Jenn's Spot

Maine

2009-12-06T20:20:00.010-05:00

ok, so i know it's been awhile... but i'm trying to get back into blogging.

so jess kinda summed up our trip with this saying...

Four beaches in 48 hours? Awesome. The best beach weather of the season? Really awesome. Time spent with a friend? Priceless. : )

...and i must say i agree 100%. We had the best weather, had tons of fun, used tons of sunscreen, ate tons of candy, biked tons and tons, and had the best seafood around :)

here are some of our best shots from glamour shots on the rocks!!! LOL

Masquamicut beach

2009-09-02T00:15:00.006-04:00

here's another one of my beach adventures... these are pictures of two different times heading down to RI for beautiful beach days. in the pics you will see my friend christina and her 2 girls (both of which i adore!)

this is my classic beach pose

this is emory...she's def got some attitude right?!

both girls got buried in the sand up to their heads...
let me just tell you, that i one sandy mess to rinse off in the end!
here we all are at the end of the day... we had just finished our ice cream :)

here's our second adventure... this is kalei
here's em with her fav strawberries... let me tell you i learned my lesson first trip, to pack enough strawberries so i get some this time!!
this is the sand fort we found while going on a walk...
wonder how long it took them to make and set up all the army men??!!
don't these girls look like they could save your life?!

here's the final shot of 2 definitely happy girls that loved the beach <3<3<3

more adventures to come!

BEACH <3

2009-08-28T20:49:00.006-04:00

ok, so i've given up on trying to keep up and just start with the present. good idea...right?! so my title says what i've been up to this summer... lots and lots of beach trips! beach with the girls from work, with a friend and her 2 girls, and with the kids i sit for. the best part of the beach other than the sun, waves, sandcastles and relaxation is the fact that i didn't even get burnt this year!! so, here are some pics from my beach adventures...

these are with my cousin Katie and the Y gals :) Masquamicut Beach in RI

this is me with my cousin Katie...yeah, i was a good sport and rode in the backseat!

this is Michelle, i call her MK. it was a tad chilly when we got there
so we waited it out for the sun to come. (it did by the way and was beautiful out)

this is Suchira

me relaxing on the beach...no burning my face! i could just fall asleep...

boats at watchhill...so pretty
(and they also have the best ice cream!)
last but not least this is a shot taken on our ride home...
i made them stop because i just needed to capture it

turned out to be a fun fun day...definitely going back!!

NYC!

2009-03-21T23:19:00.006-04:00

a preface for you... i'm sorry that I haven't posted in months but i'd like to play catch up!
so... i left off in December with putting up our family christmas tree
(funny right since it's now the end of summer)
but here's what i have...i'll be posting a lot over the next couple days so take time to look,
(and comment) on what i've been up to :)

yes, another trip to NYC! i couldn't have my cousin sam from florida come up and not take an adventurous trip to new york. due to the lack of time it was another quick trip, i mean real quick. we left fri afternoon and drove to jersey to stay over at alisha and paul's (thanks so much btw!) and left the next morn, spent the day in the city, and headed home from there. everyone was wiped by the end of the day... but i was the one that had to stay awake and drive us all home coming in very early sun morn.

the Lincoln Tunnel picture is on here because...
it's where Buddy the Elf from "Elf" walked through it!

aren't these light bulbs so huge!

this is the big tree for NYC for Christmas... i didn't think it was as good as the one in Boston

we wanted to go to the top of rockefeller tower but it was too foggy to see anything that day :(

we had to stop at my mom's favorite store for a pin (such a kid at heart right?!)

my cousin didn't but anything but pulled the sweet and innocent act to get a bag from Tiffany's!

this is me and my boyfriend, jk! you can make your own muppet at FAO Schwartz!! fun fun

we visted Central Park, it was a bit foggy though!

here's the gals ;)

We had a blast and can't wait to go again...
next time, definitely have to stay longer. it is really hard and very tiring to do in one day.

before another month passes by...

2009-03-21T22:52:00.007-04:00

so here i am trying to make it through last year's posts and it's already the middle of march!! so my next post brings me to christmas, lol! here's just a few shots of what my tree looked like (defintely put away now!), and christmas with my family. one day i will catch up to the present day! until then, just bear with me :)

here is steph decorating... the tree?!

the finished product, we were very proud of what we did :)here are myself, jeff, steph and my cousin sam
at my grandpa's houseand here is my family (my mom's side)
this is minus my brother and sister in law from AZ, and my uncle's kids from NH

Boston with the Y gals!

2009-03-01T08:47:00.008-05:00

i love having weekends off because it gives me many chances to go on little adventures! on this particular saturday it took me to boston with 2 friends from work, michelle and suchura. suchira was very excited not only to go to boston, but because it was snowing!! we walked around boston, ate at fire and ice, went to the aquarium, and ended up at quincy market. needless to say, we had a blast!!!

and we're off!!

suchira was so excited because it was snowing out!

and here are michelle and i enjoying the snow, and wind.
it was really cold!a penguin!
i think if i could be any animal, i'd definitely chose this one :)
sting ray
sea dragon
these jellyfish were cool looking!
i just love the colors here
yes, i am an dork!
this picture says it all!
this is the boston christmas tree.... very impressive i must say.

it was time to leave after seeing the tree...it was very cold and windy.
overall a very fun day!

what else....

2009-03-01T08:32:00.004-05:00

remember the ice storm back in Dec?! i do, i couldn't even get to work after my multiple attempts and 6 different routes!! after over an hour and a half of trying i was told by a cop to turn around and go home. sweet for me, but no so much for my work which by the way was still open in that wonderful state of emergency! gotta love the YMCA! so i thought i'd be able to rest and relax when i got home, not so much. i ended up driving my dad all over town to find a generator because of the flood in our basement. it was not a fun day... we found a generator, 5 places later and proceeded in multiple buckets of water being hauled out of the basement. we also had to move everything that was downstairs to higher ground, not fun! anyways, a few days later (still without power) i went and took some pics of what the damage was like. enjoy my pics :) i am truely greatful for a roof over my head and power to warm the house.

at least it's not christmas in july!!

2009-02-17T21:34:00.008-05:00

almost to the end of the year... next up, Shane and Shane with my gals Jess and Haley!!! it was up in Maine, but leave it to Jess to find out where they were playing! and it was a bonus because Bethany Dillon and Phil Wickham where there too. and better yet, it was a Christmas Concert :)

we spent the day up in Maine and did some sightseeing and shopping. we then ate at this amazing seafood restaurant. here are some fav's from our day...

definitely some great photo spots!

fun times!
only jess would lay on the ground and be crazy :)

we found some fun shops
and these are some funny magnets i came across...so you thought jess was the only crazy one...lol!
yes, i am a moose!!this is the place we had lunch... so yummy!

doesn't it just look sooooo good?!
beautiful cobblestone roads

just have to laugh at this shot...
(i thought that the zoom was on!!)
here's Shane!

and i'll leave you with a video... and a great scripture as well!

catching up, or trying to!!

2009-02-16T21:58:00.008-05:00

i'm getting closer to the end of the year. can you guess where i went next??... another trip to PA!!

here are just a few shots from my trip... i went to grandmom and pop pops to meet up with amy and the kiddos first, then to amy's for the rest of the weekend. it was nice and relaxing.

nate and em (can i just tell you that is the loooongest book ever!)

this was the biggest and best playground i've ever been to.
yes, i did play and run around on it! em wanted to be silly....this is what we ended up with!i miss climbing trees....
definitely reminded me of my childhood adventures :)lol, i made emma take this picture with me...she was mortified!...but then had no problems in Walmart...
making faces with this one!!a new adventure was Hershey's Sweet Lights,
it was rainning but worth it. the 3d lights were so neat.so that was my adventure for the weekend...
and now to move onto Dec.
(slowly but surely i'm getting there!!)

friends gathering...

2009-01-31T10:55:00.006-05:00

yaay, yaay, the gangs all here!!

this is our thanksgiving eve gathering... (i know, i know...better late then never!)
some of the crowd

i love it that the older gang are around still!!

here are the college kids now... makes me feel old! lol

we had a great time as usual. i enjoyed seeing and fellowshipping with everyone since we don't get to do it that often anymore... it only took us about an hour to all straggle in to Denny's!
(not my top choice, but it was the only place that would hold us all and that we wouldn't get kicked out of by 11pm!)

where else... concert!

2009-01-31T10:40:00.000-05:00

one very cold night in oct....jeff, steph, mom and i went to a concert. not just any concert, but Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman together!! it was their first ever concert playing together. we started with dinner, enjoyed a concert full of great music, memories, and worship, and even found some friends on the way out :) it was a great night!

me and mom

steph and jeff

us at the concert

look who we found! christine and haley :)

here's just a highlight of music from that night. (sorry it's a little bit wobbly!)

engagement pics...

2009-01-05T21:02:00.005-05:00

while i was away in PA, my little brother got engaged!!!

i know i should have posted this earlier...but better late then never right!!!

when i got home i took jeff and stephanie to Cogshall to take some engagement pictures...
this are some of what we ended up with!

what a happy couple!

the end of the year... what i missed posting

2009-01-04T22:20:00.007-05:00

so now that the year is over i decided that i would just post a bit about what i did the last couple months...

again i went to PA (my favorite place!) and visited amy and the children.

we went apple picking,the girls and i did a HUGE corn maze,and amy and i went out on a photo shoot of the country side.I got to see emma play soccerand was around for abby

and nate's birthdays!

it was a fun filled weekend, as always!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T08:48:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to you and your families a very merry christmas! may each of you remember the true meaning of christmas, that Jesus was born to this world.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
ISAIAH 9:6

I love you all...
Jenn

thankfulness...

2008-11-27T21:23:00.003-05:00

well, i wanted to post with pictures but my transfer program is being stubborn... so let me first off say a happy thanksgiving to you and your families. i pray that you spent the day with the ones you love and thought about all the things we are to be thankful for.

things i am thankful for...

my family- either close or far, we make sure to call and chat with one another. and for our almost new member, and sister for me... stephanie!!!
a roof over my head- and a comfy bed to sleep in.
friends- that i chat with via email, text or face to face :)
food- plentiful amounts especially what we had today!
and much, much more... lower gas prices, days off, sleep, and snow (if it ever comes)!

if i can ever get my pics on, i will post them as well :) gobble gobble!!!

revelation generation

2008-11-11T22:45:00.009-05:00

lots to post about rev gen but i want to catch up on my blog so...
i'm just gonna post a few highlights from the weekend

this was my first time going, and i will say right now... i'm going back next year! it was amazing and there were sooooo many artist that comes so there was always someone to worship with!

here are caitlin, janet and myself
we went the first night and saw mandesa, leeland, and chris tomlin! all did a great job, but worship with chris tomlin live was A-mazing!

just us gals being silly tying to waste time...smooshy faces :)
does anyone have to go to the bathroom?! i think they had plenty.
word to the wise, only use the first night... too many people the second day!

breakfast with the gals on day two....nicole joined us!

and we meet alisha there too!

janet and me... can you tell it was super hot out?!

the things we do for laughs!

the richards go like every year... it was nice to see people we knew ;)

definitely a great time with a great bunch of gals!

so that weekend we ended up seeing...

Mandesa, Leeland, Chris Tomlin the first night.

then saturday we saw everyone from...

smaller local worship bands, Bethany Dillion,
Shawn McDonald, Toby Mac, and the Newsboys!

i know that i'm missing some but it was sooo long ago i can't remember now,
and the fact that it is almost 1 am isn't helping!!!

quick trip to FL!

2008-11-04T22:28:00.007-05:00

a weekend trip to florida was my next mini adventure. i had a banked plane ticket to use by sept so this was the best way to spend my weekend! i was able to spend some time with my aunt sue and uncle doug as well as hang with my cousin sam who attends the university of florida. here are my snapshots from the weekend...

so i got to the airport waaay to early but got to see this beautiful sunrise!

gotta love the scenery

sporting my gator pride!

this is St.Augustine... really cool place to explore

this is the old drugstore, look at what we found...some really neat soap (left me hands sooo soft)this is the spanish bakery where we had lunch, can i say delicious

these are some shots from Castillo de san Marcos this is a presentation (i think at least 2o steps, prob more of how they shot off the cannons)charlee, sam, and me

after a day in the hot sun, we relaxed and went to the outback for some dinner

we also went into some of the shops and got silly...

the next day i had to drop off my car so i met a friend who lives in orlando
this is mayra!!! we went to VFCC together ;)

time to say goodbye, but until next time...

can i just say that the weather was soooo wonderful and i am definitely not a summer girl, but loved being in the sun for the weekend!

Boston with Kristi!

2008-10-21T20:30:00.009-04:00

looking back, i took a lot of little trips this summer... this stop takes me to boston with my buddy kristi. we went in on a b-e-a-u-tiful wednesday, full of sunshine! this was definitely worth taking a day off for ;)

yaay for my buddy!

can you guess where we went for lunch?!kristi made the best sauces for our meals, she could be a chef!

did you know you could ride a swan for cheap in the garden?? it's 10x cheaper than the ducks!

this is quakers, he has power!!!

me and kristi on the swan boat

cheese... she'll love this pic ;)this is what the boats look likei like this pic of me!next stop was Frog Pond to splash like little kids!!!she never follows the rules!!! lolhow did i do... same same with the frog!i think she thinks it will turn into her prince charming!!the balloon guy gave this to me on the way out of the parknext stop, aquarium!the penguins are my fav :)lots of dory's but where are the nemos??an ugly fish...loland a really cool turtle!to market, to market...to get some hot chowda!she wanted to share her ice cream, but he didn't want any... it's the "guy"!!!

and a beautiful sunset to end the day!

it was a great day in Boston and an even better day because i spent it with my good pal Kristi!
hope you enjoyed my pics!

missing summertime

2008-10-21T20:13:00.003-04:00

another thing i did this summer was more beach time! i went with my friend Erin and her kids Caitlin, and Marissa. it was definitely the best beach day ever!!! the weather was perfect!

i love the shadow on myself of me taking the pic!

me and my sandcastle buddy cait

the colors are sooo vibrant

diva marissa trying on some shades!

such a great day... i had the best tan ever after that. i even put sunscreen on 3 times!!! lol

Jason Upton concert

2008-10-05T22:42:00.006-04:00

next adventure took me and some of the gals to the jason upton concert... we had more than enough time when we got up there so we went out to dinner and took some pics at this really cool tree.

first we showed our beautiful smiles

then we got all silly

smooshy faces are sooo much fun :)

try to make this face trying to not laugh the whole time!

i love this shot of me!

me and my buddy kristi

lovely leah

and caitlin

waiting to get in...

and of course to end the night, a group picture :)

where to next? NYC!!!

2008-09-30T21:45:00.008-04:00

ok, so this blog is going to be super long, but here it is!!! enjoy :)

the next stop for me this summer was New York. jeff and myself planned a crazy one day trip to the city for the day. let me tell you, it was beyond tiring, but the most fun ever!!! the day started at... well, the pictures will tell you our journey :)

we left waaaay to early in the morn.

NY starbucks coffee mugs, (there were so many starbucks in the city!)

the buildings are sooo cool

what a great pic of jeff with all the country flags, definitely missionary bound :)

well, it's radio city of course

look at the hershey building, i bet you want some chocolate now!

can you believe it's not even 8 am when we took this pic?!

this is in rockefeller center... behind us shows all the building names

look, who needs a map when you have a jeffrey!!! lol
(he's pointing to where we are)

a look at the empire state building from the 70th floor

on the other side is a grand view of central park

cool huh!

don't know the name of this church but the architecture was amazing

ok, didn't want to buy the I <3 NY shirts, so this is the best shot we have

NBC studio (in jeff's pic he's singing the 3 notes of NBC)

this is us on the roosevelt tram (used in spiderman and king kong!)

then we took a 25 cent ride around the island

this is crazy, here is what makes the tram work... feeling safe huh!

a view of manhattan from the island

jeff taking a phone break... i like the bridge and city in the background

the staten island ferry, a free way to see the statue of liberty

here's my humor for the day

jeff relaxing on the ferry

me with the statue in the background (i really thought it was going to be bigger!)

i don't know, i just did it! lol

this is the WTC structure that used to be inbetween the two towers

the blue gap in the sky is where the towers used to stand

for lunch we had to get real NY pizza

me and the charging bull

here's the stock market

we then walked over to the brooklyn bridge

and went across :)

here's me... it was really hot but we did it!

another view of the brooklyn bridge

this is central park
the bridge in the back was used in Elf and Enchanted
and the park was used in episodes of Friends, also Home Alone

me :)

here's what we saw on fifth ave...

some very expensive stores

needless to say, i didn't buy anything there!

ok, i need to take a break for a min. and tell you a story. i had my camera with me but since we had used it all day... the battery died :( i was very sad but moreso determined to find a replacement. with pictures to follow, you can tell i got my battery :) but it was definitely for a price!!! o well, i'll deal. here's the rest of our NYC adventure.

jeff and the really cool dude who helped us find a store to get a battery ;)
this is at FAO Schwarz

ok, this is the coolest ever... this is the piano used in the movie Big with tom hanks

me inside trump tower
(he has a starbucks inside!)

we went to dinner at this diner.
they perform on broadway and sing the whole time you're in the diner!

these two waitresses sang a song from Rent for me

here's me in times square

here's a view you see in the city a lot!
jeff got infront of all the taxi's to take this pic. don't worry, the light was red when he did it!

here is our ride home!!!

can you tell we had an exhausting day?!

did i mention that we were in NYC from 7 am to 9 pm that night? soooo much fun. people didn't think we could see it all. well, we did!!! it took lots of planning and preparation, but it was worth every minute of it. and on top of that, i had bronchitus for the adventure!!! anyone want to go, i will personally be your tourguide :)

i'll leave you with a big of a characature of jeff and myself that we got done while we were there

one more thing...
i have to show you my video of me doing heart and soul on the piano, it was my favorite!!!

it was a great day... and i can't wait to go back again!!!

welcome sophie grace :)

2008-09-21T21:22:00.005-04:00

i know alisha has posted some pics of sophie, but i have some others from when alisha, paul, and new little sophie came to meet everyone in Ma! it was really nice to see everyone and get together and relax with friends.

here's me with sophie... and some others from that night
(love how alisha is holding her leg, lol!)

drance got a turn...and fell in love

the boys meet up and chatted

she's a natural
don't know why there's not a pic of haley with the baby?!

again... what's the deal with alisha holding sophie's limbs!!!

jeff also did great holding her (scary huh!)

and then shawny... lol. his face tells it all!

so precious, daddy with his little girl <3

this is the best we could get... either paul's head cut off some or cut sophie out in the other pic!

it was really nice to hang with everyone... what a great night!

it's been too long...

2008-09-21T11:48:00.007-04:00

alright, i really should catch up on the rest of my summer since it's gonna be fall in just acouple days!
let's see, i left off with the beach. after our beach adventures i attended an picnic for the woman in our church. Sister Tatiana spoke and shared on a variety of topics that we all had questions about. it was very nice to have everyone there and learn on such a wonderful day. and best yet, since it was all female, we had tons of food... i guess we know how to do it right! here are some pics from that day.

tatiana

dagii and kristi

enjoying some lunch!

leah and jess

bobbie-jo and me

kristi, nicole and myself

dagii, kara, and nicole

and a group shot to end the day :)

the last of the beach pics

2008-08-26T22:23:00.004-04:00

we decided to go out to this diner called Bessie's. it was really delicious.

taking pics while waiting for food

walking around the towndid anyone know that daisy's are caitlin's favorite flower?

group shot in townice cream from a really cool ice cream parlor... just look at the light fixture!

summer is the best! thanks cait for writing in the sand :)

one more pics before the girls head out

can you tell we had a super time at the beach!!! yaaay :) until next year?!

ok, it's been long enough

2008-08-18T19:40:00.004-04:00

instead of trying to post multiple pics from the beach, i'm just gonna highlight the rest of our trip/ adventures...
(i tried to put these up over a week ago but for some reason my computer wasn't letting me upload pics)

this is our beach shot! we got some nice person to take it before the storms hit.

attempting to get a group shot while waiting out the thunderstorms

rain angels! aren't they the best ;)

smile, another picture and well photographed weekend!

we thought this foot shot was neat cuz we all have different colored polish!

total summer pic! flip flops outside our room

gangsta pic with nicole... i don't think i'm good at these! lol

all of us ready to go out!
(and me making the picture symmetrical!)

finally!

2008-08-16T22:28:00.003-04:00

well, i've finally posted for one but i wanted to share some news about my weight. who knew, i would talk about my chub :) lol. can i get a drumroll please...

25 pounds!!!

i am very proud of myself, even though it did take me 3 extra weeks to lose that last pound! here's what i look like now. see the difference from when i started?! until i have more time. i'm out :)

fun in the shops in York

2008-07-22T19:45:00.005-04:00

after the rain settled down a little, we headed to the shops in York. we were both sooo cold that we were looking for sweatshirts to stay warm. crazy eh! yeah, it's summer and it was chilly at the beach!!

isn't this picture neat...
they are glass blown balls hanging from a fixture above.
having fun trying on some shades!

this one is for kristi, (because she's old!!!)

me and a silly lobster we found in a store

some pizza hats we found...

the last stop was ice cream (before dinner of course) at this really yummy place :) we watched them make taffy, it was really neat! they had all kinds of treats from ice cream, to candy, to chocolate... everything a girl could ask for!!! we got some treats for the road ;)

yummy, delicious sundaes from Gilfords in York
peanut butter sundae for amy

and an oreo brownie sundae for me!

good stuff and lots of fun! and yes, we both found some sweatshirts to wear :)

Rt 1a scenic photo tour

2008-07-21T20:56:00.001-04:00

after spending some time at the beach and settling in our room, amy and i set off to take some shots down scenic Rt 1a. we didn't know how far we'd make it before the rain, but we ventured off anyways. here's some pics of what i got...

part of the shoreline

some cool rocks i found while venturing out on the shorecan you see all the snails on the rocks!some boats just hanging while the tide was low
check out the clouds... big storm coming

i like the lines and colors in this pic
(it's also is the huge puddle which took my flip flop away! lol!)

here are some flower pictures i got as well...

this last one is my favorite. :)

we got some good shots before the rain came down... bigtime. we were searching through the radio stations and heard the thunderstorm and tornado warnings, it was crazy! i'll leave you with a documentary of the storm... enjoy!

Moody Beach

2008-07-20T22:04:00.005-04:00

After lots of motel searching (thanks jess) and waiting, it was finally here...
our beach weekend!!!

Amy and i made the drive up to Maine friday morning and were beach bound :) Jess joined us late fri night after VBS. the girls came up sat to join us too. Wait til you see all the pictures from the weekend... i'll be posting quite the display of pics.

here is a classic beach shot.
notice what's missing.... the people and sun!
it was overcast for a lot of the day and very windy and cold!!!
hadar let us go on the private part of moody beach, it was nice :)

i love taking pics of myself... cheese!

amy and i

this is me and my co-teacher hadar.
she has a house literally right on the beach for the summer, how nice!
amy, notice camera in hand... i'm not the only one who took lots of pics ;)
here we are at our table in the motel eating some lunch
(cuz we just love it when they have a table in the room! love ya jess!)

upcoming posts...
route 1a scenic photo tour
fun in the shops in york
jess arrives, beach at night and super early morn
the girls are here
pool fun
fun times

we'll see how far i can get... check back for more fun pics and adventures!

Molly is married!

2008-07-15T20:53:00.006-04:00

on sat, july 5th molly wiinikainen became molly modica :) i was really glad that i got to be there for the occasion. amy and i almost didn't make it there in time, but we pulled it off!!!
let me just tell you the story...
i made it to amy's on sat about 1ish. we knew we had to leave by 2 to get to the wedding on time. well, we were already off to a tight start because we had to make a pit stop to the mall (which was in the other direction!) we got what we needed and then we were off. it was going good until we realized that we would be needing gas. the gas light went on and the countdown began. 45 miles to empty, 35 miles to empty, 20 miles to empty, 15 miles to empty, then the counter went ---. now what, we were on the PA pike where exits are far and few between and even with our handy dandy Garmin, we had no gas station or exit for that matter in site!!! we soon found the exit and prayed that the gas station was not far off. the toll collector said it was through 3 lights and it'll be right there... we made it!! to make up time, we got gas and changed into our dresses at the gas stop, quite fun i must say ;) then we were off again and do you think we made it? of course we did, just as the mother was being walked down the isle! phew, we did it! and we had a blast at the wedding. here are some of the pics i took at the wedding at reception.

the beautiful bride

alisha was too pregnant to be in the wedding, but was there because little sophie didn't want to show herself to the world yet!!!

me and the bride (i think this was after i put her birkenstocks on for her lol)

jess, jenn mo, and me... they were both bridesmaids

dancing the cha cha slide! it's my fav :)

i just love this pic of haley and molly dancing!

can you tell that we all had a great time?!

i'll leave you with molly and ben walking down the isle... sorry, i don't know how to rotate videos!

4th of July!

2008-07-13T20:37:00.001-04:00

i know it was about a week ago now, i figured i'd still blog about what i did on the fourth. i made a last minute decision to fly down to molly wiinikainen's (now modica) wedding and make a pit stop to see my friend and her girls in MD.
i flew in late thurs night and attempted to retrieve my rental car. that was a fun time because i couldn't figure out how to start the car!!! here's a pic of what kind of car i got. ps, i chose a full size but since none were available, i got bumped up to specialty for no charge! yaay :) my pick, a really nice volvo... here's a peek...
i wish i had a pic of the key, it was really neat. a box thingy that you place into the dash. there really was no key like any normal cars. all i knew is that i couldn't lose it, because of the 250 dollar replacement fee, yikes!

the next morning i gave kalei and emory some really neat glow sticks and ribbons for the fireworks. we decided to go into baltimore's inner harbor to catch the show... it was fun after we got stuck in traffic, paid a fortune to parking, got poured on, and sat as soon as they began!

dancing with the ribbons

fireworks... a bit far away, but still good :)

then we did sparklers when we got back... i burnt my finger :(

here's a cute video of the girls watching the fireworks... i think we all had a blast!!!

Starburst

2008-07-10T22:36:00.000-04:00

even though it rained before the fireworks went forth, we decided to go anyways... everyone was suppose to meet up, but they choose to go and watch a movie instead ;) whatever! so here are some pics from the fireworks.

jess and i

steph and jeff

teddi, rob, and mack

eric and shawny b came too

and what would be an event without a group picture! can you guess who's taking the pic!?

here are a couple pictures of what i captured from the evening and a video too. enjoy :)

weight update

2008-07-07T22:15:00.003-04:00

i know i haven't posted in a couple weeks about my progress of my weight loss... so here's the update. i remember posting saying i've lost 21.5 pounds... well, that's kinda where i'm still at. i'm a little discouraged but not really that much. i went on vaca since i've lost last and i've also had more than my share of ice cream :( what can i say, ice cream is my all time favorite thing to eat ever!!! so, even though i haven't lost, i've remained the same for the past couple weeks and that's good too. i have gotten complements from co-workers and friends saying i'm looking like i've lost more and that makes me feel great :) i think i'm really just working out my body sooo much better and it has shifted my weight around and i'm shrinking in size! anyways, here are 2 recent pics that show off how i look now... enjoy!

me at starburst

and me last week

leave some encouragement... it really helps and presses me on further towards my goal! :)
thanks for the support!

more vacation pics!

2008-06-26T23:16:00.006-04:00

the next stop was visiting amy and the kids sat. we decided to celebrate summer by going to cowan's gap. it was really nice and i think the pictures will prove how much fun we had!

we're off!!!

emma spending some time in the sand

this girl was a fish in the water, and had absolutely no fear!

smiley nate, cute pic even with the bink, lol ;)

amy and i

here are a couple pics of amy with the kids.
i tried to take a couple updated pictures so which is your favorite?

next we decided to go on the paddle boats. unfortunately, only 4 to a boat so we took 2 boats... you guessed it, i was peddling solo with abby... little to my dismay, she was full of power and had amazing strength and ablility and proved me waaay wrong!

no fair, both emma and amy can reach the pedals

isn't the lake beautiful!

and of course i asked the person in charge to take our picture together...
notice who already has his vest off!

mind you it was like 100 degrees, literally! and not only did nathan get a free ride to the car, so did abby on my shoulders while i was pushing the stroller!!!

we finished off the day with milkshakes, they were delicious :)

what a great way to spend my saturday...
with some of my favorite people, the beach, and ice cream!!!

new look

2008-06-23T00:00:00.001-04:00

thanks to judy i have a new look to my blog :) i'm sorry i haven't kept up with my pics, i've been really busy. i still have more pics to put up from vacation, so keep checking back.

next stop... the beach!

2008-06-15T22:03:00.005-04:00

of course it was like 100 degrees out, literally, but we went to the beach with the girls for part of the day... it's kinda all we could handle. anyways, here are some pics from our day.

ready for the beach :)

digging in the sand...attempting to make a sandcastle

look at the view!

she was sooo happy her name was in the sand... until it was washed away! lol

this was the best pic i could get of emory with the background... she wouldn't go anywhere close to the water!

my famous self pic ;)

can you tell they had fun?!

completely passed out as soon as we left!

kalei and i

definitely a fun day! gotta love the beach :)

just for jessica!

2008-06-15T20:00:00.003-04:00

since i sensed a bit of jealousy from my dear friend.... (jk!) so i decided to pull out my old laptop to make this post for just her :)
before nicole and i went and had breakfast, jess and i had ventured out to breakfast and the same playground you saw in the other pics.

me on the twisty slide

jess four wheeling! she's a pro!!!

saying cheese ;)

i figured out how to do exercises on these!

jess was a pro at the rock climbing wall!

we had tons of fun, you have to stay young when you're getting as old as we are!

night out in Annapolis

2008-06-14T10:16:00.002-04:00

Christina and I went out that night to the town. can i just tell you how beautiful Annapolis is! there were little shops and places to eat all over. the night was beautiful weather wise and it was just fun to get out.

Maryland Zoo

2008-06-13T22:03:00.003-04:00

first stop was the baltimore zoo. let me just tell you that the people you are about to see are my friends from Baltimore... Christina and her husband Justin, their oldest Kalei, and youngest daughter Emory. It was very hot this day, but we ventured out anyways... what a fun time!

here are some of the animals we saw at the zoo...

chimpanzee

giraffee

elephants (and the new baby samson)

penguins, my favorite :)

and camels... so cool i got to ride one!

it was a fun day at the zoo. here are some pics of us at the zoo

since there were four of them, i made them get into this pic! it was hilarious!!!

Kalei and Emory posing on the turtle

Christina and I at the zoo (can't even tell that we were soooo hot)

Kalei as a lion in the gift shop

these are the animals they picked from the gift shop. magnetic and lots of fun!

it was a fun time at the zoo :)

vacation!

2008-06-13T21:31:00.003-04:00

i'll first start with maryland. i went to visit my friend christina and her girls who i haven't seen in awhile. i must say the trip got off to a crazy start... i left super early last thursday morning, like 4 am early!! my goal was to get there, check luggage, have some breakfast, pass through security, and get on the plane no prob. sounds easy right? well, apparently my plane decided to get there early and they were doing a last call over the loudspeaker for "Farnsworth" while i was still in the security line! ahhhh!!! some people were nice and let me move up in line and in the end, i made it on the plane! lucky for me there was a lady who had lost her license so they were doing detailed security check-in on her. needless to say i was in the waaay back of the plane; i felt like i was on an episode of Lost! i must say that it was nice to fly (regardless of the crazy start to my morning) because i ended up having 2 extra days to play around with instead of using them to drive.

home again, home again...

2008-06-12T22:02:00.002-04:00

hey everyone, i'm back from vacation! i has soooo much fun, despite the over 1o0 degree weather! i have lots to blog and many pics to share... check this weekend and please leave me some comments!!! :)
i will let you know though, i lost more weight! i'm checking in today 21.5 pounds lighter! i'm so happy and feel great :) until next week...

sat fun with nicole

2008-06-04T06:45:00.002-04:00

last sat i took nicole to breakfast at Mike's Bridge Diner. it's sooo yummy! we had fun looking at the bears and deers that were around the place while we chatted and ate our breakfast. after that we went to work off our food at a really fun playground. the pics are from perkins playground... just look at the fun we had! aren't we such little kids?!

fishy face :0

the coolest kinda tire swing thingy... she couldn't make it around, but i did!

of course i had to take some pretty pics too

my turn

we had such a fun time... until next time!

new haircut

2008-06-04T06:41:00.002-04:00

yep, i was brave enough to get my haircut again and even more brave to cut the bangs a little more this time. my hair was long (and even though i liked it long) it was too heavy for the curls so i decided to do something different. let me know what you think!

pounds be gone!

2008-06-03T22:01:00.002-04:00

yep that's right, i've lost more weight this week!!! another 2 pounds down :) total now... 18 pounds! loving losing weight and working out. Erin (personal trainer/ friend) is amazing, and she works me hard, even through all my complaining! she doesn't take any crap, and pushes me along, that's what i love about her. until next week!

oh yeah, i'm on vaca this thursday through monday... visiting a friend in MD and also making a quick stop to see amy and the kids and hopefully judy too! can't wait... i'll have lots to post and many pics to share when i return! :)

clemen, is that you?!

2008-05-29T23:08:00.002-04:00

he recovered being beaten and drowned at the car wash and was waiting for me at home with stickers in hand... take a look...

yes it's true!!! clemen is alive :)

ok, were to start?

2008-05-29T22:50:00.004-04:00

i guess i'll start with posts updating my weigh loss. it's very exciting because now i'm up to 15.9 pounds! (i just say i've lost 16 pounds!) here are some pics of my progress so far... were i started to were i am now :)

so, how do i look!!!

until next week, i can't wait to hit 20 pounds!!! :)

where has the week gone?!

2008-05-29T19:36:00.002-04:00

yes, i know that it's been almost another week and i have yet to post. here's the scoop... i have been working on setting up my new laptop and i also got a new toy, so it's stalled me in posting. this is due to having my download and install on my new laptop and i have so many pictures i want to put up from my old laptop. oh yes, and my new toy... a new camera! so it makes it even harder since i can only post new pics if i'm using my new computer. get it?! so, today is the first day i haven't worked out this week... it's good to have a day off to rest :) so i've got some time on my hands. well, back to my old computer to upload some pics... let's see if i can post more tonight ;)

ok ok, i'll update!

2008-05-23T23:14:00.002-04:00

i'm sorry but life has just been crazy busy and i haven't had a few good minutes to spend typing up a new post! i guess it's a good thing too because it's kept me off the computer to some time now ;)

i'll be posting new pics about my weight progress (hint for you, negative), as well as what i've been up to recently. check back this weekend.... i'm gonna have lots of free time to post. have a great long weekend and memorial day.

it's my birthday!!!

2008-05-07T21:51:00.002-04:00

well, i'm officially 27 today! i received numerous phone calls from friends and family and got some nice presents as well. i wasn't really expecting anything for my birthday because my parents are in AZ still and jeff is preaching tonight at his church. i was gonna be all alone :(

i was driving to work this morning and got a phone call from my mom. she woke up at 5 am AZ time, 8 am our time just to sing happy birthday to me!!! she loves me :) i also received calls from both my brothers, alisha, jess, kristi, angela, and my dad. i got texts from my friend christina, alisha, and jeff. facebook is amazing and i got some messages there as well. i feel so loved! thanks judy for the birthday wishes, i'm glad i got to know you as well ;)

so when i arrived at work this morning, there was a happy birthday balloon from one of my children. another parent bought me beautiful flowers. we had cupcakes and a co-worker made a special fat free (really super yummy) cake as well. another co-worker got me bath soap and lotion which smells really nice. and on top of all that... my co teacher hadar and kusum got me a gift certificate for a pedicure! yaaay!!!

i came home to dinner at my uncles and his wife, carolyn. we had chicken on the grill, broccoli, and potatoes. delicious! even had a cake and ice cream. funny story, she didn't have a 2 or 7 for the cake so she used all the other numbers to add up to make 27!!! i wish i had a picture, it was pretty funny.

it was a great day! i wish i had pictures to share... especially the one of me in my birthday crown my children made for me :)

thanks for the birthday blessings! i love you all!

sunny saturday!

2008-05-05T22:19:00.006-04:00

here are some pics from a relaxing saturday afternoon with my cousin katie...

this is the pond down the street from my house...

the rocks and the stream

this is katie... i made her do a photoshoot! :)

even a picture of me!

isn't this cool.. it was still super bright, but the shot came out like this.

we had a super time :)

final moments caught on camera...

2008-05-05T22:08:00.005-04:00

to go with a previous post, i have decided to put some of clemens final moments on my blog...

lots of soapy bubbles...

i'm thinking this might have hurt clemen just a little :'(

the rinse ... almost as much as my tears :'(

the final moment... the dyer.

just a little humor for your evening. i'll post tomorrow about my weigh in!

10 is the number!

2008-04-30T22:08:00.002-04:00

checking in with you all... and i'm down 10 pounds now! i lost 4 pounds this week putting me over the 10 pound mark!!! i think it's time to set higher goals :) next step... another 11 pounds to bring me to... well, i'm not gonna say. did you really think i was gonna put my weight on here?! haha, funny. i'll let you know when it happens, and post a pic as well. til then, i'll keep working hard.

same, same

2008-04-24T07:25:00.001-04:00

well, although i didn't lose any weight this week, i wanted to post and keep everyone updated. the good news is that i didn't gain any weight though either! i just stayed the same... so until next week. thanks for the support!!!

Farewell to Clemen...

2008-04-21T22:32:00.005-04:00

Clemen, 7 months of age, died at 1030 am Saturday April 19.
He was beaten and drowned at Splash Car Wash in Leominster, MA.

Clemen was born in M&M World, Orlando Florida. He was survived by his
mother Jenn, grandparents, and many other friends and family.
He was well loved by all.

Clemens hobbies included being outdoors, tuning into good radio stations,
road trips, and feeling the wind blow in his hair.

A remembrance service will be held to share memories of fun times shared.

In lieu of flowers, please send M&M's

clemen on his last road trip :'(

Next time, I will use a touch free car wash so no one gets hurt.

i'm losing it!!!

2008-04-15T23:07:00.003-04:00

like my title?! thought it was cute if i do say so myself :) just wanted to let you all know that i lost more weight this week!!! this week it was....drum roll please.... 1.7 bringing my total to 6.4. i hadn't added it together til right now and it just made me realize i'm closer to 10 pounds than i thought! yaaay :)
i must say that when i go to the gym it pays off. now, i just have to get my gym times in a routine and my food under control. keep praying and motivating please! love ya ;)

weekly postings

2008-04-13T12:29:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! i just wanted to let you know that i have decided to post weekly for now. it's easier for me with my schedule... and until i have a better grip on planning out my time, this will be the way it is for me :) i will also give a brief post on mon evenings updating you all on my weight loss!!! hope you all have a blessed day, and i'll post later this evening with what has been going on in my week. love ya!

going down :)

2008-04-07T21:30:00.002-04:00

just wanted to let you all know that i lost 3 pounds this week! my total is now almost 5 pounds. i'm excited! i even got some complements this past weekend from people saying i looked good. yaay!!! just gotta keep truckin' :)

almost fired!

2008-04-07T21:17:00.003-04:00

can you believe it?! so friday of last week i was called into nichole's (my new boss) office. i wondered what could i have done... well, apparently i'm not allowed to do good things for people!!! here's the story...
i ended up staying late at work on wed and had to close with a fellow co-worker. her boyfriend had left the lights on and the battery died so he was calling to say he'd be late, waaaay late. i didn't want to make the other teacher wait, cuz she would have, so i said that i'd drive her up to where he was and take the other way home. not a big deal right? well, it was her and her baby just to let you know. still wondering? apparently i can't do that because it's against code of conduct for the Y. i was brought into the office and given a "verbal reminder" not to do it again. good thing i didn't get written up, i would've been fired! the thing i don't get is why it was wrong... it was after work hours and she was in the car with me. my other co-workers don't agree that this was fair either. i'm gonna seek it out further and look into why. what do you think?
i guess i should just be grateful that i have a job...

Boston!

2008-04-06T20:13:00.015-04:00

for jeff's birthday, (which was over 2 months ago!), i gave him a present saying for his birthday he got to spend the day with me. seem selfish? well, we never get to spend time together so it was the perfect thing for us :) jeff decided to go to boston to see the musical Annie, so we made a day out of it all.

first stop lunch at the best place ever!

sibling picture all dressed up :)

we found a park... i love the buildings in the background

of course i had to take his picture too!

we found the guy in the park... he was happy to not have cold feet anymore!!!
(get it... the last time i took a pic with him, his feet were covered in snow!)

jeff pretended to be like this guy

we made it to Annie!!!
jeff sang the whole day, lol

this pic i just thought was really neat

i did a pretty good job navigating around boston...
well, with the help of jessica that is!

it was a great day...

but note to self, never wear heels to walk around boston all day!

blessing!

2008-04-01T22:51:00.002-04:00

I also can't forget to tell you what happened to me this past sunday. other then kristi ripping my eyebrows off, lol (pic to come later), i received a blessing from jean rogers. so, let me tell you my story... i have been going to the thursday night young adults group and had heard that kathleen carnelli was going to be at the coffee house on an upcoming thursday. i had just started to listen to her music because i had discovered it on the local christian radio, and just wanted to go and see her perform. well, the dilemma was that i didn't want to miss group. how jean got a hold of this, other then me briefly mentioning it, was slim. long story short, i went to group and missed seeing her at the coffee house. this sunday i went to service and jean was talking near my parents. i said hi and she handed me a cd! can you guess?! it was the new kathleen carnelli cd but not only that, it was autographed just for me!!! i was shocked and couldn't thank jean enough. she humbly just said i was on her heart to give it to me and that was that. i was truly blessed and i have to say, the cd is really good :) cool huh, God is sooo awesome!

about the eyebrows, i go and see kristi to get them done. well, i hadn't been in awhile, so i knew it was gonna hurt! kristi thought it was funny to make jokes while she put the wax on me... i tried not to laugh. i think she got much pleasure from tearing the strips off, what a friend! love ya anyways :) so here's a picture of me beautified thanks for kristi .

fat, need to lose it...

2008-04-01T22:37:00.003-04:00

well, as you can tell by the title... i have been motivated. this is a picture of me at my current weight. what i am asking your help with is just to help me keep on track with keeping this commitment. i went to the doctors last week and had that chat where she told me what my BMI (body mass index) is. believe it or not, it was very scary. i knew that i was overweight, but not to that extreme. now please, i am not typing this for sympathy, but as a way to let others know what i am trying to accomplish. i have let my doctor know what i am planning on doing the next three months, and i just am asking you to keep me accountable. it is also encouraging to receive messages pressing me along. i will keep you updated and post when i have reached some goals. thanks for your help and support in advance. love you all!

Easter!

2008-03-30T22:40:00.005-04:00

He is Risen!!!

i just love to see how everyone dresses up for easter.
here are just a few shots i took easter sunday and church...

the girls all dolled up

and the guys

some of the other guys too

the pinkertons with their newest addition...
i must say, what a blessed and beautiful family :)

nicole and caitlin, (when did they grow up?!)

dagii and myself... i had to get a pic with everyone!

i love the fact that jess and i are standing behind haley's hat!

we found christine so of course i had to have another picture!

drance and myself

and one more group shot at the end of second service.

it was such a great day to remember what He has done for us!

Good Friday

2008-03-30T21:57:00.007-04:00

so i know it's past good friday and easter, but i wanted to post about some of the things that went on during that weekend. i'll then be able to catch up and post more on a regular basis. hopefully :)

amy was up for the weekend so after service that friday night, we all decided to go out. our choices weren't as limited because believe it or not, we actually left the church at a decent hour! our choice... was the Ninety Nine. very delicious i must say, and definitely a great fellowship time with friends.

it was really nice to see sheavoynne. now that she's married and has a child, we never get to see her. i also like this pic because jess's hand is in the popcorn... it never left til the bowl was empty!

jeff, steph and lauren also nice to see them because they don't go out as often.

three beautiful smiles from amy, haley, and christine

more smiles from haley, christine, leah, and drance
(the only guy that was at our table after jeff left lol)

most of the girls that were left after we were basically kicked out of the restaurant! i think they told us at least 10 times politely to leave before we actually left!

it was a great night!

2008-03-27T21:54:00.003-04:00

So i thought i would add another post to my blog today. i've realized that my life is pretty boring so i don't really know what i'm am going to share with you all when i type on here! i guess we'll just have to wait and see and eventually i'll come up with something :) i will definitely say that i think this is gonna be a fun thing to do. and it'll be more fun when i get to go on my adventures and share what i've been doing and where i've been. check back mostly on the weekends, that's when i'll have the most time to post and put up pictures. hope you all have a great night and blessed day tomorrow!

I have a blog!

2008-03-25T23:48:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone!!!

i can now say that i'm cool like everyone else cuz i have a blog! this is all new to me so please don't mind me when i mess up or can't figure things out!!! it's past bedtime so when i have more time to spend i'll come back and say something more meaningful :)