Bringing 2009 In With Friends

This New Year's Eve was a lot of fun! We celebrated with our close friends Desi, Carlos, Lauren, Kalen, and their children. It was an extra special New Year's eve because Anneli (Lauren and Kalen's daughter) turned 3 on New Year's Eve, and Ciro (Desi and Carlos' son) turned 2 on New Year's day! We also celebrated a new birth to our gang Miles Kalen was born on October 21! Needless to say we were all celebrating a lot of momentous things while bringing in the new year. I do so hope that this can become some kind of tradition over the years! It was an awesome New Year's Eve, and it was extra special celebrating with our friends.

Emma's Future In Photography

Emma's favorite Christmas toy this year seems to be the Fisher Price digital camera. She has been taking pictures everyday since Santa brought it! This little girl will hop out of no where and yell "Say Cheese!". Watch out Brangelina there's a new Paparazzi photographer in town, and she's only 3 ft tall!

Merry Christmas!

This was the best Christmas todat! It was our first Christmas in our new home, and the kids seemed to be really excited about Santa this year.

Yesterday started off very icy, however we were still able to make it out to the grocery store for some last minute food items that we needed for Christmas dinner. All day Emma was very excited about Santa coming, and Teddy fed off her excitement, which was totally awesome! After the grocery store the kids and I went for our annual Christmas eve lunch, which we do every year. All during lunch Emma was still a buzz about Santa! When we got home, Emma had received her very own personal video mail from Santa! It really seemed to make the day magical for her. After dinner, the kids and I listened to Christmas music, and baked some cookies for Santa to have as a little snack when stopped by for his visit. The kids were so excited at bedtime that it was hard to get them to bed, after a phone call from Grammy saying she spotted Rudolph's shiny red nose flying over her house, the kids went to bed.

I have to say I was packed full of excitement this morning waiting for Emma and Teddy to wake up! Every hour of last night was spent waking up and looking at a clock! Finally at 5:30 I heard a stir in one of the bedrooms....YAY! Emma was up and Ted would be sure to follow in a few minutes ! When Ted got up about a second after Emma he was the first one to practically knock everyone over, and run down stairs! He was like a little Lightning McQueen running over to the Christmas tree, clapping his hands! Emma was so excited she couldn't speak, then finally she said " He came, He really came!" The magic of that whole morning will forever be engraved in my memory. After our dinner was in our bellies, and our guests had gone home, Emma was playing around her backpack. She pulled out a little package, and brought over to where I was sitting, and said here Mommy, I made you a present. She does little things like this all time, so I thought I would just play along. Much to my surprise when I opened up the package, there really was something inside this time. Emma made the cutest little Santa handprint ornament, and another one with her school picture on it! A tear came to my eye, when she said " Merry Quismas Mommy, I wuv you !" Needless to say she got the biggest bear hug any Mom could give, and I have to say I got the most important gift anyone could get this Christmas.....My wonderful husband and cildren, whom I adore to the ends of the earth!

Kit Kittredge:An American Girl

The kids and I watched Kit Kittredge: An American Girl. It takes place during the depression era, and is a very clean family movie. Emmy and Ted were glued, they sat through the WHOLE movie, I kid you not!

Emma was even asking questions about certain parts of the movie. Dan and I were amazed at how interested they both were. Emma, was very concerned about a little girl in the movie whose house had been foreclosed on. In this particular scene they were taking her bed, and Emma asks "Why are they taking here bed? Where is she going to sleep?" We explained to her in 3 year old language what was happening, and she says "I can share my bed if it 's okay."

I highly recommend this movie, it was very cute!

Happy Birthday To My Little Angels!

Emma Louise the day you were born was a very happy day! I will never forget the first time I held you in my arms, it was glorious moment in my life! Daddy and I couldn't believe how beautiful you were, and still are. Your "no nonsense" personality was apparent from day one. You are a very sweet and special little girl! Daddy and I love you very much!

Theodore Roosevelt Miller II, always my little clown, and knowing where you wanted to be, deciding to make your debut during Emma's Birthday party, and arriving 5 weeks early. You were a tiny little thing weighing in at 6lbs 1oz! The nurses told us your name was too big for such a tiny baby, but we told them you would grow into it! You are a wonderful little boy, and you keep life hopping around here! You remind me very much of your Grandfather, Daddy and I named you right. Stay as laid back, and happy as you are! We love you!

To my little loves I say Happy Birthday and many more to come! Daddy and I love you both very much!

A Way of Saying Thank You !

Remembering Grandmom

As I look back through my life there have been many special women in my life, but none as special as my Grandmom, Mildred Nyce DeCarlo. Grandmom had an extraordinary life, she gave birth to six children, survived the depression, worked her fingers to the bone during World War II, and saw 15 Presidents take office. She always had a cookies in the cookie jar, and jellybeans at Easter.

Grandmom was born April 8, 1909 in Conshocken, Pennsylvania to James and Estelle Nyce. The only girl of four children. She left school in 1924 to work and Married my Dominic DeCarlo in 1930. She had six children between 1931 and 1943. In 1948 my grandfather died of cancer, leaving Grandmom to raise all six children alone. She never remarried! In her lifetime there had been many heartaches she lost 2 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild to accidents, but never let that get her down.

My fondest memory of Grandmom was on my 10th Birthday when she had bought me a cake, and had the waitresses at the restaurant we were eating bring it to me and sing Happy Birthday! Grandmom was very easy to talk and we often talked about her younger days as a flapper, and many other moments of her life! Her best piece of advice that she ever gave to me was " to be the best person that you can be, and that will take you far in life".

Grandmom died December 10, 2000 at 91 years old! I miss her today just as much as I did when she died. I often look at my own children and see a little piece of Grandmom in them, and often think at how much she would have enjoyed them. Her legacy lives on through me and my children, and I take her words of wisdom with me from day to day!