Things to be thankful for...

Ok, this subject may be a week early, but being thankful is something we should do all the time.

Number 1 on my thankful list is my son! He is a great kid!

signing a poster to send to the troops with his Scout Pack

Number 2 ... My friends and family. I feel like this year I have taken more support than I have given. Know that I appreciate it more than I can say.

Number 3 ... My job...which is helping pay the bills and full of friends too.

Number 4 ... Living in New Jersey... the proximity to everywhere!

Number 5 ... My life ... for all the things that didn't go as planned this year... I am really lucky for the life I have.

Remember to be thankful for the small, or not so small, things in your life too!

Living in 2008

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2008 WHEN...

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have ! a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don'thave e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone ishome to help you carry in the groceries.

7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turnaround to go and get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.

11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. :)

12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.

14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list

AND NOW U R LAUGHING at yourself.

Things That Rock...

(Frankie, Joe & Talmage -- October 2005)

There are many things in this world that rock (are very cool) so I thought that I would list some of the things that are on my mind today:

1. The right to vote! We are so lucky as Americans to have the right to vote...and today on Election Day, it is even more cool. It looks like we are making history!

2. Hawai'i! Our vacation was amazing...the people were so nice, the hotel was beautiful, the island was amazing and all the travel and time on planes was SOOOOOO worth it!

3. Friends! It is times like this year that prove the importance of friends. They are wonderful to have in good time and bad. Nobody can do this alone!

4. Holidays! They are coming soon and give a whole season to think about the good things and hope that, at the end of the day, they outweigh the bad.

5. Dolphins! It is kind of part of Hawai'i because we spent time with Dolphins while we were there. But it is also Dolphins in general. They are huge animals that are gentle and therapeutic!

6. Teachers that care! It is so nice when you have a teacher in your life that truly cares about your child and their development.

7. Vacations! We all need to time to chill and read a book or sleep late!

8. Family! Nobody keeps you grounded or as honest as your family. There are friends that are as close as family and do the same thing!

Look at that ... 8 things that make each day just a little better just by the fact that they exist. Next time you are having a bad, or just not great, day, remember these and at least one of them will bring a smile to your face!

Mahalo!

Future Soccer Star

After looking and trying many different sports, Talmage thinks that he has found a sport he likes and is pretty good at.... SOCCER!

Here is a picture of the future star in action thanks to Lisa!

Aloha!

So...many people have commented about the fact that there used to be a count down on the page for a trip to Hawaii at the end of October. We took it down because we were not sure if we were still going to go. The whole trip was funded by points...Marriott points for the hotel ... Continental and AmEx points for the plane... Well, we found out tonight that the hotel and flight reservations will be honored by all.

So we have decided to go! That means we have just over a month to get ready to go! It may seem like a lot of time but I am no where near ready to hang out on a beach. Tomorrow I have an appointment with my personal trainer! We will get the party started! If the prospect of hanging out on a Hawaiian beach for a week isn't motivation to eat properly...I don't know what is!

Hope everyone is doing well!

Back to School...

This was a big week for us...

1. Talmage started school on Thursday. He is in 3rd Grade and so far...so good. Here is his "1st day of school" picture.

2. Talmage got a new computer thank to Grandma and Grandpa Crom so he could do his homework.

3. We completed some serious items on our to-do list

How was your week?

Why my dog needs therapy...

Up until recently...I had a wonderfully behaved dog. Abby the Wonderdog did mostly what she was told, when she was told and didn't get into things she wasn't supposed to... In the last week she has eaten:

1. MiracleGro (she got to have her stomach pumped after that)
2. Mini M&Ms, Lollipops, Gum
3. Lots of gum
4. Potato chips

I thought this was just her being a crazy dog but some of my friends have other ideas...she was really close with Larry.

Any ideas on her issues?

The Value of Friends...

Making it through difficult times is SOOO much easier when you have friends around you that love and support you! I know that I tend to be very independent, sometimes to a fault, but I learned this weekend that I need to work on that. It is funny that the big things that I should ask for help on (moving furniture between rooms in the house) I do it myself...things that I should just handle, I call friends for input. I think that is because having friends who care makes the rough patch that much easier to put behind you.

What helps you through the rough spots?

Thanks to all my friends!!!

So, I have mentioned that we have a fresh start...and what makes us happy...now we need figure out how to grow from here. I have to say that maintaining this blog and seeing what happened in my day to write about, is therapeutic for me. I think it is making me grow, kind of like the tree above, because it is making me more aware. I have my hard times during the day but for the most part, I am thankful and blessed. We are truly lucky to be surrounded by friends and family who have rallied around us and make those random calls just to make sure we are doing OK. It is impossible to explain how much that means.

As I move into this new start, I think about what I will do to grow in myself. Here are my ideas, so far... Suzy and I are going to run a 5k in December (before you run for the phone to tell me to be careful, I am going to be using a trainer to get in shape first). That is going to be my first goal. This is something I have always liked the idea of doing...we'll see if I actually like doing it. :) Trying something new, though, is definitely an effort to grow...

How are you going to grow this fall?

What makes us happy today...

So, there is a lot of focus on the things that are wrong lately...today we need to focus on what makes us happy.

Kate:

1. Abby is healthy (she thought MiracleGro might help her get bigger this morning) :)

2. Watching the Olympics

3. Spending time with Talmage

4. Getting the Back-to-School Staples run completed.

5. HeluvaGood! French Onion dip and chips

Talmage:

1. Abby

2. Mom

3. Friends

4. Playing video games

5. Shopping for computers

What makes you happy today?

Abby the Wonder Dog

Today was a good day! We both spent the day at home...me working...Tal watching TV and playing with Abby. Abby is not sure to do with us being home all day. She is really tired and ready for bed by night time. She is a really great dog who keeps us laughing. Today she ran around the yard being chased by Talmage and a friend so much that I am not sure who was more tired.

A New Start...

The hardest things to write are the ones that you wish were not true but unfortunately they are…this is one of those.

On June 27th, our family lost our husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend. Larry died in a tragic scuba diving accident in the St. Lawrence Seaway between Ontario, Canada and upstate New York.

Talmage and I are doing OK. We keep getting up in the morning and putting one foot in front of the other. We are very thankful for all the love and support we have received from everyone.

We hope that you and your families are well!

My Weekend Away

A couple of months ago, I decided that I needed a break for a couple of days so I booked a trip to see my friend, Toni, and her family in Phoenix. I went last weekend! It was so nice to see her and her husband, Dan, and her little baby, Gunnar. I fell in love with Gunnar that weekend and was very happy to see a picture of me holding him on her blog (the link to Ridley Adventure is on the side of this blog). I thought that I would copy that picture into here...

Aren't we cute?!?!?

Larry left today for a 4-day diving trip to Canada so we won't see him again until Sunday night! For those who don't know, yes, there is diving in Canada and no, it is not ice-diving! :)

I wonder what Talmage and I will do for the next few days without a Daddy around! Keep posted and maybe I'll tell you!

Ok...I am an April Fool!

I am sorry that, yet again, it has been a long time since I last posted here. Life got away from me this spring. I decided to make some changes to the blog and see if that inspires me to keep coming back... we'll see.

Talmage is now done with 2nd grade and LOVING that it is summer! This week, and next week, he is participating in a soccer camp through one of the local YMCA branches. He is having a great time! I can't believe we are a week into summer and he is VERY tan already.

His baseball team did great! They finished the season 9-2 and Talmage even pitched an inning. He liked it but thought it was a lot of pressure, even though nobody scored a run while he was pitching. He did, however, manage to hit the ball a few times during games this season. He is already looking forward to next season!

Now we are getting ready to sign up for Fall Soccer...

Our summer is busy with lots of fun plans...hopefully I will remember to stop by here and write about it occassionally!

Take Care!

One Week...On Track!

Well, this was a good week...

I exercised on the treadmill 5 times!
The weather is getting to spring time!

My flowers are planted!

Life is good!

Talmage is playing baseball (his team is the Pirates) and loving it! The first game is this Sunday!

SCUBA season at the quarry opened last weekend and Larry was out there on Sunday!

We are in a VERY good place!

I'm No April Fool!

Ok...it is April 1st...the first quarter of 2008 is gone and I have made no changes that I promised myself I would make this year. I am happy to say that I have changed that today! Today I got on the treadmill and made it through my program!!! Yey me!!

Talmage has started baseball for the season...is finishing up Scuba Seals...and still swimming. It is great seeing him grow. His team this year is the Pirates!

Here's to the changes that I am going to make starting today...

Talmage Crom Goes Flying!!

Ok...here is the cake from the party...




No...there is nothing wrong with your computer or your eyes...it is a Rice Crispy Treat Cake (some have Fruit Loops and some have Coco Puffs mixed in too)!

And here is Talmage flying through the air on a zip line at his party!

He had a great time at his party!!!

What A Weekend!

Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly,
Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you smile.

Wow, what a weekend we had... Talmage's birthday is coming up this week so on Friday we had his friend-party at a rock-wall place. He had a great time and so did most of his friends I think.

On Saturday...Larry's dream of a built in dive buddy started to come true! Talmage went to the dive shop with Larry and took a Discover Scuba class. Much to my chagrine...he LOVED it! In fact, he loved it so much, Larry signed him up to start taking SEAL classes at the beginning of March. SEAL, in case you don't know, is Scuba diving in a pool only. He will not be able to scuba in a lake or other body of water besides a pool until he is 10.

On Sunday...the annual Cub Scout Blue & Gold dinner was held. It was really nice and everyone had a great time. When we got home I ran to the grocery store because I had not completed that yet this weekend. It was so nice, though, because the store was EMPTY and I got through pretty fast.

I hope everyone is having a great day! If I can figure out how to do it...I will post a film of Talmage taking a zip line from the rock wall to the party room on Friday night...

Have a great day!

The Plan...Modified

After all the planning & stating of yesterday, last night I could not sleep thinking of all the things I needed to accomplish. So, I got up at 1 a.m. and started gathering things to work on my list. I had a plan of addressing envelopes at the office and finalizing some other things. That did not happen! I went in to work early this morning for a meeting and the action NEVER ended. I was running all day long!

So... New Plan...

Tomorrow, when I go to New York for a meeting, I will buy more labels so I can print them out tomorrow night. Tomorrow night, I will: finalize the labels, address the envelopes, make the invitations and get them ready to send.

I am soooo ready!!!!

I received the following from my cousin, Alice, the other day and it is really sticking with me this week...

Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly,

Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably,
And never regret anything that made you smile.

To Do List...

Ok, with the start of the new year (granted it was a couple of weeks ago) it is time to put together goals for the year. I am not calling them New Years Resolutions but more of a To Do List that should be accomplished by December 31, 2008. I do these for work every year, why not home?

1. Get Healthier!
~ Eat Better
~ Work out with trainer
~ Watch less TV
2. Get more organized
~ Organize every closet in my house
~ Create a better filing system for our bills
~ Organize every drawer in my house
3. Spend more time with time with friends & family
4. Get Talmage's Memory Book up-to-date
5. Update familycrom at least 1 time per week.

I also have a to do list for this week...let's see how I do:
1. Make invitations to Talmage's birthday party
2. Send out invitations to Talmage's birthday party
3. Send out Christmas thank you cards
4. Come up with a plan to reach the goals for the year!

Take Care!

Another Month!!!!!

How did another month pass!!!?!?!? I know that a couple of weeks is because I forgot the password to my account so I could update the page. But what about the rest of time?

We had a wonderful holiday spent with family and friends.

I was tagged by my friend Suzy on the following though, so I must comply...

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:
Working in Seattle
Dating Larry (starting to talk marriage)
Planning a vacation
Nothing else that I can remember...

5 things on my "To Do" list:
Make Invitations for Talmage's friend birthday party
Make an appointment with my trainer
Look for the weather report to see if it is still going to snow tonight
Start eating healthier
Post onto here 1 times per week

snacks I enjoy:
Cape Cod Chips and “Helluva Good” Onion Dip
Cheese Dip and Tortilla Chips
Cheese and Crackers
Cookies
Trail Mix

5 things I would do if I was a Billionaire:
Travel to wherever I want
Shop
Build a new house and decorate it however I want
Take a cruise around the world on the Queen Mary II in the best suite.
Give my current house to someone that needs it.

My bad habits
Eating at night time
Eating too much
Being lazy about exercise

5 places I have lived
Califon, NJ
Pleasanton, CA
Mississauga, Ontario
Bucharest, Romania
Millington, NJ

5 jobs I've had
Subway Sandwich Artist
Admissions Assistant for Whittier College
GTE Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Avaya!

How was everyone else's New Year?