To our Heroes...THANK YOU

Thank you to all of our men and women who have volunteered their time + life to protect our freedom. Without you where would we be? Your dedication, bravery and service is very much appreciated!!!

Today is a day to Honor all of you for being our HEROES!

Thank you especially to my dear husband for his excellent service and for having the courage to defend our Country along with his other brave Soldiers + Colleagues.

Today you will be honored by our Jr. High. How sweet was it when your 13 year old niece asked if you could have breakfast with their school and have her choir sing to you and your other brave Soldiers in all of your honor. Looking forward to being there for you.

Hopefully, I'll be able to capture some of those moments and share them with all of you...until then,

Happy Veteran's Day and don't forget to honor our Brave men and women!!!

xoxo

Countdown...Arthouse.com~Sketchbook Project 2011

found out about this cool project this past spring...ordered 4 journals for my family to do as a fun summer project but didn't actually get the 4 journals til end of summer (problems with arthouse.com mix-up...one of the creators, Steven Peterman, finally mailed my journals himself and apologized for the mix-up...that was nice, huh? but i'm still waiting for my poster that i paid in the spring...i haven't been inspired lately...

not feeling it yet...wonder why?!)

...maybe 'cuz so busy with many other projects on the board in the last several months...

haven't been able to get to it...

but

shioban finally started getting her materials ready for her journal this past weekend...

that's when a lightbulb went on and said,

'hey...we better start getting motivated 'cuz it's gonna be due in 2 months...yikes!'

so, okay...we're going to try to create a page a day for the next 30 days...i think we'll be starting this weekend... we're just getting our ideas flowing...

how 'bout you, are you ready for the challenge?

go here to find out more. you still have until 11/15/10 to join...

this will force me to get those juices flowing...i hope!

bonne chance!

xoxo

Gratefulness...

(all photos by @Labour of Love 2010. Click on pictures for larger view and to read message)
I am utterly grateful to the Warrior Watch Riders (Glen DeVries, Matter and all the Riders), our family, friends, neighbors, our Village, local Fire & Police Departments and Media for making my Hero's homecoming EXTRA SPECIAL!

You are ALL unbelievable!!!

I am so very proud of my dear Husband and also proud to be an AMERICAN...

Thank you so very much for taking the time out of your busy schedules

to welcome my hubby home from his tour of duty.

What a memorable event to treasure for eternity!!!

(please go here to visit Warrior Watch Riders and read all about their amazing organization and the love they are spreading all over this country http://www.warriorswatch.org/ and their beautiful article dedicated to All Military Spouses http://www.warriorswatch.org/?p=2992

Also, visit the SouthTown Star to read more about my Hero's Welcome Home http://www.southtownstar.com/news/2745752,092610soldierhome.article)

xoxo

Jo, Tim, Ian, Shioban and Angel Sinead

WELCOME HOME HERO!!!!!!

love you for eternity

4, 3, 2, 1~love deeply...

it's been 8 long months since we've seen each other, been together, hugged each other.

what an experience.

we all grew from this experience.

life was truly hard without you.

birthdays, holy communion, holidays, anniversaries, volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, dance, cheerleading,
1st day of 3rd grade, doctor visits, movie theaters, mini-vacations up North in the special house, sleepless nights, Sunday masses, house mishaps, family dramas, heavy storms, crashing trees,
new adventures...

longing for your letters...a surprise phone call, a welcomed e-mail...

were ways to keep our hearts going...

somehow we managed to live each day with a smile on our face.

praying for your safety,

hoping you'd come home~alive+well...

thank you God and Angel Sinead for keeping Daddy safe.

thank you Daddy and your fellow soldiers for keeping our Country free + safe.

we are so very proud of you!!!

thank you for safely coming home to us...

WELCOME HOME!

we can't wait until we can endlessly hug you, have non-stop kisses galore and...
start our new adventures~TOGETHER...

you are our COURAGEOUS HERO.

i am utterly and deeply in LOVE with you

and

we truly have FOUND A WAY...

love you for eternity...

xoxo

forever+for always no matter what...

16 years ago...

a fine, red-headed irishman + a sweet, tropical island gal+ a hundred year old church...

16 years later...

a red little house+3 little miracles+ a whole lot of lovin'...

happy anniversary, my love...

forever and for always...no matter what...

mahalkita

xoxo

9-5...

{location of picture: home of Thomas Jefferson, our trip to Montecello, Virginia}

thank you, God...for answering our prayers...
heard your voice really clear today.
cooler air+fluffy mattresses=happy camper!
we tend to take things for granted...
i'm gonna make sure we try our best over here!

one door, one step, one chapter is closed.

but that's ok since another door has

opened for each of us.

i love this quote by Alexander Graham Bell:

'when one door closes, another opens...'

so poignantly stated!

looking forward to the next few months...

can't wait to open a few more doors

a long-awaited hug+kiss

and just being...it won't be long...

bonne nuit

xoxo