Celebrations, Announcements and Bloggy Stuff

We have a few bloggy things to take care of, but first we’ll start with a Big Congratulations…

Happy 31st Anniversary to Mom and Dad!

Mom and Dad celebrating 31 years in Bar Harbor, Maine

Mom and Dad were married on August 14, 1976 and are celebrating their 31st anniversary today!

As long as I (Jane) can remember, I have looked at my parents’ marriage as the ideal marriage. They share genuine, unconditional love and respect for one another, they laugh together and are truly best friends.

I always knew that I would settle for nothing less than a man who treated me the way my Dad treats my Mom. He supports and encourages her, believes in her and wants to make her happy. He is always going out of his way to do something special or unexpected for my Mom… anything to bring a smile to her face, just because he loves her.

And I always knew that I wanted to be the kind of wife that my Mom is to my Dad. She lets him know how appreciated he is, and that she thinks he is the smartest, funniest man on earth. She makes sure that she buys his favorite Edy’s fruit bars or his favorite razor at the market. She takes care of him and reciprocates his little pleasant surprises just to make him happy.

One day my husband Steve said to me, “I really want our marriage to be just like your parents’ marriage.” That statement meant more to me than he’ll ever know.

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! Thank you for being an inspiration to us all!

Mom and Dad in front of a life-size poster of their wedding photo

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We also want to thank Trista from The Pumpkin Patch for awarding us with the beautiful and meaningful “Nice Matters” Award!

“This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you’ve been awarded please pass it on to 7 others who you feel are deserving of this award.”

We pass this award on to these Nice ladies: aBlondeBlogger, M (Pretty In the City), Mama Zen, Laura Williams, Happy Hippie, AmyGeekGrl, and Shana!

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Trista is also gearing up to host an “End of Summer” Party, starting on Monday, August 20th.

For more information, click HERE!

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We were tagged by ExPat Mom for the “10 Things I Hate” meme. Here are Jane’s answers:

Food: Lamb and duck, even though I’ve never actually eaten them. I just know I don’t want to!

Fruit: Canteloupe. Any kind of melon, really (besides watermelon). Just have never liked it.

Veggies: I’ve never been able to warm up to the taste of sweet potatoes.

Celebrities/People: The obvious – Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie – anyone who is famous for absolutely no reason at all.

Event/Situation/Incident: Not a fan of subways.

TV shows/Movies: Anything scary. I hate scary movies and shows.

Music: Rap

Household Chores: Cleaning the bathroom.

Things you hate around the world: War

Things you hate about yourself: My insecurities

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There is a new site, Not China Made, started by Mommy Zabs, which is, in her own words, “a blog journaling my exploration into China’s human rights abuses. There will be interviews from experts, un-censored news, links to relevant research, opportunities to join me in spreading awareness, and what ever else I learn I need to add along my journey.”

She is holding a contest (which ends August 19th) for a $50 gift card to AmericanApparel.net.  Click HERE for more details!

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And finally, congratulations to Sally W. for winning the Once Upon a Family My Life Planner!

We have three other contests going on right now, so be sure to join in:

1) Our Gotta Go giveaway for a DKNY bag and TONS of toiletries

2) Win a $20 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card

3) Win a pair of Czela Bellies CesareanWear