Family heritage

I used a scanning service to put all of my family slides that were good photos on disc and I will be printing them out and scrapping them in the future. I started with these and I am very happy with the way they turned out. My beautiful mom and my very handsome dad when they were so young!!

Trying to be productive

I've got a lot on my mind right now but I'm trying to be productive and scrap. I'm pretty happy with the way this one turned out, though.

Weekend Croppin'

So this is where I'll be sitting for the next 3 days.
Stay tuned for more.....

Giants are off to the Superbowl!!!

Wow, I am absolutely exhausted and yet so wired I don't know if I can sleep yet...what an amazing game that was tonight...hard fought and the Giants pulled it out and won, I still can't believe it! Thank you to Mary for the phone call near the end of the game--a true gem among Packer fans to call me and tell me that she was pretty sure the Giants were going to win just by the way her team was playing...amazing...and I know you will be right there with us cheering for the Giants in 2 weeks, my friend.

Here is the winning moment captured by my camera and yes, Jesse is in mid air here!!

And for your added viewing pleasure, here is the winning moment on video...this will be fun to watch and remember over and over!!

You gotta love football to act like this, right? Can't wait for the Superbowl!! Bring on the Patriots...we're on a roll!!!!

NFC Championship game!

Wow, I'm actually excited that tomorrow is a huge football game and I can't wait to sit on the couch and watch with everyone here, no matter what the outcome! I went out to Walmart and picked up some munchies and goodies tonight and since Jim is working overtime tomorrow I will now be home all day (had to give up my shift at work) so I think I'm going to whip up a batch of lasagna roll ups and some deviled eggs in addition to the usual hot wings, mozzarella sticks, chips and salsa and pretzels....oh yeah and cheese and crackers.

It's been a busy week and having another week behind us brings us that much closer to Hawaii!! Yippeee!!! I worked 3 days this week and completed a huge project in the basement storage area and I'm pretty proud of the way it turned out, I just hope it stays that way. We are moving books around and weeding the collection at the library to make room, our stacks are literally bursting at the seams and we have to get rid of the old to make room for the new stuff.

This past monday I had an ultrasound done on my back in the chiropractor's office and I hope to get the results of that at my next appointment this coming monday afternoon.

As far as scrapbooking goes this week I am pretty much just planning and preparing for a crop that I'll be attending next weekend so I haven't actually done anything to speak of but after next weekend I'm sure I will have loads done. I've set a goal for myself now and that is to complete Robert's deployment book from his first tour of duty so that I can give it to him when he comes home in March...I sure hope I can get it done.

And we are Hawaii bound!!!!

Wow, what a day!! I finally went ahead and booked our flights...we leave for Hawaii in 6 weeks!! I am beyond excited and can't wait to see Robert again and give him a huge hug!!! I am so ready for this deployment to be over and finally be able to say that my son won't have to deploy again before he gets out of the Marine Corps...he will go back to Hawaii after his post deployment leave but will be back home for Christmas this coming year and be DONE DONE DONE!!! The plan is for him to go to college now and I know he is really looking forward to that...he talks about it all the time.

We will be heading up to the north shore for the first few days because the last time we stayed at the Turtle Bay Resort we weren't very happy with the experience for various reasons and after I wrote and complained they sent me a complimentary 3 night stay and a free dinner for 2 in one of their restaurants. This place is about $295 a night so this is quite a deal that we're getting this for free!!

I also rented us a convertible car this time and that should be loads of fun for all of us to drive around with the top down in Hawaii and see the sights...I know we are really looking forward to that.

We had a chance to talk to Robert today online and then he called for a few minutes so I was able to tell him of our travel plans and I'm happy that he knows when we'll be there now. I managed to get us on the non stop flight out of New Jersey and I hope that I don't regret that...being on a plane for 11 hours straight...I hope Alex sleeps some of the way there...I am sure on the way home he will sleep since we leave Honolulu at 10:45pm to fly back the day that we return.

Sooo.........the GIANTS won today and I really wish I had my camera sitting next to me because Jesse jumped on top of his cousin and his dad at the end of the game and it was the most hysterical thing to see in person! Next week we take on the Packers in Green Bay...good luck, hahahaha!!! It was just nice to see the Giants beat Dallas today, loads of fun and a great game.

Love the weekends!

I am off for a few days so it's been nice not to have a schedule and just scrapbook and relax in the evening knowing I don't have to work the next day. More pictures of a sleeping kid, they are in abundance as always and when there was a challenge on my scrapbook board to use sleeping kid pictures I just laughed because I have tons and tons of those...I tend to walk around with my camera at night and take pictures of the kids.
I went to the mall yesterday and did some power walking while listening to music on my iPod...man am I sore today but it was worth it and fun. I spent a bit of time in JC Penney's checking out the clearance racks and picked up a little something to give to Robert for his birthday, can't wait to give it to him when he comes home on leave since his birthday is in May and he won't be home we'll give it to him early. I also got myself a nice long sleeved top for work for $6 and a navy blue camisole for $4...bargains are awesome!!

Today is the Giants game and I sure hope they win or there will be much yelling and screaming going on in this house today...hahaha. I'm heading over to Sam's Club later for some 'eats' for the crowd later.

My first layout of 2008

Finally!!! 11 days into the New Year and I've finally finished my first layout for 2008! I've been super busy with work and just haven't had the time to scrap that I normally do. I am looking forward to scrapping this weekend and also I have a weekend crop at the end of the month that will be time for me! Can't wait!!

We just got off the computer and had a chance to chat with Robert on Yahoo messenger and it was great to talk to him after not hearing from him for a week....ahhh....RELIEF....there is that word again...my word for the year.

Moving along in 2008

We are already going into the 2nd week of a new year and time is just flying now that the holidays are behind us...I just can't wait until I can see Robert again and I can take that deep breath of RELIEF. We missed having him with us this year but he was doing his job and that makes the rest of us safe over here and able to enjoy the holiday season and for that we are grateful to him.

I checked in on Let's Bring Em Home to see how they did and this is what I saw posted on the site and it just made me so happy and grin like an idiot. This year we raised over $70,000 and helped 135 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines go home for Christmas. Our sincere thanks to everyone who donated this year.

If you are one of my friends/family members who gave for this great cause and you know who you are...you should be proud of yourselves...even if you gave $1 or $5 you are part of that $70 grand that helped bring those 135 very deserving young men and women home to see their families for Christmas.

Today I bought my birthday present, an 8MP camera with printer dock...yippeee!! I have really wanted to upgrade to a higher MP camera for a while now and this upcoming trip to Hawaii is the perfect excuse...not to mention the fact that my hobby is something that I need a good camera for, wouldn't you agree? I also got a refill pack for the printer dock so I have enough ink and paper to print out 170 photos...that should hold me over for a while. I will probably still use a service like snapfish or something cheaper when I have tons of photos to print like after Christmas or a big vacation but I think the printer dock will be awesome to have when I need to print a picture in a pinch to complete a scrapbook page as soon as the inspiration hits me.

I wish that I could say we are all going to Hawaii but to answer your question, Jessi...no....our oldest will not be able to join us because he's in college and it would be too many days for him to miss so he will have to wait until his brother comes home on leave to see him which is what he did the last time he came back from deployment. I know that Jesse wishes he could go with us but it's just not possible for him and that's ok, it will be fine.

Well, I better get to bed since I have to work in 12 hours....hahahaha!

Modern technology

I love the internet...I really do!! Why? Because it let's me see my son in Iraq and know that when I see that smile, he's ok. I've been able to 'see' him a few times in the past couple of weeks and it makes me feel great to know that he sees us, too and we can make him laugh and smile. There is no audio but we type our messages and we can chat and see each other in real time.Today I thought I would have a little fun when both Jim and I got to see and chat with Robert so when he said something to me in the chat window I wrote something on a pad and held it up to the camera and this is the reaction I got from him below...I love that I was able to make him laugh like that...it was awesome!! I also got to 'meet' and see one of the other guys in his squad that I have been sending packages to so that was really nice for me to see his face and he thanked me for everything.
Ahhhhhh, is it time to head to Hawaii yet? I need to hug a Marine and SOON!!!

Happy 2008!!

Wow, it's hard to believe that another year has passed us by and we are looking forward to 2008 with so much promise and positivity. My word for this year is simply...RELIEF! I chose this word because Robert will be back from deployment and having done 2 tours and being 'short' when he comes back he won't have to go back again! It will also be the year that he is finishing up with his 4 years of service and will come home for good and begin to build his future. Yes, RELIEF is a good word for what I will feel this year...when I am standing in the hangar at Kaneohe Bay in a few short weeks and see my son walking toward me with that smile on his face that I miss so much.

I've done a few scrapbook pages lately and just haven't had the time to post since coming home from Florida, between going back to work and just trying to get caught up on life and things around the house.