New Years

So I guess I should write a blog reflecting on this past year and looking ahead to next year, but I'll save that for another day. Today I just want to share a monumental occasion with you all. It is a Carrozziere tradition to have a big lasagna dinner on New Years day. This was started because it is my father's birthday and so he can request the meal for the day. After years of having lasagna on his birthday it has become tradition. In fact if he did request something else I'm not sure we would be able to accomedate it. All of our taste buds have come accustom to welcoming in the new year with lasagna. Now this isn't just a throw it together meal. In fact, although my mother prepares each needed ingreditent even she is not allowed to put this dish together. There is a perfect method and way to delicately make this savory dish. In fact, when i was a little girl i remember feeling as if I had arrived when my dad needed to run and help my mother downstairs quickly and left me in charge of putting together a few layers. He wasn't comfortable leaving anyone in charge, but after two or three years of apprenticing I got my chance to oversee a few layers on my own. Every year my father and I would have a bonding time together of making his favorite birthday meal. Well, with our little one arriving in just three to four weeks Andy and I were not able to travel home for the holidays this year. I woke up today knowing that the new year was coming and if I wanted to welcome it properly I would have to take on the challenge myself. So today after an hour of using every pot in my kitchen, creating a monumental mess of a perfectly clean kitchen, and sparing no counter space I concocted the very first Prescott new year's lasagna. We even have people coming over tomorrow to share it with us. I'm not sure they'll understand the significance...but I do. I have to call my dad just to let him know we'll be celebrating with him tomorrow. For all of those who are now starving after reading this blog, if you're in the area come on over the more the merrier.

Customer Service

So Andy and I were a bit taken back today. We had two encounters that just made us think that maybe just maybe we've been seeing this customer/ retailer relationship a bit wrong. You see I have always thought that they wanted me to shop with them, or use their services. Not so sure anymore. We opened our day by seeing a Tailor who only hemmed one sleeve on each of Andy's three suits. When confronted with the mishap she insisted that his arms were uneven and that only one sleeve needed to be hemmed. The three of us stood their looking at one sleeve showing part of the cuff of Andy's one shirt and the other showing no cuff. Really really?? The manager was summoned and agreed with her Tailor. To top this off the buttons she had sewed back on the sleeve, which had one been in a straight line now resembled the dance I like to call the worm. We left with no refund and no service....and were quite stunned. The second Tailor looked at the work done and laughed at what a mess it was. We regaled her with our story and she also was stunned. She seemed to think that both sleeves should be the same length and with that we agreed to let her have a go. We were beginning to think that Canadians wear their right sleeve lower than the left...a fashion statement we haven't see in the USA yet.
As for story number two, we found ourselves window shopping in the mall today when to our surprise we came upon an unbelievable sale. We should have taken that advice and realized it was unbelievable. Seven racks of men shirts had signs of 40%-50% off. Each rack looked as though the shirts had been seen by hundreds of people during the day. They were all mixed in together and some were hung, some folded, some thrown. We were not deterred by this mess and quickly went to it trying on shirts, finding sizes. We had to look through each rack carefully to find the exact colors. In the end we had two burgundy shirts that would have been stunning on my handsome husband had we gotten them home. At the register we were informed that these shirts are not on sale. We politely tell the sales clerk where we found them and show him the signs. He informs us that only the old shirts are on sale and these are two of the new ones. We asked him to tell us which ones were new and which ones were old, he couldn't. He said he couldn't tell the difference and that maybe it was the spring colors that determined the new spring line that was out. We looked down and our deep burgundy shirts and once again were speechless. The manager again was called and wished us a Happy New Year but wouldn't give us the discount. Once again Andy and I thought that maybe we should open a store up here...give the people some service, actually advertise correctly, wear our suits like Americans (both sleeves even)...I think we would do well.

Be Bopper

So spelling aside my daughter seems to be what Andy lovingly refers to as a be-bopper. I'm not sure what we are in store for. Either this little girl has six legs and four arms or she is all over the place all the time. I was singing on worship team this past Sunday and found myself holding my stomach just so that all the poking and prodding wouldn't distract the congregation. She might be dancing, she might be practicing her baseball swing, but either way there is just not enough room in there for her to practice. I think she gets frustrated and then just starts punching in every direction. With that said who would like to volunteer for baby sitting this little one???? We are so excited and with Andy as a dad who could expect anything but a very active little girl...as Andy said she is a be-bopper.

Christmas Season

So we have been trying to be very diligent about getting our nursery up and running...well not running yet but prepared to. So I know I have been behind in my postings. Last night I found time to decorate our place for the holiday season. The tree comes tonight, so be ready for those pictures next !!!

Things to come

So God graciously gives us nine months to prepare for the little bundle of joy He sends our way. In our case this was necessary. I am only a few short months away from her arrival and I feel like nothing is done. So this week we decided to get our act together and start making some decisions and purchases. The most important ones being a new car, since we only have a coupe between the two of us, a parking spot to put the car in, a crib, a bassinet, and a dresser. So far we have succeed in buying a crib, a matching dresser, and we think a car. We still need to sign on the dotted line, but the decision is made. After a bit of a frustrating weekend we also managed to get rid of two of our three couches so that we have a room to put the baby in. Rachel lovingly calls this her room, since it was where she slept when she came, but I think the crib officially makes it Angela's room now. As soon as things are a little more in place I will take pictures to show it off. All through this process I am continually amazed at just how different men and women are. Things that seem so important to me or get so blown out of proportion (like thinking the crib may not come in until her due date) are just taken by Andy in a casual no stress way. In the same light things that seem rather unthought of by Andy ( having cute pictures on the nursery walls ) have come up on my radar as very necessary. Thank God that we balance each other out. I think that may have been the plan from the beginning. In the end our little girl will have a nursery filled with furniture (that is here before her), decorated beautifully, and hopefully this will all be done in a non-anxious manner. I'll keep you all posted!

MT Carrozziere

He was known by so many names. Boo, Boo Bird, Roo, Mick, Mick-a-rooney, Mick-a-roo, Mickers, and of course his given name Mickey Tyler Carrozziere. The Tyler was put in by Rachel who insisted that Tyler should have been a first name, but if it had to be voted down then it should at least be included as a second name. We all agreed of course knowing that any formal name should have a middle initial to go with it. To us he was brother, a son, a boy to do things with on a boys night (which usually meant dad and Mick watching football with popcorn). The Carrozziere's have a way of dramatizing everything, but in this case Mickey really fit each role; we weren't making them up for him. He learned to value real sauce over canned anything and usually would refuse to eat unless some marinara was mixed in. He learned the art of hearing a car pull in and being at the door to greet its passenger; however if the passenger happened to be mom Mickey's excitement tripled. No one held a higher place in his heart than mom. He adored her and would perk up his ears at even the mention of her name. If someones voice got too loud around her or he felt that she was put in danger he was sure to come to her rescue even if it was just dad trying to give mom a hug. On Christmas morning he too had to be held back at the stairs told to wait until he could devour his stocking's surprises...and on many occasions he found a way to slip past the blockade and run right towards the presents. He knew how to open presents as well, tearing the paper with his teeth. Of course this tradition was started at his first birthday party where the neighborhood animals and cousin's pets were invited. We had quite the turn out with every animal attending with a gift and participating in party games. Mickey was a perfect fit into our family. Mom and dad didn't know he was coming so soon, but their three teenage girls were so persistent that a we were missing a vital piece to our clan that they allowed the afternoon trip out to Cortland to look at puppies. Mickey came right up to me and licked my hand; from that moment on he was a part of our entourage, and a loved family member. When Andy and I started to talk about marriage I told him that not only did he have to meet my sisters and parents but also Mickey. Andy's proposal was a surprise because he had flown to NY without me knowing it. He has spoken to my father in person and then flew back to Houston ready to give me a ring. His opening line was that he had met someone I had been wanting him to get acquainted with. Having no idea he had made this trip I was utterly confused; when he pulled out this picture I knew he had finally met the last family member and gotten his approval. ( As well as my dad's ok) So in a way Mickey is the reason I have such a fun proposal story.



No one will be able to replace his presence in our household, and he will be deeply missed. We are so grateful for the amazing memories we have, and for the joy God gave us in sharing our lives with him. For those of you who also believe that all dogs go to heaven you'll have to come meet him when you get there.

Just some beautiful Fall pictures!!!

I just love fall! Here are some more pictures from New York:

New York!!!

So, life has been very exciting lately. After spending ten days with the Prescott's Andy and I took a trip to New York to spend some quality time with the Carrozziere's. Some of the hightlights where a Thanksgiving dinner, a Christmas Morning (since Andy and I won't be there for the real thing), apple picking, hiking, and we even found time to try some of our frozen wedding cake; (my mom still had it in the freezer for our 1st year anniversary; but it wasn't as good as it was a year ago) My mother and sisters, also threw me a beautiful baby shower which was the theme of a tea party. I haven't had a tea party in years....it was a blast. Here are some of the pictures highlighting our trip.

OH Canada

So it is only October 3rd and I guess in Canada it means snow time. I don't if I've experienced snow this early in the year.

Celebrating a New Season

So today I looked around my house and was overwhelmed by the mess. I had decided today was the day that everything had to be unpacked and put where it belongs. I was tired of tripping over clothes and suitcases while setting the table for dinner, or having to come into the living room every morning to find a clean shirt. Sadly messes like this happen to have a tendency to grow. What seemed manageable a few days ago was now completely out of control. To help bring motivation to the situation I started my task by making a trip to Michaels craft store. Yes, I did bring more stuff into the mess (ribbon, pumpkins, leaves, flowers, vases) but it gave me a good goal to keep in mind. You see I couldn't unpack my new things until everything else had been put in place. Since I've been married, and I guess since I've had my own place, I've seen a new side of myself. I like to decorate. Granted I'm not particularly talented in this area and usually steal ideas from a friend whose living room or kitchen I admired, however I figure practice can't hurt. Besides my little apartment needs some festive fall decor. Surprisingly our mess which really by the right person could have been called a work of art, only took an hour to disassemble leaving me plenty of time to play around with some decorating ideas. Here is how it ended up! Believe it or not I bought everything separate and pieced what you see together ( OK to some this isn't a feat...but it took some work) I wish I could have you all over for a cup of hot apple cider, but alas Canada doesn't know about cider yet and many of you are too far for a quick trip. So here are some pictures for you to see how we are celebrating fall!

back-to-back-to-back

booyah! NL East Champs three years running!!

the golden age of Phillies baseball is upon us.

So we had so much fun at the wedding that we forgot to take pictures...but well here are the few we have!


My lovely sister-in-laws


The beautiful bride!




What a handsome couple!

The smell of Autumn

I love this time of year! Everything is changing and smells so fresh. It makes me want to go apple picking, eat donuts with hot apple cider and go for long walks. Anyone else feel that way?

Family

So this past week Andy and I spent 15 hours on a plane. Did we fly to Europe you say? Nope just over to Philly for the week. The trip was a bit taxing, but you couldn't beat the price, so we just caught up on our reading and sleeping. Going home is always a bit bittersweet for us. We both are so close to our families that we find ourselves counting down the hours and being devastated when it is time to leave. If you've lived far from family you'll understand this. Not that our family doesn't miss us just as much, but I find myself treasuring each conversation and hour so much more knowing that I won't be a part of it next week. This past trip we went for 9 days with the main event being Michelle (Andy's sister) marring our new brother-in-law Dave. Weddings can be times of craziness, but also such memories. It was so much fun just to be together as a family and be able to see everyone all in one place. The wedding was in Ocean City, NJ which was so fun for me since I had never been there before. What a fun place! I told Andy that we're going to have to make a point of going back. As for the rest of the week it all went by much to fast. Being in my 23rd week of pregnancy, I was very excited to have a good week. I really didn't get sick very much!!! I am paying for that today, but hopefully my body will calm down after a day of napping and taking it easy. I plan to stay on the couch for the rest of the day and try to keep something down....this is a bit hard considering the tornado that seemed to hit our apartment over the last two days. Why is it that unpacking is so much harder than packing? It takes me two minutes to pack and at least a week to get things back in order when I get home. I'll try to find the camera soon and share the pictures from the week!

Happy UnBirthday to Andy

Today started out as one of those days that just needed cheering up. Nothing major brought on the rain clouds, but we woke up with them there. So mid afternoon I decided that we needed something fun for dinner. Andy's birthday is coming on quick, but we will be celebrating this year in New Jersey with his family SOOOOOO I decided tonight was the perfect day to celebrate his 28th birthday just the two of us. It started with Andy's favorite dinner ( I tell him I'll make anything he wants and he still asks for BLT's every year...which is easy for me!!) and of course birthday cake (well I tried I can't in good conscience call it a cake....maybe a german chocolate crumble) and of course a present. To top the night off the Buffalo Bills decided to play a great game...just to make us smile! Wow! What a night! Well, we're off to eat that cake...crumble...

Autumn

The trees are changing colors, I"m craving hot cider, and baseball is suddenly getting very exciting. Yup its that time of year again....fall! I love this time of year. Everything seems to take on a new crispness (for lack of a clearer description) I actually begin to anticipate the change of seasons and get excited for what is ahead. We have much to look forward to in the next few months. Both Andy, and I will celebrate our 28th year on earth, we will be taking holidays with both families a bit early this year, my sister-in-law gets married in less than two weeks :), and the Phillies may just repeat their victory of last October. So much to look forward to. I plan to be better at capturing our adventures on film so that you can all share as well. Today we have celebrated the opening of football season by watching all three games (even though one of those is baseball). So I have abandoned my post by choosing to write ya'll ( see I've still got a bit of Houston in me ) so I better go back to my cheering section! Stay tuned for the adventures ahead!

Ps In anticipation for our exciting year ahead ( I measure years by school calendars...I know I know January is what the rest of the world goes by...but anyway) we have changed the look of our blog. I think it looks a bit more Canadian :)

Summer time Summer time Sum Sum Summer time

So the real question is where did summer go? I know that I woke up yesterday knowing that I had two months off and then this morning had a work schedule in place. Is it really September already? Did football really start today? I must admit I missed the summer of 2009. Just like in one of those movies where the lead character wakes up 10 years later its just that in my situation I missed my long awaited vacation. So I guess the real question is what did I do this summer that made it pass by so quickly. Well, the first week of freedom was met with visitors hailing from the west and east. Andy's parents as well as our good friends from Houston (Ben and Lauren) came up to Calgary to see the sights...and maybe us too. We had a great week taking in the mountains, stampede, and playing Settlers of Catan.This was when we had a fire "drill" in the middle of the night!
Olympic Park!

Hiking!
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It passed much too quickly and soon our little apartment seemed to quiet. To ease the pain of their departure we ventured to New Jersey the following weekend to attend one of Andy's high school friend's wedding. Although he had to go back for work I spent the following week in Rochester with my family. After that our roller coaster was in full swing. There was a week of VBS followed by a week long visit from one of my favorite sister-in-laws Amanda





and then a week long trip to Michigan where I caught up with old roomates



and taught dance from dawn till dusk. In between we managed to fit a few backyard BBQ's, two visits to the emergency room, playing in a baseball (softball just to clarify for Andy's sake) league, camping,




teaching dance classes in Calgary, and finally finding out our little surprise is a little pink surprise...



or at least she will be wearing pink to dance class...(we found out we are having a little girl in January for those of you who don't know yet.) All in all a great summer, but it felt more like an exciting dream than two months of activity. As for this blog, I have failed in my attempt to keep it going. Alas, no need to worry it will survive the fall. To those who have been praying for me this summer: Thank you so much! I have needed the prayers and they were worth more than you know. I am so glad that I can look back at this summer with happy memories, but also that it is in the past. Morning sickness was not expected to that degree and all I can say is that I am so grateful for the mercy that I have found in the past two weeks. Our little girl is doing very well, and has at least at this point started to like some of the food I'm giving her. She still isn't a fan of pork chops so we may just wait till she is older to try those again :) but at least she likes spaghetti now! I knew she'd come around. Anyway, I felt a bit as if Andy had lost a wife this summer, and that I had let my friends down as well. I am so grateful for the love and support you all showed....I do feel as if I am back...and ready to go!

Good Morning!

I have come to find that every morning reveals a surprise these days. Each day seems to have new adventures and challenges along the way. I have tried to tell many people over e-mail or phone conversations...but for those of you who don't know yet I want you to know too...so here it goes... Andy and I will be welcoming a new member to our family come this January. We are so excited, and feel like the adventure has already started. We found out quite early and quickly after I started joining into the wonderful world of morning sickness. God gives me the strength each day and each morning I awake to another dose of His grace. With that said I thought I would share some of the discoveries I've made while being pregnant.

-everything has a smell...yes even ice tea or Gatorade
-chicken is one of the most disgusting foods I have ever heard of
-if you don't do laundry you run out of clothes
-three naps a day can be done and you can still get a good nights sleep
-throwing up is a natural part of a day...no worries
-daily food changes its taste..hmmmmm or at least its appeal changes
-telling people you don't feel well inspires people to tell you horror stories about their best friend who was sicker than you...not comforting
-you can be hungry anytime of day even right after a meal
-Canadian doctors are in no rush to meet their patients
-throwing up is a great sign of health ...hmmm for baby I guess...but I may need this one explained again
-whoever came up with preggo pops should be kissed
-coffee never sounded so good
-if you don't cook its hard to have dinner
-teaching your husband to cook can be fun and entertaining


I hope none of these sound like I'm complaining...I simply wanted to share my discoveries....like I said it has been an adventure...one I am very happy to be on! I will continue to keep you all posted....so stay tuned!

Canada's Funniest Kindergarten Story

Ok, so I know I haven't written in a while. We have had quite an exciting month with so much going on it will take me quite a while to update you all. So I promise to do so soon...very soon. Yesterday was my last day of kindergarten with the kids and I only have three more days at the school, so hopefully I will be able to find some time to blog. As for now I just had to share a quick story that had me rolling on the floor laughing when I retold Andy at dinner. At the moment it happened I had to keep a straight face.

So for those of you who aren't aware I am a paraprofessional in a kindergarten classroom here in Calgary. Yesterday was our last day of class and I was quickly trying to mark papers that needed to go home while Lynda, the lead teacher, taught our Bible lesson. She was just about finished when one of our little girls asked to teach the class a song. She informed us that her older sister learned it at camp and that it was a Christian song. Lynda, graciously said yes and allowed her to teach us the song and the actions. As soon as I heard the first words I looked up hoping Lynda knew the song. She didn't. I have been involved in many summer camps and knew the song well....I never knew there was a Christian version...but then again I guess I didn't know the last three verses. I'll put in parenthesis where I thought the song ended. If you can imagine the entire kindergarten class singing along as our little ieader sang out the words and showed all the motions. Even Lynda was participating...and really how can you stop the song once you've started....I just sat in the back and laughed watching Lynda sing and act out the song. She didn't see what was coming.

the song goes:

Momma shark ba ba bababa
Momma shark ba ba bababa
Daddy shark ba ba bababa
Daddy shark ba ba bababa
Baby shark ba ba bababa
Baby shark ba ba bababa
Grandma shark ba ba bababa
Grandma shark ba ba bababa

Here's a swimmer ba ba bababa
Here's a swimmer ba ba bababa
Lose an arm ba ba bababa
Lose an arm ba ba bababa

( I thought it ended 'happy shark ba ba babab' or 'got away ba ba bababa'...i guess I was wrong)

Lose a leg ba ba bababa
Lose a leg ba ba bababa
Hearts a pumping ba ba bababa
Hearts a pumping ba ba bababa
Hearts slowing ba ba bababa
Hearts slowing ba ba bababa

(here is the Christian part..which is why it is appropriate for Bible time)

Go to heaven ba ba bababa
Go to heaven ba ba bababa
Meet Jesus ba ba bababa
Meet Jesus ba ba bababa

She smiled and then sat down. Lynda just looked at me and said "Well I guess we did talk about Jesus in the song."
I don't think we'll be allowing anymore teaching of songs during Bible time.

We are little people

So have you all heard of the band They Might Be Giants? I love them! I guess love can be misinterpreted; I laugh out loud almost every time I hear a new song. I smile at the thought of putting in thier CD. I would enjoy a Phillies game even more (which is a tall order) when they are playing in the background. What genius being used in such a ridiculously brilliant way. How can you ignore a band that has titles such as 'Birdhouse in Your Soul', Istanbul ( Not Constantinople)', 'Doctor Worm', and lets not forget 'Particle Man'. I especially like the lyrics "So if you've a date in Constantinople, She'll be waiting in Istanbul" hmmm...ahhh....how true, how true....
So in conclusion if you don't know what to do with your day, bored and just sitting staring into space, or maybe just needing a pick me up (since you've exhausted your coffee supply).... Just pop these guys in and off you go!

So this past month has been very exciting in the Prescott's household. Rachel came up here to visit us. She was able to stay here for about a week and a half. So she got the uncensored version of living in Calgary...a bit of snow, sunshine, rain, mountains, and water. We had a great week, and loved being able to spend time with her. We spent most of our time talking (which Andy says we are very good at) and dreaming about living someday in the same city let alone same country. We spent sometime shopping and found an Orange Julius which use to be a childhood favorite so of course we had to buy some and then document it with a photo. We also gave her the tour of Calgary which included the bar right out of the movie 'Cool Runnings' It even has the bobsled sticking out from the side of it. I found out that in the beginning of the week Rachel wasn't too impressed with Calgary (personally I think the snow had something to do with that) but just to show her our beautiful backyard we took her to Banff for a day. We spent time hiking (don't worry we didn't meet any mountain lions...which Andy and Rachel weren't scared of running into....weird) and made a stop at the hot springs as well. I also made Rachel taste Turkish Delight, both of us don't care for it much...which I already knew about me, but I had to participate in her first try. Other highlights of the week included a few days in kindergarten, where Rachel was warmly recieved, watching a Phils game, playing in a baseball game (Rachel played 2nd for an inning and was an allstar), and a dramatic trip to the ER. I happen to have a very emotional and well dramatic personality so although I did need to go to the ER ( I had some complications with my eye surgery I had had a few days before) I might also have been trying to impress my actress sister just a little with my drama. Anyway, all in all we had a great time, and we hope Rachel thought so as well.

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