{Sharing Moments with Colleen}

{Vision Boards}

2012-01-18T21:15:00.001-05:00

I started making Vision Boards in 2007 after I read the book, The Secret (*A great book on the Law of Attraction.) A Vision Board usually consists of pictures and images that represent things you "envision" in your life. I recently made a new Vision Board for 2012. Once my Vision Board was printed, I decided to find my old Vision Boards. I, of course, had to scan the pictures for my BLOG!!! I really enjoy looking at my old Vision Boards because they remind me what my dreams WERE and if I did (or did not) make those dreams a reality.

Here is a typed Vision that I made on Oprah.com. It is dated 2007. I called the paper "In 10 Years-My Passion and 'To Do' List". The paper is torn, but I still hold onto it because I still have until 2017 to (hopefully) finish and fulfill some of my dreams. (Note to self: Get to Prince Edward Island STAT!!!)

This is the picture Vision Board I made with scissors, glue and magazine pictures. It's funny to look back and see what some of my dreams were (like having a cleaning lady... did it for two years...decided traveling was more important, so I dropped their services) and they are not as important anymore. Looking back on this Vision Board reminds me that it's OK to change my mind and a grow...

Here is my printed Vision Board from 2010. I LOVE, absolutely LOVE looking at the Clip Art Library(with leather chair) picture I found for my Vision Board. In 2011, Rob and I made our Dining Room into a home library and office. We have a beautiful bookshelf in the room too. While we don't have a leather chair (*We decided on a different style), I STILL love that my dream came true.

Well, here it is...here is my NEW 2012 Vision Board.
I have my dreams...now let me go catch them. :-) Make it a great day!

By the way...just because someone has a vision or a dream for themselves does not mean they don't FAIL. Trust me, I fail big time! I just keep plugging away....

One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE quotes is from J.K. Rowling:

"Why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life. You might never fail on the scale I did, but some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you...live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all-in which case, you fail by default."

A blog from my archive that is a worthwhile activity: The Gratitude Letter

Another blog from my archive that I think relates to the "Vision Board" topic. I blogged here about my "Mission Statement"

{17 Reasons We Love Ryan}

2012-01-04T04:50:00.001-05:00

Happy 17th Birthday, Ryan Christopher!

Mom and Dad can't believe our oldest son is 17 years old!!!
Here are 17 reasons we love you SO MUCH!!!

1. You are our oldest, kind and caring son.
2. You are an AWESOME cousin!
3. You always get your homework done. Work independently. Show great responsibility.
4. You are a loving older brother to Kyle and Dylan (*Even though your younger brothers can drive you crazy sometimes!!)

5. When your Dad needed you the most during his 17 hour Iron Man Competition in Lake Placid...you came through. You ran with Dad for over 11 miles just to keep his motivated to finish the race. How many people can just start running in their Aeropostale shirt and regular sneakers? Not many! But you showed your awesome character and stayed with Dad. We are so proud of you and love you so much!

6. How about when Carl Lewis was in our neighborhood campaigning? We yelled to you, "Ryan, come here FAST! Carl Lewis is here!". You were a good sport and showed more of your wonderful character ...even though later you secretly confessed you had no idea who Carl Lewis even was! That' s OK! Now you know who he is ;-)
7. You love to play on the XBox. For a quiet kid, you are so ANIMATED when you are playing "Live".
8. You showed good work ethic the past two summers being a Junior Camp Counselor.
9. Out of all 3 boys in our house, you have the CLEANEST and most organized room!

10. WE LOVE you because you have 4 different 2008 Phillies World Series Championship hats that you wear ALL THE TIME!
11. You can be quiet and reserved, but at times you show a witty and funny side. We love it!!!
12. Your teachers at school say they are so proud of you for sitting up front lately and really being part of each lesson. Even your math (Algebra II) teacher said you are really doing awesome in class. You have a 98 average in math! Way to go!
13. You are dedicated to being on the Seneca "Iron Devils" (Fe) Robotics Team.

14. We love you because you "Go with the Flow". Here you are at Boulder Field in Hickory Run State Park. You really didn't WANT to go on the day trip to the Poconos (*since you have been to this park 4-5 times!!) But you went "for Mom". Thanks, Ryan. Love ya!
15. We love you because you rarely complain. You are a laid back, relaxed kind of kid and you know what...those are some awesome traits to have in life!!!

16. You recently stepped out of your shell...you are growing up...and you have your very first girlfriend. Mom and Dad know you are just a kind, wonderful and caring person. We are so happy that other people are starting to see your awesome character traits.

17. Finally, You are so loved on your 17th birthday even more than the day you were born (Jan. 4th, 1995). You have grown up to be such a wonderful person. Mom and Dad are so proud of you and love you very much. xoxox

{Christmas 2011}

2011-12-26T06:11:00.000-05:00

Santa arrived at the Rossi home!!! As I upload all of the photos from Christmas morning onto my blog, I started to think about what I would write. There is really only one word to describe Christmas and that work pretty much describes my family...my life...everything... BLESSED! Rob and I are so blessed to provide a great Christmas for our boys. Here is the Christmas tree with all of the gifts from Santa.

Ryan, Kyle and Dylan were very happy after they opened their presents from Santa. Kyle even played an awesome song for us on his new drum set.

Christmas Brunch: Mimosas are a standard in our home. The kids had eggnog. :-)

Gina and Jon with Remi. Grandmom Rossi with Zane. (*She is Aunt Margie to Zane.)

Ron with Christina and Nick. The BIG NEWS was Ryan's NEW CAR (*Honda Civic!) from Grandmom and Grandpop Rossi.

Kyle with Travis. Grandmom and Grandpop Haney.

Merry Christmas 2011

{Rossi Family Christmas Card~2011}

2011-12-24T15:29:00.000-05:00

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

{Changing}

2011-12-21T21:12:00.001-05:00

For this year, 2011, my theme or motto was "Change". Boy, did my life ever change this year in SO MANY ways! One change was was....my boys, Ryan and Kyle, started...DATING! Before I post some pictures I want to make note that for just about 17 years, Rob and I planned activities with our children and spent so much time with our boys...as a family. My life has changed so much over the past few years because as my boys grow older, they have started to make their OWN PLANS. And their plans don't always include Mom and Dad. ;-)

Ryan is almost 17. Kyle just turned 14. Both sons have a girlfriend now for over a month. They have been on dates (*Kyle is too young to go on a date alone, so the "date" has been with groups of other kids, parents, etc.) Normally I make a big family dinner every Sunday night. So this particular Sunday I asked Ryan and Kyle if they would like to invite their girlfriends over for dinner. Both girls came over for dinner! My boys previously went shopping for Christmas gifts (*with their own money) for their girlfriends. They gave their girlfriends' Christmas gifts to them on this night as well. Again, this CHANGE in my life has been sudden, but I am trying to embrace the change with excitement and happiness for my kids.

A funny lesson I learned from this first "girlfriend dinner" experiences. First of all, girls do not eat as much food as boys. My boys can really EAT. I normally do not have many leftovers whenever I make dinner. I made SO MUCH FOOD for this special dinner since we were having company. I'm laughing as I type this blog post because either the girls were nervous or they had very small appetites. They hardly ate!!

The other funny lesson I learned is that even though Ryan and Kyle DID invite their girlfriends over for dinner, it didn't MEAN THEY WANTED TO EAT at the same table as Rob, Dylan and myself. :-) So...Here is the table I set for everyone to have dinner. However, Ryan and Kyle ate dinner in the bar room on this special night. Trust me, it's a night I will remember forever. I'm embracing the changes in my life. Make it a great day!!!!

{Cake Pops}

2011-12-21T21:11:00.000-05:00

My latest obsession is making the yummy treat called Cake Pops. So what did I decide to do right in the middle of the very busy holiday season (parties, gift buying, wrapping, Christmas cards, etc.)? I decided to make a double batch of Cake Pops to take as dessert gifts on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I thought I'd share the recipe given to me by my dear friend, Marie. (*Waving to Marie right now...Thanks!!!)

The Cake Pops came out delicious. I will tell you....they are a lot of work...but it's worth all the effort!!! Here is the recipe below:

50 lollipop sticks

Cellophane bags to cover the top

2 bags of melts—whatever flavor/color that interests you

1 box of cake mix

1 tub of frosting—not whipped

Bake the cake according to the box directions & let it cool completely. Then cut it is sections & crumble completely into a large mixing bowl—making sure to also go through with your hands to ensure there are no large crumbs—mix in about ¾ of the tub of frosting until the mixture is pasty. Wet your hands & roll the cake into balls roughly the size of a ping pong ball—you’ll get 50—and refrigerate them for at least 30-45 minutes on a cookie tray in the fridge

In the mean time place your melts in a double boiler—if you don’t have one simply fill a sauce pan about ¼ way with water—boil & place a Pyrex mixing bowl in the top—the water should NOT touch the bowl—this will melt your chocolate without burning or seizing it—and keep it smooth for dipping.

Take the balls from the fridge – take each in your hand –dip about ½ inch of the tip of a stick—dip it in the chocolate & then poke it into a ball about ½ way through & set back on your tray stick up in the air: this forms a plug on the bottom of the pop & keeps the cake from sliding down the stick . Complete this process for all 50 balls—when you finish the last one, go back to the first & start dipping in the chocolate. I roll them quickly on their side being sure to coat complete—tap off excess & they poke the stick into your foam block to set up- when you have finished all 50—carefully place the tray back into the fridge for about 30 minutes—then cover each with the cellophane bag—close with a twist tie, or curling ribbon

{One Little Word for 2012}

2011-12-16T06:26:00.004-05:00

In 2012, I will start my 6th year of blogging "Sharing Moments with Colleen". One project I started working on a few years ago came from one of my favorite bloggers, Ali Edwards. She has a project on her blog called "One Little Word". You, the reader, decide on a "word" to encourage change in your life for the new year.

My word for 2011: Change. I blogged about my word, Change, HERE.

My word for 2010: Simplify. I blogged about my word, Simplify, HERE.

So how did I CHANGE in 2011? Disney World and Lake Placid as well as Key West, were a few places visited last year. I also changed, grew, learned, etc. in many, MANY ways last year. Through reading more poetry or continuing my education in counseling. 2011 was a year of changes.

Well, I have been thinking for the past few weeks what my WORD should be for 2012. I decided my word will be NEW.
1. of recent origin, production, purchase, etc.; having but lately come or been brought into being: a new book.
2. of a kind now existing or appearing for the first time; novel: a new concept of the universe.
3. having but lately or but now come into knowledge: a new chemical element.
4. unfamiliar or strange (often followed by to ): ideas new to us; to visit new lands.
5. having but lately come to a place, position, status, etc.: a reception for our new minister.

Since my word for 2011 was CHANGE....what better word to start of 2012 but NEW?? I am really looking forward to the new year. I can't wait to see how far I have come in this crazy journey called LIFE!!! Make it a great day!

{14 Reasons We Love Kyle}

2011-12-14T06:04:00.002-05:00

Happy 14th Birthday to Kyle!

Today is your 14th Birthday, Kyle. I thought I would list 14 reasons why we love you so, so much!
1. You are a very kind and caring person. You simply do not have a mean bone in your body.

2. You are a dedicated athlete. You love football and work hard at excelling. Quit is not in your vocabulary.
3. You really care about your looks. You take time to make sure you look nice for school each day. You even ask (*this is a NEW part of Kyle!) to get haircuts on a regular basis. Yay, Kyle!
4. You are willing to try any new food that is placed in front of you. In fact, you are the only person in our family who likes broccoli.
5. You are talented with riding bikes and ripsticks.
6. You are very, very creative.
7. And very artistic. I love the artwork hanging in your bedroom!

8. You love to play the drums. (If you are rich someday, will you take care of your family!! LOL!)
9. You are really good at using any kind of technology. When Comcast mailed all new cable boxes for all the TVs in our home, you unpackaged all of the boxes and set up every TV with the new remote! Awesome K-Man!
10. You are a loving son, brother, grandson, cousin, nephew and friend. Again, you are so kind to everyone and we love you for it!!!

11. You are a creative writer. Your 8th grade teacher stopped us at your band concert and complimented you on how CREATIVE a writer you are in class. YAY, Kyle!
12. You are friendly and friends with just about everyone in your school, our neighborhood, your sports' teams, etc. Bottom line, Kyle: You are a friendly person.
13. You take the time to help your younger brother with his homework.
14. You are Kyle Robert, our 14 year old son, who brings joy to our lives everyday. LOVE you, K-Man!!!

{Christmas in Pitman}

2011-12-12T05:56:00.001-05:00

Have you ever visited Pitman, New Jersey at Christmastime? Oh! You must! It's a beautiful, darling decorated town with a Christmas village in the center of town. Rob and I took Dylan last weekend.

Lots of friends from Rob's school (Kresson) brought their kids and spouses to a Christmas party at a dear friend's home. We all bundled up and walked to the Christmas village in town.

All the houses along the way were decorated.

Dylan was able to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Merry Christmas!!!

{Christmas Card ~ 2011}

2011-12-09T06:03:00.000-05:00

Just made Rob's parents their annual Christmas Card on Shutterfly. Now Shutterfly had a CODE to embed the card in Blogger. Let's give it a try....

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

{Being a Leader}

2011-12-08T21:40:00.003-05:00

I know I have mentioned many times on this blog that I LOVE my graduate classes at Rider University. So I guess it will come as no surprise that I am going to blog about a topic from my "Legal and Ethical" class this semester.

I didn't think I would like my class at all this semester. It's one of those classes on the list of required classes that I wasn't really thrilled about taking. Well, as my class this semester comes to an end...I will say, I LEARNED A LOT! A Ton as a matter of fact!

My professor recently said a quote about Administrators, Leaders, Bosses, and the quote is: "We use power to help people grow, not destroy."

I could not stop thinking about that quote. I immediately started to think about my current and past bosses at work. Started to reflect on MY perception of their leadership.

Right now~Think about EVERY SINGLE boss you ever HAD in your LIFE. Which bosses helped you GROW? Then, think about which bosses DESTROYED! Lucky for me, I have had some amazing bosses (*even at my very first job at age 15 at McDonald's) that helped me GROW! Sadly, like many of my friends reading this blog post, I bet you had some bosses that tried to DESTROY or bring you down. What is it about those particular bosses? This is a topic I am going to think about some more and reflect again later.

For now, I am plugging away, taking my graduate classes one class at a time. 3 years down at Rider towards my Counseling Degree (Master of Arts in School Counseling) and 3 more years to go....Life is a JOURNEY...Enjoy the ride!!!

{Thanksgiving Weekend Events}

2011-11-30T04:56:00.014-05:00

2011~Thanksgiving in Avalon. The weather was BEAUTIFUL for walks on the beach, going to the park and just plain relaxing. The kids take their annual picture for Grandmom Rossi's Christmas card in Avalon every year. This year we decided to walk on the trail to the beach for the picture. Grandmom even bought all of the Rossi Grandchildren matching Avalon sweatshirts.

Walking on the path...we even brought Buddy. Ron took the family photo for Rob and me.

After the family photo, Rob and I took the kids to the Cape May Lighthouse and Park. We have taken the kids many, MANY times. I have also mentioned on this blog that visiting the Cape May Lighthouse is a must on your "to do" list. It's really worth the trip. The best time to visit: A day like today...Warm fall day with temperatures around 65 degrees. We couldn't ask for better weather.

Have I mentioned before how much I love Robbie and all of these kiddos?

Later in the evening we had a wonderful sit down Thanksgiving dinner at Grandmom and Grandpop Rossi's home. Uncle Ron, Christina and Nick were at the table. It was really a special day for everyone to be together. For this...I am grateful. Happy Thanksgiving.

I blogged about Thanksgiving in Avalon from 2009 HERE.

I blogged about one of our many trips to the Cape May Lighthouse and park HERE.

This past weekend we also took the boys to the Audubon FireTruck Parade. It's such a fun time. The weather was great! It's nice to see friends and just hang out watching the many firetrucks from different town in the parade.

I blogged about our first trip to the Audubon FireTruck parade HERE.

{11-11-11 Party}

2011-11-14T16:55:00.003-05:00

Rob and I have always loved the time 11:11. This goes back to 1986 when we were in college. Anytime we noticed the time was on 11:11, we would mention the cool time on the clock to each other. 11:11 has grown into something more. Whenever a digital clock is showing 11:11, we tell each other "I Love You". If I see 11:11 on my phone, I'll send Rob and text message with the message 11:11 and he knows what I mean.

So...when the calendar this year was going to be the date 11-11-11, Rob and I decided to have a ROCKIN' PARTY! Why an 11-11-11 party?

Well, we are starting our 11th year living in Shamong.

We have 3 boys, 1-1-1.

Our address is 111.

We love the time 11:11.

The date 11-11-11 is REALLY cool!

We decided our party would be a "Shamongrel" party. We invited all of our Shamong neighbors over for our party. It was SUCH A FUN TIME!!!!!

Of course, at exactly 11:11 on 11-11-11 we had a Champagne Toast! Happy 11-11-11 Day!

{Week in the Life~Day 7~ Saturday, November 12th}

2011-11-14T05:27:00.010-05:00

Morning! It's November 12th. I went to bed last night well after 2:30 AM, so technically, I went to bed on this day, 11-12. Our 11-11-11 party last night was a smashing hit! Here I am very early on Saturday morning getting ready to drive to pick Dylan up at Aunt Gina's. I am walking towards my Saturday morning paper. Must. Have. Newspaper. And. Coffee. :-)

I did it. I made it to Haddonfield by 9:00 AM for Dylan's last football game of the year. Seneca WON 31-6. WHOOHOOO!!!

After football I took Dylan home. He showered and changed and then I ran him to his friend's "Karate Party". Instead of driving home (since the party was only 1.5 hours), I stopped by to see Marie scrapbooking in Medford. I NEED to schedule some scrapbooking time. STAT!

Probably the BIGGEST news of all... Ryan Christopher went out on his FIRST DATE! First of all, how did I get this picture? Rob drove Ryan and Abby to the movies and asked, "Hey kids, Mrs. Rossi likes to scrapbook, can I take your picture?"...and they let him take the picture!!!! I'm so excited for Ryan to start dating. He's a Junior in High School ...he'll be driving soon (January) and then before you know it my baby will be thinking about going away to college. I'm so proud of the young man he has grown up to be. :-)

{Week in the Life~Day 6~Friday, November 11th}

2011-11-14T05:23:00.011-05:00

Good Morning! Happy 11-11-11 Day!!!!

This could very well be one of my favorite days...EVER!
I just LOVE the date...11-11-11...it's so cool!

The BIG Party is tonight. Here's my kitchen...I'm making homemade canoli dip and homemade chocolate chip cookies besides lots of other dishes.

Rob, Col, Ryan, Kyle and Dylan on 11-11-11 at exactly 11:11. Love these guys!!!

Snapped a picture of one of my many flower pots filled with moss. Yes, you read that correctly, MOSS! That's a Martha Stewart idea and you know what? I LIKE the Moss Pots!!!

Dropped Dylan off at 1:00 (*After running to ShopRite and Chick-Fil-A) for a sleepover with cousin, Travis. YAY!!!!

Picked up Wawa sandwiches for my other boys. Ryan and Kyle had meatball...Rob had Italian Hoagie. They were STARVING after stacking the wood into piles all morning.

Rob and I had a FUN "Shamongrel" party on this day, 11-11-11, for about 75 locals. It was such an awesome party. I have so many pictures that I'll have another BLOG post on the 11-11-11 party. :-) Love you, Robbie (11:11)

{Week in the Life~Day 5~Thursday, November 10th}

2011-11-14T05:12:00.010-05:00

Today was a busy day. The boys were still in Avalon until after lunchtime. Rob and I had TONS and TONS of errands to run. We had 2 cords of wood delivered, bought all the party treats and cleaned the entire house!

Yes, our friends like to drink and have a good time :-)

Doctor's appointment, Rt. 73 (*always tons of traffic!!!)
to visit Target, BJ's, ACMoore and finally to get gas in my car.

Ryan had been asking me to pick up his new video game (Modern Warfare 3) for days and days. He had his own money to buy the game, but he needed someone to drive to get the video game. I was all proud of myself when I picked up the game at BJ's and came home with it.....Here is Ryan sulking on the couch because I bought the WRONG gaming system game. We don't have a PS3, we have an XBox. Geez...can you tell my mind is on other things lately besides video games?

Thursday night ended (*My class at Rider was canceled) with another run to WalMart and then I picked up Kyle from football. Look what was on our front porch? The Medford Cheerleaders decorated each football player's front door since playoffs start this weekend. YAY Kyle!

P.S. Since I had to go back to WalMart I DID pick up Ryan's "XBOX" game for him. When I came home at 8:30 he was VERY happy!!!

{Week in the Life~Day 4~Wednesday, November 9th}

2011-11-10T13:09:00.002-05:00

Wake up at 5:00 AM (*Since the time change last Sunday, I have been waking up SO early. I like it, so it's all good!!!) Rob and I are having a big party this Friday (11-11-11). I am in the stage of cleaning my house like CRAZY. Here are some of the liners from my Longaberger Baskets. Yup, I'm going to wash all of them. I will have a CLEAN kitchen (and house) this Friday on 11-11-11, that is for sure.

Pulling out of my driveway at 7:00 AM.

What fills your bucket? Well, one thing that fills my bucket is teaching my 3rd grade "club" in the early morning before school starts. It's my 6th year of being the AM 3rd grade teacher (*10 students in my group) and I can state enough how much I LOVE teaching the kids in the morning.

Today I received a copy of the my school picture for the yearbook. I have a huge pile of old yearbook photos in my desk. I always pull out the photos when I add the NEW photo to the pile. I check how my hair has changed, wrinkles, etc. You know what? I think I like the picture with the bangs more than the picture this year. Thoughts? Hmm....

After work Rob and I went to the "LC" for dinner. The kids were in Avalon...we had so much work to do on the house in order to get ready for our BIG party this Friday. Nothing like taking a break and grabbing a bite to eat together. :-)

{Week in the Life~Day 3~Tuesday November 8th}

2011-11-08T05:52:00.002-05:00

Good Morning Dylan Charles!

Groceries. Ran to ShopRite after work. I stop at the grocery store once or twice a week on my way home. Can you see the TastyKakes in the bag? We LOVE them in our household! Here are my cats. I was just feeding them. Bunker (looking at me) and Bogey are outdoor cats, but always stay on our property. Now that it's cold, they sleep in the garage attic. Very cute.

Kyle is getting so tall. Such a handsome young man. We love you K-Man!

Election Day. In-Service Day in Voorhees. I was home when the boys got off the bus. Here is Dylan (*always happy and smiling!) running towards me as he got off the bus. He knew he was going to see Grandmom and Grandpop at the beach for 2 nights.

I am so GRATEFUL for my In-Laws in Avalon. I dropped the boys off tonight and they are spending two nights with their grandparents. :-) Now I'm on my way home to Robbie (*Who is hanging pictures and getting the house ready for our big party on 11-11-11 this Friday.)

{Week in the Life~Day 2~Monday, November 7th}

2011-11-08T05:33:00.001-05:00

Day 2~ Monday. Here is my classroom at work. It's a short week of school for students, so this week is Kindergarten (*So much easier to schedule AM and PM for both school days!) As you can see Starfall.com is on every PC in the lab. Do you see the pretty Christmas cactus? I received this plant a few years ago on my desk at work for my birthday. It hasn't bloomed since..until TODAY! YAY! It must be luck :-)

Ryan is here having cereal (*snack food after school...cereal is a STAPLE in our household!) while helping Dylan with his Social Studies review. Let me tell you, Dylan's vocabulary for 3rd grade is HARD (Ecosystem, Renewable Resources, etc.)

Can you say Chunky Monkey ice cream, iPhone (Words with Friends) and the new Oprah Magazine? I am in HEAVEN during Monday Night Football. (*Note: Kyle is at football practice tonight. No pictures of KMan.)

Robbie watching his BELOVED Eagles on Monday Night Football. Sorry to say, the Eagles lost. There's always next week....

{Week in the Life~Day 1~Sunday, November 6th}

2011-11-07T17:09:00.005-05:00

Started a new project this week! I've blogged "Week in the Life" projects before (Here -2010 and Here- 2008). It was time to have a 2011 "Week in the Life"

Sunday. Daylight Savings. Beautiful Fall Day. Here is Ryan helping cleaning up the flowerpots.

Foyer near the front door of my house. See the Halloween Candy?

Rob (with Kyle watching) taking so much time to measure for new picture frames.

Kyle and Dylan having a catch with the football. A photo moment.

Sunday night family dinner. A huge meal that I lovingly made for my kids and hubby :-)

{Daylight Savings Time}

2011-11-06T05:19:00.003-05:00

Morning! I'm up at 4:30 AM. It's Daylight Savings Time, so I guess it's sort of "5:30 AM" which does not sound as early. My family is sound asleep. The house is dark. Coffee is brewing and I thought I'd blog a bit while I wait for my coveted Sunday paper to arrive.

Life has been flying by this fall. So much is going on but I just don't feel up to writing about everything-just yet. Tons of doctor's appointments....for all of us....tons and tons of sporting events...school activities...homework and projects....the list never ends. Wanted to put a post out there that life is moving on and in the right direction.

The good news is our boys are going to visit their grandparents in Avalon for a few days this week. Their school schedule is a bit sporadic this week due to in-services and teacher convention. Ryan, Kyle and Dylan haven't been to the shore since Labor Day weekend, so this little get-a-way will be good for them (and good for Rob and me!!!).

Well, I hear my coffee pot beeping. Let me go get my cup of Joe and enjoy the start of a new day. :-)

{CCHS~Class of 1986}

2011-10-31T05:52:00.008-04:00

Rob and I had our 25th High School Reunion last weekend. We were both lucky to attend Camden Catholic High School together. Side note: Funny story is I BEGGED to attend CCHS when I was on 8th grader. Rob was punished and CRIED when he was forced to attend CCHS after moving in 10th grader. It's amazing how life works out....We are both so lucky that, by chance, we attended High School together. I'm really thinking someone was looking out for us.... That's another story for another day....

Each Senior Class at CCHS would have a group shot for the yearbook. Here is the Class of '86's shot for the yearbook. The reason I LOVE this picture is because it was early in Senior Year...September...maybe even the first week of school. I totally had a crush on Mr. Robert Christopher Rossi. I LOVE that we are photoed so close to one another at the start of our relationship. :-) It's so hard to see but I'm sort of in the center of the photo (Can you see the "Sun-In" yellow hair?) and Rob is two people away from me (Can you see his mowhawk haircut growing out from summer football camp?) Anyone....good times...good times....great memories...great memories...

The truth is...I remember my mom going to her 25th High School Reunion thinking she was SO old. Where did the time go for me? Am I really that old already?

{LifeClass}

2011-10-29T06:26:00.001-04:00

Have you been watching the "LifeClass" shows on OWN? The shows are excellent and a nice reminder of lessons I learned in the past. I even blogged about most of the "lessons" that were on OWN.
Lesson 1: False Power of Ego. This is probably my favorite lesson. I blogged about "Ego" here in 2008. Seems so long ago. It's sort of neat to go back and read old blog posts. Rereading about Ego makes me want to go back and reread "A New Earth".

Lesson 2: Forgiveness. I learned so much about what it really means to forgive someone. I blogged about forgiveness here.

Lesson 3: Believing in Yourself. What is your TRUE purpose in life? (*I'm still working on this lesson!!)

Lesson 4: Living in your Truth. "The truth will set you free"

Lesson 5: Joy Rising-What are you GRATEFUL for? I blogged about my Gratitude Journal here.

Lesson 6: Who You Were Meant To Be-What is your calling?
Lesson 7: Aging Beautifully

Lesson 8: "When you know better, you do better"

Lesson 9: Be Responsible for your Life
Lesson 10: Joy Rising (*Each Friday is a "joyful" or gratitude show)

Lesson 11: Listen to Life's Whispers

Lesson 12: Letting Go of the Past

Lesson 13: When People Show You Who They Are-Believe Them

I'm still watching the LifeClass shows. So MANY of the lessons are relevant to me and my life. I am going to dig deeper into some of the other topics and reflect on them at a later time.

This post is a worth revisit. Found this old post when I was poking around old blog posts: Click Here :-)

{I'm Here}

2011-10-27T05:27:00.005-04:00

I know, I know. My last blog post was in July! And if you are a regular follower of my blog (5+ years) than you know I love to post...I love to share information...that's who I am as a person. However, I haven't been myself lately.....for the past few months. For me when I'm not myself I just don't feel like blogging (or even scrapbooking for that matter.) So....my chin's up... I put my big-girl shoulder pads on...and I'm moving through this crazy thing called life. Working a lot out personally, professionally, fiancially, emotionally...everything! And it looks like I'm coming through the other side stronger than I knew I even was before. Something that is so true about life....when there are obstacles (*and there always will be!!!) you can either decide to go around it....or over it..... but until you go THROUGH it, then you are not being true to yourself.

***Update***October 28th***I received a very warm and caring email yesterday from a friend who said she missed my blog posts and was happy to see that I posted yesterday. She said that she hopes that I am OK. Dear friends, please don't worry. We all going through "things" in life and this time, my "things" hit me hard. The truth is...I am OK now. For months I did not have the energy or desire to log onto blogger. So you see, I turned the corner and logged on two days in a row. :-) It's a big weekend of football, Halloween, birthdays and my (and Robbie's) CCHS 25th High School Reunion. Tons more blog posts will come soon .....

{Letter to Dylan Charles}

2011-09-15T20:23:00.001-04:00

Dear Dylan,
Congratulations for being the “Rock Star” of the week in your 3rd grade class. Your family loves you so much. Here is a list of “Why” we think you are great:

• You always have a smile on your face. Rarely are you in a bad mood. Happiness is a synonym for Dylan in our family.
• You are very creative with your toys. You always find a new way to make a set-up with your Legos.
• You complete our family as the youngest member.
• You love to play with friends outside and inside. Kids are always ringing our doorbell to play with you because you are kind, nice and fun to be around.
• You are starting to try a lot of new food at the dinner table and even during school lunch. This is a part of growing up and we are proud of you.
• You are a very loving son, brother, cousin and grandson. Every member of your family always says, “Dylan is such a nice person!”
• Your football coaches say that you are an excellent athlete.
• You are an awesome swimmer.
• You love to attend as many Vacation Bible Schools in the summer with your cousins.
• You don’t mind taking long drives with your family and exploring Wharton State Forest or any other state park.
• Dylan Charles Rossi is the sixth person with Charles for a middle name in his family.
• You are really funny and animated when you tell us stories from your day at the dinner table.
Mom, Dad, Ryan and Kyle just KNOW that Dylan will continue to grow into being an even more kind and wonderful person. We love Dylan very much and are so proud of him.

Love, Mom, Dad, Ryan and Kyle Rossi (*Posted on October 28th, but written in Mid-September. Been meaning to post to my blog. :-) *)

{Sea Glass}

2011-09-05T12:04:00.005-04:00

Dylan and I started collecting sea glass last summer. Everytime we walk on the beach we look for it. Sea Glass is not easy to find and we don't find a piece each time we walk on the beach either. (*Started this on September 5th, but I am just publishing the post today, Oct. 27th. Life has been very, very busy!!!)

{The Village of Lake Placid}

2011-07-27T15:25:00.014-04:00

I have been lucky in my life to visit some of the most beautiful places on earth. Now, I know, "Beauty IS in the eye of the beholder", but the truth is, I just love mountain towns, especially ski towns.....anytime of the year these places are simply breathtaking. As I type this I am trying to remember all of the beautiful mountain towns I have visited not including my millions of trips to the Poconos of Pennsylvania. They are:

Park City, Utah
Glacier Bay, Alaska
Stowe/Smuggler's Notch, Vermont
Killington, Vermont
Aspen and Vail, Colorado (*Maroon Bells is a MUST visit!)
Switzerland, Italy and Austria (*High School Trip with Rob...probably where the LOVE of the mountains, trees and nature started for me.)
And most recently, Lake Placid, New York
(*Remember, this list does not include the other towns that are just as beautiful but not ski towns: Zion, Grand Canyon, Bryce, Black Hills of South Dakota, Muir Woods, Yosemite, Acadia National Park and more!!!)

The flowers, shops, lakes, streams, waterfalls...everything in Lake Placid was picture perfect! I love it all and could move to any of of these places someday. Rob and I talk about owning a home in Vermont...who knows! For now, we visit!!!

This is the view from the Crowne Plaza on Mirror Lake in the Village of Lake Placid. Just breathtaking views.

Robert and Nicole with kids.....Rob and our boys....

I was even lucky enough to see many blueberry bushes on my daily walks to Starbucks. Maybe we will go back to Lake Placid next summer? Sounds good to me!!!!

{Lake Placid~Iron Man}

2011-07-27T15:10:00.013-04:00

As I write this blog post I am still amazed at the experience watching Rob and my brother, Robert, compete in the Iron Man Lake Placid. I facebooked the event like a CRAZY woman ...so it's going to be hard for me to convey my feelings days after the event...but I will try.

Beside Nicole (and kids) and myself (and kids), Rob and Robert had two friends who came to Lake Placid for support: Ira and Lisa. I wasn't even IN the event and I was so excited that the guys had some extra support!!!

2800 Swimmers in Mirror Lake-Swimming 2.4 miles

Rob biked 112 miles through Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid. I have NO IDEA how he managed to ride his bike UP the mountain. I was SCARED at the speeds he reached on his bike. I am thankful he is safe. :-)

Robert finished! Here he is with Nicole, Hope, Sean and Gavin! Yay!

Ira and Ryan were the BEST spectators...they found Rob and Robert at almost every step of the event. Ira ran more than of a marathon running to find Rob and Robert at different locations. Ryan amazed me! He found Rob when he was at he weakest (11 miles) and stayed with his Dad until the END of the race!!!! I'm so proud of Ryan and so thankful for our good friend, Ira. Rob and Robert needed their support the day of the Iron Man. :-)

Dom Perignon at the finish line!!! WHOOOHOOO guys!! You did it! You are Iron Men!

{Ricky The B's Wedding}

2011-07-27T14:57:00.008-04:00

Rob and I attended the beautiful wedding of Rick Blossom and Sue Quinn at Valenzano Winery in Shamong. The bride and groom were so blessed with PERFECT weather! I can't remember the last time I attended at outdoor wedding ...this one was lovely.

This was a first-time visit to the winery (*There are two locations and I have never been to either.) It's a really pretty setting and I would consider having an event (Engagement Party someday? Graduation Party someday? Not sure!!!) at Valenzano Winery.

Here is Robbie with all of the staff members from Kresson School...they are a fun crowd!!!!

{A Day @ The Lake}

2011-07-08T10:57:00.008-04:00

My family has been very lucky to spend lots of time at Aunt Gina and Uncle Jon's lake during the spring, summer and fall months. Even in the winter the lake freezes solid and the kids get to ice skate. Today we took the boys (*Kyle was in Florida with his friend, Tyler, so he was not with us for this visit.)

Uncle Jon has lots of fishing rods and he took everyone fishing. Dylan (*Who had his mohawk for a day) cought a BASS! Boy, was he thrilled!!!!!

Uncle Jon even has a boat and Zane took everyone out for a ride on the lake.

Here is Gina with Remi...and Ryan even caught a fish!! YAY!

{4th of July in Avalon}

2011-07-07T10:36:00.008-04:00

I've probably mentioned this before, but I'll say it again. I love Avalon, NJ. Plain and simple. It's one of my favorite places in the world. I have been lucky enough to spend so much time in my lifetime in this lovely beach town. My grandparents lived in Avalon and Rob's parents have lived here, too, for over 25 years. Classic beach photo above. Grandpop Rossi with his son: Rob and Ron and their children. Love these peeps :-)

Fireworks on the 45th street beach.

I know, I know...the kids are getting a bit old for matching shirts, right? I just can't resist and this photo has turned into a classic shot each year. :-)

The Avalon 4th of July "Races" were a HUGE hit for the Rossi grandkids this year! Look at all the trophies and ribbons. Way to go kids!!!

{Summer Concerts}

2011-07-07T10:28:00.013-04:00

Rob and I went to see Kenny Chesney at Lincoln Financial Field. We had the BEST seats! The concert was incredible. The opening act, The Zac Brown Band, was awesome too!

Rob did not know ONE Kenny Chesney song and after the concert said that this concert was the BEST concert he ever attended. We'll be going back to see Kenny for sure next summer.

Then we went to the annual Jimmy Buffet concert. We had a great spot on the Delaware River to tailgate...right under the Ben Franklin Bridge. The weather was perfect.

Voorhees friends. :-)

Rob ran into an old college buddy, Rob M. How cool was that. Here I am with:
"Haney", then me (Haney-Rossi) and "Rossi". Ricky Haney and Tracey Rossi are dear friends but not related to me at all.

Love our CCHS buddies....Thanks, Mikey G. for playing your guitar. You rock!!!

Coming up next: Rascal Flatts Concert!

{Finding Sarah}

2011-06-16T18:19:00.002-04:00

When it comes to reading books, I particularly LOVE non-fiction. I'm the same with TV. I just love shows that teach me a lesson. I'm really a news junkie kind of gal...I enjoy non-fiction shows (Biography Channel, History Channel, 20/20, etc.)...I especially enjoyed watching the Oprah Show for 25 years. I ALWAYS learned something watching Oprah. Lately I started to watch the new Oprah Network (OWN). I've enjoyed the Master Teacher Classes and again, anything that will teach me a lesson. Well, I just watched the first episode of "Finding Sarah" and I'm over the moon with everything I'm learning....let me explain. :-)

“Everyone has a persona that we put out to the world,” Dr. Phil tells Sarah in OWN’s new series “Finding Sarah.” “But I also believe that everyone of us has a personal truth,” he goes on to say, “and a personal truth is what we really believe about ourselves when nobody’s looking and nobody’s listening except us. What we in the core of our soul truly believe about ourselves. I think personal truth is so important because I think we generate the results in life that I think we believe we deserve. And if you have a damaged personal truth, I think you are going to generate results that match that.”

That "personal truth" comment really made me stop and think, "What is MY personal truth?". Of course I can't blog my answer, because that would not really be my personal truth. My personal truth is what I believe myself to be in the core of my soul. I realized that my personal truth really is a reflection of my own self-worth. And the same must be true for all of my friends and family. Teachers that have taught my children. Neighbors I wave to each day. Even the cashier at ShopRite. We all have a personal truth that, in turn, is a reflection of our self-worth.

After studying in Rider's counseling program, ferociously reading books on this topic AND watching many Oprah-style shows over the years, what I have learned is the ROOT of many "problems" for most people...the most COMMON reason people (like Princess Sarah) seek therapy...is ACCEPTANCE. (*Note: Yes, people seek therapy for other reasons such as a death that causes a debilitating depression, etc.) However, being accepted is still one of the most common reasons for some anxiety, depression, lonliness, and more...

"Do you like me?, Do you love me?"

"Did I do a good job?"

"Do you want to be my friend?"

"Am I valued?"

"Do you think I am pretty, funny, smart, etc.?"

"What is wrong with me?, Why don't you like me?"

And where does acceptance come from? From a solid self-worth...a great self-esteem. At the root, people are all the same.....People want to be accepted.

{Memorial Day Weekend}

2011-06-16T17:14:00.008-04:00

Memorial Day Weekend of this year was, by far, the BEST Memorial Day weekend in my entire memory of visiting beautiful Avalon, NJ. The breeze, temperature, sunshine, everything....was perfect! I have been an Avalon girl since I was a baby, so at age 42, I was thrilled with the gorgeous weather.

We sat on the deck every night after a long day on the beach.
Here was our schedule: Sleep, Eat, Beach, Shower, Nap, Eat, Deck....repeat the next day. :-)

One thing that happened over the long weekend was Rob helped his Dad get a laptop. Rob's parents do not know how to use a computer...at ALL. For years they would say, "I want to learn to use the Internet" but not even knowing how to use a mouse, how to turn on a computer, browse to the wireless signal in the house (*Comcast installed...)..the list goes ON in what Rob tried to teach his parents in order to use a laptop.

Rob helped set up an email account, Skype account, "Favorite" in bookmarks...AND...Rob even set up a FaceBook page for his Mom! As I type this she has 14 friends!

What this life experience taught me was ...NEVER stop learning. Rob's parents never learned the computer...never had to learn it...and now it's such a challenge to learn what seems like the easiest tasks (ex: Rob's Dad did not know what a "cursor" was...) I will say I'm proud of my In-Laws for having the courage to LEARN something new. Way to go!!!

{Dylan's Communion and Remi's Brunch}

2011-06-16T10:13:00.014-04:00

Dylan Charles celebrated his First Holy Communion in late May. He was so excited for his special day. To be honest, our church changed the format for the Communion and compared to Ryan's and Kyle's Communion at church, Dylan's was even that much more special. Rob and I walked Dylan down the aisle along with the other parents of the Communicants. Our family had a whole section in church together. It really was a special day for our family as well as the party back at our home after Mass. All 3 of my boys wore their gold crosses to church for dear Mom. :-)

Another special event happened in May...My sister and her husband have been trying for YEARS to adopt a little girl. Long, long story about adoptions from China, problems, etc. ...too long for my blog. Well, here is our new family addition from South Korea in my sister's arms (below)...Remi Cecilia came into our family and arrived home the day before Dylan's Communion Party. What is amazing to me is Remi's actual birthday IS Dylan's birthday (June 11th)!! Here are a few photos from "Remi's Welcome Brunch".

"Ham and Cheese Strata"
Ingredients
8 oz. asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
5 cups French bread cubes
2 cups shredded Gruyére or white cheddar cheese, (8 oz.)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped chives or green onions
8 oz. cooked ham, diced
10 eggs
1-1/2 cups milk
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boiling. Add asparagus; cook 5 minutes or until bright green.
2. In a greased 3-quart baking dish spread half the bread cubes. Top with cheese, onion, chives and half the ham and asparagus. Top with remaining bread.
3. In a bowl whisk together four of the eggs and the milk. Evenly pour over layers in dish. Press down bread pieces into the egg milk mixture with the back of a spoon. Top with remaining ham and asparagus. Cover; refrigerate until ready to bake.
4. Bake, uncovered, in a 325 degrees F oven 30 minutes. With the back of a wooden spoon, press 6 indentations in top of strata. Pour a whole egg into each indentation. Bake 20 to 25 minutes more or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of strata registers 170 degrees F and eggs are set. Let stand 15 minutes.
5. Cut into squares to serve. If desired, drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and cracked black pepper.

{Rob's Surprise Graduation Party}

2011-05-17T22:44:00.005-04:00

If anyone really knows me, they know I certainly could not let a day go by like my husband receiving his Doctorate and NOT have some kind of celebration...so...I planned a surprise party for Rob. This wasn't just any surprise party, I pretty much invited just about everyone who was part of his life. 132 people invited to be exact. And you know what...everyone came...To me and so many other people in Rob's life...he's just such a special person who is so much fun, who is so caring and an overall good friend. I believe that's why just about everyone who was invited to Rob's surprise party came out to celebrate. And celebrate we did. The party lasted ALL night long...from 5:00 until well after 1:30 AM. Here are some photos...

I can't thank our good friends: Curt and Jane for coming over to help me set up while Rob was at work! Here are some of the trays (7 trays total) from the delicious Izzie's Restaurant.

Rob came home to a house full of food and drink for everyone in his life to toast his accomplishments. Way to go, Robbie!

The last guests....we had a GREAT time...The weather was perfect...the company was fantastic...food and drinks lasted all night.....it's well after 1:30 AM when I snapped this photo. What a night...We love ya, Robbie. :-)

{Rob's Graduation ~ Rowan University Class of 2011}

2011-05-17T14:04:00.000-04:00

It was a GORGEOUS day in May. May 12th, 2011 to be exact. My sweet, smart, hard-working and dedicated husband graduated from Rowan University with his Doctorate in Educational Leadership on this beautiful day. We decided to drive to Rowan for Rob's graduation with the top down on the Jeep...the weather was THAT nice...and it seemed poetic to drive to your graduation with the top down...it doesn't get much better than that. :-)

Here is Rob with some of his "Cohort" friends that were with him in the 3 year graduate program...Friday nights, Saturday classes, TONS of evening classes (mostly Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:00-10:00) and lots of get-togethers after class to discuss the program.

We couldn't be more proud of Robert Christopher Rossi!!

After the ceremony a nice dinner out was in order to CELEBRATE!

Life certainly is a JOURNEY...Rob and I are both lovin' the ride and we can't wait to see what is next in our life. :-)

{Spring Break}

2011-05-16T06:02:00.000-04:00

Life has been so, so busy. Spring Break was a whirlwind. Spring Break started with Rob defending his Dissertation at Rowan University (called a "Symposium"). Rob was so nervous and had such anxiety the 48 hours leading up to this picture. I secretly took this photo with my camera on my phone. Rob said when he looked at me during his presentation my neck was completely full of red blotches. Whew! What a stressful period in both of our lives. The great news: After 3 years of many night and weekend classes, Rob is now officially-Dr. Robert Rossi

Over Spring Break.......We visited 3 different Home Depots and 1 Lowe's in order to finish the boys' bathroom and a variety of other home projects.

Over Spring Break......The yardwork, weeding, leaves and mulch was overwhelming. I worked so hard on the yardwork while Rob worked on the boys' bathroom. I actually worked the one day outside over 10 hours. The next day I could barely move my wrist. Rob bought me a wrist guard. My wrist took about 3 weeks to recover. I know, I know...why didn't I hire a landscaper to help me? A neighbor told me they don't charge much more than the cost of the mulch I paid for delivery. Next year...next year...

Over Spring Break......Ryan Christopher got his braces off!!!!

Over Spring Break...the bathroom was finished! Here is Dylan taking the very first bath. Way to go, Robbie, on a well-done bathroom for our boys.

Right after Spring Break...we took the kids to the Phillies Game with the Voorhees Teacher Association...Here I am with my best buddies from work.

{Footprints in the Sand}

2011-05-03T16:51:00.000-04:00

One night I dreamed a dream.
I was walking along the beach with my Lord. Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me and one to my Lord.

When the last scene of my life shot before me I looked back at the footprints in the sand. There was only one set of footprints. I realized that this was at the lowest and saddest times of my life. This always bothered me and I questioned the Lord about my dilemma.

"Lord, You told me when I decided to follow You, You would walk and talk with me all the way. But I'm aware that during the most troublesome times of my life there is only one set of footprints. I just don't understand why, when I need You most, You leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you."

Margaret Powers

{Wounded Healer}

2011-04-17T08:15:00.003-04:00

My prayer box pendant: I love and cherish this piece of jewelry. I wear this necklace almost all the time. What is the prayer box? For me, it's a place for me to write prayers to God (on a small strip of paper) and place the strip inside the prayer box. I have saved every small strip of paper with all of my written prayers to God. The reason I save all of my written prayers is I find solace in knowing that all of my prayers have been answered. I have a new prayer to add....let me explain...

My blog is not only an online scrapbook but a therapeutic outlet for me. I have been blogging now for 5 years. Yes, 5 years. I guess I really do have a lot to say!!!!

I go through periods where something will happen in my life and I get myself all worked up, upset and a bit irrational. (*I also have many periods in my life where I find joy, happiness, peace, etc.) My blog helps me think, write, investigate, learn and rationalize whatever it is that I need to work on to help myself grow as a person. Here is an example:

I blogged here about being a "Sensitive Soul" . The "Sensitive Soul" article was so good it actually requires a second reading. Very therapeutic for me.

Recently I learned about Carl Jung's "Wounded Healer" phenomenon as a counseling student at Rider University. Let me try explain in my own words about "wounds".

Everyone has "wounds"...personal wounds that caused an injury...so to speak..How can I explain? Think of a time in your life when you were hurt, sad, depressed, betrayed, etc. That event caused a wound that is either still healing or already healed over. Just as a child falls down, gets a cut and the cut scabs over, or heals, that child can re-injure that scab and cause the cut to be a fresh "wound". We all have personal wounds that we carry around on our soul. The wounds can heal over (death in the family, divorce, etc.), but sometimes an event can cause that wound to reopen (another death, a break-up, etc.)

I had another "wound" reopen this past weekend. I won't go into too many details but the event caused me to think about one of my favorite books, The Help by Kathryn Stockett. (*Note: Read this book!!!) In The Help there is a character named Celia Foote whom I personally identify with. Celia is not too much like me in that she is unable to have children and dresses provocatively. However, what Celia and I do have in common is that she works hard to please everyone. No matter what she does, Celia is not accepted by the local group of women. One day after many rejections, Celia cries "Why don't they like me?" I, too, have said that statement many times when it comes to certain groups of women. No matter how hard I try, I am not included in the many events by some of the circles of women that are in my life. After that latest "wound" this weekend was reopened the event made me realize, just as Celia Foote realized...."they will never accept me". So what did Celia do in The Help? She planted a garden. Yes, that's what she did. She finally realized the women in her social scene were NEVER going to let her "in" so she moved on with her life and started by planting a garden. So what am I going to do on this beautiful Sunday morning?

I am going to add a new prayer to my prayer box as well as thank God for the enlightenment from the book, The Help.

I am going to clean my yard and prepare it for a new garden, just as Celia.

I am going to love myself for who I am and pray that my new "wound" heals over sooner than later.

Continue to learn, evolve, grow and enjoy my journey in this thing called life. :-)

{Phenomenal Woman and Choices}

2011-04-13T06:01:00.005-04:00

Lately, I am really into poetry. Here are two favorites that I stumbled across recently:

Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Choices By: Nikki Giovanni

if i can't do
what i want to do
then my job is to not
do what i don't want
to do

it's not the same thing
but it's the best i can
do

if i can't have
what i want then
my job is to want
what i've got
and be satisfied
that at least there
is something more
to want

since i can't go
where i need
to go then i must go
where the signs point
though always understanding
parallel movement
isn't lateral

when i can't express
what i really feel
i practice feeling
what i can express
and none of it is equal
i know
but that's why mankind
alone among the animals
learns to cry

{Change...is good}

2011-04-03T04:43:00.009-04:00

I blogged about my word for 2011 ~ Change ~ on 1-1-11. Change: "to become different in some particular way, without permanently losing one's self or its former characteristics or essence." I LOVE the "Word" project that I have been doing the past couple of years (*thanks to my favorite blogger, Ali Edwards). I am happy to report that I have, in fact, been changing quite a bit. You know what??? Change is really good.

First big change of 2011-Remodeling some of the rooms in our home. Here's Ryan in the new office (*Study? *Library? What SHALL we call this new room?) Also, pictured is the new living room which will become an entertainment room. Rob and I have so many ideas floating around in our head how we want to decorate the new rooms. I am having fun just dreaming about the possibilities!!!

Here is the color stain we picked for the hardwood floors. Rob and I are so, SO excited about the new floors. Honestly, we have wanted to put hardwood floors in our home for 10 years now. Better late than never. The boys are really excited, too!

Rob and I have been visiting every furniture store under the sun. Macy's, Raymour and Flanigan, Woodloft Furniture, Mealey's, Ethan Allen, etc. Here is the furniture from Ethan Allen that we cannot afford but plan to duplicate in our new office, study, library...whatever we call the old dining room.

The boys' bathroom has been in dire need of a complete makeover. The 1970's baby blue tub, toilet, tile, etc. just HAD to go. So, here's Rob tearing out the bathroom. Over spring break Rob is going to tile the bathroom. As I type this blog post, the new "deeper" tub is installed. YAY!

Last but not least, here is a photo of the basement. Rob tore out all the old carpet, we put some old furniture to the curb and we plan on painting over spring break. New carpet gets installed over spring break, too. The work we are doing in our home is very, very exciting.

What other changes for 2011 are a head in my life? I'm so excited to find out! Life's a journey...I really plan on enjoying the ride!!!

{Poetry~My New Collection}

2011-03-16T17:30:00.003-04:00

I decided that I want a new collection. No more Precious Moments. No more Longaberger Baskets (*I still have and LOVE my old baskets.) No more Dickens Village Houses for under the Christmas Tree (*I have more than enough, thank you very much.) I do LOVE Belleek Irish China and have a few small pieces, so Belleek is NOT out of the question.(*Yes, I would love some more Belleek, thank you very much.) However, I need to start a NEW collection. Here's my idea:

I decided I am going to collect classic books of poetry. I am going to start purchasing one book at a time. Not only do I want to collect the poetry books, but I want to read every single one of them. Here is my list of poets (so far) and if you have a suggestion, let me know. Poetry is completely new to me and I am really, really excited!!!! I know my list is not complete. Right now I do not dare add Shakespeare. Or do I? Let me start on this list below and then I'll blog about my poetry experiences...in 2012. Make it a great day!

Rumi ("Because of love I have become the giver of light.") (I blogged about Rumi here in 2009.)
Hafiz ("I am a hole in a flute that Christ's breath moves through. Listen to this music") (*This quote has been on the sidebar of my blog since 2009.)
John Keats
Walt Whitman ("Oh Captain! My Captain!")
Mary Oliver ("One Wild and Precious Life")
W.B. Yeats
Langston Hughes
T.S. Eliot
Maya Angelou
Shel Silverstein
E.. E. Cummings
Robert Frost
Edgar Allan Poe
Emily Dickinson

{What Makes Dylan Special?}

2011-03-08T06:14:00.001-05:00

Dylan is the "Star of the Week" in his class this week. He had a variety of activities to share with his class as the star. On Monday he shared a poster called "All About Me". Another activity was a letter from everyone in his family saying why Dylan is so special. Here is what we sent to school:

From Dad: “Dylan is always happy, enthusiastic, and eager to share his life with me every time I see him."

From Ryan: “I love my brother, Dylan, because he is always happy.”

From Kyle: “I love Dylan because he is small and cool. Most of all, I love him because he wants to be like me: He wants to play my sport and do everything I do.”

From Mom: “Dylan is so special because he is always smiling. He has a special gift of being happy just about all the time. His inner joy and happiness is such a wonderful quality to have for life. I am so blessed to have him as a son. I love him so much.”

We love Dylan immensely! We are lucky to have him part of our family!

Happy “Star of the Week”, Dylan Charles.

{STOMP}

2011-02-18T20:04:00.000-05:00

I went to see the show STOMP at the Merriam Theater last night in Philadelphia with some Shamong friends. What an awesome experience! Just stepping out of the parking garage onto Broad Street near City Hall in Philly was a beautiful sight. The show was a "choreographed percussion, movement and physical comedy" as taken from the brochure, but in my opinion is was FUN!

http://www.stomponline.com/show.php

I tried and tried to embed a video of STOMP into my blog. I even tried to find some worthwhile video on YouTube to embed into my blog. Nothing good on YouTube. Plus....Each time I had some kind of error. So...do me a favor...click on the link above. There is a video that plays automatically on the website. You will be able to check out some cool music from STOMP!!

"You're here for a good time, not a long time." Stephen "Wacki" Serwacki, cast member (*as taken from the STOMP brochure that I read from front to back.) Liked the quote. Caught my eye. So, you know me, had to blog it. :-) Make it a great day!

{Disney World}

2011-02-11T14:06:00.017-05:00

Santa, Grandmom and Grandpop Haney, Grandmom and Grandpop Rossi and Parents surprised Ryan, Kyle and Dylan on Christmas with a trip to Walt Disney World. This trip included Dylan's first airplane ride. Here are the boys on the plane....I even wore my Mouse Ears to the airport at 4:30 AM!!! WHOOOHOO Disney~Here we come!

Epcot...Soarin' and GM's Test Drive were our favorite rides!!!!

The boys were good about taking pictures with the Disney characters....for Mom ;-)

We were lucky to fit two days at the pool as well as the hot tub. Yay! We were very happy staying at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside.

My favorite park: Magic Kingdom (*Loved the laser show at Cinderella's Castle)

Rob's favorite park: Animal Kingdom (*He loved Everest Expedition)

Ryan's favorite park: Hollywood Studios (*He loved The Tower of Terror)

Kyle's favorite park: Magic Kingdom (*He loved Space Mountain)

Dylan's favorite park: Magic Kingdom (*He loved the Speedway Racetrack)

Some classic shots of my boys! I'm ready to scrapbook this trip. :-)

This picture of Ryan at the Animal Kingdom is great because I have the SAME photo of Ryan at this fountain at the Animal Kingdom when he was 5 years old. Way cool!

Walt Disney World certainly is a very magical and special place for any visitor. Rob and I have been lucky enough to visit the parks a dozen or so times in our lifetime. Our boys will visit the parks again on their High School trip. This, pretty much, was our last time visiting the parks as a family. (*I joked to my boys that someday when I have a granddaughter, I'll take her to the "Bibidi Bobidi Boutique"). I'm grateful that Rob and I were able to take our kids to Walt Disney World.

What's next on the Rossi Family travel (*wish) list??

Lake Placid, New York (*July 2011~Rob's Iron Man Triathlon!!!)
Idaho, Wyoming, Montana (Yellowstone~We are trying to visit all National Parks!)
Northern California (San Francisco, Muir Woods, Yosemite and the California Coast)
San Diego, California (*I am trying to visit Je' this April, we'll see! Rob and I want to get the boys out to San Diego, too, for a visit. )
Rob's idea is to take a summer OFF and drive from Washington State to San Diego, California. That's a cool dream!!! Love it!
Prince Edward Island~Nova Scotia (*Anne of Green Gables~my favorite kindred spirit)
Ireland
Greek Islands (*Thanks to the beautiful movie, Mama Mia!!)
Australia (*See previous blog post)

It's nice to dream....I just know that someday these trips will become a reality. It's only a matter of time. :-) Make it a great day!

{“A jug fills drop by drop.“–Buddha}

2011-02-01T10:09:00.001-05:00

It's not a secret that I have felt for the past four to five years that I am on a philosophical and spiritual journey. What do I want for my life? I want to:

learn
evolve
change (*my word for 2011)
expand
grow
transform

As the psychologist Carl Rogers (*I am studying his theory at Rider...love his philosophy!!) famously said: "The curious paradox is that when I accept myself as I am, then I change." "When you truly know who you are, the act of change stems not from insecurity, but from confidence. It is not self-doubt, but self-expression." It is not "Who am I?", but "This is who I am." Change. Reinvention. That is me for the past few years. I'm loving this stage of my life!!!

On a spiritual note....Uluru is one of Australia's most recognisable natural icons. I recently watched an interesting show on Uluru in which I said to my hubby: "We are going to Uluru someday." Uluru is a sacred and spiritual place in Western Australia. It has many springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings. After watching the show on Uluru, I just KNEW that I had to visit this spiritual place. I cannot wait to climb Uluru. I don't care if I have to wait until I'm 70 years old, I'll go to Uluru. I can feel it.

The only other truly life changing-spiritual place I have been on Earth was at Zion National Park. (Blogged about Zion here.) If Zion was spiritual, then all the more reason to visit Uluru.

Another part of my spiritual journey has been to learn from "Master Teachers" via books, television, websites, etc. Here are some favorite quotes from Maya Angelou's Master Class:

..Love Liberates
"I am grateful to have been loved and to be loved now and to be able to love, because that liberates. Love liberates. It doesn't just hold—that's ego. Love liberates. It doesn't bind. Love says, 'I love you. I love you if you're in China. I love you if you're across town. I love you if you're in Harlem. I love you. I would like to be near you. I'd like to have your arms around me. I'd like to hear your voice in my ear. But that's not possible now, so I love you. Go.'"

...Who You Really Are
"If a human being dreams a great dream, dares to love somebody; if a human being dares to be Martin King, or Mahatma Gandhi, or Mother Theresa, or Malcolm X; if a human being dares to be bigger than the condition into which she or he was born—it means so can you. And so you can try to stretch, stretch, stretch yourself so you can internalize, 'Homo sum, humani nil a me alienum puto. I am a human being, nothing human can be alien to me.' That's one thing I'm learning."

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song"

{Sunshine and Rainbows}

2011-01-29T11:16:00.002-05:00

My husband teases me by saying I am always "sunshine and rainbows".....It's true...most of the time :-) As long as I can remember, I have had a pretty upbeat attitude and a positive outlook on life. I feel blessed that I was born an internal happiness for enjoying life.

When I think back to my childhood, I always liked mementos or objects that brought me happiness. Holly Hobbie was a favorite...I even had the bedspread in my room! Then in High School I fell in love with Hello Kitty. I couldn't wait to go to The Cherry Hill Mall on Friday nights. I would visit the gift shops that sold Hello Kitty items and spend my babysitting money wisely.

In college was the first time I met Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables). I fell in love with Anne and Gilbert. To this day, Anne's character makes me think her happiness, joy and that fact that she will always be my favorite kindred spirit. When Rob and I were married I HAD to have a Precious Moment to represent our love on top of our wedding cake. This is the exact Precious Moment that, to this day, I still have in our curio cabinet. Precious Moments represent another form of happiness in my life.

Recently I fell in love with the Twilight Series. I guess you wouldn't call the books or movies the ultimate in "happiness", but what I love is their romantic theme. The books and movies, also, brought more joy and bliss into my life.

I guess what took me by surprise this past week was when, by accident, I found out someone I work with "blocked" me from FaceBook. It really bothered me for about a day or two. I kept thinking, "What's wrong with me? We are not EVEN friends, but why would this person block -even a feed from a mutual friend- from me?" I won't go into all the details about my husband seeing the "feed" from this non-friend, work-colleague and I, apparently, did not see the feed at all. (*My husband is not friends with this person either, but we ALL have a mutual work friend and he could see certain feeds and I could not see the feed on FB.) I had no idea you could block feeds, friends, etc. on FaceBook. I never tried to block anyone or anything from my life. Well, maybe that's not 100% true, but you know what I mean. :-)

It's not my character. It's not who I am as a person. In fact, I'm the total antithesis of a "blocker". And, that, my blog friends, is the enlightenment and lesson I received from this event in my life. (Because, after all, life really is a lesson!) So...back to the "sunshine and rainbows"...my husband made me feel better after the "blocker" incident. He said: "Sweetie, you are all sunshine and rainbows, and she (*the colleague who blocked me -and I'm sure other people- from her life) can't stand anything that has to do with happiness, sunshine and rainbows." Yes, she (*the blocker) is the antithesis of me. She must have so much saddness and darkness inside of her. I pray that someday, she finds the light....finds her happiness...

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
-- Marianne Williamson

My most favorite quote as of late:
“Baby, those people [who say hurtful things or betray you] can’t hold a candle to the light God already has shining on your face. Don’t you know you are? You’re God’s child.” Maya Angelou

Update 1/31/11: I can't believe how many Instant Messages (on FB), how MANY emails and how many people have been talking to me, personally, about this post. I am truly overcome by even more happiness and joy inside for the true spirit of friendship that surrounds me in my life. Thanks for the messages!!! Remember: Make it a great day!!!!

{Scrappy Girl}

2011-01-26T03:00:00.002-05:00

As the writer of the blog for 4 years now, I don't even have to write or say how much I enjoy scrapbooking. Many of my posts have been about scrapping, papercrafting, etc. Here are a few of my recent layouts. Most of the ideas are from Creative Keepsakes magazines or the new Close to My Heart Idea Book.

The layout of Ryan is called "Don't Blink"...and that's exactly the feeling lately in regards to my boys. I can't believe HOW FAST they are growing up. I saved a few spots in this layout for Ryan's Junior and Senior year of H.S.

Jimmy Buffett concerts from last summer layout....Great weather...super friends and a really fun time!

Another layout on my hopes and dreams for the future....I know, how many hopes and dreams can a girl have? Well, it's really amazing to look back and some of my journals and scrapbook layouts from 4, 5 or even 6 years ago...many of my dreams for myself and my family, in fact, came to be. :-)

I made this "Chase the Rainbow: Follow Your Dreams" layout for each one of my boys. I copied the layout from the new CTMH Idea Book. I just love the layout. Each button (notice the rainbow colors?) was hand sewn with waxy flax. I think I spent about eight hours just on three 12 x 12 layouts. That's dedication!!!! A lot of times when I scrapbook pictures and put the layouts in an album I think to myself: "Do my sons really appreciate these photo albums? These scrapbooks?" The truth is, they are young boys and right now, my sons are not into their scrapbooks. But maybe someday....who knows? What I do know is that over the past 12-13 years of creating scrapbooks for many family and friends in my life has given me a inner peace and happiness.

Thanksgiving layout

I have been meaning to scrapbook the beautiful pictures of my grandmother, Cecilia Haney. I love these old photos. I love the picture of my grandparents on the beach somewhere at the Jersey Shore. I love the Communion picture of my grandmom. The picture I like the most is the one where I can see my son, Ryan, in her. What a legacy...again, how many ways can I write to explain my love of scrapbooking?

Make it a great day!

{Just Dance}

2011-01-22T17:13:00.001-05:00

The Rossi Family just loves the Goida Family. Rob and I have been friends with Mike and Melissa for a long time. Our families don't get together as much as we would like, but when we do get together, the adults and kids have a fun time!
Here are some photos of our latest get together:

Ryan, Kyle, Kayla, Dylan, Dylan, Kyle...in that age order. LOL! We love the same names in our families. Truth be told: If our son, Ryan, was a girl-His name was going to be Kayla!!!!

Melissa and Kayla are so pretty! Love these girls. :-)

I had to BEG...BEG Kyle to take this picture with Kayla's life-size cutout of Justin Bieber. Rob and I call Kyle "Bieber" at home as a joke to the latest and greatest hairstyle for teenage boys. Here, also, are Rob, Mike and Ryan trying out Mike's iPad. The iPad is a toy that we would LOVE in our household.

Rob, Col, Melissa and Mike

Everyone had a BLAST dancing to the Wii game: Just Dance 2. It's a game that we are going to get really soon. Fun! Fun! Fun!

{Ryan's 16th Birthday}

2011-01-07T05:29:00.010-05:00

My oldest son, Ryan, turned 16 on January 4th! Where DID the time go??? I can't believe he's a sophomore in high school!!! Ryan picked PJ's in Medford Lakes for his birthday dinner.

We don't keep soda in the house (except for company...) so a large fountain soda at a restaurant is such a treat for my boys.

Yes, that's Kyle being silly behind me!! Maybe Rob can Photoshop his arm and hand out of this shot...it's actually a nice picture of the two of us. Ryan took the picture-Good job, Ryno!!

Happy 16th Birthday, Ryan Christopher! We love you so much!!!

{My Word for 2011 ~ Change}

2011-01-01T19:02:00.001-05:00

My word for 2010 was SIMPLIFY.

Looking back over entries from 2010 that I’ve shared on this blog…

I pondered the words to a meaningful song.
I dissected my Personal Mission Statement.
I elaborated one of my favorite sayings "Namaste" when I heard: "I see you".
I decided that my "calling" or area of study in counseling was Existentialism.
I reflected on the year 2009.
I wondered about the "Fringe Benefits of Failure".
I explained my "Today".
I traveled modestly to Acadia National Park fulfilling another dream.
I shared a very personal and meaningful Gratitude Letter.
and I shared all of my "Loves".
I honestly feel that I lived by my 2010 motto to live a more simplified and meaningful life.

My word for 2011 is CHANGE.

Change: "to become different in some particular way, without permanently losing one's self or its former characteristics or essence."

Change is inevitable for all of us....it may be a small thing or might be something really big, but we will all go through many changes throughout our life. Some changes we might not even be ready for but we will have to go through it anyway. Change is good for all of us.... It helps us grow, it helps us become who we are.... it defines us....

It’s cliche, I know, for every year is new and different — but I feel 2011 will be unique.
Those are my words. What are yours?

{Sledding}

2010-12-31T09:41:00.011-05:00

Christmas vacation. Lots and lots of snow. 3 new sleds. 3 new pairs of boots. A huge hill at Cherokee High School. A day of sledding for my boys, cousins and friends. WHoooHoo!!

Here is Ryan making a Snow Angel just for me....he is almost 16 after all and when I said, "Ryan, please make me a snow angel.", he looked at me a bit strange. But, he's a good kid and made the angel just for me. :-)

Dylan going down the hill. Kyle smiles for Mom. :-)

Need a place to sled in the South Jersey area? Stop by Cherokee H.S. There are a few huge hills that are great for sledding.

Gina...my sister...and me. ;-) Colleen and Rob! Love the LLBean hat, Robbie!!!!

When will we get another snow storm?? Soon, we hope!!! Make it a great day!

{Christmas~2010}

2010-12-28T07:19:00.016-05:00

Merry Christmas 2010 from the Rossi Family! Ryan, Kyle and Dylan were so excited all day on Christmas Eve. They could not wait to see what Santa brought for them...Here they are as they came down the stairs at 6:00 AM on December 25th.

Dylan loved his Hot Wheels Race Track and his Nerf Gun! Ryan and Kyle loved their new XBox, video games but they really loved their Roy Halladay frames!!!

The Rossi Family ready for Christmas Brunch!!!

Monkey Bread and Mimosas...perfect!

Family coming over for a visit :-)

Good times....

Big surprise! Christina's new car!!!!!

Ryan, Kyle and Dylan with ALL of their cousins:
Zane, Sean, Travis, Hope, Christina, Gavin and Nick!

What Do We Love About Christmas?

What do we love about Christmas;
Does our delight reside in things?
Or are the feelings in our hearts
The real gift that Christmas brings.

It's seeing those we love,
And sending Christmas cards, too,
Appreciating people who bring us joy
Special people just like you.

By Joanna Fuchs

{Happy 50th Birthday, Uncle Ron}

2010-12-20T17:01:00.001-05:00

Rob and I took the boys to a favorite family restaurant: Francesca's Italian Cucina for Rob's brother's 50th Birthday dinner! Happy 50th Ron!!!

Here is Ron with his girlfriend: Lori......Here is Grandpop Rossi with Dylan.

Christina with Lori's two children (Kelsey and Kyle (*another Kyle!!). Here is Rob with such a wonderful and loving aunt: Aunt Dink

All the kids made some kind of crazy drink mixture by mixing drinks into one glass and shaking in hot peppers, salt, etc. Everyone dared Kyle to drink it! Here is Grandmom Rossi with her 3 older grandsons. :-) The evening was a nice celebration for Rob's brother...who is such a wonderful uncle to my boys. Happy 50th Birthday Ronnie!

{Longwood Gardens}

2010-12-20T16:48:00.000-05:00

Have you ever visited Longwood Gardens? Visiting Longwood Gardens is beautiful anytime of the year...However, make plans to visit @ Christmastime soon! The Christmas displays were beautiful! Plan a visit NOW!

Hydrangeas (a favorite), poinsettias and lilies. All the flowers were gorgeous.

Waterfalls...streams...flowers everywhere!

We even saw a wedding! How romantic!

Visiting the Peirce duPont home on the property was very interesting and something I really enjoyed. There were historic pictures all over the home. Whenever I see a posed black-and-white photo like the one below, I can't help but remember the movie Dead Poets Society: "Carpe Diem"....Seize the Day!

{Happy 13th, Kyle Robert!}

2010-12-20T16:08:00.001-05:00

Rob and I want our boys to try different restaurants. We pick a new restaurant for birthday dinners. This year, Kyle picked "The Library" restaurant (steak house) in Voorhees for his special birthday dinner. My boys (and hubby) love a good steak. I rarely make steak at home. So...The Library Steak House seemed like a good choice for a family dinner out.

Kyle received mainly money and gift cards. Rob and I gave our "Kman" a digital drum set.

My boys~ Love them to pieces!!! Happy Birthday, Kyle!!

{Celebrations Thanksgiving Week}

2010-12-02T16:56:00.001-05:00

Rob and I were invited with our boys to celebrate Thanksgiving at my brother's home. Here is Rob with all of the other "Haney" men: Jon, Robert and my Dad. I want to thank my sister-in-law, Nicole, for asking my oldest son, Ryan, in reading a funny Thanksgiving prayer before dinner.

A must for Thanksgiving dinner: Mashed potatoes and gravy!!! Here are some of the cousins together: Dylan, Hope, Travis and Sean.

Can you believe that my oldest son, Ryan, is now taller than me? He'll be 16 in January. Where does the time go???

Rob and I have so much to be thankful for this year. :-)

I want to thank my dear friend, Marie, in waking up SUPER early (3:00 AM!!!) to go Black Friday shopping with me. Here is Marie in Old Navy at 6:00 AM on Black Friday (*Yes, I always have my camera!!). We had a lovely and delicious breakfast at Panera after all of the shopping.

A new tradition that I enjoy is attending the Audubon Fire Truck Parade. I am so amazed at how many fire stations participate in the parade. Collingswood, Haddonfield, Merchantville, Pennsauken, Cherry Hill, Westmont, Haddon Heights ...the list goes on and on...each truck is decorated in Christmas lights. The parade ends with the Audubon fire trucks carrying Santa and Mrs. Claus. What a great way to start the Christmas season!!!

{Jersey Boys ROCKED!!!}

2010-11-25T10:23:00.008-05:00

Rob and I went to see the Jersey Boys at the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia. What an AMAZING show!!! We both had such a great time taking the train into the city the night before Thanksgiving. The city was in a festive mood and we were ready for a good time!

The story dramatizes the forming, rise and eventual break-up of the original four members of The Four Seasons. The musical is separated into four sections, with each section narrated by a different member of the band: Spring (Tommy DeVito), Summer (Bob Gaudio), Fall (Nick Massi) and Winter (Frankie Valli); each member has a different perspective on the band and their contribution to it.

For me, the most meaningful part of the show (*besides the awesome music!) was the true story of Frank Valli and Bob Gaudio having a 40 year agreement with a gentleman's handshake. Yes, a gentleman's handshake!!!

The finale of the show with the entire cast singing "Oh What A Night" (December 1963) is a memory I will keep forever. I am so grateful and blessed that Rob and I were able to see the Jersey Boys in Philadelphia....Another reason to be thankful for all the blessings in my life. Make it a great day!

{Rob's 4th Marathon-Philly 2010]

2010-11-21T16:06:00.009-05:00

I'm so proud of my hubby, Robert Christopher Rossi!!!! He finished his 4th full marathon (26.2 miles!!!) this past weekend in Philadelphia. It was a beautiful and crisp fall day...a perfect day for running the Philadelphia Marathon.

Rob and his buddy, Pat, drove over to Philadelphia very early on the Sunday before Thanksgiving...the time of the year when the marathon is held. I left home a few hours later with my 3 boys and we picked up Patrice, Gavin and Faith to see Rob and Pat at the finish line.

Life is so, so good!!!! Happy November!!!

{Wine Tour}

2010-11-21T15:49:00.014-05:00

Rob and I attended a FUN 40th birthday party last weekend for a really nice guy~ our friend, PJ. The event was a blast! It was one of the most creative adult birthday parties that I have attended!!

A tour bus took all of the party guests to 3 different wineries with the final destination being a cool wine bar and restaurant.

The wine was delicious and very plentiful. Here's Rob with his buddy, Craig.

I found out that I LOVE Tapas!!! The German in me came out because I loved the sausage, sauerkraut and pickle over toast appetizers.

Michele and PJ are such a nice couple. Michele did a fabulous job planning an awesome party for her husband. Happy Birthday, PJ!!!

{Thanksgiving @ The Rossi's}

2010-11-08T06:25:00.000-05:00

A walk to the beach is always in order when Rob and I visit beautiful Avalon, NJ.

Sunset...right before our dinner @ Momma Rossi's House. :-)

Rob and I take turns celebrating Thanksgiving with family. This year we are celebrating Thanksgiving at my brother's home, so Rob's family wanted to have a family Thanksgiving in order to get everyone together for the holiday. So, this past weekend we took the boys to Avalon to have an early holiday with the Rossi family.

Rob's parents are such wonderful hosts. The house is decorated festively for the holiday. My mother-in-law adds special touches everywhere. The kids enjoy the classic Coke bottles for each special dinner. It's a treat the children look forward to at "Grandmom Rossi's Home".

Everyone met Ron's new girlfriend, Lori, who is very nice.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

{Halloween~2010}

2010-10-31T11:49:00.009-04:00

The weather was crisp and beautiful this Halloween. Rob and I were able to stay home together (for the first time!!!) and give out candy to the trick-or-treaters. Ryan walked around the neighborhood with Dylan. Kyle walked around with friends. It was a really fun day. :-)

I sat on the front porch while Robbie picked up the leaves (*with his new leaf contraption that he does NOT really like that much!!!) for the trick-or-treaters.

Look at my boys from past Halloweens. :-)

It's a tradition: Rob always carves a GREAT pumpkin. This year he used his drill. It was Dylan's idea to add "fangs" to our pumpkin's smile.

Happy Halloween!!!

{Another Trip Around The Sun}

2010-10-31T11:40:00.018-04:00

My birthday, which is on Halloween, fell on a Sunday this year. I love when my birthday is on the weekend...it's so nice to sleep in and relax. Rob and I consider our birthdays one and the same because his birthday is the day before mine...we always have a fun time exchanging gifts, going out to breakfast and even treating ourselves to a nice dinner at our favorite restaurant, Giumarello's.

I have such thoughtful friends. My friends at work had a cake for me for my birthday as well as some nice gifts. I am so blessed to have such good friends at work.

Gina, Nicole and Marie gave me such thoughtful and nice gifts this year. I loved the cheesecake, too, at our scrapper night. Yummy!

My word, or theme, for 2010 is "Simplify". Nicole found this sign for me and I LOVE it. It's hanging above my kitchen sink already. :-)

Every single card is hung in my kitchen window. I love cards. I love to send cards and I love to receive cards. :-) There's something special about walking to your mailbox and finding a hand written envelope with your name on it!!!!

Robbie spoiled me with the best gifts this year. I LOVE Brighton!!!!

Probably the nicest thing about my birthday was ALL of the kind and friendly messages many people sent to me on Facebook. I really had an AWESOME 42nd birthday.

Here's my favorite Jimmy B. song:

Hear 'em singing Happy Birthday
Better think about the wish I made
This year gone by ain't been a piece of cake
Every day's a revolution
Pull it together and it comes undone
Just one more candle and a trip around the sun

Chorus:
I'm just hanging on while this old world keeps spinning
And it's good to know it's out of my control
If there's one thing that I've learned from all this living
Is that it wouldn't change a thing if I let go

No, you never see it coming
Always wind up wondering where it went
Only time will tell if it was time well spent
It's another revelation
Celebrating what I should have done
With these souvenirs of my trip around the sun

(Chorus)

Yes, I'll make a resolution
That I'll never make another one
Just enjoy this ride on my trip around the sun
Just enjoy this ride ...
Until it's done

{Jimmy Buffet with Martina McBride}

{One of Us}

2010-10-11T20:24:00.005-04:00

One of my favorite shows on TV is Glee. Last week's episode was on the topic of faith, in particular, religious faith. I have a deep and committed religious faith. I pray every day, sometimes a few times a day. I wear a Celtic heart, a gold cross or a prayer box everyday of my life. When I say a prayer I usually hold one of the aforementioned necklaces in my hand.

When I watched last week's Glee episode the cast sang one of my favorite songs~ever~ "One of Us" by Joan Osborne. I first heard the song in the spring of 1995 shortly after my Ryan Christopher was born. I was home on a maternity leave watching Good Morning America when Ms. Osborne sang her song that would become a very meaningful song to me. Here are the lyrics:

If God had a name, what would it be
And would you call it to his face
If you were faced with him in all his glory
What would you ask if you had just one question

And yeah yeah God is great yeah yeah God is good
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home

If God had a face what would it look like
And would you want to see
If seeing meant that you would have to believe
In things like heaven and in Jesus and the saints and all the prophets

And yeah yeah god is great yeah yeah god is good
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home
He’s trying to make his way home
Back up to heaven all alone
Nobody calling on the phone
Except for the pope maybe in Rome

And yeah yeah God is great yeah yeah God is good
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

What if god was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home
Just trying to make his way home
Like a holy rolling stone
Back up to heaven all alone
Just trying to make his way home
Nobody calling on the phone
Except for the pope maybe in Rome

Joan Osborne - One of us
Uploaded by Jo_Bidjoba. - Explore more music videos.

{The Fringe Benefits of Failure by J.K. Rowling}

2010-10-10T21:02:00.001-04:00

Why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life. You might never fail on the scale I did, but some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you...live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all-in which case, you fail by default.

One of the BEST inverviews. Link to J.K.'s Harvard Speech:
http://harvardmagazine.com/commencement/the-fringe-benefits-failure-the-importance-imagination

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

{My Boys}

2010-10-09T21:15:00.001-04:00

"I love you all the way to the moon and back."

{Cousins}

2010-09-27T06:34:00.015-04:00

I am so lucky to be part of a huge extended family that really makes an effort to see each other at special family events such as weddings, showers, etc. I have written before how I have 25 first cousins and we all try to make an effort to see each other whenever possible.

So, Rob and I had everyone (*cousins on my Mom's side of the family) over on a beautiful Fall Sunday. Not only was the weather perfect, but we were able to set TVs up for the Phillies game AND the Eagles game.

All of my cousins brought their kids. The children had fun playing outside. The ZIP line was a hit.

Rob gave the kids tractor rides (*after much begging from me, but I knew the kids would LOVE the ride on the trail through the woods.) Here's a shot of cousins' kids...2nd cousins :-)

Gina even gave tractor rides because the kids wanted more and more rides!

A good time had by all. :-) Enjoy the Fall weather!!!!

{Acadia National Park}

2010-08-29T07:38:00.001-04:00

Rob and I have always loved visiting National Parks. Our kids have really enjoyed see so many beautiful places in our country. Acadia has been on our list to visit and August is a perfect month to visit Maine.

Our first of many trips to Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. This hike was 3.5 miles up to reach the Summit.

We didn't see too many hikers on the way up to the top of the mountain as many people can drive to the top of Cadillac. I asked one couple to please take our picture. It's hard to get the whole family in a picture. The views from every direction on the hike up the mountain were breathtaking.

For me, personally, I really wanted to reach the top of the mountain myself. It was a struggle for me to hike the difficult trail (The boys practically ran, but always waited for dear Mom!) but I did it! I was so happy I reached the top of Cadillac Mountain! YEAH!

The "26 Mile Park Loop" was something we enjoyed driving as a family. So many stops...so much to see...where do I begin??

We stopped to see Sand Beach (*Kyle did the Polar Bear Plunge!!! See uploaded video!)

"Thunder Hole" and then a picnic lunch at Acadia.

1st try to get into the Sea Anemone Cave-Tide was too high.

We hiked to the Sea Anemone Cave for a 2nd time. We tried to reach the cave at low time. The cave was too hard to climb inside with the rough sea.

Stone Beach was a favorite of mine...all of us!

Natural Sea Wall on the way to South East Harbor. The water crashing at this wall was louder than "Thunder Hole".

We explored "Wonderland" and found many shells. This stop was on the way to South East Harbor.

Biked 10 miles around Jordan Pond, Jordan Stream and Eagle Lake.

We always stopped to see a beautiful bridge on the Carriage Trails or explore nature just a little bit more.

This was my favorite part of the day, biking with my family before lunch at Jordan Pond House.

We all enjoyed the Pop Overs SO much at Jordan Pond House. I asked the waitress for the delicious recipe and she printed it out for me. I am SO making Pop Overs a new family tradition...with strawberry jam, please. :-)

Hiking around Jordan Pond-Maine is just breathtaking.

Bar Harbor, Maine (*see the boats in the water?) behind us?

Hawk Watching on Cadillac Mountain and also...finding the Geological Survey at the top of Cadillac Mountain! Finding this medallion was important for us to prove we reached the Summit. Rob and I hiked 6 years ago to the Summit of Mt. Mansfield in Vermont. I have a picture of that Geological Survey, too. Very cool. :-)

It's hard to explain what camping or traveling does for my kids and my family. No TV, No phone, No Computers, No Electric. Just family time. Sitting around the fire, S'Mores, playing cards, just us. It's very, very nice.

Sunrise on Cadillac Mountain

Highest Point~Furthest East~First Light to the United States.

{Videos of Acadia}

2010-08-29T07:05:00.000-04:00

{Eat, Pray, Love~Attraversiamo}

2010-08-15T17:35:00.025-04:00

It's no secret to my friends that Eat, Pray, Love is probably one of my all-time favorite books. I've blogged before how I've gone to see the author of this immensely awesome book, not once, but twice. (Washington DC visit and Philadelphia visit-here). So when I heard the book was being made into a movie (staring Julia Roberts), I knew I would plan an Eat, Pray, Love PARTY at my home on the movie's Opening Night.

I thoroughly enjoy cooking and entertaining for my family and friends. I frequently stand at my kitchen window (above) thinking about the next cocktail party and what I will serve to my guests. This party would be no different.

Besides food and drinks, I knew I had to have decorations, including some of my favorite quotes from the book. I have even blogged before (here) about my favorite word from the book: "Attroversiamo". And I also blogged about my intital read of this great book (here).

I decided that my menu for my Eat, Pray, Love party would have to coincide with the "Eat" (Italy), "Pray" (India) and "Love" (Indonesia~Bali). Here is my Facebook post from the day of my party"

{So Excited!} Eat ♥ Pray ♥ Love ♥ Tonight!!!! WHOOOHOOOO!!!! Party tonight before the movie. I'm having food stations to represent Italy, India and Indonesia. Homemade pizza, fresh pesto with pasta, chicken Caesar wraps, hummus with pita chips, chick pea salad, peach cobbler, Jezebel dip, banana bread and then drinks!!!!

I prepared all of the homemade food for hours and was very pleased with the results. Rob helped me by making the most delicious pizza sauce. The dough came from Rivera pizza. We, of course, had to make an extra pizza for lunch that day just to "make sure" the homemade pizza would be yummy for the party. It was so GOOD!

Friends~I am so blessed to have so many wonderful friends in my life. They brought food, wine and even gifts to my special party. I was, and still am, so grateful for the people that share in my life's journey. :-)

This is a Facebook post from one of my BFF that literally brought happiness tears to my eyes:

"Went to a lovely Soiree at a person's home who is SO effusively positive that she attracts people like a moth to her happiness flame." Have I mentioned before that "Life is Good"??

"Namaste" was on each name tag before the person's name. Namaste: A common greeting or salutation meaning, "I bow to you".

Aren't these pretty gifts that I received (amongst other nice gifts like the Eat, Pray, Love Soundtrack and lots of bottles of wine!!!) on this special night? It's true, the people you surround yourself with should be the "BEST" and you know what, they are. :-)

After the party, we all headed to the movie!

I end this blog post with my absolute favorite part of the book. I have blogged about this before (here) and after rereading Eat, Pray, Love this past week (for the 3rd time!)

"My thoughts turn to something I read once, something the Zen Buddhists believe. They say that an oak tree is brought into creation by two forces at the same time. Obviously, there is the acorn from which it all begins, the seed which holds all the promise and potential, which grows into the tree. Everybody can see that. But only a few can recognize that there is another force operating here as well--the future tree itself, which wants so badly to exist that it pulls the acorn into being, drawing the seedling forth with longing out of the void, guiding the evolution from nothingness to maturity. In this respect, say the Zens, it is the oak tree that creates the very acorn from which it was born.

I think about the woman I have become lately, about the life that I am now living, and about how much I always wanted to be this person and live this life, liberated from the farce of pretending to be anyone other than myself. I think of everything I endured before getting here and wonder if it was me--I mean, this happy and balanced me, who is now dozing on the deck of this small Indonesian fishing boat--who pulled the other, younger, more confused and more struggling me forward during all those hard years. The younger me was the acorn full of potential, but it was the older me, the already-existent oak, who was saying the whole time: "Yes--grow! Change! Evolve! Come and meet me here, where I already exist in wholeness and maturity! I need you to grow into me!" And maybe it was this present and fully actualized me who was hovering four years ago over that young married sobbing girl on the bathroom floor, and maybe it was this me who whispered lovingly into that desperate girl's ear, "Go back to bed, Liz..." Knowing already that everything would be OK, that everything would eventually bring us together here. Right here, right to this moment. Where I was always waiting in peace and contentment, always waiting for her to arrive and join me."

{Another Trip Around The Sun}

2010-08-13T07:41:00.011-04:00

2010 brought another two Jimmy Buffett Concerts for Rob and myself. Rob hasn't missed a Buffett concert at all since 1989. Most years we attend two concerts. We were trying to figure out how many concerts we have attended and the bottom line: whatever the cost and whatever the amount~the concerts are "priceless".

Lyrics from my FAVORITE song: Trip Around The Sun
I'm just hanging on while this old world keeps spinning
And it's good to know it's out of my control
If there's one thing that I've learned from all this living
Is that it wouldn't change a thing if I let go

No, you never see it coming
Always wind up wondering where it went
Only time will tell if it was time well spent
It's another revelation
Celebrating what I should have done
With these souvenirs of my trip around the sun

Rob totally surprised me with NEW FROG HATS!!! WHOOHOOO! The frog hat story goes back to 1989 when Rob was at the Mann Music Center. He found a frog hat on the ground, wandered around and wound up on the big screen showing the fans. The old frog hat made it to concert after concert, year after year, but started to disintegrate. How awesome that Rob was able to order two new frog hats thanks to one of his softball buddies who has a printing company.

Rob and I tailgated with great friends and had a BLAST at the concerts.

While walking around during the tailgating, we walked across old train tracks in the Camden parking lots. Notice this steel train piece (not sure of the official name...), the piece says "Bethlehem Steel, 1941". My Dad worked at Bethlehem Steel many times over the years. Very cool!

"It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand." :-)

We're going to that one particular harbour.
Take our Caribbean roots with us, huh? You certainly look dressed for the occasion."

I know I don't get there often enough
But God knows I surely try
It's a magic kind of medicine
That no doctor could prescribe

I used to rule my world from a pay phone
Ships out on the sea
But now times are rough
Oh I got too much stuff
I can't explain the likes of me

Chorus:
But there's this one particular harbor
So far but yet so near
Where I see the days as they fade away
Finally disappear

But now I think about the good times
Down in the Caribbean sunshine
In my younger days I was so bad
Laughin' about all the fun we've had

I seen enough to feel the world spin
Mixin' different oceans meetin' cousins
Listen to the drummers and the night sounds
Listen to the singers make the world go 'round

Lakes below the mountain
Flow into the sea
Like oils applied to canvas
Oh how they permeate through me

But there's this one particular harbor
Sheltered from the wind
Where the children play on the shore each day
And all are safe within

A most mysterious calling harbor
So far but yet so near
Where I can see the day when my hair's full gray
And I finally disappear

{Happy 73rd Grandpop Rossi}

2010-08-05T17:23:00.007-04:00

Rob's Dad turned 73 on a fun weekend in Avalon. My parents, as well as Robert and Nicole, were able to come to the Rossi's for dinner. Rob's Mom made her famous spaghetti and meatball dinner. The food was a plenty and it was GOOD!

Rob's Mom has a bag of birthday candle numbers that we always use for birthday. For some reason, the "3" was missing from the bag. So...I improvised. I had the "7" on one side of Dad's cake and the "2" and "1" on the other side of the cake to represent a "3". It all worked out fine!

I love this picture of Dylan with my Mom and Nicole. What kid doesn't like a mouthful of whipped cream??? Enjoy the rest of the summer!!!!

{Rowan Wedding}

2010-07-31T17:27:00.001-04:00

I tried one time to figure out how MANY weddings Rob and I have attended since we have been a couple (25 years). Considering we had 7 weddings the year we were married....I have a huge family that enjoys each other and believes in inviting all cousins (I have 25 first cousins) to weddings....plus we have a large social group of friends....Our list of weddings is well over 100. That's really on the "low side" for the amount of weddings we have attended. I don't even want to think about all the $$$$ we have given as engagement party gifts, shower gifts, and wedding gifts....but it's all good, right???

In every single wedding response card that I have ever sent back (*Yes, I, not Rob, have sent every response card back. And for the record, I always order him a "fillet" if the response card has a food choice.), I have always...I MEAN ALWAYS put "Mr. Robert Rossi and Mrs. Colleen Rossi" on the NAME part of the response card. I don't know why I have this "feminist" side to me because I am pretty traditional in other aspects of my life, but I do not particularly enjoy "Mr. and Mrs. Robert Rossi" on any correspondence. On this particular day at this particular wedding, I was one "happy camper". LOOK (above) at the awesome place card that was waiting for me. :-) YEAH!!!!!

The Collingswood Ballroom is certainly a beautiful place for a reception. The cocktail hour was upstairs (*where I am standing to take this picture) and then the curtains opened to the bride and groom dancing to "their song".

What a FUN reception! The Photo Booth was a hit!

I LOVED my new dress! I LOVED my new shoes!

Rob's Rowan friends~They will all graduate together in May 2011 with their Educational Leadership Doctorate (Ed.D)

Rob and I on the ride home after a fun reception. We both love when a digital clocks shows 11:11. Whenever we see the time, 11:11, we text or call each other to tell each other: "I love you".

***Looking forward to the next wedding..... :-)

{Family Photos on the Beach}

2010-07-22T19:27:00.009-04:00

It's been a tradition for about 15 years now to have family photos at the shore. Our family has grown over the past 15 years and it's really neat to see all the photos lined up next to one another. This is the latest "Rossi Family Photo" with all of the Rossi Cousins on the beach.

I can't even describe how much I love these kids!!!!

My boys.....Love Ryan, Kyle and Dylan so very much!

Christina and Nick together...Ron with his kids.

Rob, Col, Ryan, Kyle, Dylan and Snickers~2010 Family Photo

{I Love....}

2010-07-19T16:15:00.002-04:00

I Love...

My family
My husband
Sunrises and Sunsets
Museums
Seeing new cities
Shrimp
The smell of the ocean
Broadway Shows
Taking pictures
Leaf piles
A good book
My friends
The sun
Holidays
Waterfalls
Trying new things
Hanging with fun people
Room Service with Robbie
Seagulls
Taking my family on vacation
Snow
Being snowed in
Black and White photos
Gardening
Fossils
Fresh sheets on my bed
Comfy socks
The smell of a Christmas Tree
A really good summer peach
Butterflies
Waking up in my husband's arms
Vermont
Iowa
Oklahoma
Making Blueberry Buckle
Growing lavender
Being with my family as long as possible
Getting a pedicure
Driving across the country *again and again to find new adventures
Icicles
Going out to dinner to a good Italian restaurant
My initials
The love of my husband
Anything Irish

{Phenomenal 4th of July}

2010-07-06T18:45:00.021-04:00

July 2nd~Making dessert in Grandmom's Kitchen

Path to the beach...Perfect weather....Cool breeze...just right!

Father and Sons

Visiting Grandmom and Grandpop Haney in Anglesea

July 3rd~Who can pass up a night on the Boardwalk? Not this family!

Rob and Nick going on the "Spring Fling" (285 feet up into the air!!!) on the Boardwalk

All the kids enjoyed Polish Water Ice and to tell you the truth, it's MUCH better than Italian Water Ice. Just sayin'

How sweet is my darling Robbie? He woke me up at 5:00 AM so we could watch the sunrise. (*Note: For the past 25 years I have been trying to get my sweetheart out of bed on summer mornings in Avalon to watch the sunrise and he usually is too tired to wake up....so today was a complete surprise.) The sunrise on July 4th was PERFECT!!!! No clouds to block the beautiful view. If you are reading this right now...you will not believe this...but it's true...Rob and I actually saw a pod of dolphins right after the sunrise on this particular AM. :-)

Happy Independence Day!!!!

At the Avalon races...a family tradition on the morning of the 4th of July.

Ryan came in 1st place for the Individual Sack Races for his age group!! WHOOHOO!!

July 5th~Ending our great holiday with a traditional game of Monopoly.

{For The Kids...A New Pool...}

2010-07-01T19:17:00.001-04:00

Rob and I bought the boys an "instant pop-up pool" the last weekend in June. It took Rob a few hours (*after watching the DVD) to set up the new pool in our yard. It then took 3 days to fill the pool. The kids are really excited. Rob and I are excited, too. As I type this, we are happy the pool is still standing without any tears or holes. :-) Fingers crossed we can use the pool for the next few summers....

The pool came with everything...even a fun volleyball net.

We already had all the neighbors over for a swim. I have a feeling it's going to be a summer with lots of company (What happened to my yearly theme, mantra and motto of Simplify???) Here are Zane and Travis when they came over for a visit. (*Aunt Gina in the pool with all 5 boys!!!) It's going to be a fun summer....Please pool....stay standing. :-)

{Block Party}

2010-06-28T16:47:00.011-04:00

June has been a great month for parties, gatherings and awesome weather.

I simply love to garden. It's one of my many hobbies.

The Annual Summer Block Party for our neighborhood is usually in June. This year was no different. Many of the neighbors help set up tables, chairs, BBQ's, music, horseshoes, etc. to make the event a fun time for everyone in our neighborhood.

Good times.....Late night around the chiminea catching up with friends.

I love the Christmas lights that my neighbor, Glenn, strung along the trees for horseshoes. Here is a photo of the "Tractor Race" (*Note: Rob won!!! Rob won!! I'm so GLAD he purchased the John Deere with the extra horsepower!!!WHOOHOO!!!)

Rob and I are fortunate to live in such an awesome neighborhood to raise our kids. Life is good. :-) Make it a great day!

{Dylan's 7th Birthday}

2010-06-15T17:17:00.000-04:00

Birthday Boy ~ Goodie Bags

Pinata ~ S'mores

Zip Line, Basketball and Hockey

Cousins

Family

Cake

Cards and Presents~What a great birthday!

{Phillies}

2010-06-15T17:14:00.000-04:00

Our Annual Phillies Game with our boys!

We love having dinner @ the Ball Park...and dessert :-)

"Mom, please take my picture with my new bat!"

{Best Buddies}

2010-06-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

Robie and Eileen have been my dearest friends for over 18 years. I LOVE them both to pieces. They are my source for inspiration, advice, guidance and friendship. xoxoxo Love you guys!

{Ryan}

2010-06-07T16:04:00.001-04:00

Ryan is really enjoying Seneca High School. Here he is with the High School Tennis Team.

Rob and I always hoped that Ryan would be involved in activities and/or sports at the High School level. Besides doing well in school with his subject areas this year, he ran Cross Country, Track and now just finished a great season of playing on the Tennis Team. Tennis seems to be his favorite (and best) sport.
I couldn't be more proud and thrilled for my oldest son. xoxox :-)

{Today}

2010-05-27T20:46:00.004-04:00

Today....
I was~ told by my husband how much he loves me "so much". **Smile**
I am~ 41 years old but still feel like I am a 16 year old girl ...giddy about life but oh, so sensitive at times.
I think ~ the weekend in Avalon will be wonderful especially with sunshine in the forecast.
I wonder~ what the summer will bring? Maine? Disney? Poconos?
I wish ~ I could prevent my children from any suffering ...if I only had a magic wand.
I save ~ corks from every bottle of wine. I have a HUGE vase filled with a variety of corks. Love my cork collection.
I always~ see Jimmy Buffet every summer. I haven't missed a concert in 18 years .
I can't ~ be fake. I wear my heart on my sleeve.
I believe ~ in the power of nature to remind me to live in the present moment.
I promise ~ to keep enjoying every moment of my life with my family and friends.
I love ~ my blessed life with all of its imperfections.

How about you ?

{Happy 50th Anniversary, Margie and Ron!!}

2010-05-25T13:13:00.023-04:00

Saturday, May 22nd was the day we celebrated Rob's parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary. We started the festivities @ Avalon Country Club with a dinner for the immediate family.

But...what my In-Laws didn't know was there was a surprise party in the works during dinner that night....We had family back at their home in Avalon setting up....

When they pulled down their street in Avalon, all of their family and friends were at their home to celebrate their anniversary. Everyone was on the deck or in the driveway yelling "Surprise!"

A huge shout out to Jonny the K for preparing the delicious DiBruno Bros. food. Everyone at the party enjoyed the many cheeses, nuts, figs, meats, etc. from Philly's best gourmet food store.

Shots of family and friends who came to Avalon to surprise Margie and Ron.

Everyone at the party signed a picture frame for the special couple.

Inside and Outside of their home

The invitation..... The men who pulled off the surprise!!!

Cool outside shot on the deck at sunset. Another huge shout out to Jon, Robert, Nicole and Gina for coming early to the Rossi's to set up. (Mary, too!!!) THANKS!

Rob with his cousin, Curt. Margie with her "girls" who helped set up the party.

Below...a video of the grandchildren giving their grandparents a toast.