Just the Two of Us

I love this man!  I have really since we met....well for the second time.  I feel in love with him immediately...we said "I love you!" after the second day we spent together...we got engaged 5 months after we met and got married within the year of our official first meeting.  I love this man!

So why is it that after 4 years of marriage and 2 kids....life has become so scheduled, so predictable...almost boring at moments.  Where did our romance, our energy, our honeymoon love go!?!?!

Somewhere in the past couple years...we have forgotten why we started "us" to begin with.  In my opinion, this is not uncommon.  We are still the us that met and feel head over heels for one another....we are just a evolved over time us.

Now, I know that some of the things we used to be able to do are not as possible...weekends away, last minute concerts, sleeping in or days on the beach....I wouldn't trade the life we have together now for anything....I just wish the "us" who feel madly in love not so long ago didn't get lost in the new "us"!

I do believe that the most valuable advice we have ever received is to not forget about one another...to not neglect each other and each other's needs.  Unfortunately, Guilty as Charged :(

I know that through the years, things happen, life happens....but I want Zach to always be first, to be my priority...and this is going to take some rearranging and change.  I am ready to work really hard to make this marriage AMAZING!  No more boring...no more laziness...I love this man!  I want our life together to be perfect....our perfect!  And that means going back to why we started in the first place and remembering US!

Days of Thanksgiving

Day 24

I am thankful for Priests who speak truth!  Priest dedicate their entire lives to leading us to Christ.  All of us should have this mission, but they take huge vows to do so and I am so grateful for this vocation!  At Prince of Peace, we have two phenomenal priests, who week after week come before us and speak truth and lead and deal with hard questions and difficult people and still...week after week choose this vocation!  I am also beyond grateful for all priests!

Day 25

I am thankful to be done with Christmas Shopping and almost done with Christmas wrapping!

Day 26

I am thankful for nap time, especially when I get to participate.

Day 27

I am thankful that God gives us the ability to dream, to hope, to imagine and wonder.  I am grateful that God knows the desires of our hearts, even before we do!  Even if our dreams never come true...new dreams come to life and God fulfills the dreams in our hearts that go along with His plan.  DREAM!

Days of Thanksgiving

Day 18

I am thankful for Lysol...especially after a couple days of the stomach bug in our home.  I like the lemon scent the best!

Day 19

I am thankful for Baby Fever....Zach and I love our children and we are really, really excited to have another....in the future...one day!  I love that feeling that comes over me when I see an ultrasound or see a woman ready to pop or see a newborn....I love that I immediately start dreaming, imagining our life with another, imagine if our next will be a boy or girl, imagine feeling the weightlessness of an infant, imagining the joy another will bring to our family!  I love Baby Fever because this fever doesn't include finances or bills or negativity...only perfection and excitement!  I am thankful God has blessed me with an open heart to His plan for our family!

Day 20

I am thankful for unanswered prayers....He knows best!

Day 21

I am thankful for really soft, cozy big blankets...the kind that fit two perfectly to cuddle and watch a movie.

Day 22

I thankful for Time-Out and sometimes I wish I could myself into it!  A couple of minutes to sit and think about what I have done in peace and quiet sounds phenomenal!

Day 23

I am thankful for Zoe's imagination...she reminds me that everything doesn't have to be serious all the time or even real!  Sometimes pretending to go on a treasure hunt with a map Daddy made, pretending that the mailbox is Grey Mountain and the front porch is Lunar Lagoon and the backyard has a buried treasure...Sometimes it is nice to escape reality and have a little imagination!

Days of Thanksgiving

Day 12

I am so beyond thankful that I have everything I NEED!  I may want things, but I literally need nothing and for that I feel truly blessed.

Day 13

I am thankful for photography.  I treasure the photographs I have of the big milestones, important events and even the every day moments.  I love taking pictures, I love looking at pictures, I love it all.  I am thankful that I have documented so much of my life through photography especially since my memory remembers so little now.  Every picture tells a story and floods my mind with the memories surrounding it.  I love that a photograph can literally bring you back to that moment in time, one that might otherwise be forgotten.

Day 14

I am thankful for any piece of equipment that makes cleaning easier...a vacuum, a dishwasher, washing machine, swifter....I hate cleaning but anything that makes it easier I am so grateful for!

Day 15

I am thankful for date nights....they may not happen often enough but I am so glad when they do!

Day 16

I am thankful for music!  All different kinds!

Day 17

I am thankful that I live in the United States of America!

Zoe Zoo is 3!

My Zoe Jane turned 3 on November 14th.  I love Birthdays and I love that I constantly was thinking about everything that happened 3 years ago on her Birthday.  What an amazing day it was, painful, but amazing!  3 years ago I became a Mommy...a day that goes down as one of the greatest.  These past 3 years have been nothing but surprising.  Life has changed....so much that I don't remember my life before November 14, 2009...and I am a-okay with that!  My life has meaning because of this gift from God (and because of her brothers too of course!)

So what is Zoe Zoo up to...

• Zoe weighs 32.5 lbs (68%), is 36 inches tall (50%) and a BMI of 80%.
• Zoe wears size 3T shirts and some pants, 2T pants and size 7 shoe.
• Zoe is fully potty trained, even at night!  She has an accident here and there but it is either on the way to the potty, right in front of the potty or in front of her bedroom door.  Luckily, she is very vocal and communicates with us well when she "gots to go potty!"

• Zoe loves to watch TV...sad but true.  She loves LeapFrog and Super Why and Doc McStuffins.
• Zoe is not a big fan of the great outdoors, but since the weather has cooled down, we play outside a whole lot more.  She hates being sweaty.
• Zoe's favorite movie is Toy Story 2...she knows the difference in all 3.
• Zoe loves to have her nails painted and paint her face (put makeup on) like Mommy.

• Zoe is a great sleeper.  She still takes one nap a day and goes to sleep for the night around 8:30.  Lately, she has been waking up around 5:00am and coming to snuggle with Mommy and Daddy.  I love this!
• Zoe loves to sleep on the floor and is still very attached to her Piggy Pet and her HoHo blanket.  We don't leave home without them!
• Zoe loves to have spend the night parties with Grammy!
• Zoe has a great memory!  She can tell us where she left anything, who gave her what clothes or toys and what she did at school and so on.

• Zoe goes to school 2 days a week and loves it!  She is always smiles when we pick her up and loves saying Hi to Evan right when she gets in the car.
• Zoe loves to have dance parties in the living room and listen to Disney Radio on Pandora.  She gets so excited to see what song comes next!  She lately loves to ballroom dance and be dipped.  And if she wears a dress...the minute it goes on, she is twirling.
• Zoe can count to 20 and knows every letter and sound the letter makes.  She loves to sing the Super Why alphabet and she can sing it really fast!

• Zoe is starting to really love dolls.  She loves to pretend with them, take their clothes on and off and have them sleep right next to her.
• Zoe loves to read stories before bed...we read to her first and she reads the book back to us after.
• Zoe has definitely started to test her boundaries more lately.  She throws more tantrums, goes to time out more and has quiet time in her room often.  I don't do well with whining...some days are tough but still well worth it.  I think a lot of it has to do with going to sleep later and not getting enough rest...so we are working on more quiet time.
• Zoe loves Evan.  She begs to get him up in the morning!  She also lets us know Evan's every move!

• Zoe loves to go to the bank and grocery and get lolly pops!
• Zoe's favorite food right now are apples.  She eats an apple every day.
• Zoe loves to talk and sing...and she does both a lot!
• Zoe is doing better in Mass, but still goes to the nursery more times than not.  She has started to learn the Hail Mary at bedtime and can say Grace before meals all by herself.  She even reminds us to Bless the food if we forget.
• Zoe says Hi to Jesus every morning and afternoon when we go to Church and usually adds in another comment like.  "Hi Jesus!  Mommy, He's so cute." or "Hi Jesus! Mommy, why is he stuck?"  Childlike Faith!

 Wow does time fly!

A Feast Gone Wrong!

I feel like there are a top 3 reasons you send your kids to preschool:

1. Social and Educational Interaction

2. 8 hours a week of somewhat alone time to get things done 

3. Parties!

Let's be real...I have looked forward to all the Mommy and Muffins, Jingle Bell Market and Thanksgiving Feast days since September!

Thanksgiving Feast was a FAIL!

 And Zoe cried the WHOLE time....she sang not one song and yelled for Mommy majority of the time.

 And she refused to wear the cute Pilgrim Hat.

 Attempt at a smile...

 The little performance could not have finished fast enough....is it bad that I thought it was hilarious though!

On to the Feast....

 This is Zoe's friend Gianna.  During the performance, she kept trying to hug Zoe and make her feel better...she is so sweet!

Let's hope Christmas is twice as nice since Thanksgiving was a bust!

15 Months Old

My Baby Boy is getting so big!  Here is what Evan is up to these days...

• Evan wears size 18 month clothes, size 3 shoe and size 4 diaper.
• Evan is 29 inches tall.
• Evan weighs 22.5 lbs

• Evan has greenish hazel eyes.
• Evan has 3 teeth on the bottom and the 4th is coming very soon!
• Evan cruises all over the place, scales walls and even walks a ton, but crawling is still his fastest mode of transportation.
• Evan can't quite stand up on his own, without using a piece of furniture or leaning on something.  I think once he gets standing up on his own...walking full time will be right around the corner.

• Evan loves music and loves to sing.  He will repeat the beat of anything you say.  He loves to sing the tones to "Time for a Check Up" and "Backpack Backpack!"
• Evan's first real word was "thank you" which is pretty awesome!
• Evan loves to bang anything and pretend like its a drum.
• Evan has started to dance and it is so stinking cute!

• Evan is an eater!  He has started to detest some foods though.  He doesn't like hot dogs, mashed potatoes and steak.
• Evan LOVES water and would drink a whole sippy cup full in minutes.
• Evan whines and whines right when he sees food and he will whine until it is on his plate and whine more until it is completely gone.
• Evan can eat anything....he has gums of steel.

• Evan has the most precious smile.
• Evan is really easy going and really only cries when he sees food.
• Evan is a great sleeper.  He takes 2 naps for about 1-2 hours each and goes to sleep around 7:30.  He does fine if he misses one of the naps though.  He never puts up a fight when sleeping in his crib, but isn't really a fan of sleeping other places.  He is a homebody
• Evan loves his pacie and his train blankie.

• Evan is a great traveler.
• Evan got his first haircut in October...he was getting a little mullet and that is unacceptable.
• Evan loves to give big, open mouth kisses.
• Evan has no stranger anxiety and is so chill!

• Evan loves to be outside!
• Evan loves to throw the ball and claps right after he throws it because we all get so excited for him.
• Evan has learned to crawl up the stairs and does great.
• Evan is a cuddler and anytime he sees a pillow, he cuddles right up to it.

• Evan has really pudgy feet and I love them!
• Evan has the longest, most beautiful eyelashes!
• Evan loves bath time and splashes the whole time...so we all get a little rinse whether we want it or not.

• Evan is a little instigator.  He loves to pull Zoe's hair and bang the keys on the computer.
• Evan's favorites toy right now is the tool bench and the leapfrog computer.
• Evan loves to be sung to, so any time he gets upset...start singing and he is good to go.
• Evan loves to brush his own hair.

• Evan and Zoe get along really well, but Zoe definitely likes to be the boss...so Evan just goes along most of the time.
• Evan gets so excited when we are waiting for Zoe from school and Zoe says Hi to Evan right when she gets in the car and they both just giggle.
• Evan wakes up around 7:30 and Zoe is the first in his room saying good morning!

• Evan loves the bathroom, playing in the toilet and pulling all the paper off the roll....so our doors stay closed!
• Evan can get down off the couch and is really trying hard to crawl up on everything but isn't quite there yet.
• Evan does awesome in the nursery on Sundays and the ladies in there just love him and always tell us how easy he is!

 Evan is always dirty and all boy and I just love it!

Days of Thanksgiving

Day 8

I am thankful for Wine...and done!

Day 9

I am thankful for random phone calls from friends just wanting to catch up!

Day 10

I am thankful for early morning snuggles in my bed with my baby girl....could do this every day for the rest of my life...can't wait for Evan to join us!

Day 11

I am thankful for the gift and sacrament of Marriage.  The day Zach and I stood before our family and friends and became one was the best day of my life!  Without our Marriage, I would have nothing!  I am also so grateful for the Marriages that we learn from everyday...our friends' marriages, our sisters and brothers' marriages, our parent's marriages...all are amazing gifts to our own marriage!  Today at Mass, Zach and I were witnesses to a couple's vow renewal.  The Jones' celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary!  60th!!!!!  It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about today.  They stood before the entire congregation and said "I do!" AGAIN!  It was beautiful and emotional and inspiring!  There is NOTHING I looked forward to more than growing old with Zach...so thankful to our amazing God for Marriage!

Best Day of My Life!