2 day count down...

Well...it's just two short days until we depart for Florida. Tomorrow we pack the moving truck. Tomorrow is my last day of work. Thursday we will say goodbye's, have lunch with good friends-spend time with family and relax. Friday we leave. Here are some photos Beth took of Brayden last night as she was at my house finishing the packing and organizing all of my boxes in preparation for the move. She has killed herself to help me-she is truly amazing, and I am so lucky to have her. These pics are too funny. Brayden is ready to go-ready to see Daddy, and ready for Florida.

Pooped out...

Brayden had a VERY busy day on Sunday. We attended his cousin Ryleah's 3rd Birthday party at the park! He ran and played with all of his cousins for a few hours in the 80 degree weather. He chased a balloon that blew away from him with all of his might! Then we went to Uncle Todd {T as he calls him}, and Aunt Beth's to play some more before he finally just CRASHED on their living room floor. They told me to let him sleep and let me leave to get some alone Mommy time to relax and get some things done. { Thank you guys!}.

He was just pooped out to say the least. Crocs and all ;-)

Full Circle...

Today the girls came over to watch Brayden for me while Todd and I took the dogs to the Dog Wash! The girls had quite a good time with Brayden, as he did with them as well from the looks of it. These photos are special to me because I remember when the girls were as little as Brayden when I used to watch them! It is beautiful to me now to watch them interact, play with, and love on him the way I did with them at his age. My nieces are so close to my heart-they are like sisters to me. I am glad we are as close as we are. I am grateful that I get to see the love they have for Brayden...knowing it is just as strong as the love I have always had for them. It's so full circle.

Amazing.

Blessed...

Brayden loves to be outside on the porch. He loves the wind, looking at the trees, the sun, and listening to all of the amazing sounds of the outdoors. He stares at everything, just taking it all in. He is so content and happy. In the midst of the last few weeks of packing and moving craziness he has experienced-this seemed to be just what he needed...time outside to relax.

These photos were taken after our big moving sale on Saturday, and after we returned home from Todd, Beth and the girls treating us to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in town-Davidson's. They came over bright and early Saturday morning to watch Brayden and drag all of my sale items out for me to help me with the sale-the ENTIRE day! Then they treat me to dinner on top of it! Shortly after these pictures were taken they came back over again to the house to help me even MORE!

I am truly blessed to have such an amazing and wonderfully supportive family. Thank you!

I love you guys!

Boxes Shmoxes...

This is what Brayden thinks of the move and all of this packing...

-Shannon

PhotoStory Friday...{Memories}

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek Two years ago we moved from Florida back to our hometown to be close to family...and to have Brayden...our first baby. We have had so many wonderful moments since coming back home. We have shared valuable time with family and friends and built a life here that we have enjoyed. I am going to miss being here.
I am going to miss my family and friends so very much. I am going to miss watching Ron coach city rec youth baseball, and going to all of the games with Brayden in tow! I am going to miss going to Bergman park with Brayden {the place I was the City Playground Queen for when I was 12}. Hokey yes-but it is special and nostalgic to me in many ways.
This town holds so many memories for me. Around every street corner is a story involving my life and who I am. The apple tree I climbed almost everyday as a child is right up the street. The woods where I had a fort with my friends at 7 years old is two blocks behind our house. The elementary school I attended is almost visible from our upstairs hallway window. I am grateful that this town now too holds the memory of having my first baby-sharing that with my family, and my friends-and all of the special moments we have had here with Brayden and everyone.
In packing these last few weeks I have been looking at the house knowing I am going to miss it too. This is the place where we brought Brayden home from the hospital. This is the home that I had my baby shower in. This is the home that took Ron and I from just being a married couple to being a Mommy and Daddy. I am going to miss it. I am going to miss the memories we made here as a family, and with our family.
I wanted to post photos of it so Brayden will know where his life began someday when he reads these old blogs in a blog book. I want him to know this is where we held his 1st Birthday party-where he took his first steps, and said his first words. This was his first home. This was our first home as a family.
Here is Daddy in the kitchen making macaroni salad for the baby shower...

This is the spot you frequently slung food everywhere when you were learning to eat on your own:

This is the sun room where we would sit together and look out the window when you were teeny tiny:



Your first bedroom:




Your Bassinette in our room, where you first slept:

Mommy going to the hospital the morning you were born:

Your first day home from the hospital...{love this photo}:

We will miss many things from home. This is a new chapter though...and we are excited to go back to the warmth, the beach, and numerous attractions. I know we will all make more memories...but it does not hurt to reflect on the old ones sometimes too.

-The Snow Family

A busy day...

This is my 6th week participating in Wordful Wednseday hosted by Angie over at Seven Clown Circus, Thank you Angie for this weekly event-I just love it!

Well we had a busy but productive day in between packing and cleaning! Brayden got his second hair cut today and was a good big boy! He did squirm more than the first cut-but all is well with his new "do". We then made a trip to Grandma's house for waffles and playtime with his cousin Ryleah, and then picked up his cousin Molly and she came to the house to help me with the moving tasks at hand-thankfully ;-)

Right now Brayden is home playing with Aunt Beth and Uncle Todd as I work. I called home and they had him giggling to the words "peanut butter" and "you stinky". They are the best-they keep him so entertained and happy. That makes me feel really good that I don't have to worry about him while I am at work.

They are also helping me pack, do laundry, take down curtains and re-arrange boxes all while watching the Bray. God love them.

Here are some pictures of Brayden at Grandma's house today playing with Ryleah...

In their own little world...

This one kills me...

And finally...lovin' himself some waffles...

Patience is a virtue...

I am learning this week that patience is a virtue...so is Brayden. There are still so many things that need to be done, and I guess I did not anticipate that packing an entire home would be biting off more than I can chew-with a 20 month old-and working full-time.

I am currently trying to keep my sanity by following my massive list of things to do. It makes me feel good to check things off as I get them done. So far...I still have packing to do, and cleaning. I am having a moving sale on Saturday. The house is being shown on Sunday. So in between-more cleaning will have to be done! The following week the truck will be here and it will be packed ready to depart by Wednesday {so far-I think???}. Thursday I will clean, clean, clean. Friday we leave! Todd and Beth and the girls have been a HUGE help to me with this move-you guys rock! My sister in law April has come over as well to wrangle Brayden for me so I can get some things accomplished. Thank you all so so much! It means more to me than you know that you have come to help me when I need it the most!
Brayden is already anticipating the road trip and is so GREATLY missing his Daddy. He has been glued to my side and very needy, but I guess that is to be expected. It's just kind of exhausting for me with everything else that is going on right now. I feel so bad for him though-he knows things are different and he really has been quite the trooper despite. God love him.


Ron is safe and sound in Florida and currently looking for a house for us. He too is on a tight deadline. He is a little stressed, and missing Brayden so very much as well "oh-and he misses me too" as he says ;-) haha! Todd and Beth have been watching Brayden for me at night so they have hooked up to Skype and Daddy and the Bray have been able to communicate that way-which has been good for both of them. Todd and Beth said Brayden knew just who Daddy was the other night and was trying to touch his face on the computer screen-too sweet! Ron said he got a huge knot in his throat the second he saw Bray ;-(
So...everything is good. We are excited about this new chapter in our lives, and I cannot wait to get in the car on the 1st and head out of town! That is my light at the end of the tunnel I keep focusing on to get me through. Thankfully I am busy right now -it helps me take my mind off how much I am going to MISS MISS MISS my family. It's nice that I am getting to spend so much time with them right now too-that has been a lot of fun for me.

I will continue to keep everyone posted-have a happy!

We are MOVING back to FLORIDA!!!

Ron accepted a job offer in Orlando Florida and we are relocating back to Orlando!!! I am so excited and cannot wait to get there, back to our friends, the sunshine, and warmth ;-) I am sad a bit too because I am going to immensely miss my family and friends, but this is a good move for us. New York will always be home to me, and the small town life I will miss again I'm sure once back in Florida.

All of this is bitter sweet.

I officially put in my two weeks notice tonight at work. I have worked at my company for almost two years and have LOVED my job and everyone I work with. My last day will be Thursday April 30th. Ron has to go before Brayden and I (and Shadow & Chewbacca), therefore I have two weeks to pack the entire house, moving truck, tie up loose ends and then off to Florida we go May 1st!

Although I am dreading the packing-it is a great excuse for me to Spring Clean and gut out things that I want to get rid of anyways...and the hubster won't be here to tell me to "keep that" & "Don't throw that-I'll use it" kind of thing :-)

I guess that fortune cookie note I got a few weeks ago that read "the best is yet to come" was totally on target!!!

So...I might be {incognito} with blogging for the next few weeks...but I will try to keep everyone updated as much as possible.

I promise to keep my camera on me through the whole process as a good little blogger so I can share our experience once we are all moved, and once I have slept for like three days in a row!!! ha ha!

:-) Shannon

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Walk...(and prayer request)

A good friend of mine that I work with (Ben Smagacz) has a soon to be brother in law as well as sister in law who are both dealing with Cystic Fibrosis and without the help of donations to the foundation in the past, they might not have made it to today!

Cystic Fibrosis effects an estimated 30,000 children so that's not enough to get federal funding for research. They also do not consider it a terminal disease. This means that most of the children who apply for the Make a wish Foundation to have their dreams come true are denied since they don't consider it a terminal disease.

Ben is participating in the CF walk on May 17th and needs donations!!! If you feel compelled to help him out...please go HERE to review his Great Strides personal walk homepage...

If you would prefer to mail in any donations you can do so at this address:

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of WNY

Attn: Ben Smagacz
4976 Transit Rd. Depew, NY 14043

He is very close to his goal- but I would LOVE to help him surpass it!

If you cannot donate, please keep his family and Tyler in your prayers.

Thank you!

Get Excited and Make Things...

Chrissie over at In His Grace found this idea:

Brave People Make Things so get excited and make things….The first five (5) people to respond to this post will get something made by me.This offer does have some restrictions and limitations so please read carefully:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. Whatcha get is whatcha get.

2. What I create will be just for you, with love.

3. It'll be done this year (2009).

4. I will not give you any clue what it's going to be. It will be something made in the real world and not something cyber. It may be weird or beautiful. Or it may be monstrous and annoying. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!

5. I reserve the right to do something strange.

6. In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to blog.

7. Send your mailing address - after I contact you.

IMPORTANT:

This offer is null and void if I do not see you post your own blog to pay this forward.This is going around blog-land.

Chrissie over at at In His Grace found it here:

http://2ifbysea-cristi.blogspot.com/

A family day...

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

This has been a hectic week for us to put it mildly. We have had a ton of things going on (will share more about that next week). My Mom has been in town this last week and with Easter weekend quickly approaching...we planned a fun family day at my brother Sean's today! We ate an early Easter meal together and Uncle Todd and Aunt Beth put together an Easter Egg hunt for the kids. My brother Sean and sister in law Bridget have a ton of land, so the kids got to get outside, run, ride the bikes and four wheelers and all! It was a nice day and Brayden found his very first Easter Egg! We had a ton of fun, but we greatly missed having my other brother Scott, sister in law Tara and Bailey and Casey here with all of us today-we love you guys!

Here are some fun pics of the day.

My nieces and nephews & Brayden:

(it's so funny how they all have these adorably chunky cheeks ;-)

Must be a family thing....

Here is a photo of my brothers Todd and Sean, Mom and I:

Brayden finding his very first Easter Egg ever!!!

Aunt Bridget showing Brayden finished Easter eggs:

Aunt Beth helping Brayden with his egg hunt:

Brayden trying to snuggle with Austin:

My family ;-)

My brother Sean and Ron:

Bray and Em giving kisses:

Daddy and the Bray playing:

Hoping everyone has a beautiful Easter Holiday and that you too get to share special moments with your beautiful families as well!

-The Snow Family

PhotoStory Friday! {Straw Obsession}

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Lately whenever we go to a restaurant ~ Brayden HAS to have a straw! He loves them. What started out as a simple pleasure and something he enjoyed and associated with eating out~has turned into a slight obsession. Let me explain...

The bendy straws are his favorite. So we naturally bought a bag of them as did my MIL because Brayden loves to play with them~and they make him so ultra happy! We often let 20 or so "fall" out of the container on him because he giggles with delight at this game.

Here is Brayden at Grandma's house last weekend in the midst of this event with Daddy...

Once he picks up the straw he chooses to play with, he studies it to make sure it is perfectly straight~and then takes off to play and sit in his special wooden rocker at Grandma's...the whole time with straw in hand.

He frequently stops to "inspect" the straw for perfection before he resumes playtime...

{AND... he can get a little dramatic with it sometimes}...

The obsession comes in...when the straw bends. Brayden will immediately drop the straw

{OR}

quickly bring it over to Mommy and Daddy so we can "fix" it again.

Once we hand it back to him, he studies it for a few seconds to ensure it is perfect and then continues on to play again. IF it is even slightly bent at all~ he will hand it back to us and vocally express his disappointment.

So, we thought we would give him multiple straws at one time to play with thinking it might make the bends less obvious for him to pick out.

NO DICE!

He happily took the stack we gave him, picked out the straight ones, dropped the bent ones on the floor~and took off to play.

We even tried at great lengths to make the bent straws fun & appealing!

We applauded the bends and showed him how neat & fun they can be {and so on}...

and he is just simply not.having.it!

Our child is obsessive compulsive.

{sigh}...

Wonder where he gets it from???

-The Snow Family