SURPRISE!!!!!

Bet you weren't expecting to see a new post did you? Before you get too excited you need to know that this blog is now retired. I will no longer be posting on this site...I've moved. My new blog is called As I Was Saying or http://rcravatta.wordpress.com. Stop by and check out my new digs!

I Can Explain...

Ok...bout now you're probably wondering: 'Hey, I thought you said you we're going to update more?' If you did then you're correct but there is a good reason why I haven't lately. My computer died - I just don't mean died but it died a painful, agonizing death. The hard drive was totally spent - beyond repair. I thought about replacing the hard drive but the cost of a new computer wasn't much more that buying a new drive. So I had to buy a new computer. Then I had to wait for it to arrive and set it up. It took me awhile to get the internet setting setup to access the internet properly but now I'm good to go. So that's it - I'm just now getting back online. So you forgive me don't you???

Happy Thanksgiving

Kiel is home from school. Katlin is home and enjoying his brothers company. Kathy's father (Warren) and his girlfriend (Jean) are up from South Florida as well. My parents will be here shortly. The pies have been baked- I hear patatoes being peeled and the ham and turkey are in the oven. I also hear the Macy's Thanksgiving parade on the TV and know that football will soon follow. The house smells wonderful and everyone is enjoying each others company. I'll soon put my 'stretchy' pants on I'll be ready!

It's not been an easy year in many respects: surgeries, stress and the daily challenges of life. It's not a complaint and I know it could be far worse but at times life can be difficult. But not today - today is the day we are Thankful for all of it. The good - the bad - the happy and the sad. Today we are Thankful that we are here and have made it through together by God's wonderful grace and mercy.

Enjoy the day and appreciate ALL that you have been given. Happy Thanksgiving!

Metal Mouth No More

Katlin got his braces taken off earlier today. Kat went back to school after he got them off so I haven't had the chance to see him yet but I heard his teeth look great. Kat was pretty excited all weekend knowing that his braces were coming off today. He had wore braces for nearly two years so I can understand why he was excited. Now that his braces off we'll get his teeth cleaned and whitened so he can have his Senior pictures taken. Hope he smiles big....I'm sure he will.

Hey there...

Hey there...you remember me don't you? It's been awhile since we've talked hasn't it? Let me catch you up on some of the latest happenings around here. Last Friday we went to Tallahassee for concert - we met up with some of the kids from the church and had alot of fun. After the concert we drove down to Orlando to see Kiel. We spent Saturday and Sunday with Kiel and his girlfriend Vanessa, again we had a good time and enjoyed seeing them. They've been together now for six months - that's gotta be some time of record for Kiel. Another reason we went to Orlando was that Katlin got accepted to UCF (same school as Kiel) and we went down to look at it a bit. He hasn't decided if his is going to go there are not - time will tell.

Thanksgiving is next week in case you didn't notice. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year, yes even more than Christmas. I think I like the focus of it...no not the food. But the idea of being thankful and having my family around me makes me happy. Kiel will come home on Wednesday and Kathy's dad and his girlfriend will drive up from Sebring. Along with my parents we have a pretty nice Thanksgiving tradition going. I think we've all been meeting at our house for Thanksgiving for well over the past 10 years. As always I'm ready.

Kat's winding down his senior year. He's been busy with school and work. He got nominated for Homecoming Court - so went to all the activites associated with that. We ordered Graduation announcements the other night - made his graduation seem much more real. Kat has a lot to look forward to the rest of his senior year. He's done taking all his ACT and SAT's for college - he got the scores he wanted for his scholarships. Now he just needs to decide what he wants to major in and where he wants to go to school. He'll figure it out - he always does.

Kiel is well - loves his classes and studying digital media. Kiel is going to be moving into another apartment after the first of the year. Some good friends are losing a room mate so he is going to move in with them. It's only a couple of buildings away in the same complex so it's not to big a move. Kiel still is enjoying his internship at Ross Marketing - he is there graphics guy. All in all he seems to be enjoying college. (I think having Vanessa close by helps too).

Our puppy rules this house. Nothing seems to happen without running it by her first. I'm kidding but that dog really thinks she has to be involved in everything. Next week Kathy is taking her to get 'fixed' - I'm sure she'll be made at us for awhile. Kathy is good - working and taking care of me and Kat. I'm good - very busy at work - too busy actually. I thought as you got older you were supposed to work less? I wish that were the case.

Enough for now, I don't want to use up my daily allotment of words. Take Care.

The Way I See It....

I've created a new blog called "The Way I See It". It's actually an extenstion of this blog. I'll continue to update this blog with information about what we're doing and what we're up to. But the new blog will be more for writing and expressing my thoughts and ideas. Anyhow I started out with a very simple and non-controversial subject: Election Day/Politics

Anyhow, for me the distinction will be good. It will be easier for me to update this blog if I know that I can simply write about the everyday goings on in our family. I'm lazy like that. Plus I like the idea of keeping the content of the two separate...don't ask me why but I do. Anyhow check it out, keep in mind it's new and it's work in progress. Check both of them out as I promise to post more.....(yeah right)

Coup

My immediate supervisor is in the far east reviewing manufacturing systems that our parent company uses. First he went to Japan and then on to Vietnam. After Vietnam he traveled on to Thailand. As luck would have it, he arrived in Thailand on the same day that a military led coup to overthrow the government took place. He arrived around lunch-time and the coup happened around 11PM that evening. Since the coup happened late in the evening, he was unaware it had happened until he woke in the morning. He watched a story about it on the BBC World News as he was getting cleaned up for the day. After hearing about the coup on the news, he then looked outside of the window of his high-rise Bangkok hotel room to see the streets lined with tanks and soldiers. To say he was surprised by what he heard and saw would be an understatement. He was supposed to tour the manufacturing facility today but has been advised to stay in the hotel and fly out tomorrow to Japan as planned. He said everything is fairly quiet and seems normal within the confines of the hotel. Hopefully he won't experience too many difficulties trying to get out of the country and the coup will stay non-violent as it has been. He's very fortunate that it has been peaceful to this point. It will be interesting to speak with him when he returns to Los Angeles later this week. And you thought you had an interesting day....

Mexico Beach - Labor Day

We spent Labor Day weekend in Mexico Beach with my parents. We got there last Thursday and left on Monday. Kiel came up from Orlando with his girlfriend Vanessa. We rented a house on the beach that was absolutely wonderful. The entire weekend couldn't have been better. The beach was clean, the gulf was clear and the weather was perfect. We didn't get to go last year cause of 'Red Tide' but I feel like we more than made up for it. This was our eighth year going to Mexico Beach. We plan on going again next year, but this time for a week. I really had a hard time pulling myself away. Anyhow, I did and it's back to the grind now. But only for a few weeks before we leave on a crusie with Kathy's brother Dave, his wife Sharon, Kathy's Aunt Gail and Uncle Jerry - we're really looking forward to it. I put up a new photo album called 'Mexico-Beach' under our photo album if you care to see more. Hope everyone is well....

You call this a post?

Pffffffff - (sound of dust being blown off the keyboard).

Hmmm...where do I begin. After nearly two months of not posting, I've decide that I probably should post. Awhile back I read that if you want to keep your 'blog audience' that you should post frequently. While I'm not sure that I ever had a 'blog audience', I'm almost certain that if I did, they are long gone by now. Anyhow, if someone just happens to stumble in here's an update of what's been going on as of late:

Kiel turned 21 in June - Katlin turned 17 in May - I turn 40something in a couple of days
Katlin went on a mission trip with our church to New Orleans
We all went to Iowa over the 4th of July and visited Kathy's family - We drove, Kiel flew.
Kiel stayed in Orlando over the summer, took a summer class, worked and got a girlfriend (Vanessa).
Katlin went to summer camp
When not on a trip of some kind Katlin worked bussing tables and hosting at Fridays

Other important items to note:

Football season is almost here - preseason started today. Life without football is meaningless.
Deep Fried Green Beans are incredible - TGI Fridays now offers them. You must try them
I find out everyday, that I still don't understand God's Grace. In the swimming pool of understanding God's Grace, I realized that I have only stuck my pinkie toe in the the shallow end of the kiddie pool.
I work alot.
Kathy is the only sane one in our family. The rest of us need professional help.
Kathy loves her puppy - while my feelings towards her could best be described as 'lukewarm' (towards the puppy, not my wife).

That's all I got - I'm spent . I'll try harder next time, I promise. Don't hate me.

Barely Legal

It's hard to believe that this chubby jowled, rooster-haired baby will turn 21 this Friday! Where did all that hair go??? We're all off on Friday to go see this guy and spend the weekend with him in Orlando. I'm not sure of everything he has planned but I do know we're going to MGM Studios on Saturday, it's also Star Wars weekend at MGM which is why he chose to go. We're looking forward to hanging out with him, even if he isn't this cute anymore. I'm kidding Kiel - you're sort of cute in a strange sort of way. Happy 21st Birthday and we'll see you Friday.