1 Done... Many More To Go!

I've "finished" one thing on my Life List!! Woohoo ... :)

    4. Graduate college Done! B.S. in Social Studies Education With Special Distinction ... 12-17-10

That accomplishment feels so good. So good.

Christmas Challenge: Day 25

Day 25: It’s Christmas! What were some of the things you received this year?

I don't like focusing on what I got. So instead I'm doing "What was your favorite part of this Christmas?"

& go with spending it with my love, my family, & my Aria.
It was an amazing day. Couldn't ask for a better day. Honestly.

Christmas Challenge: Day 16

Day 16: Your favorite Christmas tradition.

Anything family related.
I adore decorating the tree with my family. I love the silly gifts we get in our stockings. I love that it's always chaotic when the whole family is together.
I love it all.

Christmas Challenge: Day 4

Day 4: What 3 things come to mind when you think Christmas.

This one is hard because there are so many memories and warm fuzzy feelings that surround Christmas for me.

So here are 3 of them

1) Trimming the tree ... I loved spending time with my parents & sister while putting up the tree. For as long as I remember it was a white tree with gorgeous blue and silver lights, bulbs, ribbon, and tinsel. Plus my one red bulb that said my name & '94 on it. It always had to be on the tree, but dad relegated it to the back because it ruined the vibe of the tree! lol 

2) Fires & hot chocolate ... the house I grew up in has a fireplace and my parents make use of it every winter. I adore sitting in front of a fire and drinking hot chocolate. A very favorite memory that brings back those warm fuzzy feelings of being loved and being happy.

3) Absolute crazy family times! ... this is a memory that goes along with every holiday and most other random weekends. The time and place we get together changes every Christmas, but one thing stays constant: my family is fun, rambunctious, loving, joking, and chaotic. I can't begin to describe how happy I get just thinking about the times we've had together. I adored growing up with 3 siblings, and I would love to have several kids of my own so they can have the same happy and chaotic childhood I did.

So I need to get back into this...

Here goes!

Today I babysat - love them!
Hired the wedding photographer.
& had dinner and watched a tv show with the love of my life.

Happy 8 Years Josh! I can't wait to marry you.
109 days to go!

Bisous, Kiki

Lessons from the ST.

I've decided to start a new ... "series."

Lessons from S & T. It's a play on words ... S&T ... ST. ... St. .... Saint ... get it? lol

Every single time I watch them I learn something new. It may be huge or it may just be a little something.
Some of the lessons I've learned:

Babies stop crying eventually. While T is a marvelous baby there was one time she was very cranky (hey happens to every baby! & me too). She wouldn't stop crying. I was so sad I couldn't fix her problems for her. But then? She just stopped. I guess she just needed to let it all out! But I realized ... even when it's bad all babies stop crying eventually. She really didn't cry for long, but it was enough for me to learn the lesson.

Also here's a good lesson: When the older brother is way too quiet in the living room while you are rocking younger sister to sleep in the bedroom he may or may not have gotten into the Easter chocolate candy. Then he will come into the bedroom... grin at you with chocolate ALL over his mouth ... it will be the most innocent grin & you can't help but laugh! & that will wake up baby sister. Sigh. ... She will go back to sleep though.
---- & while I was rocking her again I told S "You sit down right there right now." His reply? The most sheepish look & quiet little "I'm in trouble huh?" Oh my heart sank. & I wanted to roll on the floor laughing at the same time. It is one of my favorite memories with him! ♥

So today's lesson - Babies make everything better. Even when you are having an all around good day - it will get better when you rock her to sleep, feed her, watch her discover new things, and spend quality time talking. T is so much fun & I adore her. & she and her brother make my days better. Even the great ones get better when I see them!! & of course they cure my bad days too.

Next Thursday I'm due to sit again... more lessons then!


Bisous, Kiki

Project 365: Week 2: Days 7-13

This week was a lot of fun... filled with traveling, relaxing, time with friends & family, & two of my best friends' wedding to each other!! Congrats H&C!! I love you both :)

Without further ado...
Days 7-13: June 7-13, 2010

Day 7

A typical day... Aria obliterates her toys & then she crashes :)

Day 8

Aria laying on my bags - she does not want me to leave :( (& she's not the only one)

Day 9 

Don't forget these!! 

Day 10

Time to RELAX & read!!

Day 11

My bridesmaid gift - C is the sweetest! I ♥ her. & I love my gift! For those of you who don't know, I adore bags. & this is perfection!

Day 12

The Bride, Groom & I - two of my best friends!

Day 13

After I got home from the wedding (at 1am!) I took all the bobby pins out of my hair. It stayed. Wow.

This week was amazing! I'm ready to go home though.

Bisous, Kiki

Today is the Day to Celebrate Mothers & I have just the Lady

My mother is my role model, best friend, confidant, & biggest fan. She's the one who is always there for me and loves me no matter what. She dries my tears and comforts me when I need her. She celebrates in my happiest moments. She's my rock. She always makes time for me and always listens to me when I need her to. She is who I want to be when I grow up. She is not a perfect mother because no one is, but she is as close as you can get. She provides unconditional love and support. She is the epitome of grace, elegance, and class. She was everything I needed as I grew up... and she still is.

She held me after bad dreams, kissed scraped knees, fixed me breakfast every day, took me to library story hour and instilled my great love of reading, made sure I never needed anything. She gave me an idyllic childhood. She led me along the right paths, and she helped to make me who I am today. She knows me so well and always says the right thing.

I can receive no greater compliment than when people tell me I'm like my Mom.
I couldn't be prouder to call her Mom.
I love you.


Now that I've cried through that part of the post (you knew I would be mom!) here are some of my favorite pictures:

My Mother is beautiful inside and out

I like to think we look alike

We have so much fun together - Mom you will look great in orange!! ;)

 Mom has a signature pose

Chace and I love to do it too  ... a little over exaggerated of course!

She's adorable

She makes AWESOME cakes :)

My Mom & Her Mom

My Mother and My Father

I love you, Mom!

 Happy Mother's Day from All of Us!

Since this post is already as long as that horrid poem we had to read in English class: Beowulf (ugh!), why don't I just continue with a few other Mothers that I think are wonderful:

Happy Mother's Day to M2! You did an amazing job raising your children and they have all turned out wonderful. Thank you for teaching Josh all you did and for loving him.

M2 with all her Kids

She's gorgeous ... inside and out!

Josh & his Mom

We told Josh to "Smile" .... M2 looks gorgeous!

The lighting is bad ... but I still love it!

Josh & his Mom is Vegas!

Mom and Me in Vegas!

Mom2 & her daughter Dr. A ... who is having her first!!

Happy Mother's Day Dr. A!!
I can't wait to meet my niece!! 

Also a Very Happy Mother's Day to Nenah, Heidi, & G!!

You are all wonderful Moms who have done an amazing job raising your children!

Bisous, Kiki

I Should Have Bought that $254 Million Lotto Ticket

 So I recently wrote about how I won the great Starbucks giveaway from ...and baby makes 3! ... I can't wait to get it... muffins and hot chocolate here I come!

So here's the crazy thing... Jessica @ The Southern Belle Baby had a great giveaway I entered the other week. &&& I WON!!! ANOTHER GIVEAWAY! (yes this calls for capitals.)

oh and I WON YET ANOTHER ONE!!! @ Law Momma's site (love, love, love her!). Here's the giveaway... pretty amazing right??
Is this my week or what?
Lotto ticket today?

~~Kiki

A Glimpse

On Thursday I got a great surprise - G asked me to watch S and T!! It was great fun! :)
I watch T a few times a week and then S once a week, but not usually together. The change was so much fun. I loved watching them both. It was a great Joy. (hehe) :)

Fast forward to today. I got a little glimpse into my future. I was gathering up clothes to put in the washer. I grabbed my pants I wore on Thursday and thought "need to wash those... spit-up and boogers on them."
Made me laugh to myself. ... I could see myself a few years in the future saying the same thing... about my own kids' spit-up and boogers :)

It's almost over. Just to start again.

Today I was advised for my last semester of college.

I know this is cliche, but wow has time flown by.
I can't believe I'm already at this point. I can't believe I'm going to be a COLLEGE GRADUATE in just about 9 months. 9 more hours. That's all that is left until I have a college degree. A Bachelor of Science in Education. That means I know something about something. Maybe.

I still have a lot to do before I get where I want to be in life. This summer I have to study for the dreaded LSAT. Then I start applying to law schools. I hope I get in somewhere. This also means I am that much closer to achieving #4 on my Life List.

But the thing is ... I am within reach of a college degree. I can't stop saying that. College Degree.
I'm proud of myself. & I think I have a right to be.

My life is amazing

Birthday Week is off to a great start.
Sometimes the best things in life are not material...

except these are kind of material, but you get what I mean!

Happy Birthday card from S (thank you! I love you!). .... you can see he wrote his initials "S.T." at the bottom ... right, G? or! maybe he was signing for T too??
(I'm convinced that's what it is... & now every time I look at it I see "S.T.")

and this from Josh. He's amazing. I love my "card!"

 Isn't he sweet??? He had this up as a surprise for me when I came home from staying with S.

It's a great Birthday Week!

She's Here ... the newest love of my life

T has arrived!! 

I'm so excited and can't wait to meet her!!! I'm sure she's adorable just like her older brother!!

I can't wait to hold her and play with her! & kiss her little cheeks!

YAY!

Oh and she arrived on her Daddy's birthday... what a present!

Also, I went overboard on the "!s" ... but this deserves it!