2007 in Review

January-
My dad was diagnosed with non-hodge kins lymphoma.....a bumpy start to a new year.

February-
Bryan and I decided to celebrate Valentines Day on February 13th. This has many advantages. We loved each other even though it wasn't Feb. 14th. We had the entire movie theater to our selves. We could eat dinner at 6:00 p.m. with no wait. Now that's a way to celebrate!!!! We are going to do it again this year!

March-
Mason celebrated his very first birthday! We took an awesome family vacation to Gulfport, MS to visit Dave and Susan and the kids. We also went to New Orleans and Pensacola, FL. This was one of the best vacations we've ever had as a family.

April
Bryan had his rite of passage. A ceremony where he receives his white coat and is sworn in to keep patients and their care his number one concern.

May-
Alyssa had her birthday. Savannah Moon was born and we can't wait to meet her!

June-
Mason was diagnosed with Asthma and I lost my tooth.......and it's still missing. Oh well. With a new year, comes a new tooth. Dad found out his cancer was in remission! Yeah! still is too!

July-
I celebrated my birthday. Bryan gave me an iPod. I was very excited about it then and I still am!!

August-
We tried east coast camping for the first time. After living in a big city for a while, we really loved to get away and enjoy nature!

September-
Boston! I really like Boston. It's in my Top 3 cities I have visited so far. The others are San Fransisco and Providence, RI. Alyssa started Kindergarten!! Cally came to visit. It was really good to see her again.

October-
October started off bad and ended bad. After many E.R. visits, Mason was hospitalized for the first time due to his Asthma. He's a tough little guy. Alyssa and I both were sick for a week. She had croup and I had the flu. Glad to get October over with.

November-
Recovering from October. Rob came to visit us. We had a great time with him. We took him to Lambertville, NJ. Rob said he was surprised to have never heard of this charming little town before. He really liked it. And we really liked his visit! Tom and Dorothy also visited for Thanksgiving. We had our friends Kevin and Ashley come for dinner as well. It was a beautiful dinner and a great week with Tom and Dorothy.

December-
I lost my only blood sibling, Kerry, on the first. He was in car accident in Gillette, WY. He was not wearing his seat belt. A lesson to be learned by all those that don't!!! Then I just got news that our birth-grandmother, passed away on Friday. She was very sick with emphysema and edema. Her legs would seep so badly the bandages had to be changed every hour on the hour. So, bless her heart......she isn't in pain any more. December dragged on and on and on. I am SUPER happy that December is over in a few hours. Oh, Christmas was nice despite all of life's distractions. The kids had a fun time!! But,I think I will take down the tree ASAP!

So, here's to a New Year! I have already made my goals.....I will let you know if I accomplish any.

My One and Only!

The look of "seduction" or whatever.........by Bryan Molen. Yes, I do get this one on a daily basis!
What is his name? Bryan Haney Molen (after his Mother's maiden name.)
How long have you been married? 8 years on the 28th of December
Who eats more? Bryan
How long did you date? 4 1/2 months, engaged for 4 1/2 months
How old is he? the big 30 (I can't tease him much longer though)
Who said I love you first? It's been so long, neither of us could remember...eek!
Who is taller? Bryan is nearly a foot taller.....like most everyone else.
Who sings better? Definitely Me. Bryan can't sing, so he makes it easy for me.
Who is smarter? Bryan's got the book smarts and common sense, I just have common sense.
Whose temper is worse? If I am pregnant, ME. Otherwise, he can be impatient, and I yell, and then we both have tempers.
Who does the laundry? We share that job.
Who does the dishes? We share that job too.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Bryan
Who mows the lawn? When we had a lawn, Bryan always mowed it. So, Bryan.
Who cooks dinner? I usually cook dinner. Occasionally, Bryan will invent a new "creation." Hungry anyone??
Who kissed who first? We both knew what was coming.....I'd say we met in the middle!
Who asked who out? Bryan. It started with soda at a dance club. Good times.
Who proposed? Eventually Bryan did.....I thought he'd never ask.
Who has more friends? Most friendships we have, we've built together.
Who is more sensitive? Neither of us are willing to admit who is more sensitive....you will have to decide for yourselves.
Who has more siblings? I have 5 brother and 2 sisters and 1 half brother. Bryan has 2 brothers and 2 sisters.
Who wears the pants? Well, of course I do....Bryan's dad even announced it in his speech at our wedding luncheon.

I got this tag and pass it along to anyone else who wants to join in the fun!

Fifty Nifty

I saw it on my friends blog and wanted to try it out. If any one is interested the website is:

www.world66.com/myworld66/visitedStates

Here is a map of the states I have been to

Halloween 2007

Halloween was so fun this year. Alyssa really has trick-or-treating down now and knows exactly what to do. Mason was right behind her, picking up the pattern after 2 houses. He ran to the door and said, "go, go, go" all the way. Then after he got his treat he would say, "gunk-oo," for thank you. We met up with some friends for a traditional chili dinner at our house and then took them to a nice neighborhood to do some trick-or-treating. History has a way of repeating itself because we had a great time as usual!

Alyssa and her teacher, Mrs. Weightman outside waiting to march for the Halloween Parade.

Busy little Bee, Mason

I don't know what these fairy princess things are called, so I call it a fairy princess thing. I asked her what she liked more, a fairy or a princess, and she said she hadn't decided yet.

Alyssa with her "best-friend" Hailey. Hailey was Minnie Mouse. These girls are inseperable. I try to tell Alyssa she is so lucky to have many great friends, but she insists Hailey is the best! They are real cute with each other. They hold hands whenever they are together!

Homegirls- my favorite things

So, I love Philadelphia, even though it was just ranked #1 for the least clean, least friendly, and most obese place in the nation. The memories of Philadelphia I will forever cherish include but are not limited to, Wawa's, cheese steaks, everyone asking me if I am from about 10 different countries, or Texas (apparently I have an accent), deli shops and produce stores, Tightwad Tuesdays at Franklin Mills, and now, Homegirls potato chips. These chips are made in Philadelphia, and I have NEVER seen them anywhere. My friend Yasmine picked some up for me in a part of the city that isn't so desirable. She was always telling me about these chips and I had to have her get me some. So, here they are. They have an "ode" to women on the back and characters on the front. Aside from the humor I find in this "ode", they actually set a decent standard for anyone who actually takes the time to read the back. Especially in a city that isn't exactly thriving. Homegirls Chips has made the list of my favorite things about Philly! This was entertaining! Hope you feel the same!


This is what it says on the back of every bag:

H-girls Word Up!

MOTHERHOOD:

As we look to becoming mothers one day, we will produce children with good manners and good minds. We are the first teachers.

WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THIS THING AROUND

MARRIAGE:

We should save ourselves for marriage. Why should a man respect us if he can have us before marriage? Respect yourself and everyone will respect you. NO RING...NO THING!

WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THIS THING AROUND

THE POWER WITHIN US:

The force within us is stronger than the negative forces outside of us. So our message to bad influences us...STEP OFF!

WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THIS THING AROUND

THERE IS A NEW BAG ON THE BLOCK...IT'S ALL THAT!...AND A BAG OF CHIPS

GRACELINE

September Fun!

This year is going by incredibly fast. Our family has been blessed this month with health, good friends, and marking milestones! Labor Day was a fun time to Boston. This was a sentimental trip for me because my mother loved Boston. And after years of traveling the world all over Asia and Europe and the America's she was able to finally see Boston 2 weeks before she passed! What a peaceful, beautiful part of our country. It's no wonder she loved it. Then we celebrated Bryan's 30th birthday. I think he has grown a few more gray hairs. On the 19th, Alyssa started her first day of Kindergarten. She is learning so much and she really likes her new teachers and friends. I was worried because it was such a BIG new place. But Alyssa has never had a problem making friends and seems to be enjoying school. Mason turned 18 months.......10 more gray hairs for Bryan. Bryan and I were able to attend the D.C. Temple for the first time in 2 years. We have a bunch of lame excuses like, I was pregnant, I worked every Saturday thereafter, blah, blah, blah. We finally went and had such a great time with the rest of the ward that we look forward to doing it again in the very near future. And to top it off, I had my old time pal (this makes me sound ancient I know, or at least her anyway) Cally come visit Philly. We had so much fun together. I haven't seen her, or any one else from Utopia for almost a year. I was anxious to see that these people do still exist. We toured through Philly's historical sights quickly so we could move steadfast toward every opportunity we had to shop. Then we shopped, shopped, and shopped some more. Saturday rolled around, we went to New York, shopped, saw RENT on Broadway (Yes I know it is racy, please no one feel bad for me, I actually really enjoyed it!!!!) then we shopped some more. Sunday after church we went to Lambertville, NJ. Cally really likes antiques and we thought this was the perfect place to check that out! So, we would have shopped some more if everything there wasn't so expensive.......maybe some other time! And Monday, we shopped some more until I had to take her to the airport! Even though we shopped....A LOT.... we really enjoyed just catching up and being the nerds that we are! At least we did it in style! Cally, thanks for a great time, and anyone who is reading this, please know that if you want to visit, I am quite the chameleon. So if shopping isn't your thing, I can make adjustments! So, that wrapped up September! I will post some pictures when Cally e-mails them to me! :o)

The BIG 30!!!

So, this is long overdue, but Bryan's birthday was on the 10th of September. I threw him a big surprise party with a bunch of friends. There were approximately 40 adults and 20 children. I had a luau theme for him. I have so many wonderful friends who helped me pull this off. Deanna Hilton had the wonderful idea of making candy lei's for all the guests! Very cute and a lot of work!! She also helped with the decorating and then, to our surprise, she made Bryan and I the real flower leis. Natalie Buchkovich watched my kids all morning for me and, with Nick's help, made Bryan a really nice DVD reflecting the last 30 years of Bryan life! What a great keepsake! And I have re-named Bonnie Seelinger "Chip-chop"! This girl chops food so fast I am surprised she still has fingers left. Of course she is professionally trained to do so.......(Chip-chop, you should definitely start a catering business.) And Chip-chop could not have done it without Sierra Parke letting us invade her kitchen on 10 minutes notice for 3 hours or more! And not only that, she watched Mason and let him throw rice and goldfish crackers all over her house! Another special thanks to Mallena Ricks, who helped me plant last minute details, Alyson Peterson for taking pictures, and Ryan Anderson for letting us use his laptop at 2 seconds notice!! We are very blessed to have such great friends. And then a big thanks to everyone that came to support Bryan on his big day! Everyone I invited came, minus one husband and the Kuehne's, who if there name wasn't so hard to spell, would have been there too! A big Oops on my part and one I wish to forget! Any way, it was such an ordeal how it was all pulled off! Everyone tells me I should write it down for memories sake, but another time, it will take too long! All in all, it was fun to plan and fun to throw, but most importantly, Bryan had a fun time! He didn't realize how loved he was! But he should have! Because he is loveable!

Natalie, Chip-chop, and Me

Kevin, Bryan, Mason, Me, and Alyssa bug!

Grisel, Consuelo, Deanna, and Me

Yamani! Enjoying something sweet, as usual! Yummy!

The Freedom Trail

Here are some pictures of our self-guided tour through Boston. We took the famous Freedom Trail. A little red trail though out the city that guides all the tourists. This first picture is of the state house. It is so majestic! I really enjoy design and architecture so this was a highlight for me! I am not 100% sure, but I think the small statue to the left is of a woman named Ann Marbury Hutchinson. This woman is famous to Boston. She came to Boston in 1634 from England with her husband and 9 children. Later, she formed a group of women to discuss religion at a Sunday meeting gathering. Years later, she was tried, persecuted, and driven out of the state of Massachusetts. Her husband eventually passed. Following their exile, Indians came upon their home. She and eight of her children were massacred. Her sole surviving ten year old, Susannah, is whom I am a descendant of. Ann Marbury Hutchinson is considered a hero for her courage to have an opinion and is a great example for women everywhere. I was so excited to learn of her and read about her. Ironically, I did not know about her until I returned home from Boston.

We went to a cemetery where John Hancock, Paul Revere, and Samuel Adams were all laid to rest. Among them, several others. It was real peaceful to be there and think of all those there and how they impacted our freedoms, allowing us to have what we have today. This first is obviously John Hancock, the second is Paul Revere and the third is Samuel Adams.

The End of the Freedom Trail

The picture below is of Paul Revere's home. You can see that it is slanted a bit. I loved the windows of the house and the stone laid streets. This made a bumpy ride for Mason in his stroller.

This is a memorial for all the soldiers who have lost their lives in the Iraqi and Afghanistan wars. For each soldier, hangs a dog tag.

Bryan and I are waiting for the ferry. A beautiful view of Boston! When we looked out we could see most of the buildings we had just walked around. We also walked away from the city, into the residential areas and over to this particular lookout.

Boston Gardens

Labor Day Weekend Bryan and I and crew drove to Boston for our very first visit. We went with good friends, Lindsay and Dan True, Jon and Alyson Peterson, and Nick and Natalie Buchkovich. Boston was exceptional. I LOVE Boston. One of our first stops was Boston Gardens. A few highlights were this bridge we are on overlooking the gardens, then Mason enjoyed his time sitting on these little bronze ducks lined up in a row. We temporarily called him Sitting Duck. But I like Mason better. As everyone was walking away, Mason insisted that he follow the squirrel. As he was pointing, he was trying to explain why we needed to follow that squirrel. He was indeed convincing. He loves animals and tells us a story, or at least tries to anyway, every time he sees something furry and moving.

The Mayflower at Plymouth

To conclude our very fun and relaxing weekend, we went to Plymouth to see Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower. In all my life I pictured the rock to be this huge platform that the ship docked at. I never realized that it was just a rock that could easily compliment a flower garden. I was a little disappointed. Oh well, the scenery was beautiful regardless. It was really great to see the Mayflower.

Of Mice and Molen's

Since we have been in our current place (almost one year), we have had some mouse invasions. Bryan and I are both petrified of mice. It is ridiculous that we are both wimps considering our size compared to theirs. The first invasion came while we were vacationing in Salt Lake over Christmas. The damage: $200 of wasted food, a lot of house cleaning, and being scarred for life with the thought that a mouse and the Molen's could actually preside under the same roof! UUuuuhhhG! Since the invasion we have liked to believe that we are so brave when it comes to mice. If we can clean up after them......we have got it together! So, tonight was the true test. Yesterday, I saw a little mouse run from under the fridge to the oven. Sleeping in fear, being that it was the weekend and we had no traps on hand......we slept knowing the little bugger had free reign. We felt so violated! I knew he was still prodding around here somewhere, I just wasn't sure where. Well, after the kids were in bed tonight, and Bryan was at the computer........I came out of the bedroom to say goodnight and there he was with all his POWER......THE mouse! He ran under the couch, we ran, we screamed (and stood on chairs) and everyone froze, everyone meaning Bryan, the mouse, and I. All we could hear were the pounding of our chests. Bryan and I both looked at each other wondering what to do next. Well, to shorten things a bit, we were able to scare the mouse to the entertainment center. I prepared goldfish crackers with a dob of peanut butter on each. I hear mice like cheese and peanut butter, so I thought this was appropriate. While I made the mouse some dinner, Bryan stood in a football stance, ready to attack! Game ON little bugger!! I put the crackers in places that would entice him towards our traps. The weapons: A 3 ring binder, shoved in to the spaces of the armoire so he could not escape between bookshelves, a tin can, and a blanket. I was convinced this was all useless after sitting and staring at the armoire for about 45 minutes. I was too tired to shake anymore being that it was now 1:45 a.m. Bryan was still in the game, stance and all. He could not sleep until we caught the mouse. Bryan added another weapon, a squirt bottle. I didn't think that was a great idea because I heard mice like water. Well, it annoyed the mouse enough to move right between the center piece of the armoire and the bookshelf. Keep in mind, the binder was stopping him from getting all the way through. Well, Bryan shoved the binder back toward the mouse to try and get him to come my direction, where dinner was awaiting him, and then we heard him.....squeak, squeak, then............silence. We waited about 3 minutes. Still nothing. I took the flashlight and shined it on the wall behind the book case and told Bryan to use the binder to push him out so he could run toward me. I geared up to catch the mouse because, if Bry pushed far enough the mouse would surely run. As the binder started to move its way toward the wall, forcing the mouse out, I saw it! Only he wasn't moving. Surely he was joking, right? What a cruel mouse. Here we are, adrenaline racing, ready to get the guy once and for all. And all I see is his bum up in the air and his head tucked under his belly. He was in a roll. Bryan thought it was a joke as well. Why wouldn't he move? Then we thought maybe he got scared and had a heart attack.......hmmm. So Bryan ran and grabbed a pole to poke him gently.....still, no movement. Finally after 2 and 1/2 hours of trembling, the crusade was over. But then, the guilt came on. Bryan and I found ourselves apologizing to the mouse for scaring him to his death. All we really wanted to do was to trap him and release him outside in the street. Bryan got a zip lock and another bag and scooped him up from his tail and dropped him in the bag. Bryan felt it necessary to determine the cause of death. So, we looked at the little guy, his little tongue stuck out, for sure.......heart attack! But then, we flipped the bag and looked at the other side. I think cause of death was obvious when we saw his little head smashed in. Poor little guy. To this sight, Bryan concluded with an unsettled and sad expression, "Cerebral Trauma. " We really did feel bad. Bryan said he felt like he needed to repent, and I thought a proper burial would be nice...........so straight to the dumpster he went. And now, we can both sleep well knowing there are no mice in the house that we know of, for now anyway.

Boating with the Hilton's

We had an opportunity to go boating on the Delaware River this past weekend. We had so much fun with our friends, Deanna and Andy Hilton. Andy is also our Bishop. It is always fun to spend time with the Hilton's. They are both very busy in dedicating there time to serving others that they don't get much play time. We have some good memories of them and with them. When we lived by them we were able to get together more, but haven't been able to recently. So it was nice to connect outside of our church callings. How refreshing to get out on the water and tube and ski. I have many memories of my childhood out on the boat, skiing and taking in the sun! We didn't have a chance to make it home this summer so it was really nice to do something that was familiar. Although it was not a lake.....I absolutely enjoyed my first experience skiing on a river. The water was warmer than our swimming pool. The views are so different, with industrial plants, bridges, and tugboats on the water. We even went past the LENOX headquarters. Alyssa had a fun time tubing with her Mom and then Dad! She would say, "faster, faster" so Bishop would go faster, and then she would get nervous and ask for him to slow down. We had sore bums until we realized we should lay on our stomachs. That was a blast! Bryan was able to get up on the wake board! I was proud of him because he didn't grow up skiing and so the few times he has been have been with me. And he has never tried wake boarding until now. He did great! While I was skiing, I heard thunder and we knew it was supposed to rain. Well, I couldn't pass up another ski run, so I said I would go one more time, then when I fell, I said, "I'll go one more time, this is worth getting struck by lightning." I was having too much fun to get in the boat. Then, Bishop, with his boat grill, cooked hamburgers while Deanna and Bryan got the cover on the boat. As soon as that was all done, it POURED rain. And it was thundering and lightning! It was insane being out there on the river in the storm. The craziest part about it was I wasn't scared one bit. I was just so relaxed. Aside from the factories and tugboats, I couldn't help but notice how spectacular it is to recognize that behind the trees of this big beautiful river, are 2 big cities on each side! Another cool experience added to our adventure in Philly! Thank you to the always so generous Hilton's!

Alyssa and Bryan enjoy tubing!

Mason was a little unsure about the entire experience! We weren't sure what was wrong with him...................

...........oh, Deanna guessed it! He didn't have any food! See, now he has a chip, and we have a happy little boater!

I thought I would give some skiing a try

Looks like Bishop Hilton is giving out lessons!

"Dad, how do you keep your hat on? I don't know if the wind or this life jacket is going to make my whole head blow away!"..........YIKES!!!

Tobyhanna Park in the Poconos

This weekend Bryan,Alyssa,Mason, and I, went camping! We went up to the Poconos at a state park called Tobyhanna. There was a small lake there where fishing boats are allowed. We went up with Nick, Natalie, and Weston Buchkovich and Shelby, Bonnie, little Shelby, and Melanie Seelinger. It was literally a breath of fresh air. It was so nice to be able to get out of the city and enjoy nature! I felt peaceful and at right at home!

The Rugrats! Enjoying a warm fire!


Buddies!


Dutch Oven Cooking is the BEST! I made Mountain Man Breakfast
It consists of eggs, cheese, sausage, and hashbrowns. YUMMY!


Alyssa enjoying herself around the campfire! Mother Nature and her seem to get along quite nice!(Maybe it's because they are both a little testy)


Bryan and Mason. Two of my most favorite guys!


Enjoying the sun! It was a gorgeous day!


Mason is a little daredevil anymore! I was told the water was red from the trees surrounding the lake.

Happy Birthday Shaun

Shaun, my older brother by 3 years turns the big 3-0 today! Woo-hoo! Shaun and I didn't always get along when we were younger, but these last couple of years we have really had a chance to get to know each other better. So here is a little something for Shaun!

Ode to Shaun-

Shaun Richard Moon
He likes to play jokes,
on little sisters
on all sorts of folks.
Some times they were mean
unthoughtful, unkind,
to play on a girl
who was only age nine.
But behind all these games
was a pleasant, kind side,
that goes with the fun,
personality type.
He sang funny songs
with two broken legs
and in the microwave,
he blew up eggs.
The eggs were reason
to make lil' sis squemish
But the songs he sang
were to make her giggilish.
All the way up to today
you are funny and loving
The tease that you are
is what makes you my buddy.
Although we don't always
see eye to eye,
My big brother you are,
you funny old guy
Old did I say?
You won't grow a day over thirty
Someday you'll go down
in all of your glory
as the fun loving guy
with a glorious story!

I love you Shaun
T-bone!

True colors

So, this is me......in a nut shell. At least according to this quiz. And it gave me the answer that has been brewing in me for years......what I would be good at "when I grow up." Maybe I should switch my major.

You Are An ESFJ

The Caregiver You are sympathetic and caring, putting friends and family first. A creature of habit, you prefer routines and have trouble with change. You love being in groups - whether you're helping people or working on a project. You are good at listening, laughing, and bringing out the best in people. In love, you value harmony and mutual understanding. You will apologize or give someone the benefit of the doubt, if it means getting over a fight sooner. At work, you are good at building relationships and connecting with people. You would make a great nurse, social worker, or teacher. How you see yourself: Organized, dependable, co-operative When other people don't get you, they see you as: Opinionated, critical, and know-it-all

What's Your Personality Type?

Melanie Anna Seelinger

Today our good friends, Bonnie and Shelby Seelinger, blessed their baby. I had to write about this because she screamed her little lungs out the entire time. This is a baby who NEVER peeps about a thing. Well, I guess she just didn't like 8 strange men grabbing her bum! Anyway, as soon as Shelby said "Amen" she went to a complete halt and forever.....held her peace! It was so funny the entire congregation was in laughs! She is such a cute baby. Melanie is middle named after her late Aunt Anna who died as a young girl from leukemia. What a little angel!

She is a week old in this picture so it is a little outdated.