The Crazy Eight

Proud

2012-03-26T09:28:00.000-05:00

I am beyond proud of my son Chris. Chris will be running in a 10k in honor of his Grandma who recently passed away in November from Parkinson's and Alzheimer. We all miss my Mom terribly and we are struggling to move forward. Chris has found a wonderful way to honor his Grandmother and I could not be more proud of him. If you have a moment to read here is the link.

Love Them Home

2012-01-31T11:38:00.000-06:00

My very good friend Amie and her family are on a beautiful journey to bring home their 5th and 6th child from China...bringing their family count to 10 children in all!!!!! Amie and I paper chased together back in 2005 when we each brought home our first little girls from China. Since then Amie has gone on to do wonderful things to help the children of China.

Amie's family has a awesome fundraiser on their blog Love Them Home and recently I purchased a t-shirt "God is Love" for myself. When the t-shirt arrived Addison saw it laying on my bed and asked where I got my cool shirt. I explained about the fundraiser...Addison is such a sweet soul...she asked if she could have a shirt too and how could she help with the fundraiser. I think my little one is destined to do great things!!

Once Miss Addison's God is Love shirt arrived she could not wait to put it on..she has wore it to hip hop class, school and most recently to a party. I wanted to take a few portrait shots of Addison and when I returned from getting my camera...Miss A. was jumping and dancing on her sisters bed while Livi blasted tunes from Katy Perry..she sure was having fun!!!

I did manage a few portraits of Miss A. after her rock n' roll dance session was over...and I had to pay Livi $2.00 for use of her bed (Miss Livi is all business).

I hope you will take the time to stop by "Love Them Home" blog and take a moment to read their story...the design on the t-shirt is beautiful and there are other goodies on their site.

Snow Days and Catch Up

2012-01-20T17:53:00.000-06:00

I have no time for blogging these days. Life is busy busy busy!!! Here is a quick catch up on our crazy life!!

Chris and Kristen are busy planning for their Oct. 2012 wedding. I am going with Kristen in a few weeks to start looking for a wedding dress. Things are moving along and we are all very excited to have Kristen join our family (although we feel like she is already part of our family).

Justin and Ashley have settled in to married life. Both are busy working in the city. They have purchased their first home and are very excited planning out all the details. The builders should break ground hopefully in March/April once the ground is warm enough to start digging. They should be able to move in to their new home around August/Sept. It will be nice having them live 15 minutes from us and Ashley's parents.

Kenny and Amanda are enjoying life after college. Amanda is busy working on her modeling resume and landing a few acting rolls along the way. Kenny is interviewing with production companies. He just got a call back with a production company in the city to read for the lead roll in their up and coming play. Kenny also has an interview with Second City. We are very excited for both of them as they work towards living out their dreams.

Tyler is working hard at school and enjoying college life!!! Tyler is taking his second semester in "Italian". He is loving it and has caught on rather quickly. I understand Tyler's Professor has changed Tyler's name to Vincenzo. Tyler tries to come home when he can...Miss Addison gets to missing him and is very sad when he leaves to go back to school.

Livi is in 3rd grade and working very hard in school. She loves to spend time on the computer, working on art projects and she has become a master at Kinnect "Wipe Out". Wipe Out is one of Livi's favorite shows...she laughs so hard when she is watching that show...and begs me to go on it..I think not! (although it would probably humor my family).

Addison is in 1st grade and doing very well. Addison is our little dancer. She is currently enrolled in 4 dance classes...ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop. I spent many many hours freezing my butt off on the bleachers through out the boys sporting events..it's nice to be sitting in a warm dance studio for a change.

As for me...I'm busy being a Mommy and running my small business Chasing Dreams. I am very excited to be going to Vegas in February for WPPI with my friend Michelle. It will be a fun week of learning and hanging out with a good friend.

It appears that winter has finally hit! The girls were so excited to finally have snow to play in. Livi is in her glory when she is outside in the snow..she could stay in the snow for hours!!!!! Today we are getting slammed once again with a big storm..I'm sure the girls will help us dig out tomorrow.

Miss Livi is an expert in snowball making!!!!

And you are wondering what Miss Addison is doing with her tongue hanging out....catching snowflakes of course! Addison spends more time trying to catch snow flakes then any other kid I know...

Addison cracks me up with her hat pulled over her eyes..I don't know how she sees a thing.

The lumpster is in her glory in the snow!!!! What started out as a nice "let's build a snowman together" quickly turned ugly..as soon as Livi had a shot at Addison with a snowball..she took it!!

Hope everyone is enjoying the winter season!!!!!!! I'm trying to find the beauty in the snow and the cold...but I admit, it's not always easy to do...I think I would rather find the beauty on the beach some where.

From Our Home To Yours

2011-12-24T08:48:00.000-06:00

Wishing you and your family a Happy Holiday!!! May your day be filled with family, love and beautiful memories!!!!!!

Christmas Is In The Air

2011-12-13T18:52:00.000-06:00

I absolutely love the Christmas season. I love the craziness, the decorations and even the snow (although we are still waiting for the snow). My most favorite part of the holidays is family. I love that I have the honor of spending time with all of my children in one room and all at once. There is a ton of joking, laughing and love. For me, Christmas means family time.

Miss Addison loves her purple tree. She can't wait to drag it out and lite it up!!!!!! This year Addison added an angel to her tree to remind her of Grandma. I told Addison that Grandma was an angel in Heaven now and that she is watching over us. A few weeks ago Addison and I were out and about when the wind picked up. Addison stopped and said "did you feel that Mommy, that was Grandma's wings". I love her sweet little heart...

Miss Livi recently asked to have her room redone. She wanted to get rid of her beautiful mural. Of course I said yes, it's her room after all...but I admit, it broke my heart watching the painters paint over her gorgeous mural..in fact the painter said it made him sick to his stomach while painting over it. Livi wanted her room to be hot pink and black. It turned out cute and Livi is very happy with the room. We still have a few things to add after the holidays. Of course we needed a new Christmas tree to match her new room. Livi traded in her pink tree for a white tree filled with hot pink, black and crystal ornaments...and a little sparkle.

I love Christmas tree's and I squeeze them in to every corner I can. I have one in my dining room and one in the living room.

We added a small tree for Grandma this year to honor her memory. We decorated the tree in angels, birds and a very sparkly Eiffel Tower on top.

My favorite tree of all is the tree in our family room. I call it the tree of life because it pretty much is our life story. I started buying ornaments for my children from their first Christmas on...I also collect Christmas ornaments when we travel. I love decorating this tree because with each ornament comes a wonderful memory.

This year Chris and Kristen got a "She said yes" ornament to mark their engagement.

Ashley and Justin got a Bride and Groom ornament to mark their wedding this year.

Below is the ornament that I bought the year we got a referral for Livi. I remember buying that ornament and crying. I was so excited to have a referral and could not wait for her to be in our arms.

And then there is Addison's ornament. Addison and I arrived home from China on December 10th...just in time for Christmas. What a magical Christmas that was!!!

I am almost done with my Christmas shopping...most of the presents are wrapped and getting ready to bake with my girls!!!!!!
A couple of people have asked me where I purchased the girls aprons. The aprons are made by Jillie Willie and I purchased the ones in the below post at Neiman Marcus We have other ones that I have ordered direct from Jillie Willie and they are all adorable and made really well.

Love Them Home

2011-12-01T19:44:00.037-06:00

We met back in late 2004. I was instantly drawn to her kindness, wit and loving personality. She made me laugh on a daily basis. No one could tell a story better then she...We had so much in common..she loved chocolate, had 4 children and she was embarking on her first adoption from China like me. Who am I talking about you may ask??? My girl Amie!!!!! A lot has changed since then...Amie and her wonderful husband have gone on to adopt 3 more beautiful children and are on their way to bringing home 2 more children...Yep, that would be a total of 10 children!!!!!! I am so honored to say that I know this beautiful family with a huge heart. How can you help you may ask??? Simple...stop by Love Them Home and check out the wonderful fundraiser that has been set up to help bring Kai and Sophie Lu home.

This is one of my all time favorite Christmas songs!!!! Please turn off my Christmas music at the bottom of the page before viewing.

My Helping Hands

2011-11-23T21:00:00.001-06:00

The girls couldn't wait to get up and help me cook today. In fact Livi was so excited she woke up at 2:30 AM!!!! Thank goodness she went back to sleep.

They put their little aprons and chef hats on, grabbed their new pink and purple cooking utensils and they were ready to roll.

I admit that I love having them help me in the kitchen but on a day like today (when I have a ton of dishes to make) it makes things go a bit slow...and then there's the fighting and arguing over who is stirring faster or who got to put in the last cup of what ever. After a few hours of helping Mommy, Kenny took the girls in the basement to play some Sonic...and I had a nice glass of wine and continued on with the cooking.

We will have all of our kids home tomorrow for Thanksgiving and I am really looking forward to some family time. My dad bought a new smoker over the summer and he is going to smoke the turkey this year. This will be the first Thanksgiving without Mom and it is going to be hard...but I am so very thankful for the time that I had with my Mom. I know that she is watching over our family and smiling down on us...and as my little Addison says every time she feels a breeze "did you feel it Mommy, that was Grandma whizzing by us with her new wings...man she sure flies fast doesn't she Mommy". Oh how that child makes my heart smile..

Wishing you all a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving...full of love and family!!!!!!

Back to October

2011-11-20T18:25:00.001-06:00

OK, so I'm moving backwards here. What can I say...I'm trying to keep up the best I can. I seem to always be behind..oh well : )

A few weeks before Halloween my boys, along with Ashley and Kristen, stopped by the house for a visit. They had planned a trip to our local pumpkin patch and I asked if I could tag along. I love spending time with my older children and I don't get the opportunity very often. So off we went!!!!

Watching them pick out their pumpkins was quite amusing. Chris was serious!!! He rubbed the pumpkin.....examined it.....and made sure it was just right!!!!!

The girls headed out on their own...apparently, pumpkin pickin' is serious and one must be alone to pick!!! No distractions!!!!!

The Newlyweds had a discussion over their pumpkin choices. It was serious business...after all, if they wanted to carve the pumpkin it had to be perfect...and these two are a bit competitive over who's was the best!!!!

After a little discussion...well you get the picture.

Kristen is easy going..she just plopped her pumpkin into the wagon and away she went..who cares what anyone thinks, this was her pumpkin...and Miss Ashley let her playful side out...after booting a few kids out of the teepee (I mean nicely asking them to step aside) she did a little posing for Mom..did I mention my daughter-in-law is a goofball and fits right in at the Nuthouse!!!

After loading up their pumpkin's (Justin carried his pumpkin, fear the other pumpkin's may dent his) the kids were on their way....

But first my goofballs posed for one last picture....

I had more fun hanging out with my grown kids..they make me laugh and keep me young.

Tis' The Season

2011-11-12T20:35:00.000-06:00

Anyone that knows me....knows that I love Christmas!!!! It's magical!!! I am guilty of putting my tree's up early. I love when the house is decorated for Christmas..it just feels warm. This year I bought a small Christmas tree for my Mom right before she passed away. I wanted to enjoy Christmas with her..just one last time. I placed the tree in her room where she cold see it, lit the tree up, added a bit of sparkle (just what she loved) and played some soft Christmas music. I whispered in her ear.."Mommy, let's enjoy one more Christmas together." She never opened her eyes but I know she heard me..Now my Mom's tree graces the foyer of our house. It is decorated in honor of Mom....with a picture of her right on top of the tree.

Christmas cards are done and ready to print. This year I put Christmas PJ's on the girls and let them play (there was a lot of giggling)...with a little twist on the front of the card (you will have to wait to see it). The back of the card is a collage of the girls just being themselves and having fun!!!! Below is just one of the pictures I used. Nothing fancy, just fun!!

The Holidays will be hard this year with out Mom. I have never been away from my Mom on Christmas...never ever!!!! I promised Mom that I would take care of everyone...so it is my job to make sure that Christmas is magical for the family and I plan to do my best!!!!!! I am usually well into Christmas shopping by now but I can't seem to find that spark yet...I'll get there. I'm spending Black Friday with Kristen (Chris' fiance') this year. Kristen wanted to start shopping Thanksgiving at 11:00 PM and continue on...I didn't think I could make it LOL so we are starting off at around 5:00 AM Friday. Ashley plans on meeting us at some point, I think. When I mentioned 5:00 AM to Ashley her eyes got big and she said "I think I will meet you later" LOL

The rest of the wedding pictures from Justin and Ashley's wedding are now done. They came out really nice..you can view the pictures here Clary is so talented!!!!

I wanted to thank everyone for all the cards, emails, phone calls, flowers, dinners and messages over the past few weeks..we are grateful to each and every one of you..thank you again!!!

Preview of Justin and Ashley's Wedding

2011-11-11T15:06:00.002-06:00

Clary posted a preview of the pictures from Justin and Ashley's wedding and they are stunning!!! I knew they would be...Clary and her husband are awesome!!! They will be photographing Chris and Kristen's wedding next Oct.
Take a peek

Halloween with the little nuts!!!

2011-11-06T07:33:00.000-06:00

My silly little girls. I tell you, they both drove me nuts with costumes. At first Livi wanted to be Spiderman for Halloween...something told me that she was going to change her mind. I bought the Spiderman costume, she loves wearing it around the house and every once in a while scaring one of us with the mask on..but sure enough, she changed her mind. Both girls (and I confess me too) love playing Angry Birds on their ipads. Livi loves the Black Bird. Livi found the costume on her computer one day and that was it...she needed to be the Black Bird.

I think she made an adorable black Angry Bird..

Miss Addison changed her mind a few times too. She was fixated on being a cowgirl. I bought the boots and a cute brown petti skirt to wear...then of course she decided a black cat would be a much better idea. I found her adorable costume from Chasing Fireflies. Besides shedding feathers all over the house, Addison's costume was really cute!!!

Neither one of my girls make it very long trick-or-treating. I think they get a kick out of passing the candy out. Daddy takes both girls out at around 4:00 PM and by 5:00 PM they are done! Our village sets the time for trick-or-treating from 4-8PM. It took me a while to get used to a set time for trick-or-treating. Being from CA, we just went out when ever we wanted to and ended the evening when our pillow case was full!!!

Hope everyone had a fun Halloween!!!

If tears can build a stairway, and memories a lane. I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again.

2011-11-03T11:11:00.001-05:00

"Because you loved me, I will be with you forever!"
Author: Renee Moon

October 24th-My Dad tried to give my Mom a boost for dinner. Mom had stopped eating due to the Parkinson's but was still able to drink water and boost. Mom drank the boost and some water.

October 25th-My Dad started his day out like any other morning. He had a cup of coffee while Mom slept a bit. He went to give Mom a boost and she refused. Dad tried to give her some water with her morning pills, Mom refused. My dad then tried using a syringe with a little water to try and get Mom to take her pills...Mom started to choke. My Dad called Hospice right away. The nurse (Karen) told my Dad to not give Mom anything at this point and that she was on her way to our house. About noon my Dad came upstairs to our office where Ken and I were working, he was crying and said that we needed to come downstairs and speak with Karen. Karen informed us that Mom would not make it much longer and that we were down to hours. Karen felt it was best to call our boys home.
My Mom's breathing was in what Hospice informed us was the first stage. Mom sounded like she was gasping for air. There was no movement in her body at all and her eyes were half closed. Dad laid a bible next to her that he had given her when they were first married. I laid the rosary that I bought Mom from the Vatican on the bible...Mom clutched a statue of The Virgin Mary in her hand.
By late afternoon, all four boys had arrived and were sitting with their Grandmother. My Mom opened her eyes for a moment when she heard her four grandson's voices..this was the last time Mom's eyes opened.

October 26th-Mom made it through the night. She was never alone. My Dad held her all night long...rubbing her face and often crying. Telling her how special she is and how much he loved her. Mom's breathing changed to a rattle. Music continued to change softly in the background (my Mom loved music). My dad was upset that the day was so dreary...Mom hated the dark clouds. I ran out and bought a Christmas Tree for Mom's room. I wanted to share one more Christmas with my Mom...she loved the lights on the tree. I set up the small tree in her room so that she could see it. Mom's eyes remained 3/4 closed, but I knew in my heart she could see the tree. Dad, Ken and I spent the day with Mom...never leaving her side. We rubbed her check, told her how much she is loved and told stories. There was even some laughter through out the day.

October 27th-Mom made it through the night but her breathing had changed. Karen (the Hospice nurse) said that Mom would not make it but hours now. Her breathing was barely there and no food/water since Monday night. Tyler and Kenny spent the day in and out of Mom's room. Chris came over to sit with Mom. Mom's skin had now turned grey in color and her eyes hazed over. At one point Mom stopped breathing. Dad and I thought she had left us...she then seized and started breathing again. It was so scary to watch but I was grateful we were there to hold her hand through it. We continued loving Mom..we all told her it was OK to let go. Hospice was surprised that Mom was holding on and continued to ask us if there was something or someone that she could be waiting for. We kept saying no..we are a small family. Dad held Mom all night long...Christmas tree lit and music playing softly.

October 28th-Mom made it through the night. The Hospice nurse, Karen, is baffled. They cannot get a blood pressure reading on Mom. Her eye color is gone now....we feel as though she is suffering and we are now begging God to please take Mom out of her pain. Tyler has to return to school. I felt so sorry for him leaving his Grandmother and saying Good-bye. It's hard when a mother cannot protect her child's heart and take away the pain. Dad and I sit with Mom all day. My Dad naps next to Mom and continues to hold her hand, rub her shoulder and tell her how loved she is. I start to feel as though I can't take it much longer and pray to God for strength.

October 29th-Mom continues to barely breath. Her body weight is probably about 40lbs now. She lays lifeless and we are confused as to how she is holding on why all the suffering. A new hospice nurse comes by the house. The Hospice nurse walked in to Mom's room and started to cry. She said that Mom looked very comfortable and that Dad was doing a great job with the morphine. Dad shows the nurse the records he has been keeping on her medication. The nurse once again ask us...is there someone or something that she is hanging on to? We are baffled and say no..

October 30th-A new hospice nurse stops by the house. She cleaned mom up and said a prayer. She once again asked us if there was anything we could think of that would keep Mom here? We explained that we had called Mom's aunt in SC and sister in CA..held the phone up to Mom's ear and they both told Mom it was OK to let go. We were all the family Mom had..Chris came over and spent time with his Grandmother. Our dog Lucy was not allowed on my parents bed and never even tried. Today, Lucy laid with Mom and would not get down. Dad continued with his undying love and cuddled Mom all night long. Never leaving her side.

October 31st-We kept the girls home from school, I knew I could not be at their festivities. I needed to be with my Mom. We carved pumpkins and tried our best to make Halloween special for the girls. Watching Mom deteriorate was brutal and so cruel. My neighbors came by with lot's of hugs and prayers. I felt as though I was leaving in a really bad dream...I told Karen (hospice nurse) that it felt wrong that I was asking God to take my Mom...who prays to God to take their Mother away??? Karen told my Dad and I that he had only seen one other case like my Mom's..she was confused and had no answers as to why and how Mom was hanging on..Dad continues to hold Mom and love her. Our little dog Lucy, will not leave Mom's side.

November 1st-It was time to take the girls back to school. After dropping them off I ran to Target. I needed a break. Once in the store I felt this bolt of energy, can't explain it really..but I knew what was keeping Mom here..why she wouldn't let go. I left my cart in the aisle and went home. I told Ken I needed to talk to him right away, I had a revelation (He said "oh oh", always the smartass). Ken said that my Dad needed to shower and he was going to sit with Mom. Both Ken and I went in to Mom's room, pulled up two chairs and sat down. I grabbed Mom's hand. While holding Mom's hand I said to Mom "I get it!!! I know Mom!!! You have been hanging on because you needed me and Ken to see and witness the love between you and Dad". I then looked at Ken and said "You see, Mom knew that things were crazy here. She knew that with everyone here and Livi being hard that we have been bickering more...I promised Mom that I would take care of everyone but she knows I can't take care of everyone unless you and I are OK". I then looked at my husband and said "OMG I love you so so so so much!!!!!!" Ken hugged me with tears in his eyes and said "I love you too so very much"..all along holding Mom's hand...and with that..Mom took a very deep peaceful breath, like a sign of relief and she was gone. Ken and I looked at each other and started to cry...I said "she could not leave until she knew we were going to be OK".

I have told my husband thank God that he was with me or no one would believe this story..

Now we try to heal..thank you to all the prayer warriors out there!!! My family will be forever grateful to all of my FB friends who constantly posted, prayed and emailed me!! Your friendship means the world to me!!! From the bottom of my heart thank you for sticking with me through out our journey and for always being there!!! I love you and I promise I will write personal notes to each and every one of you.

The Wedding..

2011-10-20T11:13:00.002-05:00

I think we are still on a wedding high around here!!! The wedding weekend was full of fun, laughter and late nights...it took me about a week to recover!!! I loved having my family in town. Jeanine, Jesse and Mike were able to not only attend the wedding but spend time with my Mom. It broke my heart when they left for home (CA). Jeanine knew in her heart that it was truly good-bye and leaving her only sister was heart wrenching. I know that my Mom knew they were all here to visit her...I could see it in Moms eyes. I know that she felt their presence and love.
The wedding was late in the evening. The reception didn't start until 7:30 PM and we knew that Miss Liv would not make it through. We set her up for a fun day with friends...and boy did she have fun!!!!! I think they wore her out!!! We really missed having Livi with us but sometimes you have to do what you "need" to do and not what you really "want" to do. In this case..we did what was best for everyone. I don't think Livi felt like she missed much, she carried on and on about the fun she had with out us!!! It made me happy knowing she was having such a great time!!!

Now on to a few wedding pictures!!!
I didn't bring my camera in to the wedding reception or ceremony, I wanted to play the "Mommy" role...but there were many that did bring their camera's in and the pictures are slowly rolling in. Plus our photographer rocked!!!!!! I can't wait for her pictures!!!

Our dear sweet friends Steffie and David attended the wedding and sat with us at our table. Steffie was kind enough to bring her camera and snap a few pictures for me...in between stealing cannoli's from the head table (actually getting my Tyler to do her dirty work) and sipping on champagne. These beautiful photo's are courtesy of Miss Steffie B.

The ceremony was gorgeous!!! There were candles every where. The room was elegant and very romantic!!!

Addison was the most beautiful flower girl. She walked down the aisle beaming. We didn't know that Addison would be carrying a basket of petals until right before the ceremony. We were not sure if she was getting a bouquet or a basket. Once Addison saw the basket (about 15 minutes before show time) she was like "OK Mom, now what". One of Justin's very good friends and groomsmen from his high school football days (try to imagine the biggest lineman on the team) walked Addison through the steps of dropping her petals softly and being the perfect flower girl. It was rather humorous!! Especially when Jeremy declared to Addison "I always wanted to be a flower girl". I thought Addison was going to wet her pants laughing at Jeremy (Jeremy is about as tough as they come). As Addison walked down the aisle I could see the tears in her brothers eyes..they were so proud of their baby girl. We were relieved she didn't cartwheel down the aisle even though Justin's groomsmen were egging her on a bit!!!
During the ceremony a string quartet played and it was beautiful!!!! Ashley's Dad was so proud walking his baby girl down the aisle. Ashley was glowing!!! I don't know that I have ever seen her look more radiant and beautiful!!!!
The groomsmen, most of them I have known for many many years, were all well behaved and cleaned up well!!! The bridesmaids were stunning and their dresses were just beautiful!!!!

Rather then light a unity candle, Justin and Ashley chose to mix wine (red and white). Ashley drank first from the glass and Justin polished it off (to a nice round of applause). The Pastor mentioned my Mom at the beginning of the ceremony and it was very emotional for our family. My father looked so sad yet so proud during the ceremony. I fear that the videographer will have me sniffling very loudly trying to keep my nose from running while crying my eyes out!!! I also for the first time decided (after a bit too much champagne through out the day) to try some hussy wear and go with the false eyelashes that all the bridesmaids were getting. I was told after the eyelashes were applied that if I cried they could possible fall off!!! The make up artist instructed me to blot blot my eyes with a Kleenex. Seriously, me...Miss Waterworks is going to blot blot. I put Ken on eyelash patrol!! I could envision myself with an eyelash hanging and not knowing it or better yet fall in to my salad or soup. After all, I am Queen of putting my clothes on backwards or inside out.

What can I say...my son and his beautiful bride, who we adore, were just beaming!!!!! I don't know that I have ever been so proud!!!! The room was filled with so much love and happiness!!!! We are close to Ashley's family and feel very fortunate to be a part of their family and have them join our nut house.

The reception was gorgeous!!! The flowers and soft lighting, oh my goodness, it was something out of a magazine!! The room was full of candles and gave off such a romantic feel. The cake was gorgeous and oh so yummy!!! My two favorite flavors of filling...peanut butter and chocolate!!! Yummy!!! Drinks were flowing, people were laughing and the party kicked off quickly!! Justin and Ashley wanted to get all the first dances, cake cutting, garter and bouquet throwing out of the way so that they could party on...

And party we did!!!!!!! I think I danced all night long!!! My son's friends kept me hopping!!! Miss Addison made it up until 1:30AM!!! She never left the dance floor. She was quite popular with the guest and loved every minute of the attention.

Chris came to my table and said "Mom, let's dance and get this party started". What a sweet moment to share with my oldest son!!! Daddy and Addison joined us on the dance floor.
I love the picture below!! The tenderness in Chris' face is priceless!!! And the picture of Addison and her Daddy dancing along side us makes this picture even more special.
Then came my dance with the handsome groom. I don't know if it's just me but I sang (poorly I might add) to all my babies. Each one I sang a different song to as I rocked them to sleep. I used to tell my husband that one day I would dance with my child at their wedding to that song. Of course the "one" day seemed so far away at the time. When Justin said that I needed to pick a song for our Mother/Son dance it was a no brainer...I had the song picked out for 26 years!! As we got closer to the wedding I was getting nervous about "our song" I knew if we danced to the song I chose, I would cry non stop...I needed a song that wouldn't make me cry, maybe a newer song like "My Wish" or how about "Thank You for loving me". Every time I mentioned to my husband that I was looking to change my Mother/Son dance song he would say "Colleen, you are going to cry no matter what, you have talked about this for 26 years, go with your gut".
So I did..Justin came to the table, reached out his hand and said "let's do it Mom". And when the song, "Close to you"by The Carpenter's started to play it was as though there was no one in the room except the two of us. I looked at my gorgeous, all grown up and very proud son and sang to him just like when he was a baby in my arms (look at my mouth in the picture below, it's all goofy looking because I was singing LOL). Justin laughed as I sang and asked "are you going to sing the entire song"...I said "you bet I am, I'd rock you if I could"...he replied "I'm too fat". We laughed, hugged each other tightly, cried and he gave me a few twirls. And as we danced I felt like the luckiest, proudest and most important Mom in the world!!

Our little flower girl

2011-10-10T21:19:00.000-05:00

What a whirlwind of a weekend!!!! Justin and Ashley got married this past weekend. The wedding was stunning!!!!! We were flying high on happiness overload!!! I cannot wait to share pictures...I did not bring my camera to the reception but our photographer rocked!!! I can't wait to see all of her stunning photographs. I spent most of the evening on the dance floor, shaking off dinner. My sweet friend Steffie and her husband David came to the wedding. It was wonderful having them there to share in our happiness. Steffie snapped a few pictures for me and took a few video's.

For now...a picture of our little Flower Girl getting ready for the big day. Can you believe our little fireball made it up to 1:30 AM!!! I don't think she sat down the entire evening. Addison spent most of the night on the dance floor. The girl has some awesome moves!!!

You Make Me Smile

2011-10-03T11:16:00.000-05:00

Addison truly makes me smile. She is so funny without trying to be. I always wrote down funny things that the boys would say when they were little so that we could look back later in life and giggle. Addison may be the funniest of the pack!!!

Here are a few funny's..

Mommy while washing Addison's hair as she leaned over the tub (her choice).
Mommy "Addison, you need to keep your head down, if you get water all over I will not be a happy camper"
Addison "you don't even camp"

Addison "Do I have to get married when I grow up"
Mommy "of course not, you can live with me for the rest of your life"
Addison "no I think I may want a house of my own one day"
Mommy "oh no, you cannot leave me. It's bad enough you are gone all day at school"
Addison "well (long pause) I can send you emails"

Addison "Mommy why does Santa never get older"
Mommy "hmnnnn...well the is special and he just doesn't"
Addison"that's not a good answer, call Tyler, he is smart because he is in college"
(so we call Tyler)
Addison asked Tyler the same question
Tyler"because he lives in the North Pole of course'
Addison "I knew Tyler would have the answer".

Addison to Daddy (while holding up a pack of lifesavers) "Are these good for you"
Daddy " No, it's candy"
Addison "Then why do they call them Life savers"

Addison while talking to daddy.
Addison "Daddy did you have more hair before you had a job"
Daddy "Yes I did" LOL

Addison and I went to dinner and then to our dress fitting for the wedding. Here was our conversation during dinner.
Addison "Mommy, I need to work on my cartwheels for Justin and Ashley's wedding."
Mommy "why"
Addison "so I'm good"
Mommy "do you plan on cartwheeling during the reception".
Addison (with a duh look on her face)"No silly, during the wedding"
Mommy (speechless)

We are praying that Miss A. does not cartwheel down the aisle...although it may be entertaining...probably not a good idea : )

Chuck E. Cheese and then some..

2011-09-27T20:19:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we celebrated Livi's 9th Birthday at Chuck E. Cheese. We had 15 kids along with Chris, Justin, Ashley, Kenny and Amanda. I don't know who had more fun playing the games...the kids or the adults. We have been going to Chuck E. Cheese for many many many years. I admit, I like it there.

This past summer I pretty much put my camera on rest mode and blogging became sporadic. I was starting to feel like every time we headed out for some family time out came my camera...I realized I was missing out on all the fun and the girls were growing before my eyes. Although I love love love photography and have no plans to stop, my girls would much rather have me present then behind the lens. Of course I will continue to photograph my kids but no longer will I let it interfere with family fun!! I have seen how quickly my boys have grown and I want to savor every moment while the girls are young...the best snapshots will be forever placed in my heart.

I brought along my iphone and a point n' shoot to Livi's party. I took very few pictures but instead spent lot's of time playing games and laughing. Yeah I know, the pictures suck but we made some fun memories and I don't think I had ever laughed so much at Chuck E. Cheese.

Chris was the King of guitar hero with quite a fan club surrounding him...Justin figured out how to out smart one of the token games and land 20 tickets every time (all that money spent on college finally paid off). Kenny enjoyed a few of the kiddie rides. Amanda and Ashley seemed to like the shooting games.... Livi ended up with thousands and thousands of tickets (thanks to her brothers) and brought home lot's of Chuck E. Cheese junk....and I learned that my husband is a proud member of the Chuck E. Cheese fan club..yep, who knew we were VIP's!!! Guess where Chris will be having his rehearsal dinner...come on, my husband has coupons!!!!!

Livi wanted a spider-man cake this year...with some hot pink icing and some sparkle. You can't see it but we added a little sparkle to the sky and the edging is hot pink (even though it looks red in the pictures). I do love Livi's "beat to her own drum" personality.

Justin and Ashley's wedding is 1 1/2 weeks away. Everything is falling in to place nicely. Dresses fit(no double spanx needed), shoes bought, jewelry bought and hair,toe,nail appointments all made. We are ready to roll!!!!

Justin got promoted to Senior and we learned today that he has passed the last part of his CPA exam!!! Things are looking up for the happy couple.

Our home is filled with lot's of happiness but also much sadness. My mom wanted so badly to see her grandson's walk down the aisle. It breaks my heart that she will not be able to attend the wedding. My dad is truly incredible. He is coming to the wedding but will leave right after and not attend the reception..he does not want to leave my mom for very long. I grew up knowing that my parents loved each other but it has not been until lately that I realized exactly how much...my dad never leaves my mom's side.

A few weeks ago my dad had hernia surgery. It was outpatient. My son Kenny came home to help care (do the lifting) for Grandma. My dad was not home more then an hour when he blacked out..he was not able to keep anything down, he blacked out a few more times and we finally called 911. Before the Paramedics entered my parents room, Ken warned them of the situation they were heading in to. There in the bed was my dad, so pale and sick...lying next to a woman weighing only 54 lbs, on oxygen and no clue as to what was going on around her...unable to move any limb on her body and so stiff and in pain...my father refusing to leave his dying wife because he needed to stay home to care for her. The paramedics had tears in their eyes as they tried to convince my dad that he really needed to go to the hospital. Finally my dad said "OK". My dad ended up staying the night in the hospital.
I look at my parents and think "what an amazing love story".

Yesterday the nurse from Hospice informed us that my Mom is in what they call the"actively dying" stage. I have never gone through anything like this before so I was not sure what the nurse meant by that...I had to get out of the house...I just couldn't listen to any more. I am trying to be strong but some days, it's not so easy.

I know this is one long post and if you read all of it...wow!!! Life is crazy and no time to blog any more...school, homework, dance is now 4 times a week and then add in weekend craziness!! People popping in and out all weekend...We have the football package on the dish so Sunday becomes a day of lot's of food, football and a few arguments (my husband, father and boys all like different teams) but I wouldn't have it any other way!!!! That's why we're referred to as "The Nuthouse".

Happy 9th Birthday Miss Liv

2011-09-10T10:04:00.000-05:00

Today our little bundle of energy turns 9 years old!! Wow!!!! I can't even believe it, she is 9!!! We have a big party planned for later this month at Livi's favorite hot spot, Chuck E. Cheese. After well over 20 years of partying at Chuck E. Cheese, I must say, the place kind of grows on you.

Here are a few pictures of our girl through out the years...

You know you are an adoptive mother (or you should be!) if:

1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has ever made you lose sleep.
2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.
3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing.
4. The fact that if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child, there would be no orphans in the world is convicting to you.
5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.
6. It drives you crazy when people ask you about your adopted child's "real" parents.
7. You have ever been "pregnant" with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth (2 years!)
8. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway knowing where God calls you He will provide.
9. You have ever taken a airplane ride half way around the world with a child you just met.
10. You believe God's heart is for adoption.
11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacy's you could ever leave on this earth.
12. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have them in your life.
13. You know what the word Dossier means and you can actually pronounce it!
14. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.

Some favorite Livi lines through out the years....

The girls were jumping on the chairs in the family room.
Mommy "Hey stop jumping on the chair, it's not a trampoline"
Livi " Mommy I know that, it's a pretend trampoline, duh"

Livi was getting dressed in her room and Lucy (dog) was in Livi's room. I over heard Livi talking to the dog.

Livi "Lucy, don't lick my butt! You can lick feet, hands and faces, but not my butt"

Livi "Mommy for Halloween I want to be Elmo wearing a ghost costume".

Mommy "Livi do you want cereal for breakfast"
Livi "No, boys eat cereal, I'm a girl, I need a cupcake".

Justin "Livi do you pee in the jacuzzi"
Livi "No silly I pee in my bathing suit"

Livi "Mommy, boys are dumb"
Mommy "Livi that's not nice, boys are not dumb. You have four brother's and a Daddy, they are all boys".
Livi "Yep, Tyler is dumb, Kenny is dumb, Chris is smart, Justin is smart and Daddy is not a dumb man just a dumb boy"

Livi "When I grow up I'm going to be a doctor"
Mommy "What kind of doctor"
Livi "A doctor that wears rubber gloves"

Livi "Mommy, I'm 16 today it's my turn to drive".

Livi "When I grow up I'm going to be a dentist"
Mommy "That's a great job Livi, you'll be very good at it"
Livi "I know. And I get to wear gloves".

Livi was looking through a new catalog that came in the mail.

Livi "I wish I can have this"
Mommy "Show me what you want and we can get it"
Livi "I want that" (pointing to a baby in a cute halloween costume)
Mommy "we can get you that costume if you want it"
Livi "no I want the baby"
Mommy "That baby is not for sale"
Livi "a ha, the catalog says the baby is 25.00"
Mommy (knowing I won't win the argument) "we'll talk to Santa"

Happy 9th Birthday Livi...we love you to the moon and back!!!!!!

Back To School

2011-08-24T17:15:00.000-05:00

Today was the first day of school for both Livi and Addison. Yes, Miss Livi has returned to school. We are hopeful that things will go well for her. Livi has a very sweet teacher. We met her yesterday for the first time. As Livi was off and running out the classroom door (Dad chasing her) I said to the teacher "you know, she is ADHD" and her teacher looked at me with the sweetest face and said "Don't you worry, we are going to have a good year". I cannot tell you what those few words meant to me.

You want more sweetness??? As we were walking out of the school yesterday, Livi spotted her LD teacher, speech teacher, Gym teacher and the school SW..I have never seen my girl run so fast and hug so tightly!!!! And the hugs were returned with many many smiles and even a few tears.

It gets better.....this morning we pulled up to school to drop both girls off and before I could stop my car what we witnessed brought tears to my eyes. Five teachers stood in front of the school (there to greet children). Of the five teachers I knew only two of them. Apparently they all knew my girl because as we approached the school in our vehicle they all started to clap and two of them actually were jumping up and down clapping for Livi's return. You cannot fake love like that. Ken and I were so touched by their enthusiasm.

Did you know my big girl is now on the second floor of the building with the big kids!!! Yep, she sure is!!! And she has a combination lock on her locker...that's kind of another issue LOL she knows the combination number but opening it is another story. I was envisioning her kicking the locker today to get it open : 0 I'm sure she will get help, other wise those gym shoes will not see the light of day until maybe spring!

Livi has a few of her best friends in her classroom and she is very excited!!!! We are hoping that she can stay on task this year...we will do everything we can to help her and the school at home.

We have discovered over the summer that Livi is ODD/ADHD. Which means her behavior is controlled, which also means we are working very hard to get a grip on it and turn it around...it's not easy but we will never give up on her!!!!! NEVER!!!!!! Livi is now on medication for her ADHD and we hope to see some improvement with her attention span this year...cross your fingers for us!!

Miss Addison is in 1st grade and that means...she is gone all day long!!! I will miss her terribly. She is my baby and I know I will feel a bit lost with out her home. Addison is a very good student and loves school. Her teacher is so sweet and soft spoken. The school does a great job of matching the children with the right teachers. Addison is shy and quiet (well, at school any ways). Her new teacher seems to be very loving and patient. I think they will get along wonderfully!!!!

I know someone else that will miss Addison, Grandpa Kid. The two of them have a wonderful time together...Grandpa Kid gets the biggest kick out of Addison. He loves to tease and tell her stories..to which Addison usually says "Grandpa, your a big liar". He used to be the same way with the boys and my boys adored, and still do, their Grandpa.

Here is a little funny. I was in the kitchen the other day and Addison was calling Grandpa Kid names (please understand, they are both weirdo's and play like this). She was saying things like "Rabbit head", "Squirrel face" and other dumb made up names...and then she said "Bird Crap Head". My mouth hit the floor (not that I have not heard worse in this house). I said "Addison, where did you hear that". She said "from Grandpa". Grandpa said "I did not say that to you". Addison said "Well you gave me the idea". I asked "what do you mean he gave you the idea". Addison said "well, I asked him other names for poop and he told me all kinds of names". My dad started to laugh and said "she asked me the other day for different poop names and I gave her names, but I never thought she would put it all together". Addison said "See Mom, told you he gave me the ideas".

Hmnnnnnn, you think Addison should not hang with Grandpa???

Hope everyone's kids have a great first day back to school.

2011-08-12T16:54:00.000-05:00

Trying to play catch up!!! I have not taken many pictures this summer. So much going on in our home that the camera has taken a back seat.

Quick Update
First of all, thank you for all the emails and prayers for my mom. Mom is down to 54 lbs. She is so strong. It breaks my heart watching her fade away. Some days I admit that I cannot even go in to her room....I know that is cowardly of me, but it's the truth...I just can't do it. Our family very much appreciates all the prayers.

This weekend is Ashley's bridal shower and we are very excited!!! The wedding is getting close. I still cannot believe that two of my boys are getting married...oh my goodness, can you even imagine when I become a Gla-ma? Yes I decided that is going to be my title...Gla-ma. Ken is going to be "Pops". Man, considering that Ken and I already have our official Grandparent titles, I sure hope the Grandchildren follow soon (boys are you listening, I'm ready).

We are still trying to wrap up contracts for Chris and Kristen who will be getting married Oct 6, 2012. This is all so exciting!!!

Kenny's girlfriend Amanda has been filming as an extra for the new series "Playboy Club". She had to cut and die her hair a certain way. She is an extra but films every day so I guess she is a reoccurring extra? Kenny's other friend is also in the series and she is a bunny...not one of the star bunny's, but she is a bunny. So I guess we will be watching the "Playboy Club" this fall. Amanda also worked on the new Kelsey Grammar series. We are very proud of Amanda and did I mention that we adore her.

Now on to Miss Addison, my little dancer. I thought I posted her recital pictures on my blog but apparently I did not (first sign of aging I'm sure). These pictures (which are not the best) were from Addison's recital in June. Chris, Kristen, Kenny, Amanda, Tyler(came home from college), Daddy and myself(Justin and Ashley could not make it) were so proud to watch our little Purple Princess perform on stage. I am usually the emotional one in the family but I think I have some heavy competition...yeppers, Kristen was a hot mess when Addison came out on stage...pure love!!!!!!!

Just a little funny. Justin and Ashley had Cubs tickets and could not make it to Addison's recital. Justin called Addison to tell her that he could not come to her recital on Saturday. Addison's reply "That's OK, you can just bring me flowers on Sunday". That's my girl!!!!! Justin walked in on Sunday with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I tell ya, you have to train them young!!!

"Dancing is like dreaming with your feet!"

Author: Constanze

"Sometimes being a brother is better than being a superhero."

Author: Marc Brown

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."

Author: Archbishop Desmond Tutu

" Cherish the everyday moments, because you never know what they will bring" Author: unknown

2011-08-01T21:44:00.000-05:00

"God gave us children to bring immeasurable joy into our lives!" Author: Linda Marshall

2011-07-24T20:58:00.000-05:00

As much as our home has been full of sadness lately, our home has also been full of much happiness!!! We are in full blown wedding mode!!!!!

First up on the agenda is Justin and Ashley's wedding. Justin and Ashley will be getting married on Oct 8, 2011.

They are having an evening wedding at the JW Marriot.
There are 18 attendants plus Addison and Livi.
Last I heard there were about 360 people on the guest list.
On Oct 8th we will be getting up early for hair and make-up and heading out on a trolley around the city for pictures.

A few weeks ago we went to the tasting. All I can say is, the food is going to be fabulous!!! The hotel is absolutely gorgeous!!!!

It took me forever to find a dress but I finally found one. I had to pay to put a rush on it because of my "last minute Charlie" qualities. I found and ordered shoes last week (let's hope they fit). Addison and Livi's dresses should be early September, I just need to find them shoes.

We are wrapping up the planning for Ashley's shower. It is planned for August and we have about 100 people attending for a luncheon.

Also in August is the Bachelorette party. I know we will be starting off on a private yacht and after that not sure...I know that what ever we do it will be wonderful. I love being around Ashley's family and friends, they are lot's of fun and so full of love!!!

We are very excited to watch our son Justin marry the love of his life!!!!

Chris and Kristen have been busy little bee's trying to find a venue that they like. I think we have finally found one. We are in contract mode at the moment. Ken is a member of the club that they will most likely be having their wedding at. Ken, Chris and Kristen are working on the details of the contract and we are trying to get everything wrapped up soon.

Chris and Kristen will be getting married on Oct. 6, 2012.

Kristen sadly lost her mother a few years ago. Kristen has asked me to help her with the wedding planning. I know that I cannot ever take the place of Kristen's mother nor would I ever try to but I am truly honored that Kristen loves and trust me enough to ask for my help. I am looking forward to the up and coming months of planning along side Chris and Kristen...it will be fun!!!!

My Mom always talked about watching her grandson's get married and how exciting it would be. I know that this weighs heavy on my boys hearts. When my Mom was diagnosed with Parkinson's almost 10 years ago, Chris was so worried that Grandma would not be there for his wedding. Of course at the time we had no clue what was truly in store for us. We know now that Grandma will not be at his wedding or at Justin's wedding. I know that this breaks their hearts. When we were in Europe, Chris' eyes welled up during a conversation we had together...he said "I know that Grandma will not be at my wedding, but it is really important that she see Kristen's ring and that I tell her that I am getting married". Once we were home, Chris and Kristen came over for a visit and made their way in to Grandma's room. Through many tears, Chris and Kristen shared a very tender moment with Grandma.

I would also like to thank everyone for the emails and prayers....our family is very grateful that so many of you are praying for my Mom...xoxo

4th of July

2011-07-04T21:40:00.001-05:00

"Patriotism is the glue that holds this great country together!"
Author: Linda Marshall

Today was a day filled with lot's of food, laughter, too much wine and beer,family,friends and many tears.

All four of my boys were over today, along with their fiancee's, girlfriend and a few friends. The girls had so much fun playing in the pool with the big boys. Grandpa enjoyed his time with his grandson's. We ate until we were ready to pop!!!! Addison entertained everyone with her dance moves and Livi enjoyed battling the big boys with water guns.

As we were enjoying our day, a few feet away, the glue to our family lay in her bed shaking uncontrollably and staring off at nothing.

It's truly heartbreaking. After we finished our meal and we were sipping on coffee and eating cake...dad went and got Mom out of bed. He brought her in to the kitchen, half carrying her and half dragging her feet as she tried to touch her tippy toes on the ground. Silence fell over the entire room. Mom's breathing is not good and you could hear her gasping for air. The woman who we all remember would proudly sport her gawd awful red white and blue sparkle shirt on the 4th of July, now was dressed in light green PJ's that were falling off her frail 70 lb body. The woman who we all remember loving food so much was now barely able to eat a small cup of cottage cheese for dinner......My dad sat Mom down on her chair at the table as my older boys watched with such sadness in their faces. Then came Livi, our little storm of energy!!!! "Grandpa Grandpa, I get to put Grandma's bib on remember"....as she wrapped her arms around her Grandma's neck, kissed her cheek and said "happy 4th Grandma, isn't today fun". I looked around the room, I don't think there was a dry eye.

Saying good-bye to Grandma today was very hard for Chris and Justin. I know they left here today with so much sadness in their hearts...

As a Mother and Daughter this is very hard. I want so badly to protect my children from the pain and at the same time I often feel like a little girl myself swallowed in pain. I don't want to lose my Mom...I am a child still...I am her child and I am so not ready to be the glue to our family...she is the glue!!!! I cannot imagine what life will be like without my Mom...and it scares me.

Europe

2011-06-07T20:54:00.000-05:00

We returned home on Friday night from a 2 week European Cruise. Reason for the trip, my son Chris asked his girlfriend Kristen to marry him.

My youngest son Tyler came along as my roommate and was an awesome roommate if I may add. Tyler and I arrived in Barcelona several hours before Chris and Kristen on Saturday, May 21st. We were exhausted from a very long day of travel but so excited about the engagement and our cruise. The plan was to tour Park Guell late Saturday once Chris and Kristen arrived and this would be where Chris would propose. Plan changed!!! Chris texted me once they arrived at the hotel and we headed up to the terrace. They had been traveling many hours and like us, they were exhausted. Once up on the terrace, Chris got down on one knee and very sweetly asked Kristen to marry him. I was so excited to be able to share in such an incredible moment.

We headed out to the famous Las Ramblas and made our way to the Market of la Boqueria. Chris couldn't wait for some Tapas. Along the way we stopped for pictures. Chris and Kristen were fun to photograph, they are a bit goofy and fun!!!!!

As tired as we were we knew we had to keep going until night time. We headed to Park Guell. It was incredible!!!!! I admit I was dragging but after some sangria I was good to go.

The happy couple!!!! We feel very blessed to have Kristen join our crazy family!!!!

Tyler was in awe of all the artwork and history throughout our trip. Ty is a history major and this was an amazing trip for him. He was very knowledgeable on many of the places that we visited.

We hit several tapas in the evening, drank a bit too much and ate way too much!!! Chris set up a meet and greet and we met up with some of the people we would be cruising with. That was fun and they were all so excited about Chris and Kristen's engagement!!
We spent the night in Barcelona and headed to our cruise ship on Sunday for a 12 day cruise mostly through Italy. We did spend one day in France and the last port was in Spain.
I have a ton of pictures to process and will post slowly but surely.

On a side note...today we brought Hospice in for my mom. It was a rough day and we could use some prayers. This has been so heart wrenching to watch my Mom fade away. I know that bringing in Hospice was/is the right thing to do, but I admit it was hard to hear some of the things that the nurse discussed today. We love Mom/Grandma very much and we know we are slowly losing her.

Mother's Day

2011-05-07T17:15:00.000-05:00

Until I actually became a Mother I don't think I fully understood what an important roll a Mother plays in a child's life. I became a mother very young, I was 18 years old when my son Christopher was born. It's been 28 years since that miraculous day back in November, 1982. I remember that day like it was yesterday.

As Mothers, we remember those first. The first time I held my baby boy in my arms. That warm and fuzzy feeling that took over my heart. The smell of his sweet baby breath and the softness of his skin. Singing softly "You are my Sunshine" as I rocked my new baby boy in my arms. The promise I made to Protect him for the rest of his life and to teach him life lessons so that he would grow to be an incredible young man...as mothers, we remember all of those special moments don't we. I can't imagine ever forgetting those feelings.

It's hard to watch my Mother forget. It must be awful to not remember things. I often wonder, what does it feel like not to remember? What is she thinking about? Who does she see when she looks at me? Sometimes I feel like she looks right through me, as if I'm not even there. But there is this part of me that believes she knows...maybe it's my way of protecting my heart.

Watching my Mother fade away is hard. Harder than I can possible put in to words. I have so much I want to tell her about. Some times when she is laying in bed I walk in to her room and start talking...I tell her things about the kids, life etc...I pretend she understands. I even pause every now and then for an answer. And as I babble away my mom appears to be looking at me. Her eyes glossed over. She looks so tired and it makes me so very sad to see her like this...so so sad. I want to fix her and I can't.

I am lucky to be able to share Mother's Day with my mom this year. I hope and pray that she knows in her heart that I love her so very much. I hope she knows that having her live in our home has been a blessing. We as a family have learned so much as we help my Dad care her. My children are learning about compassion and unconditional love. So you see....my mother may not be able to speak, smile or remember much, but she continues to teach life lessons to her family......and after all, isn't that what mothers are supposed to do.

Wishing all of you a Mother's Day filled with love and happiness.

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother"

Author: Anonymous

"My mom is a never ending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune ."
Author: Graycie Harmon

"See there's this place in me where your fingerprints still rest, your kisses still linger, and your whispers still softly echo. It's the place where a part of you will forever be a part of me."
Author: Unknown

Easter

2011-04-26T17:01:00.000-05:00

We had such a nice Easter. We were fortunate enough to have three of our four boys home along with their girlfriends/fiancee. Tyler had to stay down at school and we missed him horribly. Would you take a look at our beautiful Easter Eggs. The girls did a beautiful job and no cracked eggs. I gave them each a dozen to color and they had a ball!!! I still like dying Easter eggs.

Chris decided we were eating Italian Style this year. Chris brought Italian sausage and a beautiful meat and cheese platter from an Italian store that we all love. I made shrimp lasagna roll-ups amongst other things. We had an assortment of Italian cookies and pies for dessert and few bottles of Italian wine. Chris, Kristen, Tyler and I will be leaving for Europe in mid May for our 12 day cruise. We are very excited and are finalizing our excursions. I think I am most excited about visiting the Vatican and heading down the Canal. Most of our stops will be in Italy. My Great Grandfather and both Great Grandmothers (on my Mom's side) are from Italy and I am very excited to visit their homeland.

The Easter Bunny was very good to both girls. We are not big on filling their baskets full of candy (although they did get some chocolate). Their baskets were filled with game boy games, bunny chalk, moon sand, bubble wands, webkinz, jewelry and small flower pots with seeds. I think they enjoyed the flower pots the most!! They are big in to planting flowers this year.

I love having my family around. My Mom stayed up all day long. I could see in her eyes the joy that she felt having the kids around. She no longer speaks but her eyes say it all. I love that my boys are so sweet with their Grandmother. They love her so much!!! With our big family our house is loud and filled with lot's of teasing and laughter!!! Everyone is moving in different directions and it gets nuts!!! I'm usually yelling at someone to get something or to get out of my way...this year amongst the craziness I stopped for a moment and looked around me...there was so much love filled in one room, I felt like the luckiest person alive!!!!

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Easter!!!

The Crazy Eight

Proud

Love Them Home

Snow Days and Catch Up

From Our Home To Yours

Christmas Is In The Air

Love Them Home

My Helping Hands

Back to October

Tis' The Season

Preview of Justin and Ashley's Wedding

Halloween with the little nuts!!!

If tears can build a stairway, and memories a lane. I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again.

The Wedding..

Our little flower girl

You Make Me Smile

Chuck E. Cheese and then some..

Happy 9th Birthday Miss Liv

Livi "When I grow up I'm going to be a dentist"Mommy "That's a great job Livi, you'll be very good at it"Livi "I know. And I get to wear gloves".

Back To School

"Dancing is like dreaming with your feet!"

"Sometimes being a brother is better than being a superhero."

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."

" Cherish the everyday moments, because you never know what they will bring" Author: unknown

"God gave us children to bring immeasurable joy into our lives!" Author: Linda Marshall

4th of July

Europe

Mother's Day

Wishing all of you a Mother's Day filled with love and happiness.

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother"

Easter

Livi "When I grow up I'm going to be a dentist"
Mommy "That's a great job Livi, you'll be very good at it"
Livi "I know. And I get to wear gloves".