Wow, once again it's been like forever since I posted a note on my blog, for many reasons I guess, most of which come down to being lazy, tired or really having nothing monumental to say that I would think others would like to see.

I also had not updated my little boy's blog in ages and have so much time to make up, and hopefully I can get his blog up to date before I forget all the milestone moments I had originally wanted to tell you all about.

I have started a new blog for a story I have been writing recently, but has been forming in my head for many years now. I have attempted to start this tale several times since, but scrapped them all...hoping that the next launch will be the one I like. Lately I have been inspired to write again, which has always been my lifelong dream...so feel free to check it out and please let me know if you like it, if it touches you, and if it does tell someone else...spread it around please.
Here is the link.....http://halrichardsjerseyrain.blogspot.com/

Please next year can we have a Happy Hanakah...

Last year we lost our Boy Joshie for what we thought was forever, right on Hanakah, thankfully we got him back for good shortly after New Years Day.

Today we lost our first cat Shadow, on Hanakah and needless to say we are not in the spirit of the holiday at all.

I'm so glad that this coming weekend we will be with our dearest friends to celebrate one last New Year's Eve together, and I'm sure there may even be tears then, but hopefully mostly laughs and lots of hugs, we certianly need it.

I hope the coming year is realitively event free in regards to pain, for we already know that two of our group will be moving away, and that will be hard enough to deal with, I look forward to happier events of course like watching our little boy perfect his walk, and of course start to talk in a language closer to our own, and I hope that next hanakah will be a sweet one filled only with happiness and smiles, as I said before we certianly need it.

My cat Shadow....I will miss you

We are going to put our cat down, this being the first pet I've had to be put to sleep....that sounds slightly nicer. When I grew up we had a Dog named Barly (Beth, Amy, Richard, Leah, Yank ((my dad's nickname from his hebrew name and NOTHING to do with that Baseball team)) ), but he was really my Sister's Dog, and I still remember my Dad on the day he was put down, it was merciful, but that does not really stop the tears. Maybe I was too young to appreciate this, but as most of you know, I am no longer young....some would even say I'm old.

I find myself getting choked up as I type here, hopeing to find some solace in getting this out, time will tell. I think back to some of the fun times we had with Shadow, and some of his unique habits, like sleeping in Karen's spooning, or him sitting above us and poking his nose into our heads to get us to pet him. Shadow was affecionate in his own way and on his own terms, but he was affecionate, and that is one of the things I'll remember.

Shadow has been sick for some time now, and no matter how many times we care for him, or medicate him, he is just not getting better. He has been with us for close to 10 out of his 11 years, he was our first child to us (any pet owner will understand this) and thinking of a day without him is not what I want, but he is suffering, in silence albiet, but suffering none the less and we must be merciful and he deserves to not suffer anymore. He tells us in his own way that he is not right, and sadly the meds are not helping. And still we can't help thinking that we should wait and see as we have done in the past. Our Vet tells us we are doing the right thing, but we keep searching for signs that he'll get better....

Yes, I knew that some day we would have to face this moment, and will have to again with our other 2 cats Beaner and Tigger, I just wish this day was not tomorrow. I wish I could be there to help Karen because I know her heart is breaking too, and I am her rock to hold her when she's upset and I will not be able to be here. I have many regrets in life, and sadly work is responsable for a second one now, but there is nothing we can do to change the fact that I have to work. (the first was when Karen had to have her surgery and I had to work to finish a time sensative job and could not be there until after the surgery was over, she insisted that I work, but that did not make me feel any better)

I am going to stop this post so I can spend some more time with him and Karen, and hold back my tears. I will let work take my mind off what is going to happen tomorrow, and come home and hug my wife for a very long time and hope that Little Joshie manages to bring her a smile while I'm away. I just imagine an empty bowl never to be filled again....

oh yeah Joshie has his own Blogger...I didn't have one untill I turned 38, heck he even has a T.V. and a DVD player, don't get me started on when I got those.... http://joshuaaaronschwartz.blogspot.com/

Ok Ok Ok I know It's been like forever.....

SOOOOOOOO much has happened since April in our lives.
Lets see...hmmmmmmm Karen and I are the same, cept maybe a few dreaded pounds on me. The cats are the same, still crying in the middle of the night for no apparent reason.....
Joshie, lets see, well Joshie had his surgery succesfully, he grew hair, more then me, got some teethies (that is the technical term for a baby's teeth) grew abit, learned to crawl,babbled words like dada dada then eventally mama mama, then learn to stand, and more recently started to walk (albiet like a drunk trying to pass a sobriety test, but much cuter) and of course there was the finalization of the adoption which made him ALL ours, and then there was that wonderful day he became One Year Old.....
Here are some pics over the past monthes.....

here are a few more....and here are a few more including the Joshie's first Halloween......

Marvin the paranoid android 

Darth Tater 

Things I love....ramdom thought stream.....

My Wife, for her kind heart and soul, for loving me truly even with all my faults, and more recently for being such a wonderful mommy

My Baby Boy Joshua, for coming into our lives, or his cute sweet smile and giggle, and for the little ball he scrunches up into when I take him up to bed every night. For making me a Daddy and for changing our lives

My Parents and Sisters, for everything I have become as an adult, for right and wrong for respect, for caring for sharing, for loving, for debating, for fun, for tears, for all that there is, for caring and support, for loving me as I am, while trying to make me a better man.

My friends, for their kind hearts and loving, for the things we like alike and the things we don't like alike, and even for things some like but others do not. For keeping us in the circle, for trusting us with their feelings, for being true and for all they do and have done for us, words can not tell them enough how grateful we are to have them in our lives.

these are a few of things that are rolling around in my head, there are so many more things I love like Rush, Flyers, Red Sox, Rams, Mt. Dew, reading, writing, video gaming, comics, my kitties, my cars, my home....the list goes on, but I needed to get these words out before they get lost, so that's all for now...take care, good day eh?

Joshie giving you "the Look" 

Life, being 40 , Joshie's surgery and everything.....

Well 40 has come and gone with little aprehension. My dear wife and friends through me a surprise party, which I had my suspicions was going to happen...Some would say I was a good detective, I would agree, but add my natural state of paranoia to that...but anyway, I had a wonderful time and got a beautiful Red Sox Jacket that is as they say in New England...."Wicked Cool" My loving wife also got me a subscription to MLB.TV so I can watch almost every baseball game this seaon on my computer (except blacked out games like Philly Home games...but being a Sox fan, no worries) I also treated myself to the brand spanking new PSP by Sony and it too is Wicked Cool.
I did not feel that anxiety that I felt at 30, and still don't, and maybe that's because of Little Joshua. Maybe since I'm a dad now, it's ok to be 40...really...heck I'm really looking forward to being 42...now that will be amazing (You'd have to know the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy to understand...see the movie April 29th...read the book...my favorite book of all time)

and since I mentioned the wee one with smiles, aka Joshua Aaron, the little boy had surgery this past week. He was born with a partial blockage to one of his kidneys, so they had to go in, drain the kidney and but a stint in to keep the opening....well...open and flowing at 100%. In four weeks the little boy will have the stint removed and hopefully all will be well and he'll never remember any of it. I have to give Karen the utmost of props for she has been with him night and day, and even stayed over at the hospital when he had his surgery. She is the one that has to deal with his pain and fussiness that comes with that all day. I just get a small dose when I come home from work to give her some minor relief from her mommy duties. I can not tell you how much I love her for the wonderful job she is doing with our little boy. I wish I could spend more time with him, but reality is what reality is and I have to work.

So life is moving forward, Baseball Season is upon us, the weather outside is getting pleasant, we made it through a hockey season that wasn't and survived, we made it through 40 and Joshie has made it through his surgery with smiles and laughing...and an occasional groan, when the the tylenol wears off.

Till next time....