Peace, Love, & Happiness Installation.

Here's hoping that the month of February treated y'all well and that y'all felt so much love this month than ever before. In spite of all the snow we got in the east and all over the country (71 percent of it!) I hope that everyone survived and endured the unusual freezing temps (especially in Texas.) I wish y'all more peace, love, and happiness in your future and in your lives. I hope that the next 10 months will bring more blissful moments. I hope that spring will come faster that we expected. I hope that each day we wake up we will have a good attitude and have positive days. I hope that your days are bright as all the snow we had. I hope that the worries of the world will be less on your shoulders. I hope that no matter where you are or where you live that you will find joy in all that you do, and with all that you see. 

**Peace, Love, and Happiness art installation is located at Pier 17. More photos below, and if you look at the last photo it's even more beautiful in the evening when it's overlooking the Brooklyn bridge.

earlier this week, & some of today.

The weather is getting chillier and nothing ushers fall like venturing outdoors to explore the beauty of God's creations, and to see how amazing it is for the eye to see how quickly one season transitions into another.

You'd think that the rain would keep us indoors, but it didn't. Not us. I can't stay cooped up all day long with a boy who is used to going to parks, and stores. Our house is not big enough for him to run around, and our backyard...well, I don't even call it a back yard. It's just a little 5x7 piece of small heaven that's in the back of our house slapped with some grass and a huge neighbors garage which is an eyesore. But...we've managed to make our summers happy with it, and now that fall is in full swing I'm trying to find things to keep this boy active. 

Earlier this week I ran a few errands so Noah and I decided to do a little bit of shopping. Sierra's bed has been in need of new sheets for quite some time now, and since Chelsea has taken over her bed while Sierra is away at school I felt it was time to buy some new sheets. 

I made my way to Kohl's where I used a gift card that I received for my birthday. I normally don't shop there so I didn't mind using my gift card to buy this nice, flannel sheet set for a bed that I don't even sleep on. But my kids come first and she was very happy when I bought warmer sheets for "her" bed. (Sierra will be too when she comes home on some weekends.)

Noah is such a good helper, and a wonderful shopper. He doesn't throw tantrums, or wander off. He's beginning to hate the cart though, and luckily for him Kohl's doesn't have any that will hold a child (he says they're for babies anyway). As I was looking through the sheet sets he grabbed one which was not too my liking, but the fact that he was helping me as to which one to choose was very helpful. 

When I picked the one I wanted he insisted on carrying it for me all the way to the register. That's quite a walk for a small person carrying a sheet set. He didn't mind, and he was so cute with his chivalrousness, and all. 

We decided to go rogue and took a different route home on that day. We were driving in a residential area surrounded with tall trees that reminded me a little bit of North Carolina. The fall foliage was beautiful, and the leaves...man they were huge! 

The rain had subsided so we decided to get down to take in the beauty of fall. 

I also found this holly looking tree, and kind of caught the Christmas bug when I captured it. 

We ventured out some more today at a nearby park, and I'll blog about that over the weekend. This boy gets too giddy when we venture outdoors. I can already tell that he's going to be the perfect boy scout by wanting to do everything that pertains to the outdoors! 

Yes...these are the moments that I cherish, and whether we are indoors or outdoors these kids spend their time in ways that are meaningful and happy, and that makes me one happy mother.  

Even when Jon exposes Noah to games. 

^^candy corns are perfection in my house right now ^^

So thank you fall, for finally coming, and for making the second week of October the best. I am 
looking forward to many moments throughout this season that gets me prepared for the upcoming holidays.

Hope your weekend is colorful, and fun! 

happy weekend!

Just a quick note to wish y'all the happiest weekend!

I know that this weekend (actually this whole week) will be enjoyable having these these two hanging around each other!! They met two days ago, and have already developed a friendship that will last a lifetime just like they're mothers.

So enjoy this time with your friends, family, and your small children, and take in this beautiful moment of seeing the season change.

Enjoy it to the fullest, and have a lovely weekend!

it's a wonderful vine (life).

The days seem to be growing shorter, and every waking minute I spend with my kids including this little guy is vanishing faster than I ever imagined. Videos make me happy, and they are done in part to remember, and to remind me that life is good. 

Here are some of my happy moments that I vined in remembrance of our life and how wonderful life is no matter what goes on in the world. If you haven't seen any of my vines yet, you can follow me on here to see more of these wonderful "vined" moments.

One of my favorites are the ones with this little guy. Every morning, and I mean every morning he'll jump into our bed, and will cuddle with me. I miss my nursing days with him, and am taking advantage of his routine while he's still little, because one day when he's six, he'll no longer be doing that! Love this kid so much.

I love New York City, and I honestly wish that we lived there sometimes. Blame it on growing up in a small, rural town with a population under 20,000. Once I turned 20 I have never looked back on living in small towns again. We are so fortunate to live in an area where we are surrounded by so much culture, and inspiring beauty.

Wishes...we can make them everyday, and not just on our birthday. The Cherry Hill fountain inside Central Park was a beauty, and after seeing all the coins inside the fountain Noah asked for a penny (or three) to throw in his wish. I obliged, and whatever he wished for he did it three times. I'd like to think it was for each of his sisters. Whatever he wished for I hope it'll come true.
 

New York is my magical city, and this vine captures a moment in Central Park at night. I honestly felt safe, and didn't freak out walking through the park in the wee hours of the night. We spent all day here, and couldn't believe how quickly darkness fell. We honestly didn't want to leave the park. I honestly didn't want to leave the city. The kids had way too much fun here, and there was still so much more to do and we will be back here to do it all over again! I gurantee you New York never gets boring!

So at the end of the day when all seems lost, and life didn't treat you the way it should have...think of those happy moments that have occurred in your life whether it's from the past or present and simply "lock it in". I guarantee you'll feel so much better, and realize that life is wonderful! 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Don't worry, be happy.

There are days when I wake up and things aren't not going as planned, or the day isn't agreeing with me. Days when our children are hurting both physically, and emotionally. It pains me to see that I can't take away their physical pain, but with loving words the emotional hurt can go away. I look at all of our kids with awe wondering how they are surviving, and tolerating everything that they do. Church, school, activities, recitals, drama productions, friendship, breathing, and living.

I was talking to my husband the other night how back in my high school days I didn't pack my schedule with extra curricular activities. At all! The only thing I remember being involved in elementary school was U.I.L. Spelling, Picture memory, and trying out for the spelling bee competition in 5th grade.

I was in pep squad, safety patrol, and in the student council in middle school. I hardly remember doing anything with those activities except helping the cheerleaders cheer the mavericks at games, and wanting to be in the picture for student council because I had a good hair day.

In high school-oh good ol' high school how I really don't care too much about those years particularly because I didn't apply myself too well, and didn't graduate with honors, or at all! The only thing that kept me active was being in the Kings Ladies Drill team my sophomore year, and because my grades slipped that year I didn't bother trying out the following year, and that's where I messed up.

High school...that is for a later date to go into depth with writing.

Both of our older daughters have started out at a very young age being involved in so many activities, and have so much on their plate right now.

Honors classes, AP classes, jazz band, indoor band, All south Jersey Choir, piano lessons, violin lessons, Renaissance club, Teen pep, early morning seminary, church activities, temple trips, plays, chorale, making time for chores, and trying to squeeze in some time to have fun with their friends which is very rare. 

As much as I tell my girls to relax, slow down, and take a breath they think they are invincible. They want to be a change for the greater good, and for the most part they do succeed.

I believe that's good and all, but if I had their schedule back in my day I don't know how well I would have handled it...if at all! Luckily my girls are great multi-taskers, and have alligator skin. I don't know how they handle it, but I know it's gotta be tough.

I know that deep down inside the exhaustion can be so overwhelming that it can cause stress. Stress that is not good, and can make your body do weird things. I know the feelings of stress, and what pain it can cause. Not fun, and it hurts...literally!

I believe our girls know now to take a breath, meditate, and relax. They have seen how stress reacts to their body, and I tell them time and time again not to worry, because in the end it'll all work out. 

Having a foundation of God in the home does do miracles, and helps life become easier. I know that because I've experienced it. Not as a youth, but as a parent. I didn't have any type of foundation of God growing up, and things throughout a part of my youth were blah.

Luckily our kids have us as parents, a firm foundation of who the Lord is, and how He plays an important role in our life. They know that with blessings of faith, and prayer they can conquer anything. I also know that if they choose their friends wisely they will never have any problems with trouble. 

The gospel of Jesus Christ is what helps them endure any kind of emotional or physical pain, and attending the temple on a regular basis gives us the strength not only as an individual, but as a family as well in coping with "worldly issues." 

I continue to pray for our children that they will always appreciate the love for The Lord as well as the scriptures, because their lives will be a lot easier when they seriously apply them every day in their lives. 

my mini motivator, and a ho, ho, ho.

Noah is truly the best thing that has happened to me in this generation. There are even some days when I feel he is saving my life. I am a 41 year old mother to a three year old, and he is very good at boosting me up when I'm not at my best. I was in a slump this morning, and had to snap out of it. You'd think that having mild weather would be cheery, but to tell you the truth I'm yearning for snow, and a cold winter! 

Soon I hope. 

Anyway...we were in need of milk so we went to the store to buy some, and had cereal for lunch! I then began to decorate the house a bit more. I put pinecones in a bowl with a candle in the middle, and placed it on our buffet table. I then grabbed the t.v. remote, sat down on my couch, and began to flip channels...then an episode of Highway to Heaven came on.

Yes...this was one of those days where I was sitting on the couch watching a bit of television. The only thing that was missing were the bon bons. 

This episode was called "With love, The Claus". I loved it, and I pretty much cried throughout the whole episode. It's amazing how much influence a t.v. show can put on you especially when it is done so tastefully. It involved compassion, forgiveness, miracles, and how Santa wanted the focus of Christmas to not be marketing, but pure love. It was perfect, and I'm so glad I watched that today. 

This episode cheered me up, and the tears I shed were joyful ones. I became energized, and after one hour of watching public television I got up from the couch, put red ribbons on both of my lamps on the piano, and as I was opening up the Christmas bins, Noah grabbed the Santa hat, an ornament in the shape of an eighth note with a bell inside, and began shaking it back and forth saying ho, ho, ho. If that didn't uplift me, then there is something seriously wrong with me. 

Well it did, and Noah looked so cute. At this age he definitely knows how Santa looks like, and even though he is not quite sure what he is all about...he has a big heart for the fat man. I know for a surety that next year he will know who Santa is, and that his hope will be that he'll come in the night bearing gifts. 

I think watching that episode of "Highway to Heaven", and seeing Santa Claus on t.v. helped me remember to continue to keep the spirit of Christmas alive in our home. Like "Jonathan" said in one of the scenes, "We all believed in Santa once when we were little...why not now." 

So true, and I do believe in miracles. I will make this the best Christmas ever for all of our children no matter how old they are, and no matter how old my better half and I get.

No bah hum bugs in this house...ever! 

Just pure love, and the CHRISTmas spirit!