A Year Start to Finish

A friend of mine shared this idea with me and I loved it.. You take a picture the first day of the year and one on the last day and you have a year comparison shot!! Love it.. So lets see how much the kiddos grow in a year...

Justin

Nick

Emily

Movie Nights

I must say we love netflix around here. We have been getting movies for over 2 years now!!! We do the 2 out a one time plan, and I try to set it up so we get one "mommy/daddy" movie and one "kid/family" movie in at the same time!! Then its on for Movie Night!!!

We gather up our popcorn and candies and all pile up, usually in my bed, sometimes we get every blanket in the house a pile on the couch and floor, but my beds seems so comfy.. Thing is I need a bigger bed, I mean with Joe and the 3 kiddos I have to squeeze in on the side.. But hey its worth it..

Here we are watching the Smurf movie the other night!! Love movie nights!!!

A New Year

Happy New Year...

Welcome 2012, I am so glad you have arrived. I am not shy to say I am a little (lot) happy to see 2011 fade off into the sunset. Yes we had great moments in 2011, but it was also one stressful, trying, hard year. In this past year I have faced some of my hardest times, but I have not been alone. I have seen family members also face some of theirs. I don't want to forget the past year, but I am so excited to look to the future...

2012 is going to be a good ride, I can feel it. I mean already it has some great things in store for us! This year I will leave my 20's behind, we will watch our little 36 week preemie boy become a double digit midget! Joe and I are set to celebrate a great event in July, and in the fall one sassy little girl will adventure into preschool! We also have big dreams, hopes, and goals we just know we will reach in 2012!!

In the past I have never been big on New Years Resolutions, but this year I feel a change. This year I'm setting goals for myself and they will be met!!! So what you may ask is (are) my new years resolution(s)...

This year I will....
 - Be more confident in myself as a wife and mother!
 - Do more for myself & take time for myself
 - Don't stress so much over the little things
 - Open my eyes more to the world & people around me
 - PAY IT FORWARD
 - Work hard for my family
 - Work hard for myself
 - Have FUN!!!!

I'm telling you 2012 is going to be awesome! Just sit back and watch, or even better join us in this ride!!

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas 2011

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We had a blast and were so truley blessed this holiday season! I wanted to share some pictures with you all from Christmas eve....

Time to decorate some cookies for Santa.....

Time to open our gifts from mommy & daddy...

Chore Time...

The kids, yes all 3, have certain chores they do everyday. They are ever changing as they grow we sorta "move rank" on who gets what chore.. Well last weekend the boys asked for extra chores, but with a catch. They wanted to start earning an allowance.. AWESOME I thought. I remember chores when I was little and getting my allowance. I also remember getting it taken away sometime too.. But hey don't we all!

So Sunday night I put together the kids a chore chart to follow. If they did a good job all week on their chores, without having to be told to do them, and they didn't get any marks on their behavior/attitude portion, they would get paid on Friday!! It was a hit! They did so well all week, and I even threw them both a "new" chore that occurred once a week on the chart.. One knocked off on mommys chore list..lol

So I took 2 clipboards and 2 markers and hot glues some magnets on the back. Stuck them to the side of our refrigerator and BOOM, chore station was born!!!

And you might be wondering how much did the little chore masters earn in a week. They both go their full dollars pay on Friday.. Which was happily spent as their cousins Ryans skate party on the game machines.. That's part of the allowance deal.. They are allowed to spend it in any way they please..

Size Doesn't Matter

Justin is now 9 years old and a well rounded 4th grader. And as he grows I see an amazing young person coming out in him. Hes my sweetheart, who wears his heart on his sleeve. He loves everyone and will do anything for anyone. As he grows I see him starting to take notice of things. Here recently he came home from school, not upset, but wanted to talk. He told me some of his classmates were teasing him about his size and being short. I reassured him hes perfect and its just all in his genes. Yes his daddy was tall and stocky, but I was a tiny kid. And my cousin Greg, whom Justin favors ALOT, is also on the smaller side.. Well we were until we got to high school.. Justin smiled and didn't give it another thought, but I have..

You see when Justin was born he had alot of health issues. Most were respiratory related and until age 5 when they finally figured out what was going on he was pumped full of all different medicines in hopes they would help. Turns out some I guess hurt him. At age 7 his pediatrician confirmed Justins growth had been stunted from the steroids he took as an infant and baby for his breathing issues. But she reassured me Justin would catch up as he grew, it just might take him longer..

I know and will show Justin as he grows, he was made the way he is for a purpose. Hes perfect in every way and size really does NOT matter!!!

Here he is next to his BFF Gabe and I swear one of the tallest girls in his class...hehe

Hello Fall!

I can not believe it is the first of November already. October went out with an awesome Halloween night of trick or treating... My little spooks had so much fun!

Fall Baseball is OVER!!! Do not get me wrong, I love the boys baseball, but this season my wonderful husband decided instead of just head coaching his normal 9/10 year old he would also head coach Nicks team of 7/8 year olds. And though we had a blast it was alot of work, and alot to keep up with an organize!! But we did have a wonderful group of kiddos and parents. My 9/10 year old boys even got me flowers, and yes I did cry!!

No we are looking forward to the holidays. Thanksgiving will not be the same this year as we will not be traveling up to spend the holidays with Joes moms side of the family. This year has been a super huge financial challenge and we just do not have the travel cash. But I hope they know we will be with them in spirit and would give anything to be with them!

Well I am off to start on some projects. This year Joe & I are making all homemade gifts for our family and friends, but more in that in another post!