the beginning....

and, let the paperwork begin....words can't say how excited we are....

Long time...no write...

It has been a long time since I last wrote...we are having such a busy and VERY fun summer and I promise to update my blog with all of our laughs and pictures soon!!! But, today I am keeping it short, however as I rest this afternoon I want to say.....I love my life, I love my husband more than anything, and my children are my little miracles that make my heart beat!

International Princess....

http://www.intlprincess.org/

Take a look at the link....

Garyn's Show-n-Tell

Every Thursday Garyn gets to bring a Show-n-Tell to school and each Thursday has a different theme. It usually is a color, favorite item, holiday related, etc. Last Thursday in preparation of Easter, the Show-n-Tell was to bring in a lamb or something white and soft.

Well, it just so happens that Garyn and Gianna each have their own baby lamb at their Great Grandpaw's farm. So when I told Garyn about the Show-n-Tell, he quickly asked if he could bring his own lamb to school. After talking about it with Ryan, we asked the teachers and they couldn't have been more excited. So on the morning of the Show-n-Tell, Ryan went and picked the lamb up from the farm, placed it in a dog crate and drove it to school. We met Ryan outside and Garyn got to show all of his school friends his baby lamb. For some kids, it was the first time they had ever seen a lamb, especially up close and so touchable. They all decided to name the lamb Rainbow. As we were leaving with the lamb, Garyn so innocently asked if he could place the lamb under his chair (under the chair is where they place their show-n-tell.) It was so sweet and so fun. Garyn was extremely proud of his animal....(and so was Gianna.)

The pictures are priceless and it will be something Garyn will remember forever. Our children are so lucky to have such awesome Great Grandparents....Grandpaw always says..."every child should have an animal." And on this Thursday, all of the children did....

Happy Birthday GiGi!!!!!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear GiGi, Happy Birthday to you!!!

"Happy Birthday" is Gigi's new favorite tune to sing around the house. She received a Melissa and Doug birthday (put together yourself) cake from her Great Grandma and Grandpa Kennedy which has been a very popular gift. And since then, Gigi has become such a wonderful "baker..." she will build cake, sing the birthday song, and blow out the candles, and sometimes, if your lucky, it will be your birthday....but most of the time, it's Gigi's.

It is so very hard to believe that my baby girl is 2 years old...where does the time go? I can remember the day she was born so vividly!!!! She gave me a run for my money, but when she arrived, she immediately "latched" on....and well, has been "latched" on to me ever since (ha ha ha)....she no longer breastfeeds, but Gigi is my permanent side kick... she loves her Mommy and well, everyone else is pretty much second fiddle...I can't hardly complain because from what I have been told...I was pretty much the same way!

Gigi is 2 but if you ask her, she is 5! She has such a strong vocabulary and is able to talk in sentences, recall events perfectly, and tell stories. She is still a great sleeper and loves her bedtime routine....with the exception of brushing her teeth. Ryan and I have to double team her...Ryan holds her arms and legs while I brush her pearly whites....it's is a workout!!!!

Gianna is such a pleasant little girl...she gives kisses for no reason at all, her hugs are tight and meaningful, and sometimes a little sensitive!!! She is so very easy to love....and trust me, she knows it and fully uses it to her advantage!

I am blessed to have her in my life...everyday she shows me something new... I am so lucky to be the one to guide her through her journey of life!

Happy Birthday Gianna Marie!

My life is good, my love is strong, and my children bring the laughter to my world.... I love my life.

One on One time....

Don't get me wrong...it is the best when we are ALL together, but I love spending one on one time with my kids. It is then, that I can slow down and really appreciate their age, the milestones they are accomplishing (sometimes without me even realizing...) and simply just love on them, and only them.

Last Friday I had to take Garyn to the doctor for his 4 year check up. The 40 inch 37 lb. boy is right on track.....I am always so amazed at his strength! He received his shots with ease and well maybe, a small tear, but what a champ! And after such bravery, he got to have some one on one time with mommy. We went shopping for a cupcake stand for Gianna's birthday party, went to Barnes and Noble (so he could play with the trains, of course) then we went to the pet store....oh boy, does Garyn think he really wants a puppy. It was so fun to watch him pace back and forth in front of all the cages. He was full of words and expressed repeatedly how "tute" the puppies were...and after minutes of searching for the "best" one, we choose the brown lab to play with.... and this is why I say Garyn thinks he wants a puppy. He immediately jumped on the bench so the puppy couldn't get his feet...ha ha ha, it was so fun to watch him play with the puppy at such a distance. (But apparently the distance didn't matter, he talked about this puppy for days....so much so, we had to make a family trip to the pet store so he could show his daddy and sister the "tute" puppy.)

After the pet store adventure, we top are date off with vanilla ice cream at McDonald's. Garyn loves to spend time together.....I realized this when we pulled up the driveway and he said, "Momma, I love being with you. Thank you for my ice cream...weren't the puppies so "tute." It was said so sweetly and truly genuine....simply put....I love my Garyn!

And now to my little GiGi. Once a month Garyn gets to enjoy (what we like to call it) Museum School. I sign him up for one different themed class a month at the Children's Museum. He is in class for 2 hours....and he LOVES it. I love that he loves the class, but I also love the time I get to spend at the museum with Gianna. Every visit Gianna finds new things to experience. Last time it was the Barbie exhibit. She loved the telephones...she talked to Barbie several times, she walked the fashion "cat" walk all dressed up, and loved looking all the different Barbie dolls. She talked about Barbie and her pink poodle for days. But Barbie was history yesterday.....yesterday we were all about being a train conductor on the train! She walked back and forth on the train with practically her entire fist in her mouth yelling "All Aboard," over and over and over. She watched the train displays and started jumping up and down when the train was about to depart....(you would have to be there to fully understand) but it's a life size train sounds as though it is leaving the station with the sounds and lights. It's so fun! It is so amazing and fun to watch Gianna learn to play by herself....most of the time she the shadow of her brother's every move, but when she is alone, playing by herself or learning to play with others, it is incredibly fun to watch her discover a little more of this big big world on her own.

They are both so much fun, so loving, so huggable, so kissable, and yes, sometimes, so annoying....but the fun far outweighs the frustrating times. My babies are my world, I couldn't imagine life without them. Life is just good, great, incredibly amazing, and perfect because I am spending it with them!!!! I love you both more than words can say....

Garyn Matthew is 4!!!

Where does the time go? Just a fast four years ago I was unexpectedly welcoming my baby boy into this world 6 1/2 weeks early! From the moment Garyn entered this world he began proving to us that he was a strong little man....strong in all ways.

I would describe Garyn as a physically tough, head strong, unconditionally loving, gentle, funny with the most contagious belly laugh, smart and witty....WOW, what a special little boy!

This year as we celebrated Garyn we were reminded how lucky we are to have him and all of his lovable traits (including his stubborn and hard headedness.) We very easily could have been celebrating his birthday in a much different way. But once again, Garyn's strength pulled him through a very tough year. As everyone knows, Garyn suffered from Kawasaki's Disease in May and it truly took a toll on his body. But now after several months....Garyn is STRONG again!!!

We truly learned the power of prayer during those several weeks and also learned how important it is to cherish every moment....even the difficult ones. Life travels by in the glance of an eye...I have learned (slowly) to take the good with the bad, BUT never to dwell too long on the negative. We are too blessed to be bogged down with the bad...

Garyn is in his second year of preschool and is having a super successful year. His teachers, Mrs. Griffin and Mrs. Begala are wonderful and have mentioned to me on several occasions how much they love Garyn. They also express how impressed they are with his manners and good behavior!!! I am so proud of Garyn!!!

Garyn loves CARS CARS and CARS. He has learned to appreciate "e bay" for all of the Disney Pixar cars they have to offer....and as a result, has learned to navigate the computer very well.

Garyn's imagination is so bright and vivid...listening to him play can consume my entire afternoon. I especially like when he is playing "museum" with his dinosaurs. He is very thorough in describing the dinosaurs, what they eat, where they live, how they interact with each other, it's so fun!!! It repeatedly teaches me that my son is a sponge....everything he hears or learns comes directly back to the play floor.....sometimes even bigger and better than when it was originally taught.

It is hard to believe my baby is 4, but I know one thing for sure....no matter his shoe size, no matter his height...he will ALWAYS be my baby boy!!!!! I love you Garyn Matthew. You brighten my every day with your genuine love!!!!!! MUAH!