Not-So- Recent Random Updates

From the last part of 2011. Better late than, well you know.
Photos from NYC! This was our November girls' trip with me, Liv, my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and my niece Emma. So. Much. Fun.
The American Girl Store. Meeting Jackie Burns, a.k.a. Elphaba in Wicked. She was decidedly un-green just minutes after the show, and warm, friendly and generous with her time to boot. Thanks to Dom, the son of my MIL's friend, for arranging the meet-up.
There are also some pics taken from the Staten Island Ferry, some of the more famous buildings as well as the 911 Memorial and Dylan's Candy Bar which we discovered was just a few blocks from the hotel. The day we left, of course!

Leap Day 2012, the end of a bewildering February

Years from now when I look back on February 2012 I will probably only recall one thing:
There was a fire. On my kids' school bus.

It started with smoke coming from the steering column on the afternoon ride home on February 8. There were only six children left on the bus and two of them were named Pellin. At the first sign of smoke, a merciful, brilliant, quick-thinking angel of a bus driver very calmly herded the children out the back emergency exit door. Within minutes, the dashboard burst into flames and engulfed the front of the bus while they stood safely a few yards away.
So the kids and driver were on the news, and the school and the fire department honored the driver with a plaque. I babbled something on camera about being eternally grateful to her forever, which I will be. I sounded like Ellie Mae Clampett. But an eternally grateful Ellie Mae Clampett.

While the camera was in my face I kept thinking:
There was a fire. On my kids' school bus.

February 2012 has brought many more things: The beginning of softball and baseball practice for both Olivia and Nate. Another sleepover each. The removal (finally) of my mother-in-law's knee brace. The Sunday that I sat down and wrote down two (TWO!) weeks of meal plans and grocery lists. The three nights in a row that I made it to bed by 9:30 p.m. Making a slow cooker of chili for staff appreciation day at school, which was well-received. Making apple dumplings for my dear friend from work, John, who's recovering from knee replacement. Going to our beloved City Tavern with our beloved Dawn and Steve.

See, I want to remember the good stuff, too. Even though there was (all together now) a fire. On my kids' school bus.

Random 2012 notes

Oh, my---I love January. The pressure to be jolly is finally over, and now we can be merely content. Which is actually good enough, thank you.

The new year brought good news on a family health front and after that, well, all other good things were just a bonus. But, mercifully, they keep coming, and we are so grateful.

My mother-in-law is still recovering nicely and has managed to do so without threatening bodily harm to anyone, which is likely how I would react after being couch-bound for weeks on end.

In the last couple of weeks both kids have had sleepovers, Sir Jack for Nate and the lovely Elaina for Liv. Both guests were excellent company. This weekend has been a tad quieter, with Nate nursing a cold. Olivia is at her knitting lesson today with Cousin Emma. This idea was hatched by the girls and a dear church member Susan. Twice a month they go home with Susan after church, have a snack and knit. I don't know which thing I'm more blown away by---the fact that my ten-year-old daughter who loves all things electronic is fascinated by knitting, or the never-ending grace and generosity of someone like Susan who offered up two Sunday afternoons a month to knit and share cookies with her. As I mentioned, the good things blessedly keep rolling in.

What's on the night stand: (Or should I say what's on the new Kindle Fire which was a Christmas gift from hubs. But it does rest on the night stand.)-- Traveling Mercies, by Anne Lamont. Awesome, awesome read. Anne Lamont is a recovered alcoholic who is now an associate pastor of a super crunchy granola church in northern California. Her courageous honesty about her struggles through addiction, getting sober and unexpectedly having a son at age 35 is nothing short of humbling. The fact that she's hilarious is just icing.

What's been on the menu: Aunt Sybil's chili, roast chicken, chicken and rice soup, beef tips. All in the slow cooker, my winter BFF. Oh, and of course chicken casserole, the kind with the stuffing on top (not a slow cooker meal but just as easy and delicious). I had to make that after overhearing Nate ask Emma one night "Hey, have you ever had my Aunt Sybil's chicken casserole? With the crunchy stuff on top? Oh, MAN that stuff is goooood." Emma and my Aunt Sybil, as far as I know, have never met. But maybe I should make the casserole for her one day--she will definitely want to meet her and get her autograph to boot. :)

State of winter so far: Still not much of one, although today the temps barely reached above 40 which was highly unusual. Aunt Beth's birthday is still coming up on Tuesday and that almost always brings some snow. Finger's crossed!
And fingers double-crossed that if it comes, it'll melt in about 8 hours. Heh. Sorry, that's how we southern gals roll.

Faking It

Things feel a little off this year. We've decorated, made gingerbread creations, sent and received cards but for various reasons I'm just not feeling it this year.

Yesterday we discovered that something we thought we didn't have to worry about is, in fact, not quite over. It feels like a cruel joke was played on all of us.

Meanwhile, we all know that a big part of this season is for the children so for their sake I'm putting on music tonight, getting down my Christmas Eve coffee cake ingredients, and helping them wrap their gifts for eachother. Olivia has been working on something for Nate for weeks. Nate--well, he approved of the gift his mother purchased for him to give his sister. He really thought Liv would prefer Madden Football for the Wii but somehow I don't agree.

Oh, and did I mention it's nearly 70 degrees? I'm not complaining it's just that that is decidedly UN-Christmassy weather, OK?

The good thing is that Mark's brother and his family are flying in from Maine tonight and staying with us. The kids are beyond excited to see their cousin and it'll be great to spend time with them.

Sigh. . .meanwhile I'll try to get over my funk. Maybe the spirit will hit me sometime in February when perhaps the temperature will dip below 60.

Breathe In, Breathe Out

Hmm, where to begin.
November sure did bring us a roller coaster ride that started out great and ended with a thud. But December mercifully had us back on track again, chugging along.

I'll post some pics soon from a wonderful trip to NYC that Olivia and I took with my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and niece. It was a much-needed girls weekend that included going to see "Wicked" on Broadway, a Central Park carriage ride, and skating for the girls at Rockefeller Center.

Soon after arriving home, my sweet sister-in-law received news that shook us all to our very core. After a lot of tears, prayers and support from our church family and friends (oh and a very successful surgery) she's on the mend and we're slowly creeping our way back to normal. Or at least normal for us. :)

MEANWHILE, my poor mother-in-law, who normally effortlessly maintains her status as Super Grandma, fell and broke her kneecap a couple of weeks ago (I KNOW--Owwww) and is reluctantly laid up on her couch. The knee is set and braced and so far it looks like she'll be able to avoid surgery. BUT!! She of course is so frustrated because she wants to help her daughter, cook, wrap gifts, decorate and basically do what Grandmas do.
Mark and I (mostly Mark, I have to say) have tried to help out with both households as much as possible. We still don't feel as if we're doing enough. Hopefully we made things a little more bearable for them. They mean so much to us, and we realize that now more than ever.

Back in Pinetown: My dear Uncle Edgar passed away on Saturday Dec. 17. He had been in declining health for months and is at last at peace. He loved football, chocolate, and his many nieces and nephews. He loved being an uncle, and it showed. RIP, sweet Edgar Paul.

Looking Back on September

OK, I realize I'm going backwards here. The last post included photos from August, then I jumped to October and now I'm back to September. Sorry. I have to be me.
Just wanted to preserve some memories from my birthday girl's night in Charlotte with pals Dawn and Sharon, and also Aunt Ro's 90th birthday lunch at The Savannah Tea Room in Fort Mill.


We're too shexy for our gruyere popovers. Almost.



Morning-after French press at Amelie's!


Emma and Olivia with Aunt Ro on her birthday.

Random Recent Moments

That title isn't entirely accurate, depending on how "recent" August actually is. Anyway, here are some photos of Benjamin's shower in August (we also took a side trip with cousins Holly and Rhynn to wait for one of the world's best hot dogs EVAH).
There's also some shots of the wedding in October, a snap of the view from Blue Ridge Parkway, and I also captured Olivia's 'do for the daddy-daughter dance last night. Also got one of her and Mark before they headed out the door. They both had a blast. This was one of the school's best fundraisers by far. Can't wait to break out the macarena for the mother-son dance in the spring! Hee. Just kidding. I'm much, much better at the robot.