Happy New Years - 2010

It's a New Year.  I'm sitting here thinking about all the wonderful things that are in my life.  We start the new year as a family together sitting watching parades and cartoons.  Interesting combination my husband has going on.  Does your significant other switch channels all the time?  Its irritating but right now it is what it is.

I thought about New Year's resolutions that I had last year.  Did I do them all?  No I haven't.  Am I happy today as I was last year?  Well No I'm happy.  So that must mean that all those resolutions weren't as important to me as I thought.

So let's see what last year brought me...

We had an awesome winter.

Faith and her sister.  Can't see the family resemblence can you?

You probably can't tell but in the middle of the snow on top of my car is a layer of ice.  It was so beautiful and deadly at the same time.

In February, my husband and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary.  Our love is still going strong.

Though it was challenged when he destroyed our backyard with his 4 wheeler.

In March, we legally adopted our son, Jason on March 27th.

In the judge's chambers with my mother at the adoption.  Doesn't Jason look so happy?

In April, we celebrated Jason's first birthday with us when he turned 4.

Though his party wasn't until May.  We, also, celebrated the new arrival of our 2nd cousin, Alexi.

We, also, said goodbye to my nephew, Will as he got ready to go in the army.  We ate at the Golden Corral.  We are praying for him daily.

In May, we celebrated my birthday and mother's day.  I got some pretty flowers and great drawings.  Faith made me a plant that died in days.  Faith saw her first parade as well.

In June, we celebrated father's day.  Ken was allowed to sleep late and then we had a great time together.  We had an awesome summer.

In July, my great nephew Aiden was born.

In August, we had lots of fun playing with the kids and getting ready for the new year at school.  My nephew, Scott, started kindergarten.

Faith with my sister-in-laws puppy, Choffi.

The kids at McDonalds.  Don't you think this is a great picture?  I was shocked at how it came out.

Isn't Tom gorgeous?

In September, Faith went back to school.  We watched the WEBN's Fireworks on tv.  Totally awesome firework's display.  I want to stay at the Covington Mariott next year for it.  There is an awesome bridge show that you have to be on the Ohio River to see.

Isn't this spectular?

Faith went to the Alexandria Fair Grounds with her cousins.

We, also, celebrated the arrival of my niece, Gabrielle.

We celebrated my grandma's 90th Birthday party

Doesn't she look great?  We found out that grandma was moving to Florida with my aunt that day.

My mom's cousins.  Although I don't know how she thinks they aren't mine too.

Jason started preschool as well.

In October, we celebrated Halloween with Jason being a skeleton and Faith as a cat.

We went to Florida to see my brother and sister's families.

Jason was so happy to be out of that car and know we were in Florida.

We saw Aiden for the first time.  Doesn't my sister look great for a grandma?

We road a train with the Florida Railroad Museum.  We got to see a really neat gunfight on it.

Of course we played on the beach as well.  It was high 90's the entire time we were there.

In November, we celebrated Thanksgiving with our families. 

We went to the Newport Aquarium with Faith's class.  We looked for Santa but didn't find him.  We saw sharks, octopus, penguins.  The kids were writing a report on penguins.  They had a grant to do this field trip.  What a great surprise.  Afterwards, my husband took me to Joe's Crab Shack for lunch.

In December, we celebrated more Christmas's than I can remember.  We had one with my mom where she cried when she opened her gift.  I made her a photo album on Snapfish of the last 7 years of our lives.  So she got to have a book with all of these pictures.  She was so excited and planned on taking it to Florida with her.

Don't you love it when they are that touched with a gift?

We celebrated Christmas with my dad and grannie Fran as well.

We had our private Christmas as well and then on to the cousin's Christmas.

The kids were ecstatic.

Nieces and Nephews Christmas 2009

And of course, we celebrated my husband's 34th birthday.

We went to the mall that day.

Lots has happened this year.  Not all good.  Not all bad.  Babies were born.  Feud were started.  Weddings are coming.  Houses were bought.  I've cried, laughed, screamed, and so much more.  The point remains.  I survived another year.  I celebrated another year with my family.  Nothing bad matters as long as you have your health, your family, your friends.. thats all that is important.  So no resolutions for me this year.  Just great times and great friends.

Magical Moments on Tuesday

It's time for Magical Moment on Tuesday for HeartsMakeFamilies! For those of you visiting for the first time, the goal is to talk about one thing during the week that was magical to you. I mean that you were over the top about. It could be a project you completed, something your child did, a grand new idea, something you saw, etc. Something that was so magical that you have to tell us about it. I know. I know. This is why we all have blogs. But sometimes we just write about the negative things because we had a bad week. So if we all write about a Magical Moment then we might uplift another blogger. This is the very reason that I have this blog so that one day my children can see. You do not have to be a mom to do this. To join us, on Tuesday post what your Magical Moment was (add my button from the right side bar or link to me) and then be sure to stop here to link up and meet other moms at HeartsMakeFamilies to see what their Magical Moment was.


This week my Magical Moment was with my husband.  I've been married a long time now.  We've been married seven years and together 11 years.  I love my husband with all my heart.  I know that he loves me as well.  But we got into a rut.  You see, our lives became typical.  It was about work, kids and school.  We lost that magical connection that we always had.  I know this is true for a lot of relationships after time.  It is not that we wouldn't do whatever is necesary for the other.  It's that you forget the little things that make you who you are together.

On Friday, we went to the Newport Aquarium with Faith's class.  There were just enough parents to go that were approved by the state.  You have to have a FBI check done before you can help out with the class.  So that meant that Ken and I both got our own group of girls.  I knew ahead of time that was going to happen.  I had told the teacher to let Ken have Faith in his group since all the kids know me.  I volunteer twice a week when Jason is going through his little preschool thingy.  All morning long, Ken and I were sharing these little smiles with something that the kids were doing.  We kept our groups together even though the class divided up and went their separate ways.  We had six girls between the two of us.  Let me tell you Faith was the worst.  But then we are her parents.  She thinks she can get away with anyone when we are there.  sigh.

We got to sharks, giant turtles, dolphins, penguins, octupus, etc.  The kids were so incredibly excited when Scuba Santa made an appearance in one of the tanks as well.  It was a lot of fun.  But all things must come to an end.  Ken and I had driven down to the Aquarium.  So when the girls went back to school, I was to find out that Ken had planned on us going to Joe's Crab Shack.  It has always been one of my favorite fish places in town. 

Ken insisted that we sit together in the booth on one side.  That hasn't happened since we were dating.  So here we are sitting next to each other.  Ken orders an appetizer, Garlicky Mussels.  My first thought was you want me to kiss you after you eat that?  I don't usually like garlic but this was soooo good.  So I reach for the menu.  Ken quietly pushs it away from me.  He orders the Joe's Steam Pot for two.  Oh boy, I'm thinking I'm going to be in heaven.  It comes out pipping hot in a bucket.   I do mean a bucket.  In the bucket is two kinds of crab, sausage, corn on the cob, small red potatoes, and shrimp. 

We were sitting in this booth smiling and giggling at each other.  Yes my husband was giggling.  We were talking about the kids and about the aquarium.  Ken was stealing a kiss here and there.  And we were holding hands.  The waiter actually asked if we were newlyweds.  We just smiled and said that we had been married 7 years and had NO ITCH.  The waiter told us that he hoped he was like we were when he was married that long.

Being together as we are meant to be.  Loving each other simply for the little bit of time we had together.  There is no more Magical Moment between Ken and I that I would adore.  giggle  It wasn't even about sex.  Taking this time out to reconnect with my husband is one of the best things I've done in a while.


Now it is your turn. Please post about what your Magical Moment was (add my button from the right side bar or link to me) and then be sure to stop here to link up and meet other moms at HeartsMakeFamilies to see what their Magical Moment was.