10 Things That Bring Me Joy

We had a really nice time in AC on Saturday for our anniversary...a big thanks to Poppy for staying with the kids overnight. We stayed in the room and watched 3 movies (yes, 3) and ordered room service. The best part was my Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and some good conversation with my honey. I was thinking on the drive home on Sunday of how much I missed the kids and couldn't wait to see them. I thought about how much they bring joy into our lives so this post is my Top Ten List of things that bring me joy.

10. Finding the perfect pair of shoes and not paying more than $10

9. Wrestling with Bill and the kids or playing baseball in the backyard

8. Tickling the kids and hearing them laugh

7. Watching Bill cuddle & kiss the kids

6. Shopping for and decorating our home

5. Family meals (when the kids are behaving) and having the kids give me, "two thumbs up, two high-fives, and a wink" for cooking the meal.

4. Laughing at Bill tell a funny story and having him act it out.

3. Laughing with friends and family

2. Hearing God speak specifically to me & my circumstances by reading His Word..."That verse was for me today!"

1. Praising God in Worship on Sunday morning and knowing He is always with me...no matter what is going on in my life.

How could buying shoes and praising God be in the same list? Well obviously the joy from getting shoes is temporary and really cannot compare to worshipping God...that is what I was created for in the first place!

"The joy of the Lord is my strength" Neh8-10

11 Years!

Happy Anniversary to my honey. It is officially on Saturday. I remember the day so clearly...a beautiful sunny day. Pastor Weed prayed for me as I got out of the limo before entering the church. Walking down the short, green carpeted isle, holding on to my dad's arm, and seeing Bill waiting for me with his lip quivering & tears rolling down his face...I could not stop smiling. In my heart I knew I was doing something big, something God had orchestrated from the beginning...this was a day the Lord had made. Bill whispered to me and said I looked like an angel...and that day I felt like one. Pastor talked about 3 strands. "3 strands are not easily broken" he said...Bill, me & the Lord. We lit candles, prayed, sang songs & kissed. Honey...I love you even more today than I did that day. I am so thankful to God for his blessings...for I am very aware that our lives would not be this way if He didn't redeem them and save the both of us. Happy Anniversary...I love you.

Happy Birthday Dad!

It's my dad's birthday today & I forgot to give him his card when they were here for the party this weekend...so dad you'll be getting it a little late. Here's a shot of my mom & dad in Italy...Have a great day dad...we love you!

Matthew is 3!

Happy Birthday my son!!! Not only does he turn 3 today but he has officially given up his "Bippy" or pacifier! The past 2 nights he slept without it and did not cry or fuss or anything! He had a little trouble falling to sleep but other that that he has really been a BIG BOY about it...thank God! He and Adrienne had a great time at their party on Saturday...thanks to all their cousins, Uncle John, Aunt Amy, Aunt Dee, Gege, Papa, Nana & Poppy for making the day so special & for all the great gifts.

3 years ago I went into the hospital feeling sick and was induced. I labored all night(I don't recommend this) and delivered Matthew around 6am. We were overjoyed to have a son. Matthew is sweet, silly and loves to play and dress up as superheroes. He often stops what he is doing during the day to give me a hug and a short cuddle and then runs off again to find Madison and "ADeen". Enjoy the pics & have a "SUPER" week!
PS...Does this picture look familiar Uncle Jonathan????

September Birthday Shout Out

Ok so there are too many September birthdays for me to blog about & keep up with so I'll do it all in one today. Adrienne's was the 13th...she turned 5! Uncle John turned 40 yesterday the 17th. My brother Jonathan turns 31 tomorrow...Happy Birthday little brother...by the way, Madison is learning about US History in Compass & today they learned about the men & women who fought & are fighting to protect the country. She showed the class a picture of her Uncle Jonathan and they all prayed for him and all the US soldiers. Matthew's birthday is Monday the 22nd...my baby's turning 3! And my dad's birthday is the next day the 23rd...Happy Birthday Dad! Look for some pics next week of our family party on Saturday for A & Matthew. Have a good weekend!!

Happy Birthday Adrienne!

Adrienne turned 5 on Saturday and we spent the day at Dutch Wonderland...we had a blast! On Friday night we went to Oasis Family Fun Center with Rhyan and Jessie, 2 of Adrienne's friends.

Here are some pics from the weekend. We even celebrated Bill's brother John's 40th birthday on Sunday...Happy Birthday John!

We spent alot of the weekend remembering the day Adrienne came into the world. My water broke while I was resting on the couch and when I told Bill he ran up & down the stairs 3 times!!! Too funny. Adrienne has been a blessing to our family ever since. She is kind and compassionate towards others. A true girlie-girl and a little mommy to Matthew. She loves helping others and is quiet but strong & fearless...a very good gymnast at 5 and has better form than I ever did doing the sport. We love you Adrienne...AKA Sweet Cheeks. XOXOXOXOXO

The Invisible Woman

This video clip I dedicate to my mom, my mother-in-law, my sister, my sister-in-laws and my girlfriends. (Thanks for the link Paula) Be blessed by it and have a great weekend!

http://smalltalkwitht.blogspot.com/2008/09/invisible-woman.html

Big Boy Bed

The big day came. My baby got a real big boy bed and a new room! We've been painting like crazy...(and spending money like crazy)...to get it all done. Here's a shot of our big boy in his new room. Doesn't he look so little? We were planning on getting him a bed & dresser but saw this storage bed with drawers on the front & side & thought it would be perfect for his room...plus we saved money by not buying a dresser. Now I get to decorate it...that's the fun part. I was thinking of a superhero theme. You all just have to come visit & let Matthew show you his new room!! Have a great day!

A Father's Love

Bill and I are just about recovered from the 2 week -long Olympic fatigue. Maybe you could relate. Some nights we were up till 1 in the morning cheering on Michael Phelps & the US Swim team or sitting stupefied at some of the wayward scores given to the gymnasts and saying, “there’s no way those Chinese gymnasts are 16!?” And speaking of age, I tried not to point out (too many times) to Bill how old he is since he did actually compete with Nastia Liukin’s father Valerie back in the day…and now we were watching his 18 year old daughter compete in the Olympics!
What a great story. Nastia Liukin won the All-Around gold medal in women’s gymnastics. If you missed it, she has impeccable form and beauty and is simply amazing to watch…she is quite gifted. Almost expected however…her mother a world champion rhythmic gymnast and her father an Olympic champion gymnast. She must have been cart wheeling from birth!
After she won the gold, Bill & I sat watching with tears in our eyes, Nastia and her father embrace and cry. You could just see the pride & love in his eyes for his daughter. It was sweet. Just to think about how much they both sacrificed to be able to compete & win at that level made for a great story. I thought about the many times my father & mother hugged me the same way...with pride & love in their hearts towards me. It also made me think about my Heavenly Father’s love for me. I sometimes picture Him holding me that way when I see him in heaven.

The first time I remember actually feeling God’s love in a tangible way was when He gave me a vision. While praying one day, I saw Jesus standing before me with His arms open wide, and on His hand written in glowing red letters, was my name. The Lord shows me that picture any time I am weary, focused on my sin and feeling condemned. His love for me gives me strength and hope & I am changed by it. I am reminded of how much my Heavenly Father sacrificed for me, by crucifying His Son on the cross. His Word says..."Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:16)

Back To School!

Doesn't it seem that the older you get the quicker time goes by? I can't believe Madison is a 2nd grader already! Here are some pictures of a few of her books for 2nd grade. The reason I love this curriculum is that the books are so wonderfully rich. I don't think I have ever been excited about books before, since I've never been a big reader, but I can't help but get excited about what we will be learning this year. From Good Queen Bess to Robin Hood, History of the World to how do Dinosaurs fit in to the Bible. We also have a ton of great read-aloud stories and new readers for Madison...even her very own bible she can read by herself!

I also started a mix of PK and Kindergarten for Adrienne. Even if I wanted to put her in school now I couldn't since the cutoff in PA is Sept 1st, so I feel good about not starting K just yet with her. She is a very different learner than Madison, who used to beg me to teach her to read. With A I'll need to go a little slower to build her confidence. She is just starting to get interested in looking at books & writing letters & numbers & I hope to keep that going.

Here's a shot of the girls on the first day of COMPASS. This month at COMPASS Madison with be learning about US History & celebrated the 4th of July on Sept. 4th and Adrienne learned about the letter A and about the word Responsibility. They both had a blast. It was also nice to run errands with only my son. We went furniture shopping and stopped by Petsmart to look at the "wizzards"...(that's lizards spoken by Matthew). Have a great weekend everyone!

Vacation 2008

Well , we returned home Friday night after a wonderful 2 week vacation at Monterey Beach, NJ...thank you Nana & Poppy for renting out Aunt Sandy's beach house for your kids & grandkids to enjoy!! It was so much fun and restful at the same time, (I took naps almost every day...YES!!) Some highlites for me include rides on the boardwalk, spending time with my sister, John & the girls, Bill's birthday, (My guy is a year older...and still the best looking on the beach), crabbing at the bay, and special memories with the kids. I loved watching Madison duck & ride the waves & have a blast. I loved holding Adrienne's hands as she jumped over each wave. And, I loved riding a rollercoaster with Matthew and having him say, "I'm gonna scream like a girl, mom", and then laughing as he screamed like a girl, and rode on it another 30 times. It was a much needed blessing....but now back to the real world...enjoy the pics!