Where has the time gone?

Wow, where has it gone? I cannot believe its been August since I posted here! soooo much going on ... by the end of May, I'll have:
- sold the first home J & I have ever owned
- buy & move in to the home where I spent most of my life
- graduate with my Masters degree
- have a 2nd child

By June, it will certainly feel like a lifetime has passed. As you can see, I've been pretty busy so I'm sorry for not keeping up.. I do hope to start up again, esp. after the move and after the baby is born.

So, Come back soon won't you? I'll meet you here in June to share all of the changes in our lives and the identity of our new little one.

Friday, August 31st

It's been quite sometime since I've visited this site and I miss it a lot.. having an outlet for random thoughts, precious moments and funny stories (even if only funny to me!).

Since the last time I was here, much has happened.. my best friend from childhood married a terrific man; my one brother-in-law and his wife had their first baby, and I became a godmother for the first time; my other brother-in-law was married; J and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary; C started Pre-School(!!!); another best friend from childhood became pregnant with her first baby; a few college teammates got engaged; and, well, I think that's it.. but it is certainly a lot!

So many happy things have happened and its been a great 2007 so far! To add to the joy, my grad program is halfway over... and that is MORE than exciting!

I hope to stop by here more often and share my life with you. For now, here are 2 pics.. one, of C as a ringbearer and one from his first day of school!

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2007!
This year will be a good one!

There are many things I am looking forward to:
- Staying at the same job throughout 2007
- Continuing grad school
- Participating in 2 weddings
- 1 for a best friend I've had since 2nd grade and 1 for my best friend from college
- enrolling C in pre-school (yikes!)
- becoming thismuchcloser to moving into an actual house with a yard and a driveway!
- TTC
- Losing the rest of the fat!
- Exploring more of my demons and moving past them
- Re-discovering my faith
- Having more FUN!!!!!!!

Here's to living life to the fullest! Happy 2007!

(yes, this is the same post on "Losing it" I am considering merging the two.. thoughts on that? Please share.)

Merry Christmas!

Well, the Brown family had an enjoyable Christmas.. Since C just turned 3, it was really fun to see his excitement leading up to Christmas morning and how overwhelmed he was that day.

On Christmas eve C was very hesitant about santa coming into our home and eventually his fear, combined with his exhaustion caused him to start to cry when thinking about santa coming inside. He told us his power ranger he already had gotten (from his sitter) was enough! Then, he insisted we write Santa a note and leave it on the front door (which we did) that said :

"Dear Santa, please leave my presents on the porch. Love, Mommy, Daddy and C"

It was hysterical and I will definitely be keeping that note for when he's older! By morning his fear was gone and we told him Santa magically placed them under the tree.

Some of my favorite pics:

C and his cousin

A Game for Cause..

Fundraiser to be Held During Dec. 18 Women's Basketball Game vs. St. Bonaventure
Courtesy: FDU Athletics Communications















On Monday, December 18, the Fairleigh Dickinson University women’s basketball team will host St. Bonaventure University at the Rothman Center in Hackensack, NJ at 7:00 p.m.

The game presents the perfect opportunity to support a fundraiser in the name of Former Fairleigh Dickinson University Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach Joy Swanson, who passed away on Monday, October 16 after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

The fundraiser will benefit Coach Swanson’s two-year old son, Thor.

After being diagnosed with ocular melanoma cancer almost a year ago, the 33-year old former assistant coach fought with infinite strength. Right up until the end, despite battling a great deal of pain, she was truly inspirational with her spirit.

This particular game is significant because Coach Swanson not only served as the Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach for Fairleigh Dickinson for two years (2004-06), but she was also a 1995 graduate of St. Bonaventure, where she played Division I basketball for four years while she earned a bachelor of arts in psychology. She coached there while she earned her M.S.E.D. in community counseling as well. Prior to her time at FDU, she was an assistant coach at West Point for three years.

All proceeds from the gate will be donated, in addition to flat donations, which will be taken at a table at the game. There is also the opportunity to pledge per point scored. SAAC members and other collectors have sheets to take pledges, which will be multiplied by the total amount of points scored by both FDU and St. Bonaventure.

For more information call 201-692-2204

Donations can be sent to:
Fund for Thor Swanson
c/o Sara Naggar
1000 River Rd, H-AT1-01
Teaneck, NJ 07666

Tis the Season

'tis the Season for giving.. On an occasional Christmas, my mother would have my brother, sister and I pack up toys and things we no longer used or played with to give away to someone less fortunate before we could get anything new.

Looking back, I am sure it was more my mother's way of cleaning house rather than being philanthropic. However, it is a good idea to start teaching children about charity and philanthropy.

Many times, it can be difficult to find places that take clothing donations and their hesitancy is understandable. For one, many of these charities become overwhelmed with donations and do not have the staff to sort them all.

Second, and possibly more important, charities need this sorting effort because many people think rags and clothes with stains are them are ok to give to poor people. Which leads me to my top tip that I hope you will keep in mind when making your in-kind donations this season:

Just because the recipients may be poor, it doesn't mean they deserve to wear shrunken, torn, stained clothing or sit on smelly, ripped furniture. They are people. Typically, they are already down on their luck and are seeing hard times. You know how you feel when you wear clothes that aren't nice, you feel bad about yourself.

So, I hope you will keep this in mind when you make donations of this kind. My advice is to take your stinky old t-shirts and use them as dust/cleaning cloths or find a fabric recycling charity if this is all you have to give. Do not throw them out.. why? Read here.

Do Consider donating clothing that simply doesn't fit any longer or is a season or two out of style.
Donating can be really simple.. start below with the Purple Heart.. they'll even come to your door to pick up your donations.

Click Here to set-up a pick-up time for your donations. Enjoy your holiday!

Happy Birthday!!!

Here is my own little "Captain Jack" , Sparrow that is,
from the Pirates of the Carribbean movies.

Pirates are his current obsession, which has led me to throw a pirate-themed birthday party this coming Saturday.

Today, November 1, 2006 is my little guy's 3rd birthday. Boy how time flies!