Easter(ish) 2012

    Well, Easter has come and gone, and we have yet to celebrate with my family. Our family is cool like that. Half of all holidays are celebrated on a different day. I believe this is because it was hard to always get the family together. Also, growing up, we always split the holidays with the each set of grandparents. We hardly ever did both families on the same day. Even though my mom's parents only lived about 30 minutes away, they thought it was just too hard to fit everything in one day. It amounted to rushing, and not being able to enjoy the time spent with family. Even though this sometimes meant celebrating Christmas a weekend before or after, we always made it feel like that holiday.
    The 21st my parents are coming to spend the night to take care of Bandit while Eric and I are in Rockford for a wedding that I am in. Then the next day we will come back to our apartment and we will all have Easter. Really excited that my mom will have the dinner ready by the time we get home!
    This past Sunday, the real Easter, we went to church, and then went to EW's parent's house for Easter brunch and then dinner. The food was great, as was the company. Of course the only pictures that I got were of the little munchkins. I didn't even get a picture of EW and me. The kids had a little egg hunt, and everyone ate candy. Overall, the weather was pretty good for Easter. It wasn't raining or snowing, so that is always a big plus. I remember many an Easter that we couldn't go outside because it was raining or too cold. Having good weather just makes it that much better!

 Bubbles!

 Perfect Bubbles require Concentration!



Benny liked the trucks...

Change of Topic:
       If you don't know what Pinterest is, you have to try it! It's the most amazing website for everything from home decor, recipes, fashion, crafts, and just anything that you like! I have many boards from cute pictures, baby gear I will have to have, to yummy looking food. If I see something that I think I could do, then I get right to it.  I found this really cool way to change an old frame to a cute 'white erase board'. It is pretty simple, and I'm even thinking of selling them through my store, Bits of Brina. The link will take you to my FB page, and you can also get to my Etsy store from there also.
    Here are the Before and After pictures:

 Goodwill frame w/ glass.

Elegant white-erase board!

    When looking for a frame, I made sure it was wood so that I could sand it. I found some scrapbook paper that I liked, and then picked the spray paint. I went with a glossy black. This project was super easy! I don't have a dry-erase marker, so I couldn't write my grocery list yet, but it will get up there asap. If you would like one of these, and don't want to go through the hassle of doing it yourself, leave a comment with your e-mail, or contact me through FB. I really liked making it, and I can't wait to make more!

-Brina

Never as Planned

    Things have been a bit crazy around here. Not that it isn't always, but more so than usual in the past week or so. As I mentioned in my last post, Bandit tore her ACL and needed to be on bed rest. A month has now passed, and she went in this past Monday to see how it was going. We were told she just needed rest, and that it might heal, but I guess it's more critical than we thought. The vets that have seen her (2 now) both agree it's not IF she will need surgery, but WHEN. Lovely. I spent a good 30 minutes talking about our options, and what can be done to prolong the surgery as long as possible. We decided on complete bed rest, again, and see what happens.
    In case you are not familiar with dogs/dog surgery, this surgery will be very expensive and intense. Not every vet does it, and most are done at places like UofI or Purdue. If you don't know me, I take the health of the ones I love very seriously. I really wanted to get another opinion from a vet I know and trust. Also, I thought it might be cheaper down there. Up here they said upwards of 3,500. I decided to call my parent's vet in Indiana. She helped my parents' cat through an eye ulcer that was pretty serious, and Binky came out ok.
    I left her a message and she got back to me that night. She totally understood and answered all my questions. Without seeing Bandit, she tried to give her best advice: keep her down as much as possible, keep up the benadryl, the joint supplements, and get stairs for everything. She also agrees that Bandit will need surgery at some point. Purdue is cheaper, but we would need to be referred, so we plan to make a trip down there to see what she thinks.
    This brings me to the fact that we were planning to go to Georgia during the summer to see my Grandma who moved down there this past November to live with my Aunt and cousin. We were very excited because we really didn't know if I was going to get some time off, but it seemed to be working out...until we found out Bandit needed surgery. This was definitely a game changer, since the surgery could cost up to $2,500. YIKES! Unfortunately we have already bought tickets to see the Braves vs. Yankees (so if anyone wants 4 family pack tickets, let me know!). I was really upset a few days ago, but now I am thinking we will hopefully just have to postpone our trip until this fall.
    We are not even a week into 'complete rest' and it's not going very restfully. Bandit is a terrier, she loves to run and play no matter what I do. She has a leash on at all times, and I try to help her onto/off the furniture as much as I can. The only thing that is really worrying me, beside the surgery is that once the hurt one is fixed, she will be using the other leg more, and it is at a higher risk to tear also. Surgery is not a cure all, so really it's a crap shoot. Just because she gets it done, it could make the other one tear, or even tear the fixed leg again!

On to a different topic:
   I have been thinking hard about if I want to apply to teaching jobs for this fall. I'm about 98% sure that I won't be. There are a few reasons of why I came to this conclusion: I have been out of the classroom for awhile. I don't even know if I want to work for a public school, and even if I did find a job, I would most likely get pink slipped my first year anyway, with no guarantee that I would get hired back. Also, I really like where I am at now. It's a stable job, and I love going everyday. I don't want to call it work, because they say you shouldn't 'work' but have a 'passion' for what you do. I think I have a passion for working with 2/3 year olds, yet I'm not sure I want to do it forever. It's the wandering soul I have in me. In the long run, I really see myself getting a masters. In what, I'm not sure yet, but psychology is looking good. I love understanding how the brain works, and why people do the things they do. Or maybe even sociology or anthropology. I have a huge interest in any medical field, and love reading about new medical techniques, advances, or setbacks in all of the categories. My teaching assistant is a nursing major, and she is always telling me I should have been a nurse or doctor. Ha! But what's funny is, that if I get interested in something, I will want to find all the information I can about it. I have a hunger for knowledge, and I think that's why I wanted to be a teacher. Who knows what I will be when I grow up.....I might just end up being a mommy ;)

-Brina

A Sore Leg, and other News

Again, I have not posted as often as I would have liked. One of the main reasons is that my camera battery has been dead and I couldn't find the charger. I think my posts are so much more interesting with pictures, hence the long time between posts. Well I finally found the charger! So here is an update on the what has been going on in the Witko household:
   
    First off Bandit had her comprehensive exam about 2 weeks ago. She has been favoring her back left leg when running, and thinking she's just a goofball, I really didn't think anything of it since she didn't limp while walking. We had the vet check it out anyway, and of course we find out she tore her ACL. Seriously. Thankfully everything isn't tore, but it needs to heal. That means 4 weeks of rest. Yeah, have you met my dog?! If not she's a bit wild. She's half boston terrier, half beagle. She doesn't really ever run on low. The vet said we could give her benadryl to calm her down a bit, which worked...for the 1st week. She has gotten used to it since. Her follow-up appt is tomorrow, so we shall see if the 'rest' thing is working at all.

Resting, but still needs to see what's going on!

  
 EW was chosen to be the Godfather of our nephew Benson. We went to his 1st Birthday Party/Baptism last weekend. It was alot of fun, and great to see EW in the role of Godfather.
It has been awesome to see how great he is with his niece and nephew. EW hasn't been around kids much, so I wasn't for sure how he would do around little ones. In the past year or so, he's really become hands-on, where as before he was a bit hesitant. We've already discussed that when we do get pregnant, we will be taking a parenting class to brush up on our skills, and I am confident that he will make an amazing Daddy. If some of you are wondering if we are expecting, or planning on it anytime soon, the answer is no. We are taking it all in, and not really making a decision at the moment. Basically we are putting it in God's hands. (Ha, I sound like a Duggar) But seriously, if the time is right God will give us a baby, we are just waiting for that time.

Benson with his parents (Rachel and Brian), Godmother (Kristen) and Godfather (EW)

  Last night we went to Amy and Tristan's wedding in Fox Lake, IL. I know Amy from EIU, and we were very excited to celebrate with them, especially on St. Patrick's Day! We didn't make it to the wedding, but were able to eat and dance at the reception. The bride and groom looked amazing, and it was great to see them. Not sure when we will be able to again, since they live in Arizona!

Bride and Groom cutting the cake

 Our Festive Green wedding attire!

    The rest of this month will fly by I'm sure, and so will next! I'm gearing up for my friend, Ashley's wedding the weekend of April 21st. As a bridesmaid, I have been trying to get everything ready: dress, shoes, figuring out hair, and where I need to be at what time. I'm leaving that Thursday night for her bachelorette party, then staying for the rehearsal dinner Friday night, and then wedding, Saturday. With just one vehicle now, it's been interesting figuring out which of us is going where, and how the other will get there, but I think we mostly have it together.

     We have been in Lent for a few weeks now, and I decided to give up french fries. I am in love with McDonald's fries, so I thought I would try to become healthier and give something up at the same time :) So far is has been going well. Even though I miss them, I know I can live without them.
  
    I am loving this weather, it has been lovely to open windows and get some fresh air, however, this means there are more noises from the outdoors, which makes Bandit go nuts. She barks and barks over people walking by, or a distant dog barking. She has amazing hearing. I'm really thinking about getting a bark collar, not for shocking, but for the noise button. The high pitched noise is supposed to work. I really don't want to zap her, but the barking is getting to me. Any ideas from animal owners/lovers? I don't want her to stop barking altogether because she is an amazing watch dog, and I feel safer with her barking when someone is at the door, or at night when people are walking by our sliding door. I just can't stand the barking at EVERYTHING.

     I've already mentioned this, but I finally have pictures to share. We got EW a new chair a couple weeks ago, and I finally have a picture to show the before and after! Quite a difference, right?

 Old (above), New (Below)

Have a good week!

-Brina

Far Too Long.

To my Blog:
I apologize for the neglect I have given you. So many things have happened in the past month, and I have written nothing. Not only have I not written, but I haven't taken pictures either. So I am going to try to catch up the best I can.

February has been full of great things!
--The 1st was my 3nd day of my new job! I now work for a park district, about 25 minutes from where we live. I am the afternoon/evening teacher in the 2/3 room. I love it! Everyday brings something new, and the children and staff there are amazing!

--The 5th EW and I hosted a Super Bowl party. It was alot of fun to see and hang out with friends. It was quite a game, and had all of us sitting on the edge of our seats (ok, not me, because I really couldn't care less, but everyone else was).

--The 11th EW took me to Shedd Aquarium for our Valentine's Day Celebration. We had a great time, but unfortunately had to stand outside in the FRIGID weather for over an hour. Next time well will get tickets ahead of time! I got to see the Jellies exhibit, which I have been wanting to see for almost a year. Of course I forgot my camera, so no pictures, but it was a ton of fun. After the Aquarium, we meet our friends Kevin and Vicky, and their friend Katie for dinner. It was great to see them all again!

--The 13th was the anniversary of Bandit being a Witkowski. I don't know what I would do without my booboo. I love her so much, and I can't imagine my life without her.

--The 14th EW and I had a lovely night in. EW made fried rice, and we ordered appetizers from a Chinese restaurant. I can't remember how many Valentine Day's we have celebrated together, but every one of then has been great.

--The 18th EW and I finally decided it was time to get a new chair. His chair, I bought 2nd hand, and it apparently wasn't supposed to stand the test of time. It has fallen apart. We took advantage of the President's Day sales, and got a chair and a half recliner. We will get it this Saturday, so I will post pictures then.

--The 25th (this past weekend) was my parent's 28th wedding anniversary. We went down to Watseka to celebrate with them. We left early Saturday morning and got to help them pick out a new vehicle. They decided on a 06 Town and Country Van. It is very nice and is loaded. It has leather seats, a dvd player, automatic doors, and my Mom's favorite: Bun Warmers! It is red, so you will definitely see her coming! For dinner we went to Monicals, where I can have Gluten Free pizza! We had a great time (as always) and coming back home to my big bed is nice but sad, because I miss my parents so much. It's really hard living so far away from them.

So much has happened in the last month, and March is almost booked already! It is going to be quite a Spring/Summer filled with weddings, birthday parties, family/friends, and lots of fun! I'm really excited about the future, and I hope to stay updated (for realz!)

-Brina