Kudos to Milt and Linda

Joel and I have been working opposite shifts.  My work day starts at 3 and ends at 11p (or later) and he's at his job from 7a-5 or 6-ish.  Needless to say, we have not really seen one another since Monday....and it will be a while before we do have time together (I'm off today, but he has an evening commitment).  We've been communicating through handwritten notes and text messages.  Here's what he wrote AFTER I requested he do the evening dishes!

"Caron, I miss u! Wanna go on a date on Thurs. for dinner? Heart, me"


Thank you Milt and Linda!! You did an excellent job raising my husband!  What other guy would say they missed their wife AFTER she asked him to do the dishes!

All the Way to TEXAS!

This weekend we flew to Austin, TX and back. We were able to visit with Joel's uncle and 91 year old grandmother (Oma).  Enjoy the pic's. 

One of Joel's high-school friends, Josh, and his family (minus their son).

Joel looking tough next to the tin man

We ate lunch with Chris, Mickey and their kids at El Arroyo

Just in case you forgot what we looked like....

I'm starting to understand what my sister-in-law meant by the phrase "keeping Austin weird."  What's with this bus full of  mannequins?

View of Austin from a far

Another view of Austin

This is what happens when Joel gets a hold of the camera

This is out by Oma's home....

The terrain is much different in TX than it is in NJ!

A donkey on Uncle Dennis' farm

The goats in front of Oma's house

Oma and Joel.  She was really happy we "brought the rain from the east coast with us."

20 Years in Review

Meme

I stole this from this guy who stole it from SEV

20 years ago I . . .
1. was in 3rd grade
2. learned how to tell time
3. wore pants under my dresses...with tennis shoes.  I was cute.

15 years ago I...
1. practiced piano for hours every day....If only I could still play..
2. refused to wear glasses because I didn't like the way I looked in them
3. sent an e-mail for the very first time

10 years ago I . . .
1. went to school in OH. Yeah for meeting one of my best-est friends!
2. almost lost my life on a snowmobile with the friend mentioned above!
3. realized I was not a fan of college cafeteria food

5 years ago I . . .
1. finished my BS degree in Kinesiology
2. went to Brazil

3 years ago I . . .
1. Married my husband...what a great year!

2 years ago I . . .
1. Started working on a trauma floor as a RN...

1 year ago I . . .
1. I spent a week in the OBX

So far this year I . . .
1.  traveled to the Bahamas and Vietnam.
2.  moved to NJ.

1 week ago I . . .
1. hung out with my mother-in-law
2. realized I talk about my old job too much

Yesterday I . . .
1. went to the chiropractor
2. tried to stay up and watch "modern family."   I woke up an hour after the show finished.  Guess I was tired!
3. fell more in love with my husband...he did the dishes for me!

Today . . .
1. survived the "state" officials at work
2. did lots of pull-ups at home because I was too tired to drive to the gym...plus I didn' t want to deal with the muscle heads that show up after work

Tomorrow I will . . .
1. fly to TX!

In the next year I will . . .
1. continue to consider getting my MSN....(master's of science in nursing)
2. learn to navigate through "the Jersey" way of life

 

Saving Money....Day 9

I've discovered that if re-usable canvas totes really can save you money.  I have received 6 "green" bags in the past year....If I take them to Shop-Rite...they subtract 30 cents from my grocery bill every week.  I know that is not a lot, but if you do the math.....

.30 x 52=$15.60 per year...

I must admit that this is not totally accurate for US, though.  Sometimes, I purposely leave our canvas bags at home so I have enough lunch bags for Joel, poopy containers for Maddie and garbage bags for our small trash cans.  We're classy, right?!?  Anyway, as I've said before...it's the little things that add up.

Happy Birthday, Linda!

Today was my mother-in-law's birthday!  She and Milton came up for a quick visit.  We had a great time.  I'm pretty sure I talked her ear off the first day she arrived.  Guess I've missed girl time since the big move.  We also....
1) Drove all over New Jersey.  I'm pretty sure I'd still be lost if she hadn't been in the car with me
2) Went to a movie.  I cried my eyes out.  It was a good one...more to come on that later.
3) Ate Korean food.  Yummy.  I love the rice noodles.
4) Visited a local deli...Valiani.  I think the parent-in-laws enjoyed seeing the Jersey culture at this fine establishment (and the food was to die for of course)

Happy Birthday.  Thanks for coming...don't stay away for too long!

I Miss You, Norfolk

Today, Joel predicted I would write about the things I miss in Norfolk.  I decided he came up with a pretty good idea....so here you go.

1)  Ohhh...epic and electronic charting.  How I miss you!

2) Community Group...are you sure you don't want to move to NJ?  We have a larger house, now.  I think we could all fit!

3) Trinity Presbyterian.  I miss Jack's sermons and the style of worship music.

4)  NCHS basketball.  I'll never forget you!  (I know you are also amazing at football and cheerleading...but I always got too cold to enjoy these sports).

5)  Ocean.  Sea Glass.

6)  My beautiful niece, Kalen....I miss your hugs!

7).  Doggy door.  I miss the freedom of NOT having to walk Maddie everyday!

I'm Ready For One of Those

Me,  "Joel, can I have one of those?"

Joel replies in joking voice, "You want to go to the store tomorrow?"

Me, "Yes, but I don't know how I would ever choose which baby I wanted...I think I would pick them all."

Joel, "Yeah, that might be kind of hard."

Me,  "Yeah, I'm glad I get to sleep in, eat and drink what I want, and give  babies back to their parents right now.."