TEN THINGS TUESDAY (on Wednesday - again)!!!

It's that time of week again. A time where I reflect upon the things that I am thankful for. I am a day late, again, but I still believe in the old saying, "better late, than never!" hahaha!! This week, I am thankful for:

1. Rob having a safe trip to Orlando. He flew out yesterday, to teach a few classes, and will return home on Friday. He's enjoying his time there and it's a nice break for him. I pray that he has a safe return flight on Friday.

2. Girls night tonight with my Mom and sister!! This will be so much fun. We are meeting at Ruby Tuesdays, for dinner. Then, we are going to see the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie. Kelli and I are both excited to spend time with our Mom.

3. My wonderful in-laws who are watching Emily and Ryan tonight, so that I can go out with my Mom and sister.

4. Emily's shopping spree, with Nana and Sarah yesterday. Nana also gave me money for Ryan, so that I can take him out. Emily has a ton of cute clothes and a new pair of shoes to start the school year off right! I will take Ryan out tomorrow, for him to choose some outfits.

5. Matthew!!! He has been one of my best friends for 22-years now!! He is ALWAYS there for me, no matter what. I'm so sad to say that I'm not nearly as good to him, as he is to me -- but, he loves me for all my flaws. Although, I will say that IF he ever needed me for anything, I would be there in a heartbeat. He lives in Maryland, so we hardly see each other. But, he is one of those friends where you can just pick up the phone and start right back into a conversation, like no time at all has passed. Thank you, Matthew, for your friendship!

6. Jenn, and my wonderful surprise card that I received in the mail from her last week. You are always so sweet and I love you, my wonderful Bostonian friend!!!

7. My Dad and taking my van to get inspected for me yesterday. Yikes!! We had let it expire last month.

8. My sweet, precious children. I love them so much and am so thankful for them EVERY single day of my life. They never cease to amaze me and I am blessed beyond belief to be their mother.

9. A wonderful summer break. We didn't go on any fabulous vacation, but we enjoyed every single day of our summer, which was fabulous for us. We have 6 days left until school starts. So, we will have fun and enjoy the last few days of a non-hurried and rushed schedule!

10. The weather yesterday, today, and for what seems to be the remainder of the week. It is beautiful ~~ nice breeze. In fact, I have the windows all opened and we are enjoying the nice, fresh air. God is soooo good!!!!!!

TEN THINGS TUESDAY!!!

Well, it's that time of day again. A time where I reflect upon the things that I am thankful for. I cannot believe that I forgot about it last week. Things have been so busy, especially with the end of the summer wrapping up. This week, I am thankful for:

1. Kelli and her family buying a Jonas Brother's concert ticket for Emily, for her birthday present. They went tonight and are having such a blast. They've all been texting me so I know the play-by-play. I really wish that I would have bought a ticket before they sold out. This is her first concert and she is so excited! Here are Emily and Caitlynn before they left for the show.


2. Kelli, my sweet sister, for surprising me with a brand new CD of the New Kids on the Block's greatest hits. Wow!! It's been fun listening to those songs and going down memory lane. What a thoughtful gesture from my little sis! I love her!

3. That today is the 3rd day that Ryan has had his new albino leopard gecko, named "Leppy," and he was finally able to pick him up. He got this from Nana and Poppy for his birthday. The instructions said that we needed to wait for 3 days so that he could get used to his new habitat. Here is Ryan with "Leppy!"

Ryan, getting ready to pick "Leppy" up!

Ryan is so happy. He just woke up and his hair is a fright, but look at how happy he is. Also, that is not 'trash' in the background, that is his bottle collection!

A close-up of Ryan's hand, holding "Leppy!"


4. True friends! This one is a biggy for me. Sometimes true friends are hard to find -- and, I am happy that I have many of them who love and truly care for me. The feeling is definitely mutual!

5. Ryan! His birthday was last Thursday and he turned 8-years old! What an honor it is to be his Mommy! I miss his baby and toddler years, but am enjoying every milestone that he reaches. He has really started coming out of his shell recently and we are learning that he is quite the comedian. He still prefers to be home than anywhere else, but is spreading his wings some. He also is a leader. If he doesn't want to do what his friends are doing, he just won't do it. He can still be quite the loner, at times -- but, he is completely fine with that. I love him with all my heart! I am so thankful for the gift of Ryan, 8 years and 5 days ago!!!

6. Emily! I love her with all my heart! She is my sweet angel. Quick to give compliments and praises to people. We were in 7-11 last week and she said to the cashier, "I really like your hair. It's so pretty." This lady had the neatest braids and it was pulled up into a fancy bun. She looked at my precious girl and said, "Thank you so much. You are such a sweetheart." I am so happy that she has a kind heart and very nurturing in nature. I am so thankful for the gift of Emily, 10 years and 2 months ago. What an honor it is to be her Mommy, too.

7. Rob for being so supportive of my need to get out and 'find' myself again. For whatever reason, I seem to have 'lost' me and it's been difficult lately. I am finding time for myself lately and I feel that is making me a better person all around.

8. A wonderful hike with my babies!! We love to go hiking and explore nature. We all had so much fun!


9. The health of our entire family. I have mentioned this in other 'ten things tuesday' lists, but feel it's worth repeating. Good health is not to be taken for granted.

10. Giving up diet pepsi -- something that I used to absolutely LOVE. I feel so much better without drinking it. Also, Rob says we are saving a ton of money now that he's the only one drinking diet pepsi. hahaha!

TEN THINGS TUESDAY!!! (on Wednesday)

I'm a day late at doing my list, but 'better late than never.' This week, I am thankful for:


1. Katie Krize, a beautiful 14-year old, who passed away from cancer. I got to know her, through her CaringBridge web page. Her body could no longer fight and the Lord brought her home. I'm so thankful that we will all be reunited again, in heaven.

2. A fun PB&J Pool Party! Everyone had such a good time and the weather was terrific.

3. Daddy/Ryan time last night at the Tony Hawk Boom Boom Huck Fest. They had so much fun and enjoyed being with Kelli and Hunter.


4. Mommy/Emily time last night. While the boys were away playing, we went to see the movie 'Mama Mia!' It was so good. I had planned on taking her to dinner, too, but she was with Nana yesterday and they had a very late lunch/early dinner. We came home and cuddled on the couch. Oh how I love my sweet girl! I turned this picture into black and white because her poor eyes were so glassy and watery from all the heavily chlorinated water, at Water Country.


5. My friends, who are so amazing! I enjoy being with each of you. You make my life so much brighter. Steph, you are there for me DAILY, and I love how Myra brought us together -- you make me smile and laugh so much. Jenn, you are always there with such wonderful advice and a sweet comment or message - I so wish we lived closer. Kris, my friend from high school, who is so good about ALWAYS keeping in contact with me, even though she lives 3-hours away now. Kelli, you are my sister, but are so much more -- I love you! The list could go on and on -- I think my next weeks Ten Things Tuesday will be about all my friends, since I'm running out of room. hahaha!

6. Simple joys -- while we were going to our movie last night, my sweet Emily looked right up at me, and said, "Mommy, you look so pretty in that shirt!" The way she looked at me, made my heart melt. She is so beautiful -- on the inside and out. So tender-hearted and kind to everyone. She really roots for the underdog, goes out of her way to give sweet compliments -- I just love my sweet girl!

7. My quiet Ryan, who is slowly coming out of his shell. He used to always be so 'touchy/feely' with me. He would have his little arm up my shirt sleeve, just always touching me. He is kind of outgrowing that a little, but the other night it was back in full force. He came up to me, gave me the biggest hug and said, "I love you so much, Mommy. You're the best ever." Oh, how simply sweet. My heart smiled!

8. Water Country fun. We had a ton of family with us. It was a good time. Well, I ended up leaving early because Ryan wasn't feeling that well and wanted to go home. But, everyone else who stayed had fun for the remainder of the day.


9. For rediscovering the joy of exercising! I have been so bad about this over the past few years. Yes, few YEARS, and I've been feeling so much better now that I am exercising again!

10. For my husband, who always supports me. You are too good to us, and I appreciate you more than you will ever know!

TEN THINGS TUESDAY!!!

It's that time of the week again, where I reflect on the blessings in my life. I've been so behind on blogging that I will have to update, during my list. This week, I am thankful for:


1. My brother who was so sweet, when I was a little sad today and had to get off the phone with him. He sent me such a sweet text message. Siblings are the best and I have two of the best ones!!




2. A fun get-together at my Godfather's (Bobby) house. We have been so close to them, all of our lives and it's so special to get to spend time with them. The weather was beautiful, the sun was hot, the pool was ice-cold and refreshing, the food was delicious and we couldn't have asked for better company, or a better day. I love for my children to be surrounded by the people who I was surrounded with, growing up. Here is a picture of Muffin (my godfather's wife), Lorie, Mom, Me, Kelli, and Kathy (Bobby's sister) relaxing on a float. What a fun day.



3. My Godfather and his wife's new puppy. They had just recently lost their beloved dog, and it was so nice to meet the newest addition to their family. The kids loved playing with "Cookie."

4. The way that Emily still says things that are not quite the right words to use, even though she is 10! They were putting on sunscreen and we had run out of the "spray" kind, which is way easier to apply. She said, "Mommy, should we just use the old fashioned kind since the spray one is out?" The "old fashioned" kind is the regular kind that you squeeze out of the bottle! hahahaha! So precious!!!

5. Spending the day with my sister, at the pool, while she was off from work. We were able to catch up on a lot of things and it was so nice to just be with her.

6. My brother, who is such a great uncle to our children. The girls love their Scott!



7. Rob, Emily, Ryan, and Hunter for cleaning out and vacuuming my van, this weekend. What a wonderful surprise!

8. The joy of three different girls, with three different personalities, all getting along and playing so nicely! Which can be a rarity, so I take it when I can get it! LOL!!



9. Unlimited texting! This has opened up a whole new world of communication for me. I am a talker and this frees me up quite a bit to chat with several people at once!

10. For Worship Art Camp for the girls this week. For skateboard camp for the boys. It's been nice to get a little free time, while they are having fun at their camps.

11. I'm adding an "11th" one today, because I just feel so blessed! Lastly, I am thankful for the life that I have and to be given another day on this earth. Thank you, Lord! Life is too short and precious to take any day for granted.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY!!!

It's that time again. A time where I reflect upon the blessings in my life. This week, I am thankful for:

1. Four children (my own 2, 1 niece, and 1 nephew) who are playing so nicely today.


2. The beauty of a new friendship -- thanks, Steph!

3. My cool, air-conditioned house. It's so hot outside today.

4. Our "down" day. We are on the run constantly! And, it sure has been nice to have a relaxing day at home.

5. Almost catching up on our laundry. I'm almost there. :-)

6. For the precious gift of life -- I am blessed every single day.

7. A day with no headache. The past few days I have had a headache every single day. Today, I don't. It may have something to do with staying out of the sun today. hahahaha!

8. My sweet Emily, who took care of my sister's cat this weekend, while she was out of town. She was so responsible and took her job as "cat caretaker" very seriously. I am so proud of her.

9. Family day on Sunday. Rob works so much and it's always so much fun to have him with us. We had a nice day at the pool and ended it with a delicious cook-out.

10. My friend, Jenn, who always leaves me the nicest comments and messages. She is such a blessing to me.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY!!!

It's that time of the week again! The time where I give thanks for the blessings in my life. If you'd like to join in on all the joys of "Ten Things Tuesday," please click on the cloud picture above. It will take you to the right spot!! This week, I am thankful for LIFE!!!!! With the passing of a dear friend, on July 4th, and her Memorial Celebration on July 12th, it just makes me thankful for being alive!!!

This week, I am thankful for:

1. The wonderful Memorial Celebration of Myra's life. Her services were private, as she wanted to have her ashes scattered on her Mother's grave, up in New England. Her roommates held a beautiful bonfire memorial celebration, at their house. Myra loved bonfires and we shared stories of our sweet friend. There were no doubts that she was with us, as we celebrated her life!


2. Myra Alexandra May! She came into my sister's life many years ago and they shared a very special bond! Therefore, I had the wonderful opportunity to call her my friend. When she was diagnosed with cancer and given a pretty grim prognosis, she continued to live her life -- to the fullest!!! She enjoyed each day and has made me more aware of just how short and precious life is! Because of my sweet friend, I now wake up each day, with a new-found appreciation for life. I have vowed to ALWAYS have GREAT days ~~ don't sweat the small stuff!! Thank you, sweet friend! I will never forget you! Here's a picture of Myra and my sister, Kelli!


3. For the health of my entire family! Thank you, Lord, for blessing them all with good health! And, by my entire family, I mean, JUST THAT -- Rob and I, our children, my parents, Rob's parents, my brother and sister, their children, Rob's sister and her family!! The list could go on and on, we are all blessed with good health!

4. For another day that I am alive and am able to enjoy all the things that God created! Thank you!

5. For the smiles on my children's faces, each and every morning, when they wake up! I actually NEVER get tired of looking at them and all of their expressions! Thank you, Lord, for that blessing!

6. For my marriage and the happiness that it brings! Thank you, Lord, for bringing Rob into my life so many years ago ~~ almost 12-years of marriage, to be exact!

7. For friends -- near and far -- they are always there no matter what!

8. For a promise of eternal life in heaven. We will see you again, Myra, and all of our loved one's who have gone before us!

9. For the ability to love and be loved!! The human spirit is an amazing thing!

10. For life!!!!! I know that I mentioned this already, but am just so thankful that all of my loved ones are still with me today. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

TEN THINGS TUESDAY!!!

It's that time again! A time when I reflect upon the blessings in my life! I love this part of the week. It really helps to write down all that I am thankful for. This week, I am thankful for:


1. The Farrell Family Fourth of July Reunion Weekend. It was so much fun and such a blessing to be able to listen to my father-in-law and his brothers reminisce about their childhood. I heard the best stories of their father (Rob's grandfather) that I had never heard before. What a remarkable history lesson, from Rob's side of the family. Since his brothers both live in different states, from each other and from all of us, it was even more special that they were here together. We met a cousin (Chris, Uncle Dennis's son) who I had never met before and it was wonderful. It was a very special weekend, filled with memories that we will never forget!

2. For my Mom taking Emily, Caitlynn, and I to see the Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Mystery movie, on Sunday. It was nice to share our love for American Girls with my Mom. The girls enjoyed it and loved spending time with Nana. Then, she treated us to lunch after the movie. What a fun day!


3. For summer days and children playing!

4. We are so blessed to be able to enjoy a beautiful pool, at my in-law's house, whenever we feel like swimming! We all enjoy it so much. With the rising cost of gas, it's a lot easier on the budget to go to Nana and Poppy's house, instead of driving to Water Country. Nana got into the pool today and enjoyed some time with all the children! They all loved it!


5. For the love between a Daddy and daughter! Oh, how it warms my heart to catch Emily and Rob together!


6. For Joshy's sweet face, while he put goggles on all by himself!


7. For Ryan and Hunter, finally staying on their make-shift floats! They worked on them for so long -- fall, after fall, after fall! They never gave up --- and, voila! Here's the finished results!


8. For a fun day of bowling, which was a nice break from the heat! It was so much fun!

9. For the rain that we've been having the past couple of days. We have really needed it. My flower gardens are so thankful!

10. For my precious family -- Rob, Emily, and Ryan -- only the Lord truly knows how much I wanted EACH of you! Rob, thank you for being the best husband in the world. The unselfish and loving ways that you care for us is far more than I could have ever hoped for. Thank you for all that you do! My beautiful Emily and Ryan, my sweet miracles -- thank you for bringing such joy to my life! I thank the Lord for you all every single day!!

TEN THINGS TUESDAY!!!

It's that time again -- the time when I reflect upon all my blessings for the week. This week I am thankful for:

1. Independence Day! For all the military who protect our country, so that we can enjoy our freedom! They are the true heroes. I am so thankful to all the men and women who serve our country!

2. Caitlynn and Hunter being home -- yay!! We missed them so much and it's so wonderful to see them again (2-weeks without our Goosey and Handsy is way too long!). They actually moved right down the street from us. We love it!


3. For all the "older" cousins, who so willingly put on "water wings" so that Brandon would wear his. We had a little scare in the pool with him last Wednesday and we wanted to make sure that he would never slip under the water again (he was fine and Emily got him immediately, but it was a very scary moment). He was very determined NOT to wear them, so the sweet older kids put them on (this was Nana's brilliant idea and it worked like a charm). Just to "explain" the picture below -- Sarah didn't want to swim today, she helped blow up the water wings on the kids. Also, there weren't enough water wings to go around, so Ryan and Hunter only wore one on each arm! LOL! Brandon didn't even notice and wore his for the rest of the day! What a HUGE blessing!!


4. A wonderful beach day yesterday. We had so much fun. I love watching all the children interact with one another. They are all so precious. We brought a friend with us and they all had a blast!


5. My husband, who is the best husband in the world!!! I love him so much. He completes me, supports me, takes care of me, and loves me unconditionally --- even with all my flaws!!! I am so thankful for him!!!

6. My beautiful children! My gosh, the love I feel for them every single minute is indescribable. I often find myself just staring at them and am amazed that I was blessed with such precious gifts!!! Just to explain Ryan's picture -- he really doesn't like getting his picture taken lately. So, I had to bribe him for this close-up, with $1.00 (I still haven't paid -- he's forgotten about it, UNTIL I don't have money, I'm sure), at the pool today. He is a little irritated that I am this close, with the camera, and that's the reason he is looking like this! LOL!



7. My sweet nephews, Brandon and Joshy!! I love how close they are. They always think of each other at snack time and any other time, for that matter. Brandon will say, "What about Joshy?" Or, Joshy will say, "Brandon wants one!" They are the sweetest!


8. Caitlynn and Emily, who are more like sisters, than cousins. I used to feel a little bit sad that Emily didn't have a sister, like I had growing up. Then, we realized that Caitlynn is HER sister. They certainly fight like they are. Then, they are the best of friends and want to be together, when they apart. It's a really special bond. They remind me so much of my sister and I, when we were little. I love watching them.


9. For the Lord for blessing me with the life I have. Whenever I feel a little stressed, it is always reassuring to know that He has the perfect plan for me and is always there.

10. The excitement, in Emily and Ryan's faces, when they look at their garden they planted, at Nana and Poppy's house. They planted it, with Nana, about a month ago, and everything is getting so big.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY!!!

It's that time again -- time to reflect upon my week and all that I am thankful for. It seems like now, with summer here, my list is getting posted later and later! But, that is a good thing, because that means that we are busy, busy, busy!!! This week, I am thankful for:

1. Vacation Bible School!!! Emily and her friends are going, along with Brandon and Joshy. They all love it and are so excited, especially Brandon and Joshy (it's their first year). They all come out sharing all their wonderful stories and songs about God. I just love it!

2. Skate Camp!!! Ryan is going to skateboard camp (for 4-hours a day), while the other children are in bible school. He is learning quite a few new things. This is a BIG DEAL since Hunter is out of town and is not attending this skate camp with him. They went to camp together last year and not too long ago, I would have never imagined Ryan going without Hunter. I love that he is becoming a little more independent.

3. That I can enjoy a few hours to myself, while the children are at bible school and skate camp. We are so busy lately and it's nice to have a bit of time that is ALL mine!

4. That Caitlynn and Hunter's visit, with their Nana and Pops are going so well -- AND, is almost over. We miss them and want them to come home.

5. That I no longer have those dark brown roots!!! I am "blonded-up" again (one of Emily's sayings -- I posted about it a few days ago).

6. For healthy, summer-glowing children! We love the summer and all the different things we get to explore!

7. That Brandon actually walked off the steps today, while we were at Nana and Poppy's pool. He is so scared of the water and usually spends his time on the steps, throwing balls with us. He is building his confidence up and I may just turn him into a "water baby," yet! LOL!

8. For the beautiful laughter of all the children (Emily, Ryan, Sarah, Brandon, Joshy, Maddy, and Morgan), while they so happily played in the pool. Gosh, I just love the noise of happy kids!!! They are all so precious!

9. That I am still able to capture all the memories on my camera, even though I am unable to download any of them to my computer anymore (since the hard-drive is low on memory). This is still a blessing, because I am so thankful that my camera is not broken and that all my memories are being preserved on my memory card!

10. For my family, who love me unconditionally! I love them so much!

TEN THINGS TUESDAY!!!

Hello! It's that time again! The time where I reflect on my week and write out what I am "thankful" for. I just love this part of my week. This week, I am thankful for:

1. A wonderful Father's Day! Rob and I are so blessed to have our Dad's (and that they live so close). And, Emily and Ryan are so blessed to have their Daddy. Rob is such a remarkable Daddy and he had a great example growing up, in his Dad.

2. Such a fun 6-days of being out of school. We have had lots of busy, exciting, and fun days. The weather has been gorgeous and we've enjoyed it fully!

3. My niece and nephew's safe travels to Tennessee. They went to visit their grandparents for two weeks. My sister drove half way and met Dianne (Chris's mom) to drop them off. I'm also thankful that Kelli had a safe trip there and back. We sure do miss Caitlynn and Hunter, but love that they are able to spend this time with their "Nana and Pops." They don't get to see them very often since they live so far away.

4. That the beach is so close to us. We had a lot of fun this morning and enjoyed the sun, sand, waves, skim boarding, and meeting new friends.

5. My precious Emily and her ability to make friends wherever we go. When her new friend, who we met at the beach, ran out of the water to get something, Emily said to me, "I am a people person." She said it with the biggest smile and "just out of the blue." I responded by saying, "Yes, you sure are, sweet girl!" She may look exactly like her Daddy, but her personality is ALL me!! I love it!

6. My precious Ryan and his quiet, sweet ways. We had so much fun yesterday -- just the two of us -- while Emily was with Rob's mom and our niece. He is so easy-going and is up for just about anything. We played games, read books, and enjoyed being together. Then, his friend came over and that was the end of the mother/son bonding; however, what we did have, I will cherish!

7. "Date Night" with Rob! We went to dinner on Saturday and it was just the two of us. It doesn't happen very often and I just love when it does. It's so wonderful to reconnect and be able to talk about anything, without little ears around! I love my Rob!

8. The library and the summer reading program. Emily and Ryan love participating in this each year. They get little rewards each week by meeting their goals. We love it. It's close by our house, takes very little gas to get there, and it's free! Gotta love those programs! LOL!

9. Sleeping in; although, my "sleeping in" now-a-days are only until 7:45 - 8:00. My how things change when you have children! :-)

10. Water Country/Busch Gardens Season Passes! We love to visit both of these parks!

TEN THINGS TUESDAY!!!

Good afternoon -- and, what a HOT one it is!!! It's that time again -- Ten Things Tuesday. Actually, it seems like that's all that I've been blogging about lately. However, I guess if I'm not blogging about daily happenings, it's always good to reflect upon the things that I'm thankful for during the week. So, here goes ~~~

This week, I am thankful for:

1. For one more day of school!!! Yippee, yay!!! Tomorrow, at 12:35pm, Emily and Ryan will officially be on their summer break! We are so happy! This will give us even more time to enjoy things like Nana and Poppy's pool, sleeping in, care-free days, visits to museums, Water Country, Vacation Bible School, picnics, the beach, and etc. Oh, how we love the summer!!!


2. For my wonderful air conditioned house, which is running non-stop with the heat wave that we are experiencing.

3. For beautiful weather on Field Day. The children had a blast. The P.E. teacher did a fantastic job this year planning events/activities that the children enjoyed.

4. For Joshy, our sweet nephew, who turned 4 last Thursday. We are all getting together tonight to celebrate his birthday, at Chuck E. Cheese. It's sure to be fun!

5. For our family day, over the weekend. I always love when Rob is off from work and we get to spend the entire day together. I love our sweet family!

6. For Rob coming to his parents house, right after work, to put gas in my car. While we were enjoying the pool, my beloved husband got my van and filled her up!! I know that I mentioned this in my first or second list, but he is just so amazing. I love him.

7. For Emily making honor roll the entire year. She makes us so proud!

8. For Ryan making honor roll the entire year. He makes us so proud, too!

9. For a night out with my friends (Michelle, Sharon, and Melinda) on Saturday. It was wonderful getting together with them and catching up. We went to Applebee's and then to see "Sex and the City." And, even though I hadn't watched the TV show, I was still able to follow the movie.

10. For knowing that I will go to heaven one day. It's very reassuring on those days that may not be the easiest, that the Lord is always in control of everything. I am so thankful that I know God.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY!!!

It's that time again -- Ten Things Tuesday!!! I haven't been on here since last week. I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to blog; however, I have so much to jot down that I will be doing an update post soon. But, back to my 10 things!

1. My sweet Emily, who celebrated her 10th birthday on Friday, May 30th. We have been so blessed with this precious girl. We prayed for her and God answered our prayers. Our first-born -- Daddy's Princess and Mommy's Sweetest Angel! It's so hard to believe that our baby is in "double-digits" now. I'm so thankful that we have her. I couldn't imagine our life without our Emily Kathleen! Here is a picture of her, just waking up on her birthday. She is in mismatched pajamas, and "posing" with her presents. LOL!!


2. I know that he has been on my list each week, but I am so lucky to have him. So, here goes: For my loving husband, who knows just what to do and say to pick me up, when I'm feeling down. He is truly my rock and my best friend. I appreciate all that he does for me and our family!

3. For my far away friend, Jenn, who I met on MySpace. She truly helped me this past week. She has been there for me and I appreciate it so much. I am thankful for our friendship. And, I'm so proud of her for some major life changes that she has made lately. She is amazing!!!

4. For my Dad, who was there for me, when I was in the parking lot, of Wal-mart, and had my break-down! I love you!

5. Ryan is getting much more independent and actually stayed the night at his friend's house again. This makes two times now. He is really starting to spread his little wings. I adore my biggy boy! Here he is, jumping into Nana and Poppy's pool!


6. For the peace that I am now feeling for letting "things" go that are beyond my control. I have been so tormented with this lately and I finally have an inner peace that is hard to describe!

7. For my new found love of beading! I have made some cute, cute, cute necklaces! I love the opportunity for this creative outlet! It's so much fun!

8. For the neighborhood children who come over and play at our house. They are such good children and it's nice that I have my own children right here so that I can keep an eye on them. I love that our house is the "neighborhood hang-out!" LOL!

9. That our grocery bill was $40.00 cheaper this week!! Yippee!!! With gas prices rising, it's nice to be able to cut back in other areas, and believe me, FOOD is NOT usually one of them!! LOL!!

10. For my health, the health of my husband, and the health of our children! Thank you, to the Lord above, for blessing us with good health. We were watching the Children's Miracle Network Telethon over the weekend and it makes you appreciate even MORE that we are all healthy!


Have a wonderful week! I am going to try to post an update on all the happenings of the Farrell's very soon! I have so much to catch up on.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY!!!

Well, it's that time again, "Ten Things Tuesday!" I love the idea of this and if any of you would like to join in, on the fun, just click the picture above and it will take you to the place to get started!!

This week, I am thankful for:

1. My mother-in-law! She is the most loving, generous, and kind person. I am so lucky to have her. We are all lucky to have her! My children love spending time with her.

2. My father-in-law! He is hard to read, at times, but is such a special man. And, my children adore him!

3. My husband, as he never ceases to amaze me!!

4. The beautiful weather that we've been so blessed with!

5. My two precious miracles -- true blessings from above -- Emily and Ryan!

6. That the Lord has given me another day! I always thank Him, as soon as I open my eyes!

7. For all the military who have served and continue to serve our country. They are true heroes!

8. That our end-of-year conferences, with our children's teachers, went so well. Both Emily and Ryan have worked so hard this year, and we are so proud of them.

9. That my headache went away. I have had one for 3-days straight!

10. For a short school week. Summer is right around the corner!

TEN THINGS TUESDAY!!!

As I was browsing blogs, of "stay-at-home Mommy's," I came across "Ten Things Tuesday." If you click on the cloud picture above, it will take you to Mrs. Brownstone's blog, the person who started "Ten Things Tuesday." I thought it would be nice to reflect upon, on a weekly basis, the things that I "thankful" for. So, here goes my first attempt at "Ten Things Tuesday!"

This week, I am thankful for ..................

1. My sweet husband, who went out in the rain this morning, to pump gas in my van. He actually always does this for me, rain or shine. I love him so much and am so blessed that he takes such good care of me and our children.

2. Emily, my sweet, kind and loving daughter. She is so tender-hearted and definitely sticks up for and protects the "underdogs." When she sees someone making fun of another child, she will actually "correct" them and tell them that it's not nice to do that.

3. Ryan, my shy, sensitive and quiet son. He is such a "thinker" and is just starting to come out of his shell, a wee bit. He is so into skateboarding right now and it's wonderful to see him enjoying something so much.

4. Joshy, my nephew, and his sweet 3-year old vocabulary. After I ran out to my van this morning, to put his car seat and Brandon's booster seat into my van, I said, "It's wet and rainy out there." He responded with, "Amy, it's not raining, it's 'sparkling'!" I loved how he used 'sparkling' instead of 'sprinkling.'

5. My laundry being caught up.

6. Both of our families, who live so close to us. It's wonderful to see them as often as we'd like and for them to be so involved in our lives.

7. Being able to stay home with my children. And, to be able to watch my niece and nephews -- Caitlynn, Hunter, Brandon, and Joshy. I love that I am so close with my sister's and brother's children.

8. My "blooming" garden. Spring is definitely in the air.

9. A clean and uncluttered garage. I finally cleaned it out and organized it again yesterday. The children can get to all of their "things" so much easier now.

10. "Ten Things Tuesday," because I just love the idea of this and to have a specific day to just think about and jot down all the things I'm thankful for that week. With how busy we are, it's nice to slow down a bit and reflect upon all the wonderful things in our life.