Lots of Random Things

I've been wanting to blog all week, but it's been a crazy busy and fun week! So, here's a recap of random, fun happenings and thoughts (and pictures, too).

We start paying off our student loans this week! HURRAH! I know that might seem weird, but we're excited about this. We've deferred for so many years (residency, quitting residency, setting up our own business) that we're really pumped about getting going on paying those things off!! So, our first payment gets sent in this week! After that, 359 more payments to go! :)

We've gotten more out of the Easter Season than ever before. It's our first Easter since my Dad died and it's occurred to me that despite what truth we have, we have soooooooooooo many questions and so much we don't know. We've been very open to religious teachings of many around us and have appreciated how much they all celebrate the season and holiday. I think we get conditioned to look with a degree of disdain on crosses and things that remind us of his death (instead of his resurrection), but I think that can be taken to excess. It was all part of His sacrifice, so glossing over the crucifixion seems not a little neglectful. There is a beautiful stone church in town that has had a big wooden cross up on their lawn for the past few days. It has been draped with a purple cloth symbolizing how Christ was mocked. Today, that purple cloth was replaced with a white cloth. I think it's beautiful imagery. Anyway, it's been an interesting Lent for us and it's been neat to think about the significance of Passover, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. We've learned a lot. And we're enjoying it very much. And check out what my former college roommate (one of many) and cute friend Tess did this week--isn't that great??

This week has been NUTS, but fun! We've been doing lots of school and fun outings and errands. I love to get out once in a while. Well, this week has been quite full (as much as I love it, I like it spread out more so this was almost overload but FUN)! After a weekend of plumbing chaos--yes, our bathroom is still not together yet--it's been nice to have some fun. We got to watch some fun movies this weekend--Mark and I enjoyed "Dan in Real Life" and we've all enjoyed the very funny "The Bee Movie."

Monday, we celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a green breakfast! We also wore fun, green holiday pins, learned about the history of the day, and had lunch at the Irish Chippy in town (that was DELICIOUS--we had fish and chips and peas with malt vinegar, bangers, and corned beef and cabbage stew. We also enjoyed a traditional Irish breakfast that was AMAZING--eggs, Irish soda bread, baked beans, white and black pudding (everyone tried and likes it!), Irish sausage (more bangers), and Irish bacon). We also enjoyed some Shamrock cookies! Mark got home a bit earlier than usual and took the kids to violin lessons and Denise and I went out to Ruby Tuesday's to visit teach one of our friends. We've been having a great time talking lots with our other friends that we VT as well. That was really fun.




Tuesday, Mark met us at group violin lessons and I drove the Saturn back here and met Ruth for a very fun girls' night out! She took me out for my birthday and we had SO MUCH FUN!! I love hanging out with Ruth--I notice that she usually has me laughing within, oh, about 5 seconds! We are positively giddy, sarcastic, and chatty chatty chatty with no problem whatsoever. She took me out to see a movie (The Other Boleyn Girl--which, by the way, was visually stunning and superbly acted) and then we went to Duke's and gorged ourselves on a number of appetizers (yes, this is after having eaten movie snacks, too). What fun! We stayed out REALLY late and I got home and stayed up even later to watch American Idol with Mark. Fun, fun, fun.

Wednesday, one of our homeschooling friends came over to play in the afternoon and the kids had so much fun! Denise and I were going to go out that night, but we both decided not to and were both relieved about that (reference busy week). So, she came and watched the AI results show with us and slept over. :P

Thursday, I worked all day and had a very good day with my clients. That night, I got to go on a Parents' Night Out with amazing women from our homeschool group. I LOVE PNOs! We had our biggest group yet--NINE of us! We all meet at the coffeehouse in town and talk homeschooling, politics, funny stories, religion, the environment, starting our own island, etc. while we eat and drink until they kick us out. It's GREAT fun and one of the most rejuvenating monthly things on our calendar. I can't say enough how much I love our group--we all feel so very blessed to have one another!

Friday, a lot of people from our homeschool group were either out of town or unavailable, so we decided to bag our class and simply play. So few of us got together (about 4 families) that one of the moms invited us all over to her house and we played from 10am to 5pm!! Yes, that's SEVEN hours. We all had a really great time. The kids played so well the entire time while the moms got to sit and talk and enjoy tea, water, and loads of snacks. Christy is an awesome hostess. It was so fun! Friday night, we got the (very exhausted) kids to bed and Mark and I got some Chinese take out and watched some March Madness and some funny stuff together. I love hanging out with him. It's mutual. Have I mentioned that I'm head over heels in love? Well, I am.

Saturday, after cleaning our house, I attended a tea party! I wish I'd taken my camera!! I organized an outing as part of our girls' night out enrichment group--a group of 10 women (many women brought their moms/daughters along) enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea at a tea shoppe in the Amish country. It was lovely!! We enjoyed a delicious menu and ate off of the CUTEST dishes! We all enjoyed various teas and couldn't get enough of the Devonshire cream! We loaded up on herbal teas and all kinds of scrumptious finger and tea sandwiches, savories, and desserts! And every table has a theme and the cutest tea sets. Every single person there excitedly talked about who they'd like to take there next (though I think we've convinced the tea shoppe owner to move to our town--more on that in a minute). I'm so taking Terrie! My friend who, no matter what our purpose in getting together, always takes time to sit and have tea with me for a while. I love it. She is so great to talk to and I learn tons from her. And we can talk about anything with such depth and laughter at the same time. We love their family so much. Anyway, I digress (and by now I'm embarrassing Terrie).

So, the lady who owns the tea shoppe got to talking with us and we discovered that she's from MA (not far from my own hometown) and that they homeschool! Her daughter (who served us) is 16!! I about fell off my chair when she told me that her daughter has always wanted to open a restaurant so they run the tea shoppe! How COOL is that! I told her that we are seriously considering doing something similar for our daughter's 16th birthday--some get cars, some get sweet sixteen parties, we're thinking a restaurant/cafe. Something. Her wheels are ALWAYS turning about how to make that work. In fact, on Monday, at the Irish chippy, she looked around and couldn't stop staring and talking about how THAT is the set up she likes (where you can cook while you visit with your patrons). She loves to cook and loves to talk and loves to eat out. It's a great combination! :) So, the tea shoppe family is completely intrigued with moving to our county and our town and setting up shop here as they're unhappy where they are and are interested in our community, our area, and our homeschool group! She and I have been emailing for so long and we continue to be in contact. This is SO FUN!

So, Mark takes the kids to see Horton Hears a Who! while we're at the tea party and have a GREAT time! He's such a great Dad and they're SUCH great kids and we all have so much fun! I get home and Terrie has just called to invite us over for Tacos and an Easter Egg Hunt. So we grab some stuff at the store and get there and have a FANTASTIC time complete with egg hunts (for the kids AND the adults), a great meal, fun drinks, and GUITAR HERO! Yes, we've tried Guitar Hero and we love it!! So much fun!! Of course Mark does awesome on his very first try and is instantly great at it. It's a really fun game and we're excited to know what all the hoopla is about. Very fun. Almost makes me consider getting a Playstation. Almost. So, we totally don't notice the time (reference that we're having SO much fun and laughing hysterically the whole evening) and we get home after 11pm!! Exhausted, but happy.


















And today, we've had a great Easter. We did more Easter Egg Hunting at church--fun! Also, Mark got stuff at the store on Friday and surprised us with a fabulous nontraditional (big surprise, eh?) meal--browned chicken tenderloin in basil and oregano and spicy Italian sausage over roasted red potatoes and delicious Italian Pancetta with garlic and white wine together with buttered steamed broccoli. Yum! Tomorrow, an FHE lesson with yet another egg hunt and lesson and coloring Easter eggs and discount candy at the store! We're hoping our friends join us for that as well.







So, this after a week where I burst into tears, not once, not twice, but at least THREE public times about missing my Dad--while on our field trip (I saw a tennis court and then we were right by the railroad we've visited about a year and a half ago with my Mom and Dad), once with Mark when he astutely pointed out that it hasn't been that long and there is no expectation that I should somehow be "fine" by now (he's so good to me), and another time rather unexpectedly while talking with Denise and telling her about how I started crying on our field trip. :P I think there were other times as well--oh yeah, during all the plumbing stuff while on the phone with my Mom as I cried about how much I miss my Dad. So, yeah, it still hurts a lot and just like the stuff on grief says--it hits you emotionally rather unexpectedly at times.

Hospice is putting up a leaf with my Dad's name on it and we get to be there, see it, have a little ceremony/take pictures, etc. I think that'll be hard, but special. We're doing it when we're up there in a couple of weeks celebrating K's birthday and bringing my Mom back down for K's baptism. We and the kids are super excited as is my Mom! And we're very excited for Papa and Grandma's visit as well.

Our business is THRIVING. And I start doing groups this week--I'm so excited! We've had a goal for ourselves and we've figured we'd hit it after a year in practice. Well, we hit it this past week! That's less than 6 months in! We're thrilled!! We're so grateful and so blessed and so happy. We're living our dream and doing what we've been working toward for so long. Hurrah!

Another fun thing this week that is quite hopeful--my brother-in-law and new sister-in-law just found out that he got accepted to law school at Temple University! So, should they decide to come here, we can get together and have so much fun together!! They're excited as are we! I even completely blew my March Madness bracket in their honor! :) YAY!!

Okay, PHEW! That's a lot of stuff! See? I've been trying to get to blogging a bunch this week, but as you can see, it's been crazy. So, for those who have been checking and haven't had much to read, here's a bunch!

Here are some fun pictures of our field trip this past week to the Association for the Blind (very interesting) and to the AWESOME Railroad Musuem: