we wish you a merry christmas.....

and a healthy and happy new year!

2010 HERE WE COME!!!!

45 life lessons....

someone forwarded me an email with the following list of 45 life lessons....
and i loved it......
thought i'd share...



Written By: Regina Brett , 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."
My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, and then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.


how cool is that?!!!

merry christmas!!!!!!!
-colleen

turkey leg 2009

all ben wanted was a turkey leg and some corn......so that's what he got....and he was thankful :)

big news at hanover green kindergarten this week........ben c. was STAR STUDENT OF THE WEEK!!! can i get a "woo hoo"!!!

we're super proud of our boy....

The Green Skeleton & Monkey Boy

we had a great time this halloween......it's ben's favorite day of the year!
he's been telling me since july that he wanted to be a "green" skeleton.....thank God we found a costume!!!

i think the monkey costume fit landon perfectly!!! he had a lot of fun too :)




they're such cool kids....i wish i didn't have to work so i could hang out with them all day :(

oh yeah...Happy Veteran's Day!!!

-peace out

my mom.....

i miss her.....today marks a year that she left....it sounds weird to say "it was a blessing" but, she was suffering.....she fought a good fight....she just couldn't fight anymore....it was so hard to see her go.....she was the glue that kept us all connected........now things are different.....she meant so much to all of us.....how she raised 8 kids and kept her sanity is nothing short of a miracle :)

i just wish she were here for the kids.....ben remembers....as much as a 5 yr old can.........landon won't remember.....and that breaks my heart......

i really can't believe we made it this far.....

love you mom...

Field Trip!!!

yesterday was ben's 1st kindergarten class field trip to miller's orchard in clarks summit, pa... i was lucky enough to chaperon.......i love his class......such a fun group of kids.....they all had so much fun.....and the weather could not have been better.....70 degrees...blue skies.....pumpkins......sliding boards....apple cider.....who could ask for more??? it was great to see ben having fun with all the other kids....i always worried that he was shy....well.....he's not.....hahaha.......he has lots of buddies and i couldn't be happier :)

and....just because i love this time of year .......

...

happy fall!!!

Top Gun....

i've been a little out of "blog world" lately........i started taking a few classes at a local college (kind of local....takes me about an hour to get there).....anyway, it's been a lot of work but it's something i really need to do....i've always regretted not finishing college sooooo.....why not go back at 35??!!!! hahaha.......i love it.....i definitely appreciate it more.....when i was 18, i could care less about school...i just wanted to get a car of my own and hang out with my friends.....so...i got a car.....then i realized that i needed to work to pay for that car.......and before you know it....i quit school and started working full-time.......big mistake but....you live, you learn.....

here are a few shots of the boys.....landon is finally talking up a storm!!!!

landon, doing his tom cruise impersonation......

and that's ben doing his best david beckham impersonation.....hahaha...

peace...

September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month

September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month.


If you don't know what you can do to help, you can always grab a bite to eat at Chili's (Chili's one of my personal favorites).


Now through September 30, Chili’s® Grill & Bar restaurants around the country will observe National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month by inviting guests to support the mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital during the sixth annual Create-A-Pepper to Fight Childhood Cancer campaign. And when you eat at Chili's on September 28, 100 percent of profits from participating restaurant sales will be donated to St. Jude. THAT'S HUGE!!!!!

Here are a few facts I borrowed from Sharlene (thanks again !!!!):

- Childhood cancers are the #1 disease killer of our children, more than asthma, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and pediatric AIDS combined.

-One in every 330 children will develop cancer before the age of 19.

- One out of every five children diagnosed with cancer dies.

- Three out of every five children diagnosed with cancer suffer from long-term or late onset side effects

- Cancer in childhood occurs regularly, randomly, and spares no ethnic group, socioeconomic class, or geographic region.

- On the average, 12,500 children and adolescents in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer each year.

- In the US about 46 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer every single school day.
- 2,300 children and teenagers will die each year from cancer

- Less than 3% of all cancer funding is directed at the twelve major types of childhood cancer.

- Wear gold, spread the word and show them you care

- Together you can help to find a cure TODAY

If that's not enough to motivate you to help, there's always Tuesday Whitt and her incredible family. She is the reason I think about Pediatric Cancer........her story will change your life......for the better.......I promise :)

~Colleen

http://www.chilis.com/ourcommitment/default.asp

SOOC = Straight Off Of Camera

Ben was sooo happy to start school....until we got to his classroom ...:(
Head on over to Melody's @ Slurping Life to see everyone's SOOC pictures this week :)

SOOC - Back to School....

ben had his 1st day of kindergarten on wednesday.....he was excited....until he got to his classroom....then there were some tears.....(from both of us)........he was fine and couldn't wait to get there on thursday......thank God!!!

landon was excited as well.......everything ben did that morning, landon was right next to him doing the same thing.....putting his shoes on...getting his hair brushed....putting his backpack on.....it was cute.....

i'm so glad i snapped this picture of them walking to school........landon was skipping right behind his big bro.....hahaha

head over to melody's for more great SOOC shots: SlurpingLife

SOOC - Happy Birthday Baby Boy

how can he be 2 already???!!! it seems like he was just born!
he's my little goofball.....he's sweet.....he easy going....he's my baby...and i love him more each day :)

get over to melody's and check out all the entries for SOOC this week....

SOOC

here's my Straight off the Camera entry for this week over at SlurpingLife .....it's my big guy, ben.....standing by a HUGE snake!!!!! he was so proud of himself.....he still tells everyone he meets that he got to pet a big snake.....and an alligator.......and a crocodile.......he's very fond of reptiles.....figures.......i love animals too.....but....i definitely prefer the ones with fur!!!!

have fun checking out all the entries this week!!! i know i will :)

~colleen

SOOC - where's the pool ?!!

wow...it's been so long since i've been able to submit a photo for SOOC (Straight off of camera)...i'm so excited!

this is my baby boy....letting me know that he's ready to go swimming.....he's such a funny little guy :)

can't wait to check out all the other photos!!! it's been so long!

check 'em out here: SlurpingLife

here's to you Pop.....

my dad would have tuned 76 this year.....on august 4th to be exact.......we lost him 5 years ago on father's day.....another casualty of cancer........he was a character....the kind of guy that never met a stranger (if you know what i mean).....just an all around great guy and we miss him :(

July 31, 2007......

7/31/07....it seems like just yesterday......i'll never understand why she had to go.......i guess it's something i'll never know.......
i miss her.......

Emily Joan

1/27/07 - 7/31/07