Est. June 29, 2003

Mawwiage, mawwiage is what brigs us to-geth-a (Princess Bride)

Fadi and I are celebrating 6 years of wedded bliss! It’s been quite the journey, but well worth it. After 5 years of dating, 3 years of an engagement and now 6 years of marriage…..that's 14 years together. WOW!

I guess it’s like they say, “time flies when you're having fun”.

Here are few pictures of the last 14 years. Enjoy.

14 years later, a few pounds heavier, but couldn’t be happier.

God has brought us to a wonderful place in your lives and Fadi has been by my side though so much and I don’t know that I could have preserved without him. He is my soul mate and my best friend.

We decided a while ago that every year on our anniversary we would take one night away by ourselves to celebrate and keep our marriage strong. This year Fadi picked the destination and surprised me by taking me to none other than the Ritz!! I guess I am worth the best right? (He had a friend hook him up with the employee discount) We don't usually roll Ritz style :) But is sure was nice.

The Wheels on the Bus

Today was Eli's first day of having the school bus pick him up from home. Usually we take him to school, but since we can't drop him off until 8:00 a.m. we have been a bit late to work. So, we figured we would give the bus thing a try since summer school is only for four weeks. We will see how this goes and then decide what to do about the school year. His bus arrived today at 7:15 a.m. and we did good getting everything ready on time. :) Here's to tomorrow!

What's Grosser than Gross...

...My afternoon last week!

Okay this story is not for those with a weak stomach, I must warn you before you read on.

My day was going pretty well and I was getting a lot accomplished. I had an interview regarding Eli with the Agency for Persons with Disabilities and it went okay (they are the agency that you go through to get on MedWaiver).

I left Eli at school while I grocery shopped so he could get his lunch via the feeding pump and on my way home I stopped by and picked him up.

By now, it was Kaden's nap time he was dozing off in the car. Upon arriving home, I quietly unbuckled him and carried him to his crib, leaving the groceries and Eli in the car. I made my way back to the car and loaded my arms up with grocery bags and then URRRR. Eli began to vomit everywhere. All over my JoAnn fabric bags, all over the wood picture frames I had purchased, all over the front seat, all over himself. I dropped the bags and began pulling fabric out of the bags to catch it and cover him.

After he stopped, I took a deep breath and tried to figure out what to do next. Do I clean my messy kid up or do I take the melting groceries inside?

So, just to let myself breath, I took the frozen stuff inside. I do not do well with vomit and I have to take deep breaths and repeat to myself "do not throw up, do not throw up".

When I went back outside to Eli I couldn't decide how to get him out. So, again the fabric came in handy. I used it like a glove and unbuckled him. Then it was, what do I do with him, where do I place him? The best placed seemed like the laundry room floor as it was the closest room to the garage and I could just undress and toss his clothes right into the laundry tub, which I did. Then I went to the bathroom and started the shower as that was the next place he needed to go.

As I bent down to pick him up he began to urinate!!! At which I took a dirty shirt out of the dirty clothes basket and threw it on him. Thanks Eli. I gave him a few moments to finish up while I closed up the car.

When I returned I again bent over to pick him up and upon standing back up I notice a nice surprise on the floor. He took a dump too! OMG what is going on I thought. I then ran him to the shower and quickly returned to clean up the poop as I have learned poop and dogs don't make for a good thing.

I then began to have a slight mental breakdown and joined Eli in the warm shower and while I bathed him I just keep saying "at least Kaden is down for the count and I can take my time". That was my saving grace.

After our shower I opened the bathroom door to hear, Waaaa waaa waaa. Yup Kaden was not going to be taking his two hour nap like usual.

I had to let him stay in the crib while I finished bringing all the groceries inside; but after I finished I got him out and gave him a snack of animal crackers. (I left cleaning the car seat for Fadi. I was already overwhelmed.)

After a few more deep breathing exercises and some prayers I figured I would be okay. So, I walked back in to see what Kaden was doing and like usual he was pulling all the crackers out of the container and placing them on the floor. But, then I saw what looked like a raisin in the middle. I bent down to see what it was because I hadn't given him raisins. It didn't look pretty so I got a paper towel to assist me. Upon inspection it was a cat furball! Gross!!!

But then I thought, "Where did this come from?" So, I took a stroll through the house. Low and behold the cat threw up all over Kaden's gear toy and Kaden has played in it. I just about lost it. My mind and my stomach. Again, I don't do throw up and this was just way too gross for me. I am a Clorox Wipes kid of girl. Vomit from any source is just plan gross!

After this I was finished. I took the toy and threw it in the sink, called Fadi and said, "get home now, I am done", put Kaden back in the crib and when to the bed to cry.

Luckily by now Kaden had decided it was time to sleep and I laid in the bed till Fadi came home. When he came home he just laughed and thought it was all just funny. At which I couldn't disagree and figured it was done and I would get over it. It's funny now, but was NOT then.

So, next time you are having a bad day just think of this story :)

Stalker

It seems as if a whole new definition has come about for the word "Stalker". Or has it really? With all of these new Social Networking Sites like facebook, myspace, twitter and then throw in the blogs, who isn't a Stalker? I must admit, I am one...everyone else is doing the same thing right??? I sure hope so :) The scary part about my new stalker skills is that I am following people and I have no idea who they are. I mean complete and utter strangers!

This is how it starts for the blogs. I click on a real friend's blog, you know the kind you talk to on the phone, see at church, know their names, husband's name, kids' names, etc. Then I say oh, they have a link to one of their real friend's blogs. Someone whom I know by name and face, have said hi to a few times, maybe sat next to at a party or something like that. So, curiosity hits me and I link. Then I have to read up on the past 9 months of their lives and now feel like I know them as a real friend too. :) Then when those three hours are up, I see a cute title of one of their friend's blog. So, I link. You still following me?

That is when I hit someone's blog I know absolutely nothing about. All I know (assume) is they are my real friend's-friend's-friend. Then I have to start all the way at the beginning because their blog is so darn cute and interesting I must know the WHOLE story. Then, because I am so intrigued, I stop back by every few days to see what is new in their life. After doing this for about three different newly acquired, friend's friend's friend, it dawned on me that maybe I am stalking these people. They have no idea who I am, and yet I know their name, their husband's name, their kids' names, I have even seen pictures of their house. I know what they had for dinner on their birthday, I even know what annoys them about their mother-in-law. Is this sick or normal? Please tell me you all out there doing the same thing. Heck, I may even have a few stalkers of my own!!!

I even find myself thinking about these random people throughout my day. Passing on their advice to my real friends. I value their advice and I have never even met them. It is really scary. I laugh at their stories about their kids and am saddened when something bad happens. Or, worst yet, they don't blog along their regular schedule and my mind wanders...Oh no, did something happen? What's wrong with them? Who in their family is sick? It's pure madness.

Then the facebook thing. You see a picture on the side which one of your real friends has commented on, and wham bam you stumble upon someone you used to know, but are not really friends with. You look at all their pictures and then just get mad because you can't read their info or see more pictures and you just want to know everything about their new life and what is new with them. But, the dilemma is that you weren't best friends and haven't even thought about them in 15 years, but you really want to know more about them. Sick I tell you, sick. I don't want to be a stalker and yet I am. Is there a cure, or is this just normal? Fadi has always said I am too nosy, guess he was right. (Don't ever let him know I said that! -- even though I already do since she asked me to proof this blog for her)

I hope I am not a stumbling block for anyone, but here are two blogs I have found interesting lately.

Heart Cries
and
My Charming Kids

1st Time at the Beach

On Saturday before Mother's Day, the boys took me to the beach. It was a great break and made for a wonderful day. It was also Kaden's first time experiencing the ocean. The day turned out just as I had hoped it would. Kaden absolutely just loves the water. He didn't even think twice about heading right down to the ocean shore. The area that Fadi took us to was one where they let you drive on the beach. This could not have been better for us. Imagine us trying to carry kids, umbrellas, chairs, toys, food, drinks and then on top of that we have to carry Eli down too.
Once down there we made Eli a cozy sleeping place. Since his feeding tube is so new he can't get it wet yet. He took a long snooze and gave people walking by something to look at. I think they thought it was quite strange that a little boy was sleeping on the beach with all the hussle and bussle going on around, but that's just Eli.



With the car parked right on the beach, we were able to make lots of trips and were able to take our time. Another benefit of driving on the beach, is we were able to drive out and get away from the crowded entrance where everyone was packed together.



Kaden really enjoys people watching as well. I think he especially liked the fact that he could walk right up to people. He found a older lady next to us and would bring her shells and would remove the sand from her feet for her too. He is turning out to be the little gentleman with the older ladies. He kept looking at the cords on her granddaughters ipod, but we didn't let him get that close. Otherwise, I know for sure he would have snatched those up.



He only ate one handful of sand and I guess he figured it wasn't all that good. But lots of sand was packed in his drawers! Especially after Fadi buried him in the ground! He loved every minute of it.


Below is a video of Kaden in the water. I think that most kids who fall down would start crying, but not Kaden. He laughed and hung out waiting for a bigger wave. He hasn't gotten the hang of body surfing, but we will continue to work on it. Plus, with all the staring he did at the skim boarders, I think he might want to pick that up too.