New Year's Eve in New York City!!!

We decided this year that, if the weather was reasonably nice, we would go to Times Square to ring in 2011.  We figured that now was a good time to go since we are so close to the city and we don't have kids yet.   So, on NYE (after sleeping quite late - we had a very late night the night before) we got up and took the train into the city.  We got the to city around 4:30pm.  We then tried our best to get to the Times Square area.  We waited at 2 different checkpoints with huge crowds to try to get in, but they both closed before we made it through.  Third time was a charm though.  The third checkpoint we waited at (getting pushed, shoved, and groped) let us through and we were that much closer to our destination.  Success, we thought!  Little did we know, we were still many blocks away from where we wanted to be, the crowds were thickening very quickly, we still had at least one more checkpoint to go through, and we were starving as we had only had a pretzel all day.  So, by 5:30 we had made it through one checkpoint and were on 7th between 52nd and 53rd (near Stage Deli, for those of you who know the area).  We talked to a cop for a second who said that people had started lining up in Times Square at 2:00 pm.  2:00!!!!  That's 10 hours early!  Yikes!  We decided that we probably wouldn't get much closer, so we went and ate dinner at Ray's Pizza (a favorite of ours from our Honeymoon).  By the time we came out about an hour later, the crowds were literally penned up in the middle of the street and the amount of people was absolutely crazy!  I was so glad not to have my purse on me, I can't even begin to tell you!  So, for those of you who didn't know, there are no restrooms available to you once you are "penned up."  

people in the pen

No port-a-potties and if you leave the pen, you have no guarantee you'll get back in (ie. if you leave to go to the bathroom in a restaurant).  And, for those of you who know me, you know I don't do well going for a long period of time without a bathroom.  Miracle of miracles, I made it 5.5 hours without going!  Be proud.  =)  Initially we weren't going to get into the pen (for that very reason - no bathroom accessibility) but we decided to just go ahead and try it.  So, we got into a pen, made it to almost the front of the pen, and stayed put.  Now, the people are penned up in different groups down the street.  Gradually they open the pens and allow people the opportunity to move up closer until you can't move any more.  Andrew and I were happy with where we were, so when the pen opened up we didn't move.  However, many other people did.  I didn't move my feet and I was close enough to the person in front of me that we were touching, and yet people still managed to squeeze between us.  I turned and told Andrew that I had decided people are like rats - if they can get their head through a space, then they can get the rest of them through as well.  CRAZY!  Anyway, we ended up visiting with a nice couple and their kids who were living in NYC, but were originally from Texas (yay!), so we commiserated about all of the great Texan things we missed.  It was nice being able to chat with other people to make the time go by a bit faster.  Every hour (and one half hour) there was a count down and blast of fireworks to mark the new year in another time zone.  Finally, it was time for the real countdown!  We counted down and I got my camera ready to take pics and, wouldn't you know it, I was so busy taking pictures that I didn't actually see the ball drop - the one thing I could have seen form where we were standing.  And, Andrew didn't see it either because he was too busy watching the numbers counting down.  At least I have some pics of the ball when it was up, and the ball after it is down.  It was quite and experience and an experience we are glad we had (just to say we did) but once was enough.  We will never do it again, but we had a good time.

2011 Fireworks

2011 Fireworks and the ball has dropped!

right before the countdown

see all the people?

Times Square

the tiny blue/white dot is the ball

Christmas in Canada 2010

This year it was time for us to spend Christmas in Canada again.  We had such a great time!  It was wonderful getting to see everybody again - it had been way too long.  We went up for 8 days and enjoyed our time to rest, relax, and catch up with everybody (and maybe shop too!). 

Our first full day there we went to lunch and then Andrew and his Dad went home and Vivien and I went grocery shopping.  I wish I could say we did more that day, but truly, grocery shopping was pretty much it, besides lunch and dinner. Although, we did go and look at lights after dinner, which was quite nice (and part of my family's Christmas Eve traditions, so I was glad I still got to do it in Canada) and then went home and put up the Christmas tree.  Doug and Vivien waited on us to get there so we could help.  We had fun helping decorate the tree! 

On Christmas Eve we had quite a busy day at home.  From the time we got up (late) Andrew and I were in the kitchen cooking up a storm.  We made cranberry jello salad, Christmas cookies, 2 pumpkin pies, 2 pecan pies, pumpkin bread, and got the dressing ready to bake the next day.  It was a busy day in the kitchen, but we accomplished a lot and Andrew was a really big help.  In addition to all of that cooking, we also had some Christmas Eve traditions to attend to.  I'm pretty insistent that I have a hamburger for dinner on Christmas Eve (Greaves' family tradition - whether they meant for it to become one or not!) so Andrew called different hamburger restaurants to find out when they closed.  Everything was closing at either 3:00 or 5:00, so we went to a hamburger joint around 3:30 and ate our hamburgers. We went to the Christmas Eve service at Doug and Vivien's church at 7:00 and then came home, relaxed, and watched It's a Wonderful Life - one of my favorite Christmas movies, and surprisingly Doug hadn't seen it before.  Then on to bed, wearing our annual Christmas pajamas.

Andrew helping me cook

Christmas Cookies!

Christmas Cookies!

Yummy Pecan Pie

On Christmas Day, we got up and went downstairs to open presents.  After opening presents and taking some pictures, we ate breakfast and then went and got ready for the day.  Now, in the Greaves' household, Christmas Day is pretty much spent laying around and napping.  Not so in the Jackson household!  We were hosting Christmas dinner for about 30 people (hence all of the cooking on Christmas Eve) and Vivien and I had to cook for all of them.  So, needless to say, after talking to my family and wishing them a Merry Christmas, I spent the better part of the afternoon in the kitchen cooking some more.  Vivien did the turkey and a few vegetables and I baked the dressing, made the green bean casserole, peas and cheese, sweet potatoes, and brussels sprouts with pecans and cranberries.  It was a busy afternoon cooking furiously, but everything came out wonderfully.  The food and the company were all delightful and, although 30 people is certainly a lot, we had a great time getting to see everyone again and visit.  (And, I was happy to help cook because it meant I got to "southernize" the Canadians a bit!)

annual Christmas pjs

Christmas morning

The next day, we had a friend over for dinner and had some great conversation with him.  It's always nice to catch up with old friends that we don't get to see often, and Rob is certainly one of them!

Rob, Sarah, and Andrew

Finally, the day before we left, we went to an 80th birthday party for Andrew's uncle and Doug's cousin.  Bob had turned 80 a few weeks earlier, and Gwen was turning 80 in a few days, so the family threw them a party.  It was great fun!

the black forest birthday cake

the 80 year olds! Gwen, Bob, and another cousin

 

us at the party

Andrew with cousins Alina and Julian

 

Anna and Michael

Mireya and Marilyn

Keenan and Carol

Nee

Michael and Rick

visiting with friends

visiting with friends

Jaire

Christmas in Connecticut 2010

Andrew and I do our own little Christmas before we leave to go celebrate it with our families.  It's something we started when we got married.  We always open our stockings together beforehand.  This year we didn't have a lot of money to spend on presents so I suggested we try something new.  I suggested we spend about $20 on each other and then do what I deemed a "wish Christmas."  In my mind, a wish Christmas was putting together a list of things we knew the other person wanted and that we would love to give to the other person if we could, but that just weren't feasible for this year (and may not be feasible for several years, depending).  Essentially, we were saying to each other, "I wish this for you, and hope that one day I can give it to you."  It actually turned out to be quite a touching Christmas for each of us because it required more thought than, say, just going to the store and buying something.  So, here are some pics of our Christmas with each other and our wishes . . .

Andrew and his stocking

Sarah and her stocking

yep, even Tanner gets a stocking!

Andrew and some of his presents

Sarah and her presents

Sarah's wish list from Andrew - I especially like 3 and 4!

Andrew's wish list from Sarah

Gobble Gobble 2010

We spent Thanksgiving this year in North Carolina at my brother's house.  We had a really nice visit with my family.  It was even more special since we don't get to see them as often as we'd like.  We drove down from Connecticut the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and, of course, ended up leaving later than we had planned.  It's about a 10 hour drive and we arrived there around 3 in the morning (I think).  The drive wasn't too bad going down - pretty much missed traffic in the high traffic areas (NY, DC . . . ). 

The next day we got up and hung out with the family.  Pretty uneventful.  At least until about 10-11 o'clock at night.  As some of you know, last spring I was diagnosed with an ulcer and have been on medication off and on since.  I started feeling off around dinner and by the time it was too late to go anywhere but the ER, I was getting worse.  I had terrible pain right under my ribcage and it only worsened as the night went on.  I took some extra medication (after deciding it must be ok) and went to bed.  I slept for about an hour and then woke up with my heart racing.  Once my heart calmed down, the pain worsened and I was up for the rest of the night.  As soon as the clock read 7am, I woke up my Mom and said, "Can we please go to an Urgent Care?"  Andrew, Mom, and Jamie quickly got decent and took me to an Urgent Care up the road.  I was the first one there (thankfully) and when the doctor saw me he said my problem could be one of two things.  Either an ulcer or gallbladder.  He gave me a GI cocktail and said if it was an ulcer, the cocktail would make the pain stop in about 5 minutes.  It didn't.  He then gave me a shot of Tordal and said if it was gallbladder, that would help in about 20 minutes.  Half an hour later and I was on the mend. 

After all of that drama, we went home and tried to enjoy what was left of Thanksgiving.  Andrew and I rested (seeing as how we had been up literally all night), Jamie fried the turkey, and Mom and Dad finished the rest of the cooking.  We had a really yummy dinner (of which I could partake in very little, darn gallbladder!). 

Since Andrew and I would be going to Canada this year for Christmas, we did Christmas with my family after Thanksgiving dinner.  This was the first year we did it this way (normally, we live close enough to just drive home for a weekend and do it then . . . but not anymore!).  It was a bit stressful having essentially a month less than normal to do the shopping and stuff, but it worked out.  We had a nice evening opening gifts and spending time together.  All in all, I'd say it was a very memorable Thanksgiving - even though I'd certainly like to forget parts of it!  

carving the turkey

slicing the bread

waiting to eat

cute puppy!

10 Things I'm Thankful For . . .

It's the day after Thanksgiving and I'm ready to reflect on all the things I'm thankful for.  So, while many people are out starting their Christmas shopping on Black Friday, I'd like to relax and take a few minutes to express my thankfulness during this Thanksgiving time of year.

1.  I am first and foremost thankful for my God, who loves me so much that He sent His Son to die for me.  What greater gift is there than that?  He is amazing and He is faithful and I am thankful He calls me His daughter and continues to bless me. 

2.  I am thankful for my family.  I have the most amazing family and I am so grateful for each and every one of them.  My husband loves me and takes care of me.  My parents are such a great example to me of both what godly parents and a christian marriage should look like.  My brother is so incredibly caring and loving.  And my extended family is full of laughter and love.  I truly love them all and thank God for blessing me with each of them.

3.  I am thankful for my friends, both old and new.  It is so nice to have friends that, even if you haven't seen them in a long time, you can still pick up where you left off and it's like no time has passed.  My friends are always there for me when I need them, ready to lend a helping hand or say a prayer.  I couldn't have asked for better people to cross my path and "do life" with me. 

4.  I am thankful for  my job(s).  In this economy, I am blessed to have found a job, and a job I really love at that.  I recently started working retail at Michael's and I am having such a good time doing it.  It is nice to work with adults and I like every person I work with, which is a blessing.  While I still miss teaching, this is a great opportunity for me to have in the meantime.  And, I've met some really great people I wouldn't have met otherwise.  I also am working at Futures, a tutoring company, and am thankful for the opportunity to continue working with children.  After being unemployed for so long, it is wonderful to have a job and be busy again. 

5.  I am thankful for Tanner, our dog.  He is just so lovable and sweet.  He brings us joy and keeps us laughing.  We couldn't have asked for a better dog.

6.  Silly though this may sound, I am thankful for indoor plumbing.  I'm not sure I could have survived back before indoor plumbing existed. 

7.  I am thankful for laughter.  It is so nice to be able to laugh joyously and loudly.  I am thankful that in these difficult times, there are things to laugh at - even ourselves!  Laughter really is the best medicine.

8.  I am thankful for good books.  I love reading - it is one of my favorite ways to pass the time.  I'm always reading (or rereading) a good book.  I'm thankful that there are so many good books to read and for the ability to be able to read and enjoy them.  Books are such a nice escape from real life.  I love getting lost in someone else's story.

9.  I am surprisingly thankful for learning things the hard way.  I feel like when you have a life lesson to learn, when you learn it the hard way you remember it better and hopefully don't have to learn it again.  So, if it's a lesson I need to learn, and because I only want to learn it/be taught it once, I am thankful for learning things the hard way.

10.  Last, but not least, I am thankful for good doctors.  During this season of my life, I have been struggling with some stomach issues and I am thankful for doctors who take the time to figure out what is wrong and who are able to make it better. 

So there it is.  Ten things I am thankful for.  What are you thankful for during this holiday season?

Contentment

     I want a baby.  This is not new news.  I have wanted a baby for . . . well . . . ever.  I've always known I wanted to be a mom.  And, I always thought that by now I would be.  But, apparently God had other plans for my life.  Having a baby is still a major part of my plan, but it will have to wait.  Andrew and I have talked about having children and while the mere thought of kids freaks him out, he seems to be okay with the idea.   At least, he's adjusting to the idea. ;o)  Right now, our main hold-up on following through with children is our finances.  Everyone always tells me, "You'll never be able to afford a baby."  (As in, why wait because you'll never be "there".)  However, if you are struggling to pay all of your bills and feed just the two of you and a dog, a baby might not be the smartest move.  Hence, no baby. 
     I titled this blog Contentment because I am trying to be content with my life how it is now and stop wishing it was different.  I truly believe God is trying to teach me to be content with what I have instead of always wanting more.  I also know that God's timing is perfect and, generally speaking, completely different from our own.  I know in my heart that God made me to be a mom and that someday I will be, but for now He has other things for me to do. 
     The hardest part of being content right now is seeing all of my friends (with exception of a very few) having babies.  I am truly so happy and excited for them, but at the same time I'm so completely jealous (which I feel really bad admitting!).  I feel left out.  I feel like I'm losing common ground with my friends.  I just feel like everyone is moving on with their lives and progressing through all of the different stages (marriage, dog, house, baby 1, baby 2 . . . ) and we are stuck.  I don't like the feeling of being stuck.  I want to move on to the next stage.  But it's okay.  We will move on when God says it's time for us to move on.  I know that God knows the deepest desires of my heart and that He is faithful.  I'm holding on to His promises and believing that, in His perfect time, we too will have a beautiful baby to introduce to the world. 

South Korea

Andrew traveled to Seoul, South Korea at the beginning of October for work.  While he was only there for a few days, he really enjoyed the opportunity and took lots of pictures.  Here are the sites he saw:

Seoul Tower at night

one of the ancient palaces in Seoul

looking at the Seoul gate from inside the palace courtyard

the Imperial Guard in traditional dress

entrance to Inner Courtyards

where the King had his office

architecture of the palace

King's main throne

ceiling in the palace

King's secondary office throne

King's living quarters

building for formal entertainment

Korean traditional dress

Seoul gate from outside

Seoul gate from outside

statue of the King that invented the Korean language

the King also invented a planetary tracker

King also invented a sundial ad calendar

famous Korean admiral

the admiral developed the first iron warship in the late 1500's

view from mountain where tower is located

360 degree view from Seoul Tower

360 degree view from Seoul Tower at night