So a little update...Phil's work out at Ave is going great! We'll be staying in our current place until November-ish and hope to look for a house towards the end of the summer. The kids have been healthy, we're making more friends here, LIFE IS GOOD!
The only major change has been moving Dominic into Hailey's room. We've tried a couple times before, but Dom wasn't ready. About a month ago, we moved his pack n'play in there and tried again, and both kids were SOOO excited. They both slept great, and have been doing pretty awesome since :)
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Happy New Year!
We didn't stay up till midnight...barely made it to 10. But we're very excited for all we have to look forward to in 2011!
This is the Nativity project Auntie Ann helped me with before Christmas:
We had a really nice Christmas at my Mom's new house, and spent some time with the extended family and Great-Grandparents. We tried to explain the true meaning of CHRISTmas to the kids, and while they're still a little young, they really enjoyed singing "Happy Birthday to Jesus"! Hailey enjoyed opening everyone's gifts for them, while Dom played with the wrapping paper ;)
This is the Nativity project Auntie Ann helped me with before Christmas:
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| We cut out a felt Nativity for the kids-they loved it! |
We had a really nice Christmas at my Mom's new house, and spent some time with the extended family and Great-Grandparents. We tried to explain the true meaning of CHRISTmas to the kids, and while they're still a little young, they really enjoyed singing "Happy Birthday to Jesus"! Hailey enjoyed opening everyone's gifts for them, while Dom played with the wrapping paper ;)
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| Great-Grandma |
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| My "little" brother |
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Back to the daily grind
I've been "gone" for over a month...and while I wish we were at Disney the entire time...it was only for a week. But what a wonderful week! We has lots of fun, got little sleep, and made wonderful memories. Phil and I even had a few "mini-dates" going on rides while my mom played with the kids. After we returned home we all needed a vacation from our vacation! So we took it easy. My in-laws were great and took charge of Thanksgiving...we showed up with pumpkin pie and whipped cream, ate, let the kids play, and went to bed early. PERFECT!
Phil returned to work after 2 weeks off, and it's been an adjustment for us all. The kids are enjoying getting "back to normal" with daily trips to the park and play dates. But, every morning, Hailey asks if it's the weekend yet...and Dom follows him to the door with the saddest puppy dog face-which is really rather cute, and sad.
I'm most grateful this year for my family and our good health. It's easy to take for granted until we're faced with illness or other medical complications. And secondly, for friends. Over the past 8 months, God has placed some really awesome women in my life, and instead of getting too mushy, I'll leave it at that =)
Happy Advent everyone! I pray this is a fruitful Advent season for all of us as we prepare for Jesus' Birthday! I'll be following up with a fun little Advent project my sister-in-law is going to help me finish(hopefully) next week-but don't hold your breadth...might be 2011 before I get another post and pictures up!
Phil returned to work after 2 weeks off, and it's been an adjustment for us all. The kids are enjoying getting "back to normal" with daily trips to the park and play dates. But, every morning, Hailey asks if it's the weekend yet...and Dom follows him to the door with the saddest puppy dog face-which is really rather cute, and sad.
I'm most grateful this year for my family and our good health. It's easy to take for granted until we're faced with illness or other medical complications. And secondly, for friends. Over the past 8 months, God has placed some really awesome women in my life, and instead of getting too mushy, I'll leave it at that =)
Happy Advent everyone! I pray this is a fruitful Advent season for all of us as we prepare for Jesus' Birthday! I'll be following up with a fun little Advent project my sister-in-law is going to help me finish(hopefully) next week-but don't hold your breadth...might be 2011 before I get another post and pictures up!
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| Hailey was so proud to "ride" by herself! |
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Shopping 101
Hailey taught me early on the importance of encouraging little ones to ride in the cart at the store. Once she was too mobile to carry, we went through the phase of her wanting to walk, not ride. Ok...I only had one little one to chase around, so I'd let her walk. Who was I to confine her to the shopping cart? Fast forward a year. I was 9 months pregnant with Dominic and half way through Costco, Hailey finishes her snack and gets down to "help" mommy. As I chased her (gimping w/bad sciatica) from the back of the store to the registers, dodging other carts/shoppers/onlookers, I couldn't help thinking, "I'll NEVER be able to shop w/two"! But I should know better than to think too far ahead. Once Dom could sit up in the cart, both kids have had so much fun on our shopping adventures. We still have snacks, and the ultimate bribe-a lollipop, but we all have a lot of fun pointing out things, singing (yes-"wheels on the bus", and "if you're happy and you know it..." can be heard two isles over) and discussing what foods would be yummy to eat for dinner. Now that Dom's walking, our last few trips have given me flashbacks of chasing Hailey...so I might start going by myself for big trips. But I'm truly grateful for all the fun times we've had and look forward to more in the future! These pics are from a couple months ago:
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| Sometimes only Hailey can bring a smile to his face "Act as if every dat were the last of your life, and each action the last you perform." ~St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori |
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Naples Zoo
As promised, I actually remembered the camera and took a few pics today! Dom's been sick w/a cold, so this was definitely the most fun he's had all week. I've tried to make things fun for Hailey since we've been couped up at home the last few days...and our kitchen is proof (messy & full of goodies)! Hailey's been helping me cook/bake, and it's been great bonding for us. She's a pro at chocolate chip pancakes!
Back to the Zoo-It was beautiful out today! We arrived shortly after 9AM and Dom was ready for a nap by 10:30, so we missed the giraffes and show, but still had a great time! I do miss the San Diego Zoo; however, the nice thing about this one being smaller, is that the kids can roam a little more freely and I don't have to worry about them getting hit by a double decker tourist bus (trying to find the silver lining-really miss the elephants ;)
Back to the Zoo-It was beautiful out today! We arrived shortly after 9AM and Dom was ready for a nap by 10:30, so we missed the giraffes and show, but still had a great time! I do miss the San Diego Zoo; however, the nice thing about this one being smaller, is that the kids can roam a little more freely and I don't have to worry about them getting hit by a double decker tourist bus (trying to find the silver lining-really miss the elephants ;)
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My little helper |
 Frustrated by the glass partition  |
| Sibling Love "You ought to ask our Lord for just one thing, to love Him. All the rest should be thanksgiving." ~St. Padre Pio |
Monday, October 11, 2010
Beach Retreat
Last Monday, poor Hailey got bitten all over her torso (not sure what bit her) and had an allergic reaction-she was a trooper though! Those went away by Thursday. On Friday, she was stung by a wasp-again, it was cured with a smoothie! Kids really are quite resilient, so I'm learning. I was hesitant to leave the kids overnight to go on this retreat after the week we had, but Phil was awesome and encouraged me to go-yes, he's great!
This "retreat" was at a gorgeous beachfront penthouse, and about a dozen women came and went throughout the weekend. It was perfect! Very laid back, lots of food, pool/beach time and good ol' talking into the wee hours of the night. I brought Dominic with me to stay the 2nd night, and although we slept little, it was worth it. Friendships take time. And with two little ones, play dates don't really allow me the time to do too many "getting-know-you" conversations. Or it's interrupted and you can't get past the usual niceties-i.e. "how old are your kids?" and then it's "mommy mommy I have to go potty!!". So this weekend really helped me get to know a great group of women I hope to become closer to.
A few quick tid-bits from our week:
1. Dom's officially walking! It took a few weeks from those first steps, but now he's able to get from room to room on foot! He's also babbling like crazy, and signing "more" "please" and "all-done"-what else could a boy need to say?!
2. Hailey was so excited to leave this morning, she took it upon herself to dress Dominic. And no one got hurt ;) I came out to find him sitting still (won't do that for me!) while she was desperately trying to snap the two snaps on his shirt.
3. We took our first trip to the Naples Zoo on Thursday, and we really enjoyed ourselves! Unfortunately, I forgot my camera...but will be sure to get some pics next time!
Here's a pic from the beach retreat:
This "retreat" was at a gorgeous beachfront penthouse, and about a dozen women came and went throughout the weekend. It was perfect! Very laid back, lots of food, pool/beach time and good ol' talking into the wee hours of the night. I brought Dominic with me to stay the 2nd night, and although we slept little, it was worth it. Friendships take time. And with two little ones, play dates don't really allow me the time to do too many "getting-know-you" conversations. Or it's interrupted and you can't get past the usual niceties-i.e. "how old are your kids?" and then it's "mommy mommy I have to go potty!!". So this weekend really helped me get to know a great group of women I hope to become closer to.
A few quick tid-bits from our week:
1. Dom's officially walking! It took a few weeks from those first steps, but now he's able to get from room to room on foot! He's also babbling like crazy, and signing "more" "please" and "all-done"-what else could a boy need to say?!
2. Hailey was so excited to leave this morning, she took it upon herself to dress Dominic. And no one got hurt ;) I came out to find him sitting still (won't do that for me!) while she was desperately trying to snap the two snaps on his shirt.
3. We took our first trip to the Naples Zoo on Thursday, and we really enjoyed ourselves! Unfortunately, I forgot my camera...but will be sure to get some pics next time!
Here's a pic from the beach retreat:
"What does it profit you to give God one thing if He asks of you another? Consider what it is that God wants, and then do it." Saint John of the Cross
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Getting Started
Since our move from San Diego, Ca. to Naples, Fl. I've embraced the world of blogging. I've really enjoyed reading blogs, mostly of other Catholic Moms, a few I know personally, but mostly of beautiful women I'll never meet. I've found so much inspiration in my vocation as a wife and mother. I'm not sure where my blog will lead me, but I look forward to having a chronicle of our lives for our children. Please excuse any incorrect grammar/misspellings. I pray my words bring smiles, laughs, and encouragement!
We've been in Naples for 6 months now, and it took hosting the kids Birthdays at our condo for me to finally finish unpacking...sad but true. Knowing my in-laws and some friends would be over spurred us into a real cleaning frensy! When we moved, Phil only had 2 days off between jobs, and one was spent flying cross-country. So, those first few weekends were spent getting settled, unpacking necessities, and attempting to make the transition as smooth as possible for the little ones. Inevitably, there were a half dozen boxes left in the dining room that wouldn't fit in the closets or storage unit accross the hall. How we ever fit everything into our 700 sq. foot apt. in Cali I'll never know...this place is about 1200sq. ft and feels like a mansion! So the said boxes ended up in the corner of our dining room...collecting more junk on top. Needless to say, I had to do some packing/re-packing, and purging of a few things, but everything is officially "put away"! Whew! Just in time for birthdays-which meant presents...and more organizing.
We spent two wonderful weekends celebrating birthdays. Hailey, Dominic and Phil's Birthdays are all two weeks apart, so we combined them into two days of parties with each of our families. It was extra-special for my family to be apart of this, as we've been living in California for the last three years. Phil's family lives there part of the year, and we enjoyed many celebrations with them, and really took advantage of most of his family being nearby! And we grew very close to our friends, who became like family to us! However, there was always an ache in my heart, for especially my mom, who I knew missed so dearly being there for birthdays and holidays. So this year was as close to perfect as I could have imagined. Dominic actually took his first steps towards MY Grandmother at Hailey's party! Thank you Jesus for giving us all that special moment...I'm tearing up just thinking about it.
After this post, I'll be doing a little back tracking and reminiscing how we got to where we are today...hope you enjoy reading about our journey as much as I do writing about it!
Today is Respect Life Sunday, so I'll leave you with this:
"The true measure of civilization, a universal and permanent measure which includes all cultures, is its relationship with life...and the unborn." (Words of John Paul II, the Great)
We've been in Naples for 6 months now, and it took hosting the kids Birthdays at our condo for me to finally finish unpacking...sad but true. Knowing my in-laws and some friends would be over spurred us into a real cleaning frensy! When we moved, Phil only had 2 days off between jobs, and one was spent flying cross-country. So, those first few weekends were spent getting settled, unpacking necessities, and attempting to make the transition as smooth as possible for the little ones. Inevitably, there were a half dozen boxes left in the dining room that wouldn't fit in the closets or storage unit accross the hall. How we ever fit everything into our 700 sq. foot apt. in Cali I'll never know...this place is about 1200sq. ft and feels like a mansion! So the said boxes ended up in the corner of our dining room...collecting more junk on top. Needless to say, I had to do some packing/re-packing, and purging of a few things, but everything is officially "put away"! Whew! Just in time for birthdays-which meant presents...and more organizing.
We spent two wonderful weekends celebrating birthdays. Hailey, Dominic and Phil's Birthdays are all two weeks apart, so we combined them into two days of parties with each of our families. It was extra-special for my family to be apart of this, as we've been living in California for the last three years. Phil's family lives there part of the year, and we enjoyed many celebrations with them, and really took advantage of most of his family being nearby! And we grew very close to our friends, who became like family to us! However, there was always an ache in my heart, for especially my mom, who I knew missed so dearly being there for birthdays and holidays. So this year was as close to perfect as I could have imagined. Dominic actually took his first steps towards MY Grandmother at Hailey's party! Thank you Jesus for giving us all that special moment...I'm tearing up just thinking about it.
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| Dom taking his first steps at the Grandparents' house |
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| Grandmommy, Uncle Billy and Hailey with her princess cake |
After this post, I'll be doing a little back tracking and reminiscing how we got to where we are today...hope you enjoy reading about our journey as much as I do writing about it!
Today is Respect Life Sunday, so I'll leave you with this:
"The true measure of civilization, a universal and permanent measure which includes all cultures, is its relationship with life...and the unborn." (Words of John Paul II, the Great)
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