The long awaited rugs!

A close up shot... Can you see the tint of cranberry tweed?

Well, the new rugs are down.We are very happy with them and boy what an improvement from the old ones!!! We are pretty much unpacked but still have a few small things left to put away. Boy would it have been so much easier if we had either a garage or basement to put our stuff in as opposed to storing everything in both bathrooms and the kitchen!We could not get in any of the three rooms because of the boxes and all our stuff. Kyle and I keep a pretty neat home so we were not loving living in such a state of chaos. Even Rosie wasn't herself!!

Above is a view of our living/dining area.

My best friend Megan (oldest friend since grammar school) was the first person to see the finished products and she loved them!! She came over for dinner last night. It is very race for us to do much on a Friday night but I had made a yummy pasta salad and Megan didn't have plans and I REALLY wanted her to see the rugs! Anyway, she came over and we had dinner, played a little Sequence and had some white wine! Rosie was thrilled to have a visitor, especially her Auntie Meg!

This is our bedroom and Rosie's bed. The rugs even go with Rosie's bed

Just had to show how well the rugs go with the kitchen tile that Kyle installed last winter.
Tami & Moriah can you tell how much better they look????

On a different note, I found a job that I'm going to apply for. It is with HUD, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, which is another federal agency. I've been @ my current job for almost 5 years and I love the people, the flexibility & the pay but there is a lot I don't like. For instance, our Director and also the job isn't hands on enough for me. The job with HUD is for an"Equal Opportunity Specialist." I'd be dealing with various types of housing complaints. Anyway, it seems like something I'd be interested in. The thought of switching jobs and starting something new is really scary to me. However, I know that change is a good thing and I've given my current job 5 years & I don't see myself growing with the agency. Now I just need to get my butt in gear and apply for the job b4 the 29th.

Overall, our weekend was good. On Saturday we ran around doing our weekly errands and on Sunday my mother, sister Megan and 2 of her 3 kids came over for lunch & to check out the rugs. We hung out at the pool for a few hours and then our niece (Lauren-9) stayed with us for a few hours. We went on a few errands with her and then took her to dinner @ Chili's. She also helped me paint my toenails :) We had a lot of fun with Little Lauren!

Well, that is it from here folks! Hope you all have a great week!

Long Overdue Pics from Kerry Lou's 70th!

The Birthday girl!

As most of you know we've been bad about posting lately. Things seem to get super crazy this time of year with lots of birthdays and just a ton to do. On June 3rd, my mother turned 70 years old. We didn't have a party b/c she said she didn't want one and she did have a big bash for her 60th. Anyway, all 5 of her children and their spouses took her out to one of her favorite restaurants called "The Barker Tavern." The Barker Tavern is located in the town we got married in, Scituate. http://www.barkertavern.com/vrtours.htm

Anyway, It was a great night!

My Mother and her 5 kids!

My mother is many things to many people & I wouldn't be where I am today without her love and support. For those of you who have never met my mom, I'm sorry you haven't had the chance to meet her b/c she truly is a great lady!

Ten Things-Lessons or Values My Mother Taught Me that are Worth Sharing :) (There are many, but here is just a sample)

10. As a woman, you can be whatever you want to be and you don't need a man to complete you!

9. Try your best. Even if you don't succeed, you still gave it your all.

8. The Courage to Persevere. One of our favorite quotes is " Courage doesn't always roar, it is the quiet voice at the end of the day that says " I will try again tomorrow."

7. The Importance of Family.

6. The Need to Forgive.

5. The Love of clothes, books & a good meal!

4. The importance of education.

3. The example of putting your children first.. no matter what.

2. The ability to express how I feel and to let those close know I love them by not just doing but actually saying "I love you." Never underestimate the power of those 3 words.

1. The importance of girlfriends. My mom has always been a woman with a lot of friends!

The list could be a lot longer!

I would not be who I am today if it were not for my mother. I love you mamma!!

Don't worry all! Kyle will be posting rug pictures soon :)

C & K

Venting & Preparing for New Rugs

Well, the new rugs are getting installed this Monday the 18th. Thank God! What a lot of work it has been to prepare for this. We have been boxing up our condo so that is everything except what is in the Kitchen and our furniture is packed and out of the way. We are down to just one bathroom as a lot of the stuff has been stacked high in the guest bathroom. Thank god we have two bathrooms! We are living in total disarray with boxes everywhere. Needless to say, life is kind of crazy again. This time of year seems to get so busy! Probably because I hibernate for half the year and when the warmer weather is here, I just want to enjoy every minute of it. We will post before and after pics of the rugs so u get to see the new ones.

OK, today I'm sitting in the work cafeteria with my co-worker having lunch. I was very tempted to buy something but I made myself eat the salad I brought from home. It was very good! I'm really trying to stick to my rule of only eating out once a week and I'm trying to be healthy. Anyway, all of the sudden I realize I gotta pee. As many of you know, when I gotta go... I gotta GO! I usually have less than 5 minutes to find myself a bathroom or a private corner (that last one is for Tami to chuckle.) Anyway, Our office is on the 5th floor but the cafe is on the 2nd. I immediately rush to the bathroom and I can't get into the accessible stall b/c someone left the baby changing table down. I was soooooooooooo furious. To make matters worse there was a random little boy in the bathroom wanting to pet Rosie. I of course I let him, but time really was of the essence. So, I leave that bathroom and wheel as fast as I can to catch the elevator.

I get to the 5th floor and out of the 10 stalls wouldn't you guess that a non-disabled person is in the only stall I can use. Normally I don't care but when I have to go this really irritates me! ugh!!! Anyway, one of my co-workers was in the bathroom washing her hands and could tell I was frazzled. So, I told her how I REALLY had to go and the whole story that I just explained above. Anyway, my other non-disabled co-worker gets out of the stall and says,"everyone uses this stall because it is the cleanest." I had no time to respond but I'm sure the expression on my face said it all. Anyway, sometimes I just get really annoyed with these daily obstacles. I thought I pwould post these helpful hints that I read on my friend Kristen's blog. She is Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts and her blog rocks. Check it out. http://mswheelchairmass07.blogspot.com/

Helpful Hints:-

Introduce yourself before you offer assistance. -

Don't be offended if your help is not needed. -

Ask how you can help and listen for instructions. -

Be courteous, but NOT condescending. -

Assist disabled persons only when necessary or requested.-

Do not discourage their active participation. -

Allow a person DIGNITY to do what he or she wants to do for him or herself.

Other Things to Remember: -

Treat people as you would like to be treated yourself. -

Do not show pity for a person using a wheelchair or any other disability for that matter. -

People with disabilities are NOT alike and have a wide variety of skills. -

Disabled people are not sick, incompetent, dependent, unintelligent or contagious. -

The wheelchair is part of the user's personal space. It is not a leaning post.