I’ve thought about updating this blog several times over the last 2 years. Obviously, I didn’t. When, after several months of thinking I put thought to action and attempted to log in, I found that I couldn’t. After several sessions with the hosting service’s support desk, we finally ironed out the problem, and access was… Read More 2 Years
Thankful for a visit from my mother-in-law this week. She brought their dogs as well and I’m happy to say that all went smoothly in that regard 🙂 Family is so precious – I’m thankful that we’re back in the States, where we can easily see them and share our lives with them.
My parents, Bruce and Mary, flew into Norfolk Airport on Wednesday evening and I happily picked them up for their 3 1/2 day visit. Such a short time, but so much was packed in while they were here. For starters, my dad taught Chris about installing toilets… There’s Chris, diligently observing and soaking up knowledge… Read More Family Visits and a New Toilet
It seemed as though something like an 8th wedding anniversary was a long ways away back when we got married in 2004. And now it’s here – 8 wonderful years have flown by in such a short time, and I’m already looking forward to the next 18 years… the next 25 years… and so on… Read More Eight Years
My sister Valerie is here for a visit! Hooray! I know that I’d talked about her and I taking a trip to Paris but, as it turns out, there’s plenty to see and do right here in England. The only time that would have worked for her and I to go was also basically immediately… Read More Oxford to Bournemouth
One of the (many) great things about living in New Zealand is that it puts your location in relation to the rest of the planet in a whole new perspective. You think you’ve got a long 6 hour drive with your toddler? Try a 24 hour flight! Because we live so far away from our… Read More Family Visits and Stonehenge
Today has been a bad day, the kind of day where I wish the US and New Zealand were just a bit closer to one another, geographically speaking. We started on a downward slope right after midnight: Joe, awake, running a fever of 39.5C/103F. Paracetamol on board, stripped to shirt and nappy, lots of fluids,… Read More Living in New Zealand: Sad Days and Loss
Did I ever tell you about the time I let my sister take a spanking for me? No? Well, maybe that’s because I never “let” her take one for me. More like I made her. And all because of a goldfish. Let’s back it up a bit and give you some more information. You see,… Read More They Always Find Out
For the next 2 weeks, the 3 of us will be hanging out at Chris’ childhood home in St. Simons Island, GA. At the moment, I’m currently seated at probably one of my favorite spots in the guest house: Overlooking the marsh on the downstairs porch I have a pork loin roast in the slow-cooker. … Read More St. Simons Island
Tuesday was a good day. Mom, Joe and I headed over to my hometown church and attended a women’s Bible study. Nursery service was provided, which meant that Joe was able to play and I was able to visit. I grew up in this church. Many of the women have known me since before I… Read More Good Days
Part of our reason for staying in the States so long is for Chris to do a bit of work at some different universities, the primary one being Notre Dame. He’s already been here and to Purdue in the 2 1/2 weeks we’ve been in the USA. South Bend is about 2.5 hours north of… Read More Michigan, and now South Bend
One year ago today, Chris and I arrived in New Zealand. I’d never been here and didn’t know what to expect. Chris had only been here for ~5 days when his {now} employer flew him out for an interview. I was nervous and worried – what if we got here and Chris realized that the… Read More One Year Ago Today
Shelly, Dirk, and Cindy {l – r} How’s this for precious? It’s a photo of my 3 eldest siblings. I wonder what ever happened to those car seats…
Hey everyone – if you could say a prayer for my Aunt Linda and family, it would be appreciated. My aunt was walking the family dog yesterday evening when she was hit by a car. The driver of the car was a young man who had looked away from the road to try to find… Read More Prayer Request For My Aunt
I’d like to take a moment to recognize someone who has done a lot of good in the healthcare community – my dad. If he reads this (or, if what I suspect is more likely, the ladies at his office read this – hi guys!) I know he’ll be slightly embarrassed, but its true: my… Read More Commitment to Healthcare
In 6 weeks, my younger sister Valerie will be making the long flight from Indiana to New Zealand! Just how long? Her total flight time {not including layovers} is 18 hours, 45 minutes. She’s the first of our families to make the trip, and we couldn’t be happier 🙂 I can remember when she… Read More Only 6 weeks…
Today is the day! I had a great week with my family and loved taking long walks on the property. It was a lot of fun and a great way to say good-bye. Here are some photos that I took while on my parents’ property this week. Anyone who says that the Midwest is flat… Read More Auf Wiedersehen, Good-Bye {until New Zealand}
Well, Bear and our SUV are on their way to St. Simons Island, Georgia right now. My mother-in-law flew in last night to take both of them home. I’ve touched on this before, but I may not have been very clear. We aren’t shipping our cars to New Zealand, and we aren’t taking Bear. In… Read More Bye, Bye, Bear
Big congrats to my sister Valerie, who recently ran her first mini-marathon. She is awesome! She did it in under 2 hours and she did it without any formalized training plan. Can you believe that? This girl is good! I’d like to think that my Facebook “good luck” message helped, but who am I kidding?! … Read More My Sister, the Mini-Marathon Maven!
