We are ready for Christmas!

We have our Christmas tree decorated and our stockings are hung! Packages are wrapped. We are ready! Such a special surprise for the boys to receive their gifts from Aunt Jen. They were so excited to open up their gifts early. To no surprise, Aunt Jen always picks up the best gifts ever...an ultimate target ball dart game, just so perfect for their ages. The boys laughed so much and had fun playing all afternoon in the kitchen. And a Christmas book: Twas the night before Christmas with the neatest pages to make it all the more magical.

Santa arrived today on the local firetrucks with sweet treats. With the loud sirens and Christmas music, no child in our neighborhood would ever miss it. Santa reminded Jonathan and Adam not to forget the cookies and milk. That was a good reminder for me to make a trip to the grocery store for the boy's Christmas party at school on Tuesday, we need 2 dozen cookies, bananas and healthy chips....that's on our list. Can't wait to hear their Christmas songs they have been learning and practicing since Thanksgiving for their big show on Tuesday.

We got to see all of Santa's reindeers at Hershey Candylane. They looked well fed and ready to fly through the sky on Christmas eve! This is our family's favorite season of the year. We had such a magical moment when Jim and I took the boys to the Hershey trolley for the very first time a few weeks ago. Adam didn't need a ticket so we purchased 3 and were the first ones in line. Little did we know that we would make a special stop in the middle Hershey to let Santa on the trolley. He was as jolly as ever, and when he took a look into his bag, deep in there was a special and beautiful ornament for all the kids on the trolley. But when he started to call out the names, Jim and I took one look at each other in fear.....oh no, how could we have not known about the list to add our children's names; would Santa know? What did we miss? My heart just sunk. Sure enough, he did call Jonathan and then Adam's name and they both looked raised their arms and received their ornament. Then Jim and I looked at each other with a big warm smile and in wonder...how did Santa really know? We are still feeling that magical moment.

Happy Thanksgiving!

So blessed, so happy, I love Thanksgiving Day and the long 4-day weekend. Again, we hosted Thanksgiving dinner at our house for our family of 13 people and it was wonderful. Time with family in our own home is what I love the most. Food all turned out delicious. Forgot to bake the extra dish of stuffing but that was ok because it was 'extra'. Jonathan and Adam loved the time with their cousins. It's whenever they come, Jim and I actually get to sit and have long conversations for once because the boys are having so much fun on their own and being entertained. This year I am thankful for a new boss at work who has been pretty great; thankful I have been selected to be on the Boards of Directors for Ta-ri starting the new year, thankful for time we have spend with new christian friends and neighbors, thankful for "love dare", thankful for our healthy, loving, and precious boys, and thankful for a nice weekend in Baltimore with my own family including mom and dad who joined us. Happy Thanksgiving, peace, and blessings everyone!

Super Heroes in Action!

Here we are at Ugro's School Parade. Jonathan was Iron man and Adam was Spiderman. The kids walked down a block to the Metro Bank where most of the employees passed out candy, stickers and other treats. The boys wore their costumes so much this year, even to bed.

I love how Adam looks up to his big brother, Jonathan. When in action, they are trying to save the day! Every move, every word and sound that Jonathan has, Adam is right behind him. This year we passed on the normal candy and decided to go with other treats of Halloween pencils, glow in the dark bugs and skeletons, and erasers to give to the trick or treaters in our neighborhood....another 250 ... amazing, where do all the kids come from? Jonathan and Adam went to about 10 houses and then enjoyed passing out the treats and seeing all the costumes. Cousin Teagan came as a Snow White...too cute!

Jonathan and Adam had a bunch of friend's birthday parties in the last month. Here is Adam riding a horse at the one birthday parties for Joey and Jessica - they really enjoyed it! And Jonathan loved his friend Lauren's pool party.

Random October Events

Jonathan started his Taek-won Do Karate classes acouple of weeks ago at the Harrisburg Institute. It's for 4-5 year olds. A bit overwhelming at first, we are trying to get use to it. The tenants of taekwondo is Courtesy*Integrity*Self-Control*Perserverance*Indomitable Spirit. Some Korean language is incorporated in the class.

After one of the classes, we treated the boys for a fun evening at Chuck E Cheese. It's been a fun place for the boys to play and eat yummy pizza. This time we actually got to meet the famous Chuckie mouse!

We've been getting together with a new group called Ta-ri (means Bridge in Korean). This weekend was it's 5th anniversary. Here is a picture of Adam wanting to learn how to play the korean drums. He was the first to go right up and dance around with the girls and was the lead of the line dancing. Pretty brave for a 2-year old. Most of the children there were adopted from American families. It's awesome how the American families are learning the Korean traditions and trying to grow the "bridge" between the two cultures. We'll join the group again and make some more friendships.

We enjoyed a morning at Spiral Path Farms where we were able to pick our own veggies and pumpkins. Jonathan and Adam had fun looking at all the pumpkins. Soon, they were treating them like bowling balls!

And on a final note, I wanted to share that Jim and I are on an amazing journal of 'Love Dare" for 40+ days. From the inspiring movie "FireProof" we have committed our faith to God and will continue this Hope and Love. We know that we can not change one another, but we can leave it in the hands of God to do the work for us. God is awesome. A special thank you for my own mom who has always believed in us and always prayed with me, and a big thank you for my friend Brenda who gave me so much honest guidance in a down to earth kind of christian way with resources I keep going back to, and most of all to my husband who didn't hesitate one bit to move forward and get out of this together. One day we will share our story as christians very much like Kirk and Chelsea.

October is National Pregnancy Loss and Infant Loss Awareness Month.

Selah - I will carry you (Audrey's Song). To all the moms who have lost a child...he or she is waiting in Heaven! Faith, Hope, and Love...the Greatest one is LOVE. Attached is a beautiful song, as the tears roll down my face I can honestly say, that I am so thankful for my two precious boys!

This was posted on my boss's door and I really liked it so here is the post for the beginning of the fall season!
This is your LIFE. Do what you LOVE, and do it often. If you don't like your job, quit. If you don't have enough time, stop watching TV. If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing the things you love. Stop over analyzing, all emotions are beautiful. When you eat, appreciate every last bite. Open your mind, arms and hearts to new things and people, we are united in our differences. Ask the next person you see what their passion is, and share your inspiring dream with them. Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself. Some opportunities only come once, seize them. LIFE is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them so go out and start creating. LIFE is short. Live your DREAM, and wear your PASSION!

Camping Adventure

We went camping with our neighbors who are our great friends, the Parkers. They have two boys, Timmy and Matthew, who are the exact same ages as Jonathan and Adam so it was great! Despite all the packing and worrying about the bugs, poison ivy...oh my what fun we had. Really, what toddlers wouldn't enjoy being outdoors all day long including through the night in a tent. Pinchot State Park has a beautiful lake too with sand that the boys loved playing in. This was truly the best place for a 2 and 4 year old. The playground was big hit too. We had so much fun making s'mores, grilled cheese and ham sandwiches, including a good hearty breakfast of bacon, sausage, eggs, and pumpkin muffins. Cold through the night during a September day, but I was so amazed at how the kids slept through most the night even with acorns falling on our tent and all those creatures that live in the woods making all kinds of noises. Kristin had all the great ideas with all kinds of crafts, campfire songs, and games (uno cards) for the kids. I'm not so sure we could have done this first camping adventure without the Parkers who brought most of the camping gear. And thank you Amanda and family for letting us borrow 2 air mattresses. I could not have slept as well as I did with acorns, leaves, sticks and whatever else poking at my back. Walking to the bathhouse to go to the bathroom was a bit of a challenge, they weren't far away, but were not close enough either. Never did I think I would say....we'll do it again!

Visit From Jen and Family

Jen comes to visit us every summer. This year was extra special because she brought her (new) family. Her boyfriend Eric, and kids Chloe and Nick. What a joy it was to finally meet everyone and my boys were so spoiled with their company and fun during their visit. Chloe ate mac 'n cheese for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Easy enough, huh? We tried for some other foods, but her request was always mac n cheese. Such a sweet little girl. Nick was a great helper in the kitchen; I now have a new dish of mashes potatoes and carrots, yum! Thanks Nick! Eric is so easy going and such a great father. Jen, you have yourself a wonderful family! I hope my boys grow up with their manners. They were SO good and such a great influence, we loved having them around! Life completely changes when kids are around - the JOY, -the BLESSINGS, - the PATIENTS, - the APPRECIATION FOR LITTLE THINGS, - the LOVE! We are looking forward to the next summer visit! Miss all of you....

Just Peachy!

So, here we are at a peach orchard in Lancaster with Grandma and Grandpa having one of the most exciting days. I honestly didn't know what to expect, would I be running in two different directions chasing after both boys, would my boys be covered in peach juice, would they climb the trees, or would they even have a peach smashing contest...instead, Jonathan and Adam were so amazed at all the peaches on all those trees. What is best about the whole time, the branches were low enough for them to pick their own into their own baskets. They were truly the best peaches ever! Yum! Looks like another visit is due soon!

I've torn the entire house apart trying to find my digital camara....uggh! Nothing worse than wanting to post some new pics and no camara available. My long time, very good friend, Jen and her new family had a nice summer visit with us; until I can get some pictures scanned, I wanted to share the fun the boys had with her kids Chloe and Nick in our backyard on the slip 'n slide.

Confidence!

When you base your confidence on who are you, instead of what you accomplish, you have created something that no one or no circumstance can ever take from you. To succeed, you have to do something and be very bad at it for a while. You have to look bad before you look good. If you wait until you feel confident to do something new or go after a dream, you'll wait forever. The longer you wait to go after your dreams, the less confidence you will have, and the fear that you'llnever get what you want will become more intense. When you limit your dreams, you limit your life. The truth is, when we dream small, we are ripping ourselves off. True confidence doesn't come from your not having any fear. It comes from trusting yourself to act in spite of your fear. Remember, the most important key to developing behavioral confidence is to keep taking action. The more you trust yourself to go forward , the more confidence you'll feel.


Look for everyday miracles and evidence that you are loved. Every day, you are surrounded by signs that remind you of how blessed you are to be alive. Every day, you will receive evidence that you are loved. The sun will rise to light your way and give you warmth. The earth will bring forth food to nourish you. Just when you are feeling sad, a bird will sing. Just when you are feeling totally alone, a child will smile at you. Just when you are feeling that you cannot figure out what to do with a problem, the answer will come; you'll bump into the right person, or read the right book, or suddenly, have the right revelation. Look for evidence that you are being guided and watched over. Look for evidence that you are loved.


Jonathan's wonderful 4th Birthday was on August 12, 2010. Jonathan and Mommy spent the entire day together starting off with, yes a 4 yr check up appt, a fun breakfast at Bob Evans, Hershey Park, lunch at Red Robin, quick stop at the Hershey outlets then a late nap. Baseball cupcakes for school and dinosaur cake for home! My little boy is growing into such a fun man!


We had a great time with some new friends at a pool party today. One thing Jonathan and Adam have alot of confidence doing is jumping into a pool of water! They had a blast.


Finally, thank you so much Alexis for my adorable Family Blog makeover! Love it!

Playgroup Picnic

Yes, it was the 4th Annual Playgroup picnic at Gelder Park this year. It's so exciting to see all of Adam and Jonathan's friends grow up together. Jonathan got his first group of friends at just 3 months old and siblings came along who are now Adam's group of friends. As you can see the fun continued in the mid-90 degree weather but that didn't stop the children from playing. We rolled down the grassy hills, walked through the woods to see a huge river, splashed in a kiddie pool, ate good food, played on the playground, ran, laughed and had one of the best times ever! Seeing the smiles on the children just warms my heart. There is nothing better than to see than my boys loving the time with their friends.

The Next Fire Chiefs

There is something so amazingly fun to be hanging out with our local firemen. These were taken during our neighborhood community day. Holding a real firehose and spraying down fire in a building was pretty cool!

Just a quick post today. We are working on a blog makeover.......keep checking back.

Sesame Place for ADAM's 2nd BIRTHDAY!

We stayed in New Jersey hoping to enjoy the beach, but

we had more fun at Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA so we now have season passes to enjoy some more fun days there during this summer. Adam's love for Elmo and friends was a must for visiting Sesame Place and this was his birthday gift and it was awesome! Sesame Place Rocks! Jonathan and Adam enjoyed the parade and got to hug many of the characters.
There was so much for the boys to do. The water parks were amazingly fun!

We visited the Philadelphia zoo on the way home. Grandma and Papa enjoyed our min-vacation with us to celebrate Adam's 2nd Birthday. Happy Birthday sweet Adam!

For Father's Day Weekend

For Saturday, my mom and dad joined us most of the day for Jim's famous and delicous prime rib dinner and scallops....mmmmm yummy! Then Jonathan and Adam were able to enjoy them for hours while we went to a friend's wedding. While we loved the time out, and even squeezed in some outlet shopping in between the wedding and reception, we still missed and thought about our boys every hour!


For Father's Day Sunday, Jim went golfing with his dad, brother, and nephew first thing in the morning. Then Jim enjoyed a Crab Feast. Mmmmm yummy! And while we ate the boys enjoys getting wet!



Nanny got the boys a slip and slide so they enjoyed it all afternoon while it was about 90 degrees today! Such a fun weekend!


Jonathan and Adam did their special cards and handmade gifts for Daddy at school. The school had Donuts for Daddy on Friday morning so it was a sweet treat.

Peep Peep...Thomas The Tank Engine

It was a beautiful day for a train ride in Strasburg. We went to ride Thomas The Tank Engine. This is one of our yearly adventures and wow- such a huge crowd of children. Jonathan found a ladybug when we sat down and he kept it in his hand during the entire train ride, during our shopping spree through the tent of Thomas merchandise, and even while eating an ice cream cone. He had this ladybug on the ride home that was over an hour and kept saying he was going to take it to the Ladybugs Room at school. Then he somehow disappeared in the car. Later in the evening, we went out to Hershey Park and he found this ladybug in his car seat. Finally, he let the little thing go in the parking lot. He kept saying it was asleep.....I don't know, you tell me what happened.