Legendary Decorating

Thanksgiving is next week! Did that sink in? NEXT FREAKING WEEK!!!!! Sometimes I feel like I’m a horrible parent when it comes to the holiday decorating stuff. Halloween came and I decorated a bit but then you see the neighbor down the street and they have Halloween lights hanging on their house, blow up glowing thingies, fake cemetaries, giant spiders and cobwebs. And then I’m like, “Well, gee thanks Target for only catching my eye with window gel clings of pumpkins. I’ve ruined her childhood!”

So then I make a pact that after Halloween I’m going to go buy all the clearance Halloween stuff and decorate big next year. Only I don’t do that either. So then I think, “Well, I’ll make up for it during Thanksgiving.” Only Thanksgiving is next week and well, all I bought was potpourri that looks harvesty and a table runner with orange in it. And then I see another neighbor with a giant blow up turkey in their yard and I think, “Ah screw it…I can’t compete with a giant turkey.”  

So this year…Christmas is going to be my time to shine. You know why? Because we have a house and houses can be decorated with lights and lights require a ladder and a man. And…well…I’m an awesome delegator…so technically Mike will decorate for Christmas. I will do the inside and he will do the outside and our house will be awesomely decorated and one of our neighbors will say, “Ah screw it…I can’t compete with the Caruso house.” Ava will remember how legendary my Christmas decorating skills were.

Anyone else see this not turning out how I’m currently picturing it in my head?

Wordless Wednesday – Happy Fall

Memorial Day Weekend

Okay…the truth is I’ve got a busy weekend ahead and I’m trying to not touch my computer this weekend. Trying…I said trying. So I just wanted to wish you all a very safe Memorial Day and share the following with you…

Every American I know celebrates Memorial Day in some fashion…mostly a weekend filled with BBQ’s, beer and rejoicing in the fact that we have a three day weekend. Who doesn’t love that, right? But sometimes I feel we don’t understand the magnitude of this holiday and what it really stands for. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a military home with parents who taught me about pride, honor and sacrifice. They taught me that you don’t speak when you hear our national anthem playing…it’s a respect thing. I may not say it enough but I am extremely proud to be an American..I still tear up at the Star Spangled Banner and feel a sense of pride every single time I hear it before a race. And while I don’t agree with illegal immigration, I can certainly understand why people want to come here. America rules people!

To me, this holiday represents extraordinary people who have offered their lives in return for our freedom. Just think about that for a minute…would you offer your life to save your husband’s life…your child’s life? The answer is probably yes. Now would you offer your life to save a complete stranger? You probably paused before answering that…I did. Remember that our military personnel OFFERED their life in return for OUR freedom…they didn’t just offer in a “hey, if you ever need me, let me know” kind of way. They volunteered and spent months, maybe even years training to protect our nation.

So please…please…please take a moment this weekend to honor them in some way. Whether it be in quiet reflection or by sending a car package to a soldier overseas. If you need a name of a soldier to send it to, please let me know and I can easily supply a name and address of one of the best soldiers I know. I don’t care who you pray to or if you’ve never prayed at all but this weekend…please pray for the people who are over there fighting this fight for us and remember the ones who have given their lives for this great nation and your freedom.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I’m sitting at my dad’s house writing this and can smell the turkey cooking. I realize how lucky I am to have family so close by. Most everyone in LA isn’t from LA so if they aren’t flying home for the holidays, they are pretty much spending holidays with friends. And I love my friends, but there’s nothing like being with family on the holidays. I was watching my dad pull out casserole dishes and pans from the cabinet and he was talking to himself and in that moment he reminded me of my grandma. And my friends can’t do that for me. 😉

I’m so grateful this year for my job, as I know many people out there have lost theirs. I’m so grateful for my husband, who has been an amazing supporter in helping me train for my half marathon. Just today on the run he ran up ahead and then stopped to pull out water for me so I wouldn’t have to stop running in order to hydrate. He’s AWESOME!! Training is a huge commitment on not just my part, but his also. I’m thankful for my wonderful friends who always know how to make my days better and love me even when I’m not being the easiest person to deal with. I’m thankful for Ava who brings an enourmous amount of joy into every single day. When she doesn’t even have her eyes open in the morning and she’s smiling and says, “I love you, Mama” that just makes my heart melt. I’m thankful for my relationships with my parents…all four of them. It’s been a long road with many bumps but in the end, I feel EXTREMELY blessed to have such an awesome family!

We are heading out for our annual trip to the desert tonight! We’re all really excited and will post when we return! Happy Thanksgiving from my home to yours, may the rest of the year bring more things for us all to be thankful for. God bless!

Merry Christmas!

We’re lame and didn’t send out holiday cards this year. So for the 5 of you that actually check our site…Merry Christmas! May Santa bring you all that you’ve been wishing for. We wish you health and happiness for 2009! May this year be even better than the last!

The Great Outdoors

Over Thanksgiving weekend we headed out to the desert to go camping. As some of you might recall, we took Ava last year at Thanksgiving. We weren’t too sure how she would do this time around. She’s older and more mobile, but we thought we’d give a shot.

So we arrived at the desert around midnight. She was sound asleep in the truck. We set up the camper and once everything was situated we moved her inside. The next morning we woke up and she sits up and says, “I camping!” She had the biggest smile on her face. So I unzip the window of the camper so she can see outside and of course she wants to go out. So we bundle her up and take her out and she’s walking around in what is, essentially, a giant sandbox. She says to me, “Park. BIG PARK!” We collected rocks and did some exploring.

Then it was time for her nap. Again I wasn’t sure how she would do in a place she wasn’t familiar with. I take her inside and put her down in the bed and tell her it’s time to take a nap. I walk outside and I’m talking to Mike and look over just in time to see Ava fall out of the bed onto the ground outside. Basically the pop up campers are just tent walls over the bed. Yep…she fell out. She hits the ground and then looks up at me and says, “Mommy, I fall out.” I said, “You sure did.” She said, “I okay.” She wiped off her hands and we took her back inside, put her in a different bed and she went down for her nap. I’ve include the picture below so you can get an idea of how far she fell.

And here’s the little angel napping…

The next great adventure was making smores. Sometimes I forget how literal kids are. I told her earlier to stay away from the fire because it was hot. So when it was time to roast marmallows this is as close as she would get…

We’re fully aware now that we are definitely raising a tomboy at the moment. She couldn’t get enough of the dirt. At one point I look over and she’s just laying in the dirt…rolling around. Later on in the evening she’s picking up handfuls of dirt and rubbing it in her hair saying, “I washa my hair.” We wouldn’t have it any other way. The trip was wonderful and we will definitely be doing it again soon! Here’s the link to all of the pictures on Thanksgiving and of the trip:

http://picasaweb.google.com/janicecaruso/November2008?authkey=HY1LZ7Qk11U&feat=directlink

Happy Thanksgiving!

It’s that time of year again. It’s a time when we like to talk about what we are thankful for. First and foremost, I am thankful for my beautiful family. I have a wonderful husband who drives me crazy sometimes, but I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather spend my days with. I have a sweet little angel who lights up every day of my life. She also drives me crazy sometimes, but then again she’s almost 2…what can I expect? I am thankful for my parents (all four of them) and the unique relationships I have with each of them. I am thankful for my extended family…my friends…who are there daily to support me in life’s journey.

We are truly blessed to have the life that we have and every day we try to remember to be grateful for it. So if I don’t say it enough: Thank you all! I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Another 4th of July picture!!!!

Such a cute picture!

We just love this picture of Mimi & Ava walking down the street on the 4th of July. They wanted to do nothing but hold hands!

Can’t Wait…

Okay…so I have our 4th of July post all typed up, just have to insert the pictures. However, I just couldn’t wait to post this picture. It is the first really great picture I think Ava and I have taken together. I heart this picture. It’s us watching the fireworks!

P.S. Working on a way to make it easier for me to update the site on a more regular basis…don’t know if it will pan out but I’m trying!!!