It's Our Anniversary!

Hard to believe how fast it went, but one year ago this weekend was filled with pure joy and excitement as we got married! We spent the whole year talking about how great our wedding was and I still surround myself with pictures of the memories. Now with our beautiful home and Newby on the way, we are truly a family and my husband has been wonderful!

April Showers Bring May Flowers!

April was filled with wedding bliss down in Sunny Florida! Mom & David's wedding was perfect from the low humidity sunny weather, to the beautiful ceremony and reception surounded by water, and of course the happy couple joined by family and good friends. I have my next sonogram scheduled for June 2nd (20 weeks) when we're hoping to find out if it's a boy or a girl! My birthday was on Mother's Day this year and it was a really nice weekend. My husband got me everything I wanted (Wii Fit and a new ring) and even surprised me with a Mother's Day gift from "Newby", a Thomas Kinkade Disney picture of Pinnochio, which will be hung in the baby's room. In a few weeks, Carmine and I will celebrate our 1-year Anniversary. Time is flying!

Link to view Mom's Wedding Photos:
http://www.photoworks.com/photo-sharing/shareSignin.jsp?shareCode=ABDC5D1C855&cp=ems_shr_alb_pml&cb=PW

Link to me singing at Mom's wedding (on You Tube):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDmc2EkpsKo

Lookin' Good!

Had my first external Sonogram/Ultrasound yesterday and was left AMAZED! "Newby" (as we like to call him or her) got so much bigger and I could count all the fingers on his/her hands! "Newby" was awake and moving around a lot! He/She even appeared to be sucking his/her thumb and then turned his/her back to us! It was truly surreal and hard to believe that amazing little life is inside me moving around. I don't feel any movement yet, but I'm really looking forward to that part!

Here's "Newby" -

With Arms Wide Open!

Carmine and I are expeting our new bundle of joy sometime in October (due date 10/17/09)!!! We're so excited, nervous, anxious, curious, and overjoyed! We've both talked about and dreamed about this for a long time and the time is here and now. We will definitely be finding out if it's a boy or a girl who will bring us so much joy but either way, we just pray everyday that I can carry and bring a healthy baby into the world in October. Now it begins...

Long Time No Post!

Sorry to those of you who actually do check my Blog for info, Facebook has sucked me in and it's hard to update both regularly. Carmine and I are really excited and anxious for Spring. This month is full of birthdays - Happy Birthday Dad, David, Matt, Isabella & Annabella, and Paul! Girlies are turning 6 this year and cuter then ever, looking forward to their "Highschool Musical" Birthday Party! I get a Spring Break from school next week, but I'd like to try and get ahead, so it won't really be a break at all.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Happy Heart Day!

I'd just like to say enough already! In light of the latest Yankee to be found guilty of steroid use (A-Rod), I'd just like to say, why don't we just allow steroids in (all) sports? Modern day sportsmen could become more like late day Gladiators. The bigger the better. Then we wouldn't have to pay them the ridiculous salaries they get because all athletes would be super athletes. If an athlete can't take steroids, then he won't probably won't be able to play, sorry. We'd be able to take sports to a whole other level. Making athletes like Mark McGwire look small and weak. Imagine Hockey with everyone on steroids? No more press speculations, accusations, suspensions, fines, million dollar players apologizing, teams in distress.

Valentine's Day is coming and I just love that there is a holiday that is all about hearts, love, and romance. It's always even better when it falls on a Saturday! I hope everyone has fun with their loved ones. I hope all your kids give and get lots of Valentine's in school.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Well, the long weekend is over and now the work begins. The Spring Semester begins today so it's back to school for me. I'm dying to lose some weight so getting to the gym is a priority. Work is busy with the students back and events a buzz. The Inauguration of our new president is today! All those shows I talked about in my last blog are on. So, from morning until night there is plenty to do, see, and participate in. I saw my friend Anna this past weekend and her adorable son Patrick. He has this really curious nature that is so fun to watch and he loves to flirt with the ladies with this adorable little smirk he gets. Such a happy baby. Anna is my mentor, also a Type 1 diabetic, she keeps a close eye on her diabetes and was great throughout her pregnancy and delivered a very healthy baby boy. I hope to do the same someday soon and having her for a friend is something I'm very thankful for.

I found this Goethe quote online in one of my classes and thought I'd share:

"Our Wishes are Premonitions of the Potential that Lies within Us" ~Johan Wolfgang von Goethe

I Love Long Weekends!

Here's a picture of Christmas at Our House. I'm really looking forward to the 3-day weekend coming up. I'd really like to get over to the new outlets in Tinton Falls and the Englishtown Fleamarket, which although it's only a few blocks away from my house, we've just been too busy on the weekends to get over there. It's also a great time for TV -- Obama's Inauguration, Big Love, American Idol, Nip/Tuck -- so much to see and enjoy! I recently started using Facebook and I'm amazed at how many old friends I found or found me. It's really a facinating website.

Happy New Year!

Another year over, and another new year begins! Lots of great memories from 2008 and lots of great hopes for 2009. My mother, David, and Grandma came to visit over the holidays and although the time flew by way too quick, we had a lot of fun! We spent Christmas Eve at Carmine's parents house, we spent Christmas Day at my brother Chris' house, we spent New Year's Eve at my house. We went to NY, had dinner at Nonna's, and got lots of compliments on our new home. The following are some pictures David and my grandmother took during the week. I'm still waiting for Carmine's pictures...

Christmas Time is Here!

Ready or not, Christmas is here! I am ready and anxiously looking forward to the very nice Christmas break from work, my mother, David, and grandmother's visit, and all the fun festivities that take place at Christmas time. At this special time of year, I always think about my love of Jesus Christ. Although, I am not a very religious person (mostly because there is no proof or facts to actually say who is wrong or right), I think that whether or not Jesus is our Lord and Savior or just a man who lived a life that we should all try our best to follow, he is loved and worshiped the world over, and he is the only reason we celebrate this wonderful holiday. Since the Christmas songs seem to say it best-- May your days be Merry and Bright! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

A Merry New York Christmas!

We had our Annual New York City Christmas Outing this past weekend and saw the Broadway Show "Jersey Boys"! It was Excellent! For those of you who haven't seen it, it's definitely a must see. The tree (also a Jersey Boy) is beautiful this year! We ate dinner at Ben Benson's Steakhouse. Delish! We even managed to squeeze in some shopping. There's nothing like Christmas in New York; the shopping, the decorations, Rockefeller Center, St. Patricks Cathedral, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, I LOVE it all! My beautiful brite colored and ever so soft cashmere scarf was a gift from Michele.

The only thing worse then an accident is one at Christmas time...

Well, with all the holiday hustle and bustle that I so enjoy, I had an unfortunate event happen on my way home from work Friday night. I was merging into a lane on Route 18 and was continuously hit from behind by a tractor trailer, driven by a blonde, pony tailed, southern hick! I love NJ for all it's diversity, but if you're not from around here, please don't drive here. As always, there's construction lanes all over the place on 18 and you are forced to merge. This guy was clearly not letting me in. But, I saw a break, moved my way in and the next thing I know he was hitting my little Nissan Sentra from behind! I could hear my bumper crunching. He could have said he didn't see me, my car is small, but instead he insisted that I cut him off and hit his truck! C'mon, my little car hit him and caused that damage? Well, as I went over it afterwards I actually started to question what happened, that is until I was telling the guy at the Body Shop what happened and a lady was there to pick up her car and said the same exact thing happened to her and also on Route 18! She said, as I did, that she could swear the guy was hitting her intentionally. And now I don't doubt what I thought happened as well. Of course the officer (men always side with men) said the damage appeard to be my fault and said he was writing it up that way. I get the police report on Wednesday, joy of joys. Anyway, I'm currently carless. Which is never good around the holidays with all there is to do. Going to try and rent a car. But with the lovely $750 insurance deductable I now have to pay, I hope it's not going to cost another leg.

My bumperless car!

The tractor trailer that hit me!

Yeah, Merry Christmas to you too buddy...

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

There's nothing like Christmas -- Christmas spirit, Christmas music, Christmas shows, Christmas decorations, Christmas gatherings, Christmas presents --I love it all! I'm almost finished with my shopping so the wrapping (another favorite of mine) will soon begin. I hope to start getting decorations out this weekend and put the tree up by next weekend. My mom, David, and Grandmother are coming on the 23rd and will finally see our new home. Next weekend I'm going into the city for our annual trip to see the tree, the nativity at St. Patricks, and the broadway show "Jersey Boyz". All the reasons why it truly is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! They're lighting the tree at Rockefeller Center tonight. The tree this year is called "miracle" and it's from NJ! Hope everyone is enjoying this truly magical time of year...

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have so much to be thankful for this year (and every year). Carmine and I are so thankful to have eachother, we're thankful for the love and support of our family and friends, as much as we struggle with it, we can honestly say we're thankful for our health, as much as we complain about them, we're thankful to have our jobs, and we're so very, very thankful for our home!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone we love and care about!

Happy Birthday Chris!

Tomorrow is my brother Chris' birthday. Now an avid surfer, I'm sure that's how he'll be spending a good portion of his day. Tomorrow (November 22nd) he'll be 32 and all I can think is how quickly time flys by and before you know it we're "old". Chris--sensitive, caring, and always giving-- I'm so proud of you and where you are today and so thankful to have you as my brother. I love you more then words could ever express and I hope this birthday is a happy one for you. Love, your Sister.

Pics of Our Progress...

OK, so here (finally) are a few before and after pics of our house! Some of the "before" pics are from the former owner's shots (all we have). We're still amazed at how much work and money we've had to put into our 7 year old townhouse, but the majority of problems came from or were the appliances so once we replace them, we should be good for some time to come. We still have a garage full of stuff to unpack, organize, and get through, but we really feel like the place is at a point where the major work is behind us. The stress of it all kind of takes away from the enjoyment and pleasure we should be feeling so hopefully as things wind down some of that good stuff will be a little more apparent!

A Work In Progress...

Carmine and I moved into our new home on November 1st. The move itself went rather smooth, with the help of our family and friends. We pretty much got it all done in one day and filled the 27 ft. truck we rented. We couldn't have done it without all of those who were there to lend a hand. I had the entire next week off from work to unpack and get the house somewhat livable, which brought our first disaster. The first day I was home (alone) the dishwasher broke and water filled our (finished) basement. Now we have to replace the dishwasher and fix the basement ceiling, and in the meantime I'm back washing dishes by hand. Our furniture was delivered, all but the wall unit (back ordered) and sofa for the basement which didn't fit through the entrance way (thank God for small favors). And right in the midst of all this excitement and madness....OBAMA BECAME OUR NEXT PRESIDENT!!! I couldn't be happier. I hear one of the first things he hopes to do when he enters office is sign off on stem cell research, which could lead to a cure for diabetes. I'm so proud of our country for moving us forward with open minds. I'm so happy for my little brother and my future child and the doors that have been opened for them, now there is nothing they can't do. So, here we are, new house, new president, terrible economy and just about as broke as we've ever been. But still, very, very, happy!

SOMEWHERE is Here!

Well I've been waiting for years and WEST SIDE STORY is finally returning to Broadway after all these years and I can't wait to see it! I've always said, "I wish they would bring West Side Story back to Broadway" because I LOVE the movie, the music, the dancing, the story....and I just have to see it come alive on stage. Prices will probably be high, so maybe next year, but I've waited this long so I'll be patiently hoping to see it and hoping they have a cast and production as good as the Rita Moreno, Natalie Wood cast was!

We're "Home Sweet Home" Owners!

Well, as of 2:00 p.m. yesterday it was official! Carmine and I are the proud owners of 83 Heron Court (our first home). Our closing went smooth as can be, we bought paint, Carmine changed the locks, I cleaned the kitchen and now we just can't wait to get back and do more! We'll be changing the carpet, painting most rooms, and replacing 2 sinks. We'll probably bring an air mattress over and spend our first night there this weekend. We'll be officially moving in on November 1st. Can't wait for you all to see it! I'll be sure to post before and after pics as the work gets done. It's like all those make over shows I've watched coming to life...very exciting!!!

Our new address is: 83 Heron Court, Manalapan, NJ 07726

Fall, Football, Family and Friends...

October (thankfully) is moving right along. We have our final walk-thru a week from today and our closing a week from tomorrow. Then the work begins, painting, carpet installing, cleaning, moving, more cleaning, unpacking, decorating, etc. Very exciting! We got together with my friend Sissy for some fun in Red Bank. We ate at Teak (always yummy) and had drinks at Rick's (her husband) bar (Echo). Being the old tired farts that we now are, we had to leave before the Reggae band came on and I couldn't help remember the days when nothing would have had me leaving before the music came on! But, with work, school, and moving Carmine and I are tired most days. Check out some of Sissy's work below (and see her Flickr under My Blog List), she's an amazing photographer! Sunday we went to my little brother's football game, they tied, but played a great game and Chris had a few great plays that left me even more proud then I already always am of him. So cute, so smart, so lovable -- but then I guess I can't help but be bias. And yes, he's just about as tall as me already at 9.

Chris' Game:

Sissy's Pics: