a day down

on the couch.

sleeping.

interrupted only by moments in the lav.

i had the ick yesterday. the nasty, evil, horribly unkind stomach bug.

feeling a wee bit better this morning, after spending the night on the couch - and in the lav. poor dh had no idea what to make of me.

off to shower, and with luck, eat something.

update soon ~ i swear.

*blush*

so, about a week ago..... yeah, a WEEK, my dear friend Fransie tagged me with a Christmas tag, and I have not had a moment to be here for any great length of time .... so, before I answer the questions, I need to say SORRY SO VERY VERY MUCH my friend ..... I have loads to blog, and tons to tell ... it has been a fabulous Christmas indeed! :O)

so here is the tag, and the answers ..... (by the way, LOVE being tagged! :O)

1. Egg Nog or hot chocolate? egg nog .... and not always spiked. i do enjoy it, but very limited as it tends to bother my belly ~ but so hard to resist!

2. Does Santa wrap his gifts or does he just put them under the tree? some of his gifts are wrapped, but the really fun, highly sought after tend to be unwrapped, with big bows on them.

3. Colored or white lights? growing up, my mom alwayas had the gihugent Italian colored bulbs on my tree, and I never liked them, now they are so nostalgic, I miss them. she still has colored, but they are tiny. we, however, only have white ~ inside on the tree, and outside decorating the house.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? no, sadly. we always had one at my house growing up, and i don't have one here .... hmmmm, must get one. :O)

5.When do you put up your tree? we try and get it two weekends before the holiday. any earlier, and the live tree struggles with the indoors, as well as the two dogs tails. :-\

6. What is your favorite Christmas food? probably the shrimp, or the lasagna. truly, i don't have a favorite ~ it's all good.

7. What is your favorite Christmas memory from when you were a child? oh, gosh, there are so many! I think though, heading home from my grandparents, and the HUGE family dinner we all had, and talking about Santa coming that night, then running in to the house, rushing to get jammies on and head to bed, close my eyes fast and fall asleep as my parents would read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.
Probably my most favorite memory though, is this: I remember once I had fallen asleep, and woke for what seemed only a few minutes later, heard some noise, and went to the top of the stairs - when i looked down the stairs, i swore that a man in a red suit was there, and he was humming a tune ... our three dogs were with him, wagging their tails, and he never saw me, so i snuck back to bed and never told a soul about the "sighting". But man, did i believe for ages after that ...... still do!! :O)

8. Do you open presents on Christmas eve? we have before the kids, now we exchange the gifts with those folks that we won't see the next day, and our kids know that sometimes people other than Santa give gifts to us

9. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? with pretty white lights, and all kinds of ornaments that are specail to each of us from the years we have all been collecting them. typically, S and I will get the lights on, then the kids go to town with the ornaments. the star goes on the tree Christmas morning

10. Snow! Love it or hate it?LOVE IT!

11. Can you ice skate? amazingly, sort of. can you imagine with a hockey phenom son, and i don't skate .... but, yes, i know how, but my skills are rusty .....

12. Do you remember your best gift? homemade, thoughtful, from the heart gifts have always been my favorite. there are so many ..... this year, i got one too! :O)

13. What does Christmas mean to you? What is the most important thing about it, for you? Christmas is a family holiday, rich with love, and peace. it allows a moment to take a breath and enjoy all the goodness in your life. it allows us to find what the fabric of our family is, and cherish the time we've had the previous year, and look forward to the next year, while enjoying the present and the gift we have in each other.

14. What is in the top of your Christmas tree? this year, a beautiful star. last year, a cherished angel.

15. What is your favorite Christmas tradition? Christmas Eve dinner and revelry at my parents house .... about 20 of us gather, and have a really great time all together. this year, it was bittersweet ~ we were in my parents new incredibly beautiful loft, but not the home we've been for the last 30 + years ..... it was a nice way to begin a new tradition!

17. What is your favorite dessert after Christmas dinner? I would have to say pecan pie when it's there .... this year, i had a cocktail for dessert. ;o)

18. What is your favorite Christmas song? I have too many to only choose one ..... I'd have to say The Nutcracker Suite soundtrack is very high on the list, though .....

19. Kerstkransjes. Do you like 'em? don't think i've had them ... but i know i'd like them!


20. What is your favorite Christmas movie? It's a Wonderful Life and the all time favorite A Christmas Story.

thanks again F! :O)

That was fun .... I'll be back with an update soon ..... Merry Merry!

Holiday Tradition

Today is the day of Nutcracker. My niece, the dancer, K, is performing in Festival Ballet's Nutcracker.

And my Kgal and I are going for our third straight year of mommy-and-me time to the Nutcracker. Tonight.

:O)

I am so excited.

So is she.

New shoes, a beautifully hand made velvet dress by Mimi, and handmade velevet cape "like Christine's in Phantom of the Opera, mommy!" as she said .....

Oh, we are all giddy and electric with excitement.

My niece is like a fabulous added bonus to our evening ......

go here: www.festivalballet.com

and you can read all about the company and see the excitement!

Have a wonderful weekend ..... off to get ready!

what happened?

really.

what the heck happened to the last two weeks?

whoosh ~ ~ ~

yeowza, i think that the elder smart folks that used to tell me about time flying were right.

{sigh}

the kids are busy, and bustling Christmas energy balls. and therefore, we are busy. and bustling, too.

some good stuff first, as i find it enjoyable to rattle on about good things. :O)

C is the funniest kid on the planet right now. i swear, i might have to get him on a stage and make some money with the comedy routine. of late, his gig is singing - at.the.top.of.his.lungs. Christmas songs. word for word, relatively in tune, and dancing with the music he is making. he repeats that "this is the favoritist time of year, this Holiday time, isn't it yours??" he received a whoopie cushion in the 'countdown stockings' we have as one of our advent calendar-type fun things here (25 socks from our very own collections hanging by clips on a rope across the sliding glass door in the kitchen - SO stinking cute! got the idea from a mag article) and the child has been 'hiding' it under everyone's fanny just before they sit to make the loudest, and most obnoxious noise one can ever hear. then he rolls, i mean belly rolls with laughter at his own antics. the noise just tickles his funny bone. best $1.50 ever spent, i am telling you. arm farts. those may have been invented for that kid to execute at the most hysterical moments. it's hard not to laugh, even when you're trying to tell him that "at times, C, those are not appropriate ...."

and the yo-mamma jokes - oh, dear heavens, are you kidding me? my lovely dh busts a gutt when C tells one .... even after he's been 'spoken' to from the bus driver that, ahem, those are NOT appropriate bus conversation pieces.

but really, i laugh, and just watch, and get entertained. it's free, afterall. and he's only 7!

oh, yeah, and this little diddie: he told one of his hockey coaches that "we are only 3% Jewish, that's why we don't have a tree up yet, but, yeah, we do celebrate only Christmas". coach almost choked from laughing.

3% Jewish? where's he get his material? heh

and then we have the K gal - she is an absolute treasure. she is so kind, and so giving, and so perfect for this family. she has her silly moments, and her funny little ways, but her forte is loving. :o) she is just so nurturing, and caring. she has been taking care of everyone - including C when he was ill for a day or two, and needed to be out of school for one day - she cried for him that he was "left behind" and not able to go to school, she ran in from the bus to check on him and see if there was anything that he needed .... just a sweetheart. she is so sensitive, and loving. i love that about her. she will smile and cheer you up, and just change your day at any given moment.

oh, and she laughs like there is NO stopping her at her brother. she thinks he is the butter that goes on bread, and the best thing since the sliced bread. loves him. absolutely. unequivically.


in other news, C was ill this week, and that was not much fun. thankfully, he bounced back like a champ. he was out of school for only one day (his first EVER sick day out of school!) but he did vomit. and that folks, is waht this mamma can't handle so well. ick. i can handle blood. i can handle bones protruding through skin. i can even handle open wounds. diarhea, and vomit are a wee bit more challenging.

i have been lucky though, Mother Nature (to be referred to as MN now) knows this about me, and she is a kind soul. this was only C's second vomitting experience. and K has only had one. so, yes, i know, ridiculous when i hear all the horrible stories from other parents whose children seem to prefer that method of being ill, but again, good old MN is kind. or she is hoping i will repay her somehow .......

we got our tree finally. in a strange twist, we took our Jewish little friend with us to pick it out, and that was really rather funny .... she thought it was a real treat, as it was her first ever (she's 6) and we thought it was cool to see our two telling her all about the adventure of "tree-getting". S and i are still astounded at the speed in which we picked, payed, and put it up. literally, less than 1 hour to get it all done. we could conceivably decorate it tonight too (fresh cut, no need to let it drop) however, the squirts are sleeping already, S is playing baseball (readying for the Florida trip in a few weeks for a tournament) and i am about ready to turn in myself.

so, that's a beginning of an update ... and a little insight into the laughter you've been hearing from this house ....

'tis good this thing they call life with kids.

'tis good.

smile!

exactly!

A lesson for us all -BELIEVE IN SANTA CLAUS

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid.

I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big
sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even
dummies know that!"My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that
day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma
always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous"
cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said
so. It had to be true.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told
her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" she snorted....
"Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for
years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and
let's go.""Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my secondworld-famous cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything.

As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten
dollars.That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy
something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then
she turned and walked out of Kerby's.I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but
never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big
and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching
that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it
for.I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors,
the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about
thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid
with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class.Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went
out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling
the teacher that he had a cough, but all of us kids knew that Bobby
Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat.

I fingered the
ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a
coat!I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real
warm, and he would like that."Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter
asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby."The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed
a good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag,
smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of
the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her book) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it.Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers.
Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I
crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down
on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma.Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to
open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering,
beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized
that those awful rumors about Santa Clause were just what Grandma said they were -- ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on
his team.

I still have her book, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.


May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS
that care...And may you always believe in the magic of Santa Clause!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
with a second and first grader here, electric with excitement over the santa clause mystery, and the magic of Christmas, this couldn't have come at a better time!

It was a HUGE success!

:O)

I was so happy for her .... packed house, loads of yummies from the friend who catered for me (and is starting his very own business, too) and loads of happy ladies buying ....

buying .....

and buying!

My mom was so thrilled, and so overwhelmed with the purchasing .... the evening was a success, and truly a kick off for great things to come!

Friday however, was a recovery day. ;) *somebody* had some red wine Thursday evening at the successful party, and her head was a wee bit tender in the AM. It was a challenge, ahem for her to function for the first few hours of the morning. But with time, and a gallon of water, I, erhm, SHE seemed to feel somewhat back to her old self.

she went to bed early Friday night though. :

another hockey day today, in a far away city ... a little drive, with the little man, and a great game he played. daddy stayed home today with the little lady for some QT and some holiday decorating (yep, earning some browning points rigging up those lights, he is!) and the place looks great!

looking forward to our Sunday .... some skating in the AM, hockey team photos, and then a later afternoon game ..... in between there, perhaps a tree tagging!

there is a little nip in the air tonight, and with that nip and the lights up and on the house, the Holiday cards almost ready to be sent off with the post office, i am feeling very, very festive .... december arrived *just in time* ~~

let the Holidays begin!

have a great sunday!

Getting Excited Here!

tomorrow's the night (have I mentioned it here, yet?) the jewelry, crafts, art, and children's clothing party I am having for my mom. she is the featured artist, and she is so ready with SO much stuff!

dude .... i mean endless treats, and treasures. the stuff is fantastic, and all personally made. she is so dang talented! and i am so proud of her! we are currently investigating a website for her, and once up and running, you can bet i'll be listing it here .....

i have 45 people coming, and a caterer. (oooo the decadence!) and my dh is planning on hanging with the kiddies until they head to bed, and he may sneak out after they are sleeping to "escape all those women" haha

so, i will post some photos, and show the goods. she will be taking orders for anyone interested, too.

report cards

so, first i'll do the school report:

yep, first quarter is finished. the kids have completed their beginning steps to the new school year.

i am so proud. :O) so, so very proud.

C received an excellent report, and K's is just wonderful, too!

clearly, they love what they are doing (save for the music class that C received a little less in effort than other areas, when asked about it "well, mom, it's kinda boring ... we sing and clap, and play instruments. I'd rather do P.E." hmmmmm i can see that, no question) and they BOTH got outstanding social and behavioral comments. both teachers feel strongly that they are happy to be in school, and love helping other kids, and possess a strong desire to learn, their reading and comprehension skills are well above level. math is a strong component in their days, and they are tracking very well with this, science is a strength and C has a special affinity towards it, with the teacher really highlighting that! :o) and lastly, and probably the one item that really makes my heart swell with pride (and daddy's too) are the comments about their pleasantness, their magnetic personalities, and their terrific sense of humor. i for one, find it especially gratifying that they include this info in the report card.

see, shouldn't i be so proud?

second - thanksgiving dinner report card:

a resounding A! My sil and brother did a fabu job at their first go of it, and the kids all had a blast! 7 grandchildren and 8 adults, 3 dogs (ours stayed home, otherwise there'd have been 5 dogs) .... :o\ and we all made it, ate it, and enjoyed it. yum. favorite holiday BY FAR.

thirdly - the extra long weekend report card:

definitely an A as well ... right now winding down from the beautiful sunny Sunday here, i was alone with the squirts, dh attended the Patriot's Game, and deservedly so - his birthday today - and the kids and i had a very mellow day. they were playing outside most of the day, i popped in an out, played a little, and chatted a little, and then tonight we 3 snuggled for a movie - The Wild. good one ... liked it. they were snoozing since 7:30 (did i mention the busy part of the long weekend???) and they are so happy to be in their nice clean sheets. :o) i'm about t-15 minutes to do the same .....

so, about a year ago this time, i mentioned on my first time blog entries how thankful i am for the utter lucky status i have .... here i am again, utterly lucky. :o)

i am thankful for:

my beautiful healthy family
my wonderful supportive husband
my terrific, and comfortable home
my lovely friends, on so many levels
the flexible career we both have
the opportunity to share the lives of my kids
the honor to be part of this family
the ability to express my thoughts, and opinions
love, freedom, and peace of mind

and one last thing -

as we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. J.F.K.

what are you thankful for?

have a great Monday!

"The book you want to write, what's going to be in it?"

that's what the *imagination prompter* said to me last night.

i haven't clicked on that in months. several months.

and that, that simple statement was sitting there, staring at me from the screen.

i sat back in my chair. swallowed hard, and cleared my eyes. how on earth did that prompter know what was on my mind. what's been on my mind for months ..... all i can think of is my book. i even thought of a title. i've got the frame, and the theme.

now i need to just go.

doing it isn't even a scary thing. i am not afraid. 5 years ago i was. i am not any more.

i believe that there are ways of reading "signs", and ways of perceiving "signs". this spoke to me.

this prompt has me.

i even wrote it on a paper next to my monitor here.

it is time.

i need to do this.

this is the face of a girl

that lives right behind my house. she moos, and she watches the people stroll by, and meanders through the roomy farm she lives on. we watch her from our house, able to see her walking around, enjoying her life. we walk over to visit her, and moo to her and her farm-mates. and most of all, we hear her talking to her family, and filling the air with her voice. she recently had a baby, and she tenderly cares for her. there are three babies that were born, and the mommies are amazing with them. it is so neat to see it, and talk to my kids about the circle of life.

i love that we live in the fourth (or maybe the third?) largest city in our state, and there is a girl that looks like this behind my house.

she has a few sisters with her, and some two legged animals with wings, too. right in front of her house is a pond with *tons* of Canadian Geese. there are bunnies, and chipmunks, and skunks, and hedgehogs too.

yep, the country is everything that it's cracked up to be. there are three other farms right next to us (and about 10 within 2 square miles!) the largest right near us is that aforementioned girl's, but the next largest is about 3 or 4 minutes walking distance away. there they have horses, lots of them, and my little gal here *loves* to visit her girls at that one. it is wonderful to go outside at night, with all the little house lights on, and just listen to the breeze. the quiet is delicious, and the clean air is spectacular.

i feel so lucky to be here in the place. so very lucky......

a terrific weekend here. fun with some friends friday night at our house, two hockey games (a win and a loss - but very well played, nonetheless) piano lesson (with an awesome report from the teacher that she is doing so, so well!) gymnastics practice, the beginning of some car shopping with a great test drive, some holiday shopping, and now, snuggling with clean kids under a blanket for a good family movie night.

good stuff. 'tis good, I say.

have a great night!

10 things that make me happy today

* a layer of stress has been removed from this house, peace is restored, smiles abound
* my kids laughed ALL day today - with each other
* my son had an absolute blast with hockey practice tonight
* my daughter thought that her 4 hour playdate with her friend today was a slice of heaven sent JUST to her
* my dad came over for dinner and loved the chicken soup I made
* Thanksgiving is NOT at our house this year
* my parents house sold, after 15 months
* I am chipping away at holiday shopping
* my husband cleaned the basement today, getting ready for finishing
* I *MAY* be able to have a scrapping area all to myself down there

what makes you happy?

I have so much to write ....

and so little brain power to do it tonight! ;)

It has been a long week, one full of too little sleep (even for ME!) and full of lots of organizational things - as well as work. (sheesh, you'd think people would understand that I have lots of life to be gettin' on with for work to be in the way. ;)

ahem.

but it was a good week, all the same.

holiday cards are done - even printed! and some holiday shopping is even done - i am chip, chip, chippin' away at that list for Old St. Nick! (just stumped on hubby .... any suggestions?)

got my first-evah mom's (as in MY mom) party invites all set for the handing out. (having her art wares showcased here at my house for a holiday shopping extravaganza ...) very excited about that! she is UBER talented, and finally - FINALLY - has her stock up for selling. have 45 people on the invite list, and all can bring a friend - I secretly hope she sells out of stuff so she can have people pining for her art. :O) it'll be arts, jewelry, crafts, children's clothes, and trinkets she has been making. oh, she is so talented. i am so excited for it! anyone wanna come?

getting closer to the solid plans for Disney after xmas for the baseball tourney.

beginning the pre-holiday purge of kids "things" going - clothes, toys, stuff - so that in the receiving, we are also giving. in addition, getting the adopt a family plans solidly in place as well.

just general good things going on. hair cut tomorrow. out with my cousin in the evening, and then hockey and piano for the weekend. good stuff.

just lots of it.

:o)

I love this

..... and the entire roll of film I shot for our holiday cards!


this is one from the roll, and it's not even the "chosen one" for the cards .... but i love,love,love it!




I have to explain that the photo shoot was such a blast with giggling, and silly faces, and just an overall feel of glee from them. it was a roll of 24, and i am needing to choose only one. ;)

jeez, they are getting SO BIG!

boys ...

here are my two fellas..... well, K's *and* my two fellas.

she and I are the luckiest gals on the face of the earth. aren't we??? look at these two faces, just two peas in a pod ... we were on a trip to the pumpkin patch here afew weeks ago



and this ... this is the smile that melts my heart. and hers, I am telling you. man, she loves her brother, and that is an absolute treasure! :O)





and really, what would a post-Halloween post be without a silly candy haul photo of the cheesy-grin fella? he was mid sentence / song when I snapped, but the glee in his smile kills me. He was Manny Ramirez for the ToT'ing, so that explains the eye black.

good stuff this age they are at. :O)

Be

just like that.


be.

i look out into my world, into the faces of my children, and my husband. They are so content. So pleased with the here - with the now. They are just be-ing.

it is joyful to see it. It warms my heart, and tickles my soul.

i love them.

so very much.

my son had a playdate this week that made him so happy, and so giggly. it wasn't anything out of the oridnary for this kid. he plays everyday. he has friends over all the time. he is over someone's house the rest of the time.

why does this make you so happy? i ask .... because mom, J is so fun, and his house is so cool, and we laugh. A LOT - my belly wiggles when we see each other. :)

i see mom at the store today, and she confirms the giggles that occurred. she tells me that J fell off his chair at dinner he laughed so hard, and she enjoyed having my son with her for the afternoon. you know, she says, his face, i just love his little face .... i think he is the cutest kid in the world. (this coming from a mom of two beautiful, and scrumptious boys, by the way)

yeah, i echo, the giggles are what get me every time, too.

my daughter announced she wants to help people with all her heart someday, and be a doctor. or a veterinarian, you know, i've always wanted to do that when i grow up, mom. but this day i want to help people. maybe i'll help animals tomorrow.

yeah. anything is possible, kid. anything.

unique.
genuine.
gentle.
funny.
open.

be.

I believe ....

I believe-
That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I believe-
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I believe-
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I believe-
That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I believe-
That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I believe-
That you should always leave others with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I believe-
That you can keep going long after you can't.

I believe-
That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I believe-
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I believe-
That regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

I believe-
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I believe-
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe-
That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I believe-
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe-
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I believe-
That just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I believe-
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe-
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe-
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I believe-
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe-
That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I believe-
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I believe-
That two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I believe-
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I believe-
That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I believe-
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe-
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

isn't that just so true? all of it?

My cousing sent this to me, and I really loved it. I am making a layout with it.

wanted to pass on here .....

A Rainy Saturday

hockey game (at a rink 1.5 hours away). check.

lunch with the family. check.

warm heat eminating from the stove whilst tea is brewing. check.

brother and sister gleefully playing pirates and maiden-in-distress. check.

dogs hovering at my feet awaiting yet the 356786645th ear rub from me. today. check.

pool about to overflow from heavy rains. check.

husband off to purchase pump to evacuate the water from said pool. check.

friends en route from Maine (two couples, one very, very pregnant with twins) for the night. check.

excitement brewing for triple date with said couples arriving for adult conversation and fun. check.

sitters for aforementioned pirate and maiden planned for evening. check.

and it's 1:00PM on Saturday.

Hope your day is as fun, and as filled with things you love!

and here is a little thing I received via email today ... thought it was neat.

The task is what it is. Your attitude is what you decide it is going to be.
Treasure the effort and you'll move effectively through it. Treasure the effort, and you'll joyfully create solid, lasting value.

-- Ralph Marston

yeah, I like that.

a day in the life .....

of us.

I have been feeling especially happy the last few weeks. It feels so good, and so pleasant to be around me - I mean, I am happy to be around me, hopefully OTHERS feel the same way! :O)
I am generally in a good mood, lots of energy, and happy to be *here* in this life. The past few weeks have been especially terrific, and that mood is even more pleasant.

The kids are really enjoying their school, their classes, their teachers, and their relationship building with friends has been going well ( a few snags here and there, but in general typical 7 and 6 year old things ...) I have been asked to be one of the room moms for K's class. :O) Love that stuff. I went to dinner with the Kindergarten teacher and two of the room moms from last year earlier this week. I have no doubt that Mrs. G will be a friend for many many years to come ... I hope so anyway!

The kids are both deeply involved in their activities and really finding pleasure with the fun of it all - a little update on that part of their lives:

Hockey is just amazing this year - this kid is just exploding in his effort, energy, understanding of the game, and his extreme pleasure in just being there. He is the leading goal scorer on his team right now, and they have been some really great shots he's made. The team is really beginning to blend together, and I can see that the remainder of the year will be equally as enjoyable! He's already talking about baseball for the spring, too!

Gymnastics is going so well - she has been doing backhandsprings and back hip circles on her own now for a bit, and she just BEAMS with excitement that she is doing that! She is finding the grace, and beauty in thje movement now, and that adds a whole new facet. Piano is just a treat! She is clearly, and without question a sponge for new things .... she picks it up without much difficulty, and she is happy to learn new things.

My job is keeping me "just right" busy. I am having terrific success with the sales aspect, and the product has been wonderful to work with. We launched a new product and that is just beginning to take off!

Sean is enjoying his job, and the learning curve has been a good ride so far. He is anxious to really dig in deep, and the initial strategy is to meet and greet, and then dig in. He's enjoying it, though.

Unfortunately, no more offers on my parents house. Looks like it will end in a way that we all didn't expect, but they will bounce back without question. I am putting together a "book of memories" of each person's account of the memories that house has brought to them. We are a family of 14 in the immediate family so there will be 14 stories for them to read. We are compiling the book to give to them on Thanksgiving. I think they will really love it. I am also planning a nice Christmas Present for them, related to the house, of course.

So, in all, that's what's been happening. Nothing really crazy, just life - keeping me busy and keeping the family busy.

Good stuff.

I will try and blog a bit more. That's what I'm hoping anyway .....

Number 9 ... Number 9 ...

We celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary Thursday this week, and it still feels so amazing that we are *already* there. It has been an amazing ride, and a wonderful adventure.

Complete with challenges, and bumps, and of course frustration at times, but the majority of time has been wonderful, and fun, and loving, and exciting.

And, the reality of marrying your best friend, and living with your true soul mate, and building your future with him, is just phenominal.

I so often ask why I am so lucky, and why I get to walk in these shoes, in this life with this great guy....

So, thank you, S, for the 9 years filled with everything and more that marriage is supposed to be, for the love, for the adventure, and most of all for the friendship.

143 always,

:O)

* ________________* {insert inappropriate word here}

dagnabbit.

the people backed out of the sale of my parents home.

it's like a bad dream.

so sad.

so frustrated, and so overwhelmingly roller-coastered OUT!

if you have some peaceful, calming, good luck vibes sittin' around doin' nothing, would you mind sparing a few?

:O(