Christmas, Christmas EVERYWHERE!!!

This Christmas went so fast but was SO much fun. Abbie loved opening presents but understand why she was getting them. She was so cute when she was opening the present from our neighbors.

Here is her playing with the Rocking Horse. So much fun!

Christmas Eve was spent with Tom's family at his cousin's house. It is always a great time of food and laughing over the White Elephant game. Tom's cousin, Straker, thought it would be funny to wrap up my shoes (that I took off when I got to the house) and put them in the White Elephant. It took me a second to realize that those were my shoes. Straker thought it was SO funny and so did everyone else. I was laughing so hard too! Abbie was playing with her cousin Emily who was visiting from Boston. They had such a fun time together!

Our family picture infront of the fireplace

We went to my parent's house on Christmas Morning and has a lovely breakfast. I think that I ate AT LEAST 10 pieces of bacon. My mom got Abbie and Maggie these cute little chairs to rock in. Abbie loves this dancing cow at my parents house and was a dancing machine!*

*For some reason the video wouldn't post. Will try again later cause it is so DANG cute!

Maggie loves her cousin a little too much. Ha ha!

Grandma and Abbie praying. So cute!

When all was said and done it was a wonderful few days of family, FOOD, and a lot of love.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Family Christmas Party! WOO HOO!

On Saturday, we had my crazy Italian family Christmas Party. There are about 25 of us that get together and celebrate together. We ate and ate and had a few cocktails (excluding my mom) and ate and ate some more. Parties like these remind how much my family loves me. Yes....they are crazy....and Yes......they drive me crazy but they are my history. I am who I am because of them. They love me and my daughter so much. We had a fun time just looking at old pictures and laughing at Abbie and Maggie dancing. It was a wonderful night!

Chores...Chores...Chores

Growing up we never received an allowance for doing chores around the house. I understand my parents reasoning for not paying us....besides that fact that the bills needed to be paid over us getting an allowance. My parents wanted us to feel like a part of the family by contributing in some way. My dad worked, my mom stayed at home with us (which is harder work than she got credit for) and my brother and I took care of a few chores. Yes, we hated them and Yes, we felt like we deserved to be paid for them but I think that what my parents did was right. Our payment was more freedom. If we didn't do them (or did them with a bad attitude) freedom was taken away. Abbie will receive the same "payment" that I did. She will know that there are certain chores that are her responsibility and that by her doing her chores, she is a contributing part of our little family. Right now, her chore is to help feed Penny. I asked her to help me one day and ever since then it is a part of our morning routine.

She didn't want to close the door so there are some tears!

She is also obsessed with the Vacuum. She LOVES to touch it and kiss it. I got her a little dirt devil at a garage sale for a dollar and she will push it around all day. Hopefully this will last until she can really vacuum.

Here is a little funny video of Abbie and the Vacuum

P.s. she didn't mind the vacuum sucking on her face, as you can tell.

Friday Night Fun

It is funny how what you consider a "great Friday Night" changes once you have a baby. Tom and I use to consider a great Friday Night as follows:
-going out to dinner
-meeting friends at a bar and staying out until the bars closed and sleeping in until at least 10am
-going on an impromptu trip to Vegas (which made it s great weekend...instead of just one night)

Well....these things don't happen as much anymore. Our weekends are planned WEEKS in advance since we have to get babysitting. Oh and also lack of money makes you be more creative. I do miss those crazy nights and weekends before Abbie but noting compares to the joy that she has brought to our lives.

Last night was SUCH a fun night. Tom got 2 movies from Red Box for us to watch after Abbie went to bed. We all had dinner together, like we always do, and then headed out to look at lights. It was warm so we didn't need to bundle up at all (I was really wanting to dress Abbie up in her new coat). We walked to the Circle and looked at the big Christmas Tree that they have set up. Abbie liked the lights and the huge ornaments. We ended up at "Candy Cane Lane" and walked up and down the street. Abbie was saying "Lights" and was so excited...in the beginning and then started her mini melt down. Thank goodness that it was only a 10 minute walk from our house.

We put her to bed when we got home and then started our movies. My pick was "Julie and Julia". I knew that Tom wasn't too thrilled about it but he didn't complain because we usually don't watch the chick flicks (I don't put him thru that too often). It was SUCH a cute movie and Tom even enjoyed it as well. My favorite line in the movie was said by Julia Child's husband Paul..You are the butter to my bread. The breath in my life. I jokingly said to Tom...You are the spray butter to my diet bread. Ha ha!

It was 10 pm when the first movie was over so we called it a night....our carbon unit alarm clock is up at 6:30 am no matter what time we went to sleep. And I usually go to sleep at 9pm so I was staying up REALLY late.

It was a WONDERFUL night.

Daddy and Abbie: she hasn't gotten "cheese" down yet

Abbie and Mommy looking at the big ornaments

Italian American Pride

Rough and Tumble Abbie

Fearless and wild!
She makes us laugh doing things like this all the time!

Balance

I have learned a lot about balance being a first time parent. Balance plays such an important part in-

• my marriage
• my time with Abbie
• my relationship with God
• my friendships

It took a while to find a good balance in all of those areas. I will still always continue to work on the balance because it is a never ending process because life is ever changing.

I realized that as a first time mother, you want to focus solely on this new life that has come into your world. You obsess about schedules, feedings, if they are going to pee/poop too much or too little, if they are progressing like they should be, are they happy, if they are sleeping, and all the times when you have mini-meltdowns because of worrying SO much. Tom and I early on instituted "Date Night" where we go out and just spend time together. It didn't have to be fancy (usually it was just coffee and walking around Old Town) but it was time for us to catch up on what was going on with the other person. We have dinner as a family every night when I get home from work but it just isn't the same as one on one time with your spouse. If you don't have a balanced marriage how can you have a balanced child?

I remember the first time that Tom and I went out without Abbie. She was a few weeks old and we just sat there staring at each other not knowing what to do. We were so used to there being a little baby for us to take care of that we forgot how it was to just focus on each other. It turned out to be a great night of conversation ( mostly about Abbie) and just reminding the other one how much we loved and appreciated them. Last night was a "Date Night" and it was a blast. I LOVE just talking and laughing with Tom. He just gets me...and that is an AWESOME feeling.

I am working on the balance in my relationship with God still. That is one that I haven't quite gotten figured out. I feel like I could give him so much more of my time but then my selfish nature comes in and I end up sitting in front of the TV watching something totally vapid. Instead of watching "The Hills" (mock me if you will) I could have read the book that I am in the middle of. I could have spend some time in prayer and getting my heart right. I see all the missed chances to really connect with him.

So here is my new thought:

If you don't have a balanced relationship with God, how can any other relationship be balanced?

Thankful

Family. Friends. My husband. My daughter. My Freedom. My health.
My relationship with God.
These are just a few things I am thankful for.

Unconditional Love

It always amazes me how God speaks to me through my quiet times. I use the Daily Bread and sometimes the devotionals just hit home. The verses to read were Roman 8:28-39 and the devotional was about "His good purpose". The verse that really spoke to me was this one Romans 8:38-39

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, not any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creations, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I LOVE these verses. It reminds me that no matter what, God love me. I went through a rebellious phase (let's just say that it spanned from the time I was 16 until about a year and a half ago) and wanted nothing to do with church or having a relationship with God. Through all the time, he still loved me. I did things that were hurtful to myself, my family, and my relationship with my husband. I was selfish and self destructive. He STILL loved me even though I didn't love myself. He was still there for me even though I didn't turn to him and cry out to him. He just waited....and then it happened....I cried out. I realized that I couldn't do it without him.

I am a constant work in progress. I know that I still have (daily) challenges from my past. I just have learned to give it all to God. I just pray to him anytime I am feeling weak or out or whack. I have let go of control and have given it to him.

The verses make me think of a song from my childhood Sunday School days:

Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to him belong
They are weak but HE is strong

Yes, Jesus Loves ME!!!

So over it!

I am on week 7 of being back on Weight Watchers and I am just SO OVER IT! I am over counting points and over writing down everything I am eating. I have always had issues with my weight and my love affair with food. I am an impulse eater. I will eat whatever is in front of me. I can scarf down 2 pieces of pizza without blinking an eye. I will go back to the appetizer table at a party over and over. Each time I leave with my mouth full of delicious food I feel guilty. I feel guilty most times when I eat. I know that it isn't healthy to have all these issues with food. I don't know where they began.

I try to figure out where it started. My mom and dad always had healthy food for us in the house. My dad made wonderful meals. My mom would make our bread. I remember the first time I ever got a slice of Wonder Bread. I never was able to buy unhealthy snacks because I never got an allowance. I started having my own money when I started to babysit at 13. I would always buy Funions and those malts that you would eat with a small wooden spoon for lunch in Junior High. I wasn't athletic so that is when I started putting on weight. I wasn't fat, just thicker.

I started playing soccer in the 9th grade. I wasn't very good but it was good exercise. I was in really good shape but still wasn't that size 0 girl. Once I went into college, I started working in restaurants and that is when I really packed on the weight. I was at my heaviest when Tom proposed to me. I look at those pictures and they make me so sad. I can't believer that I let myself get to that weight. I was 181 pounds when I went to Weight Watchers my first time. I lost 40 pounds and felt great. That was when I was 21. I am back for a 2nd tour of duty and am finding that the weight isn't falling off like it used to. It is making me depressed. I am trying not to get in that kind of funk. I know that I am not obese by any means but I am just not happy where I am at.

I want to look good for myself and for my hubbie. Tom has never put any pressure on me to be a certain weight and I love him dearly for that! He has been so supportive while I have been back on WW. He makes meals that he has figured out the points for. He tells me I am beautiful even when I don't feel it. He is amazing!

I will continue to count my points and workout 5 days a week. I will beat this addiction to food that I have. I will be healthy for my husband and my daughter. I will continue to pray about being weak and giving into food temptations. I know that God wants me to turn all my burdens over to him and he will help me be strong in all my weaknesses.

Weekday adventures of The McConnells!

I got a special treat this week and had a weekday off to play with my family. My work is having a warehouse sale so I have to work this Saturday and Sunday so they gave us a weekday off so that we wouldn't have to work 7 days. It was a great day!


I made a full blown breakfast for Tom and Abbie. Pumpkin pancakes, eggs, bacon, and coffee just for Tom and myself. I went to the gym afterwards and then we headed out to Disneyland. Tom and I LOVE Disneyland. We have had passes for the past several years and use them to the fullest. We went just to walk around and get out of the house. Abbie is starting to love it as well. She loves the parades. She definately has been feeling the music a lot more and dancing whenever she can. It is so cute! We took her on Pirates and Small World for the first time. I was really scared to take her on Pirates because of the drop. I know....irrational mommy worries! She was fine. She was just staring at all the "people" on the ride. She signed "more" once we got off the ride.


Small World is now decked out for Christmas and it is was so cute. Abbie was dancing and clapping her hands the whole time. I know that all parent's hearts melt when they see their child do something so sweet so I don't mean to be sappy but I will be. Abbie has made my heart grow 1 billion times.

We came home and took a family nap. I LOVE afternoon naps. I don't get to take them since I am at work and they look down upon us sleeping at our desks! I had weigh in that evening and then we had dinner together...Taco Salad!! It was delicious!

All in all is was a nice mellow day. Tom was gone last week so it was nice to get some good family time!

The best sound ever!

It always makes me giggle. She just has such a great laugh. I love you Abigail Rose!

My Nana

It has been one year ago that my Nana passed. She was my mom's mom. My Nana could tell you a story from her childhood growing up in New York that would make you laugh for days. Whenever we had family parties she would always bring deserts. Not just 1 or 2 deserts but a whole big brown serving tray of deserts. They were always delicious. Nana always told me that I looked like a Barbie Doll. She always made me feel loved. I think that the times I miss her most are when Abbie does something to make me smile. Nana would have been SO in love with Abbie. She loved her work and co-workers. They called her Pokey because she was a slow walker. She thought that was so funny. I can't remember a time when she wasn't dressed to the nines! She loved jewelery! She would always tell my mom and myself that we couldn't sell it at a garage sale for 25 cents after she died because it was from HSN or QVC and it had authentic crystals in it. She loved her family and would always tell us how proud she was of us.

I love you Nana. Thank you for giving me SO many wonderful memories.


This is my Nana as a young girl in New York. She was one of 4 girls. Roseanne, Mary Jane, My Nana, and Betty Lou.

This is my Nana and Grandpa before they got married. What a handsome couple!

This was from my Nana and Grandpa's wedding day. My mom has the wedding dress at her house and it is adorable in person. I wish I would have been small enough to wear it.

This is my Nana and Grandpa with my mom as a little girl. Nana ALWAYS had my mom dressed up like a little doll.

Here is a picture of my Nana and all her sisters

Changes

I am at work right now so this post will be short. I am constantly in AWE about how much Abbie changes day to day. Tom was gone for a week and he said this morning "I think she is taller than when I last saw her." I laughed it off but then was thinking about it in the car ride to work and thought it is probably true. She is changing each day...she is getting taller, she is getting more independant, she is exploring her world, she is testing the bounderies set on her by Tom and myself. I want to make sure that thru all this change that I am being consistant in what I want for my child. I want her to grow up and know first and foremost that God is trully all powerful and that he loves her SO much. I want her to know that her daddy and I will always love her and pray for her. I want her to live life with integrity and morals. I don't want her to be a "baby's momma" to some guy. I want her to be a wife and then a mother. I want her to be fufilled with what she chooses to do with her life.

We will be consistant in putting God first and following him thru all the upcoming changes.

Hello Old Friend!

I am a bad mom. I started this blog so that I could document all these wonderful memories that we would have as first time parents with Abbie. I started of being really consistant with my posts and then all of the sudden....NOTHING. I just got busy with work and life and stopped blogging. I read all of my friend's blogs and think "Wow..these blogs are amazing" but then I don't do anything to update my blog. So here I am, back after a LONG break. Get ready for some blogs!

Tom was out of town this week so it was just me and Abbie. Well...Tom's mom came down from Nevada to stay with us and take care of Abbie when I was at work. She left early yesterday morning and so Abbie and I did some garage sailing! It was GREAT. We found some wonderful finds! Here are some pictures of our treasures:

This is a Little People play house that I got for $2.00

I saw this bag of balls and for only $1.00 thought that it could be a lot of fun for Abbie. She loves kicking them around and throwing them for Penny to fetch.

Abbie is OBSESSED (like her mother) with our vacuum cleaner. She always wants to help. I saw this and thought she would love it....and she does. She has been pushing it around the house all day! Great fun for only $1.00!

These soft blocks were only $2.00 as well. I am all about toys that make Abbie use her imagination. These will be great for her to play with.


Here is the little Babes playing with her Little People House!


We went to our friend Dale's "Nerdy 30" Star Wars birthday party last night. It was a blast. Lynette, Dale's wife and my WONDERFUL friend, sure knows how to pull a surprise off. It was just like being on Tatooine (for those of you non-nerdy Star Wars people, that is Luke Skywalker's home planet). There were so many people dressed up. Lynette got Dale the Darth Vader costume and he was SO excited. It was like a kid on Christmas. I will have pictures from it shortly.

This is my favorite movie from the Star War series. Jabba the Hut is just so creepy!

Tom comes home tonight! YIPPEE!! Abbie and myself can't wait to hug and kiss him. Having him gone this week really makes me realize how MUCH I depend on him for support. He is a great dad to Abbie and an absolutely WONDERFUL husband.
Thank you Tom for all that you do for us girls. WE LOVE YOU POR VIDA!

Your Car is ready Miss. Deville




Mom and Baby



I love Easter

The McConnell Clan

Lime Chaser

Random cute pictures

December and Christmas pictures