So Long, Miss you

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

2010 what a year you have been. One of the most joyful & challenging years I've had in a long time. Thanks for the
memories: 

~~*~~

Becoming a closer family

Him riding his "big boy bike"

Sledding in the snow in our backyard

Charleston with my best friend

Seeing my dad drum at church

Homemade ice cream at the local farm

Knowing he loves me more than life itself

S'mores with Chip N Dale

Visits from the tooth fairy

Dog mischief
Healing ears, noses, throats, ankles and hearts

Holding butterflies in my hand

Watching her spin in her Tutu

My son laughing while inner tubing on the lake

Derby car races

Enjoying handfuls of blueberries grown in our own garden

Tackle football while I held my breath after every hike

Snow angels 

Praying for my mom

My daughter's scared face just before surgery (both times)

Hot tea on cool days

Snuggling in bed with my babies

Friends...

Selling chocolate for school fundraiser

Eating chocolate for school fundraiser

All the blooming flowers

Both of them making me smile every day

Him laughing at my jokes 

My mom building homes in Haiti

Him finally catching that baseball

Dancing in the rain

Glasses of wine with the ladies

Learning about everything

Honor rolls, awards, trophies

When she finally swam on her own

Embracing my heavenly Fathers direction for my life

Wonderful birthdays

Watching them hug, and mean it

Standing on the beach in awe of the bigness

The kids riding a mechanical bull

Cheering on Clemson in the stadium

Seeing how fragile life really is

Singing children

Holding his hand in the ER

Being in the parade

Making music

Her dressed as a chocolate chip cookie
Quiet time reading
Being chased by power wheels
Glimpses of their imagination
Watching her color for hours

Hearing my grandmas voice on the phone

Crying from frustration

Crying from laughter

Feeling the Love

~~*~~

Good Bye 2010. When the new year rings in, I will be a little sad. You've been a good one, a really good one...

What is something you will miss about this year? Or what are you looking forward to in the new year?


au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Every body has that one movie, that one they HAVE TO watch every Christmas. For my husband it's "A Christmas Story" for my daughter it's "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" for my son it's "Home Alone." But for me it's always been Irving Berlins "White Christmas."

I love this movie. I remember as a kid getting in my Christmas jammies and curling up on the couch with my mom for a family movie night. We would sing along to every song. We would dream of snow falling on Christmas Eve and wishing we could spend the holidays in Vermont. 

We would laugh as we fast forwarded the "Choreography" number. (try it! they look funny in fast motion!) And we were touched when it all came together in the end. 

I love this movie so much that it was all I wanted to watch when I went into labor with my son, ha ha. IN MARCH! 

Needless to say, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney & Vera-Ellen have been apart of my life for a very long time :) 

I keep trying to shove my love for this movie onto my children... So far it's not working. They want to watch things with more action, more pizazz. I hope as they get older they will appreciate this classic as much as I do. Until then, I will force them to suffer through it to appease there ol' mom. Here's a great clip for your viewing pleasure:

(The funniest part of this great movie)

Now it's your turn! What is your favorite holiday movie?

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

My Grandfather & His Flags

Memorial day weekend is once again upon us. I always reflect back on those who have fought for my freedom. I also think of my Grandpa John. He had so much respect for this nation, it's soldiers and it's flag. He understood what it meant to live for ones country. He served for and loved America.

Every year he'd drive his golf cart to the local cemetery and place hundreds of flags on every single grave belonging to a service man. Even as my grandfather got older and walking became more difficult, still there he was every memorial day. He knew what those men and women had sacrificed for him and he was sure not going to let anything get in his way to honor them.

I learned so much about honoring ones country from him growing up, even though he never sat me down and told me anything about it. Just by simply doing what was respectful, by acting on what was right I learned so much. The phrase "Actions speak louder than words" is so true here.

Every morning he would raise his flag up that tall flag pole in his front yard, and each evening he would lower those colors back down. It was (and is) disrespectful in his eyes to leave the red, white and blue out in the rain, the cold, the darkness. Even to this day, if I leave my flag out, or a corner touches the ground I feel so bad.

On this coming memorial day I hope you take a moment and thank those who helped make this country what it is. One thing I know I will be doing is passing a tradition onto my kids, heading to my local cemetery and placing flags on graves with my children. I know my Grandpa John would love to be alive and going with us, I'll place an extra one out there for him.



Today I am going to have a
virtual Girls Night Out!
wanna come? click below!


au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

Anticipation

I bought a book for my munchkins to help sort out the emotions they may feel from this upcoming move.

"Alexander, Who's Not (Do you hear me? I mean it!) Going to Move" BY: Judith Viorst.

The big munchkin has expressed feelings of missing his best friends, and school, and our town in general. The mini munchkin is more concerned with funny things like "will we be able to take my closet door?" As I read to them last night something strange happened, I actually got sad! Shocking I know. My close friends and family know I can't wait to get further out west, where I am from.

I feel so sorry for uprooting them both, changing everything they know. There are a million positives about this big change, but there are negatives too. Mainly for my kids. Am I a bad mom?? I can't wait to be closer to all my family on the west coast, to be able to spend holidays with cousins, aunts, uncles, & everyone. To be able to attend friends' baby showers & weddings, to just be closer to those that mean so much to me and let them know my little family.

*ugh* this is such a pain in the butt!! I never anticipated getting attached to this goofy little southern town. I am going to miss the friends I have made here, and all the wonderful memories from bring my babies home from the hospital, up until them being 4 and 5 now. There will be so many things to miss and I never even expected it. I'm such a doofus.

Any advice from those who have moved with kids?

Ta Ta for now

A 1980's Christmas List

Today the Toys 'R' Us big toy book came in the mail. My kids couldn't wait to circle all the things they wanted to ask Santa for. This made me start thinking about the things I had probably asked Santa for when I was their age.

Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we? On to the 1980's to visit some of my favorite toys...

1. Popples


2. A Thundercats Lion-O action figure


3. Jem and The Holograms Lunchbox


4. Garbage Pail Kids Collector Cards


5. My Pet Monster


6. Kissyfur VHS


7. Fraggle Rock Dolls


8. Voltron Action Figure


9. Talking ALF Doll


Now that I looked up and found all of my favorite toys from when I was a kid I have come to realize that I would still be excited if Santa brought me any of these things this year. Toys from our childhood will always be cool no matter how old we get :) What were some of your favorite toys growing up?

Ta Ta for now

You're Gonna Miss this...Moment

"You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this"

~ Trace Atkins

I ran across a blog the other day that had a GREAT idea, showing the "moments" we're going to miss when our munchkins grow older. Click the picture above to check it out and maybe submit your own moment. Or check out Pam's blog via this link: You're Gonna Miss This

Here's mine:

*Mud holes and laughs*

Earlier this summer my munchkins discovered the wonderment of mud!

Zane was so excited mommy let them "have at it."

I think Audrey had mud in her ears for days after this...

Even our dog Louie got into the action :)

I remember thinking at the time all this was happening "Oh my gosh, look at all that mud I'm going to have to clean off them! Ahhh, and give the dog a bath?! I'm doomed!" But once I took a deep breathe and sat on my nice deck I quit freaking out and let them play till their hearts content.

I know someday this will be a distant memory, and my babies will no longer want to splash in the mud. Thank you Pam for helping me see how many "moments" will be gone too soon and to appreciate every one of them, no matter how dirty, sticky, or crazy they are.

What are some of the moments you will never forget?

Ta Ta for now

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1.02.21

1.02.05

9/11...

Where were you when the world stopped turning? I think we all remember just what was happening in our lives that very moment. I remember the first time I heard this song by Alan Jackson I just wept. I still cry today thinking about those images on my television screen, forever burned into my memory that will never be erased.

Some Lyrics from Alan Jackson's song:

"Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her
Did you dust off that bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Speak with some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger
Stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love"

Here is how Sept. 11, 2001 happened for me:

I was living in Everett, WA (just north of Seattle) with Joe, we were engaged and planning a wedding. My mom called very early at 6:00 AM

My mom "Honey, have you turned on your TV yet?"
Me "No, why? something wrong?"
My mom "Just go turn on the television and sit down..."

I was so confused. Just as I turned on the TV and realized I was seeing images of some building in New York on fire the second plane hit.

"WHAT THE H*LL WAS THAT?"

I just sat, shocked, scared, silenced. I woke Joe up and we were glued to the TV for at least an hour. I remember feeling fear for him, at he time he was in the U.S. Navy and I wasn't sure what would come next in our future do to these awful attacks on American soil.

The day was in slow motion. Joe couldn't watch it after a while, same footage over and over. People jumping, etc. it was too much for him to take in. I on the other hand stayed in my PJ's and watched it all, for most of the day I didn't leave that television screen.

Still in a daze as to what was actually happening we hear the call for blood donations. Feeling incredibly helpless we jumped at the chance to do something, anything. Off we went to the local Red Cross and stood in the longest line I have ever seen. That alone made me cry, all these hundreds of people, just wanting to help. It felt so insignificant, giving blood, all I wanted to do was run into that rubble and reach for a hand to pull out and hug.

We saw so many people rise up and become Heroes. I was so proud of our Nation that day.

Where were you when the world stopped turning? What do you remember?

Ta Ta for now