Post test celebration

We went to Chuck E. Cheese's after Matthew finished his test last Thursday. It was so much fun. The girls loved it, just as we had hoped, and we had a lot of fun watching the girls too! When Matthew enters an arcade, he gets this grin on his face and you know he's reliving boyhood. It is just too funny. Chuck E. Cheese's, apparently, was the perfect place to celebrate such an event. Here are a some pictures.
Oh, we went to Wendy's first.

The girls got a little scared and ran when the numbers, normally gophers, starting popping up. So Daddy had to be the brave one and hit them with the mallet.

The girls with their winnings, some lollipops, rings and a pirate patch.

A celebrated 6 years of budding love.

You know, it happens to all of us. Life. It gets busy. While our perspective priorities are constantly in sight, our daily ones fluctuate to those of immediate necessity. When you keep those most important things in sight while trying to take care of somewhat less important necessities, those bigger things have a way of taking care of themselves. For instance, this past almost 4 years, we have had an immediate focus on dental school, but still
remembered that our faith, marriage and family were ultimately more important. Which brings me to the point of this entry(post). Matthew and I have been married six years now and it has been an incredible journey. I know, compared to eternity, 6 years is but a moment. Regardless of how small it may be, we are overwhelmingly thankful for that small moment of time.

With all that is required of us, we don't have the time to stare deeply into each others eyes all day and some days it gets so busy that we barely remember what we were going to tell each other. But through our devotion, responsibilities, and sacrifice our love for each other is ever deepening and boundless. Almost all we do become manifestations of love.

As we celebrated our anniversary, I realized, that though our life can get mundane and repetitive, we often are experiencing new things. Same goes for our marriage. This past weekend was a new experience and it's funny to think that we are still learning about each other.

So, I picked Matthew up from school on Friday and we drove down into the city. We checked into Sofitel, the nicest hotel either of us had ever been to, and didn't have to pay for. Then we went to dinner at Roy's restaurant, again, the nicest restaurant either of us has ever been to. We indulged ourselves and enjoyed every moment.

Our good friends stayed at our place with the girls over night and they probably never even noticed we were gone. Again, something new for me, I have never left my kids before, and I literally almost cried. I know, it's ridiculous, but what can I say, I'm a mom. I was able to find comfort in knowing that the girls would be well taken care of and a quick call to my mom.

And that was our anniversary celebration. It gets chalked up to one of the most fun things we have ever done.

Throughout our little vacation, we reflected on the many things we had learned and done as a couple.

We discovered that our love is really just budding.

Holding down the Fort....in a different sense...

Though the world's standards and morals are changing, it does not mean that mine at home change. Raise the bar. Hope is a blessing.................................................and so is this country.

Short and simple.

Holding down the Fort

Well, not too much to report on this end.

For the past month and a half Matthew has been doing the hard core studying thing and the girls and I have been trying to keep everything running smoothly on the home front. For the most part, we've been holding up on our end. We just had one small break down, but we've been unfazed since. Matthew does an incredible job of keeping his composure and keeping his stress undetectable.

Just two more days left, well I guess 3. He begins his test on Wednesday, takes it for 7 hours, will come home and study a little more, so he says, and then go back on Thursday for another 4 hours. To me, it's unbelievable that he can study as long as he does each day and then can sit and take a test for that long! I know many have done it before and will come to do it, but I still can't help thinking my husband is incredible, especially with his "I'm just happy to be here" attitude. As his wife, I'm entitled to think he's incredible!

Besides the extreme focus and concentration here, we did acknowledge our 6th anniversary yesterday. We plan to celebrate this weekend, after the test, when it can be enjoyed. Matthew will pretend to be surprised for that event, because he doesn't really know anything about it.

That's all we have to report for now.

I promise, the next post will be more exciting, or I'll make something up.

Can you hear me now???????

My dear family and friends we love you! This is just a post to let you know that we really do love you, even though we don't or won't call and talk to you.

You see we live in a dungeon, with poor ceilings, with poor light and poor reception. We are poor so it suits us well and we're very happy!

But, because we don't have very good cell phone reception, and that being our only long distance capability, we very seldom call anyone, unless absolutely necessary. I can't stand talking on the phone if it keeps cutting in and out! You don't know what was said or what was heard.

When it does become necessary to call someone, I stand on the arm of the couch and lean to far end of the window ledge, where best reception is found. Or I sit on the window ledge. Sometimes I have to add a few other positions in there, depending on how long the conversation is. (Ask a neighbor, I'm sure they've seen me.)

I tell you, it is not comfortable and it does not make conversation enjoyable. Some of my solutions have been to go outside and talk, but now that it is winter, well that's worse than standing in the window. Or sometimes I call people when I'm out and about. This also is not the best solution either, considering I only go out to run errands with 2 children who already break my ability to concentrate while driving or whatever else. So adding a phone conversation on top of that, well, usually I have to get off the phone because the kids are yelling so then I yell at them to stop yelling.

Anyways, the best solution I have is to just stop talking to anyone that requires long distance. Love ya, keep ya, but what can I say?!

One day we won't live in a dungeon and one day we can leisurely afford both a cell phone and a long distance plan for our land line. So if you are dying to ever talk to us, you'll just have to call our land line or wait for us to move.

Maybe the next time I'm on the phone, I'll have Aleah take a picture.

Name a painting?

I have a sister who is a superb Fine Art Painter. Here is one of her many paintings.Today she did a Free-for-all post where you can name her painting. The painting is below.

Click here to check it out on her blog and to name it. Have fun.

The first of our new year

We went to a the Plymouth Meeting Mall so we could take the girls on the carousel. They had so much fun, which means we had all had so much fun! The simple pleasures in life.

These are my New Year Resolutions, simplified of course, I'm dedicating this year to my marriage and to my girls. I know it sounds "duh" and it will always be my new years resolution in some shape or form, but by declaring this for myself, it becomes my obvious answer to many questions that always come up.

If I know that I met my children's needs for the day and they were happy and I enjoyed being their mom, then I go to bed much happier, without guilt and I sleep much better. Oh and same goes for my husband, which is much easier, he demands much less than 2 little girls.

Enjoy that cheese!

Here's some booty shakin' to start off your new year.

If you listen closely you can hear a little Marvin Gaye in the background. I know, interesting music selection for mall music, but apparently Aleah found some appropriate-ness for it.