A poem for my mom

Where does time fly, good Gosh Whoa Nellie!
Its' the 50th Birthday, for Sabrina Martinelli

On a summer day, she loves to eat melon.
She was raised by her parents, Monte and Helen.

She was a good little girl, no denying that.
Busy with so much, a great cheerleader with her clap!

Her big brother she loves, the road he paved.
To me he is known, as Uncle Dave.

A truly great mother, 3 girls as a test.
Morgan Mallory Brittany, and then there was Jeff.

She raised her family in Roseville, she's not one to boast.
She'd do anything for her family, she loves them the most.

Looking for love, a life time mate.
Then she met John, on a blind date.

Christmas, Thanksgiving, not flustered in the least.
She put out a spread, for 30 to feast.

She's sugar she's sweet, She'll some times use brandy.
She loves it so much, making chocolate covered candy.

Going to the movies, Dot candy by the ton.
Our lovely mother, she's just so much fun!

Let's go to the mall, I need a new top.
She'll never pass up, and opportunity to shop!

What makes my mom smile, so small and so speedy.
The answer is one word, her dog named BeBe.

And all with such humor, such grace and such style.
I tell you my mom, you make us ALL smile!

I pray to God, I feel him hover.
I thank him every day, for such a great mother.

So mom, on this day, your life is our glory.
Happy Birthday dearest mom,
Its and epic...your story!

♥

Carroll Family Photo's

For Christmas we (Steve, Becky, Mike and I) decided to give Bruce and Char (Mike and Steve’s parent) family portraits. Becky found Photography for a Reason on Craig’s List. Denise and her husband take wonderful pictures and they are very reasonably priced! In fact, Mike and I decided to hire them for our wedding!

So, here we are 5 months later! We picked a great weekend! The weather was perfect! We arrived at the park at 10am and took pictured until 12pm. Ally was so adorable and Cooper wasn’t that bad either. This is the first time the Carroll family has taken professional family photo, so it was a special day!















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DJ and Photographer

I have long dreaded hiring a DJ and Photographer for the wedding since they are extremely expensive. After some research, I found on average, the cost of a photographer and DJ are + or - $2,000 each. (Gulp!) I understand a DJ can make or break the flow of a wedding and pictures are the only true lasting memory of the big day, and perhaps that’s why their rates are so stinking high. However, I have a hard time spending that kind of money on one piece of the wedding. Had I grown up with wealthy parents who had money to spend, maybe my thoughts would be different. But I grew up in a house hold that didn’t have a lot of money and I was taught to save, not spend. These kind of spending habits have benefited me as a young adult and to this day I have a small amount of debit which is mostly college expenses. This habit has also taught me to think outside the box. Be creative and find a way to get what I want (quality) without spending mullah cabbage (quantity). And thanks to my parents and their teaching, I did just that!

I was able to hire a DJ for $700, for the entire night of the wedding! A co-worker of mine (Jen) was planning her wedding and shared with me her DJ. She said her and the DJ met a few times and she was really impressed at the DJ’s attentiveness to detail. And then she shared with me the cost. I thought to myself how incredibly less expensive she was compared to all the other DJ’s I had researched. My co-worker Jen said we were more than welcome to attend her wedding and observe the DJ. Mike and I went to the wedding and really enjoyed what we saw! The DJ was very organized, professional and energetic. Just what we were hoping for. We spoke on the phone with the DJ and I gave her all the idea’s Mike and I have for the wedding. We feel extremely confident that she will do a fantastic job at our wedding without breaking out bank!

Next, I was able to hire a photographer for $1,000 for 10 hours! Wow, can’t beat that! After looking for a photographer to take family pictures of the Carroll’s, Becky (my future sister-in-law) came across this photographer (Denise). In fact, we also decided to have Denise take our Carroll family photos as well. After viewing her website/photos and speaking with her references I decided I could not pass up the opportunity to pay such a small amount for such a great photographer! We feel confident she will capture our wedding in photos beautifully!

The big day is creeping up on us and 2 more things have been crossed of our to-do list. Starting to feel a little anxious for the big day to arrive….still about 7 months to go!

P.S. Shout out to my sister and Dave on their engagement!! WooHoo!

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Save the Dates

I have an old high school schoolmate who’s wedding is just about the same time as mine! Both her and I are blogging about our experiences and its fun to share idea's back and forth! I didn't think of blogging about my Save the Dates, until I saw hers :) So here is mine! Thanks for the idea, Holly!

I decided magnets would be best. We will be sending them out shortly. Check em out!!

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Bridesmaid Dresses...Fabulous!

I originally wanted burgundy colored bridesmaid dresses. After looking and looking and looking, I couldn't find a burgundy color I really liked. And if I did find a color I liked, they did'nt have the style of dress I wanted. It was strange because the more dresses I looked at, the more I liked the color black. My friend Brittany and I went to the mall one day and decided to mix it up and try on black dresses. All of the sudden the variety of dresses doubled. There was so much more of a selection of black colored dresses. We decided to visit this little store called Windsor’s. This is a trendy little store that I would compare to Charlotte Rouse, except they specialize in dresses: Formal dresses, Prom dresses, Cocktail dresses. We picked out a few we liked and found the jack pot! It was the cutest little dress ever. So trendy and so Morgie :)


I got home that night and sent an email to all the bridesmaids. I didn’t want any of my bridesmaids to be uncomfortable nor did I want to be the evil Bride who makes her friends wear an ugly dress. I shared the link with all my bridesmaids and luckily they all loved it! Well, at least that’s what they told me. :) With in one week all the dresses were ordered and big check was marked on my to do list! Best part…the dresses were only $70!! Man I’m good ;) Imagine the girls with a burgundy colored bouquet and burgundy colored peep toe shoe....Fabulous!! Picture below is an example of what I have in mind!!



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2009 Blog!!!

Here is my end of the year blog to recap this years events. It has been a fun year! In March we went on a camping trip to Van Dam/Mendocino with Mike’s family and the Costello’s. I have never been to Van Dam/Mendocino and was pleasantly surprised. It’s a beautiful town with all sorts of shops, restaurants and fantastic view’s of the ocean. Below is a picture of Mike and I with Matt and Kirby.


In May, my sister and I turned 26…how the heck did that happen?! I can’t tell you how fast the time has gone by. We went to dinner at PF Chang’s and spend the rest of the evening in Old Roseville at the local bars. Even though I’ve had my itches to leave this town, I have to admit, sometimes a night in Old Roseville is the best. Below is a picture of my sister and some friends.


Summer rolled around and my family made our first house boating trip together in Mount Shasta. It was HOT! It was one of those family trips that make you think you could totally have your own family reality show because of the drama. LOL It was a great time though! We spent some time wake boarding, drinking on top of the roof of the house boat, playing truth or dare…mostly truth, and docked the boat and told jokes around the camp fire. Below is a picture of the “Crew” of the “Ship”


Later that summer Mike and I got engaged! We’ve spent the last several months planning and still have several months to go. The date is officially set to September 25, 2010 at Sun City Roseville. It appears we are ahead of schedule in our planning, however there is still more to do. It has been a great time planning thus far.


Below is a picture of my siblings this Thanksgiving. (Missing Natalie)


Below is a picture of Mike and the “Cartello’s” (which is a combination of the Carroll’s and Costello’s) during Christmas.


And below is a picture of our child…Kitty! She is practice for now until we have the real thing. We stinking love that cat! Look at her eye-ing all the Christmas gifts!

I can’t forget to mention the Addison Avenue crew! Below is a picture of my co-workers. I’ve been with the company for about a year and half now and have learned sooo much. Thanks ladies (and Robert) for welcoming me to your group!


And that raps up my 2009! I hope that 2010 will be good year for everyone!

"I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord.
"They are plans for good...to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11

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Losing the ones we love...?

I’ve found the easiest way to express my feelings and thought is by writing them out. I don’t mean to put a damper on anyone’s day, however I love the feedback I get from my friends and family. I haven’t experienced the loss of a relative or loved one other than my great grandparents who lived long happy lives. Other than knowing a friend of a friend, or relative of a friend, no one close to me has passed away. I’ve never really had to face the loss of a loved one or deal with the feelings that come along with it. Recently my ex step grandpa, Tim (who I consider my grandpa) was diagnosed with brain cancer.

It seemed so fast and before we knew it, his head was shaved and he was taking treatment to cure the disease. A couple weeks later he fell into a coma. Things were not looking good for a few days so my siblings and I decided to visit him at the hospital and say goodbye. Miraculously (and I mean miraculously) he came out of the coma a few days later. To say the least, we were all stunned. He made an incredible recovery, considering his condition a week prior. In fact, his recovery was so great that he was released to go home, with the proper assistance.

My grandmother and him were able to celebrate Thanksgiving, their 21st wedding anniversary, Christmas, and New Years! We were also able to visit him Christmas Eve where he made sarcastic jokes and opened gifts. His progress was slow, but he continued to be a fighter. At the same time, we were painfully aware that the cancer in his lungs and brain were very hard to treat. We were all still aware what the inevitable future holds.

On January 11th Tim fell into another coma and passed away the next day, January 12th. I am thankful that he was able to celebrate the holidays with his family and friends before his passing. I am comforted that he is no longer in pain and will never have to suffer again. However, after this experience I am faced with so many feelings and emotions. It's an entire new emotion that I have not yet had to deal with until now. I’m slowly sorting through my thought and putting things back in place but I can help but to question EVERYTHING. Feelings of sadness, feelings of fear, feelings of thankfulness, happy memories, etc…

I know it’s important to experience these feelings and thoughts and they will help me grow as a person. At the end of the day I realize how blessed I am, not by things but by people. I have so many people who love and care for me it’s simply not fair. Once again I’m reading the purpose driven life. Its such a wonderful book that brings me peace, hope, and excitement. Does anyone else have any suggestions or words of wisdom?

Finally, a quote from my grandma, Tim’s wife, one of the strongest people I know:

“The realist in me knows this journey still has many twists, turns and challenges ahead. I just hope I can put my worries about the future aside long enough so that I don't miss out on enjoying the present.”

So simple and true for any experience in life!!

Morgie ♥