Happy 60th Birthday in Heaven!!!

WORDFUL WEDNESDAY!!

 

 

I'm not sure how "wordful" or "wordless" this post will be....  Today I feel BLAH..  today is rainy and cloudy and I feel BLAH...  Today is my Mom's birthday and she's not here (physically) to celebrate with and that makes me SAD!!!!!!!  She would've been 60 today... we would've had a BIG PARTY for her...  it would've been GREAT!!!

 

It's crazy that she has been gone SEVEN years...

 

She fought SO HARD and SO LONG against that terrible, horrible, no-good, VERY BAD disease called cancer!!! 

 

It's been SEVEN years and I swear it still hurts as if it were yesterday!!  Sometimes it hurts so much that it hurts (you get it, right?)

 

Writer's Workshop: Spring Means.......

BIRTHDAY SEASON in our family!!!!

Joseph's 10th birthday (TODAY!!!)

Well, technically, it's Spring AND Summer, but it all starts early, early on in Spring!!

I love birthdays... I love planning dinners and parties and decorating.  And of course I love MY birthday.  So this time of year is one of my favorites.
We have a tradition in our house where we all decorate the kitchen/bar area for the birthday person so they can wake up to it ....  The kids love it, I love it and I think it's something great for the kids to carry on as they get older.

So, back to the BIRTHDAY SEASON....  We've got:
March:    Gamps (my Dad)
April:       Me, Angie and Joe's sister
May:        Joseph
June:        CJ
July:         Joe
Then I get a bit of a break until October/November...


Head over to MamaKat's WW....

WW: Birthday Party Jumping!!

YAY....It' Wednesday again....  only TWO more days until our mini vacation (well, a vacation is a vacation --- mini or not, right!! )!!  I can already feel the wind in my hair while riding in the boat and feel the sun beat down on my "tan needed" body.

YAY... It's Wednesday again... time for Wordful Wednesday!!

 

Angie's 7th birthday was one month ago and Joseph's 10th birthday is tomorrow so I decided to do their parties together.... especially since they both wanted to go to Airheads and it would've been PRETTY PRICEY to pay for two different parties (I'm thinking thrifty people ;-) ).

 

They brought 2 friends each, along with their older brothers and a couple family friends.  They got their helmets and jump shoes on and they JUMPED and JUMPED and JUMPED and ran up the walls (which are also trampolines) and did flips and chased each other and threw balls at each other.  It was great and they had a BLAST!!!!

Ethan doing tricks

Angie

Angie and friends

Joseph and friends

After they wore themselves out, it was time for the sugar rush.... cake.... made my mommy (their favorite type)...

Happy Birthday to the "littles" (as their older brothers call them)!  I love you both VERY MUCH!!!

Now, go on over and check out the other WW at Seven Clown Circus....  (and you'll get to see her awesome, make-you-jealous pictures of their mexican vacation)

Tuesday's Tribute - My Guy!!

In honor of Joe's birthday this Friday (don't worry babe, I won't tell them that this birthday rhymes with shorty), I am going to do my Tuesday's Tribute about my guy!!!

Joe is one of the best things that has ever happened to me (besides my children, of course!!!!). We met a little over 6 years ago, at work..... I had just seperated from my ex and he was going through a break-up. We became friends pretty fast, as we had a lot in common and just had fun together....we were both a good break from reality that we both needed.

I always looked forward to going into work so I could see him and talk and laugh with him (shhh, don't tell him, but from the start, I always had a little crush on him). And eventually we started hanging out, with other friends, outside of work. We enjoyed our time together.... either in person, at work or on the phone; but vowed to remain "just friends" since we were both going through personal stuff........ BUT, you know how that goes.....

What started out as "just friends", turned into "more than friends" and then.............. well, then the rest is history!!!

He is very good to me and the kids.... he takes care of us and makes sure we have whatever we need and most of the time whatever we "want". He is funny, adventurous, always up for a new challenge and loves to travel!!

:)

He is a great daddy to Angie....

She loves her daddy dearly and it's safe to saythat she has him wrapped right around her little fingers!! And he has been really good with the boys.... I am sure that it was bit hard for him to go from being a single guy, living alone-- to dating a woman with 3 kids and one of his on the way...yikes!! The boys are always excited to tell him what's going on in their lives and Joseph has become particularly fond of him.

I am so thankful we found each other and have spent the past six years enjoying our lives together. I look forward to many, many, many, many more years.... Happy Birthday, Mi Lord (only he will get that)!!!

:)

It's Official.............

I am a mom of a T-E-E-N-A-G-E-R..... yikes!!!!

This time 13 years ago, I was a first time mommy..... holding my baby boy, CJ, in my arms....gazing into his eyes wondering what he would be like as he grew up!!!
And here I am now, 13 years later..... he is such a big boy now....such a sweet, loving, caring boy..... and such a big helper!!! Now, don't get me wrong-- he does have his "teenage moments", with that "teenage attitude"..... but for the most part he is a very good boy!!

Happy 13th birthday, CJ..... I am so proud of all you have accomplished so far and I love you very, very much!!!

:)

:)

Such a good BIG brother....

:)

:)

Wow, has he grown....

:)

And now almost as tall as mom...

Enjoy your day, son!!!

Party & Memorial.... How did it go???

I'm sure you have all been on the edge of your seats waiting....wondering how my weekend filled with emotions went..... Ok, so I'm reaching there....but just humor me and pretend like you are concerned.... :)

I am going to go backwards, as to end on a high/happy note......... So, about the memorial on Sunday-- it went great.... it was very informal, but very touching. Alot of people came to remember and memorialize Julie; and it was so nice to hear all the nice things everyone had to say about her!! We eneded it with her husband singing some songs that he had written her....and promised her that he would sing at her funeral. He was so worried that he wouldn't make it through without choking up, but we were all so proud of him that he did it and sounded great!!! Of course the rest of us could hardly get through his songs....but at least he did!!

Anyway, Saturday was Joseph's (and his half-brother Aiden's) birthday party. We did it at this dad's house since he has a pool and it turned out really nice!! We had a thunderstorm threatening for most of the afternoon....but "threaten" is all that it did, so we survived with a little bit of rain and alot of fun!!
"D" (my ex's fiance') did a great job decorating and baking and everything else party related.... I was so relieved to walk in and see evrything all set up and looking so perfect for the kids!!

Everything Star Wars.... and yes, that is a Darth Vader pinata....

My kids and "A" (the other birthday boy).... And yes, she even themed the pool rafts....gosh, she's good!!

Joseph and his buddy with 3-D glasses on.... the plates and napkins were 3-D....

Happy Birthday to you guys....

Everyone eating their cupcakes..... and yes, Joseph does have chocalte frosting everywhere (that's his standard M.O.)

He had a blast opening all his gifts..... gosh, I still don't know where I will put everything....

:)

All in all, we had a good weekend...... and now, I am preparing myself to send my big boys to Indiana for a week....

Party & Memorial...... Happy & Sad

These next two days are going to bring a range of emotions for me......

For starters, today is my mom's birthday.... and if she were still alive, we would be spending the day together....out shopping and lunch and then I'm sure we would have a dinner for her with all of the family..... Instead, I sit here and just "remember" all of the fun we used to have!!! Happy Birthday, Mommy!!! I miss you and love you dearly!!

Anyway, today we are having Joseph's birthday party..... yes, his birthday was two weeks ago, but because of everyone's schedules, we had to plan the party for today. It will be a fun day of Star Wars, friends and family swimming and bouncing (in the bounce house) and just plain partying!!! We are having a "co-party", meaning the party is for Joseph and his half-brother Aiden (his dad's son with his fiance'), meaning I actually have help with this party..... and actually, she has done most of the work planning and setting up, which has been a nice, welcomed change/help!!! Thanks, Danielle!!

but,

Tomorrow we are having Julie's memorial here at my house..... we will have most of her friends and neighbors over here for a day filled with memories, laughs and tears.... a day to remember a wonderful friend!!

I will tell you all about both of them later....but for now I have to run off and get ready!!!!

Writer's Workshop --- Gifts!!!

Wow, things are so quiet around here right now….. too quiet…. the boys went to stay with their Abuela for a few days and it is way too quiet!! Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy some silence……but only for a few minutes and then I miss the hustle & bustle that is my life!!!

Oh well....I guess it gives me time to finish my “assignment” for MamaKat, who probably thinks I am a terrible student….. seeing as I have been skipping class and forgetting to do my “homework”.....… I will make it up to you MamaKat…. I will try to hook you up with my BFF Ellen DeGeneres!! :)

Anyway, this is an easy one for me this week because of the recent loss of my great friend, Julie…I have chosen prompt #3... to describe a memorable gift and why it is important to me!!! Obviously this is easy for me, as it is a gift (gifts) from her that I will tell you about....

On this table, it may not seem like alot of things..... but there is a alot of meaning in it all.... These are the gifts I received for my birthday this year (in addition to the awesome shopping spree that Joe took me on); and just about every one of them came from Julie.

She loved giving gifts.... she loved to make people happy.... every Christmas (and other holidays) and every birthday anyone had (especially the neighborhood children), she would go out and get something for that person.

While my mom was alive, she started a collection (for me) of "Willow Tree" figurines/angels... I love them... I have a few from my mom and then a few more from my friends; and each and every one of them means something to me.
I am also a big fan of Bath & Body Works... I could spend all day in there looking around and smelling new scents etc...

Actually, in one of the bigger shopping plaza's by us, there is a B&BW and a Hallmark right next to each other....... and on M-A-N-Y occasions, Julie and I would go shopping (or "window" shopping) together. She used to joke that she wanted to catch up with me on her own collection of Willow Tree angels, so if any of mine ever went missing "I would know where to look"!!!

So, on this past birthday, she went ALL OUT... she gave me a gift bag full of Bath & Body Works soaps, hand gels/foams, and lotions. And she gave me 3 (three....yes, three......) Willow Tree's: 1)The Birthday Girl, 2) The Angel of Giving and 3) Sisters at Heart.....

The "Sisters at Heart" meant (means) SO,SO, SO much to me..... it made her and I feel that we were more than just friends.... I loved her more than just my buddy..... She was like a sister to me.... we were "Sisters in Heart"!!!! I Miss You Honey!!!!

Wordful Wednesday - POOPED!!!

Better late than never...right??? I have been missing out alot lately on all my fun blog carnivals that I enjoy so, so, so much.... but I am here now......

This is what happens (by 7:00pm)..................

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After a long, SUPER FUN day of this.....

:)

AND

this.....

:)

AND

this.......

:)

This past weekend we had my sweet little girl's birthday party..... and at her request, we had a Mickey & Minnie Mouse themed party..... with a bounce house....... that was here ALL DAY long!!!!

Be sure to head over to my sweet bloggy "friend" Angie's blog, Seven Clown Circus and check out more Wordful Wednesday's!!!