Little Moments Frozen in Time

BACON!

2012-01-27T12:36:00.000-05:00

Can you imagine if adults acted and got excited the same way that children do?

Life would be much more interesting that is for sure!

In the mornings Russ gets the kids up for breakfast and gets Jaylee off to school. Since I am up with the baby during the night it gives me a little bit longer to catch up on my sleep.

This is how I woke up this morning.

Jaylee screaming

"BACON!! Daddy is making us BACON Mawshall"

I heard stomping around and jumping and yelling.

My goodness. Can you imagine if us adults acted that way if someone was kind enough to make you some bacon for breakfast.

Actually Russ and I kind of act like that sometimes....

maybe that's where they get it from....

My first thought was "Ugh" I was up until 3 a.m. between feeding a hungry baby and letting the dog out every 1/2 hour because he was having "potty" issues. I admit the ruckus made me a little grumpy at first, but as I thought about it, it made me laugh.

These 2 pictures make me laugh. Jaylee and Marshall play this trick on us quite a bit.

They will come down and show us that they switched clothes.

This picture was actually taken a few months ago.

Let's just hope that the pattern doesn't continue into their teenage years....

but we will love them no matter what!

Marshall actually has perfect form in the picture below!

Sawyer just sits back and takes it all in.

I bet he can't wait to join us in the craziness.

Peace and love......

It's Mommy Marshall Day!

2012-01-22T21:03:00.000-05:00

Last weekend Jaylee had her special day with me, so today was Marshall's day.

We headed out on this cold snowy day to go out to lunch and spend some time at the arcade.

Marshall chose pizza for lunch, so pizza it was!

Then we headed over to the arcade and Marshall could read on the games how many tokens each game took, and he put the coins in all by himself.

He won almost 100 tickets all together!

After the arcade, we walked the mall a little and bought him a new outfit.

Then he rode the little carousal and got into the hurricane simulator, which was hilarious!

I love this little boy more then words can describe. He has handled becoming a big brother so incredibly well and he really deserved this day. I miss having one on one time with him. It's very challenging balancing one on one time with each of the kids.

We had such a wonderful day!

I apologize for the picture quality. The battery on my camera died, so these were taken with my cell phone.

Peace and love...

The Big Brother And The Toothless Sister.......

2012-01-20T18:49:00.000-05:00

Marshall has handled having a baby brother so incredibly well. I am so proud of him.

Yesterday Marshall was so proud of being such an amazing big brother to Sawyer. All day he was singing to him, and playing peek a boo with him to make him laugh.

Then he decided he was going to teach Sawyer all about the game Operation so that when he's big enough they can play the game together.

I thought that this was the cutest thing ever!

Thursday nights Jaylee has her cheer/dance class. On the way home she was snacking on an apple, when she realized that her second loose tooth, just fell out! But.... we think that she ate her tooth with her apple. It was dark when we got home, so I searched the truck with a flash light just to make sure it didn't fall onto the floor, but we didn't find it.

So Jaylee wrote a note to the tooth fairy all by herself explaining our predicament.

We left the window in the truck cracked open so that if the tooth was lost somewhere in there, she could fly in and retrieve it. If anyone knew what happened to that tooth the tooth fairy would.

How adorable is that?!

Jaylee was talking a little funny after losing her tooth, you would too if you had a gaping hole in the front of your mouth! She interrupted herself and she said "Mommy, am I talking funny?"

I couldn't help but laugh, I told her that she would get used to it in a day or so, and she would be talking normal again in no time!

Another day in the Lederhouse house.... never a dull moment, or a quiet one either.

But we wouldn't have it any other way.

Peace and love....

Oh What A Day.....

2012-01-16T14:31:00.001-05:00

I must of woke up way too confident this morning. I woke up with the thought that today was going to be great. Relaxing, fun and a good catch up day. Both kids are home from school because it's Martin Luther King Day. Boy was I wrong....

This is why God makes children so cute. Because when they're bad, you don't kill them.

All I wanted to do was put away the three HUGE baskets of clean laundry....

To the average person, that doesn't seem so difficult, right?

But to the person who has 3 children ages 5 and under, and a few dogs thrown in the mix, a simple task becomes almost impossible to finish.

At one point and I am not even exaggerating...

There was one child crying because she didn't want to clean up the HORRENDOUS mess in her closet that she made, the middle child was sitting on the toilet, screaming (over and over) "Mama come wipe my butt", the 3 month old baby was in his swing crying because he pooped himself, and the dog was at the door barking to go out. (Can you blame her). And all the while I was determined to put this laundry away.

Once everyone got tended too, my laundry got put away and the dog got let out, I sat down to feed the baby and I had to laugh. If I watched something like this on t.v., I would have laughed the whole time.

It's so different raising the third child then when you raise the first child. With the first two, we had them sleeping peacefully in their own bassinet by the time they were a couple of months old.

The third baby is so different.

He will only sleep through the night if he is either in his swing, or in the bed next to me, only after drifting off to sleep while nursing. Every time it happens the alarm bells go off in my head.

I think, he is going to be so spoiled that he will never sleep in the bed alone. In my mind I think, oh this is going to make things so much more difficult in the future.

But my heart keeps telling me different.

In my heart I know he is much more needy at night because of all of the caous during the day.

With the other two kids it was so easy to give them all of the attention that they needed during the day the moment they asked for it. With the third child, I am running almost every single day to pick the kids up from school, or take them to their activities.

In between that I am trying to tend to our pets, the house, the laundry....

I am also trying to get meals ready, exercise and then just finding time to play with the other kids and give them the one on one time that they need.

Sawyer is such a patient, non demanding baby during the day. He doesn't mind when I have to interrupt a nursing session to help a hurt child, or to get him bundled up because it's time to pick Jaylee up from school.

So when evening comes and the other kids are fast asleep in bed, and everything is done and put away and I finally sit down on the couch and pick up my knitting needles, his little eyes pop open and he thinks, "Ahhh now it's MY time, I have been waiting ALL day for this"

Every child is different, and every child has different needs.

I am going to live moment to moment.

If he needs to be snuggled to fall asleep, so be it!

If he wants to rock to sleep in his swing, DONE.

If that's the only way that he and I can get a decent nights sleep, so be it!

These baby moments are going to go by so fast that I need to treasure this time.

Soon enough I am going to have to chase him down to steal kisses from him. Now he loves them.

Peace and love....

Girl's Day Out

2012-01-15T22:39:00.001-05:00

Today Jaylee and I left the boys at home and we had a much needed girls day out.

It's so stressful living with all of those boys!!

First stop..... Subway for lunch.

Jaylee's favorite place to eat lunch!

Although it's difficult to eat a sub with a loose tooth!

Next stop.... nail salon.

We had a mani and pedi done together.

Jaylee loved getting her nails done at the salon.

All of the ladies fussed over how cute she was sitting there.

She picked out her own colors and chose a design to have painted on her nails.

She looked so cute in that big chair!

Pink sparkles for her fingernails.

And blue sparkles for her toes!

Then we stopped at the mall so she could pick our an outfit.

Our very last stop was Petsmart to replace a couple of her fish that died last week.

Rest in peace Sunshine and Flower.

We had so much fun spending time together.

Jaylee is such an amazing little girl and I feel so blessed to have her as my daughter. She so deserved this day. Life is so busy taking care of her and her little brother's that it's sometimes hard to give them the one on one time that they all need. It's so important to take them aside and spend quality alone time with each of them.

Today is Sawyer's 3 Month Birthday

2012-01-05T13:38:00.003-05:00

Today Sawyer turned 3 months old. He is really starting to play with his toys now. He is grabbing things and batting at toys on his play yard. It's amazing at how much he has changed since he was born just 3 months ago.

He has discovered his hands now, and just the other day he discovered his feet. He was grabbing at them and staring at them. He looked like he was thinking, are these things mine??

He is starting to really look a lot like Marshall did at this age, it's amazing.

Peace and love.....

Oh the things kids say.....

2012-01-04T20:43:00.002-05:00

I've kept a collection of funny quotes from Jaylee and Marshall.

I thought I would share...

Marshall says to Russ:

"Daddy, you smell bad, you smell like a hot shower"

Russ replies:

"How does a shower smell bad?"

Jaylee then says:

"Actually you smell like a dead chicken"

I laughed so hard that I cried!

After Marshall did something wrong he looked up at me with the most sincere look and said.....

"Sorry Mommy, I accidentally did it on purpose."

Genius!!

Jaylee:

"Mommy, I want to wear high heel ups when I grow up"

We were driving around when Russ mentioned that he ran over a soda bottle, Marshall then said:

"It's ok to run over soda bottles Daddy, just don't run over people"

He was dead serious when he said it too. He had this look like he was giving Russ some life altering advice.

Last but not least are a couple examples of Marshall's random questions. I love these because I can get a perfect idea on the way he thinks.

On a rainy day he asked me why the clouds were crying.

I think that brought tears to my eyes it was so cute.

The other one that sticks out in my mind is when he asked me how people put light bulbs in fire flies.

I live for these moments.

Like when Jaylee talks about herself in the third person as she spritzed herself with body spray she said:

"Jay Jay smells like lemons"

Everyday for the first month after Sawyer was born Marshall asked us if we could keep him.

It's like we brought home a stray dog or something....Mommy can we keep him, can we?

I am so glad that I write these down, because I know I would forget most of them.

As hard as it is to be a Mom sometimes I am trying to treasure every moment.

Peace and love.......

Sawyer 365

2012-01-01T16:48:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone. I just want to thank you all for following my family blog. I started a new project today. It's a 365 Photo project called. Sawyer 365. I am going to take a picture a day of him and post it on the blog to document his first year of life.

Here is the link

http://sawyer365.blogspot.com/2012/01/january-1-2012.html

We celebrated the holiday season at our house this year!

2012-01-01T16:06:00.000-05:00

We have spent every single Christmas in New York with my family, until now. We decided to have Christmas in our house this year.

It was extra special since it was our first Christmas in our new home.

The first Christmas for the kids to experience the magic of Christmas morning in their own home, under their own Christmas tree.

Grammy came down for the week and made Christmas cookies with Jaylee and Marshall.

We had a Christmas Eve celebration with a big ham dinner feast. Russ's family and my Mom were there.

Pappa Bob with all of his grand kids

That night right before bed the kids sprinkled reindeer food in the front lawn. Jaylee was looking up in the sky for Santa's reindeer.

Early Christmas morning, Santa came!

Their faces on Christmas morning.

Checking out their stockings.

Sawyer's first Christmas!

Marshall passed out, nerf gun in hand....

NEW YEARS EVE

Sawyer is always up this time of night, eating, so it wasn't a big deal for him. Jaylee and Marshall on the other hand, NEVER get to stay up this late. So this was a big treat for them.

They both made it to midnight, which surprised me. We got them sparkling grape juice to drink in plastic champagne glasses.

It was a wonderful celebrating the holidays in our new home..... Although we missed our family in New York it still was a wonderful time for us.

Peace and love...........

Sawyer turned 2 months old on December 5th

2011-12-12T23:43:00.000-05:00

Sawyer turned 2 months old on December 5th. He is already changing and developing so much since he was born. He is laughing and smiling all of the time now and he is starting to bat at objects.

I am so lucky because he really is such a good baby. He is so happy and alert. He's very content and mellow, unless he is hungry, wet or farting up a storm!

We had ourselves a little photo shoot today. I'm trying to treasure every moment with him, because the baby stage goes by so fast. His little personality is starting to shine and I cannot wait to see what he becomes.

Peace and love....

Getting Ready for Christmas

2011-12-03T23:19:00.000-05:00

The decorating got off to an interesting start when Marshall decided to make his own snow by destroying a styrofoam container!

What a mess! It was EVERYWHERE..... but we had to laugh. It's nothing that a vacuum cleaner won't take care of.

Sawyer supervised our decorating.

Jaylee loves her bros!

All three of my babies! I love them!

And here is the family picture! After a minor problem with the camera's timer, Marshall making funny faces and waving at the camera we finally got a decent shot!

And then the best part!! Decorating the tree......

Marshall was more interested in his candy cane and Sawyer wanted to eat the whole time so Jaylee ended up doing most of the tree decorating.

She did a pretty good job! It was a fun day, although at times a bit stressful......

This will be our first Christmas in the new house and we are so excited!

Now let's hope for some SNOW!!

Peace and love.....

Marshall's first trip to the Dentist

2011-12-02T22:42:00.000-05:00

Marshall had his first trip to the dentist today!

He's becoming such a big boy now....

He is growing up way too fast!

Getting his first set of dental x-rays done.

Getting everything cleaned and polished!!

Now it's time to floss!

He did a great job! He was so well behaved and brave! No cavities!!

Peace and love.....

Random November Moments

2011-12-02T22:26:00.000-05:00

November 2011

I sware he just keeps getting cuter everyday!

Deep in thought.....

Hanging out with their Pappa Bob!

Snuggle time with Daddy

I know, I know...... It's a silly hat. But it's so CUTE!

Our friend Wade let Marshall wear his police badge, and Marshall thought that was just the coolest thing ever!!!

November has come and gone.... and we have lots to be thankful for. Last November was so hard, we lost a baby. This November we have a beautiful baby boy, an amazing kindergartner, a hilarious 3 year old, a beautiful home, wonderful family and friends, a thriving business and so much more!

I can feel that 2012 is going to be an amazing year! It has to be....

Peace and love....

Jaylee and Marshall's Tree

2011-12-02T22:09:00.000-05:00

November 2011

Jaylee and Marshall have a special place in our yard. It's their favorite tree that they call "their tree house"

I found them sitting under this tree for the longest time, just

talking away. It was the sweetest thing.

I really hope that they always stay this close. They love each other so much. They play together and we often find them "camped" out in each other's rooms.

It will be interesting to see how Sawyer fits into the equation once he gets older.

Peace and Love.......

Sawyer's One Month Birthday

2011-11-05T16:55:00.000-04:00

Today is Sawyer's one month birthday! He took a nap in his crib today for the very first time!

I can't believe it's been a month already!

I can't wait for his little personality to start shining through.

Peace and love....

Marshall's dressed for work

2011-11-05T16:50:00.000-04:00

The other morning I told Marshall to go pick out his clothes for the day and this is what he came down with! He said that he wanted to wear his "work" clothes like Daddy does.

He wore it all day long....

Peace and love....

Random Baby Cuteness!!

2011-11-05T16:47:00.000-04:00

Halloween 2011 and There is A New Pumpkin In Town!!

2011-11-05T16:17:00.000-04:00

Pumpkin carving!!

Marshall was so funny, he was completely disgusted with the whole emptying of the "pumpkin guts"

He gagged and covered his mouth...

So Daddy and I did most of the work! Daddy carved the pumpkin and I scooped out all of the pumpkin and seeds.

So here they are with the finished products!

It was Sawyer's first Halloween! Since he was born in October I had to dress him up as a pumpkin!

Jaylee and Marshall decided to go as pirates.

You can see how differently they play the part!!

Marshall was really into it....

Peace and love......

Sawyer's first bath

2011-10-18T20:56:00.000-04:00

Sawyer's umbilical cord finally fell off, so it's time for his first real bath!

And he doesn't like it....

Look at those little chicken legs....

Now he's all happy snuggled up in his towel....

Peace and love.....

A perfect October Saturday....

2011-10-18T20:47:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday was really the perfect day....

A new house out in the country, means a bigger yard, which means

a bigger lawn mower.

A man's dream.....

Russ and Marshall decided it would be a good morning to mow the yard.

Marshall had a good time helping Daddy mow.

Since it was nice and warm and the baby was in a decent mood we decided last minute to take a trip to the pumpkin patch with the kiddos.

I was a little nervous since Sawyer was only a little over a week old, but he did great. We only went for a few hours and Sawyer slept the whole time.

The search for the perfect pumpkin!!

It really was a great day.

Peace and love.......

The New Addition to Our Family..... Baby Sawyer

2011-10-13T17:47:00.000-04:00

We have a new addition to our family!

Sawyer Jackson was born on October 5th

at 2:21 in the afternoon.

He was 7 lbs 4ozs and 20 inches long.

He is absolutely perfect in every way.....

The proud Mom and Dad

I still can't believe that I am the mother to 3 children! It is such a wonderful feeling.

Baby feet are the best.....

Jaylee meeting her new baby brother for the very first time.

Marshall meeting Baby Sawyer

The proud Daddy for the third time.

Coming home!

Sawyer's first car ride.

Even Maddie Dog was excited about the new baby.....

"Yo give me some milk!"

I can't wait to see what you are going to grow into Sawyer. I can't wait to see what kind of person you are going to be, and the good things that you will do in this world.

Peace and love.....

The Adventures of Jaylee and her first loose tooth!!!

2011-09-25T19:19:00.000-04:00

Not only did she start kindergarten, but she got her first loose tooth all in the same week!!

She was so excited, that she wiggled it constantly.

She ended up loosing her tooth the day after I took the picture above.

But.....

When I say lost..... I mean really lost. We think she ate it at lunch.

So she was pretty disappointed.....

Thankfully, we have the best dentist and dental staff ever!! Jaylee happened to have a dentist appointment the next day. They slipped Russ a fake tooth, so he told her that he found her tooth in the lost and found box at school!!

Doesn't this make the best first lost tooth story ever!!!

She stuffed her tooth fairy pillow that night, and received $5.00 bucks from the tooth fairy!!

Win, win all around....

Look at that face. These are the moments that I wait for. These are the best moments of a kids life. I wish this sort of magic still happened for us grown ups. Oh wait, it does. We get it back when we have our kids. Life is so good.

Peace and love.......

Jaylee goes to Kindergarten!!

2011-09-07T18:29:00.000-04:00

I still can't believe it!! The time has come.....

Jaylee is officially a kindergartner!

She was so excited, and definitely ready for school.

The night before I hugged her and I told her how it just seemed like yesterday that she was a little baby, and now she is starting school.

She looked at me and said, "Mommy I'm still going to be a little kid for a long time!"

Jaylee and her friend Mia

Waiting with her new class mates.

And there she goes.......

I have to say that I am so proud of the little girl that she has become. She is such a good kid and she has such a strong urge to learn and try new things. I know it's going to fly by now that she has started school, so I am going to try to treasure every moment.

Peace and love......

Our Weekend Trip to Deep Creek Lake, Maryland

2011-09-07T17:46:00.000-04:00

July 2011

Our good friends the Betterelli's and us took a weekend trip to Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. We rented a little cottage in the woods right across from the lake.

We had a perfect weekend!

I found Marshall asleep under this coffee table! He left his bed and dragged in his pillow and blankets.

We spent a lot of time in the hot tub!!

Riley striking a pose!

Then we had a full two days at the beach!!

Marshall relaxing!!

My kids and Riley in the big chair!

Marshall being a goof, of course!!

Notice how we are all posing so nice for this picture....... and then there is Marshall with his "knuckle bams" as he calls them.

Coby and I

The kids loved feeding the ducks.

The girls posing on our last day

We even took a hike to Swallow Falls

We had such a relaxing and fun time. The kids all had so much fun, and we spent it with good people!

Peace and love.......

A Trip to The Farm

2011-09-05T21:54:00.000-04:00

July 2011

We took a road trip to Great Country Farms to go peach and berry picking! It was a beautiful day, but so incredibly hot!

Jaylee and her friend Riley

Of course we had to hit the playground first!

And animal's they certainly were!

Next stop was to visit with some of the animals.

I think the best part was the wagon ride of course!

Marshall made sure to test all of the fruits for us!! I think he ate more then what he actually put in the basket!

The wagon ride back, wasn't quite as thrilling as you can see! The poor things were so hot and tired. It was a long day, but it was a wonderful day!

Peace and love.....

Build a Bear for Baby Sawyer

2011-09-05T21:30:00.000-04:00

July 2011

We decided to take a trip to Build a Bear Workshop to let the kids make a stuffed animal for themselves, but also for their soon to be baby brother! Baby Sawyer is due to enter the world on October 1st, 2011.

It was a family event. My Mom came down from New York and our niece, Beth also came along.

Our family is growing, and things are going to change. But I know it is going to be great!

We can't wait to meet you baby Sawyer!

Peace and love......

The love of music

2011-09-05T21:12:00.001-04:00

This post is also from June 2011

Anyone who knows us, knows of our love for music. Especially live music. The kids share that with us, and enjoy seeing live music. We were so lucky that one of our favorite bands, Dangermuffin, was scheduled to play at a local bar restaurant near where we live.

The kids loved it! We were all honored to meet and chat with the band. They were even nice enough to autograph a poster for us.

We had such an amazing day!

Peace and love......

Marshall is such a big boy now!

2011-09-05T20:51:00.000-04:00

Let me start off by saying that I have fallen behind on my blog this summer. Shame on me!! This post is from June 2011

My little Bubby Butt as I call him, is now fully potty trained!! FINALLY!

Life would be so boring without this little man in my life. Marshall certainly makes life interesting. He is hilarious, cute and quite the handful at times. He is a ball of energy. He has this brightness about him. He rarely cries or carries on about things.

The most amazing quality of this child is his unselfishness. I have never seen a child that is so completely giving. For instance while getting the kids a double Popsicle he realized that I gave him the last one. He looks at me and says "Mommy you don't have one" I said "It's ok Marshall" He immediately, without hesitation broke it in half and handed half to me.

This child is a light in my life. I can be having the worst day, and he just looks at me and smiles and I feel a warmth from him. He can drive me completely crazy with his antics and then out of the blue he will say "I love you Mommy" and my heart melts.

Marshall you mean the world to me. I see nothing but amazing things in your future, and I can't wait to see the person you will grow into someday.

Jaylee's Dance Recital

2011-05-25T10:13:00.001-04:00

This past weekend Jaylee had her annual dance recital. She takes a dance class called "Twinkle Babies" it's a creative movement dance class for 4 and 5 year olds.

She danced to "All Shook Up" and her and all of the girl's did such a great job. As you can see she certainly didn't mind dressing up and getting her hair and make-up done!

She danced both Friday night and on Saturday afternoon.

Jaylee after her first night performing

Here is the whole group of girls that Jaylee dances with. This is their second year dancing together, and they have all become such good friends. It's amazing how well they all play and interact together. They never fight or fuss, they just have lots of fun dancing together.

SILLY face time!!

Jaylee was so happy to get flowers delivered back stage from her brother Marshall on Saturday.

Posing on stage after her Saturday performance. She was pretty tired from all of the craziness of recital, but she had so much fun doing it! We plan on keeping her in dance for as long as she likes it, and we are going to keep the whole group of girls together if we can.

I noticed that she is starting to change again. She's growing and looking less like a pre-schooler and more like a little girl. I just can't believe how fast it is going by. She just finished with Pre-K and starts kindergarten in the fall.

I am so proud of her and the little girl she is becoming. She is so smart and sweet. Overall she is such a good girl, who cares about others and is full of life. I hope it stays that way!!

Peace and love......

Vacation Part 8, The Last Stop, Florida Central Zoo

2011-04-22T16:45:00.001-04:00

We got off the boat in the morning and had 8 hours to spare before our train left, so we decided to go to the Florida Central Zoo.

At the zoo they had a Bungee trampoline jump, the kids loved it!

My free spirit!

Marshall's turn!

Marshall was belly laughing so hard, that we were all laughing.

The Florida Zoo was so beautiful!

Marshall Man striking a pose!

This is was the last stop of our vacation! It was perfect in every way. We bonded and relaxed as a family and the kids traveled and behaved so well. Russ and I are so lucky to have these wonderful kids. We had the most amazing time, and I will never forget it. I am so lucky to have these wonderful people in my life, it's all I need. Russ and the kids I love you so much!

Peace and love.......

Vacation Part 7, Bahamas Castaway Cay Island

2011-04-20T22:30:00.001-04:00

Our last stop, before coming back home was at Disney's private island in the Bahamas called Castaway Cay. It was wonderful! We were, again, blessed with perfect weather; which made for a perfect day.

The scenery was gorgeous, and the island was so much fun.

I think we all enjoyed this day the most. The kids love the beach!

My little diva!

Relaxin' in a hammock, life is good!

They had a little splash park area, it was a perfect place to cool off, and rinse the sand off.

Passed out!

Another visit from Daisy Duck!

This is Marco, one of our waiters. We had the same waiters each night for dinner. The kids LOVED him. Marco would bend over backwards to make sure they were happy.

Our last visit with Mickey and Minnie! This cruise went way too fast. This day was so relaxing. Just hanging out at the beach and exploring. The whole trip was relaxing. Disney spoiled us rotten. It will be a hard adjustment going back to reality!

Peace and love.....

Vacation Part 6, Princess Meet and Greet, water slides and more!

2011-04-18T23:03:00.001-04:00

This day was another full day at sea. We had a meet and greet planned for Jaylee to meet the princesses!

She loved it! After the princess gathering we headed to the upper deck to spend some time in the pool. Jaylee discovered the water slide, and we couldn't keep her off of it! Poor Marshall was still too small to go on the water slide.

Marshall being cute at dinner!

The kids and their friend Ollie that they met on the ship.

Peace and love......

Vacation Part 5, Mexico and Pirate Night

2011-04-13T22:38:00.001-04:00

We woke up in Cozumel Mexico!

We found this little park that was lined with all of these statue animals. The kids insisted on sitting on EVERY single one!

The coast and the water was beautiful!

Jaylee got a case of the sillys!!

My husband the ham bone!

The ocean was so incredibly blue.

Passed out from partying in Mexico all day!

We got back to the ship and rested. Then it was time to get the kids dressed up for Pirates of the Caribbean Night.

Stitch was the highlight of the night. He loved Marshall. He kept tickling him and chasing him around. Marshall tickled him back and he fell over. When we walked away, he chased after us and played peek a boo with the kids from behind a pole.

Marshall's turn to be silly!

This was by far the best towel animal we had! It took the kids a few minutes to find it. At first they were all bummed, thinking there wasn't going to be one, and then they saw it! It was so neat, we left it hanging there the whole next day.

Again, we had a wonderful, perfect day! The kids were pretty tired from two days of exploring off of the ship in a row. Then being up past 10 at night for the Pirate deck party and fireworks. I was so impressed at so well behaved they were. They travel so well.

More to come tomorrow.....

Peace and love......

Vacation Part 4, Grand Cayman Island

2011-04-13T20:33:00.001-04:00

Since I am a complete turtle FANATIC, this was my favorite thing that we did!! We got to hold baby sea turtles at a sea turtle farm on the Grand Cayman Island. They hatch the sea turtles there and then release them when they become a certain age.

Jaylee was a little nervous holding him, he was a little squirmy.

They are so cool, see the sea bird hitching a ride on his shell!

These were the bigger ones, they were so heavy, and strong!

Taking a break in the shade, it was pretty hot out that day.

Russ wanted to do a little snorkeling with the turtles, so I took the kids to the pool.

The little stinker tried to splash me!

Marshall drinking fresh coconut milk from a coconut!

Once back on the ship we napped, ate dinner and found some characters to visit.

Every night we would come back to the room to find a different towel animal waiting for us, along with some chocolates.

Even after a long day Jaylee was all smiles!

Peace and love.......

Vacation Part 3, Formal Night WARNING Lots of Pictures!!!

2011-04-12T23:25:00.001-04:00

We woke up the next morning and could see Cuba in the distance.

This day was a full day at sea, headed towards Grand Cayman Island.

So we did the logical thing, spent the day at the pool! Where Marshall became "magically" potty trained for the next 2 days. We told him that if he peed or pooped in the pool that they would kick him out, the whole pool would be shut down and drained and then no one could go swimming.

IT WORKED!!!

All dressed up for formal night, and a tea party with Alice and the Mad Hatter!

Marshall liked it because there was free apple juice and COOKIES!

Breakin' it down on "Beat Street"

Can he get any cuter, I mean really.......

I have the greatest kids in the world! I can't wait to see what baby #3 is like!

I told you that we taught him to tip his hat! Look at his face, priceless!

I am so lucky to have such a great guy!

Marshall was a little shy with Daisy Duck

Obviously Mickey Mouse is Marshall's favorite, but Donald comes in at a close second!

They thought this was pretty funny, when Donald put Marshall's hat on!

When we walked away from Donald Marshall said to him "Ahhh Pickle Juice!"

Another perfect day aboard the Disney Magic!

The kids are already saying that they miss Disney. So do I. You really leave all of your worries behind, and they spoil you rotten! Your every need is taken care of, and they go above and beyond to make sure that you and your kids are happy and comfortable!

More to come soon......

Peace and Love.....

Vacation Part 2, The Disney Magic, first stop Key West

2011-04-12T21:33:00.003-04:00

Here we are at the Port terminal, waiting to board the Disney Magic. They sent out Minny Mouse to help the kids with the waiting process.

One of the things that I love most about my children, is how much they absolutely LOVE each other. They do fight, like any siblings do, but they are so incredibly close.

Our first day on the ship was Jaylee's 5th Birthday! The attention that she received from the crew was amazing. They fussed over her like crazy! She was sang to, given free pins and buttons. She even had a birthday cake brought to her at dinner. What a way to turn 5 years old!

Marshall and I waiting for the Disney show to start

We spent our first day exploring the ship waiting for our arrival in Key West, Florida. The ship was so beautiful and there were all sorts of fun rooms and restaurants. It was so clean and spotless, they had everyone wipe down their hands with a sanitary wipe before entering any eating areas.

The first stop was Key West. Loved it there!

Beautiful Jaylee

We stopped in a shop and found Marshall the PERFECT hat! It looked like a little pimp hat, and he totally pulled it off. The ladies LOVED it! We taught him to tip his hat, so when the ladies were fussing over him he would tip his hat to them. It was hilarious!

Jaylee posing like the manikins, we are so in trouble when she turns 16!

Look at that DIMPLE

Sunset in Key West

Key West had the strangest street performers I have ever seen! This guy was hilarious. He called himself "CAT MAN" He had all of these cats that would jump through hoops and not obey his commands. The greatest was when one of his cats just sat there grooming himself while ignoring his commands.

I felt bad for the cats, but they definitely looked plump and "well fed" When his act was over, you could tell that he really loves them. He was petting them and treating them well. The cats looked to be in better shape then him, to be honest.

Posing with the crazy CAT MAN

I think she's a fan!

The day is almost over, it's almost time to get back on the ship. What a perfect first day of exploration! The kids behaved themselves, the weather was perfect.

Only 6 more days of fun on the Disney Magic.

Peace and love........

The best vacation ever part 1

2011-04-12T19:42:00.001-04:00

This is the first part of the best vacation ever!!! We took the Auto Train from Virginia to Florida.

The kids loved it!


So much to see....

Once we got to Florida, we spent two wonderful days with Russ's family.

Jaylee took full advantage of the 85 degree weather!! It was beautiful.


Marshall and his Aunt Cathy

It was a perfect day! 85 and sunny. We saw a dolphin or two, and stopped for a nice lunch.

Marshall and his Uncle Glenn, letting him drive the boat

Can you tell that Marshall is really getting into driving the boat!!

I think he's a natural....

Jaylee and her Great Grandpa Nichols


Marshall, Russ and Grandpa Nichols

It was so wonderful spending time with family that we haven't seen in a few years. It was the perfect start to a perfect vacation. It was just what we needed, it was fun and refreshing. Even though some of our family lives so far away, we want the kids to know them and for them to know our kids.

Part 2 of our vacation will be coming very soon, so stay tuned!!

Peace and love.......

The Big Birthday Bash

2011-03-10T10:30:00.004-05:00

Since Jaylee and Marshall's birthday's are only a month apart, we decided to have a combined birthday bash for them this year. It worked out so well, I think it was one of the best birthday parties yet!

Marshall and his balloon Mickey Mouse ears.

The theme was Mickey and Minnie Mouse this year. Marshall chose Mickey Mouse again as his party theme, since that is his favorite thing in the whole wide world. We had a couple do the party that do balloon animals, comedy magic and face painting.

It is really hard to believe that my first born is going to be 5 years old in a little over a week. She isn't a baby anymore, she is a little girl.

The kids have no idea that they are in for a surprise of a lifetime! In one week we will be taking a train to Florida to head out on a Disney Cruise. So if you see them, shhhhhh it's a surprise!! They still don't know. :)

A good friend of ours made and designed the birthday cakes for us this year.

Marshall helping the magician do a magic trick.

Jaylee's turn to help out.

I think this was one of my favorite parts. Look at their faces..... I can remember this feeling when I was little and everyone was singing happy birthday to me. Their faces tell it all.

I was a little concerned that having their parties combined would take away from each other. That they wouldn't feel as special on their "special day", but they loved sharing a party. They are so close, that it didn't matter.

I don't think that they make smiles any bigger then this......

Time to make a wish!!!!

Ok, this was my other favorite moment!! They handed Marshall his candle, and told him to lick the frosting off. He thought it was a piece of candy and he took a bite out of his wax candle!!
YUCK!!!

Present time! The boys huddled around Marshall and the girls huddled around Jaylee.

It was a perfect day. All of our family and friends were there and we all had so much fun. I still can't believe that Marshall is 3 and Jaylee will be 5. Life is going too fast lately.

We are so blessed to have two amazing children, and to have the family and friends in our life to join in celebrating our children.

Peace and love..........

Will this be the end of the terrible 2's?????

2011-02-15T21:14:00.002-05:00

I tucked Marshall in last night and gave him a kiss. I told him this "Tonight you go sleep being 2, tomorrow you will wake up being 3"

It's been wonderful watching him grow and teaching him. It's also been a challenge over the past 6 months, with him being 2 years old and being a BOY!! He can be a little stinker, a little wild man. He's been known to ride our dog Woody around the kitchen like a horse. He likes to steal the toliet paper off of the bathroom sink while his Daddy sits on the comode, leaving him sitting there helpless while we all LAUGH!! He chases the cat, and pinches his sister. Last week he took a container of baby powder and sprinkled it over EVERYTHING in sight, he said "Look Mommy snow"

Will this be the end of the terrible 2's? Maybe, but I will miss that stage. What happened to my baby boy? My baby boy is using the potty (sometimes).... and talking in sentences. Yes he is full of mischief, but he is an amazing child.

He is smart and loving. He protects his big sister, when he's not beating her up...... He takes care of his Mommy, and he likes helping Daddy with things. Sometimes he seems bothered when I smother him with kisses, but I think he secretly likes it. He still likes Mommy and Marshall snuggle Fridays, where we both go back to bed and snuggle when Jaylee leaves for school.

When we pass a man we don't know on the street, Marshall will say "Hi Guy" and wave, which always makes people laugh.

He is still the little comedian where he makes us all bust out laughing on a daily basis with all of his antics and just being Marshall. I asked him today if he kissed any girls on Valentines Day and he replied, "No just boys and chairs"

I stopped in with him at work today, our friend Melony asked him if he was ready for his birthday spankens. He made a face, turned around and left. Didn't say a word, and he didn't return. I guess he doesn't relize that tradition quite yet. He wasn't into it, that is for sure.

It's amazing how fast it has gone by. It seems like just yesterday he was just a little baby. Now he is a little boy. I am so proud and happy of the little man he is becoming. Good, bad and indifferent he has a personality all of his own. We love every part of him.

Happy 3rd Birthday Marshall, we love you so very much, always and forever.

Peace and love........

Marshall's First Trip to The Dentist

2011-02-08T21:44:00.001-05:00

Today was Marshall's first ever dentist visit. He wasn't too sure about it at first, as you can see by the

first picture, but he did great. The hygienist had him smiling and giggling.

Say "AHHHHHHHH"

Jaylee is an expert at the dentist, she's been there, done that. She was a trooper getting her first dental x-rays today.

The day was a complete success....no cavities, no tears.

Peace and love............

Christmas and other adventures.....

2011-01-22T00:17:00.000-05:00

I have to say that Christmas this year was absolutely perfect! Last year was so hard because it was the first Christmas since my Grandma Freund passed away. It was so weird, and sad. The kids were perfect on the 6 hour car ride. They got to play in all of the beautiful New York snow, and best of all I had quality time with my family and friends that I love and miss so much. It was the best week ever.


Marshall ready for his Christmas show


Getting ready to play in the snow


In their matching jammies on Christmas eve

Playing dress up.

Bringing up a family should be an adventure, not an anxious discipline in which everybody is constantly graded for performance.
-- Milton R. Saperstein

Peace and love.....

It's official, it's December

2010-12-05T00:31:00.001-05:00

The Lederhouse family tradition is that we put up our Christmas tree the first weekend of December.

Marshall seems to be in awe over the tree

All and all we had a wonderful evening. We only had one ornament causality, and besides figuring out how to use the self timer on the camera, everything went smoothly.

Peace and love.....

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T22:21:00.000-04:00

Pumpkin painting, our new Halloween tradition!

We decided to try something new this year. Pumpkin painting! The kids loved it.

Marshall concentrating on his pumpkin painting

Jaylee painting her pumpkin all pretty

Marshall and his friend Mason

After pumpkin painting, we got ready to go trick or treating!

It's Snow White

Mickey Mouse

Anyone who knows Marshall knows about his Mickey Mouse obsession!

And as you can see, Jaylee played that princess thing to the fullest.

Russ's clever costume idea

We went to a concert last night that had a costume contest, this was Russ's idea, very clever huh?!

All and all it was a busy, but perfect day. And the start to a new family tradition.

Peace and love.....

A day at the pumpkin patch.

2010-10-19T20:53:00.000-04:00

Peace and love......

All about cows.....

2010-10-13T00:57:00.000-04:00

On the way home, after picking Jaylee up from school, she decided to give us a little lesson all about cows.

"I know all about cows Mommy." She says. "Oh, what do you know about them?" I asked.

This was her answer.

"Black and white cows make milk. Brown cows make chocolate milk, and pink cows make strawberry milk."

This was one of those moments, that won't be forgotten.

It was a classic Jaylee moment.

Peace and love......

Jaylee's First Week of School

2010-09-12T23:22:00.001-04:00

Most parents post pictures from the first day of school. Apparently that is too hard for me! Don't worry I spared you the photographs from each day of her first week of school, and only chose two different days.

It still doesn't seem quite real. It seems like just yesterday that she was a newborn baby. She has done great, and she loves it! She hasn't shed a tear yet about going. I wish I could say the same for myself.

I miss having her home with me. It's so hard to think that the days of her being a preschooler are gone. From now on she will be in school. I feel like I have lost time that I can't get back. Time is going by way too fast, so I guess I need to take more pictures!

Peace and love.....

Making Pizza!!!

2010-09-01T18:10:00.000-04:00

Daddy had a great idea!!!

He bought us everything that we needed to make pizza.

Jaylee chose to make a vegetable pizza.

Marshall wanted to make a pepperoni and cheese pizza.

Sometimes it's the little things in life that make the big memories.

Peace and love......

The best Daddy in the whole wide world.....

2010-08-28T22:49:00.003-04:00

We decided to have a family day today, so we took the kids to the arboretum. At this point both of their feet were hurting and they both wanted to be held by Daddy.

This is the best Daddy in the world.

I tried to get a picture of them all stacked up, but Marshall kept rolling off.

This picture melts my heart. It makes me realize how lucky I am. It makes me realize how lucky my children are to have this man as a father. This is a picture that I will treasure for all of my life. You can see it in the kids faces. You can see how happy they are, and you can see how much they adore this man, that they call "Daddy".

Peace and love.......

The backyard photo shoot

2010-08-25T18:07:00.010-04:00

Jaylee was my model today. I didn't have to twist her arm, that's for sure! I usually don't use special effects on my photographs. I like to capture things how they really appear. It seems like a lot of digital photographers are adjusting the color and contrast a lot. Personally I like the challenge of trying to capture a really good photograph without adjusting it on my computer. I decided to play around and see what all of the fuss is about. I can see where it is addicting because it really makes the photographs look really neat and interesting. I think I will use it from time to time. All and all my little Jaylee is still beautiful with or without special effects.

Marshall wasn't a cooperative model today. I guess that is typical of a two year old little boy! I was able to get this shot of his feet though.....

Peace and love.......

Odds and ends

2010-08-15T13:54:00.006-04:00

These are a few of my favorite photographs .

A summary of our August so far.

Mommy needs a break.....

2010-08-15T13:17:00.009-04:00

I've been feeling a little overwhelmed lately. I don't understand why. (Insert sarcasm here). I thought that maybe a weekend away without the kids and with my husband would help. As soon as we came home, I still felt stressed.

My friend approached me with an idea. She suggested that we leave the husbands at home and take the kids to the beach for a few days. The idea appealed to me. My camera was stolen in the beginning of July, and all of our family beach trip pictures were on that camera. This could be a way to get some new beach pictures of the kids before the summer ends. The other part of me thought this...... No husbands, one hotel room and three children that are five years old and younger. This could be a bad idea.

Yes there were moments that were stressful, and loud. Very loud. A four hour car ride full of "Are we there yet?", "How much longer?" and the classic, "I have to go potty!". Then there was the battle of getting the little buggers to go to sleep at night. The bigger challenge was just keeping them in their beds, and keeping them quiet.

But I was wrong, it was refreshing. All of this time I thought that I needed time away from my kids to feel better and recharged. What I really needed was time away with my kids. It was wonderful. It was so nice to spend time with them without having to worry about taking care of the animals, cleaning the house or making dinner.

I was looking at things the wrong way. My kids reminded me of this. It's not the kids alone that make me feel so overwhelmed and in over my head.

It's life and all of it's demands. But when you are sitting at the beach, all of this is forgotten. It no longer exists. We lived in the moment, and every moment was great. Well, most moments were great.

Peace and love........

Smile, laugh and just take a look around.

2010-05-31T18:02:00.017-04:00

The world must seem so big and endless for a toddler.

Can you imagine being that small and experienceing life while not completely understanding

everything and how things work?

The roles can be reversed. Children seem to experience happiness and sillyness
without even having to try. Adults should learn how to do that
again. It's not as easy for us big people. Could we get away with stuffing a bunch of food in our cheeks, looking like a chipmunk. Yeah, probably but we wouldn't look as cute doing it.

Children need us to learn, grow and develop; but we need children to stay grounded.
Us adults have trouble finding time in our busy schedules to actually
enjoy our life. We are so busy that we don't notice the little things in life that
are the most important.

The days of hide and seek and playing pretend were long gone for me.

Now that I am a parent I have an excuse to play hide and seek

and pretend. I miss those days when summer starts and school ends. Those days were great.

I always thought that they were gone. Now I get to do it all over again

with my kids.

Remember to smile, to laugh and just take a look around. If you really look at the things around you, you will see how wonderful and beautiful the world really is. When you notice your little one, stareing at a bug or a flower in amazement, just look. Everything is so new to them. We've seen that thing thousands of times, so we don't really look anymore. But if you really,really look, you will see how amazing this world really is.

Peace and love.........

A few of my favorite things....

2010-04-14T09:49:00.009-04:00

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the flowers are blooming. The smell of fresh cut grass is in the air and the sounds of the neighborhood children are back again.

The balancing act continues. Trying to keep caught up on keeping our business running. Taking the kids to dance, gymnastics and play dates. I feel like I am behind on housework and laundry. Pediatrician appointments, yard work and keeping the house maintained and in order. And in the mix it seems like someone is always sick lately, whether it is human or animal.

I think back to before kids. It was so nice to sleep in. We always had all of the time in the world to do anything that we wanted, whenever we wanted. We could go out for drinks or for dinner, or even leave for the weekend without hesitation.

Sometimes I feel like there isn't enough time in the day. They go by so fast. At the end of the day I wonder if I played with the kids enough. Did I give the dogs enough attention today? Did I give my husband enough attention today? It is so hard balancing everything. It seems stressful and chaotic doesn't it? It is stressful and chaotic, oh and loud. Did I mention how loud it is?

But wait.......did I mention that I have never been happier? Did I mention that these loud and crazy kids of mine are the funniest people I have ever known in my life. I think I forgot to mention that these two beautiful people that have only been on this earth for 4 and 2 years are already amazing people who bring nothing but joy and love to this world. These kids see the beautiful in the ugly, and see the fun in the boring. These two kids have more personality and kindness then most adults that I know.

It is so worth giving up a 10 hour sleep for kids. It is so worth being tied down and having to find a baby sitter to go out for an evening or away for a weekend. And if we can't find a sitter, then we will just take the kids with us. Life would be boring without the chaos and loudness! And who needs privacy anymore!! I used to be easily embarrassed, now after what my kids say and do to me in public, hardly anything is embarrassing to me anymore. I have found that there are more important things to do other than housework. I can sacrifice a little more sleep and do housework and business work when the kids are sleeping. Who needs complete organization anyways! It's just not me. I am still me, I am still fun, I still have fun. I just have added more fun to my life. These little people that have taken over my life have made my life a little more interesting.

Peace and love......

Jaylee turns 4!

2010-04-06T18:03:00.014-04:00

Wow. On March 19th my baby girl turned 4 years old!

It really feels like yesterday that she was a newborn baby. In the fall she will start going to school. Every year seems to come and go faster then the last. How do you slow down time again??

I am so lucky to have my little family. I have a good husband and two wonderful kids. I really can't complain. Lately life is chaotic and loud. So so so loud! I can't seem to find that magic remote control with that mute button. My house is always messy and I am constantly wiping off dirty hands, faces and butts. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

She amazes me, the things that she knows already. She is so smart. I love seeing her point of view with things. She only sees the good in this world. She never sees the bad. When she does experience the bad in the world, she just doesn't understand.
If more people could view the world the way that a child does I am convinced that this world would be a better place. No one would be judged by the color of their skin, or the shape of their body. No one would be judged by their profession or their choice of religion.

And the world would be much more fun and interesting to live in.

My children remind me on a daily basis to see the positive before the negative in everything.

When Jaylee grows up I will miss moments like this, when I find her fast asleep on the top of her toy shelf. She threw down most of her stuffed animals, then she brought up her sleeping bag and pillow and fell fast asleep. Life would be so dull without having Jaylee and Marshall around.

Peace and Love.......

Little Bro Turns 2!

2010-02-25T21:54:00.007-05:00

Well if finally happened. Marshall turned two.

His second birthday party was a success. With each year of birthday parties, they seem to become louder and crazier! I am guessing that this pattern will continue each and every year.

Mickey Mouse was the theme. Marshall is obsessed with Mickey Mouse these days. The boy lives and breathes Mickey Mouse.

He was so cute when we were singing happy birthday to him. He put his little finger by his mouth and smiled while everyone sang. He was loving it, but was playing the shy act.

Big sister and little bro. My babies, who technically aren't babies anymore. Where is the time going? These two and their love, hate relationship kills me. One minute they are playing all sweetly, and the next someone is crying. They are so alike, but so different.

Jaylee is the entertainer. She likes to be the center of attention. Along with that, comes the dramatics. Marshall is a little more passive and laid back. He already knows how to press his sister's buttons. The only thing that gets him really upset, is if you mess with his food. Marshall will eat and drink just about anything, Jaylee is so fussy with food.

The next morning, he was still carrying around his Mickey birthday balloons.

All and all his birthday was a success.

He is two, next year he will be three. Before I know it he will be 18 and off to college.

No matther what, he will always be my little Bubby Butt!

Peace and love.......

Snowed in

2010-02-06T19:39:00.013-05:00

Today was a magical day.

A day to realize that the little moments in life, really are
the best moments.

A day to act like a kid again.

Thirty inches of snow fell on us within a 24 hour period of time.
I am from New York state, up there that amount of snow is the normal routine.
But down here in West Virginia, not so normal!

The dogs and us all had so much fun playing in the snow.
The day couldn't have gone anymore perfectly.

Jaylee has always loved playing in the snow.
She is such a free spirit, would we expect anything else from her?!

The last time we had a snow storm Marshall did not like the snow.
He thought it was nice to look at from a distance.
Once he got out there and touched the snow, he realized how cold
it was and he was not a happy camper! This time he actually loved playing in the snow.

Today we built memories. It was all because we had fun with the little things.
We spent quality time together, and didn't worry about anything else. Today was another day
of our little moments frozen in time.
Peace and love.....

When life throws you lemons, make lemonade!

2009-11-30T23:11:00.035-05:00

I have a lot to be thankful for this year. I haven't blogged in a really long time. It's been a really tough year for me, and I guess it affected me more than what I thought.

I have had some health problems over the past year. I've been examined, poked and tested by doctors who still can't tell me what is wrong. All they know is that I have some sort of auto immune disease, but they can't say for sure which one.

My Grandmother died of cancer this summer. When I first found out that she only had 6 months to live, it was so strange. I remember going home to visit her around that time and I didn't know how to act or what to say at first. What do you say to someone you love when they know that they only have 6 months to live. I live 6 hours away from home, so I would go up there every 3 weeks or so to visit while she was sick. Every time she was weaker and weaker. It was so hard. It was a blessing to know we only had limited time with her. Things were said and talked about, that wouldn't have been said if we didn't know she was dying. They were things that we both knew in our hearts, but were never spoken out loud before. Life is forever changed without her here.

Don't get me wrong, things have been hard, but some really wonderful things have happened
too.

Marshall is walking and talking now. He is such a shy, sweet little boy. He is also the typical boy who likes to beat on things and play in the dirt.

He has this smile that warms my heart. And a belly laugh that is contagious.

He loves to dance to the sound of music, and he bobs his head to the beat.
He refers to all birds as "quack quacks". I love it!

And then there is Jaylee. She is so smart and observant. She needs to know how things work in detail, and always asks questions. She actually asked me today where she was before she "got into" my belly. I told her that she came from heaven, that she was a gift from the angels.

She is a free spirit. She is beautiful and kind. She looks out for her brother and worries about him. But she also partakes in teasing him and pushing him to his limits.

Marshall is like Jaylee's little sidekick. I love this picture of them. Jaylee was trying on her life jacket swimsuit for the first time. She put on her sunglasses and stated that she was an astronaut. She looked like a preschooler super hero with her diaper wearing sidekick by her side.

Russ and I got an opportunity of a lifetime. We purchased an independent, compounding pharmacy. It was his lifetime dream, and it came true for him. I went from being a full time stay at home mommy, to a part time working mommy. I work a few days a week managing our store. Something that I never thought I could do. We have our own family business, and the kids have become store mascots. I felt so guilty leaving them, until I saw how much they were thriving and loving it.

Without Russ and these beautiful kids in my life, I don't know where I would be right now. I couldn't have handled all of this without them in my life. I am so blessed and thankful to have wonderful family and friends in my life right now. I have a strong support system and I am so grateful.

The kids keep me going. I am determined not to let the physical pain and weakness bring me down. It will only make me stronger. It's only another challenge to keep me on my toes.

M.S. or no M.S. things will be ok. Whatever is going on with me, will get better. I can deal with the pain, numbness, tingling, the double vision, the seconds that my vision goes black, and the days where my hands don't work right. Things could always be worse. I have learned that when my body isn't holding up well, that I have to rest. The laundry can wait. If I give my body a day of rest then it works a lot better the next day. There are times when you have to put yourself first.

Life is a test and things are thrown at you that aren't fun. If you manage to see the positive in everything, even when things are hard then you are passing the test. Even through the grey areas good things always seem to find us.

Good and bad I am thankful for everything. Everything happens for a reason. If I can get through this, I can do anything.

Peace and love......

Miracles.....

2009-03-15T07:56:00.017-04:00

I think that Marilyn Monroe said it best when she said this quote……“I believe everything happens for a reason. Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” I can give you the perfect example. My little Marshall turned a year old exactly one month from today.

In between Jaylee and Marshall we were pregnant with another child. Two years ago, the day before Valentine’s Day, we found out that we lost our baby to a miscarriage. I never thought that I would ever see Valentine’s Day the same again ever. I knew that it would always be a constant

reminder of what happened.

Then we had ourselves…..a little miracle. Three months later we got pregnant again. Our little (well not so little) Marshall Thomas was born the day after Valentine’s Day. He was born almost exactly 1 year after we lost our baby. He was born on his due date at 12:13 a.m. If he came 13 minutes earlier he would have been born on Valentine’s Day. That is our miracle.

Isn’t that so amazing? Now we associate Valentine’s Day with his birthday. Don’t get me wrong, we will always think about the baby that we lost. And we will never forget what happened. But it puts it into a whole different light.

The thought occurred to me the other day, like it often does, that my kids are not going to be this age forever. I sometimes hug Marshall so tight and ask him to stay this age forever. It makes me feel so happy to see both of my kids changing and developing with each and every step. But the feeling is bitter sweet. I know that before I know it they will be off on their own starting their own lives. I know that will be great too, but it just seems so strange to me.

So this is our own personal little miracle.

Peace and love......

A trip to the dentist and other adventures…

2009-02-09T18:03:00.009-05:00

She was armed with an elmo bucket full of bouncy balls. I walked down the stairs, swiffer in hand, minding my own business. She came out of nowhere yelling, “You will never win monster!” She warned me, but I didn’t listen. I chuckled and began to swiffer the floor, not knowing how serious she really was. I then became showered in an ammunition of bouncy balls.

True story. That really happened. It was one of the moments that I love and will never forget. Just like when Jaylee pushed Marshall’s highchair up to the back door to show him the outside. Then they played peek a boo through the curtain.

Today was Jaylee’s first trip to the dentist. She was an angel. She watched me get my teeth cleaned. When it was her turn she hopped right into the chair no problem! She opened her mouth all wide and said “Ahhhhhhhh”. She didn’t shed a tear. She looked like a little girl in that chair. I realized that she isn’t my baby anymore. She is almost 3 years old, and it has gone by so fast.

I tell you what I couldn’t imagine my life without these kids. They are so stinkin’ cute and so hilarious. Yes it is hard, and yes I am so tired. But I have never been happier. Without my little family, I don’t think I could have made it through these challenging times. Life is hard, but life is so so good.

Peace and love......

Remember to be nice......

2009-01-10T22:32:00.015-05:00

There is nothing better than New York snow. Jaylee sure got a white Christmas that’s for sure. She loved it. She was asleep in the truck on the long 6 hour drive from West Virginia to New York. When she fell asleep the ground was brown outside. When she woke up, the ground was covered in a white blanket of fluffy, cold snow. Her eyes were huge. It was like she saw something magical happen. Even Woody our dog couldn’t wait to get outside and play in it.

Marshall even seemed excited about the snow. When it was snowing out he would open his mouth and try to catch snowflakes. He seemed to like the cold on his face.

I can’t believe that Marshall is going to be a year old already next month. He is pulling himself up on his feet. He’s traveling across furniture and walls. He looks up at you with this look and you can tell that he is proud of himself.

I think ahead to the future. What will Jaylee and Marshall be like as teenagers? I picture Jaylee storming up the stairs and slamming her door. Sassing back and never getting off of the phone. I picture Marshall listening to his headphones too loud. Coming home past his curfew and not finishing his homework.

What will they be like as adults? I can feel in my heart that they are going to do good things in this life. But I guess every mother likes to think that right? I look at them and I can already see that they are pretty cool people. I hope that we can instill good things in them. There are so many people on this planet that are just, not nice.

Lately it seems, in my experience anyways, that there are a lot of people in this world that are so unhappy that they want to make everyone around them unhappy as well. Why? What happened to being kind? Over the past few months I have had a little bit of bad luck with people. I couldn’t figure out why. But now I think I figured it out. I think that was the universes way of validating something for me. I now know how important it is to instill good values in my children.

Don’t get me wrong. I have lost friends. I have met people who have been terribly unfair and unkind to me. But I have gained a lot more. Because of these things, I have gained new friends. I saw how much the family and friends that I already have really do care about me. Everything happens for a reason and that has been proven to me over the past month or so.

So I guess the moral of the story is….
Just be nice.

Peace and love.

Christmas Chaos

2008-12-10T13:45:00.005-05:00

There is something so magical about the month leading up to Christmas. This is one of my favorite times of the year. And it is even better now that Jaylee is really getting into it. She is so into it this year. When we put up the tree she was so excited. Every morning when she wakes up, she asks if she can go downstairs and see the Christmas tree.

It brings me back to my childhood. I remember feeling the excitement of driving somewhere and seeing Christmas lights, and quick glimpses of Christmas trees in windows. The smell of newly baked Christmas cookies covered in sprinkles; presents under the tree with big bows and shiny paper. It was almost unbearable to have to wait another day.

I can’t wait to see and hear her on Christmas morning. Marshall won’t know what is going on, but I know he will have fun tearing up wrapping paper and pounding on boxes. Oh, and the food. He will love the food. Family, friends and everything in between. It really doesn't get any better than this.

I am so blessed to have who I have in my life. My family and friends…I couldn’t ask for anything more. That is what is most important after all. The gifts are fun, but they really don’t matter. I think that a lot of people lose sight of that.

So keep that in mind when that lady runs you over with a stroller in the mall. Or when some guy cuts you off in your car. Laugh it off and say to yourself.....I love the holidays. It brings out the best, but also the worst in people.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Peace and Love.....

Limbo land sucks

2008-12-08T23:13:00.003-05:00

There are no pictures in this entry. I couldn't find one to go with the theme. And I wouldn't want one to go with the theme. I'm not a negative person, by any means. But something is weighing me down, and I need to get it off of my chest.

I first started noticing the numbness and tingling in my right hand about a month or so ago. My Dr and I came to the conclusion that it was just a simple case of carpal tunnel syndrome. I wish I could be that lucky. For the past month my symptoms have brought me down hard. I am starting to get used to that pins and needles sensation in my fingers and toes. My feet feel like they are ice blocks that weigh 500 lbs! The weakness and pain in my hands and arms are becoming routine. I have started using my middle fingers and pinky fingers instead of my index fingers for the most part now. My neck is constantly stiff and a little sore. My new symptom of the day is my lips and the tip of my tongue are slightly numb. The weirdest part is that it isn't constant. It comes and goes throughout the day. The only constant thing is the loss of sensation and pain in my hands. They are always weak, but sometimes they get weaker.

My whole perception changed that night in the ER when the Dr mentioned two letters to me that could and may change my life completely. MS. This is my limbo right now. The waiting game begins. As all of my other test results slowly come back negative, all that is left is MS. I am still waiting on my Lyme Disease test and my Rheumatoid arthritis test. I never thought I would hope to have one of those diseases. Right now I would rather have one of those instead of MS....I think.

I feel like I am going crazy. Everyday I try to convince myself that all of this is my imagination getting away from me. But then I can't pull a diaper out of a pack, or pulling up Jaylee's pants was almost impossible. But every week something new happens.

One thing is for sure, I still have my babies to take care of. I still have my life to live. We will figure this out, and we will get through this....whatever this is. The hardest part is trying to keep a straight head. I am trying to not think about it too much so that I can be normal and happy. I won't let it bring me down.

So now that I vented, I feel a little better. All I ask from my friends and family is for a little prayer here and there. Good or bad, this will all pass I am sure.
Thanks for listening.

Peace and love.....

Daddy has a hippo.

2008-11-30T21:05:00.010-05:00

Russ has been sick with a really bad head cold. He was sick in bed most of the day on Saturday. Jaylee kept asking where “Russ” was. Yes - she calls us Russ and Kel. Sometimes we are Mommy and Daddy, and sometimes we are Russ and Kel. It is so funny how upset other people get when they hear this. I have had friends say things under their breath about it. I love that she does it. She is just pretending to be one of us. She hears us call each other that, so she does too. It has gone up a notch. Since I have started babysitting a little girl named Riley who calls Russ “Uncle Russ”; now sometimes Daddy is referred to as Uncle Russ by Jaylee. This is really going to start confusing people, who don’t know us very well!

So all day Saturday I kept telling Jaylee that Daddy was sick with a bad head cold. She helped me bring him soup and crackers. At one point she was playing pretend with her Elmo doll. She started telling Elmo that Daddy was really, really sick. Elmo asked what was wrong with him and Jaylee exclaimed that Daddy was sick with a hippo. Headcold, hippo....I can kind of see it. I wish I had it on film. That will always be engraved into my memory. I can still hear her little voice saying it with such sympathy; like he had some incurable hippo disease.

We started putting Marshall in his walker lately. He has totally mastered the whole crawling thing 100%. But he isn’t satisfied with it. He wants to be upright and mobile like his sister. He gets so frustrated when he finally makes it into the same room that Jaylee is in. By the time he gets there and starts playing she leaves. And he gets so mad. The walker makes it so much easier for him to keep up with her. She runs and he runs right behind her in it. Jaylee even hitches a ride on the back and he is so strong that he can take her from room to room.

He isn’t always the most polite driver though. He crashes into your heel with such force that it brings tears to your eyes. The dogs and Jaylee run in terror trying to salvage their feet from being run over. And if you have food, forget it! He rams you over and over until you share.

Marshall and his love of food are amazing to me. He stared at the Thanksgiving spread in such awe. I swear he had a tear in his eye. He tried and liked everything. Even the pickled beets! He was such a mess afterwards.

Lately I have definitely learned the power of living in the “now”. Stop worrying about the future and stop thinking about the past. Stay in the now. That is all that matters. Now is when these little moments happen. That is how children and animals live their lives, and that is why they don’t have a worry in the world. If you start looking at things in a new light you will see that life is good!

Peace and love....

When cookie monster attacks, and other adventures….

2008-11-18T21:32:00.008-05:00

I may be partial…but I sware that I have some awesome kids! No really…I have a 2 ½ year old daughter who has a better sense of humor than most adults that I know! Anyone who has met Jaylee, can and will probably agree. A day with Jaylee never goes without laughter! She does one of the best slap stick routines that I have ever seen.

This skit that she did started with her putting on a puppet show for me and Marshall. It soon ended with Cookie Monster attacking her. It was one of the funniest things that I have ever seen, aside from the Airplane movies!! What made it funny was that it was totally unexpected. It was all cute and sweet. She was trying so hard to imitate his voice. Then her and Cookie Monster started fighting over something, which ended with him pinning her to the ground. I was in tears. Then she laid there calling for help.

We took Jaylee bowling this weekend. Russ and I used to bowl just about every weekend before we had kids, so we decided to take them. We all had a really fun time! Jaylee pulled a fast one on me.

I called her over to me but she didn’t want to come. She picked up Russ’s phone and pretended to be too busy. That’s my girl. She used the oldest trick in the book. Boy, are we in trouble!

Marshall is her number one fan. He laughs so hard and loud at her comedy routines. He laughs so hard that his eyes water and he can’t catch his breath. That kind of laughter is contagious and it is the best kind. He is most always smiling and laughing.

He has this look in his eyes that I can’t explain. He is going to do good in this world, I can feel it.

It makes me so proud that I have such happy, well adjusted, humor loving children. It makes me so happy that they can see the joy and humor in life. People get so caught up in their stressful lives that they forget how to be happy.

What you put out in the world is returned to you. If you put out positive things into the world, positive things happen to you. If you put out negativity, bad things happen to you. It is so simple. Even if things are going wrong, and you are having a crappy day….there is a reason for that. If you can find the positive in the worse of situations then you are good to go!

I am instilling this in my children. And I hope that they make the best of it. Life is what you make it. It’s not what you have or don’t have. It’s not who you have or don’t have. It is how you see the world around you. It is how you deal with the world around you. Everyone has the power to be happy and to enjoy life to the fullest.

Laughter really is the best medicine. It’s so boring to be serious anyways.
Peace and love....