Florida Vacation - Part One

Hi All!! Like I said earlier, we had a wonderful time in Florida!! I am going to post this vacation in about 3 different posts - so stay tuned! I'll probably post one each day...I'm still catching up on stuff around the house!

I flew down by myself with both children and met Matt there (he was already there on a business trip). I love flying with children - it brings back the magic of flying! So often adults become consumed with the downsides of air travel...but children are just in awe of it. It was really special to be able to snuggle up with both of my munchkins on our flights. This was Eva's second time on a plane, but it was Jaden's first. Both loved it. After we landed we checked into the Polynesian Resort. We spent the next day at Disney World - such a special place! We had breakfast at Cinderella's castle with all of the princesses (a MUST do if your little one loves the princesses)! Eva thought that was nice, but she is not a big princess fan - she really wanted to meet Mickey Mouse!!! Needless to say, she was just speechless when she finally got to meet Mickey and give him a big hug! It was a priceless moment. Jaden, on the other hand was absolutely terrified of the characters. He wanted nothing to do with any of them (except the princesses...go figure)! That night we went to a luau at our resort. Both Eva and Jaden loved watching the dancers. The evening ended while watching the fireworks over Cinderella's castle. What a special experience! Enjoy the first set of pictures:

Eva enjoying the magic of flying in an airplane.

Both of my little angels sound asleep on the plane. Breakfast with the princesses!
The iconic Dumbo ride!
Finally meeting Mickey and Minnie!

I'll post more tomorrow!!!!

Back Home Again....

Hi all!!! We are back and had a WONDERFUL time!!! I have SOOOOO much I want to share with all of you, but right now unpacking and laundry calls!! I will have to wait until tomorrow. I think I'll probably post several different posts, since my camera will only allow me to download four or five pictures at a time. I also want to thank ALLLLL of you for the wonderful advice regarding Disney! I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful blogging "family"!!! Love to all!!

Disney, Here We Come....

This Happy Housewife and her family will be visiting Disney World soon. Eva is pretty pumped about seeing where Mickey Mouse lives. Tonight before bed she asked me if tomorrow was the day she was going to see Mickey Mouse. When I told her tomorrow is not quite the day she seemed sad. I tried to explain to her how many days we had left, but it's so hard to explain time span to a 3 year old. Tomorrow we may have to draw a picture of how many days are left so that she can physically see it. She also asked me tonight if she could drive when she is 5 years old. Again, quite difficult to explain what 16 means to someone that can only count to 14. On that same note, she asked me how old she had to be to ride on a motorcycle and I told her she had to be 80 (or maybe never?!!!). For some reason she seemed content with that. So funny!

Anyway, the purpose of this post is to ask my readers if you have any advice you would like to share about vacationing at Disney World? I've read books, checked out the information on the Internet, talked to friends that have gone, etc. but I'm always looking for more tips or advice. I tend to be a bit of a planner, and with 2 small children the more prepared I can be the more smoothly the vacation will go! I appreciate any advice you have to offer!

The World of Blogging

I have officially been a blogger now for about 4 months. I love it. I love the way that it allows me to keep in contact with faraway family and friends. I love the way it has allowed me to reconnect with friends I do not get to see or talk to that often. I love that I have made new friends through it. Most of all I love that I have a journal (that will eventually be printed into a book) of how my days have been spent during this precious time in the lives of my little ones. It is my ME time when my little ones are down for naps or sleeping in the evening. It is my outlet and my release.

My friend Stacey and I were talking and we decided that for as much as we love blogging, we become frustrated with the amount of people that visit our blogs and do not leave comments. Comments are what bloggers thrive on. Comments not only allow us to know that you visited, but they make this whole blogging world a community where conversation can take place, instead of a soapbox where I just share my thoughts and beliefs. I try very hard to frequently post comments on any of the blogs I read...whether I know the person or not. If I don't know the person I just introduce myself (no need to use your real name if you are uncomfortable...just click on anonymous) and let them know how I came across their blog (I personally think this is important). Then I try to comment on whatever they posted. It is so exciting to log onto your blog and see that comments have been posted!! So, my friends, it is with this that I encourage you to leave comments...not only on this blog, but on any and all blogs you read.

The Coffee Mug

Do you and your spouse have things that you find funny or amusing that no one else would? Matt and I have a few of them. One of them is Matt's coffee mug. Matt has this uncanny ability to simply to pour himself a cup of coffee and then leave his cup (often half full) wherever he last visited. For some this would be a source of frustration, but I choose to see the brighter side of it. Quite often Matt will leave to go to work or out of town on a business trip. I know I won't be seeing him for awhile and it seems that after he has left I often will find his coffee mug somewhere in our home - often still with hot coffee in it. Sometimes in the closet, or the office, or even out on the back porch. I've found it in the garage before, and even sitting in my car. Matt has no clue that he left it sitting there...and he has no clue that it puts a smile on my face every time. It's just a little reminder that he is always with us, wherever he is.

It's That Time of Year Again....

Is there really anything more all American then spending time with the family at the County Fair? Our family enjoys one evening at the fair each year! We eat yummy fair food, ride kiddie rides, and spend a lot of time looking at all of the animals. It is something that we always look forward to and we always enjoy attending. As our children are getting a little older it makes it more and more fun every year. Watching them as they eat an ice cream cone (special treat!), pet a pig, or "mooooooo" at the cows is as much fun for Matt and I as it is for them. It's just a little family tradition that I have grown to cherish and love.

Eva digging into her first corndog ever!

The kiddie rides!
Watching the animals
Jaden having a very deep conversation with a goat.
Another year at the fair has ended....looking forward to next year!

Happy Anniversary Matt!!

Just wanted to use this post to tell my wonderful husband HAPPY 10th ANNIVERSARY!!! I feel blessed to be your side kick on this wild ride of life. I am extremely grateful for the joy and laughter you bring to my life, as well as the lives of our little ones. I can only imagine the what the next 10 years will bring...but with you by my side I look forward to each and every day. I love you!

"Happiness is being married to your best friend"

--Anonymous

E-mail Update

My school e-mail was recently shut down, so if any of you have been trying to e-mail me it will no longer work. Unfortunately, I was not able to get into my address book to retrieve all of my contacts. I have a new e-mail address and have sent it to a few of you (and asked you to forward it on to others). I do not have all of my contacts memorized, so if you still need my new e-mail address please leave a comment or give me a call! Thanks!

"Back up my hard drive?? How do I put it in reverse??"

--Author Unknown

Hey Batter Batter!!!!

Matt and I very rarely buy our children toys. The main reason is that they are blessed with family and friends that are more than willing to shower them with enough goodies at Christmas and birthdays to last them the entire year. Another reason is that we want our children to run, jump, skip, and play instead of being consistently bombarded by a bunch of toys that they will soon lose interest in. Soooo....when we DO get a toy for them we try to make it a special occasion. Eva has been asking for a baseball mitt since December. She is our little sports nut and would spend all day every day hitting baseballs, kicking a soccer ball, swimming, and shooting hoops. She simply loves anything athletic. Matt and I finally decided it was time to get our little peanut her own baseball mitt so we made a special night of it. We took Eva and Jaden out for dinner and then to Dick's Sporting Goods to pick out her mitt. Enjoy some pictures of her special evening:

We started off by going out for a special dinner. Eva even got to shape her own tortilla shell and watch them cook it (she shaped it like a fish):

I love to watch her when we go into Dick's Sporting Goods. It's as if we have walked into Disneyland. She just can't contain her excitement! This is her trying on a catcher's helmet.
Picking out the coveted baseball glove
I think we found a keeper!! She asked that night if her mitt could sleep with her in her bed.
This picture is completely unrelated to our special evening...but it is a reminder to myself and all mommies out there that our little ones are only little for such a short amount of time. Cherish every single moment. I walked past my little munchkins shoes sitting together like this on our back step and literally stopped dead in my tracks to look at them...so tiny and so sweet.

"YOU will always be your child's favorite toy."

--Vicki Lansky

Baby Names

Alright readers, one of my dear friends is expecting her second child and they are still trying to come up with a name for the little peanut. She does not know if it is a girl or a boy, and won't until it is born. She and her husband tend to like names that are unique. Leave comments with your favorite baby names - the more the merrier!

Quote of the Week

Eva Takes one bite of her meal and wrinkles her nose.

Eva: "This meal tastes yucky mommy."

Me: "Well, I am sorry you don't like it, Eva, but this is what I made for dinner tonight so you will need to take five big bites of it."

Eva: "No, I will only take SIX bites!"

Me: "Deal!"

I love this age because their little minds are just always thinking!!! At the end of the meal Eva had taken at least six bites and had decided the meal wasn't so bad after all!

Simple Joy #6

I love painted faces. They just look so cheerful and childish. I think it is impossible to see a child with a brightly painted face and not smile. I have very vivid memories of my face being painted at fairs and carnivals as a child. More importantly, I have wonderful memories of my mom painting my face and my sister's face in our own backyard. My mom was wonderful at playing with us and I remember her painting our faces one day for absolutely no reason other than it was just plain fun. Today Eva and I did the same thing. I painted her face and then she painted mine. We had no special place to go. We had absolutely no reason to paint our faces....it just simply sounded fun. And quite honestly, is there a better reason than that?

Another Fun Summer Day...

Another beautiful summer day - and is there a better way to spend it than with friends we have not seen in ages??? Ashli and I use to teach together and quickly became friends. We've always kept in touch, but have not had a chance to just hang out together in ages. We finally made time today and spent the day with our little ones at the Splash Pad! We had a wonderful time and had a ball watching our little ones hang out together as well!

The whole crew: Gavin, Ashli, Jaden, Me, and Eva!

All of our munchkins packed in and ready for a day of fun!
Eva wanted to climb this huge hill they have for sledding at the park...I don't think she realized how big it really was but she was a trooper!
We finally made it to the top!! Way to go peanut!
Thanks for a fun day Ashli and Gavin!!!
"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer."
--Ed Cunningham

White Wine Pasta

I made this for dinner last night and my family really enjoyed it (Jaden had 3 helpings)!. I've made it before, but this time I altered it to make it a little healthier. Like all good recipes, I didn't list the amounts of all of the ingredients because I just eyeball it and add the amount that will meet the tastes of my family (for example, I usually put quite a few artichoke hearts in it because they are healthy and my family like them). I would also suggest only using fresh herbs in it because they give it an awesome flavor!! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

White Wine Pasta:

1 pound spiral pasta (cooked al dente)

Sundried tomatoes (sliced)

Artichoke hearts

A few cloves of garlic

1 pd. Spicy pork sausage (I used turkey to make it leaner)

Shredded mozzarella

Fresh parsley (chopped)

Fresh Basil (chopped)

1/2 c. white wine

1 and 3/4 c. chix. broth

Olive Oil

Saute olive oil, artichoke hearts, and garlic for a few minutes. Push those ingredients to the outer edges of the pan and cook sausage in the center (breaking into little bits). After sausage is cooked add sundried tomatoes. Add cooked and drained pasta. Add wine, broth, and fresh herbs. Top with a little mozzarella cheese. Enjoy!!

Fourth of July!

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. I love the patriotic sense of it, as well as all of the fun things that go along with it (parades, grilling out, fireworks, get-togethers, etc.). It is just another reason to enjoy summer even more!! We were blessed with a wonderful weekend - beautiful weather and time well spent with family and friends. One of my favorite parts was that our family watched fireworks snuggled up together on our back porch. We had a beautiful view of about 5 different firework displays. It was amazing!

Some pictures of our weekend:

Eva and Jaden in their Fourth of July outfits!

Eva is afraid of the fireworks loud noise (and was concerned the birds would be afraid too)! We fixed it by letting her listen to music with Daddy's special headphones!

A little sibling waterfight is always a good time....only Jaden was the only one getting soaked - but he LOVED it!

Our little man practicing his baseball swing!

"I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free and I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me."

--Lee Greenwood

Side Note: Thanks, Dad, for all you've done in your life to ensure the freedom of not only those you love, but all Americans!

Breast Cancer 3 Day

It is a sad fact that cancer has affected all of our lives in one way or another. I personally have lost an aunt and a friend to the disease. It was a horrible, horrible experience. I knew I had to do something to ensure others did not go through the same thing.

This fall I will be participating in the Breast Cancer 3 Day. I will spend 3 days walking 60 miles with other men and women on the same mission that I am - to END cancer. We will sleep in tents, endure aches and pains, and walk city through city - rain or shine - until we reach downtown Chicago. As a result millions of dollars will be raised towards the fight against breast cancer. I personally believe that if we can find a cure to one type of cancer (such as breast cancer) it will lead to a cure to all types of cancer. I walk for that reason. Too many lives are on the line NOT to walk.

The purpose of this blog post is simply to ask for your help. I must raise $2200 to participate in this event. At this time I am still working to meet my fundraising goals. If any of my fellow blog readers would be interested in donating to this wonderful cause on my behalf please go to www.the3day.org and click on "donate now". You will then be instructed on how to donate. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated!!!

I walk in memory of my Aunt Donna and Karen.

I walk in honor of my Aunt Barb.

I walk so my children will never have to.