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.