Really busy......

I know my posting has been pretty much non-existant but I truly feel like I haven't had one minute..... The end of the school and dance year, my job and great events with my family and friends have kept us going for weeks. I have many things to say and I will get them all out. But for now here are some shots of all the stuff we have been doing.

Brianna, Alyssa and Danielle at the end of school dance

Joseph testing to become a Sr. Tiger - HE MADE IT!!!

End of school play - my son the Country Mouse

Fun Day at the pool for Uncle Dan's 40th Birthday

Met at Church and then onto Recital Rehearsal

Recital Rehearsal - Hip Hop Group

Recital Rehearsal - Orphan April and Urban Annie

The big show - Joseph, Danielle and Nana

Danielle with Ms. Rutz and Mrs. Rouse - her teachers who came out to support her



Joseph getting ready for a Pirate Birthday Party - we had the costume from Halloween



Nanny, Brianna, Joseph and Danielle at Taylor's Confirmation



Graduate Willie and Aunt Marie



Celebrating Andre's 50th Birthday

How clean are your kids shoes???

So have you heard many times from me or Colleen how our mother is obsessed with laundry and super organized???

I came home from work the other day and this is the first thing I saw when I walked in...

Nana is officially ready for the summer and my kids must have the cleanest shoes in the neighborhood!!! I feel certain that all of these don't fit them so there are some lucky kids who are about to get some play shoes.

Very Exciting News!!!

Hello family and friends!


I hope this blog finds you all well and enjoying the transition from the end of the school year into the summer! I know our family is certainly looking forward to a break from homework and a chance to spend more quality time together.


I wanted to take a minute to update you on some exciting news in my life. As most of you know Joe and I have enjoyed taking annual group trips with our friends to Sandals resort for the last several years as well as our family trips to Disney World. I’ve learned a lot about how to make the most of both our “couple” trips and our adventures at Walt Disney World. We have always loved to travel, and the planner in me loves to organize. Many of you have come to us to help you with your own vacations and in doing that you have inspired me.


My love of travel and helping family and friends has led me to join the Dream Makers Vacation Services team as a Travel Agent! I have been blessed to have this opportunity to help people plan their vacations and do everything I can to make it their most memorable trip yet!


A few years ago we met our outstanding Travel Agent, Amy McHugh, of Dream Makers Vacation Services and quickly learned the benefit of having an experienced, knowledgeable advocate in our corner. Dream Makers Vacation Services is a family owned travel agency that has earned many national awards for their outstanding sales and service. Dream Makers Vacation Services is an international travel agency, serving clients all over the world. Joe and I and our family and friends have truly been impressed with the service we have received and have had many benefits (and preferred pricing too!) in our travels thanks to Amy and Dream Makers Vacation Services.

Please check out our website at www.DreamMakersVaca.com and please share this site with anyone who you know that loves to travel. If you request a quote or specific information from our website and reference my name, you can be assured that it will be forwarded onto me. My new e-mail address is MarieM@DreamMakersVaca.com kindly send all future travel e-mails to this address.


Most of you know that Disney is something near and dear to our hearts, but we have also learned the extensive benefits of all-inclusive vacations through Sandals/Beaches. As much as we love both Disney and Sandals they are not the only opportunities for some great travel. Dream Makers Vacation Services partners with world class resorts and cruise lines all over the world and is known nationwide for its customer service and great relationships with resort properties. I am very excited to be a part of this team!!!

The number one question I have been asked since I accepted this position is, “Why should I use a travel agent?” As I said above, the best reason to use a travel agent is to have a knowledgeable advocate in your corner that knows the resorts and can do everything in their power to make your vacation go smoothly…while you RELAX and actually VACATION! Travel agents are paid by the resorts, not you the traveler, our services do not cost you a cent and will save you countless hours of research and stress. Often times the travel agent can offer you a better price or package than you can find yourself online.


Those of you who have traveled with us to either Sandals or Disney know first hand the benefits we received by booking/working with Amy and Dream Makers Vacation Services.


That being said, I hope that you will consider giving me a call the next time you plan a trip to Walt Disney World, Sandals/Beaches, resort vacation, or cruise. I would love the opportunity to get it all arranged for you so your only job would be to go and enjoy your trip! Actually, now is an exciting time to plan your next vacation, due to the amazing current promotions and pricing (pricing is cheaper now than it has been in 5 years!). Call or e-mail me today, for more details.


Have a great summer!
Marie

Priorities

On Monday, we took Joseph for his 7 year well check-up. We LOVE our pediatrician and have been going to him for almost 10 years now. He is very caring and always asks the kids directly all of his questions. Well Joseph was ready for him on Monday - he told him all about the fact that he is now a black belt, that he loves to read and that he learned about money during math time. So Dr. Freeman had him spell words and answer math questions etc... As crazy as it sounds we were having a great time at the doctors office.

Now I need to back up - on Joseph's last visit to the doctor - Dr. Freeman asked him if he knew how to ride a bike - he didn't. Joseph was so involved in basketball, Tae Kwon do, skateboarding etc... that he never had an interest in riding the bike. When he told Dr. Freeman no he didn't know how to ride Dr. Freeman told him he wanted him to be riding by the next time he saw him. Well 2 weeks ago Joe and I spent the weekend helping Joseph learn to ride the bike - and he got it quickly, probably because he is older, and he loves it!!! So leading up to the appointment we were all telling him hey now you can tell Dr. Freeman you know how to ride a bike!!!

Back to the appointment - as we were wrapping up the visit I said to Joseph - "Is there anything else you want to tell Dr. Freeman about, you know that you have been working on...." So he says yes, "I am a Good Christian!!!" So I said yes you are Joseph AND you learned how to ride a bike. It really was so, so cute. He recently gave his life to Christ all on his own and has been really into learning about religions and commandments and the bible. I guess that was what he was most proud of.

Glad to know his priorities are in order.

How do you spell team???

Every year Danielle's dance teacher presents each girl in her class with an award. The awards vary from "most improved", "out of my shell", "dancing diva" and so on. The award you see above was the one Danielle got this year, "The no I in Team" award.

For me, this is the best one she has received. I really want my kids to grow up understanding that no matter how good they are at something, it is not about THEM, it is about the TEAM. And to hear her teacher say that Danielle is willing to help and work with other girls and do whatever is asked of her to help the team tells me her heart is in the right place.

To expand on that - we all see superstars who get paid millions to do something they love and excel at. But I wonder, are they happy or at what expense do they become the superstar, franchise player, the team would be lost without me person... Let's use Barry Bonds as an example - great home run hitter with pretty much no friends in the clubhouse. When the only person coming to congratulate you is the bat boy - you need to reevaluate and think if I was a better teammate would my joy today have been multiplied???

Please don't get me wrong, I too have sports figures I love to watch and I think are awesome - but my husband and my male friends will tell you - if they don't have good character I don't care how good they are, they just don't impress me.

Teach your kids to be team players, they will be better for it and hopefully more loved and respected than those who some how spell team with an "I" in it.

Public Apology and Happy Belated Birthday Amber!!!

One week ago today my LOVELY niece Amber turned 11. At the same time I posted my blog about our friend Kendall and I wanted to leave that post "on top" for a significant amount of time. It was not to slight my LOVELY niece in anyway. WELL I found out last night that she was upset with me that everyone else's Birthday made the blog - but not hers. Can you ever forgive me Amber???

She knows I love her - she knows I love to call her "my first born" - you see when Amber was only 4 months old her and Colleen came to live with me and Joe. We lived in a 2 bedroom apartment in Matthews and it was AWESOME!!! Colleen would work at Hops on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights and then Saturday during the day. So Joe and I had Amber to ourselves A LOT!!! She was what I would politely call - a fussy baby - lots of issues with eating, formula etc... all out of her control - but still fussy. She love, love, loved to fall asleep with Joe holding her - it was to the point we called him "Uncle Goodnight" because he could always get her to calm down and fall asleep.

In the time they lived with us we experienced lots of firsts - her doing the army crawl, solid food and my personal favorite - her first word - Ma-Ma. The 4 of us were just sitting there and she looked at Colleen and said it and then me, Joe and Colleen looked at each other like - "Did she just say what I thought she said..."

More firsts we were there for - her first circus, trip to Disney, meal at a truck stop (a whole different blog...)

When Colleen and Amber moved back to NY for a few years it broke my heart - I cried and cried as the moving truck pulled away - but I told Amber then we would always be together in our hearts - we have a special song - from Tarzan - "You'll be in my heart" - I made sure she knew all the words before they left.

Thank goodness the path led them back to Charlotte and back to all of us.

So Happy Belated Birthday My Sweet!!!





Amber, Chloe & Danielle on our trip to Havelock to see The DellaRatta's


This is Amberlina - the one I am trying to avoid by posting now....


Another shot of Amberlina - sorry babe but you shouldn't have been so grumpy to me last night about this post....


The beautiful girl she is today - heading off to Middle School in the fall - say it isn't so.....

Homegoing Services

Joe and I just returned from Marion, NC where we attended the most beautiful "Homegoing Services" we have ever been to.

Our friend and neighbor Kendall Means passed away on Monday after a brave battle with cancer. He leaves behind an amazing wife (April) and an adorable 9 month old son (Baby Kendall). As well as many family members and friends who will miss him dearly.

Things that touched me the most about the service:

I was completely HONORED to be asked to take part in the service and be a Flower Bearer.

Kendalls Best Friend said exactly what any other person in the standing room only church would have said: Kendall brought people together, he was a seamster without a needle and thread. So, so true - and those words will stay with me forever.

The warmth of a small town that hugged us all and made us feel like part of their family. Everyone seemed familar but April said it is just the way it is in a small town.

The prayer of comfort by Mr. Gregory Means - most especially when he said Kendall said to him "It is not my will that will be done, but God's will." Kendall and April had said this from the very beginning of their battle. Neither one of them ever complained and they were always asking all of us how we were and what was going on in our lives.

April's parents and Brother "Pig" are an amazing source of strength for her and an amazingly loving family - everyone of us should be in a family like this.

Pastor's sermon when he spoke about how even the most faithful would be asking why? And how we sometimes don't get the answer from God right away - but one day we will. He said God works with two hands and we are always praying for the hand that holds the miracle, that makes the sick well, that takes away the hurt etc... But it is the other hand that we stuggle with, question and sometimes just don't understand. He said he even was asking why. I loved that he spoke so truthfully to all of us and on a level that was so real and understandable.

The Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church Choir was AWESOME!!!

We have lost an amazing man, husband, father, son, brother and friend - but we will be together again and I pray that (as his program says) "When you must come this way alone, I'll greet you with a smile and say... Welcome Home" Kendall had an amazing smile that I hope to see again one day.

Rest in peace my friend.....




Charles "Kendall" Means
April 14, 1971 - May 11, 2009