Christmas 2010

Doesn't seem right to not post about Christmas, so I'm at least going to post a few of my favorite pics of the season...

Not "too cool" to sit on Santa's lap...unlike sister.

Bieber Fever. THAT is excitement on her face!

Christmas Eve

Eve of Christmas :-)

Christmas Village outing

Christmas Tree Festival

Someday I will be able to simply purchase one of these pre-decorated trees for my home, how nice would that be?! I'd better start saving my pennies. Ethan liked the "How to Train Your Dragon" tree, and the Dr. Seuss tree was pretty creative. This is a fun, free activity to go to each year at the Eccles center.

Skipping

It would seem I skipped right over Thanksgiving...well, as they say, better late than never. Well, it was certainly different for me this year, a little bit sad, but so grateful to have my two wonderful kids with me. I made sweet potatoes with pecans & brown sugar, Shanda brought an awesome cranberry sauce. The kids had a good time playing with all the cousins, and my Dad turned on the Christmas lights for the first time, I will need to include photo of his display sometime soon.

Spooky-Ooky Halloween Fun!

The kids & I did a lot of fun Halloween activites this month.

*Picking out pumpkins at Hansen's-check!
*The Pumpkin Walk in Syracuse-check!
*Boys & Girls Club party with sack races & games-check!
*WSU Bowling party & scavenger hunt-check!
*And of course Halloween Trick-or-Treating-check & check!

When I asked Ethan if he had enough candy, he gave the appropriate answer:
"Yes! No! Enough candy is never enough!"

I'm including here some of my favorite photos of my favorite little goblins:


Plethora of Pumpkins @ Hansen's



Potato sack races @ Boys & Girls Club Paty, Ethan didn't quite get the hang of it.

Making masks at the WSU party.



Best. Pic. Ever.



Trick-or-Treat!
Smell my feet!
Give me something good to eat!



Syracuse Pumpkin Walk



Crafty Project

Some friends & I got the idea for these jars from another blog page. I think they turned out really cute. We bought all of the raw wood pieces, letters & jars, black paint & ribbon. All of the wood pieces were glued together then we painted everything black. The next step was to attach the jars to the stands, then sand the wood for the rustic look.

When I brought them home, the kids really liked them. Ethan wanted to have a jar full of candy in his room...but I told him they were just for decoration, plus, then it wouldn't spell BOO!

The other picture is just of my table decorations that I collected at Tai Pan & Gardner Village. I love the Fall season & Halloween!

Here are a few fun sites with lots of spooky, crafty, creative ideas!

http://shanty2chic.blogspot.com/2009/10/ashleys-fall-apothecary.html

http://uncommondesigns.blogspot.com/2010/09/boo-apothecary-jars.html

http://poppiesatplay.blogspot.com/2010/09/super-easy-halloween-centerpieces.html
 
http://www.flamingotoes.com/2010/09/bowl-of-eye-balls/
http://www.somewhatsimple.com/search?updated-max=2010-10-06T08%3A00%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=3
http://www.somewhatsimple.com/

Turning 9 Feels Just Fine!

Today is Abbie's 9th birthday!
There is a lot to celebrate about this daughter of mine.
She is beautiful & intelligent & a joy to be around.
People always tell me how she always has a smile on her face & a kind word.
She has a tender heart and cares for animals & people & is the best big sister a brother could ask for!
She loves to read & enjoys everything about school.
Abbie even loves to go to the dentist! (I haven't figured that one out yet...)
But that just shows how open her heart & mind are to her surroundings.
She always makes the best of every situation & is quick to make friends.
I admire her outgoing personality & the way she makes everyone feel loved & accepted.
I can't wait to see who she is going to become.
Although I wish she could stay little forever, my baby girl is growing up!
I love you Abbie!
XOXO
Mom

The Beginning of the End

Well.
I just found out yesterday that my divorce is final.
A divorce that I never wanted. From a husband that I still love.
I'm finding it hard to reconcile all of my feelings of sadness, anger, hurt, regret, even hate. I so much wanted for my family to stay together.

It's hard to breathe right now. My heart feels ready to burst from my chest.
My kids are my sanity right now. They are so beautiful, so amazing, and remind me daily that life is worth living...even while my life is in shambles around me.

I am so lucky to have an awesome, supportive family and group of friends.
Nothing is more important to me than family. I only wish I had found someone to share my life with that felt the same way.

Wishing time would fast forward until I felt better, but hopefully I learn something out of this whole mess. It's good to know I can still give & receive love while going through this. Love for & from my kids. Love for those who support me & lift my spirits. Some day I hope to fall in love again because it is a beautiful emotion that can make life truly amazing.

Until then, I'm grateful for what I do have. For the little things that bring me joy.