I have no idea why I'm signing up for 2 soccer teams....I must be crazy or something, since I haven't really played in years. And, on top of that, I'm working out with a trainer twice a week. So, if I do not see some serious results in a month or so, I'm gonna stop doing all exercise and just become a couch potato!

So, you might want to start praying for me now :) Also, side note, my resume will be going out next Monday....so while you're at it, pray for that, too! Please :)

Things are going well....I'm starting to get a bit anxious about the job thing, but I know things will work out. I really want/need a car, so I would like to get a job before doing that. It's annoying how one thing hinges on another! Oh well....for the moment, I'm chauffeured all over :) It's kinda nice...

We're off to Syracuse, NY, on Friday for a wedding and will get back on Saturday. I've never been there, so that's cool...in fact, I haven't been to NY since I was 12! Aaron is convinced that he's going to get me up on the dance floor, but he will be sorely disappointed! I hate dancing....especially at social functions like weddings! If he has no clue as to how stubborn I can be, he will witness it this Friday!

Til later, folks!

Second lighthouse we stopped at in Maine

HELLO!! I'm still here!

I know I've fallen off the face of the earth for most of you, and I apologize. It has been one busy month, which started the moment I stepped off the plane on June 12th. I decided to change the name and look of my blog, since the other one no longer applies :) I couldn't come up with anything catchier than what you see, but maybe I'll change it in the future.

So, where to begin?? I spent the first 9 days back in the U.S. going to Wal-Mart and Target to buy the things we needed/wanted for the apartment, as well as took care of all that pesky administrative crap (social security card, driver's license, bank account, etc). Then, just as we finished all of that, my sister and her family arrived to spend the last 2 weeks in the U.S. with us before they moved to Japan. We had a blast! My niece, Lucy, is an absolute doll and I really enjoyed spending so much time with her.

My sister and I really wanted to see our grandparents while she was here, and we didn't know if it would be possible. But we ended up deciding to go for the long drive to New Jersey to my aunt's house, where my grandparents were staying for a few days. Aaron was nice enough to drive all the way down and back...15 hours! It was soooo worth it, though!! I hadn't laughed that hard in a long time, and it was so great to see my dad's side of the family again. The last time I saw my grandparents was in 2002, and my aunts and uncles in 1998. So, a trip was WAY overdue! One of the many great memories while we were there: Sitting on the porch, listening to my uncle Doug play his guitar and sing until 11 pm. It was a beautiful night, and their house is 3 blocks from the beach, so there was a great breeze as well. We shared many laughs and had an awesome time :)

Grandma and Grandpa Butz

Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandparents, Sister and her family, me and Aaron....oh, and Cooper (dog)...Aaron's best friend while we were there :D

We got back to Boston the same day my brother, Tom, and his daughter, Madyson, flew in. We spent time relaxing, playing with the kids, and went to Maine for a day. Maine was awesome! We stopped at two lighthouses, which were both beautiful. Then we had to make a trip to one of my all time favorite stores, L.L. Bean :D I was in Heaven! The store is broken up into different buildings because it's so big, so I had fun wandering around and taking pictures ;)

I moved all my stuff from Switzerland using this handy L.L. Bean backpack ;)

My brother and Maddy

Madyson and Lucy, looking for something to get into

Backseat buddies

My dad flew in on the 4th (July), and we went to Old Sturbridge Village, which is about 45 minutes south of Framingham. They had a special fireworks evening in celebration of the 4th (America's independence day, for those of you who don't know ;) ), and we walked around the colonial village beforehand. It was actually a pretty cool place, even just to go there for the day and to see all the people dressed up in colonial costumes. Lucy was terrified of the fireworks, and Madyson watched in wonder with her tiny hands holding her cheeks...it was too cute.

Before the fireworks

The next few days we tackled the Boston Children's Museum and the New England Aquarium, and then headed into the North End for one big family dinner before everyone headed out the next day. The North End is the Italian quarter of Boston, and I really enjoyed walking around the area. It felt European, so whenever I get 'homesick' for Switzerland and Europe, I can just take a walk around certain quarters in Boston ;)

Check out their new Converse shoes I got them...adorable!

On the 8th, we all jumped in our planes - Amanda and her family to Osaka, Japan, and the rest of us to exotic Abilene, TX :D I introduced Aaron to a little of the Texas culture, although not much...I didn't want to scare him too badly ;) Next time we go, we'll have to go to a rodeo or something really Texan, like the Rattlesnake Roundup....although, I've never been to a rodeo in my life, and I hated the Rattlesnake Roundup!!

While we were there, Kim, Aaron and I made a trip to Dallas to meet an old roommate from my college days, Lacey. It was so much fun catching up with her, and meeting her 2 yr. old, Jackson. He is too cute! It did not feel like 8 years had gone by, especially since the last time we even talked was right before Kim and I moved to Dallas in 2001. Thank you, Facebook, for your awesomeness in connecting long lost friends :D We walked around the outlet mall for a few hours, laughing over some of our wacky and humorous moments from our college days.

Jackson, Lacey (who's looking awesome at 7 months pregnant!), me and Kim

The rest of the time in Abilene was spent mostly hanging out with family (my brother, Tom, and his family live there) and eating. I ate so much that I felt like I had gained 10 lbs in that one week...so I started going to the gym today and had my first workout training session with a personal trainer. I have never been as embarrassed about working out as I was today! He started me on upper body machines and weights, and by the time we made one full round of all 5 exercises, my arms were really shaky. Then he asked me to do a second round of all 5, which I made halfway through before I started feeling like I was going to hurl! So, I barely made it through the second round, after a 5 minute break!, and started on the cow bell. Ok, one thing you may want to know before you do this after taking a 7 year hiatus from working out: you do not feel the effects of the cow bell until you put it down. So, I'm working out pretty good on it, feeling awesome about my workout, when I finish and put it down. All of a sudden, the blood started rushing everywhere and I started seeing white spots all around me! Then I was sure I was going to hurl....so I sat down and just prayed that I would be able to walk out of the gym on my own two feet and not on a stretcher! The trainer suggested we stop for the day, and we got up and walked over to the other side of the gym to discuss nutrition. On the way over, it took everything in me to stand up straight and put one foot in front of the other without falling....my arms were complete jello and both my hamstrings started cramping the moment I got up to walk. Awesome, huh? I was so grateful to make it to the couch, but couldn't sit on it straight because I had no energy to turn my body before sitting! So I just fell into it and tried to calm myself down so I wouldn't throw up.

I have never had an experience like that before...in my life! I was so embarrassed, but I'm going back next week to see if I can work out for more than 15 minutes before almost passing out!

Ok, I know a gajillion of you have written me awesome emails, expecting answers in return. I promise that I will be caught up on all my emails by the end of this weekend! It's just been cra-zazy trying to get all my visits with family in, plus organize my life here. I hope you are all doing great and enjoying the summer, wherever you may be :) I miss you all!