2010....

It's the last day of the year....and what a year it was!

I finished up my BSN... and even managed to graduate with Honors! This took up the majority of the first 6 months of the year!

After a year of going back and forth to the doctor's and multiple ER visits, we finally discovered it was a kidney stone that was causing Russell to have pain. He was successfully treated with lithotripsy and hasn't has a problem since.

Mark received PCS orders to Florida. We were hoping to get Hawaii but unfortunately the "powers that be" wouldn't go for it and cut those orders...lol!

The doctors tell me I have Fibromyalgia...eh...whatever....

I successfully managed to gain all the weight back that I lost....(have to give it a positive spin or I'll cry!)

Sebastian managed to stay approximately the same size over the last year and a half....at least I didn't have to spend a bunch of money on new clothes for him!

I decided to give direct sales a try to help supplement our income. It's been a little slow going. Not sure if that's proof that I'm not a good sales person or just evidence of the slow economy....

We had to put my cat down.

Mark moved to Florida while I stayed behind with the kids waiting on the house to sell.

We had plenty of ups and a lot of downs. We managed to get through them without too many tears. Hopefully this upcoming year will bring lots of smiles and more ups than downs!

Beyond reach.....

Watching.....

Waiting...........

The unattainable......

Christmas is over...so, now what????

All the presents have been opened and the kids have tried out all their new toys. We took down the christmas tree and packed away all the decorations. So, now what?

This week we still have Eric's birthday to celebrate. And then it's time to usher in the new year.

As we say goodbye to 2010 and welcome to 2011, I've been trying to take some time to reflect over the past year and look forward into the next.

This year hasn't been easy on us. As I look back over it, I hope to learn from my mistakes and gain strength from the disappointments. I will treasure the good memories and hope for many more to come.

 I will not make any New Years resolutions for the upcoming year. After the first month they seem to get pushed to the wayside and then I usually feel guilty for not succeeding. As I plan for all the changes that will be coming in the next year, I will make the effort to keep my heart open to new experiences and people. I will try to see the lesson in everything I encounter and embrace the beauty that surrounds me. I know I need to be patient and good things will happen.

Gingerbread house....well, kind of.....

With Christmas right around the corner I thought it would be fun to do some different crafts with the kids to get us in the spirit of the season.

First up was making a gift for daddy. I will write about that in a future post because I know my husband will probably read this and I don't want to give away the kid's surprise!

Second was a gingerbread house. All my boys wanted to help with this so we waited for a day when Russell didn't have to work and everyone would be home.  I decided it would be best not to try baking my own so I bought a pre-fab house!

I pulled out the instructions and got the icing mixed up. According to the instructions when assembling the house you need to join the walls together with icing and wait and hour for it to set. Then you attach the roof and wait an additional 2-3 hours before decorating!

Well, let me tell you, this is not what happened in my house. We (but if you ask my kids they will say it was all me) were eager to get the decorating going. So we decided it wasn't really necessary to wait the full time for the sides and roof to set.


With Russell's help, I joined the sides together first. After waiting what seemed an eternity...maybe 15 minutes....I set the roof on. So far, so good.

Then we waited some more.

But we got a little too eager and decided to try and start the decorating...

I guess there is a very good reason why the instructions state to wait 2-3 hours. Unfortunately, since we didn't, our house came tumbling down! 

Trying to make the best out of the situation, we all took a side of the house and decorated it.

Even though we didn't get our gingerbread house, we had a lot of fun and we all got our own giant gingerbread cookie!

We still have another Christmas craft to get done. I think with this one,  I'll  we'll need to be a bit more patient with the process!!!!!

An exceptionally down day...

I've been trying to remain cheery and optimistic. I should be happy. Mark will be home in a few days, Christmas is next week, and Eric's birthday is a few days after that. Lots of fun and exciting things to plan for. Unfortunately, I think the stress of the situation is catching up with me.

I want my family back together. I'm ready for this to be done. I miss my husband. The kids miss their dad. The financial burden of our situation is also starting to weigh heavily on my mind. I feel like I have no one to rely on, to turn to.

I really wish we could just walk away from the house. That is not an option. Doing so could impact Mark's job and that is not something we can do.

I hate complaining about it. I don't want to bother people with my problems. But sometimes it gets to be too much to keep all inside.

I can't wait for this to be over.

Snow!!!!

Snow is falling

 Snow is falling 

    From the sky above 

    Snow is falling 

Put on scarf and glove

Snow is falling 

Go look outside

Snow is falling

The old landscape it hide

Snow is falling

What a beautiful sight

Snow is falling

It sparkles in the light

Snow is falling

Soft cotton wool flakes

Snow is falling

A white blanket it makes

Snow is falling 

Short flowers disappear

Snow is falling

The cold is here

Snow is falling

Its time to play

Snow is falling

Lets make snowmen today :) 

                                           Micron

Naptime

It's about 2:25 in the afternoon. Sebastian is ready for a nap. I lay down with him in my bed. He cuddles up into me and happily nurses himself into a slumber. Noodle, our cocker spaniel, and Spidey, our cat, are also curled up on my bed asleep. Dottie, our other dog, is asleep in Eric's bed which is right beside ours. The house is quiet....for a few more minutes anyway. All I hear is Noodle snoring quietly in his sleep. Ahhhhh!

Our Anniversary

Today is our anniversary. We've been married for 6 wonderful years. There have been lots of ups and downs but it's all been worth it. I wouldn't change it for the world.

I wish we could celebrate today together but since that is not possible, you will be in my thoughts as always!

I love you so much!

First snowfall of the season

Today, we had the first bit of snow of the season. It wasn't much, just barely a dusting but it seemed fitting that it was on the first day of December. Kind of like Mother Nature's way of saying Thanksgiving is over, time to get ready for Christmas.

Even though I am not a big fan of snow and the cold, it kind of helped me get a little bit more into the holiday spirit. I usually love christmas time and getting ready for the holiday, but this year, I'm just not really into it. I think it's because Mark is in Florida and we're here. The stress of that situation is taking it's toll on my mood.

The christmas tree is up, I've started my shopping, and the christmas cards are almost ready to be sent out but I'm just not excited for it all. I still have things to get done and I need to get motivated to do it. It's just no fun without Mark.

I'm trying to keep in mind that it's for the kids and that I need to make it fun for them, but it isn't easy when you just don't "feel" it.

Today, with the cold and the snow, it helped to make things feel more like the christmas season. I'm still not quite ready for christmas, but I'm sure as the time gets closer, I'll get more excited for it. One day at a time.

The Perfect Christmas Card....

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to start getting ready for Christmas. First thing on my list was to get a picture of the kids so I could get my Christmas cards ordered from Shutterfly. I thought it would also be a great idea to include the dogs in our picture since they are a big part of the family.

All the boys got ready in their new sweaters, we brushed the dogs so they looked nice, and we got the living room "picture ready." Unfortunately by the time everything was ready, Sebastian was in tantrum mode. We tried making him happy by blowing bubbles and giving him candy (yes, I will bribe my children when I am desperate!) but nothing was working. When we did manage to get a smile out of him, the dogs would not cooperate.

I took a few pictures and decided to give up. It wasn't going to happen today.  I was not going to get the perfect picture for my perfect christmas card.

I downloaded the pictures to my computer to take a look at what we ended up with. I couldn't help but smile. Even though I couldn't get everybody to sit still or look at the camera at the same moment the pictures were "perfect"! I looked at them and thought "This is my life....chaotic and crazy, no one listening at the same moment, and definitely not all neat and pretty." I decided to use what I had to design my christmas card! And I got my perfect christmas card after all!

Begging in the Streets.

Today we headed out to get a couple of errands done because I didn't want to have to worry about going out on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

First stop was the copy store to make some copies of the flier I made up for my open house. As we pulled into the parking lot, I glanced over to my right to see a woman bundled up in a hoodie sweatshirt holding a cardboard sign the read "Hungry...3 kids at home."

This isn't the first time I've seen people standing on the street corner looking for help, but it seems I'm seeing it more often. This really saddens me. I just read the headlines today that stated 45 million people are struggling to feed their families! How, in a country that has so much waste, are families going hungry? This just shouldn't be.

I don't know what the best way is to fix such a big problem but I know we must all do our part. When somebody is down and needs help, even if you have very little to offer, do something.

Today, I didn't have much to offer. I had no cash to give but I did have a $10 Kroger gift card in my purse that was given to me. Even though finances are tight for us, I just couldn't turn the other way. As we were leaving the copy center, I gave this woman my gift card. It isn't much but at least she'll be able to get some food for her family.

I am thankful for the people and things I have in my life. I am also thankful for being able to share with others, even if only in a limited capacity.

Boo-boo bellies

We were not fortunate enough to avoid getting a stomach bug this year. It started last week with Sebastian. He woke up Tuesday night vomiting. By Wednesday morning he seemed to be doing better but ended up vomiting again later in the evening. I hoped that would be it for him but once again he woke up in the middle of the night vomiting. When Thursday rolled around he seemed to be feeling better and by Thursday night he was back to his old self.

I knew when Sebastian got sick, more than likely, this bug would make it's way through the house. I kept my fingers crossed that no one would get sick on Saturday. Mark was flying in from Florida to spend Thanksgiving week with us and I had to pick him up at the airport. I didn't want to have to worry about getting him with pukey kids along for the ride!

Luckily no one got sick again until Sunday! We had gone to the store to pick up a few things. Mark took the kids to the toy department while I went and picked up what we needed. I couldn't find everything I wanted and decided we would head over to Target. When I met up with Mark and the kids in the toy department, I told them my plan. But Eric told me he had a belly ache. He looked a bit pale and I decided it wouldn't be a good idea to do anymore shopping. I told Mark to take the kids out to the car while I paid for what I had gotten, just in case Eric got sick. Fortunately there was no vomiting in the store or car!

When we got home, Eric stayed in bed the rest of the day. He kept complaining his stomach hurt. Finally, the inevitable happened! Fortunately Eric only vomited that one time. After that he was able to get some sleep and by Monday he was feeling better.....but I wasn't!

Monday I spent the day in bed sick! I'm so glad Mark was home to take care of the kids and do the Thanksgiving grocery shopping! I luckily didn't vomit but I came close a couple times! My boo-boo bellies was affecting the other end!

And here we are, Tuesday afternoon. I'm feeling better but wondering who's next? Hopefully everyone else can avoid it. I would hate it if one of the other kids or Mark got sick over Thanksgiving. It is one of the most anticipated meals of the year and if they couldn't eat, I know they would be disappointed! I also hope Mark doesn't get sick when he has to fly back to Florida. I'm sure that would not be pleasant.

I really hope we're done with this. It hasn't been an enjoyable week and I'd really like to relax and enjoy spending time with my husband (sans vomit) before he heads back to Florida!

Friday Funnies.....

Say Cheese(y)!!!!!

A Shutterfly Holiday!

I remember when I was a kid we would get all kinds of holiday cards in the mail. It seems, as I've gotten older, fewer and fewer  people send out holiday cards. This is kind of disappointing to me. I love getting and sending out holiday cards. I find it more personal than an email holiday greeting and I think getting cards in the mail is a nice reminder that somebody is thinking of me and my family!

I will, of course, continue to send out holiday cards. Since we don't live in the same area as our family, I like to send out photo cards. That way family members and friends get updated pictures of the kids every year! Last year I ordered cards from Shutterfly.com and absolutely loved the cards. I've already started looking at the different styles of cards Shutterfly has to offer for the holidays this year! I'm having such a hard time choosing the one I like best! There are tons of styles to choose from and the quality of the cards is fantastic! It's great that the cards can be personalized, which saves me a bunch of time during this busy time of year.

Another great thing about Shutterfly is I can do a little gift shopping on the site. Last year, I ordered a photo book for my in-laws. It was easy and fun to make and the price was right!

This year I think the calendars might make a nice gift for my parents and in-laws. It will also be a great family project. I'll let the kids choose which photos they'd like to include for their grand-parents.

I can't wait to design my cards and gifts for this year. I hope others will be inspired by everything Shutterfly has to offer and send out holiday cards this year as well. I'll be watching for them in the mail.

A Little Geography Lesson.

I currently live in Ohio but I did not grow up here. It doesn't take long for people to figure out that I am not originally from here. As soon as I begin to speak, one of the first questions people ask is "Where are you from?" Even though I've been here for quite some time, I still have my accent.

When I tell others I am from Rhode Island, all too often the response I get is " That's in New York, right?"
What?!?! Are you serious????? Let's clear this up once and for all....

First, my accent is nothing like a New Yorkers accent. Maybe  those who are not familiar with the East Coast cannot distinguish the differences but there are differences.

And second and most importantly, Rhode Island is a state.....of the country you live in and I will presume born in! Not only is it a state, but it was one of the original thirteen colonies! Do they not teach this in school anymore? Has anybody ever heard of Roger Williams?

So here is a little information about my home state:

Rhode Island became a state on May 29, 1790 (so it's not anything new!)

The capital of R.I. is Providence.

It's nickname is The Ocean State....possibly because it borders the Atlantic Ocean and it's a state. We also call it Little Rhody....possibly because it is the smallest state in the union.

It's land borders are Connecticut and Massachusetts.

It's motto is "Hope".....which is obviously required since no one seems to know anything about us!

So, for all of those who didn't realize Rhode Island is in fact one of the 50 states in which you live in, I hope this helps!

The Cream Puff Project.

Nate came home from school the other day and informed me that we needed to make a French recipe for his French class at school.

No problem, I thought. I'm French, this should be a breeze. We'll throw together a meat pie. A traditional French dish usually served around the holidays. What could be better...meat made into a pie! Yummy and easy enough to make!!

Then he told me his teacher had given him a list of recipes that he could choose from. Hmmmm, no meat pies on the list. Ok. We'll make the chocolate mousse. Calls for 3 ingredients. We can do this!

Nope. Nate decided he wanted to make the cream puffs. All I could think of was the cream puffs we use to get at Wright's Dairy Farm when I was a kid. So perfect you didn't want to eat them and when you did it was heaven! How could any cream puff compare?!

 I looked over the recipe. It had the longest list of instructions of all the recipes. Not sure if this was something we should attempt. Especially since the plan is to feed it to other people. But he insisted.

 We decided to do a trial run to make sure we could handle this. I may be French and I may occasionally dabble in some baking, but one thing I am not is a French pastry chef!

We gathered the ingredients. I told Nate since this is his homework, he needed to do the baking. I would assist if he needed any help. So he started his project. I thought twice about leaving him on his own the minute I saw the destruction in my kitchen.......

But I just left him to what he was doing and reminded myself that everything is washable! For the most part, he did it all on his own. I only added a bit of assistance to the project. The final outcome wasn't as pretty as the cream puffs from my childhood.....

....... but they were pretty tasty! And Nate was happy with his accomplishment! The trial run was a success (or at least successful enough) that Nate will be making more cream puffs for his class!

Friday Funnies.....

I thought I'd keep it light and funny as we head into the weekend so I'm devoting Fridays to the fun stuff!

The Good Things in Life:



                                                                               Family

Good Friends

Good Food

Dessert

Good Music

Good Books

The Great Outdoors

Playtime

Nap Time

Enjoy your day!

Accepting my chub....

Okay, so things have been really stressful around here. Mark has moved to Florida, the housing market continues to be slow with no signs of improving, money is getting tight, my business has been slow to start, I'm dealing with chronic pain and fatigue (and no diagnosis as of yet).....and the list just continues.

I wish I could say I am the type of person who turns to working out to relieve my stress. I know it would benefit me. I know it would probably help make me feel better. But to find the motivation and energy to add working out to my list of things to do just isn't happening!

So, needless to say, I've put weight back on. Now this isn't anything new. I've always had a weight issue. I've joined Weight Watchers numerous times to lose weight, which I do, just to gain some or most of it back. I've always hated the way I look! Growing up, I had 2 sisters who were thin and in my eyes absolutely gorgeous while I always felt like the ugly step sister! I think it's time I just accept the fact that this is me!

I'm not saying I won't try to put the effort in to get healthier and include working out in my routine but I am not going to beat myself up for it any longer. I'm tired, in pain, and miss my husband! If I don't feel like exercising, I won't! I will get back on track with it when my life gets back on track but for now I am just going to accept my chub!