the news

It's been a month since we posted, so there's a fair amount to relate. Since Craig posted our videos, we had a visit from Gwammy (Craig's Mom), Grace and I went to Florida to celebrate my Mom's 70th birthday, we experienced the stomach flu, and finally, we were adopted by an adorable male kitten. The following photos and text highlight our month.

Gwammy and the Colts
Gwammy arrived on January 18th to spend a weekend with us. The weather was a little chilly (at least by Georgia standards), but that didn't prevent us from spending lots of time outside. Grace received a post-Christmas tricycle that she mastered with Gwammy's help (as you could see from the earlier video posts).

The other bright spot was watching the Colts clinch the AFC champ-ionship. Let there be no mistake, the Colts won because of Grace. Every time she has worn her Colts cheerleading outfit, the team has won. Grace's influence carried them through the Super Bowl (though I know that Grace's daddy might have a disagreement with my assertion of Grace's power). Regardless of whether or not Grace indeed influenced the Colt's journey to victory, one undisputed fact is that she is, quite possibly, their cheekiest fan!

Florida, Florida!
In early February, Grace and I travelled to beautiful Mount Dora to help my mom celebrate her 70th birthday. For real, my mom turned 70! I have to admit that I used to think that 70 was a little old (sorry, mom). Now that both of my parents have passed that milestone, I have reassessed my view. Seventy is definitely not old. To celebrate this momentous occasion, Aunt Betsy cooked (and I assisted) in a fabulous meal. This was followed by some pretty great gifts as well.

In fact, the celebration was capped off with the best gift ever, especially given the circum-stances. Now everyone knows that my mom can be a little prickly when her kitchen is taken over, and her birthday dinner was no exception. She groused at Besty and me a bit, so much so that we joked about the queen being present. Well, as you can see from the photo, the queen was present. The last gift of the evening was a red tiara sent from my Aunt Vicki and Uncle Mark. The gathered guests (and the queen herself) laughed so hard at this offering that tears streamed down our faces!

We had a wonderful, wonderful visit in Florida. Grace and GG took walks together (Grace actually rode her trike while GG walked). Mom, Grace and I went to the Orlando Museum of Art to see the Gee's Bend Quilt exhibit (a story in and of itself...upon seeing the quilts, Grace started to do somersaults on the floor; a sercurity guard followed us closely for the rest of our visit), and we also managed to walk through the Mount Dora Art Fair (with 250,000 other people).

The interloper
Shortly after our return from Florida, someone new entered our lives. What can I say, he's adorable, extremely loving and playful, and he has fleas. We have been adopted by a stray kitten. We think he's 6-7 months old, and he just showed up on our porch. Craig feels that kitty understands that I'm a sucker. He now has a cozy bed on our back porch (complete with heating pad) and receives kitten chow and milk every day. Oliver is beside himself. We don't dare bring the kitten inside (fleas notwithstanding). And in reality, what would we do with three cats. The litter with two cats is nearly unbearable. We have advertised kitty at Mercer and dropped numerous hints with our extended family...anyone want a kitten?

Sick
Don't worry, no photos here. Grace got the flu for the first time. She was sick. The sickest I have ever seen her. Her temp was 102. She laid on the couch like a little rag doll. I paced and called my mom with worry. At first we weren't sure of the cause for her fever. Finally, while snuggling with Craig on the couch, we learned the cause. She soaked his pullover (and the couch cushions) three times. Her face carried a bewildered expression. To our knowledge, she has only thrown up one other time, and not nearly with so much force. She spent a fitful night in our bed where her last cycle of fever broke around 11 pm. The following day she was in good spirits, and since then has shown no ill effects. I, on the other hand, had to keep her home from school for three days, so I exhibited a number of ill effects, namely frustration at not getting work done.

Job
Which brings me to my last heading. Yes, I'm now employed. I wasn't looking for work, but it found me. I am now developing grants for the Georgia Children's Museum. The work is part-time, and I'm able to do most of it at home (when I don't have an ill child). I am finding the transition back to work to be a challenge. I don't seem to have a minute to spare. I have to say that having extra money really does make a difference. Craig and I lived for two years hovering above the poverty line, and now we are both gainfully employed (with reasonable salaries). It's amazing how life changes when you least expect it.