Milestones for the Month

We have reached several milestones in our lives this month. None has gone by without notice…. and with much thanksgiving in our hearts.

Jan. 14…..   FOURTEEN years since we made the big move from Alberta, land of the Oilers, to Phoenix, land of the Coyotes.  The two hockey teams face off this Tuesday night here in Phoenix and we will be there.  Oilers are doing so poorly this year, I can’t bring myself to wear the jersey.  But Rick will…. and I’ll be sitting next to him. 

Jan. 20…. my baby sister turned 40.  That just means I’m closer to 50.  Milestone… whatever.

(I made this cool t-shirt that says “Christy is 40… yippy!”)

Jan. 22…… Nora has been in her forever family for one month!  It seems like so much longer than that!  She is fitting in perfectly… unbelievably, really.  She is such a happy little girl from the moment she wakes up… bringing pure joy to our home.  We are thankful that God had us picked out for her years ago… as we prayed and waited.  If I had made a list (which I partially did in my mind) of all the characteristics I hoped she would have that are similar to our family, I don’t think I would have listed all of the ones she came with!  God knows what he’s doing, people, when he places orphans in families. 

Jan. 23…. the end of the first week after Austin’s snowboarding accident.  I am amazed once again at God’s healing hand and his creation of the body that heals itself!  Austin’s face looks 90% better than it did seven days ago.  We are so thankful that no bones were broken (a hairline nasal fracture does not count – no cast required!) and he’s doing okay mentally and physically.  It could have been so much worse!  Austin has an appointment in Feb. with the neuro-psychologist for baseline testing.  I’m relieved that it is finally being done!  Sadly, it took 6 (or 7?) concussions to get him into the office!  Sheesh!

Thankfulness is leaking out of my heart today.  What do you have to be thankful for?

Hockey Night in Arizona

 

Yes, the greatest goalie of all time, Martin Brodeur,  was at the Coyote’s Den on Thursday and we were there to see him in his glory.  Unfortunately for Brodeur, the Coyotes showed him that the ice isn’t melting in the desert.  Poor Martin let in four pucks and we were happy Coyote’s fans. New Jersey only scored three. (Bah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha….. woo whoo whOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooo!)  That was a Coyote howl, in case you didn’t recognise it.

This all started when Circle K (like 7-11) had this screaming deal where you bought cases of Pepsi and you received free hockey tickets.  Well, after $30 of pop was stacked in our garage, we were the proud owners of six tickets on the sixth row right behind the Coyote’s bench.  Sweet tickets!!!!  We did family night, but since our little girl is still in Colombia, we took our nephew Drew with us.  I’m not sure if he was the lucky fuzzy rabbit foot, or what, but he and Keeve were invited to RIDE THE ZAMBONI!  Any Canadian’s dream come true.  They rode for the second intermission and I took them down to the tunnel while Rick stayed topside to take pictures with his phone.  His phone usually takes really good pictures….. unless you’re in the Jobing.com Arena and they turn out the lights while your son and nephew are on the zambonis cleaning the ice!!!!  Here’s the best picture we have of our son riding the zamboni. {sigh}

They even had a spot light on the boys, put their names up on the big screen and pictured them waving for 2 or 3 minutes each.  It was so cool.  Keeve pointed at Larisa and did the “call me” sign with his hand.  Drew started doing the wave with his hands hooked together because his arms were tired from waving.  They were elated!!!!

And then to make a fun family night at the arena even better, some camera guy spotted Larisa and her and I were up on the big screen TOO!  It was like being famous for .27 of a second.  We always talk about how they zoom in on unsuspecting people and then when they figure it out they point at the big screen.  So of course we did that, in large over-exaggerated movements and shocked looks on our faces.  (Still makes me giggle.) A little old man saw Larisa after the game and told her, “You look good on tv!”

THEN, if the cheap tickets, good seats, two Zamboni rides and the big screen debut weren’t exciting enough…. the HANSON BROTHERS showed up!  And Larisa got to pose with them.  It was THE hockey night of hockey nights in Arizona.

To sweeten the deal to the max, because the Coyotes scored at least three goals, we all got FREE Burrito Supremes at Taco Bell!  Oh my word! This was better than Vegas!

One Weekend!

Seems I missed quite a few activities while I was away for four days!  Larisa and her father attended a Pride and Prejudice ball in Regency Era regalia.  Oh boy, did I miss out on preparations for this entertaining event.  Rick decided to escort his daughter the day before I was leaving town…. so I did nothing but give instructions over the phone.  I did call my sister, who is here nursing my mother, and gave suggestions and was much relieved that costumes and hair were in her capable hands. 

On Friday night I got a call from our youngest son, Keeve, half in distress.  He explained, “Mom, we’re in Walmart and dad is buying a shirt for himself from the girls department and the brand name is Miley Cyrus.”  I laughed.  He cut the ruffle off of the front and hot-glued it to his $3 Goodwill shirt and on the cuffs.  Actually, I think Christy may have done the gluing.

Then, don’t laugh, Rick wore my white cotton capris and tucked them into knee length socks that he bought also at Walmart.  He donned a dark dinner jacket and Larisa found some black and white checked fabric from my stash and Christy turned it into a cummerbund with some folds and safety pins. 

Larisa wore my mother’s 1978 Gunne Sax dress that I added blue ribbon to and Auntie Christy saved the day by curling and pinning up her hair.  I really do need to post some pictures for your viewing pleasure.  I’ll see if they have any available.  YES!!!

ALSO, Keeve starred in his first ever flag football game as the winning quarterback!  I can’t wait to go see him play next Saturday!  Three touchdown passes and 3 other passes for something else, because they don’t kick field goals.

ALSO AGAIN, Rick was given three GREAT tickets for the opening game of the Phoenix Coyotes… but it was the same night as the ball where he wore his wife’s white pants.  So Grandpa took the boys and they got free shirts and pompoms because it was a white-out at the game.  The Coyotes lost, but they had a great time…. eight rows from the glass!

Mom’s home.  Back to normal boring life!  hahahahaha

Why, oh why?

I am going to write a whiny blog today.  I don’t think I ever have profusely whined and complained on here.  But through my squinted eyes, as I look at the screen… the monitor light is hurting my head.  What’s up with that?  I felt perfectly fine this morning.  I taught History of the World to three high schoolers from 9 to noon.  I ate a healthy lunch and jumped in the car to take Larisa to piano lessons.  Immediately, I put on my sunglasses, as it is sunny Arizona with clear skies, albeit only 58* today.  Brrrr.  About four miles up the road I got hit between the eyes with a sinus/weirdo headache.  Why does it hurt behind my eyes?  Why as soon as I’m outside?  Am I allergic to the sun?  Almost nothing is in bloom right now in Phoenix.   I took sinus medicine ten minutes after it hit.  About an hour later I went to bed and slept for 1.5 hours. I’m ready to take more sinus medicine and it hasn’t been long enough between doses.  Where is my husband to rub my templesand apply cool rags to my head????  At a Coyotes hockey game, of course.  At this point, I’d lie face down on the Coyote’s ice for some pressure relief.  Keeve is the only one home…. I’ll see if I can bribe him into rubbing my temples.  This should prove interesting.

That’s what I need!  A dog to lie on my face.  Where’s Trixie??? 

My Handsome Son has Returned

Glory Be! I’ve waited for this day for almost a year.  The pleasant part was that Aus ASKED for a haircut.… be still my beating heart.  He has looked like Raggedy Andy since last Spring.  I felt like one of those mothers.  You know, the kind that let their kids do whatever they want….  guilt had been mounting in my soul for over half a year.  Only under duress did he let me trim it so it didn’t cover his beautiful Caribbean blue eyes.  And all his flipping to the left was starting to make my neck sore.

Yes, this is my son….  (real men wear pink…. he tells us.) … BEFORE:

We went to the Coyotes hockey game on Thursday night and in the program there was a picture of Peter Mueller with a faux hawk.  Thank you, Peter!  You don’t know how your influence has pleased this mother’s heart. Not only on the ice… but also in front of the mirror.

This was the first chop.  Aus asked if we were going to donate it to Locks of Love… {he’s so cute!}  The sad part is, his natural bleach blond is gone until he spends some time outside.  Never have I cut this much hair off of a head.

May I present, my handsome 12 year old son, Austin… AFTER: (it’s still wet… that’s how excited I was to take the picture!)

Oh, I just want to clap my hands all fast in front of my heart and do a little jig.  It’s the small things that make moms jubilant.  (Now, to catch son #2….)

How We Celebrated Elvis’ Birthday

January 8, 2009. It started out as any ordinary day in the Crosby household… yet, ordinary days for the Crosbys are not that ordinary, I’ve come to realize. I needed to get some blood work done for our adoption physicals and packed up the boys, who chose to wear hats instead of combing their grossly, grown-out hair. (Sad news about scissors is coming their way later.)

We checked in at the lab and 23 of the 24 chairs in the waiting room were filled. oh yes, I counted! NOT a good sign. The boys decided to sit on a sofa in the lobby and play video games. Fine. After 45 minutes, I asked how much longer until my name was called. Another half hour. I went to the lobby to inform the boys and Austin pointed to his brother across the room without looking up from his game and calmly stated, “He’s choking.”

There I found Keeve crying, chocking, sweaty and red. He ran to the bathroom and threw up his breakfast. (My apologies if you’re eating while reading.) After much questioning, he explained that he swallowed the metal end of a cowboy belt…. and it was stuck in his throat. This son of mine has swallowed ridiculously stupid objects for years… but this one was BIG in comparison.

Fortunately, we were across the street from the ER and arrived in three minutes.  X-rays were taken… and boy does metal show up well.

The nurses were going to give him a numbing drink for his throat before putting in an IV to put him asleep for the removal of said metal object. Right before that all happened he threw up again…. into a blue plastic bag with a 5″ metal rim that I was holding for such a time as this. Keeve informed me that the end of the belt came out. Praise God. So the boys enjoyed Popsicles, Keeve was given a high dose of Motrin for swelling and pain, we paid $150…. and then we went to In-N-Out Burger…. for Elvis’ birthday. Get it? In-N-Out… so appropriate for the morning’s festivities!

We made a quick stop at a store for a dog muzzle for Keeve (just kidding), I can’t remember what we were shopping for. But Austin suggested, “Since you just spent $150 on Keeve, can you buy me a toy?” Um, no. (Austin’s ER visits triple the rest of the four family members put together.)

Later, when the excitement wore off, we did take in an advanced showing of Hotel for Dogs, (we renamed it Heartbreak Hotel for Dogs, being on Elvis’ birthday and all) which turned out to be an adoption movie… for dogs and kids. Yes, I cried in the end. Then we went to the Coyotes game against the Lightning. We wondered if it might be the last time we see Mark Recchi play here in Phoenix??  I hope not, but he is 41 this year.

The ordinary day ended with us picking up our beloved computer. Sweetness. Now to find all the start-up discs for the web-cam and the printer. Good grief, where do those things hide???