Crisis Averted!

It's the little victories that keep me going. When Kate & I went prom dress shopping - we were having trouble find the "one". She had an idea of what she wanted but was trying to be flexible. We saw a dress on a mannequin that was perfect. Of course it was the last Macy's had and it was too big- but they let her try it on. We decided since none of the other stores had one in her size - that we would buy it and have it altered at Macy's. With the style of the dress all they needed to do was to hem it and shorten the top straps that hold up the front of the dress. Well - they had to send it to Ohio to be altered and this person must not have been too bright. See in the picture from before it was altered how it has the piece of fabric that the neck straps loop around? When we got the dress back yesterday - they had turned it into a halter dress with that piece of fabric just running across the back. - No looping to make the X look. They also had sewn the little white strap you use to hang the dress up through the "halter" strap. Needless to say this altered the entire look and fit of the dress. The front was WAY too low and the back was too high and made her (and I'm quoting here...) "butt look huge!" Macy's offered to let her come back and pick out another dress - but since supply wasn't great three weeks ago when we bought the dress can you imagine what would be available now? I told them I was going to try and find someone here in town to fix their alteration and then send them the bill. They agreed. I was able to have it fixed today and it looks great. The woman was so sweet to get us in and done today - especially since Saturday is prom! It's the little victories.... :)

Gardening vs weeding

Well now that the weather has turned it's that time again. Don't get me wrong - I love gardening! It's just weeding I hate. I can only blame myself. I wait too late to start. I tell myself that I want to be sure that its really a weed and not a flower - so I'll just wait a little longer to be sure exactly what it is when it grows a little higher. Sounds reasonable doesn't it? Yeah, sure. Or it is cold out so I'll wait for a little warmer weather. A procrastinator ~ who me?? Duh! I think elves come at night and feed my weeds extra strength fertilizer once it starts to warm up! It is just so hard to talk myself into starting - and then even harder to find a spot in the garden(s) to stop. I just can't seem to make myself stop in an area that you can see a "line" of where I stopped. Ok so maybe I've got a touch of OCD. And sitting here at this computer isn't helping any so.....wish me luck, I'm going in (or out as the case may be!)

Happy 15th Megan!

Today is MEGAN'S day! She turns 15!!! She's been looking forward to this birthday for a long time as she is old enough to get her learners permit now! If all her ATV experience proves anything, she'll be a pro at driving. She is a very special girl hand picked for us by a loving angel to put love & hope back into our lives on this day. We love you, Meg!

P.S. Thanks, Terri!

Katie's 18!

How can it be that 18 years have passed so quickly? I have truly been blessed to watch this precocious child turn into a wonderful young lady. Happy Birthday, Pooh!

(Yes, I really do mean precocious - although she is precious, too!)

Ok then....

That was an interesting "wake up call" we had this morning. Megan & Sarah slept through it. Sarah decided that she was going to move to California so she wouldn't have to wait 10-15 years for another one to hit us (as they were saying on the news). I know there have been a number of after shocks - but so far I have only felt one. Just long enough to think "What was that?" and then it was over. Kind of cool to feel especially since there hasn't been any damage!

1st Communion

Sarah's 1st Communion went very well last weekend. She looked beautiful.

Papa and Gabi made it down. Gabi has had her last chemo treatment and was thrilled to be finished! We're so glad they made it. Don't they look great?

Lauran made it and was a big help along with Susie to get things set up at home after the mass. Poor Cory had to work - bummer since he's the Catholic one!

Dale holding court. What could he be saying - - look at Kelly's reaction.

This is Jeff - Sarah's Godfather. We really, really appreciate all he did to make it here for her! Thanks, again, Superman!

How blessed are we???

Thanks again to my parents, my sister Susan (& Joe), Dale & Gabi, The Turners, Jeff, Lauran and Susie for making this a very special day for Sarah!

Learning on the Fly

Megan's rugby team had it's first game yesterday. It was against one of the toughest teams in our league - a combo of Brownsburg & Zionsville girls. We were short two players to be able to field our team but Brownsburg loaned us the players so we could play a "Jamboree" game. This is where the coaches & refs are able to talk to the girls after some plays to teach them more about the game. The players that we "borrowed" were really nice and were showing our girls some pointers. I think it really helped our team to actually play a game and get a better idea of what they were trying to do. I know I certainly learned a ton about the game. We only had one girl have to come out of the game due to injury (possible concussion). This is NOT a sport for weenies - as you have to play the entire game unless you are taken out due to injury or illness. Um - stay on the field unless you are dying??? Blood loss in quantities of less than a pint or so don't count either! The Columbus boys team was also playing Brownsburg. They lost 7 or 8 players due to injury - including dislocated body parts! Both our teams lost - but the girls had the better score!

Megan is number 11. She's in the middle of it all in both of these pictures. She made it through with only a cleat gash on her knee, a knee to the jaw and she had to kindly ask one girl to stop standing on the side of her face. She LOVED IT!

Most of the week has been spent getting things ready for Sarah's First Holy Communion this Saturday. Everything is ready - and tomorrow is my cooking day. Kelly and her girls arrive tomorrow night as does Sarah's Godfather, Jeff. That poor man is going through a heck of a time getting here though. He got stuck behind a wreck on the interstate on the way to catch his flight to Indy this morning. Of course he ended up missing his flight. With the airlines pulling hundreds of flights daily to check their planes - it was no easy thing to find flights to get him here or home. We spent quite a while on the phone together this morning looking for flights. I'm so glad he will be able to get here - as Sarah's Godmother has apparently decided to opt out of our lives. But that's a story for another day!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Have to Laugh

Take a good look at the map....there is a big outcry about this ad. I think it is tooooo funny! "In an Absolut world"....kind of says it all - doesn't it? Southwest United States - Northwest Mexico???? What's the difference??

Rugby anyone?

Megan joined the girls rugby team last week. Rugby? Ok - I know NOTHING about rugby. I'm even having a hard time typing it correctly - my fingers want to type it rubgy. So I went to the website they gave us on the paperwork - and I should have been a little more scared about all this when I saw the skull & crossbones on the banner! Megan admitted to the coaches on her first day of practice that she knew nothing about the game but they said 'No problem!'. They would teach her everything she needed to know. I knew this was a very "physical" sport. And if I hadn't already known it I would have had a clear picture of this after Laura called me and told me there was NO WAY she was going to let me let Megan play! It was too rough of a game for her. Trust me, I was worried about that issue, too! But Megan has been kind of lost this year. Part of it was she was without a "team" sport since she decided not to go out for cheerleading freshman year. So I had to back her and let her do it. Well turns out she LOVES it! She is so proud of all the bruises and scraps she comes home with after every practice. I have never seen her so excited about going to practices. She was even excited to tell me that she only puked once on the first day of practice. I guess most of the other girls did it multiple times. I've never known her to practice till she pukes for anything - no less keep going afterward and be thrilled about it. Suzanne has kindly offered to loan me the 'Rugby For Dummies' book she has. After moving to England a few years ago - she had to learn about the sport, too, as her sons became interested in it. It is wonderful to see a spark in Megan's eyes again! Besides - they are blue which goes so nicely with the black, purple, yellow and green of all the bruises. What a colorful child! Lord help me!