Hello! Let me reintroduce myself!

To all my blogreaders.....this is my feeble attempt to re-enter my blogging universe. I thought it proper to re-introduce myself.....Here goes! 20 things about me......

1.) My name is Jennifer.....I'm 30 years old and I am NOT an alcoholic.

2.) My favorite color is green and my LEAST favorite color is brown.

3.) I have a 23 month old daughter named Avery who is equal parts of adorable, energetic, challenging and wondrous.

4.) I have worked at the same place for 7 years, steadily climbing the ladder and now can say that I am a 30 year old supervisor, whom is female.This would be impressive, if not in the social work field, eh?

5.) I love to read brainless fiction novels with great background meaning. Good one--- Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin. What I'm reading now--- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingslover.

6.) My dream is to one day travel the world......all the world.....every inch!

7.) My favorite meal would have to be my grandmother's eggplant parm......cold....eaten straight from the foil packaging that it is delivered in.

8.) My favorite ice cream is chocolate almond from Abbott's.

9.) I love pie. I mean.....it's kind of sad how much I love pie. Cherry, blueberry, apple, peach etc..etc.. It doesn't matter the filling....I just love the taste and how it instantly reminds you of home (even though the last time I actually MADE a pie, I was a college student and my grandfather told me it was the worst apple pie he ever ate!).

10.) I have a passion for crafts and artsy fartsy stuff however I am so overwhelmed with my life, I feel like the thought of doing all those arts and crafts only paralyzes me. I feel like the only time I will be able to tap into this passion will be when I am old, alone and living in a senior living apartment complex!

11.) Magazines excite me. I know....totally lame. I just love reading the gossip on my favorite celebs and ruffling through those glossy pages!

12.) I hate where I live. Loathe it....can't stand it.....BLECH! I am an urbanite living in suburban HELL!!!! Ok....so anyways..... :)

13.) I love to cook. I love new recipes and throwing items together to make something healthful and delicious. One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving for this fact alone....I love making all those yummy food items that make people feel like they're family.

14.) 30 is SOOO the new 20! I would never go back to my 20's......As scared as I was to actually hit the 30-mark, I am so proud to have been on this Earth for 30 years and so much more confident in my status here! 20 just felt like a 10 year awkward stage. 30 year olds are HAWT!

15.) I love conversation. Any kind really. I love to talk politics, life goals/dreams, sports, religion, relationships, parenting.....I love to talk. Can you tell? Although, it is equally rewarding to listen as I feel like if you don't listen.....how will you ever have anything to talk about?

16.) My favorite cereal is Lucky Charms :)

17.) I hate sweaty armpits.

18.) I like to play with my daughter's toys.

19.) I am obsessed with garage sales.

20.) One day, I want to be inspirational to someone......someone other than my family and friends. One day I want to be someone that people look up to.........an inspiration to my community as I lived my life in a way that was selfless and noble.

21.) Ha! You thought I was going to stop at 20, eh?

It's Over.....

It's really over.....and now what???

Keith and I are getting ready to MOVE!!!!! We've been struggling living so far away from civilization for the past 2 1/2 years. Now.....we're listening to ourselves and we're prepping our Brockport house to sell, and starting to scour the market for a new home. We're a little scared about this new journey, but also confident that it's the right thing to do for our family right now. It'll be a little hairy for a while, and I know this......but in the end.....it'll all be worth it!

Umm......relax? Yeah right!!!!!

Some down time with the Kaminskas/Nonna clan

Nonna! Look at the camera!

Aunt Bre-Bre.....Here's ONE cracker, but don't think I'm giving you any more!

Aunt Chi-Chi is Da Bomb!

The night before my sister Rae (Aunt Chi-Chi.....Avery can't say Rae or Rachel but can say the "CH" sound.....so thus, Aunt Chi-Chi was formed) to return to her home in Georgia, I had my mom and my 2 sisters over for dinner. It was nice to escape the hub-bub of Christmas and have a relaxing dinner and some QT. Nice conversation was had, Avery was chill.......I felt good about the visit and all that my family is. Although my family is a little untraditional in a lot of ways........It is what my daughter will grow up knowing and I hope that my daughter will be able to take away traits from each. My sister Rae is who she is. She is very different from I and I from her. Her integrity lies in her STRENGTH and her quest for true happiness. And not to settle for anything in between. This is so powerful to me. My sister Bre, also very different than I......She can bring calm to a room of hostile pirates :) She is a ray of light. My mom is the sensible voice of reason. She will always be able to see the fact from the fiction, and to guide the confused to the truth.

I am blessed to have these women in my life, and especially blessed that they are my family. I was excited to see my daughter interact with each of them......and I enjoyed getting to spend time with them during the holidays. It made me sad when the holidays were over, knowing that I won't see Rae for quite some time (as she lives so far away) and Bre is in college and my mom works 2 jobs......It's sad that people that you love to spend time with......it's not always that easy. Thanks for a great Christmas y'all!!!!

CHRISTMAS DAY at the SCHUMAN'S

Avery loves her "Grampy" (96 year old Grandpa Joe who plays Santa EVERY year)

Hey Zowie.....Let's crawl through some TUBES!!!!

Aunt Chi-Chi....Get out of the tube! I'm NEXT!!!!

That present is for daddy? You mean, they're not ALL for ME???

Christmas Day is fun. Christmas Day is relaxing. I love Christmas Day. We go to my aunt's house in our PJ's and eat and eat and eat. We do our grab bag exchange and just have a good time. Some highlights this year......Avery and Aunt Chi-Chi climbing in and out of Zowie (the dog's) training tubes. My aunt is training her dog to be a "show dog" and do all those cool stunts and one of the things that she does is crawl through tubes. Well......my daughter now crawls through tubes too. Thanks to Zowie the dog for teaching my daughter a new trick :) Also- the Dominic the Donkey song came on the radio and my daughter danced her little toolie off in my aunt's kitchen. She twirled and whirled and giggled and laughed and thought it was the best song since Elmo's World or the Pooh Song. It made everyone's day! I looked around and saw how happy everyone was because my 16 month old daughter was reminding them how not to take themselves so seriously. Everyone was dancing in the kitchen, not caring what anyone thought.....it was the absolute highlight of my Christmas this year!

All in all, Christmas was fun this year! SOOOO different from last year. SOOOO much more exhausting. I know now what people mean when they say they have a Christmas hangover!

Opening Gifts from Santa on Christmas Morning

ELMO!!! Or as Avery calls him "La La" (La La La La Elmo's World)

The Good Dog Carl Series from Shilo

Puzzles!!!!! Age-Appropriate!!!! JOY!!!!!

Ok.....Now what do I do with all this stuff??

Avery was BRIGHT EYED AND BUSHY TAILED at 6am on Christmas morning!!!! Who-hoo!!! She toddled her way downstairs (with the help of mommy and daddy of course) and proceeded to open up the gifts that Santa had left for her. Here's the lame part. Santa didn't technically wrap the gifts that he gave to Avery this year. Umm....and he didn't technically hide them well either. They were sitting under a sheet in the living room for weeks prior to Christmas. Avery found them a few times, and would run off with a gift that wasn't meant for her to have until Christmas, and then Keith and I would have to give in and let her have it......it wasn't her fault that we weren't creative with the hiding part this year. All in all, she enjoyed the majority of her presents and the ones that she has no interest in this year......well.....they might just find there way under the tree again next year :) Creative recycling I call it!!!!

Christmas Eve Night At Our House

Overstimulated, WHAT????

My Great Aunt Jacki and Cousin Chelsea are hilarious.....but can SOMEONE fix my hair?
Umm....You guys are kind of loud out there. I think I need some QT.

Ok. Ok. There aren't many pics. Why, might you ask? Well. After traveling to Penfield, Keith and I had to drop his grandmother off in Leroy, and then travel back to Brockport to get ready for our 6pm guests. ARGH!!!! By the time we arrived at our house, got the food ready and attempted to calm our overstimulated 16 month old......well.....picture taking wasn't on the top of the list. However.....the traditional food for Christmas Eve night is Ravioli from the Ravioli Shop downtown....and they were amazing. And everything seemed to go off without a hitch and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Avery was in bed by 9-9:30 and did not cause too much trouble. She seemed to find refuge in crawling under the buffet table. I mean, why not crawl under the table?

Christmas Eve With the Karr's and the Thompson's

Amma Chris, Mommy and Avery

Avery, Godfather Uncle Brandon and Cousin Ryan

Avery shares her baby with Great-Grandma Alice

I love my Amma Chris!!!!

Hey.....Is anyone hungry???

This was our first stop of our 2 day CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA! The food and company was out of this world!!!! Amma Chris made homemade chicken soup (a family recipe that has been passed down and that I crave at all sorts of weird times) and a variety of baked goods. Chris is an extremely talented baker/cook and I hope to one day be able to learn some of her famous recipes. Her food can make any event feel like home and this was no exception. Avery received a kitchen set that was not only purchased for her by her Amma Chris and Grandpa Dave, but Grandpa Dave presented it to her, ALL PUT TOGETHER!!!! Which, in turn, was a wonderful gift to Keith and I also :) Avery had a great time eating and playing and eating and playing and.....well....you get the picture. Whenever we are in the presence of Keith's mom, Avery just naturally gravitates to her......Chris definitely has a calming presence with Avery and she just adores her! What a great time! We were all sad to go :(

A holiday shout out to my BFF.......LISA RIZZO

I know it's been a REALLY REALLY long time since I've posted. I apologize. It's been quite a rough 2 months, and the holidays don't help right now with free time. However, I do need to stop.....pause....take a breathe and really make a proper shout out. I was once told by a very wise person, "If you think you should do something, you probably should". I've been thinking about just how to tell my best friend how much she means to me. Do I write her a letter? A card? Do I tell her over a cup of Joe? Is she aware how much I love having her in my life? Does she realize how much she impacts me? Well....I'm not sure. So.....here goes.

My friend Lisa. My VERY VERY VERY BEST friend Lisa. Where do I begin? We've known each other since I was 20 and she was 21 (I'm 29 now, she's 31). A friendship 10 years in the making. We've been through so much together.....I mean, alot! We've gone to undergraduate school together at SUNY Brockport, we've worked together at Park Ridge Hospital, we've been maids of honor in each other's weddings, we got our Master's degree's together, I was there through the birth of her daughter and after, she was there through my infertility and the premature birth of my daughter, she's my daughter's godmother, our husband's re-named us Lucy and Ethel.....I mean we're close, people! The thing with Lisa and I is when you meet us, you think.....hey.....they kinda look alike, they're nice peeps......they're like TWINS.....but when you really get to know us, you'll see that we're two very different people, however we mesh so well together and learn so much from each other (I would argue that I learn SO much more from Lisa.....SO MUCH MORE, but I digress). Lisa is a very strong woman. I mean really strong. I would say that she is one of the most influential females in my life and I just know that when I talk to her, about anything......She IS listening and I will feel better....about really anything. She loves her family more than anything and will stick her neck out for them, to any degree. She has gone through quite a bit of adversity in her life, however has always stayed true to her beliefs and will not compromise them. I love spending time with her. I love laughing together about old memories and ones that are yet to come (our daughter's weddings, retirement, Alzheimer's). I love that our friendship is so comfortable and that she knows me so well. Lisa is an incredible mother. Her daughter adores her, and the things that she is able to accomplish with Olivia always amazes me.

In all the hustle and bustle of this holiday season, take time to relish in the small things. My small thing, happens to be one of the most important people in my life.....my best friend, my sister, my confidant..... Lisa. Thanks for always being there for me, Lisa. Here's to 10 years of friendship.....and many many more. Thank you for being YOU.....and thank you for being friends with little 'ol me :)

My How She's Grown......

Just a few shots of Avery LAST Halloween @ 2 months. All I can say is.....WOW!!!!

Just pettin' a goat, mom......no big deal!

Avery loves animals, of all shapes and sizes (especially her own doggy....Shi-Shi). She loves trips to the Petstore, Springdale farm, Lollypop West (when it was open) and really any farm that offers her the opportunity to pet some animals. She usually goes up to the animals and says "Awwwww!!!!!" and then tries to touch his/her mouth. We're hoping that one day, she doesn't come across an animal that thinks her fingers look like little snacks! For now......it's absolutely adorable and we're so glad that she's an animal lover like her mommy and daddy.

Avery + Bananas = Happiness

Plain and Simple Explanation..... Avery loves Bananas. She loves to play with them, she loves to eat them, she loves to peel them.....she loves bananas. She IS our little monkey.

Happy Wedding Day!!!!

Michele, Jenn, Katie, Amy, Beth, Kelly & Andrea

Sam, Katie, Jenn & Keith (Sam & Keith are twins, I swear......)

THE HAPPY COUPLE!!!!!

My friend, Amy got married a few weekends into September and Keith and I had a GREAT time at the wedding. I've been blessed to be invited to 3 weddings for women that I work with this year and Amy's was the last of the bunch. Katie and Sam's wedding was also this year (pictured in the 2nd photo) and Andrea and Larry's wedding was in April. Amy and I have worked together for the past 3 years. The strange thing about Amy's wedding is, as Amy's wedding got closer and we started talking about all the "casts of characters involved in her wedding" and I met some of her family at her shower......we discovered that our families were close friends. Her Aunt Jo and my Aunt Ingrid were BFF's......and our families practically grew up together. It's a small, small world!!!! Happy wedding day, Chuck & Amy!!!!

The Bills/Dallas Game.....Monday Night Football!!!!

Are you ready for some MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL???? Especially when it's IN Buffalo and the guys are tailgating???

Ok, Ok.....I didn't go. But Keith did and he was sooooooo excited about going to this game, I had to post some photos. I wish I could give you a play by play......but I'm a girl and honestly I was watching Dancing with the Stars instead of watching the game, so all I know is that it was an AWESOME game. My hubby does such a great job at being a dad & husband, I'm happy when he gets to do some things for himself......especially when it has to do with his favorite football team, the DALLAS COWGIRLS (umm....I mean Cowboys) :) Love you, Keith! Did I hear that Dallas has a good chance of making the playoffs this year??? Hmmm.......is THAT why you've been in a good mood lately? Ha! How's that fantasy team doing?

Halloween....The Main Event

The Rizzo's were nice enough to have us over on Halloween night. We ate a nice dinner and then took our two "bugs" out, trick or treating in the neighborhood. At first, I felt as though Avery might not "get" this whole Halloween thing, and be all thrown off by it all. HOWEVER.....my daughter absolutely loved being pulled around the neighborhood, and brought to complete strangers houses to beg for candy with her little buddy, Olivia (the ladybug). She seemed to look at me most of the night as if to say "Mom, Are you kidding me? It just can't get any better than this!".

Pre- Halloween Festivities Part 2.....Posing with the Pumpkins

Avery LOVES "baloos" (BKA: PUMPKINS) !!!! Loves 'em! She was much obliged when I plopped her down on our porch to snap a few pics of her with the orange round orbs before they started to rot. Ahh!!!! Halloween!!! Just wait until you see her in her costume, folks :-)

Pre- Halloween Festivities..... GETTING THE PUMPKINS!

C'mon daddy.......There aren't going to be any left if you keep walking that slow!

How about this baloo, mommy?

HA! I found you!!!!

Huh? Why do I have to pose for a photo? There is still so much running around to do?

Don't ask me where we took these pics.....I honestly do not remember. We live in the sticks, folks....so Pumpkin Farms are a dime a dozen. All I do know is that around the time these pics were taken (the first weekend in October....which would have made Avery 13 months), Avery was really walking on her own. She had a great time weaving in and out of the pumpkins. Avery's word for pumpkin is "baloo". I'm not sure where that came from, except it kind of sounds like balloon.....but it's adorable.

Dear Livy....Happy Birthday....Love, Avery :)

Mommy!!!! I want to LICK ALL THE CUPCAKES!!!! Umm...did Auntie E and Aunt Nicole make those cupcakes over there? Are those supposed to be chickens? We are SOOOO going to the Little Bakery next year. Hey! Livy.....save some of those cupcakes for me, Ok?

I love you Baby AVEEEE........Right back atcha, Livy!!!!!

The pigs look MUCH better than those chickens!!!! MMMMMM!!!!! Taste better too!!! :)

Ummm....Hello? Someone forgot to give me some of that good stuff. Daddy....stop smiling at the camera and hook me up with some of those cupcakes!!!!

Dear Livy,

I had so much fun at your Barnyard Bash Birthday Party! It wasn't even funny.....well actually it was! It was funny watching you lick your cupcakes and eat the cheese off 10 pieces of pizza.....I loved playing with you and all your family and friends. You are my bestest friend of all. We are so lucky to have mommies that love each other so much and let us play together all the time. I can't wait to continue our adventures together in all the years to come. I'm raising my sippy cup to you, my friend. Here's to a wonderful 2 years on this planet.....and MANY MANY more. You are such a wonderful girl and you teach me so much. I am blessed to have you in my life! I love you!!!!

:) Avery Grace