Finally, time alone

Wow, what a crazy time for us this year. The bad luck has slowed and we hope to maintain a steady pace through the rest of the year. Oh yeah, Cathy is pregnant again. It's not something we planned and given Kendall's situation, we are very tentative about our feelings on this baby. We're very excited, but we're also very cautious. Our lives have changed dramatically with Kendall's situation and we don't want to add to the stress already in our lives.

However, we are SOOOOOOOOOO excited about our upcoming 2 day trip without kids. Kendall is going to stay with Nana and Carsen is going to hang out with the Lucania's. We are so fortunate to have friends like Ron and Donna . He's loves hanging out with Tony and Natalie and hopefully he'll have tons of fun.

We're going to stay in Geneva for a few days and spend time being husband and wife. Cathy and I haven't been together without kids for more than 24 hours since Carsen was born; over 2+ years ago. This will be a great break for us and well deserved.

Father's Day 2008

Father's Day for us was a great day. I've been wanting a group picture of the family for a long time and we never seem to set the time aside to do it. Well, as a surprise to me, Cathy set up a time for us to go get a family portrait. The pictures came out well.

2008 Update

Wow, what a change from the last posting. 2008 has been an awful year so far and it hit rock bottom when the builder of our home decided to liquidate assets since the bank has decided to discontinue funding their business. In addition to Kendall's diagnosis and a few other mishaps, we can't wait until 2008 comes to an end.

The latest hit we took was when our builder's attorney sent an email to me saying that the bank will most likely have to foreclose on our 1/2 built house and we may or may not get it after it forecloses. We have been thinking through a strategy to get the house, but at a lesser price than we would have paid for in the first place. There are so many moving parts to this situation and it will take some time for us to see what happens. The fact that the real estate market is so bad right now plays in our favor. We have a few options and are putting together a plan to take to the bank. Worse case scenario is that we are out our down payment which we saved up over the past few years. This whole thing has been a disaster.

Work continues to go well for me and for Cathy. It's been a serious struggle handling Kendall at home and trying to perform our jobs at the highest level. We are ending up working in the evenings and on weekends to make up for lost time.

We are optimistic for the remainder of the year and we have good reason to based on what the fortune teller told me when I was in New Orleans about a month ago.

2008

Wow... This year has been non stop for me and Cathy. Our lives have been consumed with kids, planning a move and eveything else life has to offer. This has been one of the busiest times of our lives and it seems to be getting busier as each day passes.

Out of the gate, we were in the hospital with my mom finding a tumor in her stomach. Thank goodness it was quickly taken care of and she continues to do well in her recovery. The type of tumor she had is one that has a small chance of returning and she should be fine moving forward. A small hiccup, but a very positive outlook.

We have also been spending a lot of time on planning for a new home. Due to the poor schools in the Streamwood area, we decided to make a move. Even though the time to sell a house is horrible, we made the decision based on the great climate for buying a house. We found a builder that we really like and have been working with them on a dream house for us and the kids. We plan on retiring in this home and have put significant thought into the details of each corner of this house. Things are going to be tight for us, but we are committed to making it work. The upside is great, the community is going to be very kid friendly and we plan on having some great memories here. The brand new gradeschool 3 blocks away and the clubhouse (with pool, water park and fitness center) will give the kids a great environment to grow up within. It is very similar to what Cathy and I had as children and we are very excited to give to them some of the luxuries that we had growing up. Our move in date is early June of 2008.

On the job front, things are going very well. My job provides significant opportunity and challenges. The people I work with are bright and fun to work with. There are always good challenges and although the work load is always heavy, the stress is more positive than negative.

Cathy's job is also very demanding. She has been traveling more, making it tough for us to coordinate work and kid schedules. Her company has been very generous to her, giving her tons of flexibility to address doctor visits and the needs that Kendall has on a weekly basis. As long as she continues to deliver what is expected of her, she has a long leash to work with. Overall, we are swamped with our jobs, but manage to balance the needs of the kids and the requirements of our work. It's not uncommon for us to take time in the evening to catch up on work that may have slipped during the day.

Family and friends have been so helpful during this busy time, especially Sue, my sister. She comes over one day a week to hang out with Carsen and to help run a few errands. She has been an unbelievable addition to our week and Carsen loves her to death. Adding her to our routine has been a blessing and we can't be thankful enough for her being a part of our lives.

We talk often about getting a chance to take a vacation and hope to do that some time in the fall. We need it so badly...