Look who Turned 10!

If you know me, you know that my world flys past FAST! 
It takes a quite day like today to realize how fast it has gone by, and what special moments I have not had time to share on this funny little journal I share with you all.
One of the most important and special persons in my heart had a monumental birthday back in March - Alyssa Turned 10!!  Double digits baby!
Can you believe that 10 years have gone by in just a blink of an eye.  What was my sweetest little bundle of fun is now 10, still a funny girl with creative ideas and thougths, a wise view of the world and a smile that makes the darkest days bright with love.
We just happened to be in Hawaii during this monumental day and celebrated with a "Day of Alyssa".    Surf lessons, shaved ice and fun in the sun is all she requested.

As you can see.... She had a great time!

Alyssa Turns 10!

March 22, 2012

Alyssa - when you turned 10, you:

• Enjoy being a 4th Grader at Penngrove Elm
• Love reading.. favorite books include Hunger Games and author Wendy Mass
• Love art - you blew everyone away with your Canvas Crayon creation
• Love to sing, dance and brush your hair!
• Love to swim and are on the swim team at the gym
• Like basketball (not love)- and are very good at it as well - much to the secrete pleasure of all of us
• Love to make movies with your American Girl Dolls
• Love movie nights with Robbie and Emilly
• You can stay up way past the rest of us at night, but will be the last one to get up in the morning.
• You like to travel and have started a list of places to visit in the future
• You are starting to like Mermaids and have us all hooked on the Austrailian TV show H2O
• Your favorite friends include: Shelby, Ava, Hana, Mandy, Faith and Abby
• You and Olivia (cousin) have been able to spend lots of time together and have become great friends.
• Are a sweet and caring sister to your siblings
• REALLY WANT YOUR OWN ROOM!

We love every single second wth you!! You are our sunshine.





Look Who's 11!

Robbie, When you turned 11...
 - You are the first kid up in the morning, only take like 15 minutes to get ready and can't wait to get to school
 - You are the sweetest brother and a kind and even friend.
 - You have a funny sense of humor that you get from your Daddy, sometimes not at all appropriate, but you make us laugh, so we allow it. ;)
 - You have become very responsible and care how you are doing in school
 - You LOVE basketball and baseball.  
 - You love music, on the radio and ordering iTunes.
 - You are learning to play the trumpet
 - You have quite a large hat collection, and I don't think you intend to stop any time soon.
 - You have become really good at playing basketball for someone your age.  You are understanding the game and becoming a top defensive player
 - Your sisters love you to pieces and miss you when you are away from them even for an hour
 - You hate to wear pants, only shorts, t-shirts and long socks at the moment
 - You have a thing for shoes..... I would say you get that from Mommy, but Daddy has more shoes then me.
 - We love you, we love you, we love you!

Winter Garden

Funny that Mother Nature can not decide if it is Winter or Spring around here. 
Over at Plant'n Panthers, we are gearing up for a re-vamping of our campus garden.  I will post here some of the before and afters in the next few months.

This was a beautiful little flower garden along a park path Robbie and I passed the other day....

38 and Fabulous!!

"Thirty-eight sounds so much older than thirty-seven don't you think??" my dear friend said to me last week.  Only two or three weeks older than me, she hit the milestone a bit sooner.  "Well, only if you let it" is what I had to respond.  Honestly, yes it does sound and feel a bit older.  Yet it is still a bit further till we are rounding 40. (the new thirty, right?)
Life is very grown up now - The kids, house(s), social responsibilities not to mention your body has more aches and pains and the increasing trips to the hair dresser to hide the grey!!! Oi Vey.....
But there is so much more to an age then that.... It is 38 years of happiness and experiences that have made us all into really complex and fun human beings with much to offer the world.
It was a quieter birthday celebration then many past.  Quite long lunches and coffee breaks with dear friends.  A quite dinner with my sweet husband and children.  Fun impromptu taco dinner with my parents and a lovely day of pampering in the middle of the work week. 
Also - I gift to myself.  Home Made Chocolate Chip Cookies!! 

"Mommy, you make the best cookies"  - thanks, I respond between bites!

Still Out Here

So it is here - the new year!!! About to celebrate my birthday once again.  In reflecting where I was a year ago and my desire to start a blog... I think I did pretty good.  I could beat myself up and say that I didn't post enough - but darn it, I think I did OK for my busy self.
This year my goal is to get at least 2 post or more a month.  Need to document more of our fun times. 

We are off to a slow start with photo documentation.  Have had a busy weekend of basketball, 4H and school, just to name a few of the activities that have kept us busy the first 10 days of 2012.

Setting some physical goals:  Joining my good friend Dana and going to log 365 miles of running or walking this year.  Will shrink down a few pounds and increase my lean muscle by 10% and change my dress size as well.

Friendship Goals:  Have my cherished lunch date with bestie Tasha every month as well as some fun craftin' time with Dana.(?? what do you say)  Bunko is always a highlight of the month (maybe I will win some day in 2012!)
Would love to re-connect with old friends that are living far away - find a way to spend even just 1 day with them.  It is our 20 year High School reunion this year!! - should be a great time

Social Goals:  I would like to get a start on our Foundation, finish up the Plantin' Panthers Ocean Guardian Grant strong.  We need to create a new organic garden on campus.
Looking forward to bringing down the house with the Penngrove Idol's once again this year as well.

Isetta Data Goals:  Well we had an amazing 2011 and worked with some pretty amazing companies.  Riverbed Technology, Regus HQ (new office we helped open in the states of  CA, WA, AZ) ,BioMarin and many many more...  Can't wait to dig into more projects with them and with the contract work we have locally with Northern Electric this year.

Financial Goals:  Be on our way for Debt Freedom.  Have in place a strong plan for the kids education and retirement.

One thing I must strive to do, which is just not natural for me is to NOT DO SO MUCH!!!  Can't take on the world Stacey - Need to slow down and enjoy all the wonderful people, landscape and events that are around me everyday.  Celebrate the Moments!!!
Staying Motivated in 2012!!