Flashback Friday

This afternoon we are going to a water park with our friends. I hope that I get a shot of the boys as good as this one of a young Jeremy.



Five years already?

I loved our wedding. Not just being surrounded by family and friends, the food at the reception and the dance, but the wedding itself. In front of God and everyone we professed our vows to each other and were married. The look on Jeremy's face as I approached him on my dad's arm is something that I will treasure for a life time. The ceremony didn't go without a few glitches-Father David called me Theresa (my Mom's name) and almost forgot the exchange of rings-but at the end of the ceremony we were married.

I didn't think I could love Jeremy any more than I did back then. What a difference five years can make! I wish I had a timeline but it seems like we've crammed a lot of good stuff in over the years; 2 boys, 2 houses, 2 big moves, promotions, job changes...it could have been a little overwhelming, (believe it or not I DO tend to get easily overwhelmed and freak out a bit) but Jeremy is so laid back that he balances out my urge to overreact.

Our life is not perfect by any means. I tend to skip over the arguments we have about how many pairs of shoes are acceptable to keep at the back door and why I can't seem to turn off a light when I leave the room-but at the end of every single day, I know that I married my best friend and I love him even more today than I did when we said "I do".



Happy Father's Day!

Ben and Owen are two very lucky boys-their dad is absolutely wonderful.

From the time we found out we were pregnant he has been taking care of them. Jeremy was a willing participant in our birthing class and changed the plastic doll's diaper and learned how to swaddle like a pro. He was less than eager when I mentioned a breast feeding class but went along like the trooper he is.

There has never been a doubt in my mind that he would be a great Dad and he has yet to prove me wrong. When Jeremy walks into the door every afternoon from work he is greeted by screams of delight and two sets of arms reaching for hugs. Ben and Owen have their very own superhero.

As the boys get older there are the special things that they get do do with Dad. Tuesday nights when I work they head to McDonald's for half price Happy Meals and chocolate shakes. Ben gets donuts with Dad when company is in town and lately has been going to the movie's. They are looking forward to seeing "UP" tomorrow. Don't worry-Owen will be heading out with daddy as soon as he can sit still for longer than 3.8 seconds.

Father's Day is a little bittersweet since Jeremy lost his dad several years ago. I was not fortunate enough to meet Charles, but I'm convinced that he was an amazing man. His love comes straight through Jeremy every single day.

Happy Grandpa's Day (Ben's words) to my dad, Papa Art, as well. Hope you have a relaxing Father's Day. We love you!



His father's son

I came into the living room the other day where Jeremy and Ben were watching television. I noticed that it was a game and Chicago was listed.

Mom: "Are you watching the Cubs win?"

Ben: "Mom, we're NOT watching baseball-it's basketball."

(In my rather weak defense, the game wasn't actually being played at the time. I can normally tell the diference between the two sports.)

While on a walk with the boys on Thursday, Ms. Kim drove by in her minivan. Ben wanted to know where her car went. I explained that the car was fast and by walking, we couldn't keep up. Shorlty after a white corvette drove past.

Ben: "Mom, that's a fast car. Not Ms. Kim's."


While walking out of a store last night....

Mom: "Oh, look at the pretty flowers."

Ben: "Yeah, but they make me sneeze."

Needless to say, Jeremy was proud of his boy on all accounts.



Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

Today is Jeremy's Birthday!

I don't even know where to start- He is the best husband anyone could EVER ask for and a such a great Dad to his boys. We are so lucky to have him.

Yesterday the boys and I went shopping for a birthday gift and to pick up a cake (he said that he wanted a marble one this year). Nothing like waiting until the last minute! I had no idea on what to get him so after dropping of the dry cleaning and returning a movie, we head to Target.

I had talked to my brother Greg and he thought it would be OK to get him a game for the wii (even though that's what I have given him for every gift since he got the wii last year for his birthday). We get in the store, I put the kids in the shopping cart and Ben says that he has to go pee pee. So I take him in, no big deal, then continue shopping. After shopping for a while I discovered that they don't have the game that I wanted to get him. We're off to look for a cake. Ben now says he has to "poo"-we head back to front of the store to the restroom. I get both boys out of the cart head in to the potty and Ben decides that he doesn't really need to go right now. We wash hands (I'm carrying Owen) and head back out to the Bakery. They have a few marble cakes made but were pretty ugly. I asked how far in advance I would need to place an order for a cake and was told that they weren't taking any more orders for the week.

OK, new plan, I'll stop at Dick's Sporting Goods and maybe find something Cubs related. (They are in the playoffs) No luck on Cubs gear but I did find the Perfect Pushup (as seen on TV) that he had mentioned that he wanted.

The hunt continues, we're off to Wal-Mart. We get into the store and after getting Ben off of the mechanical horse, we head back to electronics- they are out of the game- head to the bakery to check for a cake- no luck only white or chocolate! I return the cart and head out of the store only to hear, "Mommy I have to go poo poo". We return to the store and go to the bathroom successfully this time, but it's a madhouse trying to get out of there. My guess is that the senior citizens bus had just dropped off. We leave the store empty handed-no cake, no game, and Ben still wanted to ride that horse!

At this point I'm getting bummed, all I had was that pushup thing, what a crappy birthday present. The boys are doing great and have been in good moods all afternoon, so I head to the Price Chopper on the other end of town to find the cake...and they had it! I was so excited! The cake had candles that spelled out "Happy Birthday". I asked the lady at the Bakery to write Daddy on the cake. Simple enough, I thought. I hear her say, hmmm, maybe I should have centered this more. She wrote it on the left side of the cake! We then decide to add "We love you". She shows me the cake (it kinda looks like Ben wrote it) and says she's only been doing this for a week. I'm fine with it because we found a cake!

By now, three and a half hours have gone by and I have a cake and the pushup thing. As a last resort, I swing over to the Wal-Mart in another town close by. I get into the store (no horse here but Ben wanted to be pushed in one of those enormous carts that the kids sit in the front on these plastic things, which I can't do because Owen is too little) find the electronics department and they have the game! Yay! I check out, get the kids back in the car and head home. Whew, what a day, right? Owen was a trooper-not once did he complain as I strapped him into the carseat, only to be taken out of the car to be strapped into a shopping cart all afternoon.

We get home and I'm exhausted, unloading the car as Jeremy pulls into the driveway. Ben, still excited about our adventure, runs up to his Daddy and says "we got you a birthday cake and a new game! Can we play it?"

Jeremy's birthday gift is not a surprise (he still doesn't know about the pushup thing because Ben doesn't know what to call it!). We are going to take the cake to his office this afternoon and share it with his employees. We're also bringing along his favorite boneless wings from 54th Street Grill.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEREMY! WE LOVE YOU!