Pre-Holiday Update

Hi everyone, been a while since I've posted but I have been busy. I know, I know, aren't we all but that's the best excuse I got so here it goes.

So, let's start with the not so littlest member of our small clan, Meagan. She has been doing great, she enjoys school and has been starting to get more active. She joined a "battle of the books" club along with a dance club. So far she is enjoying her book club, dance club has not started yet. I wish she was as enthusiastic about her homework, hates it! This coming Sunday we are having her 9th birthday party; yes that's right 9 years old. YIKES, where does the time go? One more year and she goes to double-digits. I want to keep my sweet little girl little. Honestly though I could not have asked for a better daughter, she is really good and sweet, sometimes a little too nice but I guess that's not such a bad thing. I hope she stays that way, at least somewhat I know she'll be a teenager and they all are not easy, but just hoping she sticks to herself. Anyways, really looking forward to her party and letting her have her special day.

Mary is doing good, she is watching Meagan's friend and her little sister after school and on off days so that is keeping her busy. The extra money really helps as well. Other than that she is just getting things ready for Meagan's party. She is so great, with my basketball now I am hardly around and she is so understanding and does not give me a hard time about it. She really tries to take care of so much so I have less to worry about. She is good to me, God bless her for putting up with me.

As for me well, busy as all heck. Work is just crazy busy and kind of sucks. I know, I should be great full to have a job, but we are all so overworked that everyone is stressed. What used to be fun environment, not so much. Maybe time to start looking for another job. Basketball started late October so I have been very busy with that. So far it has been a rough one, but we are improving so that is good. The kids seem to be less focused this year, so I think I may have to get a little tough with them. Given all that I am still enjoying it, I have a passion for this and really love it. Too bad it does not pay, lol! Besides that I am just getting ready for my surgery, I actually cannot wait as I am in pain every day so looking forward to getting past that. I do have to admit that I am getting a little nervous, but I keep reminding myself that it's a simple surgery so I'll be fine. Also, feeling every bit my age lately with this surgery plus finding out that I have to have another surgery in probably February; don't worry nothing remotely serious. I just have 2 cysts (one on the back of my neck and one on the back of my head) that they have finally determined should be removed. So after I'm recovered from this surgery I get to have that done. UGH, put all that along with me turning 40 next year and I'm not really feeling all that great. Getting old, sucks!!!

Besides the above, we are just going along day to day letting the big guy upstairs do his job and take care of us. Wish he'd flow a little more money our way, but I have a great wife and great daughter, so what else could I ask for? Enough said.

Love to all, prayers for you all, and for those who are close by hope to see you soon!!

Just a quick update, not a whole lot since my last post. As far as myself, well I decided to "bit the bullet" regarding my partially torn bicep tendon and have the surgery, scheduled it for November 22nd. Really wanted to avoid it, but it came down to either living with the pain the rest of my life or having surgery. Not too hard of a choice when it was put that way. So now the hard part is waiting, I would have done it sooner but already scheduled my vacation then so figured I've waited this long what's another couple of months. Until then, I'll just keep taking the meds and "grin and bear it". Other than that, just waiting for basketball to start. We have our coaches meeting this Sunday so practices should start soon, I can't wait.

Mary is doing well, she actually started a job this week. She is watching 2 girls, one of them is Meagan's friend from school, after school every day and also most days off. Will be nice to finally have some extra money coming in. Lately she has been great in dealing with all the cable/internet problems we have been having. Very frustrating and she deals with it well. In the past 2 weeks we have had AT&T out here 6 times. If it was not for limited choices and some features of theirs that we really like, I would have canceled it by now. We'll see, it seems to be fixed now, but if problems continue they are going to lose business. Good news is Mary got them to give us various compensation for all the trouble. Let's just say she did good. Way to go honey!!!

Meagan is doing good, although not today she is sick, stayed home from school. She is getting back to the swing of things with school and doing well. She came home the other day with a form to join a book club thing from school and was really excited about it. I guess you actually have to be approved by your teacher in order to join, which she was. She absolutely loves to read, which is great. Wish she was into sports, but hey that's OK she is who she is, and I would not change that at all.

This past weekend we took out all of the Halloween stuff, a little early but we are ready for it I guess. Looking forward to this weekend, we are going to try to go to the Long Grove Apple Festival and then on Saturday we get to babysit our niece, YEAH!!!

That's it for now, nothing too exciting, but that's not necessarily bad.

Good Bye Summer, Hello Fall!

Well, it has been a while since I posted, WHY? Just lazy I guess. Every time I think about it I am just too tired or don't feel like it. Not tonight, watching football and posting on my blog while sipping on a glass of wine, not too bad. So, let me catch you up on what's been going on with us, I'll try to make is short but no promises. Summer just flew by, we had lots of visitors so that could be why it just went by so fast and seems like we did not do much. It was a very hot summer, especially since our A/C was out. Another reason why we probably did not do much. I am happy to say that we finally "bite the bullet" and now have new A/C and furnace (YEAH!!). Now, we just need a couple of hot days so we can use the A/C (HAHA). Meagan is back in school and so far is enjoying it. Me, well work is crazy busy, which I guess is good but working long hours. I did make it to the first ND football game of the year (which they won), so that was fun. Had a great visit with my cousin Debbie (you can see her blog on here) whom I have not seen in like 10 years. It was really great to see her and her wonderful family.

Right now, besides being engrossed by football (which Mary just loves, lol), I am trying to find things for me and my 2 girls to do before the craziness starts. For those who do not know, by the craziness I mean basketball season. I coach boys basketball at St. Hubert's (which is where we attend church). This year I will be coaching 8th grade, which that starts mid October, so I have a couple of weeks before I am into that and most of my time will be occupied. I am really looking forward to that; as well as some vacation time (not until November). I have only taken 3 days so far this year, so needless to say I kind of need it. I save them usually for the holiday season so I can spend time with my 2 girls, just doing whatever. Couple last notes before I leave:

Mary and Meagan - Thanks in advance for putting up with me and allowing me the freedom of time away from you in order to do something I really love; coaching basketball. Love you for it.

Dr. T - Miss you, God bless

Auntie Margot - Stay strong, call you soon we need to get together.

Everyone else - God bless and thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings.

Alright, so here it goes my first official post. Here is what has been going on with us lately, most will already know this probably, but too bad.

As you see the picture I posted Meagan made her first communion, she is getting so grown up which is making me feel really old. The time is just going by too fast and I often feel like I am not doing enough to make sure that she has wonderful memories of her childhood. Being an only child is really tough on her and while I try to have patience and understand, sometimes she just drives me nuts with her constant whining of being bored. Luckily Mary is more creative than me and can come up with things to do. I'm just not good at that.

Summer time, and so far it has been a pretty good summer. Mary and Meagan have just kind of been chilling and hanging out mostly, getting together with Meagan's friend from school. We have gone to the pool several times and been busy with lots of parties, family outings, etc. Hopefully that will continue and make this a great summer, although every now and then it is nice just to do nothing and hang out at home.

Family visits: Well, this is the summer of my family visiting from Alaska, YEAH!!! Usually our summers are filled with many, many parties with Mary's family (for those who don't know she has a big family so there is always something going on), but this summer is different. First visitor was my sister, Sue, who I have not seen since last summer when they were in. Believe it or not she came in to see Tim McGraw. My wonderful, loving sister, Jill, bought an extra ticket for me to go. For those who do not know, I hate country music. Keeping this in mind, I will have to say that I actually had a really good time, it was great to be able to hang out and have some family bonding time with them, and the music actually did not make me want to poke my eyeballs out, so all in all pretty cool. I'm sure all the "adult beverages" helped also, lol!

Right now, my nephew Hayden is in and yesterday my mom got in as well. So for the next couple of weeks I'm sure we will have lots of fun, whatever we are going to do. This past Sunday my sister Jill had a party to celebrate mine and Hayden's birthdays, that was fun. Thanks, sis!

Ok, this is already way too long so I am cutting myself off. Hope it's not too bad for my first post, I promise I'll get better with time, just like a fine wine!