I'm getting excited for Christmas! Can you tell?!?!

So what has been going on lately....not really anything overly exciting. Lots of school and some work, although things have been so very very slow lately. Which stinks because I need hours!!!

Last week Rapha and I flew out to Denver to visit my grandpa who was very ill and in the hospital. We were all very worried. He went in for a routine colonoscopy, during which his colon was perforated. 48 hours later he was in surgery a

nd had 10 inches of his intestine removed. He had internal bleeding for a few days, as well as an infection in his abdomen from all the lovely bacteria which got out through the perforated colon. Luckily, and thanks to many prayers and fasting, he is doing much better, and will be leaving the hospital tomorrow to go to a rehabilitation center for 6 days so he can continue taking his intravenous antibiotics. Funny, but insurance won't pay for said antibiotics unless he is at a facility- not at home. Unfortunately, those antibiotics cost nearly 20 thousand dollars, so needless to say, he won't be coming home until he is off the antibiotics. Wouldn't you think the insurance company would rather save $ and have him take the meds at home, rather than stay at a facility where they have to pay for his accomodations, food etc? Oh well, n

o one ever said insurance companies were smart...

So I have been in Denver since Saturday. Rapha, dad, Kelly and Travis all came as well but left on Mon and Tues, so I have been here for the last few days keeping my avo (brazilian grama) company while gramps is in the hospital. He doesn't love our visits and after ab

out 30 minutes tells us it's time to leave hahaha. he is tired...and grumpy but that means he is doing better!! So we have been shopping, and out to eat, and just hanging out. While Dad and Rapha were still here we went to Red Rocks and Black Hawk, a small las vegas in the rocky mountains. We played the slots and Rapha won some $$! It was really fun!!! So, this has been a nice trip, considering we came super worried, we are all much relieved and have been able to enjoy ourselves and each other's company!

Happy Thanksgiving

In Canada :) Yes, we went to Niagara Falls yesterday, and spent the afternoon in Canada! Only when we got back to the US side and the immigration guard asked if it was busy "over there" did we remember it was Thanksgiving in Canada!! We had a great time!!!

Letter from a Marine who happens to be my brother

Dear Mom (next of kin)

I am writing to you another mandated letter regarding my safety and status on this great adventure, the 22nd Marine Expiditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). Some retard in my unit sent the last letter out to his parents with a blank piece of paper in it. His parents contacted the chain of command, because they are also idiots and thought he was kidnapped (we could only be so lucky). So this is the 4th letter I am sending to you, although we have email and I prefer to talk that way anyway. I don't even write Lauren letters. So here is what they are making me say:

I am safe.

I am ok.

I will be training for a few weeks (but by the time you get this I will be back from it)

Love,

Adam

Tastes like honey

I got stung by a bee on Sunday...on my BUTT!!!

It really hurt, a lot!!! And it stung me through my JEANS! What a persistent sucker! My only comfort was that the bee died on contact!!!

CPA

So on September 8th, I start school again. I'm super nervous, but excited as well! I will be studying "business administration" at a community college (focusing on accounting) then after 2 semesters I plan on transferring to a university, to get my bachelor's in accounting, and then (since it is now a requirement for the state of NY) a master's in accounting so I can sit for the CPA exam. My goal is to do this all by the time I am 29 (this gives me a little over 4 years which I hope will be more than enogh! I would prefer 3 years, but with the masters and the 4-part CPA exam, it will more likely be 4) So that is my plan! It feels so good to finally have a plan and some direction! Although I never though I would ever in my life become a CPA...!!!!!!! It feels good!

Pictures from our sealing

We finally got our official pictures from our FABULOUS photographer Susie Campbell Photography. So here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure :)

A ride through the Mountains

This weekend Rapha and I went to the Adirondack Mts with my dad to be his "crew" as he participated in a 140 mile ride through the mountains! We had a fun time following my dad and getting him water and his protein bars! hehe We saw a lot of beautiful places and enjoyed nature. It was a beautiful place. And my dad rode really well. He finished the ride in a little over 9 hours (it was a lot of uphill climbing in the mts) and was so tired! But he did great!! Here are a couple pics from the trip!!