Will & Grace doing his Cher impersonation.
(second half of this vid has the impersonation a few times)

A Loss

For a solid decade I have carried with me a little item that was oh so useful and quite special to me.

Last week my little family and I flew to Atlanta for a visit with friends and family.  I have flown quite a bit over the years and considered myself quite a proficient traveler.  This past trip, while it was another successful one, felt somewhat like my first flight because I had my infant in my arms.  A hundred different things to remember, extra items to carry, many more smiles from strangers, and even a mid flight diaper change!  My baby did great!  The only glitch was that amidst all the new little things for a first time mom to remember, I forgot to remove my pocket knife from my key chain.  When airport security removed the well used pocket knife and chucked it into the garbage can, I didn't have the time for a proper eulogy.  So, at this time I would like to say a few words about my old friend....

Ten years
in my pocket, in my purse, jingling next to my keys.
Royal blue plastic casing.
One side with the Swiss Army logo
the other side said, "AMGEN 2000".
An employee tchotchke given to me by my Dad after a company meeting.
The scisors lost it's spring and the knife was dull.
The tweesers and tooth pick long since fallen out.
Such a useful and handy companion.
I am glad have kept track of you all these years.
But now it is time for you to join all the other pocket knives
in lost and founds and airport security bins around the world.
Good bye old friend!

Merry Christmas - From my Family to Yours!

(picture taken 11.26.09)

What a pleasant surprise!!!

My parents called me up on Tuesday, Dec 1st to ask what I thought about a visit. "OF COURSE!!!" It was so exciting because my dad booked the tickets that very day and they arrived the following day.

Much like when Matt's Mom visited in October, it is really exciting to show your parents the hospital /birthing center we're using, our little set up we have in our apartment, and how my belly is growing in real life. It's wonderful to have such a supportive family and loving parents. Matt and I were really proud to show Dad and Mom around Boston College and around town. We were so happy (we actually felt spoiled) they were able to come out and visit with us....even though that meant they were sleeping on aero-beds in the family room and here just in time for arctic cold weather and snow!


(My Mama and my Papa at "The Breakers", a beautiful mansion we toured in Newport, RI.)


(In the woman's restroom at The Breakers....Leave it to me to take a picture in the bathroom yet to forget my camera the majority of their visit! She sure looks cute in this bathroom though!)


(Mom and I made a wreath which is now hanging on my apartment door. Ok, Mom did all the hard work which is why my wreath looks good.)

Thanksgiving 2009

This year we enjoyed Thanksgiving in Philly with Ryan, Megan, and Cora! We also got to visit with Matt's cousins Dustin, Raven, and Sandy who also live in Philly. Aside from feeling the effects of swelling feet from sitting in the car when 8months pregnant, we had a really fun time!





PS - Baby Cora rules!
PSS - Matt is feeding Cora baked sweet potato fries home made by Megan.

Plymouth, MA

" The events surrounding the history of Plymouth have become part of the mythology of the United States, particularly those relating to Plymouth Rock, the Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving. " -wikipedia

When Janice visited in October we also hit the road to check out Plymouth, MA.


The Mayflower
(Well, a reproduction of the original.)




This is what is left of Plymouth Rock. Very, very, very unimpressive.


Plymouth Pilgrim



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth,_Massachusetts

An Autumn Visit with Sāsā!

Around Boston

Janice (aka Sāsā) Downtown Boston ----Boston College Campus --------------------- My Street

Salem, MA

Graveyard in Salem, MA ---------- Janice's first Rita's Water Ice ------- A unique window box.



Marblehead, MA
We stopped through Marblehead, MA on the way back to Boston. Matt's parents took several trips up the New England coastline and this was one of their most favorite places. It was fun to see where they had camped out and sailed over 30 years ago.