June 19, 2010

Ill, sick, under the weather, ailing, out of order, broken, kaput….all of these words describe my Kia as of late. But I get ahead of my self. Let me back up to Saturday June 19, 2010. This is the weekend Madison was visiting.

You remember Madi right,

 yes, that’s little Madi she was visiting for the week and on Saturday June 19, 2010 Sean and Madi and I made our way Cedar Point.

It was great fun. We rode rides until we felt sick, took 20,000 steps and Madi even got a great hoodie to take home. When 10 o’clock came, the park was closing so we made our way to the car - my lovely black Kia Sorento the one I only bought a year and a month ago (Keep that in mind). It took us a little while to get out of the parking lot but as soon we did we were cruising down Ohio State Road 4 going about 55. We are about 30 minutes outside of the Sandusky- the city the park in located- it’s dark and we are surrounded by fields. We are having a lovely conversation, giggling being giddy and then all of the sudden…. A LOUD CRASHING SOUND ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND THEN…. Nothing. My car (the one I only bought a short time ago) died, went kaput. Gave up the ghost and departed this life.

Luckily there was a dilapidated old farm house (the only one for miles) right in front of us so we coasted into the drive. The poor little car wouldn’t even turn over. So Sean being the great provider he is got out to see if he could tell what the problem was. He decided we couldn’t fix it or do anything about it where we were. We didn’t know anyone in the area and we were about 90 miles from home.

Tow truck to the rescue! Sean (the great provider) had gotten us a tow truck package when we signed up for our car insurance when we moved here. (phew!) We returned home at 4 in the morning. It was quite the adventure!

It doesn’t end there though….

The timing belt broke and seized the engine! So after 1 month, 3 days, 3 mechanics, the Hatfield Kia dealership and over $4,000 we now have my 2004 Kia back with a whole new inside! Rebuilt engine, timing belt, clutch, radiator, passenger head light, belts and who knows what else has helped my car return from the dead and I am so happy!

Sean even got me a “new car scent” air freshener for it. He’s such a great husband!

Here is it! Fresh from the operating room and ready to go! Sean brought it to work to pick me up in since we had been riding to work together for a time.

xoxo

Clippers Game

Baseball: A ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; Teams take turns at bat trying to score runs

Rendezvous: A meeting planned at a certain time and place

Couple: A pair of people who associate with one another; Sean and Makenna

Fun: activities that are enjoyable or amusing.

Love: A strong positive emotion of regard and affection.

Rewind

Sean was gone this last week for testing at his school, Des Moines University (DMU). Which in turn left me, at times a little lost and confused in my state of oneness but a few projects and the ever devoted fishes Leroy and Big blue kept me with things to help fill my time.


A couple months ago for enrichment night we made birthday blocks. We painted them and put on the “birthdays” letters at the activity and then I never finished mine. I didn’t really know how I wanted to do it so I just let it sit while I pondered on it.
Lucky for me the idea came to me this week while Sean was gone. I got buttons from Joanne’s, some pretty paper and glue and I was set!

Presenting…. My Birthday Calendar!

  

We have a little storage area off our deck on our apartment. It wasn’t really messy at all, just mostly unorganized so project 2 included taking everything out and re-arranging it. I even got rid of one box as I repacked. I’m still getting used to before and after pictures so I only have an after picture. Sorry.

Presenting….. The Organized Storage Area!

I have this great black sweater I wear to work because I work in a freezer (not literally but it is so so SO cold at my office!) Well, this great black sweater I have has not so great white buttons on it that I really don’t like so while I was Joanne’s getting decorative buttons for the above mentioned birthday calendar I got some lovely black buttons as well. Taking off the white and sewing on the black while I watching “When In Rome” filled another one my “yes, you’re still home alone” evenings. I really like how it turned out though.

Presenting….. Black Buttoned Sweater!

At last, Friday! S was due to come home around 10 or 11. So until that time I prepared a cleaver plan to help pass the time.

Step One:

Keep busy at work. Little did I know this plan would work better than I could have ever hoped. Mostly because Friday’s at this office are like walking among the dead. We usually have no doctors which equals no patients. But we still have to be here to answer the phones be look nice at the front desk incase someone drops by. This Friday heard my desperate calls to be busy though because we were swamped! As a result I was able to stay an hour late and pass time with out even noticing.

Step Two:

Water Theresa’s garden. Theresa and Eddie are students at DMU so they had testing as well. Since I am currently Kia-less Theresa let me drive here car while they gone in exchange for watering her garden. I was more than happy to do it so Monday – Friday I watered her garden every night after work. Since I was an hour later leaving work traffic was worse so watering the garden led to another hour and half of my time gone. Step two I love you!

Step Three:

Clean up the apartment. I’m not a real messy girl but little things like leaving my shoes by the door instead of putting them away and cleaning up my craft area and organizing a bit led to another hour. I was feeling pretty good about my time spent so far.

Step Four:

Gossip Girl, a burrito and snack sized snickers provided by Melanie for dinner! This helped pass the time lovely but then 10 came and went, 11 came and went, and no Sean. Construction along the way left Sean’s ETA a bit later than expected then finally at 12:30am I heard the sound I had been waiting for… The car door!!

I ran outside to help him come in and he surprised me with not only one but TWO flowers! Both in pots so that I can care for them and they will last longer! I love flowers and I love Sean!

Even though both of us were so tired it has been awhile (a week actually) since we had really talked or seen each other so we stayed up until 3 in morning talking. It was just what we needed. I am one of two again and so happy!

xoxo

Singing Time

You can always tell when Sean is in an exceptionally happy mood because he sings! But his is not just any kind of singing, he likes to make up the lyrics and tune as he goes. Usually including what he is happy about. It brings my heart joy.

xoxo

Home Depot

Coming to a new city. A new State. A new part of the country means that you don’t know where anything is. You rely on your GPS, smart phone and sense of adventure. Then you leave plenty of time to get where ever it is you going just in case you get lost.


Eventually you start to feel more comfortable with your regular routines. You can make it to and from work, the grocery store and church. Then you branch out even more and you can remember the general direction of your favorite mall or the post office. You may even be able to find an alternate route as your confidence builds. This is when you feel as if this new place you are living is starting to become more of a home. Or at least a place you can feel comfortable for the next year until the next move when you enter that state GPS dependence again.

Sean and I experienced the feeling of comfort and confidence one evening when we were on our way into Kohl’s and woman stopped to ask if we knew where a Lowe’s was. Our initial reaction was to look at each other as if we were lost children but then that little light that each of us has in our heads turned on in mine and I remembered I knew exactly where a Home Depot was! (Now, I know they are not the same thing but Home Depot is better. So, really I was helping her out double. 1. Telling her how to get there and 2. giving her a better option that what she asked for.)

Sean and I explained where it was and continued on into the store with a feeling of content at the success of helping someone who needed directions in this new town that we have recently found ourselves in.



xoxo

GIRLS!

 

Most often Sean and I keep each other company. One boy and one girl so things are pretty even. We have found it’s a lovely way to do things.

He takes out the trash. I put in a new liner.

He sweeps up the hair that has been cut off his head. I hold the dust pan.

He picks out a recipe. I make it.

I think you get the idea.

I have recently learned though that having an extra girl in our home:

One boy…..TWO girls is so much fun!

We had an Emily Girl (Sean’s sister) and a Madi Girl (My sister) here to visit us in the last little while.

Emily was on a Mid West adventure visiting her brothers Brad in Milwaukee and Sean and I in Columbus to get a taste of flat lands and corn fields. She came to us May 16 and stayed for 4 days.

While she was here we had a night of Game Olympics.

• Mario Cart
• Sorry
• Ticket to Ride-Eourpean Style
• Dutch Blitz

Sean was victorious and took gold!

Shopping at Polaris Mall, a tour of German Village, visiting the massive horse shoe football stadium, along with a visit to the Santa Maria were on our list of things to do while Emily was here.

 Emily discovered the ghetto at the end of Short North where she parked to peruse the gallery shops.

We had a wonderful dinner at and Ethiopian restaurant called Blue Lizard.

It was fun to experience a different culture. They bring out a spongy bread and a plate with all the different meats sitting on it and you have to rip a little piece of the bread off and then using your hands scoop up the food you want with the bread and eat it.

It was a different kind of meal but is was sure fun to try it out!

We loved having an Emily Girl here!
Thanks for coming! You are wonderful!

Madison flew back with us to Ohio after our Utah trip and she stayed for a week!

It would have been so great to stay home with Madi and play all day but because I had already taken 2 weeks off we found Madi some PROJECTS!

A giraffe cork board that she painted so cute! 

And she brought her AMAZING quilt she is making (pictures of that to come)

Don't you worry though. I didn't let Madi rot away in the apartment.

We...(drum roll please)

Took a walk down Gay St where believe it or not we didn't see any gays. However Madi almost had a heart attack we down High Street and she saw a couple, of the same sex, holding hands.

Visited with Christopher Columbus

Decided on Madi's career

Went a Safari 

Got lost in a corn field

Went hunting for fireflies 

and then Madison Tackled Sean, took him down and about made him cry!

I really wanted to post a picture of this but my computer just wouldn't do it. It's after 10pm though and we get tired and mostly useless after 10pm.

Now I know by this point you are probably thinking

And I promise there will be but first know that we found

and

took part in the Buckeye pride!

On Sunday before it was time to bid Madi Adieu she helped us out in our nursery class and the kids loved her!

We were

(this limo says "Party Girls on the Go!")

and enjoyed every minute of it!

On Sunday we had to say to good bye and I was so proud of Madison. She flew back by herself and did it like a pro! I love you Madison!

xoxo

P.S. Sean, Madi and I went to Cedar Point while she was here and it was a blast! We took 20,000 steps that day. This adventure has great story attached to it so it will require a post of it's own. So for now, Goodnight.