Been a while..

Sometimes I don't know where my life goes or in what direction, or how fast. It seems like there are so many changes and so little time to blog about them all. Not that much of it is even remotely interesting, but sometimes it makes me feel good to spill my beans to the world.

So what's going on? Baby girl started Kindergarten. Just last year she was in Pre K, now she's growing up so fast, and I love to watch her grow, and other times my clingy mama side says, oh gosh, before I even realize it, she will be 18 and what will become of me?

From the time I was 21 and pregnant with her, I pretty much defined myself solely as a mother. Nothing more, nothing less, just mom. And I think it will be hard to picture myself being anything else. And then bubby came along and now I am doubly thinking, man being a mom really does mean wearing your heart on your sleeve, and now I have to do it x 2.

I realize it's a huge responsibility, and sometimes I wonder why God trusted ME, of all people with such precious beings. Part of me already knows why, I needed them to grow, and they need me. And I only hope to never let them down, but I am sure at some point no parent is perfect.

Anyway, KINDERGARTEN?! wow, what a transformation from Pre K to Kindy, huh?

Then a week ago, some of my Jersey family came down & my sister came down from California with my baby neice. It was a great time to catch up, only everything was so chaotic and Ethan was a hot mess and my parents house isn't child proof, which meant a lot of time for me at my own home minus family interaction.

Sometimes it's just easier to forego the family fun when it entails chasing a busy body 16 month around and hearing my father huff about everything he does. (haha).

Then I took a few photos of my sister's best friends baby (the lighting was harsh and I only managed a few good shots) but we were on a time crunch and had to get a few done before she left for Georgia again. So here's a couple:














What a cute baby. Definatley not my best work:( and this makes me sad, but, again, the lighting was harsh and the timing was off.

Aside all this, I did get one relaxing night at Myrtle Beach with my unusually loud children, courtesy of my awesome sister and her awesome fiance. And then we ate ate the Spring House, and I got sick right away (the eggs were not cooked right). But it was still good;) haha! But my sister kept MiMi, so she treated her to Ripley's Aquarium, where they did not honor an inactive duty military i.d. for her fiance. Kind of sad, the man goes overseas so many times and can't get the discount. C'mon business', what about the veterans? Back in the day they had drafts and men and woman were not going back to back overseas, I don't know how the military families survive these lengthy back to back deployments, I think even those who get out should get the military discounts. I can't even begin to phathom being in a war torn country, let alone over and over and over. But that's another rant for another day.

How has everyone been? <3 Loves!

Back from Cali, two weeks ago - just sharing a few photos

I had the priviledge to visit my sister two weeks ago for the arrival of my first neice. I didn't get to take too many photos for other reasons, but my neice is a doll. And here are a few to share:


























Beautiful baby, beautiful company, beautiful trip! It was definatley a beautiful week! :)

C SECTION TIME, AUNT JENNY TIME!!

So Thursday around noon I am lounging on my parents couch, the kids are running about driving me insane and my mom blurts out after hanging up the phone with my sister, "Mickey is going to have a c section on Monday".

Of course immediatley the gears in my head start turning and I am scheming up ways to get from the Carolina's clear across the US to California. I have no money in all honesty, but I have a credit card and a credit card that I saved for such purposes.

It was a hard decision to go, because I had never been away from my son EVER, and I have never been away from my daughter for any amount of time really other than the hours she sleeps or when she went to pre k. But when my mom refused to fly and my dad wouldn't go, I knew it was time for my big butt to get a way there to be my sister's maiden in shining armour * hahaha * joke joke.

So eventually that night we bought a ticket roundtrip, for under 400 bucks, and here it is I will be going to bed to sleep a few hours and then I will embark on my FIRST ever SOLO flight. No turning back, it's a done deal, non refundable.

Not only will I concur my fear of heights and planes, I will also concur my fear of being alone in a large crowd of strangers. CRAP! Forget all that, I am good in God's hands. What I am scared about is if I am going to be able to run fast enough to get from my switching flight from one end of Charlotte Douglas Airport allllll the way to the other end.

Oh airport folks, you mock me, you like to see a gal run! even if I don't have to run, I am still going to run, because even more than my fear of heights and planes and crowded places, I fear being LOST and being LEFT behind.

Yes, my lovely blog readers, you will come to learn in due time, I have very many irrational and ridiculous fears. Some common, some bizarre, I own them:)

So this time tomorrow I will be in California and I get to see my VERY best friend in the world whom I have not seen since November!! I am ecstatic!! And I get to be there for the birth of my first neice! And?!!? I GET TO BE THE PHOTOGRAPHER FOR IT ALL!!

Can't say I never traveled across the united states for a photo op?! haha - I'm totally kidding. I am elated, I am scared, I am nervous, and I will not eat before my plane ride incase my anxiety makes me want to puke.

I only hope my riding partner doesn't hate that he/or/she has to be stuck with an anti social like myself. GREAAAT hahahha! g'night dear readers!! <3 !! I hope to be in California safe and sound tomorrow and I hope Doug takes good care of the kids while i am gone. I am sooo nervous!

I'll be an Auntie soon enough!

Sometimes, it's hard for me to believe my sister is no longer just a 5 minute drive down the road from me. Sometimes I don't get that when I pick up my cell phone and start to dial her number to ask her if she wants to run to wal mart or the mall with me she is no longer in the state. Instead, my best friend is clear across the U.S. from me in California. Where the cost of living would probably do me over. Sometimes, I even find it hard to believe I will be an aunt for the first time in July. So at 29 weeks, my sister looks amazing!! At 29 weeks I think I was much larger (of course) and my nose was starting to take on the robust meatball shape from nanny's kitchen. Dear lord, what happened to me? haha. I am glad to see my sister wears pregnancy well!

I am anxious to meet my niece! I am sad that we are thousands of miles apart, but my sister says she will come visit with baby in tow comes late summer. -It's much harder for me to travel with two children.

Sometimes? Well, I will tell you about sometimes. Sometimes as a child, or a young adult, when you grow up and spend your entire life with your sibling, even if you grow into different groups and have different friends, you are still bonded and feel like they will never leave your side. And somtimes, even into your later twenties, you suddenly realize one day that things do change, even the changes you never imagined to take place, like your best friend/sibling moving so far away.

Sometimes I think life sucks, and sometimes I think it's unfair, but sometimes I look at the bigger picture, that God has a purpose and reason for everything, even if we dislike it, sometimes change is best, and sometimes things fall into place better over the years.

I just miss the days that I had my best friend to confide in, cry to or laugh until my belly jiggled;)

And I wish my niece could grow up around my children and that I could baby sit and all that other great jazz, but I do know that eventually we'll see each other and I can't wait.

I love you sis!! Can't wait to meet Anna Elizabeth!!

Baby shopping, etc.

The other day my grandma in Jersey called, she was making mention of sending MiMi and Ethan a birthday gift, along the conversation she had mentioned that so much was happening soon, both kids birthdays, graduations, a wedding and 'the baby'.

For some reason (I blame my lack of sleep), I go "what baby, whose having a baby?"

She stopped and laughed and goes, "YOUR SISTER".

Oh, DUH of course, lol, how could I have thought she was speaking of someone else?
Mommy brain, I blame it all on mommy brain, and, that thing called NO SLEEP:)

With that reminder of sorts, I finally went on my sister's baby registry (granted she isn't due until July) and purchased her the bedding she had on there, it's really cute in person, this is what she picked out:




Ohhh, and I am so cheap, you know I saved on shipping by doing the wal mart site to store. haha, she doesn't mind, really, the last thing I sent her the same way. Word of advice to online retailers, OFFER free shipping or DISCOUNTED shipping codes, or lose A TON of business to places that do offer free shipping options.

Moving along, I also FINALLY went out and bought packaging tape to send her the baby package I put together for her. OH GOSH, let me just say I am not only compromised in my memory, I also can not tape to save my life! The packaging tape I puchased came in a fancy dispenser (I suppose for folks like me who are tape challenged) only this made things sooo much worse. When I was done the box looked like a crumped up taped all over mess.

Even the woman at the post office shot me a look peering over her glasses.

She then darted her eye to Ethan who was chubbily asleep over my shoulder. She smiled and nodded at me, as though she understood.

If only she knew.

This is what I sent my sister in her package:

my fav..omgi loooove elephants stuff for babies lol

these below are organic ..they are at babies r us too it's koala baby brand om they have the cutest stuff!

Then I found her this blanket at wal mart:

Of course I am impatient and I never got my flat rate box so with priority shipping, insurance and signature confirmation, it was 20 bucks to send that thing clear across the US to California.

And I think I am done baby shopping, well until my first neice is born, then it may just happen again:)