The DeWitt Family - "www.charliedewitt.com" Frederick, MD

Yes!!! I am still here!

2011-10-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

Headed down to the Kennedy Center

Yes I know it has been over 2 months since I’ve updated myblog, and YES a lot has been going on. For my avid followers I have to apologize. Why has it taken so long? I don’t know. For the past 5 years or so I have beenwriting in this blog and Chris’s blog as a way of letting those people close tome know what was going on in our lives. There were many times when I would update every day. What I came to find out was that writing wasa way for me to get it out of my system. I have gone through a journey that I would wish on no one. It has been a long journey, a sorrowful journey, and now that I have come through theother side I find I no longer need to “let it all out” in words. To all my friends and my family, I am well,and consider myself to be a very blessed man.

Life has certainly had its ups and downs the past 5 yearsand I NEVER thought that I would ever recover from Chris’s loss. In fact, I was ready to just make sure thekids were set and ride out life as best I could. That all changed 2 years ago, when someone Idid not know reached out to me in a simple e-mail expressing the following: “Iwanted to wish you my best in your journey and hope you find new happiness inyour life.” Well, lo and behold, thatnew happiness did occur and did come from meeting this new friend. Heather and I have taken a chance meetingand made it into something that you would only read about in one of thoseromance novels!

My new home office.

So what’s been going on? The new house has taken a lot of work. Packing, moving, unpacking,and then multiply that times 2 houses! The hard stuff is done and now we are in decorating mode. Trying to get some color on some wallsbefore the holidays.

The kids are great. All 6 of them! Alex is doingwell. She has a full time job and owns herown condo. Not many 23-year olds can boast that. Tyler is attending classes at FCC, works atthe country club, and finds time to work in his shop. www.tcdwoodworks.com Check out some of his work. He’s been buying a lot heavy-duty tools tomake work a little bit easier.

Nickis doing very well at Syracuse University. Heather, Mike and Marian and I went up last weekend to visit him and gotto attend the SU/West VA football game. Very exciting. As I am fromSyracuse it actually brought back some fond memories.

Mike and Marian (M&M for short) are attending the samehigh school together. Marian is workingon/for the stage crew for the school play. That’s going to be taking up some of her spare time and Mike will begetting ready for the spring lacrosse season very soon. He’s adjusted pretty well so far to thetransition from private school back to public. He knows a great deal of people there and has made new friends to boot.

Ella is a vibrant, energetic, and extremely smart 7-yearold! What can I say, she makes everyday a happy one for me and for Heather. She has adjusted very quickly to her new school very close to the houseand is starting to make new friends in the neighborhood. Halloween is tomorrow night and she cannotwait!

Splashes of color!

Heather is very busy with the house and getting the kids to andfrom school and their events that they need to attend. She has decorated our new home with a perfect combination of things from herhome, my home, and new things to boot. It’s really a wonderful setting, and has made the transition for all ofthe kids a very easy one. They all getalong very well. No rivalries and a LOTof respect for one another.

Me? I’m busy beyondall get up. Work has been absolutelygreat. The company is wonderful anddoing very, very well. I manage a teamof professionals that support the Sales team in bringing in new business and weare doing very well. The companyholiday party is coming up in about 5 weeks and will be held at the Udvar-HazyCenter in VA. It is part of the Air andSpace Museum and houses many aircraft including a Concorde, SR-71, and Space Shuttle!!! It should be exciting! http://www.nasm.si.edu/spevents/uhcsites.cfm I travel a bit for work but not toomuch. Heather has gotten used to it now,but at the same time we both hate having to be away from one another.

I’ve done a lot of stuff around the house. Lot’s of things to hang on the walls!!! I also, had the time to put in a new builit-in desk complete with granite counter in my home office. The cabinets match those in the kitchen exactly. We also took the same approach up in the laundry room as well. In fact Tyler just added a coat of paint to it yesterday and it looks fabulous. The next 2 projects are a deck/patio and a bar in the basement. Not sure the priorities yet. Time is not on my side but both are badly needed.

Heather and I have committed to one another to make sure that she and I continue down the path that we did before our move. That includes some very much needed time away together. We went to 2 plays this past month. The first was South Pacific in Baltimore where we ended up spending the night and walking around Fells Point all day on Saturday. The other was Les Miserable at the Kennedy Center (5th Row). A spectacular show to a packed house in the opera house. I am not a musical guy but must say it was very entertaining. They sang the whole thing!!!! :)

So what's next? Well, the holidays are fast approaching and it will be a very special time for us this year in our new home together. Last year on Christmas eve I made a promise to Heather that we would not spend another one apart. I keep my promises. After the holidays, will be a new year. A new year for all of us and one that is very much looked forward too this time!!!

Sorry for the time between posts, I use Facebook and post many pictures and comments there so if you want to keep tabs on the day-to-day, just friend request me.

https://www.facebook.com/charles.dewitt

New Homeowners!!!

2011-08-14T18:32:00.000-07:00


Delivery Day!

Well we did it!!!!

We settled on our brand new home on Friday. It's been a whirlwind of activity for many months and it's getting even worse now.

We have to move 2 houses into 1! It's going to be worth it for sure. The kids are excited and Heather and I are looking forward to raising our families together. It will be exciting for sure.


Happy Homeowners

Hard to believe that this house went from nothing in the ground to delivery in just under 90 days! It is absolutely stunning and we welcome all visitors!!!

We are in the process now of moving in and that will certainly be a daunting task! However we know that we will prevail!!!

Today marks the beginning for both of us... a new beginning!!!!!

Almost Complete!

2011-07-29T01:18:00.000-07:00

Not quite complete....

Well it's 3:00 AM on a Friday. I woke up again in the middle of the night for no obvious reason. I took a look and of course I am 30 days since my last post to my blog.

Now many of you who know me realize that if I'm not posting then things are probably going pretty well. Well this is just the case. Work is great. After being promoted a couple of months back I've built up a very good team of employees who all help me support the Sales organization. Some are young and I like that. They are very ambitious. In fact, this past week I was working with a young intern from ASU in Arizona who was very, very good and was extremely helpful in getting out 2 RFPs this past week for a couple of very large clients!

Measuring the corn in back....

Tyler is working in his shop out in Middletown. A place where he has all of his tools and such and is busy making cornhole games as well as refinishing tables and making furniture. He enjoys it and makes a little bit of money doing it. He's also working part time at the golf course and for the Frederick Keys. His girlfriend has been traveling a lot this summer so he's had a lot of time on his hands. He is also registering for classes for the upcoming school year and will be attending Frederick Community College and staying at home while doing so.

Mike's been trying to keep busy this summer. He sleeps till noon, like every aspiring 16 year old teenager, gets up and then hangs with some friends on our street. He's keeping his nose clean and that's what matters at this point. He made a decision for the coming school year to not attend St. Johns. Instead he is going to go to Urbana High School which is only a mile from our new house. It's a good fit for him and he'll make new friends pretty quickly I'm sure. He knows several kids there already so that should not be a problem. He'll also have that luxury of walking to school each day! Good exercise for sure.

Kitchen with granite....

The big thing in the house is of course our new house, soon to become a home. I will be settling on my existing house on Aug 3. I will be renting back for a couple of weeks and will be settling on my new house on August 12th. We'll be moving in the following week in a slow methodical approach! No need to do it all in one day. The buyers of my house have actually purchased a lot of items (furniture, tractor etc) that they need so I am not going to have to move a lot of big things which will be great.

I've spent the last 4 weekends or so packing up things gradually. I'm not going to have a lot of time with work so it's best to do it early. The attic is done as is the storage room. Next step is pictures and the stuff laying around the house. It's been tough sometimes going through items that I haven't seen in 20 + years as well as having to go through a lot of Chris's collectibles. We've kept a good number of them but at the same time we've sold some and given her parents a lot of things as well. Packing is going smoothly and that's really good.


Ceramic in the kitchen

The house is coming along very well. It's been great going over there each week and seeing its progress. It is absolutely beautiful and Heather and I cannot wait to get it.   All of the upgrades we chose really make the house standout.   The location is just perfect for us as well. We've been very busy looking for new furnishings. New bedroom set, washer and dryer, family room furniture, and basement sectional just to name a few. It's amazing what needs to be done! We are in the home stretch and so very much looking forward to getting in.

The week after we move in Heather's son Nick is headed off to college. And I am happy and proud to say that he is headed to Syracuse University!!! Looks like I'll be making some trips back up to the great white north for the next 4 years!!! He's so excited and so are we. It's a wonderful chance for him and a new start for him as well.   He's going to do well.

And of course, Heather and I are doing very well.   The past 6 months or so have been a big change in our lives with me working more at my new job. Our time together has been reduced.   At the same time though it's brought us closer together and solidified our belief in one another.   We enjoy each others company so much. Our future is ours to make and we plan on making it the best we can.    Keep your browsers bookmarked to my blog.   Plenty more to come....

Tyler's Moment

2011-06-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

Well at the end of May Tyler was able to celebrate the next step in his life and that was his high school graduation.   It was very bitter sweet as any parent will attest to.   Great to see him mature and move on but yet sad to see him mature and move on.

Heather's son Nicholas also graduated with Tyler as well so we made it a big family event.   We all went out to dinner before the event up in Emmitsburg at the Carriage House Inn.   Great food and perfect location.   Only a couple miles to Mount Saint Mary's where they held the graduation.   Tyler's grandparents, along with Alex and her boyfriend Cory came, and Nick's Aunt and Uncle attended along with his sisters.    We had a nice evening albeit very crowded in the field house and very hot.

Our new house is well on it's way.   In only about 4 weeks we went from a hole in the ground to now they are putting the siding up and the drywall is already in!   Very exciting for all of us.   To say that we all cannot wait is just an understatement.    Rooms are up, cabinets and granite and tile is coming next.

The view out the back is spectacular. We see corn and lots of it! I keep joking that we'll make a corn maze this fall for halloween!   We'll charge a small fee of course to help pay the mortgage that month! :)


Kitchen and Morning room

Our houses are under contract and ready to close. Just waiting for the keys on the new one. Lot's to start packing and throwing out still but that's an ongoing work in progress.

As you know writing for my blog has been a tad bit difficult the last couple of months. I apologize for that but have been very busy with work, moving, my mom, etc. My mom was diagnosed about a month ago with Stage IV ovarian Cancer. She started chemo last week and has not tolerated it very well. She's 80 years old and quite frail to say the least. I flew out to Indiana last week and spent several days with her. Very tough as she was suffering from the side effects of her first treatment. Keep her in you prayers if you would.


We'll have a black tin roof over the porch and garage.

Moving up!

2011-06-09T18:43:00.000-07:00

Taken 6/7/2011

Well the house is just flying up! The entire house is framed up completely and the next thing to happen is the HVAC and plumbing.

I have a meeting at the site tomorrow at 8 to tell them where to put the wiring outlets for the TV and internet.

Sold it w/o putting it on the market!!!!

Things are looking up in this household! My house has a full asking price contract on it with no contingencies! I can stay up to the end of August too! Most like won't need that at all but nice to have the option.

House rising fast!

2011-06-02T13:56:00.001-07:00


10am

7pm


7pm morning room and fireplace

Picture taken June 2nd!

Memorial Day cometh!

2011-05-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

Foundation of our new house.

... and the days just keep flying by!!! Well it is hard to believe that Memorial Day is this coming Monday!!! The spring is flying by as is all of 2011. We've been very, very busy. We're cleaning out the house and getting ready to move. Hard to believe but yes move. Lot's of years, 14, here and finally the boys and I felt that it was time to move on so to speak. It's going to be a beautiful home for us and plenty of room to spread out! Hopefully sometime in early August will be our move date.


4th annual award

Last week I was honored to once again hand out the 4th annual Christine DeWitt Memorial Award for Marketing Excellence at the annual MD/DC Credit Union League. An award that is given out to not only honor Chris and carry on her legacy of marketing excellence but to also recognize the single credit union that carries on that dream and desire that she had. I'm very glad to be a part of the event that is for sure.

Michael's lacrosse season has come to an end. His team made it to the championship game and played at Towson University. The did lose but played well. School for him is over in just about 1 week. Tyler graduates this tuesday!!! Hard to believe. He wasn't even in school when we moved here and now he's graduating. Sad but true. He's attending the local community college for 2 years and then moving on to more exciting things I'm sure! He's also landed an internship (paid) with a master wood worker here in the Frederick area. 7am to 3pm 5 days a week!!! A real job. That'll keep him so busy this summer it will be crazy.

May 27th 2011

On a sad note, my mother who is 80 years old was just recently diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. It has spread to her liver. She starts chemo in about a week. I'm headed out to visit in another week or so, but please keep her in you prayers.

Heather and her kids are doing very well and thank you to everyone for asking about her. As with anything pertaining to the future, it is unknown. But what we do know is that we are going to ensure that we are both happy and that all of our children are happy and cared for as well. Happiness is a very important aspect of life and we've found that in one another.

Thank you!

Tyler's Passion

2011-04-28T13:25:00.000-07:00

Well Tyler has started to really take off with his woodworking abilities! He has his own website at www.tcdwoodworks.com He's taking orders!!! Here's a couple of pictures for you to enjoy...

Easter Already?

2011-04-26T06:23:00.000-07:00

Well Easter sort of snuck up on us pretty quickly....    This spring has been a rainy one for sure.   Sorry for the almost 2 months between my last post and this one.   I've been extremely busy. My new job has really been great for me. I've travelled a little bit here and there, and the boys have been great at home by themselves. When I'm in a pinch Heather, Nick, and Alex step up and help with rides for Michael which has allowed me to go on trips w/o any worries.   Not what I could have done 3 or 4 years ago.

Tyler has started his own woodshop at a friend's out building near home.   He took many of my tools from the garage to get himself started. I don't use them much and I know where to find them if I do.   He also started a website at tcdwoodworks.com where he's trying to sell some of his more exotic collections and show off his work.    He is hoping to get an apprenticeship at a woodworking shop this summer.   He's had communications with the owner and it may pan out.   It would be some great experience for him and it's something he enjoys doing.

He also is in his final weeks of high school as he is graduating on the day after Memorial Day. Hard to believe but he is.   He'll be taking classes this fall at the local community college and then we'll see where he ventures to from there.

Mike is working through classes at Saint John's Catholic Prep.   He is fully engulfed in lacrosse as well.   He's played in every JV game this year and for the most part has played the entire game. It is a good way to keep him focused on school and dedication to the work that needs to be done.     He will be going back in the fall as we've sent in our deposit.

For Easter Heather and her children spent the day with us and the weather was pretty nice out. We had an egg hunt for Ella in the backyard which she enjoyed tremendously.   It's fun watching a 7-year old w/o any cares or worries run around the backyard looking for candy filled eggs.   Makes me very envious!

We've been doing a lot of cleaning around the house.... big changes are coming and we've started upstairs and downstairs.   Getting rid of tons of clothes and items that are no longer used.

My new whip...

Oh, I did breakdown and get another car. My MDX was acting up so before I had to drop a ton of money into it I traded it in on a newer model Acura TL. I have a car again! You can see my RIT0001 tag displayed proudly!

Keep reading and and I'll do my best to add more when I can!

Spring Coming?

2011-03-06T05:40:00.000-08:00

OBX 2010

Summer seems like such a long time ago...   The weather here in MD has really taken it's toll on me this winter.   I stood on my deck yesterday and realized that I had not walked in the backyard since probably October!   It's been cold, snowy, rainy... you name it. And on those few days when it has been nice, I've been busy.

Busy at work for sure. It's a great thing really and I'm still adjusting to everything and everyone there. It's a great place and I'm lucky to have found it and been selected to be a part of their team.    I went on my 1st business trip this week. I went to Miami for a quick meeting. 85 degrees really jolted my system! Hence my flashbacks to the summer at Outter Banks. Great summer for sure. This summer not sure yet what we'll be doing but I'm thinking it'll involve boxes... More on that later.

March 1st came and that brings lacrosse.   Lacrosse season has begun. This year I will not be running the Spires Lacrosse program.   I will miss that a great deal. In retrospect it was that organization and the duty as President that helped me get through some pretty tough years.   The program continues to run well and I wish it the best success now and in the future.    I am still on the Board of Western Maryland Youth Lacrosse or WMYLC. We are the league that all the teams (200+) in our area play in. There's a lot to do and we've turned around a program that was having great difficulties to one that has been running smoothly for the past couple of years.

Michael has started his lacrosse season at Saint John's.   He has turned his grades around and will be on the team this spring. I think that the sport actually got him motivated finally and focused on the job at hand.   Tyler is wrapping up his high school career and will be graduating in late May! Hard to believe.   He started working at a pizza shop delivering pizzas a couple weeks ago. Not a lot of hours but it pays well and he doesn't deliver to any sketchy areas so I'm okay with that. Yesterday he started working at Holly Hills Country Club again.   He enjoys that and meeting with the members is great interaction for him.   He'll be attending the local community college this fall.

Heather's Parents a few summers back.

The last couple of weeks have been tough on Heather and her family. Her father passed away on Feb 14. He had been battling a brain tumor for over a year. Her family is very close and were by his side when he passed. That week was a whirlwind of activity and came to closure when they laid him to rest on the 19th... It brought back a lot of memories, some good and some not so good. I promised Heather I would be by her side the whole time and I'm glad that I was. I only knew Dick for about a year and only after he was diagnosed, but learned a lot about him during that short amount of time. I saw him on Saturday before he died and he and I spoke in detail about several things. I reassured him of some things and also made some promises to him that I will plan on upholding on my end. He was a good man and I personally will miss him as he accepted me into his family with an open mind and open arms.

Cha Cha Slide

2011-02-06T06:08:00.000-08:00

This is just a little Cha Cha Slide from the Sweetheart Ball!!!

So... who's still watching?

2011-02-05T06:01:00.000-08:00


Full House

Alright folks I'm sorry. It's been 6 weeks since I've updated my blog. If you are a regular follower then I have to apologize. If you are just stumbling by then no apology needed.

When we last left off.... oh yeah Christmas. Great Christmas this year. We spent the entire day with Heather and her kids. Had breakfast and presents at her home and then had dinner at my house. Alex's boyfriend, Cory, was in town and he was able to enjoy the day with us as well. It was really nice and ended with a very large game of Apples to Apples. Great group game that even Ella enjoyed playing.


Made by the Wood Whisperer

Tyler continues with his wood working skills.   He's made some very interesting thing recently, but most impressive was a wooden box he made for his girlfriend for Christmas.   He made the hinges out of wood and also put a mirror on the inside.   He's becoming quite handy....    We call him the "Wood Whisperer"!

The name of the game around here really has been WORK. I started my new job and have been very, very busy. I'm learning a lot of new things and doing very well. I go into the office 2 or 3 days a week and although it's a change from where I've been the last 14 years I enjoy it a lot.   The company is very generous with the employees with many nice furnishings and provide all sorts of food and drinks throughout the week.   In fact Panera comes in 2 times a week with a large assortment of their usual goodies.   I have not traveled any yet but that will soon start up again.   We are ready for it in the house and so am I.

We've done some fixup around the house. Alex's old bedroom was painted as was the kitchen and family room. Let's just say we're doing a little early spring clean up.Tyler had some days off of school and very kindly did that for us!   Such a good boy.


Ella leading the conga line!

Yesterday was a special ball for Ella's girl scout troop.   I was honored to be able to take her so she could be with her friends and we all had a great time.   We met some other kids for dinner before hand and then went on over.   She had a blast and as I put to the other parents there it was a lot like herding cats!

Well that's it for now.   We continue to live our lives and grow stronger each and every day.   This year will bring some dramatic changes with Tyler graduating, Alex moved out, me working a new job, there's just a lot happening.    I'll keep you posted.

PS!!! Don't call the house number any more.... It's been disconnected!!!!   I cancelled the home phone as we all have cell phones and all we got were solicitations.   Bye for now...

Christmas is upon us....

2010-12-23T14:38:00.000-08:00

Kitchen Before & After

Well it seems like the holidays are now right on top of us. It has been a VERY busy and hectic last month. To begin Alex was finally able to move into her newly updated condo. She/we had a lot of work to do in order to get it fully remodeled. New appliances, new ceramic floors, and best of all new granite counters have transformed her once drab condo into a new thing of beauty and contemporary style! She has officially left our house and moved in on her own. Her old bedroom is now totally empty and in dire need of a new paint job! That is next on our list of to-do's here at home.

December not only brings the holidays but it also brings with it many birthdays! Michael turned 15 on the 7th! Hard to believe. Heather's children also celebrated birthdays as well, Ella is now 7 and Nick turns the big one-eight today! We all went out on Mike's birthday to a Japanese Steak House and had the hibachi where they cook it front of you. It was nice and the kids all enjoyed it. Ella not so much but she was fun none the less!

Me? Well that's a new book. I was forced to look for new employment after I had been working with my current employer in a contract only basis for 9 months. It worked out well while I was doing it but I had to look out for my own interests and future so I decided to see what was available in the market. Well I don't know if I was lucky or if the moons lined up just right but I found a place in Reston, VA that was hiring new account executives. I applied and they called me back 2 days later and said they thought I would be better fit to another role they had in the Sales Engineering department. I was very qualified and jumped at the opportunity to get back into that role. After several calls, and a 4+ hour onsite interview with various execs I was offered the job. This all happened in about 1 week. In fact, my immediate boss is in Dallas and I only spoke with him on the phone.

Needless to say I accepted their very generous offer an started work on the 13th!!! I am a work-from-home employee, but I do have the ability to be in the office whenever needed as I'm about an hour away. They just move to brand new office space and are located in the Reston Town Center. The name of the company is Contact Solutions, Inc. My title is Solution Architect. I do a lot of client interaction and work with partners and sales people to sell our hosted-IVR solutions to large call centers.

The new job and the holidays have really taken it's toll on me as I'm really exhausted most nights. I think primarily the holidays with everything that needs to get done and all that really adds to it. In any event Christmas is in 2 days. We're all excited for some time off and relaxation. Merry Christmas to all my friends and followers....

Bicentennial Post!!!

2010-11-28T05:25:00.000-08:00


Kitchen during demolition

Yes this is my 200th post on this blog. I had 233 posts on the previous blog at www.christinedewitt.com so I am fast approaching that number...

Laundry room demo

Well I have been very, very busy recently!!! With working on Alex's condo and starting up my new job search I have really been strapped for time. On the condo front, Tyler has helped out as well when he has had the time and we are slowing knocking out some things to make it move-in ready. Here's a list of things we have done:

Removed all the old appliances
Removed the old hot water heater
Removed all the old vinyl floor in kitchen and laundry room
Laid down ceramic tiles in those 2 rooms
Installed/rewired new microwave
Installed dishwasher and stove
New toe kick and shoe molding in all rooms
New faucets in both baths
Rebuilt vanity in bathroom
New toilet in master bath
New ceiling lights
New outdoor motion light
Located various leaks to be fixed.

New floor and appliances in!!!

We have a few miscellaneous items to go. The new counters (granite) come in this week along with a new hot water heater. New Fridge and washer and dryer follow next week! It's going to look great!

Thanksgiving was different this year. For 20+ years we spent the holiday with Chris's family. The past 3 years the kids and I had packed up and went to Deep Creek Lake which was a nice getaway. This year, however, we were invited to spend the holiday with Heather's family down in Urbana, MD. We had a very nice time and had a chance to meet all of her immediate family including her Mom and Dad.

The week before Thanksgiving Heather and I went to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert in Washington, DC. It was a great show and I scored some really good seats too! Really puts you in the holiday spirit.

2010-11-19T16:03:00.000-08:00

Well She did it!!!! After a week's delay from the settlement, Alex settled on her condo today. She is now the very proud owner of a condo here in Spring Ridge where we currently live!!! It was a foreclosure so there were some things that had to be done with all the liens on the house and all that but that's over and it is time to move in!!!

Well really we have a lot of work to do on it. Primarily just the kitchen but a little bit of other stuff too. You won't recognize it when we're done and it begins tomorrow morning. Here is the before picture... More to come after that.

There will be a huge party once it is done!

Time Flies!

2010-11-10T13:50:00.000-08:00

Time flies especially when you're having fun! But I've been busy and that's why I haven't written anything in almost 30 days. To all my hardcore fans and followers "I am sorry"... but I do find it harder to find the time to write and really, it's hard to put things down on paper sometimes. But let me catch you up.

Firstly, Alex is moving out!!! Bitter sweet for sure. We happened to stumble across a listing here in Spring Ridge for a condo that she really liked. It was a bit out of her price range so she put a low offer in. It was turned down but no counter offer extended. Hmmm.. oh well. So we then were able to win a small bidding war for a foreclosure condo in the same location! Ended up getting that for a steal!!!! It had brand new carpet and paint all through it. It is 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Needs a few things and we plan on getting a new hot water heater, appliances, granite counters, and ceramic floor tiles in it as soon as we get the keys. She is supposed to settle this Friday. Should only take a week or 2 to do the work. I've got plenty of time on my hands now so I should have no problem getting to it! She's excited and did this all on her own. She is getting her very own mortgage with no assistance from anyone else! We're all very proud of her and she is as well.

A couple of weekends ago was our annual (now it is) fishing with morons trip! My good friend Danny started taking me and a bunch of other guys out on the Bay the fall after Chris passed away. We did it then and had a great time and have done it every year since. Here's a link to when we first started.

It was cold but we still caught some fish and had a great time together. It's a friendship that I cherish. These guys have been my friends through thick and thin and have stood by my side through it all. They would do anything for me and HAVE.

Heather and I had a very special evening a couple weeks back. Styx came to play in the Warner Theater in Washington DC. We did see a small snippet of them this summer at a concert with 2 other bands but this was all them and they played their Pieces of Eight, and Grand Illusion albums front to back just like you were playing them on a turntable! It was a great concert. Beforehand we went to dinner at Chef Geoff's which is right across the street from the Warner. The food was fantastic and we would certainly go back!

Oh yeah! Well Heather's daughter Ella is in the 1st grade and this year she had the option to do a Science fair project. Well once she knew that Mr. Charlie liked science she was all over it. She did something that compared how fast ice melted based it's shape. Lot's of fun and she got a blue ribbon too!!!!

25 years....

2010-10-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was the Frederick Pink Ribbon 5K race. This year Tyler decided to take a stab at it. He was pretty confident in himself before the race. His training consisted of 1 evening running through the neighborhood and then finding as much pink ribbon stuff that he could find. Note the pink socks and ribbon headband! Well the weather was wonderful that morning and he came through with flying colors!!! He finished on the top of his age bracket (15-20 year olds) and finished 17th overall out of 307 runners! He even had to stop and tie his shoes 2 times!!! Congratulations to him. We're all very proud of him.

The week before that Heather and I were able to get away to National Harbor in Washington, DC and saw the Cirque du Soleil show called OVO. It was absolutely phenomenal. Mainly because our seats were on the aisle in the 2nd row, front and center. Just a wonderful experience. We went early an walked around the area and had dinner at McCormick and Schmidts before the show.

Alex is in the final stages of hopefully buying her own home! We have a bid on a forclosure in our neighborhood and hopefully can come in on top! She's pre-approved for her mortgage already and we just need to get the right property. Fingers crossed.

Michael is no longer playing soccer. Very upsetting but his grades were starting to be impacted by the amount of work and he was not having time to finish homework. I had to say no more and we're now on a plan to get him back on track... I went to parent conferences last week as well as back to school night before that. He is doing very well and we look forward to the coming lacrosse season as well. The school is just a perfect fit for him.

A little update on the old ankle.   I finally had to see a doctor about it and an MRI showed that I have 2 partial tears on 2 tendons on the outside of my ankle.   It will heal but will take a bit of time. Time which is absolutely killing me.   I miss the activity of playing basketball and my body is feeling it. I'm not gaining weight but hope that I can keep it that way! I'll keep you posted on that!

We had a big, big yard sale a couple weeks back. REALLY cleaned out a lot of things in the house and attic.   The kids helped go through things and got to see some things that are a real blast from the past. Some of my old report cards and the like were a real conversation!

Lastly, this time of the year brings many dates about Chris that I have to face. The first year was horrible with her passing on 9/11 and then her birthday on 9/27.   Then on top of that one week later on October 5th is our wedding anniversary.   All of these dates have been very painful to see come and go, but with the healing process that I've been going through, the most recent ones were... shall we say bearable?   Really they've come and gone without too much havoc on the emotions.

This past October 5th was a little different. This would have been our 25th wedding anniversary. As I see many of my friends begin to celebrate their 25th anniversaries I find it very hard not to put this one aside. As with many couples we had plans to celebrate that special date that were never able to come to fruition.

But, life does have to move on. It does for the kids, and it certainly does for me as well. My life is turned around and is very good. It continues to get better each and every day. My future is bright and exciting! Time is the only obstacle now...       I leave you all with a wedding picture from 10/5/85... Thanks to everyone who has followed my blog and for giving me a reason to live.   If it were not for my blog and having an outlet I would not have been found and would not be anywhere where I am today.

Moving along...

2010-10-02T06:38:00.000-07:00

Well it's been pretty uneventful the last few weeks and hence not much to write about. As you know I've been pretty active this past year playing basketball and working out (some). Well 2 weeks ago I was playing here in my neighborhood and sprained my ankle very bad. It still plagues me today and although it is getting better it is taking way too long for me. I miss the activity and the my body is feeling it.

Heather, Alex and I took Ella to the Frederick County Fair a week back. She absolutely loved it.   I have not been to the fair in many years and must say seeing it through the eyes of a 6-year old is just great! Really makes you appreciate it. We did some games and rode some rides.   She also won 2 goldfish in the ping-pong ball toss game thanks to her Mom!!!

Last Saturday was the annual fall yard sale here in our development.   We decided to do it this fall and really dove into all of the things stored in the house.   We got rid of a lot of things that were in storage that really should not have been.     We narrowed it down and kept what was important to each one of us.   All four of us agreed on everything that was removed. That was nice.    At the same time we were able to look back on a lot of good memories from the past as well.

This past week Heather and I went to see OVO. A Cirque du Soleil show down at the National Harbor south of Washington DC.   I got her the tickets for her birthday.   The show was just spectacular and the fact that we had seats in row number TWO on the aisle made it even better.   We were front and center!!!

yard sale and Cirq8888888888888888888888

3 years past...

2010-09-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

This week was a roller coaster of emotions for me.    Firstly, Wednesday marked the 1 year date that Heather and I had coffee for the very first time.   We met again for coffee at Cafe Nola and talked about how both of our lives have changed for the better in the last 12-months.    There is a lot more to our future and it is just beginning. Hopefully the coming year will allow us to move forward in the direction and speed that we want. There are a lot of obstacles that we need to overcome, but I know that we have the desire to get there so we shall see...

So, of course that date was then immediately followed by 9/11. The 3rd year anniversary of Chris's passing from breast cancer.   Labor Day Monday usually is the beginning of "hell week" as I like to put it.   You can go back to my other blog and read all about it. It was a very long week that took it's toll on all of us.   Each year starting with Labor Day I can run through my mind what each and every day brought.   Up to and including the final days here at home.

Emotions were really built up inside of me this year. I came home late Friday night (9/10) and check my facebook page and of course people were posting well wishes and many started posting their own memories of Chris.   It really overwhelmed me knowing how many lives were touched by her and not just our immediate family.   I cried myself to sleep that night, more so than I have in a very, very long time.   It just needed to come out.

I woke up on Saturday morning at, you guessed it 6:30. The time of the morning that Chris passed away.   I've done this before and find it very ironic.   Alex had to go to downtown Frederick early in the morning.   I left the house right after she did. I stopped and bought some pink roses and took them to the cemetery and put them in a vase that I brought.   I bought pink to represent the breast cancer ribbon that we all have grown to know and support.   I have several friends that are battling this dreaded disease now and it pains me to see that it continues to reek havoc among many people's lives.   I spent about 30 mins at the grave site and simply had a good cry, but my tears were not just of sorrow and despair. They also were tears of joy and happiness.   I'm so very thankful for the time I had with Chris and the gift that she left me. Words that are so very special to me that I will never forget them. These words allowed me to pick myself up and start my life again and find new found happiness.

I spent the rest of the day in a "funk".   I came home and the boys decided to go off to downtown Frederick for the afternoon. It was quiet in the house.   I took my mind off of the day by stripping off the wall paper in my master bathroom.   A messy job but one that I've been waiting to do for weeks/years.   Heather dropped in to surprise me and check on me.   She was very concerned for me and wanted to see if I was doing okay.   Seeing her really helped perk me up, although it probably didn't show it.

After she left I just relaxed the rest of the afternoon.   After the kids all came home we eventually just built a bonfire in the backyard and the 4 of us cooked over the fire, had marshmallows and sat around enjoying one another's company.

It was a long day, but a day that will come each and every year.   I received so many messages and notes which made me feel so loved and cared for. To each and every one of you THANK YOU!   I am well, and I miss Chris with all my heart. Nothing will ever change that. I have been given a gift.   And that gift comes directly from her.   That gift is the chance to find joy and happiness again.

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-07T02:22:00.000-07:00

Heather and Ella Enjoying Cake

Well this weekend was full of BBQ's. Saturday the boys and I attended a family BBQ at Heather's sister's house. It was a beautiful day, albeit a tad bit breezy. We were able to meet and great a large number of her family members including her mother and father. There were lots of kids there of many different ages as well! Unfortunately, Alex didn't get a chance to go as she snuck off to Philadelphia for the weekend.


Ella and I in the Pool

Then on Sunday we turned around and went out to Annapolis to have another cook-out with our close friends out there. Danny and Brenda always have a bunch of folks over on Labor Day in a last of the summer bash. We had a great time swimming, eating, and getting in the hottub. As you can see Ella and I had a good time in the pool together as well!

If you are looking at this blog then you certainly know what this week is all about... A week that I don't like to remember, but yet will stay with me forever.... we work through it and with the help of loved ones and friends we get through and continue to move on.

Replacement Car

2010-09-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

Well we were finally able to unload the old Maxima. It was a good car but when ya need that much money put into you to stay road worthy then it's time to cut your losses and move on.

While looking through Craigslist I stumbled across a car that was recently taken away from an 83 year old woman. A 2004 Buick Regal with only 34,000 miles on it. We pounced at it as they were selling it way below book value. It's in fantastic shape and came with every option on the book! The original window sticker was with it and showed the price in 2004 at $28,000 !!! For a Buick! Ugh. After 2 hours at the MVA the car is on the road and Tyler is back at the helm!!

It's funny because back in early July I was able to find Heather's son Nick a used car. A 1992 Buick Regal from Buffalo, NY. It was taken from an old woman who recently went into a home. It had, get this, 30,000 miles on it!!!! 18 years and 30,000 miles!!!! It is immaculate condition and it too had the window sticker.... So now we're a 2-buick family!

Rains it Pours

2010-08-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

Well after 10 great years with our beloved Nissan Maxima it has finally bit the dust!!! Put a new alternator and air flow sensor in it and less than 1 week later the transmission crapped out!!!   So Ty's been without a car for about 2 weeks now... It really is not a good time as he's working and back in school at the same time.   So now, we're trying to get anything we can for it and find something else to replace it.   We shall see!

Sunday, Heather and I went to our good friends in Davidsonville, MD for an afternoon cookout.   It was really nice for us to sit and talk with friends that have really grown to know us together over the last year. Every time that we get together with them we have a better and better time together each time.   Summer is winding down so those outdoor picnics will hopefully be replaced by some good indoor ones soon!

2 weekends ago was my friend Danny's annual crab feast.   This was year number 26 and was a special year for us as Heather and her children came with us for the fun.   We all had a great time together and they all met a bunch of new people! It was a great day for crabs, and the pool and just a whole lot of fun! Alex continued the DeWitt family tradition and spent the night there this year!!

School is finally back in session. Tyler went back last week and Mike today. This is a picture of Michael being greeted by the principal when he arrived for school this morning. I left with a smile!

Mike is also playing.... soccer of all things! He played when he was 6 and never touched a ball since. He's doing really well on the running and agility and getting used to handling the ball. Played a bunch in last Friday's scrimmage. He really is enjoying the support that he gets from his teammates that are constantly encouraging him on. Here's a great picture of him trying to put a headder into the next last week...

3rd Annual Keys Game

2010-08-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

The Jumbo Tron in the outfield

Last weekend was the 3rd Annual Chris DeWitt Cancer Awareness Night at the Frederick Keys. They have done such a wonderful job with this each and every year. This year was no exception.

Ella getting her ball signed by Keyote

Tyler and I each threw out one of the "first" pitches. I spoke and said a few kind words of thanks at the beginning of the game as well. Attendance was just about 7,000 people!!! The 4th largest crowd this season.

The weather was in fact just perfect. I gave away about 60 tickets this year to friends and family. This year several new friends from Spring Ridge came to cheer us all on!!! It was a great event and having new friends in addition to all the old ones made the event even more special than it has been in the past. Many thanks to Dave Z at the Keys for all he's done for our family!!!

Fireworks capped off the night !

VACATION

2010-08-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

The dunes in KittyHawk

This year for vacation we kept it simple. They boys and I (Alex had to work) went to the Outer Banks in NC with our new friends. We had a great time, we really did! Everyone got along superbly! Of course ride down was not fun. It took us 12 HOURS to ride down. No really. 12 hours. We left early and it just took forever. After that, it was all vacation!

The weather was really pretty good for beach weather. Only rained on one day and it was hot. The house we rented was not too far from the beach and also had a swimming pool and hot tub for times we were tired of the beach. That was a nice addition to have.

The Painted Lady from 2000

We stayed on the far end of the island not far from the Corolla Lighthouse. It was not very far at all from the house we rented 10 years ago with our 3 close friends. That was our first trip there and I cannot believe that it was 10 years ago!!!!! Mike was only 4 then!! Alex was 12!!! Wesley is now MARRIED!!!

Nick Mike and Ty

This coming weekend we are preparing for the 3rd annual Chris DeWitt Cancer Awareness night at the Frederick, Keys. Lot's of people coming to this one!!! More on that next week.

Kids from our trip in 2000

The first of many...

2010-07-30T00:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend marked the beginning of something that will continue for a very long time. My very good friend Danny's son got married to his college sweetheart! He is the oldest of all the kids in our group of many friends and this is the very first wedding amongst all of them! The wedding was in Williamsburg, VA on the HOTTEST day of the year so far. 105 degrees! Even with that though, it went off without a hitch and we certainly had a nice time.

This coming weekend we are headed out on vacation ourselves. We're all headed down to the Outer Banks in North Carolina! It's been awhile since we've been there and the boys are really looking forward to it. Alex unfortunately has a big girl job and must stay home and work. She will be missed. We're leaving early Saturday morning and will be gone the entire week spending some quality time together!

Harder to post!!!

2010-07-21T07:47:00.000-07:00

Man it is really getting harder and harder to keep you up to date on what's happening in the DeWitt household! We've been busy to say the least. 4th of July came and went. We went downtown Frederick to see the fireworks at Baker Park. It was hot but once the sun went down it was nice. LOTS of people were there.

We took a little day trip out to to Deep Creek Lake a week or so ago. We went to all our old favorites and squeezed them in in just one day! We hit Swallow Falls, Herrington Manor, and the Honi Honi!!!!! The kids all had a great time, especially the side trip to Candy Land!!!

A trip to CandyLand!

This past weekend I went up to NY to play golf in the 4th annual Ryan McPhee Charity Classic! Drove up on Saturday with a couple of friends and flew back after a business side trip on Monday. We had a good time visiting Rich and his family as well as playing golf and raising money for Camp Good Days. It's a great charity that does wonders for kids that are impacted by cancer in their lives.

Anniversary, Dinner, and Awards

2010-06-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

Today was a very special day. We held a surprise anniversary party for Chris's parents for their 50th wedding anniversary! It was really nice as many of their local friends and relatives were there to celebrate this special occasion. I can remember when their 25th anniversary was back in 1985. It was right before I got married and all I could think was "god that's a long time to be married"!

Wednesday evening Heather and I spent a special evening away for dinner. She wanted to do something special for me for Father's day so we went to a great restaurant in DC called OYA. It is a very modern, cosmopolitan flair type place specializing in Japanese foods. It was great. We had some sushi and some lamb chops! Delish and many thanks for the recommendation. As you can see from the picture we decided to get ourselves all cleaned up and headed for the big city!!!! We make a good couple for sure!!!

Thursday, the boys and I attended the MD/DC Credit Union Annual Awards Ceremony and handed out the 3rd Annual Christine DeWitt Memorial Award for Marketing Excellence. An award created by the League of Credit Unions to remember Chris and to award one of the many credit unions in the are that excels in the area of marketing their product and name. Something that Chris was very good at. This year the award was given out at a luncheon of about 400 people!!!!

Concert

2010-06-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

Last night Heather and I went to Bistrow, VA and saw a concert! It was Kansas, Styx and Foreigner. All bands that I saw about 30 years ago!!! OMG that's a long time. It was her first real rock concert and she had a great time. The bands were really good and the seats were fantastic.

We got home pretty late and for 40-something year olds that can be pretty rough on the body!!!

I've been doing a lot of fix up work at Heather's house recently. Tyler, her son Nick, and I replaced and reworked all of the railings on her weathered deck. It looks much better now and is already for some paint or stain! That's the next job!
All-in-all things are going very well. Alex started a new job at a local credit union here in Frederick. She's a salaried employed with very good benefits! Great for her. She's excited and doing very, very well. Tyler and Mike are both done with school now. We're waiting on grades now. Tyler is working at Holly Hills Country Club and at the Frederick Keys. Both are part time and add up to some decent income for him. That should keep him busy for the summer. Mike is done and will be in NEED of some sort of job or community service so let me know if you need anything done!!!!

2 weeks ago Heather and her kids went with all of us to my friends in Annapolis. They had a pool party and we went. It was a great time, with great friends, and great weather.... Great opportunity for everyone to meet her children as well.

Lacrosse has finally come to a close for the spring season. We had our club picnic last friday and then we had the conference tournament on Sat/Sunday. It was an incredibly busy weekend to say the least. I have stepped down as president of Spires Lacrosse after serving for 4 years. It's been a very rewarding time for me and it has certainly helped me to get through the troubling times that I've had.

Oh yeah, last weekend I had the HONOR to take Heather's 6-year old to her daisy troops backyard campout! It was a very fun time. No rain and her daughter had a great time! She and I get along great and really enjoyed making s'mores and sitting around the fire. It was an early morning and I paid the price the next day but I'd do it again in a heartbeat....

Heather

2010-05-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

Well if you are an avid follower of this blog you already know that I have been dating someone since September of last year. She has become and integral part of my life as well as my children's lives. We have a great deal of things in common with one another, but at the same time have differences that make us laugh and smile.

Last Friday Heather attended an American Cancer Society Relay for Life event. She ran into the person that runs everything for this area. Her name is Laurie and as she was talking to Laurie she explained that she knew me. Laurie exclaimed "You're Her! " as she has been one of those avid followers! Realizing that I have not posted an official picture of Heather yet I thought after Laurie's meeting with her that I should do so.

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce everyone to her and have posted a beautiful portrait of her from last summer. Many of you have had the chance to meet her already and we continue to see friends out and about that have not yet met her.

Life is a very tough journey, filled with many highs and many lows throughout. I have seen the lows face-to-face and never thought that I would ever see a high again. Depression is a horrible thing to deal with. Finding Heather has taken me out of the bottomless pit that I was in and put me at the top of the mountain! Life is good once again. Thank you for everyone's well wishes and continued love and support of me, my family, and now Heather.

Bringing you up to speed...

2010-05-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

Well for the past 5 weeks or so I've spent a great deal of time dealing with lots of.... stuff! First, Alex was finishing up her final lacrosse season. Heather and I went to see her play on Saturday May 1st up in Williamsport. It was a hot day and we made the trip up and back. It was the last home game her her career so we really wanted to be there. They won that game and made it into the MAC conference playoffs for the 4th year in a row! A tough feet in that conference.

Alex had to attend a meeting at the Redskins on Monday the 3rd so she drove home on Sunday. On Tuesday I took her to her playoff game at Widener University in Philly. They won and then had to play Elizabethtown on Thurday. She went back with the team bus for the rest of the week.

Heather and I again drove up to watch the E-town game and they unfortunately lost. We stayed for the big tailgate. That was Alex's last career lacrosse game. Hard to believe that after almost 10 years of lacrosse it was finally over. It sort of hurts some but it was a wonderful thing to be a part of! 12 seniors have been a part of her career and a part of my life as well for the past 4 years and they will be sorely missed. These are the girls that stood by our family when we were in need. The entire team came to be with us in Sept. 2007 when Chris passed. A memory of support and caring that will never be forgotten. Thanks girls!!!

Alex's Graduation Day

2010-05-16T10:34:00.001-07:00

Well after 4 years and many, many trips up to Williamsport, PA Alex finally graduated last Sunday. Of course it was only fitting that she would graduate on Mother's Day.

The boys and I went up late on Saturday to spend the night there. They went out to a movie and I went to a local establishment with Alex and thousands of other students! We had fun and it was a nice chance to see all her friends before graduation.

The weather was cold but they held the event outside on the quad anyhow. I was glad they did. It was a very nice ceremony. They open the gates at the top of the quad one time a year for commencement and all the grads walk through and down the stairs. The stairs are marked with memorial bricks and of course Alex walked right over the brick that the Lacrosse Team purchased in honor of her mother a couple of years ago. Alex's grandparents and aunt attended as well and we had a nice brunch in the cafeteria beforehand. We then went out to see the brick before the start of graduation and well it was not too easy for me. It was a very emotional day to begin with and that made it even harder.

I cried like a baby when I dropped Alex off for her first day of college 4 years. It hit me hard. This time the tears were more of joy and excitement for her and her new found future! She is home now and has secured a job working for her favorite football team, the redskins. The commute is hard but she is working hard and making the best. She'll continue to look for opportunities should they present themselves, but for now she's a working woman.

Congrats Allie!

A month without a post

2010-05-06T08:46:00.001-07:00

This is a record and I am sorry to all my loyal blog followers. I've been very busy with the kids and my personal life. I promise to update real soon.

Catching up!

2010-04-05T07:34:00.001-07:00

Well it has been another very fast paced couple of weeks here in the DeWitt household! I cannot tell you how fast time flies, I guess when you're having fun?! Yesterday was Easter! What a great day. We spent the entire day with Heather and her children. We went to Mass in the morning, had brunch at my house, followed by an egg hunt and a huge dinner! The kids had a good time together and the weather was just spectacular! Best Easter in a very long time!

Tyler has secured a couple of jobs for the summer! He is currently working at Holly Hills Country Club as a bag boy! Minimum wage but really good tips at times so he can easily push $15 and hour or more. In fact, Heather's son Nick also works there as a total coincidence. He's also going to be working in the Press Box at the Frederick Keys stadium on game days running the video board. He's also going to be able to operate on of the cameras as well that shows video up on the new video board. He's excited and doing pretty well.

He was in a play at church called Passion. Heather and the kids and I went to see it and cheer him on. He did a very good job and the entire production turned out very well.

Mike is out for Easter break. He' get 8 days off from Catholic School. They take it real serious vs. the 2 days off for Tyler in public school! He does have lacrosse practice and a game this week. His JV team is now 3-0 on the year. He's doing very well in fact. He's scored 2 goals and dished out an assist as well. It's funny because he is so much smaller that the large defenders that are out there. Because of that, they have a hard time keeping track of hm and he sneaks in under the radar!

He is doing pretty well in school but needs to start focusing a bit more on his homework. We'll see. I have to make a decision on his return for next year by April 12th...

Alex did not come home for Easter this year. She went to her boyfriend's house and then had practice on Easter evening. Her lacrosse season is in full swing. Heather and I took the boys up to Elizabethtown College last week to see her play. The weather was great and the drive was only 1.5 hours. Her team put out a media guide this year.

Spring has Sprung...

2010-03-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a very busy couple of weeks. Last weekend my very good friends from Annapolis came up to Frederick and we continued our semi-annual tradition of going to LaPaz for dinner. We've done this for over 15 years now and have had a hard time getting together the last couple of years.

This year Heather, of course, went with us and we all crammed into my MDX and went in one car! It was a hoot. Dinner was great, company was great, and Brenda scored a bunch of napkins!!!!

Lacrosse has started full swing for everyone. This week Heather and I drove up to Lycoming to watch Alex's team play Susquehanna They lost but we had a great drive up and back and took Alex and Cory out to dinner to the Bullfrog Brewery. Two days later Michael and I drove up to watch them play Widener. An exciting game but unfortunately they lost. We stayed after for awhile and had a bite to eat at the team tailgate, then went over to Alex's dorm and hung out there for a little while before making the trek home.

Michael's name was in the newspaper the other day for the highschool team. They had their first game and the coach allowed him and 9 other underclassmen to travel with the team. They did not play but it was a very good learning experience for him. He has been practicing very, very hard and is looking forward to his first JV game this coming Saturday. He's put a lot of work into it and hopefully he'll see some reward for it. He's also been working fairly hard to get his grades where I expect them. I may be a little hard but... I also pay the tuition.

Tyler does have his license and has taken over the very tedious chore of picking up Michael from his various practices and the like. He starts work this week at a couple of venues so hopefully he'll be making some cash to put gas in the car he drives. I've allowed him to drive my Nissan Maxima. It's a 2000 and had very low miles on it. Hopefully, he can keep it in good condition for a lot longer. He's working at the golf course and for the Frederick Keys this summer. He'll also be doing son lacrosse officiating as well. Hopefully, he'll save some money as well!

I'm doing okay. Still playing basketball and maintaining the weight loss. I'm feeling very good compared to this time last year when I was at an all-time low. Spring is coming and I'm looking forward to getting outside and working in the yard and all that. Heather and I have been dating for over 6 months now. It's very hard to believe for sure but everything has been going splendidly. We see each other regularly and that helps a lot. Work? That's another story.... TBD. I'll keep you posted.

St. Mary's Pink Out Game

2010-03-22T11:09:00.001-07:00

This came to me this morning from the coach at St. Mary's College of Maryland

THIS SUNDAY!:

Sunday, March 28, 2010

The women’s lacrosse team at St. Mary’s College of Maryland will be holding its 2nd Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Lacrosse Game vs. Salisbury University at 2 pm at Seahawk Stadium in beautiful St. Mary’s City.

This game will be played in remembrance of Christine A. DeWitt, the mother of a player I once coached, who lost her life to this disease last year as well as all individuals affected by breast cancer. The lacrosse team will be selling T-shirts in order to raise funds for Climb for Hope, a division of breast cancer research that Christine believed in very strongly.

Climb for Hope was organized to raise and channel funds towards targeted and promising research in the fight against breast cancer. Its mission is to find a viable treatment for breast cancer within the next three years. In the past two years, the organization has raised over $550,000 for a vaccine being developed at Johns Hopkins University by Dr. Leisha Emens. This research will one day allow patients to successfully battle the disease using a specialized vaccine in conjunction with lower doses of chemotherapy. Not only does the vaccine address some of the most aggressive and lethal forms of breast cancer, but the research is expected to promote treatment advances for many forms of cancer as well. (www.climbforhope.com).

To purchase a pink lacrosse T-shirt, please contact Kara Reber at klreber@smcm.edu or by phone at 240-895-3304. Shirts are $10 and come in adult S, M, L, XL, XXL. Cash donations are also welcome. Pre-sale orders are due by tomorrow 3/23, otherwise you may get one at the game.

We would like for you to wear your pink T-shirt to our game on the Sunday as we would like to have a “pink-out” of the stadium. Our goal is to raise over $3,000.00.

Please join us for this event and help support a cause that affects many of our lives.

See you at the game!

Lax Season Begins

2010-03-05T11:30:00.000-08:00

Well last Saturday marked the beginning of Alex's final season as a lacrosse player! They had a game at McDaniel College which is not too far from our house.

Heather, Michael, and I made the journey up there and met up with Alex's grandparents and Uncle. Although the outcome was not good, it was a good chance to see her and her teammates.

After the game the team went to Harrisburg to the airport and flew out to Dallas, TX for spring break! They played 2 games down there and are coming back today. Their conference opener is next Saturday up by NYC.

At the same time, Michael continues to practice with the St. Johns Catholic Prep lacrosse team. He is a midget amongst giants as the JV and Varsity practice together. He is doing very well and hopefully the snow will go away and they can begin practice on the real grass soon!!!

Last Sunday Michael was confirmed to the Catholic Church and is now part of the St. Johns parish in Frederick. Tyler was his sponsor and both did a great job. After the mass we went to his favorite spot for dinner. A local Japanese Steak house!

Tyler? OH MY! He finally got around to taking his driver's test yesterday and passed on the first try! So of course my life and wallet are now changed forever! He'll be driving the Maxima and picking up Mike as much as possible. No more needs for rides to church and all of that! Life is a little easier on me now. I hope! He also got a job at Holly Hills Country Club as a cart attendant or something like that. He has a friend that works there who put in a good word for him and in fact, Heather's son also works there too! I hope that this occupies a great deal of his time this summer! He also put an application into the Frederick Keys and will be working there some during the summer as well.

Me? Hmmm.... I'm busy running ragged. But I'm doing very well. I still play basketball 3 days a week. I've lost a total of 22 pounds (give or take) and feel great. I've had to buy new clothes as my old ones were too big AND I'm actually wearing suits and slacks from 6 years ago that now fit perfectly again!!!! I see Heather on a very regular basis and Life is very, very good.

Busy Birthday !

2010-02-24T12:15:00.000-08:00

Got home late from Biloxi. Good to get away and not have to run around doing stuff, but having to worry about the boys was tough. Michael had rides to school in the morning from his Uncle and Heather picked him up each day! A great relief to have someone home to help out! It took a lot of pressure off my shoulders for sure.

Saturday was my 48'th birthday. I've not been one to celebrate birthdays in the past and especially the last couple of years. This year I have to say was one of the best that I can remember in a long time. Heather bought me a few wonderful presents and she and I went to my good friend Danny's 50th surprise birthday party. I didn't feel so old after I went to his party!!!

I bought her tickets to the John Mayer concert for Christmas. Saturday she and I went. Before the concert she took me out to dinner to Old Ebbits Grill right by the White House in DC. Great dinner and we had a wonderful chat during it as well. After the dinner we went to the concert. Michael Franti and Spearhead was the opening act. They were great. Very energetic and he doesn't wear shoes!

After that John Mayer came out and put on one of the best concert shows I've seen. I've seen a lot that is for sure and this just caught me by surprise. The verizon center was sold out and we had great seats. It was a great birthday present for sure. One I won't forget.

This week Alex's lacrosse team is preparing for their opening game at McDaniel in Westminster, MD. Here is a great preseason writeup about them. Alex is one of the 3 team captains this year and after starting each game last year she should be doing the same this year as well. This year brings about 13 seniors back. These are girls from a huge recruiting class that her 1st coach brought in. Should be a great season!

Mike also has started his lax season at St. Johns. Lot's of practice so far and that's a good thing!

Out of town in Biloxi, MS

2010-02-17T17:02:00.000-08:00

Well after 80" of snow this season I was ready to get out. The boys have been out of school since February 5th!!! We have been buried and have about 40" on the ground. It's not melting at all and the kids cannot get to school.

Finally today Michael went to St. Johns and Tyler goes in tomorrow, albeit 2 hours later.

I am currently in Biloxi, Mississippi. I get to add another state to those that I've visited. Very pretty down here but they were wiped off the map by Katrina before. The hotel I am in, the Beau Rivage, was totally wiped out, as was the new Hard Rock hotel next door. Both are open and doing well. I'm here for a small trade show and hoping to drum up some business.

Getting here is not the hard part. The hardest part is not being at home to make sure that the boys are where they need to be when they need to be! I had to find rides for Michael to school from his Uncle Ken who works right down the street from St. Johns. My girlfriend Heather was able to pick him up each day and bring him home. This was made even trickier as he now stays late for Lacrosse practice! She has been a great help to me in situations like this and has made this trip so much easier to make than the ones I've done in the past. Our good friends on our street are also looking out for them too, but this time the boys stepped up and stayed at home for 2 nights alone. Not a big deal but definitely something we had to work out.

Alex's first lacrosse game of the season is coming up on Feb 27'th at McDaniel College in Westminster. For those interested the game starts at 1pm. There will be a tailgate afterwards for the girls and if you would like to participate then just say so and bring a dish for the girls and dig in with them! Alex is one of the Captains this year and it is looking like an exciting season for the 12 graduating seniors this year. After their game they are headed to Harrisburg and fly out to Dallas for their spring break. They play 3 games in Texas along with some fun time I'm sure.

Busy week this week for sure with all the travel. This Friday is my birthday, and Saturday Heather and I are going to the John Mayer concert in DC. I bought her tickets for Christmas and she's taking me out to dinner for my birthday beforehand. Should be a good time!

Blizzard of 2010

2010-02-07T05:45:00.001-08:00

Oh my! We got hammered on Saturday with almost 30" of snow!!!! It started Friday night and just kept coming until late Saturday afternoon! We were trapped in the house for the entire day. Snow plows didn't show up until Late Saturday night!

Lots of shoveling and lots of shoveling!!!

Here's some pics but there are more on our Picasa page.

Having a little fun!

2010-02-05T07:57:00.001-08:00

Lycoming Lax gears up

2010-02-03T14:33:00.001-08:00

Alex's lacrosse team voted her to be one of the team captains this year! A very nice honor for her. Here is a picture of her new uniform too! Go 25...

What's up?

2010-01-31T19:05:00.001-08:00

Okay... It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted anything worthwhile on my blog. I know, I know, that makes for boring reading and for that I'm sorry. But, things have been going pretty well around here.

This weekend Tyler and Michael went away for Michael's confirmation retreat. They were gone from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. Tyler was the retreat leader and Michael was an attendee. All went well.

This gave me a weekend off which, let's just say, I really, really needed. I spent some time away and some time around here but all in all it was just a very well spent time which I will not forget for a long time.

We got hit with about 6" of snow on Saturday which of course brought the area to a standstill! It's going to be cold for awhile so it should stick around for a few days.

What's new? Not much.... Alex has started practice for lacrosse. This is her final season and she was voted as one of the team captains this year. She's excited and so am I for her. Can't wait to visit and watch her and her team play this year. Tyler is finishing up driver's ed and should be getting his driver's license in a couple weeks! Yeah, I'm not looking forward to it but at the same time I really am as I could use the help with all the driving I have to do. Michael finished up midterms at St. Johns and did pretty well for his first semester. His lacrosse season begins in a few weeks and he is really looking forward to it as well. It will be a big adjustment for him as catholic high school lacrosse is pretty competitive. He's small but bounces up pretty quickly when knocked down.

Me? I run all over taking Michael to and from school each day. I'm also, running Tyler all over for school and church as well. Work is going well. Last year was a killer with the recession but personally I'm doing well enough to get through as is the company so hopefully this year we'll see a turnaround. I'm going on a business trip in Feb for a couple days to Biloxi, MS... I am still playing basketball at the YMCA 3 days a week at lunch. I've met a lot of good friends there and it is an incredible workout for sure. I've lost 18 pounds since last September! I'm sort of stuck on the 18 pound mark but for now I'll take it!

Heather and I continue to enjoy relationship beyond belief. We both enjoy one another's families and see each other quite a bit during the week. Often it may only be for a few minutes but that has been great for us to be able to spend time getting to know each other. We had a wonderful December and January has just flown by!!! We take each day one by one, getting to know another better and better each day. We have a busy month ahead and are going to see a special concert right after my birthday... More on that later.

Keep in touch and I'll do my best to keep you all posted on the goings on here in the DeWitt household...

Cheers.

Making the Rink Pink

2010-01-31T19:03:00.000-08:00

Well I am now the proud owner of a #25 Jason Spivak Pink RIT hockey jersey!

Check out all the jerseys here.... Mine is on the way. I know they raised a bunch of money for a very, very good cause. I'll post a picture when it arrives!

Pink Rink

2010-01-12T12:56:00.001-08:00

RIT Hockey is have a Pink Rink day to raise funds for breast cancer! That is my alma mater from 1985!!!

Hit Counts!

2010-01-11T06:36:00.000-08:00

After the news piece traffic to my websites skyrocketed! Over 500 hits on Chris's blog and almost 400 on mine. Many positive comments as well.

On the television NEWS!

2010-01-09T21:08:00.000-08:00

Well I have now been featured on the news! I received a call from a woman reporter from our local NBC25 television news department. She has been following my blog for awhile now and after my recent post a week ago she decided that she wanted to do a report on me and my blog.

It was great! She came to my house this morning carrying a huge camera and tripod! You see she not only interviews, she also does the taping, and editing for the story as well!

She asked me a bunch of questions, which you could tell that she read both of my blogs in detail in order to get them. I answered them and then she went about the house video taping us in various roles of normalcy! Me on the computer, Michael doing homework, etc.

I stayed up late tonight and watched it live on the television. It was weird but very interesting for sure. Seeing yourself on tv is a bit odd. As soon as they have the video up online I'll post the interview here! But for now you can go to it's future location by clicking HERE.

Made it through the holidays!

2010-01-01T16:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas came so very quickly this year. It seems like just last week that we were in Deep Creek celebrating Thanksgiving.

This Holiday season I was actually looking forward to the coming holiday. That last several years I actually dreaded the entire season. This year, with my new-found friendship with Heather, I was excitedly looking forward to having a good Christmas this year. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!

One of the days the week before Christmas I took the day off of work and Heather and I spent the entire day together going to a big mall and looking for some last minute presents. We took in the decorations and the music and I actually enjoyed shopping for the first time ever!

On Christmas eve Alex, Tyler, Michael and I along with Heather and her children went to Mass at St. Johns church in downtown Frederick together. We went to the 4pm mass and although it was very full we were able to sit together. After mass we went back to Heather's house and had a traditional Italian Christmas eve dinner of homemade Italian sub sandwiches. The kids all sat around and chatted and we enjoyed our company greatly.

Christmas morning the kids and I opened our presents along with Chloe. Mid-morning we drove over to Heather's and had a very large and very wonderful Christmas morning breakfast together. We all pitched in and helped and it was a wonderful time together! I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to celebrate the holiday with our new friends!

Late Christmas afternoon we came home and checked on my Turkey that was cooking in a plastic bag in the oven! My In-laws along with Chris's sisters and brothers were all invited over to spend the even together. They all came over around 4. Also, Heather and her kids came over and met all my inlaws that were here too. We all got along splendidly and had a wonderful dinner and gift game. Heather and I were just thrilled to be able to spend the entire day together along with our families.

The week after Christmas was also busy. The kids were home from school and enjoying the remaining snow on the ground. I had some end of the year work to finish up. New Years Eve was fast approaching as well. Heather and I were invited to go to our friends out by Annapolis. After a while we decided to go on out and spend the evening there once we had her young daughter set for the evening. We were able to ring in our first new year together. After several very, very depressing New Year's eves we both have been shown a new future for one another and cannot tell you how excited we are about 2010. Nothing is ever certain in anyone's future but we know that we are looking forward to learning more about one another and enjoying our time together...

On a side note.... I will add that I have been playing basketball regularly 3 times a week at the YMCA as well as working out as well. During that time I have been able to lose about 18 pounds and I cannot tell you how much better I am feeling physically! It's been great and as long as I don't get HURT I should keep on the downward path. I actually had to buy some new clothes as my old pants were too big. I also am wearing dress slacks that have been put away for 5 years!!!!

There are some additional pictures from the holiday on my picasa page and they can be found <HERE>

NOTE: Facebook does not allow people w/o accounts to view photos any longer. If you have a Facebook account you can see all my photos here: FACEBOOK There are no security settings set and all can view.

Snow!

2009-12-23T17:13:00.000-08:00

Oh and for those who didn't already know we got hammered last Saturday with 22" of snow in Frederick, MD and the entire surrounding area. We usually only get 15" for the entire YEAR! We haven't had snow like this in a long time. Of course it snowed on Saturday. This picture was taken Sunday and they closed schools for the next 3 days until Christmas break. Not quite like it was when I grew up in upstate NY!

Mike's picture

2009-12-23T12:17:00.000-08:00

Michael made this piece of artwork in Art class at St. John's. It was listed in their newsletter that is sent out to all parents and staff. Very nice.

Merry Christmas is on the way...

2009-12-14T16:57:00.000-08:00

Hmmm.... where to begin? I know that many of you "followers" continue to follow my blog and want me to keep it up. I will continue to do so as best as I can. I will admit that I have been "busy" the last few months getting to know Heather and meeting her friends and family. In fact this past Saturday we went down to Annapolis and she was able to meet all my close friends from down that way. We had a great time and she got to meet quite of few friends. These are my friends that have looked after me so closely the past couple of years. Yes years.

I find it so very hard to see where I am now vs. where I was. Losing a spouse is an incredibly difficult thing to have to deal with. The emotional pain as well as the incredible household burdens are overwhelming and take a lot to get through. After 2 years it was finally time to move ahead with my life. What has happened in the past 3 months has been a 180 degree turnaround. I am feeling wonderful. Both emotionally as well as physically. In fact I started playing basketball at the Y again on a regular basis 3 days a week. During this time I've lost 17 pounds! So much in fact I had to go and buy new jeans as my old ones for the past 8 years or so were too big!

Christmas has come up pretty quickly and I am looking forward to spending it with someone special this year in addition to my own kids and family. I have yet to finish my shopping. I'm actually taking a day off this week to to shopping with Heather and hopefully she can help me get some of it done. I really can use the female point of view on some things.

Keep your eyes open and check back often and I'll do my best to keep you posted on how things progress in the DeWitt household! Merry Christmas is on the way!

TSO

2009-12-10T09:59:00.000-08:00

Since Thanksgiving things have been going along pretty smoothly. Alex has a few days or so left of school and will be home for Christmas next week.
Mike and Tyler are plugging along through school and me? I'm doing very well in my new relationship and looking forward to the holidays once again!

Last night Heather and I went to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert in Washington,DC. It was a wonderful show and we both we just in awe at how great the music was.

I believe you can see all the pictures on my FACEBOOK page. That can be found <HERE>

With only 2 weeks left before Christmas we're going to be pretty busy around here. More on that later...

Thanksgiving comes and goes...

2009-11-29T14:46:00.001-08:00

This year Thanksgiving came upon us pretty quickly. We didn't decide until about 2 weeks before that we were going to go to Deep Creek again. We did though. Alex came home Tuesday afternoon and that evening she and I went out to dinner with Heather. Since Alex has been at school she has not been privy to the things going on in my life recently. We had a great dinner at La Paz and while there actually ran into Alicia, the woman who watched Tyler and Michael back when they were in elementary school.

Tuesday we went up to the lake and basically went through the same ritual we have in the past 2 years. All you can eat pasta bar came on Wednesday night, coffee shop breakfasts for me on both days, a walk in the woods at Swallow Falls Park, Thanksgiving buffet in the lodge, a movie (2012), that evening. This year we cut it short by one day. We came home on Friday instead of Saturday. Alex wanted to spend some time at home before heading back to school. All-in-all we had another nice get away together.

When we got home we were able to get most of our Christmas decorations up in the house and Sunday Tyler put up the Christmas lights in the 60 degree weather. I am really looking forward to the holidays this year. The past 2 years have been very depressing at the holiday time and so far I can tell that this year will be a complete opposite...

Here is a link to all the PICTURES located on my Facebook page...

Burning Leaves

2009-11-21T05:43:00.000-08:00

We burned up all the leaves in the back yard last night. We have too many to bag them so we just toss a little gasoline and whew they're gone like that ! Heather came over to monitor the excitement and make sure no one got hurt...

Here's a little video of Tyler and his biking escapades!

Thanksgiving coming up!

2009-11-19T09:15:00.000-08:00

This is Michael's class picture from St. Johns. Got his 1st report card last week and am happy to say all is going splendidly... Great grades, great attitude and no complaints from anyone!

He went to his first lacrosse practice last Sunday. An awakening since he had not done much in 6 months. He's out of shape. Skills are good but he just needs to run more.

I've been actively playing basketball again for about a month at the YMCA and must say that is getting me in shape again for sure. I always get to cover the 6'8" big guy that played in college! We have fun and I don't have any problem running full court for over an hour Mon Wed and Fri.

Last week I had the day off on for Veteren's day. I was lucky enough to be able to spend the entire day, well 9-3 with Heather. We had lunch and did a little shopping together. It was really nice. Things are very, very good between us and for the first time in a couple years I'm looking forward to the holidays and being able to spend it with someone special.

Next week is Thanksgiving and the boys, Alex and I will be going to Deep Creek Lake, MD again. This year we are only spending 2 nights there in order to give Alex some more time at home. She has not been home in awhile and could use the down time. She will also get a chance to finally meet Heather as well. We're hoping to go out to dinner and get the 2 of them to know one another!

Just cutting the grass...

2009-11-10T12:48:00.000-08:00

Not much happening here... A quick shot of Michael cutting the grass through the webcam in the front of the house. Tyler will do the back. May be the last cut of the year... We'll see.

Winter Uniforms

2009-11-05T08:45:00.000-08:00

Winter uniforms went into effect this week at St. Johns!!! Michael has now learned how to tie a necktie! They all look so professional walking around campus with their jackets on each day.

Prince Michael

2009-10-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah... and last weekend Michael went to his homecoming dance and was elected Homecoming Prince by his freshman classmates. Seems he's fitting in quite nicely!

Spirit Week

2009-10-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

Oh and last week was spirit week at St. Johns. Tuesday was twin day. Mike and his friend had their picture in the newsletter...

St. Johns Goes Pink

2009-10-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

During Spirit Week, Saint John’s designated Wednesday, October 21, as Pink Day in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Students, faculty, and administrators wore pink to show their support and were asked to donate $1.00 to this worthwhile cause. Through the generosity of the school community, $265.00 was collected and will be donated to The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.

Fishing!

2009-10-29T07:17:00.001-07:00

This year, like the last 2 years, my good friend Danny has taken several of us out on the bay for a day of fishing. It has always been a good time and really has taken my mind off of things.

This year we headed south towards Bloody Point. Unfortunately, the fish were not biting at all that day and we came up empty handed. That gave me a lot of time to take pictures! They are posted on my facebook page. You can see them HERE.

This week wraps up an exciting month for me and my family. Next week brings November and the start of the holiday season. That last 2 have been pretty tough on me especially. I'm quite sure that this season will be a bit different. Life is much, much better with someone in my life to share dreams with...

Catching up and an introduction...

2009-10-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a busy couple of weeks around here in the DeWitt household...

Last week I had parent conferences with Michael's teachers at St. Johns. So far everything is going very well. Sure it could be better, but I'll take it over what I've had to deal with the last 2 years in public middle school. He's doing very well in his classes and is making good friends pretty quickly. Never a complaint about school or his uniforms yet. The uniform changes from a polo to a shirt, tie and blazer on November 2nd. The boy will have to learn how to tie his tie!!! We did receive information about lacrosse for the spring season already. Hopefully, things will continue to be positive and he'll play in the spring. It would be a huge boost for him.

Last weekend Tyler drove Mike and I up to Lycoming College to visit Alex on Homecoming Weekend. We got up there and watched her play in an Alumni Game scrimmage. After that we watched the football game with LOTS of people. They still have over 100 players on the team!!! It's amazing to watch. We went to the bullfrog brewery for dinner with her BF Cory and then Tyler drove us home. While at the Bullfrog we did sit right next to the famous comedian Jeffrey Ross. He's the guy who hosts the Comedy Central Celebrity Roasts. Nice guy. He actually went out later that night to the local night club as well. I wasn't there but Alex saw him. Here are pictures from the weekend.

Since we were gone all day Chloe was home alone so my new found friend, Heather (did I mention her?), and her daughters came over during the day to let her out and play with her. They as well as Chloe had a great time together. They played with her for a long time.

This past Friday Tyler attended the Linganore High homecoming (not his HS) with a girl. He and his good friend Tanner went together. They had a good time and got home pretty late I might add. We discussed that the next day. The homecoming dance for his high school is coming up in November and Michael's is this Saturday! Boys are so easy to get ready. When Alex went it was an all day ordeal to get ready. Not with the boys...

Saturday was a terrible weather day. It rained all day. That morning however was the Frederick Pink Ribbon 5K in downtown. Some good friends of mine told me that they were going to see their son run in the 5k. His very first one at that. I told them I would meet them down there that morning. Proceeds for the weekend and the run supported teh Hurwitz Breast Cancer Fund in Frederick. A fund where money stays locally supporting those in need. Heather and I (did I mention her?) got there early and found my friends so we saw the opening ceremony. Chris's name was written on the remembrance banner and pink was flowing everywhere! We all walked (in the rain) around the block and saw my friend's son run the race. It was really great. You know, the weather was miserable, but that did nothing to lower the spirits of the runners and the people in attendance. It was a great event. After the race we all went out to breakfast to a wonderful coffee shop in Frederick called Cafe Nola. Breakfast was great and my friends had the chance to chat with Heather for awhile and get to know her.

So... yes I am dating someone and her name is Heather. She is a beautiful and wonderful woman that actually found out about me from reading my blog(s). She read my story and sent me a very nice email about how much she admired what I had done and that she too was going through something similar. I replied back, thanking her, and thought that was it. The next day she sent another email asking me if I would like to have coffee and chat about our experiences of both being solo parents. That got my head and my emotions spinning for sure. It was a very difficult decision for me to make. Difficult then, but not any longer.

We've gone out several times and have really enjoyed one another's company. We have a great deal in common and that has made things very comfortable and easy for us to get to know one another. She has 3 children as well, 2 of which are the same age as Tyler and Michael and they know one another from school. Her 3rd child is an adorable 5 year old girl!!! Both her children and mine are doing well with us seeing one another. I know Tyler and Mike have been able to see a huge difference in me during the past 6 weeks. I feel good and I'm happy and that makes them feel the same. Our household has dramatically changed for the better. So that said, I don't know what my future holds. Who does though? I do know that I have taken control of MY LIFE and started steering it in a new direction. I've spent the last 5 years of my life dedicated to taking care of my family and have finally made the realization that I need to look out for myself as well. Thanks to everyone for the well wishes for Heather and I. They mean a LOT!!! Life is changing... and changing for the better...

An anonymous post...

2009-10-19T06:56:00.001-07:00

This message came to me from an unknown person who read my guest blog post last week:

Charlie, what a heart warming and touching post. I don't think that getting back your life after this much time has passed is selfish at ALL. You've earned it, but more than that, life is about living and living the best life we can.

From what I've read here about Christine she was blessed to have you and the children. She will have known your love and your support and that the 4 of you would be in good hands when she was no longer with you, because you had one another and you stepping up as both dad and mom made a huge difference for your children.

When I was diagnosed in May 2005 I felt the impact on my husband and my 2 boys (17 and 13). And the reality is while the cancer is happening to the person diagnosed you speak so well to the fact that it affects everyone in their own way.

You sound like you are on more solid ground these days, moving forward and I hear laughter in this -- we need it constantly, even at the worst of times. Wishing you and your children abundant lives!

Guest Blogger...

2009-10-13T06:42:00.000-07:00

Today I am the guest blogger on the Blogging for Boobs site...
Check it out.

Nice Hair Ty!

2009-10-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

Well for most of you out there who follow me you know what today is. It "would" have been my 24th wedding anniversary. Hard to believe that it has been 24 years. The last couple have been pretty tough on me but as time has gone by this one has come and almost gone uneventfully.

It's different now as I feel that a wedding anniversary is something that is celebrated by husband and wife. Chris and I celebrated 21 times! That's pretty good. This date from now on is simply a reminder that I was married on this date many years ago. I don't think that I will be able to celebrate it again. But, I'll certainly remember it.

Today was a very nice day outside. My newfound friend kept in touch with me today as she knew what today was and wanted to make sure that everything was okay. And it really was. My life is different now and with this new change of happiness and I'm really enjoying it and getting through the days much easier now.

Oh you gotta love the picture!!! This comparison is of my son Tyler and a picture of me from an ID taken back in 1980. The hair similarity is uncanny!!!

Breast Cancer Awareness Rant

2009-10-04T05:31:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted much in a while. I've been pretty busy on the homefront. Michael's doing well in private school and Tyler's doing well in school as well. He could use a JOB (hint)...

Remembering what I wrote back in the 14th I have taken my life in a new direction. I will not go into details, but a few weeks back I met a total stranger for coffee one morning. She invited me via email and after many anxious moments I accepted. You see she actually found out about me through my BLOG! We have an enormous amount in common, the number one being we are both solo-parents. We are now dating (man that's hard to say) on a regular basis! I've found happiness again in my life, but I tell you it's been very interesting trying to date at my age. Oh its fun, but I found myself very nervous at times. Most of the rust has fallen off and now we are having fun and enjoying one anothers company. I'll keep you posted.

NOW - October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I really love the concept which hopefully brings awareness to everyone to get tested early and often. What actually BURNS me to the core is how virtually ALL retailers use this month to their own advantage! This is just crap.

Here's food for thought - "if shopping could cure breast cancer it would be cured by now!"

I was in the local grocery store last night, and right by the front door at the bakery section there were tons of pink cakes, and cupcakes and all other sorts of goodies. All emblazoned with pink icing and pink breast cancer ribbons. What a bunch of BS. You really think any of that money goes to some breast cancer foundation? If it does then all they do is jack the price up on it to cover it. This does not matter if it is a cake, mixer, blender, shoes, anything. Instead, just find a great research or support organization and send them a check. That money goes SO much further than the tiny amount that comes from the commercialization of the disease by companies like my grocery store!!! Not to mention, YOU get to pick where your money goes, and YOU get to take the deduction off your taxes. Not the corporation.

So if you need pink cupcakes this month, certainly buy these, but if you just want cupcakes don't get swindled into buying the pink ones thinking your extra money is going to make a difference. It won't.... Write a check instead...

The picture you see is from this years 2009 Frederick Keys Calendar. It was from last years first breast cancer awareness night. Sure, they profit from it by having more people in the stands. Many of those people are people that have had their lives ripped apart by cancer in some form or fashion. Many of them are survivors and are recognized by everyone their. The club raises money for my kids trust fund and also raises money for the American Cancer Society. They do it right.

Back to School Night

2009-09-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

Last night was back to school night at Saint John's where Michael now attends high school. He has really adapted quite well so far. It was fun going from class to class to see what his day to day is like. He has 8 classes + lunch each day. Most are 45 mins in length. Class size is just perfect, no more than 20 in in most, 11 in Math, 3 in art, 18 in Spanish. A far cry from the 33 when he was in middle school.

Tonight we'll be going to their football game again in Frederick. We went last week and had a pretty good time. Tyler and I sat together and Mike went off with his new St. Johns friends. Nice to see him adjusting so well.

The daily routine is okay so far, we leave at 7:20am and he's there by 7:40. I either stay out for coffee or come right home (back by 8:00). Pick up is around 3:00 and that's been okay so far. Some days I forget and leave a little later but he's always got the chance to stay after so it's not a problem.

So far... very good. No regrets!

Blogging for Boobs

2009-09-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

I've been invited to be a guest blogger on a special blog site. This came to me out of the blue but I'm honored to be included. I'll let you all know when my post is up there...

Our basement redo is finally done!

2009-09-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

We finally got around to putting the finishing touches on the basement redo. New chairs have arrived and been installed for our sitting pleasure!

You can check out all the pictures here...

Year 3 begins...

2009-09-14T20:39:00.001-07:00

All I can say is wow. These past few days have been a real whirlwind of activity on my emotions. It's hard to put it all in perspective right now. Friday was a rainy, dismal day. I dropped Michael off at school and then went by the cemetery early in the morning. I took a dozen roses Chris's gravesite and propped them up against her headstone. They were nice but in a way meaningless.

What Chrissy and I had will stay with me forever, and nothing will ever change that. Absolutely nothing. When I lost her I lost a huge part of me. The past 2 years I have been focused solely on Alex, Tyler and Michael and nothing else. I owe it to her to do everything I can to make sure the kids grow up safe, and become fine young adults in both her image as well as my own.

Friday, Alex came home as well and the 4 of us sort of just were with each other, quiet but understanding what each one of us was dealing with. She came home because Chris's little brother Joey was getting married on Saturday. We all went and I found it very, very difficult to listen to the vows being said. It reminded me again of what I have lost, but at the same time it also reminded me of what I was able to cherish for the years that we were together. We had wonderful lives together. It's just that in our case we had a limited amount of time together. I would never trade those years in for anything.

I've been so focused on them I've neglected myself. Both physically and emotionally. I have continually suffered from gastrointestinal issues. Just went to the Dr. this morning in fact. Next test will be an upper endoscopy that also uses an ultrasound looking for issues. It's called and endoscopic ultrasound. That'll be in a few weeks so I'll have to start juggling rides and stuff soon. I'm doing okay but I tell you with stress and all that I carry it really flares up sometimes.

The past 6 months or so I've really had my emotions bottled up. Friday I opened the bottle and spilled them all over. I was home alone most of the day and did a great deal of soul searching and thinking about myself. I have to.... I've promised myself that the coming year will be better. Not sure exactly how, but I have some ideas. Exercise, better eating, and new friends may be just the answer. All I do know is that it sure won't hurt!

So... I will continue on down the path that God has shown me. My life is what it is and I cannot change the past, but I do know that I can control my future. I think I've finally started to accept that, and I pray to God that he guides me to make the right decisions in my life as the future comes at me so fast! The past 2 years have gone by in the blink of an eye. I'll never get them back. So now it's full steam ahead... wish me luck and say a prayer for me!!! And I will quote my dearly departed wife “You know, sometimes in life you just have to jump in and get wet.”

Well look out. I'm getting a running start....

A special thanks to each and everyone of you who have helped me during my journey. I could not have made it this far without your the caring, love, and understanding that you've given me.

Thank you...

Oh and one other thing... I can see from my site statistics that there has been a lot of activity on the site the last week. There's 20 or 30 of you out there regularly checking in on me not to mention the new people that arrive each day. Today I received the following email from a site owner that I borrowed a picture from. Seems as if when you click the picture he was actually getting hits on his site. He couldn't figure it out. He did look at my site and sent the following:

Charlie,

As I look through the information on the back end of my website I consistently
see hits coming via your website. I see the "french fries picture" which you somehow copied directly from my site (it's okay I don't mind. As a matter of fact thanks to photoshop it no longer has the golden arches on them.) I'm puzzled though as to how and why viewers are coming from your site to mine. Perhaps when you get a minute you can enlighten me if you know the answer.

By the way, your site is a magnificent way to keep the memories of such a wonderful woman alive!

I commend you.

Many Thanks,

Sam Wernick
General Manager
All American Baseball Academy

Wonderful words from an absolute stranger... nice.

2 years ago today...

2009-09-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

Concert picture

2009-09-10T08:36:00.001-07:00

Wednesday night my friend Greg took me to a concert in Baltimore. We went and saw Journey with opening band Night Ranger. Both were excellent. The tickets and hospitality helped clear my mind some from the week at hand.

Alex's early games next year

2009-09-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

Alex will be playing at McDaniel College in Westminster on Feb 27th.

Also her team will be having a pink out game at Lycoming on Sat April 10th with proceeds going to Climb for Hope in honor of Chris.

Just wanted to put those dates out there in case anyone wanted to attend. I will be at both of these games for sure.

Hell week....

2009-09-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Well as you all know 9/11 is fast approaching. This week, 2 years ago, was an incredible blur. I can relive each day vividly in my mind. Friday will be a tough day for all of us and I just ask that you all keep us in your thoughts.

Alex will be coming home on Friday as Saturday is Chris's little brother's wedding. A joyous occasion for sure. She would certainly be very proud of both he and his wife-to-be.

Tomorrow I was invited to go to a concert with my friend Greg. It should be a good time and hopefully will take my mind off of the rest of the week. We'll see. Hopefully I'll get a picture or 2 as well.

I also, made a new friend today...

Ty's picture

2009-09-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

Ty's picture is used on the youth ministry site at st. johns...

Check it out HERE>

Little League World Series

2009-08-31T08:05:00.001-07:00

Sunday was an exceptionally busy day. The boys and I were planning on going to Williamport, PA and bring Alex's things for college up to her. At the same time she was able to get us "Friends and Family" passes to the Little League World Series games and VIP tent. Nice!!!!

Until, they announced on Saturday that VP Joe Biden was coming!@!!@#$!$#@$! ESPN had to revoke all F&F passes for the day for security purposes. We were going to be left out in the cold... The lady at ESPN that Alex works for knew that we were coming just for that so she secured us 3 regular seats in the VIP ESPN section right near home plate!!!!

So, we left early Sunday morning and Tyler drove us the entire way up there. That was nice as I could drink coffee, read the newspaper, and relax the whole way.... NOT!!!!! He's a good driver, but I have to pay more attention when he's driving than if I drive.

We got there around 11 and went in and found Alex in Volunteer Stadium where the consolation game was being held. She had on her credentials and was working with a camera crew getting shots of people in the stands. It was fun watching her work.

After that game Alex was able to take us to one of the concession stands and get us lunch on ESPN. She just showed her badge and that was it, so we ate a good lunch! Sorry your ESPN cable fees will probably go up next month...

We had to go into the championship game early because the VP was coming. The boys and I went in and Alex and Cory went out to the outfield. The seats were just perfect. Under cover, and not that far from home plate. A great view of the game.

We saw some famous folks as well, Brent Musburger, Joe Biden, Jared from Subway, Moses Arias from Hannah Montannah's show, and Orel Hershiser! The game was great and the US won in a pretty close battle over Taiwan.

After the game the boys and I drove to Lycoming and moved in Alex's things into her dorm. She's in a new housing area that has 2 bedrooms, and a large kitchen/lounge area. It's a really nice setup. We stayed for an hour and chatted with her roomates who are on the lacrosse team and then finally took off for home. It was a busy day but memorable none the less...

Pictures for the Championship game can be found on my facebook page located HERE.
Pictures for the Consolation game are HERE.

Yeah I'm still here...

2009-08-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken on the day we got Chloe. It was a surprise party for Chrissy's birthday and Alex's freshman year. September 2006.

Lots of things going on. Alex is at school but classes don't start until Monday. She's been up there for about 10 days. She is working for ESPN at the Little League World Series that is held there. She's working directly with a camera guy that shoots shots of people in the stands during the game. She was able to secure ESPN Friends and Family passes for the boys and I so we are going to the championship game tomorrow (sunday). We're taking her things up there to her as well so it will be a busy day!

Tyler started 11th grade this past monday. All things working out well so far. He also had to work 3 days this week after school at the golf course. He's able to get a ride from school with a friend and I pick him up later in the evening.

Michael went to his Freshman orientation for St. Johns. They spent 1/2 a day at school followed by an overnight retreat up in Emmitsburg, MD. They were able to meet and greet with all their freshman classmates as well as do a quick run through of their classes. He has 15 people in his English class and 3 people in his Art class. A lot better than the 35 he had last year. My fingers are crossed that this is the right choice for him. He's ready to go. I'll get some pics next week on Tuesday which is his official 1st day of school.

Me? Well this week I finished my 8-week Young Widow/Widowers group at the Hospice. It was a very emotional meeting as we all brought in pictures of our spouses and children to share with the group. The group was helpful as it reinforced the fact that I am not alone in this journey and that many others are dealing with the same issues as I.

Health? I WAS feeling pretty good for a couple of weeks. Vacation was good and the week after as well. Then all of a sudden I started getting pain again this past Monday. It has tapered off as of yesterday so we'll see how it goes.

1st pitch

2009-08-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

I was able to throw out the 1st pitch at the memorial baseball game a few weeks back. This video showed up on YouTube recently which was taken that day... Enjoy.

Disney Vacation Videos

2009-08-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

These are some videos from out Disney vacation....

Alex goes back to school

2009-08-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

Well Alex left the boys and I to be on our own again this week. She left Wednesday morning for Williamsport to start her final year of college.

She will be there for 10 days before as she is working for ESPN at the Little League World Series! She is excited beyond all imagination and was just assigned her "credentials"!

The boys and I are going to be taking her things up to her next weekend which just so happens to be the date of the championship game(s). So we may be able to sit in again on those exciting games. We've done it the past 2 years but now we know someone on the inside!!!!

Disney part II

2009-08-14T06:21:00.000-07:00

Well the week has been a very busy one to say the least!!! Tuesday we went to Epcot. The last time we were here it was our favorite park. This time it was too. We got there and immediately went and got a fastpass for the new ride "Soarin'" That allowed us to go back later in the day with no wait. We went over and rode the ride "Test Track" the wait was an hour but due to technical difficulties it was almost 2!!! Inside at least.

Later in the afternoon we visited 1/2 the countries around the world. Eating a huge snack in Germany.

Tuesday night we had a reservation for Maggianos Italian Restaurant. We ate like no tomorrow. Each one of us camee away with huge food babies. Me... twins!!! If you ever get a chance to go I highly recommend it. http://www.maggianos.com/

Wednesday we hit the other Disney water park called Blizzard Beach. It was a very hot day and a good thing we were at the water park. The climbs to the top of the mountain to slide down were really good exercise and the rides down just great. We did get a garbage pail ice cream. A pail filled with just about everything they had in the hut. Came complete with a small shovel. Tyler used that. We went down quite a few times despite the crowds. We also hopped in some tubes and rode the lazy river around the entire park.

Thursday was a down day. Michael finished all 500 pages of the book he was reading so he and I ventured out to Borders to buy another one. He loves to read and you can't fault him for that. Then all the kids and I drove around to a few outlets and kicked around a little bit. We were going to go back to Epcot to visit the other 1/2 of the countries BUT the skies opened up and it poured like crazy for almost 2 hours. Think of the hardest rain you've ever seen and then imagine it continuing for 2 hours!!! We bagged it and made our way over to Downtown disney. I wore my emergency poncho and the kids made fun of me. I was dry, they were not...

Today, Friday, we are packing and heading out to Epcot to try again. The flight home is at 8:30. Our family vacation 2009 is coming to a close...

Disney World Trip

2009-08-11T06:24:00.000-07:00

6 1/2 years ago Chrissy and I took the kids to Disney World. This year now that they are all much older we decided to give it another try. We had a good time then and so far this year we've had good weather and a good time. We're staying in a suite at the Embassy Suites so there is plenty of room for us to get out from under each other.

We flew down on Friday evening and 1st thing Saturday we were off to Animal Kingdom. We rode our first ride which got me and Tyler soaked!!! The rest of the day was a little soggy. We also rode their newer coaster called Everest. SCARY. The kids got hooked on pin trading the last time and they brought their pins down here with them this year and started trading again. Just walk up to a "cast member" employee and trade any pin you have for one you see on their lanyard. Fun.

Sunday was a trip to Hollywood Studios. There we rode the Rocking Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror. Both have left a lasting impression on me!!!! Very terrrifying. Sunday night we went to downtown disney for dinner at the House of Blues.

Yesterday, we did a water park. 1st time any of us have been to one and we had a good time. They had this giant wave pool that would create a huge 6 foot tall tidal wave! We went down several of the water slides some of which were in the dark!

We're all very tired but are continuing on today and for the rest of the week.

Pictures are found on my Facebook page HERE.

The kids and I in the paper...

2009-08-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

This article made the local Frederick Newspaper this morning...

Here's how it looked in the paper.

Widows, widowers find comfort in support group

By SUSAN GUYNN
News-Post staff
sguynn @fredericknewspost .com

The death of a loved one can be devastating whether it be a spouse, child, parent or friend.
“A lot of the emotions are the same, but the dynamics are different,” said Denise Watterson, a bereavement coordinator for Hospice of Frederick County. She is the facilitator for an eight-week support group for young widows and widowers currently under way at Hospice.
As with most Hospice support programs, there’s an educational component; this one focusing on the grieving process. “But young widows and widowers really need an opportunity to share,” said Watterson. Charlie DeWitt of Frederick lost his wife of 22 years to breast cancer on a September day two years ago. He attended a general bereavement support group soon after, but found that “going through situations where somebody has lost a child or parent, I didn’t have any way to relate to that, just as they didn’t relate to my loss.”
But meeting with other young widowers and widows, “when I say something, I know the people in the room can relate to it.”
His late wife, Christine DeWitt, battled the disease for three years and continued to work and care for their home and three children until about a month before she died. Having that time to prepare was “a saving grace, but it wasn’t easy to do,” DeWitt said. “It was really hard to talk about it.
“You can say you’re prepared all you want, but you’re not. The first month is numbing, like living in a fog,” DeWitt said.
With his 21-year-old daughter at college, DeWitt cares for his sons, 16 and 13. “I was the disciplinarian. (Christine) was more nurturing and helped with homework, coloring Easter eggs and playing games,” he said. “That’s not there now, though I try as hard as possible.”
DeWitt, 47, said the challenging part for him now is the “me” part. “I’ve been focused 110 percent on my children and family. It’s time for me to start thinking about me, personally.”
Laurie Moser, 50, said her family’s life changed forever in June 2007 when her husband, Rick Moser, was killed on the job in a state highway work zone. “The life we knew was gone completely. We’ve spent the last two years trying to find out who we are,” said Moser. Their children are now 22 and 12.
“In that time I’ve been effectively able to find purpose in Rick’s death,” said Moser, a FCPS teacher. Moser and her daughter, Rachel, have become advocates for roadway work zone safety awareness at the state and national levels. “That’s been healing, but there’s still a tremendous loss in our hearts and we’ll always feel that,” Moser said. “I don’t feel sorry for myself. That’s just the reality.”
With a daughter in college and a son about to enter middle school, Moser said she was drawn to this support group “to talk to parents about how they’re dealing with these issues.”
The group is also a place for building friendships and a social network. “After Rick was killed so suddenly, I could almost feel people stepping back. It was a reality no one wants to face,” Moser said. “Initially, it was isolating.
“But as I’m getting further on this journey I’m seeing things a little differently,” Moser said. “It was just too painful for people who knew us well. They were grieving a loss, too.”
Knowing that cancer would likely someday claim her husband, Ellen Baker said, “In essence, I was grieving before the loss. The reality sank in two weeks after he passed on” seven months ago.
Her husband, Doug, was diagnosed with a rare cancer five years before they met. “It was tough, but it didn’t control our lives,” Baker said. “It didn’t stop us from enjoying our life. With a prolonged disease, you know this is going to happen.” Having time to say the things you want to say was a gift, she said, “but watching him go downhill ... you’re never fully prepared. “Even though we knew he was sick, we were still planning a future. There are miracles,” Baker said. The hardest part is “knowing he’s never coming back.” Baker said that meeting other widows and widowers through the support group takes away feelings of isolation and talking to people who are further along in their grief journey is helpful. “There’s a uniqueness to losing your spouse if you’re young,” she said.
Common threads
Watterson led a workshop for young widows and widowers last year and saw there was a need for a support group.
“They were planning to raise their kids together, grow old together, retire together, and now that’s gone,” Watterson said of the participants. If there are young children involved they become solo parents through a situation thrust upon them.
“Oftentimes, if the husband has died it can drastically change things financially. (The widow) has to find a job while she’s grieving and taking care of the children,” Watterson said. “For men, it may be taking on the more nurturing role and learning to do that. It turns their world upside down.
“It doesn’t matter if it was a lingering illness or sudden, until that last breath, it doesn’t hit that you’re alone,” she said.
For John McCarthy, 51, of Woodsboro, the emotions are still raw. His wife, Sallyann Trapane-McCarthy died of cancer Christmas Eve. Having time to prepare for her death was helpful but “it still hits you like a ton of bricks when it happens,” McCarthy said.
“It’s just good to know there are other people going through the same thing,” he said of the support from the group. “We have so much in common” and talking to others helps him get around obstacles in solo parenting and grief.
“I have to get up every morning. I don’t have a choice,” McCarthy said. “I have a 10-year-old (son) who needs me to take care of him. People in the (support) group have the same thing. You’ve got to get up and make it look like it’s a good day.”
McCarthy’s brother-in-law, Anthony Trapane, lives with them and helps care for his son, Emmett. “I want to make sure my son gets through this without undue suffering and that he has a positive memory of his mother.
“I’ve got things to learn and we’re going to learn them together,” he said.

Frederick Keys catcher Wally Crancer presents a ball to Charlie DeWitt after DeWitt threw out the first pitch at a game recently. The game was Christine DeWitt Memorial Breast Cancer Awareness night. DeWitt’s children are, from left, Tyler, Michael and Alex.

Staff photos by Bill Green
Fans fill a section at Harry Grove Stadium for Christine DeWitt Memorial Breast Cancer Awareness night recently.

Out with old... in with new.

2009-07-31T07:54:00.001-07:00

This week was very busy. We had all the windows in the house replaced. All of them. They came out just perfect. They all open and they all have beautiful screens in them. The old ones were just a mess. These are low-e glass and I qualify for the new tax credit for getting them! Gotta love that.

We also had the front door taken out and replaced. Looks basically the same which is what I wanted. The wood around the door was all rotted out. They fixed it all and also wrapped any wood in aluminum cladding. There is no painting ever needed.

Additional pictures can be found here on my Facebook page.

HOUSE!!!

2009-07-28T13:55:00.001-07:00

My friend Rich teeing off in a charity golf tournament! I just had to post this for all to enjoy.

Keys Game

2009-07-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

This year's annual Chris DeWitt Memorial Breast Cancer Awareness Night was a big success, despite a little bit of the nasty weather that summer brings.

Last year the event was postponed due to rain. Although disappointing it still worked out very well. This year was almost the same. After getting 100 tickets from the Keys for friends and family many people gathered at my home the afternoon of the game. While we were enjoying the friendship, the weather took a turn for the worse. It poured around 5:00. Gametime was 6:00. Long story short, we waited and it did pass. The game began right aound 6:35.

I was able to address the crowd both before and after the game. I made sure that they knew that the event was not only being held to honor Chris but to honor each and every person that that was affected by cancer in some way. One of the people that threw out a 1st pitch (myself included) was a recent cancer survivor. She was so thrilled to be a part of the event. I went up and spoke with her during the game and gave her a pink ribbon pin that I had. While standing there a foul ball nearly came up and bonked me on the head!!! I think Chrissy was aiming for me! :) I missed getting the ball but a nice gentleman gave it to me. It will be on the mantel with some of the other special memorabilia that we own.

During the game a small rainstorm formed and sent everybody running for cover. It lasted about 20 mins or so. It did offer up an absolutely beautiful rainbow that came down from heaven and shined on us. The picture does not do it justice.

Luminaries were lit and placed on the infield after the game, and a huge fireworks display followed to cap off a very special day.

THANKS GO OUT TO THE FREDERICK KEYS ORGANIZATION FOR ALL THAT THEY DID FOR US.

Email from Keys Mascot

2009-07-23T14:32:00.000-07:00

Breast Cancer Awareness Night – On July 26th, we invite you to come out for the Frederick Keys’ 2^nd Annual Chris DeWitt Breast Cancer Awareness Night. The night will kick off with a ‘Survivor’s Reception’ in our picnic pavilion from 5-6 pm. Contact Laurie Frey of the American Cancer Society at Laurie.frey@cancer.org for more information or to make reservations for the reception. The Keys will also be raffling off a number of pink, team signed bats and plated bases and the American Cancer Society will be in attendance to provide information to anyone who might be interested, as well as to sell honorary luminaries for the ceremony, prior to the fireworks that evening!

2nd Annual Awareness Game

2009-07-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

The Frederick Keys baseball organization is once again honoring Chris's memory this year with the 2nd Annual Chris DeWitt Memorial Cancer Awareness Night! Pink is the color of the night!

Players wear pink hats, there are pink bats, even the bases have pink logos on them.

The game is SUNDAY JULY 26TH AT 6:00 PM. I along with many others will be there again this year. Please let me know if you're coming and make sure to find me to say hello!!!!!

Thanks!

Keys Game

2009-07-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready for the upcoming Frederick Keys Breast Cancer Night. While going through old pictures I ran across this video from 8/30/2005. ENJOY! The game is Sunday July 26th at 6:00 PM. Please plan to attend!

Concert

2009-07-13T07:25:00.000-07:00

Took the kids to a concert last night at Nissan Pavillion in VA. We saw Cheap Trick, Poison, and Def Leppard. Great concert and lots of people !!!! Gotta love the 80's.

Crabby Dog

2009-07-11T15:46:00.001-07:00

Chloe and Cory enjoying Alex's birthday crabs at the beach in Ocean City! She was too funny.

Ocean City 2009

2009-07-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

This week I am spending the week in Ocean City, MD. For about 20 years my in-laws have rented a condo right on the beach from a very good friend of mine. Each year they would invite family memberss to come and go and fill up the condo during the week.

This year, because of my mother-in-laws cancer diagnosis and up coming surgery they asked me if I wanted it for the week. At first I didn't want to go but then decided it would be a great way to get away from the house for a week of mind clearing!

Alex and Tyler stayed home until Tuesday night because she had to work. So Michael and I went out on our own last Saturday. It was just the 2 of us for 3 days. We went out for dinner, breakfast, to the beach, and even caught a movie. Tuesday we did the all day mini golf too. This is the course the Chris would take them when we would come down before.

Alex and her boyfriend, Cory, came out with Tyler on Tuesday evening. Wednesday we went out and got a 1/2 bushel of crabs for her 21st birthday which we celebrated a day earlier.

Today is her birthday and an era of having a little girl is now over. Hard to believe, but I guess I have to accept the fact that my little girl is all grown up...

Monday my good friend Danny and his wife came down and we spent the entire day out on the beach with our friends Jim and Maria who were also down here. The weather was spectacular and we spent the whole day just relaxing and partaking in beverage on the beach.

Of course being here has brought back many, many good memories of Chrissy and our times that we spent here. Today the kids went to the Kite Factory and tried on funny hats, just like they did 2 months before she died. We also ate dinner at Bull on the Beach which was always a favorite place to go.

Something also happened which I am still trying to work out. I've worn a pink breast cancer awareness ribbon on my right wrist ever since Chris was diagnosed in Aug 2004. Just under 5 years this has never left my arm. Today I was simply giving it a little stretch and it broke. I know that I could not wear it forever and was planning on taking it off on the 2 year anniversary of her death. This was obviously not meant to be. I'm a little bummed but at the same time it perhaps is a sign for me to keep moving on... wish there was a way to figure all this out.

Coming home on Saturday...

New AC and Furnace

2009-07-02T05:20:00.001-07:00

I finally got around to hiring someone to install a new HVAC system in the house. 13 years is how long the last one went and I decided to change it out before it checked out. It's all about efficiency nowadays. My old AC was a 6 or 7 SEER rating. The new one is a 20! I should in theory cut my electric bills in half.

I also got a new furnace as well and tacked on a new humidifier at the same time.

The best thing about all this is that both the inside and the outside unit are very very quiet. In fact you have to be right next to it to know that it is on. I also had the AC unit moved to the side of the house that we never go by instead of behind the house. Next year we'll be extending the deck to make it a little bigger!!!

What recession?

Dumb A**

2009-06-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

Oh I'm so proud of him....

A day away from it all...

2009-06-28T15:27:00.001-07:00

Yesterday the boys and I were able to get away from the house for the day. Our good friend Danny and his wife took us out on the Chesapeake Bay for a little fishing excursion!!! We had a great time tooling around the huge bay. We did some fishing and some swimming and dined on some very yummy pretzel sticks all day! Hey we were fishing. Everyone caught a fish too. Including Brenda who wasn't even fishing!!!!

We went over by the Bay Bridge, as well as the Kent Narrows Bridge. While there we swung by Red Eye's Dock Bar. It wasn't Sunday so it was a little slow. Check out their website and I urge you so stop in on a Sunday afternoon/evening!!!!

After fishing we went back to their house with some other friends and just hung out by the pool and enjoyed the evening.

Here's a LINK to all the pictures I took that day... THANKS VERY MUCH DANNY AND BRENDA!

Keys Game

2009-06-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was SuperHero night at the Keys stadium. Alex was WonderWoman so of course we had to go! Fun night and a perfect night for baseball! Thanks to Dave the GM for great seats once again!

Full Swing Summer

2009-06-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

Well summer is here and in full swing. I'm working still. Times are tough in the industry right now and not many companies are buying stuff. I keep plugging along. Yesterday I had to go to Morgantown WV to actually install one of the systems that I sold. I was only 3 hours away vs. sending a tech from California all the way out there. It was good. I used to do that kind of stuff all the time, but now I am focused primarily on the sales side. All went well and the customer was up and running live on the new system when I left.

On the way home I stopped in Cumberland, MD and had dinner at a small restaurant in the blocked off downtown area. It was the best Jambalaya I have ever had, outside of New Orleans. Who would have thought in the middle of nowhere.

Health - I saw my gastroenterologist on Tuesday. All is okay with the tests and results that I've gotten so far. He recommended that I have another colonoscopy in 1 year to monitor one spot that they found. Also, he wants to perform an EUS or endoscopic ultrasound. It's pretty high-tech. They go down through your esophogus and perform some pretty low level investigation of the pancreas and other organs looking for abnormalities. It actually can get detail on the several layers of the tissue down there. If they find something, they can also do a biopsy at the same time. Only 2 places in MD do this right now, Hopkins, and UMD. Frederick hospital is getting the equipment right now and should be up and running on is soon. I could be the 1st one! Oh happy day. More on this later...

And now the crappy stuff. Some of you may already know, but Chris's mother found out a couple weeks ago that her breast cancer has returned. About 8 years ago she fought off early stage and has been doing pretty well. After all the tests and consultations they are confident that it has not spread. She will be undergoing surgery in about a week for a double mastectomy with reconstructive surgery. Recovery will certainly take some time after that. Cancer has reared it's ugly head once again.

Keep July 26th on your calendar. That is the date for the Frederick Keys Breast Cancer Awareness night in honor of Chrissy! Drop me a line and let me know if you would like to go.... I will have some tickets available.

Old friends

2009-06-20T11:44:00.000-07:00

Thursday evening I attended a little reunion among friends I used to work with. There were 7 of us and many of us had not spoken in over 15 years! We used to work at my old company called Oncor and were all in the IT department there. We've since all gone our separate ways but the friendships are still there.

Cool Bird

2009-06-16T06:26:00.001-07:00

While putting up shutters on the house we were able to get a birds-eye view of a mourning dove in the tree by the front door. She has a little baby under her.

Want fries with that?

2009-06-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to the Keys baseball game except this time I saw none of it. Tyler and I worked in the largest concession stand there along with other friends from the high school boosters.

I worked the fryer! Making french fries, chicken fingers, and... corn dogs!!! I must have made 100 bags of fries and the temperature must have been 120 degrees by the fryer. There was grease and oil all over me!!! I think I still smell like a chicken finger. It really gives you an appreciation for the work that needs to be done.

In any event we made a good deal of money for the work that we did. It will go to a good cause for the school athletes.

Climb for Hope Lunch

2009-06-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of having lunch today with Andrew Buerger who is the founder of the Climb for Hope charity that raises funds for advanced research for Dr. Leisha Emens. She was Chris's oncologist at Johns Hopkins.

Andrew brought his wife with him and the 3 of us had a wonderful lunch discussing all sorts of topics. His sister had just passed away a month ago from breast cancer leaving 3 children and a husband. A very similar situation as mine.

They are actually leaving this weekend for a climb in Iceland! Very exciting for all of them.

We had lunch a year ago as well and will continue to keep in touch for sure. Please check them out at www.climbforhope.com