how cool is this...my house in the center....the big black thingy in the back is the pool...the sat pic was taken in the winter because the pool cover is on...you can see Lisa's house with the round pool in the backyard....

I am a Rock

A winter's day
In a deep and dark December;
I am alone,
Gazing from my window
to the streets below
On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

I've built walls,
A fortress deep and mighty,
That none may penetrate.
I have no need of friendship;
friendship causes pain.
It's laughter and it's loving I disdain.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

Don't talk of love,
But I've heard the words before;
It's sleeping in my memory.
I won't disturb the slumber
of feelings that have died.
If I never loved I never would have cried.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

I have my books
And my poetry to protect me;
I am shielded in my armor,
Hiding in my room,
safe within my womb.
I touch no one and no one touches me.
I am a rock,
I am an island.
And a rock feels no pain;
And an island never cries.

Homeward bound.... 

This does not happen very often...they must have been bored 

Washington DC...traffic was not so bad.  

The monkey...and the monkeyboy 

The kids just had to stop at South of the Border...I hate that place...but all the signs leading up to it make it look like you would really be missing something if you did not stop..so..we stopped...for a whole hour... 

more gas pumpin 

Another pic of X and Jess...I just want to take my Jess and kiss her and hug her and sqeeze her and love her. She has had a rough time since my Aunt passed in Dec... but she is living with Kat now and she is doing so well. I only wish she knew how special she really is.

I love you Jess and I will ALWAYS be here for you.

Jess and Xavier...my baby cuz acts like a goof when i try to take her pic...she is SO beautiful. This is X...her new beau and he is an absolute sweetheart...He is a true gentleman and a beautiful person inside and out.  

Jess, Paulie, and Olivia being goofy...as usual 

Nicco plays with one of his new presents.  

Dinner at Carrabbas was delish..... 

Singing Happy Birthday to Nicky. 

The pavillion at the golf club...this is where Nick's party was held.  

Tyler overlooking the pool area. 

Kat's cats like to do kittysizes on the doorway...silly kitty tricks are for kids.  

Olivia points to the famous piggly wiggly...you can see that it REALLY does exist. 

Here in Jersey gas stations are full service and we never pump our own gas but that is not the case in most other places. Here the Jersey girl pumps gas.  

This is Eeha and Paulie...they absolutely adore each other and it has been that way since E was an infant. When Kat would babysit my kids she would ALWAYS have to bring Paulie because E would cry and cry until he got here, this happened even when she was only a few months old. E was the flower girl at their wedding and during the ceremony she cried for her Paulie and he had to explain that he would get her as soon as he was finished getting married. We still laugh about that. The pic was taken with his camera phone so it is a tad blurry. 

Back from SC

Ok. now I have a few minutes to blog. I have been so busy over the past week and 1/2 I have not had much time for anything. First there was Tyler's bday, we had such a good time doing whatever Tyler wanted. I am sure you can figure that out just by looking at the pictures. Then I had to work 15 hour days to make up for taking off on Tyler's bday.

On Thursday of last week we (and by we I mean me, Elyssa, and Tyler....Mark stayed here to watch the dogs and go to work and Kyle had work)... headed for SC. It would be a long drive and one that I would have to make for myself because my cousin Ashley could not get off work to go with. ANYWAYS....we made the long trip and anyone that knows me already knows that it did not take as long for me to get there as it would have taken the normal everyday driver...in other words..we made really good time...9 hours, with 2 stops. We got there a little before 7:30pm after leaving around 10am so most of the day was gone but we spent time with Kat and the kids and I got to see Jess when she finally came home.

We did a lot of running around on Friday morning, the kids had a Drs appointment in the afternoon but after that Paulie took the boys to dinner and to play golf and us girls went to dinner then to the mall in Columbia. Saturday Kat and I went shopping to get the rest of the things that we would need for Nicks bday party and to get me an outfit because a bunch of Kat's friends wanted to go out to a club and I had not packed anything to wear. Then in the afternoon we had the party for Nicco at the pool in the golf club. Everyone had a great time but then a storm started to go through and it got very windy and started blowing things all over the place. You could not even eat a piece of cake because the wind blew it off the fork. Luckily the rain held off till we were at home. That night Kat and I and some of her friends went to a local sports bar. We had a really good time just talking and enjoying the now cooled off weather (we ate and had drinks on the patio). We got home sometime around 2am and I had to get up early for that long drive home.

We had a great time but I wish that I could have stayed longer. I will for sure next time. I have some pics of the vaca....enjoy.

Hey there...

Hello. It has been an exhausting few days and I am really tired. I have some pics to post of the vaca but they will have to wait till later in the week. Anyway...I hope that everyone is doing well.

L8R

Chuck and Tyler... 

Chuck E. Cheese and friends sing happy birthday to Tyler... 

More fun in the museum.

Tyler rests against the famous heart exhibit...he was not crazy about walking through it and it took a few minutes for HIS heart to stop beating so fast once we emerged.

The birthday boy shows off his new Star Wars shirt from Nan and Poppop...hard to believe he is 10 already... HAPPY BIRTHDAY little man..I love you

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Today is Tyler's bday and he has turned 10. I can't believe that my baby is so old and now in the double digits.

Today we will be celebrating by going to the Franklin Institute, http://sln.fi.edu/visitF.html and the IMAX theater to see "Aliens' of the Deep." You can go to http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/aliensofthedeep/ to see the trailer.

Then for dinner we will be going to Chuck E Cheese, http://www.chuckecheese.com/ .

That is the game plan that the bday boy has chosen. I hope that everyone has a great day.

Catch Ya l8r