New Adventures! Fresh Life Photography!

My time flies. I don't post here much anyone because of that wonderful thing called facebook. I like being bale to control who sees my stuff and who doesn't. Look me up, I'd love new friends :) My new project as of late is my photog business. I just started and have gone live! I will be starting a promo. Real excited about it! Of course it's kinda scary because I am at the point of no return, it's sink or swim baby! Come check me out and spread the word!! Click on fresh life photography fresh life photography

Spring!

Wow, things are chugging along. So many things going on! Wedding is in almost a month! Yikes! Calling businesses and getting calls back, a thing of the past apparently. Matthew saw the neurologist last Friday, she told me I'm on the right path! Phew! But then ugh! because I just am not getting anywhere as far as getting the full day program. His annual review is on the 18th and they'll tell me their official plans. Todd has been my backbone, listening to my rants and raves about this whole situation, he's even taking a vacation day to attend the PPT, to keep up to date on Matthew and the school. Benjamin changes everyday. His new trick, climbing on the couch....and falling off. Matthew just doesn't get that babies can't think and when he's fitting about something he doesn't understand how it can hurt others. Ben gets in his space and Matthew doesn't like that, so Ben's had "help" getting off the couch a few times. WE're working on it to say the least. Matthew also had a comprehensive evaluation, boy I can't wait to get reports back! Maria is doing awesome. Can you believe that I haven't killed the salamander yet?? She likes having him, and doing our frequent walks to the pond for water. It's a slow morph and not sure if I am providing everything for the bugger, but it has more substantial legs and it is alittle bigger. She has a bug project that she's working on, making a habitat for ladybugs. They have a bug presentation to show off their habitats on June 3rd. I refuse to do the project for her to make her look good, so she'll have an authentic one :) She's gonna be 7 next week!! I'm making her digital baby book now for some reassurance that she's still little :) Love my family!!!!

Bad bad mom

Ok well, I haven't posted my autism facts here like I said I would, what can I say?? Life with three kiddos, grad school and planning a wedding takes some time. I have however posted fasts nearly every day on my facebook page, please add me if you'd like! Times are good, thank God! The only bad thing has been joining weight watchers for me, I hate dieting, never have but never really HAD to until now. Gonna run, ADD me to facebook to learn your autism facts :)

Autism in my world.

yes it is here every day. His Dad can say he suffers no affects of autism, but then again he's not with Matthew all the time. Matthew is such a loving boy who has more struggles in the social situation and language processing than the average kid. Anyway, did you know up until 1980 Autism was considered a mental illness?? Kids who had that diagnosis were said to have refrigerator moms, how cruel is that? The Dr's said that autism was caused by moms not being nurturing enough. So glad I don't live then. Autism is now a diagnosis of a learning disability which has it's pluses and minuses too believe it or not....What good is a post about autism with a pic of my cutie boy? I'll add one later, my pics are upstairs :)

Autism Awareness Month is APRIL!!

How fitting that autism awareness month is in April, Matthew's birth month? As I am celebrating him and his life and all the lessons he's taught me we get to raise awareness and teach the world that ASD is nothing to be feared, definitely something to contend with but not feared. I made this header which is really the thing I use for my siggies on message boards, I plan on changing it every week with a new fact and myth. I hope to be posting some cool links that I have found while researching autism for my graduate degree and some that I have found helpful. Matthew is making great strides and of course the thought of kindergarden lingering kinda scares me. As we all know with budgets shrinking everywhere including schools, what affect will that have on Matthew's schooling, his help,his support, what will fall on my shoulders? How different will Matthew view kinder? But this is the month to teach the public about autism. I strongly believe that people don't accept autism because it's DIFFERENT and we're all taught that DIFFERENT is BAD. Let's teach the world that different can be good!! As long we're not hurting others, different is good :) Well, that's my view :)

Maria singing!

Maria loves to sing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ntaiHvJwEI

Things are busy but good!

Ben turned one!
ben gave u our first real heart attack but he's ok.
Matthew is learning facts about around the world
Maria is becoming a singing legend!

More details later!

Winter Pictures

I have tons of things that we have done that I haven't posted about because I have been too busy doing :) Maria as usual loves playing outside. Behind our house after a five minute walk through the woods is a great big hill with no trees around that is awesome for sledding!! Maria loves it! Her cousins even came to try it out. Matthew really wants to like the snow this year but it usually ends with tears. He doesn't want snow on his face AT ALL, or snow on his wrists. Despite my invention of armed mittens and a day with no snowing to sled he still struggles. Benjamin doesn't mind the snow, wouldn't say he loves it...yet! WE've been on a few trips to VT to ski and we have enjoyed that. Life has been good to us. Todd is finding his new job not great but he's hanging in there and we're hoping things will work out in that dept. We have health and for that we will be grateful and enjoy each day!

I hear wedding bells!!!

Yes Todd has finally popped the question :) A June 20, 2009 wedding is planned right on the surf on the ocean in RI surrounded my a few family members and friends. I wish i could invite all those who helped me get to the place I am now, but it just can't be done. I am sure many probably wouldn't want to travel out there anyway :) We are all very excited. Not that my life hasn't already been blessed by Todd and all the good he brings it but to make it all official and legal feels good. Of course since I have March April and May birthday celebrations to plan I have already started to get details in place. It is kinda odd the second time around, like a bride?? me?? didn't I do this already? NAd the fears creep in every once in a while. But I know Todd and I have a good thing going, it's all in place and this is just a legality and an official start for the outside world. So how did he pop the question?? Well, you know Todd always keeps me guessing and happy :) We went on a birthday/Valentine's getaway to VT for one day of downhill skiing and one day of cross country and thanks to Grandma it was our first getaway alone! Todd insisted that I go to the top of the mountain with him. At the time it made no sense, I am a pretty bad downhill skier, why the TOP? Being promised a great view and a buddy to slowly down down with I took up his offer. The conditions weren't great and as the frosty treetops passed me in my ski lift chair I knew it would be a long trip down. I got off the chair lift gracefully in the 0 degree weather. As we appreciated the frosty beauty around us, Todd had this huge grin on his face and started saying Laurie Laurie look at me, will you marry me?? I'm thinking, right now? You're going to pull out a ring right now? Don't drop it!! My numb cold fingers embraced the diamond and sapphire beauty that was now mine! ANd I was thinking how grateful I was that we were marrying on the WARM golden beach!! When we got back to our room there was a dozen roses waiting for me. The next day we even had a private horse drawn sleigh ride! Perfect weekend and full of such great memories.

Still here

trying to figure out if I should move to all facebook. I like that only the ones you know can see. If anyone is already there, I could always use new friends. I am not even sure who actually comes to this page so leave feedback if you think I should jsut move this to facebook or if you are a viewer and want it here! Here are my babies starting off the new year!

Merry Christmas!

Our holiday was great! We hope yours was just as fun! Poor Todd and Benjamin had a cold and Matthew on the tail end of one but we didn't let that ruin our fun! WE only had the big kids until 11 so I didn't get many pics of them-that's one thing that is harder with three kids-picking up the camera and just taking pics of it all! Maria got what she wanted, an emerald ring, matthew got what he wanted-books, the tag system and they both got some little extras like the movie Wall-E. Ben of course didn't have any wants this year but one new found love are the yogurt melts that he got in his stocking! I was lucky to get a pair of sapphire earrings and Santa brought Todd some tools he wanted. The best part of the day was just being with each other, our pancake breakfast cooked by Todd and the hugs and kisses that were given (you wonder why we all get colds at the same time, I had this cold with Maria first) Here's my picture overload!!











(of course my fav one that the flash didn't fire on)

Decorations

We're in the spirit here!! I just love the decorations, bright colors, happy lights, reasons to celebrate and join together. Here is our tree and here is Ben trying on a new outfit Julia gave him, Thanks Juls!! And isn't my sister the greatest?? She made all those stockings BY HAND, counted crossstiched and even sewed them together. She said next year I get one too!! And how cute is it that Matthew wanted to display his paperchain proudly in the front?? Merry Christmas, enjoy your good health!! I can't help but think of the little children who are battling cancer now at the holidays and one in particular, Dante, 2 yrs old, neuroblastoma, on hospice :( And my buddy Coleman who is struggling with side effects from treatment. God bless their little souls.





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Calendar Complications

I stayed up til 12 AM to get my calendar finished and printed for a steal of $10. each from winkflash. I was done at 11 AM and thought I won the battle of digiscrapping! But it took more than an hr for that thing to load up to winkflash so I missed the sale and now it would be too pricey to print...for now...how bummed I was Sunday night. But at least I get to share it with you all anyway. digitally scrapbooked calendar

Merry Christmas!

It has been a great holiday season so far, of course I haven't done any shopping yet... :) We got our tree on Saturday, a cold day but full of sun! This year Matthew cut down and Maria held it, which gave me the liberty to just go around and take pics! Then at record speed the kids helped put the lights on and decorate the tree. The Christmas spirit is here! even though Todd still doesn't have a job, we know how lucky we are to be alive and well and enjoying this year. This will be the first CHristmas for my father and my good childhood woman mentor CLaire Dowling, to be celebrating in heaven, may their souls be at rest this year.

Help a grad student out PLEASE!!

For my grad class we had to "take action" on something that made us mad about eco juctice. My group had to watch a movie called The Cost of Cool. Then I built this blog as our "action". Each of us contributed, I am sure you can tell my part. On the blog is a visitor counter, unique visitor that is. I would love during my presentation to be able to prove that we have reached X amount of people. Could you just go to the blog ?? You don't have to view or do anything, just type the blog address in, let it load and count as a visitor :D You would have to go before Monday at 4PM as that is when my presentation is :D And imagine if I had followers besides me!!!! ;) THanks so much for helping out!!!

http://www.consumerawareness508.blogspot.com

Thanksgiving

Since the big kids were going to Nonna's for Thanksgiving we had ours here on Saturday. I make a kid friendly version. I make chicken, stove top stuffing, velveeta mac and cheese, canned green beans, pilsbury crescent rolls,gravy for mom, and brownies, all their favs! Sounds yucky to us adults but the kids love it! Todd and I were both recovering from colds so we didn't get all dressed up but we had fun just the same. Did you notice Maria's artwork displayed on the table? She worked hard on making that for our table! Funny thing was I told Matthew that we were having Thanksgiving now, he had a fit, crying and yelling, we finally got out of him that he didn't want to do Thanksgiving because that was BORING. After we were done making brownies and ate our kid meal, while watching Kung Fu Panda he said that was the BEST Thanksgiving ever, can we do it again??? Funny guy :) Here are some pics, I didn't take many we were too busy having fun :)

Chugging along

Somedays unemployment is hard and sometimes we are taken away from the stress by these sweet faces we were blessed with, all the time we are praying for guidance to the right job. Still no job for Todd. He is so ready to start working again! Prayers for some work soon would help :)
Here are some pics that I was smiling at to remind me that life is GOOD, even with no job for Todd.Sorry I got lazy and just posted the pics blog style, but school work is calling, only one more month left of this semester, then I will be half way done with my degree. I included a pic of my friend Julia from HS, and her new little son Julian, isn't he sweet? WE're hoping Ben and Julian will be friends, they're only 7 months apart! The pic I promised of Maria as a mermaid and the boys on a bike ride with Todd. Did I tell you what an awesome Dad Todd is??? :) He took them on a bike ride AND remembered to take a pic!