Let's Talk Snow...

OK, it was inevitable. Sooner or later I'd have to talk about snow. Why was it so much fun as a kid, and now, as beautiful as it is watching it fall, the stuff gets down right ugly. Example: It's a few days before Easter. Tricia and I are in Wisconsin as we decided to go see my Mom. The weather guy said,"some snow possible" so we head over to my Mom's house. By that night they were saying "severe weather warning- strong snow storms heading our way".

We spent the night rather than driving in snow. The next morning only lead to heavy snow fall. Within 24 hours we had over 11.5 inches! Now, come on! Needless to say, we didn't head home that day. The next morning I moved cars in the parking lot for my Mom and helped another neighbor uncover her snow filled car. By noon it was melting nicely so Tricia and I headed back to my sister's house.

It's true, as we drove back we were talking about the warm weather in Florida and missing it a lot. But as promised, we took pics for the Florida friends and family. So here you go!

It's Been Too Long

It's been too long since I saw my nieces and nephew. I last saw them at Dan's funeral, so seeing them for a happier occasion was great. We didn't have anything special planned, just hanging out together. Kendall, the oldest niece, was the perfect hostess. She baked brownies and a cake for us! Those brownies were gone as fast as we could get them out of the pan! Grandma treated us to Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner. Grandma was watching the kids while my sister and her husband were out of town.

Sammi, my youngest niece, was determined to teach me how to play Wii. Of course I won my first bowling game with a 222! (I'm so good! LOL!) CJ, my nephew, was such a nut! He was trying all kinds of crazy moves...

Tricia was out photographer and was laughing as hard as the rest of us. Let's face it gang, I'm getting old and it's just what the kids need to see if they want a good laugh. We had a great time just laughing, talking and hanging out.

Grandma, Tricia and Kendall, and Sammi and I were on teams for a Scrabble match. I blew them away the first game, but Grandma, as always, beat us all for the last game. It was so nice to be with everyone again. I missed seeing all of them and am anxious to spend more time with them. Next week Tricia and I are going to spend time with my Mom at her place. Seeing her with the kids was fun, but we'll do a little "girl time" just the three of us next week.

At one point in the night I was just watching the kids. I loved living in Florida and would love to be back there. But being around family can make the chill of the cold weather warm you in a heart beat. I wish I'd been able to spend more time with them in the past, but now I have the time to change that as we move forward. I'm looking forward to posting about the other kids too. We finally found the camera and I want to post with pictures so you can see our fun times. There are three more sibling families to show and of course, time with my Mom. Watch for the posts!

Back At It

As the week began I was back at the job search grind. Some things are the same regardless where you live. I've got a Kmart interview on Saturday, and delivered my resume to the Kohl's Corporate HQ yesterday. I know I should be patient with all of this, but please... I just want to get back to work.

I went back to my hometown as a kid. Lots of changes there. I heard the other side of town is now where all the new businesses built. Will have to make a day of hitting just there. Got a stack of newspapers in front of me to get through today. It's a bit harder up here because I've never heard of some of these companies, so I have to research them first to see if they would be somewhere I'd fit. Looks like today is going to be more of an indoor job. Tricia is sick, so I think the timing on this will be good.She's gotten a cough that keeps her up most of the night. Now her ribs are getting pretty sore just from coughing.

We've settled in to our new room very well. Everyone here is very nice about our being here. We know it's hard having someone in the house, but they've sure been great to us. Tricia and I are learning how to play WIII (the "we" game system). It's pretty funny to watch us, which keeps the boys laughing at us. It's been a flashback of memories for me so far: remembering the relatives here, or when our kids were this age, or David (he's 5) reminds me of the Kaylie and Makenzie, or being called Auntie again, instead of Tricia being Auntie. (We both get a bit confused on that one.) Sometimes I even get called Zamma so I'll answer. We're adjusting to the weather fairly well. Face it, it's cold here, weather-wise, but the people here are more than making up for the temps.

Now, back to the job search...

Florida 76, Illinois 23 Hmmmm...

Well, we finally made it!

We left early Thursday from Florida. It was 76 at 6 am. The weather was great and the traffic was awesome. No problems anywhere really helped us move along. May I say, Georgia is one long state! We ended up stopping 31 miles south of Indianapolis. We would have gone farther but we were getting slap happy and laughing so hard we had to go to the bathroom. So it was check into a hotel time.

I knew when we stopped I should have tried to get at least to the north side of Indy. We woke up to snow, blowing winds and winter storm warnings... But we only had rough weather for about 45 minutes and we were out of the bad stuff. One thing all southerners need to remember: your windshield washer doesn't work below freezing. You need to get the weather conditions type. Our washer was and still is frozen. I'll be getting new stuff to add up here to help it keep from freezing. My poor car is frozen stiff. To top it off, I opened the window to talk to my sister in her driveway. For some totally dumb reason I only closed the window half way after we talked. It snowed overnight... snow in the front seat. Ughhh!!! This is going to take some getting used to...

So we're here, safe, and a bit chilled. My sister has given us a room on the main floor of her house. It's plenty big and easy for Tricia to use. Thank you, thank you. I talked to the DC for Kmart here and have and interview scheduled with her for next Saturday. I'll keep you posted. Tomorrow I'll be going into the Kohl's Corporate HQ in Menomonee Falls to get in the door there. Wish me luck. My goal is to be working by the end of the month.

I'll keep updating this, but it may not be regularly for awhile. Getting work is a must. I can't keep this up much longer. I need to take care of us myself. I'm so grateful for the help everyone is giving us.

Tricia Ann

"We're going to have another baby Dan."

"God will give us someone special. He always does."

Twenty seven years ago today God blessed our lives with Tricia. She fought to stay here and still fights for equality today. Tricia has brought so much joy to our ENTIRE family. There have been times when we worried that God had another plan for her, but thankfully He has kept her in our lives, hearts, and souls still.

When she was first born, she was so tiny. Kristy was mesmerised by her presence. My baby sister... Those two were inseparable. If you messed with one, you messed with both of them. Wherever one went, the other quickly followed. Watching them and their relationship was a blessing every parent cherishes.

Life changes and people grow. Tricia has grown into a beautiful woman who is as sensitive today as she was as a child. She wants to please everyone and wants to make everyone feel good about themselves. She understands what being different means. She doesn't see it as a crutch, but rather as a way of connecting with people. All they have to do is take the time to connect back. She would do anything for anyone who was genuine and sincere. It is sometimes very intimidating to be around her because she forces you to be a better person because of her true concern for you. Family means so much to her. Being accepted by family is a fear of hers. But don't worry Tricia, all real and sincere family members love you for who you are and just the way you are.

Today is your day Tricia. Don't let anyone take it from you. You earned it and definitely deserve it. YOU BEAT ALL THOSE DOCTORS ODDS BY 24 YEARS! For those of you who have the opportunity to spend it with her, in person or via email, celebrate with her! She's a one in a million and we are so lucky to have her in our lives. We love you Tricia!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!