Full

That pretty much sums up life at this moment. My schedule, my belly, my relationships, everything is very full right now. For starters, I am going to Maria Giallanza Salon tomorrow to get my hair done, they are breaking ground on our new house, and we are checking into a hotel in downtown Cleveland for a few days! Oh yeah, and that is just on the agenda for tomorrow!:) My belly is full because my mom keeps making these gut busting home-cooked meals (with dessert) that I can’t resist. We’ve been taking turns cooking but my low-fat diet plans having been cutting it.:) My relationships are full because we’ve had the chance to really grow with our family (immediate and extended) and connect with old friends I haven’t heard from in years. Last week I came into work, opened an e-mail, and just about fell out of my chair! My oldest, dearest friend whom I lost contact with 12 years ago…found me! She saw my commercial on TV and recognized me (surprising in and of itself considering the last time she saw me I was 15 years old with huge brown glasses and frizzy hair shaped like the top of a mushroom)!:) Still, she somehow knew it was me, went to the website and tracked me down. We met when I was 11 years old at the “Carol Crane’s Children’s Theater” where I was playing Little Red Riding Hood” and she was one of the “Three Little Pigs” (it was a multi-fairy-tailed production).:) Anyway, from the moment we met, we were inseparable! She was my saving grace during a time when I really needed a best friend. Plus, she lived about 5 minutes from Cedar Point, so we went EVERY DAY, followed boys around, rode the rides and saw the singing shows over and over. After I moved to WI we visited each other a few times, but slowly lost contact. So it totally made my day to hear from her out of the blue. I think next week we are going to do lunch …. we have so much to catch up on!
The boys are doing great and they are really anxious for our Cleveland trip. Jim and I planned this so we could explore the city, give the boys a chance to swim at the hotel and see new sights, and give us a little alone-family time. I just think God is so funny because I prayed, complained, begged, and wished for years that we could live close to family. Well, considering that we are temporarily living WITH my parents…I think he came through on that one! Our house should be ready by mid-December though and this bonding time has been really priceless for the kids. Well, my time is up, I need to help mom with supper (homemade pizza tonight=500 calories per piece)! Yum.

First Day of School!

Here is Gabe getting ready for his first day of preschool! Sorry the quality isn't that great, I had to scan the picture but I think you can tell we are all quite excited and proud!

Wee Worship!

This one is for the babies and it's so adorable! Not only did my 19 month old sit and clap to the music, but also my 4 year old! The boys were diggin' the hymns and it's a very cute Baby Einstein-esque DVD. It's got all the elements that keep the kids entertained, plus the element of faith! You can get this DVD at www.christianbook.com

Super Sale!!

Gap.com is offering 40% on baby, kids, and adult clothing! I scored some hot deals on very cute fall fashions for the boys. The selection is going fast though so check out www.gap.com and snatch up the savings while they last!

Party Time!

Here is a photo of Gabriel with his great-grandpa! He's being silly and showing off his birthday money..what a ham!:) It was a great party and the best part was we were able to celebrate with family, we had a fantastic night!:)

Birthday Boy!

Tomorrow is my oldest son, Gabriel’s birthday. Just writing those words make me tear up and I don’t know why! Lol. It’s not like he’s 16 and learning to drive, or 18 and graduating high school. He’s just going to be 4! Still, each year I have an emotional time coming to terms with the fact that my boys are growing up (I will probably be a wreck when they DO turn 18 at this pace!). I am just so proud of them, and each day it seems like they are individually growing leaps and bounds and learning SO much. Gabriel is thriving in preschool and today I spied on him through the window of his classroom. It was like I got a glimpse of my baby, growing up before my very eyes! With his birthday approaching I backtrack to when I was pregnant (as most parents do, I imagine) and the excitement as we tried to guess his gender. We opted not to find out if he would be a boy or girl, but towards the end, I think Jim and I both had a strong conviction that he would be our first son. I will always remember the moment the doctor said “It’s a BOY” and I was able to meet my Gabriel for the first time. Anyway, I guess today is just kind of a day of reflection and appreciation of Gabe, and all that he’s accomplished in his 4 little years. I think gong to St. Jude Children’s Hospital forever changed my view on life, and what it means to have a healthy child. That might be where some of the tears are coming from, just feeling really grateful I guess. Tomorrow we are having family over and that will be such a blessing. We’ve never lived close to relatives and I am just giddy at the thought we can share this special day together. We are doing an Army theme and tonight we are getting his present (a Leapster…shhh). I better, run, lots to do before the big day! Plus I need another tissue!

Beautiful Book

I LOVE this idea. It's from Dr. Kevin Leman, who writes the "Birth Order" books (among other things). This makes each child feel special by pointing out unique gifts they have, wherever they land in the family. You can also get "My Firstborn" and "My Youngest" for $10.39 at www.amazon.com

**By the way, if you are a Fish listener, we will be interviewing Dr. Leman in the next several weeks! Check back for details.

Escapee

I am facing a little dilemma with my youngest son Grant. He has now learned how to crawl out of his crib and it’s become a game. I don’t know what to do! He’s 18 months old, and I think he’s too little for a bed, but at the same time I’m worried that he’ll hurt himself if we keep him in a crib. Plus, things are complicated since we are staying with my parents until our house is built in December. Today I put him down for a nap and thought he was sleeping. The phone rang, and in the middle of my conversation I hear a “HA HA HA HA HA”. Grant had gotten loose, picked up the other phone, and started cracking up on the other line! It was so cute that I couldn’t really be mad, but I just don’t know how to contain him at this point. If you have any ideas, e-mail me because I could use some help on the subject.:) Aside from that, it’s been a great weekend. We all caught up on our sleep and now we are getting ready to hit Target. Gabriel wants to look at “boy stuff” and Jim and I still haven’t decided what to get him for his birthday. He’s turning 4 in a few days and I am so proud of my big boy! Hope you are having a great weekend, enjoy the warm weather!

Reality TV

What a week! Yesterday I had the great opportunity to join Len on TV 5 and talk about my new position at The Fish on the 12:00 news!! It's just so funny to me. A month ago I was wearing sweat pants and getting baby food thrown at me, and yesterday I was on tv?! Too funny, it just doesn't seem real! This has been a really amazing first few days at work though. The more I get to know everyone at the station, the more psyched I am to be a part of this team. I have enjoyed probably every radio gig I've ever had, and really loved all my co-workers, but this is the first place I really feel like I "fit". Before, I was kind of a loner because I am such a homebody and while everyone else was hitting the bar, or going to clubs, I was staying home, or going to church! Lol. No one ever quite understood that, but here everyone has pretty much the same lifestyle and it creates an instant common ground. It's also been a HUGE boost to receive all the personal e-mails and comments with such positive feedback. It really makes all the difference in the world, and I promise I will try to respond better now that things are getting settled.
Today we are shooting video for our new commercial, and after the show we are off to a photo shoot for new morning show pics! I think after this week, the craziness should ease up a little. The boys are really ready for some mommy-time so I think we'll throw on a movie and work on cuddle time over the weekend.:) Jim and I are also planning a family overnight trip to Cleveland soon. We want the boys to see all the exciting things the city has to offer (Zoo, Museums, and Jacob's Field!). We are just about the start the show, better run. Have a wonderful weekend!!

Changes

What a week! Sorry about the little hiatus, but we moved, Jim started a new job, Gabe started preschool, and I started the morning show in just one week! Something had to give, and my poor blog got a little neglected. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me and helped get my act together! It's just so amazing when I look at the differences in our life from just a month ago. Everything changed so fast and now I'm doing everything I can just to keep up!:) We are pretty much settled now and adjusting to the big changes. Jim loves the new crew at Home Depot and he's excited about his new store. Gabriel was a little trooper at preschool and thrived after his first day! I thought it would be very emotional but I didn't cry once...can you believe it?!:) We took a ton of pictures though, so I'll post them soon. Grant is happy-go-lucky as always and not phased by the move one bit. As for me, I'm just trying to catch my breath and get my bearings. My first official day at work was fantastic and I am so pysched to see what the future will bring! The guys are great and we have some awesome ideas between all of us, so hopefully that will translate into compelling radio (that's always the goal)!:) I've already been to the mall (twice to be exact. Lol) and I wasn't overly impressed with the local mall so now I'll need to search for another shopping haven.:) Cleveland is supposed to be a great mecca of fashion so we'll have to see when I get some free time to bring the family into the city. That's basically the recap! There are a million things I have been hoping to post, so please stick with me as I catch up the page. Gotta go now though, it's already 5:00 and I need to give the boys a bath and get to BED (3am comes early) !:)

New Team!

Here we go! First day on the job and everything went GREAT!:) We decided to do a little photo op to remember the occasion. Hmmm, I wonder what the "after" photo will look like! Lol.