Hello again. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!! Busy weeks have past. Hopefully the invits will be in the mail on Tuesday. Don't hold your breath yet. Seems like "life" keeps getting in the way of sitting down and getting them addressed.

David seems to like it at Omaha Steaks. We will see in the month of Dec when he works 7 nights per week, up to 12 hour shifts as it gets closer to Christmas. We got some of my furniture moved. Well, two pieces. We still have to move out a love seat from here to bring in a recliner my kids insist I removed from the house in Council Bluffs. No problem, it looks nice, (yes a recliner that looks nice) and IT IS COMFORTABLE. LOL.

Ask David about me typing this blog. He loves to take the wireless mouse and then start moving it all over the screen while I'm trying to type. He makes me think I've done something to mess up the computer.

What's new this week. Shawn is "home" for the Thanksgiving break. The boys went to Shannons' in laws, while David joined me at my brothers' house. The boys were invited, but opted out at the last minute. Their loss. We had fun playing darts and pool. And of course the razing of each other and all the Thanksgiving jokes. Both David and I had to call it an early night, as we both worked today. I have to work tomorrow. David gets to "work" around the house. Hopefully next year we can have both families all together. I really thing they will all get along and have a good time together. Shane decided landscaping wasn't for him, and quit working for my brother. No he does not have another job. "Todays teenagers, well 20 somethings." Thinks money grows on trees, and parents have deep full pockets. We have deep, holey empty pockets.

A wedding really isn't much work, but then you have to add 2 households are moving, (Davids' stuff to make room for mine coming in). Then you add 6 kids trials and tribulations to go with the rest of the activities, and it adds to stress.

I have been dress shopping, and YES, THIS IS A CASUAL WEDDING!!! I will be wearing a navy blue dress, and our Mom's are opting for slacks. David will be in a suit I believe, and he should be the only one. We will have our hands full just getting David's 3 boys and my one just to wear dress shirts. Just kidding. They have agreed already, now just to get them to actually do it. LOL. Don't forget the tennis shoes (COMFEY SHOES) for the party.

The weather has been fairly nice. But I'm sure going into Dec. winter will come. Especially Jan. 16th. Isn't that the way.....

I hear not everyone will be able to make it. Yes, I am disappointed, but I can understand. I just hope it won't be long before we all get to meet.

Well. I will close for tonight. Few hours sleep until morning alarm. It will sure be nice not having to travel between 2 houses every day (night).

Bless all, and have a safe week.

Love Anne and David.

Well, here it is a month later. Not much new. Kids are keeping us busy. They are always having one minor crisis after another. Shane is back in Bellevue, but his belongings are still in Chicago. My son Mike, lost his job, and because of the cost of living in Chicago, moved to St. Louis to move in with his best friend from junior high and high school. Job hunting has been slow, so since his best friend was coming to Des Moines IA for 1/2 a week, and then on to Council Bluffs to visit us, we convinced Mike to spend the week with us. Carol drove my car to Des Moines and back last Friday night after work to get Mike. She got back home in time for a 2 hour nap and then to work. To be kids again.......

David and I have started our pre-marital course with the minister. We had to take an assessment before starting. Every time the minister, Scott, brings up something that might be a concern, we (David and I) have already discussed the "pitfalls." We wonder what he is thinking when we have ready answers and explainations why......

David started at Omaha Steaks a week ago, it seems to be going well. We have our fingers crossed.

No new news on the wedding. I will have more next week on hotels. There are several within a 1/2 mile of each other, about 2 or 3 miles from the church.

We are hoping to have a pre wedding get together Friday night. More to come hopefully next week also.

Again the wedding is casual, so bring your tennis shoes for the reception.

Well, will close and hopefully update this next week. Looking forward to seeing/meeting everyone!!!!!

Anne

Introductions

Hello...
Well, I'm not into facebook, tweeting, or blogging, but I will try, so everyone can hear about the news in Nebraska territory.

My name is Anne, and well, hello. I am seriously crazy about David, and hope you can all make it to the wedding if you haven't heard by now.

Save the date!!! Jan. 16, 2010.

I was born in 1959, same as David, I am slightly older as I was born Feb. 6th, to his June 3rd. I have 2 brothers, (John Hickey and Bill Hickey) both in the Omaha, Council Bluffs area. I live smack dab in the middle of both of them. I have 6 nieces between the two of them. From 6th grade I believe to 27 years old. My mom just moved to Council Bluffs about 2 years ago.

I moved here to Council Bluffs 3 years ago, from the Chicago area. I was born in Wisconsin, moved to Indiana, Ohio, back to Wisconsin, to Illinois, then to Indiana again, before moving back to the Chicago area for about 20 years or so, then out here. Talk about thin threads, David and I were talking 2 weeks ago about where Lee's sisters lived and I almost (tried) to buy a house about 2 blocks from them about 14 years ago. I know the church David attended. The park where they had some events was almost across the street from the church I went to. I know the trailer park where his in-laws lived, as I went past it quite often going to the dentist, and various shopping trips. David and the boys remember going to a game park, Oddesey Fun Park, in Tinley Park, just happened to be where my son worked for 1 1/2 years. David and I remember being at "Great America" on the same weekend back in the first years it was open. (we remember the weekend as there was a terrible accident there)

I own a small 2 bedroom home, and my oldest Jessi (27) and youngest Carol (22) decided to move in with me in 2008. (Both were back in the Chicago/Milwaukee area. I moved out here with out the kids.) Mike my middle is in Chicago.

David and I met in person on Valentines Day in 2009. Yes, quick, but we have sooooo soooo much in common. We were going to wait at least until summer of 2010, but then Shane thought he was being deployed overseas, and Shay will be in boot camp by then, and we wanted everyone to be able to attend.

Most of our kids met each other over the summer, and well, David and I sit back and laugh every time they are together. We had dinner tonight at the local diner, and well, Shawn was home from school for the weekend, Shay, Carol and Jessi, 4 siblings if I ever saw any. Teasing, tormenting and making each other laugh. We had the waiter laughing with us.

I am 5 ft tall, so to Shay and Shane's 8 ft (well, from my advantage point they seem 8 ft tall), we have alot of laughs at that. I stand on a chair or on the stairs to talk to Shay and Shane.

I work full time as a customer service rep for Ford Motor Credit Co. helping everyone pay their car loans. To pay for the wedding I recently took a part time job working 15 to 20 hours a week at a local retail store in Bellevue. It is called Nobbies. We are basically the outlet store for "Oriental Trading Company". My passion for working happens to be cake decorating. I worked as a decorator for a few years in the Chicago area.

This year has been busy for both of us. But I'd never trade this year for anything. I thank God for meeting David and the kids. I wish we'd have more occasions to get together with Dave and Shannon and Julia.

David and I seem to have the same sense of humor, and both of us take our children as our first priority. David has made a tremendous impact on my two daughters lives already. I can't imagine what the future will hold. (My oldest is so shy she barely asks me for "help". Two months ago, Jessi didn't call me, but called David and asked HIM to drive her to the airport and to which flight should she take.) It is almost every time we get together the kids do something that just blows our minds away and melts our hearts.

Oh, careful coming into town. My brothers have decided they like David better, so if I don't go through with the wedding, they are keeping David and throwing me back in the lake. LOL. But they do mean it.

The wedding is VERY CASUAL DRESS. Please make sure you have your comfy clothes on. We are planning on several activities at the "party" so all will have fun. We are looking at having a video game, Guitar Hero, DDR, and a WII at the reception. David and I are looking at this more of a celebration than a formal wedding.

I will close for now. As soon as I do, I am sure I will think of something more to add. Life.

I pray all have safe travels and smooth roads every day, every adventure.

My heart to all.

Anne

Setting Up

Hey everyone, we are setting up a blog for our updates on our latest news. We set up this blog to let people know what is going on in our families and with the two of us. More to follow as things progress toward our marriage on 01/16/2010.