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.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Moving along...
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
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
Sunday, September 12, 2010
3 years past...
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Labor Day Weekend
| Heather and Ella Enjoying Cake |
| Ella and I in the Pool |
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.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Replacement Car
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!
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!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Rains it Pours
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...
Sunday, August 22, 2010
3rd Annual Keys Game
| The Jumbo Tron in the outfield |
| Ella getting her ball signed by Keyote |
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 ! |
Thursday, August 12, 2010
VACATION
| The dunes in KittyHawk |
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 |
| Nick Mike and Ty |
| Kids from our trip in 2000 |
Friday, July 30, 2010
The first of many...
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!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Harder to post!!!
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!!!
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.
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.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Anniversary, Dinner, and Awards
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Concert
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!!!
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....
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Heather
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...
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.
Alex's Graduation 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!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
A month without a post
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.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Catching up!
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.
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...
Monday, March 22, 2010
Spring has Sprung...
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.
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'
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
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!
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