Pumpkin Patch!

Ella had a fieldtrip to the pumpkin patch last Friday, and I got to go along with her. I didn't get the best pics because it was SO flipping bright outside, but I got some cutiepie ones.

Tonight, we're taking Ella to the Barnim and Bailey and Ringling Bros (or whatever it's called) Circus! She is SO excited, and it's been a great tool to hold against her when she has misbehaved this week :P. Yes, I am one of those moms who threaten to take things away from her when she is being naughty, but ofcourse they are only threats. I am such a sap that I hate disappointing my baby, so she gets away with alot (insert embarrassed bad mommy smiley here), but once in awhile the threats work, muhahahahaha!

Ella is going to spend the night at her grandma's tomorrow night, and she'll spend the day there tomorrow. Johnny is going to a Red Bulls New York soccer game, and I might go with him. I do have a ton to do here, so I may just end up hanging out here by myself to get some of it done. I'll see how I feel tomorrow, I guess.

Have a great weekend, and I am sure I'll blog again before Monday :)

To the BEST person in the World!

I have been meaning to post this for awhile, but I just don't want to sound too cheesy or sappy. But I am going to anyway. I married the most amazing incredible man a girl could ever ask for. I fall more in love with him everyday, and I can't imagine my life without him. He deserves soooo much credit, and I rarely ever give him any. He treats me like the Queen that I am (Drama Queen, that is), and he treats Ella like the Princess that she truly is! He is the most selfless person I have ever met.

When I see him play and interact with Ella, I can't help but feel a bit emotional and proud. She is a daddy's girl 100%. He baths her for me all the time. He reads to her almost every night before bed. He plays Playstation 2 games with her. He takes her on walks to the park or out front to play. He is absolutely the best daddy!

He brings me home Starbucks drinks anytime I ask, and even at times when I don't ask. He lets me sleep in on the weekends, both days. He'll drive me to the mall, even when he hates the mall with a passion. He busts his butt for us, and I can't thank him enough for all he does. He puts Ella and I first, and he always has.

Before I even met him, I knew I was in love. We met online on a European travel website. I was planning my first trip to Europe in April 2000, and joined the travel forum he was already a member of. It started with just chatting in the site's chatroom. Then we starting chatting on AIM (AOL instant messenger). Then we exchanged phone numbers and started calling eachother. I knew he was something special, and I couldn't wait to meet him. He flew out to San Francisco (I was living around San Jose at the time as a live-in nanny) in Feb. 2001. We spent the weekend together, and I knew for sure that my feelings fro him were true. Then in March 2001, we both flew out to New Orleans for another fun weekend. It was that trip that I told him I loved him. We were at the airport, ready to catch our seperate flights home, and I looked him in the eyes and told him I loved him. He looked at me, and replied "Thank you". LOL, I still make fun of him for that :).

At this point, we were still friends, and that is all he wanted to be at that time. He didn't know if he wanted a long distance relationship or how that would even work out. He crushed my heart a few times, but I was persistant ;). I then flew out to NYC in May 2001, and we spent another weekend together (I stayed with my friend Sonya, we also met on the same travel forum- she lives in Brooklyn!). After that trip, we didn't see eachother until early December 2001, when I took a live-in nanny job in New Jersey. I figured I was so in love, and if he wasn't going to come to me, I'd have to go to him. So I did! But I only lasted about a week and a half at this job, it was terrible. I quit on the spot on night because the mother was too uptight and nutty. I was SO glad to get out of that situation, but I really had nowhere to go. So Johnny came and picked me (and my suitcases!) up, and took me to his parents home, where he was still living. Staying 1 night ended up being 2.5 months, and we decided to get our own apartment (still just as friends). His parents were so accepting of me from day 1. Honestly, I have the BEST inlaws a person could ever ask for, they are INCREDIBLE!!

All of Johnny's friends and family just assumed that we were boyfriend and girlfriend, so I asked him one day if we could make it official, and he said yes! We dated for awhile, then we got engaged in August 2002. Married March 15th, 2003 in Las Vegas, then had our sweet girl exactly 10 months later (Jan. 15, 2004). We took a trip to Ireland in Nov. 2002, and that was our first trip together internationally. That was also the inspiration for Ella's middle name.

Johnny has stuck with me through my depression and mood swings. I've put him through hell, and he has never once left my side during an arguement. He is the most mellow guy I have ever met, where I am usually not so mellow. He is just an amazing man, and somedays I wonder why he hasn't left me yet. He truly deserves so much better then me, but I thank him for loving me through thick and thin, and never once giving up on me. Many times in the past I felt like giving up, but I am so glad I never did. I love Johnny with all of my heart and soul, and I can't even begin to imagine life without him. He is my savior, my soulmate, the love of my life, and the father of our beautiful Princess. I love him more and more everyday! I wish everyone could have a Johnny in thier life. He is so special, and I am so proud to be Mrs. Johnny Lopez!

Religion and Faith

I have struggled my entire life to find where I actually fit in. When I was 17, I followed the LDS religion. I think I did that more to fit in with my peers and surroundings, more then I did it for myself. But now, several years later, I still feel "stuck". Religion isn't a part of my marriage, for I married an Athiest. But the handsome Athiest I did marry is the most wonderful person in the world who respects me and my views. He knows I'm my own person, and if I want to join any certain church, he is fine with that. He knows I am raising Ella to believe in God, and he respects that. But is it enough for her just to tell her that there is a God? I feel like I am missing out, and therefore, so is she. Johnny's mom goes to church on Saturday evenings for mass, and has brought Ella a few times.

I guess I need to decide on what religion I want to be, but that is difficult. I don't believe that there is a hell. I don't believe that there is just "one" true church. I don't believe in fasting for any reason- it just isn't healthy for you! I DO believe in Jesus Christ. I do believe that everyone deserves forgiveness for thier sins. I do believe in ghosts and spirits, and would love to "meet" one someday. I don't understand why good people die young. I don't understand how people that claim to love Jesus and follow certain faiths can be so cruel to non-believers. We are all God's people, what makes someone else better then me? I don't understand how Political leaders in any country are fine with seeing human beings struggle so much financially and medically.

I doubt there is a true church for me, maybe I can just make up my own religion. Would anyone consiter being baptised into the church of Brandiism? And by baptised, I mean sitting in a sidewalk cafe in the middle of Paris, sipping a cappiccino, and catching up on celebrity gossip with a good magazine. My church, my rules :). Wanna join?