Fun!

I know, it's been awhile since I've posted. Tim knows how to post too, so let him know that you want to hear his perspective! My dad went in for his second, and final, hip replacement surgery this past Tuesday and he's on his way home today. There weren't any complications this time so his recovery should be quick and smooth. Keep him in your prayers!

Things have been really busy since the semester started. My CFS classes are much more demanding this time. I'm taking Research Methods, Child Development Theory and Family Systems Therapy. I've also taken on a few more responsibilities with SU's chapter of the National Council on Family Relations (i.e. bulletin board updating with Angie and selling flowers and candy for a V-Day fundraiser). I am trying to narrow down my thesis topic this semester so that I can focus on my thesis proposal this summer and next Fall. SU is very research-oriented and I had been fighting that reality tooth and nail last semester but have come to realize that I'm going to have to do research if I want a Master's from this university.

Last weekend my friend Sue took me, Angie and Mandy to her condo in Ludlow, VT for some wintertime fun. However, it was freezing and we mostly sat around the fireplace and played games with her parents and drank. We did hit a local bar on Friday night and the girls had fun with the local boys and were able to see what small-town local life is like in a ski town.

I have some cute kitty pics of Maddie, Jingles and all three of them together. Tim has been busy playing Nintendo on his computer and working on recording.

Last night we discovered "Happy Hour at the Sheraton" thanks to Sue! From 5-7pm on Fridays you can have free pizza and wings with pitcher specials and $3 cranberry and vodkas! (I think we've found our Friday evening activities for the rest of the semester) We had a blast and then came back to our place to play Cranium and darts.

We are getting pounded with snow again so Tim is about to go shovel and brave the weather to do laundry. Man, I love this guy! I have lots of homework to do this weekend and hopefully, we'll have a chance to go see a movie at the $1.50 theatre. I start teaching human sexuality discussion groups again on Monday so I have to prepare for that as well. I love teaching these groups but it always makes me a little nervous in the beginning because you don't know what kind of students you are going to have in each group. Last semester I had to deal with one group who only wanted to play games and not really discuss and my other group only wanted to discuss and not play games!

Have a great weekend everyone and we'll try to post more often!

Jingles update

It's been a week since Jingles was declawed and neutered. We had been keeping him in our office during the night so he wouldn't get into trouble with the other kitties. Last night we let him out of his room overnight thinking it had been a week and he was healing nicely so he should be okay. Of course, in less than 12 hours he manages to tear open one of his incisions. I take him to the vet this morning so they can look at it and tell me what to do and they give me a stronger antibiotic (just when he thought he was done with the icky medicine), bandage his paw and send him home with one of these on. Now he has to be sequestered at night again for 4-5 days and we have to rinse his paw with this solution (like we did for phoebe cuz she had the same thing happen) till he's healed. Needless to say, we've got our work cut out for us!

Weekend fun

Tim and I have spent the better part of the day putting shrink wrap on our windows to help cut the cost of our electric/gas bill. Our bill was WAY too high last month and we are trying to prevent that from happening again. The house we live in is old and air was getting in through all the windows. Next year, we'll do this in October :) Tim's watching football and I'm getting ready to read the Sunday paper. This is my last day before school starts again. We're trying to make it a relaxing day for the both of us! Last night we saw "Cheaper by the dozen" which was a really cute movie! We also played a round of Ghettopoly with Angie (she didn't do so great and had to end up selling back all her properties and crack houses in order to stay in the game). She had some choice property. I'm sure she was sad to sell "Busta Cap Recording, Ray Ray's Chicken and Ribs and Tyron's Gun Shop". She'll just have to sell some more crack! Thanks again mom and dad for the great game!

Here's a cute pic of the kitties all sharing space on our bed. And, a pic of Tim with his new chair buddy! Hope everyone had a great week!

Funny kitty pics

Mr. Jingles is a Mr. no more. Today we brought him home from his 'procedure' and he's recuperating just fine. Tim and I bought a treadmill and he's busy trying to put it together. I thought I'd post some funny kitty pics. Here's Maddie enjoying her favorite part of xmas, the wrapping paper. Here's another one of Phoebe having a little fun with Maddie when I'm sure she'd just like to be left alone! I'll be enjoying my last weekend of freedom before it's back to school on Monday.

Honeymoon pics

Here are some photos from our honeymoon to Maui, Hawai'i

1. This pic was taken on our drive along the Hana highway which is in Northeast Maui.

2. An Hana highway view ofKe'anae peninsula.

3. Lava boulders and Tim on the Ke'anae peninsula in NE Maui.

4. A black sand beach at Wai'anapanapa State Park in East Maui.

5. A waterfall that Tim and I discovered on our Hana drive.

6. The last place for waterfall swimming (and believe us, there are lots of waterfalls to swim in!) on the Hana drive 'Ohe'o Gulch aka 7 Sacred Pools in SE Maui.

7. What the other side of the crater looks like (compared to the lush green jungle of Hana), dry and desolate.

8. Scenic lookout in West Maui where there are numerous humpback whale spottings during the season. Tim and I saw a few spouts and tails. They come here to birth their calves from Dec-May. Notice the lone fisherman at the edge of the water.

9. A lava formation called Dragon's teeth at Kapalua in West Maui.

10. A view from the Dragon's teeth toward the coastline and the golf courses and resorts of West Maui.

11. More West Maui scenic views.

12. Snorkelers at Honolua Bay in West Maui.

There will probably be more pics to come as they're developed, but that's a little taste of Maui!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone has started off their New Year on a happy and uplifting note! I have been busy cleaning and getting ready for my mum to arrive. Tim and I will pick her up from the airport tonight and that means dad is all by himself this weekend. Well, except for his canine companion that he is dogsitting. :) Yes, that's right...dad is watching a doggy all by himself! He gets along quite well with Lulu (that's a baby Phoebe behind her) and enjoys having her tag along beside him. It's been a quiet day in the 'Cuse. I've brushed and trimmed the little ones (can you spot the kitties) and they are all ready to hang out with their Grandma!

I just checked my grades from my first semester in grad school and I'm happy to say I received A's and B's! Woohoo! It will be interesting to see what the spring semester has in store for us. Happy New Year everyone!