A Busy-ish Week

It's hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone and 2009 is just around the corner. For really not accomplishing that much, it's been a busy week.

Once again, the weather in Michigan has not been "shy". It's been 35 degrees + the last couple days and the ground cover of snow is basically gone. Yes, what was once over a foot and a half, is now gone. All that is left are the piles from snowplows. Of course this drastic temperature drop was accompanied by MAJOR fog to the point that I couldn't see much past the end of my driveway all day on Saturday. And all the melting has caused MAJOR floods in the area. With the ground still frozen, there is no place for the water to go. My mother's "river porch" was an unfortunate victim of these floods. What was once a great hangout, covered patio right on the river is collapsed. Hopefully it can be saved or somewhat salvaged in the spring. Also, if you look in the distance of the picture, you'll see that the river is up to the top of the bridge over the street. Yipes!

So besides flooding and collapsed porches, Saturday was "Grace-aversary". My little Gracie has been with us for one year. Two days after Christmas last year I went to the "bad shelter" in the county (hint: it's NOT a no-kill shelter) and brought her home. She was spoiled this year with tuna and new kitty toys.

Finally, today is my Gramma's 85th Birthday! Happy Birthday Gram! We're headed out to dinner to help her celebrate tonight at our local hot spot (ha!).

Nothing from Russia yet... still waiting on pins and needles, but it may be a long wait with their "holiday" shut down happening this week through Jan 12th.

Merry Christmas!!

I can't believe the holidays are upon us. Merry Christmas to you all. It's been a decent week... we've made not only our plan at work, but we made our stretch target - which is wonderful news. The payouts are very worth it ;) And to top it off, I got a small update from Lorien @ my agency -- the MAGIC FORM HAS ARRIVED!! Santa apparently delivered it from Moscow within the last couple days (or would that be the Russian version, Father Frost?) and it will be off to court this week. Could there be a light at the end of this tunnel??

Finally, I want to pass along a blog post from Karyn that truly touched my heart this morning. In my emotional state (holidays, missing my beloved Gramma and holding out for word about my Little T) it made me cry this morning, but it's a beautiful message. Please find a second to read it, http://tiger-kar.blogspot.com/. (My final Christmas wish is that someone will teach me how to add a link with just a word....

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

The Weather Outside is Frightful

It's not even officially winter yet, and we've had our 4th major snowfall of the year! School was called off today around most of the area for what should have been the kids last day of school before the holidays. According to my neighbor, it started snowing around 5:30am. It didn't stop until about 5:30pm and the result was over a foot of snow!

I know these aren't the most earth-shatteringly wonderful pictures, but I was limited to my angles in the snow...

Small update, it's over a foot for sure! While these pictures were updating, my cousin Gary and his family stopped by in his Ford F-250 with giant snowplow on the front. Thank you Ginthers! My usual crew hadn't been through yet, I am sure they are REALLY busy today, and this is the kind of snow that can break snowplows. I took the opportunity to shovel the walk above, and most of the snow was over my knees. It's gorgeous, though, and we have A LOT of it. Looks like it will be a WHITE CHRISTMAS for sure!! (More flakes are due Sunday and possibly Christmas Eve as well!)

This Crazy Week

It's been a crazy busy week so far, and it's only Wednesday!

1) Shower pictures. As promised, Suzy and Jenny delivered some great shower pictures. Here's a quick peek at the cake and my beautiful group of friends:
Another cool cake - and if you can see the little bears behind it, they all held hearts that said USA. Suzy saved me one for Little T -- so she'll get her own USA bear!

I know I have bragged about my family and friends before, but I really do have a great group of "ladies". Of the 8 ladies there this weekend, I have known everyone but Miss Sarah for over 18 years. We still get together at least once a year and it's really like no time has passed at all. Thanks ladies, for a great weekend and your great friendship.

2) The weather "round here has been NUTS! Sunday it was warm and kept getting warmer. Sunday night and early Monday morning we lost almost ALL of our snow. Over the day on Monday, the temperature dropped drastically - basically 35-40 degrees. My mom and I both live on the Black River in Croswell - about 2 blocks apart. She's got a great view as the river is closer to her house than mine. She called my house around 9pm on Monday night saying that there were "crazy" things happening on the river. I went down there to see giant, huge pieces of ice whizzing down the water, almost like it was spring. With the return of the COLD again Monday night and Tuesday, all the chunks froze up, making a really crazy looking river. I am thinking that the snow machines on the river this winter will have a rough ride.

3) High noon today: Today at noon ET is our last order date at work in order to guarantee delivery before the end of the year, so we've had a huge push to "make our sales number" the last couple weeks. It's been exhausting - so I am counting down to the big deadline. The good news is, I made my number! Now, I just need each of you (especially those of you in Michigan!!) to go to your local store and buy some Nesquik (the ready to drink kind) or some Coffee mate (liquid kind)!!

One week until Christmas!!

Small Update - Neither Good, Nor Bad

I heard from my agency today. Apparently our agency contacts in Vladivostok are waiting on a final document for Little T, the one that releases her from the national database. This paper has to come all the way from Moscow via Russian snail mail and reach Vladivostok. I am not sure what's taking so long since I've been back since 10/25, but alas it is. They thought they'd receive the paperwork last week but they did not, so hopefully any day now. From there, her dossier and my dossier go to court together.

So that's the big kicker. My paperwork hasn't even gone to court yet. I thought it would have been there two weeks ago. Argh!!!

I realize this news is 100 times better than bad news, but the waiting... well, you can all imagine. It's KILLER. Happy Monday all.

You're Too Much Kar!!

What a wonderful weekend! I have a wonderful group of friends from HIGH SCHOOL that still keeps in touch. Yes! I am that young! Hahahaha - actually we had our 20 Year Class Reunion this past summer, but it's that great of a group. Each year we typically try to get together twice, sometimes we only make it together once, but usually one of those gatherings involves the holidays and a shopping trip. This year's gathering was a shower for Little T and then an afternoon of shopping at a great mall. Pictures to follow when I get a chance to hit up my wonderful (SCARY!!) friend Suzy or Jenny to send me some pictures, because like the brainiac I am, I left my house without a camera. (Quick explanation: Suzy is the LEAST scariest person I know, but one of our good friends, Krista, couldn't make it this weekend as she's been really sick and called me to tell me she couldn't make it because I was "less scary than Suzy" - which I said was the funniest thing I had EVER heard!)

So I returned to a full in box and and handful of blog posts to read. I was excited to see that Ilya's mommy, Kar (http://tiger-kar.blogspot.com/) had an update, as he's such a cutie, I love hearing what he's up to. Imagine my surprise when I see she's passed along a Kreative Blogger Award to me!! Thanks Kar! That's a compliment coming from you!! :) So here's the rules...

List six things that make you happy. Pass the award along to six more bloggers. Do not give the typical answers and go for the less obvious, as you all know that family, friends, God, etc would be on the list.

1) A fuzzy nose and a furry face. I think a love of pets is genetic in my family. My Gramma Repp started it, she was always trying to feed a stray and find it a home. She's STILL doing it today! On my dad's side, I think almost every one of his siblings (7 kids total!) have pets. One Aunt fosters kitties (thankfully she does this in California, or I'd end up adopting them all!) and a cousin is a VET! At the end of the day, there is nothing better than a kitty cuddled up on my lap while I catch up with a TV show, etc. They always make me smile.

2) The "Big 3 C's" of sweets: My weakness? Candy, Cakes, Cookies. UGH. Is there anything better in the sweet department? Sugar cookies with thick frosting could make me weak in the knees.

3) Hockey Games: I sit here in my "Red Wings" office. The walls are red, Red Wings materials hang on the walls, and player bobble heads are on the top shelf of my desk. Hard to top a good hockey game! The excitement, the cool air and... yes, the fights! I live close to Canada -- you have to let me have this one.

4) Christmas: I know this is typical this time of year... but I truly LOVE this season. It's not the commercial part, or the presents really (although I LOVE the challenge of finding the perfect present for someone I care about), but it's more the FEELING in the air. That neighborly spirit when people are just different, happy. The attitude that listening to music gives you. The smile just creeps on my face and I don't even know it.

5) Traditions. I have mentioned before that I am a creature of habit. I LOVE my traditions. And I've been known to pout when I can't fulfill them! Change can be fun and exciting sometimes, but I love traditions.

And finally...6) Cheese fondue. Yummmmm - such a wonderful 70's food. Melty cheese, how can you go wrong?

Now it's my turn to nominate some award winners...

1) Charlotte & Sue: http://sueandcharlotte.blogspot.com/ Their blog is on private for a little bit during a job search... so you'll just have to trust me, they are HYSTERICAL.

2) Angie: http://tofindadaughter.blogspot.com/

3) Stephen & Sara: http://theroadtomax.blogspot.com/

4) Rick & Julie: http://mcguirkfamily.blogspot.com/

5) Sarah: http://ourrussianchildren.blogspot.com/

6) And last but not least Barb: http://holmsweethomeblog.blogspot.com/

Lost: One Giant Beast Kitty (temporarily!)

This past Sunday when I woke up, there was something missing in my bed. Typically, I wake up to a giant 25 lb cat at my head to the left (Roo), and a sweet, VERY hungry calico (Gracie)crawling on me the minute she detects me stirring. Murphy, the king of the house, sleeps in the living room as our guard. This is our normal routine. But on this day, there was no giant 25lb beast in the bed.

This would probably not freak anyone normal out. However, I, am NOT normal! My kitties (and myself) are creatures of routine. Variances from said routine are not typical. I generally can tell you where Roo is 24 hours a day, because he doesn't usually stray to far from me. He's my total lover boy.

So I figured I'd get up and he'd join Gracie and I in the kitchen for breakfast. Hmmm no Roo. He wasn't in the living room with Murphy, and there seemed to be no sign of him. I started to get a little nervous. I know for me to be nervous seems a little strange to 90% of the world. I know. But you see, a similar event occurred years ago with my sweet (late) Nougat one morning. I couldn't locate him and eventually found him about 20 minutes of searching, only after detecting his pitiful cry from underneath my futon in the office. He had torn his ACL sometime over the night and basically couldn't walk.

I started on the search to locate the beast, much to Gracie's dismay (there was no food being served during this time because of said search!). Gracie and I searched high and low, behind couches, in the basement, under stairs, under the aforementioned futon, under my bed... etc. After a second search of the basement, I headed back to the stairs REALLY nervous this time. There he was sitting, waiting for me at the top of the stairs looking like "What's all this fuss about?". Needless to say, I was relieved, but intrigued about his obvious new hiding spot. He disappeared later that day as well to this new location.

Finally on Monday morning, I set out to trail him on the search for this new secret spot. I mentioned in an earlier post that in an effort to be organized this past weekend, I packed up all the gifts for trip #2 to Russia into a new BIGGER suitcase. The old suitcase I pushed under Little T's crib to get out of the way. Apparently there is just enough room for a 25 lb cat to go under the crib and up into the not closed suitcase. A perfect hiding spot - especially when you add the heating vent that is nearby!! I am surprised Gracie hasn't joined him yet. Here's "baby" Roo as he's usually called in his new warm spot...