The Worst News

It is with great sadness that I make this post.

My 14 year old brother Thomas passed away on Wednesday, September 28th. Cathy and I headed out to California on Thursday the 29th after having heard from Dad on Tuesday night that he wasn't going to make it. I am sad that we didn't get to see him and say goodbye in the hospital but everyone told us it was probably for the best. There was nothing we could have done when he was there that whole week, and after all the surgeries and the injuries in general, he was a completely different boy laying in that hospital bed. We will always remember him as the happy, easy going, cute little boy that he was. I'm sure it will take them some time to get the hospital images out of their minds. Seeing your child in such a horrible state must have been heart wrenching.

I dreaded getting to the house the day we arrived in California. Having been worried sick and crying a lot all week I just knew that seeing my Dad and Melissa and Delilah would be hard. I felt as though I was all cried out, but I knew that when I got to the house and saw them it would become real. We got there and that's exactly what happened. Words cannot describe how sad everyone was. It was unbelievable. We knew Dad was glad we were there and it was nice to be able to offer some comfort, just by being there with him. Seeing Dad and Melissa in that state was the hardest thing to watch. I couldn't believe that Tommy was gone and they were actually facing the death of thier son. I saw his shoes in his room and his things just as they were the day he left for school and all I could think was that he was going to walk through the door at any minute. It was unreal to try to actually comprehend what had happened.

We spent the days before the memorial service sitting around the house, helping with what we could help with, talking with the family, etc. Visitors would come by with food or flowers or just to see the family and everyone would get sad and cry again. It was very hard.

Cathy and I drove to where the accident happened. We saw the sign posted that read "We love you Tom" in his high school colors along with flowers and candles laid there from the candlelight vigil held the day before. We sat there and looked at the intersection in awe of how this could have happened. We just couldn't wrap our brain around how someone could completely run over a kid on a bike here. It was probably one of the quietest intersections in all of Elk Grove, even during after school hours we couldn't imagine how it would be that busy.

Joe came the day before to attend the funeral/memorial and it was good to have him there. The memorial service was very sad, but a very nice memorial for him. Tommy's Uncle Mark spoke (Melissa's Brother) as well as his Grandpa, and it was very touching and sad. Two of his former teachers spoke too, very nice words about what a unique, smart and sweet boy Tom was. They think about 300-400 people came to the service and it was nice to see all the support. At the end everyone filed through row by row, hugging and consoling Melissa, Dad and the family. It was hard to watch, but sweet to see all of the kids from his school and all of the friends there to show support.

It was very hard to leave knowing that Dad, Melissa, and Delilah's lives will never be the same. None of our lives will, but theirs will definitely be a new normal that will take so long to get used to. It has been a long couple weeks for me and I imagine it will be a long journey ahead for my Dad and his family without Tommy there. There will always be a piece missing for the rest of their lives. I can't imagine losing a child. No one should ever have to go through it. There are just no words to describe how they must feel. All I can hope for them is that as time passes it will get a little easier.

I got so much support from my friends and family and so did they. The support from the community was amazing and it was comforting to know they will be well taken care of. It is amazing what people will do and say to you during times like these. I am thankful for all of the support for me and for my family

View the Obituary in the Sacramento Bee

Sweet Tommy

Last Thursday morning as I was just getting out of bed I received a call from my Dad with very bad news. Tommy, my 14 year old half brother, had been hit by a SUV while riding his bike home from school on Wednesday afternoon. I immediately burst into tears upon hearing the news and hearing my Dad say how serious it was. He was and still is in critical condition and I have been worried sick about him ever since I received the call that day. I didn't go to work on Thursday because I was so upset and I talked on the phone with my sister pretty much all day. We didn't know what to do, we felt helpless being so far away, wanting to be there, but knowing it was probably best to wait and see what happens. Both Cathy and I are still sick with worry, waiting for the next call or text from my Dad or someone else who can give us the latest update on Tommy.

That morning I didn't talk to my Dad very long, but he told me that things were very bad. Tommy was in critical condition and in intensive care. He was put into a medically induced coma right away.  My Dad said that when he first arrived in the ER were told to prepare for the worst....but he has now lived through almost 5 days. We are all trying to think positive and pray for a miracle for him. My Dad said all that matters is that he is still here and they are hoping that he is one of those miracles.

After we heard the news Cathy and I were online searching for any info we could on the accident. We found an article about the accident from the local news channel here and an article that mentioned Tommy an his high school on a local forum here. Later that night we found that someone has created a "Get Well Tom Mutz" page on Facebook. When we found it there was only about 14 people following the page and today there are over 600. There has been a real show of support from the community in Elk Grove and beyond. So many kids and friends wrote on the page, many saying they were praying for him and hoping he gets better, and many saying what a nice boy Tommy is. So many people are offering to donate or do something for the family that a friend of the family started a page to accept donations here. It was so nice to see all of the support and how many people are praying for him to get better.

So now it is Monday, I am at work, but my mind is thinking about Tommy. It sounds like it has been a rough few days for him, my Dad and Melissa (Tommy's Mom) and everyone who is there with him. They have been through some scary moments. My Dad is staying positive and they are happy to hear good news, even if it is something very small. Cathy and I plan to go out to see them sometime soon, my Dad just wants us to wait and see and hopefully things will calm down once everything gets under control.


Delilah and Tommy

 I still can't believe this has happened to Tommy. You always hear about horrible accidents like this and it is always sad, but you never fully understand what the family is going through until you experience it yourself. Even though I am not there I can only imagine what it is like to see him in such horrible shape. The whole experience so far has made me realize even more how fragile life is. You never think something like this will happen to you our your family. In one moment your life can be changed forever. Whatever happens with Tommy, it has forever changed my Dad, Melissa and Delilah's lives. We can only hope and pray that one day Tommy will recover fully and be the happy, sweet boy he once was.

Cheese Heads

Joe and his brother Andy got the chance to be on the sidelines for the Saints v. Packers game in Green Bay a couple weeks ago for the NFL kickoff game. Ben went too but he got a ticket instead and sat with his Aunt and Uncle instead of being on the sidelines. Andy is a huge Packers fan, but he had to pretend to be a Saints fan for this game. :-)
Their cousin Paul works for the Saints and he is able to get people to help him run photos to the players and coaches during the games when they travel. They had a blast... they got to be in the locker room with the team - thats right, lots of huge naked football players... awkward! (....wait, why didn't I go?...) and they were on the sidelines with the team for the whole game. We DVR'd the game and we caught a few glimpses of Joe from the shoulders down, but they never showed his face except for from super far away. Oh well!
Here are a few pics that Joe took. View all the pics HERE.

In-laws in Town

I don't really feel like writing, but it's been a while since I posted so I thought I would write something...
The end of the semester at school was a whirlwind, super busy tutoring tons of students the last few weeks. Glad it is finally over. I had a nice week

This past weekend, Joe's parents came to visit and we attended our first concert at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL....and it was a good one! We saw Tony Bennett! It was his 85th Birthday Celebration. Had to believe he is 85 years old the way he sings. It really is effortless for him and his voice still sounds great after all of these years. Unfortunately, we couldn't bring cameras so all I have is some grainy photos from my phone...even more reason to get an iPhone!

We had a nice time at Ravinia, Millennium Park and hanging out at various spots in Chicago with them.
The fun doesn't stop there! My Mom comes to visit us this weekend. Busy times ahead.

Here are some select photos from Joe's parents visit as well as my one and only super bright video of Tony Bennett singing one of my favorite songs. You can view all of the photos HERE as well.

band of brothers

Joe's brothers, Steve, the oldest, and Andy, the youngest, came to visit us 4th of July week. Unfortunately, Joe's other brother, Ben, who is in Las Vegas for the Air Force couldn't make it this time.
We had a fun and jam-packed 3.5 days...
Cubs vs. Sox game at Wrigley Field, thanks to my awesome in-laws for the tickets!!
It couldn't have been a more perfect day for a Cubs game. The weather was great and there was a nice breeze once we got inside. This was Joe and my first cross-town classic, where the Cubs and White Sox play, and also our first Cubs game where they have actually won! Woo-hoo! We got to hear (and sing) the "Go Cubs, Go" song that they play when they win (the song was stuck in our head for their entire visit, one of us was always singing it! ha ha!). Andy and Steve really enjoyed getting to see Wrigley from the inside. It is amazing place to watch baseball and to people watch too, truly an experience. We had some hot dogs and enjoyed game.

Later that evening we visited the one of our favorite places for the best gourmet burgers in Chicago, DMK Burger Bar. Steve and Andy both enjoyed it a lot, it's SO good!
We had fun at Montrose Beach, played Frisbee in the water and enjoyed a nice day. We played tennis and Frisbee at Winnemac Park near our place on the 4th of July and went to the Field Museum to see the Whales exhibit. It was really cool to see the gigantic whale bones, too bad I couldn't take photos of them. The rest of the museum bores me to tears, but luckily I brought my camera and was able to keep myself occupied taking photos of the museum's architecture and playing with my camera settings. I was able to get some pretty good shots. Afterwards we walked around Museum Campus and took in the great views of the city and lake. Six years living here and the view of the magnificent Chicago skyline and lake never fail to impress me. LOVE this city.

The boys had some time without me at the U2 concert at Soldier Field and they had a blast. Joe and I saw them there a couple years ago, so I opted not to go a 2nd time. They enjoyed it.

We also managed to squeeze in a little kayaking on the lake before they left on Wednesday morning. We had fun paddling around and enjoying the water from a different angle.

 See all the photos from their visit HERE.

happy birthday dad

happy birthday dad!



















taken last year visiting him in California, not the best photo, but its the only one I took of us together.

Happy Birthday to my Sister!

Today is my sister's 29th Birthday! Can't believe she is 29 - about as much as I can't believe I am 31. Gulp!

Happy Birthday Cathy! Wish I could be there to celebrate with you!

As we've gotten older we've become better and better friends. Know one really knows you like your sister does.

"A sister is a forever friend."



Merry Christmas!



First Photo with New Camera of Cathy's Tree

Wow! I realized it's been a while since I posted. December just flew by...I had a crazy busy month with working at Harrington, tutoring like a mad woman, finishing up teaching the tots art class and Christmas shopping. It was nuts...and now it's almost over! I can't believe Christmas came and went already! This year I just couldn't believe it was Christmas time and now it's done! Geez, time flies!

We just got back from a nice week in Omaha for Christmas. We stayed with my sister at her new house. Her house is really nice! It was also super nice to have a place to stay with our own room and bathroom..oh and a garage spot! We had fun shopping one day and getting our nails done too!

 We spent Christmas Eve with my Mom and Cathy in Omaha, doing our usual routine of eating at Biaggi's and opening gifts at Cathy's. This year we went and saw a movie too, Little Fockers, which wasn't that great, but it was fun anyway.  We spent Christmas Day with Joe's family and extended family in South Dakota. We also had another "Christmas Eve" with Joe's parents the day before Christmas Eve. We went out to Big Fred's for pizza with some friends had lots of fun. It was nice visiting family and friends, but the time always goes so fast. So many people to see and things to do. We did get some time to just hang out and relax, which was nice.

Frosty Morning in Flandreau, SD - 12/26/10

We got some great gifts for Christmas this year! I was super surprised to receive the Cannon DSLR camera that I put on my "wish list" thinking I would never get that in a million years. Joe's parent's always spoil us. I still can't believe I got it. They are WAY too good to us. I have been playing with it ever since I got it and I took lots of pictures in South Dakota. I think I want to take a class or get a book on it so that I can learn all of the fancy tricks to taking good photos. We'll see. I will be sure to post some pictures.

Joe got all of the toys he asked for to go with his new guitar. Now he should have everything he needs! We always get so much nice stuff for Christmas, from all of our family. I feel guilty coming home with a trunk full of new toys, but it sure is fun playing with everything this week!

More soon and more pics, I'm sure!

Here is the slideshow of some of the photos I took. Hover  below and click on the play button to play on this blog.
Or view full size on my picasa page here: http://picasaweb.google.com/116844502255534108940/Christmas2010NewCameraPics?authkey=Gv1sRgCKmwss_TqLuQwAE&feat=directlink

Christmas Compromise?

I dislike how merely mentioning Christmas plans to Joe and our families creates stress. I really love Christmas in Omaha with both sides of our family. I always go into planning our trip with a positive attitude and lots of excitement....until discussion starts.... and then I wish I didn't have to deal with it at all. I know it seems early to plan for Christmas, but Joe had to request time off work today so I have been trying to roughly figure out our trip to Omaha and which important days (Christmas and Christmas Eve) we will spend with each side of the family. 

I wish it was easy to balance it all. I wish it was easy to see everyone equally, but it never works out that way. If we lived in Omaha, it would be much easier, but we don't.

Me and Joe are just in that awkward place (and have been our whole married life) where we don't have kids yet, so we can't justify doing our own thing and we are expected to participate in all of the same traditions both of our families had when we were little kids. At what point do we tell our families that we will just make it to one or the other, not both?

I feel like it's so hard to juggle and I hate asking other people to adjust their holiday schedules and plans for us. It's so hard not to feel bad...and the worst part is, I am always the bad guy. I hate being the bad guy. I think the reason its so hard is because Joe and I are the only ones who are married in both of our immediate families. Maybe once we add more girlfriends/boyfriends/spouses to the mix everyone will have to relax a little bit and they'll realize that it's too hard to do everything the same way it has been done since we were little kids. We all have to give and take a little. I hope things will adapt and change as our family grows and expands.

The hardest part is trying to please everyone without feeling like someone is upset or one side is getting the short end of the stick. Since I have a small family, our family gatherings are simple and may seem less important to Joe and his family because he has a big family and they have large family gatherings. I love his family gatherings a lot, they are so fun and I look forward to them every year.  At the same time, I have to remember to try to give my family some time...and that's hard.  All I want is for the time spent to be equal, or as equal as it can be.

Ultimately, I want both of us, together as a couple, to spend time with each side of our family. I refuse to let us go our separate ways to spend time with "my" family. That is not the answer. As far as I am concerned, both of our families are "my family".  Marriage is about compromise and sometimes that is a tough thing for people to swallow.

Ugh... OK, I'm done. Venting session complete.

Larry Gets Lost in Chicago

Cathy was in Chicago visiting us this past weekend. We had a lot of fun... I will post some pics when she sends them to me...we mostly used her camera all weekend.

Yesterday, while we were out browsing I found the cutest book ever in a fun toy store in Lincoln Square. The book is called "Larry Gets Lost in Chicago".  I just love children's books, and don't even get me started on children's books about Chicago! This book was SO cute I almost bought it. 

I can't wait until we have kids and I can read stories to them. I picture a big book shelf, full of cute little books to read to them before I tuck them in.

9 Years!

Happy 9 Year Anniversary to US!

At this time 9 years ago we were probably getting ready to leave our wedding reception. I remember what a great day it was, it all went so fast, but was such a fun day, filled with lots of little moments to remember. I couldn't believe it was all over, the big wedding day we planned for so long. 

Now... I can't believe it's been 9 years already! Time seems like it has flown by, but when I think back to when we were first married, it seems like a lifetime ago. We have gone through so much together, grown as a couple and individually, yet we still have so much farther to go... together!  I am glad to have someone like Joe to share my life with. There will always be ups and downs along the way, but I still can't wait to see whats in store for us in the next 9 years!!  xoxo

Boys Visit + Pictures

We had a great time when Ben and Andy were here this past week. It's always fun for us to have visitors, we get to do fun Chicago things and just go out and have a good time and relax. Having our new "guest room" all set up was nice too, it was nice to have 2 spots for them to sleep and not have to put the big blow-up mattress on the floor in living room. While they were here it was SUPER hot here...pretty much around 90+ each day with lots of humidity. Our place was a little hot, even with the two window AC units on full blast every day. :-/
Here's what we did while they were here...
Sunday, Andy arrived and we got dinner in Lincoln Square at Garcia's, a nice little Mexican restaurant. After we got home and settled in, the 4th of July mayhem began. Much to Chloe's dismay, the fireworks were just as loud this year as they are every other year. This was the first year Joe and I left the house during "firework time" on the 4th. Andy and I went out and walked around at Winnemac Park (the large park that's directly across the street from us). I was surprised at how many people were in the park. There were hundreds of people set up all around the park in chairs and blankets watching multiple groups of fireworks being set off all around the park. People were lighting off HUGE loud ones that almost looked like professional firework shows. It was fun to finally see what we usually only hear from the inside of our apartment!
Monday, Joe, Andy, and I went to the lake/beach because it was super hot and sunny out (not raining like was expected). We got there early enough that we found a good spot and it wasn't too crowded. We went to Montrose Beach, which up north near us, and very nice. The sand was hot and the water was ice cold, but it felt good after we got used to it. Unfortunately, near the lake it was super windy and the sand was pelting us in the face and burying our towels within a minute of putting them down on the sand. We all took a dip and soaked up a little sun before deciding to leave because we had sand EVERYWHERE. We even had it in our mouths...icky! On the way home we grabbed lunch at Potbelly.
Later that night we picked up Ben from the airport and on the way home we hit up a neighborhood bar near our apartment. We had some drinks and wings and chatted. For some reason they didn't even card Andy (who is only 19) so he got to have a couple drinks with us and act like an adult for the evening...ha ha.  I had one too many vodka-cranberries because I was pretty dizzy when we got home. ugh...We all called it a night.
Tuesday we woke up surprisingly early, and walked down to eat at Over Easy, our favorite little brunch place only a block away from our apartment. Unfortunately they were closed. So we hopped in the car and headed to Ann Sather's...a Chicago tradition. After too many eggs and cinnamon rolls, we headed home, stuffed for the day. Later we went to Navy Pier to see the Imax movie "Hubble 3D", about the Hubble telescope. The boys liked it, I was really tired and dozed off like I usually do in Imax movies. :-)  Check out us in our 3d glasses in my pics. Afterwards we rode the big Navy Pier Ferris wheel and took in the great views of the city. Its always nice, but not sure it's worth the $6 price tag.  Afterwards we headed to dinner at our favorite Barbecue place all the way on the other side of the city, Smoque BBQ. The boys loved it!
Wednesday was Ben's 22nd Birthday! We went to watch the Germany vs. Spain World Cup match at Bowman's bar in Lincoln Square. We sat at the table with some guy and his little son because the place was packed. I ended up entertaining the kid the whole time, making fans and flowers out of napkins...ha ha. Anyway, Germany lost...oh well. So after that, we were off to Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder for some Pizza pot pies! Yum! Andy has been there before but Ben hadn't so he got to enjoy his first "ppp" on his birthday!  Afterwards we headed off to what was supposed to be the most fun day of the trip...a kayak tour down the Chicago river to watch the Navy Pier fireworks. The weather was turning crappy that day, storms in the area and thunder and lightening in the distance. We got there, got suited up, did the on-land paddle training and kayak rules, etc... then the owners deliberated and decided that it was too dangerous to go out because there was too many red storm cells in the area and we might run into something on our 3 hour trip. BOO. So we didn't get to go. Joe and I will have to reschedule and find some friends to join us.
So we headed home, had birthday cake and attempted to watch a movie, but we all dozed off after only a half an hour or so. All of that kayak practice made us tired! ha ha.
Thursday was time for the boys to leave. They couldn't leave Chicago without having their favorite "hot Asian buns" from Wow Bao...so we ordered lunch from there, picked it up and ate it in the car on the way to the airport. Yum...best lunch ever...and quite easy to eat in the car, I might add!

All in all we had a nice few days with the boys. It was good to have them visit, we hope they'll be back soon to finish our kayak adventure!

See the slideshow of pictures below. Click on it to view the pics larger and/or individually on Picasa.

Ben + Andy Visit

I just got to work after Joe and I dropped Ben and Andy off at the Airport. We had a fun time while they were here. The time sure went fast, but it seems like we did a lot of fun stuff. I will post pics and more about their visit when I am home and I can upload the pictures.

Happy Father's Day!!

Happy Father's Day to all of the Dad's out there! Especially to our favorite Dads, Greg and Dan!
Chloe and Louie think Joe is a pretty good Dad too! Happy Dog-Father's Day to him! ;-)
Hope everyone has a great day!

Yay, Dad!

Recently, my Dad got very sick with whooping cough... apparently older adults and young kids (due to not getting vaccinated) are catching this more frequently. At first the Dr. thought it was pneumonia, but it turned out to be whooping cough. I was alarmed when his wife texted me to tell me that he had been really sick. Apparently, he was coughing so hard that he would black out several times a day. Not good! He passed out at work and fell on his nose and got all cut up from his glasses. I am sure he gave his co-workers a good scare. He has been through several rounds of antibiotics, but his Dr. said it can take a while to clear up in older adults. Thankfully he stayed home from work for a while and rested because he was completely exhausted, which was hard for him because he is such a work-aholic. He does seem to be getting better though, so hopefully he will be back to normal soon! I am glad to hear he is feeling better, I was worried about him!

Some good things did come out of him getting sick though. He had all kinds of tests done on his heart, lungs, etc, and everything is looking OK. That always makes me feel better....I was wondering how "healthy" he was, so at least now we know.

AND.....

The BEST thing that came out of this is that he QUIT SMOKING!!!!!!
My Dad smoked when I was a kid, but quit "cold turkey" when I was around 7 years old. He picked it up again (unfortunately) when we were much older and has been smoking since. He wasn't ever a heavy smoker, but he did smoke. Everyone knows how I feel about smoking,... I have never been accepting of it for anyone, I'm just not cool with it, especially for my close friends and family because I worry about them too much.  I was always sad that my Dad smoked, but I am so so so glad to hear he has finally quit. I know he will feel much better and I will definitely worry less about him.

He has been smoke-free for 7 weeks now!! Nothing makes me happier than this.
Congrats Dad! :-)  I am so proud of you for quitting!
I love you!
He just turned 62 this past Monday...so Happy Birthday to him too!

Worrying about Parents

Since I heard the news about Joe's Uncle I have been thinking a lot about how someone can be taken from you so suddenly. I've been worrying about our parents and their health more and more. I've been thinking about my Dad and Joe's Dad and worrying about them a lot...especially since they are about the same age as Grady was. I guess that's a natural thing to do when someone passes away who was close to their age.

The scary thing is, you just never know when a heart attack or something just as serious might happen to someone in your family. I hope that our Dads (and Moms) know how important it is that they take care of themselves as they get older. However, I do know things can happen even when people are in relatively good shape. Like for Grady, I would never have looked at him and thought he would be at risk for a heart attack, so I guess you just never know. 

I always hear stories on the news about how men don't go to the Doctor to get check-ups as regularly as women do. They tend to go only when it's an emergency, which isn't always the best thing to do. I hope that as our parents get older they realize that they need to pay more attention to their health and GO to the Dr. for basic yearly exams! I can't imagine losing my Dad or Joe's Dad at such a young age, so I can't even imagine how Joe's cousins feel to have lost their Dad so young. :-(

Remembering Joe's Uncle Grady

On Friday, May 28th, Joe's Uncle Grady Baldwin passed away suddenly. It was very shocking because he went in due to heart attack symptoms earlier that week, they did heart surgery and he went home and everyone thought he was ok. He had chest heaviness again the day after he was sent home, they took him back to the hospital and he and passed away that evening. Turns out he had another massive heart attack. He was only 59 years old, turning 60 this June 14th.

He was a great guy and has a great family, 4 grown children, and he was a Grandpa to many little ones.
We weren't able to get back for the funeral, but his daughter, Joe's cousin Katie, posted the slideshow on Facebook from the funeral. It's such a nice way to remember him. I will share it if I can get a copy from Katie. He was a great guy and he will surely be missed by all of us who knew him.

Our thoughts are with his wife Kathy, their 4 kids, Cindy, Danny, Jamie, and Katie and and all of the grandchildren.
Love you guys!
http://www.millerfh.com/index.php?option=com_obituary&task=details&oid=4033&Itemid=

Easter 2010

Joe's parents (Dan and Beth) and his brother Andy came to visit us this year for Easter. This year they drove (from Omaha) so they arrived late on Friday night and left on Sunday afternoon. Dan and Beth stayed at the Hyatt Regency downtown on the river and Andy stayed with us. Chloe and Louie had fun with Andy, they always like when he comes to visit.

We had a nice time, despite a semi-rainy day on Saturday. We went to the Museum of Science and Industry on Saturday. We wanted to go see one of the Omni Max movies, but when we got there they were all sold out so we ended up just walking through some of the museum for a few hours. They had some cool exhibits. It was pretty crowded and crazy, but it was still fun. I took some pictures with Beth's camera, so I will post some when I get them from her.

When we came out of the museum it was a nice sunny day outside, when we went in it was overcast, so that was a nice surprise. We went to eat at Chicago Brauhaus, a German restaurant we've wanted to try in Lincoln Square (a neighborhood just near our place). We had our fill of German sausages, sauerkraut, potatoes and beer. Luckily we went for lunch/dinner because we were all full all night from that meal.

On Easter Sunday we went to mass at the church Joe and I go to, St. Vincent de Paul in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. Then we went to lunch at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab in the River North Area of Chicago. It’s a really nice place and the food was very good. After that we took them back to the hotel and they took off for home.

Happy Birthday to Andy!

Today is my little brother-in-law Andy's 19th Birthday! Well I guess he's not so little anymore! Hard to believe that the little 7 year old that I met when I was first dating Joe is now NINETEEN! Wow....time flies.... Its nice to see him growing up into a nice young man. I'm glad that we stay connected on Facebook and get to chat on there often. He's my buddy whether he likes it or not! :-)

Now for some photos to remember the little twerp when he was young and sweet. hee hee. ;-)

Andy at our Wedding in 2001.

When he was really little....Halloween (left) as a duck with Joe and Ben

Christmas morning (right) Joe is not happy to be up early, but Andy sure is! :-)

Happy Birthday, Andy!!!

Snowed in on Christmas

So we decided to leave for Omaha a day early to beat the bad weather that was headed for the Midwestern states. We left Tuesday at 2:00pm and arrived at my sisters in Omaha around midnight. We left behind a couple inches of snow in Chicago, drove through some near freezing drizzle in Iowa and Illinois (which wasn't really that bad) and arrived in Omaha to find some rain and then ice the next day and now almost a foot of snow! Our usual Christmas day in Flandreau, South Dakota was cancelled for those of us who were driving from out of state. Our "Zimmer Christmas" is also up in the air for tomorrow due to the weather,... and if it happens will be a very small group of people! What a strange Christmas it is turning out to be!

The "Christmas blizzard of 2009" started here in Omaha on Christmas Eve during the day and is still going strong as I type this. There was only a couple inches of snow on the ground when we headed out on Christmas Eve, but the wind was so strong it was blowing the snow everywhere and pelting us in the face.... no fun...not to mention Omaha already had huge piles of snow on the ground from the last big snow storm they had a couple weeks ago.

So, we managed to get out to church on Christmas Eve with Joe's parents and Andy. Was nice to be back in the church where we were married, even though it was super crowded and standing room only at this mass. I love that church at Christmas and all the time. Its such a nice place to be. Feels like home when I'm there.

After that we went out with my mom and sister for our usual Christmas Eve ritual. We had a nice dinner at Biaggi's and then to my moms and back to Cathy's for presents and treats. It was a nice night and Cathy even managed to get my mom out of her snowy parking lot when she left for the night. There was a lot more snow at that point and my moms car was not made for deep snow at all!!

So we woke up on Christmas day with the hopes of going over to Joe's parents but we were snowed in for sure. There was at least 8-9 inches of snow on the ground and the drifts were super big all around the cars. Boo. So we are stuck at my sisters for today, hoping it will be better tomorrow and we can get out and get over there. But, we tried to make the best of it, Cathy and I played UNO and ate some snacks and a few of the cookies I made. Joe watched basketball and movies. The dogs are getting a little stir crazy because they haven't been on a walk, but they probably wouldn't enjoy a walk in the snow that's taller than them. :-)

Anyway, so this blog is being written to pass some time, as you can tell. We are a little bored, but we are hanging out. Not often we just sit around with our family, even if its just Joe and my sister and our dogs.

So I better get back to doing nothing.... Merry Christmas to all of you and hope wherever you are you aren't having as much "white Christmas" as we are.