Please Help

Today I signed up to do a 5k walk in Boston on November 6th. I will be walking with my mom and Jozie to raise money to help find a cure for lung cancer.
My dad was diagnosed with lung caner this past June and has been undergoing aggressive radiation and chemo. He has finished his radiation, but not chemo. I never knew how bad these treatments were until watching my dad go through them. I would not want anyone to watch someone they love go through what my father has gone through, and I am very happy to be a part of raising money for research, and treatments for people having to go through this.
I am asking all of you for help, please even if it is just a penny, donate. Lungevity will double every dollar people raise, so I am asking for help because this has hit home to me and my family.
If you click on the picture of my dad, it will link you to the page where you can donate.
I thank you all so much for anything you can do to help.

My children having a blast at the ocean.

Happiness

This is happiness...

Beef Stew.

Last night I told Jeff that I would make beef stew for dinner tonight, but that I would put it in the crock-pot this morning. Well as mornings go in any house with three children, sometimes we run late. Today was one of those days.
I had browned the meat and realized the time, when I decided to write down directions for Jeff and have him put the rest of it together, and start the crock-pot. Here is what I wrote for directions:
I need you to make the beef stew. I browned the beef, all you will need to do is peel and cut up carrots potatoes, and onions. Add mix and whatever amount of water it says. Turn on low. It will need to cook for 6 hours, then you will have dinner.
When I got home Jeff said, you should submit that to your interpersonal communication professor. I asked why, and he laughed, and told me that they were not good directions.
I instead chose to blog them and see what you think.
By the way the beef stew that Jeff made was GREAT!

Birthday Art

For my Birthday(back in November) the kids had bought me some paints and wooden bangles for me to paint. Last night I finally made them and here they are.

Taking a Minute To Enjoy My Life

As I sit here tonight and watch the Hope For Haiti Now, I just wanted to take a minute and enjoy the fact that I am here.

In choosing to go to school and work, my time is limited to just hang out with my family and enjoy them.

So I just wanted to tell my family that I love them all.

Go give your children a hug and kiss, and your husband or wife or significant other a hug and a kiss, and tell them all that you love them.

Fun, and Earth Friendly

On New Years day my mother and I took Jozie to the American Girl store for the unveiling party of the new Girl of the Year. We had gotten there early enough for Jozie to shop, and then went to a dinner party were we could learn about the new doll. (they all have stories). While we were eating we did little surveys to see if we were outdoor or indoor people, and we all talked about things that we could do to help the environment. We had a blast, and learned some cool things.

One of the cool things that they gave us was a few strips of paper, some small beads, a straw, and some string. All these things make a bracelet, like the one above. The cool part of it though is the paper is form an old American Girl catalog (that if you have a daughter you are getting, and throwing away). Now you can make all kinds of things with these materials, and it was easy too. All you do is cut the paper into skinny triangles, wrap the strip of paper around the straw. Glue the end down, (best to use a glue stick). Then put it on the string, and you use the blue beads as separators.

That is it. Easy, Fun , and Earth Friendly Jewelery.

Reflecting on 2009

I have now been sitting here for a couple days think what to do, or write for a reflection on 2009, and here it is. It may be a little long, so I apologize ahead of time.
2009 was a very fast year in some ways, and then there were the days that seemed slower than ever. It brought a year of school completion for me, that had a few challenges but over all I did okay.
Each of my children became one year older, which means the struggles get greater, but the personalities become more of who they will be as they become adults.
I have made some new friends, and reconnected with some old friends. I have also learned who in that processes my true friends are. I also have learned who I can and cannot trust in my neighborhood, and with that also comes the reality that I really do not like my neighbors at all, but I am not moving so I guess they will have to deal with it.
I also learned a lot about myself this year. I learned that I like to write (blog), and that I enjoy the person that I am. I learned that however the hard way, as I have always tried to please people and be what they want me to be, but I am happy with who I am, and I like who I am so that is who I will be, and I will not change.
I also learned or should I say realized that my husband truly is my hero. He has taken on so much just by marrying me, and becoming a father figure in my children's lives, and yet he does not miss a beat, and never complains about it. He also has truly truly became a wonderful father figure to my two children, but especially Jozie. We used to have kid free weekends all the time, and then Jozie decided she no longer wanted to go to her dads, which meant we no longer had those kid free weekends, and Jeff was just as happy to have her hanging out with us, if not happier than she was. Jeff has taught me a lot, and I owe a great deal of gratitude for it, because I have no idea where I would be in my life right now if he had not come into it. I am sure you will here these words again, but you would have to know me before Jeff to understand.
We have all had some rough times, but sit back and really think for a day or two, and I am pretty sure you will feel the same as I do.. Even though there were rough times, the good times of 2009 far out way the bad, and one of the biggest reasons is because of my three beautiful children, my amazing husband, and my wonderful parents, and sister, oh and my niece and nephew, are all my family members, and with all the love that I have for them and they have for me, the bad times I don't really remember but the good times I could talk about for the rest of 2010.
Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday Jozie

Yes I am a day late, but i wanted to focus all my attention on her because it was her birthday.
Happy Birthday, Jozie. I now have no more kids in single digit ages. That is sad, but at the same time a happy day.

I love you Beanie, I hope you had a great 10th Birthday.

Agian.. I married the best man ever

I know I already talked about how great my husband is, but I need to again. Tonight Jo had asked me to paint her nails, again. She has been asking me for a week now, but between her being sick and work, and school, I just could not find 5 minutes to paint them. I guess I am a bad mom. But tonight she asked me and I said I would not have time, but I promised I would tomorrow. Then she asked Jeff, and I had to say I was a little shocked not because I think he is a bad guy but because he really does not like the smell of nail polish, he had said yes! Now I felt a couple different feelings, 1 I should go do it. 2. Okay I can not do that I have two assignments due tonight. And finally 3. My heart melted, this was the greatest thing that Jeff could have done, and the cutest, he sat there and painted her nails three different colors, and then out stars on top,and then even a quick dry top coat. Oh and the smile on Jozies face and the glow in her eyes was amazing. My husband ROCKS!!!, and I love him more and more each day.

My husband is wonderful

My husband is the best husband ever. Last night when I was frustrated with school, and telling him that with three very active children, and a husband that has what he calls special needs (not really) he said that there are no quitters in this house and that I was not quitting and that I was going to have to just deal with it. This morning as I am feeling better because I got more than 2 hours of sleep last night. I just wanted to thank him and tell him he is the best husband ever, and I love him more than anything.