Sewing the seeds of Love

Friendships for me have been the strongest and longest relationships I have ever had in my life. Besides my mom and sister, my female friends have always surrounded me with love and joy unconditionally whenever I have needed it.

Today is my dear friend Aimee's birthday, Meredith's is on Sunday. Without these two amazing women along with others I am blessed to call "Friend" I have never really felt alone, lonely or misunderstood. I have great friends to make sure I always know I am loved.

My friends have inspired me to be creative, to be funny, to laugh and to learn to love deeper. I have known and loved their children before I had my own and the life lessons my friends have taught me are endless. Finding one good friend is like finding an needle in a haystack...but I have been blessed in my life to have been able to find a handful and true good friends.

I am a better mother, wife, friend, daughter, sister, photographer, blogger, caregiver and human being because of them.

When Jake and I were cleaning out Hope's closet a few months ago we came across her sewing machine. I was shocked to tears when I found it. Having never sewed in my life, I had in the previous few months been longing to learn how and to start making handmade gifts for my friends and family. So....I brought the sewing machine home and with some help from my mom...began teaching myself how to sew. So far..I love it! Thanks to Hope, who even now from beyond this life.... continues to inspire me. How's that for unconditional friendship!

So...for Aimee and Meredith's birthday, I have made them camera straps like this one:

With fabric like this these:

On Hope's sewing machine.

It's interesting to me that a lot of my friend's birthday's are in November or December.

So to Aimee, Meredith and my dear Hope....your November birthdays help me stop to remember that I am loved and cared for so well by amazing and strong friends. Today, tomorrow and beyond time.

Happy Halloween!

We had alot of Halloween celebrations around here this year!

Friday Cooper came to work with me and we did a Health Fair in our costumes. It has been so hot these days I couldn't use the skeleton costume so he went with me as "Tom Brady"...I was a witch. (This is the only pic I have and my tights didn't show but they were cute!)

Last weekend we all went to a church "Trunk or Treat" and Cooper was lucky enough to spend that day with both sets of grandparents!

Friday night we went to a Halloween party at Jake's neighborhood but I didn't snap any pictures. We rode a hay ride, went on pony rides and had a great time dancing to old Michael Jackson hits!

Tonight (after a fun day at Brody's bday party!)....we trick or treated under the full moon in our neighborhood!

Part of what I wore to work today

Happy Day before Halloween everyone!

Pumpkin Perfection

We looked high.....We looked low....

We looked everywhere for the perfect pumpkin...

We even played in the pumpkins...

And then we carried some home....



for our little spookey Skeleton to enjoy for his 3rd Halloween!

2009

2008

2007

Be still my beating heart

Some days are just so perfect you can't believe you are so lucky. The small things in life that just line up so perfectly that only you and God know they are little blessings.

Today at work I painted pumpkins at an assisted living facility with the residents....how great is that for a day at work? We painted and chatted about kids, grandkids and their lives, loves and losses. I chatted and painted too. I got a kiss and hug as I left my new "friends". It makes me laugh at the stressful jobs I have in my past where I thought corporate decisions were so important and quotas and numbers ruled my day.

I came home to take a bike ride with Rob and Cooper and only have Cooper insist on taking Teddy (my beloved childhood stuffed bear) on the bike ride. So...I strapped Teddy in and off we went.

On our way out the driveway I was greated by my kindergarten teacher Sister Cyril who was having dinner with our neighbor and then greated by our Priest (also same house dinner guest). They had nothing but love and kindness to say about my little family as we headed out on our bikes.

We rode the neighborhood, chatted about our day as the cool breeze blew past us. Cooper strapped in, Teddy strapped in and the hot Florida sun lowering in the sky.

Some days are just easy...I guess it makes up for those days when life seems so complicated.

Trick or Treating at Sea World

What a GREAT day to be outside! High of 70! Mom, Cooper and I spent the day at Sea World with about a million other people enjoying the great outdoors and trick or treating in the park. Of course we saw the Elmo Halloween show and Cooper was happy to wave a Elmo and The Count from afar but was not happy to meet them in person.

Rob was home nursing a cold on the couch with football!

Giddy

This cooler weather has us giddy!

Recent Videos and baby news!

Enjoy some videos I found on my phone tonight from the past few months :)

No baby news from us...tricked ya! But my sister Kimmy is expecting another boy in March :)

We are so excited!