We haven't updated in a while, which means 2 things:
1. We've been incredibly busy.
2. This is going to be a long update.
Without further ado...I'll begin.
June:
In June we really buckled down on the bathroom and started the tear out phase. After 1.5 days we discovered mold growing on the insulation and some rotting wood studs. After ripping up the floor we discovered that the subfloor was de-laminating. So, what started as a basic remodel became a gut and re-do kind of project. The mold set us back and while we had hopes of completing the bathroom before the McGills arrived in town from Las Vegas, we had no such luck.
July:
The beginning of July brought tears as we learned that Grandpa DeMott had taken a turn for the worse. Cancer was discovered in his stomach with spots showing up in other places as well. He relocated to the Health Center permanently and Dad flew out for a quick visit with him, thinking it could be the last. Also early in July the McGills stopped by on their whirlwind tour of the US for an evening. We spent a wonderful night catching up. As always with good friends, it's not hard to pick up where you left off. A week or so later Adam's dad came into town specifically to help us on the quickly overwhelming bathroom project. He came by the house everyday while Adam and I were at work and worked diligently until we got home. Then they would usually head to the hardware/home improvement store to pick up supplies while I would stay home and await their return. While he was here we finished putting the insulation in, installed the glass block window, replaced the subfloor, finished the plumbing, installed the tub, put in the new switches and electrical boxes, wired for the light fixture, put up 75% of the drywall and mudded and taped it, and had the tile floor installed. (Pictures are on facebook.)
August:
August was perhaps the craziest month of all. A great many things happened, both good and not so good. Adam's dad was still in town when we left to pick up my parents and Stephanie in Indianapolis. Luckily Grandpa was still with us and we all were able to visit him one last time. Adam, Dad and I sat in the room with Grandma and Grandpa as they held hands and wept at each other. The sadness in his face brought tears to my eyes. I know it was not sadness for himself, but for his bride who he knew he would leave for a time. When it was time to leave I took his hand and he squeezed it. I told him goodbye and that I loved him and kissed him on the cheek. He looked at me, smiling and serious, and said "God bless you." I know he meant it with every fiber of his being and I will hold that in my heart forever. Thank you Grandpa.
While in Indianapolis, Adam's dad was still at our house while the tile floor was being laid. He actually stayed in town all week while my family was in town, although we didn't see him during that time. Sunday we were back in Ohio attending church and then driving up to Columbus to see Aunt Paula, Uncle Rick and Charla and her family. Unfortunately we all thought it was a lunch date and were starving by the time that dinner was served. :) Monday, Mom, Dad, Adam and I drove to Harodsburg, KY to visit the shaker village. The drive was pleasant, the weather HOT and humid...until the sirens went off and it started to thunderstorm. Needless to say we had a rather wet drive back. Tuesday we went to the National Airforce Museum in Dayton. Mom and Dad picked up Nicolas from the airport there while Steph, Adam and I headed home. Wednesday we went to IKEA, Jungle Jims, Kohls and Ulta. That evening I had a staff meeting at work and Adam came down with a fever. (It was August 10th....Steph's 26th birthday and Grandma and Grandpa's 65th wedding anniversary.) Thursday we went to the Reds v Rockies game downtown. Adam stayed home with his fever. I got sunburned beyond belief. It peeled for over a week. That evening we went to Troy's Cafe (our favorite place to eat in West Chester) and had Stephanie's birthday dinner followed by an icecream cake from DQ. Friday I had an all day staff development day at work followed by a BBQ in the evening that the family came too. Luckily Adam was well enough by that time to be able to attend. I gave a tour of the school to the family, helped clean up and then we left. Saturday morning everyone (minus Adam who went to breakfast with his dad) went to Book Bums and Starbucks before Nicolas drove Mom and Dad back to Indy. They all got one last visit with Grandpa. After he got back we had dinner and went car shopping. We snuck into all kinds of unlocked vehicles after dark on the car lots. Afterward we hit up the Cone and Nicolas made the mistake of getting a large...which is roughly the size of my forearm. Sunday we headed to church and then Steph drove Nicolas to the airport in Dayton.
Monday morning brought quite a change for me as the owners announced that during my vacation week they had hired another director in my place. I was offered a position as an Education Coordinator for the school with a decrease in pay and perks. Feeling completely blind-sided and backed into a corner, I accepted the position. That evening I met Adam outside his work and we drove around talking (and sobbing) about it. After dinner we met up with the pastor from church to discuss what had happened and the best course of action. While great advice was given, it was ultimately my choice as to what to do...and I chose to resign the following day. Tuesday I turned in my resignation letter effective immediately. They were not upset and did not seem phased at all....which can only lead me to the conclusion that I was being forced out one way or another, while they tried to protect themselves from paying out unemployment by offering me another position. (I should note that since I turned down the position they have not attempted to fill it.) Although my mother continues to try and persuade me that I have a valid legal case against them and that I should file for unemployment, I am choosing to just close the door on that part of my life and move on. I was incredibly hurt, embarrassed and ashamed of what happened to me, feeling as if I had somehow failed...but I don't think it has anything to do with me. Some people are so focused on their own goals and their own ladders to climb that they don't care who they hurt in the process.
After hearing that I was now unemployed, like herself, Steph decided to stay an extra two weeks so that we could spend more time together. She bought her ticket for Saturday, August 27th. Over the next two weeks we went on (almost) daily walks or bike rides. I spent most of that time listening as she recounted her adventures overseas and all of the interesting people she'd met. I think it was good for her to debrief from all of her travels. She also helped with some of the cooking, cleaning and animal care, for which I am grateful.
I think it was the Wednesday or Thursday before Stephanie was scheduled to fly out when we got a phone call from Dad saying that Grandpa had taken his last turn for the worse. He had a fever and was comatose. Three of my aunts were on their way to be with him and Grandma. Dad encouraged Steph to cancel her flight because Mom and Dad would be making the drive out here if anything happened to Grandpa. Luckily she took his advice because Sunday after church we found out that Grandpa had passed away that morning. We all prepared to travel to Indy again that Wednesday for the visitation and funeral. It was hard...much harder than I remember my Grandmother's to be (Grandma Colby)...but I was younger then. It was wonderful to see the whole DeMott family again. Sadly Nicolas was unable to attend because it was the first week of school for him, so he sent flowers to be planted on the grave. Thursday night we drove to Martin's Ferry, OH for the memorial service and to see the grave site. Friday was the service. After seeing his final resting place we all hugged and said goodbye until Christmas.
*I should note that in between all of this, I had a job interview on Tuesday and received a job offer on Friday. I accepted and will start full time on Monday, September 12th.
And here we are, the beginning of a new month and a new job. So much has happened this summer. It has flown by. It seems quiet in the house now with Steph being gone and Adam's mom out of town. It feels lonely without so many people being around. On the other hand, it's nice for Adam and I to spend this holiday weekend just the two of us.
By the way...the bathroom is still basically unchanged since the tiling of the floor. Steph and I did grout it, but that's about it. My hope is that we get it done before winter. :)
Monday, September 5, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Rany Spring Update
Not too much has changed on the Vogel front since the last entry, but in keeping with updating this thing on a semi-regular basis, I'll go ahead and post anyway.
The bathroom project has been rescheduled for a yet to be determined date. We're just a little bit too busy right now and the weather is starting to heat up. I really wanted to have a new bathroom put together for my family when they come out, but life will go on without it.
Since Adam and I have quite a few visitors planned for the summer months, we've decided to bite the bullet this year and purchase a new air conditioner. We're going to look at one this weekend and hopefully we'll get Neil to help with the install.
We're still attending Celebration Church in Mason and recently made some big decisions about the church. In early May, Adam made the decision to re-dedicate his life to Christ and was baptized again on Sunday morning. Following his baptism, I chose to join him in becoming members at Celebration. We're continuing to host and facilitate a Life Group on Thursdays nights and we were recently asked to volunteer on the Welcome Team at church. I also volunteered to help out in the nursery if the need arises. We love the church and, more importantly, love what God is doing with us there.
I am still attempting to balance both work, church and Adam. My spare time isn't so spare anymore. My days are far too long and I have to make a conscious effort to leave work on time or I'll get carried away working. Adam has found himself alone in the evenings too often as I sit in front of the computer trying to whittle away my "to do" list. Our healthy lifestyle has been severely compromised by exhaustion and fatigue. It's easier go pick up Subway or order a pizza than it is to make a homemade meal. Plus, Adam's never sure when I'm going to be home at night. I ask for prayers as I continue to learn what balance means and prioritize things in the correct order.
Hear are a few of the other highlights since the last update:
The bathroom project has been rescheduled for a yet to be determined date. We're just a little bit too busy right now and the weather is starting to heat up. I really wanted to have a new bathroom put together for my family when they come out, but life will go on without it.
Since Adam and I have quite a few visitors planned for the summer months, we've decided to bite the bullet this year and purchase a new air conditioner. We're going to look at one this weekend and hopefully we'll get Neil to help with the install.
We're still attending Celebration Church in Mason and recently made some big decisions about the church. In early May, Adam made the decision to re-dedicate his life to Christ and was baptized again on Sunday morning. Following his baptism, I chose to join him in becoming members at Celebration. We're continuing to host and facilitate a Life Group on Thursdays nights and we were recently asked to volunteer on the Welcome Team at church. I also volunteered to help out in the nursery if the need arises. We love the church and, more importantly, love what God is doing with us there.
I am still attempting to balance both work, church and Adam. My spare time isn't so spare anymore. My days are far too long and I have to make a conscious effort to leave work on time or I'll get carried away working. Adam has found himself alone in the evenings too often as I sit in front of the computer trying to whittle away my "to do" list. Our healthy lifestyle has been severely compromised by exhaustion and fatigue. It's easier go pick up Subway or order a pizza than it is to make a homemade meal. Plus, Adam's never sure when I'm going to be home at night. I ask for prayers as I continue to learn what balance means and prioritize things in the correct order.
Hear are a few of the other highlights since the last update:
- We attended Denise and CR's wedding in Columbus. Although we didn't know a lot of people we still had a great time!
- The basement flooded this evening and Adam and I attempted a clean up effort. We're now waiting out the rest of the rain for fear of a re-flooding episode.
- Adam's brother, Rob, is in town for Memorial Day. We're enjoying spending time with him.
- We've been watching the show Kings on hulu and reading 1 Samuel to help us understand the modern re-telling of the life of King David.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Of Jobs and Churches....
As it turns out, that "management opening" that I sent my resume to on a whim has become my new job; and I am not the assistant director, I am the director of the school. Life has changed quite dramatically for me in the job department. I gave my two weeks notice to All About Kids, finished up there and immediately began training to be a director. I have spent the last two weeks training under the current director but as of tomorrow I will be flying solo. So far, the job is quite intense and exhausting, but it's nice to be busy for a change. My hours are still yet to be determined. I'm supposed to close on Mondays and Tuesdays (9:30-6:30) and come in early Wednesday-Friday (7:30-4:30/5:00), but we'll see. I've worked a few 12+ hour days in the last two weeks and I'm hoping that doesn't become a trend. Adam has been super supportive, as has the rest of the family, as I re-learn how to balance my personal life and family with work obligations.
I believe this job is a God-send, as I never really prayed for it or wanted it that badly. I'm not sure what He's doing with me, but I feel as if I'm in training for something bigger. :)
Speaking of God....Adam and I have finally found a church we feel confident about joining. It's Celebration Church in Mason which happens to be in the old Oak Harbor church building that he grew up in. For months his mom has been raving about it and so we finally bit the bullet and decided to go one Sunday. It was fantastic! We both left feeling like it was too good to be true. It's a smaller church that's completely on fire for God that reaches out to those on the outskirts with plenty of opportunities to get involved. It's perfect! We weren't comfortable at the bigger churches, or the churches with all the rich, fancy people. We tried getting involved other places, but our hearts weren't in it by any means. So, after only 4 weeks being in attendance, we have had dinner with the pastor and his wife, attended Thursday night church and a volunteer banquet and signed ourselves up to host and facilitate a Lifegroup. Kinda crazy, but we're jumping in with both feet. We're excited about what God is doing, not only in the church, but in our hearts as well!
*In other news, the bathroom is currently on hold as I had to purchase a new wardrobe and laptop for my new job. We are still planning on doing it but we have to restock the emergency fund and pay our taxes first.
I believe this job is a God-send, as I never really prayed for it or wanted it that badly. I'm not sure what He's doing with me, but I feel as if I'm in training for something bigger. :)
Speaking of God....Adam and I have finally found a church we feel confident about joining. It's Celebration Church in Mason which happens to be in the old Oak Harbor church building that he grew up in. For months his mom has been raving about it and so we finally bit the bullet and decided to go one Sunday. It was fantastic! We both left feeling like it was too good to be true. It's a smaller church that's completely on fire for God that reaches out to those on the outskirts with plenty of opportunities to get involved. It's perfect! We weren't comfortable at the bigger churches, or the churches with all the rich, fancy people. We tried getting involved other places, but our hearts weren't in it by any means. So, after only 4 weeks being in attendance, we have had dinner with the pastor and his wife, attended Thursday night church and a volunteer banquet and signed ourselves up to host and facilitate a Lifegroup. Kinda crazy, but we're jumping in with both feet. We're excited about what God is doing, not only in the church, but in our hearts as well!
*In other news, the bathroom is currently on hold as I had to purchase a new wardrobe and laptop for my new job. We are still planning on doing it but we have to restock the emergency fund and pay our taxes first.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Long time, no post
So much has happened in the world of the Vogels since our last update, so I'll make a list of what I need to update to keep myself on track.
1. Moses and the pets
2. Updates on goals
3. Bathroom
4. Lifestyle and personal news
Well, we finally got Moses to the vet and had him allergy tested. While we were waiting for the results to come back, the vet wanted us to start him on Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Lamb and Brown Rice food and fish oil. Sure enough, it turns out that Moses is allergic to 20 things including poultry, brewer's yeast, potatoes and carrots. As Adam was researching dog foods to see if we could find a cheaper option for Moses he discovered the overall low quality of most foods. So we decided to do something crazy...to switch Gus and Milo onto more wholesome (and EXPENSIVE) food. Gus is now on Taste of the Wild dog food and Milo's on Taste of the Wild cat food both of which are 4 or 5 star rated foods. Science Diet and Iams, as it turns out, are BOTH only 1 star rated foods. Yuck! Moses is also taking a probiotic with his food. We also got a new eating bowl for Gus that slows down his eating because his new food has much smaller kibble bits. So, that's the pet news for now.
As far as our goals go....ummmm....we aren't doing too hot on those. I've been forgetting to wear my pedometer most days. We never did get started on the Love Dare (the movie completed de-motivated us on that). This is only the 4th blog of the year and we're 3 months in, so not too good on that count either. Oh well, they're "goals"....so technically we can still work toward them.
Since my family is coming to visit in August (addressed in the following paragraph) we've decided to completely gut and re-do the upstairs bathroom. Right now it's straight out of the 1960s complete with pink toilet and tub and gray and pink tile all over the walls, not to mention the peeling and browned laminate flooring. It needs a makeover. We didn't exactly know where to start but happened upon some clearance porcelain tile at Lowe's one Saturday. We bought up all of the 6x6 tiles and had a jumping point (and color scheme) for the bathroom. In the weeks that followed, we bought a vanity/sink combo ($150), a faucet ($37), a curved shower rod ( $20), a light fixture ($30), a jacuzzi toilet ($110), a toilet seat ($5), a fan/light fixture ($50), accent glass tile for the tub walls ($20), tile spacers and edgers ($30) and we've picked out the tub, medicine cabinet and wall color...we just haven't purchased them yet. The plan is re-do the entire bathroom in the month of April, before it gets too hot. I'm getting really excited about it! This may also help spur us on to painting the rest of our apartment (living room, trim, kitchen, dining room, bedrooms). I can only hope.....
Life and personal updates....Adam has really stepped up in taking care of things around the house lately since my work hours don't get me home until 7pm. He's been trying his hand at quite a few new recipes too, yum! He really is an amazing husband!
We found out that Mom and Dad are planning to come out and visit us this August. In fact, they've already bought tickets for the 5th-13th I believe. Both Nicolas and Stephanie are expected to be in attendance as well. I'm so excited to see them all!
Lately, Adam has been listening to Dan Miller's podcast (author of 48 Days to the Work You Love) and it has sparked an interest in starting our own business. Here are a few of the ideas we've been spit-balling:
- Pet Pals - a pet food and accessory delivery business
- another diapering service in the Cincinnati area (as there's only 1 option currently)
- opening a dental spa (like the one in Las Vegas)...obviously we wouldn't be the dentists
That's enough of an update for now. We'll check in with you all later!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Another day in the life
Good morning world.
Well, we're off to a rather slow start on our goals for this year. Our pedometers are awesome, but it is incredibly difficult to get 10,000 steps in a day when a) it's winter and b) you don't go to the gym. I have been fortunate enough to log over 10,000 steps 2 days this week, but poor Adam works in an office all day. I think he's averaging about 3,000. I can't wait until it warms up and we can go on long walks at Sharon Woods once again. We'll be rackin' up the steps in no time.
We watched the movie Fireproof the other night in preparation for starting our Love Dare devotions. I'm just gonna come out and say that it was a fairly horrible movie, which left us less motivated to start this study. Also, we didn't realize that we don't really get to talk about what we read each day. Oh well. Now we know for the next study we get. :)
In other news, Moses is a mess and a half. The other day he started hobbling around on one of his hind feet. We think that he sprained it when we was jumping around chasing a flashlight. The next day, he was hobbling on a front foot too. He had chewed off part of his pad on one toe. He can't put any weight on it and he looks ridiculous (and sad) hopping around on 3 feet. It's quite an interesting sight seeing him go up and down the stairs....bless his heart. Then, this morning Adam found blood leaking from another of his hind feet from chewing it open. So...we're calling the vet today to see what we can do about this feet chewing business. It's going to cost a fortune, but it needs to be taken care of.
And that's the world of the Vogels right now.
Well, we're off to a rather slow start on our goals for this year. Our pedometers are awesome, but it is incredibly difficult to get 10,000 steps in a day when a) it's winter and b) you don't go to the gym. I have been fortunate enough to log over 10,000 steps 2 days this week, but poor Adam works in an office all day. I think he's averaging about 3,000. I can't wait until it warms up and we can go on long walks at Sharon Woods once again. We'll be rackin' up the steps in no time.
We watched the movie Fireproof the other night in preparation for starting our Love Dare devotions. I'm just gonna come out and say that it was a fairly horrible movie, which left us less motivated to start this study. Also, we didn't realize that we don't really get to talk about what we read each day. Oh well. Now we know for the next study we get. :)
In other news, Moses is a mess and a half. The other day he started hobbling around on one of his hind feet. We think that he sprained it when we was jumping around chasing a flashlight. The next day, he was hobbling on a front foot too. He had chewed off part of his pad on one toe. He can't put any weight on it and he looks ridiculous (and sad) hopping around on 3 feet. It's quite an interesting sight seeing him go up and down the stairs....bless his heart. Then, this morning Adam found blood leaking from another of his hind feet from chewing it open. So...we're calling the vet today to see what we can do about this feet chewing business. It's going to cost a fortune, but it needs to be taken care of.
And that's the world of the Vogels right now.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Pieces of the New Year's Puzzle
Today we received our Christmas Amazon order. So we now have our pedometers to measure our walking and two copies of The Love Dare to take us through the next 40 days of devotionals.
In Ethel news, I have sold some more parts so I can continue making progress. It won't be long now!
In Ethel news, I have sold some more parts so I can continue making progress. It won't be long now!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The first post - 2011
Well, here we are at the beginning of another year: 2011. Although Adam and I are not necessarily "resolution" kind of people, we did decide to set some goals for the year ahead.
1. Get Ethel (Adam's '68 Chevy truck) on the road
2. Work our debt snowball and pay off as much debt as possible
3. Use our pedometers - 10,000 steps/day is our goal
4. Spend more time doing daily devotions together
5. Get a teaching job (for Andrea)
6. Keep a blog
It was Adam's idea to keep a blog this year. I thought it would be fun to be able to look back and see what we did with our year. We didn't establish any rules for our blog, so who knows what will be written...or how often we'll write, but consider this the first post of the year. :)
1. Get Ethel (Adam's '68 Chevy truck) on the road
2. Work our debt snowball and pay off as much debt as possible
3. Use our pedometers - 10,000 steps/day is our goal
4. Spend more time doing daily devotions together
5. Get a teaching job (for Andrea)
6. Keep a blog
It was Adam's idea to keep a blog this year. I thought it would be fun to be able to look back and see what we did with our year. We didn't establish any rules for our blog, so who knows what will be written...or how often we'll write, but consider this the first post of the year. :)
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