Our Family

Busy Weekend!

2009-12-20T15:40:00.002-05:00

Rehearsal, Wedding, snow, good family time!!! :) :) :)

Too Long

2009-10-26T08:29:00.003-04:00

I am not even sure if anyone reads this blog anymore but I thought I would post to find out. I feel like Facebook has become my means of communication and picture showing-off.....
Things are cruising right along at our house. Zach is missing his family during the day but enjoying his alone time with mom. There is plenty of it too!! :) Nate is loving 1st grade and really beginning to shine. I am thankful that the boy can do math!! I am not a good 'tutor' in the math department because my patience is so small.
Jocelyn is rocking 5th grade!! She is getting more beautiful each day and truly is my love bug. I cant believe how time is flying. She is going to be taller than Kay and me very shortly.....a fact that Kay is still in denial about! ;)
Kayleigh is the big cheese 8th grader and loving every minute of it!! She is playing field hockey for the first time and she is really exceptional at it. Even though she would like to be scoring goals, she is a defender and a great one at that!
Marshall is busy with work but not so busy that he can't be home to spend time with us. It is a good season in our lives and we are relishing in it.
I am working and trying to balance everything here. Mom's Time Out and Mom's Night Out are rolling along....I am taking the Esther bible study at church and it is A-MAZING (as kay would say!). I encourage you all to take it if it is ever offered wherever you are!

We hope everyone is well and I will try to post again soon!!
-jenn

Softball Sunday

2009-04-06T09:26:00.003-04:00

No enlightening words to share today......just that I love my family and my life!!

Praying for Stellan

2009-03-25T07:48:00.001-04:00

A few new pics

2009-03-05T14:36:00.002-05:00

A few pictures from Kay's 13th birthday dinner at Mikado and this week's March snowstorm!!

Long week

2009-03-05T13:13:00.003-05:00

Nate has been sick since Saturday...... I believe this captures the level of activity in my house over the last 5 days.

Joce's winter concert

2009-02-12T13:40:00.006-05:00

On Tuesday night we attended Joce's first band concert! She did so well and proclaimed when it was over..."And I didnt even squeak once Mom!" (Clarinet is a rough instrument....) Love you Joce!!

Nate is reading

2009-02-12T13:38:00.002-05:00

I will post more pics later but Nate started reading last night and now, he cant get enough of it!! First thing this morning, he was on the couch with his pile of books! I had forgotten how fun (and painful) this time can be!! Go Nate!!
These are a few pictures of his printing too. I think he is writing so well.....

Do you see what I am up against?!?! :)

2009-02-12T13:36:00.001-05:00

How am I supposed to get anything done around here with these two hooligans on the loose?!!?! Gotta love em!

Is this normal??

2009-02-10T07:58:00.001-05:00

I think I am actually a little envious that my sons can hoolahoop longer than I can! Should a 4 year old be able to do this?!?!

This is for you Boompah

2009-02-10T07:55:00.001-05:00

Delayed Opening!!

2009-02-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

Nate is 6!!!

2009-02-02T20:11:00.002-05:00

Better late than never??!! Nate turned 6 on the 24th of January and I couldnt love him any more than I do!! He is becoming a little 'man' in some ways. His conversations are getting more grown-up and he is so caring for his little brother. He really looks out for him! Nate is loving Kindergarten and starting to read and write. I love it!! Cant they stay this age forever?? :)

Snow Day!!

2009-02-02T20:09:00.002-05:00

We had our first snow/ice/rain day last week! The kids lasted for a while outside!! What fun!

Mom says I need an update!

2009-02-02T20:05:00.002-05:00

I just got home from the ladies' retreat for FAC and I dont even think I can put into words how absolutely wonderful it was!! I was priviledged enough to lead worship for the entire weekend and had the best chick band ever!! God is good!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-26T15:06:00.003-05:00

I am so thankful that Jocelyn was healthy and no one else got 'the plague'!! It was a wonderful day of celebration!! The kids were great and I havent eaten that much in about 5 months....(since before the big diet!)

Christmas Eve

2008-12-26T15:03:00.002-05:00

I am almost caught up in the blogging world. We spent Christmas Eve at home because Jocelyn was sick...but it was just what I needed....a mandatory day at home to finish things up for Christmas. The kids opened their jammies and headed off to bed while Marsh and I played elves!!

A New Double Digit Midget

2008-12-26T14:59:00.003-05:00

Jocee turned 10 on the 17th of December!! I cant believe it....it seems like just yesterday that I was headed to Target with a 5 day old to finish Christmas shopping!
We celebrated her day by having dinner out and then ice cream cake to finish the night!! Jocee, you are a joy to love!!

Nate's 1st Christmas show

2008-12-26T14:55:00.002-05:00

Now that I have a big boy kindergartner...he was able to be a part of the winter show at school. I thought he would freeze on the stage but he did really well!!

Ladies Banquet

2008-12-26T14:51:00.002-05:00

I also was able to participate in the kickoff of the Christmas season at church by singing at the Ladies Banquet on the 1st and 2nd of December. What a great way for me to focus on what is important at this time of year. I was very thankful for the message about 'peace'!! (and still trying to implement some of the ideas!)

Zach's Birthday

2008-12-26T14:45:00.003-05:00

I am so behind in blogging......I guess my excuse is the season!! We have all 6 birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas all in a 4 month period. Life comes at us fast from November til February. So, my baby turned 4 on the 30th of November. We celebrate by going to dinner at Buca di Beppo and sitting in the kitchen! What fun we had!!

Nate's 1st Soccer Game

2008-12-26T14:41:00.002-05:00

Nate is trying his hand (or foot) at indoor soccer this winter!! He had his 1st game last weekend and I thought he was awesome!!! He did an awful lot of flirting as well as playing......

New Link

2008-12-03T23:02:00.002-05:00

I have been reading this blog for a while and I love it!! I am linking you to her blog with that new, snazzy, link thingy over on the right there.....feel free to wander over to visit MckMama!! It is the "Rebel For a Cause" button over there....

Thanksgiving '08~

2008-11-28T11:50:00.003-05:00

We had a GREAT day yesterday!!! I think the pictures speak for themselves!!! It is the first time in a long time that this whole clan has been together and there were many, many laughs!!! I am soooo thankful for my family!!!

For historical purposes....

2008-11-21T08:23:00.001-05:00

Two weeks ago, Kay and I made her 2nd softball related injury trip to the ER. Long story short, she took a line drive to the ankle/shin and wasnt able to bear weight at all. Xrays were negative, it took a week to get her back on her feet, and she is completely healed!! PTL!! We are thankful that she drinks about 32 oz of milk a day and her bones are nice and sturdy!!!

"Isnt this great?!?!"

2008-11-21T08:18:00.002-05:00

We went away last weekend to Chincoteague to 'close up' the camper. It rained a WHOLE LOT while we were there but honestly, it was one of the best weekends we had all year! Maybe, this was because I was able to read 2 books and drink coffee with my mom...... or, just because we got good quality family time in!! Marsh was able to change my brakes while we were there, we made it to the beach for a picnic lunch and the boys played in a really big puddle...er, lake....in front of our camper. Nate even asked if they could put on their bathing suits!! "Buddy, I didnt even bring suits!!" Thankfully, it was very warm on Saturday and I just figured "why not?? Let them play in the water!!" We are already longing for next season......

How do you spell success??

2008-10-31T16:29:00.002-04:00

Just a funny moment from today...
My friend Krissy just finished her masters and is practicing her testing with preschoolers. I told her that she could practice on my boys so she came over today to do just that. Nate went first...I tried not to listen too much because I didnt want to hear him do bad. :O) (he did talk ALOT thru the entire test and I was constantly wanting to "shush" him!) The funniest moment came though when Krissy got to the part where she said things like "what is a dog?" and "what is something with two wheels?". She got to the question "what is candy?" and there was a long pause. I waited with breathless anticipation for his answer.....and there it was, my long awaited gauge for successful mothering....."I know Krissy!!! Sugar!!!" ahhh, my sweet boy does listen to me and I have successfully burned that fact into his brain!!

Is this really my life??

2008-10-20T08:35:00.003-04:00

As I stood in the kitchen this morning, in my flannel snowflake pajammies and a pair of "slippy" socks,(maybe they should have taken a picture of me instead!!) I looked at my girls and thought "Is this really my life?!". I know it was just yesterday that Kayleigh was born, with a head full of jet-black hair and the cutest button nose I had ever seen......
And Joce-weren't Marsh and I just sitting at the hospital with her in our arms, thinking, "We are in for it!! Another girl!!".
These two bring so much joy (and stress)into my life and I wouldn't trade it for the world!!!
I love you both so much!!!
-Mom

Our Tradition!

2008-10-14T08:50:00.006-04:00

We always go away to Chincoteague for an extended weekend over Columbus Day and this year was no exception. The girls are always off from school on Friday so we try to get out on Thursday night. Kay had a game and we didnt end up leaving til almost 10pm.....we pulled into the campground about 130am...ugghh.. Still, I would rather get there late than have to drive in the morning and lose 1/2 a day!! The weather was Unbelievable all weekend!! We couldnt have asked for a more perfect few days. Sunny, warm, breezy...... We went to the pool, took a long walk near the bay, hit the beach, bowled, ate way too much, campfired, roasted marshmallows, drove around the campground on the golfcart, slept late and just enjoyed each other!! I even made $11.50 at Mom's yardsale! Go figure! There is nothing like fall camping to get you thru til Spring. We may make one last trip in early November....let's hope for a late snow!!< Joce was the only crazy kid that got in the ocean "all the way"! Marshall 'preparing' The BIG CATCH!! We finally saw a horsey on the wildlife loop!! Kay ate thru the entire box of poptarts looking for the "alligator"!! The boys in the packnplay under all of our linens!!

"That's My Girl!"

2008-10-07T07:54:00.003-04:00

Sunday was a great day of softball in our family!! Joce was in a tournament in Medford and played in 3 games and Kay had a double header in Hainesport. Both played extremely well and I was super proud as usual. The highlight for me though, was Jocelyn! She pitched two innings, faced about 10 batters and struck out 5 of them. Then, in the 3rd game, with the bases loaded, she hit a double and drove in 3 runs.....earning her the MVP for that game!! Yippeee!!! I was jumping up and down, so excited for her!! "That's my girl!!"

How can you not laugh?!

2008-10-07T07:41:00.003-04:00

This was Zach, killing time in the car recently.....

White Buns!!

2008-09-05T09:51:00.003-04:00

I was looking at Zach's back while he was laying on the carpet yesterday and was thinking about how brown he looked. I wanted to take a picture of his tan against his jeans, but when I looked at it, I didnt think you could get the full effect. After he pulled his pants down, I think you can get the full effect now!!! HAAHAHAHH!!!!

First Day of School!

2008-09-04T15:20:00.002-04:00

Kay started 7th, Nate had his first day of Kindergarten and Joce was sick for her first day of 3rd grade.....sniff, sniff. She is on the mend and will hopefully go tomorrow. Here's praying for a great year for all my kids!

My attempt at a nice picture!!

2008-09-04T09:08:00.002-04:00

Impossible!!!! I'll stick to the medical field.....

Bike Week '08

2008-09-04T08:30:00.004-04:00

It was an exciting week for the Lawrence Boys. They both learned how to ride two wheelers while we were away!!! YIPPEE!!! I am sooo proud!!

Many pictures from Chincoteague!!!

2008-09-02T17:18:00.006-04:00

Nate won the only prize at Ocean City. The coveted orange horsey!

Zach was the sky-ball master!

Joce, Kay and Marsh played a wicked Nascar driving, simulator, game....I will spare my husband the humiliation of telling you who came in 3rd.

Isnt this the best??!!!

Probably not the cleanest place to sit and eat our late night snack.....

Our car, loaded for the beach....think we gots enough stuff?!?!

Zach-jumping up and down on daddy's back.....

My sweet,sweet boys!

Nate telling Joce not to help him play Chicken Foot!!

Joce was sick with an ear infection on this morning.

$1500

2008-09-02T14:06:00.001-04:00

Love that $1500 smile!!

First trip south

2008-09-02T12:46:00.005-04:00

Storm coming!! Headed over the Delaware Memorial on our way back to Chincoteague! I went away with the kids the 2nd week of August. Marsh stayed home to work.(Someone has to!) We had pretty good weather that week. One day it poured and stormed pretty bad. Nate said we were safe because "God doesnt make lightning hit things with rubber tires". In my mind, I was disagreeing with him since it felt like we were taking shelter in a tin can!! Fortunately, we rode out the storm in the trailer and a wonderful puddle was waiting for us when it was over. The kids had a blast jumping and playing in the water!

Working Hard

2008-09-02T12:33:00.002-04:00

Pictures from the eventful (dirty) weekend of yardwork!!

A busy weekend

2008-09-02T12:07:00.003-04:00

This was a few weeks ago but I am just posting it now for posterity. Marsh decided to load us down with work right before vacation.... We had a concrete slab poured for a new shed, had 10 tons of river rock delivered and had 14 yards of mulch dropped in our back yard.....all on the SAME day!! Thanks to the help of my wonderful family, we had it all done in two days. I also found a swingset on craig's list that will be re-assembled soon for the boys new play area. Our backyard should be ready just in time for some cooler weather. (No one told me that boys like to be outside 24 hours a day!!) I am hoping that they will be occupied with the new toys soon!! Pictures should be posted soon with the final product!

Climber

2008-09-02T11:59:00.001-04:00

This is Nate doing his newest trick and then Jocee trying to do it too!! (With no luck!)

Bike Time

2008-07-14T13:59:00.003-04:00

Marsh and I decided yesterday that Nate needs to learn how to ride a two wheeler soon. So....no time like the present!! We encouraged (forced) him to try yesterday!! He did ok. Not great but ok. His normal bike is in Virginia at the camper, so we had to use a different one. Hopefully, this was the problem. Of course, not to be outdone, Zach insisted on trying as well. I think it was a toss up as to who did better. Zach was very determined to do it and definately trusted me to not drop him on the ground!

Sad to see it go....

2008-07-14T13:36:00.003-04:00

The past 4 days was the State Tournament for both of the girls teams. In the past, Sacred Heart has never done any better than 6th place. Thanks to lots of hard work and a will to win, both of their teams placed 4th this year. I could not have been a more proud mommy on the sidelines than I was this week. I am so blessed!! Seriously....tears of pride and joy!!
Just to point out the "night and day" difference between my girls and give you all a good laugh (especially the ones that can hear Joce saying this), Kay's game was a heartbreaker....tied 9-9 in the 6th inning and then they lost 11-9. She came out of the dugout, holding back tears (barely) and was so sad to see it end. She is my die-hard, play til you drop, kinda kid. She wanted to keep going in the tournament. I comforted her, hugged her and told her that I think she is amazing... and I truly do.
Joce on the other hand, lost 13-2, single out for the last out of the game, came out of the dugout into my arms, where I comforted her and said all the right things, to which she replied, "Can I PLEASE get something to drink?!?!" COMPLETELY unfazed by the turn of events in her day....just could she get some water?? "MOM!!! I just played a whole game in this heat!!" " I need some water" Gotta love her!!!
Marshall and I sat and looked at pictures of the girls last night from the weekend and could barely tear Jocelyn away from the Miss Universe pageant to see the shots of her!! Is this really the same girl that can catch a ground ball at shortstop and make a double play?!?!

Lazy Sunday

2008-06-30T15:00:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was the first time we havent had a softball committment in about 6 weeks. We enjoyed church together as a family and then spent the afternoon doing absolutely nothing!!! Here are some pictures of what we did.....

Old news

2008-06-30T14:14:00.004-04:00

I feel like all I have been posting about is softball, but it is our life right now. So, staying in the same vein....
Joce's team won their tournament last week in Runnemede and then won the District 1 Tournament this past weekend. This gains them entry into the "States" tournament next week!! We are very proud of her and how she has played this season!! She has such a good attitude and is quite the encourager for the girls on her team.

Also, Kayleigh plays tonight to finish up a tournament in Riverside. If they lose their first game at 6pm, they will play at 8pm under the lights. (I wouldnt be surprised if she tries to throw the game just to play after dark!!) Kidding!!
Also, Kay's team won their district tournament this past weekend and they will also be playing next week in the "States" tournament!! Again, we are soo proud of Kay this season! She has really had a hot bat and done some excellent pitching as well!

As for the boys, they are hanging in there. They have been wonderful about traveling all over to watch the girls games. They know to ask which field we are going to and they identify the fields by their "parks" or "playgrounds". We have it down to a science!!
Marsh is enjoying the coaching for the first time and I think he will do it again next year. I love watching him be such an important influence in the girls lives. I know I love my dad tons and have wonderful memories of my childhood with him and I hope that is the direction we are headed in with our girls!

Zach playing with friends

2008-06-30T14:03:00.003-04:00

This is Zach playing Life with his "babies" the other day.....

2008-06-15T18:58:00.002-04:00

Great day of softball! Kay did amazing and won the MVP for the 1st game!! They lost two and won one. Too bad!!
I love the last picture of Zach walking to the car......

Seriously Hot!!!

2008-06-14T18:55:00.003-04:00

Another weekend of softball!! Today was Joce's day to play (Kay goes tomorrow). It was hot out there but she did great! I will just post a few pictures of her from her games. The boys were awesome again. Marsh is off to the RUSH concert and I am putting everyone to bed early and watching tv ALONE!! YAAAA!!!!

Who says Girls Arent tough??!!

2008-06-08T22:39:00.004-04:00

What a long weekend!!! But boy, was it GREAT!!!
It started Friday night with a rec championship game for Joce. They lost 7-6, but fought hard til the end. I worked the overnight (ugh!) and then went all day Saturday with no sleep. For those of you that read the blog and dont live in NJ, it was hotter than you know what this weekend! My daughters played a combined total of 9, that's right, NINE games over the course of two days!! They are truly amazing to me!! I will say it til I am blue in the face.....I am soooo proud to be their mom!!
Kay's team played 3 games on Saturday and were eliminated pretty early. This was a good thing because during the 2nd game, she hit a TRIPLE and got pretty winded running around the bases. ( I should tell you too that she had been playing catcher the entire day as well) Unfortunately, we found out the hard way that she was dehydrated. That will happen when it is 101 degrees with wicked humidity. She had been drinking waters and gatorades but it must not have been enough. Marsh was coaching and I was coming from Joce's game when one of the other moms called me to ask if Kay had asthma. They said she was out of breath after running around to 3rd base. I didnt hear panic in her voice so I stayed calm. Little did I know, but Kay was headed downhill FAST! I was there within 3 minutes of her phone call and my brother carried her on his back to my car. She was PURPLE.....I am not exaggerating! PANIC!! PANIC!! They put her in the car, I turned to my dad and said "This isnt good" and then said "She has two minutes to look better or we are outta here!" I really didnt want to take her to the hospital, so I worked with her for a while and after about 20 minutes in the air and 3 gatorades, she was coming back to her normal color. She was weak for the rest of the day and really had a bad headache and nausea. What a trooper though. She actually went back and watched the last game for her team. Gotta love determination (or stupidity on my part!)
Joce played 3 games Saturday with one loss and then 3 games today with 1 loss. They finished 2nd overall in the tournament and were AWESOME!!! She played catcher and outfield and batted quite a few times. I love that Joce is smiley and "up" all the time!! What a great example for the other girls. Even in the last inning, down by 6 runs, they were still cheering their little hearts out!! Again, proud proud proud!
I cant leave out the boys....so I will tell you that they were soooo good this weekend. They never complained once and behaved so well the entire time. In fact, I told Nate and Zach tonight that we would go to walmart tomorrow and they could pick out a toy, just for them!! Nate's response was "AWESOME!! I am getting a jeep!" (that's a $200 jeep for those of you that dont know....not a matchbox!!" I had to explain that we were getting something a little smaller.....
Ok....off to bed. I am one tired mama!!! Sleep tight everyone!!!

After 9 hours at the field......

2008-06-02T16:12:00.002-04:00

....this is what you look like!! When we got home last night at 830pm, after being at the softball field since 1130am, Kay bathed the boys for me. They were absolutely gross!! They spent the entire day playing in the big orange dirt pile and boy, did they look like it! I love that in the one picture, you can see how ORANGE Zach's face is. (Someone said that he looked like he had eaten baby carrots the day before...) He looked like he had received a really bad spray-on tan!! The water was a lovely shade of orangey-brown by the time they were clean. So, guess where we are headed tonite.......back to the field!!! Gotta love playoffs!!!

Joce's Technique

2008-06-02T14:26:00.002-04:00

Jocelyn pitched the first 2 innings of her playoff game yesterday and did very well!! Thanks Coach Bob!!

Trophy Day

2008-06-02T14:21:00.001-04:00

Nate received his trophy on Saturday night for the completion of his first T-Ball Season!! I was the proud mommy!

siblings!

2008-06-02T14:18:00.001-04:00

On the way home from a rained-out game on Saturday, Joce and Nate started "pushing each others buttons" and couldnt stop poking at the other! This is how I made them ride home most of the way! As you can see, Joce was thrilled about this......

Cold......

2008-05-27T11:23:00.001-04:00

First people in the campground pool this year!!! INSANE!!!

What could be better?

2008-05-27T09:43:00.004-04:00

We had such a nice weekend away! We didn't get to Chincoteague til about 1230am on Thursday night/Friday Morning. Friday was a great day of relaxing at the pool and Yes!! my kids did get in the water!! 60 degree water!! yikes!!! We barbecued burgers and dogs for dinner and then had whippy for dessert. A perfect end to our day!
Saturday we hit the beach...brrrr....but the kids were in the water anyway! We had steaks on the grill with baked potatoes and fresh asparagus for dinner!! YUMMY!! A roaring bonfire with smores was the end to another perfect day!
Sunday, we hit the pool again and then headed to Maria for our favorite dinners. We also played some mini golf and got in some good laughs!! A last stop for the evening at the Creamery and some delicious Cake Batter ice cream to end the day!
Yesterday, we cleaned up around the camper and headed to the dock. Pop pop had already left, so I had to bait the hooks with live minnows...this was a task that I was not prepared for. Even though I had baited them 'backwards' according to Pop pop, Jocelyn was able to catch a flounder!! ( Of course, I forgot my camera, so no pictures!!) She was also the only one to catch a crab in the trap. It was Joce's day at the dock!!
We grabbed a bite at McD's, fed the horses and grabbed a cone on the way out of town.
Now, back to the grind....the final countdown to the end of the school year!! We are headed into our busy season of tournament softball so be on the lookout for new pictures soon of my star players!!!
Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!!

Kay's Last Away Game

2008-05-15T23:09:00.002-04:00

It is near the end of the school season and I realized that I hadnt taken any pictures yet. Kay has done a great job and really handled the pressure well of her first year on a middle school team! We are really proud of her and cant wait to see what the future holds for her middle school career!

Joce's spring show

2008-05-15T22:34:00.001-04:00

Today was Jocelyn's spring show at school! She did a great job as usual and I loved not having to come up with a costume this year!!!

National Honor Society

2008-05-14T23:09:00.003-04:00

Tonight, our daughter was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. We could not have been more proud! It was a beautiful ceremony and she was presented with a pin and an official card. After the program was over, we went to Friendly's for ice cream. Memom and Julia joined us and we had lots of laughs!! Keep up the hard work Kayleigh!!! We love you!!!

veggies, veggies everywhere.....I hope!!!

2008-05-14T22:22:00.003-04:00

Today was the day!!! Memom came over and the boys and I helped plant the garden!! We are hoping for a good crop in the coming months. Thanks Mom for all of your help and sharing your garden knowledge with us newbies!!

Keeps em busy!

2008-05-14T22:10:00.002-04:00

Kay had her band concert last week and Nate asked if he could bring a few trains...
These are the photos of him playing at the school.

Crash and Burn

2008-05-10T09:06:00.003-04:00

Nate and Zach were "crawling" in the hall last night as I was trying to get some sleep before work. This is what followed and you can probably guess that my hour of rest ended there....
(He is still resembling Angelina Jolie today!!)

Funny boys

2008-05-08T12:59:00.002-04:00

So on the way home from Mom's Time Out this morning, Nate decided he wanted to play the "question game". This game consists of me asking the boys questions and then them saying "BING" or "BUZZ" and answering. It is normally simple questions like "What is your favorite color?" or "Who is your best friend?". Today, one of the things that I asked them was "What is your middle name?". Nate thought about this and thought about this and then finally said "BUZZ!" "Mine is PIE!" Pie?? Then I caught on..... Nate's nickname at home is Natiepie! Funny boys!!

Amazing Girls

2008-05-08T12:57:00.001-04:00

I had heard about this game on our local K-Love station and thought I would share it with all of you.

Too much energy

2008-04-24T18:56:00.003-04:00

This is what the boys did while Uncle Jeff tilled up the yard. I cant believe they are still standing after a long day at the beach! Where do they find the energy???

A Gardener is Born??

2008-04-24T18:33:00.002-04:00

Today, my wonderful, generous, Uncle Jeff came over and tilled up my yard so that we can plant our "first-ever" garden. I am a little nervous about the task at hand, since I have extremely hard shoes to fill!! My mother ALWAYS had the most amazing garden and I feel slightly (OK...really) intimidated! Thankfully, she has recently retired and will be 'overseeing' the entire project. Hopefully, I can learn from the best and it will be a HUGE success! You will know we have achieved greatness when I start asking you in you want any tomatoes!!!

(the bottom two pictures are of the rocks that the boys collected from the soil. So far, they have 102!! many to go.....)

2008-04-21T23:06:00.001-04:00

THIS

PLUS THIS

EQUALS.....THIS!!!!

Visit with the G-Rents

2008-04-21T22:04:00.002-04:00

Marsh's parents were in from Tennessee last week and we were lucky enough to have them stay at our house for a few days. The boys really enjoyed having them there and were very sorry to see them leave. Sorry, I didn't get a picture of them with the girls....I know, I stink! Thanks Mimi and Boompah for a great visit and we cant wait til Thanksgiving!!

This last picture was taken when Nate decided that they should ALL make funny faces!! I love it!!

Tree Climbing

2008-04-21T21:51:00.004-04:00

Nate has really started to show how much of a boy he is recently. He decided to climb the tree in the front yard the other night and was soooo proud when he made it up on only the second try! ( of course, these pictures were taken about 10 minutes before he fell out of the tree onto the blocks and scraped his back up pretty bad....) Life goes on!!

Bathtime!!

2008-04-13T14:20:00.001-04:00

First Game!!

2008-04-07T18:55:00.001-04:00

Today was Kay's first school game!! It was cold.......but FUN!! They lost 7 to 6, but it was a really great game and Kay did really well behind the plate and pitching! I am sooooo proud to be her mom!!

Opening Day

2008-04-05T13:38:00.003-04:00

Today was opening day for the kids t-ball and softball league. We started off at the field at 900am with Jocelyn's team being recognized for winning the 1st ever 8 and under girls district championship! They were presented with a billboard/sign that has all of their names on it. It will be hung up at the fields and serve as a great reminder of a fun season last year!
Nate also had his first game today!! Soooo much fun to watch them play! He had a great time and when we got home, said "Mom....I just want to go back and play again!"
I cant wait for next week either!!

Zach's Remnants

2008-04-02T08:47:00.005-04:00

This is what I found when Zach was "done" eating his orange last night.

Nate's First Practice

2008-04-02T08:23:00.004-04:00

Nate had his first practice on Sunday for t-ball. It was soooo funny to watch!! I haven't laughed that hard in a while. They all took turns hitting and fielding. The fielding was the best part to watch and I think you will get the idea when you look at the last picture I posted. As soon as the batter hit the ball, they ALL went running to get it! They piled on each other and it began looking like a brawl instead of a practice!! Coach Mike said they will work on staying in certain positions at their next practice....we will see how that goes!! HAHAHAH!! I'll make sure to snap some more pictures then.....

Beautiful Sunset

2008-04-01T17:56:00.003-04:00

Kay took these pictures on the way home from Virginia!

Time away!

2008-04-01T13:35:00.005-04:00

I escaped with the kids to Chincoteague over spring break for a few days. We had a great time and they were sooooo good! We took rides on the golf cart, saw lots of wildlife, including 2 eagle babies and their mommy and daddy, played on the beach and made bird feeders in the warm sun! It was a great 3 day break from the daily grind and we are really looking forward to summer!

Easter Egg Fun

2008-03-23T20:52:00.003-04:00

Just a few shots of the kids coloring eggs last night. We also made resurrection cookies for the first time.....a really cool thing to do if you ever get the chance. The kids loved it and I think it will become an Easter tradition for our family!

Some good ones from today!

2008-03-23T13:41:00.003-04:00

I especially love the picture of the boys....with Nate helping Zach with his tie...
I cant believe how big they all are getting......

Do you see what I'm up against?!?!

2008-03-23T13:09:00.004-04:00

I dont think this post requires much writing.....I think the pictures speak for themselves!! Happy Easter to everyone! Hallelujah....HE is Risen!!

Oh Deer!

2008-03-22T06:11:00.002-04:00

On Thursday afternoon, I wanted to go to Rita's with the kids for free water ice so we all bundled up and headed out. On the drive there, we unfortunately stumbled onto a deer that had just been hit by a car and was trying to get off the highway. Without going in to too much detail....the deer was not doing so well and there were several cars pulled over on the side of the road. As we passed by, my kids were about climbing over each other to see the deer. We pulled into Rita's and saw a family friend of ours and the dad said "Did you see the deer?!?!" I told him that we did and he said "I told my kids to look away but OF COURSE they didn't listen and looked right at the deer!" I felt bad that I hadn't told my kids to look away but really wasn't too worried about it......
We ate our Rita's and got back on the road towards home. Being NJ, we took the jug handle and started back down the road where the deer was hit. As we got close, I said "I don't see the deer anymore. Maybe it was able to get away." Kay says, "No Mom. It is probably up there where the cop cars are." Right!! "Oh Look", I say. "There it is in the grass!" Just as I tell them to look...as if, in slow motion, I see the officer raise his rifle at the deer.....
"LOOK AWAY!!!! LOOK AWAY!!!!" then, POW!!! Oh my WORD!!! All of the kids looked away but Jocelyn, who proceeded to freak out and tell me she was gonna throw up! I couldn't believe it!!!
Needless to say, I had a LOT of explaining to do for the boys who wanted to know why and how and all the other things that little boys would ask and also had to deal with Joce freaking out in the back, saying "STOP TALKING ABOUT IT!!!"
Never a dull moment in our family......

Nate's Comment

2008-03-19T19:30:00.005-04:00

So, tonight while we were watching the weather, I made the observation that they had a cross on Friday's forecast and I thought that was interesting for them to acknowledge "Good Friday" on the 5:30 news..... and Nate says "What is Good Friday again Mom?" I responded, "It is the day that Jesus died on the cross for us buddy". To which he said "Yeah,mom. He was really wrecked up there! All kinds of stuff all over him...." as he was using his hands to show me where the "cuts" were on his hands and feet.
I love the absolute truth in his statement and that he is really beginning to understand what Jesus did for him.

Irish??

2008-03-11T16:52:00.002-04:00

So, today when I picked up Nate from school, the teacher motioned to me to come over.....oh, boy.....what did he do?!?!
She said "I have to tell you something funny that Nate said!"
Again.....what did he say?!
She said, "Today, we were discussing St Patty's Day and I asked the kids to go home and ask if they were Irish or not. One of the kids said "What is Irish?" and I told them that it was their heritage....for instance, their mom could be Irish or their dad could be Irish.....Nate raised his hand and when called on, he replied, "My dad is NOT Irish....he is a plumber!" Funny stuff!!!

Cool and the gang

2008-03-11T16:34:00.002-04:00

Saturday afternoon we headed to Marsh's sister and brotherinlaw's house in PA for a little snackin' and relaxin'. The boys had a grand old time playing wii with her boys and we had a great time eating way too much food! We got home pretty late and with the time change we were beat in the morning so we played hookey from church. Shhh.....dont tell.
Sunday morning, we cooked a diner-worthy breakfast and then hung out around here for most of the day. Late in the afternoon, we headed out to the mall so Kay could spend some gift cards and then we went to Sports Authority for cleats, Costco for groceries and then ended up at Wegman's for dinner. It was WONDERFUL, very overdue day as a family. It is amazing how refreshed I feel after a good solid day of time with Marsh. I feel like I can do another week of craziness.

Sleepover!!

2008-03-11T15:36:00.005-04:00

Friday night, Kay had a few girls over for a birthday party sleepover!! We all had a great time and believe it or not, Marsh and I actually got some sleep!! I havent laughed that hard in a while and I had serious flashbacks of being 12 and dancing in Jen Pheiffer's basement til I couldnt dance any more!! Good memories!

For Tricia

2008-03-10T17:16:00.003-04:00

I have been following a wonderful blog by Nate Lawrenson , that tells the beautiful story of his journey over the last several years. He is married to a great gal named Tricia who has Cystic Fibrosis. She gave birth in January at only 24+ weeks pregnant to a gorgeous little girl named Gwyneth Rose. It is a God story, over and over every day and I love to read about their miracles that are happening with each passing moment. Nate has a link on his blog right now about a mom that listed things that she cant wait for Tricia to "experience" with motherhood and I figured that I would join that thread.

Tricia,
I can't wait for you to experience:
-TEETH!!! (nobody tells you about teething....)
-a sticker, stuck to the window of your car that WILL NOT come off!
-a sleepwalking child, that pees on a footstool, thinking it's a potty and even leaves the little, wet wad of toilet paper there as well
-searching for the least dirty trash can for the very upset belly
-Gwyneth, saying for the first time "I love you mama!"
-Gwyneth, saying "Mommy, hold me like a baby!"
-standing in a dressing room with women in both rooms to either side of you and having your child say "Oh mom!! Big Booty!"
-that wonderful, delicious smell of your childs clean hair
-Gwyneth's first sleepover at your house with lots of noisy, laughing girls
-melted crayons all over the back, back seat of your car
-Gwyneth helping you cook dinner
-never-ending, all consuming, blinding love!!!

Kayleigh's Talent Show

2008-02-29T21:50:00.001-05:00

Kayleigh's Talent Show

2008-02-29T21:42:00.004-05:00

So tonight was Kay's first talent show and I thought it went pretty well....see for yourself!!

Kay's Birthday!!

2008-02-29T08:20:00.003-05:00

I cant believe it!!! She's 12!!! Didnt I just have her??!! Anyway......
We had a great night! We went out to dinner and Kay had the steak that she wanted and I didnt have to cook it!! We came back here for Icecream and Brownies and Kay opened her presents. Marsh bought her some really cool catchers gear. She loves that it isnt just black. She also got hot rollers, some hair stuff and $$$$. She is now totally stoked about the softball season starting! They have "tryouts" this Saturday and then should find out soon who is on their teams. And so it begins.....

A funny comment from Zach last night.....
Aunt Joyce went with us to dinner and when we were almost finished, Zach wandered over to Memom's and Aunt Joyce's side of the table. Aunt Joyce thought Zach felt a little warm and just put her hand on his forehead....she didnt say anything to him about it, just put her hand on his head and he responds, quickly "I'm NOT sick!!" I just think this is so funny because for like 3 weeks, that is all I have done to my kids (felt their foreheads for fever) and now they are programmed to respond!! Makes me laugh!!!

Back to Kay.....
What an amazing young lady she is turning into. I am soooo proud that she is mine! She is thoughtful and kind and almost always has a smile on her face. I have never met a girl that is so positive about life and you cant help but be a part of her optimism! (Not to mention, I think she is beautiful!) I love you Kay!!

Fancy Nancy!!

2008-02-27T09:20:00.004-05:00

Last night was Abby's party and we celebrated it in "Fancy Nancy" style!! We had yummy brownie sundaes and enjoyed spending time with family! We are finally on the mend here, with just some coughs left over. Thank goodness....I was beginning to think it would never end. Tomorrow is Kay's 12th birthday!!! Can you believe it? I will post again tomorrow with pictures of my preteen!! AGGGHHHH!!!!

Snow Day!!

2008-02-22T16:17:00.005-05:00

We are still battling sickness over here, but that didnt stop us from enjoying some time in the snow today!! Kayleigh made her first snowman all by herself (with the exception of Mom having to lift the head on) and she rolled and huge chunk of snow around the yard. We drank hot chocolate and ate many marshmallows too. What a wonderful snow day we had!!

Just one more

2008-02-19T09:18:00.003-05:00

I somehow forgot to post this picture the first time around. I love that it shows me comatose under Zach, all of the laundry piled in the background and the DVD player on the headboard (because Zach has to be near me at all times and this is how we accomplished that over the weekend!). Good times! PS....Jocee is home from school with the bug! Will it EVER end?? Kidding....we'll make it!!

A few more

2008-02-18T17:59:00.003-05:00

Just a random picture of Kay and then one of the boys. Kay's lips are soooo chapped that it looks like she had Botox while she was at her friends house!! HAHA!! The boys' picture has a story to go behind it, of course! They played all morning, outside, because it was beautiful and 67! We dropped Kay off at a friends house and then went to 5 Below so Joce could spend a gift card. The boys begged and begged for me to buy them snow shovels!! Snow Shovels!?! I explained that we probably weren't going to get any snow anytime soon, to which Nate replied "Mom, I just want to use mine to shovel rocks near dad's plumbing pile!" "Ok Nate, but when we get home, it isnt going to be 67 and sunny out anymore...it's gonna be rainy and cold." "That's ok mom!"
So, here is the picture of my soaking wet boys, outside, shovels rocks in dad's "area"!!! It's a little dark, but I think you'll get the idea!!

From the Eyes of my 3 Year Old

2008-02-18T17:42:00.003-05:00

So, what happens when the mommy is sick?!?! ANYTHING!!!!
That's right.....they can do whatever they want for days on end!! I finally succumbed to Marsh's germs over the weekend. The flu stinks! I was in bed for all of Saturday and Zach came to me at one point and said "MOM! Can I use your camera?" I think I managed a small grunt which he took as a "Yes!" and off he went to shoot random pictures. I will include a few from his portfolio of 76 pictures!! I think he may have a future ahead of him!

This week in pictures.....

2008-02-13T10:32:00.003-05:00

We have had an interesting last 6 days. Marsh has been REALLY sick....like flu sick. Poor guy didnt move from the couch saturday or sunday. Fought a 102.5 fever for 3 days, ate nothing, sounded like he had pneumonia and lost 7 pounds! Heck of a way to start a diet. He was back to work yesterday and seems to be mended other than the cough that keeps us both up at night....ugghh.
I am posting a few pictures from the last week. They include the kids playing outside in February with no coats in 60 degree weather, Nate's 100th day of school with his M&M covered vest for the celebration, a picture of a lovely (typical) dinner for us(putting this out there so all of the other mom's that consider these foods a staple can relax that there is another mom out there that feels the same way!), Zach eating his favorite food, broccoli (notice the huge yellow bruise over his left eye from getting hit in the head by a tennis racket!) and the boys snuggled in on the couch watching tv on a very COLD, windy night.
Hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy!!!

Tea and Popcorn

2008-02-04T07:56:00.001-05:00

The view from our hotel room!

The beautiful girls at our table!!

I had the wonderful opportunity this past weekend to "get away" for a few days on our church's ladies retreat. This was all possible because of my amazing husband that was totally fine with me going!! I love that man!!
We were at Sandy Cove for the retreat...what an amazing setting to focus on God's love for me. Last year, I remember feeling a little "beat up" after the retreat. There were so many things that I needed to address in my life and ugly stuff that I needed to look at and change. This year felt much more warm to me....and that was what I needed. We focused on not being afraid of certain fears that we have in our life....like losing our children or the future or finances. It was a great time of reflection and fellowship. It was made very clear to Mom, Jen and myself why we were there and how God paved the way for each of us to be able to go.
The kids and Marsh did great!! Saturday they ventured to the mall and Joce got her new glasses and Marsh bought webkins for all of them!! Lots of meals out and plenty of playing wii!!
I am so thankful that I was able to go away and that everyone was fine here while I was gone. I am already looking forward to next year, but cant wait to get started on focusing on God's love for me!!

Nate's Party

2008-01-28T08:16:00.000-05:00

We had Nate's party yesterday at Chuck E Cheese's house. Oh my word!! What an event!! If you didnt have a headache when you came, you sure had one when you left!
My friend Jamie made Nate's cake and it was AMAZING!! Thanks Jamie!!
Nate had a great time and so did we!!

5?!?!

2008-01-24T22:48:00.000-05:00

Is it really possible?!? I know I just had him!!?! Today, Natey turned 5! He woke up this morning, came running downstairs and said "Am I five now?!" He couldnt wait for this day to come!
He had his favorite chocolate chip eggo waffles for breakfast, yummy cheese and crackers with a side of yogurt for lunch and most importantly, he had his best-est steak for dinner. His request, of course!! "I want steak for my birthday dinner!"
Had some family over, opened some presents and ate brownie sundaes for dessert. Does it get any better?? Nate got lots of fun stuff for gifts. He got a great outfit for school, some t-ball gear and a great set of junior golf clubs from Marsh!! He is already itching to get outside and try them. Hurry up Spring!!!

Another good one!

2008-01-23T18:38:00.000-05:00

This happened two days ago, but I am just getting around to sharing it with all of you. All you mothers of preschoolers.....feel my pain!!!!
Monday morning, we went to piano lessons for the girls. This would be a calm outing for the usual family, but for us, on Monday, it was slow torture. It is a 1/2 hour ride to the house, then an hour of lessons for the girls and then a 1/2 hour ride home. Needless to say, Nate was "fried" by the time we got back to the house. When we pulled in the driveway, I reached into the back,back seat and unbuckled him and said "Come on inside...it's FREEZING out here!" He proceeded to tell me that his "legs were broken". Uhh, no their not!! "Get out Nate!" It was too cold to stand there and argue (punish) him, so I, not so gently, "helped" him get out of the car. He proceeded to collapse on the frozen lawn and lay there. I, again, "helped" him get closer to the house. I picked him up by the back of his winter coat and drug (sp?) him across the lawn to the front sidewalk. I laid him down on the sidewalk and went inside, much to the chagrin of his siblings. "Mom. Aren't you going to bring him in?!" "No. He can come inside when he is ready. It wont be long." Ha-ha on me!!! I peeked out through the curtains to see him, still on his stomach, pull his hood over his head, button the snaps and pull his hands into his sleeves!! He was in this for the long haul. Zach was a little upset and asked if he could go talk to Nate. I told him "sure buddy. Tell Nate to come in for lunch." "Nate, come in for lunch. It is tooooo cold out here!" Nothing....nothing but sheer stubbornness!!! Kay was keeping an eye on him while I made lunch and she popped up and said "He's moving!!" But, he wasn't giving in yet!! He scooched his way to the front porch and sat on the edge there for about 3 more minutes. I was very surprised that he held on so long. Finally, he rang the doorbell!!! I said to the girls, "well, either it is Nate or it is a neighbor asking me what kind of mother I am to leave my almost 5 year old outside in 13 degree temperatures?!" It was Nate. Not a word was spoken about it when he came in. I figured that the cold 15 minutes alone outside was punishment enough!!

Happy Birthday Marsh!!

2008-01-16T22:09:00.001-05:00

Boys are cool!

2008-01-16T22:00:00.000-05:00

My guys played in my closet for about an hour yesterday!! They played soooo well. No fighting or bickering. It's amazing what fun you can have with Magnetix and metal closet shelving!

Unbelievable!!!

2008-01-16T21:29:00.000-05:00

So this story is several days old at this point but no less funny! (And, did I mention, it's long??) Sit back and enjoy!

It's this past Friday night. I am headed to a dress rehearsal for a wedding at a church in Marlton. I stop and pick up the violinist (who I have never met before and is 5 months pregnant). We get to the church and the pastor looks at me and says "Where is the keyboard?" "Huh?!", I say. "I was supposed to bring a keyboard?" Might have been nice if someone had told me that..... Anyhow.....
I call me friend Nick at our church and ask if I can run over there and take a keyboard for the night. He says yes so I head back toward church. On the way there, I call Marsh to let him know what is going on (vent) and while I am driving down Rt 70, doing 55mph, my drivers side window falls down into the door!! What?!? Unbelievable!!! I had been having some issues with that window for a few days, but certainly, didn't expect that to happen. I hung up with Marsh and called my brother Dan who was working at the church (thankfully) and told him that I was coming that way and was there any possibility of me stealing his car for the rest of the night so I didn't have to drive the pregnant violinist home in a really cold car. He said yes and then he began the process of "emptying" his car onto the pavement at church.(This is another whole blog entry in itself!) I got there and quickly hopped in his car. I did what every short, 5 ft tall sister would do and tried to move the seat up (My brother is about 6 ft) but, the motor is burned out on the seat. Picture it!! I drove all the way back to the church in Marlton, basically, from the what felt like the back seat of Dan's car. It was a challenge to hold myself up on the steering wheel so I could see!!!! Dress rehearsal went well and we headed back toward her house and church. I exchanged things back into my vehicle and proceeded to drive toward home with a nicely, duct-taped up window, thanks to my handy brother!! I called Dan, hysterical laughing, to let him hear how absolutely deafening the noise was in my car!!! (Vibrating trash bags are a killer!!) Several "so you know you're a redneck" jokes were exchanged!! About 3 minutes later, the bag starts to rip apart......this wouldn't be a problem, except I am on 541 headed toward Lumberton and they are putting new pipes in all along the road. This equals....NO SHOULDER!! I am picturing the bag flying off and landing on the car behind me's windshield and a terrible accident being caused because of my stupid window!!!! I finally see a break in the orange cones and gently pull over to remove the bag. Ok.....no problem.....I will drive home cold....no big deal!! I go to pull out onto the road and hmmmmm.....I am stuck in the gravel. Not just stuck......REALLY STUCK!!! It takes me several minutes to get the truck out..... (we have driven by this spot a bunch of times this week and BOY! did I make a VERY DEEP hole in the gravel!!) Crazy!!!! I think, "MAN!! Can this night get any crazier?!?!" Of course it can!!! About 2 minutes later....my window goes up!! YES!!! UP!!!! AAAGHHHHHH!!!!
I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!!!!
The end of the story is that my car has been in the shop for two days and they called to tell us that they cant find a thing wrong with it.....HUH?!?! Ok....whatever you say.....
One other funny thing about this was the next morning, Nate went outside ahead of me...came back in and said, in this way-funny, husband, manly kinda way, "MOM!!! What did you do to your truck?!?!? There is mud all over this side and duct tape all over the other side?!?!" I cracked up!! He had this look on his face like "WOMAN!!! What did you do?!?!?!" I love that kid!!!

One other thing that is interesting- I said to my dad that I think I must have electricity in my body because any car that we have ever had, has had some sort of electrical problem. The brain went in one of our cars, short outs, bad switches, etc. My dad told me that my grandmother cant wear watches because they die after a few days of her having them on her wrist. Is there some sort of hereditary, crazy electrical phenomenon that I don't know about?? I might have to google that one!!