{Happy Weekend!}

The "unofficial" start of summer is here!

With it brings all the extra-curricular activities of the school year drawing to a close (my girl scouts had their end of the year party last Friday).  I am most looking forward to the lazy days of summer ahead, waking up at our leisure, spending quality time with Lil Diva & Lil Man, and enjoying the outdoors.  

But before that, there is this beautiful holiday weekend to enjoy.... In the works:

* Watching Pirates of the Caribbean in 3D (a must when Johnny Depp is involved!)

* Prepping the backyard for the pool.

* BBQ burgers,  chicken & shrimp shish kebabs, potato & pasta salads.

* (Safely) Soaking in the rays with my pile of June magazines.

* Visiting the local homemade ice cream parlor.

Last, but certainly not least,  on Monday we will take a moment to reflect on the true meaning of the holiday.... to remember those men and women of our armed forces who have died while in military service, fighting to assure that we continue to live in the land of the free, home of the brave.  Hope you will too.

Have a great weekend!

 photo: Pininterst

Merry Christmas 2010!

Just a quick little post....

To wish everyone.....

A very Merry Christmas!!!

{ A Quick Hello} To Do List

Just stopping in for a quick hello.

I am incredibly excited! At about this time tomorrow, my front door will start to have a steady stream of loved ones arriving in preparation for the holiday.  Today I buckled down and made my "To Do" list and I plan to stick to it and get as much accomplished before I get to bed this evening.....

Some random items on my list include:

* Go to Costco
* Bake Thanksgiving desserts
* Set up guest bathroom toiletries basket & towels
* Make a trip to market for fruits and veggies.

Of course this is only a few of the things I have to get done in between taking Lil Diva & Lil Man to their respective after school activities.  I'd love to get most of the items done prior to family arriving so I can relish every single minute of our time together.

45 Days Till Christmas!

And with that, I am ecstatic to say, Lil Miss & Lil Man's Christmas shopping is officially done!   I already picked up presents for my nephew and nieces. So this means I only have the few adults on my list to shop for.  I do not have to venture into the toy sections or tween clothing stores at all during the Christmas rush!

Has anyone else started their Christmas shopping?

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Happy November!

Is it just me, or has 2010 breezed by?

After celebrating the last day of October with sweets, glitter, candy, and mischief....the first day of November is always greeted with this intensely calm and serene feeling.

In my home, this feeling doesn't last for much longer than the first day of November though.  Although the rest of November is a flurry of activities (my birthday, Lil Man's birthday, in addition to nephew, sister, best friend's date of birth too), I also start the intense planning for Thanksgiving.  I host this holiday and it means a house filled to the brim with 14+ people.  With a little over 1,700 square feet of living space, this means carefully planning and orchestrating where everyone will sleep, careful menu planning for a large group, and what activities we will entertain each other with.  We are huge on entertainment! This year, Lil Diva has already written an original screenplay for us to perform.

Last, but not least, November also means making my list and checking it twice with regards to Christmas.  I am not much of a fan of huge crowds, so I try to avoid the shops when I can during the month of December.  Only day that is an exception to the rule is Black Friday.  There are just too many deals to be had that day...and seeing that the family is here too, it is a family affair!

Hope everyone has a wonderful start to November.  Enjoy everything the last full month of Autumn has to offer!

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Happy Halloween!

Hope everyone has a Happy & Safe Halloween!

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Thirteen Years Ago Today....

Thirteen years ago today.....on a warm, sunny, September afternoon, much like today..... I married my friend.

I remember most of my friends thought Mr. Man was an unlikely match for me.  Me being the openly friendly, silly, social, extrovert....him being the quiet, reserved, introvert.  But upon getting to know him I realized he was my anchor.  Whenever, I get overly emotional about something, he's the one to shock me back to reality, "oh come on, it's not such a big deal! It's not the end of the world!" and he's right.  And the same works out for us in reverse.....my optimism and funny nature has helped him when he has felt a little insecure.  His dry sense of humor always has me in stitches (I often think....he should have been British), and my way of sporadically taking everyday terms and songs and making them mean something else entirely (which he determines right away) always puts a huge smile on his face.  We really can turn to each other for anything....positive advice, a shoulder to cry on, a good laugh. What people can't openly see is the fact we both have the same goals, values, morals, and passion about life.  So on the surface we may have seemed like complete opposites, we were like two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together.

Mr. Man, in thirteen years we have gone through so much together.  More ups than downs, thank God. We have accomplished so many goals, created a family, and built a loving home to spend our time in. Truthfully, it doesn't feel like so much time has gone by....but as they say....Time Flies When You're Having Fun!  And indeed, it has been.  Happy Anniversary!

Happy Birthday, America!

Two hundred and thirty four years ago today America claimed their independence from Britain.  That very day, democracy was born.  It was due to those brave colonists who banded together and stood up against the injustices they were suffering who made America forever known as "the land of the free, the home of the brave".

So as we head out to BBQ's or the beach, swimming or the park, we should all take a moment to give a silent thank you to all the men and women who put their lives on the line in order to maintain the very freedom our forefathers fought to gain.  Because, in reality, Freedom isn't really free.

Happy 4th of July!  Have a happy and safe one.

Happy Father's Day

"Becoming a father is easy enough, but being one can be very tough."   - Wilhelm Busch

Happy Mother's Day

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts.  A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.  ~Sophia Loren

Happy New Year!

It is hard to believe that another year has breezed by us. Where do the days go? Each and every year on December 31st, I look back and contemplate the very same question.

2009 was filled with many happy memories. It ended a bit rough. But I live by this motto: We need some trying times in order to appreciate the abundance of good ones we have in our life. I am positive that 2010 will be filled with many excellent opportunities for my family and friends.

And as I do every first of the year, I have written out a list, resolutions if you will, of goals I would like to accomplish within the coming year. I learned long ago not to make dramatic resolutions that will take a miracle to accomplish. This will only be setting ourselves up for failure. For instance, losing 25 pounds. Really? I know I love carbs and there is not a cupcake I have passed up. So why be foolish and make a commitment to lose an outrageous amount of weight that will restrict me to eating 2 jelly beans, a huge bowl of leafy greens and sipping water for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Instead I resort to creating realistic goals that I know I can accomplish.

- Health related: Taking multi-vitamins daily, exercising, drinking more water.

- Spiritually related: Taking the time to access my day and writing it down, start meditating.

- Goal related: return into the work force, pay down debt, save money, get back into scrapbooking.

- Family related: exhibit more patience with those that all they seem to do is try it.

These are added to the ones that I had from last year which I achieved but would like to continue improving on, such as: always think positive, put my best foot forward and be a good role model for my children, continue to help my children achieve their hopes and dreams, read and write more, and eat right.

At the end of 2010, I will sit back with a glass of wine and determine how many of these goals I have accomplished. They are all resolutions that are within reach. It just takes a little determination to achieve them all.

Hope 2010 is filled with promise for everyone!