Waiting for Spring

I am hoping March brings nice weather. I'm ready for it. The spring flowers in the stores have been catching my eye. These daffodils were beautiful (they didn't last very long though). I just bought some tulips on the weekend and they are cheering up my little home now.

I went to my first Pampered Chef party on Saturday. I was planning on buying very little, but ended up buying more than I had planned (I think this is why these parties do so well). My friend planned a Chinese New Year theme, so I learned a bit more about the culture and we got some Chinese food as well! The boys had their own party in the basement, with beer and darts. Very manly.

Yesterday was Presidents' Day down here and so we had the day to spend together. I think traditionally, you are supposed to go shopping. That's assumed from all the advertising on tv for Macy's, J.C. Penney's and every furniture store around. We had thought about venturing to IKEA but changed our minds when we noticed that they didn't have some tables we wanted (you can check their stock online- it's great!). So, we hung out at home and watched the Islanders' hockey game. It was probably the most exciting game they have played in awhile and they scored the winning goal with 30 sec. left on a breakaway. Yah! They might squeak into the playoffs still.

Fruit Salad and Friends

Well, I have good news, that my nursing application in finally moving along in it's process. Finally! It's on step two of three, so I'll keep you posted on the progress.

We had a great time on Sunday. Our small group got together at a couple's house for brunch. We had a great spread of food. I made a fruit salad with every fruit that I could find. Just a tip: the strawberries are disappointing right now. Just wanted to let you know if you are planning on a chocolate fondue anytime soon. The big hit at our brunch was Scotch Eggs. Keith made them from scratch. They were lo-ve-ly! I've had them before in England but never homemade. They are essentially hard boiled eggs, wrapped in ground beef and Italian sausage, then dipped in breadcrumbs and beaten egg and baked until golden.

On Saturday, we got together with some new friends and played Settlers. It's been MONTHS since we had played that game. Our last game was with our Aussie friends in England. Needless to say, Jason and I didn't win either of the two games that we played, so we will relentlessly play until we win again.

Here is a cute little picture of my nephew Lewis that Michelle just sent me. He is such a happy baby.

Superbowl Sunday

We had a fun weekend and the Superbowl on Sunday was the peak event. On Friday, we went out for dinner with some new friends. It was almost a blind date, because we hadn't met Kyle's wife and we had just met Kyle once. But, it was a lot of fun and we had a lot to talk about. They introduced us to a lively restaurant nearby and we discovered that they like playing board games, so we may have found some new Settlers partners.

Saturday, I went to a movie with a friend. We saw "Notes on a Scandal". It was interesting, there is a twist in there that I didn't know about before hand.

Sunday. The Superbowl. This is the first time I watched the Superbowl in the States, so I was excited to see the commercials. We had some friends over from church to watch it. This picture below is of Crystal, Louise and Sharon (Left to right). Sharon introduced herself to me at church, the first Sunday I was there and we just clicked. I've been really blessed to have met her.

This is a picture of Jason and Josh. Josh had a little "accident" on our couch.

This is Brian drinking mate. A big thanks to Stephen for supplying the special mate horn to drink out of. It's a cool Paraguayan thing that the Friesen family shared with us. And we are sharing it with our Long Island buddies.

I made these great pizza twists that were a big hit. Thanks, Rachel Ray! Writing about this weekend has made me realize how much God has blessed us with in our new lives in New York. The first few months after a move is always difficult, figuring out where everything is, finding new friends, setting up a new home. But, this last month, I've been realizing how many great people we have met and how this place is starting to feel familiar (in a good way).