Halloween is Coming!

So we have love bug's costume all picked out and it is adorable (photos to come). She will be the Little Mermaid. This past weekend blew because I was too sick to go and see my family in Ocala but my brother and his family did come to see me on Sunday so yeah! My back was just really messed up from all the coughing and I am still hacking and was running a fever Friday night still. It has broken by now-woo hoo and today is the first day where I am feeling much better. Love bug went to a carnival a few weeks ago at a church and she rode her first pony and had her first freshly spun cotton candy. This weekend I get to work, but I will get my costume as well for Halloween. What to be? I will figure it out soon enough. My hair appointment for a trim and color is Thursday and I am excited because I never get my hair done. We will be picking out a pumpkin this weekend and carving it. My hands are aching just thinking about it but love bug will be so excited when she sees it. Also, I made love bug a Dora pillow. She loves it and I am sure I will be making more in the future for her. Well that's all for now web world, goodnight!

Fall is Here

This is by far my favorite time of the year. I am a dork and love the leaves, the pumpkins, the scarecrows, and the fact that very soon I will be decorating my Christmas tree. The thing I love the most are the memories I make with my family. This year is most special because we are in our own home and I can go crazy with decorations and believe me I will!

Lots of stuff has happened since my last post and the most recent of which is love bug had to have two teeth removed and two baby root canals. For this she had to be put under and I was stressed! It's was so very terrifying because love bug is only 3 and was going under sedation. I am happy to report that she did great and went under and came out fine. I hated that she had to have this done but I am thankful that we have insurance and the resources so that we could get it done and I thank God for that.

In other news Joe has now joined the masses and has a Facebook page. It is just too funny. He gave me such crap for having a Facebook page and how it wasn't for people our age and now, he is on it and sees that it's just all about staying connected and reconnecting with friends and family.

Love bug is also excited about the holidays and she wants to be the Little Mermaid. Although it was pretty funny because the other night Joe was watching KISS and she said that she wanted to be the "kitty cat" from KISS for Halloween. Joe was on cloud nine and I am sure he will try to sway her more that way. Here are some pics of love bug and such. I know, it's been awhile.

Humidity Fuzzing the Brain

So it's August now and no I haven't been blogging much. July and August are always difficult times for me. Some years are better than others. My baby Cheyenne would have been 6 on August 11, and she has been gone 6 years as of August 12th. It is without fail a depressing time for me and as certain milestone years pass the difficulty can increase. I have my beautiful little love bug, but make no mistake that I have two daughters and she cannot replace her sister or quell the loss I feel. My love bug is a constant joy and sweetness in my life and I am very blessed to have her. I know how very blessed I am because I have lost my little Cheyenne. I get an emptiness in my stomach on her birthday. It is the same emptiness I felt the day she passed and for several weeks following. This emptiness is only felt by mother's who did not get the divine priviledge of taking their newborns home with them and it is one I know I will forever feel. I don't know why I didn't get to keep her with me and I will never know. Part of the pain is the loss for everything that would, could and should have been in a perfect world. This world though is not perfect and life is not fair. I was angry with God for a long time after Cheyenne left us and I didn't understand. I will never understand. I have faith though and know that I don't see the "big picture" and that God does. This helps some, but far from completely. I tell people who ask how many children I have that I have 2. When they inquire I simply say I have a beautiful little girl who is the most beautiful little girl on Earth and I have another beautiful little girl who is the most beautiful little girl in heaven. Those are the facts. My love bug is a spitting image of her older sister and if you've seen love bug you know she's super adorable and a beauty as was Cheyenne. I will try to post a letter later that I have written to Cheyenne. For now I am pretty bummed and missing my other little girl.

Anniversary Time (Almost)

Joe and I are coming up on a most auspicious occassion (at least for us). On August 1 we will celebrate 5 years together. This is not something unexpected. When Joe and I met we both knew that we were going to be together for as long as God allows us to be on this earth. It never took a piece of paper to solidify that fact. It is more of a time of reflection of all that God has brought us through and our commitment to each other. So, (drum roll please) for this anniversary I am spending my first night away from love bug EVER. Since she was born, I have not spent one evening away from her. I have kissed and tucked her in almost every night since she was born. So this will be a little difficult for me. I love my daughter very much and it just hasn't really been a need for me. Joe and I wanted to have some time just to ourselves where we can focus on each other. Not too mention we are adults and need to do adult things like stay up late, have a few cocktails and well, you get the picture. We went to actually look at rooms today (because you can't trust what you see online) and found that the place most highly recommended was in fact the best. It was immaculate and also recently renovated not to mention the customer service was amazing and they gave love bug a pink sandpal and purple shovel and we hadn't even booked a room! We asked about the need to book immediately and they said, you've got two weeks before the date so there is no rush. I was floored! They also have a beautiful pool and jacuzzi. There were a few other places that had a few more amentities but the prices were way out of our league. I am sorry but I just can't justify two hundred dollars a night for a room I will spend no time in and for amentities I will not use. Well it is way past my bed time and Monday morning is more painful than most so I'll go for now.

Coming Soon

I promise I will have new pictures up soon. None of love bugs par-tay due to the fact that our camera is apparently in need of replacing but newer pictures from the last month. The 3rd birthday party for sweet pea was great! She thoroughly enjoyed the candy from the pinata and the cake brought much excitment too. I have to say though that her greatest joy was opening present after present like a pro. She even showed off her clothes to everyone holding them up for all to see and turning them around. She has been especially clever and is talking so much more lately and it's great! We were leaving the baby sitter's house yesterday and the baby sitter said to love bug, see you later alligator. Love bug just tilted her head to the side, looked at her baby sitter very seriously and said, I not alligator I love bug. It was so funny and completely hilarious. My precious one did get a huge amount of toys and clothes and I am very glad that I cleaned out her old toys prior to the party. Love bug this week getting better at going to the bathroom like a big girl and has been saying yes ma'am. I love good manners and it's one of the many reasons I love our baby sitter. Well I am wiped and must get some sleep for work tomorrow. I have a six week work week this week and next week (did I say week enough).

A Week and Counting...

So in one week my love bug will be 3 years old! I can't believe that she will be 3. So soon we will be getting ready for pre-k. How my sweet pea came into this world has yet to be discussed so I will elaborate on the events. I had a very difficult pregnancy (I can't have a normal one-incompetent cervix). I had to have additional progesterone supplements, a cerclage (they put stitches in my cervix to reinforce it), partial bedrest from 12 weeks and complete bedrest from 24 weeks, and gestastional diabetes which required diet modification and insulin. I had a regular obgyn and a high risk obgyn and I went to the doctor once a week and towards the end, several times a week. It was July 2nd and my high risk doctor had taken out my cerclage and off of bedrest. He told me that I had a few more weeks from the looks of everything before I'd go into labor. July 4th was spent pretty leisurely until we pulled out some fireworks around 9pm and starting setting them off. I was in bed earlier than usual, about 10:30pm but it was almost 1am when I woke up with what I thought were gas pains. I went back to sleep, or tried, but all through the night to the morning I'd have these "gas pains". I even went to my regular doctor that day around 11am and I didn't say anything to her, because I didn't think it was anything. She did the strep b test and I went home. I kept having them on the way home and my sister Joy asked me if I was okay. I told her it was just gas that it was no big deal. I ate dinner, and even took my insulin. My husband got home around 6:30pm and at that point I was starting to get concerned. I told him and he kinda rolled his eyes and stated that he had waited for months to see the premier of "Rock Star Super Nova" and I would have to wait. He didn't believe I was in labor. I got together a bag and started packing and got more eye rolling. At 9pm, when his show started I called my doctor. I asked her when I would need to go to the hospital and explained I was having contractions that varied from 5 minutes to 12 minutes apart. She told me when they from 5 min. to 4 min. I needed to head to the hospital. I asked if that would be enough time to do a c section if needed since the baby was still breech when last checked and she told me yes. I hung up the phone and my contractions were 4 min. apart for the entire hour that I waited for his show to be over. I told him as it ended that we needed to go (I was using breathing techniques for the pain at this point) and he rolled his eyes again and said sure. We left a little after 10pm and got to the hospital around 10:30pm. He didn't even bring in my bag or our camera. I went up to the maternity ward and right as I approached the desk my doctor was rounding the corner and coming up herself as she had been called in by another patient. She said I guess they went to 4 min. and I confirmed so she instructed me to go into a room and they'd strap me in and then she'd be there in about 15 min. I got hooked up, waited 15 and she walked in. She looked at the little ticket on teh contraction monitor and said, yep, you're having contractions. She then checked me and calmly requested an ultrasound to see the baby's position. She performed the ultrasound and said she's still breech and you are 5 cm dialated. I just needed the ultrasound to know if it was a butt or head I was touching. She went off to scrub in and I started getting prepped for surgery. A nurse came in and started doing my iv's and asked if Joe had the camera and bag. He told her he'd left them in the car and she told him, well you better hurry up and go get them-the baby is almost here! I was filling out forms going into the operating room. I got to the hospital at 10:30pm and at 11:50pm my love bug came into this world. I had Joe leave me (you know-they had to stitch me up) and go with our baby girl. I was shaking so bad it was over an hour before I help my love for the first time. There are a few pictures we have of that moment when she was put into my arms for the first time. It has me, my eyes are closed and Kaya is resting on my shoulder. I will never forget that moment and I know why my eyes were closed. I was praying a prayer of thankfulness. It was repetitive but it went like this, "thank you God for giving this beautiful baby to me and Joe and thank you that she's safe and she's here, thank you God". I love my baby girl and she will have an amazing party and I will post pictures so everyone can see how much more adorable she has become.

Just A Little Update

My love bug is getting so much more talkative. It's great! She is so funny too with her facial expressions and mimicking. It's a bit of an eye opener though. I seem to say okay and alright way too much when I'm talking to her so now when she's done with what she has to say she says, okay, alright. I am trying very hard to stop that okay 8) It is great though and she even sings "Jesus Loves Me". It is the most beautiful little voice I have ever heard. Things are busy lately and I've taken on a little side work. It's nice because it's in my old field of employment so it's familiar. I also get the added bonus of taking stress off of someone else which is great, and the money's not bad either. I have a new battery for my camera and will be taking more photos this week of love bug. We are still trying to arrange for the world's largest garage sale and I am hoping for this weekend. Well I must go for now but I'll write more soon.

Blah Day

Today was a very blah do a whole lot of nothing day. I didn't have any energy and neither did Joe. We have resolved that we must stop eating the junk food that we eat. We are going to sit down and make a menu and grocery list of lean protein and low carbohydrates that involves plenty of fruits and vegetables. It's just so aggravating not having the energy that we need to do all the things we want to do. We are also both getting older and that makes it all that more important. I don't have a weight problem, but I don't have the energy that I should. So this is my public declaration that I am going to make better choices in regards to my food choices. Just please, don't wave any chocolate in front of me because that is by far my biggest food weakness. So I am looking forward to a much more productive week now that we have this new resolve and I can't wait!

A New Hot Spot

It is a rare occassion when I get to go out for a night with the girls. It's not so much that Joe gets annoyed but I feel like I'm being a bad mom if I go out. I know it's stupid, just one other thing I have to work on. So last night I went out with a few friends and we started the night at a bar I've been to a few times before. As we are all more mature (I'm avoiding the word old here) we were all hungry by 9:30pm and we decided to go out to a new restaurant that just opened up in Orange City, Genuine Bistro. The ambience of the place is so relaxing and the service was great! They had a "basket o' tots" on the menu with a special dipping sauce. I am not adventurous when it comes to food. I'm trying but when I saw the tots I had to get them. They were perfect and the sauce was great! My side of ketchup that I ordered virtually went untouched! I wasn't very adventurous in my order to some but to me it was a huge step. I ordered the "Granny" with was ham and brie hot pressed sandwich with cucumbers. It was so good! The ham was black forest ham and everything was so melty and gooey-it was just great. My other two friends had the fish tacos and pulled pork sandwich (spanish style). They both raved about their food and their drinks. I got a Rated X and after I had drank a quarter of it I had to stop as I didn't have a designated driver. I will be going there on date night though and ordered a few of those because it was delicious! The chef that is there was the executive chef at Heathrow Country Club and the menu reflects that. I don't mean to sound like a restaurant review, but everything was so great and you have to check it out for yourself. So if you're in the area (even remotely) come out and see all that Genuine Bistro has to offer.

Happy Memorial Day everyone! I had to work today but I did take time to remember and be thankful for all of those that sacrificed so that I may enjoy the wonderful freedoms and liberties I enjoy. I have to share that our love bug has her 3rd birthday party all planned out. She has told me of definite guests that she wants there (her friends from her babysitters and her Godparents) and she has a theme. Drum roll please...Mickey Mouse!!! She wants a Mickey Mouse cake, Mickey Mouse balloons, and Mickey Mouse party hats. She loves Mickey Mouse clubhouse and loves to watch it all the time. Therefore she has her own t.v. and tivo. I said I wouldn't but Joe and I really needed some programming that wasn't for two year olds. It's bad when you sing the "Hot Dog" song in the middle of the day, or any time of day as a matter of fact. She also loves Dora, yet another reason for the t.v. in her room. Love bug almost made me cry the other night. I sing the song "Baby Face" to her and "Jesus Loves Me" and she started singing "Jesus Loves Me". Of course it was "Jesus Love Meeeeeee" in her sweet little voice but it was beautiful. It was another moment for me to realize how my parents must have felt when they heard me sing hymns in church. It is so important to have a relationship with Christ and have Him to turn to for guidance and direction and I felt in that moment that she is on that path.
In other news Joe's job duties have shifted and he got moved to another station. His station requires him to lift heavy sheets of metal and hang them. In doing so he is getting cut up very badly. His arms and legs are getting quite the beating and I am very thankful that he is such a good provider and I am very grateful to have such a wonderful man to call my husband.
I also have a confession to make. To those who know me this is no surprise and far from shocking. I am having a little problem finding my place in our new living situation. My husband Joe pitches in and always does his part of the housework and Joe's mom has been doing a large part what he doesn't get to. I am a little lost in this and don't know my place. I strive for perfection (I try everyday not to sweat the small stuff) and being a good housekeeper is one of those things. It sounds silly and it is but the way I was raised you wash the clothes and cook and clean. I'm just having trouble not having to do it all. I know, let me complain about something else like having too much disposable income. This is a very difficult thing for me and I am trying very hard to let go and be okay with not doing it all. I am a work in progress and just try to be a little better everyday.
Well that's the latest and greatest. No I haven't downloaded the pictures off of my old computer and no I haven't gotten a new battery for my camera. I will do both of those shortly. Remember I am a frugal person who doesn't enjoy spending money even if it is for something that I need. Anyway, until later goodnight to all and have a blessed day!

So tonight was the season finale of Grey's Anatomy and I am a huge fan. The cliffhanger of both Izzy and George possibly dying sucks! I say that because to leave viewers without a resolution to either borders on cruel and unusual punishment. To not even let us know that it was George that was the "John Doe" until ten minutes before it ended is just WRONG! I know that I shouldn't be that affected by a show but you have to understand that I get out very little and really only have a few shows that I follow and by far Grey's Anatomy is my favorite. I even got my husband sucked into it. He really is irritated at how that came about-he he.
The weekend is almost here and I have to work. Maybe Sunday we will go to Daytona or New Smyrna Beach and hang out for the day. I would say Blue Springs but it is so cold in spring water and I just don't enjoy it very much. Well it is late and I must wake up early in the morning for work so see ya until later.

It's Lobster Time

Thursday was my nieces 12th birthday and today was the party. As a present her maternal grandparents got her an above ground pool. My brother received it yesterday and therefore after work he went to assembling it for the party today. My love bug loves water and I knew that we would have to go in. Sure enough, we did and just like I do every year, I got fried. I thought that at the most it would be 30-40 minutes of pool time and that certainly didn't call for sunscreen. I know, I know, I'm an idiot. I of course lathered little bit up with plenty. My shoulders and back are know the beautiful hue of lobsters. My legs are of course the color of cream cheese. If I paint my torso blue I could claim being patriotic rather than pure stupidity.
Other than the lobster factor, we had a lot of fun. I looked through some old pictures my brother had and just can't believe that she is twelve. It just seems like she was a rambunctious three year old yesterday. It was cute because she had her friends and they were listening to "their" music and chatting amongst themselves. For you big 12 year old I love you and you are turning into a beautiful young lady who makes me more and more proud every year.
Tomorrow is Mother's Day and to my mom I would like to say I love you. Thank you for being who you are because it has made me who I am. Thank you for being a wonderful grammy to love bug. You two are definitely your own mutual admiration society. As a mom myself I am very thankful and grateful that I have been so incredibly blessed that I was able to conceive and bring into the world two beautiful little girls. One is the most beautiful little girl in the world (I'm not biased) and the other is the most beautiful little girl in heaven. To both of my girls I would like to say thank you because to be a parent is a priviledge and it certainly is for me to be mom to both of you. I of course have said many thank you's to God for giving both of my girls to me and blessing me with them. To all my friends that are moms out there: I hope that your Mother's Day is a blessed, relaxed and fun day where you get to truly enjoy your children and if you are truly blessed, breakfast in bed, dinner at your favorite spot or a new addition to your wardrobe! (Ha Ha) Goodnight all!

What Can I Say

I've never talked about this. I work for a woman whose husband has stage four colon cancer. They have been through chemotherapy, surgeries, etc. I have said many prayers for them and their family. They have a four year old and a six year old. They have had Hospice at their house helping out for a few weeks now. I called my boss this afternoon to ask about something work related and she told me that her husband had passed away this morning at 11:14am. I haven't worked for my boss very long but we are a close group. I hate this. I hate that two little girls have to go to sleep tonight knowing they will not have their dad walk them down the aisle at their weddings, hold their children, see them graduate. I hate that they are so young and have to experience something that is so tragic. They are children and it's not fair. I really hate the fact that they will cry and no one can make their boo boo better. I hate the fact that their mom who has just lost her husband, has to have the added agony of telling her children this horrific news and see their tears and have her heart break because she can't make it better for them. Their is always the big picture that we can't see but that doesn't mean that life is fair or that we have to turn off our emotions and pretend everything is okay.
I know the pain of losing someone so close because I lost my first born daughter. The pain is excrutiating and you pray that time eases the pain. You have family and friends who you love but they can't help. There is nothing anyone can say or do to take the pain away. It sucks. It sucks because your family and friends don't know what to say to make it better and forget how to speak to you like a normal human being. You know they are trying so hard and are hurting for you and you feel bad in turn and tell them, don't worry and it's okay. To everyone everywhere: If you have a friend or family member whose experiencing the loss of someone close just hug them and let you know you are there for them. The next time they see you, unless they bring it up, just talk about whatever you normally would. If you don't talk to them because you don't know what to say they will feel even more alone. If you talk about "it" every time, you will fumble because you will run out of things to say. Getting off of my soap box now.
So please pray for my boss, her two children and all of those who loved her husband. They are in a lot of pain right now and need comforting. Please remember to be thankful for those that you love and all that you have. Always tell those you love, "I love you" each time you speak to them. That's all for now.

I'm Back

It was no small task but we have successfully moved into our new home and almost have everything situated. It is not easy taking everything that was in a huge house and putting it in a smaller one. I have to announce that we will be having the largest yard sale that Orange City has ever seen by the end of May. That is one reason why it has taken so long to get settled. The other being general life and the limited amount of time we have to accomplish everything that we need to. I was able to go visit with my family in Ocala last weekend and it was great! Love bug got to see her aunts and uncles that she loves not to mention her grammy. She is greatly spoiled by all and knows that she can get away with anything and of course she loves it. She was also reminded of the pool at the house grammy lives in and next time we go I will have to take a bathing suit for her to swim as she stripped down to her birthday suit to wade in a little.
Please pray for my bosses family. My bosses husband was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer over a year ago and they recently brought in Hospice for help. My boss and her husband have a four and six year old. If you could please pray that God will bestow his mercy, grace, strength and peace upon them because they really need it all right now.
I am sorry there are no new pictures of the new house or of love bug but I need to buy a new battery for my camera and due to my stubborness I am procrastinating. The camera can be a great deal but what isn't is the ink cartridge for the printer, special paper, and then although it comes with a charger you have to buy batteries! That is just absurd. I might as well take stock in the company because it may be cheaper than what I'm paying in supplies and maintenance. I will relent in the next few weeks and buy a new battery but for right now I am still being stubborn.
In more romantic news I've left my husband to pursue varied romantic interests.
Ha ha-gotcha. Seriously I haven't left my husband and I was reminded of how much we love each other and how much alike we are. I was listening to the radio station at work and an ad for the Creed reunion concert at Amway Arena came on. It has been seven years since they last performed together. I looked at my coworker and said, "Joe and I will be at that concert. Our first real date was at their second to last show and on September 15, we will be there." So later that day my husband calls me and out of the blue he tells me that we have an official date. Just the two of us. I asked if he was serious (we never get a date night) and he said he was. Then he started to say, "Mark this date on your calender" and the light bulb went off and I said "September 15-the Creed concert?" "How did you know?" It was at that point I told him of the events of earlier in the day. It marks a special time for us too-this year will mark seven years that we have been together and this August we celebrate our 5th year anniversary. This marriage has lasted twice as long as both of our first marriages. That's really not amazing because when we met we knew we would always be together. According to him he can't trade me because no one else would put up with his sh*t. I have to concur. Well that is all for now. I am off to color my hair and wash away the grays for a few more weeks. The color is chestnut so wish me luck!

Pride

Being humble in this day and age is not the easiest thing to do. It's not considered pompous or proud but confident when someone puffs out their chest and says that they accomplished something. You try to let people know that it's you are just doing your best and it's not a big deal and they have to insist that it is. The way that I view it is God made me and gave me any abilities or talents that I may possess. There are certain things I can do to honor God by being a good steward of the gifts, abilites or attributes he has blessed me with but that is the extent of it. That's all any of us can do. He knew of us before the beginning of time and he knew what we would need and how we could utilize it. He knew what events would need to occur in order to help shape and mold us for the next step or event in our lives. It's as simple as that. I may appreciate something someone has done but the thanks needs to go to God first, then the person for allowing God to work through them. That's all any of us are and no one is more important than another. We are all mere vessels for God to work through and shape for His glory and divine plan.

I Love Music!

I know that I am not alone when I say that I love music, but Joe and I are really over the top. A prime example is the first time I looked at his music collection. He was the only person I had ever seen besides myself of course, that liked a huge variety of music and had a ton of it! We have passed this onto our daughter. She knows exactly what she likes (primarily country) and when she likes something she shows it! She just loves Alan Jackson. In particular the songs "Good Time" and "Country Boy". Every time we play either of those songs she just goes nuts! She starts dancing in this circle and patting her legs and bobbing her head back and forth. It is just the cutest thing you have EVER seen! Her newest favorite is Sugarland's new song "It Happens". She goes crazy when that song comes on and dances herself silly. There are so many things in my life that have been made sweeter and richer since she was born. On that note I will catch up with you guys later. It's a short post but I am tired.

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Moving & Parties

Joe and His Mom at Christmas '08

Love Bug at Easter & Her 2nd Birthday

Me & Love Bug at the Park in '08
Memaw & Love Bug Summer '08

So we are moving and it is a little on the exhausting side. I work all day and then come home and pack for a few hours. Joe has been over to the new house cleaning and making sure everything is okay. In doing that he found out that there was something wrong with the icemaker for the fridge and underneath the sink in the bathroom (not master bath) there was a leak that has caused some mildew. The sink in the bathroom got cleaned up and my husband and his brother are working on the water line for the icemaker. They discovered though that this line has been leaking for awhile and made the cabinet and the wall behind the stove a mess. I haven't seen it but it is apparently "mushy". So we called our landlord to let him know of what we had found and suggested taking some pictures and sending them to him via email. He thought that was a good idea so he could see what was going on and what needed to be done. So tomorrow we will take pictures and send them to the landlord.

I just want everything to be taken care of before we move in and I am so very glad that we found this problem prior to actually having everything moved in (including us). It's just such a headache when you move in and discover problems with a new place. So I am extremely thankful that we found this out and now should have everything resolved by the time we completely move in next weekend.

On a different note my twin nieces will be 10 tomorrow so Happy Birthday girls! They are going to Disney for the day with their older sister, mom, dad and grandma. My mom has never been to Disney so she should have a ton of fun! I imagine the girls will too. They are supposed to leave early in the morning to get to Orlando (they live in Ocala) by the time the park opens.

Time goes by so quickly. My love bug will be 3 in July. I just can't believe it. I got even more freaked out when I realized that a year from now she will almost be 4! It just happens so fast. They go from these tiny little babies who rely on you for everything to this toddler who fights tooth and nail to do everything on their own. I was completely amazing (and annoyed) when she started picking out her own clothes and throwing a fit when I would make her wear what I wanted her to wear (in my defense she only liked two outfits in her closet). There isn't a day that goes that I am not amazed at how much she can do and how much she knows. She is also very exciting about her impending birthday and has already started to tell me who she wants to be there. She is such a girlie girl too. I know one day she will be all grown up and that makes me cherish each moment that I have with her that much more.

We also went to our friends 45th birthday this previous weekend and it was a great party! He and his wife recently moved into a beautiful new home and we hadn't seen it yet. It was simply gorgeous and beautifully decorated as well. The food was also fantastic and love bug had a ball.

Well that is pretty much it for now. I will leave you with a few more pictures. I hope you like them!

A Little History

So it's about time you got to know a little more about me. Joe and I have been together seven years and we have been married for almost five years. We had a beautiful baby girl in 2003. She was premature and lived twelve hours. Our 2 year old love bug looks exactly like her big sister. We had a beautiful house and both made very decent money. Due to circumstances beyond our control (it was a long list of crappy events) we lost our home in 2007. We are very blessed and a long time friend of Joe's offered to let us stay at his house until we got back on our feet. There is of course much more to the story than that, but for moment this will suffice.

All of that now being known, today we signed the lease on a house! I am so very excited that we will have our own place again! I can use my own pots, pans, dishes and decorate my environment! We can have friends over to the house and our love bug will have her very own room.

I am a little sad because our love bug took her first steps in the house we are in now. I am anxious because we are moving to an area that I am very unfamiliar with. Please do not mistake any of that for complaining. My family has been abundantly blessed by God. There are people who lose their homes and have nowhere to go, nothing to eat, no income. There are people who never got to have a beautiful house that they could lose. We have always had a roof over our head, food to eat, and overall what we needed and to a great extent the desires of our heart.

We are a very blessed family and I am so excited to move into our own home. My mother-in-law is also going to be living with us and that is a tremendous blessing in and of itself.

I have included a few pictures here of my family. I will include earlier photos in a later post. We recently got our current computer and haven't transferred all of our files yet. We will be moving in the next two weeks and then getting settled in. That will explain if there are little to no posts for a month or so. I hope you enjoy the pictures and pray for us as we settle into our new home.

By the way I love Alison Krauss. She has an amazing voice. It is so beautiful and pure and speaks to me in a very personal way. I have included one of my favorite songs called "Simple Love". This song is beautiful and reminds me of my dad. If he were still with us March 7th would have been is 86th birthday. I loved my dad very much and miss him tremendously. So, this song and it's placement are a tribute to dad. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Weekend Is Busy and God Knows it All

So this weekend is going to be jammed packed for us. I have all the normal stuff to do (grocery shopping, cleaning the house, cleaning the car etc.) and I am going to Ocala on Saturday to visit with my family. My mom hasn't seen precious in almost a month and my sister hasn't seen her for a month and a half. Then I have to head home early so Joe, precious and I can go to a friend's birthday party. I think Joe will be working on Saturday(at a different job) and then Sunday we will have to do all of our shopping and cleaning and get ready for the week. I hope I have enough energy for it all.
On a completely different topic, I am praying faithfully that God will lead me where he wants me to be. I came to the realization some time ago that God has perfect timing because He knows the "big picture" so He knows what is best for me and our family. I have turned everything over to Him and just pray that I am continually where He wants me to be so that His will can be done in my life and in the lives of others. Honoring God is something that as of late I am truly beginning to understand. I am thankful that I have gotten better at letting go and letting God. Please pray for me and my family that God leads us and guides us where we should be.

I Need a Vacation

I really need a night out with adults relaxing. It is just something every parent should do from time to time. I adore my sweetie pie. I just get to the point where I don't want to see or hear or think about Mickey Mouse or Dora the Explorer. The tunes and phrases are so catching I have more children's theme songs going through my head than one adult should have to take! Joe and I just laugh because we can repeat almost the entire episode of The Wonder Pets or Mickey Mouse to each other verbatim!
I also need a date night with my husband. We love our beautiful baby (okay she is not a baby anymore but she will always be a baby to me), but we just need some time to ourselves without bundle getting jealous.
I would love to go on another cruise. It was so beautiful at Dunn's River Falls in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. No worries, no stress, just sun, sand and a cold ice tea in hand (okay, maybe Long Island does go in front of ice tea). Ahhhh. That cruise was AWESOME! I get relaxed just thinking about it. Okay, I'm off to dance to some steel drums playing in my head. Ya man (use Jamaican accent).

The Glass Is Half Full

A lot has been going on since my last blog entry. I am reminded everyday how very blessed my family is. We have a few friends that have gotten disturbing diagnosis as of late. We have a friend that was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma and another that was diagnosed with MS. We have so much to be thankful for. Our health is not something to be taken lightly and I feel all too often people do. I answered the phone the other day and a gentleman made the comment that any day he wakes up and he's on this side of the grass it's a good day. I couldn't have put it in a better perspective than that.
I know that it's not always easy to keep that in mind. It was just today that my optimism annoyed Joe. I get down too. We are all going to have days where we just want to have our pity party and damn it-we will cry if we want to! It is ultimately though your perspective of the world that affects your mood and attitude. The longer I am on this earth (thank you God for the time I have been here) the more I learn how true that is.
Now all optimism aside, I must get some sleep so I can be productive for work tomorrow. I will write more later.

Let the Muddy Waters Flow!

I was awakened at 1:30am on Wednesday morning by my daughter who was throwing up. The bed, the sheets, her-all were covered. I had to wake up Joe so that he could hold sweetie while mommy cleaned everything up. I felt so bad, she was just shaking (this was only the second time she had every thrown up). I got everything cleaned up and back to sleep we went. I honestly thought that something she had eaten did not agree with her and that all was well. I got myself and sweetie ready for the day and dropped her off at the sitter's house. I explained what had happened to her sitter and told her to please call me if I was wrong in my theory. I then headed to work and had just parked when my phone rang-and guess who it was-the babysitter letting me know that precious was sick again. I went inside and told my boss that I would be out for the day, and went to pick up my baby. She threw up a few more times and had quite the diarrhea. It all seemed to be better by early evening but you never can tell. It is with that in mind that this morning-I was quite fearful of dropping her off again. I worry, as do all parents about their children and if what they are doing is the best thing. It may not seem like much-but I would hate to have dropped her off and then get another call that she wasn't feeling well again. I am relieved to report that I didn't receive a call and that indeed she is feeling much better. It's not always easy. There are so very many roles you are required to play on a daily basis-mom,wife, good employee, friend. I think the most any of us can do is remember which role(s) always take the highest priority.

Ideas for Improving Recession Revenue

I have made a resolution to stop watching the nightly news. I just cannot tolerate being inundated with gloom and doom on a daily basis. The American economy is definitely in crisis, that is not up for debate. Things are difficult right now-no argument here. What infuriates me is the same message day in and day out. We realize the state of affairs-now please nightly news-WHAT CAN WE DO, EACH INDIVIDUAL TO CHANGE IT. If they would focus on how all of us can get the most (really) out of the income we are bringing in; or they could focus on what others are doing to make ends meet. Here is another one-try showcasing all of the GOOD deeds and acts of kindness. My point is that we need an idea of what we can do to manage and also some news about people being amazing human beings and not deplorable ones.
It is with that in mind that I have thought of a few things that may do both (help people manage their income and have a bright spot in their day). The first is not new, but may be for some. It is a clothing exchange. You organize a few friends and ask them to clean out their closet (it is time for spring cleaning) of any unwanted/unused clothing. All of the friends then meet and display what you have brought. It is great because if you want something fresh to wear, or need some new clothes (weight gain or weight loss) you can get them at no cost to you or your friends. The second idea is a food swap. I have a two year old with constantly changing taste buds. What she devours this week may just not taste good next week. I always have food that will not be used by my family before it expires. If everyone gathered up their groceries twice a month and swapped with each other just imagine the amount of waste that would be reduced. We as Americans consume far more than we actually NEED-that is a problem! We should all try to reduce our wastefulness.
I have now stepped down from my imaginary soap box (hold your applause please). My family has a close and dear friend who is having a very difficult time of it right now. His home is not only in foreclosure, but he also has diabetes and this week he was told that he has MS. He is a wonderful, hardworking husband and father of three. I am asking everyone that I know to pray for him and his family.
I must end this posting for now but not before I urge all of America to love and care for each other. We are all in this together and we will only make it through this dark and difficult night by leaning on each other.

Hooray for the Pres!

As one of the many Americans who are feeling the economic crunch, I just have to say thank you to President Obama. When there were rumblings that things may be going south at my former employer, I told all of my fellow employees one thing: we can't sit and fret and worry about the current state of affairs-we are AMERICAN'S. We have to all admit that the majority of us had it good for a long time. We had inflated salaries, titles and egos. This country was founded by men and women who wished to do away with inflated titles and egos. It was founded by people who had progressive ideas and a STRONG WORK ETHIC. That is what it is going to take to get through these tough economic times. We all must tighten our belts, lace up our boot straps and say goodbye to the pride we once held so dear. I am not above manual labor. I will do what I must to ensure that my family has what it needs and I know many others who feel the same way. We all must pull together, muster our resources and determination and push through. We can do because we have done it before.

For those who crave the mundane...

So my initial introduction to the world of blogging has been a little trying but I have muddled through successfully. A little about myself-I am a mom and wife. I work for a company that is fairly new (after being laid off from my previous employer) and my life is fairly routine. My husband and I have been through a lot together and we are trying to rebuild our dreams after several derailments. My husband is a wonderful person and definitely my soul mate. We met at a former former employer and our very first conversation we knew we were meant to be together. You just know when you have found the person you are meant to be with. Some people may believe me and some may not. If you haven't been there you don't know what I'm talking about. That being said he can be an a** and of course I can be a b*tch (everyone is at one time or another). Our daughter is an amazing human being and we are very blessed to have her. I will post more later-I am sure something will happen that will encourage more entries.