Dear Beach

We miss you.

That is all.

And a couple funnies...

a few pics...

Just a few of my favorite pics from vacation.

(I promise I will have an actual blog post coming tomorrow. I just swear there aren't enough hours in the day!)

She said "Mommy, take my picca. Do I look beautiful?" I said "always"

I didn't realize it at the time, but i took about twice as many pics of Jack than the girls and almost every single one is amazing.


Could she be any more beautiful? seriously. And btw when the heck did she grow up so fast!?

All of us that stayed in the beach house for the week (Us, Joshs mom and little brother and his grandparents)

friday night leftovers

The leftover action is back and I'm getting back into it too.

• Josh hit the old family photo motherload a couple nights ago at his grandma's house. He brought back some of the most beautiful pictures and a year of love letters between his grandparents that brought me to tears more than once. I always knew that their love was real, but wow. And the more I read, the more I see that she and I were a LOT alike. I have an entire letter here that she wrote in 1947, that I EASILY could have written last week (except for all the "shall's"). Anyway, I'm planning on starting my "way-back wednesdays" back up, if people still like them.
• I've been GLUED to ancestry.com for the last week (I got 2 weeks free). I'm trying to get as much out of it as I can because I really don't want to pay for it (yes, I am THAT cheap lol). I've done REALLY well, too and I actually think I'll be "done" (if that's ever possible) by next week.
• My bestie of 20 YEARS (omg, I'm old! I can't believe I've had a friend since I was 6!) came to town and I was soo happy she agreed to meet us at the park on Tuesday. I had already promised the girls we'd go. So it was really nice to catch up with her. If you'd like to follow along with her she just started blogging about her life, hubby, family, IF issues, etc. at www.lifeonwindyhill.blogspot.com
• It's been so un-Godly H.O.T.T. here, that I can't even freaking stand it. Summer is generally not my favorite time of year (it's all the sweating and the feeling dirty all.the.time.), but DEFINITELY not when it's 98 degrees every flippin day. And when we don't have central air, it's downright unbearable. The rain today was supposed to cool it off, but no such luck. "Cooled off" is 84 and HUMID...blargh. Call me when it's fall. THAT is when I'll be back to my happy self again.

Enough pics to sink a ship...or just 9

We had a GREAT Easter (hopefully you all did too!). After the kids opened their Easter baskets, I made breakfast (of course). Then my sister came over (the rest of my family was in WV visiting my Grandparents) to give them the baskets my mom made for them. She ended up hanging out, playing with the kids etc. Then Josh's whole family (minus one cousin and of course the brother whose wife doesn't allow him to see his own family) came over and we all ate lunch/dinner and talked and played cards. It was lots of fun and the kids had a great day (which is what really matters). Later that evening we were hanging out on the deck and Josh's dad and his girlfriend came over to give them their baskets and we all hung out for a little while. The weather here has been AWESOME the last couple weeks, (80's in northeast Ohio in April is almost unheard of!) so it was perfect weather for Easter (usually we have snow lol). Here's some of the pics from the day.

We colored eggs (of course!)

(Sophia made weird faces in every.single.picture. It's just soooo her. lol)

Here's their baskets.

This pic cracks me up. She looks like she's still asleep!

And this one cracks me up even more. If you can believe it, this is the best out of 3!

And of COURSE Jack without pants. The boy can take pants off faster than an adult lol.

Maria with her basket from "Gam"

And Sophia with hers

And all three in their Easter outfits (again, best out of 3) :D

5 years of miracles

This post is for the fetus who wasn't supposed to survive, who then became the baby who would have a severely decreased quality of life, who then became the toddler who was developmentally 2 years behind, who is now the preschooler that amazes me every single day. From 1 lb 2 oz and less than 12 inches long to 26 lbs and over 3 ft tall, we've shed tears of fear, joy, worry, pride and pure amazement at what our strong, smart, stubborn, sensitive little miracle can do over these past 5 years. It's been an emotional roller-coaster that we've often wished we could jump off of. But in the end, all of these things we've gone through have only made us love and appreciate her more and more every day.

10 days old (Josh doing "kangaroo care" so they took her cpap off because she was breathing so well on her own)

1 yr old (when we were building our house)

2 yrs old

3 yrs old (helping Josh build the deck)

4 years

Today...5 years old! (of COURSE wearing all pink and princess and glitter)

way back wednesday (and small update)

Here's another edition of way back Wednesday. These are some photos of my grandpa (my moms dad) and his family.

This is my grandpa with one of his many cars. Josh said he thought it looked like a Studebaker, but couldn't be sure because he couldn't see the front. Either way, I just think he looks so handsome (and check out the shoes! :D).

I LOOOVE this photo. It's my grandpa and his sister Peggie. The look on my grandpas face just cracks me up! And look how pretty my aunt peggie looks. ah. LOVE it.


These are my grandpas parents. The quality of the actual picture is much better than this one because this was scanned and printed for me on paper on my grandpas scanner, that isn't that great.

This is my grandpas, grandpa. If you knew my grandpa you would know that they look soooooo similar, it's crazy.

In other news, I survived my first day of the 30 day shred. Yes, survived is the best word to describe it. I was calling her names I didn't even know I knew. In the middle it started to get a little easier for me (because there was a some kick boxing which is what I used to do all.the.time.) and I thought it was near the end...then she said ok we have one more circuit left. If I had had the strength I would have punched a whole in my TV at the idea of me and my ahem...girls...doing another minute of jumping jacks. I'm surprised I don't have a black eye. Seriously. I'm pretty sure that there is a law that says anyone over a DD can't do jumping jacks. If not, there SHOULD be one. lol. I have no idea how I'm going to do it all again today when I can barely walk, but I'm going to at least try. But one thing's for sure, I have to find myself the tightest sports bra known to man. Wish me luck...on all acounts.

Way Back Wednesday

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm a sucker for old photos. So I thought I would share some of our families with you. I might even make it a weekly thing. If it catches on, I'll get an icon and a mr. linky. But until then, feel free to join in and do a way back wed of your own. (remember to link to me)


These are pictures of Joshs grandpa (dad's dad) or pictures he took during the war. He was in WWII and for some of the time (1944) he was in Iraq and Iran (I didn't even realize people were stationed there back then).

The back of this one says "an old man making mud bricks". I just think it's a cool picture.







The back of this one says "Taken at the entrance of Daniel's Tomb in Iran -Dec 2, 1943"

His wife wrote "this is the one I like" on the back of this one. I like it too.

365...er 362 days

I just read a blog that shared an awesome idea. You take a picture a day, every day of the year and post it on a blog. I've decided to do it. IDK what my theme will be just yet, so until I find my inspiration, it will be totally random. also, I will try my best to not put the pics on my facebook for those of you that are my friends over there, so as to avoid the monotony (except for the first one because i was unprepared).

Here's the link to it, so follow me over there and let me know if you are doing it too and I will follow you too!

christmas pics, NOT for the scrapbook

I'm not ashamed to say, I'm having a shitty day. Ohmegah...now, I'm rhyming.

Josh and I were picking at each other this morning. Then we try for the SECOND day in a row to get a family pic in front of the tree, and for the SECOND day in a row, Sophia absolutely refuses to smile, which, of course, lead to tears, tears and more tears. Ugh. TURD! It's not exactly something that happens in the blink of an eye, ya know (getting all 5 of us bathed, dressed in dress clothes, hair done, makeup done, posed, tripod up, etc., etc....). So, doing it two days in a row is a HUUUUGE PITA. So Whatthehellevah! I give up for the day. I totally understand that it's not even 5:00p, but, I'm throwing in the towel of this day. Josh just said "well, we can try again tomorrow". I really admire his sticktoitiveness. He really is the yin to my yang. lol

So this is what we ended up with...

I'm actually thinking of just sending this one out since the rest of us look good.

in case you missed it

Here's a little cuteness to brighten your day :D

just had to share these

These people are the reason I do what I do. This is LOVE.