Christmas Countdown . . .

It's hard to believe that Christmas is only 5 days away. We are having so much fun and can't wait for James, Kelly, and Maggie to join us this weekend. It was great the first part of the week hanging out and seeing where Amy and the kids spend most of their days!! It has been a while since I've enjoyed a 3rd grade Christmas party:) The last few days have been great also. We spent yesterday at Koolina beach. Today we hiked up to see Makapuu Lighthouse. The first two pics are from the beach and the last two are from the hike. The Santa in the middle parks himself at the airport as we are coming onto the base. I guess he isn't a procrastinator like me if he has time to surf this close to Christmas:) I am sure we will have more pics to share in the next couple of days!

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!! I tried to send an e-card to everyone, but it did not go through for all of the email addresses--evidently I need to update:) Don't worry you can still check out the Christmas wish at this link . . . http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1244635015

I'll be posting more Christmas fun!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Just a quick blog to say happy thanksgiving to my loved ones. As always, I am reminded of how abundantly blessed I am to have you all for family and friends. You're the best!!!

I opted out of the 5 mile pie run this morning, but enjoyed my own "Starbucks trot" with some friends--all that means is that we started at Starbucks where I indulged in an eggnog latte and embarked on a 10 mile walk/hike involving the Cliff Walk, Goat Island, and other fun Newport sites. For the last leg of the trek I made another pit stop back at Starbucks for a soy Gingerbread latte :) You have to taste the delicious holiday flavors this time of year! The rest of my day was spent with my adoptive Rhode Island family, and included lots of yummy foods!

Lovin' Fall:)

Not much new here, so I thought I would post a quick blog that wouldn't make the family resort to comments about granny panties--(we all have them by the way:)!!!

The pics are from a walk at the Norman Bird Sanctuary. It was a beautiful crisp fall day! While I was in the area I thought about stopping by Nicolas Cage's new home to drop off a house warming present, but I was enjoying my walk too much. I didn't find any birds at the bird sanctuary, but did come across a very cute little bear in the woods:)

How many apples per day is too many??

Now pick yourselves off the floor!! You are not mistaken, this is yet another Reb blog only a week after the last. I was inspired by the diary/venting theme from the other family blogs, and thought I would share a day in the life of Reb from this fine October week.

I've eaten entirely way too many apples this week (I should be able to keep the Doctor away for the next 5 years). Speaking of doctors, my coworkers (bless their hearts:) have a constant "eye" out for me. Sometimes I appreciate the effort, and other times I wonder what they are even thinking. So Tuesday I was running between patients, when I was frantically stopped by our rehab aide who urged me to run down to the 4th floor. She enthusiastically described a new doctor to me and that I could find him sitting at the nurses station. I explained that I was grateful for her observations, but still had patients to see. I finished up on the rehab floor and had a patient on the 2nd floor to see. I decided to make a detour via the 4th floor, if you catch my drift:) Sure enough, I rounded the corner only to lock eyes with this very nice looking fellow (AKA hot!). I felt like I had stepped out of Newport Hospital right onto the set of General Hospital. Well anyway, this is the best part of the story . . . in true Reb fashion, I took a step forward and proceeded to drop all of the papers that I had in my hands onto the floor. So much for a graceful introduction!!

Well, if that weren't enough embarrassment for the day, let me share my laundry experience from that same evening. Here I am minding my own business while pulling out clothes from the washer. I look up as another Mchandsome MD from the hospital walks in to pick up his laundry. Well, if you haven't yet predicted the interaction, I am happy to tell you that my gracefulness kicked in again as fumbled with my wet clothes. A pair of undies spontaneously flew right out of my hands and landed on the floor!! As I told Katie through a frantic text, "at least it was one of the cute pairs."

So, my research has yielded that when I see a cute guy I lose control of my hands. Let's just hope that I am never holding anything of value when this phenomenon occurs! Some day someone will appreciate the fact that I am clumsy and "take me the way I am" . . . :)


Not much else going on here this week. My friends Jeff and Molly had their baby yesterday, so I was up today to see them. He is absolutely adorable and perfect, but it made me wish I could hold Maggie! Love you all, and have a joyous Columbus Day!

As you can tell from the first few pictures, I went apple picking this weekend. It was a delightful fall day and we had a great time! Nothing better than munching on a fresh apple, while drinking a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, and enjoying a girls day out! Now, I am in the mood for autumn. I have some yummy baking goals for this week! Lisa and I thought we could speed up Molly's labor process by having her walk through the orchard for a while, but no baby appearance yet. If there isn't news by this weekend, I have threatened a bumpy hay ride for the next adventure:) The last picture is of my birthday cake created by a friend from church. Her youngest shares my birthday, so we have had fun talking about "our day" for the last several months. I happened to mention that I have a turtle collection (from friends and family who have traveled the world:), so she and her kids thought that a turtle cake for my birthday would indeed be a special treat. It was/is delicious! If anyone wants to fly out to RI, I would be willing to share a piece!
Thank you to Aunt Benita and Uncle Gene for the great birthday ecard!! It was absolutely hysterical. Wish I could figure out how to post the birthday "dancer" for everyone to see:)
Once again, hope everyone has a wonderful week. Love you all!!

Fulfilling my quarterly blog:)

So, I have been back in RI for 2 weeks already! Can that even be possible? Time is flying, and I will be enjoying my golden birthday in 6 days. I wanted to thank the Sutton-Spizirri-Arndt-Kaup crew for the fantastic birthday party that I had while at home! It was so great to see everyone and enjoy some good laughs. I love birthdays! They are the perfect time to look back over the past year and reflect on all that God has done. Whether it be growing through tough situations and experiencing his peace and guidance, or being thankful for the full life that I can enjoy through his abundance of blessings. I see so many people struggle through very difficult circumstances every day, and am so thankful for the life that he has given me. Even as I type this blog I am listening to a song by Casting Crowns that summarizes it all for me . . .

"All Because Of Jesus"

Giver of every breath I breathe
Author of all eternity
Giver of every perfect thing
To You be the glory
Maker of Heaven and of Earth
No one can comprehend Your worth
King over all the universe
To You be the glory

And I am alive because I'm alive in You

It's all because of Jesus I'm alive
It's all because the blood of Jesus Christ
That covers me and raised this dead man's life
It's all because of Jesus I'm alive
I'm alive, I'm alive

Giver of every breath I breathe
Author of all eternity
Giver of every perfect thing
To You be the glory
Maker of Heaven and of Earth
No one can comprehend Your worth
King over all the universe
To You be the glory

And I am alive because I'm alive in You

It's all because of Jesus I'm alive
It's all because the blood of Jesus Christ
That covers me and raised this dead man's life
It's all because of Jesus

Every sunrise sings Your praise
The universe cries out Your praise
I'm singing freedom all my days
Now that I'm alive

I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive


Ok, enough of the sappiness:) Fall is here!! My favorite season would be a toss up between fall and spring, but if I HAD to choose one it would be the fall! I have apple picking plans for next Saturday. I am sure that the apple picking will translate into a day of baking and many yummy apple treats. I tried an apple brownie recipe last year that will definitely be making a comeback! I am also looking at joining the Appalachian Mountain Club. I am hoping that they have some fun day hikes planned for the fall, so I can check out the foliage.

The pics are from my time back in Nebraska--family fun and my friend Karen's wedding.

That is about all I know for now. I am making chili right now that I will be taking over to some friends' house tonight. Molly is due this week, and not feeling too comfortable today (I believe "feeling like a puffer fish" was the exact phrase used:)

Have a great weekend/week!!

Almost Friday!!!

Hey all! Not a lot going on here these past few months. My regular work has been busy, and then I have been picking up a few hours on the weekend for my per diem job.

The pics are from the Tall Ships Festival a few weeks ago. It was very cool to be able to tour the ships and learn about how they operate. As you can see, I also got to meet a few pirates! My camera battery pooped out on me after the second ship, so I only had a few pics, but you get the idea:)

My next adventure was volunteering driving a Mercedes again for the Tennis Hall of Fame championship. I met some interesting people (players, former inductees, other volunteers, etc) It is a great experience to meet folks from all over the world. I even received some local eatery advice from Vince Spadea, and got to see Pete Sampras who was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.

For a very brief week I felt as though I was going to conquer the world this summer and train for the Nike Women's Marathon that is in the fall (they have a chocolate mile and at the finish line a man in a tuxedo hands you a necklace from one of their sponsors--Tiffinay and Co!!!) Anyway, I came to my senses and realized I'd like to train consistently for a while before tackling that situation. Although the man in a tux greeting you at the end is motivation enough for me to finish 26 miles! Anyway, you can walk or run either the half or whole marathon, so I was thinking we should make it a fun family adventure . . . anyone interested for the following year?!?

So tonight I was out for a walk with a friend (who is 7 mo pregnant). We were tooling along, when we saw two elderly ladies pushing (yes pushing) an old classic car down the road. I ran over to see if they needed help and ended up pushing the car for them so they could get it started. Not the usual experience on a Thursday evening walk! My friend Molly and I were wondering what in the world they were even thinking, until we realized that it would probably be her and I in several years doing something similar. These ladies were having fun despite having a broken down antique!!

In a week I head for NY state with the teens again for fun times, concerts, and camping at the six flags, and then Labor Day weekend I will be back in NE for a friends wedding. Just purchased my tickets tonight, which were unbelievably reasonable. Probably one of the cheapest flights home I've ever had. I'll be in NE for a little over a week, so I am looking forward to seeing everyone again and hopefully enjoying a redneck (as Sarah would call it:) family BBQ!!

Gotta run to bed now--should be a peaceful nights sleep finally. The exterminator came today to get rid of the critters that keep waking me in the middle of the night with a loud rustling nose in the back wall of my apartment--which also happens to be where my head is at night:( I have woken freaked out my nights thinking that someone was coming in through the back door, until I realize what is really going on. But hopefully the problem will be solved now!!

Sorry for all the random thoughts. Since I haven't been so good at the blog thing, I had to summarize everything from the last several months:) Have a great weekend.

12 miles, 6 water bottles, and one seal later . . .

As you can see, spring is finally blooming in Rhode Island!! It was a beautiful day for a walk . . .
I participated in the American Heart Assoc. 5 mile walk this morning with a group of coworkers and a few thousand other folks. On my way home, I got a call from a friend asking if I'd like to walk the Cliff Walk with her. Gorgeous day outside vs cleaning indoors? Easy decision:) We ended up doing the whole thing and back. Total mileage for today was about 12 miles. Should have done one more mile to make 1/2 a marathon. Anyway, on the Cliff Walk excursion we were trucking right along, when we noticed a few families staring out at the rocks near by. Of course we had to take a breather and check out the action. Luckily, this was one rare occasion that I happened to have my camera available to capture the "moment." We caught a little seal trying to head out into the wild blue yonder from a nice sunny spot that he had taken up residence on for the afternoon. I know it's kind of hard to see him, because he blends in too well with the seaweed.

Not much else going on. I need to head to bed early in order to rest up for a mean duck pin bowling match that is scheduled to take place tomorrow with about 15 teenagers. Also looking forward to being Nebraska bound on Friday for Kate's graduation. Can't wait to party with everyone. Better sign off and get to some of that cleaning that I have been procrastinating all day:)

My Valentine to the Greatest People in the World!!!

Dear Friends and Family,

Happy Valentine's Day to you:) My thoughts on Valentine's Day this year are a reflection of all the ways that God has blessed me over the years including up to this very minute. I am sitting here drinking my sleepy time tea and about ready to head for bed, but wanted to send a quick Valentine to all of you to let you know how much I appreciate and love you.

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast,
it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.

- 1 Corinthians 13:4 - 8

There is only ONE who can honestly exemplify all of these qualities every second of every hour of every day. I am so grateful for the life that He has given me to be able to say that I grew up with parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends . . . who are such huge examples of that LOVE. Thanks especially to Mom and Dad who are also celebrating their anniversary:)

Happy Valentines Day!!

Love you all to bits!!!

Skating Fun and Other Adventures

So Wednesday night I braved the cold with a group from church and tried my best Dorothy Hammel impression out on the ice. No I did not even fall once:) The other pics posted are from Christmas (I accidentally erased all of my other pictures that were taken while in Nebraska, so if anyone has extras to forward that would be great:). Dad was showing off his best idea of a night shopping with the girls, while Katie got a little carried away with the gigantic people eating ornament. Katie and I sported our best bowling faces with "Judy" and "Missy."

Not much else going on here. Just keeping busy with work and other activities. I am sitting here getting caught up on emails and such while sipping a chocolate raspberry latte with cinnamon sprinkled on top. If you don't have one, I'd recommend a frother--It's transformed my Saturday morning coffee experience:)

I don't know if I shared this with you guys or not . . . but upon my return to RI after Christmas, I turned down 4 marriage proposals in a week! He was a cute little guy, but after evaluating the situation I realized that I don't think I could have dealt long-term with the cocaine addiction and preparing pureed food all the time. Let's just say that it's a good thing that I could move quicker than he could and knew enough to stay out of arms reach by standing on his hemiplegic side:) I think that was the same week that they called a "code gray" for a streaker in the hospital!!

You think life as an OT would be more normal . . .

Anyway, I'm off to the Clay Room to finish painting the platter that I started last Saturday. I'll have to post a picture of my masterpiece after it's all fired.

Encore Presentation!!

It looks like you all share some of my weird sense of humor, so I thought I would post this other little sketch. Enjoy:)

Mitch Hedberg (on David Letterman)

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Reb's back in RI and slacking on the blogging . . .

Not a lot of time to write now, but I will have some stories to come . . .

In the meantime, I thought I would leave you with a little sketch that has been cracking me up all week:)

Mitch Hedberg

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