Merry Christmas!

The kids have a musical message for you...



We hope you all have a wonderful holiday full of warmth, love, and smiles!

Winter is here!

I know I have been MIA for a while... but here I am with snow pictures! Happy winter!

Picture day...

Well, it's that time again...time to smile pretty for picture day!

Here is what the kids wore today... and now the long wait until the pictures actually come back!

Happy Tuesday!

Catching up...

Hi out there! Just wanted to post a couple pictures, though lately I have taken so many more, but I'm just not feeling well, which adds to my disorganization...

But here is my little soccer hooligan! He got to be goalie this morning in the first quarter!



He was so excited... this "action" picture I snapped of him...he was not trying to keep a ball out, he was just jumping up and down with excitement for being chosen as goalie this quarter! ha ha ha

We went to the York Fair a couple of weekends ago. They added these new things in kiddie land...the big picture boards you stick your face in depicting different clown scenes...

Kissy Clown:



and then this one is kind of creepy...the sign reads, "Stay with your parents"... or what, a creepy clown will chop off your head and put it on a plate??? Real child friendly there!!! (I hate clowns!!)




Hope all is well with you! Hugs from us here in Crazy Town!

FUTBOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Make sure you read that title with a heavy Mexican accent!)

Well, it's happened ....I'm a officially a soccer mom now... woo hoo. ha ha ha
It couldn't be helped... and it looks like the boy likes playing this game, so I'll just accept my fate! ha ha ha

Here is my little soccer dude! They all looked so cute out there with their oversized shirts and little legs going every which way! It was a fun morning at the park.

Have a great weekend!








Check out those shiny blue soccer shoes too! ha ha

Had a hard day.....

Errr....hard week.

I'm trying to stretch my skills on the job by taking on some challenges I would have been scared to before.... but today I panicked that I bit off more than I can chew. I took a job with daily copy in Philadelphia (meaning I have to turn around the transcript within 24 hours) thinking it would be but only a two-hour or so job. It turned into FIVE! And now I'm not going to bed... trying to complete it.... almost 180 pages of editing to get in by noon tomorrow. The part that is frustrating me is my back. It's holding me down a little. It's making it difficult...and I'm scared... scared of needing to just get the stupid surgery. But I'll have to stress over that another day...

But I need to push my abilities and my skill. I need to grow in my career. Yesterday I realized...yes, I am a professional now.... I never felt I deserved that before... I never felt like I made it...but more and more I am surprising myself and realizing that this is it....this is what I've been working to achieve all these years. I am there. I have done it! And though this week has come with some sacrifices -- to my sleep...to my kids... to my back... and I got very frustrated yesterday with it too, it's worth it, and I'm glad this is my career... my dream.

So back to work.... no sleep for me.... but I had to post this picture from ICanHasCheezburger.com because it made me laugh so hard... funny cat picture therapy! You just can't put a price on that. Thanks to Satrina for sharing the link to that site with me!!! I think of you when I visit it, and it always makes me smile! And I have to thank Yoko for letting me talk and vent with you this week.... having you to talk to is a treasure. To all of you, my good friends who come by and visit here... thank you for making my life extra sweet! Love ya!

The end of summer...

Hope you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

The holiday found us camping at Knoebels from Friday night until Monday morning. The weather was perfect...and it was a nice conclusion to our summer fun. So sad to see it go already!











Lazy days are over... and there is so much to look forward to this fall.
Happy September!

My turn!

Well, I missed her first day of school because I had to be in Philadelphia very early in the morning. My in-laws tried to get a couple pictures but they captured part of a backpack in one picture and a pair of eyes in another picture. So on Friday we tried again....







Then there was the drama of Little Orphan Sammie in the afternoon...

her bus came early and nobody was there for her, so she was taken back to the office. When I picked her up, one pigtail had fallen out, her little dress was dirty, and she sobbed, "I don't like you leaving me alone on the bus!!!" Poor little thing! I promised we would not be late for the bus next time.

Today promises to be a better day for her on her third day of school!

Our First Grader!!! Woohoo!

Waiting for the bus to take him to his first day in First Grade!




Say goodbye to little sister! Her big day is tomorrow!!!



Off you go! Have a great first day! I know it's going to be a fantastic year full of different ways that you will amaze me!

Look Out, Kindergarten...

Here SHE comes!!!









Samzilla is coming!!! Run!!!!

Today was orientation for Samantha. Thursday is the big day! She is really excited and likes all of the wonderful things to see in her classroom. We rode on the bus and heard about the bus rules. I felt those little pesky tears well up in my eyes a few times, but this time is a little easier than letting David go. What an exciting year this will be for us academically. My little girl... how quickly you are growing up!

The Goofy Goober Crew Take Over Knoebels

Friday found us bouncing along up to Knoebels for a day of fun...this time with a twist, our friend Paden was along with us for the day. We tried to arrange an outing for earlier in the week with his family, but funerals and weather made that impossible this week for them. Feeling bad that the kids would not get to enjoy the park with their friend, I asked his mom if it would be okay for him to be our third child for the day. So the five of us went on up and had a fantastic day!!

Here are a few of my favorite pics from the day: (If you haven't seen Paden on here before, here's a tip, he is not the Mexican or the girl. ha ha ha ha)








This last one I just like because I was snapping in a series while the kids were waiting for this ride to begin...it's one of those that takes a while because there are many kids to strap in safely...and looking at their faces I just wonder what they were thinking, but adore how close Samantha is cuddled up to David.

and then the next picture immediately after that gives you some idea that whatever Samantha was thinking...it was probably devious! ha ha ha ha ha


Have a great week everybody!!!!!

Rainy days and ponchos....

It's rainy out...and that makes me feel all warm and cozy inside. The cats are curled up on the bed...the kids are trying to busy themselves...there are droplets on my red roses...and I finished Sam's poncho!

I'm feeling better and had a full day of work yesterday. Slowly but surely!

Hope all is well with you out there! Here are some pictures!









The poncho was a snap...it's just two rectangles assembled in a certain way... and since it is Sammie-sized, it was a quick knit! I have already started a second one for her in pink and purple. If I feel brave, I'll try the full size version for myself, which is where I got the pattern. After my hurting my brain with math, I got it down to Sam's size. We'll see how energetic I am! ha ha ha

Second epidural day...

I'm feeling better! Today I have a second epidural. Hope it gives me even more improvement. I'm also working myself back into work slowly. Hopefully I'll be on a depo tomorrow. Monday wasn't too bad, but I've been taking it slow.

I'm still slow on getting some pictures up, but here is a fun one we took at Knoebels on our last visit.... my fancy little Victorian sweeties.





Hope all is with you out there!!!

Getting back to normal quickly!

I feared the dreaded epidural steroid injection....even as I was on my tummy with my underpants pulled half way down my big brown butt, I wasn't sure I was doing the right thing.... but let me tell you, I am so happy to now be back to 85 percent of normal again!

I can stand! I can walk! I can sit! I can ride in a car! I am feeling better!

Now, I still need a little help from some heavy meds, but not like I did earlier in the week. I am getting back in the saddle on Monday by venturing out on a deposition. I'm taking it easy, but I NEED to get back to work.

Thanks to you sweet friends that popped in and saw my post and wished me some healing words. It means so much to me that you care about me, and I'm thankful for having you in my life. Love you guys!!!!

Pictures from vacation while my mom was out to come soon because there are some funny ones. Thanks for visiting!

I have.....

lots of great pictures from my mom's visit to share, BUT.....
on the day I took her back to the airport, I was making my way home when my whole body seized up with pain. I had to pull over at the rest stop and call for an ambulance to take me to the hospital. So since Tuesday the 31st, I've been in bed in excruciating pain. I'm waiting to get an epidural injection to see if that will calm the nerve down so I can use my left leg again.

So sorry I haven't posted lately. Hope everyone is well out there!

F-I-V-E

HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY, SAMBINA!!!

Then...



and now...




I am thankful for the past five funny, scary, happy, silly, frustrating, and sweet years I have been given so far with my little Sammie! Happy Birthday, Samantha!!

The Tooth Saga....revisited

The Tooth Fairy is going broke because this boy just keeps popping them out! Today we lost Number 5! At least David is growing the new ones in as quickly as he is losing the baby ones... as you can see, the first two he lost, the bottom front, have been replaced, and there are little bits showing of the next two new teeth. We're getting good at this process now!

Poor Sammie though... she keeps hoping to have a loose tooth so the Tooth Fairy can leave her a surprise too. Her time will come though.

My Toothless Wonder!!

Splish Splash

David and Samantha start swim lessons...





Happy 4th of July!!!

I can't believe...

... that already a year has passed since I last saw my beautiful little grandma laughing and smiling... since I smelled her sweet little head and gave her a kiss on it and she replied, "I love you too." The last time I wrapped my arms around my warm little grandma was a year ago at her birthday party. I miss her every day. I miss her cute little voice and the way it lit up when she laughed.



I picked a few little roses for her. She loved roses, and I think the only reason my roses are blooming and beautiful is because she is helping them a little -- and shaking her head at me because I am pathetic with that stuff, but I could almost hear her whisper when I'm outside that they are such pretty roses. So I found a few that the beetles weren't living in and eating...and put them in a little glass I had swiped from her collection years ago. She always drank out of these tiny little glasses. My little portion of her ashes are in a little tin, which rest inside a satin ribbon pouch that I knitted, and the glass butterfly sits atop of it.

It's strange how you try to hold onto whatever you can..and hope that if you make a little shrine like this she might hear you crying and maybe you would feel her touch your head or something...but the only thing I feel is my heart breaking again that she is gone.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE GRANDMA!!! I miss you so damn much.

Father's Day

Hi out there!

Sunday the 17th found us celebrating Father's Day at Hershey Park this year with Jen, Scott, and Paden. The weather was beautiful!!

They have a new water area in the middle of the park now.

It looks like fun, but it is kind of overwhelming! This is just one section. I started out not getting wet, but trying to capture the others on camera... very difficult because it was hard to find the right places to stand and not get wet. I waited and waited for Sammie and Keith to come down one of the big slides, only to see them get to the top and be turned away... Sammie was too small. So I finally put the camera away and was going to join them, but heck if I could find them in that maze! I had more water fights in there with other people's children in my quest to find my group. When I finally got to the top, I looked out towards the entrance and saw them all walking out and looking around for me! So I climbed back down after all that! ha ha ha

We got a little dried off and headed for the car for a picnic lunch... Not only was it Father's Day, but our 7th Anniversary. Here we are:

Seven years...can you believe that? The last couple years have just flown by! (Don't pick on my hair -- It is after being soaked and I can't do a thing with it! But look at those teeth!!! (I still am so happy with my teeth! he he))


I call this one, "Mommy, why do I have to stand with the giant poop?"

Paden, David, and Samantha enjoy a fast ride...


Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil...

The amazing part is that we got all three of them to cooperate at the same time! ha ha ha This was taken on the monorail around the park.

Giant Animal Orgy...


Then we got the most laughs when we came across the Boogie Bodies stand! Ah, green-screen technology at it's finest! ha ha ha
Here Paden and Samantha get ready for their video shoot. David said it looked embarrassing and that he didn't want to be a "Bobble Head", so he didn't participate.

Here is the result of our silliness...

Oh, we're in trouble if Sammie grows up to have a body like that!!! ha ha ha

We had a wonderful day... a great start to summer!

Hope all is well with you! Miss ya!

My son...

The Kindergarten Graduate!!

Here is David with his wonderful teacher! This year went by so fast!!!

The Lighter Side of Work...

The National Court Reporters Association posted a link to this video I'd like to share. It's a cute and funny look at depositions from a legal videographer's perspective.
Sometimes depositions are videotaped to be used later by the attorneys or to be played in court before a jury if the witness would not be able to appear personally, and that's where the legal video specialist comes in.

My favorite element to this clip is how the poor guy is struggling with steps and hills and traffic to get his equipment to the job locations because, even though I have less equipment than that to haul around, one of the crazy things about this work is just trying to get to the job -- especially if we're dealing with older buildings that have many steps but no ramps or elevators! The worst I have had so far was an older building in Baltimore where they wanted me up in the third floor conference room... no elevator, just spiral staircase. Yes, that was fun. There have also been occasions where you could have watched me walk in circles down or up through the many levels of a parking garage because an elevator was out of service and I had to park on Level 8 or something. In one case I demanded the owner not charge me for parking since I was seriously inconvenienced...and one more floor they might have had to call the paramedics! LOL!

So here it is... The Depo Trail!

Catching Up Post...

Well, I've been away for a while, so I'm just combining it all here!

Some big stuff and some little stuff happened recently, and so I'll just show you!

I got a new smile! What do you think? (And apparently a hanger sticking out of my head!) Thursday the 24th meant new teeth for me... surprisingly minimal pain, but lots of healing to do yet. It's a horror show under those new teeth, let me tell ya!! ha ha ha



My lavender-colored roses are blooming...



I went to Philadelphia for three days for work:
LOVE sign



Waterfall at City Hall



This sign on the Amtrak on my way home struck me as funny... in case you need to escape quickly and are in an unusual circumstance?? he he he


Kids got some bubbles and we played in the yard:



David has just two more weeks of school, and then summer can officially begin!!!
What have you been up to? We miss you!
**Hugs from us all!**

My Celebrity Look Alikes...

See, I could be living the good life...only if I had talent! ha ha ha ha

http://www.myheritage.com

It's funny because I have always had a little crush on Brendan Fraser!

It's not that...

Here's my "It's not that..." post. ha ha ha

It's not that....
I haven't taken any photos lately
I haven't been anywhere lately
I haven't enjoyed life lately

it's just that...
I have been working
I have been working
I have been working...

Last year, this was a challenging and difficult thing because I was stretching my skills and reaching beyond myself a little -- while poorly managing time. I would say, "I've been working" with a different tone and meaning... meaning more like, "I've been struggling to juggle."

When 2007 began on a sour note, I felt I was doomed for the year, but I can say that career-wise, 2007 is kicking butt! I am so happy right now... it's like a breath of fresh air. I have turned work into a positive, and it is allowing other areas of my little world to be brighter... in spite of the fact that we still have some challenges we are dealing with right now. "I've been struggling to juggle" has turned into, "I'm finally starting to balance." I wouldn't say I've got it all figured out...just that it is 75 percent better! I'm excited now, not worried.

So though I would have loved to share so much these past couple of weeks about the kids and stuff, I can just squeak two pictures in here for the moment. I will start posting more again soon...if anyone is still out there reading this! ha ha ha

Here are my two favorite pictures of the moment....
1. "The Mouse Takes the Cheese" (Knoebels)




2. "I'm Sensitive, and I'd Like to Stay that Way" (my little flower picker)


Oh, and a little Random Act of Cuteness...

Samantha comes up with a scribble drawing of a flower. Her scribbles are actually starting to resemble things now! ha ha She hands me a marker and says, "Mommy! I want you to draw a Honey Bird." Oh, a honey bird, huh? What is a honey bird? She replies, "A honey bird has a long nose and it sucks out the honey!" I respond, "Oh, yes, a honey bird!" So I drew her a scribbly rendition of a humming bird and she was very pleased that I captured a perfect image of a honey bird sucking honey out of a flower.

Happy Spring!!! Love you all!