Reading List

Kate Gosselin is my hero. If you're a fan of Jon & Kate Plus 8 you'll love their new book. She uses a ton of bible verses to describe some of the situations she's endured throughout marriage and parenthood. I would love to meet Kate and her brood. I'd also love to have a "quiver full"....one day...


I stole our copy of Marley & Me back from my mom last weekend while we were home. I finished my second read last night before bed. I think I cried for nearly and hour (AGAIN) after I finished the final page. I'd forgotten what a great read this one really is. We've been planning to go see the movie this weekend but I'm not sure I can and if I do I'll need LOTS of Kleenex!!

Santa EJ put this under the tree for me. MAJOR BROWNIE POINTS!!

We're headed Uptown tonight for sushi and the countdown at Nikko's. Check back later for our 2008 In Review: His & Her Edition

Happy New Year!

Holiday Hangover

We made it back home after nearly a week of travel to multiple Christmas celebrations, mainly in the sandhills, around the state. Its good to be back home, our home. Back to work tomorrow for me, as Roo will most likely spend the day getting everything in the house back in order...and catching up on the DVR. Not sure I am ready to fall back into the routine, though luckily a short and broken work week will not afford that routine to settle just yet. I am fairly certain that I am ready to return to eating normal amounts of food each day. Riley's family, unbeknownst to them, spoils me with food. Every meal is a mouth-watering feast. The fact that Riley can make just about anything had over the holidays makes my mouth water a little more. I hope to learn to smoke some meat, as we were treated to a deliciously smoked spread from my step-brother Mike Thursday night. Max and Kennedy also feasted on more table scraps than usual this week, but all in all, I believe they are ready to get back to the normal swing of things. The trash man comes tomorrow, as he does every Monday, and he will find a bin full of bows and ribbon, boxes and paper scraps. But these hardly tell the true tale of 2008's Christmas. It will be the first of many for Roo and I as husband and wife and it will be memorable for many reasons: I read a book in less than 24 hours, a first in the history of me (sure its Twilight and written on the level of an 8th grade girl, I still did it), Riley's dad's side of the family had a mini-reunion (again, with maximum food selection), I learned the true meaning of giving a gift and all that goes into it, we discovered Max to be a dog with no understanding of the society-imposed cat-dog love-hate relationship and we discovered that sometimes less is more. of course, this is just scratching the surface. I could go on and Roo could paint a similar or completely different picture...but I won't, because I have to get up early for work tomorrow. We hope everyone had an equally enlightening and enjoyable Christmas holiday!

"I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick."

I wrapped my first Christmas present of the season today. Any given year that may be the norm, but this year is much different than most before. This year, my shopping was done early. Most years, for me, early meant the 23rd of December. An oft overlooked and underestimated perk of marriage though is centered around gift-giving. All of our gifts are stamped "From" Riley and EJ. And Riley did a wonderful job of co-ordinating our gift giving efforts. Unlike most years, the only person I had to work at getting gifts for were Roo. And unlike most years, I listened, paying close attention to her hints and wants. Hence, she won't be getting a shower radio this year. 2008 was great, for the obvious reason. But now being married, holiday shopping season seamlessly and stress-less-ly came and went.

Holiday travel however does not come so easy. Go see Vince Vaughn and Reece Witherspoon in Four Christmases and you'll understand. Perhaps not as dramatic, but I wish there were an easier way to spend time with all of our families at Christmas. It is family that makes this time of year mean so much, not the gifts nor garland lights (that I never hung). I will definitely start my house decorating design much earlier in the calendar. There simply wasn't enough wattage this winter.

It certainly doesn't feel like winter either, the Christmas Day forecast puts the high around 70. Tomorrow, sans Christmas sweaters, we will continue to rejoice the reason for the season and bask in all things Dasher and Dancer. We will celebrate our family and feast on the turkey and fixin's. Honoring all the Comets, Cupids, Donners and Bliztens.

Lo, hear me exclaim ere I close out this web site, Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night.

"Rich is the person who has a praying friend." Janice Hughes

My mom was diagnosed with multiple myeloma two months before our wedding this year. Multiple myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells which attacks and destroys bone. There is no known cure, but it is treatable.
She went through radiation treatments throughout April and May and since then her lab work has not shown cause for further treatment. – until 3 weeks ago. A change in lab work (a change that signifies the disease is progressing) led to a second bone marrow biopsy on Friday. My Aunt Lib and I were able to be in the room during the procedure. I’ll share two things about the procedure: (1) The tool used for the biopsy is about the size of a nail. (2) The woman who did the procedure was a very robust woman and had to use ALL of her robustness (is that even a word?) to drill the nail sized tool into my mom’s hip bone.
We’ll know the results of the biopsy next Tuesday. The biopsy results will determine if we’ll move forward with treatment or continue to monitor lab work on a monthly basis. We’re hoping for the latter.
I share this very personal information with our readers because I am asking for one small favor from each of you. Pray for my mom. Pray for her health. Pray for the doctors who care for her. Pray that the news we hear on Tuesday will be an answer to our prayers. EJ started this blog to share our lives with friends and family. However, we now share our lives with readers across the country who we’ve never met. I have enjoyed getting to know several of you through your own blogs. Those of you who openly share your love for Christ and share your own life struggles are among my favorites. I can only hope that across the miles a few of you will hear my request and pray for my mom. To those of you who do – thank you from the bottom of my heart.

It hopes in all things, it endures in all things.

We're celebrating 7 months today!

My grandfather read this passage from the Bible during our ceremony. He is an amazing man and it was a blessing having him be a part of our wedding.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13
If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a tinkling symbol.
And if I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
And if I dole out all my goods, and if I deliver my body that I may boast but have not love, nothing I am profited.
Love is long suffering, love is kind, it is not jealous, love does not boast, it is not inflated.
It is not discourteous, it is not selfish, it is not irritable, it does not enumerate the evil.It does not rejoice over the wrong, but rejoices in the truth
It covers all things, it has faith for all things, it hopes in all things, it endures in all things.
Love never falls in ruins; but whether prophecies, they will be abolished; or tongues, they will cease; or knowledge, it will be superseded.
For we know in part and we prophecy in part.
But when the perfect comes, the imperfect will be superseded.
When I was an infant, I spoke as an infant, I reckoned as an infant;
when I became [an adult], I abolished the things of the infant.
For now we see through a mirror in an enigma, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know as also I was fully known.
But now remains faith, hope, love,
these three;
but the greatest of these is love.

Christmas Cards are Done!!

Has everyone been crazy busy like we have?!?! We finally got all of the Christmas decorations up last night - just in time for me to leave on yet another work trip. I'm spending the rest of the week in rainy Baltimore (and of course I forgot my umbrella). Thankfully this will be the last trip until after the holidays!! We've got a busy weekend ahead of us -- final Christmas shopping, Christmas Dinner Theater at church, EJ's work holiday party, baby Buxton's church dedication, and my great uncle's birthday party!! Whew!

Hope everyone enjoys our VERY FIRST Christmas card. I apologize for spoiling the surprise for those of you who'll be getting one in the mail! We chose a few of our favorite photos from the past 6 months (7 in 7 days!). Left to Right: Honeymoon in Antigua, Chicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers in September, Dorothy & The Scarecrow on Halloween, Sunday afternoon after taking in the sights and sounds of "Christmasville" on Main Street.