Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone. The other night in the world where we allow our children to go door to door and talk to strangers and take candy from them too :)... The boys are super excited, especially Logan. He is going as Buzz Lightyear - he did go as that last year, but he really wants to wear it and he says he loves it. This year we are going around our own neighborhood for the first time since we lived there. We have always gone over to Steve's mom and dad's and Brayden this year decided he wanted to try our neighborhood. So we will see how it goes.

Weekend was short as always but it was fun. Brayden and I volunteered on Saturday at the Brighton center which was a lot of fun and he did such a great job. It is something I hope we are able to do all of the time, or at least once a month if not every other week.

Rest of the weekend of just cleaning and typical house work, winterizing the house and continous cleaning up after the boys - never ending :)

Mom and Jen had a great time on their trip - I only talked to mom briefly last night and she said it was a lot of fun and she was glad she went.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and enjoys their Halloween Night. I will post pictures later this week of our crazy night!

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love to all,

Long week

seems like the weeks are getting so long and the weekends are so short. But today is Friday, it is a good day - so far. Mom and Jenny and Bill along with his sisters are headed up to Notre Dame today to visit Casey. It is the first time mom has been up there since dad passed away. I am sure it will be an emotional trip for her. It was for me the first time I went back up there after he passed. It is such a special place in our hearts and it was dad's last journey. It is hard to explain but it is just that place for us.

My company won an award last night for an Up and Coming business, blah, blah. It was our second year in a row of winning it - it was a great time. Funny thing is I ran into someone from high school with - I haven't seen him twenty years and this year we have seen each other at least 20 times. That is how it goes.

Excited about spending the weekend with my boys - plans here and there but mainly just hanging out - favorite thing to do with them. When life isn't crazy and we can just hang out in our PJ's and watch movies all day - hopefully one of the days these weekend will be like that.

I hope everyone has had a great week and is ready for the weekend. I hope you are able to spend it with loved ones and feel your blessings around you.

Have a great weekend!!!

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love to all,

Yeah

Yeah! I finally found a place that where both Brayden and I can volunteer and hopefully Logan will be able to go to. This Saturday we are going to start volunteering at the Brighton Center a couple of hours each Saturday and maybe a day during the week. Not only do I feel it is important to give back to the community, but Brayden needs service hours for school and I want them to continue to learn how blessed they really are. I am hoping this will be a great fit in that I love kids and I love to help out and give back. If I didn't have to work full time, I would spend my days volunteering everywhere.

Today is the big day that I pick up our TV. Someone asked me how I won it just by going to the dentist. Our dentist has a referral program and anytime we refer someone we get a chance to win the TV. Jen is mad at me in that she has referred numerous people and has never won the TV, I have referred two people and I won!

:)

I hope everyone is having a great week so far - I know it is only Tuesday but the weather is nice, so I hope you are able to make it outside - at least a little bit.

Happy Tuesday!!

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love to all,

Where does the Weekend Go!

oh where oh were does the weekend go. We are like one of the only countries, if not the only country that puts work as a priority. I hate it. Even though I love my job and I am able to be a little flexible in my job, I would love and do anything for a four day work week. Just to even have a day off during the week to get things done, that way I am not spending the whole weekend doing laundry and cleaning when in reality I should be spending more time with my boys. We have to make the most of our times together though don't we.

We went to Kings Island on Saturday - it was the first time in a long time we had no soccer games and we wanted to head back up before the indoor league starts. It was a beautiful day and it was a lot of fun, it was crowded but a great time. We are at that age now that when we go up we have to split up, Steve and Brayden ride the big rides and Logan and I stay in Kiddie Land - and then we meet at the entrance - so that is our family time LOL

I talked Steve into going to a Halloween party on Saturday night with the condition that I was not allowed to take pictures - sorry :(. He wore Sean's pink bunny outfit that most of you have seen either on Facebook or on here and I was just a boring witch. It was a neighbors party and they have one every year and most years we have things to do, but this year we found we had nothing to do and our other neighbors were asking about us to make sure we were going to go and so we went so weren't the boring neighbors. It was fun, we had a great time. Sunday of course we headed over to mom's for dinner and then here we are, Monday morning again!

Mom and Jen and Bill and his sisters are headed to Notre Dame this upcoming weekend. It will be the first time mom has been up there since the last time we all went up there with dad, so I am sure it will be emotional. It was for me when I went up after dad passed away - I know she is excited about going but also probably a bit nervous.

It is suppose to be a nice week this week at least a little bit. Need to enjoy whatever we can because I have a feeling winter is not going to be so nice to us!

Happy Monday!

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love to all,

Ended on a Good Note

so yesterday I felt terrible all day long regarding missing Brayden's birthday party that he was invited to. I was just really down on myself and kept thinking of ways to make it up to Brayden and his friend. We are going to have him over this weekend to celebrate his birthday with play time and pizza - what 8 year old boy doesn't like that. Any who, the phone rang last night about 4:45ish and it was my dentist office. I was thinking it was going to be a reminder of an upcoming appointment, to my surprise they were calling to tell me I just won a TV - a 42" Plasma HD TV nonetheless. You would have thought I won a million dollars the way I was going on and on.

I have NEVER won anything, especially anything so big. I was so excited and then Brayden was super excited. Steve and I had been talking about fixing up a corner in the basement until we can afford to fix up the whole basement for the boys to be able to go downstairs and watch TV and play Wii and just have more of an area for themselves. Yes they have taken over the whole room, but I thought it would be exciting for them to have an area for them. So this has become our winter project of fixing up the area. If only that money tree was full then we could finish the whole basement, but that will just have to wait.

I hope everyone is having a good week so far. It is Wednesday, rainy and cold. It is suppose to be like this all week. What fun.

Happy Hump Day!!!

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love to all,

Terrible Mom

so Brayden reminded me this morning what a terrible, forgetful mom I am. He didn't say anything mean by any means, he just says in the car "Mom you know what we forgot on Sunday" and as soon as he said it, my mind began racing of oh no what did we forget, something at school, something with the family, what, what? He said we forgot Collin's birthday party! UGH!! At that moment, I knew that I was the worst person ever. I remember getting the invitation, I remeber RSVP to the party, I remember Brayden being excited about it and I remember NOT writing it on the calendar!

So here we are Sunday morning, it is going to be yet another beautiful day and there is nothing going on, so we decided to head to Kings Island - spend time with the boys, get the use of the passes. When we really should have been wrapping a birthday present and headed to Laser Kraze.

Brayden doesn't seem upset about it, it is me that is upset. I, the forgetful mom. Ironic thing is: I have a calendar, a planner and a calendar/reminder on my phone and work email - and YET NOTHING helped me to remember!

Ugh.......

Happy Tuesday!

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love to all,

I need to do better

about this blog. I have all intentions of writing in every day or every other day and then I just get busy at work, then my evening chores begin of homework, dinner, dishes, baths, bedtime, laundry etc. And the minute I lay my head down on the pillow I am out. Just another busy week with soccer games, football games, Kings Island, school projects, home projects and making Christmas lists - Yikes!

Before we know it, there will be snow on the ground - and this my friend, I can wait for. Don't get me wrong, I like the first snow fall, I love listening to Christmas music, I love decorating our house for the season, it adds such a warmth and beautiful feeling to the house. I love all of it, but I can do without the cold, especially when it is like a single digit number like 5! But enough of that, I will be complaining about that soon enough :)

I hope every one is doing well. Mom's brother was in town this past week just for a short visit, we hadn't seen him since dad passed away so it was a little bitter sweet, but it was so nice to see him again. Brayden still laughs that the reason for him to be on vacation was to see the leaves turn colors. He doesn't understand it quite yet. The leaves are beautiful this time of year - it is so pretty. Another one of God's blessings.

It is Monday, my least favorite day of the week. I am still looking for that stay at home job, still looking for that millions so that I may not have to work so much, I feel like I am missing out on my boys :(.... Just a sad mommy day, I suppose.

I hope everyone has a great week and enjoys the weather at least today. I know it is suppose to start raining and get cold starting tomorrow - oh what fun!

Happy Monday.

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love to all,

Beautiful Weekend

what a beautiful weekend. We really couldn't ask for better weather - this is how I wish it was all of the time. And looking at the trees as the leaves start to turn, just beautiful scenary, especially for pictures. Mom's brother is coming in town this week. We haven't seen him since dad passed away. Him and his wife are going on a tour of "leave watching". Yea, I know I laughed at first too. But then you realize living in Floriday they don't get all of the changes of season. And as much as I complain and probably many others complain about it, I would be lost without the change of seasons. I would miss it dearly.

Fall is so beautiful and ironic. Life can be like a leaf. As the leaves fall from the tree, so too, all your past doings, all of your misgivings, all of your worries, let them fall, let them fall to God. As winter approaches he will prepare you for the new beginning he has for you, the renewal of life that happens in the spring time.

This weekend was a busy one but so much fun.Friday night we took Steve's mom out for her birthday and it was nice to be able to spend time with his family, normally it is just a drive by of picking up or dropping off kids. Saturday I went to a play with mom, Aunt Rita, Aunt Carol and Aunt Judy. We went and saw Beauty and the Beast and it was so good. Afterwards mom, Aunt Rita and I went out to dinner. It was so nice to be able to spend time with them. It isn't something that we get to do everyday. Sunday we took the boys to Kings Island. Jenny and Bill were up there too, because they also have passes. Aftewards we all went to mom's to celebrate birthdays. I have been a bad blogger so I didn't post any birthdays on here this week. So I would like to take the time to say a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the following people and I hope you had a great day.

Steve's mom - Jean
Brad - Tonya's husband and his twin
Ms. Lydia - who turned 5
Jenny - who I will not say how old she turned

With it turning colder I should be able to become a better blogger and even make some changes. Some days it is hard to keep up with one of them, let alone another one.

I hope everyone has a great week and continues to enjoy the weather. Once again it is suppose to be an okay weekend, a little rain in the middle of the week, but the temperatures seem doable!

Happy Monday,

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love to all

Fundraiser

Below is a message from Aunt Carol. If anyone needs a flyer please let me know and I can email it to you. Thank you so much!!

Hello everyone. I need your help for a Fundraiser to help those in our community who need a little extra assistance. I am a member of a woman's business sorority named Omege Phi Tau (OPT). We raise money to donate to local organizations who in turn help those in our community that need assistance for one reason or another. We help many organizations such as I Have Wings, Rising Star Studios, The Parish Kitchen, Rosedale Manor, Big Stef, Inc., The Steinford Toy Foundation, and The Peggy Foster Memorial fund etc...

On Monday October 10, 2011 (Columbus Day) we are having a Fundraiser at Max and Erma's in the Crestview Hills Town Center.

You have to eat right?!! RIGHT!!. Well you can feed your family and help OPT help others in our community by eating lunch, dinner, or getting a carryout order at Max and Erma's in Crestview Hills on Monday October 10, 2011. Attached below is a Fundraiser flyer with a detachable ticket. Don't forget the flyer ticket.You will need give the flyer ticket to your server to attach to your check. OPT will receive a donation of 20% for each check with the flyer ticket attached. If paying separetly make sure to bring a ticket for each check.

The more you eat, the more money we raise, as 20% of each check is donated back to OPT. The Fundraiser is an all day long event. If you have friends, family. neighbors, co-workers, church groups, or fellow members of other clubs, that want to have lunch, dinner or carryout at Max and Erma's, email and/or print flyers to distribute to them. Send them into Max and Erma's (Crestview Town Center only) on Monday October 10, 2011 with a photocopy of this flyer and enjoy a delicious meal. One ticket must be attached to each check if each person in a group is paying separately.

Flyer Attachment Below

Files are ready to download. Follow either of the following two links to get your files:

http://maxandermas.amedius.com/common/mb_pick-up.php?view_file=/userfiles/louisville/proceed_flyer_170841715191723416010141817189.pdf

Special Instructions:

Please click on the above link to download your FUNdraiser flyer. When the page opens, click on "Download High Resolution File". This is the electronic version of your FUNdraiser flyer - click File and Save. Print & email as necessary.

As requested by Max and Erma's please DO NOT distribute flyers inside or outside of the Max and Erma's premises. OPT forfeits the entire donation from Max and Erma if found in violation of this rule.

Anyone needing copies of the flyer can contact me and I will try to get copies to you as soon as possible. Many thanks in advance from OPT and myself for your support and for dining at Max and Erma's October 10, 2011. I hope to see you there.

Carol Tully

I survived!

I survived the big reunion this weekend. It exceeded all of my expectations - I had such a great time. One of my best friends came in from Florida just for this and we had so much fun catching up. He is such a great guy. It is funny, how in high school you have clicks and how everyone stays in those clicks. You have your jocks, cheerleaders, hoods, band geeks etc... and then there was me and some others who were just friends with everyone. And after 20 years, those clicks, didn't really matter. Saturday night we all came together as classmates, as friends, and we just had a blast.

The night went by so fast that I know I didn't get to talk to everyone, but we all had so much fun. We decided instead of waiting another five or ten years, that we are going to do this every year. First Saturday of October meeting at the same place - I loved that I connected with everyone all over again and hopefully from this at least some of us will continue staying in touch a lot more. I am going to bore you with some pictures, of course. I love these guys!!!

So because of this night and because of being at the festival with Tonya and Brad in the cold, I stayed home today sick. I couldn't even talk yesterday which was great fun for the boys, they loved it. Today, my voice is still in and out - craziness... and of course, it is suppose to be nice and warm next weekend - go figure!!!!

I hope everyone had a great weekend, as cold as it was. Enjoy this week, it is suppose to be beautiful!!!!!

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love to all,