Our three daughters

2012-02-03T10:07:00.000-05:00

A super fantastic give away!!!

Check it out!!!!

Tradition

2012-01-26T10:34:00.001-05:00

Every year, on this very special day we have a tradition. We celebrate our family day by recreating the moment we met!

Payton's clothes

She LOVES putting them on!

Her special gift from China to celebrate her special day!

We had to modify our "pose" this year. She is just getting so big!!!

Our first glimpse at one another.

True love from the beginning!

Happy 7th Forever Family Day Payton! We love you!!!

Gotcha x's 6

2011-01-26T20:43:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it has been 6 years since Payton joined our family!

I started this fun tradition of dressing in the same clothes that we wore when we finally got to see our beautiful baby girl! It has been so much fun looking at the pictures over the years and seeing how much she has grown. This year PK gave a cute little chuckle and said "Oh no...there is no way those clothes will still fit me! I am sad to say that I think that this is the last year that she might be able to squeeze into them! I will have to come up with a "new" tradition next year.

**still can't locate the picture from our first year home...(insert sad face here!)

She loved her gift. A beautiful tea set that we purchased when we were in China. We bought a bunch of gifts to give for her special day!

My baby is getting so big!

Happy 7th Birthday Payton

2011-01-10T16:56:00.000-05:00

HaPpY BiRtHdAy Payton! We love you!

My Nemesis

2010-09-28T20:42:00.000-05:00

Yes, the AA Battery is my NEMESIS!!

I feel like my life has been reduced to finding/buying/replacing batteries. Everything in our house is currently running on a battery. The worst part is, the kids are now into "finding" their own batteries. The other day I went to use the television remote...no batteries...they were used to "fix" the WII remote. Then, my fabulous flame less candle...no batteries, they were used to make the Leapster work. It is endless cycle. I buy them, and they disappear. I guess I should consider myself lucky, a AA battery as a nemesis isn't so bad!

Sunday Snapshot {Dear Gillette}

2010-09-19T19:32:00.000-05:00

What does a $1.00 buy you?

A can of ~~fun~~ shaving cream!

As of late, my girls are really into their showers. Payton still needs some help with the rinsing part, but Sydney relishes her shower. She spends a tremendous amount of time showering. Payton is the get in and get er' done kind of shower girl.

Tonight however, they asked to take a tub -TOGETHER (gasp)

Just for kicks, I gave them a can of shaving cream and let them at it

Well boy did they not disappoint

They got the walls, the floor, the curtain and themselves!

Head to toe!

So I would like to take this time to personally THANK Gillette for ~~giving me a break~~ a fun filled night of foam!

For some more Sunday Snapshot fun~go to Steph's blog:

Sunday Snapshot {A crime scene}

2010-09-12T09:28:00.000-05:00

Let me set the scene for this crime.......

IVY

Payton's treasured American Girl Doll

Her best friend, sleeping buddy and all together Payton's favorite toy she EVER received!

(Picture provided by American Girl site)

This was Christmas day 2007 and below is Ivy now....the victim of a horrible accident

Her right hand chewed off! Leaving just the thumb, Payton was devastated

This is her now, after a cast and some major tears we think she is going to make it!

This was her "attacker" BeBe-she looks innocent enough but don't let her fool ya, she is in fact GUILTY of said crime! She thought she was going to get away with it, but we discovered the evidence cleverly hidden in some, ahem...poop!~

So Ivy will be taking a trip to the hospital where she will receive the best care possible for her injuries.

For other fun Sunday Snapshots, head over to Steph's blog at

First Day of school

2010-09-07T20:36:00.000-05:00

Today was the first day of school

And to say these girl were excited

would be a HUGE understatement!

They took their assigned spots on the fireplace

and put on their best smiles

The bus couldn't come soon enough

And the best part.....to be reunited with the world's greatest crossing guard!

Looking forward to an amazing year!

Black and White Wednesday {This is for you Sterling}

2010-08-25T17:49:00.000-05:00

Check out other fabulous Black and White Wednesday fun at:

Sunday Snapshot {Happy Birthday}

2010-08-22T21:19:00.001-05:00

The Boy

and his eel-ewwwwww

Happy Birthday to my favorite little man~!

He turned 7 today!

Happy Birthday James!

**Just to clarify, James is my nephew, not my son. I love em' like he could be, but my sister Tara is his proud Mommy**

Sunday Snapshot {Best Friends}

2010-08-15T13:03:00.001-05:00

These girls are the very BEST of friends.....

And cousins.....

Which is kinda cool

And sometimes very reminiscent of my sister and I

They are goofy

And silly

Just like my sister and I

10 years ago, my twin sister and BEST friend Tara found out she was pregnant-her first. Everyone was elated. Thrilled. All but me....sad but true. I was happy for her of course, but sad for me because deep down inside I wanted it to be me! We had been struggling with fertility issues for years with no success. She was on her honeymoon and poof-pregnant. Some divine intervention must have been in place, because 2 weeks to the day she sprung her news, something amazing happened....I too was pregnant! We couldn't believe it. My first reaction was fear. Fear that I was going to somehow take away from this amazing time for her. Instead-she and her husband embraced it, couldn't wait to share in this exciting journey-together! Then we found out we were both having girls....GIRLS-together....oh the plans we started to make. The same outfits they would wear, the bows in their hair, the gift of being able to conquer all the woes of parenting. It was great...perfect. Our only fear was....would they love the idea of it as much as we did? The answer-YES YES YES. They are the best of friends and the worse of enemies. They are in fact-my sister and I.

For more great SUNDAY SNAPSHOTS,

head over to Steph's blog

Sunday Snapshot {My polar opposites}

2010-08-08T13:57:00.000-05:00

My littles could not be anymore different! Sydney is delicate. Payton is all rough and tumble. Sydney loves dresses, nail polish, dancing, singing and ANYTHING girlie. Payton loves baseball caps, sports, fishing and everything boyish. Sydney is the epitome of sweetness and grace. Payton could use a good course in etiquette. They are both distinctive personalities and we LOVE them for all of what makes them-well them. Sydney is trying desperately to emulate her big sister Lacey that we have struggled to keep her little. She admires Lacey so much that she sometimes forgets that she is only 9. A daily reminder or two and she is back on track. Payton also adores her big sister, but she is ALL kid. She is a player to the core. I have 3 girls, raised them basically the same way with little "tweaks" along the way, but they are who they are and it has nothing to do with us. We can help shape and mold them. Give them love and guidance, but at the end of the day, they are going to be who they are-polar opposites.

Wanna check out more fun Sunday Snapshots-check out Steph's blog at

Photo Session

2010-08-07T09:19:00.000-05:00

This is my friend Angela and her adorable son, Brian. Yesterday we did a mini ~~all day~~ photo shoot to try and capture his utter cuteness...it was easy ~~ridiculously hard~~ to do! I need some serious pointers in capturing the perfect baby picture. I am actually questioning my "skills". Clearly I love to take pictures, that doesn't mean I can....I ended up so frustrated because I could not get the "shot" that I wanted. He is such a smiler, but everytime I put the lens up, he would stop or not look. HELP! Would love any suggestions from my bloggy friends that might help with my next photo shoot with my favorite little man! You have some mad skills-so please share!

Sunday Snapshot~No words needed!

2010-08-01T09:04:00.000-05:00

Our "little" Pup

2010-07-27T20:10:00.000-05:00

Sunday Snapshot~6 girls plus 2 guys

2010-07-25T15:42:00.000-05:00

Let me first introduce you to THE guys...

Mr. Kid Rock

And Mr. Jon Bon Jovi-need I say more?

Now the girls~

From Left to Right

Top Row-Tracy and Lisa

Bottom Row-CL, Tara, Me and Lisa D.

Another shot of the girls

The best sister ever...Tara and I

You can't be a Jersey Girl and NOT love

Bon Jovi?!?!?!

You can however be a Jersey girl and NOT like the reality show Jersey Shore!

There is no fist pumping going on here-nor is that show a true depiction of what it is like to live here!

This year was a biggie for us gals-we all turned 40! So to celebrate, we treated ourselves to a girls night out to see our guys and what an amazing night it turned out to be. The show was great, the company better and the guys-well lets just say time has been very kind-very kind.

To see more Sunday Snapshots, head over to Steph's blog at

Update on my girl

2010-07-21T19:47:00.000-05:00

We are finally home from the hospital. It has been rough, but she is definitely on the mend. We will follow up with the infectious disease doctor, her pediatrician and A LOT of follow up blood work will need to be done to monitor her spleen and liver which are enlarged. She also has to get her lymph nodes monitored to ensure that they go back to normal. The care that she received at the hospital was amazing. She has a LONG road to recovery, but she is on her way! Thanks to all for your prayers and well wishes! Uncle JK sent the most adorable flower arrangement, but after being in the hospital, it really did not make it for pictures. Thank you Uncle JK

Thanks Aunt Cheryl-love it! You can't really read the mug, but it says "Get well eat vegetable soup"

A collection from all the neighbors-great way to come home!!! Thank you!

Getting used to getting around with her IV and starting to feel better

Not a very happy camper-this was day one in the hospital and she was miserable!

One sick kid

2010-07-17T08:42:00.000-05:00

Sydney has not been herself....

Her normally bubbly personality is gone....

Her dancing has stopped-{gasp}

She has had a fever of 103+ for 10 days

But no other symptoms!?!?!?!?!?

So it was off to the doctor,
(who sent us to get blood work)

The results:

Lyme's Disease

Epstein Barr

Strep virus in her blood (not strep throat)

Protein in her urine

She is one sick kid!

We are still waiting on her final blood culture and urine culture. For now she is on a heavy duty antibiotic, and Tylenol/Motrin every 4 hours. If things don't improve, she will be admitted into the hospital. We were told to make sure she gets plenty of rest, which has been a cinch since she hasn't moved out of bed or off the couch for almost 10 days. She also needs to drink plenty of fluids-Gatorade is her new BFF.

~~If you pray, please include

SYDNEY in yours

She needs all the help she can get right now~~

Toy Story 3-D

2010-07-16T08:22:00.000-05:00

A MUST SEE!

It was a rainy Tuesday so we headed to the movies to see Toy Story 3-D

It was so good-all the kids loved it.

We got our glasses (super cool), our popcorn and snacks and found our seats.

When the movie started, it

was all ewwws and awwws

If your looking for a good movie this summer, see it...totally worth it

Sunday Snapshot {A Hot Commodity}

2010-07-11T08:44:00.001-05:00

Our Family is busy

Who's isn't?

We are the perpetual Host and Hostess

of our neighborhood

(which means....there is constantly a slue of

parents and kids at our home-sometimes it is a good thing, other times it is just plain overwhelming!)

We are normally running around like

chickens with our heads cut off from

one activity to the next

Summer brings a whole different

set of rules....

Bedtime routine-out the window

Dinner time

lets just say our grill is working overtime

One-on-One time becomes a hot commodity

but a priority none the less

Our goal is to have a "date" with each of kids

This particular date was with Sydney

Her choice-"A spa day please"

So it was off to the local nail joint

She choose a neon green with a flower design

Of all my girls, she is the girliest

She loves dresses, getting her hair done and NAIL POLISH

She is dying for a pair of high heels~clickity clacks is what we call em'

(Ya know, so when she walks they go

click-clack, click-clack)

Truthfully I would have gotten them for her, but coordination just ain't her thing!

She will get down and dirty

She is an excellent crabber

She can fish with the best of em'

She is the goalie on her soccer team

but she is most comfortable when

singing and dancing

She can't help herself

It is who she is

A true girly girl

So we were off, for a ~~half hour~~ moment if you will of pampering. I opted for the standard french pedi. Nothing too fancy.

Nothing better than some one one one with your girly girl, a massage chair and some good conversation.

For more fun Sunday Shapshots, head over to Stef's blog at:

**If you stop by, leave a comment..would love ot hear from you!**

Black and White Wednesdays~Her face

2010-07-07T15:12:00.000-05:00

I don't know what it is about her face that fascinates me so....

Her features are small but strong~

it is who she is....

I could stare at her face all day,

and sometimes do!

She has really started enjoying getting her picture taken...so much that no matter what she is doing she wants me to take a picture of her doing it.

Her smile is infectious

She has the SMALLEST teeth,

but boy can she work em'

Her lips are barely there, but she can surely plant a super duper kiss

I love this face....and everything else that is attached to it!~

Check out other b & w enteries over at

http://thelongroadtochina.blogspot.com/

I've become.....

2010-06-30T20:43:00.000-05:00

ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE...

ya know who I'm talking about...

I tried to resist...I really did, but I have succumb

Succumb to the undeniable cutest. The puppy kisses, the drool, the pitiful whimper.

The inability to leave the house without her

To talk about nothing but her

To tell people about her milestones

To post her on my blog

At least she is clean

And smells delicious

and had an adorable pink belly

The fact that she snuggles with a Monkey Buddy-come on-

Did I really have a chance?

Seriously, it wasn't even a fair fight

I would like to formally apologize to my sisters, ~~crazy dog owners~~, my sister in law ~~crazier dog owner~~, and my mother ~~craziest dog owner~~ and tell you....

I UNDERSTAND NOW...

Sunday Snapshot {The Kufi Hat}

2010-06-27T08:52:00.000-05:00

I ordered these and boy did we have a fun photo shot.!~ Even though it was 100+ degrees, the girls still wanted to wear them. I only have 1 word for this adorable Sunday snapshot-ADORABLE!

If you want your own Kufi Hats click HERE

To check out other Sunday Snapshot's, head over to Stephanie's blog at

Thankful Thursday

2010-06-24T15:54:00.000-05:00

Seriously.....How lucky am I??????????

Spread the word.....

2010-06-23T20:45:00.000-05:00

Steph over at http://www.nihaoyall.com/ is up to it again.....

If you have a passion for China...you absolutely need to go check it out.

Bonus-it includes a giveaway~

A REALLY busy weekend {Sunday Snapshot}

2010-06-20T21:07:00.001-05:00

I know this post should be ALL about Father's Day cuz Michael (the exceptional father he is) deserves a post devoted to him, but there is sooo much to tell....

It started off with a "little" trip up to NH...this was the horrible view we had to endure on our journey.

This was the most beautiful old bridge we had to cross to get to where we were going.

This is where our trip took us.....remember the "sneak peak" it told ya about???? The beauty on the right is our newest additions mommy Hazel. The one of the left is a boy...a big, big boy named Pi. For all those who asked....they are GREAT DANES! Blue Great Danes to be exact.

Here are the girls with our puppy...who is still kinda nameless...we are just struggling with a name. Just when we think we found the perfect name....it changes. The puppy in the middles is ours, the one of the left is her sister....what a cutie.

Lacey getting some loving..we won't be able to hold her for much longer....she is already tipping the scales at 30 lbs. For the record, that is the same as PK's weight!

Kisses from Hazel

In the car getting ready to leave.....

Mommy Hazel not ready to let her pup go...

How cute is she?! Home at last!

Playing with her toy looking o-so beautiful!

Playing with my sisters dog...they became fast friends and played so well together

She was so gentle. It will be funny to see them together in a few weeks....

Where's the puppy?

HERE I AM!

As exciting as it was to get our new puppy....we had another VERY exciting moment. PK lost her 1st tooth! She has had a wiggler for a few days, and today she asked her Daddy to just pull it. She is so incredibly brave. SK literally had teeth hanging by a thread and still wouldn't let you pull it out...PK, "take out it out Daddy-now please!"

So proud of her new smile

Swinging with her new FAVORITE person Nicky. She is my nephews girlfriend and we all just adore her. She is so sweet and PKthinks she is the awesome. While waiting for her to come over to see the puppy, PK waited on the front steps until she got here. LOVES HER

Seriously great weekend....HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to the world's BEST. We love you Michael!

To see other SUNDAY SHAPSHOTS, head over to Steph's blog:

NH Anyone?

2010-06-16T17:39:00.000-05:00

Any of my bloggy friends live in NH? We are heading there this weekend. Would love to meet up! We will be in the area of Dartmouth college. Let me know....

Your breath stinks

2010-06-14T21:08:00.000-05:00

This from the youngest of the "K" girls....Let me break it down for you..

We go to dinner at The Outback...one of our favorites...

I naturally indulge in the bloomin onion...cuz who can really resist it?!?!?!?

Everyone behaves, everyone eats, everyone is stuffed....we pay, we leave.

Upon exiting the parking lot PK is told to NOT cross the parking lot....

Guess what she does???? ~~Looks both ways like~~ ~~she is supposed to~~ Crosses the parking lot!

Upon snapping her into her booster I sternly get in her face and discipline her for her poor listening skills

She kindly responds with.............

"Sorry Mom but your breath really stinks!

Laughter erupts from everyone...

EXCEPT ME!!!!

It was really fun...not gonna lie

A sneak peek

2010-06-14T20:22:00.000-05:00

At our little cutie....or not so little......

Anybody want to guess what which one will soon be our newest little addition?

Better still...anybody know what kind of puppy she is?

She will coming home on Saturday and we are SO excited. Here are the names we have picked out:

Roxy

Pebbles

Sterling

Aqua

Brie

What do you like?????

Wordless Wednesday~Black and White Wednesdays

2010-06-09T15:47:00.003-05:00

This is my first time participating at Wordless Wednesday....I am not a photographer, however I do LoVe to take pictures...especially of my kiddos. So here is my attempt. First the black and white, then the color. Honestly, I love them both! Check out other entries over at:

Curly Girl Cakes

2010-06-07T17:23:00.000-05:00

Check out the link here! This is my friend Michelle-Rene's new business. It is sooo incredibly cute. If you are in the market for a great baby gift....LOOK NO MORE!

I've got a crush

2010-06-07T16:07:00.001-05:00

And it isn't my husband.......

GASP.....

And....he is a smidge younger than me...

And he is already a Yankee Fan.....BONUS!

And a GIANT Fan too.......

I introduced Brian a few weeks ago when he made his debut on April 21st. I took these photos for his birth announcement...didn't they turn out so cute? He is my good friend Angela's son and I have fallen HEAD OVER HEELS in love with him. From the moment our eyes (his crossed)met it was true love. Seriously....can you blame me?

Track and Field {Sunday Snapshot}

2010-06-06T20:31:00.000-05:00

I just love Track and Field Day! I remember as a kid looking so forward to it. Making the shirts, planning out the name of our class, wanting so badly to be the winning group. At the end of the day....we were all winners and to prove it, we were all awarded the ribbons...ya know the participant ribbons that everyone got but made you feel sooo incredibly special. My girls also love Track and Field Day. This year they were the Drew's Crew and the the Kindergarten Crew. They had so much fun...but like years past it was SOOOO hot. Why is it that it falls on the hottest days of the year? The girls were sweating their booties off! Paytons favorite event was the bean bag toss, while Sydneys favorite was the potato sac race.

Check out other Sunday Snapshots over @ Stephanie's blog:

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

2010-05-31T19:43:00.000-05:00

Gotta love the 3-day weekend! Especially when you get the BEST possible weather all weekend long. We opened our pool last weekend and surprisingly we have been swimming in it. This is the weekend we normally open it, but we have been graced with some phenomenal weather so it we did it early! The kids are thrilled! They have been swimming all week after school and boy have they been sleeping!! I forgot how much energy they use up while swimming. They have been falling asleep at the dinner table. We celebrated the weekend with friends and family and LOTS of BBQing. We celebrate all the men and women who have served and died for our country!

Fire pit Fridays for my {Sunday Snapshot}

2010-05-31T19:22:00.001-05:00

Doing the fire dance

The Fire pit master

The gang is all here!

Makes for a cozy night

One of the things we love about our neighborhood is our neighbors! We are lucky to have a ton of kids on our block and they all adore one another. They are all about the same age which makes for tons of ~~fighting~~ fun! We all "hang" in our backyard, the adults have some cocktails and the kids run wild. We always look forward to the weekends. Good friends, good food, GREAT FUN!!

Check out Stephanie's blog for more fun Sunday Snapshots!

Go Me! {Sunday Snapshot}

2010-05-22T20:45:00.005-05:00

really don't like to cook....as a matter a fact, I hate the kitchen. Of course out of necessity, I am forced to prepare meals, I am just not creative, nor do I enjoy it-at-all! Well, the other day, whilst ~~surfing the net~~ working, I came across a recipe from Curtis Stone, who not only is a great chef, but very easy on they eyes. I figured I would give it a whirl. After perusing the recipe, I discovered that I had NONE of the ingredients. Like I said, I am not a cooker, just a heater upper. I am not a microwave cooker, I mean I do cook, just plain, boring, usually flavorless meals. I envy those who can cook. I am in awe over the meals they create-I am usually just not inspired to cook them myself. Well let me just tell ya'll, it was YUMMY! Here is some pictures of my masterpiece. I highly recommend it. Keep in mind, it does take 2.5 hours to make, but well worth the time investment.

Starting the process....Fresh plum tomatoes, shallots, garlic and olive oil and a fresh bay leaf

Simmering away....added dry white wine, fresh thyme, salt and pepper

While the sauce was cooking away, I prepared chicken meatballs. 2 lbs ground chicken, egg, panko bread crumbs, Dijon mustard, paprika, parsley, basil and fresh garlic

The finished product...served with some penne pasta-delicious!

Go over to Stephanie's blog and check out other Sunday Snapshots

T.M.I. Period

2010-05-08T19:21:00.005-05:00

Hot Sweats
Mood Swings
Weight Gain (my personal favorite-love to be moody and fat)
Lack of the monthly bill
Major mood swings
What is up with this.....I am only 40 for gosh sake!

So far this is what info I have gotten that have NOT worked.

The oh-so sexy Cotton P.J.'s that my husband just LOVES-check

Daily vitamins-check

Fish Oil-check

Any words of wisdom from my eh-hum menopausal mommas out there?

Sunday Snapshot {Sundays}

2010-05-02T19:58:00.006-05:00

Nothing better than sunday mornings in bed! We are constantly on the go-go-go so on Sunday mornings we take it slow-slow-slow. Nothing better than starting it out with breakfast in bed. Payton climbed into Sydney's bed to watch The Princess and the Frog and relax. I love our Sunday mornings!

Check out other Sunday Snapshots over at :

Baby Brian is in the house!!!

2010-04-22T12:11:00.005-05:00

INTRODUCING:

Brian Rodney

Born 4/21 @ 1:47am

8lbs 7 oz, 20 inches

Proud Mommy: Angela

Isn't he just the cutest thing ever.........just want to kiss those lips!
Please say some prayers, he was moved into the special care nursey this morning at 3:00am due to fluid in his lungs. Hopefully is will turn out to work itself out, but there is a chance is may be an infection called TTN and this is what it is: In infants with TTN extra fluid in the lungs remain or the fluid is cleared too slowly. So it is more difficult for the baby to inhale oxygen properly, and the baby breathes faster and harder to get enough oxygen into the lungs. Last night, he started breathing very hard while nursing, then got worse during the night. Please include baby Brian in yours prayers!

Happy 9th Birthday Sydney

2010-04-18T14:27:00.004-05:00

I'm not gonna lie, these are old pictures-these are NOT Sydney's birthday pictures. I posted a while ago about my camera and how frustrated I was.....well my camera is at it again and I unfortunately was not able to capture any un-fuzzy pictures on her special day. But I digress.....Sydney is 9! I can't believe it. Next year we hit the "double digits" It is amazing how quickly time passes. She is an absolutely amazing child. She is smart, funny (super funny), confident and uber lovey. She still climbs on my lap and cuddles everyday. She still lets me pick her up and carry her around for the big squeezes. She is her father in soooo many ways, but her personality is all her own. She is FUNNY-she comes out with things that make your stomach hurt. We call them Sydneyisms...a journal of all the outrageous things she says. She is a good friend. She is sweet down to the bone. She is always considerate of other peoples feelings and always is there to help out a friend. She loves her sisters fiercely...but her little sister can drive her crazy! PERSONAL SPACE issues if you know what I mean. At the end of the day, she knows how much Payton admires her and she loves it. She loves being her role model. She is also so confident for only being 9. She is her own little character and she doesn't care what people think even when doing the goofiest of things-like tap dancing in the middle of the street or singing completely off key. She just knows how to have fun. She is also an "old soul" and can hang with the grown ups whenever possible. Sometimes I have to remind her to be a kid.....there will be plenty of time to grow up! We are so blessed to be her parents. She makes us proud EVERYDAY. Happy Birthday Sydney!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-14T17:38:00.002-05:00

Topsy Tail

2010-04-09T17:00:00.002-05:00

I have had this for over 10 years and just came across it recently. I did not even think they made it anymore so I googled it and found the link. Well the girls think it is the bomb! We have created tons of hair styles and the most recent is the side pony...its supposedly all the rage in school right now. Totally 80's baby. So today we had a topsy tail kind of day and it was side ponies for everyone. Personally, I think Topsy Tail should steal this picture for advertising cuz they are all pretty stinkin cute rockin their cool do's!

Easter 2010

2010-04-08T18:36:00.006-05:00

We had the Best Easter this year! My parents are finally settled into their new home and are both on the mend health wise so we had a lot to be grateful for this Easter! We celebrated with a fabulous dinner (compliments of the chef a.k.a Mom) and beautiful weather to celebrate in! The kids played football, did a little wrestling and we ALL participated in races. Little James is our resident speed racer and I will NOT mention who won the race between Tara and I. Lets just say, I guess it really is time for me to hit the gym! The only downer to the entire day was that Lacey and big James were not with us. Lacey was just home for spring break so she stayed down in NC and celebrated with her boyfriend's family. James had to work. The restaurant business is a hot commodity during the holidays for some folks-not us, we are alwasy home bound so we can let is all hang out.

Left to right: Uncle Jk, Tante Tara (kids James and Emma) Uncle Jimmy, Tante Tina (daughter Jordan-missing their son James), Mom and Dad, Payton, Me, Michael and Sydney (missing Lacey-sniff sniff)
Me and my sista-best friend extraordinaire! My other half!

Me and the hubby!

The little yellow dress

2010-04-07T18:15:00.004-05:00

For those of you who don’t know Payton, this might seem like just a normal (albeit adorable) picture. But for those of you who don’t personally know her, Payton is (not a girly girl) really not into dresses!

So imagine my surprise when we returned home from Aikedo and she changed into this! HER CHOICE! We have been experiencing some seriously hot days~90+ degrees today! So I told her to put on something cool. Stupid me, I thought she would have come out in shorts and a tank top. She even happily agreed to the picture taking, posing and all!

My little taster

2010-03-29T20:46:00.006-05:00

What do you do when you have to get dinner ready and the littlest of 6 can't be 2 feet away from you?

Plop her on the counter and make her your official taster!

Yum Yum GOOD!
I can't belive she is 2!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy Baby G!

One way ticket to heaven

2010-03-22T17:04:00.003-05:00

This is the quote from my beloved Sydney!

Not to brag-but I have some super smart kiddos! Our school district does inclusion so some of her classmates require a personal resource teacher. Sydney was asked in the beginning of school if she would help out one of the resource teachers to help her with a child, "D". She gladly took on the job, but today she kinda groaned and moaned about it.

Here is a breakdown on how it went down:

Sydney: "You know how I always have to help the resource teacher Mrs. "B" with "D"?"

Mom: "Yes, why?"

Sydney: "Well, it is starting to get annoying. I am the only one that has to help him. It is not that I don't like helping him (bless her heart) but today, I had to write a thousand word paragraph (slight exaggeration) twice. Once for me, and another for "D"!"

Mom: "You wrote his paragraph?"

Sydney: "Well no, I just had to copy notes off the board"

Mom: "Did you tell Mrs. "B" that you felt is was a lot of extra work for you to do?"

Sydney: "And ruin my one way ticket to heaven?" Heck no!

Gotta love her!

Sunday Snapshot {a quick visit}

2010-03-21T21:00:00.005-05:00

Maya, Zi and Payton
Alyssa, Sydney and Amy

Baby Gi

What a crazy and wonderful weekend!

We got to visit with "my girls" and let me tell ya, it was waaayyy over due!

These girls have my heart. I miss them everyday. When I see them, hold them, smell them, kiss them, it is like they have never left. They are happy. Their mom is happy and doing well~as well as she is able to.

Seeing them always reminds me that the tug in my heart is still there ~ still in China. Somewhere, somehow, we will be united with another child. When that will happen only he knows, his plan will reveal itself when the time is right....but I can't help wonder when?????

44 has never looked so good

2010-03-17T14:51:00.006-05:00

HaPpY BiRtHdAy

to my best friend, best father

and best husband!

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44 has NEVER looked so good!

The girls were very excited to see their Daddy who has been in TN for the last few days. When the girls realized he was home after school, they ran out of the car and plowed into the house to give him birthday kisses and hugs!

He was a trooper to wear the headband but insisted on a shot without it!

Oh, and HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY TOO!!

Sunday Snapshot {A celebration}

2010-03-14T14:36:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we celebrated the upcoming marriage of my dearest friend Lisa! She will be getting married in May, and my hubby will actually be officiating the wedding! Lisa had held out for the "one", ya know the one that movies are made of....well lucky for her, she found him! She had to kiss A LOT of frogs to find her prince, but she in fact did find the one! I have been blessed to share my life with her and the other gals for over 30+ years. We all grew up together and shared all of our serious life experiences with one another! Life has taken us all in different directions, but it has never matter where we are, we are always there for one another. We are all looking so forward to seeing our dear friend get married and the bridal shower was a wonderful way for us to help her start off her new life.

Ke$ha's got nothin' on my girls

2010-03-10T20:09:00.003-05:00

This is what happens when you

mix college kids and little kids!

I should mention that no one was injured during the taping of this video although Payton did get knocked around a little. She is a tough little cookies-she just gets back up and keeps on rockin'

Sunday Snapshot {The BIG 40}

2010-03-07T19:06:00.002-05:00

My twin sister and I celebrated our 30th birthday

FOR THE 10th YEAR IN A ROW!

When I was young, I always remember thinking that 40 seemed soooo old....now, it is just a number. I am so blessed to share my special day with my best friend and sister Tara. We have had a crazy year to reflect on.....

Tara is now cancer free
Our father is recovering wonderfully from quadruple bypass surgery
Our mother is recovering from bowel surgery and a serious thyroid condition
My beloved husband started a new job after searching for over a year to find the right one and doing whatever he had to do to provide for his family
Payton is medicine free for the 1st time in 5 years~having immunity deficiency disorder, it is a huge accomplishment!
Sydney is very excited about having her visit to the orthodontist and getting her teeth fixed!
Lacey is doing fabulous at college-growing and maturing while miles away. She has become such an amazing young woman, we are so proud!

So all in all, turning 40 is like a drop in the bucket!

My confession

2010-02-23T22:03:00.008-05:00

I admit it

I am a fan of......

THE BACHELOR

Just to clarify, not the show per se, but this particular season. I have watched the show before, but not with this kind of obsession! I am admitidly.addicted.to.this.show! To the point where kids MUST be in bed and a sleep by 8:30, clothes picked out for the next day, lunches and snacks made, dishes in the dishwasher, house made somewhat tidy and me planted on the couch!
Pathetic I know...but what is a girl to do?
Or in this case....what will Jake do?????

Tenley?
She is super.uber.annoyingly sweet....too sweet.

Vienna?

She is waaaay young, and a*b*c did a great job of producing/editing the show to make her out to be the girl everyone hated-myself included.

I am not on team Vienna!

Then there is Ali?

She would have been my choice, but alas she decided she could not stay and picked her career over love.

SMART GIRL!

So if you dare.....and are willing to come out of hiding and admit to your addiction, tell me your thoughts. It just takes a few words:

My name is ___________ and I admit it, I am addicted to The Bachelor

Sunday Snapshot

2010-02-21T10:15:00.006-05:00

I have wanted to participate in the Sunday Snapshot for weeks, but alas I have been a blog slacker! Which is not the first time I have slacked on my blogger responsibilities.....

So this week my first Sunday Snapshot will focus on BRACES!

Sydney is perfect in every way, EXCEPT her teeth! They are a crowed mess to put it mildly. These photos don't even capture the true experience of how bad her teeth are! So the orthodontist has recommended a palate expander on her top and bottom teeth, braces on her front 3 teeth, and eventually when her front tooth in the back has enough room another brace on that one. It will be PHASE I of her orthodontic work! It will take about a year. Her front teeth should aline within a month or two which she is thrilled about. She is only 8, and although early for braces it is necessary. The teasing has already begun and the ortho said if we did not do it now, Mr. Sharky (the one in the waaaayyy back) would never move forward. So in a few short weeks, Sydney will start her very long journey to PERFECT TEETH!!

But I have to admit, even with the mess that her teeth are.....her smile never fails to melt my heart! She smiles not only with her mouth but with her eyes too! A straight shot to my soul! LOVE YOU SYD, crocked smile and all!

Snow Storm 2010

2010-02-19T19:02:00.007-05:00

We have had one heck of a winter up here in the Northeast! Pounded with snow and ice. This storm came in hard and fast and we suffered some damage! We had a beautiful tree in our back yard that provided our backyard with wonderful shade! With all the snow, my tree just couldn't take the pressure and this is what we ended up waking up to......

It crushed the pool cabana's roof, but thankfully nothing too serious!
So after a winter like this, I am soooo looking forward to another summer like this!

After, not before

2010-02-19T18:37:00.010-05:00

In our house, every room is multi-purpose! Here for example is Michael's new office-which was my old laundry room. Clearly my laundry room was not worthy of a before picture, but definitely worthy of an after. It is not quite finished yet. It still needs tape, Spackle and paint, but with him starting his new job this week, we were limited with what we could actually accomplish in one weekend!

Here is the bookshelf that was the in the kids playroom-already loaded with tons o' stuff, that was previously loaded with tons o' kids toys, which made for a great reason to clean house on all the toys that haven't been touched in forever!
Here is the map that covers the fuse box....functional and practical when your territory is the United States!

And here is my new laundry SPACE! Can you tell that I wasn't as excited about giving up my laundry room? It is functional and works so far. Michael built out a wall and fit it into the corner of the girls playroom which works out really well. And when I am not doing laundry, it looks like....

THIS!
I love this curtain and only spending a few dollars-shower curtain rod $9.99, hooks, $12.00 and curtain for a bargain price of $19.99, it works!

I HATE MY CAMERA

2010-02-05T18:26:00.004-05:00

I am totally hating my Canon Rebel XT right now! I LOVE to take pictures and when my kids see the camera coming out, they usually have something negative to say about it. Why can't they just suck it up? Memories people-memories. They just don't get it. Anyway, back to topic: I have a Canon Rebel XT, and up until recently, have had no problems with it. Just before the holidays I was getting random error messages regarding my flash (I have a auto pop up and a removable, super heavy and annoying flash) that WILL NOT pop up anymore. Ok, so that isn't so horrible, just an extra step (while trying desperately to capture the oh-so precious shot before my adorable children run for cover or in this case, run and make a note that says "NO". again....adorable...NOT! Now, the error is "99". My lens and it's partner connectors just don't like each other and will NOT connect. So I google and find out that a standard pencil eraser could solve all of my problems! yeah. So I whip out an eraser and get to work. Well it worked!!!!!!!!!! For 5 seconds! Argh. I am so frustrated.

So....to all my camera using, picture takin friends, I ask you....what do you use to shoot?

Gotcha Day x's 5!!

2010-01-27T18:38:00.013-05:00

This is by far my favorite post of the year! I can hardly believe that 5 years have passed since the magical day we first met Payton. If you have followed my blog for anytime, you know that I dress both of us in the same clothes as the day we first met! I squeezed the poor thing into the outfit again this year-just a wee bit shorter in the arms and legs but gosh darn it, the outfit still fits! We both really enjoy our ritual of breaking out those "smelly" clothes (I refuse to wash either of them for fear of loosing the smell that was Shao Fu Qin). It is so much fun seeing how much she has grown. As you can see, she is not the only one who has grown.....eh hum..that sweater was pretty tiny on me this year. Me and my yo-yo weigh loss/gain. This year was a gaining year, last year was a GOOD year..I was a my ideal fighting weight! So enjoy the walk down my memory lane..............it only keeps getting better!

Look who's SIX!!!!

2010-01-10T18:55:00.000-05:00

It is the day that Payton has been looking forward to since she turned 5!! She has always wanted to be older than she is! It all started when she was 3 and wanted desperately to have a sleep over at my sister's house. I wasn't ready for her to sleep out so I told her when she turned 4 she could. Well...when she 4 she got the sleepover and started wishing that she could go to kindergarten. I told her when she turned 5 she could. When she was 5, she wanted to be 6 so she could be "big" and can do EVERYTHING by herself.

It is how she rolls.......until she is old like her mother and realizes it is never good to want to be older than you are......with age comes wisdom!~

So now I am just waiting for her to request to be 7. I can't imagine what she will come up with !

Snow Storm 2009

2009-12-21T18:50:00.001-05:00

I will let the picture speak for itself!!!

Left to right: Lacey, Leighann, Carolyn, Adrianna, Payton and Sydney

A quick update

2009-12-10T18:41:00.000-05:00

Baby "g" is one of my girls.......... It has been only a few shorts months since "the girls" went home to m-o-m, but thankfully I have been able to keep in touch! She seems like such a big girl. It is truly amazing how quick they grow when they are little. We spent time snuggling, laughing, but mostly eating! She couldn't get enough food in her! All she wanted was more, more, more! I was more than happy to accommodate being that she is still such a peanut-weighing in at a whooping 20 lbs soaking wet! Mom is doing a good job, and the girls seem happy. God willing she will be able to keep it up. It may not be the life I would choose for them, but it is the life God has chosen for them. I have to take comfort in that. I will continue to do all I can to be a part of their lives. So enjoy the picture as much as I enjoyed her!

A moment of parental bragging.....

2009-11-22T19:50:00.003-05:00

I went to Sydney and Payton's conferences this week and both are doing outstanding in school! Sydney got straight A's and was selected to be the gift and talented program at her school! She is out of her mind excited. She works so hard, but is also naturally bright so I suspected she would be invited to be in the program. Payton is in kindergarten so she did not get letter grades, however the teacher is so impressed with how well she is doing. She is already reading at a 1st grade level, which is pretty great considering that they just started blending words at school! She has already whizzed through the kindergarten challenge books! She still needs to work on her listening skills and following directions. The teacher politely called her "strong willed". HA! Tell me something I don't know. I would have called her a "stubborn, pig headed, strong willed, pain in my a$%! I say that with all the LOVE and AFFECTION a mother can muster!

Payton's Passion

2009-11-22T19:42:00.007-05:00

K-A-R-A-T-E

Payton has been taking Aikedo since August and loves it! She goes 2 X's per week and has gotten so much out of it. The dojo is big on respect and it has given Payton such a sense of pride. She just earned her 1st yellow banned belt and you would have thought she won the lottery. She is still smiling today!

"My Girls" going home....

2009-10-27T15:13:00.008-05:00

My heart is breaking as I write this post. My very good friend Angela has been a foster mom for 18 months to these 2 little cuties and they are going home on Friday for good. Let me back up a bit, 18 months ago, Angela received a phone call about 2 little girls: ages 6 weeks and just under 2 who needed emergency care that would last approximately 6 weeks. She couldn't refuse, but being a business owner and single, 6 weeks was going to be a VERY LONG time. Well 6 weeks turned into 12 weeks which turned into 6 months, to....you get the idea. During this time, everyone has gotten so incredibly attached that even though our heads are saying, this is the right choice, reunification with their bio-mom, our hearts are saying otherwise. I have blogged about these girls before and how they have deeply touched my heart, but nothing has prepared me for what is about to happen next. I have had the distinct pleasure of being a huge part of their daily lives, I am just not prepared for how I am going to emotionally handle this. Being an adoptive mom, I know all to well that the chance of someone, someday knocking on my door and asking for "their" child back is a real possibility, but when you foster, they are not yours. For all intensive purposes you care and love them like they are yours, but they are not. I will never become a foster parent.....I have an overwhelming respect for people who can be. My friend says she is prepared.....she knew going into this that they would always go "home" but I worry. I know God has his plan for these girls and my friend and hope and pray that they will survive and endure the next chapter in their long lives.

Lake Henry

2009-09-29T17:32:00.012-05:00

Beautiful Black and White of the boat

Fog coming off the lake, it was truly spectacular to see

Sunrise

Scenic view

Pardon our appearance, we were "roughing it"

Top Row:Uncle Bob, Carolyn, Aunt Cheryl, Adriana, Aunt Tinker

Bottom Row: Sydney, Michael, Tammy, Payton

All that was missing was Lacey~ she was so missed but couldn't get away

her classes are too tought for her to miss out on!

Daddy and Sydney

Goofing around with Aunt Cheryl

Canoeing down the lake

Payton's First Catch (with help from Aunt Cheryl)

Sydney's First Catch

We were treated to an amazing weekend by Michael's family to Lake Henry. It is a beautiful Lake in PA. When Michael and his siblings were younger, they owned a house across the lake and vacationed there all the time. They all remembered their time there so fondly, that a trip for our kids was needed. We had a blast. Great family time. The kids fished, swam (the air was cold, but the water was warm) canoed, row boats, fire pits, smores, baked apples, you name it, they did it. At night when the kiddos all went to bed, we sat by a huge fire (compliments of Uncle Bob-aka Fire Master) and enjoyed some adult time and adult cocktails. We toured around the local town and hit a zoo, I will post separate pictures of that! Special thanks to Uncle Bob, Aunt Tinker and Aunt Cheryl for this special trip. A trip that we will never forget! Can't wait for our next trip! HINT HINT

Locks of Love~Part II

2009-09-18T16:36:00.004-05:00

After careful consideration (agonizing-painful-heart wrenching) Sydney decided that she was not going to be out done by her sister, so she decided it was time to donate her hair too! This kids are amazing. It was hard enough for me to let go of Payton's beautiful locks, they both have gorgeous hair, now I have two short cuties. It was torture to watch the scissors chop it all off! I held my breath for both of them, but I am thrilled at how adorable they both look. Sydney went for the longer blunt version, with a touch of angel in the front, where as Payton went for the edgier, stacked in the back, longer in the front look. They LOVE the idea that someone is going to benefit from there generosity! My favorite picture is of the 2 pony tails-the contrast in color I love. So look out LOCKS OF LOVE-you've got a lot of hair coming your way!!

Locks of Love.......

2009-09-10T16:58:00.006-05:00

Guess who cut off

TWELVE INCHES OF HER HAIR?

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Sydney or Payton?????

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PAYTON!!!!!!!!

Payton has been begging me for 2 years to cut her hair like her American Girl doll Ivy. I would have done it in a heart beat-her DADDY, not so much. He has begged me NOT to cut her hair. He loves the girls hair long. WELL......guess who is the one who has to do WASH/COMB/BRUSH/STYLE her hair everyday? NOT DADDY! So today, after she got home from school-we did it! I called Daddy to ask if he would be mad at me if I went through with it, and he said YES! After deliberating for 6 seconds, we went to our friend Darcy's salon and chopped it all off! She LOVES it....and guess what......so does her Daddy!!! The best part, we get to donate all that beautiful hair to Locks of Love-BONUS!!!!

1st day of school and other "firsts"

2009-09-08T20:18:00.012-05:00

Today was a day of firsts! Payton started kindergarten, had her first bus ride, her first wiggly tooth and her first backpack. Both the girls were so excited to start school, they could barely sleep last night. They picked out their outfits, Sydney choose the top her sister bought her! She can't wait for Lacey to see these pictures! Lacey picks out the cutest clothes for her. Sydney wanted to take a part of Lacey with her on her first day being that she is away at college! Sorry about the over exposed pictures, I am having some serious issues with my flash. The pop up flash on my canon rebel XT will not go up. I tried to fix it myself, but failed epically. Needless to say, I had to use my "SERIOUS" flash that I still can't figure out how to use Any suggestions? I also do not have any software to fix the stinking pictures so my precious day of firsts will be forever captured like this-way over exposed. Sigh. Thankfully I don't think the real memories will ever fade.

Here comes the bus!

The girls with "Aunt Donna" the crossing guard

Walking to the bus stop

Way over exposed shot of the girls

Another over exposed picture of Sydney

can you say over exposed again?????

First bus ride-we are the blue bird bus-she was so excited to start kindergarten!

1st backpack!

First wiggly tooth-night before school!

Night before school

Wild Olive Tees

2009-08-12T18:30:00.004-05:00

My personal favorite-for me!
My personal favorite-for the kids!

Stefanie and crew are running a super duper amazing give-a-way for their super duper cool tees!! You can check them out here! Not only are they super duper cute, they make them for adults and kids!! It also benefits LWB-super duper cool organization. You can check them out here! You will be glad that you did!

A True Cat Nap

2009-07-26T19:34:00.002-05:00

Naps NEVER happen in our house anymore...so imagine my surprise when I came in to find this!!! So cute!!!!

20-something High School reunion

2009-07-11T08:26:00.005-05:00

WHAT A BLAST!!! It was so wonderful to see everyone. It was up at the beach so it was low-key and casual. All I have to say is FUN! Enjoy the pictures!

Little Miss Crabby

2009-07-02T18:48:00.004-05:00

Payton was such a crabby girl today. She had a pretty bad wipe out on her scooter today which completely ruined her day. She only suffered minor boo boo's but insisted she was unable to walk!!!!!!! Can you say Drama Queen? She refused to let me take pictures of her boo boo's only to make such a sad-sassy face. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day............

Payton's Pre-K Graduation!

2009-07-02T18:41:00.002-05:00

Payton is officially a graduate and it was an amazing program! Her teacher Miss Karyn is very theatrical and puts on such a creative program. My FAVORITE part was when she asks the children "what they want to be when they grow up?' Payton's response: A PIRATE! Don't ask-I have no idea! She is so excited to be going to Kindergarten and being in the same school as her big sister Sydney! Way to go Payton-we are so proud of you!

We miss you~

2009-06-29T08:35:00.001-05:00

Mom, we miss you so very much

Since you went away.
You were the center of our lives

Before your soul passed on;

It’s just so hard for us to believe

That you are really gone.
But we celebrate the life you lived

And all the things you gave us;

Our wonderful memories, Mom, of you

Are the things that will comfort and save us.
Please think of us, as we think of you

With hearts so full of love;

We’re looking up at you, sweet Mom,

As you look at us from above.

Carol B. Kern

May 9, 1935~Juen 29, 2006

We love and miss you everyday!

Summer Fun

2009-06-28T17:47:00.002-05:00

I've lost that bloggy feeling......

2009-06-21T09:31:00.005-05:00

Here is a bunch o' blogs all in one! I apologize for the "group" post, but it was either that or nothing at all! We have been so busy-school is almost out, track and field, dance recitals, communion, prom, new kitten (CUTE.CUTE.CUTE)!!!!!! I have to be re-inspired to blog. Anybody have any suggestions? Would love to hear your input! TRACK AND FIELD 2009
INTRODUCING PIXIE

PROM FOR MY NEPHEW

DANCEFEST 2009

SYDNEY'S HOLY COMMUNION

Happy 8th Birthday Sydney!

2009-04-19T20:40:00.002-05:00

HAPPY 8TH BIRTHDAY SYDNEY

th Bento Giveaway!!!!

2009-04-03T10:50:00.002-05:00

Click here to find out about this cool giveaway! LOVE IT!!!

Winter Storm 2009

2009-03-03T15:54:00.004-05:00

We got hit with a winter storm that bought over a foot of snow! Living so close to the beach, we don't normally see a lot of snow, but because this was a coastal storm, we got slammed with it! Schools were closed, road are terrible but we loved it! Payton had tons of freezing fun playing in all the white stuff! Her cousin Carolyn made an awesome igloo with a sun roof and everything! It was pretty cool. Sydney went skiing for the weekend with her Uncle JK and cousin Emma and shredded the mountain for 2 days! She missed out on the storm, but with the weather lingering in the low 20's, the snow will be around for some time! She will have plenty of time to play!

Shout out to Lacey

2009-02-16T17:31:00.003-05:00

Missing you all day-everyday!

The cartwheel kid!!!!!!!!

2009-02-16T17:23:00.005-05:00

Payton is so athletic! She has mastered the art of cartwheeling and is now a pro! She just throws herself over, almost doing a handstand! She will do it over and over again. Her legs are almost straight, doing it perfectly. Gymnastics in the fall for sure! Up until now she has had almost no interest in doing gymnastics, her love has always been for dance. But now after her birthday party at the gymnastic gym, she is hooked!

Payton

2009-02-16T17:18:00.002-05:00

This is "G" my friends foster daughter! Isn't she just absolutely adorable??? She is the sweetest little girl and Payton is obsessed with her! Every once in a while we get to play with her and the girls just love it! Payton is so excited when she can hold her like a "big kid" now that she is 5! I just hold her and hold her and hold her. Boy do I miss the baby age! Hmmm.....wonder if that means something.........

Forever Family Day~4 years later

2009-01-25T14:25:00.006-05:00

I am absolutely amazed that Payton can still "wear" these clothes. When you look at the picture when she was first placed in my arms, the clothes don't look all that big, but now, 4 years later she can still put them on. The pants are WAY too short for her VERY long legs, and the shirt is WAY too short in the arms but they still fit! Unbelievable. We feel blessed everyday to have this precious, precocious little girl in our lives. She is a tiny little firecracker that makes everyday interesting! Wishing all of our travel mates a wonderful Forever Family Day!

Math

2009-01-24T11:21:00.003-05:00

Payton loves to learn! Her forte for now is math-she LOVES math. If she could do it all the time she would!

Lacey-this is for you!

Snowman

2009-01-24T11:18:00.002-05:00

We have had some little snow flurries over the last few weeks but nothing substantial and nothing that could really be played in. Well the other day, we finally got enough snow to build a snowman! This kids did such a great job! He finally melted away and all was left was his scarf and pipe! The carrots and stuff were eating by squirrels!

Missing Lacey

2009-01-15T19:28:00.001-05:00

SHOUT OUT TO MY GIRL!!!!!

I miss you so much! Good luck in your new classes!!!

Happy 5th Birthday Payton

2009-01-11T20:59:00.008-05:00

Payton and Lacey
Getting ready to blow out the volcano

Sydney and Payton

Sydney "catching" zucchini

Emma "catching" zucchini

The girls
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We went to our favorite hibachi restaurant to celebrate a day early for Payton's 5th birthday, but to also for Lacey's last night home before heading back to college. We always have so much fun and eat our faces off! This was no exception. The staff absolutely adore Payton, they all come over and talk to her and play with her. She is a hibachi star! We were all very sad to say goodbye to Lacey, we miss her so much when she is at school!

Elf Yourself

2008-12-29T20:27:00.000-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

PRAYERS PLEASE

2008-12-08T09:59:00.002-05:00

On Saturday night, I got the devastating call that my brother in law Jimmy suffered a heart attack. He had complete 100% blockage on his right side! They did an angioplasty and put in 2 stints. He is in the critical care unit right now and taking very good care of him. This is such a shock because he is SOOO healthy and only 48 years old. He run marathons and is the picture of perfect health. The doctors are confident that he will make a full recovery. This after my father just went through 2 stints and angioplasty on Wednesday! He is doing really well and is back to work today!

Please say prayers for Jimmy, my sister Tina and their kids, James and Jordan.

Happy Birthday Lacey

2008-11-12T21:50:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Lacey, Happy Birthday to you! I can't believe it has been 19 years! Happy Birthday Baby-We love you and miss you tons! Hope you are having a wonderful birthday!

Proud Moment

2008-11-09T09:32:00.002-05:00

My very modest friend Christine is this illustrator of this adorable book. She is very talented, super talented.

We have been friends for over 4 years and we run our
local FCC together seamlessly! She is the best! I would
not have been able to do it without her. We went to the
book party yesterday and I am just beaming with pride!
She is so modest, she was hesitant to even send out
invitations! We were thrilled to be invited and attend in her
honor.
The book is written by Lin Fong O'Neill who we met several years back when she came to one of our FCC meetings with her book Mommy Why? (which is also I great book). Lin is from Hong Kong and this book is part of her book collection on the zodiac animals. She is very creative and picked the best person to illustrate for her! You can check out her all books here.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T08:46:00.008-05:00

The Pumpkin and Dorothy
Payton (Pumpkin)
Sydney (Dorothy from Wizard of Oz)

The crew~Payton, Emma, Sydney and James

Emma (Snow Princess) and James (Ninja)

Sydney's Loot Payton's Loot

Have I ever mentioned how much I HATE Halloween? I hate it, I really hate it, but I do it for the kids because they love it and boy do they love it! All the costumes, masks, and such freaks me out. It is such a silly holiday ritual. I wasn't always like this, there was a time when I loved it, I don't know what happened or when????

Anyway, we had great weather and the kids had such a good time. When we got home the immediately dumped their loot and began sorting through it. I remember like it was yesterday my sister's and I sorting and trading candy so in the end you had tons of candy that you loved. The funny part is, after all the sorting and trading-we barely ate any! So now my girls do the same! It is their favorite part. Check out how well they made out. We made up a goodie bag for Lacey and shipped it out to her as well. The girls had so much fun picking out just the right goodies to send to their big sister!!

2008-10-26T19:15:00.002-05:00

Dear Mom,

I updated my blog!

Happy now????

Love, Me

**Side note, I have been a blog slacker, admittedly, and for all those who follow my blog, I apologize, especially to you Mom!**

Girls~Girls~Girls

2008-10-26T19:01:00.002-05:00

Look who was home for a visit! I can't tell you how much the girls miss their big sister! We all do. It was wonderful to have her home this week. She did a bunch of running around, squeezing in as much friend and family time she could. We enjoyed having her home and are counting the days until she is back for Thanksgiving! We love you Lacey!~xoxoxoxo

FCC Halloween Party

2008-10-26T18:55:00.003-05:00

The FCC Halloween party is one of the kids favorite parties! Being that I am one of the committee members, I was running around the party like a chicken with her head cut off so I did not get any pictures of the actual event! They had a blast. Painted pumpkins, made Halloween bags, decorated cupcakes and had fun with friends! We did not wear costumes because they always get ruined before they actually trick or treat in them so I picked up these little shirts at Target and they were just as happy!

The neighborhood crew~

2008-10-26T18:52:00.002-05:00

We are so lucky to live in an area with TONS of kiddos. This is what a typical afternoon looks like around our house. Tons of smiles and kids playing!

Look at Payton's new wheels!

2008-10-26T18:40:00.004-05:00

We have known for some time that Payton was fully capable of riding a 2 wheeler, but because all the kids on the block ride "super fast" and she wanted to keep up, she hung on to her training wheels for longer than she needed to! She is now fully riding on 2 wheels when she is not looking to race down the the block. When it is time for racing, she rides her other bike with the training wheels on them.

And you think your job stinks!

2008-09-15T21:08:00.000-05:00

On your way home from work, stop at your pharmacy and go to the thermometer section and purchase a rectal thermometer made by Johnson & JohnsonBe very sure you get this brand. When you get home, lock your doors, draw the curtains and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed. Change into very comfortable clothing and sit in your favorite chair. Open the package and remove the thermometer. Now, carefully place it on a table or a surface so that it will not become chipped or broken. Now the fun part begins.Take out the literature from the box and read it carefully. You will notice that in small print there is a statement:

'Every Rectal Thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson

is personally tested and then sanitized.'

Now, close your eyes and repeat out loud five times, 'I am so glad I do not work in the thermometer quality control department at Johnson & Johnson.'

HAVE A NICE DAY AND REMEMBER, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE ELSE WITH A JOB THAT IS MORE OF A PAIN IN THE A-- THAN YOURS!

Shout Out to Lacey

2008-09-14T15:18:00.001-05:00

First Day of School

2008-09-06T17:56:00.007-05:00

Getting on the bus
2nd grade and Pre-K

2nd grade here she comes!

Pre-K baby!

The girls were so excited about starting back to school. Sydney is now in 2nd grade and Payton is in Pre-K. The girls both loves their teachers and are looking forward to a wonderful year. I can't believe how fast time flies. They are so big now!

SHOUT OUT TO LACEY

2008-09-06T17:53:00.002-05:00