Trying to be thankful!

So I'm so selfish. Just believe me when I say that. I just need to be thankful. Like, here is an example.... I am so mad that I broke the charger to my Apple iBook, and now I have to use the "regular" laptop. Can I really get that upset about a charger when there are people dying in Haiti? There are days I can't fit a shower in, yes, I'm that smell you can sense. It annoys me that I don't have time for it in between changing diapers, cleaning, making dinner, grocery shopping, Bible study and playdates. But there are people around the world without homes, even kids around the world without parents that love them. So when I get in these crappy moods, I need to focus on the things I'm thankful for, like everything! My husband, my kids, my house, my working car, my warm clothes (and snuggie), my friends, my family and even stupid things like my dishwasher! There is always something to be thankful for, I just have to keep things in perspective...

On another side note. Why do self proclaimed liberals always tell conservatives to have open minds about things etc... and then those same liberals won't even so much as look at Fox News? I think liberals probably have Fox News blacked out on thier tvs! Let me just say that I am definitely a conservative, but I can sit and watch MSNBC, I am patting myself on the back right now... ok, i'll stop. Now, discuss.

I'm a weight watcher!

So I'm a lifetime member at weight watchers....I lost about 40lbs back in 2002 and I have recently gone back after I ate my way through my third pregnancy! And I don't call it baby weight, because the baby weight is LONG gone, this is Stacey weight that I have to work off. I know many of you are trying to lose weight, or just weight conscious, so I wanted to share ideas about foods etc.

I am sad that there is not a Trader Joes that is close to me, but my friend Jess is my TJ supplier! She got me this FANTASTIC tapenade that is zero points. I've been putting it on everything, my favorite is on a 1 point English muffin topped with the tapenade and red pepper flakes. They say that spice is the key to feeling satiated longer, so I'm glad I don't mind spice. But the tapenade itself isn't spicy, it's my added flakes. I also live on spring mix salad with tomatoes, avacado and red onion! So here's to Trader Joes and Jess!

Birthday Shmirfday

So yesterday was my birthday! I turned 33. That's right, I'm 33.... I know, I know, you're thinking wow, you look like you're 23. To you I say, oh shut up! I do not! I looked in the mirror yesterday after getting ready for a "night out on the town" with our friends the Entwistles and thought, WOW, I totally look my age! ha ha ha, I guess there could be worse things. Oh, you're wondering what a "night on the town" is for two couples, all over the age of 30, and has a combined six kids is? What else would there be other than Chilis and a Coffee shop? We had babysitters too... phew, slow down you crazy kids! We were pushing the AARP edge going to Chilis, the food is "spicy" according to the old folks. You know, I worked for Chilis for quite some time and I do frequent there, and if you look around any given Chilis you will rarely see old people. So, I guess I'm not totally going out to buy my Metamucil yet. Ok, back to my birthday. We met Jim and Jess there, no kids, and I seriously had a blast. We could have gone to Arby's and Mobile on the Run and still had a blast. Those two are great. Needless to say my birthday was fun. Prior to our crazy night out, my Mom came over to watch the kids so I could go shopping by-my-self! WOW, forgot what that was like. I didn't need to pack diapers, juice, bottle, blankets, pacifiers, snacks (ok, maybe snacks), wipes or biter biscuits. Or I didn't have to time this adventure juuuuuuuussssstttt right so I could ensure there were no meltdowns or attitudes. Yes, it was refreshing! So thanks to all for making my day just what I hoped it would be.....

Don't get me wrong

Ok ok, so I hate living in NJ, but please don't get me wrong! I know this is the right place to be, I know we're supposed to be here. I see it all around me. But it doesn't make it any easier on me practically. Does that make any sense?

Everything has worked out perfectly, we found a great house, Rob has a great job, we found a church. All things have fallen into place. But I long to be in a warm place, with a great church and happy people around. You see, NJ is filled with mostly un-happy people and I think they're rubbing off on me! Say it isn't so! I can see why they're so un happy. It's too cold here, too many days of overcast, the summer is short, the city is mean, the sun doesn't stay up long enough, you can't make left turns (except sometimes-which makes it even more difficult), there are no SUPER Targets. Don't get me started on Target Greatland. It's not even close. So I'll just rant on this blog and hope not to go crazy....

It didn't help that today sucked. But I guess each new day will have it's own set of challenges, or so I've heard. It's the small things I have to focus on. We got a new rubber mat for the bathtub! Now Canaan might actually sit down in the tub, he refuses to sit down and I'm thinking it's because he feels like he's going to slip. I went to Target with all the kids in the freezing cold and they all held up well, although by the time we got home, Judah was a complete mess. I smelled gas again, yes AGAIN in our house. The pilot light blew out....again. But I'm glad my nose can smell natural gas so well! It happens quite often at our house, and I'm not joking.  Ok so tomorrow my goal is to see the good in everything which I usually can, it's just been harder lately :o)

2010, a fresh start

So perhaps my new years resolution should be to start blogging? I mean, everyone is doing it right? Who wouldn't want to read my rantings and boring thoughts? For some reason, I read everyone else's! First on my mind, HGTV isn't on the air. For some reason Cablevision can't work out a deal with them and the Food Network. So what the heck am I supposed to watch now? Now the Style network has gone black. hmmmm ok I'm down to TLC, Fox News & Bravo.

Ok, enough about my dirty TV habits. What is this blog supposed to accomplish? Follow family news? Learn more about the inner workings of Stacey's brain? Let me type at random when I feel like it? Ok, all of the above.

First of all, if you haven't seen our Christmas picture of the kids, it's at the top. Merry Christmas! Looking back at 2009, it has had it's ups and it's downs. January, I turned 32 and I can't remember what I did, so it probably wasn't much! Six years married to Rob January 11th, and we went to the Melting Pot! YUM! Highly recommend. Feb, don't remember. March, almost ready to pop being pregnant with Judah and we were looking to move to College Park (Orlando neighborhood), to be closer to church and friends. Gained way too much weight, but had fun eating for sure. Rob was starting to practice Real Estate and loving it. April we moved on the first then had Judah on the 15th! He was an amazing baby that slept through the night early and just really fit right in to our family. He continues to fit right in ;-) May, on maternity leave, Rob doing real estate, adjusting to three. Adjusting to three was quite difficult. Everyone said the one to two adjustment was the hard one, well I disagree! Two to Three took a while. We're all adjusted now though. There was much sweat and tears during the first few weeks, but we made it, so far! June, still on maternity leave. Visited friends and family in NJ. Drove up and back. The drive with the kids wasn't so horrible! We stopped at the Tilleys for a visit on the way up and it was fantastic, their new home (at the time it was new) is fantastic and well suited for their family. Kristen has the greatest hospitality and we miss them! June 28th, ah back to work. Somewhat of a relief for me, good to be back and get back into the swing of things. Although we were starting to question where we should be, FL or NJ? We deliberated all of July and Rob had an interview in NJ. He got the job and we took that as, we're supposed to be in NJ...August, I gave my 3 weeks notice and then cried for the rest of the month. Cried at home, cried at work, cried with VP's, cried with my team. It was a month for goodbyes. We packed up and headed north. Driving again to NJ with 3 small children. Again, not that bad. September, back in NJ. Found a place on the beach in Lavallette, not bad. October, time for some Halloween and costumes. I had a Pink Crayon, Woody from Toy Story and a baby that wore orange!! November, hmmm Thanksgiving, good times with the fam. Missing FL. December was cold, first snow, missed FL, family Christmas is nice, but I wish I was going back to FL.

Overall theme? Made a tough decision to move back to NJ and I miss FL big time. But the grass is always greener and it takes me a while to adjust to new things. So, give me time, I'm sure I'll make it.