Sweet baby

I took some photos of my friend's new baby a few weeks ago to try to get some practice. I thought this one was really cute with him yawning in the background. :)

Christmas Photos

Today Garrett and I went out in search of the perfect place for photos. He thought we were going to a modeling gig but we were just going to get photos for me! :) I was going to go to this school which has a bunch of cool stone buildings but instead went to this 'farm'? That is part of Case Western University. We had a lot of fun. A snowball fight and running through the snow getting soaking wet and freezing cold. He was a good sport through and through. We had to sit with this hands on the heater in the car for a while before we left but it was worth it...I got some really cute pictures of him!

Thanksgiving fun!

Thanksgiving was a great time. My sister, Rita, and her family and my sister-in-law, Susan and family came out from NH to visit for the weekend. Everyone arrived on Wednesday. The turkey came out great {if I do say so myself} I brined it in the Williams Sonoma Buttermilk Brine this year and boy was it juicy! I highly recommend brining the turkey if you never have. :) Everything else fell into place and came out right on time and was perfect. We all ate until we were stuffed and couldn't eat anything else...except a second helping of pumpkin pie.
The guys got up early {6:00 am} and went out to Best Buy. The funniest part of this tradition that formed a couple of years ago is that they never buy anything! and again this year they came home empty handed. Alex is not in on this and can't wait to get up and go either. And he's 10!
The girls went out to our usual places going to all the stores they don't have in NH. And we all met up for dinner at the favorite spot California Pizza Kitchen.
Everyone left early on Sunday morning-- before 7am -- and we got up and put away all the fall decorations, cleaned and I brought out the Christmas stuff. It felt like such an accomplishment until we all fell asleep for an afternoon nap! We had a great time and can't wait for next year!

Garrett is 3!

Last month our baby boy turned 3! I know it sounds so cliche but I can't believe 3 years have already gone by. This little guy was so small when we brought him home from the hospital {4lbs 10 oz} and we were both so amazed at every little moment with him. From the little cries to the feeding times, to just staring at this new life we had brought into the world. I wasn't the kind of person who doesn't like the infant stage. I really liked it. I didn't mind getting up at night to feed him. He was so easy. He ate his 2oz. and went right back to sleep. It was so amazing to me. :)
Fast forward to today-- and he's 3! Whoa. We are both still amazed at this full of life little boy! The list is endless of the things I could say about you so I will list a few things about you:
1. Your smile is wonderful
2. Your giggle is infectious
3. LOUD {this boy is} LOUD
4. He LOVES motorcycles
5. Rough.
6. Tough. (but sensitive)
7. ALL BOY!
8. Loves to read
9. Dances up a storm
10. Loud
11. Loves Steve the Cat
12. Loves doing anything with Daddy
13. Doesn't mind going to Target with me! {sometimes}
14. Loves to play with his friends and shares with them too!
15. did I mention that he is LOUD
16. Is a dream sleeper!
17. Beautiful inside and out
18. Loves to help out
19. Curious George Rocks!
20. You say the funniest things!
21. You're so smart!
22. Loves to draw
23. Wants to love Jack the Cat
24. Loves orange juice and snacks
25. Can put his own shoes and coat on
26. Feeds the cats
27. Likes going to Costco for the free samples
28. LOVES being outside
29. Shows off his muscles
30. Super Fast
31. Super Cute!
32. Mama's baby
33. Oh how I love this little Boy!
Happy 3rd Birthday Buddy! xoxoxo

IN THEATERS TODAY!

I heard about this series back in October. WOW! I am HOOKED! At first I thought {as the avid Harry Potter fan that I am-- no way. It can't be as good as the Harry Potter series! Nothing can touch that!} Well, I was wrong. Twilight had me at hello. I am staying up way too late at night-can't put it down-can't wait to go to bed to read-obsessed! Twilight is the first in a series of four. I am almost done with #2 New Moon and can't wait to go to bed tonight to finish it! Thank goodness tomorrow is Saturday and I can go out and get the 3rd, Eclipse!
It's almost sad that a grown adult can become so infatuated with tenage romance and warewolves and vampires! I feel like a dork exclaiming how much I am into this book series but if you haven't tried it yet-- DO IT NOW! and the movie is out today! Read it first and then go see the movie!! :)

Happy Halloween!

Garrett's Step2 Debut

I found this on the Step2 Website over the weekend! It's Garrett on the slide! How fun! :)

Photos from August 2008

Hoping a new computer comes soon!

As you can see, I am trying to update our blogs look...BUT my laptop died and I am transitioning to another so I do not have my programs on this one {this one is not my permanent new one} so I cannot finish the look until I get photoshop on this or my new computer...ugh!!!

Tomorrow morning I am giving my resignation letter to my manager. It will depend on which side of her bed she gets up on as to how it will go. Wish me luck! :)

AS for updated pictures of Garrett...he is now 6 feet tall and going to high school! Seems so long since I have been able to get pictures on here... ha! Soon enough I will have a new computer and be back to normal.
It is en-route and will be here soon!

More later...

New Job, Diabetes, and Computers!

I officially accepted the position with the Cleveland Clinic. I will be the Pediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology Research Nurse starting October 6th. Yahoooooo! I am really happy about this. The position sounds great for me. I will be working autonomously and yet together with 2 other nurses heading up research projects as well as clinically. I am happy that they want me to work clinically with them so I can work on acquiring hours to take the Certified Diabetes Educator exam (hopefully in a year). The people in the department are really nice and are excited that I am going to be working with them. It's such a good feeling to be loved!

On another note, Steve, our cat, was diagnosed with Diabetes this week. He has had the classic signs of diabetes for a couple of weeks now {I was in denial} weight loss+increased appetite+increased thirst and urination. He is on two shots a day of Lantus Insulin. The vet wants to re-check his urine for glucose in a few days and blood work in a few weeks to see how everything is working for him. He has been on insulin since Wednesday and already has more energy and seems better. He is psyched because the vet wants him to eat wet food {which has always been a treat} and less dry since the wet is higher in protein and lower in carbs.
What can you do! He's part of the family.

So my laptop has unofficially died! Ugh! I have been switched over to another one in the interim but I feel lost without my own. All my programs are on MY computer ie: photoshop, printing press, all my photos...
My last few posts have been kind of boring since I am not sharing any photos with you. I have so many that would be fun to share BUT I can't. I will have to put a slide show on here when I actually get them into this computer. I have taken so many since the last time. My Mom was here, park photos, Garrett, Garrett, and more Garrett! :) I will have some soon...I promise! WHY I ask all the time, am I NOT on a MAC? WHY? well because I can't afford one right now but still, WHY?

I am going to go work on getting my photos switched over so I can share. :)

Woo-Hoooooo!

I got a call last week...random call from the Cleveland Clinic. I was on the couch, drugged and trying to sleep off some pain, but I answered anyway. It was the Pediatric Endocrinology Department calling to ask me if I would be interested in interviewing for a Research Nurse Position with them. {Am I hallucinating or did someone just play a REALLY bad joke on me?} So, I took the bait. "Yes, I would be interested in talking to you more about this position AND how did you get my name? I didn't apply for this."

{side note} I do insulin pump trainings for kids who are going onto pump therapy for their diabetes. The clinical coordinator (Kim) and the NE Ohio sales manager (Kathleen) BOTH gave them my name and thought the position sounded like it was designed for me! {smile}

Today, I went to the Clinic for the interview. If anyone who reads this blog remembers back to February when I interviewed for a similar position with another hospital (the one I currently work for) and you may remember how grueling the process was...8 hours...8 physicians...30 minute increments each, 4 nurses...a lot of waiting...

Today was much different. I went in at 2:30pm met with the department administrator and then was asked if I would like to sit in on a presentation by visiting physician who does lots of research projects on growth hormone. Then at 3pm I went in with their nurse practitioner (who I already know from working on projects for the Camp for Kids with diabetes out here *which was great!*) we chatted it up about the job, about camp, any chit-chat about people we both know. 3:30ish I met the medical Director along with the two nurses and a clinical coordinator {at the same time} and heard more about the position and what it's like to work in their group. As Dr. Rogers (med. director) was talking, I could have sworn I kept hearing him offering me the position but in my mind I just kept thinking, 'he's just talking hypothetically'. Well folks, He wasn't talking hypothetically. He offered me the position ON THE SPOT and asked when I would like and could start. He thought my attitude was a great match for their team! But just to make sure he was really serious, his Nurse Practitioner reassured me he was serious. :)
After a lot of babbling, drum roll please, I GOT A NEW JOB TODAY!
I go back to work on Monday after being off work for 3 weeks and I can give my notice!!!! I can not tell you how happy that makes me in my heart and soul! YEAH!
Woo-Woo! Mama got a new job!

Down and Out

I have been down and out for the last week and a half or so. Had some surgery and have been on my butt trying to recover as soon as I can. I am fine and all is going well. It just takes a lot out of you to get back on your feet~ even with the help of vicodin! ha ha



I have been keeping tabs on my friends and family through the Internet, email, and blog-world as I sit here though. :) My lovely sister, Rita, tagged me to say she loves my blog so I get to share a few blogs I like to read and keep up with. {caution} I have to admit, this is the first time I have been tagged so bare with me!

Here goes:

Here are the rules:
(1) The winner can put the logo on their blog.

(2) Link the person you received your award from.

(3) Nominate at least 6 other blogs.

(4) Put links of those on yours.

(5) Leave a message on the blogs of the people you’ve nominated

...so now I am passing along the tag to those who's blogs really make me laugh and make me aspire to be more!

Stephanie Pedersen You are such a great friend and I love to read your blog: funny, kids, husbands, and crafts! You are Superwoman when it comes to making anything! :)


Kendra Wirig She Rocks! 3 boys and a laugh a day! I admire your photography skilss to no end and still look at the pics you took of Garrett and they take my breath away!


Jen Harvey Sweetest girl on the block! We have to get together for the canvases and a card night!


Shelley Renolds I only know you through the blogging world but I am such an admirer of your photography and the love you have for your family.


Jennifer Pebbles I am a blog-stalker of yours! I read and laugh and get all kinds of ideas from you. I admire all your work and get to other really cool blogs through yours! If we lived closer, we would have to be friends! ha ha


and just for the fun of looking at beautiful photography, Audrey Woulard, your photos ROCK!


More of my friends need to start blogging so we can keep in touch and read about each others lives and see each other through pictures!

NOW THERE IS A GOOD CHALLENGE!

FRIENDS NOT BLOGGING YET~ IT'S TIME TO START! :)

Chow for now, dear friends!

Block Party

Here are a few pictures of our fun and successful Block Party!

Where have I been???

Oh my where have I been? It's been how ling since I have posted anything? Almost a month! Oh my goodness! Time flies by when you are busy and having fun.

Well, we were in New Hampshire for a ten day vacation. We rented a little cottage on a picturesque lake in Wolfeboro NH just a bit (2 hours) north of Boston. My side of the family has seemed to invade this area since we all grew up and left home. My parents and brother live in the next town over, my sister Stacey and her family live in Wolfeboro, and my other sister, Rita, and her family live in the next town up, Mirror Lake. It's so nice up there that you almost get lost in the nostalgia of summer.

We arrived in Boston (on Friday) to a beautiful sunny and warm day. It was beautiful. We drove an hour north to Brian's Mom and Dad's house and about an hour later these dreadfully dark clouds started to roll on in and thunder started to boom. We got a terrific thunderstorm during dinner and it didn't stop raining (except for brief moments) until the following Friday. There was even a funnel cloud and talk of a tornado that touched down in WOLFEBORO NH. It rained and rained and rained some more but it didn't dampen *well it did dampen* but didn't hurt our fun. We went swimming until it was lightening out, the kids got out til it stopped and then got back in again. We ate lots of yummy food {I did have an AWESOME lobster roll} and spent time with all of our family. Garrett had a blast with all of his cousins and played until he was seeing cross eyed every day. He loved every moment of being there and so did we.

Since getting back, I have also been busy working on putting together our annual street Block Party. Whew! It's a lot of work to try to put together a fun party for around 100 people. I put together the invitations and made most of the plans for the day. It started out with a parade with the kids riding bicycles and the Euclid Beach Rocket Car leading the way with LOTS of noise and music. Then the car zipped off and took people on rides for an hour. Then we played some games and had a really fun cake walk. Around 4pm a city Firetruck came by for the kids to see but had to leave shortly after getting there due to an emergency. We had a bunch of games planned so it simply lead into game time with sack races and "how many people can we stuff in a car". From there we had a potluck dinner/dessert and a raffle of prizes from local businesses and people on the street who made things. We played a couple more games and a pinata after and dinner to end the night. It was a great success and we had more people come out than any other year we have been living on this wonderful street. It is so nice to know you have great neighbors who care especially when you live far away from your family. I am proud that our street party was such a success but mostly I am proud that we had such a great number of people who came who got to mix and mingle and meet those who live around them and to see just how great it is.

Going on vacation Friday!

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

We're leaving Friday to go on vacation! We are flying (yahoo) BUT we're flying on two separate airlines...Brian is flying on AirTran and Garrett and I are on Continental. Did ya notice that Garrett & I are together...I get to fly alone with a two year old who likes to do things all by himself including sit by himself and... He is so excited to be going on an airplane that he hasn't stopped talking about it. It's too cute. So wish me luck getting to the airport on time and making it through security and not getting stripped searched! haha

isn't that family sticker the cutest thing!

CPR

My friend Stephanie and I just signed up for the Creative Photography Retreat!! in Stamford Connecticut! I can't tell you how excited I am. This retreat is a two and a half day retreat that jam packs all kinds of classes on photography techniques and know-hows that my head will be spinning when I get home! Oh my Gosh! The people who are going to be there teaching these classes are a-m-a-z-i-n-g ~ If you scrapbook, you probably know the names like Lisa Bearson creator of Creating Keepsakes *way huge scrapbook magazine*, Candice Stringham *whoa I can't believe I am going to take a class with her*, Ali Edwards *like who wouldn't be in awe of this lady* and others like Jessica Sprague and Renee Pearson. HOLY MOLY!!!!
This is going to be AWESOME! oh my gosh Cheryl Muhr and Nicole Hill and Skye Hardwick and oh my gosh I am soooooooo excited! :)

Happy 4th of July

We had a last minute visitor for the 4th, Brian's Dad Jim. He decided he was going to head out to visit family in Indiana and stopped over for a couple of nights. We were all happy to see him and had a nice time visiting. Garrett was very happy Grandpa was here. He showed him all his latest feats...riding his bike, meeting his friend Mateo, and talking and talking and talking Grandpa's ear off. We're so glad you stopped and spent the fourth with us, Jim! :) We also had some fun going out to Cedar Point on Sunday afternoon. My cousin David and his family are out there camping (sort of~they have a sweet RV they travel in) so we went out and had a cookout and swam in the pool all while the crazy roller coasters were roaring in the background. Garrett and Brian went in the water park and had a ball. I forgot to bring a bathingsuit so I took photos :) If you haven't been to Cedar Point, you have really got to put it on your list of must-do's! It is awesome!

It was a beautiful weekend for the weather and a great weekend spending time with family (it's so nice that we had family in town!) and friends. We had our friends Fabio and Jennifer and their son, Mateo, who is Garrett's little friend, over for dinner on Saturday too. Jennifer is/was just about ready to pop with her second baby. She is/was due any day so we had them over so she wouldn't have to worry about food. Her mother is in town awaiting the new baby so she came along too. It was a nice dinner and exciting talking about the new baby coming. :)

I got a call early this morning that Jen went into labor at 3:30am...waited at home until 5:30am...got to the hospital around 6ish and delivered at 6:45am! A baby boy! 7lbs 2oz named Gabriel. Everyone is healthy and doing great. Way to go Jen! We're so excited for all of you!

Hoping everyone had a great 4th of July weekend!

A new bike

Garrett is getting so big right before my eyes. It seems we were just getting up in the middle of the night to feed a little 5pound baby and now he is riding off down the sidewalk on a two wheel bike (with training wheels but still...). He is so excited to ride his new bike that he wants to be out there every moment of every day and every moment of every night. His little face just lit up when Brian tightened up his wheels and he could get on and ride. He has even learned to use the break...sometimes. :)

Parade the Circle

Over the weekend we went to the annual Parade the Circle here in Cleveland. This parade is not your typical marching bands and firetrucks and local beauty pagent winner. It is a parade by artists expressing their amazing talents in crazy and unique ways. It is pretty darn amazing the amount of talented artists we have around us. I do believe they have a 'theme' to create around but I apologize I do not know what it was this year. It was COOL though every last one of them! My hat is off to all those who were in the parade.

Williamsburg, Virginia

Whew! Where have I been! I have been busy but not sure what I have been doing. :)

I want to share some pictures from our trip to Williamsburg, Virginia with our family, The Williams, aka Brian's Mom and Dad or Grammy and Grandpa. What a nice place to visit. The weather was absolutely beautiful. Just what we needed to feel like summer was here. Hot. Sunny. Beautiful. Williamsburg was fun. Checking out the old colonial buildings and walking around the 'land'. ;) Garrett loved it because they shuttle you on buses (which he LOVES to ride on) and we got to see animals but most of all he loved it because he got to be spoiled by Grammy and Grandpa for the weekend. He LOVED getting up in the morning and running into their room to "wake" them up (even though they were up and dressed every morning before he came in). He got to swim and play and play and play some more. Of course his heart was won with the toys he got from Grammy and Grandpa too {Thank you}

One of the days we visited Busch Gardens and had a great time! We arrived at the park before it opened and kept busy until Garrett passed out around 3pm! We even went back after dinner to see more! Garrett had so much fun going on the rides and checking out all the roller coasters. Brian went on a couple by himself as I puke (yes puke) when I ride them. The last time I went on a roller coaster in Florida I had a brain injury *I will share that story another time but believe me when I say that I had a brain injury! There was drool involved*

We had a great time. It is a place everyone should try to see. Wait until your kids are studying the times though, they'll have more fun!