9 years ago tomorrow

It's hard to believe that nine years ago tomorrow, a plane hit WTC1 and then a few minutes later another one hit WTC2 and then a few moments later another plane crashed into the Pentagon and then just a little time later a fourth plane went down in a field in Western Pennsylvania.

One horrible, horrible day changed the way we all view life in general.

I, as well as so many other people, remember vividly what we were doing when we heard about that first plane being used a bomb to kill so many.

I was working at Kmart in Hershey, PA as the department manager of infants, kids and menswear.  I had moved a very tall ladder and knocked one of our infant signs off the ceiling, when one of my co-workers came up to me and told me that a plane flew into the WTC.  I thought, hmm, how could you not see that huge building.  It wasn't much later when I heard that another plane went into the other tower, then the pentagon and finally into a field in Shankesville PA.  I remember at some point talking to my husband about it and then going to 'lunch' at 10 and calling my mom shortly after Tower 2 fell.  I remember talking to my mom and watching Tower 1 falling and not realizing it was live TV I was watching because they had been rerunning Tower 2 falling so much.  After that I remember living in a stunned state of mind, wondering why someone would be so evil to do something like this.  I really feel this was my long road back to God.

I remember my parents saying how thankful they were that we no longer lived in NJ (minutes outside of NYC).  I also remember how beautiful that skyline was when we had left Jersey for the last time in March of that year.  I can't wait to visit again after the Freedom Tower is built.  I hear that it has been making some great progress and there are actually several floors up already.

Here is a beautiful pic of the skyline I found online:

photo from panynj.gov

Aren't those towers beautiful?

Here is a similar view from after

photo from jazzhostels.com

And another one with the beautiful lights pointing to Heaven where the towers once stood

photo from imgs.sfgate.com

In Memory to all who gave their lives that day and those who are still giving their lives even now, 9 years later.  Thank You!!!!

Old friends

Once upon a time, long, long ago, I was a member of a great site where I made lots of new friends.  Ones that while I didn't know them in real life, I felt connected too.  I shared many heartaches and happiness with them, both my own and theirs.  Things happened and I no longer talk to many of them.  I do have a friend who has kept in contact with a couple of them and she lets me know how they are doing.

Yesterday, I was looking through the blogs of these old friends.  Some of them have kept up with theirs and I was able to read the happiness and heartaches that they are all facing.  I wanted to comment on them to let them know I've been thinking of them or that I was praying for them but I wasn't sure how it would be taken.  Needless to say many of the ties I had were broken under bad circumstances.  While I don't hold grudges, I don't know that I'd care to be friends with some of them again.  I don't think the friendships were the healthiest for me and it has been a relief not to have them.  Though that's not to say I didn't shed a tear or two over losing these friends.

It's good to be able to 'lurk' and see how they are doing and to know how I can pray for them even if we aren't friends anymore.

Contracts are a must

One lesson I've learned this summer is Contracts are a MUST even if you are having a 'friend' do the work for you.  Get everything in writing and don't let work start or continue if everything is not in writing.

We wanted to finish our utility room this summer.  We had planned on doing the work ourselves on weekends off and during our week of vacation, giving us sufficient amount of time to get it done before winter set in.  A friend of ours, someone that dh worked with volunteered to help us, or so I thought he was helping us until he took over the project and made it his summer project.

He gave us a verbal initial estimate, not telling us what it included and us being naive didn't ask.  We just allowed him to do the work.  We had anticipated since he started the second week of March that the project would be done by June.  June came and went, still not done.  July came and went still not done.  Finally we gave him a date to be finished by and he was able to finish it.

At some point in late June, early July we had asked him for a estimate for the final cost of the project.  He said he couldn't give us one.  At that point we should have told him his services were no longer needed until we had that estimate but because we wanted this done and he was a 'friend' we left him finish.

Then a week after he finished, we received the final total due.  Needless to say that it was way more than we had even anticipated.  Now, I'm not stupid.  I KNOW construction materials are very expensive, however, we had offered to buy a lot of the stuff and he said, no he'd get everything.  Ahhh, hindsight is 20/20 isn't it?

Here are some before and afters of the utility room.

This is after the wall came down, it was between the dryer and the freezer.

The new level floor going in

The finished room

One of my favorite parts of it

From the other end 

All in all, I love my room!!!

Where has time gone?

It seems like only yesterday that I held my boys in my arms after them taking their first breath.  Now it's 7 and 5 years later and I'm no longer holding them but watching them spread their wings and take on new challenges in life.

Just a week ago my babies started first grade and kindergarten.  Both loving every minute of it.  I can only hope that they continue to enjoy school.

This evening they started their second year of Awana at church.  What a joy it is to help them learn memory verses, verses that they will remember for years to come.  I love when I come across a verse that I memorized when I was their age. It makes me smile :)  I pray they will treasure all those verses and their meaning forever.

It has taken me a full week to get used to the quiet of the house.  Something I never really enjoyed much of, even when L was in preschool and B was in kindergarten last year.  I tried to fit in as much as I could during that 1 1/2 hours of non driving time I had, that I didn't get to fully enjoy it.  Now that I have it, I really do miss my boys.  Most days it makes me appreciate that moment when they get out of school and I can wrap my arms around them.

With fall beginning, I am planning to enjoy some quiet fun time in the coolness with my family, making forever memories.

Mini Me

Tonight, I spent about an hour weeding a flower bed, during which time the boys were busy playing with their trucks and trying not to dig where they're not suppose to. 

After weeding the flower bed, I decided to plant the flowers and bulbs I still had to get into the ground and the boys wanted to help.  I asked them to get the marigolds from the other side of the yard.  B was so smart and got out their little wheelbarrow and used that to bring them around.  L was too busy tending to his eye that a bug went in to.  He even got out a bottle of water to put on it to help the pain.

Once they were all around, we planted them  It was so great watching them plant, especially B.  I dug the holes, they put the flower in and covered them.  L didn't do as good of a job as what B wanted, so B went back through and fixed them.  It was really cute.

However, what really got me tonight was clean up time.  I asked the boys to clean up the flower containers while I watered.  They did really good but B went one step further and finished cleaning up the weeds.  He reminded me so much of his dad cleaning up after me like that. He even put the garage door down after we were done in the garage without being asked.

I love watching the boys play mini mes, whether it's mini mom or mini dad.  It makes me realize just how much they absorb by watching us.

The joys of parenthood

Most days I love being a mom.

Wednesday I had to be the mom that most children don't like, especially my children: The Mean Mom.

You know the Mean Mom.  The one who makes their child's life miserable.  Yep that was me.

My kids have had it really nice when it comes to cleaning and picking up after themselves, but there comes a time when it's their turn to pick up and clean. 

Let's start with Tuesday.  They both had off school for their Easter/Spring break.  I gave each a specific chore to do in relation to their bedroom and their playroom.  They were given a time limit because let's face it, they do dawdle and take their time otherwise.  They each came to me and told me their chore was completed.  So like a good mom, I stopped working, got up and went to check.  Nope not done.  Told them what still needed to be done and left them to do it.  They both came to me, told me it was done.  Again I stopped working, went to check, still not done.  Gave them one last chance to finish it.  Yet again it still wasn't done. 

So frustrated me said, fine, either this all gets done by you or mom will do it and you won't have any toys to play with.  You would think that would get them moving.  Nope, they chose to play instead.

This leads to Wednesday, the day they both go back to school and my day off.  I chose to clean their playroom.  Took trash bags with me and filled 4 of them full of trash, Kids meal toys, broken toys and food wrappers.  I separated all their toys according to what they are: cars, soldiers, blocks, Mr. Potato Head, etc.  I went to pick up Levi at preschool and off to Kmart we went for totes.

After getting the totes and the few other items we needed, we head home and I got all the toys into the totes and to the attic and it was time to tackle the food stains on the floor.  For two little boys that are not allowed food in their playroom, I sure found enough banana peels and apples cores laying around as well as smooshed bananas and a rotten apple on the floor.  I got those cleaned up and their playroom is now done.

They were allowed 5 toys each to be left out to play with.  Everything else is now up in the attic waiting to be earned back.  I have a feeling quite a few will be sent to Goodwill or another thrift store. 

We are now on the 'Listen to Mom and Dad or lose privileges' system.  I will only speak once (twice if I honestly believe they didn't hear me the first time) and if they don't do as I ask, they lose the wii, tv, their power wheels, bikes, or outside time.  So far neither are allowed wii or power wheels until maybe tomorrow.

They do have the option of earning back their privileges the day if they listen and do as I ask.  I think it's only fair that they are rewarded for their good behavior but it has to be exceptional.

Now to get daddy to understand and get on board all the way with this :)

A forecast of the summer to come?

Right now the sun is shining and it's a beautiful 73 degrees out with a slight breeze.  If it weren't for the fact that I'm working I'd be outside planting, cleaning up flower beds, riding bike or just enjoying the sun.

I offered to sit in the utility room to work so that the boys could enjoy the sun and play outside.  I even gave them part of the garden that's not planted yet to dig in.  They were outside for maybe 20 minutes before the bees got them.  Ya know, when the bees fly around looking for flowers or searching to find their new home, not minding anyone around them, just flying.  I don't even think they were that close to the boys either.  From the looks of it, they were at least 5+ feet away but apparently that was too close.

So now they are in the house bored out of their minds, and trying to make me yell.  They're mad because they're not allowed TV or WII.  Afterall, why should you be stuck in the house playing video games and watching TV if it's so nice out?

This is only day 2 of the 6 days of spring vacation and already, they're driving me batty.  I sure hope this isn't the forecast for what it will be like come summertime.  I may need a padded room if it is.