Nolan's Christmas Program

Nolan is the second from the left on the front row. I was so proud of him. He sang every song and was the leader of the chorus.


He was very excited!



They told the story of the birth of Jesus.



The whole family was there including grandma in Rhode Island! (she was listening by phone)

Pictures with Santa!

Nolan and Braydon took a picture with Santa. Braydon was sitting too long on his lap.



Braydon was off of Santa's lap real FAST! LOL At least they didn't cry like last year.



When Santa asked Nolan what he wanted for Christmas... Nolan said " A LOT".



Making Christmas ornaments!



They had a great time seeing Santa and all his elves!

A Day in the Park

Poppy, Uncle Mark, Grandma, Nolan, and Braydon had so much fun!



We had fun swinging!

Here are some more pictures to enjoy!

***I have pictures of Santa, Nolan's Christmas Program, and Christmas crafts, but the computer is acting up again and I will try again to upload those newer photos soon.***

Messiah College Reunion

On our way back from New England we went to my Hub's college reunion. They had a small museum in one of the Science Buildings. Here are a few pictures!



Me and the boys!



Giraffe anyone???



Nolan thought he was playing Diego... he loved the elephant!

~~~I have to download pictures of the boys from seeing Santa. Coming Soon!~~~

Blog Award

I was given an award from Kelly at Booda's Business. Thanks Kelly!

Now to follow tradition....I am to give it up to 7 other people that I think have cool blogs!

Kathleen @ Chat with Kathleen
RubyEllen @ Memory Hunting
Julia @ Reasonably Well
Tanis @ The Redneck Mommy
Beth @ Jeff,Beth,& Elaina

Congratulations!!

Pappy has left the building.....we hope!

Well....I think we may have got Braydon away from the pacifier. He is now 2 1/2 years old. We have been "TRYING" to use it for night time only.

Here is the Ode To The Pappy that I made up a few months back.

When Braydon asked for it last night at bedtime, I told him Santa Claus took it for another little boy who needs it.

I thought he was going to have a screaming fit at me, but instead he just laughed and said "OK Mommy".

Hmmmm......we will see how this continues...

Be strong Mommy....BE STRONG!

My Christmas Wish....

I have a lot to be thankful for. I enjoyed the turkey with all the trimmings just like most did. However, in the back of mind I kept thinking of what was going on in India. The terrorists and hostages and all those innocent lives that were turned upside down. It is hard to believe that there are people out there that want to do harm like this.

A little closer to home is what happened to a 34 year old Walmart employee this past Friday.....just because we wanted a good bargain. Is this what Americans have become? Is the true meaning of Christmas suppose to be about who can get the best deal? We TRAMPLED the guy...just to save a buck???

And another story locally that rips my heart out. A man beats his seven year old to death with a steel mop handle. His five year old survived the incident. He is a monster. I feel no remorse for him. How can anyone do this?

My Christmas wish is for those who have lost their family members in violence, abuse, or other unnecessary ways to find peace.

I know I am still trying to find it for them...

Color Test!

The Ultimate Color Test

When you are at peace, you are: Energized and innovative When you are moved to act, you are: Courageous and resolute When you are inspired, you are: Creative and productive When your life is perfectly balanced, you are: Light hearted and funny Your life's purpose is: To change the world

The Ultimate Color Test

Wordless Wednesday

MONKEYING AROUND! Happy Thanksgiving!

Attention Smokers.....You Stink!

Dear Avid Smoker,

Do you realize that you smell? I am being honest here. I know I am far from perfect, but at least I don't stink. I can be 15 feet away from you and I smell that nasty stale stench that makes my nose crinkle. I gag and cough at times. It reminds me of that character on Charlie Brown....what is his name??




Pig Pen? Instead of dirt...it is the aroma of stale smoke.

What really gets me....is when you come in with your sick child to get a nebulizer to help with their breathing. I tell you not to smoke around the child or the nebulizer and you literally say "WHY?"

DUH! They may have to be on a nebulizer because their cold has turned into acute bronchitis....and guess what? Smoking around your child is NOT good.
Studies have shown that a third of children suffering from certain conditions such as chest infections and asthma are the victims of passive smoking.

I am only stating the obvious. Your habit makes people gag and gasp for air. At least I can get away from you.....your children cannot.

Sincerely,
Your choking, gagging, and gasping for air friend Vicky

Beautiful Maine

This was taken in the town of York in Maine. The lighthouse is on an Island and as you can see it was beautiful!




This is our summer home....YEAH RIGHT!!! I WISH!

It was in the morning, but the sun wasn't quite up and out yet. It was very peaceful.

John says, "I am Sir Standing Tall."

Pictures on the Ocean

Nolan enjoying the day!

Braydon posing on the rocks.

Braydon loves smiling for the camera.

Nolan liked the big rock out in the water with the birds.

Let's Go Fly A Kite!

When we were in Rhode Island visiting Poppy, Grandma, and Uncle Mark we took a little detour and flew a kite that John & I bought for the boys in a neat little toy shop in New Hampshire.


It is a colorful Octopus!

Daddy loved showing them how to fly a kite....


Auntie Rea came along too. She even flew the kite for a bit with the boys!



Nolan caught on fast. Hopefully he doesn't take to kite boarding over the open water when he is bigger. (Mommy will have to take "nerve" pills if he does) LOL


Braydon wasn't too sure about holding the string that was tugging. He let go, but Daddy had a hold of it too.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPPY AND UNCLE MARK!

We love and miss you especially for your birthdays! We miss you too Grandma!

Love,

Nolan & Braydon

Christmas of Dreams Give-Away

MOMDOT is hosting a Christmas of Dreams Give-Away. Be sure to follow the rules and have FUN! There is something for everyone on your list if you should win. Many great prizes and handmade gifts too! Here are some of the sponsors that are participating with MOMDOT!! Show them love and check out their products here!


Dyson
BabyPop
The Shrunks
Soda Club
Kadi Prescott
Uncommonly Cute
Lollipop Book Club
Kuster
Silly Monkeez
LA Plates
Natitys Design
Little Black Box
Koshas
Kidz Sunglasses
JAS Creations
Appledonia
LeapFrog
Mutsy
Kushies
Huddy Buddy
Mimsi-Bags
BottleWise
Lets Go Strolling
DaBib
Sassy Baby
Baby Legs
Scentsy
FeeFiFoto
Randi100
Organic Blankees
Shi Shu Style
Georgie Tees

***My five favorites are Lollipop Book Club/ Christmas Series, Soda Club/any flavor looks fun, Leapfrog/my kids grew up on products by them, but I love the leapster game, Mutsy/the grow up seat, and FeeFiFoto/ my boys pic on a pocketbook!!!!

One little...two little Indians....

Yes....we now have pictures to blog with! I will be catching up on some long overdue blogging the next few weeks! Everything from fall foilage to kite flying on the ocean! In the meantime....here are some Halloween pictures of Nolan and Braydon.

Go to Chat With Kathleen....

OK....OK....for all those craving some vacation pictures...hop on over to my mother-n-law's blog Chat with Kathleen . She is doing a series of posts of our vacation. I promise as soon as Hubs can figure out what the deal is with our camera/internet problem...I will post pics too!

But, like I said in the meantime go checkout Chat with Kathleen!!!

A little problem....

We are having an issue with downloading pics from our vacation. Hopefully Hubs will have it fixed by this weekend. We are toooooo exhausted to worry about until then. I promise there will be a lot of pics! Maybe my mother-n-law can post some pics on her blog. (hint, hint, nudge, nudge) ;)

Here is something funny that happened this morning....

I stopped by Chick-fil-a to get the boys breakfast and I ordered 2 milks, 2 small fruits, and 2 small hash browns. Nolan rolls his window down and shouts to the lady "AND 3 BOOGERS!"

HELLOOOOOO...where did he learn that? I couldn't help but laugh. Of course I told him that it wasn't nice and what if she did put boogers in his food. He pondered for a moment and said he didn't want boogers.

We're Back from Vacation!

Yes....we made it back. I promise to post pictures and stories of our vacation later this week. Right now, I need to catch up on laundry, Dr. appointments, and work. I took over 200 pictures!!

Check out Wellsphere

I am now a featured blogger on Wellsphere in the parenting community. (click sidebar for link) I was originally contacted to be featured as a health blogger for my other blog called Sjogrens and Me.

Wellsphere is a great resource for anything from health issues to parenting. There is something for anyone...so go check it out! There are about 1400 writers for Wellsphere from across the world with a variety of backgrounds from doctors to patients to stay at home moms. Wellsphere gets over 40 million hits a month.

Go on now......CHECK IT OUT! :)

Thursday 13

Thirteen things I need to do before vacation...

1. Laundry....about 12 loads. UGH
2. Get a haircut.
3. Pack a suitcase.
4. Pack a suitcase for Nolan and Braydon.
5. Pack my husband's suitcase so he doesn't drive me nuts packing a few hours before the trip.
6. Find our goldfish a home for week or so.
7. Clean the House.
8. Pay bills.
9. Breathe
10. Go to a birthday party.
11. Try and figure out what the boys will be for Halloween.
12. Find shoes to match my dress.
13. Did I mention to breathe?

Upcoming Vacation!

Here are Poppy, Grandma, and Uncle Mark!

We are very excited to be seeing Poppy,Grandma,and uncle Mark soon in Rhode Island. It won't be too much longer. We are going to one of John's college friend's wedding too. John is in the wedding party. On the way back home we will be stopping at another one of John's college friend's house to stay a night or two. He is a Pastor and is expecting his second child. We cannot wait to see family and friends. This is long overdo!

Consignment Extravaganza

I bought 32 pieces of clothing and 1 new diego clothes hamper for less than $70.00. This is Nolan's winter wardrobe. Plus he needs this to see Poppy and Grandma in Rhode Island in a couple weeks. (It was down in the 30's there the other night) I bought hardly used corduroys, jeans, khaki's, sweaters, long sleeved shirts, overalls, and fall jackets for him. A few pieces are for Braydon too. I would have spent easily $500 had I bought this new. There are no rips or stains. This makes me VERY HAPPY! I also sold some of the boys older toys and outfits they had outgrown. I made over $17.00 to the good. I will definitely be doing this again.

Monday Meltdown

This morning on the way to daycare my oldest son told me "You are a bad Mommy". Talk about ripping my heart out and stomping on it....and kicking dirt on it too. I told him that he hurt my feelings.

I wouldn't let him take his plastic binoculars to daycare because it was not show and tell day. They do not like toys from home brought in except for show and tell day.

I was just about in tears. In my head I was thinking of "sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me".

When I dropped him off and left him with his teacher....he ran back to me and said "I want to give you a hug and a kiss". So I hugged and kissed him and he said "You ARE a good Mommy". I hugged and kissed him again.

Recipe for Smiles...

4 cups kisses
2 bags of hugs
a dash of tickles
and a bit of love for taste

Put all ingredients in your arms and keep there for eternity...

This is really SAD...

http://news.aol.com/health/article/tainted-formula-sickens-babies-in-china/173688?icid=100214839x1209517920x1200594540

I feel very sorry for the families going through this. I am an avid believer in breastfeeding, but parents and children should not be subject this horrible circumstance. Wake up WORLD!

It's a dog's life

This is my first child Cheyenne. She will be 13 in the spring. This is her in our bed last night. She sleeps like a person with her head on a pillow and covered up with sheets. (Yes, we are those kind of people who treat their pets like family).

Letting go...

It has been a tough day. You see I am rummaging through my boys' older toys and clothes to sell at a local consignment Sale. It is very difficult for me to do this. I know I will be crying as I give up some of their toys and outfits from when they were babies. Sounds funny huh? I can't keep everything from the past couple of years. I guess part of it stems from me wishing we would have another child. My health won't allow it and adoption is a distant memory. Recent developments have made me realise that I need to be thankful for my two beautiful boys and be there for them.

I will miss the first time they noticed when they pushed a button of a toy, music would play. Nolan would take a quick loud breath and smile. Braydon would crinkle his nose and laugh. I miss their "juicy" fat legs that would peek through their clothes. (Braydon still has juicy legs). I will miss them singing their ABC's with the Leap Frog phonics bus or Caterpillar. I will badly miss the Classic Pooh crib set that both of them used as babies in their cribs. But, it is time for the "older" things to make room for the "new" things. And maybe, just maybe....

another Mommy or Daddy will make memories to last a lifetime with the "things" I have held on to so dear. After all they are just things.

***UPDATE***

After looking at everything I am pulling out about 6 items I just can't depart with right now. I think Hubs is having a hard time too. Two of the items are pieces of clothing that the boys wore to have their first Christmas pics in. Nolan was in a velvet green outfit with a reindeer and Braydon wore a snow baby blue sleeper with a reindeer on it. I can't get rid of their Leap Frog Table either....I like to play with this still!

I FEEL A RANT COMING ON!!!

The price of GAS is making me MAD...it is over $4.09 here and up .50 cents the past 48 hours?!?!? Come on....the gulf makes like 10-15% of the oil for us and the barrel is less than $100.00 right now. A long time low! Let's just blame the hurricane for price gouging! Diapers are up .77 cents per package from last week....Jenny, I am really wishing I went to cloth right about now. Apple Juice up $1.30 the past year too....and if you want to eat healthy....you need to take out a second mortgage.

What have you seen go up that annoys you?