Ten on Tuesday

Ten Things I am Grateful for on this Tuesday......

1. That my Carina is a healthy baby... she had her 12 month check up, and besides being called stubborn, she is GREAT!

2. A not so cold day .....always good to have one of those once in a while!

3. The quick visit I had with my hubby at his office ....i miss him sometimes ;)

4. Homework Club and Drama Club.... it gave me an extra hour to cuddle with Carina before the big ones got home.

5. The leftovers from last night...yay... no cooking tonight!! :)

6. My friend's invitation to have sushi for lunch..... (nice to have been thought of)

7. Remi's jokes.... that girl makes my heart laugh!

8. Words of encouragement from this site...... I am going to do my part!!

9. Cheerleading practice....another day for Bella to enjoy herself.

10. The last BudLight Lime in the fridge...mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!

Costume Birthday Party Fun!

We had a costume themed birthday party for Carina's First since it was so close to halloween and all.....we figured the kids would have lots of fun dressing up.

We had our very own Sumo Wrestlers......





Minnie Mouse was there as well...




although I don't think she liked that everyone was looking at her ears!






There was a Punk Rocker hanging out....








Darth Vader, A Bumble Bee, A Ballerina, and A Devil all showed up for some fun.....




Carina's Birthday Cake

Blowing our her candle....

She stuck her hand in the cake.....she wanted some of that for sure! lol

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.................cake!

She enjoyed it immensely.

It was so good that she gobbled up two pieces!!

In line for the pinata....

I absolutely love her smile :)

Girls just wanna have fun....

Digging for Gold!

I mean....er....Candy!!

My Baby is ONE!!!!!!

Enjoying the candy and fun...

The whole crew!!

She had a blast playing in the streamers after all the guests left. Cleaning up was too much fun!!

Happy Birthday Rina!!!

You are ONE!!!!

Dear Carina,

Today is your first birthday. I am loving you so much. It's bittersweet that you are getting so big, so fast. You are so independent. You had a little cold that you are fighting through but I know you are feeling better. We had a huge birthday bash for you. All the kids came in their costumes and you were dressed as Minnie Mouse. So cute.
You were devouring your cake! 2 pieces!! Greedy girl.

I think we are only weeks away from your first step.... Maybe even days. I'm looking forward to all the things you are going to be doing this year.

Turning one was so much fun!!!

I love you baby doll!

Love,
Mommy

She's a Biter!

I think Carina is teething....... what do you think???

My Cookie Monster

"Where's my Cookie, Mom?"

"What...??"

"All over my face, you say....?"

yummo.

Pumpkins, Gourds, Mums, Oh My!

How I love Fall! The beautiful colors of the leaves and trees and the crisp breeze blowing.....
It is the best time for family fun too.... apple picking, pumpkin patches, food festivals, pumpkin spiced everything! I terribly miss my Father's home-made pumpkin and apple pies. yummo.

We headed up to Warwick, NY for pumpkin picking. The drive was amazing. I loved the scenery.

Growing up in the military, I have seen alot of different places. Nothing compares to this little town we are in right now. It is so Mayberry-like. But I love it. There is always something for the kids to do and the people are friendly..... and I love that this view is just down the road from me.

The Pumpkin patch was crowded. And the smell of the Apple Cider donuts filled the air......ooooh... it smelled so good there!!!

She was trying to figure out if she wanted to touch them or not. So funny.

My three Angels..... (so much for a great backdrop, huh?) bummer.

The sky was gorgeous.

Remi didn't seem too thrilled to be there..... :0(

... And neither did Daddy (lol)

This is my favorite picture .... I think it should be a magazine cover! :0)

"Just Another Manic Monday......"

Haven't we all had those moments.... you know.... where you think back at what had happened and just laugh your butt off??? I always do!

Because I have the BEST memory.... I would never have locked the baby and I out of the house and car (as I am on way off to pick Remi up from cheer practice). I would never have called a friend to come pick us up so that I could pick Remi up......No....not me!

And because I learned my lesson.... I would never have locked myself (and the baby) out of the house (again) while on my way to drop the kids off to school the next day. in my pajamas. without my hair or teeth brushed. And I did not drive all the way to hubby's office to get the house keys looking like that. no way jose!

And because I value how I look when I leave the house...... I would never have picked the kids up (in said pajamas...later that day) from cheer practice. I would never embarrass them like that. Nor would I revel in the memory of seeing their faces as I walked in.......hehehehehhe....Nope, Not me.

(And I most certainly did not take my picture when I got home as proof of said outfit).

Sweet Sixteen

Sixteen Years ago.....

On October 13th, my hubby enlisted into the US Army. This just happens to be the first year that I actually remembered. It's kind of a big deal to him so while he was hard at work, I planned a nice dinner and baked him a yummy cream soda cake, furnished with sixteen candles.


He was very happy and surprised that I remembered.

The girls and I enjoyed the cake as much as he did..... as for those that don't know, he is allergic to eggs so he can NEVER eat cake, so this recipe was fabulous!

He is a man full of integrity, strength, and honor. He is a nurturing Father and a caring Husband.

And he makes for one fine handsome soldier.

I am so proud of you, Babe. Only four more years until retirement.....HooRah!

11 months!

I am weeks behind on all my posts, so much has happened and it just seems like there aren't enough hours in my day to get it all done!!

But..... baby girl is 11 months and is just weeks away from being ONE!! I can't believe it!! I just want her to stay my little itty bitty baby ....

My Mom and Sisters were here when she turned 11 months so here are some pics of them together!

Carina with Auntie Cheryl

And with her Grandma...

And with Auntie Nara

Carina,

You had tons of fun with the family on their visit here. You bonded so well with Grandma, she loved waking up to your smiling face. Cheryl and Nara fought over you ... everyone wanted a piece! lol

You are crawling like a champ and love to stand on your feet, you have actually started to let go of our hands to show us you can do it alone, if only for a few seconds!

I can't wait to see you take your first step!!! You eat everything......you are greedy!

You wear 12-18 months clothing now, you are so long. Still my little petite baby but you sure are strong! Grrrrrrrr

You will play for hours in your room with all your toys, although you really enjoy pulling all the washcloths and blankets out.....

You are still nursing which I am happy about....but the biting has to STOP!

Love you Princess!!

Rah Rah Shish Boom Bah

Remi cheered at her first game last weekend.

It was rainy and muddy but that didn't stop her!

She makes a fabulous cheerleader!! :0)

7!!

Seven Years ... and a few weeks later....

Remi turned 7 in September.

She wanted to look like a "Rockstar" on her birthday so she asked Daddy for this outfit.

Every time she received a compliment on her dress, she would say "it's my birthday".... not thank you. sheesh. Where are her manners??

Can you tell she was extremely happy to be 7??!!

After school... we had ourselves a little family party, as Lola (Grandma) and Auntie Cheryl were here for a visit.

Grandma got her this yummy cake.

Making her wish.............

We put trick candles on it.

It took her three times to blow them out ... then she said I quit! lol

This girl loves presents!!!!

She is a clown! lol

She called this her Hawaiian Filipino dress! lol

I got it at Gymboree!

I guess the $$$ made her happy!

Happy Birthday Remi Roo. You are my sunshine! I love you more ;0)

The day I lost her

It was a dreary day back in January of 2004. We were living in Lawton, Oklahoma. I woke up not feeling well and called in sick for work. I felt heavy on my heart and just wasn't my usual self. I am not sure if it was a little bout of depression....but I just knew I wasn't right.

I remember needing some groceries so I packed the kids up, Bella was 5 at the time and Remi was only a little over a year old (15 months old to be exact). It was cold and they had their sherling coats on. We did our shopping and browsing. Remi was in the cart and Bella walked along side us. We checked out and before we hit the exit doors, Bella asked if they could ride the litttle carousel. I never allowed it before but on this day I said yes. I put the quarters in and watched as both girls laughed and smiled. I sat on the bench in front of the little arcade/play area. It was a 3 minute ride.

I remember sitting there blank...... staring at the world around me. The shoppers and the workers and the other kids laughing and playing. I don't remember what it was that my mind was stuck on but when I awakened... not from a sleep.... but from a trip away from reality...I saw only Bella playing by the carousel. The ride was done. The girls must have hopped off.

I went to her and asked where her sister was. She said the usual... "I don't know". I looked behind the rides, behind the pinball machines, around the tables and chairs. No Remi. My heart dropped and my mind was racing. I didn't know what to do. I ran to the first check out stand and pleaded for help, that my daughter was missing. She told me to wait until she was done checking the customer out and that she would be with me in a minute. I lost it. I think there were a few four letter words in there. I screamed for help. They came.

It really was a matter of minutes....... I searched the doors, the bathroom, the aisles......

Then the manager came with her walkie talkie and said that a security guard found a little girl wandering in the parking lot. He was coming in the north end of the store with her now.

I ran with Bella in my hands. I prayed it was Remi.

There she was ... sitting in this mans arms... her snowflake sweatpants, and tan sherling coat,and her purple hat we got at Gap, and her smile. She wasn't hysterical like I imagined she would be - not being with her mama. She was having fun. I was a mess. I took her from him and ignored the stares and remarks of "...what was she doing?...what happened??..." I asked myself these same questions and did not want to hear them from anyone else.

I took the girls out to the Denali and packed up the groceries. I sat in the drivers seat and cried. I couldn't drive. I was hysterical. How did I just lose my 15 month old child....in WalMart?????

I pictured her walking out the exit doors and wandering the parking lot. Did the cars just drive around her? Past her? I felt so lucky to have found her because it easily could have been a different story now.

I cannot tell you how or why it happened. I simply let myself go for 3 minutes. I was there in front of them but my mind was far away. I could not understand it. I do know that God was watching my little girl. He made sure that she was able to walk past the cars in the parking lot without getting hit and he made sure that she was not taken. He made sure that the security guard saw her and brought her back into my arms.

I felt this was a wake up call. God was telling me to open my eyes and see my kids. I was a working mom and ran with the flow. They had their clothes, their food to eat, and their shelter. But I wasn't seeing my kids. I was always so busy with other things that needed to be done. I am more than sure that I was probably thinking of things to do, bills to pay, stuff to get done instead of watching my girls enjoy the little carousel they were on.

Nowadays..... My laundry isn't always done, my house isn't perfection, and I don't cook dinner every night, and there are always crumbs on the floor! I used to say Hold On or Wait until later as I am folding clothes or mopping the floor... But my girls know that I am here with them, I listen to them, I play with them. I see them. I no longer put things before them.

God is good and I am thankful for my girls everyday.

This was taken the day I lost Remi......on our way out the door. It was one of the first days of snow that year so we wanted to remember it....... definitely a day I will never forget!

It's football time!!

Isabella is cheering for the Wanaque Warriors this year, she is doing Field cheer and competition cheer so we have a busy schedule!

Our first game was Sunday....Ringwood beat us with an embarrassing lead...I will not mention the score! ouch.


Here are some pics from Sundays game....

Remi loves her some funyuns!! lol

First day of school

I am a week late on posting this but we have been extrememly busy and not to mention I have been sick with strep throat..... forgive my lateness :)

Izzy going into 5th grade.....

Remi going into 2nd grade....

Please ignore her flourescent pink and orange toenails :)

The girls with Natalie (neighbor) .... on our way to the first day of school! woo hoo

apple-licious

This little girl can't get enough of that yummy apple......

I love how she uses her 2 bottom teeth to eat it....so darn cute.

End of Summer Days

School starts in 2 days so we are gearing up for the summer ending.... We just had to get ourselves in the pool before the fall weather came....

These girls love some daddy!!

Carina is such a water baby!

Remi Roo ... she is finally learning to swim better...

...And Carina is so cute in her bathing suit.

Wordless Wednesday - Splash!

Bella's Bootcamp Birthday Bash

We gave Isabella her birthday gift on her real birth-day .....

We met Daddy at Sorrentos for lunch. It's a fabulous pizzeria right next to his office.

Remi and Carina got her this Aeropostale shirt.

She was happy with the gift that Daddy and I got her.......

The Samsung Eternity. Spoiled. But she deserves it.

***************************************************

I had a great time planning this party! It was an All Girls Bootcamp Party. Izzy invited 10 girls to attend. The invitations were neat, I made them off the computer. It was a Top Secret letter that explained their mission of attending Basic Training. It was really cool. We did the decorations for the party in camo colors.

I made them Swamp Water. I bought the Kiwi/Strawberry punch and labeled it ..... and I put raisins in water in an ice cube tray so when it froze it looked like flies. I think a few girls thought they were real because they did not touch their cup! lol

Here's the Drill Seargent!! Daddy did a fantastic job!! My friend Danielle even said he should do this for other parties! ha!

Reporting for duty......lol.....

It was a rainy day but as Daddy said..... If it ain't rainin', we ain't trainin'!

I love the look on their faces.... so serious!

We painted their faces with camo colors as well....

He showed them how to do the Army pushups, situps, jumping jacks, etc....

They definitely got their workout!!

We had real dog tags made for them too with their names.

We had plenty of games for them to play. One of them was to pop a balloon and do what the note inside of it said.....

This one that Bella popped said....."Tell Drill Sgt. to do 20 push ups"......

I don't think he was expecting that!! lol

Putting him to work!!
The girls were all yelling the counts too!

Izzy's turn.

Remi had to run in place for 20 seconds.

They played "Hot Grenade"..... it's like Hot Potato... but we used a water balloon and put shaving cream on their hands so it would be slippery. This was so funny! I don't know how many water balloons they popped but they were soaked!

And then they played water grenade fights.... Bella was hit by 3 water balloons at once! Ha!!

We set up the camo tent for a real feel of the Army. They loved it.

They played Tug of War and Find the M.I.A. We didn't realize how fast time was going, so we didn't get to do all the stuff we had planned.

I made the birthday cake from scratch. *Patting my back*

I was very proud of myself. :0)

I decorated it with the Army guys and a tank and Army vehicle.

I had to use a tealight for the candles because I could not find the ones I bought. How embarrassing..... but it worked!

My Red, White, and Blue Cake! lol

A few of the girls left after the cake cutting. Izzy wanted to open up her gifts....

I think she was most excited about getting these! lol

Carina was not amused with Daddy and his whistle.

The kids wanted to help take down the camo net.

This reminds me of Swamp Thing.

They all had a great time. A few even said that this was the best bday party they have been to!

Ten Months!

My munchkin, Carina.....


Thank you for allowing me to put a purple butterfly clip in your hair, which lasted 4.6 seconds. Just enough time for a snapshot! I love that your hair is getting longer. You are such a cutie.

Your silly faces make me laugh. Your eyebrows say it all!! You love to say "uh oh" and "dada". You clap your hands when we say "Yay"! And you give us kisses when we ask for it! You are a lovie dovie baby.

You smile everytime you see your sisters. You laugh and giggle with them all day long.

You love the water.....except when it's cold water.

You enjoy being on your feet. You will take a few steps holding on to us....I think you are gonna be a runner!! ;0)

I can sit and take pictures of you all day long! I love it.

You are crawling everywhere....... under everything!

You and your squirrel-ly cheeks are all mine!


Happy 10 month birthday, baby girl!

Thursday Thoughts

I want you all to know that I am extremely happy now that Carina is sleeping through the night....all night!! But.... I have to admit....I kind of miss seeing her face in the middle of the night for a feeding. My hubby thinks I am crazy but.....I just do.

I think I am more excited for Izzy's bday party than she is. All the planning has me giddy! We are doing an "All Girls Bootcamp Party", you know ....since Daddy is in the Army and all.... we have so much fun stuff planned for them. I actually overheard the girl next door say she was scared ...hahahaha.....they are thinking the worst! lol

I finally tackled the garage and the back patio! hooray for me! I acccomplished some cleaning this week. :) and we also built a cover for the hot tub...finally!

I am also excited for my family's visit coming up soon....my mom and sisters will be here in september. yay! it's been so long. we are planning to do a 3 generation photo ... and it's going to be all girls! wow.

I heard from Tiffany this week, she is doing well. A bit homesick but says Hawaii is beautiful (surprise surprise!) I miss her mucho. we are keeping hip hop with us until he can ship over which isn't going to be for a while so the girls are going to LOVE having him here.

...............And now I am off to clean those rugs! :)