Another Fun Concert!

John Mayer and Colbie Caillat!

We went down to Tinley Park for the concert and we were totally prepared for what we could and could not bring into the concert. No alcoholic beverages, no bottles, only soft-sided coolers or backpacks. Food must be contained in clear containers, SO WE GOT PREPARED!

VODKA WATERMELON!!! (no alcoholic BEVERAGES), unless you count the liquor in the CLEAR CONTAINER! HEHEHEHE

Vodka Watermelon and Bacardi Pineapples!! Still, no alcoholic BEVERAGES and they are in clear containers! YEAH!!! We also enjoyed injected Vodka Oranges (helps to go to a concert with a nurse, Thanks Celeste!!). Considering the beers there were $11.00 each, we did just fine without them.

Someone was being shy, but there is Celeste with the YUMMY oranges!

Thank you Celeste and Robb for coming along!

Kenny Chesney Concert - ROCKED!

Gone for a while, but hopefully not forgotten!!!

OH MAN, where have we been hiding???? I don't even know where to begin and I am assuming that all my blogging buddies have given up on me. Hopefully not too soon. The summer has been SOOO busy, I have started a new job and it has taken a lot of my time. Ron finished an unbelievable home that is just incredible, have a look if you'd like. Just click on the Pine Ridge link on the right! The kids have been keeping busy with their friends this summer, baseball season went from April 25th to July 9th (OMG). We haven't had a summer vacation yet, but that is still to come. I'm posting just a few pics for you to see. Hope you return to see how we've been! I promise I won't be such a stranger!

My Beloved Bloggers!

WHERE DO I BEGIN???

I have been away for WAY TOO LONG! We had 2 computers crash at home at the same time and I have had to rely on my work computer for any communication at all. Ron's business has taken off so much, I couldn't even begin to tell you the blessings that have come our way. He has hired on 2 new carpenters and we received word that come fall, he will be building 87 Eco-friendly homes. Some of them will even be completely off-grid (solar, geo-thermal, you name it).

For those of you that don't know my husband, he is a home builder and, in this economy, he is turning down work. He builds using only environmentally friendly building materials and will be building a community of only eco-friendly homes. It will be called River Hill Conservation Community. We are so excited. Until then, he will have 3 homes to tear down to the ground and rebuild. So, if you can all imagine, I work a full time job away from home, run kids to soccer, ballet, and baseball, then after they are in bed, I type up proposals and invoices and payroll for Ron's company - SOOOO, without my computer, you can imagine what my life has been like.

I went in for an annual check up and they found an ovarian cyst. No big deal for Nan though, they are a common deal for me. They tried putting me on birth control and this time (4 kids later) it worked!!! It reduced the cyst completely after 2 months so this time I avoided surgery all together. The upside also was, I lost 13 pounds and I am ready for summer ahead of schedule.

I was able to pull off the surprise of the century. My loving husband turned 40 on February 27th so I threw him a surprise party the following weekend. I was able to have friends and family in from out of state and neighbors and never thought I would pull it off, but low and behold, I did. As soon as I can get pics downloaded, I will post them. He was so surprised that he is still talking about it 6 weeks later.

We took the kids to Colorado skiing for Spring Break. That was awesome. We only had one emergency room visit with Will (took a head first tumble down the slopes - 1st time skier), but came out with a clean bill of health and all the kids got free helmets from the ER that a neurosurgeon donated from Denver. So the next day on the slopes, everyone was safe.

And then I think last, but definitely not least - I am leaving my job. I received a call from a very good friend of mine at a different pharmaceutical company and they offered me a job that I COULD NOT refuse. It is making much more money than I am currently making and it gives me an oppotunity to get back into my legal field which I miss desperately. I will be starting the new position on April 28th and leaving the old job on the 18th so I will be able to have one week of catch up at home, which I desperately need.

SOOOOO, in a nutshell. I haven't blogged in so long because we have been SOOO very busy. I miss checking in on you all and I must say that you have surprised me by checking in on me.

We should be getting our new computer within 2 weeks and I cannot wait. Miss you all and I have a lot of catching up to do. My week off will probably be spent reading all of my bloggers blogs. Miss you all!!!

NAN

Christie and Cora

My reflection yesterday back to the days of Christie and Cora were so surreal. I get emotional, but I just can't help but smile. So here are the pictures I was able to find last minute to share with you. Maybe over the weekend I will search for some more of our fun camping pictures.






Here is Chrisie and Cora at the lake when Christie wasn't even 2 and Cora was 7.

Here is Ed, Casey, Cora and Christie in Chicago. They came to visit and Ron took them all to Taste of Chicago. This was the last vacation we had with Cora.













And here is my Christie. Isn't she beautiful? I can't believe how big she is. She truly has come into her own and definitely isn't a little girl any longer.

Two Beautiful Young Ladies

So Christie came home yesterday from school and, very nonchalantly, hands me a package and says "here you go". It was her school pictures from middle school. I honestly just stood up and gave her the biggest hug I could and began to cry. This time is so very hard for me.

It was six years ago this January that our dear friends, Ed and Martina, lost their daughter Cora to leukemia. She was just entering the 7th grade. I remember getting her school picture at the end of 6th grade and saying "she isn't a little girl any more, she's a young lady with so much ahead of her now". And 8 months later, she was gone. She was diagnosed on July 17th and passed away on January 17th.

When I look at Christie now, I see her whole life in front of her. She is becoming such a beautiful young lady. She has new friends, in a new school and has so many new adventures ahead of her. We talk often of how many friends she has and I tell her, cherish the times you have because one day they could move away or something and all you will have are memories. I just hope that she never has to experience that ever again, or us.

So, although her picture isn't posted this very moment (promise I will get it up tomorrow), I want everyone that may read this today to take a moment to ponder one thing. CHERISH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE FOR JUST A MOMENT RIGHT NOW. I never thought that when we moved away from Duluth, that the last time I would talk to Cora, would be over the phone. I promised her on Wednesday that we would be up on Friday to see her, but the pain was too much for her to bear, and she just couldn't hold on. She passed on Thursday morning. She told Martina to make sure to tell us, she still loved us, even if she wasn't there when we arrived.

I miss her almost everyday. It was as if I lost my own daughter. Christie lost a sister, and our entire family lost a wonderful friend, but the memories we have are so tremendous, that even after 6 years, I laugh so hard that it brings me to tears about how many fun times we had. Now that Christie is older, and has friends of her own that she goes off with away from home, I just hope she knows home much Ron and I love her and cherish EVERY WAKING MOMENT with her.

We still have Will and Ashley and Courtney who will be going through the same thing, but I think it is harder on us with Christie because Cora was her best friend. The first person she ever loved besides her family. The only reason she took her first step, went pee on the potty, and even got on her first bicycle. We love you Christie and we love you Cora. Two beautiful girls, that will forever be Young Ladies!