"Your mom definitely has cancer."
These are not words one ever expects to hear, I am certain. But they are the words my dad spoke into the phone last Friday night. Panic and shock took over at the same time. I became a robot. I could not process more than that. Cancer. My mom. 62. Healthy. No "risk factors." No genetic predisposition to this disease. My first question: why? Why did this happen to her? Why did it happen now? Why am I in New Jersey and hearing this news over the phone? Why didn't I anticipate this? Why, why, why?
After recovering from the initial shock, I had questions. Is it contained? Can it be treated? Can it be cured? How do we do that? What will it take? Do I need to come down? How did she take the news? How are you, dad? Who else knows? How did this happen? The fact is, it has happened to our family. The dreaded diagnosis is a part of our new normal.
The most difficult part of the entire cancer process is the waiting. From the moment of diagnosis, days slowly pass before getting answers to those burning questions. When all you really want is a quick, easy solution, medical science needs time to analyze the data. Our wait was over Wednesday morning, a grueling 4 1/2 days since the diagnosis. Contained (thank you, God.). Low grade (thank you, God.). Transitional cell carcinoma. Taking it to the cancer board, because it is a rare cancer. Removal of left kidney may be "curative," based on the fact that it is contained. More questions. When will the surgery be? How long is recovery? What can we expect in terms of quality of life? Who will be the surgeon? When should I come? How and what do I tell my children?
More waiting. Three days passed before the date was given: Dec. 3rd. 12-3-09. The day my mom will lose her kidney to this dreaded disease. Recovery is a little difficult to pinpoint, because the procedure will be done laproscopically. Yes, you read correctly: they can take an organ out laproscopically. Amazing. Her right kidney is healthy enough to work for both. Her surgeon, Dr. L., is someone we know. Come the day before surgery. Tell the children that Nahnee will be fine, that she needs an operation to take out a part of her body that isn't working any more.
Now, we wait for surgery. It is in five days. After that, we wait for the right kidney to begin working for both. After that, we wait for the post-op pathology results. And then, we wait, and hope, and pray that this cancer is, indeed, CURED.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
FALL IN FRANKLIN LAKES
I wrote this post last fall but never posted it because of technical photo difficulties. So, here you go - even though it is a million blessed degrees outside - an homage to fall!!!!
Fall in the northeast is such a beautiful time of year! And, since we don't know how long we'll be here to enjoy it, we decided to take advantage of a few of the standard fall activities here in Northern New Jersey. The first place we went was to an apple orchard in Newburgh, New York (about an hour from our house). We had never seen an orchard before, and it was amazing!
Anybody want an apple??
Here is Joe, telling the kids something about the apples they are about to pick. Note that he is in shorts and a short sleeved golf shirt, while the rest of the crew is in pants,
long sleeves & jackets!!!
Rows and rows of apple trees. They didn't quite look like the ones we drew in elementary school - kind-of small and scraggly, but it did make the apples easier to pick.
Even Emmy could reach!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
School days, school days...
You can see from these pictures that 2 out of 3 Widner children are ready for the return to "normal" that is heralded by the first day of school!
One Widner child was extremely disappointed at the seeming end of her idyllic summer days.
Ross, the new 7th grader, once again put up with his mother's desire to capture these moments on film, and then post them on facebook and a blog for all the world to see!
Ever the happy child, Chloe was up, dressed, and ready for her first school day before the other 2 decided I was REALLY SERIOUS about them actually going to school.
So upset was the princess that she decided to try & karate chop her mother (AKA Servant Girl) into submission.
Eventually, even the Princess couldn't fully contain her excitment (or maybe that hint of a smile is her scheming against me), and gave me a halfway decent first day picture of all my children.
Here's hoping your first days were memorable!
JERSEY UPDATE # 3: Maybe it's okay here?
A couple weeks ago I had vertigo. Woke up at 6:00 on a Saturday morning and the world was spinning. It stopped until I turned over, and then it started again. So, a phone call to my uncle in Texas, a trip to urgent care and a few meds later, things were better. Except for the part when the doctor said “no non-essential driving for one week.” Which is fine if, say, you live in Dallas and KNOW PEOPLE who can haul your dizzy butt different places. But, if you’re in a brand new state and you’re pretty sure your neighbors are somehow mafia-connected, that is not such a good thing. To top it off, Joe had already arranged to go back to Dallas Thursday – Sunday for work (and the Cowboys preseason game).
Chloe had a gym thing at the Jersey shore on Tuesday, and thankfully my new friend Cheri offered to drive us. Her daughter, Kirsten, and Chloe are on the same gymnastics team. Another mom from school, Anne, offered to pick Ross up at our house and bring him back after we got home. She has a 7th grade son, Andrew, who is a clone of my boy, all the way down to the light sabres and Lego pieces, so that worked out VERY well. Another bonus: her daughter is a 9th grader and babysits!!! Yee-haw!
I got Ross off to his play date at Anne’s house and scurried around the kitchen making lunches for the girls & I to enjoy at the shore. Not being a native, I had no idea if they’d have food vendors or if we were talking “just a beach.” So, I packed peanut butter & jelly on white bread, Cheetos, Ruffles, fruit rollups, a couple snack sized M&Ms, some soda cans, water, juice boxes, Gogurt… the essentials for a picnic. We get in Cheri’s Volvo SUV and are on our way. Cheri and I start talking, and I find out all kinds of interesting things about her. She is one of 14 children (3 are adopted and 11 are biological siblings), her husband is the marketing director for Barnes & Noble and offices about a stone’s throw from Joe, and she’s a vegetarian who eats only organic food. I seriously thought I was going to have a panic attack as I thought about how I’d unpack my lovely processed lunches onto our beach blanket. We get to the shore and Cheri’s son gets hungry, so she pulls out organic popcorn and organic cheezits, homemade organic chocolate chip cookies, fruit, bottled water. The kid ate it ALL. Score one for the "mother of the year" right here!
The rest of our day is uneventful (except for a minor run-in with a park Ranger who thought I’d parked in a “no parking” zone) and we get home at about the time that Anne and her whole family is pulling up in the driveway with Ross. They went to a movie and she offered to bring Ross home afterwards.
Chloe had a gym thing at the Jersey shore on Tuesday, and thankfully my new friend Cheri offered to drive us. Her daughter, Kirsten, and Chloe are on the same gymnastics team. Another mom from school, Anne, offered to pick Ross up at our house and bring him back after we got home. She has a 7th grade son, Andrew, who is a clone of my boy, all the way down to the light sabres and Lego pieces, so that worked out VERY well. Another bonus: her daughter is a 9th grader and babysits!!! Yee-haw!
I got Ross off to his play date at Anne’s house and scurried around the kitchen making lunches for the girls & I to enjoy at the shore. Not being a native, I had no idea if they’d have food vendors or if we were talking “just a beach.” So, I packed peanut butter & jelly on white bread, Cheetos, Ruffles, fruit rollups, a couple snack sized M&Ms, some soda cans, water, juice boxes, Gogurt… the essentials for a picnic. We get in Cheri’s Volvo SUV and are on our way. Cheri and I start talking, and I find out all kinds of interesting things about her. She is one of 14 children (3 are adopted and 11 are biological siblings), her husband is the marketing director for Barnes & Noble and offices about a stone’s throw from Joe, and she’s a vegetarian who eats only organic food. I seriously thought I was going to have a panic attack as I thought about how I’d unpack my lovely processed lunches onto our beach blanket. We get to the shore and Cheri’s son gets hungry, so she pulls out organic popcorn and organic cheezits, homemade organic chocolate chip cookies, fruit, bottled water. The kid ate it ALL. Score one for the "mother of the year" right here!
The rest of our day is uneventful (except for a minor run-in with a park Ranger who thought I’d parked in a “no parking” zone) and we get home at about the time that Anne and her whole family is pulling up in the driveway with Ross. They went to a movie and she offered to bring Ross home afterwards.
I say a quick thank you and goodbye to Cheri and invite everyone else inside. Ross and his new friend, Andrew, are gone before we know it, and the rest of us decide to sit & visit. Emmy doesn’t like this plan, and decides we have 2 choices: we can play the quiet game, or we can move. Thankfully, they all thought Emmy was pretty funny. I was not amused, but I did move us into the dining room. I learn that Anne is from Atlanta, her husband, Steven, is from Pennsylvania, they used to own a music store & school there and moved here about 8 years ago when Steven got his dream job. What is that, you may ask? Nothing much, really… he’s just a tenor in the New York Metropolitan Opera!!! He also is the assistant manager of the chorus. Well, after hearing that, I am all kinds of impressed and probably make a big fool out of myself asking all kinds of questions about his job. Anne is the middle and high school choir director at our school, which makes me like her even more. I find out that her first FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL will be next Wednesday, because she kind-of inherited the job midway through the fall semester last year. We finish our visit and decide to get the boys together once more before school starts. We also make plans for the 4 adults to go out to dinner. i can tell how much I'm going to like these people right away!!! So, Tuesday was a pretty great day.
This entry is getting pretty long, so I quickly run through the rest of the goings-on here.
We started school today. Emmy's re-entry into the structure of the school day was not as smooth as I would have liked. I am hoping she rallies and has a good week. If not, we might just move on to "plan B." What's that, you ask? I'll let you know when I figure it out!!
In Texas, 90 – 100 is an “A”. In New Jersey, 93 – 100 is an “A”. That information alone was enough to cause a giant meltdown at our house tonight.
I worked recess today for 2nd – 5th grades. It seemed like a great way to get to know the kids and some of the teachers. I still think it is, but I'm not sure if I'm the right person for the job. I was whipped after my hour on the playground!
It is NEVER GOOD if a teacher, parent, or volunteer knows your child’s name after spending only 20 minutes watching him/her (and 40 other children) on the playground. His name is Jastin.
Ross is hoping he can make it to all his classes within the 4 minutes allotted between periods. The betting pool at our house says he'll probably have a tardy by end of day tomorrow.
Chloe has a blister the size of a quarter on her heel because of the cute shoes I bought her to match the first day of school outfit. She's not sure what she'll wear tomorrow, but I am thinking a bandaid will be a part of the ensemble.
There are a few things in this world I hate: unloading the dishwasher, folding the laundry, and mopping the floors all fit into that category. A new addition to that list: packing school lunches. I can't figure out why. I used to pack them in the mornings before school, but decided that I didn't like how rushed I felt. So, I started packing them at night, but I am so sleepy by the time I make the lunches that I'm throwing all kinds of junk into them. I think my kids should buy lunch EVERY DAY, but they disagree. Maybe I'll start making disgusting lunches and give them no choice!! :)
I, like the rest of America, am reading Francis Chen's book, Crazy Love. I highly recommed it, especially if you're feeling a bit "empty" in the God department. I believe it will change your perspective.
Enjoy your LONG Labor Day weekend!
Monday, August 24, 2009
JERSEY UPDATE 2
We have been in New Jersey for almost a month and are beginning to settle in. By that, I mean the boxes are almost unpacked (mainly craft stuff and garage stuff left), I’ve made several successful trips to the grocery store, Target, and the gym where Chloe is training without getting lost, and the kids & I are starting to establish a routine. So, that is all good. We leave Sunday for the Cayman Islands and will be gone a whole week. I can’t wait to be in the sun again – this has been our nicest week here, and it rained 2 out of 6 days!
Anyway, for this little update, I have a couple Quirky Things from up here to tell you about, and then a list of things I miss about TEXAS!!! So, here goes:
QUIRKY THING 1: We have air conditioning in our house, which I am thankful for because the humidity is NEVER below about 80%. For the last 3 weeks, when the ac kicked on at night (the only time it runs, thanks to the mild temps and all the shade!), it didn’t seem to be cooling the house at all. I was ready to go buy oscillating fans for all the bedrooms, when Joe decided to go check the breaker box. For some reason, any time the ac kicks on, it trips the breaker. So, the good news is it was an easy fix. The bad news is, the fan blew continuously for about 10 hours without cooling the house, so the electric bill is going to be interesting. Plus, we need to call an electrician because obviously there is too much load on that breaker.
QUIRKY THING 2: Everyone up here calls me “Mrs. Widner.” No kidding. Moms at the gym, people at church, kids… EVERYONE. And, they all expect to be called “Mrs. Whatever.” But, they do NOT like that my children say “yes sir” and “yes ma’am,” and in fact try to get them to stop by saying, “I’m not a ma’am – that’s my mother!!” Funny… Mrs. Widner is my mother-in-law!!! J
QUIRKY THING 3: Bergen County closes everything on Sunday, and I mean EVERYTHING. Stores, restaurants, malls, Home Depot, IKEA… EVERYTHING. I know this because we saved a bunch of errands for a Sunday not too long ago and were totally surprised (and a little ticked off) that we could accomplish nothing.
QUIRKY THING 4: Sonics are ALWAYS packed. We’ve been twice now ( I know, pitiful, right?) and both times the parking lots were full. And, there are police officers directing traffic at the entrances. They have signs that say “LOT FULL” that they post when you can’t get in. And that means you keep on driving, which we’ve had to do. I’m thinking supply doesn’t meet the demand. Maybe I need to open one!
THINGS I MISS:
1. Having no plan for the day until Melanie calls and says, “I have an idea!!!” She is definitely the “Lucy” to my “Ethel”!!! Now, I just have no plan!!
2. WFAA Channel 8 and the whole news team, Gloria Campos, John McKay, Dale & Pete… those guys are awesome, and they don’t have weird accents! Well, except for Gloria, when she’s reporting on a Latino.
3. Mark Davis on WBAP. I love it when he sits in for Rush; in fact, it’s the only time I listen to Rush!
4. Acute Kids and 24 hour pharmacies. This needs absolutely no further explanation.
5. Driving by LCA and seeing all kinds of kiddos at summer camps, practices, lessons… even in the middle of summer!
6. Texas sunsets.
7. Eagle Gymnastics and all the fabulous people from there. The gym here is really good, but nothing will be better than Eagle. Chloe said so. And so do I.
8. MAMBO TAXIS.
9. Babysitters that my kids love and I trust!!! We’ve had quite a bit of together time lately! In fact, as I was giving the kids their marching orders a week ago, Emmy walked up to me, gave me a big hug, and said, “I love you, Mommy. Now, shut up.” Gotta love that kid and her honesty!!
I do plan on posting these to my blog. One of our computers has crashed and I can’t access any pictures, and I don’t like to post without them! More after we get back. You know there will be a few stories after the Widner Vacation of 2009!!!
Anyway, for this little update, I have a couple Quirky Things from up here to tell you about, and then a list of things I miss about TEXAS!!! So, here goes:
QUIRKY THING 1: We have air conditioning in our house, which I am thankful for because the humidity is NEVER below about 80%. For the last 3 weeks, when the ac kicked on at night (the only time it runs, thanks to the mild temps and all the shade!), it didn’t seem to be cooling the house at all. I was ready to go buy oscillating fans for all the bedrooms, when Joe decided to go check the breaker box. For some reason, any time the ac kicks on, it trips the breaker. So, the good news is it was an easy fix. The bad news is, the fan blew continuously for about 10 hours without cooling the house, so the electric bill is going to be interesting. Plus, we need to call an electrician because obviously there is too much load on that breaker.
QUIRKY THING 2: Everyone up here calls me “Mrs. Widner.” No kidding. Moms at the gym, people at church, kids… EVERYONE. And, they all expect to be called “Mrs. Whatever.” But, they do NOT like that my children say “yes sir” and “yes ma’am,” and in fact try to get them to stop by saying, “I’m not a ma’am – that’s my mother!!” Funny… Mrs. Widner is my mother-in-law!!! J
QUIRKY THING 3: Bergen County closes everything on Sunday, and I mean EVERYTHING. Stores, restaurants, malls, Home Depot, IKEA… EVERYTHING. I know this because we saved a bunch of errands for a Sunday not too long ago and were totally surprised (and a little ticked off) that we could accomplish nothing.
QUIRKY THING 4: Sonics are ALWAYS packed. We’ve been twice now ( I know, pitiful, right?) and both times the parking lots were full. And, there are police officers directing traffic at the entrances. They have signs that say “LOT FULL” that they post when you can’t get in. And that means you keep on driving, which we’ve had to do. I’m thinking supply doesn’t meet the demand. Maybe I need to open one!
THINGS I MISS:
1. Having no plan for the day until Melanie calls and says, “I have an idea!!!” She is definitely the “Lucy” to my “Ethel”!!! Now, I just have no plan!!
2. WFAA Channel 8 and the whole news team, Gloria Campos, John McKay, Dale & Pete… those guys are awesome, and they don’t have weird accents! Well, except for Gloria, when she’s reporting on a Latino.
3. Mark Davis on WBAP. I love it when he sits in for Rush; in fact, it’s the only time I listen to Rush!
4. Acute Kids and 24 hour pharmacies. This needs absolutely no further explanation.
5. Driving by LCA and seeing all kinds of kiddos at summer camps, practices, lessons… even in the middle of summer!
6. Texas sunsets.
7. Eagle Gymnastics and all the fabulous people from there. The gym here is really good, but nothing will be better than Eagle. Chloe said so. And so do I.
8. MAMBO TAXIS.
9. Babysitters that my kids love and I trust!!! We’ve had quite a bit of together time lately! In fact, as I was giving the kids their marching orders a week ago, Emmy walked up to me, gave me a big hug, and said, “I love you, Mommy. Now, shut up.” Gotta love that kid and her honesty!!
I do plan on posting these to my blog. One of our computers has crashed and I can’t access any pictures, and I don’t like to post without them! More after we get back. You know there will be a few stories after the Widner Vacation of 2009!!!
JERSEY UPDATE # 1
Hello!
I have received SO MANY EMAILS from you all that I thought I’d write one big update for you all! Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. It has been an interesting few weeks!
First, New Jersey itself is a very fine state. The weather is great (if you like a bit of rain and temps in the mid 70s in July!), and Joe & I enjoy sitting out on our deck with a glass of wine in the evenings after the kids are down for the night. There are lakes EVERYWHERE, plenty of Italian places to eat, shopping similar to Dallas (there are 3 huge malls within 20 minutes of my house), and even a Whole Foods! So, I am pretty happy with the amenities.
Chloe is happy with her gym – the girls have really welcomed her & made her feel a part of the team – and she has adapted to the move very well. We still have a few tears every once in awhile, but for the most part, she seems to be adjusting. Ross spent last Friday night at Youth Group (yes, they do YG on Friday night, which is a phenomenal idea when you have non-driving almost teenagers in the house!!!) and had a blast. He came home with more information about his 3 hours there than we’ve heard in a long time. I am looking into a couple of camps to keep him busy and help him meet some people before school starts. Right now, he spends most of his days at home with the girls, and while they’ve really bonded, I think he’s ready for some space! Emmy is doing fine, too. She acts out every once in awhile when she’s frustrated with me, but for the most part, she is adjusting. Rex the dog thinks he’s died and gone to Heaven. The back yard is partially wooded, so he goes out the door every morning, thinking he’s on a new adventure! A few nights ago, he was barking in the laundry room at about 2 in the morning, and Joe went to investigate. There was a raccoon on our deck eating his dog food! So, you can imagine that his nose was working overtime the next morning! Funny to watch!
Now for the few irritating things about moving. First, I don’t know where ANYTHING is. There is no zoning here, so the grocery store might literally be a block up, and next door to someone’s house. It is taking me a long time to learn my way around, and I still feel lost a lot of the time. And, because my cell phone service SUCKS (sorry, mom – I know you hate that word, but it’s TRUE!!!) here, my GPS is not even helpful. Joe has assured me this problem will be taken care of this weekend, when we all switch to SPRINT. After asking around, that is the one provider that seems to work in Franklin Lakes. But I digress. The towns here are tiny and connected by roads that change names as you enter the new town. For example, the grocery store that I use is on Wyckoff Avenue, but when I turn onto that street in my town, it is called Franklin Avenue. So, I begin on Franklin Avenue, NEVER TURN, and end up on Wyckoff Avenue. Frustrating.
Next, THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS WITHIN A 10 MILE RADIUS OF MY HOUSE. My children are going to starve to death! Seriously, people. I’ve found ONE Wendys and ONE McDonalds without a play yard in the towns adjacent to mine. I guess in the long run this is a great thing. But for now, I need new recipes, because hot dogs, mac & cheese, and chicken nuggets are not going to cut it!
The people here are very different, too. The moms at the gym are really nice & have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome. They’ve given me tips on doctors, hair salons, coupons, fun things to do with the kids, etc., and that has been great. My neighbors are a different story. I met my next door neighbor, Sheila, when she was returning my trash can, which had been accidentally put back on her curb. She had a sharpie in her hand and asked me to write my house # on the can so the “mistake” wouldn’t happen again. Are you KIDDING me?? Where’s my WELCOME basket??? Where’s the “you’re gonna love it here!”? Where’s the “Let me know if you need anything!”? Non-existent. Joe met another neighbor when he was chasing Rex down the street one night. Those are the only 2 people we’ve met so far. And, we’ve been here for 4 weeks. In Texas, the neighborhood would’ve thrown a party for us by now!!! J
The last thing I’ll complain about in this email is the time change. An hour doesn’t seem like much time, right? Well, it’s not until the nightly news doesn’t start until 11:00! I mean, I’m sure in some other lifetime 11 wasn’t late to me, but right now, it seems really close to THE NEXT MORNING!
When school starts, I think we’ll all feel a sense of routine and belonging. Right now, we’re kind-of floating out here on our own. It has been a real growth opportunity for all of us. Chloe said yesterday that Ross and Emmy are a lot more fun in NJ than they were in Texas! I think it’s because right now, they really just have each other. We leave next Sunday for the Cayman Islands, and we’ll be there for a week. We are looking forward to the time together on the beach in the SUN!
We hope everyone is doing well, and again, thank you for all your support! We all miss you!
Kate
I have received SO MANY EMAILS from you all that I thought I’d write one big update for you all! Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. It has been an interesting few weeks!
First, New Jersey itself is a very fine state. The weather is great (if you like a bit of rain and temps in the mid 70s in July!), and Joe & I enjoy sitting out on our deck with a glass of wine in the evenings after the kids are down for the night. There are lakes EVERYWHERE, plenty of Italian places to eat, shopping similar to Dallas (there are 3 huge malls within 20 minutes of my house), and even a Whole Foods! So, I am pretty happy with the amenities.
Chloe is happy with her gym – the girls have really welcomed her & made her feel a part of the team – and she has adapted to the move very well. We still have a few tears every once in awhile, but for the most part, she seems to be adjusting. Ross spent last Friday night at Youth Group (yes, they do YG on Friday night, which is a phenomenal idea when you have non-driving almost teenagers in the house!!!) and had a blast. He came home with more information about his 3 hours there than we’ve heard in a long time. I am looking into a couple of camps to keep him busy and help him meet some people before school starts. Right now, he spends most of his days at home with the girls, and while they’ve really bonded, I think he’s ready for some space! Emmy is doing fine, too. She acts out every once in awhile when she’s frustrated with me, but for the most part, she is adjusting. Rex the dog thinks he’s died and gone to Heaven. The back yard is partially wooded, so he goes out the door every morning, thinking he’s on a new adventure! A few nights ago, he was barking in the laundry room at about 2 in the morning, and Joe went to investigate. There was a raccoon on our deck eating his dog food! So, you can imagine that his nose was working overtime the next morning! Funny to watch!
Now for the few irritating things about moving. First, I don’t know where ANYTHING is. There is no zoning here, so the grocery store might literally be a block up, and next door to someone’s house. It is taking me a long time to learn my way around, and I still feel lost a lot of the time. And, because my cell phone service SUCKS (sorry, mom – I know you hate that word, but it’s TRUE!!!) here, my GPS is not even helpful. Joe has assured me this problem will be taken care of this weekend, when we all switch to SPRINT. After asking around, that is the one provider that seems to work in Franklin Lakes. But I digress. The towns here are tiny and connected by roads that change names as you enter the new town. For example, the grocery store that I use is on Wyckoff Avenue, but when I turn onto that street in my town, it is called Franklin Avenue. So, I begin on Franklin Avenue, NEVER TURN, and end up on Wyckoff Avenue. Frustrating.
Next, THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS WITHIN A 10 MILE RADIUS OF MY HOUSE. My children are going to starve to death! Seriously, people. I’ve found ONE Wendys and ONE McDonalds without a play yard in the towns adjacent to mine. I guess in the long run this is a great thing. But for now, I need new recipes, because hot dogs, mac & cheese, and chicken nuggets are not going to cut it!
The people here are very different, too. The moms at the gym are really nice & have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome. They’ve given me tips on doctors, hair salons, coupons, fun things to do with the kids, etc., and that has been great. My neighbors are a different story. I met my next door neighbor, Sheila, when she was returning my trash can, which had been accidentally put back on her curb. She had a sharpie in her hand and asked me to write my house # on the can so the “mistake” wouldn’t happen again. Are you KIDDING me?? Where’s my WELCOME basket??? Where’s the “you’re gonna love it here!”? Where’s the “Let me know if you need anything!”? Non-existent. Joe met another neighbor when he was chasing Rex down the street one night. Those are the only 2 people we’ve met so far. And, we’ve been here for 4 weeks. In Texas, the neighborhood would’ve thrown a party for us by now!!! J
The last thing I’ll complain about in this email is the time change. An hour doesn’t seem like much time, right? Well, it’s not until the nightly news doesn’t start until 11:00! I mean, I’m sure in some other lifetime 11 wasn’t late to me, but right now, it seems really close to THE NEXT MORNING!
When school starts, I think we’ll all feel a sense of routine and belonging. Right now, we’re kind-of floating out here on our own. It has been a real growth opportunity for all of us. Chloe said yesterday that Ross and Emmy are a lot more fun in NJ than they were in Texas! I think it’s because right now, they really just have each other. We leave next Sunday for the Cayman Islands, and we’ll be there for a week. We are looking forward to the time together on the beach in the SUN!
We hope everyone is doing well, and again, thank you for all your support! We all miss you!
Kate
Friday, August 21, 2009
THIS SUMMER IN PICTURES
Chloe & Emmy checking out Rex's transportation from Texas to New Jersey.
Yes, it's big enough!!!
Emmy right before we went to the Bronx Zoo.
Ross, Chloe & Emmy at the zoo.
The butterfly exhibit was amazing! I took a million pictures, and so did Chloe!
We drove up to Oneida Lake one Sunday to see Grandma Alice. Nahnee was there, too, an took all the kids out in the rowboat.
Our big vacation (as if moving across the country wasn't enough) was a trip to the Caymans Islands in the middle of August. Fun, relaxing... a great week!
Emmy digging in the sand... by far her FAVORITE activity!
Chloe is ALWAYS working on her gymnastics skills!
Ross & Joe at dinner the first night. It was a Texas bar-b-que out on the beach!
The view from our room.
We went to a sea turtle farm, where we snorkeled, swam, and got to hold the turtles. The kids enjoyed this, too!
The obligatory beach pictures!
Sunset the last night of our trip.
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