Bildner Christmas Party

We celebrated Christmas last weekend with Brook's mom's family at Trent and April's. It was a great little get-together with almost all of his aunts, uncles and cousins. Plenty of good food, lots of laughs and a very memorable evening!

Catching Up

Can you believe Christmas is ONE week from tomorrow? IMO, this is the best time of year; unfortunately, it goes by wayyyy too quickly! I just checked my calendar and Thanksgiving was 3 weeks ago - whoa, time to quit being lazy and post some pics.

We started the day with church to thank God for His countless blessings and then went to Brook's grandma's in Parma for Meal 1. This year, I told myself I would not eat as much as I did last year at Meal 1. Yeah right, Brook's mom is a fantastic cook! If only I had self-control when it came to food! Oh well, the food and the company were great.

Meal 2 was at my mom's brother's (Uncle Jeff) house. We always celebrate Thanksgiving with his family and my grandparents. This year, with just 2 families and Gma and Gpa, there were 32 of us. (Gotta love being Catholic!) A fun tradition we have is to all go to a movie after dinner. This year, we went up to the IMAX theater in Lansing and watched "A Christmas Carol."

Love this pic - look at Veronica posing in the back!

In their matching Thanksgiving outfits from Grandma Theresa

Julia pushing Sophie . . . haha!

Gma & Gpa, Uncle Jeff's family and our family - oh my, how we've grown!

Cancun

Ahhh . . . after so much anticipation, I can't believe the trip is over. Maybe that's why I haven't written anything on it - b/c I am in denial! (Haha) There isn't much to write about as we did a whole lot of nothing. And it was wonderful! 4 full days of lying on the beach, relaxing, enjoying a cocktail or two ;) and enjoying time with my sister, BIL and wonderful husband. Luckily, Hurricane Ida passed through before we arrived and we had gorgeous weather everyday. 80's and sunny, doesn't get much better than that!

Our hotel - the Oasis Viva Beach

The view from our room

Volleyball anyone?

(This is right before Brook lost his wedding ring in the pool.)

"My kid is going to be smarter than your kid."

Don't mess with us!

"Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters . . . "

Awwwww

Sigh

Making friends out on the town

They kept the bartender busy!

"Adios & vaya con Dios"

As I eagerly anticipated our Cancun trip, I've had that "Toes" song from the Zac Brown Band in my head. "Got my toes in the water, _____ in the sand. Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand. Life is good today." Ahh, yes it is! The trip is here! We leave tomorrow and are super-excited! (Even more excited that Hurricane Ida is long gone.) See you next week!

A Visit from Friends

Sunday we didn't have plans to do much, except maybe a little yard work. Imagine our suprise (and delight) when Cory called and asked if it would be ok to come up for a visit! What could we say, "No, umm sorry, we have yard work to do." Haha, yeah right. So, later that afternoon, Cory, Melissa and Brody arrived. We took advantage of the gorgeous weather and went down to the pier to see the water. The visit was much too short, as they had a 2+ hour drive ahead of them to get home, but we were so grateful for the visit!

What a great autumn day to go out on the pier!

This picture is so cute!

The (Not-So-Lucky) Irish

Brook and I met Wes and Jaime down in South Bend on Friday to see Notre Dame "kick Navy's butt." Welllll . . . that's what I was telling my co-workers, at least. Please note that about 1/2 of my co-workers at the Zeeland plant were in the Navy. The razzing on Monday was not near as bad as I expected (and deserved!) Though it would've been great to see an Irish win, we still had a fun day. The campus holds a special place in our hearts, as this is where Brook and I met just 2 years ago. And, of course, who could forget the weather?? It was a beautiful day for a football game!

"Touchdown Jesus"

Great View!

(Except I think this is right before he threw an interception)

The Grotto where we light a candle & pray for next year's season

(Just kidding!)

Fun, Fun, Fun

What a fun Halloween we had! We went down to Concord to spend time with my family and see the kids in their costumes. We had a very full day (there never seems like there is enough time to see everyone we want to see), but a good one. I needed the visit. As much as I love living in Grand Haven, I still miss my family a ton. After dinner at Applebees with everyone, we were saying our good-byes and Maria looks up at me and says, "I miss you Aunt Chrystal." Ugh, talk about breaking my heart!

Later that night, we went out with the Parrotts to a Halloween party. We haven't seen them in ages and I really enjoyed our time together! We all dressed up (wish I had pictures!) . . . Cory as a studly police officer, Melissa a mermaid, Brook as the Thing (I think that's what it was) and myself as a flapper. This is the third time (not in a row) I have worn the flapper outfit. Many, many good memories have accompanied me in that costume! Why ruin a good thing! =)

So precious!

Tinkerbell and Notre Dame Linebacker

Little JuJu

I Freaked Out

I did. And I am not proud of it. I am not the person who runs to the doctor for a prescription at the sign of sickness. I am normally a healthy person and prefer to treat illnesses with natural remedies. That said, the Internet is the devil. Plain and simple. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve self-diagnosed myself off of WebMD and was sure I had cancer or some other terrible disease!

Well, it wasn’t WebMD this time, it was cnn.com. I was doing my typical morning scan of the news stories and came across a woman who was pregnant and had a sore throat. She didn’t think it was a big deal and let it go for awhile. Eventually, it turned into a fever and by the time she got to the hospital, she was having seizures and was put into a medical-induced coma (due to H1N1). The rest of the story . . . well, it’s not pretty and I won’t share it, b/c I don’t want to freak anyone else out.

I freaked out, b/c I have had a nagging sore throat for a few months. It hasn’t been bad until last week, so I let it go. After reading that story, along with the fact that we leave for Mexico in 2 weeks and are thinking of trying to get pregnant in the near future, I got panicky. I don’t have a doctor here, so I called my dr in Jackson for a recommendation. Long story short, he didn’t have one for me and I ended up at Urgent Care. Blah. (After, of course, I asked Brook to scope it out for me to make sure it wasn’t packed. I didn’t want all the sickies to make me sick if I really wasn’t sick!)

I got right in and it was a good experience. The NP who saw me was super-nice and a good listener. After checking me over and doing a strep test, the verdict was . . . seasonal allergies! LOL! Oh well, a $25 co-pay is worth my peace of mind. She even managed to talk me into getting the flu shot, which I have never gotten before, by saying “Your unborn baby depends on you.” (The unborn baby that I am not pregnant with, mind you.) Ugh, so I got it. This morning, I woke up with a terrible cold and feel like crud. I am out of it, but at least I know it’s not the Swine Flu!

Birthday Wishes

This is a tad belated, but over the weekend, my SIL April celebrated her 29+1 birthday. We celebrated last Sunday with her and the rest of the Bisonets. I am blessed to have 2 wonderful sister-in-laws (or is it sisters-in-law? I'm not sure.) April quickly became a friend, b/c she gets me and my OCD ways. For example, last week, I told her I had finished addressing almost all of my Christmas cards. Yes folks, you read right, I said Christmas cards! She told me I was even more OCD than she was and I took it as a compliment. Haha! I have found that we are a lot alike . . . and that is probably why I get along with her so well. I miss my Concord sisters terribly and am grateful that I have her nearby. I know that if I ever need anything, she is just a phone call or e-mail away. So, here's to you April - I hope this next year of your life is filled with many, many blessings!

Some Gave All

I'm remembering my cousin today who was killed in action in Tikrit, Iraq 6 years ago today. DJ was a year younger than me and grew up just 5 miles from us. Our families did a lot together and he was my brother's best friend - they got into all sorts of trouble together! :) He had an infectious smile and made everyone laugh. If he was your friend, you always knew he had your back. He signed up for the Army and joined the 4th Infantry Division(the same Infantry that our Grandpa was in in WWII and the same Infantry that would later catch Sadam Hussein) after the attacks on 9/11 to "fight the evil in our world." In Iraq, they called him "Sunshine" b/c of that smile of his. The stories his fellow soldiers tell of him are amazing - he made such a difference in their lives.

October 13, 2003 . . . It's odd how 6 years still seems like yesterday . . . I was living with the Sisters and had just finished night prayer when I got the call from my mom. The days that followed were filled with questions of exactly what happened and lots of tears and time with family. Some of my most vivid memories are walking into the Wheeler house the day after finding out and they were playing Mercy Me's song "I Can Only Imagine" and I thought 'What faith they have!' My aunt was a pillar. There is no other way to describe her. The faith that woman has is amazing . . . I remember going to Detroit Metro airport (at night) to pick up his body, with about 50 other family members. We formed 2 lines, facing each other on both sides of the door, held hands and recited the Lord's Prayer as the door was opened and there was his flag-draped casket. We all drove back to the funeral home and said a Rosary together. It is times like those that we need our faith more than ever . . . I remember the drive from the funeral at Queens to the cemetery in Concord and all the people with flags standing along M-60 and the Concord band playing, just outside the cemetery. It meant so much . . . I remember hearing the national anthem for the first time after his death . . . it was at my sister's basketball game in the CHS gym. Tears flowed down my face, as that anthem now took on a new meaning. I finally understood the words to that song.

Thank-you, DJ. You are missed greatly and will never be forgotten.

Homecoming, a Weekend Visitor & 30th Anniversary!

Last weekend was full of fun and family. Even though it was cold and rainy, we didn't let that hold us back! Friday we went down to Concord, b/c Hannah was on Homecoming court. I can't believe my baby sister is going to graduate next year. Sigh. Veronica and I took Hannah to get her hair done and then did her make-up for her. As this was going on, my mom's college roommate arrived from San Diego with her husband (whom we hadn't seen in 10 years!) What a nice treat to be able to see them! We all went to the parade and then to the football game. I can't say that I frequent HS football games too much anymore, but I had a lot of fun watching my alma mater play (and win!)

Patiently waiting for the parade!

My favorite little guy

Brrr

And the winner is . . . Hannah didn't get the crown, but she said it was one of the most fun nights of her life!

After the halftime festivities, we left to go home and Maria came with us. Ever since she had come up during the summer, she had said that she wanted to come back "by herself." LOL. She is a character and did so well even though she was away from mommy and daddy for 2 nights. I had promised her a trip to the apple orchard, which has pony rides, a petting farm, wagon ride . . . the whole shabang. Unfortunately, it was pretty rainy on Saturday, so we went to Chuckie Cheese instead. Brook opted to stay home to watch the MSU / Mich game, which had a very sad ending for him.

Luckily, the rain let up on Sunday and we were able to stop at the orchard after church. Maria got her pony ride and I got my homemade cinnamon-sugar donut!

The long anticipated pony ride! Thank goodness it stopped raining!

After the orchard, we met the rest of my family at Clara's in Lansing to celebrate my parents' 30th wedding anniversary. 30 years. I cannot imagine that. After being married only 5 months, I can't imagine all that a couple will face in 30 years . . . births, deaths, raising kids, etc and etc . . . My parents (and Brook's parents, too) have been a wonderful example to us of committed love. 30 years, 4 kids, 4 grandchildren and lots of love . . . we are blessed!

The house that love built . . .

Wedding at Sutton's Bay

Last weekend, we attended John and Amber's wedding at Sutton's Bay. As previously mentioned, John is one of Brook's partners and his parents own a cherry orchard, which overlooks the bay. As you can imagine, the scenery was breath-taking and the weather was perfect! 70 degrees, light breeze and low humidity - just as they had predicted on their wedding website. (John's mom had the entire town praying for good weather! LOL) The reception was held at Field of Flowers Farm. Amber did such an amazing job planning . . . even made cherry jam that was used as table assignments and favors. Such a neat idea! They left last week for a 10-day honeymoon in Greece. Can't wait 'til they get back to hear all about their adventures! (Hope they didn't have to spend the night at the airport like another set of honeymooners!!)

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Guinan!

“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him.”

Sr. Katie was a radiant bride! She has staked her life on Someone she has never seen and her life is a witness to the world. It is quite extraordinary! I spoke with her before the ceremony and she was composed and able to laugh and joke, as I was tearing up. That’s my Katie! Paraphrasing the words of Bishop Boyea, “Joy, my sister, will fill your life.” I wish you nothing but joy, my friend!

Getting ready to walk down the aisle . . . look at that smile!

Professing her vows before the Bishop, Sr. Dorcee (the Superior) and Jesus, of course :)

Congratulations!

Watching Katie make her vows, reminded me of God’s faithfulness . . . to me! I needed that reminder right now. I have been worrying about the future and how to handle a couple different issues that have been weighing heavily on me lately and I needed to be reminded that God has a plan and that all my worrying will not help. It is easier said than done, though!

We also celebrated Carey’s birthday over the weekend. He and Brook lived together before we got married, which gave me a chance to get to know him well. He is a great guy, who really has become like a brother to me.

His new fishing waders

Of course, I have to mention football season! Brook said to me last week, “I heard the reason God put football season in the Fall is so we wouldn’t feel so bad about Summer coming to an end.” LOL. I don’t know if God really cares when football season is, but I would tend to agree that football season makes the end of summer much more tolerable! I tell ya what, though, it is hard to be married to a die-hard Michigan fan, when you are a die-hard Notre Dame fan, especially after last weekend! Brook was pretty gracious about the Michigan win and not too obnoxious (like I would’ve been, if ND had won) . . . until Sunday morning. We were “discussing” who got the bigger bagel from Panera (mature, I know, haha) and all of a sudden, he starts singing “Hail to the Victors.” Sigh. I’ve been humbled, what can I say? It is good for me.

This weekend we are headed to Traverse City for the wedding of one of Brook’s partners at the firm. It should be beautiful, b/c they are getting married on the cherry farm the groom’s family owns, which overlooks the Grand Traverse Bay. I just hope Brady survives the weekend! I think the toughest thing about living in GH is that I really don’t have anyone to watch him when we go out of town. One of my co-workers generously agreed to let him stay at her house and suggested that Brady come over to “meet” her dog, which is a chocolate lab. Welllllll, Dudley and Brady met last night . . . let’s just say Brady didn’t take too well to Dudley, who is extremely friendly and playful, but doesn’t know her own strength. Dudley just wanted to play, but was getting in Brady’s face. He didn’t like this much and kept trying to BITE her! Yes, bite her! (He never does that and I was so embarrassed.) When I say, “I hope he survives,” I mean literally survives, b/c the more Brady tried to bite, the rougher Dudley got . . she thought he was playing with her. Sigh. Some people are nervous about leaving their kids, I am nervous about leaving my dog!