Getting into the Spirit!

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Praise Him in the Storm!

I mentioned in the last post.... Bill, his Dad, Merritt and Mr. Lincoln were going away this weekend for their annual hunting trip to Canton. This is always a highlight for Bill, he enjoys being on the St. Lawrence so much and it is usually a "productive" weekend for me. So, yes they did get some birds, but Bill always wants to "clean up". Not this year, but there is always 2009!

It has been months since I've been to Oneonta, so my Mom and I planned a fun filled weekend at her house with Miss Madelyn. Friday afternoon, Maddy, Kato, Oscar and I piled in the car and jumped on I-88 for the short 55 minute trip home. I thought I would kick up the tunes, and put in the Baby Noah DVD for Maddy so she could get her fill of vid-di-do (as she puts it) before arriving at Hamma's. Well my relaxing drive home turned out to not be so relaxing. Some of you may know, that Bill and I have had some MAJOR issues with our billing at the office. It's a long story and not anything I will bore you with, but I will just say this Medicare owes us lots and lots of money. We have not received a payment for any patient visits since mid August.... Yikes!!!! is an understatement. Part our fault, mostly their fault. Anyway, Bill, myself and all our new office staff have been working tirelessly to resolve these electronic billing issues with Medicare now for a month straight. It has been exhausting and overwhelming... many late nights and early mornings at the office. Anyway, we find out on my .... so called..... relaxing drive to Oneonta that the issues were still not resolved and the claims that we sent were still lost in cyber space. I couldn't believe it, I have to admit I have stayed pretty calm during all of this, but I finally had enough and felt so defeated. So, now I am sobbing as I'm driving to Oneonta and I am completely unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Bill and I have spent so much time in prayer about these billing issues and it just didn't seem that the Lord was going to help us on this one. I'm wondering what is HE trying to teach us, Why is this happening and When are we going to figure this out? After a few minutes of my own personal pity party, I realize Oh poor Maddy she must be wondering why Momma is so upset??? Ummm, no not really, she was completely enthralled in her video, munching on her popcorn and sipping her apple cider, that she had no idea Momma was so upset. I was so relieved so I took the time to cry a little longer :) I caught a glimpse of myself in my rear view mirror and realized how horrendous I looked with my black mascara streaming down my face and decided Ok, enough.... you know what to do PRAY!!! So, I shut off Maddy's video (that did not go over well) and we prayed for the remainder of the ride to Hamma's. Over and over again.... Then we cranked up the Worship songs on my Ipod and we handed all of this over to Him.... I finally decided I cannot do anymore... I will be patient and wait.

So, I compose myself and we arrive at Hamma's. Everyone is always so excited as we head up her long driveway. The dogs know, so they go crazy and Maddy starts yelling Hamma's House, Hamma's House! It's like clock work, as soon as I pull in the driveway, Hamma opens the garage door and here she comes out on to the deck. The dogs run to the pond, and Maddy is fully ready to be spoiled for 48 hours. My mom takes Maddy out of her car seat and we decide to spend some time at the pond. Maddy feeds the fish and does a little fishing with her Nemo pole. Good times, truly Good times!!!

Saturday morning, we took a trip with Aunt Kelly, Baby Carter and Hamma to my most favorite place in the world.... The Fly Creek Cider Mill. For some reason, I just love that place, it just feels like home. Despite the rainy weather, we had a great time! I enjoyed a Cider Float, Maddy fed the Chickens and we saw them make the cider. Usually, we eat there but we decided to head into Cooperstown for lunch at the Doubleday cafe. It was a great afternoon but it was time to head home for some well needed naps.

Saturday night Maddy and I were my Mom's guest at her annual Sorority Turkey Dinner. The food was so good and of course Maddy was sociable to say the least. Sunday we went to Aunt Kelly's and Uncle Ty's so Maddy could see her cousin Carter again and we went to visit some great friends of ours... The Himes. It was a really nice weekend, but I have to tell you, when we were driving back to Rotterdam, all I could think about were those billing issues we were having with Medicare. I just didn't want to face them Monday morning. We arrived home to Daddy in the driveway, we were so happy to see him after a weekend away. Bill and I didn't talk much about the billing issues, but we both knew it was on our minds. I went to bed with it on my mind and woke up with it first thing. Monday morning, Maddy and I were heading out the door to Story time and I get a call on my cell phone from Medicare. The woman said, Maam.... I just wanted to let you know that all of your claims have been accepted and you should see payment within 14 days... I could not believe it, I kept asking what had changed since Friday and was she sure they were going to be processed correctly? She said, I'm not sure what happened but everything looks fine.

All I have to say is He is always faithful, but it His own time! Praise God!

Halloween Weekend 2008

We had a wonderful Halloween weekend. Friday during the day we went to a friends house for a party for all of Maddy's friends. It was a great time and so fun to see them play together, these are children that Maddy has spent the last three Halloweens with and they have such an amazing bond. We ate snacks, I chatted with the other Mom's and the girls played and played and played. On Friday night we visited our neighbors for some special treats. We love our neighborhood, everyone is so friendly and really gets into the spirit of ANY holiday. We were disappointed that Bill wasn't able to join us.... he had a few last minute patients that needed to see him for emergency adjustments. He is always so accommodating and is truly a Dr. that cares for his patients, but unfortunately that may mean he gets home very late. We then went to a fall festival at Sonrise Bible Church in Rotterdam. They have tons of indoor games, activities and a bouncy bounce outside for the children to play on. Daddy was able to meet up with us at the Church enjoy some family time for Halloween. Maddy was dressed up this year as a China Doll. I ordered her Asian dress from China and she was lucky to already have the umbrella, that was given to her by her Gram in TN. She loved her costume and had a blast at the festival. We decided to go out for a bite to eat and then head home. Saturday and Sunday were sure to be busy.

Saturday morning Bill was up early and off to Church for his monthly "David's Mighty Men" meeting. This is a wonderful men's ministry where men can connect... they eat breakfast and Pastor Stan leads an informal study. This year they are studying Bill's favorite new book. What's So Great About Christianity by Dinesh D'Souza. He has read it at least 3 times, inside and out and is passionate about this book. He hopes everyone will take the time to read it. It is truly life changing! After his meeting he went back to the office to see a few patients that needed emergency Saturday adjustments and then was able to come home. He loves his patients but Georgia was playing at 3:30 so nothing was standing in the way of watching that game :) Around 4pm, Mom and Merritt came up to spend the night at the house and watch Maddy. For Bill's birthday coming up on the Nov. 5th, I purchased tickets to see Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman. We were so looking forward to a night out together to enjoy some great music. We went out to this wonderful French restaurant in downtown Albany. It is so quaint and just perfect for a date night out. After dinner, we went to the Palace Theatre and enjoyed an amazing concert. It was sold out and you cannot imagine the energy in that building. It was definitely a night to remember!

Sunday was relaxing, Bill and I went to early service. Maddy stayed home with Hamma and Grandpa Mernon since she is fighting a nasty cold. After service, we came home and celebrated Bill's Birthday. Hamma and Maddy decorated the house, made a cake and we ate homemade Chili and Mummy dogs. Of course, my mother found some new recipe for her and Maddy to put together. Mummy dogs, full size Nathan's cheese hot dogs, with breadsticks wrapped around them. They really did look like Mummy's .... they were so cute and appropriate for the weekend... They were awesome by the way!!!! After all of the activity, Bill and Grandpa Mernon took an afternoon ride to scout out a few hunting places in the area, I cleaned up around the house and Maddy and Hamma took a walk around the neighborhood. It was a great day! Next weekend Maddy and I are going to spend a weekend in Oneonta, going to Fly Creek Cider Mill with Hamma, Aunt Kelly and cousin Carter. Going to a Thanksgiving Dinner for my Mom's sorority and will visit some friends, I haven't seen a while. Daddy is going North, to a small town near Canton for his annual waterfowl hunting trip on the St. Lawrence river... with his Dad, Merritt and a friend. Let's pray they get lots of birds!!!

To Hamma's House Maddy Goes!

So, I didn't mean to leave you hanging in the last post, but things were really busy around here last weekend. On Saturday, Bill and I were heading up to Saratoga for a patient appreciation event for the practice and Madelyn was off to spend a fun filled weekend with her Hamma and Grandpa Mernon. (Grandma Vickie & Grandpa Merritt). Mom & Merritt were so excited to have both of their grandchildren for the weekend, Madelyn and Baby Carter. (Kelly & Tyler's Baby) So, as usual... Mom, Bill, Maddy and I met at the half way point, to do the official transfer of goods. The goods are Maddy and all of her stuff, no dogs this time :) It is really very funny, Maddy thinks that Hamma lives at the gas station in Scoharie, since we usually always meet there. After dropping Maddy, Bill and I headed back towards Saratoga, we had a really nice lunch at a favorite diner of ours, Gibby's in Duanesburg, in case you are ever stopping through. It is truly comfort food at it's finest. The accept cash and personal checks as payment, if that gives you any idea of the type of place it is. After lunch, we headed to the Saratoga Hilton for the beginning of our patient appreciation event. We invited 25 patients and their guests to attend a motivational health talk by Dr. Guy Reikemen. Dr. Guy is the current president of the largest Chiropractic College in the country. He is a great speaker with an amazing life story. So, we spent 3 hours at the event with our patients and I think they all enjoyed the evening. After the event, Bill and I bundled up and took a leisurely walk through Saratoga. It really brought back memories of our college days. We sat down at 11:30 at night and ate chinese food and then went to a small french restaurant and sat and had a couple glasses of wine and chatted until 3 o' clock in the morning. It was so much fun and we were so grateful to have the time to reconnect. The next morning, we slept in (ahhhhh ) went out for a big breakfast and then headed home. We were greeted at home by Hamma and Maddy. Hamma was nice enough to drive Maddy all the way back to our house and even bring dinner. Of course, Maddy had so much fun with Hamma. They baked cookies, made a stuffed boy for our front porch (look at the pictures and you'll understand), they caught fish in the pond, went in the hot tub, played with Lily (Hamma's big fat cat) and of course Maddy had fun playing with baby Carter. It was a great weekend for all of us and looking forward to next weekend. We are excited about Halloween and can't wait for the Michael W Smith/Steven Curtis Chapman concert. Should be another great weekend....

Why we live in Upstate NY!

The Fall in upstate NY is my favorite time of year. The leaves are amazing and the cool crisp air is so welcomed after a hot, humid summer. During the Fall we always try plan a few activities with friends and family. Maddy and I started off the weekend with a trip to Bowman Orchards with our Mom's group. I think there was about 8 mother's and lots of children. We picked apples, ate cider donuts and Oh... I ran out of gas. Well, let me explain, Bill drove my car the night before and left me with no gas, the gas light went on right before I got to the orchard, I thought I would have at least a few miles before I would need gas, but I guess I was wrong. The good news I have Onstar, so I pressed the button and within an hour they delivered me 1 gallon of gas. That was just enough to get me to the gas station. So, in case you run into this situation and you have Onstar, press the button and gas will be delivered :)

On Saturday we visited the Upper Hudson River Railroad, for a train ride through the adirondacks. The past two years, we've had picture perfect weather and the leaves are at peak. The Fall is also when Waterfowl hunting season goes into full swing, so Bill decided to stay back and went hunting with Merritt. So.... Mom, Lark, Bobbie and I decided it would be a great trip to take with the kiddos.... It has been a very rough year and half for Bobbie, Ethan and Lark so we were so glad to have them with us and enjoy the day together. Maddy and Ethan had so much fun playing together and they both shared their toys nicely. We look forward to the train ride again next year. Maybe cousin Carter can come, and baby Lillian!

Sunday started off slow, we made a big breakfast and went to the late service at Church, it was so nice to sleep in. Church was different this Sunday, as our Missions week began and it is always so uplifting to see how our church in Loudonville is impacting the world. I am very proud to be a part of Church that is focused on global missions. Bill had the privelege of providing chiropractic services to visiting missions workers. It is a welcomed experience to offer gratis services to people who truly appreciate his skill.

On Sunday evening, our friends Jen and Dan invitied us over for a Pumpkin Carving Party. It was so much fun... As usual, you get a few adults together to carve pumpkins and it starts to get competitive. We all came prepared with our perfect pumpkins, and our professional pumpkin carving kits. We ate pizza and wings and spread out on Jen and Dan's big dining room table. We had a busy weekend, but it was so nice to spend it with our closest friends and family. We are really looking forward to next weekend in Saratoga. More to come on that!

A Great Trip to Florida!

Maddy and I just got back from Florida. We flew down to Ft. Lauderdale and spent a day with Uncle Dan, Aunt Ria and her family. Then we traveled down south to stay with Nono Gino and Nerys and then back up north to see my Grandmother, Aunts and Uncles and Tia Alex. I have to admit I was pretty anxious about this trip. I really don't like to travel alone with Maddy and always prefer Bill to be with us, he stayed back to work :( but nonetheless we made the best of it. It was also going to be a very short trip with lots of visiting. We stayed at a different house almost every night, which can be very crazy with a 2 year old and all the "stuff" you have to transport. Anyway, we did make some time for fun. The night we got in, we went to the beach with Uncle Dan, Aunt Ria and Andrea. It was awesome!!! The weather was perfect and after our flight down it was nice just to put our feet in the sand. Maddy is always a little skeptical at the beach, she does not like the seaweed, but after a little while with Uncle Dan, she was running and playing and stripped down to her onesie, chasing the birds....

On Saturday , we visited a wonderful children's musuem called Youth at ART in Davie... There were so many fun things to do, ride in a Waste Managment truck, sort and recycle bottles. Visit a mini Asian DoJo, play drums with an African Tribe, and explore Egyptian ruins. The museum even had a mini cruise ship you could explore. My Dad (Nono) and Tia Alex enjoyed the day with us and had a blast watching Maddy play and interact.

Sunday and Monday were spent with my family in Pembroke Pines. It is always so good to see all of them. Grandma Romeo looks wonderful and of course all of my Aunts and Uncles are a riot. It's always so much fun seeing them. It doesn't get much better than 15 Italians sitting around a table for 4 hours eating, drinking and just laughing so hard, your sides start to split. I am so happy that Maddy is able to spend time with my Dad's side of the family too, what an amazing extended family she has.

Then there's Tia Alex, it has been way too long since we've seen her. She is so busy with her schooling at Nova, but that girl has more drive and focus in her left toe than I do in my entire body. She is straight A student in one of the hardest programs at Nova. You Go Girl!!! Only good things to come for Tia Alex. Maddy and Alex had so much fun together. We had a sleep over one night, it was so fun to sleep in the same bed with my sister and daughter. Wow, how things change..... We stayed up most of the night talking quietly while Maddy snoozed in between us. I think we learned more about eachother that night then we ever had. It was a special night and a great memory I will cherish.

So, the trip was a success. I saw everyone I planned to, we had fun, and Maddy and I made it home healthy. Unfortunately, there were a lot of nasty colds going around down there, it looks like we dodged that bullet... this time....

Bill, Maddy and I are heading back down to Florida in February for a family vacation, we will be staying at the Mariner's Club in the Keys for a week and plan on just staying put and relaxing together as a family. So family in Florida, we love you, but if you want to see us, you'll have to come to the Keys :)

Maddy and Ella.... 2 Peas in a Pod!

For those of you who don't know, we have friends that moved to Greenville, SC earlier this year. I met Emily at our Mom's group at Church and our daugthers always loved to play together. We were so sad to see them move away, but we were really excited they came to visit us this past weekend. The girls had so much fun together and we all definitely had a crash course in "Sharing". I think if I hear "No Mine" one more time, I might go crazy. By the end of their visit, the sharing concept was starting to catch on...... We didn't have great weather but tried to make the best of it. We visited the NYS Museum and rode the vintage Carousel. We created a mock backyard camping trip and played "Ballerina Dress''. We were even crazy enough to have a playdate at our house on Monday. Picture this.... 7 Moms, and 9 children all under the age of 3 in our basement play room. It was a little nuts, but a lot of fun and it gave Emily and Ella time to visit other friends . All in all it was an awesome weekend, we feel so blessed to have such amazing friends and it's so fun to see our girls play together. Can't wait until we see them again!

Never what you expect!

So, I have to admit I was never much of a girlie girl. Of course, I like handbags, shoes and all that fun stuff but when it comes to clothes shopping .....I can do without... I usually feel overwhelmed, nothing fits right and I have no idea what really looks good on me. As an aside, if any of you would like to nominate me for a show like "What not to Wear", I would not be offended.

Anyway, Bill and I have truly been blessed with an amazing little girl. Filled with personality, a zest for life and an extraordinary spirit. Prior to having Maddy, I always said, I would like to have 2 boys. I pictured them to be of average height, dark hair and olive skin. The Lord really does work in funny ways. He gave us this adorable, blonde hair, blue eyed, fair skinned baby girl. A very wise friend of mine said that "God will give you what you need" and wow was she so right. She is so what her Momma needed... A girlie girl who's into princesses, baby dolls and clothes but also loves to kick her soccer ball around and play in the garden..... So, as Maddy is turning 2 1/2, everyday is an adventure and sometimes a little nuts, but as I look back what an amazing 2 1/2 years its been. Time just goes too fast!

A Weekend of Fun & Learning!

This past weekend Bill attended the NYS Chiropractic Association Fall Conference in Lake George, NY. Thanks to the organizers, they didn't forget the families and held it at the Six Flags Great Escape Lodge and Indoor waterpark. It is an amazing place, the lodge is rustic and has the perfect adirondack feel, the Looney Tunes characters are milling around, they have crafts for the kids to do in the Library, the arcade was a blast and the higlight really is the indoor waterpark. I met some other great Chiro Moms and Maddy of course played with any children she could get a hold of. We did some major shopping at the Outlets, and Hema and Grandpa Merritt were even able to visit for 1 night. So, all in all the weekend was a great success. Bill completed all of his continuing education credits for the year and Maddy and I had so much fun. What more could I ask for!!!

Let's try this again....

Ok, I have to admit.... I really need to get with the program. I have been attempting for over a year now to get this blog going. I'll post a welcome message and get ready to send it to all of my friends and family and then I just get sidetracked. So, this time is for real. I promise. So many of you want to know what's been going on in our lives and I think this will be the most streamlined way to fill you in. I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to giving you a glimpse into our everday life. I have to warn you it is a little crazy around here but so much fun. So, bookmark this page and check back often.

Enjoy and love to you all.

Ange, Bill & Madelyn