Okay, So This Might Qualify As My Favorite Gift Not From My Husband

Seriously, I just got one of the best gifts ever – from my little brother & my new younger sister.

One – two coffee cups with saucers from Starbucks (purple with hearts)

Two – Wooden Cross with a beautiful quote about “Sister”

Three – a cute hot pink leather gift card holder with a Starbucks giftcard!

Four – a cute hot pink leather keychain that opens up to reveal two photos – one of me and Jeff from their wedding and one with me, Warren & Rachel from the wedding.

I was so excited opening this gift piece by piece – the cups and saucers were each wrapped separately.

I have the BEST family!

Thank you, Warren & Rachel!!

So, A Funny Thing Happened Yesterday…

I was in my freshman-level math course (yes, freshman level – that is its own story) taking a “team” quiz.  I hate team quizzes.  Just let me take the stupid quiz and leave.  No, a team quiz is where you have a partner and regardless, you aren’t supposed to turn in your quiz until the time limit is up – even if you finish 20 minutes early.

Anyway, so I’m paired up with a girl named Shea.  She’s cute.  We talked to the TA, Matt, before the quiz started so I knew that she was from upstate New York, but had been in the Richmond area since elementary school.  So, we take our quiz.  As we start our quiz she says how much she hates team quizzes – right on!  We agree.  So we both do the work and just check our work against each other – that’s the same thing, right?

We finish early and so we’re sitting there talking quietly.  She heard that I was graduating this summer and wanted to know what my degree would be in.  When I said math she inquired as to why I, a senior, am in a freshman math class.  After that story she asked if I had been at VCU the whole time.  No, I went to Sarge (a community college) for 8 years prior – yes, it took me 8 years to get a 2-year degree.

Then she asks, “How old are you?”  I tell her that I’m 29.  “Wow!”  She says, “You don’t look 29.”  I tell her I have good genes and that I am thankful for them.  Then she says, “People don’t think that I’m as old as I am either.”  So I say, “Well, how old are you?”

Here it is, folks…the kicker…

“I’m 19”. 

AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!  I’m a full TEN YEARS older than my math quiz partner!

Now, if you know me you know that I am not freaked out by aging, getting older, being a year from 30, etc, etc, etc…but in this one moment the panic of aging set in – just for a moment.  Then, it became hysterical.

I am TEN YEARS older than my quiz partner – man, I’m getting old.

Well, My Birthday was WONDERFUL!!!

We left on Friday afternoon and went to Jay & Mo’s to meet up with them.  After dropping Ronnie off at the Richmond Airport, we hit the road – one car for Jay & Jeff and one car for Mo & me.  We had dinner in Newport News at Don Pablo’s – one of Melissa’s favorite restaurants which has quickly climbed to the top of my list.  If you know me – you know I love my mexican food!

We got to my Granny & Aunt Evie’s around 8:30, settled in, and played cards with them.  We played Shang-Hi Rummy until about 12:30 or so.  The four of us were beat!  Apparently, Granny & Aunt Evie stayed up even later.

Saturday started with a hearty breakfast of french toast, cinnamon rolls, sausage, and bacon!  Yum!  Carla came over to give my my birthday present since it was for me to use on Saturday – two tickets to the Virginia Living Museum!  After we’d all gotten ready to go, we headed over to the museum and had a great time!  I’ll have a few pictures eventually, but I forgot our digital camera, so I have to get them developed and put onto c.d.  Ugh!  They had the coolest thing – a turtle shell (with legs) that you could crawl into and become a turtle.  Well, you know I was all up in that!  It was a tight fit, but so cool.  The outdoor nature loop, complete with animals, was freezing, but we did it anyway and really enjoyed all the animals – including two ducks “walking on the water” a la Jesus.  (yes, we know they were on ice!)

After the museum, we went over to the Peninsula SPCA to see the big cats and petting zoo.  Most of the big cats were in their houses – again, it was cold – but we saw the bob cats, one of the leopards, and plenty of sheep, goats, and chickens to play with.  I even petted a llama!  It was fun & for a good cause – there is a small fee that goes to support the SPCA.  After a short trip into the cat room (the lady said they’d gotten kittens and Jeff decided it was time to go), we headed to lunch at Fazoli’s.  Now, let me clarify.  I told the lady we had four cats at home and we would not be taking anyone home with us today.  Jeff, upon hearing the word “kittens” said, “We gotta get out of here.”  He’s a sucker for babies!!

After lunch it was back to Granny & Aunt Evie’s for naps, reading, watching t.v., and for me – looking through old photo albums.  They never get old to look at.  Mo joined me after a bit and had fun seeing mom & Carla as kids as well as all my goofy Halloween costumes as a kid.  It was good fun.  Then, it was time to play some cards again.  Mo, Granny, Carla sat down to play.  At about 4:00, the doorbell rang.  Carla said she’d get it since it was probably Mike.  NOPE!  It was My MOM and DAD!  They’d come to surprise me for dinner!  After a heaping helping of Aunt Evie’s Chicken ‘n’ Dumplins, we moved onto birthday cards, songs, and cake for me and daddy.

Mom, Dad, Jay & Melissa all left after dinner (boo hoo) and Jeff and I settled in for a quiet evening.  Acutally, he watched t.v. with my cousin, Hailey, and I sat in the kitchen and talked to Granny and Carla.  After Carla and Hay went home, Jeff, Granny, Evie, and me sat around the table and played three more rounds of Shang-Hi Rummy.  It was good fun.

Sunday morning we got up and got ready for church.  We attended the early service with Granny & Aunt Evie at Northside Christian Church.  It was really nice with a nice surprise.  An old family friend was there to do special music!  It was wonderful to hear him sing again!  After church we headed home to recoup and prepare for yet another busy week.

*Monday brought me flowers from the Amos’ and cookies from Ginny!  My birthday just keeps going…

This friday wraps up my birthday/Valentines with a trip to see Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus!!!  Jeff got me AWESOME seats.  You can be sure you’ll be seeing pictures from that!!!

Thanks for all of my birthday wishes!  It was a great weekend!

Happy Birthday to me!

Happy Birthday to me!

I can’t believe I’m one year away from

30!!!!

Happy Birthday to me!!!

It’s my birthday so I can post whatever I want, right?

Hope all is well with everyone who actually reads this thing (like Gilley).

For those of you younger – there is nothing wrong with 29.  I’m going to have a great weekend away at my grandmothers with Jeff and a couple of friends.  We’re going to the Virginia Living Museum (http://www.thevlm.org/) and the Peninsula SPCA(http://www.peninsulaspca.com/contact.html), which happens to have a small zoo and petting farm.  My granddad took Warren and I to this SPCA when we were little to see the big cats and pet the farm animals.  It was one of my favorite places in the world.  Right before Warren’s wedding, I figured out where in Newport News it is so I’m dragging my hubby and friends there with me.

Look out 30, here I come!!!

You have to check this out:

This is my favorite airplane landing I’ve ever taken.  Granted, this is not video we took ourselves, but we’ve experienced this just the same – maybe on a bigger plane.  This landing means that you’ve made it to St.Thomas.  You’re going to step out of the plane directly into the sunshine.  You walk down the steps, go through security, find a taxi, ride to the ferry, and continue across the beautiful water to St. John.  Beautiful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_BIV4DcdSw

At the moment I’m posting this, it is 81 degrees and sunny in Cruz Bay, St. John. 

I’m ready to go…

http://www.gotostjohn.com/live/index.htm

 It took until right before I graduate, but

I officially have a MySpace page!

http://www.myspace.com/elcronin

Check it out!

In other news…

My hair is long enough to cut & donate to Locks of Love.  I’ll be going through with this feat near the end of February in honor of Charlotte Rich’s birthday.  Shh…it is a secret from Charlotte!!

Check it out (ignore the reflection of the flash off the tile):

So, School Has Started…

School at VCU started this week and I am really enjoying my classes so far.  It looks like I’m going to graduate in August – finally.  Hopefully I’ll be able to get my last two classes in around my work schedule this summer.  It may be REALLY hard!  I may be pulling my work hours at night and on the weekends.  My boss is going to L-O-V-E that!

So, I am retaking TEDU 562, “Reading to Learn in the Content Areas”.  Last semester was lethal with a teacher who does not like having math majors in her class.  I’m a math major.  Around Thanksgiving, I realized I wasn’t going to get out alive.  I had two options: Take an incomplete and resubmit every assignment that hadn’t lived up to her literary background, or take fail and take it again.  Against all better advise, I took my second option.  Because it is a 500-level course it will stay on my record.  Hopefully getting a better grade this semester will help support my “bad semester” theory.

Jeff and I will be married 8 months on Saturday.  Pretty cool, eh?  I think so.  I really enjoy being married to him.  He makes me laugh so hard at the oddest things and times.  And about things that no one else will find funny.  He’s really my best friend.  That’s so nice!

Speaking of best friends…Jay, Mo, Jeff, Me & Ronnie went to IKEA this past Saturday to buy big house stuff.  We’re gonna do it again when we’re both ready to do our kitchens.  It was a trip.  Ronnie is really blending happily into our “group”.  On the way up, we were listening and singing to the radio.  Apparently, Ronnie and Mo dance in the car all the time.  Since Jay was driving and Jeff had shot-gun, I got to participate.  It was a blast.  We were grooving away behind the “men”.  Not that Ronnie isn’t a man, but he really blends well with Mo and I.  We can be really silly and goofy and he plays right along.

For those of you who don’t know…Ronnie is a friend of Jay & Mo’s from Cincinnati.  He was hit by a car nearly two years(?) ago – run over actually – right after Jay & Mo moved here.  He has been like Mo’s “family” for quite a while, so they really stepped up to care for him.  Eventually it was decided that Ronnie needed a break from life in Cincinnati and where better to take that break than with Jay & Mo here in Richmond.  None of us knew Ronnie, but we’d all be praying for him since his accident.  I joke often that we couldn’t remember life without Jay & Mo.  I now feel that way about Ronnie.

Friends rock.  I have good ones.  How about you?

President Ford’s Funeral

I love historical events.  A president’s funeral is no exception.  I sat and watched CNN for an hour straight on Saturday just watching the mourners pour past President Ford’s casket in the Capitol building.  I did the same during Reagan’s time lying in state.  I wish I could’ve have gone, but it has not been feasible either time.  Poor Rachel and Warren returned to my house Saturday evening only to watch the re-airing of VP Cheney’s remarks for the service at the Capitol.

This morning was the state funeral.  I did not get to see near as much as I wanted to, as I had a meeting at 11:00.  I was born in 1978 so Ford’s time as president did not have a direct effect on me.  I’ve only known him from my history classes – most of which I have narrowly escaped from with a grade of a C.  I’m not good at History.  Dates, places, times and names do not go anywhere logically within my brain allowing me to recall them in proper arrangement.  I have, however, always been intrigued by Ford.

I enjoyed reading about how he handled being President and have always enjoyed hearing the stories about his children.  The past week has been full of touching moments looking back over his life and the photographs of he and his family during that time. 

Only one moment brought me to tears.  It occurred this morning.  They removed his body from the Capitol and placed it in the hearse to carry it to the National Cathedral.  From there, the procession travelled past the White House and to the Cathedral.  There were many moments along this way that moved various people, but the one that got me best was when our current President, W, escorted Former First Lady Betty Ford into the Cathedral.

President Bush had Mrs. Ford’s left hand in the crook of his right arm.  I immediately thought of a wedding.  Though they had not yet brought in President Ford’s casket, all I could think was, “One day, 59 years ago, Mrs. Ford walked down a similar aisle, perhaps on the arm of her father just as she holds the arm of President Bush.  That walk down the aisle led her to marry the man of her dreams.  This walk leads her to say good-bye to him.”  I immediately began to weep. 

   Maybe it is all the wedding exposure I have had this year.  On May 20, I walked down the aisle of my church holding my daddy’s arm.  At the end of my aisle was Jeff Cronin.  What an incredible journey that walk was!  I was so excited about the long married life that we had before us.  On October 7, Rachel Ledbetter walked down a long aisle on the arm of her daddy to marry my baby brother.  I couldn’t contain my emotions.  It was so surreal.  That walk that a girl takes down that aisle to marry a man begins an even greater journey that often ends in nearly the same way – a long walk down an aisle to your groom, but this time he is gone…

It took me several moments to compose myself.  I know that the symbolism would be even greater if his casket was already up front, at the end of that aisle, but the thought is still the same.  I cannot imagine taking that final walk down the aisle to my groom – nor do I want to.  Today, however, made me think of that moment that lies someday in my future.  Hopefully far away in my future.

Will I have as much grace as Mrs. Ford?  Will have as much composure?  At this point in life, all I can think is “No”.  I wept in the hallway before walking down my wedding aisle.  I wept in the middle of my vows.  I admire these great women – these wives of our Presidents – for the examples of composure and grace they set for us even after they leave the office.

Rest in Peace Gerald R. Ford.  May God take care of your widow…

That’s Right Folks, My Christmas Vacation Has Begun!

What to do?  What to do?

Oh – I have a list…

1. Make Curtains for Living Room

2. Paint

3. SLEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That’s right – I can’t wait to start my time at home.  I’ll clean, I’ll sew, I’ll decorate and I’ll NAP!  Napping is something I have loved to do since I was in high school.  I perfected the art as a freshman at Roanoke Bible College (www.roanokebible.edu) where I would sleep for HOURS on Sundays.  I’d get up, attend church at Towne South where I was a member of the praise team, eat lunch with the Leases or the Woolards (friends from childhood), and then

S-L-E-E-P

the day away.  It was wonderful.  I still nap when I can.  Sometimes when I’m not feeling well or I’m feeling depressed, I’ll call in late to work when Jeff leaves for work and then take a nap.  One day, I called my boss to let her know I was feeling pretty crappy.  I was planning on just resting for 30 minutes before getting up and heading out the door.  I slept for FOUR HOURS!

Warren and Rachel will be here in a week!  Well, let me qualify that – they’ll be at my grandmothers in a week.  They’ll be here, in my house, a week from tomorrow.  It’s going to be so much fun.  I even got to pick out a new living room rug that will be down before they arrive!  Yea for progress on the house.  I’ll try to update over the next two weeks while I’m at home, but I make no promises.  I plan to be very busy getting ready for and the hosting my brother and his wife (still a little odd to say).

Have a wonderful holiday!!!!

So I went to Cincinnati with Melissa for the Milford High School Annual Craft Show.  It was such a fun trip!  Well…after we actually started to drive TOWARD Cincinnati!!

We left my house at 4:30 a.m. and started on our way to Cincinnati!  Now, this story is not yet funny to Mo so do not pick on her about it.  It has been funny to me since the very moment it occurred!  Remember – I have NEVER driven to Cincinnati or anywhere near it, so I have no clue what the path would be.  We stopped in Waynesboro for Starbucks about 6 a.m. and then got back on the road.  Between our talking and storytelling – we missed the exit to get back onto 64 West.  I didn’t even know we were supposed to take that exit or I might have helped catch our mistake more quickly.

We didn’t realize what had happened until we got to VA Tech and Mo realized she’d never seen the sign at VT before.  Seeing the Radford sign didn’t ring any bells either.  We called Jay and realized we were WAY off course.  This was not a huge tragedy – we took 77 North up through W.VA to Beckley where we got back on track.

At NOON, Melissa said “We’re almost there!” and we probably were in her mind – we were past the midway point if we had taken the right roads.  Two and a half HOURS later, we pulled into her parent’s driveway.  We ate dinner at the Chinese Buffett and hung out with her parents that night.

Saturday brought about breakfast at Panera Bread and shopping at Milford High’s Annual Craft Show.  Milford is where Jay & Melissa graduated from.  It was a fun day, albeit exhausting, and I found some great goodies for people’s Christmas. 

I also brought a cute little snowman sign that says “The Cronins” and “EST. 2006”.  Jeff says that’s a jinx, but I don’t believe in jinxes and I certainly have more faith in our committment than that!  Lunch was at Frisch’s Big Boy then home for a much needed NAP.

Saturday night we went to church at Eastside Christian Church (so cool) and then met Ronnie at Chipotle for dinner.  After a few games (6) of Sequence and a tied score, it was off to bed.

We went out to breakfast with Mo’s mom and dad Sunday morning then got on road at 9:30 a.m.  We took all the right interstates and pulled into my driveway at 6:00.

What a weekend!!!!  It was so much fun and I can’t wait to go back with all four of us – Jay, Mo, Jeff and me – so that we can hit some more hot spots and see where they used to hang out as teens and in college!  We are so blessed to have such great friends!!!

More pictures on my photo site – link on left!!