I love love love my kids. I love how they look and how they smell. When they are all at home I just breathe them all in. I love their voices. I love when they say my name...Mom. I love their smiles. I love when they are all together joking around. It is sweet music to me and I could never get tired of hearing that song.

I am also in the real world. I know that they are regular people. Not perfect, but the perfect kids for me.

College Life

Another stolen picture. I cannot help myself.

Quiet Sunday

It's almost noon. Jim is upstairs painting Kate's bedroom and I am directly below him in the living room in my favorite spot (couch facing the fireplace). The steady whooshing of the paint roller above me makes me realize that I should be doing something more productive than just sitting here fiddling with the blog.
It is a dark and dismal day and Jim tells me that we are expecting heavy rain and flash flooding later. I wish that it would be snow. I am 49 years old and a good snowstorm still thrills me. Still the heavy rain will wash all of the sand covered streets and dirty cars...so it's all good.
I have 3 cornish game hens to roast for our dinner today. Waiting to see if Kate will be home...if not I'll just make "Florida Spaghetti" for Jim and I. The cornish hens can wait until Kate is here tomorrow night.
There are "important" football games on today. Ok, to clarify, important to football followers...but not so much to me. I asked Jim this morning who he was routing for and he explained it all to me. I feel like my eyes must of glazed over mid explanation because he made the tail end short and sweet. So, during the games I plan on cleaning our bedroom top to bottom. Jim and Zach moved Jim's office stuff back into the guest room last week so both rooms are in dire need of some organizing, dusting and vacuuming.
I took down the Christmas lights and decorations from outside yesterday. Christmas is officially packed away. It is sooooo good to feel healthy again and get some of these things accomplished. I am finally starting to feel on top of things again, at home and at work as well.
It is staying light out longer these days. I drove home last week at 5:30 and barely needed my headlights. Very exciting!
I hear Jim cleaning up above me so I should wrap this up. I promised Tofu a walk before the rain falls. Have a great week everyone!

Back to Normal / Update

Today is a good day. The sun is shining and the sky is bright "robins egg" blue with big white puffy clouds marching across it. I had to take today as my day off this week instead of yesterday (medicare crisis at work) and because of that I got to drive Zachy back to school. That crisis at work was a blessing in disguise for me. Time alone with Zachary is very precious to me now and we had a great time packing him up and then unloading/unpacking at UNH. Now I am home from New Haven putting a lasagna together for dinner. I am in the kitchen doing something for my family and it just feels "right". I am a very happy girl!
Right now, right this second...we are all finally healthy. I had an AWFUL 2 weeks. First the flu, then asthmatic bronchitis. Ended up in the ER the Sunday before last because I could not breathe and my heart rate was elevated because my oxygen level was so low. Very scary for me, but with the proper medications I am much better and hopefully better armed if I get sick again. Today is my last day on the Predisone and tomorrow my last day on the antibiotics. I almost feel back to my old self. I had pulmonary tests done back in October and they found out that I have Asthma and have probably had it for quite some time. It really came to the forefront this year because I have been sick so much....catching every chest thingy that comes my way at work. Consequently I have become a germaphobe...really I am bordering on OCD. Jim caught a cold last weekend and Zach a 48 hr. stomach bug. We were a sorry mess.
Things have settled down around here and we are shifting into a nice routine of having nothing to do. It is glorious! Absolutely nothing on the agenda and that is a nice change. I have missed my husband! We have not even had the chance to have a lenghtly conversation.
I finally dropped off my Christmas pics and anticipate posting them before the week is out. The digital ones came out good and it's just the ones in the disposable camera that I am waiting on.
Kate has registered for 2 classes this semester and is still working both of her jobs. Jim only goes into his Bethel office one day a week (if that) now, so he is a huge help with preparing dinners when I am at work. My job is never dull and I feel like I have a good handle on things. I think the docs are happy with all of the changes that I have implemented. The real bottom line is money is coming into the practice at a predictable rate and that is truly what makes them happy with me. Fine by me.
So, as we settle into our long, cold winter days, I am taking heart that March is only 6 weeks away. Looking forward to enjoying some time by the fire with Jim...who knows, we may even get a chance to talk.

Debeau Wedding

Today is Nick's wedding day. Remember Nick...he stayed with us this past summer while he did his internship at ESPN. I was advised by my pulmonary doctor not to stray far from home this week because of what is going on with my lungs right now. So, Jim went to Pennsylvania to take part in the wedding celebration and I remained here at home, sad, that I had to miss out on this happy day. Jim said that the ceremony was very sweet and touching, intimate with many personal touches. Nick was so handsome and Bre was take your breath away beautiful. I sent Jim off with my camera in the hope that he would be able to get some good shots and well...here they are.




Waiting for Bre

The beautiful Moms

The entire Donovan fam

Bob and Jim

Mike and Chris...Nick's parents and their granddaughter Faith

The happy couple

Rach and Bob. Great shot Jim!

Kelley,Chris, Rachel, and Joan (Chris's Mom, Nick's grandma)

01-15-2010

*I had the sweetest e-mail from Nick and Bre today and they included these pics hot off the computer from their photographer. Just for me cause I missed all of the fun. Thanks and love you guys!

Here they are! Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas John DeBeauvernet!

Sick Day

Still feeling pretty bad, but I had a brightspot around 5 pm. I showered and put on a brand new pair pj's that my Mom gave me for Christmas. Yup...I have a Mom who gives me 2 sets of pajamas every year and has done that as far back as I can remember. One fancy, and one snuggly. I put the snuggly set on last night after my shower and they felt like a big hug. I was running a fever and they chased the chills away.Tonight, it's the fancy set. I feel like a new person! The only bad part about wearing them when I am sick is I cannot smell that new pj smell because I am so stuffed up. This is the next best thing to feeling her smooth, cool hand on my forehead to check if I have a fever, or having her here to make me cinnamon toast and tea. No matter how old we get...there is nothing like your mothers touch to make things better and my new pj's are like having a bit of her right here in Ct. Love you very much Mom.

Snow and More Snow

It has been snowing everyday for the past few days. Today is no exception. Cold temps, blustery wind and blowing snow all morning. Jim is going out to pick up an antibiotic for me...after that we will stay "snowed in". I have a chicken to roast, cause it's Sunday. The kids will probably want to rent a movie or play Phase 10. The Cozy Home in real life.

Brrr

Happy Birthday "Our Cozy Home"

One year ago today I started this blog. What began as a way for my family to stay informed on our day to day doing's...turned into a sort of on-line scrapbook. Here is where it all began one year ago...

Click-here

It took me hours to figure out how to set it all up, upload pictures, choose backgrounds. Oh my, I was out of my "computer league" that day.
It has been so much fun to record this past year. Don't know really who is still reading, but it is fun just the same. So here comes year #2.

Blessings Blessings

Happy 2010! I am posting New Year's eve pics before my Christmas pics, and if you know me at all...my obsessive side is screaming NO, don't do it. I must however because some of my Christmas photo's are on a disposable camera that I have not developed yet. It could be a while, and I need to write about my yesterday while it is still fresh.
First off, I am sitting in my favorite holiday spot. Fire lit...

the pup in her usual spot, snugged up tight by my side. Jim is the kitchen cleaning up after breakfast. I woke up with another chest cold and so he is doing his usual clean up/can I get you anything dance. Love that. Love that this chest thing held off til the holidays were over. Shocking, since I am so over exposed to germs now.

Anyhow, yesterday was amazing. As you may recall, 2009 was the year of the wedding for us. They began with John and Cassie (Nov.2008), Gary and Sue (Feb.), Cliff and Bekka (June), Andrew and Kelley (Aug), Chris and Nicole (Aug.), and Alex and Anne (Oct.). We were even invited to a wedding out in Minnesota...Bobby and Dana, that we were unable to attend. It seemed quite fitting to close out the year with another wedding.

Back in May, Jim and I mentored the sweetest couple through a program at our church in Fairfield. Matt and Sharon came into our lives last May and honestly I think Jim and I benefited more from our time together. God is so good. Yesterday, on the last day of 2009, they spoke the sweetest vows to each other before a tiny group that included only their immediate family, us, and God. Where two or more are gathered in his name... in a quaint, old (1800's) white, New England chapel, it was all about the love. It snowed all morning and it was the perfect setting for a winter wedding. I choked up midway through the ceremony, and looked over at Jim just in time to see a tear slip down his cheek.

Matt and Sharon. All about their love and their love for God. Sharon wore a classy knee length organza dress reminiscent of something from the 40's. Her hair was swept gently back and her chin length veil topped off the vintage look perfectly. Matt was so handsome in his smoky grey pinstripe suit. They injected their fun funky side too...Sharon wore leopard print flats and Matt was wearing leopard print socks...cute!

Lighting the unity candle.

Setting up for the first kiss.

Pastor Dan. LOVE him. A timely message on marriage crafted so personally for this couple.

They wanted pictures with us too!

Such a happy moment for all of us.

They had a cake reception afterward. The cake was decorated with the lyrics from "their song". Very cool!

Afterward, Jim and I headed home to put together the food that we were bringing to Andrew and Kelley's New Year party and then dashed back out for the evening's festivities

Battle of the Sexes. Girls

Guys

Buds

Waiting for the big moment

Snuggling up just a few minutes before midnight

Andrew and Kelley's cozy home. Such a fun night.

A day/year full of God's abundant blessings! Happy New Year everyone!