Wow!!

I keep telling myself I will begin posting again...then think that since it's been soooo long that it's just too much to catch up on..soo here I am-Im just going to start over!!

We spent the 4th at Smith Mountain Lake. The weather was great & a good time was had by all.

On the 7th our niece, Dannylle (Rick's brother Danny's oldest) arrived for a visit!! We have been doing the tourist thing in DC showing her all the sights-thankfully the weather has cooled off. Her first few days here we were in tripple digits!!

Here are a few photos...

The girls with their Uncle Todd

Cooling off in the sprinklers-it was about 104 out!! And VERY humid!

I told them to look like...aawww Mom..again?!?!

Infared camera..

SPRING IS HERE!

So the guys had to break out the mower last week. They have been two busy guys-raking leaves & whatnot. This yard need LOTS of work let me tell you! Yes I know I said I wasn’t going to put beds in like at the last house, but now that it’s warm & nothing is shooting up out of the ground, I feel a little lost!

And then there was Easter...it was really nice. Ricks cousins hubby & his Mom Sister in law & her husband along with their grandson, came over & had dinner with us. Sadly though, the only "kid" here that wasn’t out of town was Justin, so he got to have an egg hunt with the 5 year old. He was a good sport about it all.

Flourless cake..it was actually a torte-but I had attempted 3 recipes 5-6 times & wasn’t very successful at a flourless cake.

Relaxing after dinner watching a very interesting Dirty Jobs-he was in a mannequin factory & kept making comments about the 'body parts'.

And finally-we had Justin take a photo of us out on the deck because the leaves were beginning to come out on the trees...I had wanted a family photo--aahh maybe next time.

My Mother in law--

Over three months since an entry?!? Well things haven’t been exactly normal around here. Here is an update for those who don’t know yet...

Mid December we moved Ricks Mom in with us. She had COPD and although she wasn’t doing too badly, she kind of needed a little supervision. We sailed through the holidays with only one hospitalization trip. She was getting around as well as could be expected but it seemed every week or so we landed in the ER & usually she had to stay a few days.

Well at the end of Jan it looked like she had developed pneumonia. It was really a slight case-not even enough for them to truly say that’s what it was. So back into the hospital she went. By the next night she said she was feeling good, that they thought it was pleurisy & not pneumonia & they were probably going to let her go home the next morning. So the next morning Rick & I went to check up on her she said she had a rough night & that now she wasn’t sure it was pleurisy -she wasn’t coming home.


Well it just so happened that that morning it had begun to snow again--and it was really really bad on the roads. No plowing had been done & I was really glad Rick was here to drive! So we told Mom that we would probably just be going home & hunkering down because we were due for 30 or so inches of snow.

By 5pm that night we got a call from her Doc. She had begun having trouble breathing even with her bi-pap so they were moving her to ICU so she could be watched better. I left the house right away while Rick finished cooking dinner & by the time I got there they were getting her ready to put her on ventilation. Her bi-pap just wasn’t doing it.

They let me in for a few minutes to say hi but she was struggling so badly I think her co2 was already rising because she didn’t even squeeze my hand-she was out of it. I called Rick so he could let everyone know what was happening & his cousin came down to sit with me. About 20 minutes later they let us back & she look sooooo much more relaxed! But her heart rate was still in the 140's & her BP was really low (not normal for her, it’s usually high & she takes meds for it). So we were in the wait & see hold pattern.

Within a few days her BP was normal as was her heart rate, but it was beating abnormally. On the 5th day they "zapped" it to try & trick it into a normal rhythm but it didn’t work. At this time her blood gasses began coming back abnormal - she was beginning to retain co2 & by the late afternoon it was at the level where it causes brain damage & organ failure.

This is when, after talking with Hospice & them telling us she would never come home again, that it was time to let her rest. Being that it was Steph's birthday, we decided to wait until the next day, but if she began heart failure of anything else we told them not to try & revive her-she had been through SO much already!

The following morning, with the cousins & Hospice, after they removed her tube, we were with her while she passed as though she was asleep. It was very peaceful & quick-she didnt suffer at all.

She was the last parent & we miss her a lot.

Rest in Peace Myrna. We love you.

What we are doing...

Wow! I cant believe its been such a long time since I posted anything here! It has been a very busy month!

Well we are pretty much all moved in & getting settled. Next week Rick's Mom is moving in with us and we are getting excited about having her with us.

Here are a few photos of the house...my office...

The kitchen-not too sure if I like the color (and no the corner is not painted-I couldnt reach it)

Rick is on his way back from a trip to Japan for work so before he left we decorated for Christmas!

Hope everyone is having a great holiday season!

Merry Christmas!

Moving in

It been a busy week!

The closing went well as did the move in with only a few little glitches. As of today all the boxes on the 1st & 2nd floor are unpacked, but not necessarily put where they will eventually go. Most of the downstairs is finished though.

Day after move in-the cousins brought the dogs by for a visit.

Moving is such hard work!

The kitchen all finished! I was going to paint but now Im not sure. I kinda like the tan.

Got the stairway photos up.

The New House!!

Yayy!! We had our home inspection this morning so I brought my camera to get some better photos than what was in the listing. It sits on 1 acre. Today we walked the acre and I really didn't realize how much land that really is! Most of it in the back is woods though. Rick even saw a little fox when we were checking it out! It has 4 bedrooms and an office on the main level which will make my life easier, organizing household & business stuff. It has 3200 sq. ft. and a two car garage! Finally Rick has his garage!! We don't close until the end on Oct. and that feels like forever!

The entry

Door into the dining room

This will be my office. I LOVE the built ins & paint color!

Dining room

The kitchen needs a little 'updating' as do the bathrooms.

Family room.

View of front door from family room.

Master bedroom

To the master bath

Sitting area in master bedroom

Ricks man cave...the unfinished basement..he is very excited!

Doors that walk out into the backyard.

We found a house!!

I think I was more stressed than I thought because when we looked at a house yesterday that we decided to put an offer on I felt myself totally relax. Here are a few pics...they aren't very good because I took them with my phone-yes as a photographer I should know better!!

So here it is...

Its on an acre in a very quiet neighborhood, all of the houses are on at least an acre and ours is on the small size for the area! The house itself is almost 3000 square ft! So come visit because we definitely have room to spare! The dogs are so gonna LOVE their new yard!

This morning we met with our agent to sign the papers!! Rick always gets stressed out doing things like this!!

Anyway, hopefully it will be accepted and we can get down to business! I cant believe how blessed we have been! First for Rick being offered this incredible job and that we have a great family who has allowed us to live with them while we wait out the whole ordeal! Never in our lives would we have even dreamed of owning a home like this!

We are very blessed.