The Glass House of Nicolerene

Flashback...

 

December 2005

 

 

"The Royal Fit"

Lee Canyon, Las Vegas, NV

This is Austin... This is Austin throwing a fit...

On a vacation to Las Vegas to visit Grandpa we went to the Las Vegas Ski Resort so that my brother could go snow boarding and the kids could go sledding. We were all so excited to go see the snow. We packed up the car and bundled up the kids and headed up the mountain. When we got there my brother went to go snow board and my dad and I tried to get the kids situated but all of the areas where there should have been snow for sledding were lacking in the snow department. I thought the kids would still like to walk around over in the snow areas and play with it but no... They just complained about gloves and mittens and this and that. Austin who is very very good at throwing fits was just not happy with mittens or cold hands and she let us know. We hung out as long as the little ones could last. Not that long since Chesney was only 4 months old and we went to the car to have some snacks and juice. Then it started to flurry a bit so I took the kids back out for that and we tried to make the most of a snow-less sled day. 

 

For us it was a big deal. I have lived in FL since I was 6 and I have not seen REAL snow since before that and so for some kids from FL this little bit of snow play time was good. They do not remember any of it but I have the pictures to prove to them that they have seen snow. 

That night at my dads we sat around laughing about the day and named this picture "The Royal Fit". 

The kids will see REAL snow eventually. At some point we will make it to WI to visit Ben's family and we will get more snow then they will know what to do with.

 

I hope everyone has an awesome weekend.

Nicole

 

 

Flashback... (then and now)...

 

October 2002

 

This is Kyle and Kelsey. 

A long long time ago in a land far far away I left my home in FL to move to GA. Shortly after moving there I made a friend named Jennifer. She was a mom of 3 young children, Denver, Cole and Kelsey. Jennifer and I became close friends and she was the first and one of the few good friends I made there. I have a lot of silly memories of her and I trying to figure out this life while our husbands were always gone. We had fun trying to shove a TV that did not fit through the door opening into the back seat of her car and she rescued Kyle and me when I forgot a pot of baby bottles boiling on my stove until the water was gone and all of the plastic and rubber melted and filled my house with horrible smoke. It seems like a million years ago in my other life. I had my Kyle and I adored Kelsey. She was such a happy baby and her and Kyle would baby play together. They were very very cute and they became baby friends. I loved how Kelsey would hold her bottles with her feet. I thought that was just the coolest thing ever!!! Many years have gone by... Jen and her family moved away because that is what happens in the Army and we lost touch for a while. Now years later I am back in FL and she is in MO but we are still friends and we get to share pictures and story's about our kids with each other. We were so much younger then and we had little babies. Now they are so grown up and it is crazy. I am still in contact with some of the other friends I made during that time and I am really glad that I have been able to keep these friendships. 

They are special to me...

Now Kyle and Kelsey were baby friends and have not seen each other since they were under the age of 2. They do not remember any of this. But any time I see a picture of Kelsey I can not help but to think back on these kids as babies. Wasn't it just yesterday they were sitting in that chair being babies??? It gets me every time.

Above is a picture of Kyle and Kelsey then...

Below is Kyle and Kelsey now...

CRAZY!!!!!!

Look at these kids... our little babies growing up so fast. 

...Time flies so enjoy every moment and cherish every memory...

Have a great weekend!!!

Nicole

~ Thanks so much Jen ~

Flashback...

 

October 18, 2009

 

Ko Samui, Thailand

An island in the Gulf of Thailand

I love this picture.

I love this memory.

I love this story.

 

This is the story of an incredible journey. To me its a magical story. A fairytale of sorts. The kind of thing doesn't happen to a girl like me. 

 

To tell this story I am going to go back even further. Lets say the summer of 1992...

There was this boy who just moved to FL from WI. I met him because there was a new girl in my 4th grade class. We found out that her and I rode the same bus and lived in the same neighborhood and we became wonderful friends and she had a WONDERFUL brother. Oh was he wonderful. I was in love... I was madly in love. The school year ended and my mom worked and my new friends mom stayed home so I was able to spend the summer at their house so I did not have to sit home alone all everyday. This was great. I got to have a wonderful summer with a new friend and my CRUSH. By the end of the summer I was going to marry this boy. Well time goes by and we are all friends and then we go to Jr. High. I am still madly in love. I think at one point he agreed to be my boyfriend but then stopped talking to me so I figured I was never going to get this boys attention. Then one night I had some friends over and this boy was over and OMG he kissed me. AHHHHHH!!! ( now I am 14 at this time so yes this was a AHHHHHH moment) But then... nothing... So my first serious boyfriend ended up being one of his best friends. Then that ended and not well so I went on with life down another road and made new friends. And I didn't see this boy anymore. I thought about him. The years went by. Before we know it I am 19 and getting married and moving away. I came back to visit. And for some reason even though I knew he was grown up as well I would still drive by his parents house whenever I was in town. I never ever forgot this boy. Time keeps going and I am divorced and living back at my moms house, back in the neighborhood we grew up in. I move back out on my own again with my munchkins and then I ran into another old friend. I hung out with this friend and we took a walk in the neighborhood that we grew up in with my kids one day. So of course we were talking about everyone. And then we walked by the house that this boy grew up in. He said he talked to him and his sister sometimes and we talked about memories and went along. But I went home and I could not get this boy out of my head. I just wanted to say hi. So what do we do when we want to talk to someone from long ago??? Facebook of course... Now until 3 weeks before this, I did not have a Facebook. 3 weeks before my favorite cousin was visiting and I said what the hell, whats it going to hurt and made a Facebook. Well this could not have been at a better time. So I looked him up. And I found him and sent him a message...

 

He responded. 

 

And the stars must have been lined up just perfect. 

 

And we talked on Facebook and found out that we were both divorced and we talked about things from when we were kids so hey why not get together this weekend. 

And we did...

And the weekend after that...

And the weekend after that...

So now here we are in September 2009. Every weekend this boy would come up from his job in the Keys and spend the weekend with me. Well... one weekend in September he came to my house and said that he had received a phone call saying that his cousin was going to be going to Thailand in 2 weeks and was wondering if he would want to go. He wanted to go all right but we were falling madly in love with each other and he was having a hard time knowing we would be apart for so long. Well the end of the weekend came and out of nowhere he asks me to go to Thailand with him. ARE YOU CRAZY??? I HAVE 3... DO YOU HEAR ME, 3 KIDS AND A JOB AND NO VACATION TIME AND ARE YOU CRAZY? I DON'T EVEN HAVE A PASSPORT OR MONEY OR OMG ARE YOU CRAZY? I CANT GO TO THAILAND. WHATS WRONG WITH YOU? ( now... as I am freaking out I am obviously on cloud 9 just for the fact that he wanted me to go ) The next day I had to go pick up the kids from their dad and while I was driving along down the highway asking myself if this really happened, I called my mom. I asked her a big question... I thought she would laugh at me and then yell at me for being crazy to even think... but I asked. 

Me: Mom, if by any chance I can get 2 weeks off of work and a passport, can you watch my kids so I can go to Thailand with this boy I was madly in love with from the ages of 10-14 and that I am currently sleeping with now at age 27

Mom: Yes

( ok so obviously not exact words but really it was amazing that she understood this was a once in a lifetime chance and was behind me to help ) 

The next day was Monday and I went to work and sat down to ask my boss a big question. 

Me: I know that we are in the middle of a huge company merger and the largest change goes into effect at the end of the month and that I do not have any vacation time but can I please have 2 weeks off with no pay so that I can go to Thailand

Boss: Its okay with me... Lets double check with my boss. I will let you know when I hear back. She is out of the office so it may be a few days

Me: Awesome, great, okay

Well 2 HOURS later I receive an email from my boss saying that as long as I am back by a certain date I am free to go. So I called the local passport office and they said sure just pay an extra $50.00 and you can get a rush passport in time to go. 

UMMMMM..... OMG!!!!!! IS THIS REALLY ALL HAPPENING... IS EVERYTHING ACTUALLY WORKING?????

 

 Midnight October 13, 2009 (this is also my 28th birthday) I am landing in Bangkok, Thailand. PINCH ME NOW PLEASE. OH STOP THAT HURTS...

This trip was incredible. Just getting there was amazing but the trip well... There are not words to describe the most amazing 2 weeks of my life. *

After spending some time in Bangkok we took a 8 hour bus ride in the middle of the night to another part of Thailand and then we took a boat to go spend a few days on one of the islands. We then went to another island and spent one night there and that is when this picture was taken. We then flew back to Bangkok and spent a few more days there and then headed to Tokyo for 3 days.

_{I will over time write more about things from this trip. It was an amazing time for me. Something that just does not happen to a girl like me. But it did. This happened and it is really hard for me to try to describe it. Should I make this more about the actual trip? Probably but I think the fun in this is how I got there and how this memory came to even happen. I know there is a part of me that still does not believe that this trip ever happened. It seems like such a dream.} 

So there is still what happened with the boy and me...

Everyone that we talked to before leaving to go on this trip joked that we would come back married. It really was crazy but everyone said this.

We didn't...

But 2 weeks later we took the kids to the courthouse and eloped. And that is how I became the Mrs. to my Mr.

and

that is how 17 years after I met him and fell in love and declared that I was going to marry that boy...

I DID 

 

XOXOXOXOXO

Nicole

* Amazing 2 weeks of my life  is meant to be most amazing 2 weeks of my life not counting anything related to my children. They are better then any trip to anywhere with anyone... I just had to say this because I am weird and I feel weird writing that something other then my kids is the most amazing thing in my life. 

 

Flashback...

 

May 30, 2002

 

 

The day my son...my first child was born.

Kyle Allen

May 30th, 2002

7 pounds 8 ounces

My dearest Kyle... this was one of the 4 most amazing days of my life. I was young... just 20 years old and my life was changed forever. I have a million better pictures from the day my boy came into this world but this picture is a special one. Kyle was born with a skull fracture and had to go to the NICU at another hospital in Savannah. Kyle left just hours after he was born in a neonatal ambulance and I had to stay behind until I was released the following morning so that I could go be with him. Hardest night ever!!! When I was discharged the next morning I left the hospital with this picture. No baby.. Just this polaroid that the nurse took for me before Kyle had left. An experience that no mother should have to go through. 

In the end, Kyles head healed up just fine and he has never had another issue with it. He has grown up to be my amazing son. When I got pregnant with Kyle I wanted all boys and now he is a big brother to 3 little sisters and I would not change it for anything. He is my boy. My one and only and I love it.

I love my baby boy. 

I love you forever Kyle!!!!

 

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Mama

 

_{* I am late with my Flashback post. I know, but I warned you that my commitment to Friday's would only set me up for failure. There was good reason though. I spent the day doing chores and getting ready for my bestest cousin in the world and her friend to come home for the weekend from college. Once they got here we had to hang out and spend some time together. Better late then never!!! Have a great weekend!!!}

Flashback...

 

To February 1986

 

Grandma and Me. 

I thought these were good pictures for today since we are just days away from Valentines Day. I do not remember this but I looked happy about my big box of chocolates. This picture was taken at my Grandma's house in NY before any of us moved to FL. I loved this house and I have so many amazing memories there. I am very excited about the shirt I was wearing that day. It has a penguin on it and around here we kind of LOVE penguins and Ella just happened to be wearing a penguin shirt today. Sooo Cute!!! I already have the kids Valentines finished but after seeing these pictures I think I am going to go and get us all a heart shaped box of chocolates. And we can sit around and eat yummies together. 

 

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!!

HAPPY almost VALENTINES DAY!!!

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Nicole

 

 

Flashback...

 

To January 15, 2006

 

_{( Kyle 3, Austin 2, & Chesney 6 months )}

Just a short trip back this week. Though it seems like just yesterday and a million years all at the same time. I was looking around my computer at pictures and I came across this and I smiled. Its so crazy to me how big these 3 are getting every day. They were all just babies not to long ago. I remember taking this picture. I took a few that night, trying so hard to get a cute picture of all three kids smiling in their matching pajama's. Chesney just was not having it that night. Kyle and Austin were good sports about it though. They did good trying to sit still for me. They were so happy and knowing that at that time things were pretty rough on me since I was in the middle of a divorce, and yet they still were 3 happy little munchkins makes feel so good. I do not have a house full of little babies anymore. Now they are BIG kids. Growing up so fast. 

 

I sure hope everyone has had a great week and that you have a super weekend!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

 Nicole

 

Flashback....

 

To October 13th 1981....

 

 

The day I was born.

 This is where the story begins. Well at least my story. So I thought this would be a good place to start. I was born at Southside Hospital, Bayshore, NY to a German Mama an a American Papa. I was "MADE" in Germany and then my mom came to the states when she was around 7 months pregnant with me. I lived in NY with my mom until the age of 6 when we packed up and headed south to sunny Florida. I moved up to Peachy Georgia when I was 19 and stayed there for a little bit, had a few babies, got one of those divorces and moved right back to Florida. Four years later I got hitched again and had baby # 4 and here we are, working on forever. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soooo. I have decided that along with writing about life NOW... I want to share life before the BLOG. So to do this I thought we could do Flashbacks and because I love being corny... Yep you got it, we are going to do FLASHBACK FRIDAYS!!!! Every week I will find some picture from the past and post it with the story that goes with it. 

 

Well its late and I have got to get some sleep. I have a long day tomorrow and a busy busy weekend. I am really looking forward to FLASHBACK FRIDAYS!!! I can not wait to post the next one. I have been waiting all week to get this party started... 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!!!

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Nicole

WARNING!!!---I have now committed to Fridays... that means I will not always get this done on Fridays. If I just called this Flashbacks I would get it every Friday with no issue BUT I commited to Friday's so everything and anything that can come up and keep me from posting this on Friday's will happen. So sometimes we may have Flashbacks on all the other days. I will do my best but I know I have the worst luck in the world and it is ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS when I commit to something.