two amazing women

A couple of weeks ago we were so lucky to have a few lovely ladies come visit us and stay the day with us, their names are Pailin and Pao and they are from Thailand!  Pailin was a Foreign Exchange student who used to live with my mom and her parents when my  mom was in High School so they become super close, so we’ve always considered Pailin a part of the family, therefore it was a real treat to actually have her come to our house and visit! 

We had a wonderful time with them just taking them around a few tourist spots and we even got to make a stop at mom’s cemetery plot which was a very touching and emotional trip for all of us!  I know that Pailin misses my mom very much!  Finally we got back to my house and the ladies made us a special treat, authentic Thai dishes!  They were so delicious and I’m so excited cause I think I got the recipe figured out so I can make it again, Yeppie!  Then after eating our yummy food we all sat together as a family and watched the dvd of my mom that we made for her funeral, it was super hard to watch for everyone, but also beautiful at the same time.  My mom was so lovely and special and we just miss her so much!  She touched so many lives in so many ways and it was fun to celebrate her together as a family! 

Thank you Pailin and Pao for coming to our house and making memories with us that we’ll never forget!   You both are beautiful and amazing woman!

and it all started with two

We had lots of fun visitors in Oct. and it started off with Grandpa Tom and Grandma Cheryl!  They drove here and spent a week or so with us and took time to see every grandkid in every activity that they could.  It was such a special time and really meant a lot to all the kids.  We had so much fun just hanging as a family watching soccer, dance, tumbling, etc and EATING, EATING, EATING… Another special treat was getting to go to their hotel and swimming.  The kids LOVED that!  Thanks Dad and Cheryl for coming and spending time with the grandkids they really loved it and I loved seeing you make so many beautiful memories that we’ll never forget! 

Mom’s 1st Heavenly Birthday

Well today was the first year I had to celebrate my mom’s birthday without her.  I never thought I’d have to do that, but today was that day.   Oh how I wish she was here to celebrate her big day with us because I miss her so!  There is just so much I miss about her, I miss her smile, I miss her smell, I miss her sweet voice when she says I love you more or Hey Bert, I miss her words of encouragement, I miss her random talks about TV shows, I misses everything about her!  Sure I could of sat here and cried the day away, I tell you part of me wanted to, but the other half of me said, Bert mom would be super upset if you did that.  So Erin and I planned a little sister day filled with memories of mom and traditions for years to come.  We ate crapes at Crackers, watched “The Help” at the movies, got mom flowers for her cemetery plot, let off balloons with handwritten notes for each person in our families, and then had beautiful, heavenly, white cupcakes in mom’s honor.  It really was a day that I’ll never forget!  I laughed and I cried and I know mom would have been proud of us girls remembering her the way we did, we celebrated her instead of mourned her the whole day and I know my mom and that is what she would have wanted.  I love you more mom! 

8 and great

It’s hard to believe that I have an 8 year old… I mean seriously sometimes it seems like I’m still a kid myself and now my little girl is 8!  I can hardly believe it!  My kids are growing up way too fast! 

Brielle Celebrated her 8^th birthday with a group of cute girls from school.  She had them over to do water games in our backyard.  That’s right she actually made me work this year for her birthday.  I tried to get her to go simple, bounce u, movies, something, but NO she wanted a water party in our backyard when it was like 200 degrees out there.  I must say it turned out pretty awesome.  We did some super fun water games: water balloon toss, leaky cups, races, etc, and then I let the kids just play with the water and they had a blast as you can imagine 10~ 8 year olds would.  Of course no party would be complete without cheap pizza and yummy ice cream cake, oh and let’s not forget the PRESENTS, I can honestly say that was Brielle’s favorite part. 

In the end the party was a big success and Brielle loved it and loved having her friends over to celebrate her turning 8!  After all she is my social little butterfly! 

I love you more

When growing up my parents always told us they loved us and we said I love you back… for as long as I can remember it was something my mom, my dad, Erin and I said to each other and now I find myself as a mom saying it to my kids and hubby!  Do I expect an answer back, HECK YEA!  But guess what often times my Elle just kind of says okay mom and I say over and over I love you Brielle till she finally says, “I love you mom”, but my Cooper, he’s my I LOVE YOU boy!  From the beginning of him being able to talk he has always said back quickly and with big eyes like he truly means what he is saying, “I LOVE YOU MOMMA” and sometime he’ll just randomly run up to me and say, “Mom I love you so much” Let me just tell you it makes my heart melt when he does that.  He is just my little love bug.  I love my two kids and my sweet husband, but when Cooper runs up with his big eyes and yells I love you with such adoration I just want to hug him and yell, I LOVE YOU MORE right back like my mom alway said to us!