5th Wedding Anniversary!

Well, Joe and I are pleased as punch to say that we've been married five years! It's amazing how that amount of time can simultaneously feel like only a drop in the bucket and the bucket itself.

To celebrate, we went to dinner at Miro, a Spanish restaurant that is a favorite of ours near our house, and looked at our wedding album as we grazed on gazpacho, fried plantains, assorted tapas, chimichurri pork and steak.

After traveling home from New York on business, Joe surprised me with two HUGE bouquets of flowers. My attempts to put them all into one arrangement just didn't do them justice, so I broke them out into three vases to spread around the house.

Both bouquets of flowers. . .

Arrangement #1: Kitchen Table

Arrangement #2: Stairway Landing

Arrangement #3: My Workroom

We have received many beautiful cards and well wishes from friends and family including a beautiful bouquet of calla lilies (the flower I carried in my wedding) from Momma and Daddy.

It was a great anniversary, and we look forward to another year. Anybody up for baby-sitting the Who this time next year? :-)

Twenty-Five Weeks. . .

I cannot believe that I'm moving into my seventh month of pregancy. The Who is going to be here before I know it!

Celebrating a Wonderful Life. . .

Grandma Marie

As many of you are probably already aware, my maternal grandmother, Marie Roegler passed away on June 28. Her death was not a shock as she had been in a nursing home for over 10 years as a result of multiple strokes, and she had developed congestive heart failure within the last year.

It was difficult to know how to cope with a loss that had been ongoing since Grandma had had her first series of TIA strokes back in 1996. It was at that time that the Grandma that I knew and loved so well ceased to be herself anymore. And so, over the last several years, I, along with Momma, Daddy, and the rest of the family, struggled to reconcile the loss of the person we knew with the shell of the person who was left.

At first, I felt so much guilt because I thought that I should have done a better job trying to make trips out to see Grandma in Illinois. It seemed that every time I went to visit her at the nursing home, though, she was less and less the person I remembered. And then, after she died, I felt guilty for not being able to recall all of the wonderful, funny memories of her. This realization felt like a double loss because not only had I lived for over 10 years without the person I remembered, but I could no longer remember her as she used to be before she became ill.

It was a fortunate thing that Grandma wanted to be cremated because it not only allowed all of her family to have the luxury of being able to plan and make it to her funeral but also to have some time to process what had happened. Gradually, memories of Grandma started to come back to me: her laugh, her ability to tell stories and jokes, how she loved to go out dancing at the VFW with her girlfriends, how we'd play side-by-side at her upright piano and sing, how she loved the John Wayne birthday weekend on AMC, how she taught me to sew, the delicious food she'd cook (coleslaw, fried potatoes and chicken, and apple pie).

What I learned was that I am grieving more over the fact that Grandma suffered for so long in a body that would not let her be herself and do what she wanted at the end of her life than that she is gone from us. Now, for the first time in a long time, I feel the presence of Grandma as I remember her from before she was sick, and I know that she is whole, well, and happy wherever she is. It is a comfort to have her with me after having felt her loss for so long.

I've posted some pictures of friends and family who attended Grandma's funeral. It was Grandma's wish that after the funeral we would get together for a meal, so we met in the banquet room at Alongi's in Du Quoin and ate, drank, and celebrated her life and each other. I feel certain that Grandma was pleased to see her family come from every corner of the country to be together and remember her.

My cousins: Jessica and Amy

Pictures of Grandma and graveside flowers

Uncle George (Momma's older brother) and Aunt Patricia

Grandma Margie (Daddy's mother)

Uncle Wayne, Aunt Janet (Daddy's sister), and Grandma Margie

A GREAT self-picture of Daddy and me

Gerry Nitz (husband of Lindell Nitz, Momma's cousin) and Momma

Aunt Donna and Uncle Ron (Daddy's younger brother)

Debbie and Steve Glodo, adopted family :-)

Adventures with Acupuncture Needles and Sewing Needles. . .

Over the weekend, I attended a workshop at school in Sugar Grove, North Carolina where I learned about the NADA protocol. Basically, it's a type of acupuncture using only five needles in specific points in each ear to produce a relaxing, balancing effect. Although the treatment was first discovered to be successful with helping addicts overcome their need for marijuana and hard drugs when combined with some type of counseling, it has since been found to be useful in curbing other addictions such as smoking, alcoholism, gambling, and even shopping. Additionally, the NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association) protocol is excellent for reducing stress, dealing with grief, and encouraging restful sleep (among many other things).

The workshop was held at the same time as the Doc Watson Music Festival in Sugar Grove, which is known for its bluegrass music. On Saturday, the attendees at the workshop including myself performed free treatments on festival-goers because in order to complete our certification we have to treat at least 40 people. I didn't quite make my 40, but I hope to make that number by my deadline in mid-August. So, if you're going to be in the area, be sure to stop by for a free acupuncture treatment from yours truly!

I'm enjoying my time off from school although it hardly seems like I've been away since I've been up to Sugar Grove twice in the last two weeks for an observation weekend and the NADA protocal workshop. But, I'm looking forward to a real break until mid-August. I've been working on several sewing projects for the baby including peepee teepees and some booties. Joe bought me a new sewing machine back in June, and I just can't seem to keep my hands from cutting out fabric and stitching it together.

Twenty-Two Weeks and Growing. . .

Here's the latest picture of me and The Who. He's really starting to make his presence known both in size and in movement.

Babymoon in the Isle of Palms, SC

Joe, being the wonderfully amazing and thoughtful daddy-to-be that he is, surprised me by planning a long weekend babymoon to the Isle of Palms, South Carolina. It's a small island about 20 miles from Charleston, SC. The trip was just what the doctor ordered. Between losing my grandmother (Grandma Marie) on Sunday, grueling work hours, and Joe starting a new job, it was a welcome break from the day-to-day.

Hot momma on the beach . . . the seagull decided to get in the shot. . .

Fourth of July weekend and not a soul on the beach at 9:00 am! We couldn't believe it!!!

Joe soaking up some sun

The Who (our nickname for the baby) really seemed to dig being out in the ocean, or at least I interpret the lack of kicking to be his enjoyment. Joe and I played in the surf and lounged on the beach. I read, and Joe sketched. We had no agenda and never left the resort. Pure heaven! What fun!!!

It's a BOY!!!

We are thrilled to announce that we're expecting a baby boy in November. Of course, we're officially picking out a name now, but we've decided to draw out the suspense by waiting to share the name until after the little guy is born.