~Maureen~

Yesterday was my birhday. The years fly by! I am 44 years old. As we do with all of our birthdays, we had cake for breakfast to start the day. My mom had given me an early gift of a Kindle :) so I received a case, light, and gift card from John, a light and cute plate from Kellyn, (will decide which light and exchange the other), a framed picture and lip shimmer from Katie and a Willow tree little boy from my sweet boy :)

We went out to dinner with my parents and came back for dessert.
Survivor and a glass of wine to end my day.
Perfect way to celebrate :)

More than a whole year...

I was visiting a blog that has a link to my blog on it.  I clicked on it and could not believe that it has been just over a whole year since I have posted. 

Wow.

A whole year of stuff that is over.  I can't believe it!

I don't even know what to post about anymore.  I have thought about the blog here and there.  I have felt guilty....having a blog for about 5 years with our life...my life documented and then a year with nothing. 

We'll see.  I'd like to get back to it.  I would like to start a new one...about my job as a kindergarten teacher.  But, I don't know.

I guess I could do a bullet point post.  I have done them in the past.  It sort of updates us?

Kellyn:

• is 18.
• is a senior...but only for a short time longer.
• is figuring out which college she will go to.  She applied to 5.  Got into 3.  Did not get into 1.  And has not heard from one yet. 
• She knows where she wants to go though. 
• she works at a grocery store. 
• she is so mature and grown up.
• A friend of mine had a conversation with Kellyn last week and described her as an "asolute gem" among other things.  When sharing this, so many agreed.  And I received more adjectives about her. 
• I had lunch with Kellyn on Thursday and it was really nice.  She is changing and growing up. 

Katie:

• is 15 3/4.
• a sophomore.
• stopped dancing for a while.  When I saw that my last post was from a performance of hers, my heart became sad.  It is such a long story and one I won't share here.....not that anyone reads this anymore....but it's been a difficult 6 months for my dancing girl...
• She just transferred to a new school.  It is tiny.  It is perfect for her right now.  I am praying it was the right thing to do but feel strongly that it was.  It feels like I am homeschooling withouth homeschooling....sort of.
• has done a smidge of driving..we need to take her out more and she will take drivers ed and hopefully, she will have her license before summer is over.  Wow.

Johnny:

• is 8. 
• is in 2nd grade.
• is still my sweet little dude.  my buddy.  my God send.
• but he has his days ;)
• is playing piano.  He just finished learning "the Enterainer" and is now learning "Tonights gonna be a good night". 
• is so independent.  :(
• did DI again this year...I see him in the pictures from last year....sigh.....he had his competition 2 weeks ago, although he is in the "non-competitive" age group still.
• still in Cub Scouts.  We just came from the "Blue and Gold" ceremony.  He likes Scouts.
• finished basketball and baseball starts soon.

John:

• is so busy. 
• Doing what?  Here goes:  Chiropractic.  He is working alone in the office.....so the workload is huge.  He is still a call firefighter in Bedford.  Still loving it.  Is now involved with the Association.  Is the chair of the NH STate board of chiropractic examiners.  Lots of work.  Den leader.  Coach.  Played basketball again.  Still a huge UNC Tarheels fan :) 

Me:

• started the year as a Kindergarten teacher at the school I have been teaching pre-school at. 
• love my job.  Only 9 kids in my class....perfect way to start!
• Mom.
• I have not scrapped in over a year.  I miss it but I don't have time.  So sad.
• I hardly ever take pictures anymore......so sad.
• I don't read nearly as often as I'd like to or as I used to.  So sad.
• I fail at keeping in touch with friends.
• I am so consumed by Facebook.....it's crazy.
• I miss life as it was 5 years ago.....but, life goes on.  Changes happen and whether we like it or not, we all grow.  Kids grow but so do we. 
• I am incredibly blessed in this life and I pray that I never forget it.  I pray I will remain humble and gracious. 

And that is a quick summary. Except!!!  WE moved!  I forgot....sheesh.  We moved a street away last June.  It's my parents' house (they moved) and we love it. 

I don't know when or if I will continue the blog....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DI and Fairy Houses

Our weekend was incredibly busy!  Johnny has been involved with something at school called Destination Imagination all year.  He is in the "Rising Stars" group (which you are in for K,1,2) which is non-competitive.  It has been a really great thing for him, as it's right up his ally!  This weekend was a competition and they do "perform" and are observed but not judged yet.  Here are a few pictures of him at DI

As soon as this was done, we had to book it to another part of NH to see Katie's performance.  Her dance studio performed "Fairy Houses, the Journey" and it was really good!  Katie did great and looked beautiful!  Here are a few pictures of her

 
 

Katie was a "Starlight Fairy".  There were other fairies and farm girls and all of the girls did relaly well!  Katie smiled like the pictures (but maybe bigger?) her entire time/s on stage!  This was the meet and greet and she loved it almost...if not more...than dancing!  So cute!

And...I did manage to put together some things for a design team contest....this one, I would really really love to be a part of but have absolutely no expectations of getting.  I love the product and actually, the design team members are all girls I have admired....and love their work.....so I think it makes it more exciting to apply.  I haven't been disappointed about not making a design team for a long long time but this one might bring a little.  Still, though...I am happy I applied!  Here are my layouts and cards that I submitted for it:

Don't you just love that lemon paper?!  So cute!   Of course I also love the birdhouse and butterfly papers! Fun stuff and fun scrapping again!

 
 
 
   
 
  
  

I kind of got back into scrapbooking....here are the first layouts I have done in almost a year and a half.

 

I submitted 2 of these but knew it was a long shot...and an even bigger long shot....I applied for 2 design teams last week!  Did not make either but tried anyway.  I am thinking seriously of trying for one more.

Call me crazy! 

But...it sure feels good to scrap again!  I just need to organize my life and then it will feel like it's easier :)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Power...less

On Thursday (Feb 25), at 10:25 pm, we lost power.  The wind had picked up and I wondered if we'd lose it and we did. 

After the ice storm in Dec '08, where we felt so vulnerable, Johnny looked and waited to find a generator at a decent price. He found one last summer on sale and bought it.  I was somewhat annoyed by the $$ spent when there were other things we could spend that $$ on. 

Well, now....I am so grateful that he did buy it!  He hooked it up right away on Thur night, having a feeling that we'd be powerless for longer than just a few hours.

The generator he bought is able to keep our fridge and heat running.  We were able to make coffee and use our microwave, plug in our phones and thankfully, run our sump pump....had it not been running, our basement would have flooded.

Johnny had gone out right away to help out at the fire dept.  While he was gone, I was lying in bed and the wind was scary!  I almost grabbed the kids and hit the basement but did not.  Branches were hitting the front of the house and the wind was so loud and strong, I thought for sure the windows would be blown through!

Johnny said the town was like a war zone.  He couldn't believe it.  He said he had to drive all over to get anywhere because trees and wires were down and all over the roads.  Trees were uprooted.  Trees were through rooves for some people.

It was a long few days but at 9:00 on Saturday night, power to us was restored!  Not so for many of our friends and a lot of our town.  School is closed today...March 1st, due to no power in some of the schools, but also roads still being unsafe for driving.  
We had winter break last week so one more day off for the kids.  Not thrilled but not complaining either.

Feels good to have power and hoping today's winds don't cause anymore outages! 

14 days of love shares.

I shared things I love on Facebook for the first 14 days of February...until Valentine's day of course.

Facebook won't store that stuff so I wanted to add them here.  Here they are...in a nutshell:

1. February 1st, I love to scrapbook. It's a hobby I started about 12 years ago and have had ups and downs and at one point, it consumed me. About a week ago, I scrapped after not scrapping for about a ...year and a half and now, I am thrilled to be back at it :) A link to my online gallery from past layouts is over there on the side.
2. Feb. 2nd~...I love to read and thanks to my mom, I found this author's books. I have loved all of her books...check out her sight and enjoy! Adriana Trigiani
3. Feb 3rd....I *love* the Disney movie "Pollyana"! I would venture to say I am a "Pollyana" at heart. Love her quote from the movie:"If you look for the bad in people you're sure to find it, so look for the good in them instead." And this: POLLYANNA: There are eight hundred happy texts, did you kno...w that? REVEREND: No, I didn't know that. POLLYANNA: Yes, well there are. And do you know, my father said that if GOD took the trouble to tell us eight hundred times to be glad and rejoice, He must have wanted us to do it.
   Go out today and be a "Pollyana" :)
4.  Feb 4th ....I love "The Lamb's Workshop". It has been a part of our lives for 11.5 years, beginning with Katie in the 3's, 4,s and kindergarten. I have been a parent, a teacher, a board member, a volunteer to this amazing place. God brought us to Lamb's and it ...has blessed me more than I could ever explain. I have made some of my closest friends through it, met the most wonderful people and the most amazing little children in the world. It's a special place and it does and always will hold a special place in my heart.
5. Feb. 5th ....I love tulips! I actually have a lot of favorite flowers but...at this time of year, when I am SO.OVER.WINTER ....the grocery stores all have fresh, beautiful tulips and bringing them into my home, brings me a little bit of joy and hope that winter won't last forever :P I think I'll go buy some for myself today :)
6. Feb 6th ....I love my church. We have been a part of Bethany for just about 12 years and it *is* my church, despite the ups and downs we've been experiencing the past couple of years. A verse I came across: Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Bethany Covenant Church
7.  Feb. 7th....I love love love the Cape. More than just the Cape, I love my parent's house down there. We are so incredibly lucky to have this place to go to. It is truly one of the most relaxing...or "CHILLAXIN'" places in my world! Here is one of the many amazing sunsets we have enjoyed from the deck.  
8. Feb 8th.....Not feeling love today but...am on a roll with my 14 days of sharing the love and I'm sure some might be disappointed if I didn't share something (HAHAHA :P) So....today's love share is how I love my coffee! First cup in the morning is my favorite and we bought a Keurig about 18 months ago and ...I love it! We have tried all different types of coffee. I'm sharing the link to where we have been buying our coffee because we find it, for us, to be a great deal! You can mix and match your flavors, buy 24 for $10.95 and if you spend $50, you get free S/H. Plus, we are supporting a NH business :)Big Cat Coffees 
9.  Feb 9th......I love chiropractic. I am lucky enough to be married to my chiropractor ♥ Chiropractic has changed my life and made me a healthier person. My children are also healthier because of it. I am putting the link for our office here....check it out. It could change your life too! Boyden Family Chiropractic
10.  Feb 10th "love" share. I love my family. I am extremely blessed to have them in my life. They love us and accept us for who/what we are. We can go months and months without seeing each other or even talking and that is okay....we pick up where we left off. We differ on many things; politics, religion, how we raise... our kids, etc....but that is okay...we still love each other and we don't fight over that stuff or anything else because it's just not important enough. Thank you God for these people.....I am so blessed. This picture is from the Alaska cruise we went on last July.
    PS...I wanted to be sure to mention that I have other family members who weren't on the cruise.....I love my dad and grandfather and have lots of aunts, uncles, cousins, in laws too. 
    
11. Feb 11th "love" share. Today, I celebrate my friends......I am blessed with some of the most amazing people in my life and am lucky to call them friends. I ♥ my friends. It might be fun if you leave in your comment how we met :) God bless you my friends! (I saved the comments but won't post them here).
12. Feb 12th.....With Valentine's day on Sunday, I thought I'd share...and also advertise a little for a friend :) I ♥ love ♥ chocolate! My friend opened her chocolate shop here in Bedford a year ago and that is a good (hmmm, or not? ;) LOL) thing for me :) She has some yummy chocolate and some really cool ...gifts and things! I (shhh) bought some ♥ day treats for my kiddos already so now I can tell you....go and buy some yummy chocolate goodness for your loved ones! Stellas is open today and tomorrow....although for any last minute shopping.....the wait might be longer than I had ;)Stella's Fine Chocolates
13.   Feb 13th........ Today's love share is all about my children. I am blessed beyond measure by my 3 children.
    In Jan 1993, I became a mommy. Lucky Kellyn got to and gets to be my first experience in all things parenting ;)
    Kellyn ♥ is truly this amazing person now...almost an adult :-O She is beautiful and so... great to talk to...ask anyone....I hear this from people all the time!
    My 2nd time around....June of 95, along came Katie ♥ She came into the world strong and her personality...is still strong. A beautiful girl who is like the "Pied Piper" with children...they love her and she draws them in. She knows what she wants in life.
    And then....in Sept '02, my heart became complete....Johnny ♥ was born. There is something to be said about the love of a mother and son (or maybe just knowing it's your last baby??....no....it's the son thing). And this son....is an incredible little boy. I believe he was born happy :) I love how he thinks and his joy for life.
    So...as I do everyday...I thank God for my children. For each of them and for them as a whole. I am a better person for having them. I have grown, my love has grown and my life has grown.
    I ♥ love ♥ you kkj!!! 
14. Feb 14th.......Of course I waited until the last day of "14 days of love shares".....fittingly, Valentines Day...for this one. I ♥ love ♥ my husband. We have been together for almost 22 years, married 20 on June 23rd of this year.
    Johnny is a good man. He loves me, despite my many faults. He loves our chi...ldren. He loves God. He works really really hard. He is an amazing chiropractor....amazing! "On the side", he is a great firefighter/emt. He loves basketball, golf, wine, cigars, the remote control :P ;) LOL, snowblowing, riding his lawnmower, grilling, North Carolina basketball, his friends and his family. He stands up for what he believes in. He protects his family. He does so much for so many....just because of the man he is.
I am blessed and lucky and oh so loved. Thank you God for giving me this man to share my life with.
Happy Valentine's Day honey ♥ 
 

January recap

 
January 1st....love a fresh new month of a fresh new year!

Kellyn, being inducted into the National Honor Society.  And, here she is with her proud parents :)

and she turned 17....sigh..... and got a Northface fleece .

In other, non-Kellyn news ;)  

• Katie moved up in dance (level)....
• Johnny continues to play indoor soccer
• Johnny has been tubing twice and loves it. 
• Midterms for Kellyn and Katie...
• Report cards by all.  Johnny did best, then Kellyn, then Katie.
• Katie is struggling in school.
• and it's stressing me out.
• We got a new old car...that was my niece's.  It runs and does what a car should for a high school student.  No picture (hopefully I will remember).
• My mom and John left for Florida....for 3 months!
• We have their dog, Snickers.  I'll try to get a picture of her.

I can't think of anything else......but there is a quick recap of our January.

 
 
 
 
 

Sad day

Today, a friend of mine passed away.  She has been sick for a couple of years on and off.  Just after Thanksgiving, she went into the hospital.  She never got better.  She entered the hospice house I think around the first of the year or so.  I was prepared for her passing but I am still quite sad.  She is not in pain any longer and she is in a better place. 

Cindy was an amazing woman.  She knew everyone and was extremely down to Earth and honest.  She will be missed by so many of all ages.
I am most sad for her husband Bill and her 3 boys.  Her boys are really wonderful boys.  Jack is a sophomore at Colgate, Sam is a freshman at BHS and Scott is in 7th grade at Lurgio.  She raised them up to be great men I think.  But to lose your mom.....my heart aches for them. 

So...it's a sad day for me.  I was able to see Cindy earlier this month.  She requested that we hold book club at the hospice house and we did.  I also went to visit her on Monday with my friend Lydia.  Lydia was actually really close with Cindy so my heart breaks for her. 

::sigh::

best intentions and all that.

I keep thinking I'm going to get back to my blog.  It kills me that I haven't, after having it for so many years and then bam...not ever writing.  I hate that Facebook has sucked me in and taken over. 
I have had thoughts of ending my blog.  I have had thoughts of switching to a free one, at least.
But, I have SO much in this one and have not saved/printed any of it. 
So....I'll try again and figure out where to go from here.

January 26, 2010....I can't believe it's already 2010 but that January is almost over....is even harder to believe! 

So...what's been new?  Here are some pictures to show a little bit of the past few months:

Johnny turned 7. This was hard...where has the time gone?

He had a space themed birthday party with a HUGE bouncey obstacle course thing....SO much fun :)

Kellyn played her 3rd season of jv volleyball and was co-captain.  She is thinking she doesn't want to play next year (senior year) and I am sad :(

I got to go on a field trip with Johnny...cool wigwam that we got to go in.  Sadly, it was a dreary, raw, rainy day.  J is in red :)

 Johnny's Halloween parade at school...he was an astonaut :)

 Here he is waiting to go trick or treating.  He had been sick all day but perked up and went out.  Woke up the next day sick again.

Almost forgot....2nd season of soccer.  J is the one NOT wearing sunglasses.

My handsome hubby turned 43.

we tagged our tree :)

We celebrated Thanksgiving at Jill and Mike's :)

The book elf (check out 2 December's ago) visited Johnny again each night.

We cut down our tree.

J's first time this year playing in the snow.

We decorated our beautiful tree.

Katie's first high school semi formal dance.  She went with her friend Ali and had a really fun time.

We baked Christmas cookies.

 Our church celebrated Lucia and Kellyn was a Lucia girl.

And Johnny....was a tomte (sp?) which is a little Swedish elf :)

Christmas Eve pjs...after church, dinner/gifts with Grammy and Pops :)

Our traditional balloon for Jesus, after a morning of gifts that made the kids happy.....church.....cinnabons and love :)

Johnny, barely staying awake on New Year's Eve....this was about 11:55 pm, counting down...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

December Daily...December 1st, 2009

I thought it would be good to document the month of December.  I created a "December Daily" album last year that I never used.  This year, the work is done so....I will change the '08 to'09 and use it this year instead :)

My goal...to document each day of December with thoughts, words, and photos.  Hopefully, this will motivate me to get back to blogging....which I really want to do :)

December 1st, 2009
We started a new tradition a couple of years ago.  It's the "Christmas Book Elf".  I got part of the idea from my friend Melissa Deakin.  I then added the "elf" part. 

So...today, Johnny woke up to a letter, a wrapped book, and the elf.  He was excited.  We read the book tonight.
A new tradition for this year is one I copied from a friend of mine.  She uses a jar for each of her children.  She fills the jar with 25 chocolate kisses.  They get one each day. 
I found small, inexpensive jars at Walmart, threw in some kisses for Johnny and Katie and some fruity tootsie roll things for Kellyn (she is not eating chocolate)...got to www.notforsale.org and find out more....slavery is big in the chocolate world.
I am a lover of tradition!  Hopefully, some will carry on with the kids :)