NO POWER:

We lost power around late Sat night/early Sun morning...
Thank God the weather is perfect because the windows are open and we are very comfortable.
There are power lines laying all over my back yard, as well as my neighbors. So, one of the hardest things during this adventure is keeping the kids from going near the area. Especially since the weather is perfect for playing outside.

What we miss most:
cooking!!!
playing in our back yard
garbage disposal
dish washer
washing machine
tape/cd players at night

Thy Will Be Done!!! +JMJ+

Pantry organizing day...

I love my pantry...when we redid our kitchen I just had my hubby put a wall 2 feett out from the wall and added two doors. I just reorganized everything and it feels so great.

THIS IS THE LEFT SIDE:

THIS IS THE RIGHT SIDE:

My hubby is a AMAZON NUT...he orders everything from amazon. He is on the PRIME membership and even gets shipments automatically sent to him...for instance...spaghetti sauce...well, since I haven't been eating much pasta and he realized he has a wheat allergy...we need to stop that shipment.

This is some of what we have:
42 cans of sardines...don't ask, amazon deal
28 boxes of pasta
18 rolls of paper towels
14 jars of BBQ sauce
6 bottles of cooking oil
23 cake mixes
10 tubs of icing
16 boxes of jello/pudding mix
9 boxes of various crackers
9 bottles of salad dressing
6 containers of parm cheese
18 jars of peanut butter
13 bags of pretzels/gold fish
7 boxes of gran bars
2 jelly
9 cans of green beans
7 cans of pineapples
8 cans of baked beans
23 jars of spaghetti sauce (another amazon deal)
4 jars of mayo
11 jars of salsa
10 four pound containers of drink mix...what was my hubby thinking?
20 boxes of cereal
10 bags of nacho chips

So, come on over for some food and we will have a great time!!!
THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

My first earth quake:

I experienced my first earth quake today...it was kinda freaky...the house started shaking and the big bell in the back yard rang...the kids were running around like crazy...my husband yelled everyone outside...I ran upstairs and grab my sleeping baby as the rest of the family ran outside.

We were all safe...I wish I could say the same for My Saint Maria Goretti statue...boo hoo...

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Birthday Girl:

In the midst of all the wedding fun...two of my kids had birthdays...
Happy 17th Birthday to my sweet Lizzie!!!
You started off as our sunshine and I can still see the sun shining through your sarcastic self!!!
Keep up the hard work at your jobs, your school, and keeping your nice friends.
May God continue to bless you in all that you do...stay close to HIM forever!!!

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

My sweet valtiorian!!!

Bridesmaid

God Mother/Big Sister

Comforting your little sister...In your own way...

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Budget Wedding post one:

Buy your ties from Amazon

Have your sister make appetizers

Have your friend make the cake and cupcakes

Get eight suits from Goodwill, online, friends, and consignment shops...

Get shoes at consignment stores or from friends:

Buy your own table cloths and napkins....surprisingly it is cheaper than renting.

Have friends do your hair...little things add up.

Rent a hall and have lots of friends to help you set up the day before

Have Rehearsal dinner at a home with pizza, wings, and lots of other fattening fun food!

Have your awesome friends help put together the flowers

Order your flowers from a wholesaler or find a wholesale flower company.

Make and order your own decorations

More ideas later:
THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Wedding Photos:

How do I begin to choose from the 500 shots I took...
these aren't even the ones that my family, friends, or the photographer took.
I may just post them all year long.
What a wonderful and glorious day!!!

Thursday: making sure I have my ducks in a row...I mean shoes...
Friday night before bed: My daughters last night in her room...
very emotional for me

This is daddy convincing the little flower girl that the limo would be here soon
and it is ok that we would find a undershirt to keep the dress from being too itchy...

My sweet baby...True Love
It was interesting getting 14 people plus the two extra bridesmaids all dressed in our house...

The Bridesmaids getting my daughter ready

More pictures tomorrow...
THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Purple Flowers Everywhere:

Wedding flowers are here and ready to go!!!

Funerals, Reunion and a Wedding; Oh My!

I have been writing alot about my experiences trying to lose weight. It was all in preparation for this week.

My friends and I have been planning our 25^th Bowie High School class of 1986 reunion which was the end of July. We had a happy hour on Friday night with a bunch of Bowie grads from different years and the big evening was Saturday night in Annapolis.

It is always fun to reminisce with old friends. I especially enjoy seeing friends from my elementary school. To think we have known each other since we were five years old. It is fun when my kids hang out in houses that my old friends lived in so many years ago. I love driving around town with floods of memories going through my head of all my friends’ old houses and the fun things we did.

read more here:

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Novena to St Rita:

I am starting this today for my kids...especially for my soon to be bride...in NINE days!!!

O holy patroness of those in need, St. Rita,
whose pleadings before thy Divine Lord
are almost irresistible,
who for thy lavishness in granting favors
hast been called the Advocate of the hopeless
and even of the impossible;
St. Rita, so humble, so pure,
so mortified, so patient
and of such compassionate love
for thy Crucified Jesus
that thou could obtain from Him
whatsoever thou ask,
on account of which all confidently
have recourse to thee expecting,
if not always relief,
at least comfort;
be propitious to our petition,
showing thy power with God
on behalf of thy suppliant;
be lavish to us,
as thou hast been in so many wonderful cases,
for the greater glory of God,
for the spreading of thine own devotion,
and for the consolation of those
who trust in thee.

We promise, if our petition is granted,
to glorify thee by making known thy favor,
to bless and sing thy praises forever.
Relying then upon thy merits and power
before the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
we pray thee grant that...

(Make your request here...)

as soon as God deems fit.

Amen.

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

COUNTDOWN till wedding day:

CUPCAKES MADE BY THE WOMEN WHO MADE MY WEDDING CAKE 22 years ago
Me with my girls: bride, two bridesmaids, and two flower girls

Bride and Mommy

Well, I just celebrated my 25th High School reunion is this weekend

with my old friends

and now I can concentrate on the wedding

in less than two weeks!!!

Please pray for my daughter and her fiance as they prepare for a life time of

love and all that comes with the sacrament of marriage!!!

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Memories

The following was sent to me from a friend. I tweaked it a bit. My mother just died in February and I just spent the weekend with my friends for my 25th high school reunion. Some of us had been friends since kindergarten. So this seemed perfect to share.


Their marriage was good, their dreams focused.. Their best friends lived barely a wave away.

I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress; lawn mower in his hand, and dish-towel in hers..

It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep.
It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing, eating, renewing, I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there would always be more.

But then my mother died, and on that clear winter night, in her family room, with me so close by. I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't any more.

Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away ...never to return.

So ..While we have it ...its best we love it ... And care for it .... And fix it when it's broken ... And heal it when it's sick.

This is true ...
For marriage ...
And old cars ...
And children with bad report cards ...
And aging parents ...
And grandparents,
brothers and sisters,
aunts,uncles and friends.

We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.
Some things we keep. Like a best friend who moved away or a classmate we grew up with.

There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special ...

And so, we keep them close in heart and mind and spirit.

Good friends and family are like stars ... You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

Friends from elementary school

25th high school reunion

My wonderful husband

I have known these guys since I was five!!!


THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+