Happy Birthday Mom!

On March 10, 1959 the most amazing woman was born. Funny, caring, talented, kind-hearted and loving. That woman was my Mom! March 10, 2009 she turned 50! So naturally we had to have a surprise party! I have been planning this party for a while. (With the help of some amazing people!) Friends and family from all over where here to share the day!

"Surprise!"

Seeing cousin John, from Oklahoma!

Blowing out the candles on her gluten-free cake

And what party would be complete without someone being arrested or a trip to the ER! Tricia's head found a rock, so mom and I took her to the insta-care. Luckily,most of the guest had left, and the party was over. She was so brave. She had to get 8 stitches, 1 in deep, and 7 on the surface.

Valentines Day

We had a wonderful Valentines Day. It was a small, quiet one, but we both agree it was the best. Aaron bought me a lot of flowers and planed an awesome dinner! Lobster tail, rib eye steak, asparagus, rolls, sparkling cider, eclairs and strawberries. I tried the lobster, and it was pretty good. I don't see the hype though!

No, we didn't get another dog!

The last couple of days we have had a visitor. In fact she is in our backyard right now! Her name is Lola. And when ever she escapes she comes to our house! She is really sweet, a little clumsy, and at times a little scary. We can tell she isn't abused, but suffers from separation anxiety. She craves attention and only escapes when her mom is gone. We just put her in our backyard and call. Sometimes I wish I could just keep her, but then she jumps on me and slobbers and I have no problem watching her go home!

Random

Not much is going on right. We are still recovering from the holidays. (I have a lot to put away!) We got a lot of board games for Christmas. So every night we play a game of SORRY! He kicks my butt every time! Stupid LUCK!!!!!

I had a photo shoot a little while ago. It was so much fun! I have never had one before. I only bought two photo's right now.

I love this one. I am laughing at Tricia, I didn't know she was going to take it.

And Aaron and I had our Anniversary picture taken. Again, I didn't know she was going to take a picture, but I love the way it turned out!

My 25th Birthday

I had a great 25th birthday! We had a family party on my birthday, and my mom surprised me with my closest friends! It was also great to have all of my grandparents there!

My mom and dad got me a digital camera! I am so excited.

Aaron got me a Nintendo DS! So Bryant got me a SIM game, and I picked up Zoo Tycoon.

My dad picked out the birthday cake!

It only took me 2 blows to get them all out!

Diana, Will and Colton Cotner

Bryant and me

Me and My Nanny

Grampy and Me

Grandma and Me

Grandpa and Me

2008 Tag

2008 Tag

JANUARY

Who kissed you on new years? Aaron

New Year's Resolution this year? To get out of debt

Does it snow where you live? Yes

Do you like hot chocolate? YES!

Have you ever been to Times Square to watch the ball drop? Nope...that is sad, I lived in Jersey!

FEBRUARY

Who was your Valentine? Aaron

Did you do anything romantic? Just stayed home

Do you care if the groundhog sees its shadow or not? No

What did you receive for Valentine' s Day? Jewelry

MARCH

Are you Irish? A little...

Do you like cornbread beef and cabbage? No

What did you do for St Patrick's day? worked

Are you happy when Winter is pretty much over? I wish it was over by March

APRIL

Do you like the rain? Love it

Did you play an April Fool' s joke on anyone this year? Nope...it's Aaron's birthday in our house

Do you get tons of candy for Easter? No

Do you celebrate 4/20? No thanks

Do you love the month of April? It's ok...can't complain

MAY

What is your favorite flower? Daisy

Finish the phrase " April showers…" brings May flowers....I couldn't think of anything clever

Do you celebrate May 16th: National Piercing Day? No

Is May anything special to you? nope

JUNE

What year did/will you graduate from high school? 2002 - but it was May 31

Did you do anything fun during this month? Not in 2008

Have a favorite baseball team? New York Yankees

JULY

What did you do on the 4th of July? Went to grandmas for a BBQ

Did you go to the fireworks? We watched them from our backyard

Did you blast the A/C all day? no...we weren't really home

AUGUST

What was your favorite summer memory of '08? Hanging out with friends, puppies and our 4th Anniversary

Did you have a sunburn? Just one...stupid yard sale

Did you go to the pool a lot? No...not once in 2008

SEPTEMBER

Are you attending college/school? No

Do you like fall better than summer? Yes

What happened this month? New job!

OCTOBER

What were you for Halloween? Nothing, just wore a witch hat this year

What is your favorite candy? Skittles and Chocolate wafers

What was your favorite part about this month? Canada's Thanksgiving!

NOVEMBER

Whose house did you going to for Thanksgiving? My in-laws and then my parents

What are you thankful for? Aaron, and my family

Do you love stuffing? No

Anything special in this month? I had surgery

DECEMBER

Do you celebrate Christmas? Of course...it's my favorite!

Have you ever been kissed under the mistletoe? Yes.. by Aaron

Get anything special last year? nothing comes to mind...but I got a cuddlebug this year!

What do you want this year? It's over...and I got it!

What do you love most about December? Christmas decorations!

Christmas Party

We held our first ever Christmas party last night. We had so much fun! We started with a game of Catch Phrase. Then we ate some yummy food! Then it was time for White Elephant gifts! For the white elephant game, in order to get a gift you have to roll dice, if it is doubles, then you can take a gift from the center or steal from someone else. The presents stay wrapped until everyone has a gift. We ended the night with the famous couch game!

Donny, Chad, Shalise
Donny, Chad

Aaron got the funniest gift! A body art and tattoo set!

Tyler, Megan, Lilan

Shalise, Chad, Lilan

Tyler, Shalise, Chad, Tim

Chad, Shalise, Tyler, Aaron

Chad, Shalise, Aaron

Lilan, Aaron, Chad, Tyler

Aaron, Tim, Donny

Shalise, Chad, Donny, Tyler

Thanks Tanya, Donny, Megan, Tyler, Lilian, Tim, Shalise and Chad for spending a wonderful evening with us! We love this time of year and are glad we were able to spend some of it with you! We love you all! Merry Christmas! We were missing some great friends who had plans, or live out of town...maybe next year you'll be able to make it!

Christmas Tag

20 Things I am thankful for:

1. My husband - Aaron

2. My Mom and Dad

3. My Siblings

4. My extended family

5. The church

6. My friends

7. Music

8. My dogs

9. Living next to my family

10. My pillow

11. My heating bill...because it keeps me warm

12. My eyes, ears, mouth, arms and legs

13. That I have food to eat

14. My car

15. My pictures

16. Growing up in New Jersey

17. My medical benefits

18. My job

19. My doctors

20. The people willing to read this

Christmas Tags

1. Wrapping paper or gift bag? Wrapping!

2. When do you put the tree up? As soon as possible! Sometimes before Halloween, but usually mid - November!

3. When do you take the tree down? After my birthday which is January 4th

4. Eggnog? Yuck

5. Favorite gift received as a child? I don't remember

6. Hardest person to buy for?? My brother Andrew

7. Easiest person to buy for? My Mom

8. Do you have a nativity scene? yes - 4

9. Mail or email Christmas cards? Home made - mail

10. Worst Christmas gift ever received? Cookbook and an empty block for knifes!

11. Favorite Christmas movie? So many...probably Elf!

12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I shop all year for Christmas

13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? There's so much! I think Grandma's caramel and shortbread!

15. Lights on the tree? Of course...it's pre-lit! White lights only

16. Favorite Christmas song? Forgotten Carols

17. Least favorite Christmas song? Anything by Neil Diamond

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Just visit families in the valley

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Of course- Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixon, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen and I recall the most famous of them all...Rudolph!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Santa Hat

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Aaron and I open our gifts to each other on Christmas Eve because we are too busy Christmas day traveling to other houses.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? spending $$$

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Red and White

24. Favorite Christmas dinner? Turkey and potatoes

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? To be healthy and happy all of 2009!

ANOTHER TAG!These are a few of my favorite things…..

Five favorite treats during the holidays:

1. Caramel

2. Sugar Cookies

3. Shortbread

4. No bake chocolate chip cookies

5. Toffee

Five favorite Christmas movies:

1. Elf

2. Santa Clause is Coming to Town

3. White Christmas

4. Muppet Christmas Carol

5. Polar Express

Five Traditions during the holidays:

1. Opening Aaron's presents on Christmas Eve

2. Spending time with our families

3. Going to my parents real early to watch my siblings open their presents from Santa

4. Putting up my Christmas village

5. Christmas breakfast

Thanksgiving

Yesterday was a great day. We started off sleeping in. I got up around 9:30. We watched the parade and then the Purina dog show. (We love watching the dog show, but our dogs hate it...they stare at the TV and bark like crazy!) We were so excited to see that the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel won the Toy group! Then we went to Aaron's parents for the Sperry's Thanksgiving lunch/diner. We stayed there are a while, Aaron played with nephew's and I looked though the ad's to see what crazy deals there would be on black Friday. Then we went to my parents for diner with my Grandparents. We played games and watched the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving show. (For those of you who don't know my Grandpa's name is Charlie Brown) It was a nice, relaxing day. It is so hard to believe that the holiday's are upon us already.

I want to take this time to say what I am grateful for. I am so grateful for my family, extended and immediate. They mean everything to me. I have the most supportive parents and the coolest siblings. I am so grateful that every single one of my family members are my best friends. I am so grateful for my Mom and everything she does for me, even after getting married. I am grateful that I can tell her anything. I am grateful for my Dad. I know that if I need him, he will be here. I am grateful for all that he is teaching Aaron. I am grateful for Bryant and the friendship that we have. I am grateful that after everything we have been though it has only brought us closer! I a grateful for Andrew and his willingness to do anything for me and always being able to put a smile on my face. I am grateful for Tricia and her sweet spirit and her sense of humor! I am grateful for my in-laws for raising a wonderful son, and for all the support they continue to give us. I am grateful for my wonderful friends. I don't have many, but the friends I have mean the world to me. I am especially grateful for Tanya and Megan. I have never had friends like them, we cry, we laugh, we laugh until we cry! I am grateful for my dogs! Yes, my dogs, because they remind me that anything is possible, if I can concur my biggest fear, then I can do anything! Even though I wish I didn't have to work, I am grateful for my job. Especially in these hard times.

I know this has been a long boring blog, I have one more thing to be grateful for. I saved the best for last. I am most grateful for my loving husband, Aaron. I know that he loves me with all my heart, and I am grateful that I don't have to question that. I am grateful that he gets along with and loves my family. He is so hard working and takes such good care of me. I love him with all my heart.

My Favorite Time of Year!

I know it's a little early to be getting ready for Christmas! Christmas music is on the radio and movies are on TV. The Stores are decorating and some house have their lights on. So I have started getting ready. We put up our Christmas lights before my surgery and turn them on every night. Our deal was that we could turn them on, on Thanksgiving or until we found another house with them on...we found another house that same night so they have been on ever since! Aaron got all of my Christmas boxes down last night, with some help from our dear friend Donny. I have 14 big boxes of decorations and will need to add a few boxes to it this year! We will start decorating today! I am so excited. We added some fun new stuff to the decorations this year. First, we bought a revolving tree stand...meaning our tree will spin! Last night we bought a tree train that will go in the middle of the tree and spin around. I can't wait! I will take pictures when it is all done. And if you want to come visit, you are more then welcome! I really go all out...Christmas village and all! I am really excited for this time of year and can't wait for it to begin. I love that it always seems to come a little early in my house.

Surgery

I am going to attempt to write a post. I am really sore and dizzy. Mostly dizzy! So my hernia surgery went pretty well. I am in a lot of pain, but with the help of ice and meds I think I will make it! Aaron has been such a big help. He gives me my meds right when I need them, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have any idea when to take what! Tuesday Ikea was having a great sale on somethings we need...specifically a dining room table. We sold our old dining room table at our last yard sale. Ikea had this set on sale for $59! So Aaron went a little before 10. There was a huge line. They only had 200 tables and he was 193!

We have sold all of the puppies! We now have a quite, clean house! Well I think that is everything. I am not sure. I am so out of it. So I hope you enjoyed reading this blog! :)

Halloween Fun

We didn't do much for Halloween this year. We had some fun at my moms. In the window behind us they played "Thriller". My dad put up some pretty cool lights in the house. And we watched "Young Frankenstein".

Me and my goofy husband!

Oh how he makes me laugh!

And here is my goofy dad in the wig!

November

It is the start of the Holiday season! My favorite time of year! I can't wait to start listing to Christmas music and decorating. And I can't wait to see my Canadian Grandparents who are coming out for Christmas! The month of November will be a busy one for us. We have a week off together starting the 10th. But instead of doing anything fun I will be having surgery. I have a hernia, I have had it for about 6 years! We will be changing over the lights at Hale Theatre for the "Christmas Carol". And of course there is Thanksgiving!!! I just want to tell everyone to enjoy this holiday season, no matter your circumstances, what matters is the feeling you get and being with the ones you love.