Happy New Year's Eve 2009

One more year is drawing to a close..I can't believe it!! It feels like 2009 has flown by. I am looking forward to 2010!! A new year with lots of changes in store, praying we are making the right decision to move to West Virgina!! In my head it makes sense, it's cheaper to live there then NJ, taxes are lower, car insurance is lower but will Bryan be able to find work, Do I want to continue my career as an EMT?? Lots of questions still unanswered. All I can do for now is pray for more guidance.. God has always set me straight!
Well today we are going to the movies with my Mom. This will be Em's first movie theatre experience, hoping she likes it! LOL We are going to see the Princess and the Frog. I think they will enjoy it. Faith asked a few weeks ago when she saw a bill board for it in NYC of all places if we could go with Mommom..of course Mommom said yes!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Hello,
Wishing You all a Merry Christmas!!
The girls woke us up about 9am..Shocking I know..Emilee was so funny, she come running around my side of the bed and tapped me on the shoulder..when I turned around she had such a expressive face, pointing out to the living room.."Did Santa come?", I asked.. Em shook her head yes.."Do you want to open gifts?" She shook her head yes..."SO let's go!" She hurried out of the bedroom. She had one gift in her hand and met me half way down the hall.. I asked them to wait for a minute but that didn't last! She had the box opened and on to Faith's gift by the time I sat down. LOL..
Em was so excited about her Kalain doll and doodle pro! She especially liked her bitty baby..
Faith loved all the HEllo Kitties Santa brought her..especially the one in the red kimono that she saw in the Hello kitty store in New York City!
It's been a wonderful Christmas so far!! We have round 2 later today at my Mom's.. Will report later!

I am a very happy Girl!! Mom bought me some new clothes and the Racheal Ray deep lasagna dish!! I also got a cute Anna Lee panda.
The kids enjoyed all there presents that Mom Mom bought them. I think Faith has had the most fun with her Easy Bake oven. Em loves her wagon with blocks!!
I enjoyed watching the excitement the girls had when they saw all the gifts waiting for them! I made them sit on the couch so that us adults could prepare and get our cameras!! LOL Em was not happy!!

I enjoy gift giving but its important to remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas.. Our Savior was Born..

NYC 12/16/2009

Faith, Mom and I had a fabulous time in NY..When we were traveling to get Mom she asked me when the sun was coming up..It was the first time that she got up early enough to see the sun rise..

It was cold outside but that didn't stop us. Faith and I actually have been up there on colder days. We first went to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular!!

Here are some pictures...

Happy Holidays!!!

We had a wonderful time in West Virgina visiting hubby's family. It was nice just to chill out and not have to do anything and enjoy each other's company.

Hubby and I went to the movies for the first time in about 4 years by ourselves!! We went and saw the Blindside with Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw...LOVED it!! Here's a link to the trailer http://www.movie-list.com/trailers.php?id=blindside

Here are some random pictures of our Thanksgiving dinner

The guys...Mike, John, Anthony, and Bryan ( my hubby)

The Guys with their Mom ( Juiliann)

Grandma and her Grandkids..

One of the Desserts!! It's a pumpkin, gingerbread Trifle!!!! It was soooo Good!! Thanks Katie for making it!!

Basketball Stadium for the WVU Mountaineers

Mountain side on the way home....

Almost Christmas...

So much to do and so little time!!

We had pictures with Santa yesterday at the Rescue Squad. The girls were dressed in their Christmas dresses and looked adorable!! We had a party for the kids too..They got a special sitting with Santa where he gave them a present!!

Faith and Santa...cheese!!!

Emilee did not like Santa too well..She cried as soon as she saw him. She also didn't like the blow ups they had flanking the tree.

Here is Emilee and Faith by the tree, as you can see she was not happy about it!!



I pray that you and your Family have a Merry Christmas!!!!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my 38th birthday!! I Don't feel 38, but do you ever feel your age?? I hope not!! LOL
I have made it a custom to NOT work on my Birthday! Well, I kinda messed up my schedule and I am working at least part of my birthday today..Oh, well. I don't mind because of having Thanksgiving off next week. I am really looking forward to getting away and having more then one or two days off in a row :)
So here is my Birthday wish for the coming year. As I am nudging closer to 40 I realize there are a lot of things in my life I want to accomplish.. So here it is..........
I would like to be able to take my family to Disney World for the first time...BEFORE I'm 40!

I would like to finally get my health in order and get in control of the extra poundage I have gained since having kiddos..

I would like to get published in a scrapbook magaizine:)

I would like to be on another scrapbook design team..One for a big Co. would be nice:)

On a more personal level....

I would like a happier marriage...I want to know my hubby again..

I want a HOUSE!!!

I want to learn how to financial security for my family..

I want a full time job!!

I need to get busy!! LOL


Oh yeah..happy Birthday to my Brother Ed, and my cousin Nicole!! It's never just wishing ME ahappy birthday, it has always come as a package;)

Light bulb Moments

You know them...the moments from out of no where you finally get "it". "It" could be many things. Most of my light bulb moments have been when I have experienced a loss of some kind. A loss of a loved one, a friend moving away, breaking up with a boyfriend..you get the picture..But I have to say these prolific moments have defined me as person..I learned not only what it is to love and to have lost but I also learned the VALUE of love and friendship.
One of those defining moments in my life happened almost 16 years ago..I had tried to kill myself with pills and was unsuccessful at it. I had been through a lot with the reprocussions of my actions and dealing with it all. I was confused and in a mental hell and was not sure of how to dig myself out of it. A member of the Rescue Squad that I belong to died of Malignant Melinoma shortly after my ordeal and as I was standing in the funeral home listening to his sister sing Amazing Grace it hit me like a ton of bricks...I ran out of the service, I couldn't breath, my friends Regan and Sam ran after me..There I sit on the ground sobbing realizing for the first time I was thankful to be alive..I was selfish for wanting to take the easy way out rather then work through my depression. Here I was ready to throw it all away when Scott tried so desperately to hold on to life and couldn't..
My most recent light bulb moment came about 6 months ago as I was typing an email to a friend asking for prayers, sobbing while trying to type..The very thing I was typing about..my relationship with my husband and the toll of his not working has put on our marriage "it" happened.. I heard a voice in my head say.."you are the one that needs to work right now, You are the one who needs to take charge of this family." A peace came over me and I knew my light bulb moments were actually God talking to me, giving me the insight that I needed at that moment..
Listen closely, listen with all your heart and He will speak to you.

Random Thoughts

Sitting here in the quiet of my apartment, listening to my playlist on the computer I have come to realize a few things..

Work would be so much better if I was truly happy going there.. I know exactly when I started to become this way..When I realized that I am under appreciated, under valued and under utilized!!

My children are the BEST thing that God has blessed me with.. I can never say enough thank you's for them:) You know they are from GOd when the Dr. says to you I can't believe you got pregnant!!

I love my husband very much...lately I feel unappreciated. I have been working my tail off the last few months to provide for our family...:you can get off the couch any minute now and do something:

My 38th birthday is rapidly drawing near...not sure how I feel about it. I would love this year to be the year that my dreams come true..

Emilee's First hair Cut

Emilee got her first hair cut yesterday and boy did she need it!! She was such a trooper and seemed to really enjoy the experience..

This is the before picture where she was getting her hair combed and wet..

And here is the starting of the hair cut:

And these are the final photos..and her hair is straight!! It looked great but really wierd at the same time since I have never seen her hair straight before. LOL

Such a Big Girl..

Happy Halloween!!!

It's a warm Halloween and cloudy..hopefully we wont get wet! LOL

Off to get ready, Faith is going as Aurora and Em is Uniqua from Backyardigans..

More to follow..

We are back from Trick or treating and got a little wet. It stayed warm too..the only time I had my jacket on was when it was sprinkling out.

Thankfully the weather held off until after we got home. Right now it pouring!!

This picture is of Emilee before we left. She did not want to put her costume on!! I had to take the hat off as soon as the picture was taken! LOL

This is outside our apartment..

In the car..ready to get candy!!!!!

Miss Faith with a big smile...she's got candy!!!

Miss Em just chillin' with her bag of candy and her cup. I asked her if she was comfy and I got a head shake yes..

And this...was a yard that both girls liked...something that is hard to find since both are scared to death of most Halloween stuff..

Happy halloween!!

Precious Words

Today when I got up Emilee come bounding through the bathroom door to give me the "your up kiss and hug"..when these precious words were said.." Hello Mom" I had tears in my eyes.. I have been waiting for those words to be said.. She's doing well with speech therapy and every day she says more words here and there..
I am so grateful that she's talking..

Faith Turns 7!!

I can't believe it myself but my little girl is 7! Her birthday was this past thursday and she was soooo excited! Daddy decided to take her to Applebee's and she had ice cream and everyone sang Happy Birthday!!
No pictures of this event however because Dad also forgot the camera but I did manage to take a shot or two of her opening her present..She got Birthday Pet Shops ...later in the week we went to the mall where she got the hanna Montana Build a Bear! And to top it off grandma bought her a giftcard for American Girl store so our next rip to New York she will be bringing home her doll!
Come to think of it she had more like a birthday week..MomMom took her out last Saturday and she went to a movie..Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs, dinner at Applebee's and shopping at Target where she got all the Hello kitty clothes they could find!!

Summer is over

and it feels like it never really began. I have been working so much this summer that I have missed ball games, a trip to WV, and swimming in the pool with the kids..and so much more.
To recap the summer highlights:
Faith was diagnosed with Dyspraxia..it's a processing disorder of the brain. The neurologist is hopeful that with therapy and extra help in math and reading she will be able to learn more easily.
Emilee started speech therapy and is saying more words here and there...she will be able to start all day preschool when she turns 3.
Bryan took the kids down to WV to see his Mom. The visit went very well and they had a nice time. I stayed home because of work..
We managed to getaway for two days to North Jersey to see Lucas play ball with the Tornadoes..we also went into my favorite city, New York and got to eat our favorite pizza and see Faith's favorite places..It was great to see Emilee's reaction to the city. It was like looking at with new eyes.
Faith started school before Labor day this year so baseball got cut short. The Tornadoes made it to the playoffs so Bryan took the girls and his Mom ( she came up for a visit for her Bday) to a game this past weekend and they swept the Jackals!! I am very happy for all the guys and am hopeful that they will win the title this year! Lucas is talking about retiring at the end of this year so this would be an awesome end to his baseball career.

Here is a picture of the Girls and our dear friend Lucas..Emilee LOVES him..He is one of the few men she will go to..

So Tired

I think I spend way too much time at work..the last few months I have been working on average 5 to 6 days a week. This month every Saturday I'm working 18 hours because of a schedule conflict.
Bryan is finished with the orthopedic but has to see a specialist. His arm is still not right and we are praying that this new doctor knows what is going on..
I worked yesterday and all that was on TV was Michael Jackson's memorial service. It is a shame that such a talented person could be struck down so young..He was only 50 years old but due to his own insecurities and vices his body gave out.. I feel for his young children, I cant imagine how they feel to be 12, 11 and 8 years old without their father..The only comfort is that they have a whole array of people to share their memories of their father, the King of Pop..I pray that Michael is finally at peace..

OC Boardwalk

We took the kiddos to the Ocean City boardwalk last night for pizza and rides. Emilee had her first taste of M&M pizza and well, loved it! Every time she took a bite she would say with her lips smacked together (mmmm = yum)..

She also Loved the fire engines!! She was not sure of the whole thing when it started but soon was giggling and grinning from ear to ear! She rode on them SEVERAL times..

Faith loved the ballons and the roller coaster. You could hear her giggling all the way around! It brought joy to my heart that such a small thing could bring such joy to my little ones..the evening was priceless..

No More School!!

And other stuff...

Faith finished Kindergarten on 6/16/09 !! She is officailly now a first grader! We took her up to Montclair University were the Jackals play to see Lucas who plays for Worcester..Well when we got there Bryan snuck back to the clubhouse to give Lucas the jersey we had of his from the Surf so he couldsign it and give it to her..Well out he came..and surprise he was also playing( he had been on the DL for two weeks) HE came over and couldn't believe how big the two got and complemented Faith on her glasses and I told him that she finished kindergarten..He said," Since you did such a good job at school, here is a present for you.
Well you should have seen the expression on her face!! It was priceless and I didnt get a picture of it :( I did give him his gift which He LOVED!!
After the game we got to talk some more and take some pictures.. I htink Faith has competition, I think Em adores him as well.. SHe kept pointing to him when he was out in CF..I'd say his name and she would shake her head yes.. So cute!!



Just like old times!! Still not use to seeing him in that uniform though!




This is a picture of the Girls with Lucas and Heath Keel. Emilee went right to Luke when he picked her up!!

The Saga continues..

Bryan is STILL out of work, not sure when he will be able to go. His shoulder is actually worse the nbefore the surgery..He now has Thoracic Outlet syndrome..Basically his brachial plexus is pinched somewhere..causing pain, weakness and numbness..oh, joy!!

We are waiting still on when we will be settling the lawsuit! The lawyers are now saying June 17th is the deadline..We shall see..

On other fronts..


Emilee is coming into her own and wearing me out..She loves for me to play blocks and ball with her and will lovingly take me by the hand show me what she wants and points to the floor to sit..She has not really progressed in the language department but her nonverbal communication is off the charts! She really does know what she wants and how to get it!

We took Em and Faith the the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus on May 14..We really had a lot of fun! Here is a picture of me and Em watching the circus..

Here are the Elephants!!

Em loved the Horses..

Faith loved this part..

I liked the Tigers..

Bryan liked the Cycle!! It was made by the Orange County Choppers on one of their TV episodes..

Faith finished her second season of Soccer..She really enjoys the game and is finally getting in there and at least running after the ball!! LOL

Here is her Daddy giving her some pointers!!

Faith as the Goalie!!

Here is the Team with their Trophies!!

Wow !!

It's been since April since I have blogged..Well this is what's going on in my little world..

Emilee was in the ER twice..She had a bladder infection that the ER did not catch the first time since they did not bother to do any tests. Thank God she is feeling much better!!
We are starting the deposition hearings for Bryan's lawsuit. We ar scheduled to go thursday. I hope everything goes well. Bryan's shoulder is not doing so well because he has some nerve problems . I am praying that it gets better o that he can go back to work and do something besides sit on the couch!

I've been tagged

By my friend Cheryl at Faithsisters.com..let's see if I can find the picture..


This picture is from April 2008. It was the last bottle of Champagne we had from our Wedding and we decided to drink it to celebrate finally moving into our own place!

I have to tag 7 people...Hmmm

Sunny
Michelle
Kristi
Shereen
Kay
Rhonda
Theresa
Here's what to do: Go to the photos folder on your computer.Go to the seventh folder of photos.Go to the seventh photo.Put the seventh photo on your blog along with a description.Invite seven friends to join.Optional:(leave me links to see your pictures!!!)

Family ~ 52 Blessings

Here is my crazy family..my cousin Heather and her husband and her father(my uncle) are moving to Washington state later this month so we had a get together today to eat, relax and have fun..
I am blessed to have such a great family. We may not see each other as often as we should but we always stand by each other when times are tough..

52 Blessings

Hey I know I'm early but I am thankful for days off..as of late I din't get many of them..I am hoping for a great day off!! Scrapping is in my future!!

52 Blessings ~ Week 7

I am thankful for great friends who give a helpful hand when we need it.
A friend of my husband's gave us this huge 42" tv and the home theater that came with it for FREE!! In exchange, hubby had to take his cats to the shelter. His fiancee is allergic and they couldn't keep them.
CJ helped hubby lug everything up the steps and put it together!

My sweet Emilee..

Hey,

Have not posted about my sweetie latley so thought I'd update on the munchkin..
She's almost 19 months now and finally walking like a mad women!! I had her out of the stroller the other day at target and boy did she take off..Next hing i know her little feet were not as fast as the rest of her body and BOOM! she fell. She gets up and starts all over hardly complaining..
She will also answer yes or no questions with the shake of the head... no words yet. Once in a while I hear Hi but she's taking her time with talking, I guess just like everything else!
She loves music..when a song comes on the radio she will shake her little butt to the music. When she's in the car she will shake her head and her upper body..We certainly laugh at her quite a lot.
Lately when mommy gets home from work and she's still up we crawl into bed together and watch TV. She has to have the covers all the way up to her chin and will protest if it's not..
She loves to watch Mickey clubhouse and little Einsteins..thank God for On Demand..I can turn it on whenever she wants to watch it, not like when Faith was smaller and she would ask to watch something and I would explain that it was not on and she could never understand casue she watches movies over and over..
She loves to color and picks up a crayon and holds it with her little fingers pinching the tip and if it's upside down she will turn it so it's right! Such a smart girl I have!!

52 Blessings ~ Week 6

I'm such a slacker..hehe.. have not had much time for the computer lately..I started working 33 hours a week at the Casino.
And that is what I am thankful for..A job that has realized my potential and even though I may not be a nurse, I sure can run rings around them when it comes to emergency situations..
I love my new job and my Boss..she is such a doll. She is out on medical so that is why I am working so much. I am also thankful for the opportunity to prove that I am worthy of more hours and I can do the job just as well as the nurses..

25 things or so..

This is a list I posted on facebook that I thought I would share here..
It's just a little insight into my world..

1. I am an avid scrapbooker who loves to scrap late at night when everyone else is asleep. My craft has aloud me to be creative and to teach others about the importance of preserving their memories for future generations.
2. I am a wife and mother who at times is not the nicest person to her family, but I know they will always love me and their arms will always be open :)
3. I love my job an an EMT..there are times that I dont love what comes with working with people in a very small space for 12 hours at a time, but I wouldn't want to do anything else! Saving Lives and caring for people is what it is all about!!
4.Step DD ~ Lindsey 11, DD's Faith 6, Emilee 18mths ~ I am truly blessed to have my children. I marvel at them every day and thank God for his gift of being their Mother. I also thank him for allowing me to be a part of my stepdaughter's life. I pray that I can be a good influence on her and help her to realize her potential.
5. I love God and welcomed him into my life on 12/27/1997..It has been a rocky road but through my trials I have learned that God will always be with me..
6. Family is the most important thing in my life. I cherish my time I have with them. I have lost a lot of loved ones in the last 10 years and realize the importance of letting family know how you feel about them!
7. In my early 20's I overdosed on pills. I felt very alone and was suffering from depression and lyme disease. I am much more compassionate now to those who suffer with mental illness or who are just troubled. You can't throw judgement on someone unless you have walked a mile in their shoes..I also learned just how precious life is..
8.I know what it is to be loved unconditionally. My first date with my husband was 7/4/00, we were engaged on 6/15/00 and married 11/03/01.. I could not imagine being with anyone else! Even through are rough times we have had since we married he shows me time and time again that with the Love we have and faith in God we can get through anything!!
9.I am afraid that fibromyalgia is slowly crippling me. As the years go on I can feel a difference in my body. As the pain and stiffness increases so does the weight. Exercising is painfull the muscle spasms increase.
10. I have worried since I was a child that my father is going to die. My grandfather died when I was 10 of a heart attack (His Dad) and since then I have seen in my dad the things that caused my grandfather's untimely death at 69. As the years creep by I am more afraid that my Dad wont live past 69..
11. In my 18 years in health care I have been witness to many people's passing. I feel privileged to be there the moment they see God..
12.I love ice hockey..so does my hubby..we have a rivalry going..He likes Pittsburg ( he played for their semi pro team) and I like Phila!
13. My husband got me hooked on Baseball!! Love the AC Surf!!
14. I am a part of a great scrapbooking community. We are christians from all over the world who have come together to share our love for God and faith booking.. Faithsisters.com
15. I love to cook...food network is on right now!! LOL
16. I don't have many female friends..But the ones I have know that I am always there for them!!
17. my pet peeve: People who think they know EVERYTHING!! Get over yourself...YOU don't!!18. my worst traits : Disorganized at times and I procrastinate A LOT..I'm trying to get better!! Worst thing is my husband is exactly the same!! DRIVES ME CRAZY!!
19. I am still friends with my first boyfriend!! We had some rough patches were we did not talk but for 20 years we have been friends!! Actually besides my hubby, Chuck is one of my Best Friends..
20. my favorite color is all shades purple...I like green too..
21. I am a teddy bear collector..not so much anymore but I have quite a few from my 25 years of collecting..
22. I pray everyday throughout the day for Everyone..patients who I know are not going to make it, hearses that drive by, friends who ask for prayers, my children, for hubby..
23. I adore my brother..Most days growing up I hated him but now he is the one I can always go to and has always been there for me..
24. I don't like shell fish...will eat salmon once in a while but nothing else..
25. I would like to have another child but am afraid my time is running out since I only have a portion of 1 ovary left..It's up to God..
one more thing...
26. I love music..especially country..love to harmonize to the radio..hehe..

Snow!!

Just have to share some photos..The girls had fun playing in the snow earlier today. We dont get much accumilation anymore. Years ago we use to have snow most of the winter, now not so much but they had fun none the less..

52 Blessings ~ Week 3

Louann is right time is flying by..

I am blessed to have a heavenly Father who loves me and provides for me. God always manages to provide what my family needs and I am truly grateful and blessed for it. A few weeks ago my family got a generous monetary gift from a friend who in his Christmas card said, "God told me to give this to you".
I was in utter shock. God has always answered my prayers but to hear someone say God wanted me to do this for you.. Well you can only imagine the feelings that rush over you..I still get teary eyed thinking about it.. I am amazed how God truly loves us.

52 Blessings ~ Week 2

I am blessed to have 2 beautiful daughters that God so graciously gave to me. I truly believe that without his grace, my 2 miracles would not have been born. I thank God every day for allowing me that special gift of being a mother.

52 Blessings

Ok.. over at Faithsisters.com we have a weekly challenge to blog or scrapbook 1 blessing each week.. I have decided to blog and like others will scrap it later when time permits:)

Week 1 Jan. 8, 2009

I am blessed to have a great husband. Over the last few months I have lost sight why I married him and what makes him the love of my life. More now then ever I am so grateful that he has never lost sight of our love and continues to be the Man I fell in love with over 8 years ago. I am grateful that I truly learned the lessons I needed to with God's grace and mercy.

Happy 2009!!

Wow!! I sure have neglected my poor blog.. Well here goes the mad cap recap of my last few weeks/Holidays..

Christmas Eve ~ Faith went to the mall with PopPop to get gifts for MomMom..PopPop said that she made him take her to the Disney Store and the Build a Bear store ! LOL That's my girl!! Dad had fun on their little excursion (as told by MomMom later on) and I was glad that Faith got to spend some quality time with her PopPop.. I normally go it's been a tradition for as many years as I can remember to go with My Dad on Christmas Eve and get my Mom's gifts from him. I have the list and I usually end up wrapping too!! It was always something I looked forward to as a child and even as an adult I still do..
Went to work at 6p to the Tropicana, had a very uneventful evening considering there were a heck of a lot of people at the Casino!! Came home at 4a to put stuff in stockings... Santa had already put the gifts out..Kids got up at around 8a and WAITED a WHOLE 2 hours until they could unwrap there gifts.. 10a Faith came barreling into the bedroom to wake me up!! SANTA WAS HERE!! and then ran out!!
Kids unwrapped and even though we did not get them much were happy with what they received. (Of course Santa stopped at MomMom and PopPop's house too ) I went back to work and missed all the fun at MomMom and PopPop's. My relief came early :) and so I met my hubby and kids at my parents house..at my cold christmas dinner then opened my gifts from my Mom..:) I got a visa gift card..which I turned into a jukebox and cricut cartridge!!
Day afte Christmas we went to Mike and Cindy's and not much else. Emilee and Faith were a bit under the weather so we stayed close to home..
We stayed home for the most part besides me working for the most part of the week cause of Emilee with good reason.. 2 minutes after the ball dropped on New Year's Eve Bryan took Emilee to SMH to the ER ..Verdict Pneumonia..
She was getting better or so I thought then 2 days prior she started with the fever and then the cough from hell.. So New Year's Eve day she awoke with goop coming out of her eyes..apparently she had so much crud in her head it was leaking out of her eyes..YUCK!!
Thank God for a dear friend who earlier in the week sent us a huge financial gift.. He said God laid it on his heart that he needed to give us the money.. God is so good!! I did not realize until now just how that money was going to come in handy..We have no insurance so all the medicine I have bought this week we could not have been able to afford without that gift..
Oh yeah..Bryan had surgery on his shoulder Jan. 2
He had 2 tears in his labrium and some minor tears to the rotator cuff. He's on the mend but will be out of commission until May!!

I am praying that 2009 gets better and this is the final hump that we need to get over in order to have a successful year!!
Happy 2009!!