happy birthday christi mac

it's late but not too late to wish christi a WONDERFUL birthday!!
yes, the world's best nanny is celebrating a special day.

i dug up this sweet card she gave me earlier in the year when she was visiting.
the cards sums up MY sentiments exactly.

inside of card

christi - the gerber family misses you so so much too!!
we can't help but smile every time your name is spoken in our home.
you are in our hearts always.

happy birthday!

hugs
the gerber clan

no place like home

there's no place like home.
- dorothy, the wizard of oz

i truly LOVED our little vacation away but i admit,
it's really good to be home too.

i had a fantastic trip. i crammed so much into it.
we visited with loved ones and i spent quality time with christopher.
these days it's hard to come by.

while travelling we felt as carefree as we did in our 20s, the days without kids.
we literally went all over the dominican republic and later discussed that we
wouldn't have been able to travel like we did with the boys.
at least not at the ages they are now.  {as teens for sure}
i'm anxious to share more about the trip - hopefully this week.

i've been playing catch up all weekend at home before we all go back to work and school.

stayed tuned and have a terrific day!

happy thanksgiving

i meant to post this before we flew home to san diego but figured it's never too late.

since today is for counting our blessings and giving thanks,
i will share the first thing that comes to mind when i think about my blessings.
this is my family. 
i am so thankful for the one i was born into and the one i've created.
they make my life full.

i wish i could be with extended family enjoying a HUGE feast,
but the boys and i will be heading home to san diego instead.
we will however get a chance to enjoy a thanksgiving meal together.
i pre-ordered a fully cooked thanksgiving dinner with all the fixing from a local deli.
all i have to do is pick up, heat in the oven and enjoy.  how's that for easy!
c just requested it comes with his favorite desert -  pumpkin pie.

wishing you and yours a happy thanksgiving!

packing for florida

our vacation is FINALLY here (well almost).
tomorrow is the official start date and instead of driving to work,
i'll be in a taxi on the way to the airport with my boys! *woo hoo*

the boys' suitcase is packed and ready to go.
c thinks i am going overboard with my organizing because i put the boys'
outfits in separate ziplock bags for each day of the week we will be gone.
i didn't specify the day on the ziplock bag so i'm not THAT neurotic. *wink*

seriously, i don't think it's going overboard at all.
i think it will help to make the mornings easier for everyone.
finn won't have to worry about finding clothes that match and
grandma can just grab a bag for scoutie and help him dress.  
men, what do they know anyway. *grin*

as for my suitcase, it won't be nearly as organized. it never is.
i try not to overpack, but i almost always do.
even though i travel enough to know better,
i still find myself saying "i want to be prepared or what if..." 
i know lots of other woman out there struggle with the same thing.

well i'm off to finish my packing.

familia, if you are reading, i will see you manana!
love love love you!! XO

where do weekends go?

every sunday evening i ask myself this.
even if i get 10 things completed, there's always 10 more things to do.
i guess that's the nature of working outside the home.
i cram a week's worth of errands into two days.

despite the obligatory grocery shopping, laundry, chores of this past weekend,
there was still some FUN squeezed in there too.  some of this fun included
cheering on finn and his soccer team, blue thunder.

they played their last game of the season and ended with a tie game of 3.
finn was a little sad saying goodbye to his teammates, and a little sadder
that he was going to miss their pizza party next saturday since we will be gone.
i reassured him he's still get his trophy and we'd see his friends again.

other fun included a few hours in the pool both saturday and sunday!
the weather couldn't be more gorgeous!!  i guess mother nature is making up
for that lousy summer she gave san diegans. 
we've had a nice warm october and november so far.

we all soaked up the sunshine this afternoon
while the boys practiced their dives and somersaults in the pool,
while i researched places to go in the dominican republic.

christopher's effort to wear the boys out was successful. 
scoutie napped for afterwards for 2.5 hours and woke up fresh as a daisy.

in the later afternoon we celebrated the twins (kai and katherines) 2nd birthday!
it doesn't seem possible these babies were just 1 and 2 lbs when they were born 2 years ago.
they have grown into such healthy and happy toddlers.

every time i look at these babies, i am reminded of two things.
one, how amazing modern medicine is, and two, how blessed their family is. 
my heart was full as i watched them together around their birthday cake.
what a journey they've had. 

kai and his mommy, kristi

old homes

a coworker of mine, who is based in our orlando office,
shared her thanksgiving plans with me last week.
she will be visiting her future in-laws in this gorgeous home!


after restoration

 


















i'll give you a minute to clean the drool off your computer keyboard. *grin*
she's beautiful isn't she??  i'm not sure why i'm giving this home a pronoun,
it just seems fitting and i think SHE deserves it. 

though i have a strong appreciation for modern architecture,
old homes have a very special place in my heart.
i know they do for many as this type of architecture/building is rare anymore.

i especially love old homes with deep and large front porches.
nothing says 'welcome' more than a big front porch to me.
it's like a call to friends and neighbors saying, come on up, sit down
and enjoy a glass of ice cold lemondade and stay a while.
this home's wrap-around porch is AMAZING!!

this home hasn't always been so beautiful. it had fallen into years of neglect
and looked like something that could have easily bulldozed. she need some TLC.
fortunately my coworker d's in-laws gave her lots.  here it is *before* the restoration. 
she's come a long way...


before restoration



















a little bit more on this beauty:

- located on a 700 acre ranch in jasper, fl (along the georgia border)
- 10 bedrooms (i'll get the year it was built )
- the suwanee river and the florida trail run along the edge of the property
- the family allows some of the land to be farmed (some longhorn cattle)
- some areas are heavily wooded and have hidden caverns of limestone
- my coworkers wanted to get married here, but the logisitics didn't work
(it's literally in the middle of nowhere)

normal people

i was at my favorite poster/framing store, aztec graphics last week to finally have
that gruau print, i posted about weeks back, framed.  i'm so excited about it,
and i know exactly where it's going to hang. 

this poster store not only does a terrific job framing, they also has great card selection!
i'm a sucker for cards and can easily get a bit carried away when i go in there.
i have a weakness for cards and could easily walk out with a dozen.
my lifelong girlfriend calls me the 'crazy card girl'.  it's true, i am.

so i picked up this card from quotable cards and had to share.
it's a simple white square card with black text,
but the message is anything but simple!

so fun isn't it?!! i thought so too.
the message rang true and reminded me of a brief
conversation i recently had about this very topic.

my sis called someone 'wierd',
and i chuckled because i had just purchased this card
and also because everyone is wierd.

who is normal?
what is normal?
who defines it?
what defines it?

this card was a perfect reminder
that we are all a bit 'wierd'
and our wierdness is what makes us unique,
and keeps the world interesting.

this post is dedicated to all you 'not so normal' folks.
ok, it's dedicated to ALL of us.

~ i've got lots of exciting things on the horizon!
tomorrow, c and i are celebrating an anniversary,
and next tuesday, we head to florida. c and i decided
our little getaway together will be in the DR (dominican republic).

super cute sandwhiches

i'm pretty sure i've posted about my obsession with cookies cutters and how
much fun i have using them to make shapes for the boys' sandwhiches
for school everyday.

i came across these A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E. sandwhiches on line and had to share.
i'm going to give that giraffe a go this weekend (i think).
with a sandwhich that cute, i might even be able to put turkey in scoutie's
sandwhich and he may not notice. *wish me luck*



an affair with chocolate

chocolate is no ordinary food. it is not something you can take or leave,
something you like only moderately. you don't like chocolate.
you don't even love chocolate.
chocolate is something you have an affair with.
- geneen roth, feeding the hungry heart

this quote was featured in the december issue of real simple that just arrived in the mail

and it seemed fitting to post today since i've been very sneaky with my love (chocolate)
more than ever since halloween.  you see, the boys' candy is put up high on the shelf so
they don't overindulge. i put a piece in their lunch box and they are allowed a piece
after dinner (after they eat their 'grow' food).
it's me that sometimes overindulges!  after the boys go down, i might sneak one, two
or even three pieces of my favorite chocolate from their stash. 

i confess. i'm having an affair with chocolate... 

in 5 years

i've entered a handful of contests my entire life, but after reading jessica of pen n' paper flowers was having a compendium give away, i couldn't resist. i had to enter as i am one of their biggest fans!

i discovered the company years ago and can't get enough of their inspiration books, cards, etc.
their products are beautifully designed and full of inspiration.  it's no surprise their tagline is 'live inspired'.
since i wasn't a winner (although my niece madison was), i jumped on compendium's website to purchase a gift for a dear friend who will be celebrating a BIG birthday this month. in case she is reading, i won't say what her gift is, but i will share that it's one of compendium's books that inspires, uplifts and celebrates.

in my poking around today, i discovered a video for a book that i would love to add to my collection someday. it is titled 5 - Where will you be five years from today?

you must take a minute to watch the short video clip. 
it's beautiful and prompts us to think about our life,
where we are, where we are going,
and mostly importantly want we want out of it.

click HERE and then on the icon that says watch video,
then sit back and enjoy.

i'm a new auntie

every child begins the world again....
- henry david thoreau

my nephew, jayden shappard (3 weeks)

i am not posting my standard 'things i love thursdays'
something far more interesting happened that i have to share

my brother todd and my s-i-l heather became parents this morning
which means i became a new auntie!  *yay*

jayden colin shappard made his way into the world this morning,
11/4 at 12:20am.  he was 7 lbs 8 ounces and 20.5" long.

mom and baby are well and just catching up on sleep (dad too).

i will be holding this little bundle in just 2 weeks. such anticipation.
i feel like i've almost forgotten what it's like to hold a newborn.

today is such a happy happy day!!

goodbye training wheels

just two short months ago, after we moved into our 'temporary' home,
christopher put scoutie's trike in storage and pulled out the small
2-wheeler bike that finn used to ride before he moved up to his bigger bike.

i was a bit sad/sentimental this day. scout just turned 3 in july, and it was early september.
though he was physically ready for a 2-wheeler with training wheels, mom wasn't.
in my mind, he was still a toddler and should be on three wheels.

c reminded me he was no longer a baby and was ready.
i knew this, i did and i confided in c i was just wanting him to stay little a bit longer.
he was understanding but reminded me it was the right thing to do - for him.

i pulled myself together and got excited as i watched scoutie ride with training wheels that day.
he was more than ready and, for the first week, slow enough i could run along side him.
by the second week, i had to pull out my beach cruiser to keep up.  

a few weeks later, c commented that scoutie wasn't even using the training wheels to balance
and that they should come off. once again, i said "NO WAY, he just got them put on. he's too little". 
i had been watching scout and noticed the same thing c did, but again, i was holding on to my baby.

since fathers usually don't have difficult letting go, christopher removed the training wheels one
day when i was out. (yes, he's learned a few things after 18 years of marriage) *grin*
i came home monday and found scout riding his bike *without* training wheels,
looking like he had been doing it for years.  c, finn and i were cheered and he grinned from ear to ear.
so proud. finn was in awe - announcing that he didn't ride a bike till he was 5.
i reminded him he didn't have an older brother he had to keep up with either.

the last two months have been full of changes for our family and
this transition from 3 wheels to 2 wheels for scoutie has taught me a valuable lesson.
that is, to let go of my children when it's time so they can grow and reach their potential.

it can be hard to do sometimes, but it's my job as a mom.
there will be lots more letting go in varying degrees over the years.
saying goodbye to training wheels is just a start.

here is a little clip of my 'big boy' scoutie riding sans training wheels. *cheer*

halloween 2010

after MUCH anticipation, the big day finally arrived!
i think i was just as excited as the boys were.

fortunately, the costumes were ready and just in time.
i admit, the bluebird costume was completed late friday night
thanks to my talented and patient hubby.
scoutie had a costume/bday party the next morning, so it had to be done.
after working on the owl costume so long, my patience was shot.

overall, i was pleased with the way these these little bird costumes turned out,
and most importantly, finn and scout were all smiles as they ran door to door.
if anyone commented on the costumes, finn was quick to share
he was an owl, scoutie was a bluebird and mom was a birdwatcher.
he followed with a "and they are HOMEMADE", emphasizing that in a big way.

auntie jen and i stood on the sidewalk watching and chuckling at this.
i mean what 6 year old even cares about homemade??
maybe it's because he likes to construct/create and appreciated that it wasn't store bought.
or maybe he knows mom put alot of work into them and that she isn't what one would call
'crafty' by any means.  whatever the reason, it made me feel warm and fuzzy, and appreciated.

so here are the final creations. promise me you won't look too closely.
since i don't sew, fabric glue quickly become my best friend!

i hope you had a happy halloween!!

~ the inspiration for scoutie's bluebird costume came from martha stewart and the owl template from alphamom