Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts

Monday, February 14, 2011

Valentine's Day: Love it or Hate it?

Pink, Red, Mauve, Crimson, and Black. These colors are ones that one typically sees on a day like today. Movies, dining out, candles and flowers are items that you either see or do on a day like today. Yes, today is Valentines's Day and for many it is the one day of the year that they either love it or hate it. I don't think there is a happy medium for a day like today. The single women hate it because they are constantly reminded that they are not with someone, and the married or coupled women love it because it is the one day they hope to get flowers from their mate.

I am one who tends to love Valentine's Day. I even enjoyed Valentine's Day when I was single. Yes it was bummer to realize that I was single and a bit depressing to see classmates or co-workers recieve flowers at school or work, but I still smiled on the outside. I knew that even though I was not in a relationship, I could be happy for those who were in one. I though could also treat myself on a day like today!

Being married though and going through Valentine's is a bit different. When Rob and I were first married, we had been talking about different holiday traditions and what our expectations were for each holiday. He asked me, "How can I keep you happy?" I said, "I would like flowers and a card on Valentine's Day, our Anniversary and Birthday." I had to respond like this as my husband is one who needs a very direct and precise answer. Since we laid out the rules...I have never been disappointed on any of these days. I was surprised today when I got home to find a potted plant of flowers on the counter with a heart shaped balloon attached to the basket. I say that I was surprised because I didn't think he would get me anything since my Valentine's gift came early for both of us, since he got me the Xbox Kinect last week, and the painting I bought for him came in the mail early last week as well.
My flowers and balloon from Rob

So here's to you who are married and single, "Happy Valentine's Day!" I hope that you had a wonderful day. If you are single please know that your friends and family love who you are. If you are married and your husband forgot to get ya something, be thankful for who he is and know that he still loves ya!! Treat yourselves to something a bit extra this week!

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Things to be THANKFUL for...

Happy Thanksgiving!!! I hope that you all are having a wonderful Thanksgiving with your friends and family. I had a pretty good Thanksgiving. I normally feel pretty homesick when the holidays come around, but this year I didn't have those feelings. I am thankful for that! Throughout the day I have thought about different things that I am thankful for. Thought I would share them with you in no particular order.

1. TURKEY
Ok...you are probably thinking, "Why on earth are you thankful for this?" Well, this year I made my first turkey!! I was really scared that it would turn out bad, but needless to say I will be keeping the recipe that I found one day while clipping the coupons out of the weekly paper. The meat was falling off the bones, it was that juicy! Even the white meat was pretty good!! This recipe called for a 10-13 pound turkey and so it only took 3.5 hours to cook.

2. JOB EMPLOYMENT
I am thankful for now having a job! I am really enjoying my Member Services job at Universal American (UAM). For those of you who do not know, UAM is a Medicare Part D provider, which is the prescription drug assistance side. Lots of things to learn, but I am really enjoying most of it. My training group was placed on the phones this week, and I was really scared once I started taking calls. I got through it though and my shift on Wednesday went a lot smoother. Then tomorrow is considered a "Floating Holiday", which means I will get holiday pay plus my regular pay!! Thank you!!! :)  I am also thankful that Rob found a teaching position at Cleveland State for the time being!

3. FAMILY & FRIENDS
I am always thankful for the family and friends that I have. I realize that I am one who really tends to lean on my family and friends for support. I don't know where I would be with out having the support system like the that I have!! This holiday I am thankful for a few things though. Thankful for my brand new niece who is just 2 days told today!! Madigan Ellen Nation finally graced us with her presence on Tuesday the 23rd. I am also thankful for the time I was able to spend with my Grandpa Morse. Earlier this fall he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Even though it was a bittersweet visit to Nebraska earlier this month, I knew I had to go. I am thankful for my best friends who I have been able to keep in touch with, even if I am two time zones away. Oh some days how I wish I was living in Oregon, again.

There are other things that I am sure that I could list...but I am just going to stick with these. I really do hope that you had a wonderful day, even if you ended up spending it alone!!

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Relaxed and Refreshed...

So it has been a couple days since I have been home from Oregon. Figure I should fill you all in on how the rest of my trip went. Normally when I am in Oregon I am running from one place to another then stop at my mom's to sleep for a few hours and then back up and run again. This trip was very different. I am sure I upset people because I was not calling everyone to set up meetings and get together's with them. I figured...people knew I was in the state since I had posted it on facebook and they all had my number. So if they wanted to see me...then they knew how to get a hold of me.

So Wednesday like I had said, I had one of the most amazing hour full body massages with a focus on my upper back. I really did need that. I didn't realize how much tension I had built up in my muscles. I think I will be scheduling another one out here. I have just a little bit of money left on a gift card that I was given a couple years ago. :)

Thursday was spent with one of my best friends, Renee. She and I went to lunch, did some shopping, and then spent a couple hours sitting at Starbucks. I always know when I am around a true best friend. How?? Well, two friends or even a group of close friends...they can be separated for a year or even more, but then once they are back together in person things pick up as if no one was apart. That is how Renee and my other best friends are with me. I miss that...and I love it! Thursday evening I went to dinner with my parents and brother.

Friday was spent with my Grandma Schneider. We ate lunch at Old Spaghetti Factory, and yes I had meat sauce with Mizithra cheese over spaghetti. Grandma even tried it and thought it was good. Rob is a bit upset that he can not find this type of cheese at Whole Foods. I just laugh at him. Friday evening was spent over at my other best friend's house. Christy and I ordered a pizza and watched a couple movies. Before that Friday, she had never seen the movie "The Hangover". *GASP, I know!* She laughed through it just like I thought she would. We then watched "Zombie Land". What a dumb movie!! I don't get it...how was this movie suppose to be drop dead funny? (No pun intended?) After that we just at and talked and talked...I kept looking at the clock and finally at 3:45am I asked Christy if I could just sleep at her house. I know the back roads to Canby, but it was late and I was tired. So I slept a couple hours at her house before I headed back to my mom's house. I hated to leave so quick from Christy's in the morning...but I had to run home and get ready to see Kaylee!

Saturday afternoon was spent down in Albany having a visit with NaeDean, Kaylee, and my mom. Kaylee is getting so big, and she is very creative. She had made me a poster that said, "I love Amy" and it had two hearts on it because she loves me a lot she said. We had a good visit. She is still very much into Barbi, princess stuff, but she enjoys playing soccer as well. Saturday evening, I went to church with my parents. It had been awhile since I have been to church. I can not wait to get into a new area and get connected with a church that I actually like or feel connected, too.

Sunday was spent at the beach!!! Yes it was cool, a bit rainy and windy...but that is the Oregon Coast. We had lunch at Mo's, went shopping at the outlet mall, and then get some taffy at the taffy shop that my family always stopped growing up. I went in and grabbed a couple handfuls of each flavor. Well not every flavor, just the flavors that I grew up enjoying. We took the long way home from the beach as traffic was pretty hectic going the way that we would normally would drive. So we drove down through Corvallis and then up I-5.

Monday I spent several hours up at the mall with my friend Sarah who just got back in the states. She spent the past five months in Vietnam. She looks great, and we had some awesome conversation over lunch and then coffee. It was a perfect setting since it was a typical Oregon spring rainy day. I was thinking that I was going to hang out with another friend for dinner, but she never called and so I drove back to my parent's house.

Tuesday was spent doing absolutely nothing. What an odd feeling it was, but yet something that was needed. I caught up on some of my shows that had been posted online and just sat at home doing nothing. When my mom got home, she asked if I wanted to run with her over to Grandma's house and then go pick up my dad from the bus stop. So I got my shoes on and we were off. After we picked up dad we decided to go get some dinner and ended up at The Ram. The Ram is a brewery that is in Portland as well as just a couple other locations through out Washington and a few out east. Well Indiana is the most east they get, so far. They have good beers and very yummy ribs!

Wednesday I spent sleeping in late and then having lunch with my mom. For dinner we went downtown to my dad's office. We went to dinner at this place that was a block over from his office. He thought it was just some bar and grill...well it was more of a uppity bar and grill. You know one of those places that has one sheet for the menu and you just really want a burger but there is no burger on the menu. Ya it was one of those places. It was good to try something new, but would probably not go back to that place. We then walked down to Voodoo Donuts, but they were too busy. I really just wanted to get a tshirt...but realized I could get a donut and a tshirt on my next trip to Portland. :)

Thursday, I had to fly back to Connecticut. I finished my Confessions of a Shopaholic book and wished that I would had another book to start, but it was ok to just sit and do nothing. If I would have had Rob's Sony Reader, then I could have had several books to read, but that is ok. I am one who likes to hold the actual book rather than a device and "turn the page" on the screen.

So now I am home and back to the same old busyness. Work is not as busy as what I thought it would be with it being Easter weekend...but maybe that is because it is almost eighty degrees outside and sunny. I am not complaining!!

So there ya have it. Once I get the pictures off loaded from the camera I will share them with you!!
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