Take Me Out To The Ballgame!!!

My sister Caryn is a nuclear medical tech at a cardiology clinic here in St. Louis. Earlier this year, she did a heart scan on Auggie Busch, a former owner of the St. Louis Cardinals. He gave her eight tickets to last nights game agains the Chicago Cubs. Caryn invited all four of us siblings, Mom and Dad, and her fiance', Ken. Ken, by the way, proposed about two weeks ago, and they are getting married on December 10th! Anyhow, these tickets weren't just any old tickets. We were in the front row, along the first base line, looking into the Cardinal dugout!!!! OMG, it was absolutely incredible! It was as if we could reach out and high-five the players!

Anywho, here are some pictures from our fun night at the ballgame!

She's HERE!

On Tuesday, August 22nd, my baby sister, Megan and her fiance' Patrick welcomed their daughter, Haley Jane into the world. She is just precious. Cutest little dimple on her chin and very alert. She was 7 pounds and 11 ounces. Just beautiful.

It stirred emotions in me that I was NOT prepared for. Dave and I have decided our family of four was perfect the way it was and we took precautions to keep it that size. Well, being at the hospital just plain made me sad and long for that feeling of a newborn experience. Even though I know we made the right decision, the feeling blind-sided me. I'm recovering though and will get lots of time with Haley when Megan goes back to work. I'm the only sister at home during the day. And my SIL, Shannon is expecting in January. I know I'll be busy with nieces and nephews!

How would YOU respond?

Background: DH and I have been very involved in a small group Bible study for nearly 6 years. The last 2 have not been so fulfilling as before. Too much drama, not enough heart. Troubles with wife of the couple that leads.

Anyhow, last December, we suffered a very tragic loss of my BIL. Life has just not been the same, which is totally normal, according to my counselor friend, and another friend who lost her brother 2 years ago. This woman, and a handful of others from church just don't seem to understand why we aren't just bouncing back into everything we had been involved in before.

Fast forward to this afternoon. This woman asked me to keep her 3yo DD while she worked with a homebound student for about 2 hours. I have a 3yo DS and so I agreed, and they were great, played together. Well, she comes back to get her, and I TRY to make small talk to be friendly. As she leaves, she asks whether we are coming to small group picnic on Sunday. I say no.
She then asks when are we coming back to small group? I say, "I don't know." Then SHE SAYS... "well, I'll just keep asking til you feel guilty."

WHAT????? Seriously, does she think that makes me want to come back sooner? I responded with a simple. "I don't feel guilty." I refuse (at least I'm trying to refuse) to let ANYONE guilt me into anything!

So, how would you have responded?

I mean, I am just sick to death of trying to befriend this person. We just don't mesh! I can't feel "safe" sharing with her in an intimate setting... it's impossible! So I really feel that when we DO decide to return to a small group--it will be in a different group. GRRRR

Updates

So, I guess I should update this thing, huh? Lots going on.

Dad is doing great. It's been nearly three weeks since the operation, and he's getting around good. I'll be anxious to hear what the cardiologist and the surgeon say at his check ups in a few weeks. By my untrained eye, he looks to be doing awesome. Stir crazy, but awesome. :-)

Mom is doing fine too. I know she went to get a massage today (much deserved and needed).

Caryn, still waiting for Ken to pop the question. Not that he's stalling... he's just holding out for his parents to come up to meet Caryn. I cannot wait! I am so stinking happy for her. She and Ken met on Match.com. They began emailing each other in January, and met in person (since he was stationed overseas) on Mother's day. I think they will be married by the end of this year or early next year. She said three to six months tops from the time of the actual engagement.

Amanda will start her new job this Thursday. She will be teaching in Jefferson County. Hoping to get an apartment really soon. I know she would be happy to move out of my parent's house. And I'm thinking they would be happy about it too. :-)

Dwight and Shannon and Sarah are doing well as far as I know. They will find out what the baby is on the 17th. Will it be Gunter (Grandpa's pick, only a joke, thank goodness) or Marla Hooch (Dwight and Uncle Jesse's joke name) ??????? Sarah got new pictures done and they are WAY cute and they remind me that I am WAY overdue for pictures of my children!

Megan and Patrick are expecting Haley Jane any day now. She is dilated 2cm.... but not much else going on there. I'm hoping she's gonna get here before Mom goes back to work. And I can't wait to watch her once in a while, and snuggle the little baby!!!!

My little family here is doing well. Spencer had a stomach bug on Sunday, but seems fine now. Back to his wild self. Hannah is still acclamating to Kindergarten. Tired girl in the afternoons. She seems to like all the extras at school, like music, gym, art... but seems really super bored with her regular class. I know it's true, but I have a meeting with her teacher on the curriculum. The main problem is that it's so early in the year, that they haven't really started a curriculum yet..the teacher is still doing very basic stuff to evaluate what each child is able to do. Hannah is already reading 1-3 grade books from the library. So she is most likely very bored...which means she might start being a trouble maker, talking and stuff. Hoping they'll get going on something challenging soon.

Dave is working A LOT. He didn't get home till after 6:00 tonight. He is quite miserable at work. But he's holding out till after our vacation in late September to make any decisions about whether to stay put and stick it out or to pursue a new job. I hope that he can find something that will be more fulfilling to him.

I will have Maddi tomorrow. I have a trunk full of things to take to resale shop tomorrow. I'm hoping to sell a bunch quickly. Also have four bags for goodwill. While Hannah was at school today, I did a major purge of clothes, papers, and toys in her bedroom. When Spencer starts Mom's Day Out in Sept., his room will get it too. I have to control the junk overload!!!

Anyhow, got a ton of work done on the house today. Laundry, kitchen, mopped, dishes, cooked... tomorrow I can stamp!!!!
Need to maintain the clean for the week... hosting a stamp party on Friday night. Gotta work on swaps tomorrow... oh and Dave wants me to make him a "how NOT to be a fat ass" notebook to log his food consumption. He's determined to lose 20 pounds... and I need to do the same!!! Especially if my friend moves her wedding up from June to November!!!!

TTFN