THE QUEEN OF QUIRK

it's about that time

i think the blog has seen it's glory days. :(

i can't keep up with it anymore...there simply aren't enough hours in the day for me to even take photos, let alone post them, and talk about my pointless days.
i have decided to focus on others things..the charity site is doing amazingly well and i really want to work to make that the best it can be. we have so much potential...but it will require a lot more time on my part. time i am happy to give. :)
and we have been given the green light for england...we will be moving soon (possibly in the next 4 weeks) and it is overwhelming. we don't have a date yet, so we're packing like we are leaving tomorrow....just so we're ready.

i know my family, especially, is counting on this for updates onthe kids and our lives...i'm sorry guys. i just can't keep up with it anymore.

thanks so much to everyone who ever commented, came here to hear about us, and who supported us from so far away. thank you from the bottom of my heart.

ciao peeps.

if anyone needs us, here is our info:

my "pro" blog www.thequeenofquirk.wordpress.com
my email: [email protected]
colin's email: [email protected]
Phone # 0114961515013557

talk about a whirlwind weekend

Athens was amazing, pure and simple. I would go back in a heartbeat. I was a bit disappointed at the beginning because the Acropolis Guard was on strike...meaning the entire hilltop was closed for the weekend. So after a mini panic attack, I decided I would race around town on Monday morning before my flight left just so I could get a glimpse of the Parthenon.  The engagement dinner was so much fun! It was a bit overwhelming since I spoke ZERO Greek, but everybody made me feel really comfortable. Plus I got to meet Lindsay's fiance and I got to see her sister, Lauren, after all these years. Unfortunately, the photo with all 3 of us is on Lindsay's camera...or Lauren's...I can't remember. :) Anyway, on to the pics, shall we?

You can see everything in the ATHENS 2007 album on the right.
This is one of my favorite photos from my trip:

After talking to some locals and seeing Athens for myself, I believe that a trip around the islands is a "must see".  I can't wait to go back!

When I got home, the girls were so sweet and I missed them so much while I was gone. As lucky as I am to get to go to exotic places, I was terribly lonely. I missed these guys so much. :) If anything, this past weekend reminded me of just how much I love my family.

I hope everyone is having a lovely week! Ciao!

greek to me

It's official. I'm going to Athens. There are literally butterflies in my tummy. I remember feeling this exact same way before our first trip to Rome (and funnily enough, the next one, as well.) I've got a lot of love for the ancient world and I am thrilled beyond words at seeing the Parthenon. My hotel is right around the corner from the National Archeology Museum in Athens and can you say "jazzed"? I'm sooooo excited.

I'm even more excited, though, to meet my friend's fiance. Lindsey is one of the few people I have kept in contact with since High School and I am really excited that she is happy and has found her man. It makes me so happy to see those I love happy, so I really couldn't pass up this opportunity. Besides, Linds is a true gem. I don't know a lot of people who could stand a tipsy Jan inviting herself to their engagement party. But Lindsey was a true champ and she said it was OK, so I'm going to blatantly ignore the fact that I have committed the ultimate social disgrace by inviting myself to a party I hadn't received an invitation to and hopefully our friendship will surpass this little faux pas. :)

So I leave Friday evening and I come back Monday afternoon. I'm really sad, though, that Colin's not coming with me. I felt the same way when I went to London without him. I missed him everyday and I was sad that we weren't seeing those sights together. But there is SO MUCH that I want to see in Greece (hopping from island to island until I have seen them all will certainly take some time) that I am sure we will go back. Besides, I have made it my mission in life to have a vacation home in Santorini.  So there will be plenty of travel experiences to come.

Right now my little brother is in Geneva...he heads to Amsterdam in a couple of days and they will be back late Monday night. I hope they're having a good time, but most of all, I hope they're being safe. I worry about it all the time. See, there I go...into "mom" mode again. :0)

I've gotta run...not feeling so hot today. The weather is Germany is freakin awful. It hasn't been over 60 and it's been icky, cloudy, rainy, and just blech. When, oh when, is summer going to get here? This is another reason I'm so excited about Athens...bring on the sunshine, baby! I'm tired of these rainy days!

Alright, I'm off to take a nap...need to recharge my batteries. Ciao, all

few and far between

Ugh. My posts on this thing are borderline pathetic! You would think I could keep a better handle on this blog! LOL! Wouldn't you!??!

There are some updates that seriously need to be shouted out today! First and foremost, have you checked out Songbird Avenue's July kit? If not, you are truly missing out! We collabed with Gina Miller and the kit is everything you'd expect from a project like that~ colorful and FUN!

And the creative team layouts that were done with this one just plain rock! You can pick up the July kit HERE and help support the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation. For some fabulous inspiration, go HERE. :0)

As for me, I am taking a long weekend to Athens. A friend of mine is getting married and she's having her engagement party in Athens. Talk about a wild time! My dear, sweet hubbie is watching the kiddos for me so I can go and celebrate! We had a blast at my HS reunion and I am so looking forward to being there!

So that's about it for me right now. My EHD crashed so I'm slowly trying to recreate my design tools and I'm trying to rebuild my scrap stash. My chubby little baby dropped the HD on the floor and knocked a board loose. Nice, huh? So although I will have that sent off to a clean room to have it repaired, I have to start recreating my stuff just in case my info isn't recoverable. 7 years of photos, 3 years of digital layouts, all my design tools, and hundreds of dollars in product. Talk about a kick in the face. So, here's my advice to you:

BACK UP YOUR HARD DRIVE. NOT TOMORROW. DO IT TODAY. AND MAKE SURE YOU BACK IT UP TO DVD OR CD. BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN A CHUBBY LITTLE PRINCESS WILL WALK OVER TO YOUR CONTROL STATION AND THROW YOUR VITAL ORGANS ON THE FLOOR.

Please go run and do it right now.

If you don't I will most certainly dance around and do a "nanny nanny boo boo" when you say all your stuff is lost. And then I will say "I toldya so."

:: testing...1...2.... ::

I know. I suck.
I simply have NOT felt like updating this thing. And here's why.
We have a house guest (I'm never focused with guests around), Norah is on a strict fructose-free diet, my EHD crashed, my brand new laptop only connects to the web when it feels like it, Lara is acting like a 2 year old and freaking out every chance she gets, and we still don't have summer. So, things are a bit of a bummer right now.

On the bright side, Norah is doing fabulously on her new diet. No more loose stools, no more crankiness, nor more sleepless nights, and no more gas. Whoodathunkit? After we received a suggestion from the doctor, we cut out all fructose from her diet to see how her system would be affected. I am happy to say that she is doing superbly. Crazy, huh? So now we're watching our sugar intake for the entire family (or at least we're aware of it...we still eat it, tho) and it is stunning how much sugar we consume. So Noodle is eating very bland stuff, but I am working my way around it by making fructose free cookies, and tea, and chicory so she doesn't feel left out when it's snack time. She's no dummy. :0) She's like any other child...they can hear crinkling food packages 3 miles away.

So, I guess I need to update starting all the way back in Vegas, huh? Holy crap, that seems like a year ago. So, I have an album up on the right hand side (titled VEGAS, BABY) and the photos are all there. For a recap, we had a great time! And the hotel we stayed in was absolutely lovely. THANKS, KIM!!! :0) We went to a bunch of kid-friendly places, but we also took a couple of nights off for boozin'.... expensive, but so much fun! We spent 2 full days at the pool, got massages (many, many...) ate at fabulous restaurants, and just plain enjoyed ourselves. Colin and I also took in Star Trek Experience....life is now complete.

The last couple of days in Vegas were pure hell, though. Norah came down with a stomach virus and was literally exploding out of both ends. It was insane. We spent the entire Saturday packing and trying to cram everything we bought into our suitcases. It didn't work, so we had to buy 2 more bags. We checked out and headed to the airport Sunday morning and before we were even boarding the plane, Norah had burned through all her outfits and most of her diapers. We kinda went into panic mode and then I started feeling nauseous and I was SO dreading the flight. We dropped 50 bucks at a gift shop that sold onesies and diapers and we got on the plane with our fingers crossed. Colin insisted I take some dramamine, so I started to get groggy....really groggy, but still sick. So after a bit, he made me take another one. It didn't work and I ran to the lavatory. SO.NOT.FUN.

So I come back, start falling asleep in my chair and guess who gets sick? Colin. At this point, I was so drowsy that I could barely lift my arms and it was a sad, sad sight...the two of us handing Norah off and running to the bathroom. Lara and Mia were so good, though. They slept almost the entire time. That was such a blessing and we were sooo thankful that the kiddos were ok. It's so much easier for us to be sick. So, we landed in Frankfurt, our driver was already there and waiting for us, and we got home safe and sound. :0) I always get a little antsy on planes...and these horrible scenarios start going through my head. So, needless to say, I'm always glad when we land.

When we got home, we wanted to stay up so we could conquer the jet lag, but our bodies were NOT havin' it. So we all took naps and when Dave woke up, he was sick. It was a miserable couple of days for us, to say the least. I think what we had was a 24 hour flu...our bodies were SO SORE. Colin (who has actually been run over by a Ford Bronco) declared he felt like he had been hit by a truck. Now that's sayin' somethin'.

When we were all feeling better, I took my bro and the girls on a picnic in the park and then a couple of days later, we went to the Bavarian Biergarten. There are photos in the SUMMER 2007 photo album on the right. I'll be updating that one as we have more photos ...so that'll be the one to check. :0)

Then we took Dave to Heidelberg, one of my favorite cities around here. I love how packed it is with treasures.  (those pics are also in the SUMMER 2007 album)

Now Dave is in Switzerland, he just visited Rome for the second time in his young life, and next he will be heading to Amsterdam. His best friend is here, touring Europe with him and it's probably safe to say they are having a blast and drooling over every hot chick that walks by. That was their master plan, anyway.

As for us, the school year is coming to an end and things are wrapping up. Mia's end of year party was yesterday and Lara has hers tomorrow. Today we have parent "sit-in's" for Mia's ballet class and Lara's KinderMusik class. I am supposed to go to Greece this weeding for a friend's engagement party, but I'm not sure if I'm going or not...Athens is ridiculously expensive. But I guess I should get off my tuckus and decide, huh? It's coming down to the wire. And come on!! It's Athens!

And in a bit of job-related news, we are preparing ourselves to move to England. Colin has been told that a position has been created for him there and now we're just waiting on a date. I want to believe, with all my heart, that this is going to happen, but if I've learned anything about his company, I've learned that nothing is certain until it's done. As badly as I want to move to England, I cannot let myself get too excited. Cuz if it doesn't happen, I'll just have that much farther to fall. So, please, please keep us in your thoughts. We're tired of living in Germany and I really want my girls to go to a school where English is the main language. I love that they are learning German (heck, they're bilingual!) but I think this would make things so much easier on our family.

In scrap news, Songbird Avenue's July kit is up for sale! If you haven't seen it, check it out! This month's proceeds will benefit The Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation. We got to collaborate with Gina Miller and this one is really awesome! So, if you scrap, check it out.

Ok, kids. That's all for today. I feel better now that I'm caught up, but holy crap this was long. if you're still reading, then (((((((((HUGS))))))))) to you!

Ciao!