KAZZAS ARMY

Friends,

The universe has presented me with this fantastic piece of inspiration and an excellent way to honor my mom...we have signed up as a team and are walking in honor of my mom in the 3rd Annual San Diego Breath of Hope Lung Cancer Walk on Sunday May 1, 2011...which is less than 2 weeks away.

We have appropriately named our team

KAZZA'S ARMY.

We would love for you to either join us on our journey or donate to the cause.

We appreciate all of your love and support.

Love and Laughter

**Click me for the link**

He Who Has Yet To Be Named

Found this photo on the fridge this morning, drawn by Michael...its our Fridge Baby


Yesterday Michael and I went for our Second Trimester Screening, also called The Anatomy Scan. There is another purpose to this scan other than seeing if you've got a "Twinkie" (a little fella) or a "Cupcake" (a little lady), its also used to evaluate most of the baby's features,  determines his/her size, position, amount of amniotic fluid, location of the placenta, and to make sure that all of the organs are where they should be and growing properly.
Folks, we have a lovely, perfect little baby boy on our hands!

 His Little Baby Foot

 His Perfect Side Profile

His Profile Again...ahhh isn't he just the cutest?

Needless to say, we are completely   IN LOVE <3   and cant wait to meet him! Hopefully by then he will have a name!

Here are the top runners so far:

and by the way, whatever his first name happens to be, his middle name is Lannon...after Michael's little brother Tim.

• Oliver (my favorite)
• Knox
• Bishop
• Jack (my absolute favorite, Michael's least favorite)

I think that there are a few more on the list but since I cant think of them, that means they are out! ha
........Really shooting for Oliver...oh my!
Oliver Lannon Easton



"When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all  went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies."
  Sir James Barrie in Peter Pan

Half Way To The Finish Line

So, here I am at the 20 week mark...this means that I am half way to the finish line! Half way to meeting our boy, who has no name, ha!. Half way to needing to hurry up and get everything done! Halfway to the happiest day of our lives! 

and let us not forget...half way to the gnarliest pain ever! I'm not gonna lie...I'm a teeny bit scared.

We have our second trimester screening this coming Wednesday morning so we should have some great new pictures to share with everyone.

Ill keep ya posted!

xo

A new baby is like the beginning of all things - wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.
Eda J. Le Shan

Just Think...

Im sure that Ive shared this before, but I just ran across is again....its from my moms MYSPACE posted on Jan 19 2009...kinda amazing how the universe works...

 

Just think

Current mood:thoughtful

When you feel a gentle breeze
Caress you when you sigh
It's a hug sent from Heaven
From a loved one way up high

If a soft and tender raindrop
Lands upon your nose
They've added a small kiss
As fragile as a rose

If a song you hear fills you
With a feeling of sweet love
It's a hug sent from Heaven
From someone special up above

If you awaken in the morning
To a bluebird's chirping song
It's music sent from Heaven
To cheer you all day long

If tiny little snowflakes
Land upon your face
It's a hug sent from Heaven
Trimmed with Angel lace

So keep the joy in your heart
If you're lonely my dear friend
Hugs that are sent from Heaven
A help a broken heart mend

Love plus Magic Equals My Mom

ahhh...so here I sit on the eve of the 2 year anniversary of my mom's passing. 

I am at once amazed and startled at the time that has gone by...in my heart it feels like yesterday, but my head knows the truth...and I am still amazed daily that I have made it this far without her physically her by my side, cracking jokes, making me laugh, being my one true champion...

And yet, Ive kept moving forward with one swollen foot in front of the other. So many  things have happened since she's been gone...but its the happiest, most exciting times that I find to be truly the hardest...being unable to share those moments with her...

and here I am, carrying this little baby boy who will learn about her through my laughter and my tears, he will get to know her through my brother, through my cousins, my dad, my aunt and uncles, and everyone who has ever loved her. Her legacy will live and love on through my son, which makes me weep with pride. Now if I can only manage to be 1/10th of the mother she was, then my fella will be one lucky kid.

...Ive been secretly hoping he gets those famous dimples of hers....I wonder if shes listening...do you think she can hook it up?  ;)

I miss her and love her more today than yesterday and only half as much as tomorrow.

xo

Loss leaves us empty - but learn not to close your heart and mind in grief. Allow life to replenish you. When sorrow comes it seems impossible - but new joys wait to fill the void.
— Pam Brown

Better Late Than Never...

Here are two photos of our squiggly long legged little boy...





Hes just so stinking cute...he looks just like me! ha ha
These photos are quite a few weeks old...they were taken at my 12 week appointment and I am now nearly 20 weeks...almost halfway there!
This is such an exciting time for us...yet still seems so surreal. Sometimes I glance at my big ol belly and think..."Really? Is this really happening? OMG, I'm so excited!" other times I glance at my swollen cankles and think " Oh jeez...I just really want to sit down."
I'm starting to feel him wiggle around a bit, which is really cool.
But, I'm not gonna lie...there have been moments when I have broken down at the realization that I am not experiencing this with my mom...and that my baby will never get to know her and love her properly.
Sure she lives in my heart and memory and I will talk to him about her, but I'm sorry, its not the same, not even close...I feel cheated a little...

However, my dad, oh my dad, has got to be the dang cutest thing anyone has ever seen...he has definitely stepped in and filled a large portion of that hole...at times I'm certain that hes more excited than we are!
Now we just need to find this fella a right proper name.
We've got a few picked out...so far nothing seems to be sticking...I guess worst case, my fella gets his name right before he leaves the hospital.

Ive decided that I'm going to use this blog for the duration of my pregnancy and for as long as I can keep up with it as my boy grows up and as we experience life changes...

I do, however, have a question that I'm rolling around...what to do about the side intro over there

I think it needs a switch up...

xo

Boys are found everywhere -- on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around or jumping to. Mothers love them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers tolerate them, adults ignore them and Heaven protects them. A boy is Truth with dirt on its face, Beauty with a cut on its finger, Wisdom with bubble gum in its hair and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket.
Alan Marshall Beck

Oh friends...

I know I have been MIA for quite some time...and I apologize. I don't even know if anyone reads this anymore... anyhow, LOADS of changes since I last wrote. Lets get started:

I guess we will start first with the not so good news...

In early August of 2010, my beloved grandpa, my moms dad, passed away. We were devastated but took great comfort in knowing that he lead a full and wonderful life filled with love.

And though it may seem weird, we find solace in knowing that he is now safe at home with my momma...They were both some kinda magic and we will all miss them forever.

and now onto the good news... My cousin Jennifer and her husband Mike welcomed their new bundle of joy into the world in August. His name is Isaiah Marcel and he is just the bees knees...and such a good boy!

My cousin Mikey, the Navy man, came home two weeks ago from a 7 month long deployment in Afghanistan...oh boy did we miss him!

My cousin Ashley got married this past weekend to a wonderful guy named Brandyn and now shes a Lopez! She was a beautiful bride and it was so nice to see my family laughing, dancing and having a great time together!

And now for two zingers...number one, my dad has decided to sell my parents house and move to New Zealand...to live full time... I will miss him terribly, but I honestly couldn't be happier for him.

and...dun dun dun...Michael and I are expecting our first baby, a little fella, in September! Wholy cow, right?! we gots a load of stuff happening and all of its exciting!

As we approach the two year mark of my mom's passing, the universe presented me with this fantastic piece of inspiration and a wonderful way for me and my family to honor my mom... we are signing up as a team and walking in honor of my mom in the 3rd Annual San Diego Breath of Hope Lung Cancer Walk on May 1, 2011.

We have appropriately named our team

KAZZA'S ARMY

we would love for any of you to join us or donate to the cause.

PLEASE CLICK HERE

This link will give you all of the information that you need to know.

We appreciate and love you for who you are and all that you do!

xo

“Other things may change us, but we start and end with family”

Anthony Brandt

On this day in 1953

my favorite person ever was born...my mom.
So, tonight, friends, think of her with love and happiness...let it fill up your soul and burst right through to your heart.
And while youre at it...eat a slice of something fantastic her honor...perhaps some pecan pie...a heaping mound of peach pie...her two favorites...and smile.

hugs and love

Mom

“I thought of you with love today, but that is nothing new, I thought about you yesterday and days before that too.

I think of you in silence, I often speak your name, all I have are memories and your picture in a frame.

Your memory is my keepsake, with which I’ll never part. God has you in his keeping, I have you in my heart."

I miss you more today than yesterday and only half as much as tomorrow

Today marks the one year anniversary of my mom’s passing, I can’t help but reflect on the year and the monumental changes that have happened.

I am a mommas girl through and through and I have honestly surprised myself by making it this far. I didn’t think that I would ever last a day without her. There have been many, many days that I felt that I wanted to just crumble onto the ground …but like I said, I am a mommas girl and that means that I won’t allow myself to do that…plus I have a huge fear of her coming and smacking me from the afterlife for behaving less than she would have wanted me to.

My pain hasn’t lessened any, it’s just projected in a different way and I will forever walk around with a ginormous whole in my heart.

My family and I have lost an integral part of our being, the thread that held our family fabric together and we have had the hardest year that anyone can imagine…but, we are all still standing…and some days that its only attributed to the fact that we have someone else holding us up…and that’s okay, thank god we have each other. I know, for myself, that I wouldn’t have made it here if it weren’t for my amazing family and for my very compassionate and understanding friends. I feel so lucky to be surrounded by such amazing people.

I’ve learned a lot of things this year…I’ve learned that I’m stronger than I never thought I was, I’ve learned that each day I am more like my mom and that really makes me smile and I’ve learned that love isn’t what makes the world go ‘round, it’s what makes the ride worthwhile.

glee

Yes, that is a term of joy...but more importantly, its the television show that my cousin Emily is trying out for!
She needs votes so friends please go here and watch the video of her singing:

EMILY SINGS!

and then go here and vote for her:

GLEE AUDITION

Now, you have to have a MySpace account in order to vote...so if you dont have one, maybe you can make one real quick? ;)

And please, please tell your friends.
Help make her dream come true!

Come on friends! You can doooooo it!!

hugs xx

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” Ashley Smith

The Biggest Best News Yet!

As most of you know, my cousin Jennifer is pregnant with her third baby...and we are all over the moon about it! So exciting!
Well, on Sunday, the whole famdamily, Jennifer, Big Daddy Mike, and their passel of kids, Kion, Kayla, Junior and Kiana, Aunt Nancy, Steven, Emily and I, went down to Jenna's ultra sound 4D appointment to find out the sex of our new baby.
And just as we thought, we have a little baby boy coming and we should be meeting him around August 30th! I cant wait!
Thank god this place was big enough to fit us all in there so we could share this amazing experience together. I think the cutest thing about the day (aside from toasting his impending arrival with yummy VG's donuts) was when Kayla saw him she said, "Oh he's so cute! Can I hold him?" and then later she asked me "Is that boy coming out yet?" She's so stinkin cute and seems to be very excited about the new baby.

So with out further ado, let me introduce you to the newest member of our family, "That Boy"...




Now, we just have to find him a name...

A new baby is like the beginning of all things-wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.
-- Eda J. Le Shan

The TLE

Three years ago today, we lost a very silly, loving, sarcastic, friend, brother, nephew and son.
I am so honored to have known him and so thankful that our paths crossed. He had this great sense of humor and this quiet gentleness about him...but by far my favorite memories of him will always be the ones in which I come from work and to find him just chillin on my couch, being a Schmeck, uninvited but always welcome.

Timothy Lannon Easton

I am sending extra love to my Easton Familia and hold them firmly in my heart today.

"Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy."

Good News Part Duex

As I said in the last post, we have had quiet a few changes in our lives lately and all of them good. Yea for us!
so, let's talk about good news number two...
Somewhere around January of last year, my cousin Mikey enlisted in the Navy. My mom was absolutely beaming with pride as well as everyone else in our family...especially my grandfather and our cousin Big Mike who were both Navy men themselves.
Well, Mikey left for boot camp in January and on March 5, 2010, he graduated as an E2! I act like I know what that means, but the truth is that I have no earthly idea...all I really know is that he graduated THIRD in a class of 700 something recruits!
We are so dang proud of our lil sailor!
Go Mikey!
Go Navy!




hugs xx

“When asked what I am most proud of, I stick out my chest, hold my head high and state proudly, 'I served in the United States Navy!'”
John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Its Official

I am the worst person on the planet. I havent updated this thing in about a thousand years. Generally, my excuse is that I havent anything to talk about...but, after three months of not posting, you better believe I have stuff to talk about...I mean, how lame would I be if I didnt?! ugh.

There have been some changes going on in our lives lately...but the best one, hands down is this:
My best friend, who also happens to be my cousin, Jennifer, is expecting a baby in August! We are so thrilled and absolutely overjoyed at the thought of a new baby to play with! And it goes without saying that my mom would have been out shopping THE second the news arrived...she loved her some babies! haha.

So, please, friends, rejoice with us and pray that we have a happy, healthy little baby...a boy baby! hahaha.

hugs forever.

“A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for”

Hiddy Ho There Neighbors!

Here we are, just a few short days before we take off and I am freaking thrilled! Agh!!!!! I just cant wait to get on outta here and kick my shoes off and run around barefoot in the New Zealand soil.
Which brings me to this....
I have decided to start a travel blog called "Anywhere But Here"
(click those cute pink letters above)


I figured that we could use this blog for the everyday magic and the other one for vacay magic, no? I also thought it would be really cool to not only document our travels, but the travels of our family and friends, too. So, if you have a big holiday coming up or just came back from one and wanna share, we would love to see them...just forward them onto my email and I will hook it up! Or....I will give you the secret codes and you can blog it up your self!

Or...if you have nothing going on, have a sit and give the travel blog a read and drop some love on it.

You guys are the best!
Hugs!
xx

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

Here We Go!

I have officially booked my ticket to New Zealand! I'm so excited that I could barely sleep last night. The countdown has begun, friends,

3 8 D A Y S !!

My dad has a little less time on his countdown clock than that as he will arrive a few days before Michael and I do.
I'm so freakin excited!
and yes, true to my mom's form, I have already started my packing list...but my dad seems to have one upped me on this because he actually packed his ENTIRE suitcase, plus all of his other miscellaneous, extraneous nonsense known as his second piece of luggage.
We are pretty much ready to jump on that plane right now.
My mom has taught us well.


"Those who say you cant take it with you, never saw a car packed for a vacation trip."

.......or our luggage.

hugs
xx

You Say It's Your Birthday....

Today, is my cousin Jennifer's birthday. I am lucky enough to have her not only as my blood relative, but also my best friend. She is also an amazing mother, devoted wife, loving sister and daughter, crazy niece and awesome cousin.
Growing up, we got in all kinds of trouble together...double trouble as my mom referred to us. Oooo weee! Okay, I'm lying...she called us bitches! hahaha! Always the truth teller.
Anyway, I feel very very lucky to have Jenna in my life....she completes me and she is the other half of my brain...if I'm thinking of something, chances are, she is too.
Tonight we are going to the casino for some yummy buffet eating and gambling...so please wish her a happy birthday, but also, please send out positive vibes for us so that we all win big at the slots! Woo-Whooo!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNIFER DENISE!


Shes on the installment plan now...Uncle Nick is hooking her up with a cane and next year she will be on the walker. Shes an old woman now, so be gentle with her when you see her.

hugs
xx

Aotearoa

Ahhh...so the countdown has begun, my friends...a little less than two months until we touch down in The Land of The Long White Cloud, aka my mom's favorite place, aka New Zealand, aka Magic Land. I am so thankful because, boy, do I need a break...it will be nice to be in the place of my dads birth, where we have tons of family and friends...I can't wait to dig my feet into the soil and feel the Earth.
It's definitely not going to be all fun and games and ticky touring...we have loads and loads of work to do on the new house...and I have officially become my dad's slave.
Until next time my friends....

Hugs
xx


That was the big effect Lord of the Rings had on me. It was discovering New Zealand. And even more precious were the people- not at all like the Australians.
Ian McKellan

Today marks five months since my mom's passing. Not a second goes by that I don't think of her, wish that she was here, feel her presence, laugh at ourselves and the nonsense we used to get into...

She is always on my mind and the forefront of everything that I say and I do. I always think...well how would my mom do this, or handle this or what would she say? I find myself almost channeling her in a way.
I got the greatest compliment from my cousin, Jenna the other day, she said " You remind me so much of Aunt Karan." It made my day.

I love you and miss you so much...more than yesterday and only half as much as tomorrow. My light for you will shine always.
xoxo forever.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. ~Kahlil Gibran