To My Girlfriends

My sister-in-law, Joyce, sent this via email. It was a very touching video and reminded me of how wonderful my friends are. My long distance friends from TCC and my local friends. This is really how girlfriends are. I'm truly blessed to have a wonderful circle of girlfriends. Much love to you all. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. Now to read her book.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_4qwVLqt9Q

xoxo, Marlo

The Knox Family

We had a wonderful Christmas Day and dinner with my in-laws. My mother-in-law, Kathy, makes a killer dinner. She is quite the cook and baker. Like Daniel says, "It's because she does it with love."

















Jim, Marlo, Daniel, Val, Nathaniel, James and Tiffani

Kathy loves to have the family over and to spoil us with food and desserts. She is always surprising us with a special dish. The one thing she makes sure to have are her famous deviled eggs. Everyone loves, loves, loves those.
















Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Butch

We had a great time laughing and messing around. Although, it would have been even more perfect had John, Ligia, Matthew, RJ and Brandon were here. It stinks that they live so far away. I know the holidays just aren't the same for the Knox Family. Not to mention that Jim and Steve miss having their brother around.
















Daniel, Valerie and Nathaniel

It was nice to be able to relax and enjoy a time with our family. The kids love being with Grandma and Grandpa.
















Steve, Joyce, Samantha and Stevie D.


I think this is the first pics I've gotten of the individual families. I just need to get one of John and his family. I'll have to scrapbook or alter something with all the pics.


Thanks for looking.

Now to rest...Happy Sunday!

xoxo, Marlo

Christmas Craziness

These were my Christmas cards this year. And yes, I did get them out. The last 5 years I have made Christmas cards and never sent them out. This time it was a challenge. My friends challenged me to get them sent out BEFORE Christmas. Jim even jumped in and made a bet with me. He would give me a $3000 check if I got them out on time. LOL, he should know better than to add MULAH to the mix. This check was an unexpected surprise...bonus. He had definite plans with it. Well, that pretty little check was ALL MINE. But, first we paid off a bill. The rest was mine to do as I please. Don't worry though, Jim has $100 in his wallet. I was generous!























No, I haven't spent it. Jim and I have had our eyes on a few goodies, so I think we'll spoil ourselves this time around. But, it was fun to take on the challenge and to get my cards out.

Now, if you didn't get a card from me, it's because I didn't have your address. But, one of my plans for 2009 is to get my address book in order so I can send out beautiful handmade cards. Don't laugh! I'm being serious.
















Christmas Eve is always spent at my dad's house, about 1 1/2 hours away from where I live. We get there around 9ish and leave about 2ish. This year my family arrived well after 10 p.m. We attended a Christmas Eve service at church before heading down. We had a wonderful time, a great dinner, tons of laughs and wonderful gifts. My kids look forward to Christmas Eve every year. This year there were 39 of us crammed into dad's little house.


















Every year we play the White Elephant Game. We usually let the kids join in, however this year it was adults only. This is probably the funnest event of the evening. Us adults got a little carried away this year. I won't mention names...(Esther, Kendra, Alex, Erica LOL). It was alot of fun.

Here we are getting ready for the crazy game. There were 21 adults playing.

















Once again the kids were spoiled by all. We were truly blessed to have another great Christmas Eve.
























Christmas time is a bitter sweet time for my family. My mother loved Christmas. She hosted Christmas Eve every year. Dad has kept up that tradition. My mom loved to sing Christmas Carols, especially The 12 Days of Christmas. Her part was, "5 Golden Rings!" Off key of course. Our last Christmas with mom was 1993. She was sick and pretty much laid on the couch while the rest of us took care of things. Mom always made Christmas a special time for us. I'm blessed that my dad and Esther have kept up mom's tradition. Dad and Esther go out of their way to make us all feel that special Christmas spirit and to let us know we are truly loved and appreciated. Although mom isn't here to celebrate with us, her love and spirit continues to feel our hearts and homes.


Merry Christmas Mom!


Merry Christmas to my wonderful family and friends.

XOXO, Marlo

Graduation and the Big 40!!

Just like everyone else, December has been a busy month for us. Seems like it's parties, and parties and more parties. I'm partied out.
December 13th I finally graduated from Azusa Pacific University. It was the longest 18 months of my life, but so worth it. I'm so grateful to have a husband and children that support me and encourage me to follow my dreams. My extended family; dad, brothers, sisters, in-laws, etc., have also been a great support team. I have about a month and a half break from school until I start my master's program, Feb. 2. Whew...another 18 months of intense work. However, I'm looking forward to it.

After graduation, my sister Natalie and her husband Steve, threw me a 40th birthday party. Yup, you read right. THE BIG 40!!! Do I feel 40? Nah, not one bit. My party was an 80's themed party and yes, it was required that we dress. LOL A great time was had by all. I must say, my family all dressed up, even my brothers. It was a nice evening and a nice way to be honored by my family. I am one lucky gal.
Now to finish the Christmas season and get some time to RELAX!

xoxo,

Happy 1st Birthday Nathaniel!!

Happy 1st Birthday Nathaniel!!! It seemed like just yesterday that Nathaniel entered our world and family. The day of his birth was bittersweet. We were excited for his arrival and could hardly wait.

When the time came for him to be born we found out that he was in distress with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. There were times that the doctor wasn't sure how the baby was going to enter the world. The moments leading up to his arrival, the whole family was praying that Nathaniel would be perfectly healthy and breathing. There were times that we thought we'd be coming home without a baby boy to love. I know God heard our prayers. The doctor had to be a little rough with him, but within seconds Nathaniel was breathing and doing well. As Daniel and I rejoiced and watched the nurses take care of him, little did we know that Valerie was not doing so well. She was bleeding profusely, her blood pressure was sky high and according to the doctors we were losing her. Our tears of joy went to tears of fear and confusion. After an emergency surgery, 4 pints of blood, she was finally stabilized, but not out of the woods. Our emotions were all over the place by now. Jim and I thought we'd be taking a baby home and no mommy. We were a mess. The next morning Dr. Roca arrived to check on Valerie. For 12+ hours Valerie was being monitored every 30 minutes. Dr. Roca finally gave us the all clear sign, but not before telling us that he thought we were going to lose her and that she was lucky to be alive. Those are very scarey words for parents to hear.

Today when I think about that day, December 21, 2007, I am so thankful that God heard our cries and prayers. God has always been faithful and merciful to us. Each and everyday I'm so blessed when I hear Val's voice on the phone just to say, "Hi Mom!" I'm even more blessed to have a sweet little guy to call my very own grandson. I have this say, "Who's grandma's favorite boy?" I say that everytime I see him and he just gets a kick out of it. Although, I'm sure he has no clue what I am saying, but he does know that his grandma and grandpa adore him. His first year of life has been a joy to see and be a part of. Jim and I are so blessed that Daniel, Valerie and Nathaniel come up every weekend to visit. They have allowed us to be a huge part of his life and include us in just about everything.

We have enjoyed watching him get his first 4 teeth by 3 months, crawl by 4, and walk by 9 months. He has grown so quickly, yet he's so tiny.

I'm looking forward to watching what his second year will bring.

Happy Birthday to Grandma's Favorite Boy!!! I love you Nathaniel!

xoxo, Grandma

Where do I begin?

The last two months have flown by and I have no clue where they went. Life has been busy, but good. We ended October on a fun note with Nathaniel celebrating his first Halloween. What fun it was to see him in his costume go from door to door with his daddy. After about an hour though, he was pooped out, not to mention his lion mane was very heavy for him.

November was a busy month. We began by celebrating our 16th wedding anniversary. I can't believe it's been 16 years. Seems like we were just 22 years old getting married and getting to know eachother. It has really been a wonderful 16 years. I don't think I could have asked for a better husband and soulmate. He is everything I could have wanted and more. What's that saying? "HE COMPLETES ME?" Well, I would have to agree. Jim, completes me.

Two days later we celebrated Valerie's 21st birthday. My goodness where did the time go? It seemed like yesterday she was four years old. It has been a wonderful 21 years. I have to admit, she gave me very little headaches. I think she was a headache around the age 15 and 16. Not to bad though. Today I have to say I'm very proud of the young lady she has become. She has matured so much. I enjoy our ADULT conversations...when did she grow up??? She amazes me everytime I see her. Our relationship has always been great, but now it's a greater blessing and so much more than I would have imagined. We celebrated her birthday with the family at Acapulco's. She was planning on having some drinks. Crazy girl!

A week later it was Jim's 39th birthday. Wow, 39! I remember when he looked like a boy at 21. LOL. Jim never wants anything big for his birthday, usually just dinner and something simple at home. Next year though, he's getting a big shabang.

We celebrated Thanksgiving here at home with the kids and the in-laws. I hadn't cooked Thanksgiving dinner in a few years so it was nice to have the opportunity this year. I actually like staying home on the holidays. I need to start making my own traditions with my kids and grandbaby. Soon.

We took Nathaniel to the park and did a little photo shoot. We wanted some pics for his birthday invites. We had a blast watching him play. I took over a hundred pics. I had the easy part. Poor Daniel had to edit them. Thank goodness he's a professional photo editor. BTW, these ones are not edited. Nathaniel looks so much like my son James. It's unreal how much they are alike.

We finished off November by celebrating my niece Samantha's 16th birthday and my newphew Joshua's 10th birthday. Too many November birthdays. Can you say BROKE!!

I have a ton more to post about, but I'll give your eyes a rest for now. My December has been even crazier that November. I will update soon. Promise.

Thanks for checking in on me...xoxo, Marlo

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Have a fun and safe Halloween!

Taking Out to See the Pumpkin Patch

It's been a very busy time of year for me. Looking forward to when I have a bit more free time. I have six weeks left of school, then it's graduation. I'm busy writing experiential essays, reflection essays and completing resumes. I'm wiped out! I had to take some time to enjoy the pumpkin patch with Nathaniel. He loved the pumpkins and enjoyed walking around and touching them. He's at the perfect age where everything is new and exciting. This was the highlight of my week.

Miss you all!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

In Celebration of Women all over the world, remember to have your mammograms and do self checks.



How to train for a mammogram...

XO, Marlo

Enabler Alert!

Many of you know that my little sister Natalie moved up here to the high desert. She bought a beautiful new home just minutes from me. She's terribly lonely and misses my dad really bad. We spend quite a bit of time together during the week, which has been nice. She's very different from me. She's quiet and shy and well, you all know, I'm neither of those. LOL Anyhow, since her move up here she's been coming to my monthly crops. Hehehe!

She's got the scrapping and stamping bug baaaadddd! After our September crop, her hubby put together the cutest scrapbook room. It's pink and brown and ooooohhhh soooooo cute! According to her hubby, she's in there all day and night. Jenny and I are dying to break it in...which means it'll never be the same after we leave.

This is her room 1/2 way done. Super cute. She's added a cute draping around her work table. Not pic on that yet. Her table wraps around three walls. I'm totally jelly, wish my scraproom was in my house.

Jim has been enabling her hubby also. That's a whole different story. I'm thinking we might be a bad influence on them. Hehehe!

But, I'm loving that Natalie found a hobby and has her own space to keep her busy. Keeps her mind off being away from dad.

Jim says I'm a really bad influence on people. I told him he's just jealous he doesn't have a scrapbooking community like I do.

XO, Marlo

Kiss My Peaches Blog

Well, I decided a blog was better than a myspace page. I have no clue how to work the myspace page and I was getting frustrated. I attended a sand show last weekend with the whole family, including Val, Daniel and Nathaniel. Each of us donned one of my handbags. I was stopped many, many times by people inquiring where I got my purse from. LOL, I just handed them a business card and since then, the emails have been rolling in with inquiries and orders. Having a blog will be easier to keep up and to direct customers, as well as future customers to. I still have a ton of pics to upload but there are some for now.

Thanks for taking a looksie!

http://kissmypeaches.blogspot.com/

xoxo, Marlo

Trying to get back to my old self

The last couple of months have had me in a whirlwind. I feel like I have no time to do anything. Homework consumes all my time. I've been so tired that most days I'm in bed by 10:30. SERIOUSLY!! I know, hard to believe but it's true.

I had to go to the dr. yesterday because I was having problems with my eyes. Turned out to be pink eye. While at the doc's I had to be weighed and I gained 12 lbs. I was so disappointed I wanted to cry. But I knew that skipping my workouts and eating on the run was not helping the situation. So back onto www.myfooddiary.com and to my workouts. I MUST make time for this. So, my goal is to drop the 12 lbs. by the end of October. Gives me a month and a half. Should be doable. Hopefully this will help with the energy loss and the over sleeping. LOL You all know Marlo McBoing Boing likes to stay up late. LOL

On a happier note, I think I found a printer that is going to be able to do my pattern printing. They are located in Indiana, down in the tri-state area. After months of going back and forth we finally got things ironed out. I'm looking forward to getting some more patterns printed up. Won't be right away, but should happen in the next month. That reminds me, I need to have my sister update my MySpace page. I have a ton of new purses to post. Some are super duper cute too!

On a sad note, many of my dearest friends will be flying to Portland, Oregon this weekend to hang out and just have a girl's weekend. It was planned for me to attend but my schedule and finances just didn't cooperate this time. Totally bummed that I won't be there. Jim is so going to have to pamper me this weekend.

Hope all is well with everyone,
XOXO~~MARLO

Just Chillin'

Our weather is finally cooling down some...high 90's. LOL

I'm really looking forward to some cooler weather. I'm tired of the swamp cooler. I freeze in the house and in my classroom. LOL I know, it could be worse.

Things are pretty mellow around here at the moment. Just chugging along with our daily schedules. The kids are well into their school routine. Fall break in just around the corner.

Jim and I have been dealing with finance issues. Jim's business credit card was tampered with over a period of 3 days. Over $16,000 worth of charges. All at stores in San Francisco. Each store had at least 3 purchases and each around $500. Expensive stores also. Poor Jim has had to do some major paperwork for this. On top of that we get a letter from CountryWide, our mortgage company, that an employee stole all our information as well as social security numbers. We know it's a 'He', but that is about it. So they set us up on this credit monitoring but it's such a pain. We get daily phone calls from our bank if we use our card more than 3 times in a day. Ugh!! So far though, none of our personal accounts have been tampered with. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Other than that all is well. The kids are great. Val is doing great as well. She's driving a new car, Jeep Patriot. Her and that baby have to be styling all the time. Nathaniel is doing well. Growing quickly and such a happy little guy. Val is already planning his 1st birthday. Between Val and Daniel, they are ridiculously spoiled so they have the little guy the same way.

That's it for now. Nothing too exciting around here. It's always work and school.

Toodles for now!
Marlo

Where has the time gone?

Wow, the summer just flew by. I totally lost track in everything. Seems like life has been super busy and getting on the computer to just have fun, browse my yahoo groups and read blogs is not fitting into my schedule.

Most of my summer was consumed with starting my business. I told you all that I was going to do it this year and I finally did it. I started putting my purse/apron/etc in pattern form. My first run of patterns have been a big hit. Three stores are carrying them at the moment. I only wanted to sell my designs in pattern form, but it seems that I'm selling more of my completed designs. Hasn't been bad, but it's been alot of work for my busy schedule. I have a group of ladies that test all my patterns for accuracy. They are simply wonderful and so encouraging. These ladies are spitting out dozens of purses in a weeks time. I joke with them all the time that I may have to hire them to do my piece work. LOL, If my orders keep up, they will end up working full time. I'm working on getting a website done. Seems like everyone is eager to help but once it comes right down to it, they all disappear, no where to be found. My three sisters started a myspace page for me, you can check it out at www.myspace.com/kissmypeaches.

So summer flew by. Before I knew it, it was time to return to work and school. The kids were thrilled, but for the first time I was not. We usually hit the river every other weekend in the summer and this time we didn't go at all. About the only thing I did with the kids was take them to Raging Waters, which stinks by the way.

The kids are well into school. We are in our fourth week and all is well. James is loving 7th grade and is enjoying his teachers. Wrestling season starts soon so that will take up alot of his time. Tiffani is now in 5th grade. She loves her teacher and is finally being challenged. This is my "IT" girl, a know it all and excels at everything. I'm so pleased to see her working hard.

Nathaniel is now 8 months old. We love having him over every weekend. He is growing so quickly, way to fast for us. Val is starting to get sad that her little baby is turning into a big little boy. He has 5 teeth and is realizing now that he has them. He likes to bite!!

I'm down to my last two classes of school. I have my graduation date, December 13. Yeah!! 3 days before my 40th birthday. I passed all my tests and I'm ready to go. Each day that passes I get more and more excited.

Jim is traveling alot. It's tough when he's gone. I don't get much "ME" time. Thank goodness for my friend Jenny who really helps me out and keeps me sane.

I'm looking forward to a girl's weekend out to Portland, Oregon. I'm due to go in mid September. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it works for me. I had an unexpected expense, stinking water heater went out on us, UGH!! $600 in a blink of an eye. YIKES!

Well, that's been my life in a nutshell. I will try my darnest to update at least once a week.

Thanks for peeking in on me.

Marlo

Bad Blogger

Okay, so I've been a bad blogger. I'm not sure where the time has gone. My head is forever buried in school books and homework. I thought I was going to get a bit of a break this summer. My stinkin' science class sucks! I don't plan on teaching science so why in the h*** do I have to take it!!

I've been teaching sewing classes everyday in the mornings so that keeps me busy as well. All my students have been very productive and I have not. When I do have spare time I making up my class samples. I've not done anything I want to do. Sad.

Oh and that dumb math class that I cried about all spring, I got an "A"!! Not sure how. I think the teacher seen that I was persistent and had good attendance. I'm guessing she felt sorry for me after I told her that I have a 4.0 gpa and that her class was going to kill it. LOL

Things are going well here besides being busy. Jim is redoing my backyard. I'm so thrilled. I'm geting a few decks and a new patio and an outdoor kitchen. It's tough with an acre property. Too much to fillup and too stinkin' expensive.

I've also been working on my purse patterns. I finally got a program that I can understand. I had adobe illustrator and that sucked. Too hard to use. So this weekend I got Visio and within 5 minutes I had one of my purse patterns laid out. Now my big job is to find a printer that can print from the Visio software. Once that is done then I'll do photo shoot with my prototypes, print out the instructions and package the pattern. I'll take a week to visit some quilting and fabric stores in the So. Cal area. Hopefully the store owners will love them and buy them.

So, that is me and my last couple of weeks in a nutshell. The kids, Val, Daniel and Nathaniel, will be coming up Thursday afternoon to stay for the weekend. I can't wait to see Nathaniel enjoy his first 4th of July.

Hope all is well with you!
Hugs,
Marlo

5 Things About Me!

So, I've been tagged by my friend Ali Moll

Fives meme
The rules:
1. Post the rules of the game at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

What were you doing five years ago?

This time 5 years ago I was working at Trinity Lutheran School. I was getting ready for a month long trip to Indiana. I would be our first family trip out there. It was also Jim's 15th high school reunion.

What are five things on your to-do list for today?

1. Finish cleaning my scrapbook room.
2. Find a good swamp cooler for my scrapbook room.
3. Get my sewing projects in order for my upcoming classes.
4. Do all my homework...which is never ending.
5. Pack for my Vegas trip.


What are five things you would do if you were a billionaire?

1. Buy Val and Daniel a house near me. LOL
2. Buy Grannie a house near me.
3. Pay off Nat's new house.
4. Buy Jim a bad ass boat and not have to worry about gas prices.
5. Give to charities like Autism, Breast Cancer awareness and Special Needs in Children.

What are five of your bad habits?

1. Leaving my computer desk messy.
2. Buying too much fabric.
3. Not cleaning up after scrapbooking.
4. Hanging my bath towel on the door knob.
5. Sleeping with the lamp on. Hey...I read before going to be.

What are five places where you have lived?

1. Montebello, Calif.
2. Pico Rivera, Calif.
3. La Mirada, Calif.
4. Whittier, Calif.
5. Apple Valley, Calif.

The first four places were next to each other. The 5th is the furthest, 1 1 /2 hours away!!

What are five jobs you’ve had?

1. Cashier at Mervyns when I was in high school.
2. Baker at a cookie company while in high school.
3. Aerobics instructor at Holiday Health Spa, now Bally's.
4. Pre-school Teacher
5. Teacher in a Christian schoool.

Five people I tag:

1.Sarah Riley

2.Sharon Rivera

Hmmm, this is gonna be hard because I think Ali tagged all the ones I would have tagged. I'm gonna have to come back to this part.

Father's Day Weekend

It was a busy weekend. We first celebrated my sister Natalie's 26th birthday and housewarming party. She had a lot of guests in her new home, including children spilling things on her new couch and floor. She was a good sport though, and didn't complain about it.

On Father's Day we took my in-laws out to lunch at our favorite Mexican restuarant, La Casita. We had a nice time visiting and eating. Later we came home to get the pool ready. Ohh, just about 1 month late. Natalie and Steve came over to help, but instead they had a water fight. With 100+ temps, it was a welcome surprise.

My father-in-law and Jim are always dressed alike. It's really funny because we'll show up to a party or to have dinner together and they are dressed like twins. This happened on Saturday for Nat's party and on Father's Day. We get a real kick out of it. When we used to attend the same church, this happened often. They would be dressed in the same colors. People always knew they were family, not to mention they look alike.

Poor Natalie got drenched. This was her Happy Birthday gift from the kids.

Last weekend when my brother-in-law, John and his familiy were visiting from Kentucky, we had a family bbq. All the guys played football for hours. It got a little wild at times. They are all so competitive. It was nice to see Daniel fit right in the guys. I think Val was relieved also. By the end of the evening all the guys were hurting, especially Daniel. His asthma kicked in, but he wouldn't stop.

John and Daniel going head to head.

Nathaniel was an onlooker watching his daddy play football. There were times Val had to look away because the guys were being too rough.

The first weekend John was here, the guys played basketball. My nephews are really into sports and love to play. They kept the old guys moving, including grandpa.

This is John's wife, Ligia. While they were here in Cali, they celebrated thier 16th wedding anniversary. Both Ligia and I meet the boys at the same time. We even double dated. Jim and I married 5 months later. I remember making all the dresses for her wedding, they were peach. At the time it was her favorite color, she hates it now. Ligia has always been a nice sister-in-law. We aren't close and we are very different, but she is very kind and she's a very good mom. Her boys really respect her.



And of course, I had to post another pic of my little guy. I didn't get to see him this weekend. So, I'm going through withdrawals. Two weeks is too long to not be with him. Thank goodness they'll be up here this coming weekend. He'll be 6 months on Saturday. Too fast. I will be doing a photoshoot on Saturday. LOL

Thanks for sticking with me. I think my blog ends up being more of a photo blog, but hey, it keeps it interesting.

Note**If you are in the area on Friday, June 20, we will be scrapping at 6:30 p.m. We are having a bbq. We have 3 new gals that joined our group and will be here. Come on over and join us. The more the merrier!!

xo, m

Nathaniel and his daddy, Daniel

This picture was taken at the Quincinera on May 17th. Nathaniel was so sick with a stomach virus, but he was so good. Daddy made him feel better with all his hugs and kisses. We are so blessed to have Daniel in our family. He loves Nathaniel so much and Nathaniel is just glued to him as well.
Happy 1st Father's Day Daniel!!!!

SummerTime is here!

Whew, I wasn't sure if this day would ever come...the last day of school. This day went by so slow, but we made it. I'm looking forward to my summer vacation and just spending time with the kids. I'm excited to sleep in some and to stay up all night if I choose. I'm more excited to just be home.

James and Tiffani are thrilled also. I'm still stunned though that James will be in 7th and Tiff in 5th come August. Where did the time go?

We don't have any definite plans as of now. With gas prices, I don't think we'll be visiting the river much. $5.49 per gallon is just a rip off so my truck and boat will sit for now. Next week we'll be heading to Vegas for a few days. Jim has to work out there, so the kids and I will be taggin along. I'm looking forward to just lying around the pool and doing nothing.

My summer won't be totally boring as I will be teaching a ton of sewing classes. I think I have one class a day for seven weeks. LOL But, sewing isn't work, it's more of a social time for me.

I'm looking forward to summer and the good ole bbq's and swimming.

Have a fun, safe and cool summer. I'll keep you posted on mine.

xo, m

Saying Goodby Stinks

We had the pleasure of seeing Jim's brother and his family for the last week and a half. They live in Bowling Green, Kentucky. They moved four years ago to make a better life for themselves and that they have done.

We were lucky enough to visit them 2 years ago, but since then we hadnt' seen them. They came out to Cali this passed week and we had a blast. The 3 boys have grown so much and were so fun to be around. James was in heaven. Eventhough they hadn't seen eachother in so long, it was as if the boys were never seperated. The four of them had the time of their life. James is really sad they have to leave.

We enjoyed breakfast, dinners and bbqs with them. Tonight we had our last dinner and then had to say goodbye. It totally sucked. I was very sad. Sad for my kids, mostly James. I wish they could grow up together, they are so alike, so silly, so funny, just alot of fun.

I think I'm going to start saving my pennies so we could go out there next summer or bring the boys here for the summer.

Anyhow, thanks for listening to my ramblings. LOL I have to get some pics to post.

xo,marlo

I"M FREEEEEE!!

Tonight was my math final for that EVIL, WICKED, HORRIBLE math class. It was the worst class ever. I love math, but the instructor was a horrible teacher. She was very nice and I liked her as a person, but as a teacher...SHE SUCKED. This was the longest 18 weeks of my life. I'm so glad to be free of it and have my life back.

I'm going to relax the next couple of days and then jump on the sewing band wagon. LOL

xo
m

Be Positive...card shower

I'm joining the bandwagon, along with other friends to ask for your help. My friend, Shanna is sponsoring a card shower for a 13 year old girl, Jessie, who has cancer. Jessie goes to school with Shanna's son, Chris. Please take some time out to make Jessie a card. Below is note from Shanna:

Hello everyone! I am writing about someone really special and I would love your help. Jessie is a 13 year old girl in my son's junior high class. She is a sweet, young lady that is battling bone cancer. Jessie is undergoing chemo and has already endured surgeries for both the cancer and to reinflate her lungs. This girl has been through a lot since her recent diagnosis at the end of April. I am currently organizing a card shower for Jessie, so if you are interested in participating, please do so!! The idea is that everyone would send a card to the P.O. box listed below and we would then be able to deliver a bundle of good wishes to Jessie. This little girl would love to get good wishes from all over!! Jessie's theme is "Be positive" or "B+", like her bloodtype. Isn't that cool!??! Thanks for taking the time to be a part of this. I appreciate it!

Mailing info:
"B+" Jessie
P.O. Box 538
Monrovia, CA 91017

Thanks, everyone!
Shanna

Alrightie, you have a mission. Let's shower Jessie with words of encouragement. Remember, she's a teenager and needs all the love, support and hope she can get.

xo,
M

Counting down to summer vacation...

the count is slow!! We are down to the last two weeks of school. I'm excited. It's been a long school year. Plus, it just means me being closer to getting my own classroom. Yeehaw!!

We spent the week and weekend moving my sister and brother-in-law. There brand new, beautiful home is finished. They signed their life away on the dotted line and moved their stuff in. Their house is beautiful, I'm so excited for them.

And, well, I'm happy for me too. Now I have family close by. They are 5 minutes away, 10 at the most. We spend alot of time with them anyhow, so now it'll just be even better because we won't have to make the 1 1/2 hour drive. Plus, they have lots of rooms, that means baby making time. LOL

Jim was out of town AGAIN!! I'm getting really sick of it, but it pays the bills. He's home for one day and then back out to Indy for a week. I'm living like a single middle-aged woman with kids. Something is wrong with this picture.

Last night was crop night. We had a full house, and 4 didn't end up showing up. It's always a fun evening with the girls, they just keep us laughing. I got quite a bit done, which was nice. I plan to finish my projects up and get them hung in my room. Can't wait.

I also have been working on more purses and patterns. I just got hooked up with a graphic designer that will be illustrating my designs and plotting them out. So cool!! I'm hoping they will be ready for a Trunk Show on June 28. This will hopefully be my DEBUT. Keeping my fingers crossed. If not, then I'm hoping to hit the Quilt Market in the fall. We'll see.

I'm off to bed now, it's been a long day.

Thanks for stopping by and peeking in on me.

m

Pics of my life...

Nathaniel eating cereal. He loves his cereal and eating from a spoon. Excuse the Christmas bib, I keep that here at my house. Something weird, but I love for him to wear hit. Reminds me of this past Christmas when he was just days old. This was Mother's Day morning, he's almost 5 months.

Mother's Day afternoon. Valerie, Nathaniel and myself. 3 generations....amazing. My first child, my first grandbaby. Life is sweet.
All my children and grandbaby. This is what keeps me going. James 12, Tiffani, 10, Valerie 20, Nathaniel 4 months and me, 39. I've been blessed!
Two of the girls in the Quincienera, Lyndsey and Carly. Those are my dresses!!
Tiffani was also in the Quinciera. She was the only one with straps since she was the only young girl.

Tiffani and her partner, Adam. This is the beginning of the Waltz when they greet eachother. They were the best dancers of them all. Not because I'm the mom, but because they weren't embarrassed. They just did what they needed.

The birthday girl, Cliana, at her 15th birthday party. She's the one in the middle, wearing green. I made all the dresses including hers. Her dress has two parts to it. The long skirt comes off and under is a short glittery dress. Her hair and make-up was done by Valerie. It's was Val's first freelance job. The girls wore different colors. The theme was 80's.

This pic of Nathaniel is from this weekend. We had him on Friday and took him for his shots. He's 5 months here. We sat him in his highchair for the first time. He loved it. He was so happy. I can't believe how fast he is growing. Again, his Christmas bib, gotta love him in it. I'll be saving this one forever.

Thank you for taking a little look into my life. This is what keeps me busy.

M