FOUR years later!

Oh my!  Has it really been that long?  Four years with no posts...no updates on the little cherubs or about our life.  Wow.  Well, a lot has happened since then.  We now reside on the beautiful Florida Space Coast.  The kids are both in full time school, the little Princess is in Kindergarten and the little Prince is in First Grade.  Time just flew by!

Yes.  You read that right. We now live in Florida.  We absolutely LOVE it here!  We have made some wonderful friends, we love being able to swim almost the WHOLE year, the sunsets are just outrageous and the kids have been to Disney so much they think we have a second home there.  We have found a wonderful church family and I sing weekly at the 9:30am mass.  We are beautifully blessed, but then that is nothing new...God has always been right beside us, blessing us all along.

Here's some photos of our life over the last few years...enjoy!

2011 was such a busy year!  Settling into our new home near the Jersey shore, our trip to Arizona to visit family, putting the house on the market through the summer, the kids starting school, selling the house and then moving to Florida in October!  Phew!  What a year!  Filled with so many blessings!

 2012 was all about becoming 'Floridians' and enjoying our new Florida life. It was also about Disney, making awesome friends, Disney, visiting family up north, Disney, having family stay with us in Florida, Disney, buying our new home and settling into it, Disney, both kids being in school full time and oh yeah...visits to DISNEY WORLD!

Looking at these pictures reminds me of how blessed we are and how God has been guiding us here to Florida all along.  We have been through some dark times, but God's hand has been over us all the while.  That is most likely our greatest lesson from the last four years...even in the darkest of times, joy is ever present. Joy is a special gift from God that we can have at any time, in any moment...all we have to do is reach out and embrace it.

May you embrace your joy today.

- The Mamasaurus

Stephen Silvio Carlino

Easter 2005

Before I close this year out with my blog, I must address something that is hard for me to talk about, but must be done.

As many of my friends already know, our family lost a truly spectacular person on October 25th, Sunday....my big brother, Stephen.

Never did I ever consider for a second that I might see one of my siblings pass away so young. Stephen was only 42 years old. My sister-in-law and three nephews are never far from my thoughts or prayers. My heart breaks for them, for all of us.

Stephen was a kindred spirit. He was someone who would help his friends, his co-workers, anyone...in any way he could. He was quick with a celebratory pat on the back or some sound, loving advice if you were struggling with something. He loved his family so very much, they were what he was about...and why he did all that he did.

As a brother...I couldn’t have asked for more. He always gave the best advice. He was my biggest fan (he loved this blog and would tell me to just ‘keep writing!’). He would sometimes get ticked off at me for not using my voice and it makes me smile to think about that now. He wanted me to sing more...do more with the gifts God gave me.

Amen, big brother...I will.

Missing Stephen was something I had already been used to...but missing someone because they’ve moved and missing them because they’re gone is very different. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t wish I could pick up the phone, or type an email to him.

Stephen moved away from the northeast to the southwest five years ago. Though I missed him dreadfully, I wanted him to be happy. Then, back in ’08, my hubby and I and our two children joined him out there. Although, as it turned out, staying in the southwest was not to be...for us. Worried about upsetting my brother, since he was tickled that we were living there, I tearfully told him one day that we would be moving back. Stephen was surprised, and although he wished we would give it more time, he said, “Look, I want you to be happy...I’d love for it to be here, but if it’s not, you need to go wherever is best for your family...because that’s what matters the most.”

I hugged him and silently thanked God for him. You see, he came all the way out to PA to drive a moving van with my hubby for three days across the country to move us out there. Now, we were moving back less than four months later. He didn’t scoff at us, he didn’t get upset...he just loved us. And that’s what Stephen did so well...he loved...and he showed it. He never failed to put himself in some else’s shoes. And if perchance he happened to be in the wrong...he would always be the first one to say, “I’m sorry.”

May we all strive to be that humble.

Memories throughout my childhood of Stephen and I are so clear to me now. Stephen and I singing Christmas carols, watching the Dukes of Hazard, Stephen working on his cars and teaching me all about 8 cylinder engines. He even taught me how to tell what kind of engine a car had by listening to it (he tested me often). Then, an added extra bonus was his girlfriend and my future sister-in-law, Stephanie. I loved her just as much as I loved him. She was really like a sister to me and still is. Then, he gave our family his three beautiful sons whom I love dearly. I am so thankful for these precious gifts he has left us all with. Especially the memories.

Ah...the memories.

Ever since I could remember, Stephen was there for me. One special memory stands out. It was back in my elementary school days. Back then, I had a lot of trouble in school and didn’t like it much. Okay, that’s putting it mildly...I HATED school. One of the reasons why was because I was bullied a lot in school...by people who did not understand the struggles that I faced every day. Our family had been going through some tough times. Kids can be cruel and they tend to pick on the ones that need the most love and understanding...ironically enough.

One particular day, close to the end of school, I was having a problem with one of the girls in school. She teased me mercilessly and made fun of me at every turn. I could do nothing without her saying something derogatory about me. Today, that wouldn’t fly...but then, teachers turned a blind eye and a deaf ear and often, they would join in. Sad, but true.

I wanted so much for people to see me differently...perhaps do something spectacular to ‘shut them up’ for a change.

I was walking out of the school yard to the bus stop on the corner. Past the ‘girl’ who kept whispering and saying some things loud enough for me to hear. I kept my feet moving as the snickering multiplied while I walked past. All of the sudden, the sound of a motor droned out above the din. A moped came buzzing into the lot with a mysterious looking guy on it, face hidden by his black helmet and shaded face guard. All of the girls behind me gasped and turned their attention from me to the mysterious guy on the bike. Hearing chatter behind me like: “Who is that?” and “Who’s he picking up?” and “Wow! Cool bike!” echoed the frantic beating of my heart.

Eventually the chattering became drowned out by the sound of the approaching bike. He pulled right up to me, and stopped...idling his engine. With a nod of his head and holding out his hand, he helped me onto the back of the bike. He handed me a helmet. Hearing the gasps, I looked up and saw a sea of faces with wide eyes. Suddenly possessing the moxie, I winked at our audience and put the helmet on. We sat there for a full moment, watching the jaws of everyone drop. My mysterious rider made sure to do a complete circle around the group of gawkers before pulling out of the school yard. I was smiling the biggest smile I had in a long time when I waved goodbye to those gawking faces. It was a moment I would never forget.

I hugged my mysterious rider tightly. He may as well been a knight in shining armor on a white horse that day.

I knew that the following Monday at school there would be questions and talk about who it could have been...I smiled to myself.

They would never know who was under that helmet.

They would never know that he was one of the best brothers any girl could ever have...a brother who somehow, instinctively knew that day, I needed him so much.

Stephen, you blessed my life so many times, just by being who you were. I hope where you are, you know that.

Till we meet again big bro, I promise to laugh more, love more and thank God for each day...to live life to the fullest.

Until I hear the sound of that moped again.

-The Mamasaurus

Something about Christmastime...

No matter how busy the season gets...I still 'get into it'....the wonder...the magic...of Christmas. Ever since I was a little girl, I believed that miraculous things happened at Christmas...just look at the gift that God gave us...His only son. It's 'Christ'mas that makes us remember and celebrate it...even though the shadow of Calvary stretches out to us from the distant horizon. The miracle of Christ's birth isn't just in the praise songs and bible readings around Christmas...it's in the hearts of family, friends and strangers. It lights us up and makes us shine.

The same can be said about the miracle of Hannukah...the celebration of light...the light that against all odds kept burning. Hanukkah reminds us that the impossible is always possible...with God. That truth is enough to make anyone giddy. Around this time of year, bills take a back seat, family takes a front seat and joy rides shotgun. It's easy to get caught up in the magic of the season...to feel like your four years old all over again. Especially when you see the lights of the decorations reflected in your child's eyes. The stunned expression on their faces when they behold the Christmas Tree...towering above them with the Nativity underneath, lights, special keepsake ornaments and a sparkling, white Bethlehem star topping it all off. There's something so magical about the joy this time of year brings.

What a blessing it is to share my love for the Christmas season with my children! Our little family had an awesome Christmas! Getting together with the extended family was definitely a highlight! Marcus and Annaliese love their cousins and love playing with them. Their cousins are just as crazy about them, too. Now that we're here and not in Arizona, we really appreciated being able to see everyone.

This year our extended family did krist-kind gifts. We all put the names of our children in a hat and picked. I picked one, and the hubby picked one. It worked out very well because every child got a gift, but we all saved some money and there wasn't the massive 'opening' of tons of gifts that lasted for hours. Gift opening time was short and sweet. I felt there was less of an emphasis on gifts and more on spending the holiday with family. Gifts are a big part of Christmas, but I don't want the kids getting gorged on them. I want them to grow up knowing why we celebrate Christmas and that Jesus is the greatest gift of all. Right now though, all they know is that there's a lot more going on in the house...pretty things that they can't touch...lights everywhere and constant baking in the kitchen. I tell them the story of Christ's birth, show them pictures, sing the songs...I don't know if I'm making a dent yet...but sooner or later I know they're gonna get it.

Marcus received an Elmo Live doll (thank you, Gramma!) He plays with Elmo so much that now Elmo needs rehabilitation. Marcus sits there and pokes Elmo's belly and foot...wondering why he's not responding. He looks up at me and says, "Melmo?" I just smile and tell him that he's resting and he'll be up soon (if this weather doesn't warm up so that I can go get some more batteries he may be resting a bit longer...hang in there, Melmo!).

Annaliese got a Disney Princess stroller and a tiny white teddy bear that she has adopted as her 'baby'. She takes it everywhere. She puts it in her stroller and pushes it around. She covers it with her little blankie. She's tried to feed it macoroni and cheese (and I had to sneak it away from her so that I could wash it). One time I even caught her giving her 'baby' a good dressing down (I don't know what the little bear did but it must have been naughty...judging by the stern look on my daughter's face and the way she pointed her finger at it).

The kids are growing in leaps and bounds. Marcus is already growing out of things I bought him last month. He's having a growth spurt. He's saying more and more every day. He's insistant on doing everything himself. Annaliese is following in her big brother's foot steps...but still 'clings' to Mama quite often...much to her Mama's delight...(I admit it, I'm guilty).

Christmas this year for me has been more spiritual. Which is very good. I've been praying a lot lately...for family and other things...mostly for answers. When I didn't receive answers, I began to think that perhaps God is just not ready to answer me yet...and I trust in His timing. But then, this evening I realized He had answered my prayers.

He's given me something very valuable. I'll explain.

Tonight, I was deep in thought while relaxing on the couch after dinner. I was dragged out of my thoughts by Marcus. He had climbed up next to me with his silent 'Melmo' doll. He looked up at me with those soulful brown eyes of his, smiled, leaned in, gave me a kiss and snuggled into my side. Whatever I had been thinking about flew out of my head in that moment. I put my arms around my precious son, cuddled him close and told him I loved him very much. Marcus just kept laying there...for a full fifteen minutes. Then, almost too soon it seemed, cuddle time was over and it was time for him to get down and play with his Elmo phone (another gift from Santa). I watched him go and thanked God for that frozen moment in time. I hug and kiss and cuddle my children all the time, but Marcus is a very independent child...so he cuddles me back but is always in a rush to dash off to the next activity. I knew that this tiny moment we shared was a precious gift.

Christine, can you hear Me? This is God answering your prayers...I'm giving you a special gift here...use it well...enjoy it...savor it...cherish it.

I'd have to say that the greatest gift I got this Christmas was time.

Time with my husband. Time with my daughter. Time with my son. Time to savor. Time to enjoy the most important thing in my life...my family.

My prayer for all of you this Christmas is that you're able to savor the special moments with the ones you love the most...that the magical joy those moments give you lasts for another 364 days.

A Merry, Blessed Christmas to everyone.

- The Mamasaurus

My very first blog post...no more, no less.

Well, it's me, The Mamasaurus. I'm a stay at home mom with two little ones, 17 months and 9 months (help me, Lord) and a third child if you count The Hubbasaurus (who is currently working 12 hour days, Lord, PLEASE, help me). This blog is simply my attempt to keep sane.

We'll see how that works.

Right now, I'm on temporary hiatus while the children are nestled all snug in their beds (including The Hubbasaurus). Having children eight months apart translates into my home looking like a war-zone most of the week and me doing weird things like, putting the baby monitor in the fridge and carrying the container of milk up to bed, setting it down on the night stand and wondering why I can't hear my children's usual nightly snuffles and snores.

Break? Yes, I need one. I have no idea what's happening on my favorite TV shows, but I can tell you what Dora did last week and why Percy was so mad at Thomas the Tank Engine yesterday. With the kind of hours The Hubbasaurus is working the only romance I can get is from the Disney channel (what's Peter's problem anyway? Why can't he just commit? What's so great about Wendy, anyway? I mean, you can't get better than a freakin' fairy for godssake!).

I read a humorous article in the local paper once by a single mom saying that it had been so long since she'd been out on a date that she was starting to have intimate thoughts about Anthony Field...the blue Wiggle. I laughed so hard when I read that my morning coffee almost came out my nose.

How did I manage to have two children eight months apart? Adoption. My children are adopted from Korea. They are two of the most amazing and beautiful children I've ever seen and I am completely blessed to be their 'Mamasaurus'. It took thirteen years for The Hubbaurus and I to have kids. Was it worth it? You bet. I am the busiest, tiredest, craziest and happiest I've ever been. Some days I think I'll meet myself coming in the door. But it's all worth it. All of it. Even the sleepless nights, tantrums, stomach flu (yeck), no alone time with the Hubbasaurus in God knows how long...it's all worth it.

Someone said to me at Babies 'R' Us the other day, "That was a great thing, what you did for these children..." I shudder when people say things like that. I DESPISE when people canonize me for adopting my kids. I'm no saint. I'm a Mom just like any other Mom. The difference is that my babies didn't grow in me, but in someone else. I believe that God makes families, we do the leg work (no pun intended). We may have sex and get pregnant, we may go through adoption procedures to have a child, but the bottom line is, God chooses who will be together. Our family was created through the grace of God and nothing in this world can break that kind of bond. Nothing.

I have enormous gratitude and respect for the birth-parents of my children, especially the birth-mothers. I can't imagine what it feels like to let go of that precious life you've just given birth to, but my children will know just how much their birth-mothers loved them.

Many times, while walking through a store, someone will comment: 

"Your children are so beautiful, are they brother and sister?".

This is a frequently asked question.

I always smile anyway and say, "Yes." This always gets an extra "Awww" from the asker of the question. Yes, I know they were asking if my children were biologically brother and sister, but my answer has been and always will be, "Yes."

Yes, we are family. No more, no less.

- The Mamasaurus