Rockin' The Bump at 17 Weeks

Almost half way there!

With my first pregnancy, I was doing pretty good at taking baby bump pictures at least once a month.  Well this time, I've let 6 weeks go by since I took a baby bump photo...Ooops!  Mainly because I forget, or I don't feel pretty enough to get behind the camera to have a picture taken of me, or because chasing after a toddler exhausts me by the end of the day...

Yesterday I finally captured my 17 week (and 4 days) bump with baby #2!

Today, after reading Allison's link up post,  I am linking up with Shell over at Things I Can't Say for the first time for her Rockin' The Bump link up!

I have always loved seeing women rock their baby bumps!  Something about having a conversation with a woman knowing there's a little tiny kicking, punching, hiccuping baby in her belly makes me giddy!  I believe that all pregnant women are beautiful!  I mean come on!  What isn't beautiful about carrying the miracle of life inside of you for 9 months?

Well...if you consider the nausea and vomiting, fatigue, outlandish cravings, gas pains and acid indigestion, swelling, dark skin spots, stretch marks, acne...  (Need I go on?)  Those things may not make you feel particularly pretty or wonderful by any means.  But there's a reason that God gave woman this gift.  Because we can handle it.  Because we are capable of having the necessary emotional connection with our baby without having met them yet.  Because we are able to immediately provide nourishment and unconditional love for this being.

It's a beautiful thing.

Baby bumps are beautiful.

Babies are miracles.

Mommies are special.

So Rock Your Bump with pride!

If you're currently rocking a bump or want to go through your old baby bump pictures and relive those precious moments, link up here!  #RockinTheBump

I. Am. Awesome.

You know those days when you just feel on top of the world and you start thinking non-stop of all the wonderfulness you are?  ...Yeah, me either!

Just kidding!  ...Well, sort of.

This week's Monday Listicles was suggested to us by Ms. M from The Bonny Bard.  In an effort to keep the holiday spirit and positivity alive, she had us write of 10 REASONS WHY I'M GREAT.

Well seeing as how I have always had confidence issues and have the tendency to be modest...this was hard.  But sometimes you(I) just need reminding of all of the goodness you are, of the reasons why people love you, why YOU love you.  So here it goes.


1.  I am a kid at heart.  I don't blow bubbles in my chocolate milk or anything but I still love everything I did as a kid.  I still have stuffed animals and some treasure trolls.  I get super excited when I see the Fraggles, Muppets or ALF on TV.  And I'll still break into any Disney song and sing it almost word for word while dancing around my house.

2.  I can cook.  I wouldn't say that I am a cook, but I can cook.  I am more of a recipe follower and then will add a few things differently sometimes.  I haven't made anything yet that was inedible and I've only burnt/not cooked something long enough a few times.  So that's pretty good, right? :)

3.  I am funny.  I can usually make people laugh, even a little giggle.  If I can't succeed then I just assume that they have no soul.  (hehe)

4.  I am tidy (for the most part).  I guess I am somewhat of a perfectionist, but I like things where I like them.  This helps the utter frustration of going to look for something where it's supposed to be and not finding it there, but somewhere else...or not at all.

5.  I am caring.  If you manage to make your way into my heart, you ain't leavin!  I will bend over backwards and forwards again for anyone I care about.  I'd offer you my shoes, my coat and my couch in a heartbeat.

6.  I am strong.  Every life has a story and what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.  I'm months from turning 30, that's gotta count for something.

7.  I am smart.  Some of my friends come to me for advice on life, others for computer tips, others for phone tips, and some for cooking tips.  I guess that says a lot.

8.  I am truthful.  As a teenager, trying to lie to my parents was hard.  I've always sucked at it!  As an adult, I gave up trying and realized the truth is always better no matter what.  Plus I still suck at lying, even when I'm trying to pull a prank!  Ex: April Fools Day

9.  I am crafty.  Did I really just say that?  I may not have ideas flowing all the time, but when I really sit down and put my mind to it, I can come up with some pretty good ideas for handmade things.  And thanks to Pinterest my crafty brain works better now.

10.  Last but not least, I am a good mom.  I'm not perfect in any way, but I know that my child is loved and that I try my very best to make sure she feels that every day.

Go ahead and toot your own horn a little!  It feels good and it's self healing.  Why are you awesome?

Lessons of 2012

I know, I know, it's been a long while since I have linked up with Stasha and joined her Monday Listicles.  I am ashamed I've gone this long without linking up, but sometimes there just isn't enough time for everything I want to do. (Okay, more than just sometimes) But today is a new day!

Today's topic is Lesson's I've Learned in 2012.

There are way more than 10 lessons I have learned in this past year, but for your sake, I'll limit my list to only 10.

1.  Setting a limit of eating out is a MUST
2.  Teaching a young'n the meaning of the word "no" is harder than I thought
3.  Blogging is good for me.  Good for my soul.
4.  How to make stuffed grape leaves (thanks, dad!)
5.  Beginner HTML code (that's right, future geek alert- thanks, hubby)
6.  How to balance a feeding baby in one hand and feed myself with the other
7.  How to smile through tough times because life is short
8.  The Gangnum Style Dance
9.  Sticking to a diet and exercise plan is HARD work
10.  My allergies have somehow gotten worse since I got pregnant

Pet Peeves In My House

Hey all!  I know it's not Monday, so I'm already behind, but I wasn't going to let another Monday Listicles go by without participating!  I enjoy these lists!

This week's Monday Listicles was chosen again by Stasha at The Good Life, and she has decided to have us write Ten Things In My Home.  Since the whole fiasco with our washing machine being broken 2 weeks ago, it was repaired and working again only to break again 4 days after.  So now it's irreparable and needed to be replaced.  Now sits our brand new washing machine (with a 5 year warranty, I might add) and it works like a charm!  *sigh of relief*
In this midst of all of this, I came to realize my list topic.

My 10 Pet Peeves About My Home

1.  Flooded basement.  Our basement likes to flood and fairly often.  Every time it rains, you can guarantee there's water down there.  (and our weird cat loves to play in it!  Ahh!!)

2.  Crumbs on the floor.  I cannot stand stepping on a floor with no shoes or socks on and feeling crumbs or particles of mystery stuff under my feet.

3.  Pet hair.  I love our cat dearly but he's a huge fluff ball and leaves bits of fur everywhere.  I usually have to vacuum at least once a day, sometimes twice.

4.  Oil heat.  Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful we HAVE heat but the amount of money we spend on heating oil a fall/winter season is ridiculous!

5.  Overlapping cabinets.  We have those weird "jokester" cabinets where you ALWAYS have to shut the left before you can shut the right.  And of course even after living here for almost 4 1/2 years, I still get it wrong on the first attempt.

6.  Creaky floors.  We have old hardwood floors and I can pretty much pin point every place in the floor that will creak if you step on it..except in the baby's room.  I'm always tiptoeing around her room, in her room, anything to make sure I don't wake her up.  I'm still trying to master this skill after almost a year.

7.  Sticky counters.  Sometimes, ok more often than not...there are random coffee spills (thanks to the only other person in this house that drinks coffee...and it's not the baby) around the coffee pot.  Our counters are an ugly yellow-ish tint and sugar and coffee is sometimes are to find on them.  But I always happen to run my hand over it, when I least expect it.

8.  Lack of a dishwasher.  This has become such a pet peeve of mine.  I've never had a dish washer "of my own" and I'm so tired of hand washing dishes it's not even funny.  Sometimes I have to spend an hour talking myself into cooking just because I know there will be a ton of dishes to wash afterwards.  Bleh!

9.  Random clutter.  I'm sure every house acquires a random pile of "stuff" in one particular area every now and then.  We're lucky to have a few places where this happens.  The dining room table, the area by the front door, and the office desk.  If only every thing did have their own place to be put away.

10.  Flat mailbox.  This house has one of those mailboxes that you nail to a wall.  Well ours is not-so-nicely nailed to a brick wall and every once in awhile it falls off when we go to get our mail out.  I hope the mailman hasn't run into this problem.  I'd definitely be putting a pack of Band Aids in his Christmas card.  :)

What are some of your pet peeves that you find in your own home from time to time?

Now head over to Stasha's blog and link up your lovely list of the week!

These 10 Songs Remind Me Of...

Good Morning and Happy Monday!  I was blessed to be chosen by Stasha to pick this week's Monday Listicle topic of 10 SongsI (Thank You,  Stasha)  I was excited when many of you said it was a fun topic, so I am anxious to see what you chose to write!

Before I'm off spending the week reading about your 10 songs...I'll share with you mine.  And believe me, I know how hard this is to only choose 10!

10 Memorable Songs (in no particular order)

1)  For The Longest Time - Billy Joel - This song reminds me of being a kid.  This was the first a capella song I was introduced to (that I recall, anyway).  My parents are big Billy Joel and a capella fans and both sing.  My brother and I followed suit.  His music and lyrics are well known in our houses.

2)  In Repair - John Mayer - This song reminds me of my early 20's, when I felt lost more than found.  I must have listened to this song on repeat at least 1,000 times as it gave me comfort.  The chorus lyrics are "I'm in repair.  I'm not together but I'm getting there."  It explained me.

3)  Angel From Montgomery - Bonnie Raitt/John Prine - This song reminds me of my dad.  This is the song we would sing almost every evening in the basement.  We each grabbed a microphone and practiced, practiced, practiced.  For what?  I don't know, but we got it perfected enough for us to "perform" it at one of his company picnics one year.  That was fun :)

4)  Jersey Girl - Bruce Springsteen - This song reminds me of being a young child and dancing with my dad.  He would pick me up and hold me on his hip and spin me around and dance while I held onto his neck.  I guess I have always been a "Daddy's Girl".  And because of this particular memory, when I was planning my wedding, I knew what song I would be dancing the "Father and Daughter Dance" to.

5)  My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder - This song will always remind me of the wonderful night I met my soul mate.  I will never forget him nervously practicing the beginning chords of this song, while I helped the rest of the bridal party set up tables and centerpieces for the wedding that was taking place the next day.  You can read more about how Justin and I met here.

6)  You Were Mine - Dixie Chicks - This song reminds me of my best friend for 15 years, Takia, who also sings.  We were in high school when this song came out and decided to record it at one of those little recording studios that you see at amusement parks.  We originally wanted to record Whitney Houston's Heartbreak Hotel, so we rehearsed that once.  We changed our mind to this song and the employees of the studio wouldn't let us rehearse (since we rehearsed another song already).  Well we thought we knew this song well enough to do without rehearsing and although we knew the words...we totally failed the notes!  HAHA!  I still have that cassette tape too, although Takia wanted me to throw it away!

7)  Country Roads - John Denver - This song reminds me of camping with my family as a kid, and also reminds me of my mom.  My mom is a huge John Denver fan and loves the outdoors.  My family and I would always go camping every summer and would sing around the campfire and make s'mores.  It's a fond memory that's close to my heart.  :)

8)  Her Perfect Dream - Justin Skidmore -  <-- Yes, that is my husband and yes he wrote me a song.  Aren't I lucky?  It's an instrumental song, as Jazz is his favorite type of music.  I remember the first time he presented this song to me.  He told me the title and said that it's about me and how I watch "A Baby Story" on TLC every morning because I was obsessed with learning the reality of having and delivering a baby.  I never understood how composers who write instrumental music can give songs such a deep title and meaning, with no lyrics involved... but I took his word for it.  :)

9)  Black Velvet - Alannah Myles - This song reminds me of a bachelorette party in 2009 for my friend, Allison's, wedding I was in.  Allison loves to sing and Karaoke for her bachelorette party was a must.  I always have intentions to sing, but never have the guts to put my name down for the DJ to announce.  Well my good ol' BFF, Takia (mentioned above) put my name in for me and chose this song for me to sing.  Well about 10 seconds into the song I felt like I was a born singer.  I seriously nailed it!  And it was probably one of the proudest moments in my life.  :)

10)  Will You Be There - Michael Jackson - Not your typical favorite MJ song, but this song reminds me of the first time I ever saw the movie Free Willy.  Living on the California coast, I grew to have a great love for any sea life.  When Free Willy came out, I was very inspired by the story and decided to adopt an orca whale.  :)  Later that year we got a little grey and white kitten (I know it's not like a black and white orca, but still), I decided to name her Keiko, after the whale that played Willy in the movie :)


Now click the badge below and head over to Stasha's blog to link up a list of your 10 songs! :)

Memories Captured - Blessed

It's Friday again.  September 7, 2012 at 9:38 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) to be a little too exact.  Although you're reading this a few days later.

The baby is asleep.

The husband is asleep.

Even the cat is asleep.

I am left here alone.

Just me, my laptop and my 2nd glass of wine (that I usually never drink).

I just put my big, baby girl to bed.  She fell asleep in my arms tonight, which hasn't happened in awhile.  She has been pretty good with putting herself to sleep at nighttime and nap time.  We're very fortunate.  But tonight was out of the normal.

Annaliese has been very cuddly with me lately.  Oh believe me, I am soaking it up.  Every last minute.  I think she is unconsciously grasping the fact that her mother is in need of these voluntary moments, as she knows there will soon come a day when those cuddles will be too few and far between.

You see, there are exactly 34 days left until she turns one year old.  Only 34 days!  (and less by the time you're reading this)  It seems that the year has just up and vanished into thin air.

But tonight was another night where time stood still.

Just a mother and her daughter rocking in silence.

A mother who has learned a lot about herself in the last 11 months.  A mother who has seen herself on her strongest days where she felt on top of her game.  A mother who has seen herself through her weakest moments and spent hours crying along side her crying baby.  A mother who has previously promised herself, but has recently taken action to become healthier and live healthier for the sake of herself and her child.

And here in my arms, rests my dreams, my values, my future, all in this little body that keeps growing day by day.  My shirt covered in spaghetti stains, my hair a mess, my feet swollen and sore from running, my legs unshaven, I think I forgot deodorant again today...and yet I'm perfectly content because I am blessed.

I have been a little stressed out this week because of the stupid little things that get you all worked up.  The basement being flooded (for the 100th time), the washer being broken (after just months ago the dryer had broken), the finances wearing thin (due to a certain special someone's first birthday party), the physical pain of actually working out (from being so out of shape), and the tired eyes I meet at the end of every day from my husband (and his very stressful "seeing-computer-code-in-his-sleep" job).

But this moment is mine.  Right now.  Right in this very moment, none of that matters.  All of the stress in the world couldn't take away the peace I have has with my sleeping babe in my arms.  This very moment I will treasure forever.  This moment brings tears to my eyes because I am still in awe of this beautiful little life that I am blessed to be home with every day and make laugh and watch grow.  This beautiful gift from God.  Every day I wish my Father-In-Law were here to see this little girl grow, but I know he is shining down on his only grandchild and giving her a different reason to smile.

Wiping the soft tears from my weary eyes, this mother stands up, ensures that she will not wake her soundly sleeping daughter, and I gently place her in a crib with a beautiful matching crib set fit for a darling baby girl.  It seems only yesterday, Justin and I were finishing up our baby registry and wondering what it would feel like to be a parent.  Now there she lays, in the butterfly crib set we picked and were given for a shower gift from Justin's brother, Ashley and his wife, Jenn, in the espresso crib we bought and put together, in the pajamas that were handed down to us from one of my best friends from when her daughter was much younger, and beside her security blanket/teddy bear that my aunt and uncle had bought her for Christmas.

I turn off the light and say a silent prayer and ask God to watch over my sleeping baby, as I do every night.  I also ask Him to give me the motherly strength I need to make it through every day, to remember to wake up with a positive outlook every morning and remember that there are so many others who are less fortunate and living in undeserving broken and battered homes.

I am blessed.

Linking up with Alison @ Writing, Wishing and Galit @ These Little Waves for September's Memories Captured.

One Good Thing - Picking Up Old Hobbies

With all of this inspiration that's been going on in my life, I've been doing a little soul searching and reflecting.

I realized that I don't do enough for myself.

Yesterday's post showed that I curled my hair and put on make up!  Hey, it's a start!  It made me feel pretty.  I should do that more often...should I find the time.

Running, working out and blogging has certainly helped me get some "me time" in there. Those are sure things that I do for myself, but thinking back, I used to love to do crafts, read and sing, and I don't really do any of those things anymore.  I mean, I still sing in the shower every now and then, but I sang every day on my way to and from work for the 30 minute drive each way.  When I lived with my mom in high school, almost every night I went down to the basement and turned on the amplifiers and microphones and play some Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Billy Joel, Bonnie Raitt, Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes...and just sing.  I miss it.  I have a cassette tape that I recorded at an amusement park of me singing "The Rose" by Bette Midler.  It's not my best, because I was nervous and I have terrible stage fright (except at Karaoke Night with a few adult beverages in me...).  However I would like to share it with you all, if I can find a cassette player and a way to rerecord it digitally, so I can save it.  If I get brave enough, I may even get a YouTube video up of me singing...but I'll be honest...don't hold your breath ;)

Anyway starting small...I have been researching some ideas on my handy dandy friend named, Pinterest.  Just little things to do at Annaliese's first birthday party which is coming up so fast, house projects I'd like to do, recipes I'd like to try, etc.  It takes money to do a craft project and right now we don't really have any extra funds because they are all going towards the party, so just getting ideas for the upcoming holidays is exciting enough for me :)  They're on my "I'm actually going to do this" list and not on my "Pin this and probably never do it" list.  :)

Also curiosity has gotten the best of me and I picked up a book to read.  Everyone and their mother...and even their grandmother has been talking about Fifty Shades Of Grey, so...what the heck?  I picked it up to try to get back into reading like I used to love doing...and apparently it worked!  I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I hadn't ever read a book over 500 pages before...at least not that I can remember.  So that's a good thing!  Actually I'm a little shocked at how many women love this series, especially after reading the first few chapters in book 1.  I'm not really into the whole S&M thing (probably TMI, but I'm proud of that fact), but the story itself is interesting.  A small town pretty girl falls in love with a wealthy handsome business man...yeah it's like any other beginning to a Lifetime movie, but it's got a little twist.  Needless to say I read the first book pretty quickly and am on the second book.  Yeah it's an erotic love story, but at least it's getting me to read again :)  Ya know...something other than Clifford The Big Red Dog and Goodnight Moon.  After the "Grey" series, I plan to begin the Hunger Games trilogy.  My best friend, Takia, insists that I read it!

So this week's One Good Thing link up with Sarah at Little White Whale is the desire and motivation to pick up some good old hobbies that I used to enjoy doing.  I need to make more time for me, as a person, as an individual.  Not just the mother and wife me.  I enjoy both of those roles very much, but it really is not enough.  I enjoy being lil' ol' me too :)  The person I was before adding the wife and mommy role.  I'm still me, just rediscovering me :)



Happy Thursday!

10-4 Good Buddy- September Edition

Have I mentioned how much I love blogging?  :o)  I can click on someone's comment, then go to their blog, then go to another blog that they are following and meet new people and join new link ups!

Well friends the exact scenario just happened...about 2.45 minutes ago.  :)

I have stumbled on another link up called "10-4 Buddy", by Abby at Akers Of Love.  10-4 Buddy is a link up that Abby created for readers to link up with her on the fourth(through eleventh) of every month.  On the first of every month she provides 10 questions and you provide your 10 answers.  Some questions even have to do with your previous month's posts.  You can read more about her linky here.  I thought it would be fun to join another linky AND it's a good way to get to learn more about each other!  So let's join in the fun!

So this will be my first link up with Abby for the 10-4 Good Buddy - September Edition.

1)  Do you listen to Pandora?  What is your Go-To Pandora Station?
I do mostly when I'm in the car or sometimes when I'm cooking.  My husband and I love listening to comedy, so usually we have the Jim Gaffigan station on, but when I'm by myself...I have my Billy Joel station with me :)

2)  What is your favorite post from August?
Actually it's probably a tie.  Since August was my anniversary, I'm quite fond of my anniversary post but since I also had an epiphany of some sort and decided to make me a better me, I also like my inspiration post.  Check 'em out!

3)  What non-cartoon TV show reminds you of your childhood?
That would have to be Fraggle Rock!  I used to LOVE that show!  My parents have thousands of pictures of me sitting in a laundry basket and in front of the TV watching the Fraggles!

Photo Credit

4)  What bad habit do you have that even annoys you?
Walk into a room with a set purpose, but as soon as I get there (or even half way there) I forget what I was doing to do.  I'd say this is a "Mommy Brain" perk...but I was like that way before I became a mommy.  Haha!

5)  What five things would you take with you if your house was on fire?  People don't count.
Well since my cell phone will already be with me and I'll already be wearing my wedding ring...My laptop (with all my thousands of pictures saved on it), My stuffed raccoon from when I was a baby (a.k.a. "Re"), Our safe with our important documents in it, Our Greek crowns that we used in our wedding ceremony, and the DVD that Justin made me for my first Mother's Day.

6)  Do you have a cleaning schedule that you use to keep up with your housework?
No...but I guess I should.  I'll look into that!  I do the dishes everyday (no dishwasher) and try to do at least one load of laundry every day.

7)  What was your high school mascot?  ( and try to provide a high school picture too...)
Oh...ok.  We were the Chambersburg, Trojans.  Guess what funny "prop" people brought to the Friday night football games.... Mmmm Hmmm.  Your guess is probably right!  Unfortunately I don't have any of my yearbooks or pictures from high school accessible at the moment.  They're all packed away and I don't think I'll be able to find what box they're in anytime soon.  *Sorry*

8)  What is your favorite picture from August?

Annaliese and I at the Renaissance Faire 8-11-12

9)  What do you Love most about Fall?

Oh definitely pumpkin flavored anything!  Pumpkin latte, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes, ANYthing! :)  Oh and I do love the pretty fall foliage too :)

10)  Tell me your dream cupcake.

Mmmm...  This is too hard!  Probably my all time favorite is an almond cupcake with butter cream icing.  But there's always chocolate with peanut butter icing, or red velvet with chocolate icing...the list is pretty much endless, especially thanks to Pinterest!  :)  

Well there you have it!  10 random things about me.  Head over to Abby's blog and join in the fun!

Back To School

Good Morning and Happy Labor Day Monday!  Hope you enjoyed your weekend, or perhaps are still enjoying your weekend!

I'm SUPER excited to have been chosen to pick the new Monday Listicles topic for next week!  (Thanks, Stasha!)  Every year when September comes around, for at least the first week, I always get a certain favorite song stuck in my head.  It reminds me of the day I met my husband (September 1, 2006) and the beginning of fall.  :)

You may have heard of it...  "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire.  (If you haven't heard of it, here it is!)



For next week, I'd like to invite you to make a list of 10 Songs.  Favorites?  One's that make you want to scream?  Dance?  Tell us why.  A funny lyric?  A fond memory?  Remind you of a movie?  So catchy but you just can't get it out of your head?  An ex?  I can't wait to hear what your songs are!  :)

Until then...
This week's Monday Listicles topic was chosen again by Stasha, herself.  List of 10 - The School Edition.  Although my daughter is not yet an age where she can attend school and I am not a teacher, the mad "Back To School" rush still affects me.



10 Ways "Back to School" Affects My Life

1)  Since I currently live on the same street and about 100 yards from one of the two Middle Schools in my local area, there is NO escaping the school bus traffic in the morning or afternoon.

2)  School ends at the beginning of June here.  By the 4th of July, companies are already advertising "Back To School" sales.

3)  Speaking of Back to School sales, they can really be helpful for new clothes and household items...even though I'm not away at college.  Now is a good time to get that new toaster!

4)  Watching the kids walk by my house on the way to and from school, I have the pleasure of seeing what's "in style" now a days.  Let's just say I hope that by the time my daughter is in middle school, I hope Muu-muus are the new fad!

5)  Lucky for me, Pinterest has given me plenty of ideas for when my daughter (and future children) do attend school.  I have some pretty cool organization ideas and healthy ideas for lunches.

6)  This time of year means another year has passed and I don't yet have a college degree.  This in a way depresses me, but I can assure you this will change!

7)  This new school year is the first year I'm a mom and I can totally predict how my emotions will be when Annaliese has her first day of school.  I'm stocking up on tissues already!

8)  I love seeing my friends blog, tweet or post on Facebook of their adorable kids' outfits on their first day of school in a new grade!  It's definitely something I look forward to every year...probably until I need to take my own pictures.

9)  This school year, the graduating class of high school (or college) will be 2013.  My first born will be in the high school graduating class of 2029-2030.  That doesn't even seem fathomable!  Flying cars by then?

10)  Reminiscing that it's been 11 years since I graduated high school and although me and my class of 630+ people had our ups and downs, it was some of the greatest years of my life and I hope the kids in high school now realize that!    

Now head over to Stasha's blog and link up for Monday Listicles and tell us of your School Edition list!  Then don't forget to come back next week with your list of 10 Songs!

One Good Thing - 3 Day Weekend Ahead!

Well One good thing about the upcoming Labor Day holiday for our family is a 3 day weekend in store!

My dad and step mom are coming in from New Jersey and will be spending the weekend with us!  We're also going to Justin's aunt and uncle's house for a cookout while his cousins are here from Washington D.C. and Ohio.  We are very much looking forward to a weekend of family time!

This means yummy food, lots of hugs and LOTS of laughs!  Don't worry, I'll be sure to write about it and share with you all next week!

***On another note, I took yesterday off with the work out routine.  I was SO SORE from the last 3 days, but in a good way.  A friend of mine from elementary school (yes, WAY long ago), Kayla who writes at Tiny Inklings, recommended to me a home work out called Body Rock TV.  I did this for 25 minutes on Tuesday and boy did I feel the burn!  It's a blog website with a bunch of physical trainers from different countries that post videos on YouTube of their high intense workout routines.  I am really starting to like working out because it makes me feel mentally great!  Physically...not so much yet but I know that part is right around the corner! :)  Today Justin and I start the gym!  I'm lucky he's so supportive of me and is joining me on my journey to get fit and be healthy!  I've been eating Greek vanilla yogurt in the morning with granola, a salad for lunch and a balanced dinner.  Almonds or a fruit or some veggies for a snack.  I've also been remembering to drink more water as much as possible.

ALSO on another note...food tastes SO much better now that I've quit smoking!  Justin and I both downloaded an app onto our phones that shows us how many cigarettes we have NOT smoked, how much money we have saved from not smoking and what processes our body is doing to self heal right now.  It's amazing!  I know in my heart we should've done this a long time ago.  I should've never started back up again after Annaliese was born, but I am happy that today I can say I'm smoke free!

So today for Sarah's link up, at the Little White Whale One Good Thing Thursday, I bring to you a few good things because I can't just pin point one today.  Every day is a good day because I woke up.  Head over to Sarah's blog and link up One Good Thing in your life today.

Count your blessings and give a friend a call today.

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Party Like It's 2012

Ironically, Justin and I were watching the Back To The Future movies this weekend.  Seeing as how the movies were made in the 80's it was fun to watch the "special effects" that was used to indicate time travel.  Things definitely aren't like they used to be!

Well today for the weekly Monday Listicles we bring to you 10 Clues You're Living in 2012.


1.  Every home has at least 2 flat screen TVs in them.

2.  People don't have a land line telephone, and use their cell phones as their primary phones.

3.  You can go months without actually speaking to someone but still email, text and Facebook them.

4.  There is no more Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, or Dick Clark.

5.  Kids as young as age 6 or 7 have their own cell phones.

6.  I'm willing to bet that MOST people do not print every digital picture they take and don't actually put pictures in photo albums anymore.  I know I don't.

7.  Most of what you see on television are reality shows...stupid reality shows.

8.  Newspapers hardly exist.  People use the internet to learn of current events.  A tornado hits and we check Twitter!

9.  A whole family can be famous and have their own reality show just from being rich.  (The Kardashians)

10.  You can be on unemployment for over 2 years.

One Good Thing - Anniversary

You may have realized by now that Justin and I, we don't just have an "Anniversary day", we celebrate the whole week!  "Anniversa-week!"  So this week's One Good Thing Thursday link up is in honor of my two year wedding anniversary - I know...you're surprised.  :)

This past Tuesday was Justin and I's first wedding anniversary when it wasn't just the two of us.

Last year was our official 1st anniversary.  It was the only anniversary we spent just us two before having a family.  We didn't exchange gifts, only cards, because we were going away for the weekend and that was our gift to each other.  We spent the Saturday down at the Inner Harbor, walked around a lot and went to the Baltimore Aquarium.  It was a beautiful day despite the summer heat.

The view from our room

  We had plans to go out to a nice fancy dinner but because I was 7 months pregnant and we had just walked around all day in the blazing sun, my feet were beyond killing me and I could barely finish the walk back to our hotel room.  We decided to improvise and order room service, which was exceptionally delicious and stayed in for the evening and watched Bridesmaids.  That movie isn't for everyone, but Justin and I thought it was hilarious to the point where we thought we were disturbing other guests in other rooms!  We never got any complaints, so that was nice.  :)

I had an east coast favorite Maryland crab cakes and Justin had yummy steak.  And yes both desserts of ice cream and cheesecake were mine...and I ate them both.  Don't judge, I was pregnant ;) hehe

The next morning (On the actual date of our anniversary) we had an appointment outside of Baltimore to have a non-medial ultrasound done.  We did this so we could get a video of our baby moving in the womb and boy was it amazing.  We have the video on a DVD and it's about 30 mins long so I'll just share with you a couple pictures.

Her beautiful face with daddy's nose.  

An arm over a foot.

It was a great way to spend the 1 year celebration of our wedding day.  We got to see our unborn daughter and say a quick "hello"!  ...And emotional mommy got to shed a few happy tears on the way home too!  :)

Fast forward a year and Justin and I happily got to share our two year anniversary with our daughter present again!  This time in our arms!  I have to admit, the day felt just like any other ordinary day.  Justin came home from work, I made dinner ok, that's not so ordinary, and Annaliese fought sleep until midnight.  Luckily she did sleep through the night for 8 1/ hours that night, so I count my blessings, but it was rough getting her there!
Justin and I exchanged gifts this year.  I got him a nice card, a pair of white sneakers that he wanted, an iTunes gift card to purchase the new Jim Gaffigan album coming out next week, book 3 of The Game Of Thrones series and a special edition of Rolling Stones Magazine.  He came home with a dozen beautiful red roses for me, a really sweet card, book 2 of Fifty Shades of Grey, the movie The Vow, and the promise of a personalized with photos iPhone case (which still needs ordered) from Erin Condren!  I am so excited to get this case, but I might wait until we get our family pictures taken on Sept 24 to order it.  We don't have many pictures together as a family and I would want my case to have my little family. :)

My mom was nice enough to watch Annaliese last night so Justin and I could go out to eat and have some alone time together for our Anniversary.  It was very nice.  Candlelight.  Frank Sinatra.  Yummy food!  I had crab cakes again...I'm starting to see a trend here...and Justin got a famous Greek dish called Pastitsio.

It was a great "Anniversa-week" we shared together.  It was different this year, but we wouldn't trade it for the world.  We hope that possibly on our next Anniversary we will be in our OWN home and perhaps baking a little sibling for Annaliese ;)

Hope you all have a great evening!  Happy Friday tomorrow!

10 Things About My Car

Good Monday Morning!

It's Monday Listicles time again!  I believe this weeks topic was chosen by Stasha herself in memory of her minivan that recently left to go to minivan heaven.  Don't worry...she's since bought a nice replacement.

So today's topic is: 10 Things About My Car.  Well my husband and I collectively have 2 vehicles, but the car that is referred to as ahem...mine is what I'll be talking about ;)

1. My car is new to us as of August 2011.  It's a 2012 Ford Explorer Eco boost.
2. I've always wanted an SUV, but used to want a Jeep Cherokee or Jeep Wrangler.
3. It's white and can hold 7 passengers, which I've needed to do twice so far.
4. Both rows of the backseats can lay down flat and makes it great for towing around all the baby stuff that we need to travel out of town for a few days.  Even with just the very back row laying down there's a lot of space. (of course because we need room for the baby seat)
5. I love the mommy-friendly automatic lift gate.
6. It averages about 28 mpg in the city and 33 on the hwy, which isn't too bad for a full sized SUV.
7. I was 8 months pregnant when we bought this and getting in and out with a huge belly wasn't easy.
8. It has a rear view camera, which is AWESOME for me because I suck at parallel parking and this makes it so much easier!
9. It also has a touch screen interface with My Ford Touch.  I'm able to speak and tell my car to change the thermostat to 73 degrees and also use the built in navigation.  I love that!  *Geek Alert*
10. It always smells good thanks to my small addiction to air fresheners.  Thank you Yankee Candle

And there you have it!  I liked this week's topic because I don't really take time to think about my car much anymore because the new-ness has worn off.  But we still love this car and are so glad we bought it!

Happy Monday to you!  Toodles!

One Good Thing - Brother In Law

Today I'm linking up with Sarah again, but this time for her new linky!  Everyone should be able to come up with One Good Thing that is going on in their life.  One good thing that has happened in the past  One good thing that you're excited about for the future.  Click here to see the instructions and share your One Good Thing every Thursday.

Today is my brother in law's birthday.  I won't mention how old because he wouldn't like that, but he's still young.  ;)  My mother in law, Justin, Annaliese and I all went out to dinner tonight to celebrate his birthday and it was nice.   My sister in law, Jenn unfortunately wasn't able to make it, because she is out playing Army in Pittsburg.  My brother in law, Ashley rarely asks to hold Annaliese, I believe because he's still afraid he's going to break her but he did tonight and this made me happy :)

Annaliese sticking out her tongue

Uncle Ashley sticking out his tongue

The tender moment they shared together

Happy Birthday, Ashley!  We love you!

A Family Affair at The Renaissance Faire

Our weekends are usually busy in the summer.  Lately we've had our goals of rearranging house furniture to better suit our little crawler, help our mothers with house projects and look after their animals, and trying to get on the ball with ideas for Annaliese's first birthday party.  There is always something that needs done but sometimes it's nice to just go away for the day, just us.

Justin, Annaliese and I packed up the car last Saturday and drove the 80 minute car ride to the very large Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire in Manheim, PA.  Justin loves movies and books that take place in that era but had never been to a Renaissance Faire before, so I was excited for him to experience his first time!

We arrived with everyone fed, napped and ready to go.  It was a beautiful day!  Low 80's and low humidity.  It was the perfect day to spend outside.

The sky on the way home

The jousting arena

Annaliese was enjoying the sunshine

 I love this place because everyone is always in character!  The vendors speak with English accents and accept cash (pounds) for payment as well as "Lady Visa and Master Card".  Everything in this little village is made to look like you're actually in the Renaissance era.  We did pass by the Queen, but she had her servants surrounding her so I wasn't able to get a good picture, but she was beautiful!

A Celtic band

One of the villagers 

The ship where many swords, axes and armory were sold

"Wee Dragon", a place for little princess attire

A quote from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Yes they even had Greek Renaissance food!  (this ones for you, dad!)

People who were there visiting also came in costume!  Justin enjoyed this the most, because there were families, couples and singles who wore outfits to join in the fun and they certainly fit right in!

Even a little bitty baby had on a costume hat

People dressed up in knight's armor

We got to see a few shows while we were there.  We were able to see a bird show where a guy who has been training birds since he was 7 years old showed us an owl, an eagle and a falcon.  That was really cool!  No pictures were taken because we were too far away and I have yet to get a cool lens for our camera to take up close pictures from far away.  We also got to see The Mud Squad perform a little skit but unfortunately before we got to see them play in the mud, Annaliese was getting hungry, so we headed to another area.

The Mud Squad's lair

The Mud Pit

One of the three from the Mud Squad

What made my day, other than having a great day out with my little family, was capturing some really good candid shots of Justin and Annaliese together :)

We had a great day as a family!

A great day with great memories :)

Linking up with Alison and Galit for August's Memories Captured.