Just time for one pic

Haven't even started editing the pics yet, got in at 10 last night, but I did have time to grab one photo this am....I couldn't resist....



Aren't they just the CUTEST??????

Proud Auntie holding them....."A YI" in Chinese (or so the shirt says)

Thoroughly enjoying the visit

Having such a fun time....can't post any pictures as I forgot my card reader and the computer I have does not have any Disk slots...So you will have to wait a couple more days for Photos.....the boys are SOOOOOOOO cute and we are really enjoying our time with them...they were so good at their Christening.....what special little men... and so smart....can't wait to share some of my pics. Tomorrow we are going to Kevin and Vinnies which will be fun...have never seen either of their places....so tommorow we start with their house at the lake.....can't wait to see it....stay tuned!

On our way....

See y'all in the AM!

(I had written a whole post and lost it when I went to find an appropriate photo...)

Lets just say , I am writing this to you from Mile High!!

Can't wait to meet the little men!

My Anniversary Present?

It's been a long week......

Big D and I ended up with the "flu"....

So we have pretty much been housebound.....and sooo bored, so now that I am feeling better..... I thought I would take the opportunity to post a few posts (dated to their original timeframe) and try to catch up since the summer :) So much for blogging daily (or weekly/or monthly for that matter)

Tuesday was Our 18th anniversary, can you believe it?

That morning, while wandering around the house, I happened to peek out the window and saw a bunch of pretty deer between the house lots...My special anniversary presents!!

Love the wild animals in the yard.....

Nicks 5th Birthday

Our Yearly Canobie Outing

Spinners Game with Friends

Uncle Len, Cousin Nicole and her daughter Sarah come to visit

Sorry, I am a little late in posting this, so I am guilty of back dating, to keep things in some semblance of order...... In July my Uncle ,Cousin,and her 1 year old daughter Sarah made the trek northward to visit us, and even more importantly, Great Grammy. This would be Sarah's first time meeting her Great Grandmother, just a month after celebrating her first birthday.....Nicole had been planning the trip for some time, and Great Grammy was anxiously awaiting their arrival.


Group shot 2009

The Southern B's stayed with us and we had a really nice time, lots of eating, visiting, swimming, eating, walking, eating, and photos, and oh yes, did I mention EATING? Yes, I admit, I like to cook, bake, and eat...so I was a really bad influence on them, especially when they arrived looking so fit,(they all looked great!)

We even got to celebrate uncle Len's Birthday....Mom, thanks for making the cool Oreo cake!


Uncle Len blows out the candles


The Whole Gang celebrating


Grammy enjoyed her time with them, as we did. I think she was exhausted after spending 10 hours with us one day, but she really seemed to enjoy us all being together.


4 Generations

Even Jon and Kim and Kids were able to come over..... when Matt and Allison came earlier in the year, J& K and family had gone south for Kim's Brother Gary's newest Baby's Christening, so they missed each other, which was too bad, since we don't get together all that often due to the 10 hour drive distance.



Nick, Sarah, and Gracie

This visit was so much fun, can't wait to see the newest baby...Evan....Claire and Keith's first child, who was born a little over a week before the Southern B's came to visit.

Two new Babies ....Same Day!

Today we got to celebrate welcoming a new baby into the family...not once, but twice.....


First my niece Patty (yes, I am old enough to have a niece who just had her 2nd child. ...yes, that makes me a Great Aunt (ugh)) and her husband Rob, welcomed little Aiden at 8:20 in the am....and then my Cousin Claire, and her husband Keith welcomed their first baby, Evan, at 5:53pm...
Congratulations to both families!



Both births also happened to be on my Goddaughter Sammies (sorry Sammie, I know this pic is old) 14th birthday...



Happy Birthday to all 3!

A little Mom bragging.....

Last night "Big D's" Baseball team won the Senior League Baseball Championship in a 3-2 victory under the lights....it was a nail biter for sure....tie game to start the last inning.......game ended with the bases loaded and the losing pitcher walking in the winning run...not an exciting end to the game, but kept me fidgeting the entire night...both teams left the bases loaded in innings throughout the game, so the 3-2 win doesn't elude to the nervousness of every inning!

Here's the team photo I took after they got their championship trophies.

Congratulations Reds, super job!

Jokes on Me!

So,

I thought I was being sweet (and of course funny ) putting the pic of my Dad in those silly pants on this blog.......but it turned out the joke was on me when Dad and Mom came for Fathers day supper......



..... Dad wearing his 1970 pants......still buttoned and all, impressive, and TOTALLY funny.......guess you can figure out where I get my packrat tendencies from.

Dad,
Thanks for the laugh, totally made my day!!!!!!

Fathers Day 2009

Happy Father's Day Dad.....

Though the styles may change (thank goodness)

My love for you will never go out of style.....

Thank you for all the love, support, and handyman help you have given me over the years!

We love you,
Christina, Chris and Dillon



Me and Dad Skating- 1970ish

Matt and Allison come to Boston

Had a nice surprise last week......My cousin Allison and her Hubby, Matt came in from Va. to Boston to catch a Sox game (I am jealous) and meet up with some of Matt's College buddies. We were lucky enough to be able to have a nice brunch together at our house before they headed off to Boston.....It was a nice visit, though really too short....hopefully next time they come they will take us up on our offer and stay with us!








They also brought me a beautiful plant which is already planted in my shady garden bed.....

Thank you!!!!

My New Gardening Blog- "Dirty Fingernails"

Listed under the blogs I am following.....just chronicles my flowers this year, figured I'd save this one (mostly) for family and friends and the other for all my flowers. If you like flowers, I hope you Enjoy.

My Mom Walks for Cancer Care

So Proud of Mom!

Today she did her first Walk for Cancer. She, along with several of her Weight Watchers friends, headed off for a 10K at 9am, and just getting up early in the morning is an endeavor for her, not just the walk ! (she had to practice getting up early all week :)



This is her tee shirt…..today’s walk was the 10th anniversary of the Lowell General Walk for Cancer Care.


It was about 70 and drizzly when I went outside at 5 am, but by the time the walk started temperatures had dropped to 50 and it was breezy and raining off and on, hopefully the rain held off for most of the walk!






Congratulations Mom!!!! Good Job!

Mothers day!

Happy Mother's day to all the Mothers out there, especially to my sister Jenni, who "officially" became a Mom on May 5, 2009!! (though the boys have been in her heart for a long time!!!!)
Hope you don't mind me "borrowing" your pictures.



I am posting the happy Mother's Day wish early, because it WILL be mothers day in China when Jenni reads this post!

Jenni, I don't think you are getting email while you are in China, but I wanted you to know that you will be receiving this magazine as you start your journey as a parent, I hope you find it helpful (or even find the time to read it , ha ha)










Happy Mother's Day to My Mom and to my Grammies who have all celebrated for many years...I (we) love you all very much and appreciate all the love and support you have given us over the years

Big D's New Look?

It occurred to me today, that some of you reading this blog may be amused by Big D's new look.....

Over April vacation he decided to .....
"go blonde"
(well, lets just say its a nice shade of orange?)

He has been enjoying the "ribbing" from friends and family, even enjoying the new nicknames:

Big Red, Goldilocks, Ginger, Rusty, and Sunshine..........

I got a kick out of the new look, and I hate to say it, but it's growing on me.......

They have their boys!

They finally got a few pics posted on their blog, just shy of being parents for a day....This is when they brought the boys to meet them for the first time....arent they adorable?

I feel like an expectant mom.......

OMG, I am so anxious to get word......





We are waiting to hear all went well with Jenni and Scott's first meeting with their little boys.....China is about 12 hours ahead of us..........so it's almost midnight...I know they have a lot to juggle, but was really hoping for a tiny blurb to let us all know they are doing ok...Our hearts are with them!

I have been checking their blog as often as I can!

In my own little world

Ok, so 3 months ago, I created a blog, and made my first post...to myself I guess, I don't think I told anyone,I think I wanted to get the hang of it first, but then I forgot about it, instead becoming obsessed with my sister and brother in laws blog about their journey to adopt twin boys from China.(And from their blog I have traveled to many others blogs and enjoyed an outsiders view of other families lives. I find some of the blogs so interesting and compelling that I can get lost for hours following the links.)
So anyway, today I was compelled to find the blog I created (couldn't remember the title, my password or anything else, so it was a bit of a struggle, but I succeeded, so I consider it a success !)
The main reason for finding my blog today was to share a picture today with my favorite (and only- haha private giggle) sister and brother in law on the eve of their "gotcha day" in China, though by the time they actually get to see this, it may be post adoption???
The history is that they are adopting twin boys with albinism, and I feel God is blessing them each day of their journey and so last week as my garden started to sprout more with the heat(the day they left on the plane to China) - I noticed one of my plants appeared to have a couple white sprouts starting ....today when I checked my yard I noticed that there were two (twins perhaps? ) Perfectly beautiful white stems on an otherwise green catmint, and I feel that they represent the two absolutely beautiful boys that Jenni and Scott will be bringing home soon, and I really want them to see another symbol that this is SO meant to be.

Can't stop the tears from flowing as I write this and I realize that in just 8 hours they will be meeting their babies for the first time and they will become a family! We are with them in spirit every second of this journey. Love and miss them so much.

Jumping on the band wagon

It seems like the thing to do these days is create a blog....so, since I needed to create an account to view blogs, I decided I might try a hand at it as well.

Not so sure it will be my thing.......not much for me to write about.........as I am not traveling the world, having a baby, planning on adopting a baby(or babies), or planning a wedding....... just pretty much settled into mid life {???} as the mom of a teenager, spending a lot of time chauffeuring these days.........but what the heck, this might be fun. Stay tuned!