There's a birthday boy in da house!

T - thoughtful, thinker, tranquil, talented

A - affectionate, advanced, adventurous, accomplished

Y - youthful, yield to authority

L - leader, loving, loyal

O - organized, observant, outstanding, original

R - resourceful, respectful, reliable

Today we celebrate the special person you are Taylor, and wish you a fun filled 12th birthday.

You gave us the privilege of becoming parents for the first time and we've enjoyed all the firsts of parenthood that we have experienced with you. You have been such a joy in our lives.

You also have such a wonderful spirit about you and never miss an opportunity to pull a quick one on your parents. Your humor and zest for life are a breath of fresh air and bring a smile to our face.

I see a bright and promising future for you my son. The sky is the limit. Live out your dreams and don't settle for anything less because you deserve the best that life has to offer.

We love you and are so proud of everything you do. We feel honored to call you our son.

Hugs and kisses on your special day today!

Love,

Mom and Dad

Four

Today marks my baby's 4th birthday.  

05-05-05

Pretty sweet date to be born on, wouldn't you say?  Yes, it was sort of planned.  I was past my due date and the doctor wanted to induce me on the 3rd.  I was totally not going for that date (5-3-05)  If any of you are familiar with a certain bank by that name you'd understand.  Especially the fact that I worked at that said bank for 6 years.  I didn't need my son to carry on the mark of my previous employers name.  So I decided on the 5th.  How can you forget that day?  Plus it's Cinco de Mayo - Luke's going to totally thank me when he gets older.  Par-tay!

L - loving and laid back 

U - unique and understanding

K - kindhearted and keen

E -  entertaining and enjoyable

My dear little baby boy Luke.  You are 4 years old today, yet you act so much more mature.  You are years ahead of others your age in regards to your agility and fearless attitude.  But then again, you sort of have to be like that in order to keep up with your two older brothers.  

I love that you are your own person.  You have such a wonderful blend of rough and tumble mixed with compassion and cuddles.  You are so smart and catch on to things very quickly.  You have this amazing ability to to prove your mom and dad wrong with the things you're capable of doing on your own.  

I enjoy seeing your independence grow each day, but still love the baby side of you when you crawl onto my lap and snuggle into my chest.  

You give us so much love and joy my Luke-man.  Enjoy this adventure into the next year of your life my son.  

Happy 4th Birthday Luke!

A special day

C - confident, charismatic, clever and curious

A - active, adventurous and agile

R - robust and ready for anything 

S - spirited, skilled and sweet

O - occupied and observant

N - natural and nimble

Today we celebrate you Carson and wish you a fun filled 6th birthday.  

You have brought so much joy and love into our lives.  Every time I look at that genuine smile, your dimpled cheeks and the twinkle in your eyes, it makes me feel proud that I get to be your mom.  

You are filled with so much energy and passion, but you also have a focused side and I can find you deep in thought.  You are a dynamic boy so full of life and you live every moment to the fullest.  As Maga always says, you're a Gusto Boy!

You have given us so many fun and happy memories and we look forward to the many more that are yet to come.  The world wouldn't be the same without you, my love.  May all your wishes come true.      

The Birthday Recap

My birthday morning began with me waking up to the sounds of a boy, which I won't name names Luke opening and eating chocolate candy in my bedroom.  

I opened my eyes, looked over and saw this cute chocolate face staring at me.  Thinking I was going to hear a sweet, "Happy Birthday Mommy," instead I got this, "Mom - I have to go poop."

After the morning routine of starting the laundry and emptying the dishwasher I sat down with my coffee to browse my email.  And what a great way to kick off the day.  I had birthday greetings from Tivo, a local Cleveland radio station, a radio station in Chicago, and numerous friends from Facebook.  It made me feel so warm and special. 

Carson came down already dressed for the day in a very clashing unique way.  He had on black pants and two collared shirts, one short sleeve with green and white stripes and one long sleeve with blue and orange stripes.  I asked why he was dressed the way he was and he told me he wanted to surprise me for my birthday by wearing fancy clothes.  How cute is that?  

Taylor's way of wishing me a happy birthday was to scare the pajama bottoms off of me by sneaking up behind me and shouting "Happy Birthday" in my ear.  He's so thoughtful.

Then my parents gave me a call.  I picked up the phone and they started singing Happy Birthday, but to the tune of 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas'.  They're not bad singers either.  

In the afternoon I took the kids to the local animal shelter (that we visit once a week) and we played with a few dogs for close to an hour.  I seriously don't know how I leave that place without adopting a dog each time.  I've come very close.

In the evening I went to my favorite workout class of the week where the instructor played music that I requested (which also happened to be a CD that I gave to him for a Christmas gift).  We came home and I made the most delicious Chicken Piccata dinner (minus mushrooms) for dinner.  (I will have to post the recipe - it is to DIE for! And all my boys loved it.)  I also baked an angel food cake with the help of my boys.  

They presented me with homemade cards, which I love and will cherish forever!  And as far as hubby's gift, I must say he did very well.  I asked him to go to any store that he thought I would like and pick out an outfit for me.  He has good taste and I was curious to see what he would buy for me.  So stay tuned for a picture of the newest addition to my wardrobe.

We ended the day by watching the Chicago Bears game and drinking a few glasses of wine.  Not a bad day at all.  

Thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes, whether it was via my blog, email, Facebook, Myspace, text message, voice message, phone call, in person or a card in the mail.  You all made my day!  I couldn't have asked for more.

Life Lessons

Here are some life lessons I've learned in the past 31 years:

1) Never underestimate the power of drinking water.

2) Never overestimate the power of drinking too much wine.

3) Don't assume brown smudges on the floor are chocolate.

4) You're never too old to play on a swing set.

5) Always check the oven before you turn it on.

6) Distance does make the heart grow fonder and it also makes you homesick.

7) Money can't buy true happiness or love.

8) It's never too late to tell someone you're sorry.

9) You don't always have to have all the answers, just an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on.

10) Being independent is a good trait as long as it's used in the proper way.

11) It's important to take time for yourself, but also make time for others.

12) Love people for who they are not what they do or do not do.

13) Prayer is not only important, but also very powerful.

14) Hug and kiss your kids and tell them "I love you" every day.

15) The harder the task, the greater you will feel the reward of victory.

16) Writing down goals and posting them where they are visible to you and others (like maybe a blog or something) helps you to achieve those goals and holds you accountable.

17) Treat others the way you want to be treated.

18) Don't judge others.  You never fully know their circumstances.

19) Don't dwell on things that happened in the past.  Focus on today and what the future holds.

20) The more you live and play by the rules, the less pain and regret you will experience.

21) Find the good in all people and focus on that.

22) Grudges do no one any good - let them go.

23) Anger only adds fuel to the fire - compassion puts out the flames.

24) Make time to surround yourself, experience, and be in awe of nature and everything that God created.

25) Don't take yourself too seriously.

26) Focus and be thankful for what you have, not what you don't have.

27) Offer words of encouragement and genuine appreciation.

28) Change is inevitable, embrace it and make the best of your situation.

29) Always remember your roots, where you came from.

30) Find  your passion in life and pursue it. 

31) On your birthday thank your mom for giving you life.

Thank you mom for the life you gave me 31 years ago today.  I am so grateful for the love you and dad have shown me throughout the years.  I love you both so very much!

Happy Birthday Taylor!

Today is my oldest son's birthday. He's now 11. I remember being that age - how can he have gotten here already? A soon-to-be 5th grader. Scary how fast the time goes.

This boy of ours has been so fun to watch grow up. He's always been mature for each stage of life he's been through. I love his quirky sense of humor and his genuine smile.

I love the way his eyes light up and the way he tosses his shaggy haircut that makes him look so stunning. I love his kindness, politeness and the respect he has for others (maybe not his brothers so much, but that's normal). I love how organized and neat he is with his room. He's definitely part of me.


I look forward to watching him grow and mature into a teen. The future holds so much for him - I want to embrace every moment and enjoy it with him.

Love you always Taylor-bug-a-boo. Happy birthday!