Jester Duo

I know I know, Ive been slacking.....

2010-04-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

Some family members have brought to my attention that I have been slacking on the blog....Ooops!

So what have we been up to the past 5 months?

December was busy with travel and lots of visiting family. We somehow managed to visit with all 3 of our families on Christmas day!

Through the winter we have continued to stay busy working in the house. Our 2 spare rooms are now basically finished. We have a working office and a beautiful spare room. Our next project is going to be the attic and the basement.

Jobs have been going well for both of us. Pat switched jobs recently and we are both SO happy that he has. Its a bit more of a drive for him but hes always doing something different and on the move. And we all know that Pat needs to stay busy.... :)
I have been learning a lot at work. The class is a differnt mix of kids from anything ive experienced before. I am still praying that a school district calls me for an interview. I have applyed to over 17 districts. I know that there is a place for me, I'm just waiting to see where it is.

Theo is doing GREAT! We love him so much. He is spoiled beyond belief. The dog that we swore would never eat table food, be allowed on the furniture or sleep in our bed now does all of thoes thing very frequently. Hes become very social and enjoys going everywhere with us. His favorite place to go is Ritas because he gets a free puppy custard! Yummm!

We are so excited to head to Key West on about 2.5 weeks. More to come after the trip...

<3

2009-11-08T10:38:00.001-08:00

Things have finally seemed to mellow out for us. Of course there’s always something to do….

We are doing well. We have both managed to stay pretty healthy in the last few months. I (Meredith) had a bit of a chest cold a few weeks ago and Pat battled a small cold/flu also about a month ago. Other than that we have a clean bill of health! Considering all the germs I am around with the kiddos it’s amazing that we have stayed as healthy as we have.

Some of the more exciting news for us is that I have started a new job! I consider it a promotion. I am now teaching PreK Counts in a KinderCare in Lancaster. I received a raise and it cuts the commute in half! What a blessing! This week will be my first full week in the classroom. I have a lot to work on but am thrilled to take on this challenge!

Theo is doing well. Pat jokes that he is going to put him up for adoption. I know that he could never actually do that. He loves Theo way too much! I am constantly pleased with the progress he is making in his social skills (with both people and other animals!) and also with his training. He actually rings his bell now to go outside! Hopefully accidents inside will be a thing of the past very soon! He has doubled in size and is about 4.5lbs now. I did some research today and if my calculations serve me right Theo will end up to be about 8lbs at fully grown. I would love to keep him tiny forever!

We are excited to spend out first holidays together as a married couple. I’m sure the next few months will be emotional and challenging at times but I am excited to grown and learn from them!

Below is a picture from Sam and Liz's wedding. It was beautiful and we were honored to be a part of it!

2009-10-04T17:05:00.001-07:00

Life has been crazy. Pat and I have been busy with lots recently. We have been married for 71 days now! Hard to believe its gone by so fast!

We haven’t had much time at the house together in a while. We have been having Bachlor/Bachlorette parties for Sam and Liz who are getting married in two weeks, we went to the beach and have been busy visiting with family.

This past weekend we were both home every night! AND we got an extra day together because Pat was sick on Friday and I didn’t get called in to sub. While Pat spent the day relaxing I ran some errands, made home made applesauce(Mmmm!), and planted some bulbs for the spring! I even got some time to be crafty as I knitted some more, yes I’m STILL working on the blanket…and today I dusted off the sewing machine and worked on my t-shirt quilt that’s been over a year in the making. ALL of the shirts are now sewn together, I just need some fabric for the back and it will hopefully be finished soon!

Our biggest news is that we have added to our “family”. Our newest addition is a Maltise Bichon mix named Theo. A week ago Friday was his first visit to the vet and he weighed in at a whopping 2lbs.12oz! He has been a wonderful addition. He is growing and changing every day. His teeth are really coming in now!! It has been a great opportunity for Pat and I to grow in our relationship and communication with each other.

Pat has been working hard on fixing computer with his extra time in order to earn us some extra spending money. I (Meredith) currently have 3, yes, THREE jobs. Still at American Eagle( VERY part time!) KinderCare , and have also started subbing. Though I only started this past week and got called once. Please pray that I would continue to stay busy with subbing in order to find a full time teaching position and to maintain a constant income. The Lord of the harvest knows exactly what we need…please pray that we would trust Him while our finances may be uncertain.

These next few weeks will continue to be busy. Next weekend Pat will be traveling to the Poconos with some guys to play paintball. The following weekend we have Sam and Liz’s wedding. What a great time of the year!

Take some time to relax and enjoy this fall weather! Winter is sneaking up fast! In the meantime, enjoy the pictures! :)Theres the Little Guy!

Liz and I at the Phillies game for her Bach party!

I LOVE this picture of Pat and Theo! Aww! <3

2009-08-24T18:42:00.001-07:00

What an amazing last month it has been!

The wedding couldn’t have been more perfect. Everything was beautiful and ran smoothly. I am so happy to be married! Thanks to everyone who came out and a special thanks to all of our close friends and family for being so supportive through everything!

The honeymoon was fantastic as well! Looking back at a few of our pictures it doesn’t even seem real that we were there. We would have stayed longer(MUCH longer) if we could have but life calls and we had to head back to work.

We have continued to be busy even after the wedding. Meredith is officially a Jester and we FINALLY got the health insurance figured out. Getting married is way more complicated than anyone ever tells you!

Just yesterday Pat and I went on a gift card shopping spree! We were planning on running out to buy a new printer but stopped at Home Depot, Target, and Bed Bath and Beyond in addition. We got many things that we had been wanting to for the house. We purchased a few things from our registry that we didn’t receive, new curtains for the back sliding door. They are BEAUTIFUL! And a few decorative things in addition. It’s really starting to feel like ours as we get settled in! Our next project is painting the “office” I am excited to get some new fun colors on the walls!

Some of the best news is that Meredith went Gluten free about 3 weeks ago and is feeling better then she has in a long time! The Crohn’s still takes a toll once and a while but overall the diet is working wonders. It’s difficult getting to know what safe foods (or even brands) are but it’s a learning process that has a HUGE pay off!

That’s all for now. July has been a way busy month! Thanks for checking in! <3

2009-07-20T05:07:00.001-07:00

We are down to 5 days!!!

I(Meredith) took off work for this week. Originally I took off so I wouldn’t catch a cold or pink eye or some other not so pleasant germs that get passed around in day care. I also took off so that I could spend time finishing up wedding things. But now I am stuck at home, not able to sleep because of the excitement, with not much to do with my time. Pat and I have really been on top of getting things done and the only major thing we have left to do is print the place cards. Everything else is done, literally, finished, programs folded, final payments in, everything. I even made some (ok, a TON) of shopping trips these past few days, literally I think 6 over four days! I was able to run out and get all kinds of things for the reception, the honeymoon, the guest hotel bags, and also last minute things for the gifts for our wonderful support system we have received from our families and friends in the bridal party.

This past weekend Pat and a group of his good friends headed to Atlantic City for his Bachelor Party. When Pat gave me the rundown of events it sounded like a great time with some great friends. He was exhausted yesterday, hopefully he was able to wake up for work today. hehe

Last night as I lay awake in bed, with Tylenol PM in my system, still not able to sleep…I started thinking about how everyone has been asking “Are you getting nervous?” My answer is usually something like “Ehhh, Not really, but I am really stressed!” And I started wondering all kinds of things like, SHOULD I be nervous? Why am I just super excited? Don’t get me wrong, of course the future holds a lot of unknown and that can be frightening at times, but I KNOW this is the man I want to love for the rest of my life, there is nothing to be nervous about, it just feels like the natural next step. Now five minutes before I walk down the aisle ask me if I’m nervous and I’m sure I’ll have a different answer but again, it’s all that excitement that the time is FINALLY here!

I can not wait to travel through life with the one I love, and I can’t wait for our family and friends to get to enjoy the celebration of marriage with us! See you all in 5 Days!!!!

2009-07-13T14:40:00.001-07:00

12 days left….Talk about stress! Heres a quick update since some of you have been asking…

It has been a very hectic, stressful, and busy last few weeks!

We had some friends over a few weekends ago for a LAN party where Liz(my maid of honor) and I worked on wedding favors while the guys played their computer games. It was the first time for the basement to actually get used! The favors look beautiful and I am so proud of the work we put in!

The following weekend we went to one of Pats best friends weddings. Pat was actually an usher for the wedding. It was beautiful and nice to spend some time with his friends.

The following weekend was the 4th of July. Pat and I headed to Stone Harbor NJ. It was Pats very first time at Stone Harbor and I hadn’t been there in a few years. We got stuck in some major traffic on the way there but enjoyed our time at the beach! We went to uncle bills pancake house and just enjoyed hanging out and breaking in our margarita maker!

This past Friday I had a job interview. It’s for a part time teaching job in RedLion. It’s a bit far away but it’s a foot in the door. I am so grateful to even have an interview at this point. It’s been a waiting game to hear from a school. I am optimistic that I will have at least one more interview this summer! It only takes ONE good interview to get a job!

This past weekend Pat and I did wedding plans galore. Pat is on his way to my Mom and Dan’s house in order for us to work on some more plans. He has been amazing in the process. I am not able to handle stress well with my stomach issues and he has gone above and beyond to pull his weight with plans! We only have a few more major things to do. Pat has everything color coded in an excel spread sheet! This wedding is planned to a T…at least that’s what we think! This stress is unreal, I cannot wait to marry him and be finished with this wedding!

Today was my third infusion so I SHOULD be starting to feel fantastic pretty soon. All went well today, I didn’t even get light headed today! Praise the Lord! I’m feeling sleepy and zoned but that will fade in a day or two. After the wedding I will be taking some more drastic measures in my diet in order to get my body healed and on the road to a semi-normal life.

2009-06-15T14:25:00.001-07:00

My oh my it’s been a busy past few weeks.
Pat and I have really been getting all of our wedding details figured out. We are getting invitations back like crazy! We have over 100 confirmed guests coming as of now. We’ll see where we stand in another 2 weeks. Last week we met with our Harpist and selected our ceremony music. We also picked up our rings. They are gorgeous if I do say so myself! :)

Today I had my second Infusion. I brought with me the pictures from my colonoscopy so that this (new) Doctor could take a look at them. When she looked at them her response was “Good Lord Girl!”. It’s scary hearing that kind of reactions from an experienced dr. that specializes in Crohn’s. All went well though. I almost passed out when she was taking the IV out when all was said and done. No headache yet, just a little foggy from all the meds and the Benadryl.

Our next few weeks are packed to the gills. This coming weekend Pat is having a “LAN Party” with some of his friends. It will be great to open the house up and have company. Plus as a double bonus for me, Liz is coming and we are working on wedding things! The following weekend is PJ’s wedding(one of Pats good friends). The following weekend is Fourth of July. Pat and I will be heading to Stone Harbor. He has never been and I am excited to get away for an extended weekend!

2009-06-03T18:29:00.001-07:00

My quick update.:Things went just about as good as they could have on Monday. Mom and I got there around 11:45. My transfusion was scheduled for 12. There was one other person there. They have a total of 4 seats so I had my pick of where I wanted to sit. I picked a quiet corner so if I had an emotional breakdown it wouldn’t be so obvious! They got my IV in no problem and took some blood. Then I started feeling light headed and ended up passing out. I was out for a while and it took me a long time to feel semi-normal again. They pumped me with IV fluids and started my meds about a half hour later. I relaxed and watched TLC and took a short nap. I was very sleepy Monday and ended up with a pretty long lasting headache(like over 48hours!) but that is a very normal side effect of the med. Yesterday I was feeling “in a fog” but today my headache finally went away and I am feeling good.
Thank you so much for all the prayers and support! Next Infusion is in 2 weeks! Keep the prayers coming that all would continue to go well. God is totally taking care of me and for that I am forever grateful!

Days Go By...

2009-05-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

The weeks keep flying by, Pat and I are down to 55 days till our big day! Invitations were sent out in the mail this week so keep your eyes open for them! (A side note, Don’t forget to turn them over and pick your dinner! …I foresee this being a HUGE issue!)

This past weekend I had my first dress fitting. It needs to be hemmed a bit and they are going to do the bustle. I am pleased with how it looks! Everyone keeps asking if I am nervous and I’m not sure nerves are quite the right word. I did get tears in my eyes when I had that dress on though! While I was @ my fitting Pat slaved away on our island in the back yard. No more weeds and brand new mulch! It looks fabulous!

This weekend Joclyn also came to visit and stayed with us. On Saturday we headed to Hershey Park. We had no idea that its only about 25 minutes from our house! Hershey was a blast and it was great spending the weekend with Joc.

Tomorrow is the big day, (not THE big day, but a big day to me!) My FIRST Infusion. I am so ready to feel better but I am very nervous. I vacillate between tears and feeling strong. My stomach is a mess and I can’t go more than 2 minutes without hearting it make the variety of noises it is so good at making! I’m ready to spend time “relaxing” and playing my DS and possibly watching a movie. The procedure is 2 hours total but I will be there for much longer. My mom is great, she is coming with me and is stocked up on candy and other various “comfort things”. I will update about the procedure later this week.

Crohn's, a new house and a wedding to plan!

2009-05-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, and for some this is new news…In December I (Meredith) was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. Though the diagnosis was devastating I was so excited to finally have an answer to all of my pain. Reality hit me a few weeks later when I began researching the disease and started realizing how debilitating it can become, still I stayed optimistic. My first trial of medicine was going alright. I didn’t receive as much relief as expected but was feeling well enough to eat most foods and enjoy the normal routine of the day. However the medicine that was relieving the majority of my symptoms was my steroid. Unfortunately I was not able to stay on my steroid forever because of the severe long term side effects. I was weaned off of it a few weeks back and many of my symptoms have returned. Today I went to visit a Doctor who has had rave reviews. She was literally a God send. A Wonderful, Kind, Knowledgeable Doctor that wants to begin me on some more severe medication. She is also putting me BACK on my steroid in order to give me some relief for the time being. I ask that you would keep me in your prayers(and on any prayer lists you know of!). My new treatment has me nervous, anxious, and a bit shaken up. I will be receiving infusions of medicine. My infusions are lengthy process and extremely expensive. I pray and trust God that I am strong enough to get through all of this!

The house is coming along nicely. Pat and I put the finishing touches on our first painting project(everything except the ceiling…we can’t find the right paint color in order to touch up!). The downstairs bathroom is now complete with brand new paint and my black and white Hot/Cold knob pictures! Pat and I also spent much of our time this weekend working on our landscaping. Our front bed is finished and one side next to the patio. We still have a small area(with a tiny man made pond!) and a HUGE island that is way overgrown that we will be tackling soon!

Wedding plans are coming along nicely. 68 days till we will be wed! hehe We are getting more and more excited(and a bit more stressed) as the days go on!