Happy Birthday Samantha!

Happy Birthday Samantha!

6 years full of love, laughter and learning!


Since it was a school day, we went out for dinner to Broadway (her choice). Daddy is still recovering, but the rest of us (and Grammy) ate plenty of pizza and enjoyed Samantha's dessert. The deep dish chocolate chip cookie was yummy!

The many facets of mom

Sometimes I struggle with all the roles I live, but it truly is a wonderful life.

I'm a mother, wife, friend, volunteer, full-time employee among other things. I try to take care of myself to avoid feeling drained, but consecutive nights of not enough sleep and some overtime at the office are just this week's extras. I'm trying to set an example of a "strong confident woman" for my daughters by having that attitude. But, I'm not perfect. The example is reality, I am a flawed woman who still feels insecure at times. Today was one of those times. It is hard, but the rewards of my life far outweigh the work. The kids I work with at Sam's school (including Samantha) all smile when I walk in and even give me hugs! I'm valued at work, called by my friends in good times and bad and loved more than I ever believed possible by my wonderful husband. I love my family and I am loved by them. What more is there?

I still have dreams I haven't fulfilled like traveling the world, getting a master's degree and volunteering more. The truth is I won't get to do everything I want to do. That fact is why I work so hard to do all I do today. I want to do and learn as much as I can while I'm here, but I have to pace myself. I have hopes of showing our girls the world's different cultures and belonging to a community beyond family. I'm trying to teach them to find their own strength and use it.

My life before I was married seems so long ago. I was 20 when I first met Daddy. From the first meeting, I knew he was special. His dark eyes showed kindness and humor. Our story is full of twists and turns which make it extraordinary and precious. I chose him and he chose me. And here we are, blessed and full of determination to keep going.

Sofia's days with Nana, Grammy and Daddy

Daycare was closed this week, so as usual the grandparents stepped up to help us. This week Sofia got a night at Nana and Papa's, followed by a day with Nana. Sofie also got 2 days with Grammy, which got us on the road to a diaper-free lifestyle. The rest of the week she hung out with her dad. It was good for them to get some time alone together. Sofie has been preferring her dad lately to anyone, as demonstrated below in some cute moments.




Sofia is a wonderful girl and we are extremely proud of her!

Irving's birthday party

Yesterday was Irving's 96th birthday! His birthday party was really fun! We got to see the extended family and I got some cute pictures. We got Irving a digital photo frame that I loaded with over 500 pictures of our extended family over the years. He is truly enjoying it and that's the best we can do.


Irving has been struggling with his health lately. The other night Samantha overheard Daddy and I discussing the situation. She became upset about the possibility that Irving will die someday. We both explained that death is a part of life and you can't avoid it. Death happens to everyone. We just don't know when, where or how it will happen. AND THAT IS OKAY. What matters is how we live our life, whether we are kind or not. That is the only thing in our control.

The important thing is that we give Irving all the love we can while he is here and we are doing that.

Happy Birthday to Jordan and Dylan!

Happy 1st birthday to Jordan and Dylan!

It's pretty fun to be an aunt. Our niece and nephew are adorable and both kids are sweet. We enjoy them at every opportunity! Samantha and Sofia love their cousins so much! We are blessed to have them in our lives!

Their birthday party was a great evening! Aunt Shelly's nephews came with Mitch and Marla to celebrate the monumental occasion and our girls (and me) had a great time playing together! I even learned a new trick in flipping the girls!

Sofia's day with Mom

I got to spend the day with Sofia today. She hasn't been feeling well so we kept it as subdued as possible. There were many rounds of dominoes and card games. We did manage to run some errands, but the day was mostly us just playing whatever Sofia was in the mood to play. It was wonderful to just be with her. I cherish these days with my kids and being able to focus on them. She is an amazing little girl and I am very honored to be her mom.

Here is the closest thing I could get to a picture where she isn't a complete blur. We call her the "energizer bunny" because she doesn't stop moving!