Long Time no Write

OK OK OK, so I know I said I would write everyday to keep up with the life of Lizzie and the learning curve of a Mom to a very strong willed toddler. Well, this weekend we went into New Orleans to visit my parents because it was their anniversary. I think they have been married somewhere around 35 years. CONGRATS to them....It's been weighing heavy on me lately. It seems now that most people we know are or are getting divorced. It just seems so easy to get married then to decide that it's not working out and get divorced. I know when Patrick and I got married we were required to go to counseling and do tests to make sure we would know how to work out our problems. And not to say that we haven't had hard times, BUT we always work them out and then they don't seem so bad. I think the problem with most people is that they bottle every little thing up and then you have this HUGE problem instead of 10 small ones over the year. In my opinion, most couples "could" work things out if they just took the time and effort to put their marriage first. The one thing that really stuck out to me when we did our pre-marriage counseling was that they told us we always needed to put each other and the relationship first. Kids and money and everything came after that. IT stands to make sense, if you dedicate everything you are to kids and not to your spouse, when they grow up and leave you have a stranger you are married to. Ohhhh well, this has just been another rant by me ;) Talk to you tomorrow ;) I hope to post pics from this weekend later today.

Lizzie's 2nd Birthday

This past weekend we had the most WONDERFUL time celebrating Lizzie's 2nd Birthday. Her birthday was actually on the 7th of September but schedules of all the important folks caused us to have the party the following weekend. Here are a couple of pictures we got while we were having fun all acting like kids on the waterslide.

After all was said and done, we have come to relize that even though it's fun to act like the kids for the weekend...Our poor old bodies felt it on Monday. We could hardly walk after climbing up and sliding down all weekend.

Who I am

I am a full time Telecom Financial Specialist and most importantly a full time wife to Patrick and Mom to Lizzie. They are my life and the rest is just sand. Although I didn't write this, when I read I thought..."this is what we should all be doing" So here I am sharing with everyone.

A professor stood before his philosophy classand had some items in front of him.When the class began, wordlessly,he picked up a very largeand empty mayonnaise jarand proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full.They agreed that it was.The professor then picked up a box of pebblesand poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous"yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor,as the laughter subsided,"I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things -God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions --things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else --the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first, "he continued, "there is no room forthe pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,you will never have room for the things that are important to you. So...Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. "Take care of the golf balls first --the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand. "One of the students raised her handand inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked". It just goes to show you that no matter how fully our life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."