Looking Ahead to 2009

As we speed toward the New Year, Mike and I not only reflect on the year gone by, but think about what we would like to accomplish in the one to come. This year has seen many happy events including the building and moving into our dream home, visiting a new state (CA), and welcoming our first nephew into the family. Along with these happy events we have faced some struggles that we continue to work through. These include death/illness of family members that are close to our hearts, the continued struggle to start the family that we so much desire, and watching those around us receive the thing that we so desperately seek. Though we rejoice with these friends and family, it is difficult to endure the repeated disappointment over something we feel meant to do.

Considering the ups and downs of 2008, these are the goals that we have set for the coming year:

1. To finish settling into our new home and continue to improve upon it.
2. Relocating Mom to WI so that she can be close to us.
3. Settling me into a permanent position within the clinic system, therefor getting a routine.
4. Last, but certainly not least, to start a family. We hope that this year will bring the addition of a little one to our hearts and home.

If you could please keep us in your prayers as we start this new year and strive to achieve these goals it would be greatly appreciated. We wish everyone a Happy and Healthy 2009!!

Merry Christmas from the Stormes!!

Home At Last

Even though we are sad to be back in the snow and out of the sun, we are really glad to FINALLY be home. It's a long story, but the highlights are, we were supposed to fly out of San Diego at 11:30am on Sunday morning and finally took off at 5:30pm San Diego time. This delay put us into Chicago after midnight last night. Since there was no way that we could stay awake to drive home, it was another night in a hotel for us. To make things more complicated, my Mom was supposed to fly into Chicago yesterday, and as those of you that live in MI know, with all the snow no flights were leaving Grand Rapids. Finally today at 1:00pm Chicago time we met up with Mom and headed back to WI. Tomorrow it's back to the real world, BOO WHO. At lease we had a GREAT trip with an extra day to sight see. I will leave everyone with our favorite picture from each day. ENJOY!!

Monday:

Through it was raining, it was great to see the Pacific Ocean

Tuesday:

Mike and I at the coast. It was hard to explain to the Mexican gardener what we wanted, where was my high school Spanish when I needed it.

Wednesday:

The ABC Christmas party was really fun and we had a great meal with good company

Thursday:

Mike and I got to see the beautiful sunset. Together this time.

Friday:

Jin Jin the 16 month old giant panda at the San Diego Zoo. She was so cute!

Saturday:

The view from the cliffs of Point Loma was amazing. My favorite part was the tide pools.

Sunday:

This was the view from our balcony in San Diego. We were sorry to have to leave it :(

Hopefully we can go back again sometime.

Party People!!

Tonight Mike and I had the pleasure of attending the ABC Supply West Regional Office Christmas party. This was held at the Chart House, a very beautiful restaurant right on the Pacific ocean. We had a great time and are very grateful for the hospitality that has been extended to us by the members of this office. Here is a photo of us all gussied up and having fun.Tomorrow is Mike's last day of work and then we are off to San Diego to stay until Sunday. I am very glad that I will have a sight seeing buddy soon. It gets lonely being in a new place while Mike is at work and wanting to share my experiences with him. I can't wait to explore with my husby. Love Ya Babe!!!

Day 3 of Californication

Though day 1 and 3 of Californication were overcast and rainy, day 2 was beautiful. Mike was able to take the morning off and we went for a drive down the coast to La Jolla where we snagged these gorgeous photos. This one is a view from the cliff looking north toward Los Angeles. We decided to take a steep set of stairs down to the beach to get closer to the Pacific.

FYI: the waves can and will come all the way up to the cliffs. I learned this the very wet way.

Overall the trip is going really well, even with the rain I have gone somewhere different everyday. One of my favorite things that I saw was yesterdays sunset. Having only ever seen one over Lake MI, it was a majestic sight to behold. I will leave you with some great shots of that sunset. ENJOY!!

3 Months Old

Today my nephew Cohen is 3 months old. Mike and I had the pleasure of having Cohen, his Mom and Dad, and Grandpa and Grandma stay with us this weekend for an early family Christmas. This marked the first time that we had a baby in the house, but as you can see things went really well.

Cohen loved hanging out with his Aunt Kate

Mike and I had the pleasure of presenting Cohen with his first Christmas present. This included a fun red and white reindeer outfit, complete with hat, and a penguin friend. Cohen loved his new outfit and sported it for the present opening festivities.

This was not the end of the presents that Aunt Kate and Uncle Mike had for Cohen. There was still the soft and cuddly blanket that I started when we first heard about the little guy joining our family.

I know that this will be his favorite blanket, that he will take to college with him one day.

So Happy 3 month Birthday little guy. We are so glad that you came to join our family!!

Day from H-E-double hockey sticks!!!

This has just not been a good day for me. It started out with me leaving my house at 6:45AM, getting to work to assist with a procedure that involved placing a camera in an area of the human body that NOBODY wants to see, and just culminated in a very large butcher knife falling out of a cupboard only narrowly missing my face. Had I not jumped back at Cheetah speed, I could have lost an eye. Try explaining that to workman's comp. I think that this is one of those days that I should have stayed in bed with the covers over my head. All I can do now is keep repeating my mantra of, 3 days to Cali, 3 days to Cali, Thank God Almighty only 3 days to Cali. If I survive today I will most surely make it...RIGHT????

Snow, Snow, We're Going Away!!

On my very treacherous drive to work this morning, in my husband's little POS car, I had an interesting thought. As I was cursing the little cars handling on the snowy roads I thought, "I hope that the rental car that we get in San Diego handles well in the snow." Note to reader, I put this in quotes, since I have a tendency to talk to myself in the car. Then it hit me, "YOU IDIOT, there is no snow in California!!" This made me very happy to think that next week at this time I will be sitting on a beach with a good book. Only 2 more days of work and one family Christmas (at our house) stands between me and the California coast. YIPPEE!!!

Life is Flying By

I can't believe how fast the last few months have gone. Mike and I spent the whole summer waiting for Sept, when the house would be done, and now we blinked and it's almost Christmas. This year Christmas seems to have really snuck up on us since we are celebrating with Mike's family next weekend, then heading to San Diego. My Mom will be here for 2 weeks when we get back and then it's 2009 already. Where does the time go.
A little update on our week. I was able to pick up my truck last night, and $930 later, it runs exactly like it did before the transmission broke. Oh Well!! Last night was also my first night alone in our new house, which for those of you who have known me for awhile, was something that until 2 years ago I would never do. Note to parents out there: Don't make your kids afraid of everything to keep them safe. It really messes you up as an adult. Mike is in KS for a few days and will be back late Saturday night. He is supervising inventory at a branch in Kansas City. At least I know that he is missing me too, since he called about 4 times last night (only during Greys Anatomy commercial breaks), what a great husband. Tonight I am off to Girls Night In with the cutest little girls in WI. Then lunch plans tomorrow and some cleaning, GO ME!!
Lastly, in case anyone missed to countdown on my sidebar, it's only 8 days until we leave for California. Jealous Much?

Car Update

Well, they figured out what was wrong with my car, nothing big, it just needed a NEW TRANSMISSION!!! Why me?? On top of that it needs 4 new tires, since the tire that was replaced this summer, due to a leak, was the wrong size and ruined them all. You may be asking yourselves "What is this going to cost?" Not much, just $700 and change. On top of all this Mike is leaving tomorrow for Kansas for 3 days, which leaves me on my own to wrap this all up. LUCKY ME!!! So, it looks like it's going to be at least one more day with the Caddie and then my truck may be "running like new". But since it has always SUCKED, that doesn't fill me with warm fuzzes. Keep your fingers crossed.

Car Trouble

The saga that is my life took an interesting turn last night. Just after leaving work I was traveling down Highway 14, a very busy 4 lane road, when I heard a loud thump. My car stopped moving and when I tried to push the gas pedal the engine only reved. Finally, after a few minutes of panic, I was able to shift it into 2nd and drive 10 mph to my house. For those that are thinking these things happen, let me clarify, I drive a 2007 LEASED trailblazer that I have had for 2 years and have had in the shop upwards of 10 times. Yes, I drive a LEMON!! So, now my car is at the shop yet again and I am cruising in a 2008 black Caddie. Maybe they will forget that I have it and I can keep it...A girl can dream.

Thanksgiving in MI

It's been awhile since my last post due to a extended trip to MI and the lack of Internet. Mike and I spent the Thanksgiving holidays staying in Holland with my Mom and getting together with various friends and family.

As always our first stop was to see our Little Man Owen. Mike and I had the honor of presenting him with his first ever Christmas present. In typical baby fashion he was more interested in the wrapping then the gift inside, as illustrated by his death grip on that bow.

Later he did warm up to his gift and as you can see here is now cruising in style. Unfortunately this was or last visit with Owen until after the holidays. We will miss you little one and can't wait to see you in the new year.

The rest of the trip was spent doing various family activities. Mike spent Thanksgiving day with his mom's side of the family, while my Mom and I had a relaxing Turkey day complete with a "chicken wing feast", MY FAVORITE!

Friday Mike and I hung out with my Mom and took her to see a movie. We saw 4 Christmases which was hilarious and so true. It was really good to spend time with the three of us and just have fun. We tend to be really silly and always end up making fools of ourselves. But hey, if you can't be crazy with family, then what's the point.

Saturday took us up the Howard City to spend the day celebrating Christmas with Mike's dad's side of the family. This is always a wild and crazy time, with lots of laughs and a few tears. I think this is a good time to share my new favorite quote, "Christmas isn't Christmas until somebody cries" as said by donkey in Shrek the Halls. If everyone looks back over Christmas's past I am sure they will see the truth in this. Overall, the day went really well and it was great to see family.

Here is my favorite photo of the day:Mike and I with our new nephew Cohen...What a cute group!!

So after a very tense 5 hour drive home, it's back to the real world for 2 weeks, then we leave for CALIFORNIA...YIPPEE!!! Ta ta for now. Kate