So Grateful..

I am forever grateful to ever have crossed paths with this man that I can now call MY husband!  It's amazing to look back over the many years to see just how God brought our lives together! I can honestly say that....

God knew JUST what I needed! 

With Tim being gone this week, I have found myself many times sorting through folders of pictures of our memories together. I seem to do this a lot when he has to be on business. It brings a smile to my lips and allows me to reminisce on so many fun moments, making him feel not so far away.

Life with him is never dull. He knows how to find fun in even the smallest things, making me smile & laugh everyday. I love his sense of humor and those smirks I'll catch with something we find funny together. It's those "eye catching moments" we give each other at just the right times before breaking into laughter or understanding that silent message or thought... His outlook on life is always full of optimism, and when I seem to struggle at times, he finds a way to help change my perspectives! 

He is the most patient, fun-loving man, with such a big heart to help others! I feel like I am a far better person for having him in my life... 

So, in this moment, I thought I would pull just a FEW of the 1000's of pictures I'm sure I have, and share them with you. :-)

You make my life so rich by just being in it. 

Missing you so....

I was blessed to have known & loved you, Rumple..

I remember the day when Mom was totally against EVER having a pet. She didn't want anything to do with the potential scents in her home of being a pet owner, nor the shedding of fur throughout. You would have thought she would never waiver in her decision... until it happened. We were asked to watch you for a short period of time by the Wells and then were given the opportunity to keep you! After some brief hesitation, Mom gave in! Ya know what, it took all of 5 minutes to win Mom's heart over. Rumple, you became mom's little pride and joy for a pet and we, sisters were overjoyed to call you ours too. We even joked at times calling you our brother we never had. Our childhood was definitely enriched with fun, precious memories of you. 

You were the most well behaved dog anyone could ask for. You also knew how to shake "friends", sit, go fetch, say please, etc. You knew how to dance.. whether it was because you saw & smelt some delicious food that one of us had to eat, had to "go outside", or heard one of us driving in the driveway. It was always nice to know you were waiting for your family to get home, the ones you loved and who also loved you very much. We were never alone with you around. You made sure you knew where each of us were, as you traveled through each of the rooms. You ALWAYS knew when one was sad and needed comfort or uplifting, didn't feel well, or was alone at home. Yup, you would be right there cuddling up next to us! We felt safe with you and enjoyed your company. We knew you would even keep our secrets, as I am sure we told you a ton! Sometimes we just needed to vent. You listened just the way we needed you to..

(Comforting Mom after her surgery)

Do I smell a burrito?

When there were any celebrations, with gifts involved, you wanted to nuzzle your nose and teeth into the gifts to open them for us. You were successful on many occasions! It was always fun to watch you. We always had a stocking at Christmas filled with snacks and toys just for you. We loved the excitement in knowing you knew it was for you. There were times mom would have the stockings down from the fireplace and on the couch, and you made it your responsibility to get up next to them and "watch" them all.. just in case someone were to snatch yours ;-)

I'm watching you... 

 You don't believe me, now do you? Just try it!

 We loved to watch you open your stocking! We gave you your own special time!

Helping Dad open his birthday gifts!

You loved to be outside with your dog friends. As soon as you sensed or "sniffed" that they were out or heard their barks, we would find you wanting to go outside and head over the hill.. Sometimes, we would even see you looking back over your shoulder to see if we were watching you go.. I'd hear your "barking" conversations and always wondered what you were saying. You loved to christen all the trees on the property when you had to "go." You loved to chase the birds and the squirrels when you could. Unfortunately, I can't say you crept up on them quietly enough. It was ok though, as I didnt want to see the innocent taken. It was fun watching you play. You chased us all over, never seeing you tire until you got back inside! We would find you, after getting a 45 second drink, checking everyone's status'and whereabouts out and then rolling over on your back and falling asleep in seconds. We listened to you snore and dream on many occasions. Sometimes we would have to shake you to stop or wake up! 

Rumple, you were so easily played with and teased. I can't say some of the teasing was the nicest in some ways, but it sure provided great entertainment to us all. I had found out about the idea to wrap your paws in aluminum foil, securing them with light rubber bands or something similar. We watched you try to walk. It was the funniest thing to watch. You looked like a drunk dog with feet sliding and the coordination to them nearly gone. We only did that a couple times before I started to feel real guilty for doing it. We also loved to put a small amount of peanut butter to the roof of your mouth and watch you try to eat it. I know, I know... we were terrible, but you were such a great sport about it. We loved to dress you in different outfits over the years, and most times you didn't seem overly fond of it. Within a short period of time, you were trying to wiggle your way out, and in your own ways asking for help!

Rumple, we loved when you smelled nice and clean, so we gave you baths frequently. Unfortunately, you hated them.. You would be having fun and seem full of energy, but as soon as we said, "Alright, Rumple! It's bath time!" You would stop dead in your tracks, put your breaks on and your head down. Once in the tub, you made sure to keep your nose up on the edge in fear of us drowning you or something. Who knows?! You loved to be cradled in a towel for several minutes after your bath, and when you felt you were ready, you'd push away from our arms and jumped down to the carpet to roll and rub your body dry, before a final shake. You became a happy puppy and full of energy again running in circles throughout the house. Sometimes, we would try to chase you around the dining room table, but you were always smart enough to turn around at just the right time. 

You loved to go for rides and walks. When we would ask you if you wanted to go for a ride, there was no doubt in our minds that you wanted to go! You instantly shook your body so intensely and danced around us until we walked out the door. You made sure you were the first one out too in fear of being left behind. You always got nervous when you saw any one of us packing a suitcase and taking it to the door. We always told you that you could go along too. You made many trips to visit the relatives in Lake Placid with us. If we weren't quite ready to leave yet, you made sure you stayed near us. If you thought we took a bit too long to leave, you wouldn't hesitate in giving that excited shake again making sure we knew that we told you you could go along. As soon as you were in the vehicle, you would act like you were biting at and licking the window and everything outside. You wanted the window down, so you could "bite" at the air. The thing was, you were never a biter, so I dont know what you thought the air was going to do to you. There were many times that I would deliberately put my finger in your mouth as you would nip at something, and you instantly would become gentle, never latching down, but would start licking. There was never a mean bone in your body, unless a child became a bit rough with you. Of course, the child thought they were just playing, but you hadn't had time to figure them out yet. Most times, you actually were great with strangers, making your rounds with sniffs... scouting out the area. Once everything was safe in your mind, you found your family to be around.

Matty loved you, and always took a special interest in you. It was his responsibility to fill your dog bowl when it got low, and I know you appreciated it. He loved to lay down on the floor next to you and pet you. He always talked about you to me on the phone when I couldn't be there in person! I am so glad you both were able to meet and be friends.

Christmas time definitely proved to be a time full of photos, family photos. We got one every year with you! You were a special part of our family. Thank you for loving us like you did!

Christmas 2014! Our last one with you. :-(

This upcoming Christmas will be very hard, and many more that may come along. I know one thing for sure... Our family photos will never be the same without you.

Life with you, Rumple, was never dull. You filled our home with fun times, loving memories, and a life of happiness. Sometimes, just to spend those youthful years with you, I wished to go back in time for a little bit. It's been hard to see you become older and slow down. We began to wish we could see you do certain things again - to run and play like you had, to meet us at the door with a dance, to go up the stairs. We wished you could hear us tell you we loved you, or respond to your name when we called. So many things we wished... and that was the hard part.

Our lives were changed when you came to us.. and clearly haven't been the same since you left. My heart has been heavy all week knowing you are gone! You were our friend, a special part of our family and will forever be missed. 

I Love you, Rumple & forever will!  

6/1996-10/12/2015

The Tower that Towers Over ALL..

To my amazement, this tower really does tower over all, let alone be seen from nearly everywhere in Paris.. All it takes is looking up, and turning til you find it :-) 

I had the privilege of going to Europe in late July and aside from all the preparation nerves, I'm so glad to have went.. This trip will forever be great memories to us! To know that it was something we really had hoped to be able to do sometime, and to say that it ACTUALLY happened is awesome! 

Over the course of several posts, I hope to let you in on some memories and experiences we have had.. but I'm sure it will take awhile, as I'm already nearly 2 months late! What is it that they say, "Better late than never?"

I thought I would start out by sharing just a few of MANY snapshots of the Eiffel Tower. This first one may just be the first one I snapped, as we walked to our hotel. I went back and forth between the cell phone and the camera, so who knows. I have to say though, I've been hesitating even posting pictures yet, as my love clearly has better snapshots and wanted to use his!

To see the tower in person is quite amazing, to say the least. It definitely was the biggest highlight for me! I mean, when one thinks of Paris, the first things that pop into my mind is Love & the tower! To be here with my Love and enjoy this beauty together was incredible! Paris has a lot more to offer too, which I may get into at a later date.. but for now, here are just a few shots.

...Paris By Day...

This shot below was while we were at the Eiffel tower itself waiting to go to the top! What an incredible moment! Tim has a group shot of us & the couple we went with, and when I can, I will insert also.)

...Paris By Night...

A painful focus..

When one thinks of going on vacation, especially females, :-) we dream about our outfits to take with us, our MANY options. We want to look cute and have cute shoes to go with each outfit! I bought this pair (below) a while ago now, and have worn them frequently with very little issues! (A side note) I seem to have an issue with the muscles to my arches that flair up and get tight, causing a LOT of pain when walking. This problem I became aware of probably 4 years ago.. and it was not fun nor has it been since... Forcing myself to walk great distances, with minimal support to the arches and a  lack of relaxation to the muscles (tightening my muscles to keep my shoes on my feet) etc is just asking for trouble, so in preparation for the trip, Tim & I searched high and low for some good sneakers with great support to take along! We knew we would be walking ALL over these cities and wanted to eliminate the potential of this flareup. This was a priority for Tim, as he took me all over to find just the right shoes.. You ask? So why these shoes? I wanted to look cute for when I saw him upon arrival :-) I love these shoes, and thought they would be a safe choice since I've worn them a lot here and felt great! Due to some itinerary complications in starting my trip that I'll elude to later on, I had to do some running.. and ran just fine in these too! They treat my feet well, most times... until I arrived in Paris and started walking in their HEAT! Within 5 minutes, I had 3 decent sized blisters in the locations of the straps that became my focus most of the trip! I tried so hard to block it out of my mind, and focus on capturing pictures and enjoying every moment, but the pain and irritation was almost too great.

I anticipated this problem and brought a few band aids and ointment as a backup, 

but what is seen here, is NOTHING like the collection I ultimately had. The blue/greenish hard cases of specialty band aids are the BEST.. They have this thickness to them that truly provides comfort, decreased irritation and are the utmost of quality. Regular band aids did no good. We visited their pharmacies several times a week, buying a couple packages of these specialty 6 count band aid kits that cost between 8-10 euro each time. Yea, definitely not a way I wanted to spend money. It was my only hope of relief I received. I should have saved them all for the final count and picture, but didnt.

So, you ask.. "Surely, you thought to wear those wonderful new sneakers that you spent so much time  looking for to help with some added relief?" I did, but the problem was.. I never thought to try breaking them in before taking them on the trip. Growing up, when we would get new clothes and shoes for our first day of school, we were not allowed to wear them until THE FIRST DAY. This has been ingrained in me, and never thought otherwise! When I thought they would provide me the relief I needed in the areas of the blisters, I was just greeted with new ones to my heals :-( My feet were plastered with band aids - top of my feet and back of heals, and at some points to the bottoms too. I was a mess to say the least and the heat didn't subside until we got to Switzerland, more than a week later!  Each day became this dilemma of which blisters do I want to give more relief to? I was alternating shoes every day and sometimes going back to the room to try the 3rd pair. 

Traveling with another couple that had each day packed with things to do and see, I didnt want to be the one to alter their plans! We had discussed these plans before hand, but they had taken the reigns of planning initially since we weren't sure if we were going to go! The plan was to pretty much walk to each place if possible, as you can clearly see so much more than hiding out on the subway. We were there to experience the city, so why not. I had expressed my concerns of walking so much with the history of my feet to Tim prior, and he always expressed if we had to stop and rest etc. we could do just that, however often I needed. Believe me, I didnt want to be the cause of slowing anyone down, and the idea of it bothered me greatly, but I had to different times. Every break was my moment of relief, but they were just too far gone to benefit from each break when starting to walk again. :-/ It was so sunny and hot each day that I wore sunglasses.. The sun glasses actually benefited me in the sense that they hid my tears.. I did all I could to not get emotional, but unfortunately I couldnt hold out. It was embarrassing to me to cry because I just couldn't walk anymore.. We would be so far away from the hotel and the thought of having to get back about killed me. The muscles in my feet were also tightening up on me and I was scared of a full blown flare up. When this happens, I can hardly be on my feet at all for 3-4 days, icing the arches and wrapping them, massaging them, before everything subsides. Yea, I clearly didnt need that. Luckily, I caught that in time, and ended up canceling on some evening plans of dinner and a cruise on the Reine River to try and rest up! I felt terrible, but knew this is what I needed to do that evening. Tim & I ate some of our snacks and protein bars for "our dinner" that evening. He was such a good sport about it. I told him he could have gone ahead and ate dinner with Tony & Meghan and I would just rest. He wouldnt leave me which was so sweet!

This brings me to an experience that I will never forget! Our canceled plans the night before were attempted the next evening after I rested... We had been out all day, and once again was feeling pain and discomfort, so instead of walking back to the room to rest/get ready before our evening out, I asked Tim is he minded that we take the Subway back towards the direction of the hotel to save on some walking. We did just that, while Tony & Meghan decided they still wanted to walk the distance back! We set up a time to meet back in the lobby to go to dinner later and went our separate ways. We had already taken the subway a couple times by now I think, but not necessarily because of me.. so we took it again this time. We got on and found there to be minimal seating, and ended up sitting facing a couple next to the doorway, where as most seats go in one direction. We always figured out our route and tried to familiarize ourselves with what the stop we needed to get off of looked like or what we even thought it sounded like. Everything was announced in french so never understood it. We always went off of sight. So, Pasis' subways are a bit older than other country subways and their doors are a bit harder to open. We arrived at our stop, stood up and Tim attempted to get the door open! After struggling for a moment, the french couple across from us leaned over to help him open the door and successfully did so. Tim got off and at that time, as I was trying to get off, the door to the train closed before I was able to get off myself. Apparently, they dont stay open long for unpopular stops! I stood in pure fear seeing Tim on the other side and the train starting to move. In that moment, our eyes were doing whatever communication a quick moment would do and I had to try to translate what Tim's was to mean quickly. He motioned with his pointer finger in the direction the train was going...I thought, "What was that to mean?" The french couple realized real quick what had happened, and attempted to help me. They tried talking to me in french and all I could do was shake my head no and shrug my shoulders, They pointed to my cell phone also thinking I could just try calling him, but clearly I had no service to use it. I was carrying around the phone primarily to take pictures :-) They grabbed the door to try reopening it and got it about 6 inches or so, and then the door forcefully shut the rest of the way. I was on my way.... Everything you could imagine went through my mind. I didnt have a map, nor did I have the name or address of the place we were staying. I didnt even have money on me to get a taxi if I had to. I didnt know when or what the next stop would be... I just was on my way. Anyone that knows me, knows Im absolutely terrible with directions and would never find my way. I knew I just had to get off. I couldnt stay on getting farther and farther away... so the very NEXT stop, which was a desolate stop, (LITERATELY, NOTHING OR NO ONE WAS THERE)  I stood up, and just said "I'm getting off." I struggled to get the door open and finally did. I had everyone on that train looking at me like I was absolutely crazy. A young female, in her orangish/red dress getting off at this stop was pure craziness! I saw it in their eyes... I knew what they were thinking. The french couple initiated conversation with the other people in the train car about what happened.. and all eyes peered out to watch. I now was standing there twirling around with my hands over my eyes, about ready to explode with tears/ My heart was racing so bad, and all I could do was pray. I prayed that I would be protected and that my translation of what I saw in Tim was correct.. I prayed that I wouldn't have to wait long and he would come after me. I knew it was more of a danger for me to try taking a train back to his location... I would never of gotten there. We would have been passing each other all over the city depending on what I had done if I hadn't gotten off. Within a few moments, I heard another train coming through the tunnel and went running. I scanned as many windows as I could to try spotting Tim. When I did, I was afraid he wouldnt have seen me and wouldn't get off. I waved my hands to get his attention.. In that moment, the train stopped and Tim jumped off real quick! I ran into his arms shaking and balling my eyes out. I was so scared and relieved at the same time! If I hadn't gotten off when I did, this could have been a very difference situation. In a moment of fear, one doesnt always think clearly, thus the decisions arent the best. I knew that God had impresed the idea in me to just get off. After I calmed down a bit, I mentioned that if only we had a plan for something like this, it wouldnt have been so scary. It was then, we made a plan of who would do what and where they would go if this happened again. From that moment on, I hated about every subway train we went on, and shook about every time we went to get off. I always latched onto Tim's clothes and knew I was always going to be real close to prevent from happening again. When we would be carrying our luggage on the trains, we made sure to step off at the same time or Tim would take my luggage so I didn't struggle getting off.

It wasnt until Switzerland when I got use to ridding the trains a bit more. They were very updated and we didnt have to struggle at getting the doors open. They opened with a push of a button.

This whole experience happened because of my discomfort and wanted some walking relief.. and in the end, received the scare of my life. I came through it and thats all that matters now!

I have to wonder if you all think that this wasn't necessarily the best trip after all. NO! We had a great time.. most good times, also have some negative with them. I dont mean at all to make this post or my experience seem negative! It just was part of the experience for me. I promise, we had a great time and made many fun memories!  This is just the start to 2 weeks of adventure and fun!

To be continued at a later date... :-)

Just a little fun ahead..

Today was to be a blog post kind of day, or at least that was my hopes and was excited when thinking about it! I guess today had other plans...  I thought I would go ahead and upload some mini posts just to feel like I'm not so far behind, even though until I really get my Europe posts done, Im sure I will feel the same.

Here are a few posts to enjoy!

July 4th x 3!

With so many to choose from and well, so many events and fun times that have been left behind, I thought I would grab a few celebration shots to represent each year! There are WAY too many for IN, so just chose a selected few :-) to share! Love fireworks!

July 4, 2013

July 4, 2014 Weekend

What a great job Lynette did in decorating!

Oh, the delicious food too ;-)

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Such a great time was had! Found myself reminiscing several times this year over last year's memories! 

July 4, 2015

We had a mid afternoon meal at Phil's BBQ with Tim's friend, Mark! It is by far the BEST restaurant we have ever come across for pulled pork! Believe me we have tried many.

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