checking in...

uh oh, so marye sent an email pointing out how long it's been since i've updated... what can i say? we've been really, really busy!!
lots has taken place in the last several weeks. we've been working (as usual) on the house and ed is making great progress. we've set a "due date" for dec 20th as a goal to work like crazy and then take a much-needed break. we think we can do enough to make things "live-able" by then... if we (and by "we" i mean ed) work really hard.
marching band is finally done, as are fall ball and cross country. it was a good season for the guys, but very busy. we did a lot of running around. my stint on the "pit crew" (band parents volunteer a lot) was less than stellar. i probably won't be re-hired as a volunteer because i was never where i should have been at the right time... but it was fun! ed's turn to volunteer was a little harder... it rained at that game. this winter, we're facing the continued season for crew (drew) and noah is trying out for basketball. never a dull moment!
hmmm, our church has realigned and left the national episcopal church. phew!! that was a pretty big deal and we're not out of the mess yet, but i'm really relieved to not be worrying so much about being associated with a church that was so far from our beliefs.
my baby brother got married on nov 1 to alison. we had a great weekend in cinci with almost everyone staying in the same hotel... so it was a long weekend party with family and friends. we loved it!! and now the newlyweds are moved to houston and really far away. :(
after bob's wedding, i was able to dye my hair (red/brown)... i was waiting until after the family pics! anyway, i've never really dyed my hair and certainly never tried anything so different in color, so this was a really fun change. ed loves it and that makes me enjoy it even more!
right now, i'm in denver visiting with my best friend from college (alison). it's been awesome to finally meet her baby daughter (at 8 mos, i'm a little behind) and hang out with her hubby (who i've only spent a little time with before). turns out colorado is as beautiful as people say and i'm so glad to get to be here! yeah!!
okay, that's about it for the update at this point. i'll add pictures when i get home - to my home with walls in the front hall!!! (my honey is AMAZING!)

"little house on the hill"

well, we're experiencing life like on "little house on the prairie" these days as we live without power (and water, which apparently requires electricity to pump up the hill). our power went out sunday evening (just as friends were driving up the hill to watch the steeler game, our street went black - along with most of our town) and we're still without. it was kind of fun the first night as we spent time hanging out in the living room with candles lit and no tv, videos, computers, etc. then, the next morning, we didn't go to work and school was cancelled so everyone slept in and enjoyed some "down time" (except ed who continued working on tiling the shower... no rest for the weary!!). by monday night, it was annoying. now, (wednesday) it's just putting me over the edge. i've already done this!! and i hate camping!!
we're told that we should have power back up and running by 11 pm friday. in the meantime, i have to figure out how to feed my family three meals a day (eating out - even for breakfast - is pretty expensive and packing lunches is difficult without a fridge!!), get showers (thankfully, our friends have graciously invited us to shower at their homes), stretch our clean clothes to last until the weekend and keep things sane... yep, this is going to be a fun week.
once we get the power on, we'll clean out the fridge and toss everything. then i can restock. in the meantime, i need to go and buy bottled water for the dogs. i love the girls, but i never thought i'd be buying bottled water for them! but, with the trickle of water that we get, they get really thirsty. and matches. we're about out of those too. the boys love lighting the matches and thankfully, we have lots of candles... and our house now has a very unique scent (from the mix of candles, not our body odor!!). for those who would worry, we do not let the boys take candles upstairs to their rooms. they get the battery-operated camping lantern!
anyway, that's our life these days. work & school give us a little sanity. and computer access so that i can keep track of emails, our banking, etc.

why does everything need a title anyway?

okay, so i haven't fixed the antenna on the truck, my house is a mess, i haven't updated my blog in ages... but my nails look great after my mani/pedi with my friends last night!!
school has started and taylor is back in cross country, drew is doing band (including marching band) and starting crew and noah & ev should be starting fall baseball soon... if we ever hear from the team!
we're busy, busy, busy and i'm quite overwhelmed. ed has been working diligently on the bathroom and the tub, toilet and sink are all up and running. the shower is ready for tile (plumbing is done, cement floor is set) and once we get walls up all around the room (maybe this weekend??), we'll be moving into the master bathroom. yeah!!!!

biting off more than i can chew

so, some time ago, i figured out how to take apart my dryer, fix a broken belt and put the whole thing back together again. it was incredible. i was so proud of myself! and, naturally bragged about my new-found mechanical ability to ed.

then, while we were en route to MN, we were pulled over so that a police man could inform us that one of our tail lights was out. (for the record, we knew it was and had asked for that repair to be done when our car was in for other repairs... apparently they forgot. and how would we know? it's not like we follow each other around in our cars and check out the lights!) so, not wanting to be pulled over again (quite scary to be pulled over and really have no idea why!), i resolved to fix the light myself. so, i was directed to the nearest car part store, got the right bulbs and my father-in-law and i figured out how to open the back panel and fix the lights. again, quite pleased with myself.


now, i have determined to repair our broken antenna on the truck. a while ago, some punk kid broke the antenna off the car (ed says people saw it happen) and we've just managed to go without all this time. but, when we went to see the dark knight at the drive-in, suddenly, not having an antenna was a major problem. (thankfully, we had a radio with an antenna and all of the other cars around us had their radios playing the movie loudly. clearly, we cannot be drive-in movie fans and not have an antenna. and, frankly, i'm REALLY sick of the cd's that are in the car. so, i'm going to figure out the antenna problem. how hard can it be?? HA!

recent activity

geez, i just run and run and run and never seem to get anywhere! anyway, in the past few days, we've been really blessed to have great (and not-so-great) activities! friday, our friend, aaron, took us on his sailboat for a ride down the ohio river... okay, not always a scenic area, but the sail was lovely and the sunset was fabulous! saturday, ed & i worked in our yard. i HATE yardwork, but was trying to make my hubby happy. i ended up with blisters on my fingers and what looks like poison ivy (don't think it is, but i'm not sure what it would be). however, our yard does look a lot better! saturday night, we had dinner with good friends. sunday - before church - i was up on our roof cleaning the gutters... this time, the thrill of such a dangerous task was more scary than exciting. i think we'll go with ed's plan from now on and hire out! then, after church, we headed out to monroeville to attend a party for sheela, chris & kaya (who are moving to bangladesh... i hope that's not going to be the new "hot spot" to move to... although i think sheela's "lady of leisure" experience might be one i want to have!). still a little strange to think that this is where my friends are moving (i thought friends moving to hawaii was too far!!), but i'm really excited for them! what an incredible opportunity!! after the party, we stopped by at my parents' and took part in the "sunday dinner" with the rest of the family in the east end. (we usually don't drive all the way out there for the weekly gathering.) finally, yesterday, ed & i headed to children's hospital after work to take dinner to my friend, lisa, who is there with her 4 year old (waiting for a heart transplant). despite the location/situation, we had such a fun visit! (helps that he's adorable and has one of the BEST personalities ever!) anyway, it's been a whirlwind few days. tonight, we'll slow down... sorta... actually, i'll be heading to walmart for a "big shop"... yes, that's what you have to do on a regular basis when you have 4 growing boys who eat so much that the cupboards are empty all the time! good times.

our trip to "God's country" (aka MN)

we had an incredible time in minnesota with our family. we spent several days at the lake (ed's parents' home) riding on the jet ski and water-skiing, tubing, fishing, volleyball, etc. noah's highlight was learning how to ride on one ski (he got around the lake!) and evan got up on ski's. drew & ed both had fun water-skiing too and taylor and i both went tubing (my favorite). actually, taylor pretty much lived in the tube for most of the time we were in the water!

in addition to our lake fun (which included fireworks on the 4th - ed took most of the kids (all 4 of our boys) out on the pontoon for the fireworks while i stayed back at the house and visited with family), we also got to be part of heather's graduation party (yeah!), we went to duluth (the boys & my first visit) to see the cousins dance in a competition (and we got to see various other family members... apparently duluth was the place to be!), we bet on horses at canterbury, caught a twins game in the dome, and so much more! we had SUCH a wonderful trip - the whole time! ed always says that each visit is better than the last and i think i agree! on our way home, we detoured a bit and stayed at kathy & mike's home so we got a very short visit with them and the kids. here are some pics...

pics for fun

i know, it's been so long since i've posted anything... sorry! a few pics of ed's new grill (for father's day) - it took all five of them quite some time to put it together, but we're so glad to have it! summer is so much more fun with a working grill! then, noah & i got to go with mel & jim to the pirate game. it was such fun!! we had a fun buffet dinner first and then we sat 3 rows behind home plate AND got free nachos, drinks, etc. it was really fun and noah had a blast. (i think he had to keep pinching himself!!)

familiar faces

okay, so several weeks ago, i received an email from the pta giving suggestions on internet places frequented by teens so that we, the dutiful parents, could keep tabs on where our kids are visiting and who they are communicating with. i opened the email and the first internet location was facebook. so, i joined on and started looking to locate any of my boys on facebook. turns out, none of the abbott boys are actually on facebook. however, there are a lot of people who i had lost touch with who are on facebook and it has been really fun to reconnect!! now, i'm the one hooked on facebook and finding old friends and my boys are totally uninterested! go figure.

deja vu

being the athletic gal that i am, i don't quite understand why people are so shocked to see me at the YMCA. maybe because i rarely step foot in the place??
anyway, this morning, i finally determined to check out the exercise class that jenni raves about so much. right now, i still can't figure out why i even went. for one thing, the class starts at 5:45 AM. yes, that would be IN THE MORNING. it's bad enough that i would be going to a workout class, but to have to go at that hour of the day is ridiculous. but, i got up, got dressed and rushed out the door with my water bottle. got to the class - late - and had to walk past everyone and try to jump right in. i can only imagine how entertaining it must have been for the people who were able to watch me. all of my nightmare memories of ballet, show choir, amulets, and any other dance group i've been part of filled my mind as i struggled to follow the steps of the teacher. seriously, it was really bad. i am TERRIBLE with any choreography and this morning was yet more evidence of my lack of rhythm (so sad, since i'm married to a drummer) and total inability to mimic the steps of another. what a disaster. then, to make things worse, i hurt like you wouldn't believe!!! yikes! how i long for my days of reading a book while listening to my ipod and walking on a treadmill... granted, that wasn't doing anything to get me back into shape, but i do love a good book and good music...
ugh. what a morning. at this point, i'm determined to go again on thursday, if not for any other reason than to show the instructor that i wasn't scared off by her "encouragement"... yeah, like i needed to bring attention to my pathetic attempts to keep up! :)

sad occasion, but great to be together!

Granddad's Legacy

this is what i shared at Granddad's funeral... (sorry, it's long... but nowhere near enough!)

In recent years, Granddad expressed concern about not having a “legacy” to leave behind. I know he was uneasy about not having riches to leave behind for his family. It wasn’t that he wanted riches himself, but that he wanted to provide for our every need. Granddad was also discouraged at not having made his mark on the world with his arts… he was never published or sold any of his paintings (to my knowledge). These thoughts were puzzling to me because that wasn’t really the man I’ve always known. Granddad wasn’t concerned with wealth or fame. He always knew that the things of this world were temporary and he was sure of his eternal reward, which had nothing to do with any of his accomplishments. But, despite this, he still struggled over this lacking legacy. When he became sick, I tried to reassure him with this truth: “Granddad, you’ve given us a very rich legacy… we’ve already inherited your legacy!!”

I speak for my siblings and myself (his grandchildren) when I say we were so blessed to have been loved by Granddad and have him as a constant in our lives. We have been shaped and formed by that great man and we are better people because of his influence in our lives!

We dress better because he was a very sharp dresser (who else could pull off wearing his leather jacket and cap?!) – he was particularly concerned with dressing appropriately for the occasion. On Christmas morning, when we were sitting around in pajamas and robes, Granddad would show up in slacks, shirt and sweater AND his bathrobe! And to this day, I cannot wear jeans inside a church sanctuary because Granddad wouldn’t have dared to come into the Lord’s house in anything but his finest!

We speak and write better because of his constant tutelage. Granddad had such a wonderful understanding of the English language and had a passion for grammar and writing that he passed onto his grandchildren. Throughout all the years of our schooling (and well past those years too), we were always welcomed to bring our writings to Granddad for his wise instruction. He loved writing and loved for us to write too.

We behave better because of his impeccable manners. Granddad really was the epitome of a proper gentleman. “Gentleman” is defined as: civilized, educated, sensitive and well mannered. Granddad exceeds the definition. And Granddad was a GENTLE MAN, who lovingly cared for those around him and spoke so gently with his sweet voice.

Finally, we understand God better because of Granddad. Granddad didn’t just teach the scriptures in Sunday School but he taught them consistently, even in casual conversation. Granddad showed us examples of grace and mercy. He was patient, gentle and always had time for us and wanted to talk with us. Granddad taught us that “no one is good, but God” (usually the response if you were foolish enough to answer his “how are you?” with “good”!). By his honest confessions, we better understand that “ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. And by his joyful expressions of being saved by Jesus Christ, we better understand our need for Jesus and our promise of eternal life in Heaven because of His sacrifice.

Granddad was such a special man. I know that everyone has their own stories about Granddad and how he influenced lives. Our experiences with him were unique, as we were his grandchildren and were fortunate to have been raised in close connection to him.

We really did have the best grandfather that ever lived. He played dolls with us, was an excellent guest at tea parties and sang as our choir when we played “church” on his steps. He climbed the 130 steps from 5th street to 6th street with us repeatedly so that we could “count the steps” every time (as though the number might change) and he would play outside with us whenever we asked. He was creative and inventive and made for us an amazing dollhouse and countless other toys.

And while he would sometimes try to influence our decisions (we will always laugh when we remember how he would tell us what we wanted or who or what we liked… “Oh, you want more of this” or “No, you like ____”!), Granddad was always supportive and encouraging of anything we did. He often showed up to cheer us on at swim meets, dance recitals, choral or band concerts, proms, graduations and every special and not-so-special event! He encouraged our hobbies, our friendships and our goals. When my Grandma was dying, she and I had been making a quilt together. Because she was too sick to do it (and I didn’t know how), he stepped in and finished the quilt himself! He was always willing to do whatever he could to help us along.

Granddad was always patient and gentle with us, even when we behaved badly. Even when he was correcting us, he did so in a way that we knew he loved us so much. I must mention that one of his favorite memories was when we girls cried out repeatedly to him to punish Bobby for messing with our toys, but when he came to spank Bobby, all four of his sisters surrounded him for protection! But we never felt anything but safe when we were with Granddad. We were so well loved by him! And we were so blessed that God gave to us – five very undeserving kids – the very best granddad that ever lived!

granddad

today my beloved granddad died... i just don't know what to say. i loved that man so much and i can't believe he's gone.

before he passed away, i just sat talking with him. i told him that i can't imagine my world without him. i talked to him about my memories of him. i talked about his other grandchildren who weren't there but were thinking of him and wishing they could be with him. i read scriptures to him and when i did, even though he was not responsive and never opened his eyes, he cried when i read 1 corinthians 13. i cried and told him that i was so glad to know that he would be in heaven... with my grandma, with his brother and sister, with his baby who died when my dad was little, with his parents, ... but most of all, he would be with Jesus.

i know that granddad was a little fearful of death a few weeks ago. i'm sure its scary to leave behind people you love and want to protect and provide for. and i know that his physical pain was great (i must get my low tolerance for pain from him) and that must have been scary too. but i love that he was reassured when daddy reminded him of his brother's (uncle walter) words before he died, "nothing in my hands i bring, simply to thy cross i cling"... this gave granddad peace. he had peace because he was certain of his salvation through Jesus and Jesus alone... and i know that he is right now with his Savior in heaven, and that gives me peace in the midst of grief and sorrow.

but i still can't believe he's gone...

we saw him on sunday. he wasn't very alert for most of our visit, but he did greet each of the boys and was glad to see them. i thank God that they knew him and were loved by him. and i thank God that i knew him and was loved so well by him.

making progress

well, as usual, my expectations just never fit my reality. first, i was certain that having a new camera would mean that i'd be all about uploading images on my blog and maybe *that* would be the motivation behind posting more updates. um, no.

however, i will add this pic of our friend, nate, who came to visit for dinner before he heads back to england (oxford) for a short time to prepare for travel to the middle east, where he'll be doing research. the boys adore nate (he was a youth leader for drew & taylor last year) and they were thrilled to have him join us for an evening. we had a fun dinner and then, of course, we played a game (chicken foot). it was just so much fun! anyway, here's a photo of nate with the guys.

after that fun on thursday, we had a really busy weekend. friday found everyone off at parties/school dance. saturday morning, ed went for an mri to see what needs to be done with his hurt shoulder (surgery, probably) and then we headed to granddad's to help them move furniture. granddad is not doing well and now needs either a hospital bed in their home (with near constant care) or will be moving to a nursing home soon. so, we did what we could to help get their home in order. several weeks ago, we all visited and granddad had each of us choose a painting of his to keep. we love the ones we received! then, on saturday, taylor was given granddad's art materials (paints, chalks, canvases, etc)... he's so excited!! (but he has to share with his brothers too.) saturday night, ed & i went to a friend's big b'day bash and the guys hung out at home (after drew went to dinner with friends at a mexican restaurant where he had to speak spanish the entire time for a school project and noah went out with his Bible study group from church for a "fun day").

sunday was the daytona 500 (the only nascar race we watch, as we try every year to watch with our friends who host a party for the event). this is always exciting because we hang out with friends and fight to win the coveted prize for guessing the outcome of the race. noah won a few years ago and drew won this year! we're such fans!! then, i gave a testimony at the youth group sunday night (taylor & noah were there to hear it). despite having worked with middle schoolers in the past, it is very different to speak at something like that with your own kids there!

finally, monday was a big work day (the boys & ed were off for presidents day and i was sick... still am). ed started working on re-wiring the second floor/stairs. so, we're back in a state of "disarray", but even though it looks like more of a mess, we've (technically, he) made progress and it is really exciting to think about what these rooms will look like in the near future... you know, with walls and stuff like that!! while ed worked on the electric, the rest of us worked on the "annual cleaning out" of the game room... it's not actually finished yet, but we've made great progress. and that room will be another that is FINISHED soon (probably this spring) so that will be great for everyone! :)

speaking in gifts?

woohoo!!! apparently my family finally tired of hearing all my whining about not having a working digital camera because that's one of the great gifts i got this year for my birthday. in fact, i need to take a moment to properly acknowledge just what my loving hubby and sons did for me this year... my birthday (yes, a few weeks ago) started with blueberry pancakes (my favorite breakfast!) served to me in bed (with pulp-free oj, of course!!). as seems to be our custom, anytime i get breakfast-in-bed, my server is taylor. so, he shows up with my breakfast (+ a plate for himself), he crawls in with me and we eat breakfast while watching an old movie on tcm. right up my alley!! then, ed & i went down to the strip and strolled/shopped a little before coming home and having a really relaxing day with the guys. later that evening, i get to open gifts from my in-laws (my m-i-l is great at sending gifts for every occasion!!) and one package from the guys. it's bath beads (a little treat that i love). honesty, i was quite pleased that they'd thought to get something i wanted and i didn't think about the fact that between 5 of them, all i got was bath beads! but, they informed me that this would be the "birthday week" and i would be showered with gifts for one week! yeah!!!!

the gifts that followed were a new corningware dish & cookie trays (i know, they don't sound exciting, but they are both things i've wanted to replace but didn't feel like i should spend the money when they weren't "necessary"), a beautiful candle, lovely "dangling" earrings, and a digital camera!! these are ALL things that i've specifically wanted and i got each and every one for my birthday week. it was such fun!!

one of my little annoyances with gifts is being given something just for the sake of giving me a gift (not thinking of what i would actually want) or worse, choosing something that the giver wants!! so, with the boys in particular, i've been trying to teach them the art of good gift-giving. at christmas, i really pushed them to think about what their dad would want and it was a new experience for them to actually do that! and i know that ed loves whatever they give him, i know he also really loved the things he was given this year!! i feel like ed did the same this time with my b'day gifts and it was really great!

you know, it's funny... some time ago, i read the "love languages" book and i've struggled to figure out what my love language really is. i know i definitely express love by acts of service... that's why i really do love to cook, keep house (not terribly well, but i do some) and care for my guys. what i didn't realize was how important gifts are to me!! to be honest, while i think it's fine for my friend, jenni, to be a "gifts" person, i felt it was inappropriate to be one myself. (sorry, jen!!) ha!! i think i am!!! just as i know is true for jenni, i don't really need expensive or extravagant gifts, but i love getting "thoughtful" gifts... something that the giver saw that reminded them of me or something that i would really love.

in addition to my awesome b'day gifts from ed and the boys, i also recently received a book by an author that i wanted to check out and an ipod (sweeter than i even imagined it would be to have one) - both of which i'm using as my incentive to go to the gym more!! - in addition to a gift card to talbots and money that i could use to take the family out to dinner (a double gift, as i don't have to cook/clean up!!). yes, believe it or not, the month of january 2008 has made me realize that i really feel loved and appreciated when i receive gifts!! don't get me wrong, i also feel well-loved with words of affirmation, signs of affection, acts of service (like ed putting up swinging doors in both doorways to the kitchen to help me keep the dogs corralled during my work day!!) and spending time with people i love. but now, i can openly say that i also love gifts!! :) truth be known, i often think of gifts that i want to give people. unfortunately, i either can't afford to follow through or i can't get my act together enough to do so. but i do think of giving gifts to show people how i feel about them! so, this isn't really a new love language after all!!

anyway, i seem to be a little camera shy as i try to figure out the camera but here are a few shots that i took of the guys who are right now fighting for world domination in the game of risk in our dining room (note the swing door - not yet painted- and the bike... does everyone else have to keep a bike in the dining room?!? guess this is the price we pay for getting one for taylor in december... he doesn't want to put it away with the other bikes because he hasn't had a chance to break it in yet. um, it's not quite bike weather right now.)

hating xbox360/microsoft

yes, this is a rant/vent/whatever post... i've just spent hours and hours (over the past few days) trying to help drew get results from the xbox360 repair center. i can't remember ever having such frustration with a company before. i am so angry that i want to rip someones hair out!
i took up calling because they kept giving drew the run around. after a number of calls and LONG waits for my calls to be answered, i finally reached a supervisor today. she (whose name was "george") was completely unhelpful as she simply repeated again and again the "policy"... that would be that they can't "advance" on an order without a tracking number for the order. um, that would have been a good thing to mention to our teenage son when he called for instructions for mailing his defective disc to them! instead, they gave him a reference number, which he dutifully marked on the disc and on the envelope before mailing to the repair center in TX. when i mentioned that drew hadn't been instructed to get a tracking number, she told me that in order for her to help me, i would have to come up with one. oh, okay, i'll just run over to my local post office and ask them to track a package we sent in october... that should be no problem, right?! i actually asked her if she'd mailed anything from a post office recently (she had), then i asked how she would go about tracking her mail after it has been sent. (shockingly, she had no response.)
anyway, she got a little frosted and said that "everyone else sends packages with tracking orders" so i replied that drew's should be easy to find - his would be the one WITHOUT a tracking number! she didn't like that. then, i asked what the policy was for handling packages that arrived without a tracking number and she told me that they can't share that information with me. so, i'm guessing that the answer is not "we process them in the order in which they arrive"... my guess is, they just toss them and assume they won't be held accountable if one can't prove they received it.
the sad thing is, after i started making these calls (foolishly assuming that there was some misunderstanding and that i could get it cleared up and get their disc returned), i started looking online and almost everywhere i went (related to xbox 360, of course), there were frustrated complaints about the repair center. okay, if we got a defective disc, isn't that their fault?! and if we followed the instructions given for returning the defective one and receiving a replacement, shouldn't that have been enough?! i know it shouldn't be a big deal to just go out and get another copy of the game for them, but now, my faith in their company is zilch. and what happens if we have another problem??? how much money should we toss away before we finally quit xbox360 altogether?! besides that, i am so angry with their "customer service" - which isn't service at all. and they certainly don't care much for their customers!! i spent hours being nice and friendly and got no where. finally, when i got good and angry, i got to speak to a supervisor and she was horribly unhelpful! oh, every time i think of her, i want to scream. at the end of our call, she told me to have a nice day... i was so mad that i actually told her that i hope her day is bad because she's effectively ruined mine. hello, am i four years old?!?!