Manak Family

HE DID IT!!!

2011-05-31T15:33:00.001-07:00

Dear Family and Friends,

We are so excited to be able to announce the commencement of Jason's Masters of Fine Arts Degree! What an honor to attain this and at the same time it is a relief to close this chapter of our lives! And busy lives they are...

Our family has been blessed with the arrival of four little ones! Christopher is now five and takes after his Dad in so many ways. Although left handed, he is very artistic and has the mind of an engineer. Puzzles and intricate train sets pose no threat to his intellect! Monica is 3 ½ and such a little lady! She enjoys dancing, picking out headbands to match her outfits and taking care of all her baby dolls! Matthew will soon be 2 and is such a bundle of joy. His smile reaches every corner of the house and although he loves tagging along after his older siblings, cuddle times with Mommy are the highlights of his day. Peter is 6 months old. He is such a happy baby and fits in so well with the other siblings. Monica enjoys having a real baby to play with and Christopher spares no opportunity to make his little brother smile.

We are so grateful for our Church and community of friends in the Bay Area. Events for our Married Couples Group, Mother's Night Out, Iron Men Group (Men's group for Jason) and playdates/family nights have been such a positive aspect of our lives.

God has blessed us with seven wonderful years of marriage! We are both so much in love and try each day to catch the little moments to basque in each others company. It's amazing how seven years ago when we vowed our lives to each other we felt there was no way that love could ever get any deeper...and yet it has! We are hoping to go to Hawaii later this year for a second honeymoon!

Some have asked us what Jason could use or would enjoy as a graduation present. If you are so inclined, gifts towards our trip to Hawaii would be appreciated. However, given these tough times, please do not feel obligated to do anything except celebrate this great accomplishment for our family.

May God bless you all!

Jason and Christen Manak & Family

P.S. Pictures will follow in several days...stay tuned!

"You do not know the day nor the hour..."

2010-10-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

This scripture verse has come to my mind so many times over the past two weeks. I'm currently 38-39 weeks pregnant and waiting for our little Peter's arrival. Last Tuesday at my appointment, my doctor said we would plan to break my water on the 29th (today) and let that get labor started. I planned out every aspect of October 29th. Who the kids were going to be with, bags packed for each of them with every detail they might/could need. I'd even written up typical schedules, meal plans, prayers, bedtime routines for each of the children. I had a list of things I needed to do to prepare (cleaning, organizing, laundry, etc.)...it was all going according to plan!

Then I saw my doctor this week and I had not progressed as much as she thought I would have. I'm currently 4-5 cm and 100% effaced. I have to be 6+ cm in order to start labor through breaking my water. So...all plans went out the window! I'm back to timing contractions...wondering if "this is it", trying to enjoy the little moments of my three little toddlers, feeling exhausted, short of patience, and attempting to keep a house that is neat enough so that when I do go into labor whomever comes over won't fall across our doorstep in shock at the state of our house!

At first I told God how unfair it was that we women have NO idea when this special event of a birth of a new soul into the world will take place. I can understand that with your first... But when you have three other toddlers you have to find a sitter for...try and plan everything for them to be comfortable during your 2-day stay in the hospital...meals, clothes, diapers on hand and a million other "little" things!

Then the scripture above ran through my head and it struck me...how am I preparing for eternity?! Am I putting as much effort daily into preparation for all eternity as I am for all the various aspects of this birth? I do not know the day, nor the hour that Peter will arrive, so I spend each second planning/preparing for that unexpected moment in time when it will be the moment to go...what about that moment when it will be "time to go" into eternity with God? How am I planning for that? Do I use each day...each second...to further prepare myself and those around me for that great and wonderful event?

This time waiting for Peter has helped me see how much of a failure I've been in truly living each day as if it were my last. I pray that this is a lesson I remember and take seriously each day as I continue to live my life, preparing for that awesome moment when I will be born into eternity with my Lord.

Mary did you know...

2010-04-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

A lovely March...

2010-03-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

My brother, John Michael, just visited us for his spring break! He was here for 10 days, but it went by so fast it felt like only a couple days. We all miss him already!

Christopher, especially, loved having his uncle here! He spent all day yesterday playing with his airplanes telling me over and over that, "Uncle John Michael had to go away and now he's on the airplanes." LOL! Too cute!

I'm packing this week for my weekend/our vacation down to San Diego! I'm flying down with Matthew on Thursday for a Cathe Fitness Weekend and Jason and the two older kids will join us on Sunday afternoon. We'll hang out on the beaches for a few days and come home Tuesday or Wednesday. My adopted mom, Aunt Susan (Rohr) and Tessa are joining us! What a blast we will have!

Morning sickness made it's appearance several weeks ago, so I'm guessing I'm probably around 10 weeks pregnant. Usually morning sickness starts around 8 weeks for me...now lets just pray it goes away before 28 weeks! :)

Had a fun time with the kids today. We went to a new park and they had so much fun. Now the two older ones are napping, Matthew is playing on the floor and I'm "supposed" to be doing laundry! Time to get off of here and get to work!

A new little life...

2010-03-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

March 3, your daddy and I found out you are growing inside of me! While you came as a surprise to us, I'm already looking forward to meeting you. I feel so very humbled to be so blessed by God! To know that you will be a part of my life...that we'll grow together towards God...and that one day we will share all eternity together praising God fills my heart with such joy and amazement! I love you, my dear child, and I look forward to seeing your face for the first time. You are AMAZING! You are a precious gift from God...don't ever forget that.

My Prince and I .... Again!

2010-01-18T14:01:00.001-08:00

Isn't he so handsome! :D I think so.

A special thanks to Lane for taking these awesome pictures of our family!

Jason & Matthew

2010-01-18T14:00:00.001-08:00

Originally uploaded by lane.allen

Matthew (6 Months)

Two of my Three Angels...

2010-01-18T13:59:00.001-08:00

Originally uploaded by lane.allen

Christopher 3 1/2 & Monica 2

My Prince and I....

2010-01-18T13:58:00.001-08:00

Originally uploaded by lane.allen

Christmas 2009

2010-01-02T00:46:00.000-08:00

Matthew - 3 months!

2009-10-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

Matthew's Baptism

2009-08-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

Matthew's birth story

2009-07-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Matthews birth story

Yay for a totally natural childbirth!!! No pitocin or drugs of any kind. Exactly how I wanted it...and a very healthy boy! Thank you, God!

My body has been slowly dilating by come and go contractions for weeks now. On Sunday night I noticed some thin discharge happening with contractions. I called my doctor on Monday morning and went in to find out I was 8 cm dilated, fully effaced and leaking amniotic fluid.

My doctor then sent me to the hospital. At 3:00 I had my water broken and several minutes later contractions started. At 4:00 I knew things were happening faster and Jason wasn't here from work yet. He walked in at 4:10 and I was in transition. The contractions were on top of each other and I was 9 cm.

I started feeling the urge to push around 4:25 so they called my doctor who came right in already dressed! I started pushing and he was born at 4:32pm! He cried once and I knew he was ok.

Matthew Thomas Manak is a healthy big boy. Christopher and Monica were 6lbs 6 oz but Matthew was 8 lbs 14 oz! Almost 9 lbs! His apgar scores were both 9. I can already tell he will be a easy going baby and I'm so excited to be chosen to be a part of his life!

Where will these tiny Feet go? What wonderful things will his Hands accomplish? How will the world be a better place because of him? Stay tuned to find out!

Please continue to pray for our safe recovery. Jason leaves on Saturday to England on business for 2 weeks. I am already feeling so much better than I did with Christopher and Monica. I guess 100% natural is the best in terms of recovery!

We can't wait for you all to meet Matthew!!! I will post pictures when I get home. Love to all!

P.s. There are a few pictures on our facebook pages. :)

Matthew Thomas Manak
July 6, 2009
4:32 pm - 8 lbs 14 oz
20 inches long

Baby Manak 3 - It's a Boy! Ultrasound Pictures.

2009-05-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

Baby Manak 3 - It's a Boy! Ultrasound pictures

2009-05-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

New Haircut!

2009-04-25T17:12:00.001-07:00

Baby Matthew says hi too! (Well...unofficially Matthew, that is)

OK...so...this is officially the shortest my hair has ever been! It's been getting hot here though and being 7 months pregnant and sick for the last 6 months, I needed something changed! Thank you, Mommom, for the birthday money!

Beach Day!

2009-04-20T23:33:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday!

Bath Time

2009-03-03T12:43:00.000-08:00

Pictures Jason took of me...

Christmas Morning 2008

2009-03-03T11:35:00.000-08:00

The Superman gifts from Grandma were Christopher's favorite!!! He's his fathers son...

Christmas Morning 2008

2009-03-03T11:31:00.000-08:00

Monica's 1st Birthday

2009-03-03T11:29:00.000-08:00

Monica's 1st Birthday Pictures

2009-03-03T11:28:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day on a Dime

2009-02-06T18:28:00.000-08:00

Here is a free downloadable book with ideas on how to celebrate a romantic, yet inexpensive Valentines Day! Enjoy!

A few pics...

2009-02-02T11:43:00.000-08:00

Monica on her Rocking horse!

The following were taken on my cell phone during one of our beach excursions! :)

Monica...was...tired...but Christopher was having a blast on the slides!

Amusing Happening...

2009-01-31T11:26:00.000-08:00

The kids are eating right now...they are side by side in their highchair seats. Monica started coughing when she got too much water in her mouth and Christopher immediately responds, "bless you, bless you, bless you!" Which only makes her start fake coughing so he can keep blessing her! :) Gotta love kiddies...

18 Weeks...and counting!

2009-01-29T19:11:00.000-08:00

How your baby's growing:
Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He/she is busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

Wedding Gifts!

2009-01-29T15:54:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

We have several friends as well as Jason's Mom getting married this year! I saw this post and really liked some of the ideas in the comment responses. Can you all give me your input? What gifts were most helpful when you got married?

Original post located here at MONEY SAVING MOM:
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2009/01/ask-the-readers-frugal-wedding-gifts.html#comments

So...Sorry...but, back!

2009-01-29T10:42:00.000-08:00

The past 6 weeks have been ones of great change, sacrifice and little joys!

Jason started his new job on December 17th and what a blessing that has been for us! His commute is an hour each way, but he takes the motorcycle most days and really enjoys riding. He enjoys his job and co-workers very much. They all seem to be very appreciative of him and like his work. They even gave him a Best Buy gift card for Christmas! LOL...that proves it's a good fit!

The kids and I have been adjusting to having Jason gone during the day. He most often doesn't get home till 6:30-7:30, so the kids have been eating dinner around 6ish, then Jason and I eat when he gets home. I miss having dinner together as a family, but at this point I'm not sure how we can. The kids just can't wait that long to eat. So, Jason gets his "play" time in with them when he gets home! How they LOVE that! When Christopher hears the garage door close he yells, "Daddy!" As soon as Jason walks through the door, Christopher takes off calling behind him, "Get me, Daddy, Get me!" And hence the chase ensues...

I've also been missing stopping into my handsome's office for the periodic, "I love you" kiss! What a change it is having him an hour away! It does make evenings a time to look forward too and I order my whole day around my Beloveds entrance into our home! I've been making a big effort to have the house clean, make-up on, sweatpants off, dinner ready and a kiss awaiting him whenever he enters the door! I LOVE my vocation as his wife and a mother to our three children!

Speaking of three children... Baby number three is still residing inside me, but making his/her presence known by constantly giving me little knudges, kicks, and hugs from the inside! I love feeling him/her! It's so amazing to see Christopher and Monica crawling/running around and realize they were once where this new little one is! What a miracle life is! Seriously...a soul is growing inside my body...where will he/she go? What will she/he do to make this world a better place? Where will those feet go...who will those eyes see...what wonderful things will those tiny hands that are forming do? I'm so in awe of the wonderful miracle that surrounds my days.

That being said however...my morning sickness experience from the last two pregnancies has revisited me. In some ways I really wish I could go into hibernation until the baby is born! January 1st our old insurance expired, but we had to wait for Jason's new insurance to process us before we could get some more meds to help with the effects of morning (day for me) sickness. So...I spent about two weeks literally near the bathroom! Without the meds, I can't keep ANYTHING down until 8-9PM. NOTHING! It was really hard because I was still nursing Monica, but it helped with the weaning process! I just felt so weak! Monica is now only nursing once during the night and sometimes never. She's been getting very good at taking the bottle. However, she still breaks my heart when she climbs onto my lap, facing me, and says, "eeese, eeese, eeese!" She knows the word please and uses the combination of that word with her cute looks and invoking hands to twist Mommy's heart into giving her the desires of her heart!

One day we REALLY needed to go to Costco to get diapers. Getting down to 2 diapers when you have two toddlers in them is NOT a good situation to be in! I was really sick, but knew I had to get into Costco and out no matter what! I got the diaper back packed, shoes on all three of us, coats on and keys in hand...as we headed for the door I knew I wouldn't make it so I ducked into the bathroom. Usually I go in there, shut the door and do my stuff, but this time I left the door open since it came on me so fast. Christopher comes in to find me throwing up. His initial reaction is, "Oh No, Mommy!" with a sound of horror filling his voice! He then realizes this really isn't what Mommy needs right now, so he changes his tone and begins to say, "Good job, Mommy! Good job. Way to go! There, Mommy, Good job!" So...there I am laughing while throwing up! Monica then enters the bathroom and seeing how Mommy is not able to stop her, she proceeds directly to the toilet paper and unrolls it onto the ground. Christopher says, "No Monica. Bad girl." He takes her out of the bathroom and comes back in and rolls up the toilet paper for me! What a great son! :)

I'll try and post some pictures soon. Jason has been downloading them all onto his Mac, so I need to see if he can put them on the media server so I can access them from my machine as well.

Until then...farewell...

My little girl is 1...

2008-12-19T08:47:00.000-08:00

Monica turned 1 yesterday! My little girl is growing up! She got her first doll and while I think Christopher was more interested than her, she definitely enjoyed the baby bottle that came with the doll. :)

Then she and Christopher enjoyed ice cream!!! Monica's Godfather was going to bring a cake, but he ended up being delayed so it didn't arrive until after Monica was in bed...so we'll have to have an extended party tonight and get the cake demolition pictures!

Last night Monica walked across the room to Jason for the first time! She'd taken a step or two or three here and there, but never attempted something so big. Jason was thrilled! She was so proud of herself!

This morning Monica was playing with her doll before Christopher woke up and she was getting really frustrated cause she kept trying to get the doll to stand up, but it would just flop over onto her. She turned it upside down, inspected the feet, then tried again. It was pretty funny to watch her trying to "teach" a doll how to stand up!

I got Christopher up at 8AM and his first request was, "Play, baby?" He was so happy when he saw the baby doll waiting for him! He's so gentle with the baby doll...hopefully a foreshadowing of how he'll respond when his new sibling gets here.

2008-12-15T18:53:00.000-08:00

During this Advent, I've been really meditating on God's choice to give us this new baby! Most days I already feel so overwhelmed, but I know it's His Will to entrust us with this wonderful, beautiful soul that is now living inside me and He will provide all the graces we need to be faithful parents. This song was sent to me by a dear friend and it really made me think about what plans God must have for this newest member of our family...

It's a beautiful song and the images go with it so nicely. Hope you enjoy!

Jib Jab laughs

2008-12-09T15:41:00.000-08:00

I'M SO FRUSTRATED AT COMCAST!!!!! I just spent over 45 minutes on the phone with them... After about 4 months of trying to get their services to work, we decided to switch to AT&T. I called Comcast and cancelled the services we had with them. They cancelled them, but then reactivated them the next day, charging us all the activation charges as well! So, today I get a huge bill saying we have late fees as well! I "think" they figured it all out and cleared the bill, but boy was it frustrating!

So...I decided to take my frustration out on JibJab.

Check these out....I at least got a laugh!

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/wNgEAMjAVFDGeXptQyBn

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/Pg6MftfjCdwQK6Ul83Ii

Some Musings on Early Pregnancy...

2008-12-02T16:59:00.000-08:00

We kept the news of this newest addition to our family a secret for about 4 weeks. We weren't sure how far along I was and wanted to wait to tell the majority of the world on Thanksgiving when we'd be seeing Jason's Mom. Now that the news is out, I wanted to share a e-mail I wrote my friend, Leilani about some random thoughts on pregnancy...

Dear Leilani,

Well, I can’t blog about things I’m going through…since this baby is still a secret to the majority of the world. However, I feel the need to get some things out, so you don’t have to read this, but I just needed to write.

What a weird thing pregnancy is! I’m really trying to be positive, but come on! I mean, why do our bodies turn so totally against us when we are carrying another soul? Is it God preparing us to forever place another over our own wants, desires, and inclinations? Tonight I went from detesting the very thought of food (but still having to get dinner for the kids), to REALLY wanting salmon with pasta (which I made when the kids went to bed). Then I just HAD to have a piece of apple pie… But now the pie is almost done and I don’t want to ever look at it. The lingering smell of salmon in my house is repulsive! If I didn’t know I was pregnant I’d probably suggest a mental hospital!

Even through all this sickness, weirdness and the looming threat of labor, I’m already feeling this intense love for the little soul growing inside me. What will he/she be like? Will this Little One (LO) have Monica’s ability to make me laugh and smile…or shall he possess Christopher’s ability to amaze me each day by his artistic intelligence and sensitivity? Will I have the strength to be a great mother to all three of them? This morning I felt like such a failure to my two children. Here I am throwing up, barely able to change their dirty diapers before taking off at high speed to the bathroom. Christopher wants to cuddle while he watches the movie I “had” to put on…but I tell him I can’t because I don’t know when I’ll be off to the bathroom again. I’m so thankful right now for the gift of Zofran and that God gave my doctor in Virginia the wisdom to prescribe it for me. I feel like a wimp…but I know if I ever needed it, it’s now!

Anyways…I’m gonna go take the pie out of the oven and head to bed. Maybe your Mom will want some when she’s here tomorrow! I’ll call you after my appointment! My prayer now is that I’m the mother of 3 healthy kids!

Thanks for your friendship and putting up with me!

Love ya,
Christen

A Christmas gift...early!

2008-12-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

We recently found out I'm pregnant with Baby Manak #3! It's always been exciting for me to be pregnant during Advent because I feel like I can really relate to Mary. With Christopher I was 20 weeks, with Monica I was 9 months and with this one I'm around 9-10 weeks!

Please keep this baby and my morning sickness in your prayers this Advent. I'm really praying that by Christmas the morning sickness will be gone and I can truly celebrate the 12 days with much joy...and feasting...

I'd like to request that you keep Jason's job intention in your prayers during this Advent Season. We are really hoping and praying he'll be offered a full time job before Christmas Day! Thanks so much!

I wish you all a most Blessed and Holy Advent season in preparation of Christ's birthday celebrations! May God bless you all!

P.S. I have an ultrasound on Friday, so I'll try to remember to post pictures of our little bundle of joy!

2008-11-20T20:54:00.001-08:00

A friend posted this on her Facebook page and I thought it was very helpful information to pass on...

Giving gift cards this year?

I wanted to give EVERYONE a heads up that if you tend to give gift
cards around the holidays, you need to be careful that the cards will be
honored after the holidays. Stores that are planning to close after
Christmas are still selling the cards through the holidays even though
the cards will be worthless January 1. There is no law preventing them
from doing this. On the contrary, it is referred to as 'Bankruptcy
Planning. Below is a partial list of stores that you need to be
cautious about. Also, use up your gift cards if you have them from
the stores listed below!

Circuit City (filed Chapter 11)
Ann Taylor- 117 stores nationwide closing
Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug ,and Catherine's to close 150 stores
nationwide
Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January
Cache will close all stores
Talbots closing down specialty stores
J. Jill closing all stores (owned by Talbots)
Pacific Sunwear (also owned by Talbots)
GAP closing 85 stores
Footlocker closing 140 stores mo re to close after January
Wickes Furniture closing down
Levitz closing down remaining stores
Bombay closing remaining stores
Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January
Whitehall closing all stores
Piercing Pagoda closing all stores
Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.
Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ ( New Brunswick )
Macys to close 9 stores after January
Linens and Things closing all stores
Movie Galley Closing all stores
Pep Boys Closing 33 stores
Sprint/Nextel closing 133 stores
JC Penney closing a number of stores after January
Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores.
Wilson Leather closing down all stores
Sharper Image closing down all stores
K B Toys closing 356 stores
Loews to close down some stores
Dillard's to close

Michael Allan Manak's 50th Birthday

2008-11-06T16:44:00.000-08:00

Today we visited Jason's Dad's grave to wish him a Happy Birthday in heaven. We tried to get him a sunflower (his favorite), but had to settle on something that looked similar and then some white carnations. Christopher and monica each picked out a Happy Birthday mini balloon! And of course we had to get the cute little pumpkin!

We love you Dad/Grandpa!

Amazing!

2008-11-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

Today I noticed I had about 4 diapers left...per child...so we jumped in the car to head over to Costco. It's raining today...pooring! At the corner of Westborough and El Camino there were about 150 supporters of Prop 8... They were praying and holding signs. They were so energetic and young.

It was SO amazing to be reminded that people still care about morals in this country and are willing to fight to have them upheld...standing on a corner in the pooring rain! I literally started crying as I passed them, giving them the thumbs up!

During this election time, I've grown so weary of seeing so many get their priorities mixed up, so to witness what I saw today gave me so much hope!

A Romantic Retreat!!!

2008-10-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

Last night was a night of dreams come true for me! It was amazing and I know nothing I write will even do justice to the spectacular events of the night...

It all started about 7:30...

Monica is asleep...
Christopher has eaten dinner...
I'm curling my hair...the last finishing touch to my appearance!
I'm wearing a new dress Jason surprised me with...my hair is flowing over my shoulders...I'm wearing black high heel sandals...I have a dressy purse with no diapers in it!

Then Shane and Leilani walk through the door enabling my handsome prince to take me out on a date for a HOT dinner with no kids to distract me till my food is cold...

First off, I want to send out a big THANK YOU to Shane and Leilani (and Lily too) for coming over to watch Christopher and Monica so Jason could take me out. You guys are the BEST! I'm so thankful for your friendship in our lives!

Jason got a scholorship from the Academy of Art and decided to use a part of it to take me out to the Ritz in Half Moon Bay for dinner! It was the night of nights! I felt like Cinderella at the Ball!

We were seated side by side in a secluded booth. The table had a really interesting oil lamp on it which reflected in the shined table wood. Our table settings were so ornate and perfectly placed making one almost not want to disrupt the beauty of it!

Our waiter, Darrell, was really awesome! He explained the food so well and was so attentive. He is a father of two girls, ages 17 and 20. He reminded us to enjoy and treasure these times with our children because they pass so quickly! It was a good thing to be reminded of on our night out!

The food was SO good! We got scallops and a pork dish for appetizers then I got a New York Steak while Jason got a Duck dish for our main course! It was SO good! They also served fresh sourdough break and our Darrell brought us a plate of chocolates and jellied candies for dessert!

As I was eating my steak, I started cutting large bit size pieces in a hurry. I typically cut all my food up right away, so I can eat it with one hand while I tend to children. I then realized...there are no children here...they are sleeping at home...I don't need to rush... So, I savored each bite, cutting each piece into petite sizes! It was all so good! Jason and I shared each others dishes, fork feeding each other!

We talked about so many things and just enjoyed eachothers company so much! I feel so refreshed in my vocation as a wife and mother! Sometimes retreats away are such a blessing from God to reinvigerate our desire to do the smallest duties our vocation requires. I feel so bless to have friends like Shane and Leilani who would give their evening in service so that Jason and I could enjoy creating special memories! May God bless them both!

I'm especially thankful for my wonderful, handsome husband who strives each day to make me feel happy and beautiful as his wife! I'm so thankful God lead me this vocation He prepared for me! I feel so blessed to have such an awesome husband, adorable children and caring friends!

Ground Beef for .36/pound!

2008-10-21T22:37:00.001-07:00

Working on getting mine now, but I thought I'd share with everyone else!

Go HERE to see how you can get 5 1/2 pounds of ground beef for .36/pound!

Archbishop Chaput

2008-10-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

A friend e-mailed me this address delivered by Archbishop Chaput on October 17th. You can find the whole thing HERE, but I wanted to paste this excerpt on my blog. It's been really troubling me this election, how many people, even dedicated and committed Christians, place various issues over that of abortion.

The words of Archbishop Chaput:
"I believe that Senator Obama, whatever his other talents, is the most committed ''abortion-rights'' presidential candidate of either major party since the Roe v. Wade abortion decision in 1973. Despite what Prof. Kmiec suggests, the party platform Senator Obama runs on this year is not only aggressively ''pro-choice;'' it has also removed any suggestion that killing an unborn child might be a regrettable thing. On the question of homicide against the unborn child - and let's remember that the great Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer explicitly called abortion ''murder'' - the Democratic platform that emerged from Denver in August 2008 is clearly anti-life.

Prof. Kmiec argues that there are defensible motives to support Senator Obama. Speaking for myself, I do not know any proportionate reason that could outweigh more than 40 million unborn children killed by abortion and the many millions of women deeply wounded by the loss and regret abortion creates."

Mommy, Help!

2008-10-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

The other day I was doing laundry in the kitchen and Christopher came running up to me. "Mommy, Mommy, help! Help!"
"Help you with what, Christopher?," I replied.
He replied, "Help, where did she go?"
I went running to the staircase, but the child gate was still in place. The doors were still shut going outside...where did she go? I called her name, but no reply... Then, i hear a giggling over near the futon! Monica had hidden herself under the futon!!!

She and Christopher often play hide and seek, but she's always the seeker! This time she decided to be the one sought after and this 9 month old somehow managed to hide herself from a 2 1/2 year old...a compliment to one...um...the other...well....

Anyways, I thought it was cute! Christopher's concern for his sister is so awesome at times! I hope he keeps it up when she's a teenager!

Just a Second...

2008-10-16T23:37:00.001-07:00

Now that Christopher is able to verbally make requests of me, I've found myself putting him off with a "Just a Second, Christopher," so I can finish whatever small thing I'm doing before I oblige his request. Yesterday morning I called him for breakfast. He was playing on the living room floor and said to me, "just a second, mommy!" It was SO cute...I just started laughing so hard! I love those special Mommy moments. . .

2008-10-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

I got this e-mail as a forward today, but I think it is really interesting!
It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish... all before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw. We're such slow learners...

God left us great clues as to what foods help what part of our body!
God's Pharmacy! Amazing!
A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.
A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All o f the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.
Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.
Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.
Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.
Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

Victory!!!

2008-10-15T01:04:00.000-07:00

This was my big victory today! Safeway advertised their Clasico Sauces for 2/$4. In a small corner of their flyer there was a little ad for two free boxes of Barilla Pasta if you buy two Classico Sauces. So, that's $1 per jar of sauce and box of pasta. So...here are my savings!

14 boxes of Pasta $1.00 each
14 Jars of Sauce $1.00 each
TOTAL out of pocket today = $28.00

REGULAR PRICE
Box of Pasta $1.99 each
Jar of Sauce $3.79 each
TOTAL = 80.92

TOTAL SAVINGS!
=$52.92

Lily and Monica...

2008-10-15T00:42:00.000-07:00

Monica's playdate with Lily! They had so much fun together. :)

Learning simple web code...

2008-10-11T01:33:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I decided I wanted a new blog look and went in search of a new Blogger template. The standard Blogger ones were very boring to me, so I looked elsewere online (Love google searches!) I found quite a few, but had trouble putting the code into the blogger system. With my handsome hubby's help, I finally figured it out and feel like I've learned a TON in how things work behind the fancy web front. I still have some work to do on it, but this template went from THIS to it's current state by my nitpicking at the code and doing some photo changes. :)

Something cute...

2008-10-07T21:28:00.000-07:00

Today I was catching up on laundry from last week when Jason's Mom, Ray and my brother Grant were visiting. I get a load going and then head to load the dishwasher. As I finish loading the dishwasher I see Christopher watching the washing machine. I walk over to see what he is doing and notice that he put a bunch of his red clothes into the load of whites I had previously put in! There was his Superman Shirt, his Red Dog Sweater and Red Blanket! LOL!!! Guess we know which clothes he wants to wear tomorrow! He was so proud of himself too...

His favorite clothes are his Superman Shirt, his Thomas the Train Sweater and his "Pocket" overalls! :)

Post Script: In response to Trisha's comment: That was the amazing thing! When I saw red clothes he'd put in there I thought for sure my whole load would be pink at the end, especially since it was on hot water. I said a quick prayer to my guardian angel and decided it wouldn't be that big of a deal since it was mostly crib sheets and Monica's clothes. But, in the end none of the colors decided to share their dye with anything else!

Park Day...

2008-09-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

Christopher and Monica both love the park but for different reasons. Christopher loves the slides and Monica loves the swings. Here is a couple pictures of my little Miss Monica.

Christopher's symbols...

2008-09-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

My son takes after his father in his inclination to art and drawing. One of his favorite symbols to draw as well as his first is "Jesus," a cross. He also follows in his Father's footsteps in his admiration of Superman! See below his artwork using a package of Costco Baby Wipes...these little minds are so amazing and make me marvel at God's creations.

Picnic ...

2008-09-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

AT THE DMV!!!

Jason had to go to the dmv to get his motorcycle lisence and do some other paper work for our car. As in DMV fashion, he forgot something they "needed" so he called and asked me if I'd bring it to him so he could keep his place in line. So, off we went to meet my charming man. It was about 5PM and Jason was still in line, so I ended up leaving Christopher with him and Monica and I went to bring our men some dinner. We returned bearing hamburgers and frenchfries just as Jason was finishing up. So, we went outside and had a "picnic" at the DMV!!! Here's a picture Jason snagged with his cell phone. Christopher has SODA in his bottle...it's awesome how kids enjoy the simple pleasures in life.

Ohhh...Yummy....

2008-09-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

So, tonight I'm serving an early supper at 4:30 and then we are packing up the kids for a family trip to Cold Stone Creamery!!!!! Here is why....

Cold Stone Creamery: Free Icecream--September 25, 2008

On Thursday, September 25, 2008 from 5:00-8:00 PM, all guests to any Cold Stone Creamery location in the nation will be treated to a 3 oz. serving of icecream. Donations will be accepted to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The two free flavors available are: Marshmallow ice cream with OREO® Cookies, Chocolate Chips and Fudge or Nutter Butter® ice cream with White Chocolate Chips, Kit Kat® and Yellow Cake. More details here.

2008-09-22T00:33:00.001-07:00

My little Miss Monica cut her first tooth this morning! AH HA! Now I know why last week was such a difficult week for her. Not only did she have the cold that was passed around our family...but she was working hard to push this razor sharp tooth up through her gums! She just turned 9 months old and out popped this shiny pearl.

Last week all four of us were sick with colds. Poor Monica just wanted to be held, Christopher just wanted bottles and "Nino (nemo) please, Mommy." Both of them were up alot at night and Christopher would sleep in pretty late each morning. I didn't get a whole lot done, but we cuddled alot.

Last week I sent an e-mail to Breyers ice cream. We never get ice cream now because prices have just gone up so much in the food department. In my e-mail I told them that we've had to cut out things like ice cream from our shopping list and asked them if they might have a coupon I could use to get us a special treat. Yesterday I got a whole envelope of various coupons from them - including one for a free package of Breyers Ice Cream (up to 7.00)!!! Safeway often has Buy 1 Get 1 Free on Breyers Ice Cream, so I'm going to wait till that sale comes back and then I'll get two packages of Breyers Ice Cream for free! Jason's Patron Saint's feast day is September 29th (Feast of St. Michael) so maybe we'll celebrate with ice cream!

Also, yesterday was my little Sister, Mary Therese's, birthday! Happy Birthday and may God grant you many more, precious sister! I'm reminded of you quite often as Miss Monica reminds me allot of how you looked when you were her age.

Gotta get to bed now - more tomorrow...

Christmas...

2008-09-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

I walked into Costco 2 weeks ago to find...

Christmas Lights
Christmas Wrapping Paper and Bows
Christmas Decorations
Christmas Tree Bulbs...

All right in front of me! At first I panicked...it's still September, right? Yep...date on my phone still says September 4th...

But, as I thought about it, I decided to start my shopping now and have everything done before Thanksgiving. I really want to enjoy the spirit of Advent and Christmas without having to go out into the Christmas Shopping Rush. So, while I was at Costco I looked at their toys. I found this cool set for $29.99

I looked online when I got home and everywhere I found was selling the exact same set for $79.99. I felt like I got a pretty good deal. Then I found this other set for $19.99 at Costco, but 49.99 everywhere else. Monica doesn't have any dolls yet and spends more time playing with Christopher's train set, so I decided to get them both and give one to her for her birthday (December 18th) and the other to her for Christmas. Now all I need for her are some stocking stuffers and finish her Christmas dress!

Money Saving Mom...

2008-09-17T09:03:00.001-07:00

With the rising costs of food, especially here in the Bay Area, I've been consumed with trying to figure out a way to lessen our food bill. I stumbled across this SAHM's shopping blog and it's been amazing. There are alot of free samples out there if you only spend a few minutes to sign up on websites. I figure the free sample along with coupons they send, I'm actually saving us alot of money.

For instance, last week Cascade was giving away a free sample so I went to their website and signed up. They sent me 4 all in one cascade squares - thats 4 loads of dishes for free. Plus they sent me several save $1.50 off any cascade product coupons. Now I just need to watch Safeway and Walgreens and when their cascade products go on sale, I double up this coupon with the sale to save the maximum...pretty cool huh? It's going to require some effort and time on my part, but I've already scheduled Wednesday night as my night out to work on this. I'm going to go to Starbucks with my laptop and just delve into Money Saving. :)

Here is the website that has really helped me. There are also links from her blog to others, including blog giveaways. www.moneysavingmom.com

I hope to post more about this in the future, but please keep me in your prayers as I delve into this project. Saving dollars is important! :)

P.S. Has anyone checked out any of these books? www.biblicalwomanhood.com/supermarket.htm

Guess who found a cookie...

2008-09-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

MONICA!!!
She found a cookie and enjoyed every bite!

2008-09-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

Trip to Costco - I love the big brother look on Christopher's face!

The beach!
Monica LOVES sand...ughh...and Chrisotpher can't stand it staying on his hands!

My handsome son!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACOB!

2008-09-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

My little brother is 8 today!!!!!

I love you Jacob and am praying for you today! I have your 2 year old picture hanging on my fridge...how the time flies!!!

May God bless you and grant you many more years filled with joy and blessings!

Christopher - Cute Words and Happenings...

2008-09-05T14:23:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we had a party for Catholic Married Couples in our area. With 13 adults and 7 kids we had a blast! The theme was Mexican Fiesta...and it was so yummy!

Breaking from the Mexican side, I picked up some Chocolate Chip cookies from Costco (they make the best ever!). Christopher munched on them for several days following the party. He'd come ask me for a Kee Ko! I finally figured out he was asking for Cookie when he led me to the box sitting on the counter. I tried to teach him to say Coo-kee, but he kept saying his own version. Finally, he came to me and said, "Kee-Ko please?" I laughed and said, "you want a kee-ko?" He looked at me and gave me a "you finally got it right, Mom" look! I'll treasure that always!!!

Another one...
My little Christopher takes after his Father in enjoying the variety of life. His most popular phrase throughout any day is now, "'nother one, Mommy?" From toys he's playing with, food he's eating, movies he watches, books we read... (Another one = different one!) It's been a challenge sometimes, especially if he can't have something different at the time, but we are both growing through it and I'm filled with awe each day as I see my little boy growing into a boy with distinct desires.

Peanut butter and Jelly...PB&J

2008-09-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

This is just more of a comment, but what's up with Mom's loving PB&J and kiddies not? I remember growing up, my Mom's favorite lunch (and not just for the ease and convenience of making it, but because she truly enjoyed eating it) was Peanut Butter and Jelly. ALL of us children detested it! I remember watching her enjoy her sandwich with a tall glass of milk and think . . . yuck!

Well...now I'm a Mom and this is one of my favorite lunches! Ever since Monica's pregnancy I've really enjoyed anything peanut butter! When pregnant with her, I'd crave apples with peanut butter on them.

But, I've been given a son who is allergic to Peanuts!!! I recently tried making him an almond butter and jelly sandwich and received the same "you really want me to eat that?" look that I'm sure I gave my Mom more than once. I still indulge in the pb&j goodness though and remember my Mom each time!

Busy days...

2008-09-02T22:54:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been a month and a half since I last posted! I will try to do better now that summer is over. It's been a busy year...

Nothing really spectacular has happened, but the day to day happenings of a Mom of two have kept me on my toes! It seems like every day is filled with making children happy, cleaning house, making bottles, feeding baby food, doing laundry...and then doing it all again! Rewarding in it's own way, but it doesn't leave much time for blog posting.

In good news, I've started seeing a chiropractor who says in a month or so I'll have no more back pain!!! Ever since my pregnancy with Christopher, my back has been hurting more and more. It had gotten to the point where I could only sleep on my side at night and even then I would wake up several times a night. I can't wait to have this fixed!!!

I've been really trying to keep a very neat and orderly house. Each night after the kids go to bed, I breeze through picking up anything leftover from the day. It's SO refreshing to start the day in a nice neat and orderly house!

Lately we've been going on a lot of play dates. Christopher is a very social child and I'm learning that Monica enjoys getting out as well. Two weeks ago we went to the San Francisco Zoo. Christopher and I had last gone there when he was about 10 months old...too young for him to really notice the animals. This time was SO much different! He LOVED the animals! We ate lunch while we watched the muskrats and prairie dogs. Christopher had so much fun watching them dig in the dirt. Then we spent alot of time watching the grizzly bears "play". The area for the Bears was SO cool. I took some pictures with my phone, so I'll post them as soon as I figure out how to get them onto the computer.

Monica is now MOBILE!!! Very Mobile! She's standing up to everything...can even stand on her own for a few seconds. She LOVES food...must be the McCaffrey blood in her! She is a mix of both sides of our family, but in all the opposite ways than Christopher is. She is such a little angel and I love her so very dearly! Her favorite foods so far are pizza crusts, oranges and banannas. She had her first bite of fish last night and seemed to enjoy it too. She's (finally) beginning to realize not all things small are food and some things just shouldn't enter a human beings mouth (such as fuzz balls lying on the floor). She's also determined she doesn't like bell peppers at all, but her older brother insists they are quite good!

Lately I've really been trying to find ways to cut food costs...it seems like even the beans and rice staple is getting way out of hand in terms of price. I do almost all of my shopping at Costco and only get chicken and fish when it comes to meat. I've been doing some research into coupons and have found alot of other stay at home moms who have coupon tip blogs for each week. I'm gonna try to do more research into that area and see if I can save more money on food.

Tomorrow I'm getting an Elliptical!!! I've been looking on Craig's List for some weeks now because with two small kids I'm just not getting to the gym like I used to when I only had Christopher. I was jogging with the double stroller, but since Monica's gotten more mobile, she's decided sitting in the stroller while Mommy runs for an hour is not her cup of tea...so this way she can play on the floor - doing what she loves best, while I burn calories! Win/Win all the way around!

Well...I'm off for tonight, but I promise to try and do better with posting here more often. God bless you all!

2008-07-15T13:57:00.001-07:00

This was fun to take...what score are you?

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Superior

Take the test!

Scoring:

0-24 - Very Poor (Failure)
25-41 - Poor
42-58 - Average
59-75 - Superior
76+ - Very Superior

Busy Days...

2008-07-08T23:35:00.000-07:00

The past week has been a busy one. For the 4th of July we watched fireworks with our friends, the Aherns. Christopher really enjoyed them and Monica watched half, then decided nursing was a better use of her time! :) It was a fun day...and a lazy weekend followed.

My Little Helper!!!!

2008-06-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

Grandma...

2008-06-27T22:36:00.000-07:00

The first picture is Jason's Mom with Christopher and Michelle over their Christmas visit. The other two pictures were taken while she was visiting us to celebrate her birthday and Easter.

Christopher with Grandma and Cousin Michelle

Grandma Manak with Christohper and Monica

Grandma Manak with Christopher and Monica

Christopher, the artist...

2008-06-27T22:25:00.000-07:00

Christopher LOVES his markers! He sits in his highchair and carefully writes "Jesus" (he actually draws a cross) and recently he's also started drawing circles. He's so careful about how he draws and actually puts all the markers back with the tops on the when he's done! I love watching the joy he has as he learns how to make things with his hands.

Monica and Davy...

2008-06-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

Monica (left) and Davy (right).
Davy is Chris and Maureen's little girl.

Davy Marin (6 weeks)

Christopher and Monica...early in the morning

Sophira...

2008-06-27T22:19:00.000-07:00

Jason's new Motorcycle...isn't it beautiful!
And it gets about 50-60 miles to a gallon of gas!!!

Christopher and the Park...

2008-06-27T22:17:00.000-07:00

I had a Mother's group meeting last Wednesday. It was really nice to take Monica and go socialize with other mother's and hear Fr. Michael talk about the role of mothers in the family. Jason took Christopher to the park and got these pictures! He LOVES slides!!!

Christopher and the slide...

The Cutest face!!!

Going down backwards...

Romping in his favorite place.

More random Pictures...

2008-06-27T22:13:00.000-07:00

Christopher (2 Years)
Christopher's Gramarie (Paternal Great Grandmother) got him this jacket.
It has matching pants and I LOVE it!!! So handy!

Our Friend, Joseph McCloskey who came to visit us in May for a week.
Monica really liked him!

My Jogging Stroller...and the occupants...

Christopher 2 Years old...thinking?

Friends...

2008-06-27T22:06:00.000-07:00

This is my wonderful and awesome friend, Leilani on her birthday!!!
Isn't she beautiful...and 7 months pregnant too!

Our friends, Chris and Maureen...she's 7 months pregnant too!

Shane and Leilani at Leilani's birthday party.

Frank and Amy

Easter...and Christopher's birthday!

2008-06-27T21:59:00.000-07:00

Christopher's 2nd Birthday present from his Uncle Keith and Aunt Lisa!

Easter 2008

Easter Baskets

Some recent pictures...or...not so recent...

2008-06-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

Monica (5 months) and I

Monica (5 months) and Christopher (2 years)

Monica (5 months)

Big Brother playing with Little Sister...aren't they cute!

I'M BACK!!!

2008-06-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

To all those who might have been peaking at my blog every now and then, I'm sorry to have disappointed you. I have really been horrible about keeping this blog up, but I hope to make it more of a priority in the future.

The truth of the matter is that I'm not really online as much anymore. We moved in early May to a townhouse. It's probably the nicest house I've ever lived in...it just fits us so well! The first floor contains a living room, family room, 1/2 bath, kitchen and dining room. The upstairs has a landing area which we've turned into a reading room, Kid's room, Jason's office, Kid's Bathroom, my linen closet!, Master Bedroom and Bathroom. It's so lovely and I'm really enjoying getting everything set up. I'll post pictures soon...

The Kids are doing so awesome. I love them SO much! Christopher is such a gentle soul, but full of conviction. He's so spiritual...more so than any other little child I've ever seen. He asks me every morning when he wakes up if we can "see Jesus" today. He loves to draw, really taking after Jason. He has a set of 50 washable markers (the best thing ever...so much nicer than crayons!) and he is so cute when he asks me "ease (for please) color." He sits in his highchair and colors on plain paper. A couple weeks ago he drew his first real shape and it was the Cross. He got so excited and pointed to it saying, "Jesus." He is so meticulous about how he draws and has now moved on to circles and squares...but every page is started with a cross.

Christopher is also obsessed with Motorcycles right now. Jason got a motorcycle so that he can cut gas and parking prices going to and from the city for class and work...a necessity with gas prices up to and over $5/gallon here. Jason named his new bike Sophira (after the dragon in the Eragon). So, now, whenever I take the kids anywhere Christopher finds the motorcycles and exclaims, "Daddy!" He then promtly says, "Bye now, Daddy" as the motorcyle passes by. His goodbye's are so cute... He always waves and says "Byenow" as one word. :)

Monica is the cutest child ever. She has a very joyful spirit, but is also peaceful and content. She is the best baby I've ever been around. I often find myself wondering what she will be like as a woman. She's also very cute. People are constantly asking me if they can take her picture with their cell phones! Monica has Jason's complexion and hair color, but my blue eyes and full cheeks. I love waking up to her smile and coos! She and Christopher play very well together and Christopher is so gentle with Monica.

Well...it's getting late...so I'm gonna have to cut this entry short.

More later...

Our Valentine's Date...

2008-02-24T00:50:00.000-08:00

Jason and I went on our first date without kids since Monica was born! Jason arranged everything telling me only to wear something really nice and be ready by 6PM! He asked our friend Leilani to watch Christopher and Monica...and I'd like to really thank her and her husband, Shane for spending Valentine's Day with our little ones.

My Grandmother sent me some money for my birthday and when she heard about Jason's surprise plans for Valentine's Day she told me to use the money to get something to wear...so I did! I found a really cute dress at Macy's that was even on sale! It was perfect...

In the car up to San Francisco on Valentine's Day Jason told me we were going to the Symphony!!! We went to one of the restaurants at the top of the Westfield Mall in San Francisco. We only had time for appetizers before leaving for the symphony, but it was actually really perfect. The National Russian Orchestra was playing. It was so beautiful! Jason got us box seats to the right of the orchestra, so we were looking down on the musicians and could actually see what instrument was playing at all times! It was so enjoyable! Afterwards we went got coffee and dessert...Carmelita Bars...the best!!!

Monica was really good for Leilani, but I was ready to hold my baby again when we got home! Time with my wonderful and handsome husband is so wonderful though...and it was the best Valentine's Day I've ever had!

The 4 faces...

2008-02-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

This was a conversation Monica and I had this morning...enjoy!

"Not amused..."

"That was pretty funny!"

"Do that again Mommy!"

"I love you, Mommy"

A week in pictures...

2008-02-20T13:24:00.000-08:00

Christopher cleaning! His FAVORITE pastime these days...oh, besides drawing on the walls!

Monica and I after Mass on Sunday...isn't she cute in her little dress, tights and socks! :)

Monica...cuteness!

Monica is now smiling at me quite abit in...especially in the morning! It makes me really want to get up with her to have our Mommy/daugter time! She talks (coos) and smiles...I think she enjoys my company!!!

2008-02-15T18:10:00.000-08:00

So, today I decided to clean carpets! No...not the go out and rent a carpet cleaner...not the hire someone to do it for me...but actually get down on my hands and knees and scrub! What a workout!!! I must have lost 10 pounds...right? You might think so after you see the pictures. It's drying as we speak and hopefully won't get Christopher's socks too wet after his nap. I'm going to do the office/computer area this evening, but I was pretty happy with the results of the living room.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER