Gotta love late Spring weather

Love this cat.... finally had a beautiful spring day to open up the house... He was sacked out enjoying this open window...

Hiya

Wow... I've been away for awhile... ;)   not to worry... working on something new...  I really will be updating something soon...  :)

I didn't pose him, I PROMISE

This guy joined my family the day I met Nate... His name is Maxx... He's 11 and is an Ole' Enligsh Mastiff...  He is such a great dog.... I was coming out of the kitchen, turned the corner and there he was... snuggled up with Tigger.  I couldn't resist....

New Year

Sooo... Making some changes in the upcoming new year... After all, isn't that everyones goal;  reflect on the year past and see what can be done better or different for the upcoming year?  Maybe to some maybe not to others... Doesn't matter... it's what I'm doing... :)  

This blog didn't really end up the way I had an anticpated and that's no one's fault but my own... So, I think I'll keep this one and this will focus on things with Nate and I (mostly my bragging on Nate :)  )  but, I'm starting a new one too... The new one will be more of just ramblings and inner thoughts... Hopefully I'll be joined there and conversations will be envoked...

I'll keep you posted.... :)   I'm pretty excited ...

Chick Flicks and reality

Typically, I just don't like watching "chick flicks" .... I think they can set a false expectation of reality.  Really???
Yes, I know movies are movies and not reality... after all, I'm not watching a documentary... I'm an adult, I know this... yet still, I believe it can plant the seed... and start the questionings... could it really be like that??? Really? 
Then the comparison start... reality vs the movie and the questioning of why isn't it like that??? Why can't it be like that???
I count my blessings every single day and I try and learn from my faults every day... I've done alot of growing,( and aging ) lately ......yet, I still hold the hope of what I am wanting, and needing... and the questioning of not necessarily why isn't my life like "that" but why can't I seem to make things happen or find my right direction ..... I don't dwell on the feelings when I get them... sometimes I'll just escape and watch the unrealistic movies... and sometimes the timing is perfect and I just sit back and enjoy the escape from reality....
I'm doing just that... watching "Love Happens" ... so far so good... I hope after watching the entire "flick" that I still have "feel good" feelings... I don't know... maybe it's just the soundtrack that I'm enjoying...

What is your opinion?

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XInj3WyRerI&feature=related

Wesley is 4!!!

My youngest nephew turns 4 today... Tommy and Rachelle celebrated it yesterday with a carnival theme... They had many "stations" set up in the backyard for the kids to play carnival type of events and win tickets for prices... it was so cute and a ton of fun...

There was face painting:

His sister Hailey wanted a butterfly... so a butterfly she got... looks pretty good to me...

Hailey even talked me into it... She knows me so well... she automatically painted a dragonfly... LOL

The cake was baked by my sister in law Rachelle,  she has amazing talents with cakes

And then there was Wesley's "big" gift ... boy have times changed... This thing is powered not by pedals.. seat belts and everything... Now I wonder if I should trade my car in for one of these!!!!  It's nicer than my car... LOL

His reaction when he came out and saw what was there

And the radio was a TRUE radio.. amazing

Judging by his best friends face and the look of  "I'm on a mission get out of my way" on Wesley... I think it was the right idea to stand to the side of them  LOL--I LOVE this picture

Happy Birthday Wesley... I love you so much...

Just a new pic

Hiya... Just putting an updated pic... My hair is finally growing back out to a length I like... I went from Mid back to above my jawline.. and yes, I won't be doing that again... at least not THAT short.. LOL

I want to post but at am a loss for words... odd for someone who talks quiet a bit... well, used to... I'm just hanging around tonight... not getting into too much... Nate is on call to assist Milton Fire Department... so, I'm just playing around with photoshop a bit....   
*

This is a fence we parked beside on a foggy day at slaughter beach... I really like the unfocused softness and think the black and white set's it off... kind of somber... but I actually really like this

Floyd hanging out on the table... I made this a stark black and white...

This is something new for me... I've learned how to do different vintage fading and add texture to pictures... This is Cortney... Such a great person... incredible heart & soul...

I'm going to jump off here for a little bit.... Play around in photoshop some more...  :)

Lauren

We had the pleasure of attending Nate's cousin's wedding on Sunday... It was an absolutely beautiful day... she got married at Mount Harmon Plantation  http://www.mountharmon.org/ .  We were a little late arriving so I wasn't able to photograph the Plantation but please check out the link.  Honestly, I think the location is better accessed via waterway.  The road to get there was... ummmm.. beautiful but very very different... it's like a machine just went through and cut a small pathway in the woods... great view but it was only a 1 way road...

I wasn't the photographer for this wedding... but I tried to sneak in some shots

The Bride, Lauren

 

The groom with their daughter

Their daughter is so incredibly cute... she did NOT want to stay with the bridal party though... LOL

Again being guided back to the group

Nate and his cousin

The Cake, a delicious red velvet

It's that time again....

My father, Paul J Sweeney; is a fallen officer for NCCPD  His end of watch was 11-30-1972 at the young age of 26....

Here is the last picture taken of him... with my brother and myself..

Every year we attend the police memorial in honor of the fallen officers for Delaware... My Dad is the only who died in the line of duty... (thankfully only 1.. I hope it stays that way...I hope no other family goes through that loss)

This years Memorial actually was a 2 part ... We had the yearly memorial today at NCCPD and Legislative hall

We also had a dedication on Monday... A wall was built in honor of the 36 Delaware officers who died while on duty.... It was a beautiful ceremony, very moving.   We began with a reception at the Governors home with he and his wonderful wife.  Below is a picture of my Aunt Liz, Uncle Michael and myself with Carla Markell, the Governor's wife.

  We were also joined by Vice President Biden. My 8 year old niece and he talked for an extended period of time... My niece had met his dog Champ while Champ was being trained... she had the Vice President captivated... as she does everyone she comes in contact with; she is such an amazing little girl.

Although the moment was very somber he was so good about bringing out the happy memories as well... we laughed and we cried... He was very kind and very caring to my family... I love this picture of he and my Mom

The ceremony Monday night was beautiful... Heather, Miss Delaware 2009 sang the National Anthem and when she was done, you could see that every single person in attendance was moved by her singing abilities.. she was amazing!

and then there was the wall... very beautiful... It is engraved with the names of all those in Delaware Law Enforcement who died while on their shift... If you can not view the names at the size they are on this post... please click on the individual picture to make it larger.

 There are 36 officers; beginning with Officer John F Baylis: Wilmington Police Department 09-09-1863 and ends with Patrolman Chad E Spicer: Georgetown Police Department 09-01-2009...  and every day I pray that we will not be adding another name; although sadly, I am aware it is unrealistic...

Portraits gone bad... LOL

Ok... I understand that children and really large groups can be a challenge... well, here are some with our pets... LOL... they just didn't turn out quiet right... hehehe
but it was a ton of fun
The puppy preferred to play... he didn't want to sit... LOL

A gust of wind... and look at all the sand.. good thing my camera is protected..

These are the only 2 that are semi-presentable... LOL.. It was soo windy that day and the puppy just wasn't feeling it...
That is Kai-son on the right... 10.5 months old now... a little over 245lbs...

I'm married to a firefighter now ;)

Nate is still looking for full time employment since his lay off... we've talked often about this being a perfect opportunity for him to find something he has always been interested in and give it a shot.... He's always talked about wanting to be someone who does water rescue with EMT certification.... I'm so proud of him... I came home from work one night and he said.. "I did it, I'm taking that leap"... He did alot of research and found that there were not many fire companies which participated in the water rescue... he found one in DE though... and they voted him in!!!!
taken with his cell... I'm so jealous... he did a great job... got the fire truck in it perfectly... it was his first day... he looks so nervous... hehehehe

For a bit it will be volunteer... he has in-house training one night a week officially and then when he goes daily to the station he is learning the entire time he's there.... In October he will start his official fire schooling... and not too long after he will start his training for EMT and water rescue... eventually it will lead to a paying job...
My Dad was a policeman and now my hubby is a fireman.. I LOVE IT

me

Wow, I almost didn't post anything in April.... It's been difficult being without my laptop... Finally have the water out of our basement... soooo much cleaning and disinfecting left to go... it's tough being without half the house ... but, it's allll good... we are lucky... I look at all those over the states that can't even return to their homes ... luckily ours was just the basement which was affected...
I'm looking to taking some more pictures.... I've been dragging on that too :( and I"m feeling it... I miss it... Here is an updated one of me... we were at the beach.. Nate wasn't back to the truck yet and I took this while waiting... it's actually off his mirror...

BRRRRR

Nate did it again.... his second year... this year he was a part of a team... The Abominable Plunging Penguins... (No, he didn't name it...LOL) It was moved from February to March because of the blizzards. This year the air temp was 45 and the water was 43 (I think).... visibility was horrible and the waves were incredible...
I don't have my editing tools available to me at this time so these are straight out of the camera (SOC)
Our team

The hats ... hehehehe

Getting ready and looking cold

And they're off

Yes, Anne was in a FULL penguin costume... from her head to her feet...


Visibility was poor... I missed the shot of the boat looking as if it was going to roll over...



Too learn more about the Polar Bear Plunge and The Special Olympics... please take time to visit the following links

1 year

Well, we are back to bailing out the basement... ugh... Because of that I totally didn't blog on our anniversary!!! I'm so slacking... Saint Patricks Day was our 1 year anniversary... We were bailing out and I don't have any pictures of that day *i want to cry*....
Nate made us take a break and we got cleaned up and he treated me to a pedicure... then he made me this AMAZING dinner with Alaska King Crab legs... oh my stars.. didn't think I would like them and now they are my latest addiction....!!! He is such a good cook... and I slacked and didn't take any pictures of them!!! I didn't even pick up my camera I was soooo enjoying the beautiful weather and over all beautiful day...
Thank you Nate for a memorable year... Love ya

Nate finally got a tattoo in honor of his Dad.....
The rough drawing

Getting in the zone ....

The meanings behind each part:
When Bob went to Sturgis for the Bike event... this became his favorite slogan

Bob had numerous tattoo's... the one that was his favorite was his spiderwebed elbows.... so, Nate got one on his elbow.... The pictures today after are only 1.5hours afterwards... so the red is actually blood... and the shiny is the ointment

And naturally, the info

The final...

I wanted to put the comparasion shots with Bob... but I don't have any of Bob's tattoo's apparently.... hmmmm