I know I am slack...

Sorry I have not been posting lately to anyone reading!! It has been a crazy few weeks since Lainie's Dance recital, Alex's Piano recital, end of preschool, end of elementary school parties.... just nuts around here but today is the last day of school. Things will still be busy but hopefully not as much and I can catch back up and fill in about all the above!!

Reason to Run, Relay for Life Event

This was a very moving event for me. When my friend Tiffani and Sharon sent me the link I thought, I need to do this not only for myself as a suvivor but to put an effort in doing "something" to help the war againist cancer. As you have read in posts previous, a friend of mine in VA just lost her battle a couple of weeks before this event. I was not able to go to VA for her services so this event ending up meaning even more to me, as I thought of it as my way of saying good bye and honoring her memory.

Alex went with me, with him being the oldest, he has an understanding of what I went thru last year and he has seen effects of cancer and understands that it has many forms, some treatable and some not. At first he balked at going because it was hot out there but after he heard the opening speeches and the first hand testimonials from people fighting cancer... he "got it"! He understood why I had been raising money, he understood why it was something we needed to be a part of. He held my hand and we walked the first lap, the one dedicated to suvivors. Once we all got around, we released the balloons. Then they treated all the suvivors to a nice lunch (in the AC!!) and then I came back out and walked some more.

After dark he and I went back because I wanted to see the luminaries lit up around the track. It was a very moving experience, knowing all those bags were there to honor someone who had died or was fighting or who was a suvivor but all at some point had a Doctor say those words "you have cancer".  I will plan on participating again next year so I hope I will have support again when the time comes to raise more funds :)

Thanks to all who donated and helped me reach my goal for my part on our team!!

Delayed Mother's Day treat

Kerry kept asking me what I wanted and I would say nothing, don't need anything... but he came up with something I did need... TIME!! Now that I am working when Lainie is in preschool, I just don't have any "me" time at all anymore. So tomorrow, it is Kerry's day off, and he told my Mother's Day gift was the gift of TIME. I am going to get an hour long massage and then my hair highlighted and cut. I will be there for hours!!! Yippee!! And I need that massage after running 3 miles both yesterday and today!! LOL

So what would you do with a morning of free time?

Mother's Day Events

Things have been busy around here for a few days, so many Mother's Day activities going on!! Last Wednesday I had Muffins with Mom with Lainie. Such fun, the kids made us Stepping Stones with thier handprints (so appropriate since the school is called Stepping Stones) and cute little flowers. Here are some pictures from that morning:

Then on Mother's Day we went to church, it was a very nice Mother's Day themed sermon. The main jist of it was that no one can be the "perfect" mother, we all make mistakes but God will help us and our children see the way if we allow it. It made sense!! We have started going to a friend's church because the boys like it there but I think Kerry and I feel very comfortable there as well. So after church, Kerry treated us to a nice lunch at Applebee's and then we took the kids to Dan Nicholas Park for the day. We all had fun on the huge playgrounds, the paddle boats, the merry go round, the train ride and mining for gems! Such fun, here are a few pictures from that fun day!!

Then to finish up all the fun, I had Muffins with Mom with Nikolas yesterday morning and then all the Kindergartener's treated us to some songs. Nikolas even got up and did a Waltz, it was so cute!! Here are a few from yesteday too.

So it was a busy few days but lots of fun!!! Hope you enjoyed all the pictures.

The world lost a beautiful person today!

My friend Keeva died this morning with her husband, her sister and her brother in law by her side. I don't have much to say other than please say a prayer for her family as they try to figure out how to live without her and say a prayer that Phoebe will grow up knowing how great her Mommy was thru her aunts and her Daddy's stories.

Life has been busy but ordinary which I will take anyday!!

Life sure has been busy, just ordinary busy... kids off to school, Kerry off to work, me off to work and then all the evening activities for the kids and then we do it all over again. But I will take it and not complain. As you read in my last post, my friends in VA are dealing with a horrible situation. It makes you step back and focus on the important things in life. I am not complaining that my kids wake me in the middle of night because they are scared, I am not complaining that I we have busy days and nights, I am not complaining that my husband works crazy hours and we don't see each other as much as we would like.... WHY? you ask... Well because I am healthy (or as good as it can get for now), I am here for them. I am not complaining because we are fortunate that we have a little extra spending money that we can allow the kids to take dance lessons or piano lessons or play a sport, and I am not complaining that my husband has a job. We have our health, we have jobs, we are comfortable (for now) I know nothing set in stone and that could change tomorrow but for today, we have these things and for that I am happy and content.

So friends, when your kids are making you crazy (as mine do all the time) and you are frustrated while trying to get the kids to the next event or your husband does not make it home, take a deep breathe and smile and be thankful that you are there for your kids and you are making them happy.

It is the little things we need to savor and keep close to our hearts!

It has just been a bad day

It has just been a bad day all the way around! I opened up my email this morning and saw a Carepage update about my friend Keeva. Keeva is the youngest of 3 sisters. I graduated with the oldest, Kelly, but was really good friends with the middle sister Kerry thru other friends in high school. Last April, Keeva gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and she and her husband Lee named her Phoebe. Lee and Keeva had only been married a short time. Keeva had a lot of discomfort while pregnant but everyone told her it was normal pregnancy pains. Well after she delivered, the pains did not go away. When Phoebe was just weeks old, Keeva went to her doctor and found out she had inoperable liver cancer. One of the biggest memories I have from high school was watching these sisters deal with their own mother's death, their mother died while Kelly and I were still in school. They were strong sisters and I always have admired their strength. Keeva and I found out about the same time that we both had cancer last spring, sadly hers was not as treatable as mine and I have had much guilt about that during the past year. I have questioned why many times, why could her cancer have not been caught sooner so she could have had options and more time, why did she have to get it at all when her new life as a wife and mother was just starting.

The update today was to let everyone know that Hospice as been called in for Keeva. The moved up Phoebe's First birthday party to this weekend instead of next weekend. I am just so heartbroken. Everyone knew this day would come, and I am so thankful that Keeva was able to see her baby girl grow up this past year, she got to see her roll over, to crawl, to walk and all those other milestones. I pray that she heard her say Momma! It just breaks my heart.

So if you are reading this, please say a prayer for Keeva, Lee and baby Phoebe and to all their family. Pray for strength and comfort, for peace and more time.

The Big Race has come and gone....

Well after weeks of build up and preparation, the Harrisburg Run for Your Life 5K was today. I was feeling pretty good coming into this, my running the 3 miles at home was going pretty good. I was very nervous this morning, not really sure why but I was... I guess overall it felt pretty good, I did a few extra walk breaks than normal and not sure if it was because I saw others walking or because I was just not used to the route. Anyway, I finished it, I ran the majority of it and I do feel good about that but my goal was to do it under 30 minutes and that did not happen so I am VERY upset with myself and just generally disappointed. I am trying not to be but I am.

Just been busy....

I have so much to say and no time to say it... Just wanted to let anyone checking in that I have not dropped off... just do not have time. Kids were on break last week, we went to VA for 5 days and since getting back I have been working on consignment sale items and working from home to make up for lost hours last week. So pictures and descriptions from our trip will come soon I promise!!

Good news... Alex got AB honor roll today and Nikolas got great "grades" too!
My 5K is on Saturday... so there will be a post about that coming up too!

Yay it is Spring Break finally!!

I normally don't look forward to these long breaks and the kids being home but this time I have been just as excited as the kids! Maybe it is because I am working now and I just don't have much down time so having a week with no commitments sounds great! My boss went to the beach so she told me to not worry about juggling going to work and the kids. She gave me a project to do from home so I can still log some hours so I am happy about that. We just finished up soccer and that is the last thing we have to do for a week. We have some fun planned... Alex will have his first ever sleep over at our house on Monday and he is beyond excited! He has already prepped his room and set up their sleeping bags and such. It is going to be a long 3 days until his friend gets here but I am happy he is happy.

We are going to head north on Wednesday and go to VA for the end of the break and we plan to take the kids to Washington DC for the first time. Kerry and I have not been back there in a long time either so it will be just as fun for us. Should be beautiful up there too with the Cherry Blossoms and the grass on the mall turning green! Kerry loves history so he has been sharing that with the boys for awhile so they are very excited to visit all the monuments and the Natural History Museum. We will try to go to the Capital building too so the kids and see that as well.

But for a few days we have nothing planned, just relaxation!! We will do our own egg hunt around the house tomorrow and then church (as long as everyone stays well) and then just some family time for the rest of the day.