I'm tellin' ya

... stopping to smell the flowers, walking in the sunshine, watching rain fall, visiting family, and goofing around, has got to be the way life ought to be.

Smelling flowers on the way to pick Juliana up from school.

He was such a ham on our walk. It was HIS idea to take these pics.

TODAY... meeting up with Uncle Patrick and Auntie Laura. We all went to see Granny today since monday will be her 93rd birthday. Baby Cristian is poking through mommy's shirt.... 22 weeks along.

Smellin' the tulips after lunch.

Digging in the wet dirt aka mud once we got home. Ehhh, whatever, that's what kids do.

I Love her

Around here

.... trees are blooming, flowers are blooming, kids are running in the fresh air, and they are busy doing their own adventures too.

Tree near our house yesterday.

The bridge next to our house. Kevin loves to run up and down the steps. We were on our way home from a picnic at the park when I took this. Look how blue the sky is... it was gorgeous yesterday!

Lil' Brownies representing Russia for a special girl scout event on sunday.

Yup, I stole it!

THAT'S RIGHT, I DID STEAL THIS... --continue from who knows when last week--

34. What do you like about the summer?
Our annual trip back "home" to Boston, Newport, and these days, NY too.

35. What do you like about spring?
The smells, people seem happier, the colors are brighter.

36. How many states provinces have you lived in?
4... CA, MA, RI, MI.

37. What cities/towns have you lived in?
I won't tell ya which ones, but I've lived in about 6ish.

38. Do you prefer shoes, socks, or bare feet?
I prefer flip flops.

39. Are you a social person?
I have my moments. Generally I am cautious.

40. What was the last thing you ate?
granola bar.

41. What is your favorite restaurant?
It's a mood thing. Favorite family chain restaurant is probably Cheesecake Factory. Not necessarily for the food, but for the many memories at so many across the country.

42. What is your favorite ice cream?
anything, well almost anything, CHOCOLATE.

43. What is your favorite dessert?
Again, almost anything chocolate. And never try to give me apple pie or cheesecake. EWWWW!

44. What is your favorite kind of soup?
Potato.

45. What kind of jelly do you like on your PB & J sandwich?
NONE. Ewwww!

46. Do you like Chinese food?
Ughhh, yeah, but we had it last week, and it made me feel crappy.

47. Do you like coffee?
Not really. An occasional iced milkshake, I mean, iced coffee is yummy.

48. How many glasses of water, a day, do you drink on average?
4ish.

49. What do you drink in the morning?
milk.

50. What non-banking related card in your wallet is the most valuable to you?
license.

51. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed?
Yup, I do. My side.

52. Do you know how to play poker?
Kinda, but I have a crappy poker face.

53. Do you like to cuddle?
Not really, well yeah, but no. Ha haaaa!

54. Have you ever been to Canada?
A few times.

55. Do you have an addictive personality?
Hardly. I'm pretty darn boring.

56. Do you eat out or at home more often?
Home. We only go out once or twice a month, which includes take out.

57. What do you miss about high school, if anything?
No bills, no REAL worries. At the time worries seemed big though.

58. Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you?
I sure do. Kelly and I were born the same day, same hospital, same doctor too. Only met her once in 4th grade, but we stay in touch.

59. Do you want kids?
We have two, and NO more please!

60. Do you speak any other languages?
I can understand Spanish, so don't talk crap about me behind my back, thanks.

61. Have you ever gotten stitches?
After giving birth, yes. Or maybe that was staples.

62. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?
I rode once with Jason to Boston, and twice with Kevin last year.

63. Do you prefer an ocean or a pool?
Ocean for views, pool to swim.

64. Do you prefer a window seat or an aisle seat?
Depends who I am sitting next to.

65. Do you know how to drive stick?
I probably could. I've been taught twice by Jason, and coincidentally both times he totaled his car the next day. I haven't done it since 1999, the last time it happened.

66. What is your favorite thing to spend money on?
Favorite thing... vacations. But I end up spending most money on the kids.

Define Beauty

I have no idea where Kevin's noggin is sometimes. I'd love to crawl in there one day and figure it all out. Here is the gist of the conversation we had on the way to preschool today...

"Did you know that Miss Amy was super pretty yesterday?"

"Really? What made her prettier yesterday than any other day?"

"She had a pretty shirt on, and her fingernails were pink."

"Yeah, it sounds like she was super pretty."

pause

"Guess what Mommy??? When I'm a girl someday, I'm gonna have super big boobies, and pink fingernails!"

Thursday ramblings

Who knows what that look is that Juliana is giving me. She's just goofy sometimes. Well, we've been doing a lot of bike riding in the last couple days. Usually, the kids go back and forth down the pathway outside our house. Yesterday, we decided to ride to the park. A perfect outing for the two active children we have.

Our anniversary was fantastic! I didn't take pictures of the flowers he gave me, or the yummy Giada dark chocolate ravioli that I made, but I guess you'll have to take my word for it. We chose to stay at home, rather than go out for dinner. I am so glad we did. We'll see what our 10 year anniversary will bring next year. I have high hopes for it... haaaaaa, then reality hits, and so we will just have to see.

X's and O's

February 17, 2001... 9 years ago, we married. Jason reminded me this morning that we may have tied the knot that day, but that is not how he remembers our relationship beginning. I AGREE! That day we made it official, partied with family/friends, and even headed on a fabulous honeymoon to Hawaii. That was not the beginning. The real beginning was in 1996. It started off V E R Y slow, but started nonetheless. And the story continues......

Being married is not an easy thing. Love is action, words, the big things, the little things. We help each other, we frustrate each other, we bring each other up, we bring each other down, we argue, we love, we laugh, we cry, we hold each other, we push each other away, and through it all, we know where our hearts belong. Home is with each other. Sounds incredibly sticky sweet and mushy, yet oh-so true.

I do not know what FOREVER means for us. It may mean today is our last day, it may mean we have 90 more years together. I just know that WE will last forever, whatever that means.

Sending love and hugs to everyone. Hug those you love and hold on to them tight. Give them many x's and o's.

It's been a while

1. How old will you be in five years? still young, but old enough to know better.

2. Who did you spend at least two hours with today? Jason I suppose. Nobody has been up for 2 hours yet.

3. How tall are you? 5 foot 6ish.

4. What do you look forward to most in the next six weeks? Our 9th anniversary tomorrow, and next wednesday too for completely different reasons.

5. What’s the last movie you saw? Probably CARS.

6. Who was the last person you called? My sister, or maybe my mom. Phone isn't something I use a lot these days.

7. Who was the last person to call you? My mom.

8. What was the last text message you received? My sister about having a crappy day.

9. Who was the last person to leave you a voicemail? Ummm, my sister.

10. Do you prefer to call or text? TEXT. Phone calls are impossible.

11. What were you doing at 12am last night? helping Juliana go to sleep.

12. Are your parents married/separated/divorced? happily divorced.

13. When is the last time you saw your mom? a few weeks ago.

14. What color are your eyes? blue.

15. What time did you wake up today? 6:30.

16. What are you wearing right now? jeans and a black shirt.

17. What is your favorite Christmas song? I love Christmas music. ANYTHING silly, serious, or in between.

18. Where is your favorite place to be? anywhere relaxing and fun.

19. Where is your least favorite place to be? in chaos.

20. Where would you go if you could go anywhere? I've been wanting a Disney vacation for a long time.

21. Where do you think you’ll be in 10 years? Who the hell knows. Seriously, I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow, let alone in 10 years. ( I LOVE THIS ANSWER!)

22. Do you tan or burn? Both.

23. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? robber.

24. What was the last thing that really made you laugh? Probably Jason doing something whacky.

25. How many TVs do you have in your house? two, but pretty much only use one.

26. How big is your bed? It's a queen.

27. Do you have a laptop or desktop computer? desktop.

29. What color are your sheets? burgundy

30. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two.

31. What is your favorite season? Fall

32. What do you like about Autumn? the colors, the cool weather, and the special days.

33. What do you like about winter? chilly weather. I don't like the heat at all.

Love Day

Valentine's Day around our house is simple, very simple. I am not sure if it is because our anniversary is so close, or because Valentine's Day is just a little goofy to begin with. Who knows. Even though it is simple around here, doing nothing is not an option either. HAAAA! Since I'm still feeling pretty cruddy, I looked up recipes, and Jason cooked. He made rosemary pork, potatoes soaked in dill, and garlic green beans. It was super yummy. I think if my taste buds were in full gear, it would have been even better. :) The dinner table was even finished with roses cut from the rose bush outside the kitchen window.

After dinner, we all exchanged cards, and a little candy too. The cards above were my favorite. Juliana's card was HUGE, and so adorable. Kevin's was super special because it is the first time he has signed something on his own. He even wrote, "MOMM" on the envelope. He wrote so huge on the envelope so the "Y" didn't fit, but apparently it fit on the wood of the kitchen table. :) It's the thought, right???

So, that's our Valentine's Day. No other pictures. I've been in a funk lately.

Ohhhh, Jason shaved his beard off too. Yayyyyy!

bad idea

note to self. don't take meds with the side effect of sleepiness while you are alone with two children. baaad idea. hurry home jason, hurrrrrrrrrrry.

yes, I am partly kidding. yes, partly. i am on the computer because i will fall asleep on the couch. done. off to couch.

My turn

I despise doctors. Well, for myself I do. I take the kids on schedule, or when there is something going on, but ME, no way. I hate them.

I had to go today though. I've been feeling crappy since saturday, and last night was borderline terrifying trying to breathe. Soooooo, I went and was sent home with antibiotics and vicodin for bronchitis. Ewwww, yuck. I am trying to rest, but in this household, that is nearly impossible, although I'm trying.

Sat n' sun... FUN!

Our weekend was a calm whirwind. Is that possible? Yeah, I think it is. We did a lot, yet did nothing. Hmmm, full of contridictions. :)

This is Kevin on our walk to his school on friday. He looks great, right??? It was about 10 seconds after this picture that he started coughing and the lovely green gunk started flowing from his nose. Ewwwww! I feel really bad leaving, because this morning I was politely told that friday was the day that I was supposed to volunteer and bring snack for the class too. OOPS!

Saturday morning, Kevin and I left for a drive. We had NO plans, I just needed to get out of the house. It also was nice for Daddy and Juliana to have some alone time for the day. Sooo, we went to my sister Stephanie's house and played, ate, and played more and ate more. The picture below is my niece Taylore, Kevin, and my nephew Trace playing Just Dance on the Wii.

Auntie Steph giving Kevin lots o' lovin'!

Then we headed to see baby Kaden, and his mommies Katherine and Nikki. That little boy is soooo precious. He lets me hold him for hours, which makes him even more adorable. He is so smiley, loving, and fun! Kevin had a great time entertaining him. If you look in the background, Kevin is kicking a ball around the house to entertain Kaden. It was pretty funny!

After seeing Kit, Nikki, and Kaden, Kevin and I went to have ice cream with my friend Stephanie. She brought her newest compainion-doggy-in-training, Marlena. Marlena got so much attention, and did really well in the busy mall. She is a 4 month old black lab puppy, and she was more behaved than Shadow, our 7 year old black lab pup. Haaaaaaa, not surprising!

Kev and I had a great day together on saturday. Sunday, I was sick and pretty much without a voice, so I laid low all day. Jason made super bowl apps like onion rings, mozz sticks, and nachos throughout the day. No dinner, just the greasy, artery clogging foods for super bowl. Interestingly enough, he only watched about 3 minutes of the super bowl. It was just a good excuse to try out our not-so-food-network-style cooking. Haaaaa! Another fun day in our house.

Lovely

Day 3... Kevin is still sick. Coughing like a smoker, and his nose is starting to produce lovely green stuff. It's pretty, I must say. OR NOT! That lovely stuff didn't start until a few minutes ago when we got home from preschool. Yup, that's right, we attempted to go to school today. He was doing better this morning and begged to go. We walked there, and after running around with his friends before the doors opened, he began coughing so badly, and then I saw the lovely green gunk. Sooooo, we walked home. He was so pissed with me. I had the pleasure of being yelled at most of the way home, and then I stepped in dog crap. Lovely. That's our day thus far.

He's not angry at me anymore. He's sitting watching OOBI with a snotty tissue in his hand. Ohhh wait, he just moved to the kitchen to complete his 350 piece puzzle. Let's hope it doesn't get sticky green gunk on it. Lovely, huh?!

Before I end this, today is a super good day for Jason. He is getting a leadership award from executives, in front of his peers and superiors at the annual state meeting. It was supposed to be a surprise, but his VP told him about it yesterday to prepare him. I am so proud of him.

The life of us

They're so darn cute! Here is the life of us lately........

Kevin is sick today. Daddy got him to snack on a few Cheerios, which is a very good thing.

I spent the before school time with Juliana today. She showed off her tetherball skills. She's playing with her friend Elena. Elena won, but Juliana gave her a good game.

Pajama Day last week... the chicks of 2nd grade!

New n' spoiled too

New background, new month! The hearts are not for Valentine's Day on the 14th, they are for my wedding anniversary on February 17th. I gotta say, I wish we never chose that day as our anniversary because I get the comment, "Awwww, that's so sweet to have chosen your wedding day so close to Valentine's Day." Ughhhh, that's so annoying! We chose it because we wanted a winter wedding and that was the only date the church was available.

I am lucky to have a few months a year that I am completely spoiled, and February is one of them. The other times are May for Mother's Day and November for my birthday. We'll see what our anniversary brings this year. Next year will be 10 years, so we are hoping to go on a big trip ALONE. My dream is to go to Scotland or Austria/Switzerland. We'll see if that really pans out, but until then, I can dream.

Blank

Remind me to NEVER EVER complain or whine about my life. Once again, I am completely caught off guard at what other people endure each day, and what goes on behind closed doors. There is a blog that I have read for a while about a little girl Zoe. I do not reach out in blogland for blogs of suffering, rather there was a time I looked for blogs that show people that are strong, and in turn, many of them happen to be families with children who are fighting hard for numerous reasons. As someone who wanted to be a neonatal nurse, I find these families to be interesting, inspirational, and through it all, they are fun too. Not every post is weepy or sad. These families still go to Disneyland, the beach, BBQ's, weddings, you get the idea.

The other day, I read that Zoe (click on her name in the previous paragraph) had earned her angel wings. So sad, but from her daddy's point of view, she had "gone home". Of course he is sad, confused, and all of those rotten emotions, but he seemed to have a great prospective on the loss of his baby girl. Well, today I read Zoe's blog, only to find out that during her funeral, her grandfather (Dad's dad) had earned his angel wings too. WHAT?????? How do people do this? How do their eyes open each morning?

It makes me wonder, as I read blogs from other families, what the person next to me in the grocery store is going through, or the person in front of me in traffic, or the person walking on the path outside our windows, or even my next door neighbors. You never know.

It's all about attitude I suppose. It's about awareness. Be aware of those around you. If I could only make it all better, I would. I can't, but I'd love to try. I'm drawing a blank.