Rob's Halfway House - #10

[Tornado]

My knee is feeling a little better this morning. At least it didn't get stiff overnight, so that's something. I've strapped it up again, but I think I should be right to go to work.

Tracy - You so sound busy! I hope you get your sleep in on Friday.

marielle - 6.00 am is our sleep in time. It's as late as we can get Little Man to stay in bed on weekends. On weekdays we are up at 5.30 am every morning. He used to have me up at 5.00 every morning when he was smaller. He never once slept from 7.00 pm to 7.00 am like some wonderful kids do! Abduction's okay if you look at it as a teen flick, which is what it is supposed to be. I think a lot of reviewers, if they weren't anxious just to can it because it was Twilight star-related, looked at it as if it was for all audiences. It's not. For what it is it is okay.

Songbird - I remember well when I got the chicken pox! Little Man hasn't had it; we have vaccinations against it now, although I think they can still get it, even with the vaccinations, but it is far less common. My husband is a real estate photographer. He takes photos of houses for sale and for builders. Houses always look their best lit up at night. I'm glad you enjoyed The Host. I'm really looking forward to the movie now!

Sean - yes, the fans need to learn that Rob and Kristen are still human beings and are entitled to downtime. They shouldn't be expected to be on display every moment of their lives.

Caryn - I saw those photos of them at the exhibition. Good on Rob for supporting Kristen that way I must confess, though, I would never let Hubby drag me to a game of cricket! That's why we have a son! I did used to watch him play soccer, though, and I would go if Little Man was in a game. That's enough of a labour of love. I hate sport. It's hard enough to play board games with my son. I hate them too. Thanks for that still from BD Pt 2. It's gorgeous!

[Susie]

Hi All!

Sorry I missed yesterday! Wednesdays are a busy day for me now that I have my pool therapy as well as my Sonny Boy driving/dinner duty. I have a knee update, so I've put it in invisible font for those of you who are bored to tears with all of my knee talk. Eureka! I know the real reason I had such a setback a few weeks after surgery. It wasn't so much that the cortisone wore off, it was some of the PT exercises *grumble*bike*grumble*! I know this for sure now because that particular intense pain had subsided because I cut out certain exercises and on Tuesday, my therapist put me on a recumbent exercise bike. I said the doctor told me not to do bikes with my Stage 3 arthritis. She said he must have meant outdoor bicycling. I could only do it for a short time and it was excruciating. Now I've got that intense pain back now. It will probably be at least a week before that goes away again! I'm so angry!!! The doc also said not to move my knee more than 90 degrees during exercises and my therapist said that was only for weight bearing exercises. Since I got better after I stopped those bending exercises, I think the doctor is the one who is right. Luckily I'm done with my PT sessions and am doing exercises on my own. It's infuriating to think that some of those exercises actually made me worse! End of knee update.

Shall we continue with more interesting things now?

Lynne - When you said you twisted your knee, I truly grimaced! So glad it feels better today. Watching the BBC Masterpiece Theatre version of Emma now. Not as good, but fun to compare the actors playing the same roles. Next up: BBC Pride and Prejudice.

Brenda - So sorry to hear that your son got in another fight and that you had to deal with all that while he was on the band trip. Sorry I don't have experience with that particular area of parenting. Good luck as you deal with this delicate issue.

Amy - Hi! I was wondering where you were!

Marielle - That's terrible that your company is going to have you do that new job temporarily and then give it to a permanent new hire! I don't blame you for being disheartened!! Does it have anything to do with part time vs full time status?

Grayce - That sounds very scary, having your hands go numb like that! Yikes! Take care of yourself.

Alphie - Skyping at the HHCon is an excellent idea! Especially since there are other HH Members who can't attend as well. We'll need some technical expertise to get that set up, though (not me). Since you did say Nashville - Surely you could meet Tracy, and maybe me too for lunch sometime. (You know how I like to fly around and meet Lexiconers!) I actually flew to Nashville just to have lunch with Tracy and then flew right back to Minneapolis. Crazy!

Caryn - Thanks so much for the first official BD2 still! You're right - it is starting all over!! YEAH!! I love the excitement. This will be the last time, though. Let's enjoy it while we can. I agree with what you said about how romantic it is for Rob to go with Kristen to Fashion Week even though it's not his thing. He does sort of overshadow her, though. I mean, he tries to fade into the woodwork, but his hoboliciousness makes that impossible. He'd do better to just wear business casual!! Sorry you're having a stressful week. Take your time on that little thing I sent you. It's supposed to be for fun and relaxation.

Sean - Do you mean your brother was able to see the solar storm last night? Cool!

JennJenn - Don't worry about catching up - it's just good to see "SwanCullen" appear on the thread!

Songbird - I totally understand the limitations of finding a job to fit the family schedule. I stayed home with my kids when they were little, but had a weekend job as a historical site interpreter (guide). I was really lucky to find that job. So sorry about the Chicken Pox, but it was a funny story about "mosquito bites". You are a fun mom, making it fun to stay home. Chocolate Cheesecake? My mouth is watering!

Tracy - I think you should tell the kids not to bother you until 9:00 tomorrow morning. As I said to Lynne - I'm watching the BBC Emma now, but will then move on to the classic - P&P with Colin Firth. *sigh* Did you happen to notice my suggestion to Alphie? I've been thinking about that for a while now.

Ginnie - Good luck working on that resume. I absolutely hate doing that. At least you have excellent writing skills, as we all know!

Tonise - I'm so glad to see you pop in. I was pretty sure you were just swamped like most full-time teachers are, but all the same, it was reassuring to see your bold purple font!

OK. Time to ice and elevate! (oops! Sorry about the knee reference)

Bye! See you tomorrow!

[Jazz Girl]

Alphie~ Believe me, we’re bummed you can’t join us as well. Hmmm, I know I can’t make the Nashville Con in April, but the BD2 viewing party might just be a possibility. I’m not that horridly far from Nashville. That’s absolutely a definite possibility. Please keep me on the list for information as we get closer.

Grayce~ Oh goodness. I hope the issues with your neck clear up. That would be scary to me. Holy gods, woman, that gif is just…

Lynne~ I’m glad your knee is feeling a bit better. Knees are just tricky things. Well, we all have our own limits. There are certain things even I can’t sit through anymore for Hubs. But, it’s the principle of the thing in general. Gorgeous doesn’t even begin to cover that photo, in my opinion. He is just breathtaking.

Susie~ Ugh, how frustrating!! Seems like maybe your doctor and therapist should have had a meeting to make sure they were on the same page. I’m sorry you’ve had so many setbacks. So far I’ve been able to delude myself that it isn’t quite the end. Ummm… thing you sent? I’m afraid I’m missing that reference.

Off to do a bit of reading. Laters.

[velvet409]

Help Needed:

I could really use some advice from the experienced travelers in the group. I'm working on my flight itinerary for HHCon, but I rarely ever travel and I've never planned a trip like this. If check-in at the hotel on Thursday is after 4pm and check-out is before 4pm on Sunday, what times should I look to arrive and depart? Any tips for finding the best ticket prices? Does anyone know anything about Southwest Airlines' "Wanna Get Away" ticket price option? They're pretty cheap but that makes me wonder what kind of restrictions they impose. Has anyone used this option before? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm a real novice at this.

Thanks!

[missp]

Hi, Siblings! Just a quick drive-by tonight to say I'm thinking about each and every one of you! I am awaiting the deposit of my tax refund into my checking account from our most "wondermous" government to book the flight to Chicago! I am a little irked, though! There isn't a Southwest NONSTOP flight into Chicago at a time close to check in. I think the flight will get in around 8:30 or 9:30. Whatever will I do in Chicago until 4 pm? Are any of you girls arriving that early on Thursday? My mani/pedi tech says we will LOVE Chicago in June! She also informed me to just go ahead and pack the pony-tail holders and wear my hair in a pony-tail the whole trip. It will be very windy. This weekend, I am going to get the info pasted over onto FB's HH page so that the folks that go there more often can see it. I am also going to start PMing some of you so we can get the final plans under way for "stuff" to do. SANDY... I'm going to need you for that for sure. I'm sure you know a lot about what we can do for entertainment... aside from ROBWARD watching. CARYN... I am soooo hoping you will be our TECHNICAL expert. The SKYPE session with ALPHIE and others is a wondermous idea!

Speaking of ALPHIE and Nashville... I am up for a Nashville meet anytime! I am only about 2.5 hours away from Nashville. I love the idea of getting together there for a BD2 viewing party!!

The "official" still... BE STILL MY HEART!! I just "love" the way they give us just a glimpse of VampElla! Grrr!
I can't wait to see Hunger Games! I'll be squealing my head off during the BD2 trailer!

Well, I am off to check out the iTunes store. I have a couple of iTunes cards so that I can buy some more music to put on my iPhone. I'm definitely getting the BD1 score! I'll check back with Y'all tomorrow night! (((HUGS!)))

[Tornado]

Girls (and guy) I have an update on my novel. It is as follows:

My publisher has read my book.
She likes it.
However ...
At the moment she has three people offering her different fantasy series. I think mine is the only one that is actually science fiction, but she is looking at all of them. She is favouring mine and one other over the third, but the other contender has a bit more Christian stuff in it (my publisher is primarily a Christian publisher, so I understand that), so she's leaning towards it. However, that series also has eight books in it, rather than just three, like mine.
So she's not sure. Even committing to mine is a big ask, as she will be committing to three books, not one. She has asked me to fix book two up properly. She also wants a synopsis on both of the other books. This will allow her to be sure that the books go to places that she is comfortable with. After all, what's the point in publishing number one if you don't like two or three?
She was happy to hear that I had rough drafts of both books already done. She did say though, that it's quite possible that, if she does do the series, books two and three may be published as quickly as six months after each other, and probably no more than a year after each other. That's another reason why she wants to see book two in good order, because it will probably need to be up to speed as soon as book one is out, as we will have to get cracking with it straight away.
Now, she is still not saying anything definite. She also wants some feedback on the stories from someone besides herself, so the other author and I are going to edit and review each other's books. I'm not keen on this, as I am afraid I will be hard on her (and vice versa) but I know she will publish both of them if she can. She wants to. It just depends on a lot of things.

[marielle]

Good morning ladies!!!!

TGIF!!!

Anyone special plans for the weekend???? We are going to give the house a spring cleaning…

I went to the hairdresser yesterday, I let them cut my hair really short (for me at least) it now ends just above my shoulders and it’s in layers… with all the dyeing I did, it started to get really fragile… it was necessary…

Songbird, my colleagues are saying the same thing. I know my boss had a meeting about it two days ago but after that she got sick, so I don’t know what was discussed…I’m a bit in de middle about it, problem is that it isn’t easy to find a job these days…But I’m going to start again with searching next week if they don’t change anything…
The problem with my work is that they don’t do anything to keep their employees motivated, they promise a lot and don’t follow up and open position are always filled in by friends of the boss…
I hope your kids are getting over the chicken pox soon…

Sean, did you know that there’s a woman racing in the F1? She isn’t in a racing seat yet but she works as a test driver for now, the last step to a seat…I believe she is from the indy car…

Caryn, I love that Rob and Kris are going out more and more together, supporting each other for their events…but yeah, Rob at a fashion exhibit., it’s a bit weird…I would hate to see him learn things from that…
It would be utterly insane if you all get Cosmopolis so late in the year…but IMDB says the same. Though I can see a bit of thought behind it. December is close to the Oscar’s and Cosmopolis is a candidate for a nomination, they might want to premiere it than to have it fresh in the minds of the academy…
I have been thinking that perhaps the release dates are so close between SWaTH and Cosmopolis so that Rob and Kris can do a European tour together…the press junkets and all.
I so can’t wait for the trailer!!!!!

Alphie, I’m really sorry you can’t be there…but then again, we are jealous that you get to see BD2 way before we do… that has to make up something, right? I’m all for skype but I don’t know if it will be possible… Tonise will know…

Lynne, normally the alarm goes off at 6.20 am…so it was only 20 minutes less sleep but we were both awake an hour before that and I didn’t sleep after that…I was so tired yesterday evening…

Susie, just listen to your body girl!!! It will tell you when something isn’t right for you. The docs and therapist only know the standards they learned from books, if you have a good one they will have some experience they learned from but you know your own body best…they should always listen to you first…
I don’t know if it has anything to do with the part time thing, if it is the case I’d rather they just told me that…I think it has more to do with the fact that everybody wants their friend in a place so they can control them more easily…

Christina, there are many good sites that offer a prize comparing for plane tickets. I was able to book a flight from Chicago to NY for around 150$ from Holland with these sites. Just don’t go only for the companies websites. It’s often more expensive…
I can look up some websites you can use if you want me to?

Tonise, how strange that you can’t find a non-stop flight, perhaps an other company? Even I have a non-stop flight from Amsterdam to Toronto… from Chicago we do have a stop at NY but that’s because it was way cheaper than a non stop…I’m leaving Chicago on Sunday early our plane leave at noon…but I arrive on Wednesday, my bf and I are taking two day to explore the city together. Thanks for reminding my about the hairbands…

Lynne!!!! I’m so happy that your boss liked your story!!! Perhaps she should have a second opinion about her choices…I keep my fingers crossed for you!!

And last, HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAINE!!!!!

I really have to get back to work!!!

[Songbird]

Hi JennJenn! I don’t blame you for not trying to catch up…that would be one MEGA mega-post! Glad you made it back here and you didn’t get hit by the storms so much. It’s so sad…all the destruction, the deaths, etc.

Sean, yeah, the phones can get really expensive. Mine is a really simple one and it’s a prepaid…I don’t have a subscription because it wouldn’t be worth paying monthly when I hardly use my phone…but it’s handy to have. Last…I want to say October? I was helping decorate the main hall at my kids’ school. It was after 10 pm when we got done and the school is only a block from my house, so I was on foot. I had not brought my phone along because I didn’t figure I’d need it in that one block. But everyone else came by car and the parking lot is the opposite direction from where I was walking…I had to walk past the playground, which is not lit at night. As I was walking past, I heard screaming and I looked over and on the far side of the grounds there were 3 or 4 boys beating someone…they had the person on the ground and were kicking him and punching him and he was trying to get up and get away. And I could tell from his scream and his size that he was younger than his assailants. So I had to run as fast as I could to the parking lot to catch the other mothers before they drove off and see if they had a cellphone to call the police. I wish I had had my own phone with me. I rarely use it, but it goes with me everywhere now, no matter how short the distance. I only put 20 bucks on there and it lasts me months, but I have it when I need it.

Caryn, who do these people think they are, speaking for “the majority of Rob’s fans”? They certainly don’t speak for me! Did you think of maybe writing to Rob’s management yourself and saying you represent a large fan base who completely disagrees with them? I know how awful that is not having a voice. I lost mine for 2 and a half weeks in December/January. And I couldn’t stop coughing, and all the sinus drainage got caught behind my ear drum, which is why I had to have my adenoids removed. No fun..I hope you feel better soon and get your voice back! Ugh..this particular discussion on FB about Rush really got me riled. One girl had the audacity to tell me my comments couldn’t be considered accurate because I hadn’t read the transcript of Rush’s comments, and I informed her that I didn’t need to read the transcripts because I listened to him make the comments…I knew what he said. I asked her if SHE had listened to Sandra Fluke’s comments or read the transcript. No…she hadn’t. So I listened to both sides, she only listened to one and –I- am the one whose comments are not accurate and –I- am the one who is not informed? And then she said something about Rush’s words being twisted to make it sound worse…HELLO….you want to talk about twisting words?? Listen to what Sandra Fluke ACTUALLY said and then what Rush said she said….who’s twisting words around? Honestly. I finally just said I needed to stop talking about it because the ignorance was making me sad.

Alphie, that was me that asked…I am trying desperately to think of a way to get to the one in Orlando because I have friends I could stay with there instead of a hotel, it’s over my birthday, and by best friend in the world, whom I haven’t seen in um….12 years? said she’d go with me if I can make it. So I desperately want to go. Do you know if they will be showing BD2 in Orlando at the con, since it will have just been released?

Grayce! I wondered where you’d gotten to! I thought maybe you gave up on us! Sorry about your neck, etc….do you have a pinched nerve or something? Have to been to the doctor?

Lynne, 6 is our regular wake-up time on weekends, too. Hubs and I take turns getting up with Mr. Man. He used to get up at 4:30 or 5, but since we went to the states in 2010, he got jetlagged and it turned his schedule around so he sleeps until 6 now, thank God! Wow….it’s so interesting to me how many different specialties there are within the field of photography. I’d assume he’s been trained to do other types but is more focused on real estate? I think I would really like that job…I love to look at people’s houses. When we are driving past, sometimes I wish I could see what the inside of a house looks like. I can’t wait for the movie The Host, either!!! Glad your knee feels better, too. That’s pretty good news about your book…I hope it goes in your favor! At least she likes it!!

Susie, I’d be furious with the Physical Therapist! Shouldn’t they know better? Did you complain? Yeah, it’s hard to find work that fits into evenings and weekends…pretty much the only thing is retail, which I don’t mind doing at all…it’s just that over here, the minimum wage goes by age. 16 year olds only get paid something like 2 euros an hour. It goes up from there and then at 23, you get a full minimum wage….so of course businesses want to hire 16 year olds because they are cheaper. If you aren’t 16, and can’t work during the day, you won’t be able to find much, if anything. I’ll keep looking though. I don’t know about being a fun mom so much as a desperate one. LOL. Whatever works!

Christina, I’ve never used that, but I looked at those once a couple of years ago and if I remember correctly there were some restrictions about blackout dates and times. Like you could only fly in the early morning or late at night or something. You could probably find the restrictions on Southwest’s site? And in general, I think that the “check in” times are more a guideline as to when it’s guaranteed that the room will be ready. That’s the time that the cleaners are supposed to have all rooms finished. But there may also be a time after which they can give your room away if you haven’t checked in. And you need to allow yourself time to get through baggage claim, and get to the hotel. I’d say if you arrive at the airport between 2:30 and 3:00, you’d be good…you could arrive even earlier if the hotel has a service where you can leave your bags there until you are allowed to check in. Then you could hang out with those who are already there until you check in without dragging your luggage all over the place. (Trust me, that SUCKS to have to do) And as for flying out, check the guidelines for the different airlines…there’s usually a time frame that you have to check in for your flight so many hours before your flight is scheduled to depart or you won’t be allowed on that flight. And delays don’t count…it has to be from the time it was scheduled to fly. But is check out at the hotel really by 4? That’s REALLY late! Usually it’s between 10 and noon. I’d double check that if I were you. Some sites for price comparing: Travelocity.com, priceline.com…Orbitz.com? Cheaptickets.com…those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Tonise, didn’t Marielle say she’d be there a few days early? And Ashley said she’d be arriving around 9 I think?

Marielle, I would think that your seniority would give you priority for the new position. Let a “friend” of the boss take your OLD one and work their way up like you did!

Happy Birthday, Raine!!! Hope it’s a great day!!

My son managed to come home with the wrong pants on yesterday…pretty sure it happened after P.E. when they got dressed. He and his friend like to exchange things and they are about the same size. We’ve switched back now. Cracks me up though.
I forgot to wish you all a happy cake day yesterday! So happy Belated Cake Day….enjoy some extra yumminess to make up for my falling down on the job!

[openfire]

Aaargh! Just lost my post

Not got time to replace it (I had gifts and everything ) but just saying hi and that I'm super busy (same old, same old ).
Tomorrrow is our first dress fitting - NERVOUS!! And also tomorrow night is my Hen Night - also a bit nervous!!

Sorry can't elaborate more - gotta run.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

[older_twilight_fan]

Hello everyone~

**EDIT: Happy Birthday to Raine--a little jaw porn and lip porn to help you celebrate See how his hair has grown out just a bit?

Alphie~ I actually live in Franklin and am only about fifteen minutes from the Thoroughbred, where the Lex has hosted the Twilight movie get-togethers in the past. I'd love to attend a BD Part 2 screening November 15th, and it would be great to have the chance to meet you as well. Hopefully we can convince a couple of other HH sisters to also visit.

Jaclyn~ I see you! Congrats on your 1st dress fitting tomorrow--enjoy! Have a wonderful time at your hen night too. I can't believe how close you're getting to the big day! It seems like just yesterday you were talking about possible dates and venues for your wedding day.

Missp~ About the flights into Chicago....I noticed that too. The cheapest Southwest flights from Nashville are most definitely the earliest in the morning. (7:00 am and 8:00 am flights, I think). I can't remember when most other people had said they would arrive, and maybe that type of info will be easy to post and read on the Facebook page. I'll most definitely take the earliest flight I can, since I can't come until Friday and everyone else will already be there anyway. I also briefly checked out Expedia and Orbitz, and a couple of round trip flights might have been a little cheaper than Southwest fares overall. But the arrival and departure times didn't seem very convenient, and I think you'd be flying on one of those smallish commuter jets (which I'm not too crazy about, even though I'm sure they are perfectly safe). I would love to meet up with folks in Nashville for a Breaking Dawn viewing in November. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that you and I will be able to catch Bel Ami together, if it's ever released in the U.S.

Marielle~ Good for you getting a head start on the spring cleaning this weekend. I bet your hair cut looks nice, and hair always appears so much healthier when you get a trim and remove the dead and split ends. You're smart to meet with your boss about the job situation, and keep us posted on your company's responses.

Songbird~ Bless your heart....your son gets up early. Maybe you could fly to the States again and the resulting jet lag might help him sleep in until 7:00 am. I'm sure that's not the last time he'll be sent home from school wearing the wrong clothes. I never know exactly what my son will arrive home with in his backpack. And I've also found items he didn't even know he was missing, when I looked through the "lost and found" area at school. Boys..... I hope your daughter is recovering well from the chicken pox without too much discomfort. It sounds as if chocolate marble cheesecake and some special time with Mom watching movies and relaxing are probably the best medicine for her.

Christina~ I'm certainly not an experienced traveler, and Susie will probably be your best bet to answer specific travel questions (although she doesn't fly Southwest.) I'm pretty certain I purchased that "Wanna Get Away" fare for a Southwest flight to Las Vegas a couple of years ago. I think the main difference between that fare versus others was that it was not 100% refundable, in the event you had to cancel your flight. Speaking with a Southwest ticket agent, and carefully reading any and all fine print would be the best ways to learn more about the fare and possible restrictions or limitations, I guess. I know that most hotels will store your luggage should you arrive before check-in time until your room is available, and then you're free to hang out, walk around, have lunch, etc. I'm interested to see what time everyone is thinking of arriving and departing as well, as it might be nice to share cabs, etc. to and from the airport. I wouldn't mind departing mid-afternoon on Sunday if others stayed a litle later, especially since I won't arrive until Friday and I'd like to have as much time as possible to visit with all of you. But then you're sort of stuck with your luggage and no place to hang out. I think the Facebook page will be a good place to exchange information with one another regarding arrival and departure times, potential activities, etc.

Susie~ I'm sorry about the knee pain and your understandable frustration with your P.T. I know I mentioned to you on the phone how we usually confer with surgeons (or their staff) to clarify any specific post-surgical precautions or limitations for a particular patient, especially if we have questions or concerns. Every patient is different, and we don't know exactly what went on during the surgery, and what the surgeon found. We'll have to plan another "lunch" sometime, when you can fly in for the afternoon. It would be awesome to meet Alphie as well. Maybe next time I'll know in advance and can make plans for the kids after school, so we can spend more than two hours together. Did you enjoy a little P&P with Colin Firth?

Lynne~ I'm glad to hear your knee is feeling a little better. Congrats on your publisher's positive response to your book! That's also great that you already have rough drafts for the other two novels written, and seems like that should work in your favor. Keep us posted on future news, please. I did sleep in this morning and didn't feel the least bit guilty about it either. Little Man really doesn't let you sleep late, does he? Will he entertain himself in his room playing with toys for awhile so you can have a bit of a lie-in?

Grayce~ Hello there--good to see you again. Sorry you're dealing with neck and shoulder pain, and hope it improves soon.

Caryn~ Thanks for posting the official BD Part 2 still. What a beautiful shot--so much love and adoration in Robward's eyes for his beloved Bella. I'm glad to hear you're gradually recovering from the crud, but remember to take it easy so you don't relapse. I love that thought and it warms my heart.....that Rob and Kris are so dedicated to and supportive of one another. That's the only way they can make it through the insanity that is their lives right now. I'll be thinking of you, other Colts fans, and especially the city of Indianapolis. Even though everyone knew the writing was on the wall and Peyton's departure was imminent, it's still a tough loss to deal with, and will be kind of like going through a grieving process for the fans and for your city. He's a true gentleman, and a class act. I'd love to see you in Nashville for a BD Part 2 viewing, if you headed south! I know the Lex has always hosted a neat get-together at a theater about fifteen minutes from my home, but I've never gone because I didn't have anyone to go with.

Jenn Jenn~ Thanks for checking in with us, and especially for keeping us apprised of your situation during the storms via Facebook. We're so glad you and yours are safe, and we'll continue to have those communities and small towns in our prayers, where they suffered so much loss an destruction.

Sean~ Hello! Thanks for reminding us of the photos of Kris and Rob at the Fashion Week festivities in Paris. It's heartwarming to see them so supportive of one another by sharing in each other's interests and activities.

Proud Momma moment~ My daughter received the "Rookie of the Year" award at her middle school basketball banquet last night, as a first year player for the school. The coach said some kind words about our daughter, a 6th grader, including how coachable she is, how she had done everything the coach had asked of her, and given 100% effort while playing with the sixth graders, the junior varsity team, and playing some with the varsity team as well (usually 8th graders). She truly loves basketball, and always hustles and gives it her all. We're so proud of how well she's adjusted to middle school, and continued to make A's while learning to balance study time with a busy sports schedule and church activities throughout the fall and winter. Thanks for giving me a moment to indulge myself and share the news with you.