Happy Birthday...

To me! It's my birthday today! Thought I would share a card I made over a month ago and never posted. I love the felt embellishments from Sassafrass on this one:

Short and sweet! Now I'm off to have my birthday!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my beautiful mother's 65th birthday.The kids and I got to spend most of our afternoon with her, doing art, talking and eating ice cream! My mom is my very best friend and I am so lucky to get to spend so much wonderful time with her. In a couple days...a whole week with her at the beach... we leave Saturday!

My mom doesn't love anything as much as she loves her 12 grandchildren! This picture was taken 2 years ago on the beach. She is with all her granddaughters- since then, another has been born!

Mom and Anna having a moment this weekend... Anna said, "Mimi, you are the grandmother that I love the most." Mom has a very special bond with all three of my children, we are so lucky.

 I love you, Mom. You are a rock, an inspiration and the most wonderful friend anyone could hope for. Thanks for teaching me to be just like you. Happy Birthday.

8 Years Ago...

There was an ice storm. It was so cold, snow on the ground and under the snow, several inches of ice. I was 8 months pregnant and up the night before with what I thought were braxton hicks. I sent Stephen off to his usual Monday night of bowling and when he returned, he went off to bed while I was up... on the couch... in misery. Finally, at 6:30 am, it was time to wake him up and get to the hospital, I couldn't handle much more.
Once we were at the hospital, it was almost 7:00 am. We left the bags in the car because I was sure the doctor would send me home. On the contrary, the baby was breech and I was 6-7 cm dilated. I was being rushed in for an emergency c-section.
At 7:35 am, Stephen McDonald "Mac" Profumo was born exactly 4 weeks early. He was so perfect, weighing in at 6 pounds and 10 ounces, with a head kissed with blond curls. My first born baby, a boy, so sweet and precious... a day I will never forget.

Mac has grown so much in the past year. He's still into sports, soccer and basketball being his favorites. He enjoys building with his Lego's, Cub Scouts, and started taking guitar lessons. He is a star student in second grade and loves to read. We are so very proud of him and all of his outstanding accomplishments!

Here are some of my favorite layouts of Mac:

His first trip to Kings Island riding a big roller coaster...

Mac has been a wonderful big brother to Elan since the day he was born...
Soccer stud...

Playing one of the "play" guitars- you have every intention of being a rock star, or possibly a singer/songwriter...

This layout sums up exactly who you are on the inside...

Some recent photos of Mac:

At his birthday party, getting a great gift from my brother and his family...
Group shot... we celebrated with family for both Elan (2/2) and Mac's (2/18) birthday (don't you love Anna's sweater?!)...

Mac's first day of second grade...

We used this photo for our holiday card...

Mac with his best friend, Noah, and the Archbishop after he received his Light of Christ medal for Cub Scouts. This was a proud day for him... Working on a layout now of that day!

I look so forward to finding out what the next year has in store for Mac. He is such a kindhearted boy, who's smart, a good friend, brother and son. Mac is a joy and has been since the day he was born. Happy birthday, big boy! I love you!

To many, many more wonderful days filled with fun!

My baby turns four

My, oh my how the time does fly. My baby is four today and it seems that yesterday he was turning two. We like to block out the first 18 months of his life because he was a terrible baby. He never slept and cried 18 hours of the day. He had colic, reflux, and just couldn't settle himself into our little family. So, today he is four. Stephen and I grew as a couple and I gained strength as a mom after Elan was born. I learned so much... God knew I needed him and he apparently needed me too. Elan is now so funny and confident. He loves life and people, and especially his mama.

The beginning was rough, but we bonded and became so close. We learned from each other. We needed each other.

Elan is one in a million. His dimples, his smile and his beautiful eyes tell so much of who he is. If you look close enough, you can get a glimpse of his soul through his eyes... they are a crisp green and look straight into his heart.

This is by far one of my favorite photos of Elan, and I just took it this past Sunday.

Some more of my favorite "Elan" photos...

This weekend when I asked Elan what he wanted for his birthday dinner, he replied, "Cake!" I said, well, if we have cake for dinner, what will we have for dessert? Without hesitation, he replied, "Brownies!" Well, duh. I am such an idiot.

The child is hilarious...

He came up from the basement this weekend and he was grabbing his arse... as he cried, he said, "Mom, I think I broke my collar bone."

All he wanted for his birthday was his own deer steak that he didn't have to share with anyone.

He sticks rocks in his nose, eats dirt, dog poop and mulch, he can negotiate himself into getting exactly what he wants. He has a smile that will make you melt and he is seldom clean. He is wild, and has the attention span of a gnat. He claims he is going to live with me forever.

I love him dearly.

Happy Birthday, sweet boy, I love you.

42 years young

Today, it's Stephen's 42nd birthday. First of all, I can't believe he's 42. We met right before his 31st birthday and I was 23. I saw him on the softball field, knew I wanted to go on a date with him, introduced myself and asked him out. It was the start of a beautiful relationship...

Summer, 2009, hanging out on the deck after dinner- I was playing with my new camera! Isn't he handsome?!

Married now for 8 years, Stephen sometimes asks himself what his "purpose" is, here on Earth. Is he doing what God sent him here to do? Was he supposed to be something else, somewhere else? Is he doing the best he can? I am almost certain that God put him on this Earth for me. I can't imagine my life without him. He grounds me, calms me, understands, is forgiving and funny. He loves me. ME.

July, 2009, my 15 year high school reunion

And our children... he puts them on a pedestal. He loves them, plays with them and guides them. He is a wonderful father. I am so lucky, so blessed...

Summer, 2009, Harbour Town, Hilton Head, SC

Happy Birthday, Darling. I love you and can't wait to celebrate 42 more birthdays with you! You bring me so much happiness!

Happy Birthday, Mac!

From the instant he was born, he has looked exactly like his daddy. Mac was a whole month early, but weighed in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces. He was a fussy baby with colic and didn't sleep much until he was about 6 months old. He walked late, at 18 months, and never said much of anything until he was 2- but since then, hasn't stopped talking!

Mac has never been anything but sweet, sensitive, smart and patient with his siblings (especially his little shadow, Elan). He is a fantastic big brother! He has a kind heart and a bit of a worried soul... he is way ahead of his time! He's a deep thinker and asks lots of questions. I know he will go so far in life and be something great!

Happy Birthday, sweet boy! I love you so much and I am so proud of you! You have grown up so fast in the past year, and I love that you know I want keep you little in my heart forever.

My Baby...

My little Elan turns three today... 3. It's a big boy number. I want him to stay 2, and truth be told, he wants to stay 2, too! I told him this morning, "Happy Birthday! You're so big, and 3 years old today!" He responded with, "I don't want to be 3, I want to be 2." Well, okay... let's just pretend you're two forever...

Elan and I had a rough start. He was this perfect little bundle, born 3 weeks early on a very cold, snowy day. He was big enough (8 lbs. 11 oz., 24 in. long) and was a great eater. However, he never slept and he never stopped crying, unless I was holding him. He was attached to my hip or in a baby sling for the first year of his life.

Now, going a whole year with little sleep and lots of crying is enough to make anyone go completely mad. I had tried it all: chiropractic care, herbal medicine, reading books, Internet research, medicine, medical tests, and on and on... no one could figure out what the problem was with the little guy. Then, I had a nervous breakdown right after his first birthday. Seriously, I went off the deep end... I had lost it. I was ready to quit. I wanted to run away. I tried being patient, understanding and loving and it just wasn't enough. I had been defeated, and lost my spirit. I was in a dark place and I wasn't a good mother or a good wife at that time. I needed help.

My mom, she is a savior. She could see it, sense it, there was a problem and she knew it. She took Elan for a couple days to give me a break and try to sort through my anger and resentment toward him. Let me tell you, it took a lot longer than a few days, but it was a start. I talked to a metaphysical counselor and she really helped me understand Elan and where he was coming from. I got in touch with his spiritual side as well as my own. I took it one day at a time and things were looking a bit brighter...

I started talking to Elan like an adult. At night, when it was quiet and I was rocking him, I would tell him how much I loved him. I would assure him that he belonged in this family and it wouldn't be the same without him. I tried to help him understand that he was needed here, to be with me, and that sometimes change is hard. You see, I believe Elan was content in Heaven. He wasn't ready to come to us yet (from the spirit world) and he was mad. He was angry and afraid and feared abandonment. Once I learned and understood this, I became at ease and at peace with him and our relationship. From there, our bond grew stronger, and we became happy. He started sleeping, laughing, and we enjoyed our time together... we fell in love
Now, he is a normal mama's boy. All boy, but loves his mama. He'd rather go to Target with me than have a play date and he only wants me when he is hurt, sick, tired or just needs a cuddle. He is so sweet and three came so fast...

Yes, we had a rough start, but that time was so short (looking back), compared to all the wonderful years we have ahead. I have learned so much from my third born, sweet Elan. Happy birthday, I love you so much!

*I shared this story because there are so many moms out there that think they have to be perfect. Moms that think anger and depression are things to be ashamed of- they aren't. You just have to work through it in a way that works for you.

Happy Birthday, Anna!

Anna is five today. FIVE. I just can't believe how time flies. She is beautiful inside and out. She is caring, loving, crafty, smart, genuine and a leader. She is stubborn and wants things her way. She can't get "talked into" much of anything. She says "no" alot, but I remind myself that that answer will be a very good answer in the teenage years. I am only looking forward to the future with her, I just hope it goes a little s l o w e r...She wanted a goldfish, so that's what she got. First, she named her "Fancy" then changed it to "Goldie." Elan has stuck his grubby little hands in the bowl more than a few times to "hold" Goldie. Uh oh...And a few pictures of her party:
Her delicious pumpkin cupcakes and all the jewelry Mamaw brought her.
This is funny: the bracelet is from the Vatican in Rome and the necklace is from the casino boat, Caesars! She was telling people that Mamaw brought her a bracelet from the "attic". Needless to say, she loved them both, but mostly because they were from Mamaw.
Anna's best friend, Molly. Molly's shirt says "best friend" and gave Anna the same one for her birthday. That was so cute I almost cried!

And this sweet thing, carefully opening her birthday cards. She absolutely adored each and every handmade card that her friends made for her. This card she is holding is from my niece, Kendall. She made her a birthday card with a turtle (Douglas) on the front. Anna loved it so much she hugged it! They are already carefully tucked away in her special letter box. I love that she appreciates all the handmade items made for her and appreciates the time and effort put into them.

Happy Birthday, Anna! I love you so much and five is going to be great! Love, Mommy.

Birthday Crafts

Greetings! It's a beautiful day today, wonderful weather to play outside or plant some flowers, but... 2 of my 3 kids are super cranky. Elan is teething and Anna is suffering from the green pollen snots (allergies). Ugh... their moods can turn a sunny day grey in no time flat.

On a brighter note, tonight I'll be hosting Crafty Girls night out. We will eat pizza, indulge in adult bevs and get chubby on brownies, and in between bites, we will be scrapping! I hope to get a few LO's done and if I do, I'll post them here tomorrow.

My wonderful mother-in-law, Catherine, her birthday is today. She works, cares and gives too much and eats, sleeps, and takes too little. We hope to treat her to lunch tomorrow since she had to work on her birthday... Boo!!! I made her this card that I think she will love!

These flip flop note cards are for my sister-in-law, Erin for her birthday. She is a flip flop girl, so I made her these notes to accompany some cute flips to actually wear! I used Stickles glitter in cotton candy on the strap and center of the flower. The flower is a punch and the flip is a stamp. I personalized them on my PC.