Gone so long

Sorry I have been gone for so long(well that is if anyone even reads this stuff)
But life has been busy and crazy at our house these days. We had halloween, and then Elayna had surgery on top of all the other day to day craziness.

The kids had fun trick or treating on halloween and my Snow White and Dopey where a super cute pair if I do say so myself!

Also just recently Elayna had surgery to correct an umbilical hernia. I have to say as a parent one of the hardest things I have had to deal with so far was watching my poor baby lying on the operating table. It just broke my heart. Luckily my daughter is one brave little girl and did really well and is healing like a champ!!

As they grow

When I dreamed of being a mommy I dreamed about all the stuff I wanted to share with my kids and teach them. Little did I know that they would probably teach me way more then I would ever teach them. They have taught me what it's like to love someone so much it hurts, they have taught me that sometimes the little things mean the most, and they have taught me that I really had know idea what it was like to feel so blessed until I had them.

Being a mom has made me appreciate my own parents more then I could have ever realized. My parents worked HARD to give us a good life. They worked hard to teach us right from wrong and they encouraged us to become independent and strong people.

I hope that some day my kids will look back and appreciate all the little things that don't seem to matter now but some day they will realize we did them out of love.

Lifelong friends

So this past weekend I had a "girls day" with my college roommates. We try to do this a few times a year and it's always a wonderful break!

We went shopping, to the day spa, out to lunch and then back to a friends house for snacks/drinks and some girl talk. We have been through alot of ups and downs together and I know no matter what these girls are always here for me.

This weekend was a last hooray before one more of us becomes a Mommy, just another journey that we are all sharing together.

On my way home that night I thought about how lucky I am to have such wonderful,loyal and caring people in my life. These girls are true lifelong friends and I am forever greatful!

Cooking..

I have always loved to cook, started at a very young age with my grandmother and have loved it since. But now that I am a full time working mommy of 2 it's not as easy to prepare meals as it used to be. I am lucky and my husband is not a picky eater at all and I really like to try new things.

So I have decided that I am going to start the crock pot adventure. So many friends have told me how much they use and love their crock pots, so I am on the hunt to collect, try and perfect as many crock put recipes as I can. So if you have any great ones to share or sites to suggest please let me know. As I find things that work and that i love I will be sharing them.

So happy cooking or maybe it's happy crocking??

Things I am thankful for

Some days I find myself so bogged down with all that has or can go wrong that I forget to reflect on the good things. I have to say I am one lucky lady and I need to focus on that MORE often. So today I decided to list some things that I am very thankful for...

1. A husband that loves me and our children with his whole heart and soul, and who works SO hard for all of us.

2. Two amazing children that bring me more joy then I can even explain.

3. A loving and supportive mother in law who never treats my husband like a "step-son" and loves my kids so very much.

4. Parents who made me who I am today(the good and the bad,lol) who have become amazing grandparents.

5. A sister who takes care of my kids like they were her own while I am at work, who gives me the peace of mind I need to go to work and focus on my day.

6. A job I enjoy and that gives me the opportunity to grow daily

7. Amazing friends(you know who you are) who support me daily and who listen to my crazy rants and raves.

These are just a small sample of things I am thankful for today and every day

The love of books

Since I was a small child I have always LOVED to read and loved books. Even before I was pregnant we started building our collection of children's books for our future children's library. Reading is  something I had always hoped my children would enjoy as well, and from a very young age we have read to Elayna(and now Nathan) every night before bed. And last night I realized that my daughter loves books and reading just as much as I do.

I always thought Elayna asked for "just one more story" as a way to delay bed time, but last night I told her that if she wanted to read a book before bed she had to hurray and clean up her playroom, well the child moved faster then I thought was possible. When I asked her which book was he favorite she responded with "all of them", which just warmed my heart. Any time we are out shopping and I offer her the chance to get a prize, she ALWAYS asks for a book.

I hope and pray that Nathan will develop this love for books and reading some day too. Last night as my baby girl and I snuggled up on her bed to read before bed, i felt tears come to my eyes when she told me that "this is the best part of my day mommy", man that little girl amazes me more and more everyday!!

I look forward to the day that the 4 of us all snuggle in at the end of the night for family story time, it truly is the little things that make life so wonderful.

What are the right words..

Last night my husband and I were trying to figure out how to explain death and dying to our 3 year old, not a fun conversation. There really isn't any way to pleasantly explain to a small child that someone they know and love will no longer be around.

Without going into to much detail, our family is preparing itself for the death of a loved one. The thought of having to explain death to a child, the thought of taking away their innocence is heart breaking no matter how you think about it.

If you are someone that prays, please pray that our loved one does not suffer, and please pray that the news is as painless as possible to deliver to a small child