ALOHA 2006

well the request for Hawaii pics has been overwhelming (and annoying) so here are a few for your viewing pleasure (and to shut you up) i need to scan the pictures of Jordan Swimming with the dolphins and will add those later...Aloha!!

we spent some time in Honolulu first then hopped over to Maui...if you have never been to hawaii we recommend 3 days on Honolulu to hit touristy stuff like swimming with dolphins, pearl harbor and the polynesian cultural center. then get the heck outta there...Honolulu is basically a big city and is not a relaxing tropical place...in my opinion. although we enjoyed our stay there we wished we had spent less time there and more time in Maui. Maui is resort like the pace is lower and the beaches are far more superior and cleaner. everything there just felt more hawaiian...



one of 2 pictures of the three of us together...yea we kept forgetting to take photo opportunities...we are hoping to get better before our next vacation!!




this is our garden view and the little path to the beach, literally steps from the lobby...the condo had 2 swimming pools and a beautiful waterfall just below our balcony...HEAVENLY!!




Random pics of our condo in Maui...Jordan had her own room with a TV and since she gets VERY little screentime at home, she had it on everytime we were in our room...which was not that often! Vacationing kiddo...what can i say?!





Jordan and HolleeAnn posing pretty and not so pretty...hey it was a vacation!!





Jordan was a FISH...she snorkeled every chance she got...pool or ocean her face was in the water!! (and when we moved to Ceres in Aug she would barely get her face wet in our pool, let alone swim...big changes for her, good changes)






Paul and jordan swimming with the dolphins at Sea Life Park O'ahu (more pics on this later...i have great close ups of the dolphins kissing them ADORABLE!!)



Jordan feeding the sea turtles before swimming with the dolphins


Jordan posing in O'ahu before jumping in for a swim

MY kid!!

so my life has been blessed by a wonderful 11 yr old little girl. Paul brought her into our marriage with him, but i feel like she is mine too. i don't have any biological children (i never had a marriage healthy enough to justify bringing a child into it, but thats another story for another day) even though i dream of having children someday, Jordan is all that i have and i call her my own. i parent her like i would parent a child who came from me, she occupies a huge part of my heart and all of the choices i am making as of late seem to be revolving around how it would affect her life. its a huge responsibility parenting a child...i realize the weight of this and i take it seriously. recently the custody situation was changed and Jordan will be with us every other week. my life is changing, i am making sacrifices and putting anothers needs infront of my own and i have never been happier because of it. i think i am seeing things in this little girl with special needs that proves my choices are affecting her in a very posivitve way. i am also seeing this man that i love learn to parent in a way he has never been able to do before...i guess the lyrics to Barry Manilow's song "I am your child" (i cannot believe i am referencing barry manilow...but deal with it) really sum up how i am feeling right now...about parenting, loving, nurturing and knowing that even if they aren't "born" your child, that if they come into your life the responsibility is still there to make sure they have the life they deserve and everything that includes...i know with all my heart that this kid that i love with all that i am is destined for greatness and i am going to make sure she gets there come what may...

I am your child.
Wherever you go, you take me, too.
Whatever I know, I learn from you.
Whatever I do, you taught me to do.
I am your child.
And I am your chance.
Whatever will come, will come from me.
Tomorrow is won, by winning me.
Whatever I am, you taught me to be.
I am your hope,
I am your chance,
I am your child

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year Y'all....here is what we did to ring in 2007!

Jordan decided that she just wanted to invite her BFF Emma this is Emma and Jordan...

and here is what the girls did...the evening started by the girls practicing in the game room for a loooong time getting ready for a concert that we were the audience for...soooo "The BFF Princesses and the Inflatable Band" put on a VERY long concert for us and we were a VERY good audience. it was actually quite entertaining...


we ordered pizza and a pay per view of "The Shaggy Dog" (interesting choice...but it was HER night) the girls settled in ate their pizza and enjoyed the movie.

after dinner the girls played in the playroom and did a few little crafty things that Emma brought. then we played Uno Attacks with them and roasted marshmallows for s'mores.





we watched the ball drop then ran outside with poppers in hand and kazoos in mouths and rang in the new year.

we came in and toasted 2007 with apple grape Martinellis that Emma's mom sent. Jordan decided she wanted to do the toast and she did it like an old pro we were impressed "To the New Year 2007 and Friendship and Family, Happy New Year!!" yep i couldn't have said it better myself...



the girls finally called it a night around 2am when they went to bed and giggled til about 3am...this was the first sleep over Paul was actually home for and i think he did rather well and didn't tell the girls to keep it down at all...and these two are the giggliest girlies you will ever meet!!



in the morning we went to IHOP for breakfast and Emma went home around noon...it was a fun time had by all...even Paul and me.






Happy New Year friends and family, may 2007 bring peace, love, happiness and health for all of us!!

Who Is Mamarazzi?

I started this blog as a place to Journal about my family and the many adventures we go on. It grew into something bigger and more fun than I ever could have imagined. I love the 'blog sphere' and feel like I am a part of a truly fabulous community of blogging moms and women. So. Much. Fun.

I am blessed to have a beautiful daughter who made my dream of becoming a mom come true. Jordan (J) is amazing and is always making her daddy and I laugh. She brings so much joy to our lives and happiness to our home. She has a very special heart and an incredibly unique view of life and the world around her. She and her friends are the ones who came up with my pseudo name Mamarazzi. I EARNED that name by chasing them around with my camera trying to document every little bit of childhood goodness I can. So far she loves it. I am sure there will be a time in her life when she will prefer the camera not to be in her face so I am snapping away for as long as I can. I have a wonderful husband who is beyond my wildest dreams. Big Daddy loves me in a way that I have never been loved before and has brought new colors into my world. I love him for that. He is my best friend and I feel blessed to have such a great partner in life. I think we make a fabulous parenting team and one of our favorite things to do is bask in the awesomeness that is our child.

Through blogging I have made many wonderful friends. They are real people in my life and I am constantly reminded of what a wonderful blessing they are to me. I love my bloggy friends and have learned so much from reading your blogs and learning from your lives. Thanks for that.

So Who Is Mamarazzi? I am a mom, a wife, a sister, an Auntie, a daughter, a niece, a grand daughter, a friend...I am more than I ever imagined I could be. I am a crusader for all things right and good, a seeker of good company and an enjoyer (I make words up) of a good laugh, good times with people I love and opportunities to grow as a person. I love things that smell good, clean laundry especially, I LOVE pineapple cilantro candles from Yankee, diet Pepsi (prefer it from a fountain, over ice balls, in a cup, with a lid, and a straw, delivered with love), fruit from a farmers market, fresh cut flowers, yummy smelling lotions and long hot showers. I love to decorate and create beautiful things and comfortable environments. I love to host a dinner party or game night with friends and like to think of my home as the place people love to gather. We love to have a BBQ around the pool or just hear a house full of giggling little girls when my daughter has one of her many slumber parties. My ALL TIME favorite thing to do is spend time with my family. We play games after dinner together every night and those conversations we have at the dinner table are precious to me.

I develop curriculum for a living. I am also a faculty member for Fishful Thinking; a parenting website created by Pepperidge Farm, the makers of Goldfish.

We are currently wishing to add to our family and are hopeful that will happen through Foster Adopt soon. Jordan has always dreamed of siblings and we feel like our family is not quite complete. We strive to find the JOY in our Foster Adoption JOurneY and we have faith that God will bring children into our lives who need a Forever Family most.

Life is good...I am glad you are here to share it with us!