Weekend in NY

This past weekend we spend in Rochester/Syracruse NY at Niel’s niece’s wedding. We arrived in Rochester on Thursday, Sept. 25th…Brian’s birthday. I think I called him four or five times during the day…still can not believe he turned 21. I have a 21 year old….am I really that old? Does not seem possible to have a child that is 21….but I guess I do & when I look in the mirror, I see that I am old enough to have a 21 year old. When did that happen?

Well…back to Rochester… We landed and headed directly toward the nursing home to see Niel’s mom….she was asleep and personally unaware that we were even there…so, we were going to stay at Niel’s sister’s house, she left us the key (she had already headed to Syracruse to help with the wedding planning). Well, when Niel was unlocking the door to the house…the key slipped out of his hand behind the cement stairs. We did try to retrieve the key but were unlucky…so off to a hotel we went. Once we unpacked we headed over to Rick & Laurie’s house (dear friends of Niel’s and now mine). We had a wonderful dinner but more important, fantastic fellowship. We love to get together with them…..such great friends. Sure wish we lived closer.



Friday after having a wonderful breakfast at the hotel we checked out to start our trip to Syracruse for the rehearsal dinner & then the wedding. Before we headed out of town, Niel wanted to help his dad with putting on a storm door. Niel said, it would take an hour or two and then we would be off to the mountains to look at the foliage. Well, 4 ½ hours later the storm door was up & we were having lunch at Applebees before we headed out of town toward Syracruse. The morning weather was beautiful, so a good time to put on the door but once we headed out of Rochester, it started to rain…so no luck in tromping through the woods and taking pictures of the foliage.

I did get some pictures from the car. Now, we arrive in Syracruse and get ready to check into our hotel…except they said our reservations were canceled by Expedia (which is strange since I book straight through them and not expedia). So….they hooked us up across the street at a hotel called the Maple Wood…we got a queen bed instead of a king…but at least we found a room. Mind you, by now…my morning blown, my hotel room blown, the weather is raining….I am wanting to head back to Florida. But..we came for a purpose, a wedding of a wonderful young lady and young man…..so after taking a nap in the hotel room….off to the rehersal dinner we head. Wow..the food was so good and everyone was wonderful. Joe (Jen’s niece’s fiancé) family is wonderful. They made everyone feel like family.



Next day was wedding day!!! It was suppose to be an outside wedding..but the rain just would not stop. The wedding was in a lodge that had the most breathtaking overlook. I can see why they picked the place and why they wanted an outside wedding here. Since the lodge was so beautiful, they were able to get married infront of the fireplace. Very romantic. I really loved how the tables were decorated. Since they both have a love for gems….each table was named after gems. Really a cute idea. Again..the food and fellowship was wonderful!!! We had a great time being with friends and family. This was the reason we came to NY…to celebrate with family and celebrate we did.


Above: Geoff, Karen (Niel's sister & husband), Jen, Joe, Joyce (Joe's mom), Stoyll (Niel's dad)



Above: Lauramay & Niel


Above: Renee', Jen, Tia (sisters...Niel's nieces)

Sunday we headed back to Rochester and on the way back we stopped off at Senica Falls and I was able to get information for my government classes. It was a nice touch. Niel saw it on our way up and thought I would love to see that. He knows me so well. Once we arrived back in Rochester….we went back to Niel’s sister’s house …this time we were able to get in, since she was home….we then visited for awhile & then headed to Rick & Laurie’s to watch the Bills play. Again…a wonderful time of fellowship.


Today…we spent time getting ready for our trip home and visiting with Karen (Niel’s sister). We also were able to go to the nursing home and see Niel’s mom again. This time she more awake and in a very good mood but again, do not think she realized who we were.

David’s team won his football game this weekend…so that was good. It is a conference game. This week is David’s homecoming week. His game is Thursday. He has the homecoming dance on Friday. I will be busy getting back into the swing of teaching again and getting ready for our homecoming the following week. A lot to do!!!

Traditions

We have been busy the past few weeks so that is why I have not been able to post. Work has been busy....for me, this is my busiest time of the year. I have homecoming to get ready for, get my student government up and running, my Senior Beta club up and running, and my Model Student Senate up and running. It seems like I have a early meeting every day of the week and two in the afternoon. Part of being the government teacher and the sponsor of the student government associations. It is just busy getting all the clubs up and running. Homecoming is a major job, our Homecoming this year will be Oct. 11th....that whole week before will be a busy week..spirit week and flag football game on Friday night.

Last weekend I went to a benefit for a friend who has cancer. A very talented women who loves the Lord dearly. The benefit was an all day concert of local musicians trying to do what they could to ease the pain of the finacial burden that comes along with cancer. It was amazing the talent that was all in one room with one goal to tell this one person how much they cared for her and her family. She beemed with life that day....I know she had to be in pain but there was no pain on her face...just delight that all these people care for her. The amazing part is that I had not seen her in 10 years. I had moved to the church that I was working at and Sheryl and her family had switched to a church that Leon (her husband) could do some preaching. I connected back up with this family when Mark was a junior in high school and needed to do a project at a music studio (they have their own studio). Now again, through another friend (Gail from my church) sent out a prayer request for a person in the music industry that had cancer and local musicians were getting together to throw a benefit for her. What a small world....we might move forward in life but we continue to connect back to people we knew. The world is not as large as we all think it is.

This past week Niel's dad was here looking for a place to purchase nearby. He found a condo in Melbourne (about 30 minutes away on US 1). But in the process of finding a condo, he got sick and was put in the hospital. He is doing much better now and as I type this blog he is on his way back to NY to get his house ready to sell.



This weekend was FOOTBALL for David. His team lost but they fought really hard, they played a team from a school twice their side. They did get on the score board, 41 -14. Missy & Granddad came to the game along with my friend Patty. We all watched as Davide played really hard. I feel each game he gets better as an offensive guard. But Football on Friday afternoon or evenings is becoming a tradition at this house hold. We carry chairs in the back of the car incase the games do not have good stands to sit in. It brings back memories of years past when football games was another tradition...then as band parents....this time as football parents. The only difference between a football parent & a band parent, you really watch the game...as a band parent you are busy making sure the band has their needs met before they head on the field for half-time show. But football has been a tradition in this family and will continue on, just a tad bit different view point.





Yesterday, Saturday, Niel & I headed to Tampa to celebrate with Brian who will be turning 21 on Thursday! Their apartment is so cute! Chelsea & Natile decorated the apartment to celebrate Brian's birthday and Chelsea made him a birthday cookie cake. It was wonderful! We all went out to eat at WASABI which is a Japanese Steak House. It has become a tradition for us the past three years to take Brian to a Japanese Steak House....so the tradition continues, just at a different location. Tradtions are fun and I think it make us all feel more connected together. Here are some pictures from the celebration:







In the above picture, you will notice Brian is holding a lunchbox. Chelsea got it for him for his job...yes, Brian has a job, at a place called Tuffy. But if you look at the lunch box really close, you will see that it is a transformer called Bumblebee. The funny thing about this, when Brian was little, I made up a song just for Brian, it was called Bumblebee Brian. So...I guess tradition goes on, he might be 21 but he will always be my Bumblebee Brian.

David is doing good in school this year...intern report was outstanding (all A's & 1 B). Him and I went to a college fair at his school. I can not believe he is a junior and we are looking at colleges already. We looked at 70 colleges at the fair. It was very informative and an eye opener for me. David is a junior in high school and we need to start thinking about where he wants to go to college in just a few years...two to be exact.

Speaking of college....College Boy Mark is doing good in college. He loves his greek class and is doing wonderful in it. He is also rushing a club this year. Janel is also enjoying her time at OC and is rushing a club as well. They are both enjoying college life. This year Mark has a new roommate but is in the same quad as Chen.

Next week we go to New York to go to Niel's nieces's wedding.

I would like to leave you with this thought. Traditions....traditions can keep us connected and help us hold onto happy memories. Traditions can trigger a past memory while making future memories. The world is not as big as we think it is and people make inpacts as we go through this life....what kind of impact are you leaving on people.

Now...to end....which one is the football player or who looks meaner?

David in action

Football Season

David is Football player Number 79:



As you can see, football season is here. As parents, you will find us in our blue/white shirts on Friday afternoon or evenings watching the MICS Cougars Football team. So....if you want to know where Niel & I are on a Friday night.....we will be at a football game. He has had two games so far. First game 34-30 WIN; second game 28-0 WIN!!!!! David is a starter Offensive Lineman. He had some really good blocks during this last game. He played hard, his whole outfit was totally wet.

So far we have been blessed with a bypass on the storms that have been stirring in our Atlantic waters. We do have our shutters up and plan on taking them down next weekend. This gave us a time to organize them and get them labeled so both Niel & I understand my labeling system.

We have been getting a lot of rain from the storms as they stir out in the Atlantic so we are now looking on reroofing the garage. Niel has found two leaks. He gets the fun about calling around getting estimates for a new roof for the garage.

Last night David and our youth group went to Universal Studios to the Rock the Universe. It started at 4 and ended at 1. They were listening to many different Christian Rock bands. They had a ball. I was totally surprised to see so many kids up during this morning service. David slept in...I felt after Friday's night game and then Saturday night...I thought he needed the sleep. Guess I was the only parent that thought that. I knew he had homework today and I wanted him to be awake enough to do that. Well, homework is done and he is off to see two of the girls in the youthgroup play soccer.

My folks are in Maine right now visiting my brother's family. I know they are enjoying their grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Work is going well....again, what a year to be teaching Government!! It is an amazing year for politics.

Have a wonderful week!