Santa Visit 2010

This year's Santa trip was not one of Caitlin's favorite. Jake was pretty calm, but Caitlin on the other hand, was how shall we say...terrified!? :) Enjoy the photos!

Waiting in line...calm for now!

Jake was so excited, he spit up on Daddy!

Santa Visit



Long Weekend Fun

We took a nice long walk through our neighborhood, played outside in the gorgeous 75 degree weather. And we topped it all off with a Steeler and Bronco game on Sunday afternoon. Steeler game was a nail biter...and Bronco game...well, those pictures are better not suited for online...too sad to post! :( ha ha! Oh well, Broncos...better luck next year!

On the move...

A Caitlin action shot...

Slow down, Daddy...my legs are short!

We love each other...a nice posed picture!

My smiley boy!

My little cheese ball!

Mommy...don't break our concentration...the Steelers are having a rough game.

A real nailbiter...both chomping on the terrible towels!

Thanksgiving

We had a lovely, long, Thanksgiving weekend. We are so blessed and thankful for all that we have and our family that surrounds us. I have added some pictures from our fun weekend together, below.

Our crew ready for a Thanksgiving Feast

Daddy and his babies! Caitlin had to wear a hat too...

Grandpa Sivula is ready to eat!

Grandma smiling at her Jakey Jake

Hi Mommy!

Our Thanksgiving Feast

Strike a pose

Smiley little turkey

Snuggles

Thankful

As we enter the week of Thanksgiving, I choose to blog about what I am thankful for. I am thankful for so many things....first and foremost to the United States Military who fight to protect us and keep us free....you are the reason we stand in this great nation, free to live, vote, speak and believe in what we choose to believe in. I am also so very thankful for my amazing family. From coast to coast, I have amazing family and amazing friends whom I choose to call family. If not for many of them, I would not be the woman I am today...especially my husband and my two little ones...they are my strength and my world. So, on this Thanksgiving, let's all reflect how thankful we are to God for giving us the blessings that I count every night.

The photos below are from the amazing, Carmen Doherty of Carmen Doherty Photography. She is also one of my many blessings I thank God for every night. She has become one of my dearest friends, and I am very grateful for her!

Photos courtesty of http://www.carmendohertyphoto.com/

Happy Halloween!

This year, the kids went as Smurfette and Baby Smurf! Lots of fun carving pumpkins and trick or treating this year! Happy Halloween to all! XOXO!

Sweetfields Farm

We had a wonderful time at Sweetfields Farm in Masaryktown, FL (about 30 minutes north of our house). It was such a lovely day with Grandma & Grandpa Sivula and the four of us. Needless to say, we are all tired and the kids took a long nap afterward!

My Homage to Deep Creek Lane...

20 Years in one place is a long time. My parents have lived on Deep Creek Lane since November, 1990. I grew up there...played basketball out front with all the neighbor kids...trick or treated from house to house...danced in the front yard...walked up and down the street talking with my 'girls' who lived next door and across the street from me...played in the flooded streets every summer during hurricane season...could look out my front door and see Grandma & Grandpa Doran's motor home parked out front during the summer...swam MILLIONS of MILES in the pool in the backyard...stared at the breathtaking Christmas tree my parents put up every year...celebrated my Sweet 16 with a great outdoor party on the new deck in the backyard with all my friends...secretly crushed on the neighbor boy, but would DIE if he ever knew...got ready for Homecomings and Proms...Graduated from high school and college...celebrated my parents 25th Anniversary with a special Mass in the family room...got dressed in my wedding gown in my old bedroom...and celebrated the pre-baptism Mass with Father Paul in our screen porch for my beautiful daughter, Caitlin. So many AMAZING memories. But, through my tears, I realize, that these memories are memories I will take with me and will never fade.

This was just a house...a house where my parents raised my sister and I. They did their job...the raising is done. Mom and Dad are off to a new adventure. A new adventure of simplifying their life, enjoying their grandkids and their time together. They no longer have to keep up yardwork or a pool, or a house much too large for the two of them. So, Mom and Dad...to a job well done. Thank you for giving us an amazing home for the past 20 years on Deep Creek Lane. Now, enjoy living in your new home, with less maintenance, so that you can spend more time traveling, seeing your daughter in Nebraska and spoiling your grandkids rotten!

I will always look back fondly on the memories at Deep Creek Lane...and look forward to gathering new memories on this journey, we call life...

'...I'll take nothing but the memories...from the house that built me...'