Cosi with Kristi

It's been WAY too long since Kristi and I have caught up, just us girls. Between vacations and life, we've just been busy. Earlier in the week we made plans to get together and catch up in real life, as opposed to text or email where so much is lost because of lack of expression or intonation, etc., and it's simply not as personal as getting together can be.

We met at Cosi, in New Rochelle, and just talked about EVERYTHING. I'm surprised neither of us cried. The tears would've been happy, as well as just a release, but there were none, and that's okay. There was real talk, pure honesty, and a sense of love and support. God has truly blessed me with amazing people in my life that I can call true friends.

Kristi sometimes treats me with goodies from her job. Today she gave me a NEAT coffee travel mug, as she knows I LOVE my morning coffee. I was SO excited to open the box! The mug has a caricature of two girls, one blond, one brunette, having coffee. SO CUTE! The thoughtful surprise made my night.

We had such a good time, and realized we don't see enough of each other, that we're planning on hanging out again next weekend ... But before that, we'll get to the Yankee game on Monday!!

Family Day at the Bronx Zoo

Since we all had the day off (for the Jewish holiday) there were plans made to head to the Bronx Zoo. Well, my sister made the plans with Fatima; I just happened to send Marisel a 'what's going on with you?' text at the right time. After I finished at a morning appointment, I made my way to the zoo & found everyone. I was pleasantly surprised to see Fatima and Sonya there, as well.

The zoo covers so many acres, it's nearly impossible to see everything in one day. Admission on Wednesdays is free, so it's extra crowded there. Sifting through groups of people coupled with a good deal of walking will have anyone exhausted come the end of the day.

We spent about 4 hours there and were able to see many animals and exhibits. The kids seemed to enjoy themselves. There were squeals, laughs, running off, and smiles! I loved being able to join in this impromptu get together!!

Family time is so important. With them being so far, we don't get so hang out as much as I would like to. I love them more than I could ever put into words.

Moving?

Hopefully so!!
This has been in the works for two - three months now, and while my patience is wearing thin and my stress levels high, I'm trying to remain prayerful through it all.

Let's see what a few weeks will bring. Hopefully a happy update on this topic! :)

As for right now, I'm trying to deal w the boxes taking up a big amount of space in my little apartment.

Apple Picking 2012

This year we took our apple picking trip to Stewart's Farm in Yorktown Heights. In years past we've gone further up the line, past Woodbury Commons, and although that farm had some more activities with which to entertain the children, we appreciated the shorter drive.

We started our day in the bakery and got delicious (but so bad) apple cider donuts, pumpkin muffins and popcorn. Y U M!

After that, it was off to the orchards to pick, pick, pick the apples. We wound up doing more talking and picture taking than apple picking, but thankfully Uncle Joe was on the job! Justyn was throwing apples, Sammy was trying to find good apples, titi was taking pictures and the rest of us were not focused at all. Ha!!

We had a wonderful time. The weather was fair, but the cool autumn air kicked in as the day got later, and being on our feet got to us by the end of the day.

Next adventure -- pumpkin picking ... But that's in a month!

Catching Up!

Life has been busy since school started! Life right now includes work, marathon training, and possibly moving. What should be first on that list is being at church, but I'm trying to get back to that. I definitely want to.

Work is going well, so far. The kids are adorable and I'm looking forward to watching them grow, both literally and academically, over the next ten months. I'm already exhausted, but that's to be expected with the schedule I'm keeping.

My mom moved to a new house, and packing was the longest job to get through. Of course, I was only there three times, but they were three intense days of packing. Thankfully, it was all finished by the time of the closing ... Literally.

Natalie celebrated her 17th birthday, and I'm hoping to write a post solely on that sooner than later. I loved celebrating with her and our family. She really is a very special person in my life. Both of my sister are.

Marathon training is definitely draining me, and everyone else who is training, but it's part of the game. These are the weeks where mileage is up and rest is low. However, rest is SO important. My bed time has become 9:00 p.m. When wake-up is at 5:00 a.m. (or earlier), I'm drained by the end of the day. Who am I kidding? I'm drained by 11:00 a.m.

In between all of these things, I'm trying to get myself back to church, and back to the things that used to be important to me, like developing a relationship with God, and spending more time with my family and friends. AND blogging.