Rochefort Family Serendipities

Summertime fun!

2010-07-29T07:07:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy month full of ups and downs! The whole family (literally) got sick with a stomach flu the first week of July, so the 4th wasn't all that fun. But thankfully I got to see my Mom and Uncle Bruce while they visited, and spent time with other relatives at my Aunt & Uncle's cookout. Meredith looked cute in her patriotic dresses I got at the consignment store! And she had fun playing with her cousin Jude.

After we started feeling better, we went out to dinner to celebrate our friend Eric's birthday and wish him a fond farewell (going to Afghanistan for a few months). Always a fun crowd with Eric, Julia (his fiance), Susan, Tom, and Jami.

John entertaining Suz and Julia with his wacky expressions!

Then the next week: off to Panama City for a vacation to visit John's family and relaxation at the beach. Meredith playing with her cousins Tony & Alexis:

John and I spent a night at a beachfront cottage in Seaside, a nice resort community near P.C. We rode our bike around the village, got in the water and relaxed on the beach, ate baked oysters and shrimp right on top of a dune, overlooking the beach with a wedding going on and several groups of people with photographers, drank our champagne, then rode our bikes to desserts at the Market, speeded back across the street for the grand finale: a beautiful sunset!

The next morning all the clouds went away, we got an awesome southern breakfast (I got a yummy English muffin topped with fried green tomatoe and poached egg with fruit and John got biscuits with gravy, and we shared beignets!), and returned our cute cruiser bikes. And back to P.C. we went to see our daughter who we missed but knew was in good hands with John's parents!

The whole vacation had a slight cloud over it: my beloved Papaw, 89 years old, had a mini stroke and was in the hospital. But thankfully after a few days there, and a few days in rehab, he's back in the condo with his wife, my Mamaw!!
After our vacation, Meredith got a slight cold, which isn't fun for either of us! Then we had to get the A/C fixed in the Maxima, and John lost some differential pay in his job (due to company cutbacks). Geez.

But today Meredith is finally feeling better, and John had a job interview for a government position. We'll find out in a few weeks or so, keeping our fingers crossed.

Oh, and I turned 31 last week. On Saturday, alot of our friends came out to dinner to celebrate with me! It was really fun and nice to see everyone. They got the waiters to all sing Happy Birthday while I got a brownie with ice cream and my face turned a bright shade of red! And my sis gave me a tiara to wear to feel special! Thanks friends for an awesome time! Pictures later didn't take any on my camera!

June happenings

2010-07-02T18:09:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy summer so far! And I can't believe Meredith's almost a year old! What?Huh?Really?Seriously?

We headed out one day to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa with our good friends Chris and Brooke and their kiddos Connor and Abby,had a great time seeing cool fish, stingrays, coral, birds, gators, sharks, then playing out in the splash park!

Here's Ms.M. playing and showing off her 2 bottom teeth (there's another growing in on top):

Father's Day

Giving us some love, and rolling around from place to place:

Hope everyone has a fun and safe July 4th weekend! Happy Birthday America!

West Virginia Vacation

2010-06-15T04:43:00.000-07:00

In May, we traveled with my sister and her family up to Zenith, West Virginia to meet up with my parents at their vacation house. It's so beautiful in the lush green mountains, and it's a nice get-away from the busyness of our everyday lives. We saw lots of wildlife: deer, birds, buffalo, cows, horses, butterflies, and a chipmunk! The people are "country", but oh-so friendly and hospitable. It's a slower way of life... people aren't really in a hurry (except when they're speeding down the hilly curvy roads cause they know to "stay to the right" and "look out for deer"). One day we headed into the tiny town of Gap Mills, where the Minnonites live and work. They build beautiful wood furniture, and operate a "Cheese N More" shop selling homemade meats, cheeses, candy, soups, dips, you name it! We also went to the "city" of Lewisburg, which has a neat historical downtown area with eccentric shops and cafes. That weekend, after we went, they had a Civil War reenactment going on. We'll have to catch it next time. (Did you know that West Virginia was considered "Union" and Virginia was "Confederate" interesting fact...and it's weird where Zenith is, because as you drive around that whole area, you cross into VA, then back to WVA, then VA, etc.) The closest town to Zenith is Union, which looks like it's straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. We visited the Greenbriar Estate, which is a large resort with a hotel, cottages, golf course, tennis courts, restaurants, spa, bowling alley, expensive shops like Lilly Pulitzer, etc. It's really old and has been used as a hospital during war time, meeting place for important political conferences, lodging for many Presidents, resort for the elite, and also had an underground bunker for the President and cabinet for emergencies. They're now remodeling the front entrance, and building a casino underground. And it has beautiful grounds of course. John and I went back one day and toured the Presidents' Cottage, which is now a museum. In the main hotel building, Jerry West has a restaurant and there's tons of his memorabilia! Another place we went to is called Paint Bank, VA., where we ate at a restaurant near an old mill. And they serve buffalo! I think I got a chicken salad though... everyone else had the buffalo sandwich. On the last day we were there, we picnicked at a lovely park, sandwiched between an old church and a house with a small patch of land. While we ate, we watched a guy (Kenny Chesney look-a-like with his cut off t-shirt) get on his tractor and get hay together (don't know what the process is called really). Almost every afternoon after a day into "town" John and I would go for a little hike up the mountain in their backyard or lay a blanket out for Meredith to play on. She played with grass and we blowed bubbles for her. After the kids were all asleep, the adults would sit around the firepit and talk until you could see every star in the clear night sky. Ahh...

This is my parents' place: old "farmhouse" although not really on a farm, it used to be used as a meeting place for hunting deer, bear, wild turkey. Has living room, kitchen, bathroom, one bedroom downstairs. Then two bedrooms upstairs. Yes, one bathroom-although next month they're adding on a bathroom upstairs.
Front porch view

Lilies!

The guys feeding fish in a pond at Paint Bank: Phil, John, Dad (Pappy) & Dominick :)

An old mill

The restaurant had stuffed animals everywhere! And a cool souvenir/hunting shop upstairs.

The Cow-Chicken sculpture

Showing love for her hometown team

Nana & Mr. Jude

On a hike up the mountain in back of house

Wild azaleas

Picnic by the Greenbriar River

Having fun with Daddy

Lewisburg

The Greenbriar Resort

Lobby area

One of the dining halls

The back entrance

Jerry West's restaurant "Prime 44"

Princess Grace

Lazy afternoons:

Scenery from car

Another old mill we visited

Nana & Pappy with their grandkids

At the Greenbriar's Presidents' Cottage

Notice the tractor crossing sign...

Momma in the kitchen cookin up somethin good!

Leaving WVA on way to ATL: pooped out!

Wonderful sushi dinner with Kelly & Matt in Atlanta

Mother's Day & other May Happenings

2010-06-13T04:58:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Hope all is well with you! We had a great month in May. Here's a few pics from my cousin Tobi's annual Mother's Day party:

My cousin Heather

Heather, Jeff, & Anna (cousins), Travis (Heather's husband), Josh (Anna's friend)

M, Tully, Amery

We also attended our friends' daughter's first birthday party. Happy Birthday Evelyn!

The birthday girl:
Abby C.

Ms. M.

Mom Linda opening gifts

Evelyn checking out a gift

Hmmm....

M. and I went to Carly's pool to swim with her and Austin twice and we've been in our about 4 times now. (We broke down and got a solar pool blanket to help it warm up a little because it's so shaded with all the oak trees). Meredith loves swimming and lounging in her float!

We also went to another mini Cousin reunion/Memorial weekend cookout at my cousin Alisa's house in St. Pete. My sis and her family met us there too. My dad's side of the family (McCarthy). My cousin Alisa and her husband Rich have two kids: Avery and Aubry. Alisa's younger sister, Windy is married to Justin, and they also have two: Gabe and Zoe. They're all great families and have big warm friendly hearts! I feel so blessed to have family close by. We all had fun catching up, and the kids had fun playing together! Here's a cute pic of all of them.

Gabe, Dominick, Zoe, Avery with Meredith, Aubrey with Jude

West Virginia pics next post...baby's awake from nap now ;)

Busy Bees We Beeeeen

2010-05-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

It was officially my first Mother's Day yesterday, and it was great! But first, a few things we've been up to: John finished up his first class for his MBA and passed, yay! Meredith got her first teeth-two at once on the bottom, and now loves looking at books, rolling around, and feeding herself snacks. I've been keeping busy with her! I try to make it to baby play group once a week, haven't been in awhile actually. And I've taken her to the library for story time once and a Peter Rabbit puppet show, she enjoyed both. She loves stroller rides and sitting in her excersaucer on the back porch.She also enjoyed going to Carly's pool and swimming with me and her little friends Austin, Kathleen, and Ryan (my friend Kimberly's children). I had my friends Brooke and Linda over to my house for a play date with their kids and it was fun. John's been working hard on the "jungle" in our yard, getting the pool ready to swim in, and pressure-washing the back porch concrete so it looks kind of white again, instead of brown with the oak buds. I went to a friend's baby shower a few weeks ago, while John played poker with the guys. Meredith went to her first Japanese steakhouse hibachi show Saturday night, with me and Eric, Julia, and Susan. She wasn't scared of the flames or flying knives ;)
We've been to church a few times, and the baby has been good in the nursery.
Yesterday, I went to my cousin's house in Dunedin for her annual Mother's Day get together. Tobi and Adam hosted in their beautiful newly remodeled house, and Meredith had fun playing with their kids Amery and Tully. My other McMullen cousins, Heather and Anna, from Knoxville, were in town visiting with their husband and boyfriend. And also Tobi's brothers Wade and Jeff were visiting from Gainesville. And Jennifer was there, so it was quite the Cousin Reunion! Haven't been in same room in like 10 years?! It was good to see everyone, and my grandparents and aunt and uncle also! Great food and people.
For Mother's Day, John got me roses, a card (trained him well, haha), and tickets to see The Sound of Music play in August. So thoughtful :) The baby didn't get me anything, but she gives me hugs, so that's ok!
Next time: our adventures in the beautiful green hills of West Virginia! Hopefully we won't come back brainwashed by the oh-so-peaceful and crafty, but very strange Minnonites ;) or get eaten by black bears... and no, we don't shoot the pretty deer that walk around the house eating the apples we give them....

Beach Bum Baby

2010-04-25T06:33:00.000-07:00

Relaxed at Fort DeSoto beach last week...got some cute pics of Ms. M

New family pics

2010-04-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

Quickie:
Here are some more family photos from Just Wright photos (Kelly Wright--thanks so much Kelly!)

Videos

2010-04-02T05:14:00.000-07:00

Greetings you April Fools!

2010-04-01T15:23:00.000-07:00

Just kidding you aren't fools, or else you wouldn't be getting this from me.
The second half of March was pretty busy for us! We traveled to Panama City to visit our families and had a good time as always! Didn't get many pictures, but got cute ones of Nana (my Mom) and the baby.

John's niece Kelly, from Just Wright Photos, took some wonderful pics of our family and the baby in her Easter dress.

When we returned we had one night to relax. My BFF Kelly came into town for Austin's birthday party, and she and Carly babysat Ms. M. while John and I met some friends out on the town. Our friend Dave is going to Afghanistan for 4 months, and friends were giving him a send-off party. The next day, Ms. M. and I watched John play rugby with my sis. The Tampa Krewe team won, but unfortunately my brother in law broke his ankle in two places and was taken to the hospital in an ambulance...probably won't be playing again til next season. It's rough out there! Then I went to Austin's party at the bowling alley and to the Green Iguana for dinner. It was fun to see our friends Betsy and Chris, Carly, Kelly, Tony, and Cayla (everyone except Chris is from P.C.). Kelly, Carly, and I had a girl's night out after dinner, got in at 12, woo-hoo! Talk about crazy times. We had fun watching people, dancing a little by our table, and then pigging out on ice cream and popcorn once we got home. Kelly got some good Meredith time in, as she hadn't seen her in 3 months, and she's changed alot since then!

Well, I guess that's it for now. My new project is making more food for Ms. M. and freezing it. I also want to start scanning old photos into our computer. John's starting class at Univ. of Phoenix this week. Rugby's coming to a close. John's giving his Mustang to his nephew (for the time being) so that it's not just sitting in our driveway. Bye bye! gotta go, got a squirmy baby in my lap.

Oh Spring how I missed you!

2010-03-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

Yaaay!! Spring is here!! We're loving this warmer weather, not too hot and humid yet, and all the sun! So far this month, we've been trying to get out in nature more, walking in our neighborhood. The baby and I went with some old friends from Panama City, who live in Tampa now (Carly, and Francis, Tony and Cayla) to our friend Betsy's birthday party near Orlando. It was at Betsy and Chris's beautiful new house, and we all had a good time seeing them and Betsy's parents!

The "pink" girls Betsy and Meredith:

The baby went to the doctor for her 6 month well visit, more shots. She's 28 inches long now, 20 lbs., and in great health! She's on stage 2 foods, eating 3 solid meals a day, veggies, fruit, and cereal (no meat quite yet), with bottles in between. Sitting up on her own, for a few minutes, has rolled from her back to her tummy to reach for toys, and likes to sit up and play her with toys more now than on her back (on your lap, ground, or couch with a little support), or stand. She's starting to imitate sounds now, and has a specific noise she does when she sees one of our cats. It's like "ah", so without the c or t. ;) They're more fun at this age because they play with their toys more and you can see them learning. But a little bit more needy of attention, and whiny. Sleeps ok at night, gets up once or twice, out of habit I think. But takes hour long naps about 3 times a day, so I can't complain!! We love how cuddly she gets when she's sleepy, or when she's just waking up and so happy.

Her big girl sippy cup (still doesn't like as much as old bottle)

One day her body will catch up with her head ;)

Happy Birthday to: Phillip, Tully, Adam, Alexis Jr., Austin, Papaw, and Tom (hope I didn't miss anyone)!

My sis Jennifer and husband hosted a great cookout at their house in Dunedin, had a few couples over. We had yummy ribs and sides, and Tony and Cayla brought oysters from the Panhandle, thank you!! We'll have to do it again soon you guys, next time our house :)
John and I have been doing alot of spring cleaning around the house. He cleaned up the pool, doesn't look like a tub full of mud anymore! I've been deep-cleaning and organizing closets. I took some of my nicer dresses to a consignment shop for women (Julie's in Brandon, ladies it's really nice if you ever need work suits or dresses), and got a little money already. Took alot of the baby's clothes to a baby consignment shop, got $60! And alot of barely used baby stuff we're giving to John's cousin, Chris and his wife Ashley because they're having twins soon!! Also been packing for our trip to P.C. (leaving tomorrow, yay!) And cleaning because when we get back, my BFF Kelly will be coming to Tampa from Atlanta for a few days! And I want to plan for a cookout in April because John will have every Saturday off, wooo-hooo!! Come on over people!
Here's some pics from walks to our park:

Future rugby player?
She's totally giggling here, first time in a swing!
St. Patty's day
Didn't want to smile for camera that day!

Birthdays and Rugby games!

2010-02-22T09:41:00.000-08:00

Been having busy weekends lately! My Mamaw's birthday was last Friday and alot of my family came together at my aunt and uncles' to celebrate. The cousins (and 2nd cousins) all had fun playing together and the adults got a chance to have "adult" conversations. Moe & Miss cooked a wonderful Southern meal: BBQ chicken and ribs, potato salad, baked beans, veggie casseroles...yummy!!
Dominick riding the big bear!

Dominick and Amery helping Mamaw blow out her candles:
Rolling around with her feet

M. & my cousin's boy Tully

3 generations :)

I'm still try to go to my baby play group on Tuesday mornings, and sometimes meet up with my friend Brooke at Chick-fil-A on Tuesday nights for kids' night (you get a free kids meal with a regular combo meal!), and get together with my friends Carly and Kimberly and their kids.

John goes to rugby practice on Tuesday and Thursday nights if he has off work. We try to get together our "couple" friends on Friday nights sometimes. Saturdays have turned into rugby game days, which is fun to watch, and we get to hang out with Jennifer and Phillip and their kids, and John has a great time playing. Since he started playing, they've won both games last week and this week! We've been to a new church twice now, and want to continue visiting. It's called Bay Life (in Brandon), non-demoninational, but leaning toward Baptist. We took the baby once to the nursery and she did well (very scary for Mom the first time, haha)!
For Valentine's Day we got a babysitter (thanks Susan!!) and saw "Wicked" at the Tampa Performing Arts Center. It's a really great Broadway play, funny, wonderful plot and themes, and music! Thanks John-great idea!

I got a hair cut and highlights recently, not a dramatic change, but just enough ;)

Rugby Pics!! Go John and the Tampa Krewe! (and bro-in-law Phil too!)

This week's game against FSU:

Thanks for keeping her warm at last week's game (against USF), Tony!!:

Extra Meredith pic...

Our neighbors and friends Mike and Kimberly invited us to their son's first birthday party. Happy Birthday Ryan!!

She loves "Auntie" Carly!

King for a Day! (Carly's son Austin to left and Ryan's sister Kathleen to right)

He's such a cutie!

Worn out :)
OK, I know this is really looong post, but one more thing. A video of Meredith laughing her head off at me tossing a ball into the air (and demonstrating "up/down"). Enjoy!

Adventures in Baby Eating!

2010-02-05T07:50:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! So, Meredith's 6 months old now and we decided to go ahead with the solid foods. What fun! I'm excited to be starting something new, although every day is something new with her! I decided to make her first foods fresh. So here's a little Baby Food Making 101:
I'm going by a meal planner in this book. It tells you how to cook, puree, and store meals and has great recipes.

I started with making both apple and plum purees.

Saved the purees for later, put in freezer.
Eating time! First cereal, yay! She liked it, and went for the spoon very quickly. Kept looking down at the zebra on her bib! A little messy, but I know more messiness is to come with real foods! Today starting sweet potatoes...

In her excersaucer
She loves grabbing her feet now, and likes her panda bear PJs!

Lucky #7

2010-01-31T08:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Anniversary to us! 7 years, wow!
Well, we celebrated by driving down to Anna Maria Island for the afternoon. It's a beach off of Bradenton, south on I-75. Very quaint, rental cottages, lots of senior citizens, and a quiet, natural beach. We sat in the sand for awhile, then had an early dinner at the SandBar restaurant on their back deck right on the Gulf. Then drove to the county park to watch the sunset on a picnic table.

Friday night we asked our friends Cayla and Tony to come watch Meredith for a few hours so we could go out for the night. We met up with Dave, Chris, Clay, Kevin and Rachel for some Westshore Pizza, then bowling. I didn't bowl, just wasn't in the mood, but Rachel, Susan, and I had fun watching the guys and laughing at them and the other interesting characters playing (women with mullet hair styles, the really serious leagues, etc.) I got in trouble by some teenage worker for my flash photography. Oops, guess I didn't realize that a flash could really mess up the leaguers games! We stayed out a little later than what I wanted (12:30 I think), but had a blast. Tony and Cayla said the baby was o.k. for them, cryed a little and probably went to bed later than usual, but probably because she wanted to stay up and hang out with them longer, haha! Thanks guys! We owe ya one! (John will help Tony fix a door frame in their house I think)
All for now...

Video!

2010-01-25T08:21:00.000-08:00

Here's Meredith babbling:

Little Miss Personality

2010-01-24T17:40:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe this month is almost over already... well, our little one is certainly starting to get a little personality of her own. She'll be 6 months in February! She bashfully smiles, giggles when John swings her up and down and when we sing "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" and "the wheels on the bus", is grasping toys and her pacifier more, kicking her legs up high and grabbing toys with her feet, rolling from her tummy to her back, staring and more interested in our cats and other "new" things she's noticed, and is "talking" alot more. We even noticed two days ago she all of a sudden starting saying different syllables than what she's been saying for the past 2 months (now saying "dee" and "da" in addition to the "goo" and "ga"s). I think she's almost saying "da-dee", but John said it's not until she really means it that it counts. But it's really cool to see how she's discovering how to use her tongue more to say things. We haven't done much this month, just enjoying time together. We've been on a healthy diet and exercise kick since the new year, so hopefully stick with it! My Mom and Dad came down for a short visit and stayed with us for 2 nights, which was nice. John made great chili for us, yummy, and it was the week when it was literally freezing here, so it was great to have! Meredith went for her 4 month (actually she was 5 mos. old) well visit for shots. She's 18 lbs. 11 oz. and 26 inches. Fitting well into her 6 month old clothes now! Getting ready to start her on cereal and 1st foods next week! We got to spend time with my sister and her family last week, and visit with my grandparents. Jennifer and her son Dominick's birthdays were both last week. Happy Birthday!! My Mom's is February 1st. So happy birthday to you too Mom!
Here's some newer pics. We can't seem to get a great pic of her smiling big because every time I get the camera out she stops and just stares at it!

5 1/2 mos. old

John put her bloomers on her head.

Out for a walk in our neighborhood

I can't seem to turn this one around (it's normal before I post it, oh well)...great one with her half-smiling!

Videos of Meredith babbling soon....it takes so darn long to upload to YouTube, then onto here!

It'll be a busy week this week: baby play group, John's rugby practice, hopefully see a few friends, then a day & night to spend as a family and celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary :)

Good night!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-08T08:31:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! We hope this year will bring you so much joy and peace. We had a wonderful year last year, and are looking forward to all the fun that 2010 will bring with our new little one.
We traveled up to Panama City for Christmas. I took Meredith about a week before, while John worked, and stayed with my Mom and Dad. Then John flew up on Christmas Eve and we stayed until that next Monday. We had such a fun time seeing our parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins and family friends! Some of the activities and great memories included: taking Meredith on a stroller ride through a park with Christmas lights and figurines; eating alot of good food; shopping with Mom; sitting around Mom and Dad's fire pit and making Smores; exchanging gifts with about 30 family members at the Rocheforts; seeing all the little kids ripping open their gifts; going to Christmas Eve church service at Forest Park (Meredith crying midway through so we had to leave, haha); going out on the town with my best friend Kelly and her husband Matt (and seeing Amy, Rick, and Kim Wilkes and "Grandma" Betty); dressing up Meredith in a pretty fancy dress and her crying because it was uncomfortable and itchy, then trying to put her in a Santa Suit, and her crying in that too...hopefully our niece got a few good pics; playing the new foozball game at Mom and Dad's with Jennifer and Phillip; playing in the park with my nephew Dominic;, the gift exchange game at John's Granny's on Christmas morning, the wonderful dinner afterwards, and the 3 (!) hour nap John, Meredith, and I took (too much turkey I presume); watching Meredith and her new cousin Jude stare each other down and talk to each other in their baby language; and all the gifts Meredith received that loaded down our car on the drive home! What a fun Christmas it was!!
Mom (Nana) with Meredith

M. with Amy
Poppy & Nana
M. & Jude

Alexis
McKenna
Me & Rochefort sistas

Cute pic of Dominick looking at ornaments
My Mamaw
Papaw & Mamaw

Phillip & John's Foozball Tourney
Not happy in Santa suit

Go Noles!! (Had to put this on for Bobby's last game)
My BFF Carly with M.
Got too cold after bath, not happy, but very cute bear suit (thanks Kelly & Matt)!
Dipping into a warm bath

Turkeys & Gators, Yummy!

2009-12-06T10:29:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Hope all is well with you and your holiday season is starting off well. Thanksgiving with my family was really fun this year, especially with the new babies! John and I stayed in town because he had to work the day after Turkey Day. But we stayed all day Turkey Day, and spent the night at Jenn & Phil's house so we could spend a few extra hours together. My Mom & Dad came down from P.C. We got to see my Aunt Sherry & Uncle Bernie, along with my cousin Alisa and her family that day, which was nice. That afternoon we all headed over to my Uncle Moe & Aunt Missy's house for a huge feast. They had fried, smoked, and baked turkey! I made an apple-cranberry crumble...very good if I do say so myself. It was nice seeing my grandparents, some of Missy's family, and my Mom's other brother, Uncle Bruce, and his wife, Aunt Sissy, who came all the way from Knoxville! We stuffed ourselves silly, then went back to Jenn's house to play their new Wii and stay up way too late after the babies went to sleep! The next day, alot of the family came over and we had oysters, and a whole other turkey dinner that Jennifer made, yummy!! And of course the family ooohed and ahhed over the babies and played with Dominick.

Here's some cute pics of Meredith and her newest cousin Jude:
Hey! That's my dragon, he's says

Give it back or I'll chew your arm, numnumnumnum

Back off sucka!

So what I'm telling you is this: this is how we fix this economy...

Some 4th month pics of Ms.M.:

OK. So it was very sad that the Gators lost to Alabama and will not go on to the National Championship game. But we rooted them on all season and got into the Gator spirit, and we'll just have to settle for a bowl game and watch Tim Tebow's last game, sniff sniff. Now for those who say I am wishy-washy when it comes to sticking with my 'Noles...I'll say this: John and I both root for each other's teams, just not when they play each other. I think some people are silly for cheering on Alabama just because they hate the Gators. People, they are a Florida team!! If you live in Florida you should want to cheer for a Florida team!! Don't hate, appreciate. Of course, I'd want to see the Gators lose to Alabama, if and only if I thought that the Noles would have a chance in heck to actually play in the Championship game...but obviously that ain't happening any time soon!! My hatred toward the Gators has slowly faded over the years, but that doesn't mean I can't stay true to my Noles. I've actually been to more UF games than FSU! I have alot of respect for Tim Tebow for his moral character and leadership abilites. I wish him only great things for his future. As for Bobby, I wish him great happiness in retirement and wish I could thank him myself for all the down-home Southern greatness he infused into the Seminole dynasty that once was. Long live Bowden!!

Well, it's now time to get started on preparing for our upcoming open house on Saturday. Then it's onto wrapping gifts and packing for our trip to P.C.!
See ya soon!

Need to get one in before craziness of holidays!

2009-11-25T12:31:00.000-08:00

O.K. So...my brain has been a little fried lately. People say that new mommies have "Mommy brain" meaning the babies steal all your brain cells. Yeah.
So, I was wondering if ya'll could help me with some suggestions on what to call this little blog of ours. Rochefort Three is just not cutting it for me...and I don't really want our names in the title. Hmmm...
Well here's some pics of Meredith since Halloween (I will get her in her Noles shirt soon-we'll see how this Saturday's game against UF will pan out). Since then we really haven't done much except get some appointments over with and house projects out of the way before the holidays. Putting up Christmas decorations today. We're heading over to Clearwater tomorrow for Turkey Day to be with my extended family, so we're excited about that. Probably stay with my sister that night too so we can spend a few extra hours (with babies in bed) together! I'll write more next month!

Halloween & other fun festivities!

2009-11-02T05:40:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!
Last weekend was pretty busy with parties and festivals. We went to our friends' annual Halloween party Friday night. John and I didn't dress up this year, just didn't have time to put together costumes. However, we have a child now and enjoyed dressing her up. Meredith was a cute pumpkin! The next day I took the baby over to Dunedin and went with Jennifer & Phillip and their kids to the Honeymoon Island trick-or-treat event. It was really neat, all set up for kids with games, a playground, a haunted trail through the woods, and palm readers. Little Dominick was a dragon, too adorable for his own good. Phillip went as Slash from Guns-n-Roses, and Jenn went as a 80's rocker chick!

Sunday we went with our friends Dave & Susan to the Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival in Bradenton. We met our friends, the Burger family there. Walked around and looked at the arts and crafts, got some great fair food and produce to take home, toured the pumpkin patch, and saw a great motorbike stunt show.

This past weekend Tony & Cayla came over to our house and helped me pass out candy to the trick-or-treaters. They're also coming over tonight to watch Meredith while John and I go see a movie. This will be the first time John and I will be away from her (without one of us watching). Hopefully she'll be good for them and not scream her head off like she does sometimes when she has gas (no, she's not happy all the time, haha!) She has been sleeping alot longer during the night now and has longer naps during the day, so we've been very happy about that!!

Well, that's all for now. Hope everyone's doing well. We hope to see alot of you soon, especially during the holidays coming up!!

Yay for baby videos!

2009-10-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

Here's some videos and pics. I can't believe Meredith is 9 weeks old already. Yesterday she went for her 2 month doctor appointment, got some vaccinations, and cried the rest of the day. Poor thing. I think it hurt me more though! She is now 13 lbs. 24 inches long. In the 95th percentile for her age (which means she taller and bigger than most girls her age). I thought she might be overweight, but the doc said she's now catching up to her height. She's smiling, giggling, and talking baby talk now! So cute.
We recently took our first trip as a family, to Panama City. Baby did well in the car. John's niece Kelly got married at the Paradise Palms Inn on the beach. John's father officiated, Kelly looked beautiful, and it was a gorgeous wedding. We got to stay at the hotel 2 nights, then stayed with his parents. Meredith was a hit at the reception, John and I let her be passed around (his sister Kathy, the mother of the bride, was so proud so she took her around the ballroom to show her off, and we didn't see her for about an hour, haha!) She was pretty darn cute! Then the rest of the vacation she got to see her grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. It was a nice relaxing trip.

This is brand new Meredith:

This is her a few weeks old:

2 mos. old:

With Grandma & Grandpa Rochefort and cousins:

With Granny Williams (John's grandma):

Our view from room

John dancing with baby during Father/Daughter dance, he was tearing up aww.

John with his parents

Baby's all bundled up, there was a chilly breeze!

Me, Kathy (mother of bride), John

Babies babies everywhere!

2009-09-25T07:56:00.001-07:00

I really can't believe Meredith is 5 weeks old now!! She's 10 lbs. now, 22 inches; sleeping about 3 1/2 hours at a time at night; starting to hold her head up; likes riding in the stroller, looking at funny faces and lights, listening to music (her swing or crib mobile, or parents singing), falling asleep on your shoulder.
My sister Jennifer had a beautiful baby boy, Jude Emanual, on September 18. He was 9 lbs. 9 oz. and 22 inches. We visited the family on their first day back from the hospital, along with Nana and Pappy (our Mom and Dad) and Mamaw and Papaw (our grandparents). Older brother Dominick says "hi!" to the babies, so cute! Meredith's gonna have so much fun with her cousins! Congrats Jennifer and Phillip!

Here's some pics!

My Mom, Dad, Uncle Moe, Aunt Missy with Meredith

Papaw & Mamaw with Meredith

Baby Jude!!

The cousins together, so cute! (I couldn't turn the picture around)

Mom & Dad (Nana and Pappy) with Jude

Mom & son!

Grandma McCarthy

Proud Dad Phillip

Baby Is Here!!

2009-08-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

As most of you know by now, our little Meredith Lane arrived on August 19. She was 8 lb. 8 oz., and was 21 1/2 inches long. She's so precious and we're so blessed! I'll cut to the chase and post pics now. I'm going to try to update this blog at least once a month to tell you about our latest parenting adventures!

Also check out www.bellababyphotography.com (use password 0819meredithrochefort) to view more photos that the photographers in hospital took.

Here's Week 1 at home:

Busy bees we've been...now just relaxing and waiting!

2009-07-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

So I have to post some pictures of my wonderful baby showers I've had!
Number One was hosted by my best friends, Kelly and Carly. About 14 friends, and 3 babies, were there! We played Bingo, had a Play-Doh "Make a Baby" contest, ate ice cream & cake sundaes (great job on cake Carly), and I opened gifts that were so cute and creative! Afterward, we had everyone come over to our house for a cookout. Some of the guys and kids were already there, swimming and playing. All in all I think everyone had a great time.

The night before, Kelly, Carly, and I celebrated our 30th birthdays at a nice dinner at Circles, a place on a marina in Apollo Beach. Cheers!

We had such a fun weekend getting to spend some time with Kelly a bit. The next weekend was a blast too. My sister and cousin Tobi cohosted a shower #2 for me at my sister's house in Dunedin. The guests were all women in my family: Mom, grandma, aunts, cousins, and cousin's kids! Jennifer and Tobi did a wonderful job hosting. We ate great food and cake and got to see family we haven't seen in a while. I'm so proud to be a part of two great families (McMullens and McCarthys) whose women are just so admirable.

Jenn, Mom, me

Aunt Sherry (one of my Dad's sisters) & Mom

L to R top: Tobi, Aunt Missy, Anna, me, Jenn

L to R bottom: Heather, Mom, Mamaw, Amery

Cousins Tobi & Windy

Brother & sis, Tully & Amery, playing in dog kennel, so cute & funny!

Cousin Alisa & Jenn chatting it up

J & 'Nick (awwww)

And here's a few more random pics:

Baby's Room

J practicing guitar (headphones so that amp doesn't wake baby...cause if that doesn't, his newest toy, a motorcycle in the garage will, haha)

Our awesome kid's chair painted by my friend Susan, thank you Suz, so cute!

Well, I might not be updating the blog as much as usual, I'll try to do once a month. But you can always contact me thru email (gmail, yahoo, facebook) or phone, and we'll catch up! And I'll send pics too, either thru email or Snapfish! Did I mention John's family threw me a shower in P.C. too? So technically that was 3 showers, whew! No wonder Meredith's closet and clothes drawers are packed!! Now that the end of this pregnancy is near, and beginning of a new adventure for us... I just wanted to say thank you to all family and friends for your love and support. And to John, I love you!! I know I've been pretty moody and man-hating lately, but you're such a great husband and friend, I really can't complain (except the motorcycle issue). We're excited about the next few months, with our baby, Jenn & Phil's new arrival, our niece's wedding, and the holidays!! Oh, and of course, football season...

Celebrations

2009-07-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

Many things to celebrate and be thankful for!

After returning from P.C., we relaxed for a few days, John getting back to the work routine. On Saturday, June 27, I attended a nice baby shower for my friend Brooke. Here's a pic of my group of friends whose husbands work at MacDill (and most I've known since Bragg).
L to R: Susan, Brooke, Linda (and brand new lil Evelyn), me, Angella

So, Brooke was due August 11, 5 days before me. However, baby Abby had another plan in mind...she came the next day, 7 weeks early! After an emergency C-section, Mom and baby are good...except little Abby's lungs were a little underdeveloped and could not eat on her own. She's still in the NICU, but should be leaving there soon. Although very scary, we could not be happier for them. Congrats to the Childs family! She's beautiful!

Last week, we worked hard on getting the house ready for visitors and baby. We finished the armoire, I washed baby clothes and blankets and put them away, we put together the stroller (and will install the car seat soon), and I even packed most of my hospital bag.

We took an evening to have a date night. Went to see "Public Enemies" with Johnny Depp, entertaining but of course violent gangster movie (J.D. as usual awesome acting), then on to Maggiano's for dinner. I was proud that I had a free popcorn coupon, and had a $25 gift card for the dinner, haha! We both got desserts that were really made for 4 people, so we had them again the next night, yummy!

We were pretty busy on the 4th, visiting with lots of folks. We visited my cousin Windy and her family in their new home in Safety Harbor, then went to the McMullen family reunion and had a great lunch and got to see Mamaw and Papaw, Uncle Moe, Aunt Missy, cousin Tobi and her kids, and Jennifer and Phillip! After that, to our friend Julia's house and John got to swim in the pool and shoot off fireworks with his buds. We finally ended up that night near our house, at Clay and Angella's house. More fireworks and good friends!

John slam dunk

John & Dave contemplating best way to shoot off this rocket

Suz & Dave
Hi Julia!

Yesterday I went with Carly and Megan to Bok Tower Gardens, a national historic landmark in Lake Wales, about hour and a half drive from here. From a brochure, haha: "During the early 1920s, Dutch immigrant, humanitarian, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward W. Bok first witnessed the beauty and tranquility of Iron Mountain. He commissioned world-renowned masters to create a stunning landscape garden, a majestic Singing Tower sculpted of pink marble with 60 tuned bronze bells and a haven for birds and wildlife." It was hot, but we had a good time seeing the sights! Would be an awesome road trip in the spring for a nice walk and picnic!

Carly & Austin

The Tower

P.S. Check out our niece Kelly's website: http://justwrightphotos.com/#

my belly is on the "babies and bellies" gallery a few times ;)

Where has June gone??

2009-06-26T07:09:00.000-07:00

Hello!

So July is fast approaching, which means August is right around the corner, right? Duh. Well my brain is trying to catch up...

There are so many things I feel we still have left to do before baby comes, but I know we'll get the more important things done. I'm a pretty organized gal, and John's organized when he really wants to be, haha...so I have faith in us getting ready. And I'm willing to ask for help after she arrives if need be! Cause "I get by with a little help from my friends" (family really in this case). Mom and Moms-in-laws have already been informed! Come help cook, clean, and run errands!

We drove up to Panama City last week and stayed about 4 full days, actually a little longer than what we're used to, so that was nice. John's family (his Dad's side) has an annual reunion every year, and his parents host it at their house. Some people stay at their house, and others stay out at the beach and drive into town. We stayed at his parents' on Tuesday night before everyone got there, swam in the pool after a long hot drive. Wednesday, we had lunch with my Mom and Dad. Then Mom and I visited an old friend of mine, Ashley, and saw her new baby. John's sisters had told me to leave Wednesday night open for a girls' night. So we drove back to his parent's...and Surprise!! They had told everyone to come over for a baby shower! It was very nice of them to have a shower for me, as I hadn't planned on having one in P.C. We got lots of cute clothes and some good necessities. Thanks ladies! We stayed at my Mom and Dad's the rest of the week. Thursday Mom and I had lunch with another old friend of mine, Amy, and her mother, which was nice catching up. Friday morning John and I enjoyed the beach. Our friend Phillip's wife, Kristi, works at a MRI/imaging office, and they offered to get us a 4-D ultrasound, so we said of course! It was awesome to see more of the baby's face, and got a DVD of the whole thing. We couldn't get a very great pic of the face because she kept putting her arms up hiding her face. She's gonna have to get over that, cause the friends and family paparazzi train is a coming! Tech said she has chubby cheeks and fat rolls in her arms. Eeek! Guess she's healthy! That night was Gumbo night at his parents' house. His family from Louisiana make great gumbo (not seafood though cause some don't like it)!! Saturday was the big reunion day, with other family driving in from the beach...men grill burgers and dawgs outside, women in the kitchen getting lunch ready, kids all in the pool. After eating a great feast of summertime foods, alot of us play volleyball for a couple of hours. Not me this year! Too pooped, and heat index was in the 100s! Our niece Kelly took a few belly pics too, for her new photography website, I'll post when they're ready. That night was board game time. Cranium is usually the favorite. John and his sisters get so competitive. And if you put John and I on the same team, watch out, because we always on the same brain wavelength! He drew a picture of the United States, then pointed to Georgia...and I guessed the right answer: R.E.M. (band that started their career playing in Georgia). That night is always fun! We headed out Sunday morning, and were pretty tired out when we got home.

It took me a couple of days to get energy back, and clean house and get on track with getting baby stuff ready. It's so stinkin hot lately that I rarely want to get out of the AC! Haven't done much this week. We went out for dinner and saw a movie, Year One, with friends. Pretty funny movie with Jack Black and Michael Cera, potty humor. We've ordered a stroller, and John's almost finished painting the armoire. I'll be excited to put baby's clothes in the drawers! My OB appointment went well yesterday. I've had a little swelling in the feet & leg cramping at night (eat more bananas). Doc said put my feet up more, we're on track for the August 16 due date, and she'll probably be around 7 or 8 pounds. We'll see about that, haha! I was planning on getting in the pool today, and what do ya know it's raining. So great day to catch up on writing and starting in on some thank you cards.
Oh, quick smoothie recipe that I'm drinking right now, yummy!
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup strawberries
2 bananas
1 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
Blend, voila!

Pics from ultrasound: Meredith Lane Rochefort, June 19, 2009

foot

arm in front of face

profile face

Me this week (32 wks):

John's family (Mom, Dad, 2 of his sisters and their families):

31 Weeks!!

2009-06-12T06:40:00.000-07:00

In month 7 (29-32 Weeks), baby is size of a squash; 15.2 to 16.7 inches and 2.5 to 3.8 pounds. Right now she feels like 5 pounds, haha!

John's biking with his buddies today, which has become almost a weekly thing now. He's had a few days off work, and we enjoyed the time together. We babysat Carly's son Austin on Monday and had a good time playing in the pool. John played with his Matchbox cars with him, then played paddleball out in our front yard. We had a date night Tuesday night: went to Olive Garden (ate so much, then even split a chocolate dessert), then saw "Land of the Lost" at the movies. Pretty funny movie with Will Ferrell! Wednesday we had Jenn and Phil over to swim and the guys made pizzas, yum! Then we played several rounds of Uno...Jenn winning the most rounds, and John winning only 2 I think? He blamed it on the beer, haha! Yesterday I went to the OB, and then visited a pediatrician's office to get information and meet a couple of the doctors there. Later, we drove to Palm Harbor and visited with Mamaw and Papaw. We had just missed their retirement community's event where couples could renew their wedding vows in the chapel located there. There was only one couple married a year longer than them. Afterward, they had a reception with cake and old pictures set up of couples' wedding days. So sweet!! We chatted and then went to the Country Pizza Inn and had great food (man I've been eating well this week).

John's working this weekend, and I'll be taking it easy around the house. Need to pack for our big trip to Panama City coming up next week!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Andrea

Rainy Sunday

2009-06-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

Well I guess afternoon thunderstorms are here to stay...although there was a freak midnight thunderstorm about two nights ago that woke me up! So now that I have some down time, I'll update you guys on what's been going on the past few weeks.
My sis and husband threw a fun Memorial Day/housewarming cookout at their new home in Dunedin. Some of our family and their friends came and chowed down on great ribs slow cooked by Phillip, yummy!

And my Uncle Moe and his brother-in-law Phil had a tomato contest, in which my Mamaw did a blind taste test to see who was the winner of "Best Homegrown Tomato" contest...Phil won!

The next day I had the brilliant idea of going for a short hike at a local park. We decided on the Balm-Boyette Scrub Preserve just south of our area. This is where John goes biking on trails sometimes, and there's also a hiking trail that is about 6 miles long. We decided to walk maybe about half of it. We started out on one side, then realized it was flooded out from a creek (it had rained for a week straight). So then we started onto the trail from a different trailhead. We had looked at the map of the park before going, and it looked like a simple loop. So about an hour and a half later, we made it out onto the main street. Well, we turned one way to go back to the parking lot. About 20 minutes later we realized we were going the wrong way. We had somehow taken a wrong turn inside the park, so the way getting out was very far from the car. We finally made it back to the car, as the rain started to fall and lightning all around, and a large sweaty pregnant lady who had to pee really bad was exhausted! Luckily we had water and our cell phones with GPS. I was seriously about to pee in the woods, or hitchhike.

Our friends Clay and Angella had a Memorial Day cookout at their house on Monday. We had fun talking and eating, and the guys played outdoor games. The rest of the week I had a terrible allergies and felt pretty run down. Went to the OB; baby is doing wonderfully! John and I put up a wallpaper border in the baby's room, John's been sanding and prepping an armoire for baby, and I've been organizing and making crafts. Last Monday we went to Honeymoon Island with Jenn, Phil, and 'Nick, walked around Dunedin, then had dinner at their house and watched "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (Hi-larious, but be ready for raunchy movie). This past week was a week for hanging out with friends too! I went shopping with Carly, visited my friend Linda with Brooke and saw her new baby girl, had lunch with Gina on her birthday, went to dinner to celebrate Cayla's birthday (The Cajun Cafe in Pinellas Park...good stuff man, although I didn't get to eat the really good things like crawfish or jambalaya because it's too spicy right now, popcorn shrimp was great), and yesterday Susan came over (sat out in the sun for awhile, then watched "Benjamin Button").

Today I've been pretty bored, not much to do. But I think God gives us days like this to just relax and reflect upon what's going on in our lives, and prepare for the week to come. I'm just thinking of everything we need to do in the next 2 months for baby's arrival, trying not to get stressed. I get frustrated because I can't help with painting furniture, putting chlorine in the pool, lifting heavy things, etc. etc. around the house. It seems like we can't do alot of the more important stuff until July, so it's like O.K. what can I do now instead of later? One day at a time, huh?

This week I'm babysitting Austin (swimming in pool, tough), getting a haircut, having Jenn and Phil over for a cookout, going to OB and visiting a pediatrician's office, and spending time with John, my favorite activity of all :)

Shortie update

2009-05-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

So, we finally got the pantry completed. Thank you John for painting, and again to John's parents for helping build it. It looks great, and will soon be filled with baby supplies and food! (Notice Pepper on table, ready to pose...knowing she's not supposed to be on table)

Let's see, what else... well John and I attended a childbirth class at the hospital. It was pretty informative, and we liked hearing about the crazy stories from the instructor, a nurse of 20 years there. How women show up at the hospital on their due dates, just expecting the nurses to do something...and how a father took his newborn baby out to the vending machine, and the security alarms went on and everyone rushed to him thinking he was going to steal that baby. But at least we know they have good security there!

I got to see my friend Danielle last week. She lives in New Port Richey now, so it's been awhile. We met for lunch in Hyde Park, then headed over to the new Ikea store, which is a total adventure in itself.

Next day I went to Honeymoon Island with Jennifer and Dominick. It was a great day, right before was this rain started! Got to see Mamaw and Papaw too, at their condo.

This past week was pretty busy for me, and I think I have a slight sore throat and headache from it today. Broke down and took a Tylenol. On Monday, helped John finish pantry and put up wallpaper border in nursery. Tuesday, went to a baby play class with Kimberly (so cute to see 10 babies and moms sitting around a circle, babies staring at each other, while moms singing and demonstrating "head, shoulders, knees, and toes...") Then met Carly and Austin at the mall with Kimberly for lunch. Then met Susan at DayDreams Spa (awesome place ladies) for pedicures (well worth the money sometimes). Wednesday, cleaned house, rearranged kitchen cabinet contents, and put stuff in pantry. That night we met Dave, Susan, Rian, and her sister for dinner at Bahama Breeze, then to Green Iguana for drinks (Coke for me, haha!) Rian was in town visiting for a few days. She's always fun to hang out with (used to drink Long Islands with her at the Highlander, lol!). Great Jersey girl. She's a fellow Paratrooper, although poor thing, broke her pelvis in several places on a jump last fall, and is now walking with a cane, medically discharged from the Army. But she's improved alot and we're proud of her! She'll be using her "oops we're sorry" money to finish college. It was good to see old friends from Bragg again!K

I hope everyone has a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!! Say a prayer for our troops and veterans who work so hard every day to keep our country safe, and for those families whose loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice.

25 weeks and counting...

2009-05-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll!
Happy May to you! Well, I'm 25 weeks along now (about 6 mos.) and feeling awfully large lately...look at the pics and you decide! Went to OB the other day, everything fine.

My friend Linda is having a baby girl in May so my friends Brooke and Susan and I decided to throw her a shower. This is her second, but hey, it's always fun to open a few gifts and have a yummy cake made by Brooke! Brooke hosted it at her house, and our husbands also came along...to grill the hamburgers, haha! We involved them in some games, like trying to get out little plastic babies frozen in cups, lots of licking going on! Chris, got out his baby first. Then the guys chugged (squirted, whatever) beer out of baby bottles. Paul, the father to be, won that one. John kind of cheated somehow. They couldn't drink too much beer cause they all had to go to work that day, haha! Then we ate and Linda opened gifts. We all gave her diapers. Brooke gave her personalized burp cloths and tag blankies, Susan gave her a basket with lotion and powder, and also onesies with painted decorations (a "Mini Burger" b/c their last name is Burger, so cute). I gave her a scrapbook.

John has gone crazy lately while working in the Lawn and Garden section at Lowe's. We now have green and red pepper plants, and tomato plants. A few tomatoes are already sprouting!

Also, John's Granny gave us several potted plants and flowers that we placed in different parts of our yard. One vine we planted so that it would grow around our mailbox. Also I already had desert roses there, and they're blooming now. Our front yard hibiscus plants are blooming too. She also gave us many amaryllis bulbs, can't wait to see those! Thanks Granny!

John's parents came to visit for a few days, and helped him build a pantry in our kitchen. It really only took about 2 1/2 days! They work great as a team! I couldn't do a whole lot, but I cooked dinner two nights in a row, and got high praise for it, so I was glad to do something. Now all we have to do is paint the walls and shelving. Thank you guys so much!! There's so much more space now...for baby food and diapers, haha! Here are some before and after shots:

Well that's all for now, hasta la vista!

Ft. DeSoto with Family

2009-04-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

Last week, John and I met Jennifer, Phillip, Mom and Dad out at Fort DeSoto Park. It was wonderful weather. We chilled out on the gulf/beach side for a bit before going over to Mom and Dad's campsite. They were on their way to the Keys in the Mini Winnie, and decided to stop at a few parks along the way. Lucky for us this one is in the Tampa Bay area. John and Phillip had fun flying a kite, Dominick looking on and giggling. Us girls laid back and soaked up the sun. Then we all went to the campsite, which had a beautiful view of the other side of the park, an inlet from the Gulf. We rode bikes, collected "baby" shells, played Frisbee, and chowed down on yummy burgers and dogs. The day ended with a gorgeous sunset. We said our goodbyes, and wished Mom and Dad good luck in their journey. We know they're having a wonderful time, doing something they've never tried before...traveling all the way down the state in the Winnie. We have a feeling that they may not want to leave Margaritaville....because it's always 5 o'clock somewhere...especially there, haha! And "Come Monday, it'll be alright."

Let's go fly a kite...

Baby shells.

Dad was throwing Dominick up in the air...so cute!

Going for a ride.

The boys fixing toys.

He loves his Nana!

The view from their campsite.

Aww...

The men in the fam

The Pregger Sistas! P.S. Jenn's having a boy :)

Love this one of Dominick!!

Going, going, gone.

Week 23

2009-04-21T06:49:00.000-07:00

Baby Roc is now the size of a papaya! 10.5 to 11.8 inches, and 12.7 to 20.8 ounces.
My Dad has a new nickname for her: P.J. for Pumpkin Jr. that's what he used to call me, Pumpkin.
Here's a bit more info from The Bump.com:
Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

John's bike trail day

2009-04-18T14:14:00.001-07:00

P.C. Trip & John receives a coin from General Petreaus!

2009-04-18T14:08:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter....Where did March go???

2009-04-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, April 9?? This year has flown by so far! We can't believe we're halfway through pregnancy already!
Here's some latest news and activities from the Rochefort household:
* My nephew Dominick was baptized on March 22 at Heritage United Methodist Church in Clearwater, Florida. His parents Phillip and Jennifer held him while the pastor put oil on his head, and the audience just cooed because Dom was so cute. John and I, and my grandparents (Mom's side) were honored to be present and be there for support.
* It was also my Papaw's 88th birthday that day, so after church we went to First Watch and had a big brunch. Papaw is doing awesome for 88!! We had a great time as always just talking and being together with family.
* Phillip & Jennifer bought a house!! It's in Dunedin, not too far from where they lived before, but closer to the beaches, yay! John went over and helped paint a few days. (Lowe's discount came in handy!) They're excited to be owners again and do whatever they feel like to their new place. Jennifer's fantastic at the artsy stuff like oil paintings and crafty projects, so I know it'll look great!
Also big news with J & P: they're preggers too!! Due in September!! Congrats guys! Mom & Dad are gonna have a field day in the fall this year. Hmm...Christmas is gonna be huge!!
* My friend Carly's son, Austin, turned 4 this year. Incredible. He had a party at a putt-putt golf place and everyone had a fun time. We got to see some friends we hadn't seen in awhile. And eat yummy cake that Carly made.
* I've been trying to keep busy so I don't get bored. Kimberly and I go for walks around the neighborhood to get out of the house, which is nice, and great weather this time of year for that. We also watch Grey's Anatomy on Thursday nights :) Carly and I like to hit the beach when we can. There's nice smaller beaches on this side of the Bay that are not crowded and there's no ugly condos or tourist shops to look at. I'll go to lunch with friends, or go to Clearwater for a day and hang out with family. John and I also like to hang out with friends sometimes on weekend nights, like go to dinner or have board game nights.
* I finally finished a scrapbook I've been working on for 3 years, haha!
* John and I had gotten tickets to a Ben Folds concert. It was at the Ritz Theater, an old movie theater turned into a concert hall, in Ybor City. Well, neither one of us had gone to this theater before. I had assumed there would be seats...no. We got there and everyone was standing. The opening act was playing, band was o.k. But the music just echoed in the room, and the bass was so loud, that you could feel the vibrations through your body. Now, John and I have been to our share of very very loud concerts. However, this was crazy. After a few songs, we both looked at each other, and said "are you ready to go?" We both knew this was probably not that great for the baby, probably a little traumitized. So, with that...we left and went home and watched a movie!! We didn't even see Ben sing one song. Baby will just have to listen to him on IPod. It was very disappointing for me because I knew we had wasted alot of money, and a fun date night it would have been. Outdoor arenas from now on!! Oh well. Lessons learned.
* One last note: we found out yesterday that 100% sure we are having a girl!! She's healthy, 1 lb. 1 oz. We're excited because there have been 4 boys born into our families the past 3 years, so we thought it's time for a girl! It is amazing that John and 3 guys who work together are all having girls this year. Something was definitely in that water at MacDill! We had fun registering for stuff and picking out furniture, which we'll order soon. We cleaned out the baby's room, kicked the cats out! And we signed up for classes at the hospital. So things are coming together!
* I'm going to Panama this weekend. Kelly will be in town, and it'll be fun to see family who I haven't seen since Christmas. John's working night shifts the next few nights, wants to save up leave time for baby's arrival. It'll be a quick trip, and I'm sure John and I will be up there again one or two more times this summer.
HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

A few things before American Idol starts ;)

2009-03-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patty's Day!!

Not too much excitement going on the past week, but here's a few things...

Last Tuesday John and I needed a break from the humdrum of work, daily chores, etc. So we drove over to Ballast Point Park (on the south edge of Tampa, near MacDill Air Force Base). It's a nice park with benches, a playground, and a pier that juts out into the beautiful Bay. From here you can see Bayshore Blvd. and all its glorious mansions, the city skyline, Davis Island, and even over towards our part of town. We walked the pier, saw some trout (we think) and two big stingrays, then decided to grab lunch at the little "Taste of Boston" cafe there. So, on the menu was great seafood...I knew John would get his usual grouper sandwich, and I'd get shrimp. For those who know me well, that's all I used to order at seafood restaurants when I was a kid. I've widened my horizons since then. But lately seafood has been a treat (kind of pricey), and I can only eat 12 ounces each week, and no sushi for me, WAHHH! John actually ordered a chicken sandwich...and my eyes lingered on the Lobster Roll. So when I ordered it, the guy behind the counter goes: "Oh, are you pregnant?" O.K. at this point ladies and gents, I do actually have a little potbelly going on. To the point where it sticks out more than the "chest" area (which at first was larger, and boy howdy was I excited about that cause my booty has always been bigger than my other "lovely lady lumps", whatever as the song goes, now it's not so much). Kind of saddened by this fact, but maybe when my milk starts to come in..... Sorry Dad if you're reading this, LOL!!

But this was my first "stranger" encounter. I was a little taken aback. I thought, well, what if I wasn't? This guy would have been yelled at and made to feel terrible. But luckily for him, I am. So I said yes. Guy goes: "yeah, alot of pregnant ladies ask for the lobster roll for some reason." Hmmm...interesting. Never heard of lobster roll cravings before.

So anyway, fun lunch before John had to head into work.

Second stranger encounter:

John and I planned a beach day on Saturday because he had the whole day and night off, and since he got to go to the SEC basketball tourney Friday night (well I could have gone too, but 4 hours of basketball in unconfortable seats? No thanks)....I got to choose what to do on Saturday. So for a change of the normal Pinellas county beach scenery, we drove about an hour to Siesta Key Beach, near Sarasota. Beautiful beach, cool, white, sugary sands, clear aquamarine water, lots of senior citizens driving and walking, but actually more families on the beach. After baking for awhile and being brave by jumping in the water, we were hungry. So again, Yay! Seafood at a local joint. First thing older lady hostess says: "two for lunch? And a little pumpkin I see?" Again, strange, but I think I'll just have to get used to it. By the way, Dad used to call me pumpkin, so cute.

John's been working hard on fertiziling the yard and plants, spraying weed killer, edging, etc. I try to remember to water our hanging plants every day. There's such a drought right now here. Please pray for rain!

He also had a monthly work meeting. This time the big boss man of the company came and handed out awards. He got a "Performance and Team Award" certificate, a book, and $250. Hello! Congrats on job well done John!

I guess last week was a lead-up to the Luck O' the Irish day...we also got our tax refund!

So, my car got a mini makeover today. It needed some TLC: got new tires, oil change, something with brakes (I think the last people we took it to put in the pads wrong), and FINALLY got my driver's side window fixed after 4 years. YAY! I can finally roll it up and down. No more opening my door at McDonald's or the ATM machine! We also might use the tax refund to pay off my car next month, woo hoo!

I've also been working on a scrapbook project whenever boredom sets in. I like to do it at night while John's at work, have the radio or TV on in the background. Do a few pages then call it a night. Kind of relaxing.

We checked out Babies R Us today to scope out furniture. So much to choose from! When we got home, we started looking at other store's websites...then I got really frustrated because I do that when there are just too many choices!! I do that at the grocery store too. I mean people make 50 different kinds of Ranch dressing just to torture me. Indecisive much?? Yes I am...but when it comes to baby, I only want what's best, and what I think I'll be happy with for a LONG time.

O.K. That's plenty for now...here's some pics:

Baby Update

2009-03-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

This past Friday, I had a Level II ultrasound at Brandon Regional Hospital, then an OB appointment after that. Everything looks good, and from what the ultrasound technician could tell, with maybe 90% accuracy, we're having a girl! (don't go and buy pink stuff yet was the advice she gave because I'll have another ultrasound in a month that will be more accurate). The baby kept moving around, and had his/her legs crossed for awhile. But all 10 fingers, all 10 toes! At my OB appointment, I met another doctor in the practice. I weighed in at 152, which is better than the 145 I was about a month ago. I have another OB date set for April 3rd, and my next ultrasound is April 8.
So....our younger cat Pepper has been driving me crazy lately for some reason. She just annoys me by doing things like sitting almost on the computer keyboard. You throw her off, say no, get down, etc. She'll hop right back up. Also vomits for no reason, poops right outside the litter box (we have 2!!), and chews on any kind of electrical cord she can find. Our older cat Ashlyn has been very sweet and gentle. Usually people think of Ashlyn as the "witchy" one because she only likes to be petted when she wants to, not when you want to. But, I think she has an intuition about the baby lately, seriously (I know some of you are like, what a crazy cat lady). But Pepper is starting to act like a jealous middle child. She will sometimes sneak past as we open our back porch door to go outside. I don't like this because even though they can't escape the screened porch, they get pollen and oak buds on their fur and bring it back inside. Anyway...the other day I had spent most of the morning inside and all of a sudden had an itch to go to CVS to pick up some household supplies. So, I tried to lure Pepper back inside from the back with no luck. Finally, I acted like I wanted to pet her, then grabbed her to pick her up. Both of her back legs went flailing and scratched the **** out of my forearm. It was alot worse than the picture posted. I practically threw her inside the living room (we all know cats land on all fours, so don't be calling the ASPCA or Sarah McLaughlin). It has been 2 days. Pictures to follow....

So, I seriously thought about throwing her into the pool (or less horrific was taking her back to the Humane Society).
UMMMMM...does this mean I'm going to be a terrible mother? Thoughts??

Her "innocent" look...on the ugly Gator rug.

Hey ya'll!

2009-03-03T13:30:00.000-08:00

Guess it's time to update...

Well, I've officially been unemployed for 3 weeks now. And on the opposite end of the spectrum, John's been working his butt off at two jobs. He's working at Lowe's on some of his days off of his full time job, in the lawn and garden section. He really enjoys not being at a computer the whole time, and assisting customers. For awhile there, I was really wondering if he got any sleep at all, as he only had maybe one day a week off of both jobs. So, thanks John for the hard work.

We spring cleaned the house last week, for almost 3 days in a row. I had alot of energy I guess, so I cleaned out and organized stuff that were in our closets and under beds. Found our friend Dave's pair of shoes under the guest bed that have been there since last summer. Ummm..so I guess I need to clean under there more often! But I successfully emptied the baby's closet so that we'll have room for baby stuff. Just need to kick out the kitties eventually, still have their litter boxes in there! And I found tons of old pictures from when I was a kid and high school...so that'll be my next big project, organizing photos. John helped me deep-clean the refrigerator and microwave, mop the floors, get the guest bed ready, rake leaves, clean the pool, etc.etc. etc. We took a ton of stuff to Goodwill. Usually we don't ask for a tax receipt, but oh yeah, definitely this time around because of so much junk!

Speaking of taxes, John just did ours online yesterday. Getting a good refund. However, he also figured the past 2 years...and H&R Block basically screwed us royally. We actually had to pay the first year we lived in the house, then last year, got like a $100 refund. Why??? Well, they basically didn't count any of the interest we've been paying on the house! And didn't factor in John's tuition costs. So we're hoping for another two checks in the next few months if the IRS figures it out. We're never going to H&R Block again!! We'll do it ourselves!

However, this past weekend he took time off to relax, and enjoy time with me and his buddies who came into town to visit. John, visiting from Texas, Matt, on a R& R break from his civilian job in Iraq, and Jesse, visiting from Gainesville, were all in Tampa this past weekend. Friday afternoon we picked up John, and along with our friend Dave, walked Ybor City for a bit, then had Eric and Paul over that night. The guys had fun just sitting around talking and having a few beers.

The next day we all headed out to the beach: me, J, Matt, John, Eric, Jesse, Paul and Linda and their daughter, and Jennifer, Phillip, and Dominick. We went to beautiful Fort DeSoto Park, voted America's #1 beach several times, and had fun in the sun. It was gorgeous weather, the girls chatted while the guys played a little football and were crazy enough to get in the cold water.

Me (in my new tankini maternity suit that I don't quite fill out yet) & Jenn

L to R: John, Matt, Jesse, John M., Paul and Linda

The Domster (love the new haircut)

Dinner that night at Middle Grounds (great little trendy seafood restaurant at Treasure Island):

The gang L to R: J, John M., Jesse, Linda, Paul, Matt, Dave, Susan, Natalie, Julia, Eric, Tom, A.

Sunday we took Matt, John, and Jesse to Busch Gardens. They enjoyed a few roller coasters and seeing the animals. The cold front had already come through, so it was a bit chillier than we expected. But that was great because the park was not busy at all, no lines!

That night the guys grilled good food and we had some folks over. The guys stayed up late talking, and giggling ;) Sorry neighbors for any shouting, cursing, or laughing loudly that was going on at 1 a.m....when you have an old Army vet reunion, that's what happens!

Everyone left on Monday. Good times had by all. (We're both pooped now!)

I'm going over to Clearwater tomorrow to spend some time with Jenn and visit with the grandparents. I'll be glad to rest today, but I'll be ready to get out again tomorrow!

Friday is another OB appointment, and also an ultrasound...so we might find out gender of baby then, even if it's not 100% accurate. Baby is now size of avocado ;)

By the way, we want to say congrats to our friends Mike and Kimberly who had a healthy, gorgeous baby boy a few weeks ago! Congrats to all of our friends with 2009 babies: Mike and Danielle recently had a beautiful girl; Chris and Brooke just found out they're having a girl; Paul and Linda are having a girl also in May..... so hmm... I think we're going to have a boy to balance all these girls out? I don't know, we'll see!!

In other news

2009-02-14T11:11:00.001-08:00

Last Tuesday was my last day of work. We went out to dinner to celebrate with Dave & Susan and had a great time, especially cause we had a crazy waitress who sympathized with me, and who watched me eat my steak like a hawk (A-1 sauce huh? Yes, I said, I have to have it with steak...I think she was offended or something). So far I'm enjoying unemployment, although somewhat bored already, and trying to fill my days with activities other than watching "Days of Our Lives" or "The Ellen Show"...
My mom came to Clearwater to surprise Mamaw for her birthday. So Thursday I went over there and we all went out to lunch at the nice Beachcomber restaurant to celebrate. Then rode around with Jenn and Phil looking at houses because they're house hunting now...always fun to see the inside of peoples' houses, right? We're keeping our fingers crossed for them that the right one will pop up. Later on that night, Phil's friend Mike came over, along with Mom, Mamaw and Papaw, and Jenn and Phil made a nice dinner (Phil always need an excuse to use his smoker, BBQ chicken, yummy). Thanks guys!
John and I didn't do anything for Valentine's Day because he worked late last night, then slept til about 1 today, then off to work again. But we did get to see his sister Charline, her hubby Alexis, and their little boys for a few minutes. They stopped by on their way down to Naples.
I did make him a mixed CD of love songs...awww how sweet!
Well, that's all this week. Hope everyone has a great Valentine's weekend!
A.

Lemon baby

2009-02-14T11:09:00.000-08:00

Yes, the baby is now the size of a lemon. Other info: Our adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth. Only 26 more weeks to go...

Baby update

2009-02-08T07:11:00.001-08:00

Hello!
Week 13 is here! First trimester is over...whew, that went fast! Went to OB appointment on Friday, Feb. 6. The first blood tests that I did last week turned out O.K. I'm back to my normal weight after losing some pounds from being sick. I guess I must have lost that weight from somewhere, because my stomach is actually getting a little bigger, like a little pooch. We met another of one the doctors at the practice and she was really nice. She did an ultrasound again so we can hear the heartbeat (very faint though, since he/she is still so small). I told her about my issues with my rib/muscle, which has started to hurt again. I think I might have pulled it/whacked it out of place sometime last week. I had gone to my regular doctor before I was pregnant and he did a chiropractic adjustment, which seemed to have helped. But I haven't gotten any since then because I was scared it might hurt the baby. Well, the OB said it would be o.k. after the 13th week, and that if the doctor could just do it without me laying on my stomach it should be o.k. The pain is only going to get worse because my rib cage is going to grow too. And I'm a bit concerned because it hurts to sleep on my left side, which is the side that is the healthiest to sleep on for the baby. So, when I got home I called the regular doc...receptionist said only one doc can do those adjustments...and he doesn't have anything open until March! Maybe they'll call me if there's an opening, or they can refer me to an outside chiropractor. We'll see...geez.
Other than that, baby's healthy, size of a peach now I think. Still a bit sick from time to time, but getting better. I think getting alot of sleep helps, and just not eating crazy foods or anything that's too acidic. Well, only a few more weeks now until we find out the sex of the baby, yay!!
That's all folks.

Baby's 1st Pictures!

2009-01-30T17:52:00.000-08:00

The first weeks of the New Year

2009-01-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

Let's see...the first few weeks were pretty eventful, actually. Hmmm...

John went to Panama City for Marline's funeral. After that, he came back and cut all his hair off and buzzed it. Here's 2 pics: 1st, the lovely mullet (ala Joe Dirt), then the new do (and the new glasses he just got, no he does not have perfect vision anymore!) As my friend Kelly's husband Matt asked: Did he pull a Britney?? Well, yes, I guess so! Except he's not mentally unstable and doesn't go around acting a fool in front of paparazzi and the world! I think he's a cutie anyway, um, well, maybe not with the mullet!

I was pretty much nauseous 24/7 (since Christmas eve), still am a little bit, but it's gotten better. On Jan. 8, we had some folks over to watch the BCS Championship game, because of course the Gators were in it playing against Oklahoma. We actually had one OK fan here, Carly's husband Francis, but we weren't too mean ;) Jenn & Phil, Tony & Cayla, and Mike & Kimberly also stopped by. I didn't make it to the 4th quarter, went to bed...however, from the "soft screaming" I could tell the Gators were doing pretty well. You thought that John and friends had won the lottery or something... glad they won though. Go Gators!

Well, the next day was pretty interesting. I got laid off at work because of budget cuts! Along with several others, I got the pink slip and was told I had 30 days left. February 10 will be my last day. Kind of shocking, didn't know it would happen so soon. Life throws you curves. But oh well, I don't believe there are any accidents in life, and things happen for a reason. So I'm moving on....and concentrating on our new family that will be forming this year! I truly believe God will take care of our basic needs, and everything else will be O.K.

The same day I had a OB visit. John came with me, and we got to meet one of the doctors. I still have not gained any weight (probably from being sick so much), which is fine at this point. My urine was excellent (nurse's qoute). And doctor said it was still a little too early to see or hear the baby's heartbeat.
Pretty tiring day!

Last weekend, my parents came into town to attend the St. Petersburg bottle show. (My Dad collects antique bottles and such). While they were here, we celebrated Jennifer's birthday by taking her out to dinner. We had a nice time. Then Mom and Dad came to stay with us one night on Monday night before they went back to P.C.

Tuesday, January 20th, was a very exciting day for John and I, and I think a large portion of our great nation. We pray for our new President, and I'm sure others will be too, on both sides of the fence, and on the fence. If anyone watched, did you see Aretha's hat?? what the? And the lady who read the poem was, um, waaay too monotone or something. And of course the justice who gave the oath to the Prez missed up a little....but other than that, was all good, all was just incredible to watch. And man, do I want a little girl now so I can dress them in cute J.Crew dresses (well maybe Gap).

Well, that's about it for now. We'll be heading over to Clearwater today to celebrate my nephew Dominick's 2nd birthday! Wow, how time flies!! Happy Birthday kiddo!

Hasta luego!

Ringing in '09

2009-01-24T07:18:00.000-08:00

We had a really good time at our friends' (Paul and Linda) house celebrating New Year's Eve. Jennifer and Phillip came with us, and the Childs and Roscoes were also there. We ate, talked, watched Anderson Cooper with crazy Kathy Griffin on CNN, and us pregnant girls (there were 3 of us!) toasted with nice sparkling grape juice, haha!

Need to catch you up...

2009-01-24T06:43:00.000-08:00

Hi there!

Well, a few things have happened in the past few weeks, and I also wanted to post some pics from Christmas time and New Year's.

Here's some Christmas pics: (I'll go in order up until this week of happenings)
Safety Harbor Christmas parade with Phillip, Jennifer, and Dominick

That day, we told J & P that we were pregnant, the first people we told, so they were very excited for us. It was so hard by the way to keep it from friends and family for about 2 weeks. We wanted to tell everyone at Christmas because we thought it would be fun to do it that way!

Trip to Panama:

We went to P.C. only for a few days, the days that John had off of work normally. We told our parents and close family our news the day we arrived, everyone happy! Then on Christmas day told other family and all of our friends. We had a great time visiting with family. John's friends Aaron and Maureen (Mo), a couple we knew from Bragg, came to visit and stayed with his parents. and then our friends Tom and Eric were in town also, and we were able to visit our old friend Phillip and his wife Kristi too. I got to hang out with my parents, and we also got to be a part of the traditional gift-opening at J's parents' house Christmas Eve (they now have 6, well 7 later this year, grandkids, so it's always fun seeing them rip into their presents), and then the $10 gift exchange on Christmas morning at Granny's house. We are so happy that John's Aunt Marline was there, so glad to see her smile, although we had no clue this would be her last Christmas on this earth with us. What a gift God gave us that day.

I'll now share some pics, (oh and my gift, the Casio keyboard...John got an electric guitar too):

My Dad & Mom at St. Andrews State Park in Panama City Beach

Christmas morning at J's Granny's house

Aunt Marline and her husband Randy

John and his crazy friends going into the freezing Gulf water, at Tyndall Beach!

Sad day

2009-01-02T17:09:00.001-08:00

We just found out that cancer has taken John's Aunt Marline. We know that she is now in Heaven with no pain. He is traveling to Panama City right now to be with his family. I decided to stay and hold down the fort, and because I'm nauseous, and have to work on Monday. Please keep his family in your thoughts at this time. Thank you.
Peace and love,
Andrea

BIG NEWS!!

2008-12-29T12:19:00.000-08:00

We're pregnant! Yes, and we're very excited! I'm about 7 weeks along now, and due in August. We had a wonderful Christmas, having fun telling all of our family and friends!
More info and pics to come...
Happy New Year everyone! I know '09 will be a good one!
luv to all,
Andrea, John, and Baby Rochefort

Getting into the Christmas Spirit

2008-12-08T13:31:00.000-08:00

Yep, we're getting into it! How about you?
Well, first college football is almost over. Gators beat Alabama which was great, and now they will play Oklahomas for the National Championship. Ya just can't stop that Tebow boy! We had a few people over to watch the game, which was fun, and also funny that they don't mind watching a huge game on our little TV, haha! Then afterwards, John had to get his weekly pizza (yeah, ya'll know how much I like that). So Mike and Kim (neighbors) were gracious enough to order some and invite us over to their house to eat and hang out some more. Mike gave John a gift certificate for a guitar lesson for his birthday, which was very nice. Maybe for Christmas John will get a guitar, have a lesson, and soon be jamming with Mike, brother Phil, or whoever. Maybe they'll all form a band one day, and us wives can be their groupies on the road!
Went shopping yesterday for all the kiddies in our families, into the craziness of what is the Brandon mall and Toys R Us. Then we were going to put up our tree and all our decorations, but we were so wore out from shopping that we just got the tree up. At least it's a fake, easy to put it, and already has a string of pretty white lights! Tonight we're going to put up the rest of the decorations, maybe wrap some gifts, all while singing Silent Night, haha! ;)
We're both getting really excited about this year's holiday season, for several reasons:
1. We're looking forward to visiting P.C. and seeing John's family for a few days (3 sisters, 3 bro-in-laws, each with 2 kids, Granny, J's aunts and uncles)
2. We're also happy that we'll get to see my sister and her family, and other members of my Dad and Mom's family, almost as much as we want to cause they're just across the Bay.
3. I'll have a total of 8 days off work!
4. We'll hopefully see bro-in-law Phil's family some too.
5. We're glad that this year we're enjoying spending time with family, and not worried about buying gifts for each other (except the little ones), because that's all we really want.
6. 2008 was a great year in many ways, and we believe, we know, that 2009 will be even better!
I'll post again next week! Have a good one!

Quick update

2008-12-04T11:46:00.000-08:00

So, we had a great Thanksgiving with A.'s family: 35 people at first turkey dinner (thankfully didn't host that one, McMullens did), dozens of oysters from Apalachicola, visiting a dozen family members of Dad's side, another turkey (smoked, yum) dinner at sis's house, and another loss for FSU against the Gators! AND A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE!
J.'s Dad went through surgery well, preaching while under anesthia, LOL! and is now at home working with the rehabilitation people. Pretty soon he'll be up and walking well, then running! Umm..let's see. A. had a bad cold for about a week, and feels much better today. Going to the third forced "snack break/breakfast/lunch/whatever just to get out of work or not actually working at all" thing...a nice break from the norm, but A. doesn't care to see her boss all that much in one month! Also not too happy that she has to work this Saturday, and miss the annual holiday ball thing for J.'s company because she needs sleep the night before. Bah Humbug! Typical in my job, sit around for weeks on end with nothing to do, no challenge at all, then all of a sudden our contractor Evaluation Systems group of Pearson and the FL Department of Education decide: Oh No! We need to complete stuff in the contract, and "Gasp" teachers aren't working during Christmas, so let's cram in some test development meetings before the break. (Why we must work on Saturday). But, glad she went on a long walk about an hour ago! And her friend invited her to see Jason Mraz in concert tonight, yay!
Why I'm writing in 3rd person I don't know.
Catch up later... off to get snacks now.

Closer to Turkey Day (and oysters, yummy!)

2008-11-24T07:08:00.000-08:00

I hope ya'll are all in good spirits, getting ready for the holidays and such. We are very excited to be visiting with family for the Thanksgiving holiday. Although we will not be with John's family this year (Christmas, though), they will definitely be in our thoughts as we give thanks. We are very thankful for the Rochefort clan and all they've done for us (and they raised a pretty cool son too). Also, John's Dad will especially be in our thoughts and prayers, as he will be having hip replacement surgery tomorrow (Tuesday). He'll be in a rehab facility for about a week afterward. So please keep him in your prayers as you sit down with your families on Thanksgiving, and we will also keep all of you in ours. We'll keep you updated on the latest news with him.

My Mom and Dad will be visiting all my folks down here in the Tampa area. I don't really know what kind of dinner, if any, we'll be doing on Thursday...since John and "brother" Phil have to work...but I think Friday night we'll be over at Uncle Moe and Aunt Missy's house grilling up some oysters and having a seafood feast. Thanks Mom and Dad in advance for bringing the fresh oysters from Apalachicola....but don't think we love you just because of that, haha! I think the whole crew will be there except Phil (who'll get his oysters on Saturday): me, John, Mom, Dad, Jennifer, Dom, Moe, Miss, Uncle Bruce and Aunt Sissy all the way from Rocky Top Tennessee, cousin Tobi, her hubby Adam, and their kids Amery and Tully, and maybe cousins Jeff and Wade, and of course, Mamaw and Papaw! Whew.

Then on Saturday Jenn and Phil are hosting a turkey dinner. Phil loves his new smoker, so I'm sure smoked turkey will be oh so good. I'm going to bring a couple of side dishes, already looking for recipes cause ya know I can't cook without them! So we'll be eating all day, then watching the Big Game. We'll see who wins this year...if it gets too bad with all my Gator crazed family, I might have to go find a FSU gathering somewhere and join them...

Peace and love to you during this holiday! We have so much to be thankful for: wonderful friends and family, and that's all one really needs.

Happy Monday

2008-11-17T07:37:00.001-08:00

Hello again!
Hope everyone is doing well on this chilly morning, and had a great weekend.
John and I were able to hang out with both friends and family. We had a few friends over to our house Friday night for game night. We had a fun time playing Cranium and Trivial Pursuit! The girls (only 3 mind you) beat the guys (4) in Cranium...and in Trivial Pursuit, John, Chris, Dave, and Mike won against me, Brooke, Suz, and Paul. But man, do us girls have telepathy when it comes to guessing drawing, charades, humming songs, etc. in Cranium! Woo-hoo!
Then Saturday we headed over to the "west side" of Tampa Bay, to lovely Safety Harbor to watch football at Jenn and Phil's house. The Gators beat South Carolina...forgot the score...but it was Steve Spurrier's biggest loss ever! Poor Steve (didn't see him throw the visor, did you?). But you just can't stop the Gators and Tim Tebow, Superman himself, this year!
Unfortunately, FSU lost against Boston College...I'm disappointed in how they've been playing this year, but also with their conduct! Some players got in a fight with some fraternity guys at the student union on campus! Geez guys, don't you know how much you're hurting your team??
We had a great time, playing and cuddling with little Dominick, eating J and P's yummy grilled chicken, playing with their dog, Dude, who LOVES John (LOL!), celebrating the UF victory, and laughing into the night at J's stories and John's "and that's why I went to Florida State" (making fun of other college's commercials b/c he thinks UF's commercials are the best, and also making fun of people who at first attend UF, then eventually end up graduating from FSU!)...and at Andy Samburg and Justin Timberlake on SNL!

Jennifer, Phillip, and 'Nick traveled to Miami yesterday to stay for a few days. While there, 'Nick will be tested by a specialist doctor for his eye condition. Please keep them in your prayers, as some of the testing might not be too fun for 'Nick, or his parents! And also that they will get great information to help him in his daily life. He's such a happy and sweet little boy (ah! not a baby anymore, where does the time go??).... WE LOVE YOU GUYS!
A.

Mid November already???

2008-11-12T13:37:00.000-08:00

Hello! Well, it's been pretty busy around here, and I know you are too! Hope all is well with everyone. We've done a few things since Halloween (other than work of course). We watched the Florida v. Georgia football game at Gator's with Jenn, Phil, and some friends: Tom, Stephanie, Travis, John, and Erik. Gator's is fun because it's on John's Pass near the beach, so it's on the water, and you can see the beach from the upper decks. And there's great food, and huge widescreen TVs to watch the games (and there was a fishing tournament going on too). We all ate and talked, and Dominick clapped every time there was a touchdown! The Gators won, Yay! and good times had by all.

And of course, on November 4, well, everyone knows what happened then. Let me just say: I wish I would have taken pictures of us that night! And: Congratulations Mr. President.

Last Saturday my friend Brooke and I went to a baby shower for a girlfriend whose husband works with our hubbies. It was at a tea room, very lovely and relaxing. That day, I watched FSU beat Clemson:Woo-Hoo! This Saturday we play Boston College-Go Noles!! And later that night we watched the Gators smash the Vanderbilt Commodores 42-14! Well, I still say even though FSU has lost two games, and UF has only lost one so far: sorry John and Gator fans (I'm surrounded by them down here!!) FSU's going to kick Gator butt on November 29!

Somewhere between all this, my doctor finally "diagnosed" me: I have bum ribs. So, he's "adjusted" me twice now...basically cracked my upper back to throw things back into place. I don't know how often I'll have to do this, but at least I don't have to take meds and haven't gotten a cortizone injection yet. I don't know how healthy it is in the long term to be cracked but we'll see! He says that sitting at a computer all day, slouching over can do that to you. Go Figure! For now, I'm working on my posture, and John calls me "Crazy Ribs Andrea". haha!

Oh, and also I went darker on my hair color at my last hair salon appointment....some may not think it's a big deal. But when you're bottle blonde for sooo long, it's kind of a scary experience. However I wanted a bit of a change, and that's what I got. I like it so far...trying to get back to my roots, hehe. What do ya'll think?

On a more somber note: Tuesday was Veteran's Day. Many people weren't off work, but being a state employee I was. So I thought, O.K., what can I do on my day off to try to enjoy it? I asked my friend Carly, and her son Austin, if she wanted to go to Busch Gardens with me, and we had a good time walking around looking at the animals.

It was a much needed care-free day. Sometimes we need that, to get away from all the gloom and doom people and news, and just from the realities of the world.

Earlier that morning, as I was getting ready, I watched some of the ceremony at Arlington. V.P. Cheney laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns...and of course, for anyone who knows me well, the tears flowed. Even if you're not a sensitive person like myself, you'd probably tear up a little too. If not, well...then...you have no heart! just kidding.

Anyway, as I was tearing up, I thought about all the veterans I know, and all of the ones in our families who have fought for our country's freedoms in the past. How in the world will they ever know how much Americans appreciate them for their service? Just saying thank you is sometimes enough! But if you feel the need to go further, you can just say: "I'll never understand what you have gone through, but I am here for you. I will listen to you, if you need to talk, or if I need advice from you, because I now that you've experienced something that I never will in my lifetime. I appreciate all that you've done to try to protect our country's rights, freedoms, and democracy. I respect you as a person and also your hard work, dedication, discipline, and courage. Your part in this fight has not been in vain. I feel honored to have you as a friend, or a member of my family. Please let me know what I can do for you, if you ever need anything."

Veterans and troops need our support, our respect. If you feel it in your heart, you may volunteer or donate to a cause that does just that. They have sacrificed so much for us, we can sacrifice a little of our time to say thank you. And I personally want to thank all of those who have done that for John and I, for your own friends and family members who have served. No matter what your stance is on this "war on terrorism," please continue to pray for our veterans that they are treated well when they return from service or battle, and pray for our troops who are in harm's way at this very second. We have friends in both Iraq and Afghanistan right now. And I'm sure you know someone who is also. Please pray for God to give them courage and strength to go on each day, and to give them wisdom to find the true terrorists who threaten our freedom.

We must stand together as Americans to say that we won't give up, we'll stand for them because they have stood for us. They have sacrificed so much: their time away from their loved ones; their lifelong dreams, careers, education goals; the familiarity of their hometowns; their innocence, pureness, naivety; and in some cases, their physical or mental abilities; and of course sadly, their own battle brothers and sisters. Some may say, well, it's voluntary, and they know what they're signing up for. Yes, it is voluntary, and that's why it is such a sacrifice and is so honorable. However, most do not know what they are getting into...do not know what terrible things they will see and do. That is the truth. And I feel for these recruiters here on the USF campus. I pray for them also...what a terrible job. And don't get me wrong, I do not hate the military. The Army has helped us tremendously in countless ways...and we have gained soo many lifelong friendships along the way. We will always be grateful. But I just want people to see....that life is so short to be negative, to argue, to be down on oneself...especially when you think of these men and women. We must support them because they do what most of us say "oh my gosh I couldn't possibly" do. So THANK YOU!

O.K.! Well that's enough blogging for today! Can you tell I didn't have much to do at work today?

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

2008-11-02T11:53:00.000-08:00

Here's some pics for ya from a Halloween party we went to. John went as "The Dude" from "The Big Lebowski," and I went as Amy Winehouse, the trashy British singer. Enjoy!

The Pumpkin Festival

2008-10-23T17:06:00.001-07:00

Are ya'll loving this cooler weather as much as we are? Well, last Sunday was a perfect day to get out and enjoy it. So we did!

We went with our neighbors, Mike and Kimberly, and their daughter Kathleen, to the Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival in Bradenton. We had so much fun walking around, seeing animals, wood carvings made by a guy with a chainsaw(!), handmade arts and crafts, a BMX bike stunt show, browsing the farmer's market and pumpkin patch for good finds, eating awesome bad-for-you-but-you're-gonna-do-it anyway food, listening to a bluegrass band, and also making our way through the corn maze successfully!

Here's some pics for ya'll....and by the way: GO RAYS!!

Check it out!

2008-10-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

http://tampa.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=537274

Hello! Check out this web address in your free time if you'd like... it's an article I came across on an entertainment website. A local museum is closing (hopefully reopening at a different location), and there will be an exhibit featuring Christopher Still. He is a local artist who paints gorgeous depictions of Florida life: landscapes, people, etc. The painting featured by the article is one in which he asked my Papaw McMullen and my cousin Tobi to pose for. They are on the front porch of the log cabin...Papaw is the white-haired man and Tobi is the woman in the wedding dress. They're calling the little girl to come over so they can start the wedding ceremony (I think)...she's too busy daydreaming. This was almost 15 years ago when he did this painting... my grandparents have a big one. So it was cool to see it surfing the net!
I haven't been to this museum yet, hadn't heard of it actually, but I'll definitely go before it closes.

More later this week on happenings...
A.

Sports and Elections. Hmmm...

2008-10-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

Sooo much going on right now! I think alot of people are tired of hearing about this election...burned out maybe. Well, it's reasonable to be! I am too a little... I think maybe just tired of the back and forth of it all. I'm not a debater at heart. I will state my case, but I really don't like arguing, and I'm definitely not going to try to convince people of things when I know they already have their minds made up, because I wouldn't want them to do that to me!
Because to me, things are not always black and white, there's ALOT of gray area. People just don't want to see that gray area, talk things out and say "oh, okay, we CAN compromise on this." I will get competitive with college football, though, because it doesn't directly affect me that much as politics, religion, etc.
Maybe a little tired college football too. What?? Already? Yes! I'm actually a little glad that the Gators don't play this Saturday for some reason. It's not that I don't like watching them play, or other teams play. But this week, it was kind of like, all right... FSU was the only team I cared about watching this week! And they won, whew! It was really too close for comfort, but they pulled it out of somewhere, and that made me happy, and Bobby too, of course.
But you know what? We're only halfway through this football season...and ladies, especially, the ones married to football lovers...we gotta get through it, and we will. And after, we'll say, whew! Thank goodness we have our Saturdays back to planning whatever we want to, haha! But then something else will come along, like the NFL, hockey season (which is practically 3/4 of the year), and then dun dun dun March Madness.
I was actually really glad the Tampa Rays have been winning, and making their way (cross fingers) to the World Series. You know why? Well, I was never really a baseball fan. Love watching college football and basketball, but was always bored with baseball. But this year, man, did the Rays excite people here! And me! And, kind of sad to say, it has been...not a distraction...but an added bonus to the "sporting season" of fall. The games have been something to look forward to in addition to watching and rooting for the Florida football teams (except Miami), and West VA (for you Dad). It's fun to cheer on someone you know is working hard for you, the community, and themselves of course, doing their best to provide encouragement for you, an added boost to your daily lives,...and it kind of feels like the world is a better place to live in when your team wins.
But sometimes your team doesn't win, and you just feel bad, like you were actually the one playing and lost for your team, or you feel disappointed in how the players did that day, like they didn't give it their all, or just didn't care about it, didn't care about you and your feelings... you might even feel just a little down at work the next day.
Well, that's life. It's complicated, and not easy! It is a roller coaster ride, sometimes you're up, and you're "winning", everything's going right in your life, all is right with the world. And then it's down, nothing's going right, you feel like you can't catch a break, you feel like life is just one attack after another. (And of course, there's the gray area, ho-hum daily life where there's not alot going on and you're totally bored with things). Must be how those players feel, how those politicians feel too, huh? But us, the "real" people in our lives, our beloved friends and family, the people that should really only matter, are the ones rooting for them, and rooting for each other. Because that is what we do as humans. We cheer on the people we care for. We support each other, in good times and in bad. And we should not have so much pride to not take that support and run with it.
We have to get through this season, each season in our lives, and we will. We will support our teams, cry when they lose, cheer when they win. We will do the same for each other. We will get through these times in our lives when all we see are roadblocks(or defensive linemen if you will), and we cannot see what's on the other side of them. But there is another side. We just have to have faith that it is there. We have to stick to your guns, know what we want or need, and go for it. It's hard to find that strength to get through it, but it's there in us. And we'll be so happy we found it, because whatever it is you're looking for on that other side of the roadblock, it will be worth it. It'll be worth all the effort, hard work, tears. And we have to know, too, that God is with us in every aspect of our lives. No matter what comes our way, we must stand our ground and say "Lord, I know I can get through this, not just this one thing standing in my way today, or this week, this month, but this whole thing we call life, with you by my side."
Life is not about winning and losing. It's about getting through it. Not getting through it just to speed along and say "O.K. now what?". I realize that I need to slow down and really enjoy life day to day, live more in reality of NOW, and say to myself "O.K. what can I do to make today a good day, for me, and for others in my life"... Not just always have something planned for the future (I LIVE by my planner, because back in my college years....I got a little lost, and kind of didn't plan a whole lot of anything! Which is nice sometimes of course, to be spontaneous, not have a care in the world... But I'm an organizer/planner at heart, so I love it really).
Football games and elections... we'll all be O.K. after each one. But they're fun in the moment of it all, huh?? Fun, stressful adreneline rushes, but always interesting to see outcomes! Life's not about winning and losing, it's about how you play the game.
I'm sorry I've gotten a little bit more philosophical, and less lighthearted than usual on this thing. I did have a glass of wine....hmmm...
I love you all. You are my best friends, and best family. And you mean the world to me. I would be nothing without each and every one of you guys. You've stood by me in good times, and bad...and I now realize that sometimes I need to ask for help because I know I cannot do things all on my own. And I hope you all will do the same, with me, or with whomever you feel comfortable with in your life. So...be on the lookout for advice from me in the near future. We were not made to go it alone (i.e. Adam and Eve). The institutions of family, marriage, and friendships were made by humans because they were needed.
I've always wanted to be older so I could do things all on my own...and now that I am "older", wow! Talk about real world, huh?
To everything there is a season...

Thoughts?

A.

Save the Ta-Tas!

2008-10-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

Last week, John was asked by a our friend Eric to run with him, in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in downtown St. Petersburg. Of course he was honored by this request. John, Eric, and another friend, Tom, ran the 5K, all in very decent time. ;) Here are some pics of the event, and of our tired fellas!

Obama in Dunedin!

2008-09-30T17:32:00.000-07:00

On the spur of the moment, John and I decided to try to see Barack Obama last Wednesday at a rally held in the quaint town of Dunedin, Florida. We drove over there and were amazed at how many people were already in line! Some at gotten there very early that morning, knowing that he did not speak until 1 p.m. We patiently waited in the line for about an hour and a half, the line meandering about the cute cottages and stores of the downtown area. Someone had estimated that the line was a mile long, and I believe it! We made it to Knology Park just in time, and then stood through the hour or so for the speeches because there wasn't anywhere to sit by that point. It seemed like every time he gestured toward us, we felt like he could see us. I know the media cameras were all pointing in that direction, so I kept looking for us on the news. My cousin, Tobi, was standing right behind him the whole time, and after he came around and shook hands with people...and he held her little 4 month old boy! How exciting! His speech was incredible, the atmosphere so electric, so energetic, it gave me goosebumps. We knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and something we can tell our grandkids one day! It really felt like an important part of history. It was wonderful to see 10,000 people come together and support him, and one another. Because they know, we know, that "change is gonna come." Yes, we can! Peace and love, A.

Some facts about the Prez candidates' tax plans...

2008-09-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

This is a compilation of fact-checking articles and websites that John and I put together as a response to those who say that Mr.Obama will increase our taxes. Check out the video too if you'd like!
If you want the truth, you should probably look to independent, non-partisan, non-profit organizations like the “ Tax Policy Center .” (http://www.taxpolicycenter.org)
**The Tax Policy Center (TPC) is a non-partisan, independent, joint venture of the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution. The Center is made up of nationally recognized experts in tax, budget, and social policy who have served at the highest levels of government. TPC provides timely, accessible analysis and facts about tax policy to policymakers, journalists, citizens, and researchers. TPC analysis has been cited by CNN-Money, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, Time Magazine, US News and World Report, CNN, AP, UPI, Detroit Free Press, Forbes, and many other respected news agencies (even Fox News).

TPC has released their analysis of Senator McCain’s and Senator Obama’s tax plans.

In their educated, independent opinion: “The two candidates' tax plans would have sharply different distributional effects. Senator McCain's tax cuts would primarily benefit those with very high incomes, almost all of whom would receive large tax cuts that would, on average, raise their after-tax incomes by more than twice the average for all households. Many fewer households at the bottom of the income distribution would get tax cuts and those tax cuts would be small as a share of after-tax income. In marked contrast, Senator Obama offers much larger tax breaks to low- and middle-income taxpayers and would increase taxes on high-income taxpayers. The largest tax cuts, as a share of income, would go to those at the bottom of the income distribution, while taxpayers with the highest income would see their taxes rise significantly.”
(http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/publications/url.cfm?ID=411749)

In simple terms McCain’s plan would give huge tax breaks to the top %5 of Americans, while Obama’s plan will give significant tax breaks to the bottom %95 and raise taxes on the top %5.

Here is a chart from CNN-Money that breaks down income and average tax bills under each candidate’s plans.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/11/news/economy/candidates_taxproposals_tpc/index.htm)

INCOME AVERAGE TAX BILL

MCCAIN OBAMA

Over $2.9 Million -$269,364 +$701,885

$603K and up -$45,361 +$115,974

$227K - $603K -$7,871 +$12

$161K - $227K -$4,380 -$2,789

$112K - $161K -$2,614 -$2,204

$66K - $112K -$1,009 -$1,290

$38K - $66K -$319 -$1,042

$19K - $38K -$113 -$892

Under $19K -$19 -$567

Factcheck.org says “McCain claims 23 million small-business owners would pay higher tax rates under Obama. He's wrong. The vast majority would see no change, and many would get a cut.” “We find that the overwhelming majority of those small-business owners would see no increase, because they earn too little to be affected. Obama's tax proposal would raise rates only on couples making more than $250,000 or singles earning more than $200,000.”

McCain argues that Obama's proposed increase is a job-killer. He has a point. It's true that increasing taxes on those at the top would leave them less money for other purposes, including investment and hiring in the case of business owners. But the number of business owners who would see their rates go up would be only a small fraction of what McCain says. Many would see their taxes go down.”
(http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/mccains_small-business_bunk.html)

CNN-Money says “This claim is misleading at best, because nobody knows exactly how many of those small-business owners earn more than $250,000 and are taxed as individuals. About 20 million claim business income, but have no employees. According to the Tax Policy Center , 663,608 taxpayers with business income (or losses) fall into the top two tax brackets and could be subject to Obama's tax increase. But according to Center fellow Len Berman, many - nobody knows how many - of those taxpayers are not full-time entrepreneurs. Most owners of small businesses, he says, have small incomes."
(http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/03/smallbusiness/mccain_obama_taxes.fsb/index.htm)

Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families: Obama and Biden will restore fairness to the tax code and provide 150 million workers the tax relief they need. Obama and Biden will create a new "Making Work Pay" tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family. The "Making Work Pay" tax credit will completely eliminate income taxes for 10 million Americans.
(http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/)

**Factcheck.org is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. They monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Their goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding. The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania . The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state, and federal levels. The APPC accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation.

The only tax increase Senator Obama has pledged is to raise personal income tax on couples making more than $250,000 and singles making more than $200,000.

Factcheck says “Obama would only increase capital gains and dividends taxes only for couples earning more than $250,000 per year, or singles making $200,000. For the rest, taxes on investments and savings would remain unchanged.”
(http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/there_he_goes_again.html)

The Wall Street Journal also indicates “Obama would only increase capital gains and dividends taxes only for couples earning more than $250,000 per year, or singles making $200,000.” The same article also cites several financial analysts who agree “the next president will raise the capital-gains rate. It's just a question of when.” The article goes on to say “Sen. Obama wants to raise the long-term capital-gains rate for families making more than $250,000 to around 20% or somewhat higher -- but not above the 28% level it reached during the Reagan presidency.” Yes, that is conservative icon Ronald Regan. Obama only wants to raise the capital-gains rate for wealthy families back to the rate is was under Ronald Regan.
(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121374794468982701.html)

Obama plans to reform Corporate Bankruptcy Laws to Protect Workers and Retirees: Current bankruptcy laws protect banks before workers. Obama and Biden will protect pensions by putting promises to workers higher on the list of debts that companies cannot shed; ensuring that the bankruptcy courts do not demand more sacrifice from workers than executives; telling companies that they cannot issue executive bonuses while cutting worker pensions; increasing the amount of unpaid wages and benefits workers can claim in court; and limiting the circumstances under which retiree benefits can be reduced.
(http://www.barackobama.com/issues/seniors/)

The US Census Bureau estimates only ~14,000 households over the age of 50 make more than 100,000. Assuming most households over 50 average 2.5 people, ~35,000 people over the age of 50 would have their taxes raised under Obama’s plan.
(http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032005/hhinc/new02_001.htm)

Furthermore, Barack Obama plans to eliminate income taxes for Seniors making less than $50,000: Barack Obama will eliminate all income taxation of seniors making less than $50,000 per year. This proposal will eliminate income taxes for 7 million seniors and provide these seniors with an average savings of $1,400 each year. Under the Obama-Biden plan, 27 million American seniors will also not need to file an income tax return.
(http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/)

Factcheck, and the TPC say “Obama’s plan would produce tax cuts, not tax increases, for about 80% of all workers and families and about 95% of those with children, according to independent analysis by the Tax Policy Center .”

PolitiFact from the St Pete Times says “On Obama’s tax plan: In a speech this week, Obama said, "I will cut taxes — cut taxes — for 95 percent of all working families." The linchpin here is Obama's tax credit for workers, which is intended to offset payroll taxes. Single people can qualify for a $500 credit; married couples filing together could get $1,000. We consulted the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center , which has created detailed models for how each candidate's tax proposal would affect American taxpayers. Its analysis says that under Obama's plan: 95 percent of all tax filers (working and non-working) will get a cut in their individual income taxes and 95 percent of all families with children (working and non-working) will get a cut in their total federal taxes. We rule this statement true.”
(http://www..politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/724/)

Here are many more false claims about Obama’s tax plan.
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/there_he_goes_again.html
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/more_tax_deceptions.html
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/the_32000_question.html

And snopes says most of the tax hype is false
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/taxes..asp

Newsweek on the tax distortions
http://www.newsweek.com/id/151621

Celebrate good times!

2008-09-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

Congrats Betsy & Chris!

2008-09-20T10:55:00.001-07:00

Another one bites the dust.

2008-09-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!
It's been awhile since I've posting something...and for good reason! We've been busy!
We traveled to Panama City last week to visit with family and to attend my friend Betsy's wedding. We got in Wednesday and got to hang out with John's family. His parents and sisters are doing well, the kids (neices and nephews) are back in school and liking their classes and activities so far.
The next day we spent some time at the McCarthy house. Mom & Dad had just gotten back from Clearwater, and brought my grandparents back with them. So it was fun seeing them, and we also celebrated Dad's birthday.
On Friday, I got to spend time with the bride, Betsy, and some other ladies (including my friends Kelly and Carly) at the nail salon. We all got manicures and pedicures, and left feeling so relaxed! Later on that evening, John and I were invited to Betsy and Chris's wedding rehearsal dinner. It was held at Carly's parents house in the backyard, a luau theme. We got to see some friends we haven't seen in awhile and got to know Chris's buddies a little better.
Saturday we went out to P.C. Beach. The wedding was held at the Majestic Beach Resort, so we decided to stay the night there. Hurricane Gustav had just blown through the Gulf Coast a few days earlier, so it was still windy but very nice weather. The wedding was on the beach at sunset, beautiful! Then the reception was in a gorgeous ballroom...and we danced all night long. We all ended up at Salty's across the street later to continue to dancing once they kicked us out of the ballroom!
Fun fun had by all! Good people, good times!

Happy Labor Day!

2008-08-31T14:56:00.001-07:00

Hello! Football and hurricane seasons are in full swing! We made it through Tropical Storm Fay (no biggie at all) and now Hurricane Gustav is in the Gulf, and we're starting to feel some effects because we're on the outer edge of it. John has family near New Orleans, where Gustav is heading, and they already evacuated yesterday. They headed to Panama City to stay with John's parents. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers, along with all the others in the Gulf Coast region.
We've had a fun-filled weekend already. John's parents came to stay with us Wednesday and stayed until yesterday. Although John had to work two nights, I enjoyed their company...and his Mom's cooking :) Saturday morning we left the house early to head for Gainesville, home of John's family's favorite football team, The UF Gators. We got there early enough to see the Gator Walk, where the players and coaches walk through the crowd towards the stadium (The Swamp). It was pretty cool I must say (even though I'm a Nole fan) to see Tim Tebow just a couple of feet away, shaking hands and giving high-fives to fans. U.F. played Hawaii, and won 56-10! It was also neat to see the Hawaiian team do their little "Warrior" dance before kickoff. It was extremely hot the first quarter, until God answered our prayers, and it poured for about 1/2 hour! We were drenched head to toe, and I think my camera is broken now...but luckily it cooled things off. We all really enjoyed the game.
After the game, John's parents drove back to Panama City, and we drove back to Tampa. We stopped by the house, then headed to the Ford Amphitheater to see John Mayer in concert. It was my second time seeing him, first time was after the 1st 2 albums. This time was cool cause he had alot more songs, and played alot from his most recent albums (more blues-y stuff), made jokes in between sets, and played for 2 hours. Even with all the screaming (screeching) teenage girls there (now we know what it was like for the Beatles, goodness, they must have been deaf after awhile!), we and the rest of the older crowd thoroughly enjoyed ourselves by just sitting back and listening, and singing along, and John made fun of the girls by screaming like one, haha!
Tomorrow we'll be hanging with my sis and brother-in-law. Not going to labor at all ;)

Cupcakes

2008-08-18T11:15:00.000-07:00

Forgot to tell ya'll: I made cupcakes this morning. And I cooked dinner last night: baked BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli and cheese. WHAT??? Andrea cooking and baking?? What's going on in the world??? Well, it was a full moon last night and a hurricane is coming...I guess.
No, really, I looove cupcakes, never have them unless I go to a kid's birthday party or a wedding shower, etc. I knew Monday was coming up, and my supervisor, a very sweet lady, was returning from leave after her mother passed away... SO... I decide to bake chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese vanilla frosting and sprinkles on top. I've had two already today :P You're jealous I know. Maybe picture to come. All those new cupcake shops (found in Hyde Park, etc.) are brilliant. Hmm, small business idea? Anyone wanna go in with me, haha!
I know, total domestication is under way. haha!! Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray, Oprah, here I come!
Oh goodness total boredom on Monday at work...hopefully the President of U.S.F. will call off work tomorrow or Wednesday because of T.S. Fay.
later, peace out. A.

Dog Days of Summer

2008-08-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

Hot hot hot! August is already almost over... and we're gearing up for our first big tropical storm (or hurricane, we'll see) of the season for the Bay area. We're psyched! Can't wait to see how our huge, old, beautiful oak trees hold up. Gonna have to get a new roof soon anyway, haha!
We've been keeping things on the down-low lately, hanging around the house, catching up on little projects, and saving money. About two weeks ago, my Grandma McCarthy (my Dad's mom) had a short stay in the hospital. She's now in a nursing facility, and is pretty stable. They found legions on her pancreas (cancer), but she's too frail to go through surgery or chemo. I think they've tried their best to alleviate the pain. Jennifer and I visited her and I think she was glad to have visitors. Since she has Alzheimer's, you have to introduce yourself and she doesn't remember things from 5 minutes ago. However, she talks alot about her childhood, going to the local library and reading about far away places like Egypt in the National Geographics. She's a brilliant artist, has a kind soul, is humorous, pretty, a wonderful Mother (raised 1 boy and 3 girls) and Grandmother, and was a great wife to Grandpa (who passed about 4 years ago). She's a pretty tough cookie, and dear to my heart. Thank you everyone for all your prayers, and please keep praying that she's not in any pain.
This past weekend I went to a scrapbooking get together at my friend Brooke's. Working on a nice photo album for our wedding pictures (OMG we look so young!!) Saturday John and I hung out around the house and watched the Olympics (those Chinese gymnasts are definitely not above the age limit!; go Phelps...so I guess 8 is a lucky number this year?; GO U.S.A.!! or as John puts it: Go A-meeer-re-cah! real Southern/G.W. Bush-like) Sat. night we went with our friends Dave & Susan and Eric and his new gal pal to the Cheesecake Factory (Bang-Bang Chicken and Shrimp and Snickers Cheesecake: yummy, and I like saying Bang-Bang, it's funny), then went to the late showing of "The Dark Knight" the new Batman flick. Great movie! Sunday we just did chores around the house and watched more Olympics.
Gearing up for end of the summer, and beginning of football season. Go Noles!! ;)

2008-08-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

P.C. Weekend

2008-08-06T16:38:00.001-07:00

Hey guys and gals!
We headed up to Panama City this past weekend, and had a fun-filled, action-packed weekend! We were able to see day-old Antonio Avila and mom Charlene in the hospital. Baby and mom are fine, baby was wide-awake, healthy, and so cute! (Char is John's middle sister BTW). Also that week was John's Dad, sister Kathy, and nephew Josh's birthdays...so lots to celebrate in the Rochefort family! We got to hang with them Friday night and eat hamburgers and hot dogs.
Saturday, Mom McCarthy went with John and I to my friend's wedding. Leah was a childhood friend of mine, and her mom is friends with my mom still. It was a very pretty church wedding.
That night John and I went to Betsy and Chris's "Stock the Bar" party. Betsy is a very good friend of mine (met during high school), and will be getting married in September on P.C. Beach. They're both Gator fans, so of course, John's instantly hooked. The party was hosted by Betsy's parents' friends at a house on Betsy's street, and it was out on their driveway, so it was more like a block party. There was great people, food, drink, music (there was a guy singing and playing guitar), dancing, and even keg stands! Even better was that I got to hang with my other best friends, Kelly and Carly. If this is a shower, can't wait for the wedding and reception! ;)

2008-07-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

2008-07-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

My birthday weekend :)

2008-07-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

John and I celebrated my birthday by heading out to Busch Gardens with friends. Eric joined us, and Carly, Francis, and their boy, Austin, met up with us later. We had a really fun time! We got to see all my favorite animals, like the white tigers, meerkats, giraffes, and gorillas. Rode a few coasters, and walked through the new Jungala part. Austin had fun riding the motorcycle and airplane rides! We fed some nectar to some crazy birds too. John and Eric also indulged me in eating ice cream while watching the 50's Doo Wop group sing on stage (ah, takes me back to the ole Show Choir days). As always, it was miserably hot, sticky, expensive, crowded, exhausting. But with good friends, beautiful animals and plants, exhilarating coaster where your feet dangle and you scream your head off, you can have an awesome day!

Later that night, we met up with my friend Danielle and our neighbors Mike and Kim, and their little girl, Kathleen, at M.J. Barleyhoppers for dinner. Then we challenged each other on Trivial Pursuit and Scattergories at the house... I won Trivial! but I'm not sure who won Scattergories cause I think we were all so exhausted we didn't really care!

What a fun day!

John and friends and Guiness!

2008-07-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

St. Augustine trip

2008-07-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

Well, we were invited to wedding #4, which took place in St. Augustine, Fl. Danielle, our good friend Jesse's sister, was marrying Richard, and they were just meant to be, the cutest couple. They were married in a pretty Catholic church by a pretty humorous but wise Irish priest. The reception took place on the grounds of the church in a hall, and it was nice. The bridesmaids wore cute shorter black dresses, the flowers were red, Sangria was flowing, and the couple did a foxtrot to "So Happy Together" by the Turtles. John and I decided to stay the night and take advantage of being in the area...our first vacation together was to St. Augustine and we loved it. So after the wedding we walked around downtown, shopped, saw the Castillo de San Marcos (the fort) and other sights like Flagler College and the Lightner Museum, then ate dinner at a great seafood restaurant, the A1A Ale House. Our friend Jesse and his cousin later met us at an Irish pub. But the best part of the very short trip was that we were able to stay at the Casa Monica hotel, a very old but swanky place (valet and all, ooooo). It was just gorgeous, the way it was decorated with Spanish style/Moroccan decor. If you ever get a chance to visit St. Augustine, be sure to check out downtown, the fort, the oldest house (in the world!! not really, just North America), all the cool shops (the Fair Trade shop was awesome), seafood restaurants, and the beach too! :)

Back to 4th of July weekend...

2008-07-20T09:16:00.001-07:00

For the July 4th holiday, I went with my Mom, sister, brother-in-law, Aunt, Uncle, grandparents, and cousins to the McMullen family reunion. This takes place every July 4th, but I hadn't been since I was a kid, so it was great being a part of it. It was in Largo, Florida, and there were tons of people. They had great displays of the history of the family, and good food too.

Later that day, my Aunt and Uncle were gracious enough to let all of us hang out at their condo on Indian Rocks Beach. It was a gorgeous day! John and I met up with my sis Jennifer and her hubby Phillip at the Whistle Stop Grill and Cafe in downtown Safety Harbor to eat dinner and watch the fireworks. Such a great way to end the holiday!

The next night John and I hung out with friends at the Foley's house and played Guitar Hero (video game) and the guys watched an Ultimate Fighting Championship game. And here's a pic of me with my kitty-kats :)

DMB still rocking in '08

2008-07-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

John & I finally got to see a Dave Matthews Band concert! It was at the Ford Amphitheater in Tampa, an outdoor arena, and of course along came the afternoon thunderstorms. Lucky for us we were in the covered area, and had great centered seats. We were expecting tons of younger whippersnappers like USF college students, and there was some partying in the parking lots before we got there. However, I was a bit surprised and happy to see a great mix of people, everyone was so glad to be there even with the lightning and almost hail-like rain all around. A band called Gomez opened the show: pretty good group, from England, a little pop-rock. We were very lucky to have seen a show with Tim Reynolds as guest guitarist with DMB also. He jams on the guitar and him and Dave are an awesome duo. DMB played the old favorites but a good portion of the show were not so popular songs and newer songs. John and I sang along, shouted "woo, woo, woo!," danced, and made fun of the drunk guy who slipped and broke a chair, and the couple in front of us who made out the whole time (get a room!). What a great time!

July already??

2008-06-30T07:38:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!
Hope ya'll are all doing great and enjoying your summer. We're excited to have some family and more friends moving to the Tampa area. My sister and her family moved from Nashville to Clearwater, and her hubby Phillip has enjoyed his new job so far, meeting new people and such. Jennifer's been enjoying the beaches and is looking for employment and good day care if anyone has any suggestions! We had a cookout for them and little Dominick had fun in the pool and is walking all around now. Our friend from Ft. Bragg, Eric, also moved to the area and has started his new job with Booz Allen Hamilton (John's company). Some other friends from Bragg, Dave and Susan, are visiting Tampa to look for a house to live in when they move here (Dave also got a position at Booz). We took them and met up with Brooke, Chris, and Eric to eat at a Japanese steakhouse last night. Had sushi and hibachi shrimp. Yum!
Last weekend, John and I went to Panama City to attend his family's annual reunion. It's held at his parents' house and we had a great time seeing relatives, playing Cranium with all the kids, and playing volleyball. Unfortunately I was having such a good time I forgot to take pictures! Oh well....
I'm back at work today, then off on Friday for the 4th. John's off work til Wednesday. I think he's going to do stuff around the house today, then go play golf (or was it biking) tomorrow.
I'm babbling now cause I'm still tired from the trip and stayed up too late talking!
Have a great week...will post pics and new stuff next week.

And now finally June!

2008-06-14T06:09:00.000-07:00

Let's see... I went with my BFF Carly and her family (husband Francis and son Austin) to a Tampa Rays game. It was Austin's first pro game, and they played the Chicago White Sox. It was a very close game, exciting right up to the last minute, when the Rays hit a home run to win the game! I think Austin had fun and the adults did too :)

Also, a big weekend last weekend: John flew up to Nashville for a night to help Jennifer and Phillip (A's sister and bro in law) move down to Clearwater. He drove one of their cars (with Dude the dog), Jenn drove another (with Dominick the baby), and Phil drove a HUGE U-Haul (with all their furniture). They caravaned it all the way down to Florida -- and survived!

So, the McCarthy parentals came down too to help unload everything. Mom, Dad, and I went to the Alafia River State Park for awhile that day, gorgeous! If you ever get a chance to go, GO! It's beautiful Florida scenery. Then that night, as the caravan was rolling into town, Mom and I went to see The Lion King at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. OMG!!! Wonderful...singing, dancing, costumes, props, bongo drums, rainsticks.... Magnificent. The Circle of Life really is a great theme, and Hakuna Matata is an awesome motto to live by!

So the gang was really pooped that night getting there late... .Sunday we all got up and help them unload the vehicles into the house. YAY! Jenn, Phil, and Dom (or "Nick") are here, and we're all in Florida again!

That afternoon, Uncle Moe and Aunt Missy held a fish fry at their house. We celebrated Moe's ?? birthday and little Amery's birthday (3). And also welcomed Jenn and Phil!

Today we're having a cookout at our house in their honor, and having a few of our friends over too to welcome them and tell them alll about their new home!

P.S. Happy Father's Day everyone!!

More pics!!

2008-06-14T06:02:00.001-07:00

More stuff from May

2008-06-14T05:55:00.000-07:00

We also took a much needed vacation to Panama City. We had two main reasons for going (other than visiting with family): Kim Wilkes’s wedding (she is Andrea’s best friend Kelly’s younger sister) in Ft. Walton, and John’s niece, Kelly’s, high school graduation ceremony. It was a busy 4 days with these adventures with McCarthys and Rocheforts:
Celebrating John’s nephew, Dylan’s, 14th birthday
Hanging out with John’s sister (Charline)’s family (Alexis Jr. is so cute, and she’s expecting another angel in August).
Going on a boat ride with Andrea’s Mom and Dad, exploring St. Andrew’s Bay
Visiting with our good friend Phillip McKay and his family (John and I met at his house 8 years ago!)
Bowling with John’s sister (Darline)’s family
Attending the Kelly’s graduation party at Kathy (John’s youngest sister) and Joe’s house
Whew!! Oh, and John rented a trailer to bring home his baby: his ’66 Shelby Mustang (after 2 long years of being away from it).
Sooo…Andrea’s car is officially kicked out of the nice garage (one of the main reasons we wanted to buy a house)! Oh well….

Here’s some pics!!

June 14, 2008

2008-06-14T05:15:00.000-07:00

Wow! The past few weeks certainly have been busy! Here's a few things we've been up to:

On Mother's Day I went over to my Aunt and Uncle's house because the McMullens always have a Mother's Day get together. I got to meet my cousin Tobi's baby, Tully, for the first time. He was 8 weeks early, but healthy and cute as anything now! No pics of him and I, but here he is with Mamaw, and here is Papaw playing with Amery (Tobi and Adam's first little one).

Super Fun Summer!

2008-05-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

Our "Super Fun Summer", as John puts it, has kicked into high gear. John's been golfing, fishing, and mountain bike riding on his days off, now that he's finished with school (YAY, Congrats John!) And I've been trying to have as much fun as possible on my weekends and sneaking in days off during the week whenever possible! My cousins Heather and Anna, from Tennessee, visited recently with their husbands, we had a great time on Uncle Moe's boat and cooking out at our house. John went to the Obama rally at the St. Pete Times Forum yesterday and is getting even more excited about the upcoming Prez. election!
We're leaving to go to Panama on Friday to continue our super fun-ness. Going to another wedding on Saturday (my best friend Kelly's younger sister's), then celebrating our neice Kelly's high school graduation (good lord that makes us feel old), and sunning by the pool or at the beach.
I forget sometimes that life needs to be a happy balance of work and fun... and doing what makes you happy. With all the budget cuts and layoffs at the University, it makes me really realize that maybe it's happening for a reason, and that I have other options in life other than not living it to its fullest (i.e., sitting in a windowless office with florescent lights for 8 hours).
So, therefore I'm going to try to LIVE IT UP and not let people or things get to me! Life's waaay too short, right? Happy Thursday, A.

2008-05-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

Weddings, weddings, more weddings

2008-05-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

We were invited to a few weddings in May. One was for my ex-supervisor at work, Christie. Her and her partner, Charlotte, were married in Vermont, and had a reception here in Tampa at the Westin Harbour Island. It was very lovely. Great decorations, food, and music to dance to. There were several people from my work that attended, including my good friend Dani and her husband Tyson, and Maureen and her husband Nick. Good times had by all!

Another wedding was that of Erik and Lauren Beach, who are friends of our friend Jesse (used to be in the Army with John) and Jesse's sister Danielle and soon to be brother-in-law Richard. Erik and Lauren live here in Tampa and we're looking forward to hanging out with them more often. Their wedding was held at the Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg, and the reception was held at the Vinoy's Sunset Ballroom on Snell Island. Gorgeous and decadent! There was a cocktail hour poolside on the deck, followed by a wonderful sit down dinner, then great speeches and fun music. John and I danced the night away! I love weddings and just seeing people in love, no matter what their preference ;) And I'm getting great use out of my bridesmaid's dress (thanks Kelly!)

Some recent events

2008-05-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

My friend Brooke and I went to a Tim McGraw concert (for free!), with Jason Aldean opening. I'm pretty much open to all kinds of music, and country and I definitely have a background (being from the Panhandle of Florida and all). I just don't like it if it's too "twangy." An old classmate of mine from high school went to Nashville to pursue his dream of making it big in music. He eventually got to play guitar in Jason Aldean's band (who was an upcoming star himself)...now he's also toured with LeeAnn Rimes and Gretchen Wilson. So it was fun seeing Jason Aldean, a rising star. John likes his song "Amarillo Sky." He currently has a song out on the radio in which he mentions going down to the "Panama strip" with his friends :) Brooke and I had a great time singing along...one of her favorites was a song Tim sings about soldiers sending letters home to their families. And of course, there was the favorite "I had a barbeque stain on my white T-shirt, she was killin me in that miniskirt...." and "I'm an Indian outlaw, half Cherokee Choctaw, my baby's she's a Chippewa, she's a one of a kind...Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe, so proud to live, so proud to die!" Haha, yeah, there were definitely people with the cowboy hats and boots in the crowd!

We're jumping on the Blog-wagon!

2008-05-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
I had the idea to start a web page for John and I so that it would be a shared place where our close friends and family members (our very large families) could go to in order to get updated on our lives and see pictures. In case you're not familiar with blogging, it's like a journal you can update either daily or just whenever you feel like expressing yourself. I'm not much of a phone person for some reason (yeah, not very girl-y right?), but I'm pretty good at computer communciation! So, check in when you want and get informed!
Peace and love,
Andrea