Glorious Chocolate!

Have you seen the Pioneer Woman's post today? I have to make these yummy looking cupcakes soon!!! Check them out!!

He's Growing Up...

So J just got his first pair of glasses this week. He was soooooo excited. We let him pick out what he wanted. His only stipulation is that he wanted blue glasses. He looks so grown up with them on.

Yay, J! We love you!

Remembering Red

My dear uncle Red passed away Saturday morning. Today was his funeral, and I couldn't be there because of the snow in Pennsylvania. So for a few moments, I would like to remember Uncle Red at my own little blog memorial.

Uncle Red is my maternal grandfather's brother. He and my grandpa were the best of buddies. I cannot remember a time in my life when Uncle Red wasn't there for us. From the time we were little to two weeks ago when I last saw him, he always greeted me with a hug and a kiss and a loud declaration of "Hellooooooo Dolly-baby."

He was 97 years old. He lived a long, full life and was loved by many.

He was a man who loved others deeply and cared about everyone around. Up until a few years ago, he would leave his home early in the morning to go shovel snow or mow the lawn for the "old people" (who would be about 30 years younger than him).

I remember him always giving us a crisp $5 bill when we would go visit. He would pretend that he was sneaky, but his booming voice really wasn't conducive to secrets.

He and Aunt Rita have been there for all the important times in our lives...birthdays, holidays, our wedding, and more.

It will be different to go back home to Pennsylvania to visit without Uncle Red there. I get teary-eyed just thinking about it.

He was so full of life and love...unless you hold a different political opinion!!!

In the lessons I have learned and the life that I live, I will always carry a piece of Uncle Red in my heart.

I love you, Uncle Red. You are dearly missed.

Wow!

I am soooooo far behind in my blogging world, but the real world does come first.

Just wanted to say hello, and let you all know I am alive.

Will post soon...

My parents...

I am so grateful for godly parents. I really have such amazing parents.

My dad has such a great sense of humor...I like to think I get my sense of humor from him (along with my Groucho Marx eyebrows). He is one of the hardest working people I know...I think he only has two speeds he runs on...turbo and stop. If he isn't working hard, then you'll find him snoozing on the couch. :)

He is such a great Grandpa, too. He calls Jonathan every day after school to see how his day went. He spoils him rotten, too.

I love my dad so much! I think I'll always be Daddy's girl.

Now my mom is so adorable...I just love her to bits! She is smart and hard-working. Everyone depends on her. She is a rock.

She is also such a prayer warrior. I remember when I lived at home, seeing my mom on her knees first thing every morning. Her love for God shines from her face.

Now, my dad's sense of humor comes in handy with my mom. It's like having an instant laugh track. She just thinks almost everything he does is funny!

I am truly grateful to have such wonderful parents who would do just about anything for any one. I am truly blessed!

(...and I have a new appreciation for them now that I am a parent. Sorry for all I put you through...and for using permanent marker to decorate the walls...and for coloring underneath the dining room table...and for ripping my wallpaper down...and for talking back...and....)

The Military Wife

Today, I want to say how thankful I am for my freedom. I am thankful for those who are serving our country currently and those who have served in the past. Your sacrifice and service enables me to live the life I live today. THANK YOU!!!!

But, there is one group I am really grateful for...the military wives. Their sacrifice often goes unnoticed. Read this letter below. It was passed on to me from a military wife. What it says is so true.

Dear Military Wife,

I am an American woman that has no idea what is going on in the military other than what I hear on the news.

I have never had to let go of someone so that they could go fight for people that they didn't know, people that sometimes do not appreciate or understand what they are fighting for. I have never had a sleepless night of worry because of a report that another bomb has exploded and I still haven't heard from my husband. I have never had to wait for months on end to hold the one that I loved so.

I have never had to tell my children that daddy wasn't coming home tonight because he was so far away fighting for something that they aren't yet old enough to understand. I have never had to hold my head high and suppress the tears as I hear that it will be at least another six months of separation before my loved one gets to come home.

I have never had to deal with a holiday away from the one that I thought I would share every day of my life with.

And I have never had to feel the panic rising in my heart at the sound of a ringing phone or knock at the door for fear that it is the news that everyone is terrified of getting.

For the reasons listed above, I can not tell you that I understand how you feel. I can not tell you that you must be strong. I can not say that you shouldn't be angry, because you "knew what you were getting into when you married a military man". I can not say these things because I have never had to walk in your shoes.

What I can say for certain is that because of your unselfish acts of bravery and your husbands willingness to stand up for those who see him as "just another soldier" - I will never have to walk in your shoes.

I do understand that as a military wife you are expected to uphold a certain amount of control, but I never understood how you could do it, until now. I have figured out that you are not like other women. You are of a special breed. You have a strength within you that holds life together in the darkest of hours, a strength of which I will never possess. The faith you have is what makes you stand out in a crowd; it makes you glow with emotion and swell with pride at the mention of The United States of America.

You are a special lady, a wonderful partner and a glorious American.

I have more respect for your husband than I could ever tell you, but until recently I never thought much about those that the soldier leaves at home during deployment.

Until this moment I could never put into words exactly what America meant to me.

Until this moment, I had no real reason to.... Until I heard of you.

Your husband and his military family hold this nation close, safe from those who wish to hurt us...but you and those like you are the backbone of the American family. You keep the wheels in motion and the hearts alive while most would just break completely down. Military families make this nation what it is today.

You give us all hope and you emit a warming light at the end of a long dark tunnel.

Because of you and your family...I am able to be me. I am able to have my family. I am able to walk free in this great land. Because of you and your family, I can look ahead to the future with the knowledge that life is going to be okay. Because of you and your family, I can awake to a new day, everyday.

I realize that you are a stronger person than I will ever be because of these things and I just wanted to take the time today to say thank you to you and your family for allowing me that freedom.

I will never be able to repay this debt to you, as it is unmatchable. However, I hope that you know that no matter where you are...what you are doing...what has happened today...or what will happen tomorrow...Your husband will NEVER be "just another soldier" to me.... And you, dear sweet lady, will never be forgotten.

You are all in my prayer's everyday and I pray that God will bring you back together with your loved one safely.

May God Bless You!

How Could I Be Anything But Thankful?

When I look back at some of this pics over the years, I can only say how grateful I am that God gave J to us when He did. He is such evidence of God's best for our lives. My mama heart is overwhelmed and my eyes are brimming with tears of gratefulness.

From the day you were born,

to first teeth and first Thanksgivings,

to first birthdays,

to the first time pitching with Daddy's old glove,

and to first trophies...

to the many, many more memories we are so blessed to have. My heart is overwhelmed with gratefulness for my son with the loving heart, the adorable belly laugh, the competitive spirit, the best hugs and this amazing amount of potential. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for J.

It has been eight wonderful years...sure there have been trials. And yes, there was that time you put stickers all over the closet door, cut your brand new shirt at preschool, broke one of my favorite figurines, or that day when you came home from school crying because of the bullies... but son, the blessings way outweigh those trials. I hope that Daddy and I will always seek God's wisdom as we help mold you into a man of character.

I love you, J. And I am so very thankful to be your mommy!