Treasured Times with theTorres'

A Day of Doctors!!

2012-02-06T18:14:00.000-08:00

As far as I can remember, the Torres family has never been so sick as we have been this winter!! (Is this really winter?) It started out with Ed having pneumonia in December right before Christmas. Then Brianna got sick with a sinus infection. Then I was sick with a sinus infection. Shiloh had an ear infection 2 weeks ago along with a nasty diaper rash. Matt had pink eye and a cold. Oh yes, I had a stye in my right eye and pink eye in my left. Then Ed got pink eye. For the past few days Ed has had a nasty cough & sinus thing going on. I needed to take Shiloh in for a check up on her ears so I made an appointment for Ed to be seen also. He was in one room & I was next door with Shiloh. The verdict was....Ed had a sinus infection!! He is now on the zpack!! As I was sitting in the office with Shiloh, my Brianna texts me & says she has a severe headache and nauseau and couldn't remember where her classes were!!! UGH!!! You see, Bri played football with the guys yesterday and got elbowed really hard (was an accident) in her head. She fell to the ground, but did not lose consciousness thank God. So as I was asking the doctor about this...he immediately said get her out of school & bring her in. So in we went with Brianna now. The verdict is.....she has a concussion!!! Has to take it easy for the next 2 weeks. They also did a cat scan, I haven't heard back from the dr. yet. I am assuming no news is good news.
So dear friends, if you think of us would you please shout out a quick prayer for the Torres family!! We are never this sick!

We are sick and tired of being sick!!!

Blessings till next time......

Beautiful Winter Day!!

2012-02-01T11:36:00.001-08:00

It sure hasn't felt like winter the past 2 days! Shiloh & I have been couped up in the house we needed to get out for some fresh air. Since it was getting late, I decided to bring her & the dog out on the deck. It was funny to watch her experience the deck with her slippers on. I hope she gets use to it quick because she will be suntanning on it soon with me!!!! Of course I will put sunblock on her Ms. Nancy :)

Oh where oh where are you winter?

2012-02-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

How crazy is this winter? Not that I am complaining because I love summer, but we need some snow here in New Jersey!! I believe the kids need a snow day too! I am sitting here enjoying the patio and front door being opened to air out the house. I need to get rid of all the sicky germs that have been floating around for the past 2 weeks. I believe the temperature today in Pittstown, NJ is 65!! That is crazy!!! I am sure it will be in the 30's again in a day or 2!!

I realized this morning that today is 5 months that we have our little Princess Shiloh with us!! WOW!! How time goes by so fast!! Thank you for your continued prayers for us & Shiloh as we go forward!! I will post pictures soon.

Blessings....till next time!

Sick...Sick...Sick...

2012-01-28T18:16:00.000-08:00

This weekend was our district pastor/spouse retreat in Lancaster, PA! I have been sick all week with a nasty sore throat, cold and a bad stye in my right eye! Shiloh has been sick also. Needless to say, I could not go with Ed to the retreat. This is the first one I have missed since being a pastor's wife!! I was really looking forward to the 2 of us just getting away by ourselves. Instead I wound up in the dr's office this morning. I now have pink eye in my left eye, sore throat, cold and body aches. I am on the zpack, Mucinex 12 hour relief & drops for the eyes!

I know my hubby missed me, he even said so in his text tonight :) I am hoping & praying I can sleep much better tonight without all the coughing.

Have a blessed Sunday everyone.

Till next time.....

2012-01-28T09:55:00.000-08:00

Our new addition....Princess Shiloh!

Shiloh just turned 1 last week! What a blessing to our family!

3 years Later...

2012-01-28T09:24:00.000-08:00

WOW! I cannot believe it's been about 3 years since I last posted on my blog! I guess facebook got a hold on me! I am not too happy with that facebook stuff, so I will continue to blog as much as I can to keep you all up to what's going on in the Torres family!

We have been in New Jersey coming up on 5 years in June!! I can hardly believe it!! God just continues to amaze us every day! Our kids are growing up so fast. Peter is now a sophmore at Kingswood University in Canada. He is studying Pastoral ministry & sings with the Chorale. Brianna is a junior in H.S. and just finished taking her SAT's. She plans to be a Social Worker after she graduates. She continues to look into colleges. Matthew is in middle school, 6th grade and plays on 2 basketball teams!! We now have an addition to our family of 5.....Shiloh our princess! She is our great step niece whom we have legal & physical custody of since September! She just turned 1 year old last week! She is such a joy to have with us. She is part of our family!

We continue to serve our great God here in New Jersey! God has been so good to us and I look forward to the blessings He has in store for us and the community we serve!

Till next time......

Updated family photos!

2009-12-12T18:40:00.000-08:00

2009-12-12T18:23:00.000-08:00

Hello all who check on my blog! It's been a long time since I have been on here & I do apologize. The days go back so quickly I barely have time to think.

The family is doing well. Peter is in his senior year of HS & will be leaving in the fall to continue his education at Bethany Bible College in Canada. He is going to be a Youth Pastor. Although he will be very far away from us, we are very excited to see & hear how God is going to use him.

Brianna is a freshman in HS & loving it (I think)! She still misses Michigan & her friends there very much....probably as much as I do. She just returned from her first mission trip to Guatemala with her dad. She says she wants to move there one day:(. She might possibly be my missionary girl. Bri will be getting ready to play softball in the spring. She is a great 3rd base player like her dad!

Matt, my baby is growing up so quickly & I hate it. He continues to be "Mommas boy" & I love it. He is now in the 4th grade which is very challenging to say the least. He is playing basketball & is really good at it. Starting in January he will also be playing indoor soccer for the first time.

Ed & I continue to minister to the community. We have made some really great friends in the community & love the area we're in. The only downfall, is there are no Palm trees here! lol.

I hope & pray you are all well & will try to get some pictures up here (if I still remember)!

God Bless & have a Merry CHRISTmas & Happy New Year!

Jersey Shore Trip!

2009-07-19T19:04:00.001-07:00

Jenkinson's Beach, Point Pleasant, New Jersey!

I'm back! For all my blogger friends....Tuesday was my 48th birthday & Ed & Matthew were away at Kids Camp this past week. So I was home with Peter & Brianna. We headed to the Jersey shore to celebrate my day with some teens & my girlfriend Lynne. I grew up going on vacation at the Jersey shore and have alot of childhood memories there. We did not go to the beach I grew up on, but did go to Jenkinson's which is in Point Pleasant if you know NJ you will know exactly where it is. I had a great day celebrating.

Lynne & I after a long day on the beach.....then we headed to the boardwalk.

Our group of teens!

My Peter loves the waves & it was high tide, which made it even more fun for him.

The whole gang out in the water!

Peter goes to prom!

2009-06-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

A face only a mother could love!!

Peter went to his girlfriends senior prom last week & had a blast. I could still remember mine from many years ago. The only difference is now instead of it being one night, they make it a whole weekend event. Saturday, everyone heads to the Jersey shore to crash on the beach.

Peter & Corina!

Brianna's 8th grade dance!

2009-06-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

Bri all decked out for her 8th grade dance. In NJ they have a big "hoopla" for 8th grade. They even have a formal graduation. She will be graduating on Friday, June 19th & off to H.S. in the fall. Peter will graduate in June 2010 & plans to attend Bethany Bible College in Canada!

Bri & Mom....my baby girl is growing up so quickly:(

Looking sexy.....

Ready to dance the night away!!!

Family Vacation!

2009-05-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

WOW! It's been awhile since I have blogged.....Facebook has gotten the better of me. Anyway the Torres' are doing well & have returned from vacationing in Florida. We got the chance to meet our new grandson Alex who is now 4 months old! We got to spend time with Ed's parents and go swimming everyday. I just love the weather in Florida....always sunny!

We stayed in Ft. Lauderdale for 2 days since we were leaving from Ft. Lauderdale airport. Easier to travel! Since we all love seafood, we decided to eat at Bubba Gump's which is right on the beach of Ft. Lauderdale. We loved it so much, we ate there twice! Wish there was one in NJ!

The Torres family out to dinner at Ruby Tuesdays.

Ed & I with our grandson Alexander....

Alex...4 months old!

Sweetheart Dinner

2009-03-19T14:40:00.001-07:00

I did Brianna's hair the other day. She usually has blonde streaks but she was sick of them already, so we did all one color. This is her natural color. Love it!

Saturday night was our 2nd annual Sweetheart Dinner at Faith Chapel. Ed was our DJ & our game host for "The Not So Newleywed Game". We did alittle dancing and karaoke and of course had some good Italian food!

The ladies did a great job on setting up the tables.

All dressed up & ready to go!!!

Ladies Night Out!

2009-02-23T07:21:00.000-08:00

On Friday night about 18 ladies got together for a great time of fun, food & fellowship at Kelly's home. We watched Chondra Pierce (a christian comedian) who is hilarious, ate, prayed and just hung out. I did hairdo overs on 3 of the ladies. Some of you may not know this, but after high school I went to "Beauty School".....yes, I am a Beauty School drop out! That is my song!! Anyway, I still have a passion for hair & make up and just had fun doing it with the ladies!

I should have done "before & after" pictures! Next time!

Susan, Shirley & Linda were the brave ones who trusted me. This was the "after"!

Susan getting her hair done!

Making Shirley look "HOT"!

Making "granny" look funky! Funky Granny!!!

Valentine's Dinner Party!

2009-02-14T12:19:00.001-08:00

Dick & Sandra Brandt hosted a Valentine Dinner party for 8 at their home. These guys surprised us and came right before dinner to sing love songs to us. They are "The Harmonizers" and were excellent. After they were all done, each lady received a rose from them & a card! It was awesome.

This was our menu for the evening. Sandra set everything up while Dick did all the cooking. And he is pretty good at it!

We started off with an appetizer of tomatoes & mozarella in balsamic vinegar....it was delicious. Then we had stuffed mediterrean pork loin...(sorry I forgot to take a picture), but it was delicious.

All of us hanging out before dinner.

Sandra did a great job on decorating the table "Victorian Style".

Riley Grace!!

2009-01-24T14:50:00.000-08:00

My sister Lorraine got very sick on Monday and needed someone to take the kids. My parents took Vincenza and I took Riley for 2 days. She is such a good and happy baby. Always smiling and hardly ever cries....only when she is tired or needs a pamper change.

Smiley Riley!

Matt just loved having her around and was a big help.

How I miss these precious days.

She just stared sucking her bottom lip at my house. When I brought her back home on Wednesday, Lorraine was hysterical because she has never done this before. It's not like I taught it to her!!!

Happy 9th Birthday Matt!

2009-01-18T19:48:00.000-08:00

Matt is playing on the town basketball team for the first time this year. He does great and is really enjoying it. His dad is his coach!

We celebrated Matt's 9th birthday on Wednesday. We have been partying all week for it. Cupcakes to school on Wed., Cupcakes to AWANA (church) on Thursday and a movie with 3 of his friends on Sunday and a sleepover with 2 friends. A week long birthday!

Bri got Matt some Bakugun cards for his birthday. This is the new and upcoming thing with the boys his age.

And sweet Riley!

HAPPY BIRTH-DAY ALEXANDER EDWARD TORRES!

2009-01-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

Today Ed & I became grandparents to Alexander Edward Torres. Alex was born at 1:30 am by c-section to Ed Jr. & Yani down in Miami, Fl. He weighed in at 6lbs. 14 oz. (I think)...we keep getting different numbers. Mom & baby are doing great. We are very excited and blessed about this new addition to our family. We cannot wait to meet Alex in April when we visit!

Christmas morning 2008 (cont'd)

2008-12-27T08:05:00.001-08:00

I finally got my sweatshirt...thanks to Peter. No matter where we live I will always be a "Jersey Girl"!

Grandpa opening up his gifts...

Grandma got a hand mixer from Peter.

and a nice warm snuggly blanket from Brianna since she is always cold.

Christmas morning 2008!

2008-12-27T07:58:00.000-08:00

Matt finally got his guitar ...Peter is teaching him to play.

and Bri finally got her own digital camera! Now she won't have to use mine...

and Santa got Matt a bike which was a real surprise for him since it was not on his list....

Peter, Matthew & Brianna waiting patiently to open up gifts.

Christmas eve after Santa dropped off all the gifts under the tree!

Christmas Eve service 2008

2008-12-27T07:51:00.000-08:00

Brianna's buddies....Emily, Bri & Arlene

Lynne & I

Some of the kids from the youth group

Christmas Eve Service 2008. Merry Christmas from the Torres Family!

The Worship Team before service started!

Happy 4th Birthday Vincenza!

2008-12-19T18:42:00.000-08:00

Vincenza celebrates her 4th birthday!

Riley, my god daughter & niece.

Noah, my great nephew

Uncle Ed and Noah

Christmas time 2008!

2008-12-19T18:35:00.000-08:00

LBA Christmas Party 2008

Ed & Alan at the Christmas party!

Pat & I at the party!

Shadow

Merry Christmas from the Torres family!

Having fun!

2008-12-07T13:25:00.000-08:00

Peter, Bri, Matt and Shadow having some fun with their hats on.....it's was freezing outside!

Peter, Bri and Arlene being silly after service.

Peter and his pals....Ronnie, Peter & Matt

Ronnie doing what he does best.....eat!

Pastor Gary's last day!

2008-12-07T13:17:00.001-08:00

Pastor Gary was our intern here for the past 6 months. He goes to Bethany Bible college and will be finishing up his semester. Today was his last day with us at Faith Chapel. It has been such a blessing having him here to help Ed with the Youth & kids ministry.

A bunch of us went out to Frank's pizzeria after church with Pastor Gary. Frank's has the best Italian fast food in NJ!

Ed & Pastor Gary...

Gary thanking the congregation for a great 6 months. We will miss you Pastor Gary!!

Christmas decorating 2008!

2008-12-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

Matt my cutie pie!!

Trying to get Shadow in the holiday spirit!

This one came out a little blurry (Ed did it), but it is the first time ever that we did white lights on the tree. We always have multi color. I like the white, but I think I like the multi colored blinking better.

Mom's big helper!

Mom's other elf!

Christmas Tree Hunting!

2008-12-07T13:01:00.000-08:00

Peter & Bri trying to stay warm by the fire while the tree was getting cut down!

Bri looks like she is in pain.....she walked into a closet at school on Friday and got a nice knocker on top of her eye lid, she said it hurt to smile!!

Ed & I tagged a tree during the week, so all we needed to really do was go back with the kids and make sure they agreed on it. It was so cold out there, they said it was beautiful (lol)! This was the one I had picked out!

My beautiful family.....they just love when I have the camera out!

Update on The Torres'

2008-11-14T08:07:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I blogged, so I thought I would get you caught up on what's been happening with the Torres'.

Peter's football season is narrowing down with 1 game left...thank God! He didn't get to play much this year, but he really enjoyed being on the team. Bri started soccer, but due to a broken growth plate in her ankle while playing had to drop out. Matt has finished his football season (first time playing). They went to the finals, but lost!

Now we are into the winter sports. Peter will be playing floor hockey, Matt, basketball and so will Bri. I thought I would catch a break, but not. I do enjoy watching them play sports though.

Ed has been on a medical mission trip for the last 2 weeks. He was in Panama last week and is finishing up in Honduras this week. He will be home on Sunday, midnight and I cannot wait! 2 weeks is a very long time for your spouse to be away.

I have been holding down the fort at church, the house and where ever else I am needed these days. Thank goodness for friends and their prayers during these 2 weeks.

As we move into the holiday season, I can't help but think about all the stress that goes along with it. I just want to enjoy the time with family & friends this year, but how does one do that with the pressures of life???? If you have any hints, please let me know!

I am mostly on "facebook" these days if you want to drop me a line.

Weekend with Riley!

2008-10-30T06:03:00.000-07:00

My niece, goddaughter Riley Grace spent the weekend with us last week. What a joy it was to watch her. She is such a good and happy baby. I don't think they get any better than this! If they could only stay little and innocent like this!

Shadow was so protective of her the whole weekend. He's never had a baby in the house before so he didn't know what to do with her. He was a good and gentle boy though!

Riley hanging out!

Me & Peter before he leaves for homecoming.

What a good dad you will make one day Peter! Not for awhile.....I'm not ready to be a grandma yet!

Peter's Homecoming 2008!

2008-10-30T05:56:00.000-07:00

Last week was Peter's homecoming. He went with Natalie and the group of girls he hangs out with. He loves it....6 girls and him all the time! What a lucky guy!

So innocent! Peter & Natalie.

Peter putting the corsage on Natalie....he was so nervous!

Here is the group of girls that he hangs with all the time, 1 was missing in this picture. It is usually 6 of them. He had a great time.

A day at Grandma & Grandpa's!

2008-10-18T19:10:00.000-07:00

My dad's dog "Nikki" died a few weeks ago and they buried her in their front yard with this headstone. The one to the right is from their grandaughter Vincenza. She is 3 years old and was very upset that Nikki died.

Peter, Brianna & Matt

More pictures, only because I never get them all together anymore with Peter always working. So I took advantage of today and shot a whole bunch of them at grandma's with the beautiful fall colors. I am hoping to use one of them for a Christmas card. We took many, this is only 2 of them. By the time I was all done, they were ready to kill me.

I couldn't resist taking this picture. If you know my dad, he absolutely loves pasta. This was no exception. He was so hungry that he started filling up his plate before anyone even sat down.

Here were are getting ready to did in. Notice my dad is the only one with food on his plate? (lol)! Gotta love him!

Happy Halloween 2008!

2008-10-18T19:03:00.001-07:00

We finally got the chance, or should I say, Ed got the chance to carve out the pumpkin for Matthew. We used the stencils and the tools that we needed and this was the final masterpiece. We stuck a candle in it and walaaaa!! He did a great job. Thanks honey!

Peter, Arlene, Bri & Matt hanging out with the pumpkins on the front porch!

Even the dog wanted to get in the fun! He probably would of ate the pumpkin if we let him out.

A shout out to Cuzin Roy....do they have pumpkins in Florida???(lol)!

Pumpkin Picking

2008-10-12T17:03:00.001-07:00

It was 75 degrees in NJ yesterday and Peter didn't have to be into work until 4:00, so we took advantage of a "Family day" and went pumpkin picking at the farm, which happens to be right down the block from us. Matt loved pulling the wagon around with the pumpkins in it.

Here is Peter picking out the biggest and the best pumpkin he could find. Well, what we didn't realize was that the pumpkins were 59 cents a lb. Well needless to say we paid about $21 just for this pumpkin. It better last till at least Christmas!!

After awhile, Matt got tired and was ready to go home!

Ed, Brianna, Peter and Matt when we were all done and ready to pay for our pumpkins....very expensive pumpkins.

What a great day we had. Just being together. We are always so busy during the week that we never get a chance to be all together and do fun family things.

Football!

2008-10-04T19:43:00.000-07:00

Peter is playing football for JV at the high school this year and really enjoying it. He got his photos back and of course mom has to brag on how good he looks in his uniform. I just wish he got more playing time at the games. I guess being the new guy they don't let you play much. Maybe that's better for me....I would be a nervous wreck thinking he would get hurt. But, he may actually be playing this Monday and is all excited. I will try and get some pictures if he does.

Just love these pictures! I cannot believe that he will be a senior and graduating next year! Where have all the years gone???? Ugh! I hate that they are getting older!

Matt's Walk a Thon!

2008-10-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, Matthew had his "Walk a Thon" at school. At first he did not want to do it, but when I told him that I would volunteer he said ok. So here he is (on the right) with his buddy Matt S. They walk 1 1/2 miles and I walked 2 miles! Mostly just to keep warm....it was pretty windy out there in the fields.

Here they are with the Lion. They were alittle embarassed when I took this one!

Here is Maddison hugging the Lion. Maddison and I walked around 10 times! Great job Maddison.

Here I am with a shorter haircut which was not suppose to be that way! I keep telling myself it is just hair and it will grow back. It is much easier to take care of now anyway. I better start looking for my wool hat......I am going to need it for the winter for sure!

2008-09-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

We went to visit my neice Riley yesterday who is now 6 weeks old. She is so darn cute! Here she is with Uncle Ed watching the Mets loose!

Love those cheeks!

Here is my Bri Bri, as you can see her leg is in an aircast. She is my soccer star and a week ago she twisted her ankle at her first game. What we thought was a sprained ankle, turned out to be a fractured growth plate. She will be in this cast for 3 weeks, then possibly switch to a brace. Poor thing loves to play soccer and now cannot play for the season. She hopes to be better for basketball season in February!

Riley's big sister Vincenza ready to down that whole piece of cake in her mouth....and she did it!

Riley sticking her tongue out at Aunt Doreen!

MY BOYS!

2008-09-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not posting in awhile but I started the new craze of "Facebook" and I foget all about blogging. I know that most of you are on "facebook", but for those of you that are not, here are some updates. Matt has started playing football for the Jr. Lions. This is his first time playing organized football and loves it!

He was so proud to bring home his uniform last week!

And #77 is my Peter playing for the HS Lions. He is on JV and it's his first time playing organized football. I have never seen a sport that has been so demanding on such young boys.

BACK TO SCHOOL 2008!

2008-09-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

Brianna & Matt went back to school on Thursday, Sept. 4th. I was very happy that they still would want to pose for the picture. Brianna is in 8th grade and will be graduating from Middle school this year. They do it very different here than what we are use to. They go all out for 8th grade graduations....cap & gowns, dances and of course there will be a big party for her in NJ! Have a great year Bri and enjoy 8th grade. She is off to HS in Sept. I am not looking forward to that just yet. Matt is in 3rd grade this year and is already complaining that it is too hard! He already had a sick day today. He was sent home yesterday with 101 fever, but is fine today. Have no clue where that one came from. And of course Peter.....well you know he won't pose for a picture anymore! I was thinking of going out to the bus stop as a joke, but I think he would have killed me since there are 1-2 girls that get the bus with him! But Peter is a jr. this year and I cannot believe we will be checking out colleges already. Enjoy your kids, they grow up to fast! WOW!

Bri & Matt getting on the bus with the neighbors.

off to school!

Baby Riley's visit!

2008-09-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

My parents and 2 sisters came over for a BBQ on Labor Day. So I got to hold Riley. Her eyes were open for this picture. She is so darn cute!

Here is daddy Dave with his 2 beautiful daughters. Vincenza looks like she is holding one of her dolls there.

It wasn't long before Riley fell back to sleep! I love the t-shirt she was wearing...."I AM NOT A BOY" I wish I had one of them when my kids were babies. Always mistook the boys for girls!

Riley sleeping so peacfully!

The Jersey Shore!

2008-08-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

A group of us headed to Point Pleasant Beach yesterday since it was the High Schoolers last day of vacation. As a kid I always spent my summers on the Jersey shore and loved it. I have so many great memories of being there and wanted my kids to see it also. We have been back in NJ over a year now and I have finally made it to the "Jersey Shore". Mind you it is only 1 hr. and 20 mins. away! It was a gorgeous day. 80's and not a cloud in the sky.

My girlfriends and I took some of the teenagers with us and here they are digging huge holes in the sand which later some of them were buried in.

The water was alittle too cold for me to go in and quite rough, but the kids went in and had a ball anyway. They got knocked around alot and came home with lots of sand in their suits.

Matthew just hung out on the edge of the water. He did get knocked over once!

Me and my girlfriends Kelly & Lynne. We were the brave ones to take all the kids. What an awesome day. I can't wait to go again next year already. (I'll be waiting for you Joelle)!

Mom, Peter & Bri

2008-08-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, I got another new hair do! Every so often I need a new look. It is so much easier to take care of. I love it!!!

Brianna & I were just hanging out and being silly. She is getting so grown up I can't stand it.

She made me do it!

Of course Peter couldn't resist being gross!

Mom & her Bri-Bri!

2008-08-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

Riley Grace at grandma's house....4 days old!

Big sister Vincenza modeling for Aunt Doreen! She looks so grown up now.

Youth Camp at Tuscorora Inn.

2008-08-28T17:54:00.000-07:00

Arlene, Emily and Brianna at Youth Camp 2008!

Ronnie washing his brother Peter's feet during a night rally at camp! Being an example of what Jesus did to his disciples.

Our teens hanging out at the playground

Peter, Brianna, Arlene & Emily!

IT'S A GIRL!

2008-08-18T12:39:00.000-07:00

My neice Riley Grace was born on Saturday morning about 10:oo. She weighed in at 8lbs. 11 oz and 20 inches long. Brianna and I were honored to have been there for the birth. I even got to cut the ambilical cord! It was amazing!

This picture was taken seconds after Riley was born.

Riley getting checked out by the doctors and getting cleaned up!

Lorraine was so happy it was finally over. She did an awesome job for her first time going natural. You are my hero Lorraine!

Baby Riley resting on Mommy after a hard days work.

David, Lorraine and Riley are exhausted after a long labor. Thank God it is all over now. Riley's big sister Vincenza is loving her to death, and of course Aunt Doreen will be spoiling them both very soon!

A quick note!

2008-08-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Sorry haven't blogged in awhile, but life with the Torres' have been crazy busy! This is a good thing. We are trying to get the kids ready to go back to school, Ed and Bri are getting ready to go to District Youth Camp this week. Peter will not be able to make it this year. He has made JV Football for the high school and has a week of "boot camp" this week. Pray for him, we hear it is very intense.

We are also waiting on the birth of a new neice or nephew (hopefully today). My sister Lorraine has been overdue and she has been in labor pretty much all night. She is on her way to the hospital right now with contractions being 3 mins. apart. Keep her and the baby in your prayers. I will leave to see the birth as soon as I get the call! I am so excited to be there for the birth. I hope I survive it! (lol)!

I will keep you posted on the sex. It is a surprise for everyone. I love it! Not to many women keep it a surprise anymore.

Talk to u soon.

2008-08-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

On Monday 21 of us went to Dorney Park in PA for the day. We had an awesome day with friends and the teens from our church. Ed, Ronnie and Gary are on this ride somewhere...this was alittle to much for me to handle, but I did do some of the upside down crazy roller coasters!

Kelly & Lynne looking sexy for the camera. Lynne (on the right) is usually the one always taking the pictures of everyone else, but not this time....I got her instead!

Matthew standing in front of the Haunted Hurst Car! He is smiling, but he was not happy standing next to this car.

Dorney Park at sundown right before we left.

As you can see, Matt was the only one who hung out with Mom most of the day while all the teens went their way on the bigger and better rides. I think Matt rode this car about 4 times that day. He is driving me around...he loved it!

A Visit from the McCoys!

2008-08-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

We were blessed to have Don, Rox and Stephen here this past weekend. They were on their way to Bethany Bible College for Steve and came through NJ to see us! YIPEE!!!

Don, Stephen, Ed and Peter!

Don, Stephen, & Rox before they left on Sunday afternoon. We were so happy to have them at service on Sunday.

Stephen & Peter being gangster????

OOPS....copied that one twice.................

A night out in Clinton!

2008-08-07T13:41:00.000-07:00

A nice night out in Clinton, NJ. One of the most historical towns in NJ. It's only 2 miles from our house. We love to go there at nightime especially in the summer and a nice snowy winter night!

Bri & Matthew hanging out on the steps in Clinton.

Bri and her dog Shadow!

Matthew wrestling with the dog on my couch pillows! Uuh!

Summer KIDS JAM!

2008-07-30T17:42:00.000-07:00

Summer is definitely here in NJ and the kids at the church wanted some water fun with P. Ed! Well they got it yesterday. They played water kick ball (pools were the bases) and a chocolate slip n slide was home plate. Here is one of the teams getting ready. Notice how nice and clean they are!

And here is home plate. Everyone had to slide into this mess in order to score a home run. The kids loved it and even ate alittle of the chocolate.

Here is Pastor Ed slidding into home plate. Luckily he didn't break his back doing this!

Here was the whole team. We had 12 kids show up, 1 teen and 3 adult leaders. A great time was had by everyone.

And there goes my Bri-Bri!

Tubing in Virginia!

2008-07-25T12:02:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday we went tubing in Virginia on Lake Chicaharmony ( I think that's how you say and spell it) on Gil's boat. NO I DID NOT GO TUBING...YES, I WAS CHICKEN....maybe next year!

Here is Bri getting ready to take off!

Ed was the braver one of us.

Peter holding on to dear life. He did manage a few flips off the tub. He loved it.

And here is the Captain and his mate....Captain Gil & Leenie!

Gil took us out (just the adults) for a spin in the boat. It was so hot out there we all decided to jump in the water to cool off. Luckily we had Matthew with us on board, so he took this cool picture of us.

Virginia Beach Vacation!

2008-07-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

The kids, Ed & I took off to Virginia beach after church on Sunday and spent 3 days there with my cousin Eileen (Leenie)! She took us to Virginia beach. This was our first time there and we had an awesome time with her and her son Jarrett. I loved Virginia beach!

The kids got to ride the waves with boogie boards and Peter got to skin board. With all the hurricanes in the south right now, we were very fortunate to be able to even go into the water. As you can see, Matt had a great time riding the waves with his boogie board.

Peter and Bri taking a break from the water to have their lunch. It was 100 degrees when we were there and very humid. We spend alot of time in the water on Monday.

Here is Peter determined to master the "skin board". He did give up after awhile. Maybe next time Peter.

"True Love" in the sand!

Family Camp 2008!

2008-07-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

We camped in a dorm room this year next to Barry & Susann.,.we had a great time. I don't know if staying in a dorm room for a week is considered camping, but it was nice being there with our dear friends and AIR CONDITIONING and your own showers! Here we are having ice cream sundays with Pastor Garry on the right!

And of course Pastor Jason with Matthew by his camp site!

Terri & Carl hanging out at the fire pit roasting smores. We miss you guys!

Miss Melanie & Terri trying to roast smores!

Pastor Jason & the Mrs. Fullum!

Cheri Wellmans ordination1

2008-07-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

We had the honor of going to Michigan for the week of July 4th to celebrate Pastor Cheri's ordination with her. We had an awesome time with friends and Ed was honored to pray over Pastor Cheri & Randy.

Cheri & Randy Wellman being prayed over.

Pastor Jason walking Cheri & Randy down before ordination.

Cheri, Randy and Ed after ordination! We love you Pastor Cheri & Randy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

2008-07-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

So today I turned 47, yes 47 and I got breakfast in bed from my wonderful husband and son Matthew. Yes, I do look alittle scary when I first wake up in the morning! This was 8:00am. A woman should be able to sleep in on her birthday!

Matthew was so excited to do this for me. What a sweety. They even propped the pillows up for me and let me watch TV! How's that for some birthday breakfast in bed.

So the menu was 2 egg omlets with mushrooms and cheese and an english muffin! That's what the birthday girl ordered.

Ed was so proud of what he made he had to take a picture of it. Check out the decorating on the plate. I love that man! I think I'll keep him!

So overall I had a nice and relaxing day. We are heading to Virginia Beach this weekend for a few days at my cousins house. This is part of my birthday gift. Should be lots of fun!

Sleepover

2008-07-14T14:23:00.000-07:00

My niece Vincenza spent Friday night with us and of course had a ball! Mom & Dad had to go on a tour of the new hospital where the new baby will be born soon so Vincenza got to hang out with Aunt Doreen! Thanks for being such a good girl Chenza! Love you....

Here is Vincenza doing some Karate moves! Sorry Lorraine! (LOL)!

Some more karate moves....even Shadow (the dog) wanted to get into the moves!

A Day at Spruce Run Lake!

2008-07-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

These are the "Hot Beach Babes" of NJ! Ed and I took some of the youth over to Spruce Run on Thursday for some swimming and sun of course! Brianna, Arlene, Lindsey, Emily, Sarah & Stacey. What an awesome time!

Steven & Matthew buried Daniel in the sand.

My sexy husband playing ultimate frisbee with the guys!

Ed & Ronnie being 2 old men! They were hilarious!

Peter & Arlene being cute!

The Baptismal!

2008-07-12T06:29:00.000-07:00

Here is our new and stained baptismal! We were so blessed that someone donated it to the church. We have celebrated about 5 baptisms in the past month and plan to do many more! Do you notice the crooked cross....it's like that for a reason. "Jesus tells us to pick up our cross everyday and carry it". It's just a reminder of what HE has done for us!

Josie getting ready to be baptized!

The Garden is Growing!

2008-07-12T06:20:00.000-07:00

We were away in Michigan for a week and came back to a beautiful growing garden. I was able to pick about 5 yellow squash already. Peter loves when I cook them, they are delicious!

The eggplants are not quite ready yet....a few more weeks and we will be ready to make eggplant parmigiana. Ed's favorite!

And here is my little farmer boy. Matt comes out with me every night to help water the garden and pick what needs to be picked. I have never grown anything in my life (except probably my hair) and it's exciting to see. My family wants a bigger garden next year they say! We will see...it was alot of work to get started, but now it's fun to see the results.

We are Home!

2008-07-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

We are back from our trip to Michigan. What an awesome time we all had. It was refreshing and rejuvinating. We got to see lots of friends and made some new ones. Except for some thunderstorms and a tornado that blew through the campground, the weather was beautiful. It was actually pretty cold at night. Next time I need to remember to pack some warmer clothes.

I hope to have some pictures up soon.

Till later.....

Michigan Trip!

2008-06-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

OK, this will be the last post for awhile...we are heading out to Michigan on Friday morning about 4:00am. So I will be very, very busy tomorrow getting us ready to leave, plus I have to work!

We are looking forward to seeing all our friends at camp and celebrating Pastor Cheri's ordination with her. I will post when I get back.

God bless!

Celebrating my Kids!

2008-06-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

Schools out for the summer and I am just as happy as the kids are! No more time schedules and rushing to get everyone out the door on time. I just got these pictures back (remember my digital camera is being fixed still)! and I was thinking how blessed I am to have 3 beautiful children. So why not brag about them alittle.... Matt is my official "ring bearer" in the weddings. He has the cutest smile ever...I love you Matt!

My Peter...my firstborn....need I say more. He has the personality of his father. Always making us laugh, never a dull moment when they are around. I am so proud of you Peter. You are an awesome son. Keep up the hard work. I love you...

And Brianna our "Princess". She has grown up so much this past year. We are so proud of the young lady you have become Bri. You are going to break alot of boys hearts one day with your beautiful personality. Keep on pressing on for the call that God has for you. I love you Bri!

Bri and her buddy Emily hanging out at Sarah & Tom's wedding.

Peter celebrating his 16th birthday in style! Cool glasses Pete!

INTERN!

2008-06-22T14:44:00.001-07:00

We welcome Gary Woods our Intern from Bethany Bible College! Monday will be a week he is here at FCW. He is originally from Michigan!!!! YEAH! He will be with us until December. Gary will be helping Ed out with the youth, kids and whatever else needs to be done that Ed needs help with.

We are so blessed to have Gary join us and see what God has and will do in not only his life but the lives of others who he comes in contact with while he is in NJ.

PS: I hope to have my digital camera back this week before we leave for Michigan on Friday! Please pray that my camera will come by Thursday......!

love you all!

Our 1 Year Anniversary!

2008-06-16T06:26:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, not only did we celebrate Father's day, but also our 1 year anniversary living in NJ. It was a year ago that Ed preached his first sermon and was installed by Dr. Wood here at FCW! I cannot believe how fast this year has gone. There has been many changes for us in this transition. Some good and some maybe not so good, or should I say "challenging". As I sit and reflect on this year I am happy to say that I have survived coming back to NJ! Although I miss all of my dear friends in Michigan, I know that God has us here for a reason for such a time as this.

The kids have adjusted well in school and in their youth group. Peter & Bri miss their old friends from Michigan and are looking forward to visiting them the end of the month. Peter just started "football" workouts everyday, and is working practically full time for the summer anyway. He is trying to save for a car. Bri will be in 8th grade next year and is looking forward to it. Matt will be in 3rd grade and says "he doesn't want to get old"! (Don't we all say that)?

Many changes have happened in the church which are very positive and moving forward for the kingdom. We saw over 200 people accept Christ this past year, we had about 4 baby dedications, 2 baptisms so far and more coming. We also had about 6 families become members this year. The most they have ever had in 1 year! We have had close to 10 new families call Faith Chapel their home. The church has been re-decorated and painted. The music has changed from mostly hymns to Contemporary Worship. I could go on and on.....

We have been so blessed this past year and are looking forward to what God is going to do as we move forward! It is nice not having to worry about moving this summer....we are all looking forward to enjoying this years summer and doing things as a family. Last year I really couldn't enjoy it because of all the things that needed to be done before the kids started their new schools.

So as I reflect....I see God's hand in all of this. I know that without HIS direction & strength I could have never gotten to where I am today. I am so thankful to God for giving us the opportunity to do HIS WORK here in NJ!

A Heat Wave!

2008-06-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

Well, my garden is finally done. With the help of Ed we managed to get the veggies in yesterday and the fence around it so the deer won't destroy what (hopefully) will grow. I have beefsteak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, lettuce, zucchini and red peppers. Plus basil growing out on my deck. These are small now, but won't be for long. I am so excited and can't wait to get my first tomatoe. It was hard work getting it started, but now the tough part is over. A shout out to my wonderful husband for helping me out with this. Love ya!

My poor Bri-Bri. She broke her arm last week and just got it casted on Friday. Of course it has to be the hottest weekend this year and she couldn't swim much. The doctors office did not have waterproof casts and we are still trying to hunt down a pharmacy who carries the cover to go over the cast. She did go into the pool for awhile with a plastic bag over it, but then the water started to seep through. Thank God she will only have to wear it for 3 weeks. She will get it off right before we leave for Michigan!

We were so blessed by the Hudak family. They invited us over to go swimming. We miss our pool so much, but God had put a wonderful family in our lives who love to share their swimming pool with us. It was so hot yesterday and we all went over to hang out for the day and of course, had some delicious food to go along with it. Thanks again Bill & Lynne for having us. We love you guys!

Mr. GQ.....Gotta love em!

Tom & Sarah's wedding!

2008-06-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

Well, these pictures are alittle late, but better late than never. Matthew was the "ring bearer" again in a wedding last week. He is really starting to like this role.

Peter was an usher and you can't see it but during the service he was texing friends on his phone. He thinks I didn't see him, but remember mom's have eyes behind their heads!!

The happy couple.....Tom & Sarah Leach!

Peter ushering the people out of the church.

The Garden

2008-06-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

I finally started my garden. With the help of Eleanor, we dug 25 holes in the ground last week. I plan on planting Jersey tomatoes (the best), cucumbers, red peppers, lettuce and eggplant. Also Basil on my deck. We get lots of deer in our backyard so we need to get the fence up before I can put the veggie plants in the ground. I hope to have it all done this weekend with the help of Ed. I will keep you posted as to how well the garden is doing. I am excited!

Well, here is my Bri Bri with her splint cast on. She will be getting her hard cast on tomorrow at 9:00am. She hasn't decided what color she wants yet. I don't really care, as long as it's waterproof!

Sorry for the horrible color in the pictures. I told you my digital is not working right. Took it back to Target but because it is passed the 90 days they cannot do anything. So I need to contact Kodak to see what they will do. It is still under warranty, so hopefully they will give me a new camera. For now, I have been using my regular one, and getting them on discs, but once you have a digital, you don't like those anymore....we are so spoiled by all this modern technology. How did we ever survive before?

A first for Brianna!

2008-06-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

After service today we came home to a nice meal of bbq ribs. Peter & I went out to Target and on the way back received a phone call from Brianna saying she thinks she broke her arm! We thought she was joking until we pulled into the driveway and saw her crying the crocodile tears. Ed and I rushed her to the ER where we waited forever to be seen. The xray proved that it was indeed a break. It is her left forearm (but thankfully a clean break). She is in a splint for now and has to follow up with an orthopedic in 4-5 days to switch to a hard cast. Thank God for waterproof cast these days! She will have it on from 4-6 weeks. Please pray for a quick recovery. It is her left arm and she writes with her left hand. This will be very interesting for the next few weeks of school.

Thank you for keeping her in your thoughts and prayers. She doesn't do well with pain.

See you all (my Michigan friends) soon!

The wedding!

2008-06-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

Bri & Emily posing outside the church of Sarah & Tom's wedding. They are best buds and go to school together. Matthew was the ring bearer. We all had an awesome time. Sorry for the craziness of these pictures. They were taken with my girlfriends camera. My digital is broken and I am still trying to get it fixed. It is driving me crazy not being able to use it. I will have more pictures posted as soon as I get the disc developed from my regular camera.

Noah is here!

2008-05-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

I finally became a "great aunt" tonight at 7:10pm to Noah Rodriguez! He weighed in at 6 lbs. 11 oz. 21 inches long. The proud parents are Chris (my nephew) and Mandy. This is their first baby and boy was she lucky....only 3 hours of labor! Mom & baby are doing fine. I have not seen him yet, so I have no pictures. Hopefully my camera will work ok when I do get to see him.

I will post them later on.

Now we are waiting for the birth of my sister Lorraine's baby due in August. It's a surprise....we don't know what she is having yet, but Ed & I are the godparents. What an exciting year for us. Great Aunt & Uncle, Godparents and Grandparents all in the same year.....GOD IS SO GOOD!

Blessings.

It's been awhile!

2008-05-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have not blogged in quite awhile. I started a "FaceBook" account and am getting hooked on it. If you do not have one, try it out it is alot of fun and a good way to keep in contact with some old friends. I think it is safer than MySpace.

On top of that my camera has been on the blink. I have been taking pictures but they are coming out pink or blue and with lines. I am very upset about this since I just got this digital camera in December. I have to find out what is wrong with it.

We are all well and getting excited about the school year ending. Peter will be working and learning how to drive this summer. We are also heading up to Michigan for our dear friend Pastor Cheri's ordination at the end of June. After that we will spend a few days in Virginia with my cousin and of course hit the Jersey shore....we never got to go last year. It was to hectic with the move, but this year I am going to take my kids to the shore and show them where I spent my summer vacations! "Joelle I will take pictures"!

Well, if you get a Facebook account you can find me there and leave me a message. To get an account just lot onto facebook.com and follow the directions. If I can do it anyone can....easier than blogging!

Talk to u soon.
Blessings

Almost 16!

2008-05-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

My Peter will be 16 years old on June 4th! I still cannot believe it! Where did all these years go...anyway, as he turns 16 along with it comes many changes not only for him but for mom & dad to. Peter will start working at Shop Rite next week. He wanted to work so bad and we agreed that he needed to do something productive this summer instead of play on the computer all day. He will also be getting his driving permit once he turns 16 and wants a car. Well, honey you need to work for it like I did! So he will save (hopefully) and get himself something to get around in.

Ed and I are so proud of him and for the godly young man he is becoming. We look forward to seeing what God has for him in the next few years. Peter, we are so proud of you and blessed to have you as our son!

Worship!

2008-05-16T18:54:00.000-07:00

For Mother's day, Ed had the ladies on the "Worship team" take a break and the men led in Worship. They did an awesome job and we sure did appreciate them taking over and leading worship.

Installation of new LBA members for 2008-2009!

A visit from Laurie & Frank

2008-05-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

We invited Ed's sister Laurie and her husband Frank over for a nice Mother's Day dinner with us. They moved to Summit, NJ (1/2 hr. from us) in March. It was great getting together finally! Let's do it again soon.

Laurie & Frank

Matthew challening Daddy to a basketball game. We hope that Matt tries out for basketball next year. He is pretty good at it.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

2008-05-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

Mother's day is usually a week long event in our house. Matthew came home on Wednesday from JAM (children's church) and made me this beautiful hat. At first I thought I had to wear it, thank GOD he said I needed to hang it up somewhere. So here it is in my bedroom right above my full length mirror so I can see it everyday. Brianna made me a beautiful bookmarker, coupons for a "back rub" (love that one) and a tear jerker of a card! You never know how your kids think or feel about you until they write it down. Don't take anything for granted, the prayers, the talks the laughter and fun all mean something to your kids and they appreciate it so much, even if they don't tell you every day how they feel. Love them with your whole heart. These gifts are so precious to me and I treasure everyone of them.

Today at my mom's church they had a "Mother's day brunch. Mom has been going for the past 4 years with my 2 sisters. Well this year Brianna and I got to go also. It was nice spending time with my mom & my sisters for the afternoon and to visit with some of my old friends from Stroudsburg Wesleyan. This was our first church Ed pastored at before moving to Michigan.

Brianna and my "baby" sister Lorraine. Lorraine is due to have her second baby in August. NO, we don't know what it is....it's a secret. But Ed and I are the "godparents" YIPPEEEEE!

Me and my sisters....Lorraine, LuAnn and me!

For the past couple of years Ed has been cooking dinner for me on Mothers Day. I hate to go out because everything is always so crowded. So he is cooking a nice pork loin with rice & beans, veggies on the grill, salad and of course dessert. His sister and husband will be joining us also. They moved about 1/2 hour away from us and this will be the first time we see them since about 3 years ago. I am looking forward to a great Mothers day with my family.

I wish all my MOMS out there a Happy Mothers Day! Enjoy your kids, hug them today and thank God for giving them to you! Remember your kids are watching everything you do, so set the example!

"PULSE" Youth Night!

2008-05-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

Thursday night at youth, Ed had a pizza party and land mine volleyball. Basically there were about 55 eggs out on the grass and you had to play volleyball without breaking the eggs. Well after awhile it got alittle crazy.

Here is Ronnie my adopted son. Love this boy! He will be going to Bethany Bible college in 2 years to study to be a pastor.
So, after the volleyball game was over, the winning team got to crack the eggs over the loosing teams head. It did get pretty gross but the kids loved it. Parents were not to excited to get them into the cars though that night.

Softball Season

2008-05-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

Brianna played softball for the first time ever this year and loves it! She does like basketball better though and plays better also. I was finally able to get to one of her games this week and take some pictures. Here she is with her buddy Arlene the "pitcher".

Bri playing 3rd base. Of course I was embarrassing her taking the pictures!

Bri up at bat.....when she struck out! Poor baby! Maybe next time!

There she goes finally looking at mom and I was quick enough to take the shot.

Bri started her new school year off by playing soccer in the fall. Then in the winter went on to play basketball which she loved. Now she is doing softball. The coach says she is a natural athlete....must take after her dad! I would rather go shopping for a sport! (LOL)!

What a Surprise!

2008-05-08T11:56:00.000-07:00

Today Ed got a tex message from his oldest son in Florida that he was going to be a "GRANDPA"! Yes, a grandpa. I can't believe it either! Little Ed and his girlfriend will be having a baby in January. We celebrate with them on their good news and pray for a nice healthy baby.

I still cannot believe that I will be tecnically a "GRANDMA"?????? OH NO!!!! I am to young for that. But sooner or later I have to accept it. This will get me ready for when my 3 start families of their own. NOT FOR AWHILE PLEASE!!!

More later!

Our First Baptism at Faith Chapel!

2008-05-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

Today was "our" first baptism here at Faith Chapel and the churches first "indoor" baptism! They have had many baptisms before usually behind the church in the creek. Last month someone donated money to go towards the baptismal so we can have baptisms in the winter months also. Our dear "Spike" was the first to go under. What a man of God! and what a testimony. Spike is in every Friday morning ready and willing to clean the church and do whatever Ed needs to be done.

Spike gives his testimony. Spike was baptized 30 years ago, but felt pressured at the time. He felt and wanted to do it again because "he knows now what it truly means to love & serve Jesus" with your whole heart! We love you Spike!

Sally also got baptized today for the first time.

We celebrate with Spike & Sally on their baptism today and look forward to many more in the future.

HE DID IT!

2008-04-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't resist blowing up this picture of Peter! He has had long hair for the past 3 years and he came home on Friday and said he wanted to cut it short. I fast thought, I better drive fast to the barber! Well, not so fast.....Ed took him on Saturday morning and walaaaaa! I knew if I didn't bug him about it and prayed really hard about it, sooner or later he would get tired of the long hair and he did. He is on track and they run 2-3 miles a day and he hated the hair on his neck. He loves it and says it is much easier to take care of now. I still think a "female person" might have had something to do with his decision.....and it wasn't mom!

Whatever it was that made him do it I am so thankful! I love you Peter, you look awesome.. .

Fishing

2008-04-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

Last week fishing season started here in NJ! Well, Ed loves to fish and we live near beautiful streams with lots of fish. He was out there everyday in the water trying so desperately to catch some trout. NO LUCK! His buddy Dick came by the church everyday to encourage him and try to help him and teach him how to catch the fish. Ed said he was a better fisher of men than he is of catching fish! After what seemed like forever.....he finally caught one! It was the first time we ever had trout, it was good but many tiny bones which made it very hard to enjoy and eat. Maybe he will master this and go out and catch me some lobster one day! I will let you know!

Cleaning out the fish!

Bri's Blood!

2008-04-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

Today I took Brianna to the dr. She has not been feeling well since last week. She has had stomach aches, stomach pains, nausea, headaches and very tired. The dr said it could be gallbladder, or gastridis. So they wanted to do some blood work on her. Bri has never had a blood test done before, so she was pretty nervous about it. They pricked her once and couldn't get any blood. I looked down at her and she was like a ghost and told me she was going to be sick. The nurses hurried up and laid her down on the bed before she passed out. They gave her juice and crackers and told her to relax awhile and then they would try again. The Dr. came in and tied her arm with the rubber band and she turned white as a ghost again! This time the dr. said he wasn't going to try and she had to go for an ultrasound. After a long afternoon waiting and not eating or drinking anything, she got it done. I am happy to say that all the tests were negative for gallstones. PRAISE THE LORD! She is on Nexium for the next 2 weeks, and then back to the dr. for a follow up.

If you ask Brianna about today, she will tell you it was the worst day of her life! I asked her what she is going to do when she has a baby????? Funny thing is, I was the same way with needles when I was her age......then I had 3 kids! That will toughen you up quickly!

Please keep Bri in your prayers and that she will have a clean bill of health when we go back to the dr. in 2 weeks. She is back to school tomorrow!! YIPPPPEEEEEE!

Camping in NJ!

2008-04-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

When we left Michigan last year, we thought we wouldn't be camping for awhile....well, God is so good to us, he even gave us camping buddies in NJ. Our friends went camping and invited us up on Friday night for a campfire and Saturday for dinner. NO, we did not camp, didn't need to since Camp Carr is only 5 mins. from our house. We enjoyed a great time of fellowship and laughs. Maybe next time we will take our tent....the ladies said I can camp with them while Ed can camp in the tent with the kids! I think he'll take the "0" and go home to his own bed!

Hanging out at the fire, but as you can see, Ron was still working on it!

Matthew met his buddy from school there!

Ron biting into his "overdone" blackened hamburger. FYI....don't ever let Ron cook for you! (LOL)! After we were all done with dinner on Saturday night, we sat around a nice fire and cooked smores and Ed & I introduced our friends to "Mexican Smores". We ate these all the time up at family camp in Michigan. They loved them!

Congratulations Tom & Sarah!

2008-04-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

Tom & Sarah are youth leaders in our youth group and they just got married last weekend. We celebrated with a cake for them on Thursday night.

And of course, the bride feeds the groom!

Ahhhhhh, so sweet ! God bless and many years together!

Track & Field

2008-04-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

Now that Spring is here the kids, Peter & Bri are doing sports again. Peter is in "Track & Field" and does shot put, discs, and javeline, (Don't know if I spelled it right), but you got the idea! He never did this before and really likes it because he get s to work out everyday after school with weights. This is good for him! Now he eats more though.....the growing years I guess!

Bri is doing softball for the first time ever also. She is one of the best players. I haven't even been able to get to a game yet to see her because Peter's meets are on the same day and Ed needs to be with Bri because he is assistant coach. Hopefully I will get to one this week and get some shots of her to put up on the blog.

Matthew on the other hand just drives me crazy saying he doesn't want to go and watch his big brother and sister play....."it's boring" he whines! He is my BIG CHICKEN to play anything, afraid of getting hurt. But he loves football and plays awesome. Hoping next year in 3rd grade he will be in a sport.

So needless to say, my days are very busy to say the least. (Joelle, I am sure you can relate)! But I enjoy watching them so much. These days are precious to us, because before you know it they will be gone off to college!

I could not resist this beautiful sunset the other night. I pulled off the side of the rode to take this. The wonders of GOD never cease to amaze me!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2008-04-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

My dad turned 71 on Saturday. We celebrated on Sunday after church in PA at my parents house. There was lots of good food and since my 2 nephews and brother could not make it, there were lots of leftovers to take home too!

Mom made her famous "Ice Cream Cake", brownies, angel food cake and a yellow cake. Do you think we had enough calories for the day???

Waiting to sing Happy Birthday!

Cutie pie Vincenza!

And of course my Matthew!

Happy Birthday Dad, & Grandpa......your the best! We love you!

Happy Spring!

2008-04-14T04:55:00.000-07:00

Spring has finally arrived in NJ! It was 75 the other day. Almost as hot as Florida.

Our dog Shadow loves to fetch the frisbee. After a few runs he is tired out!

Shadow smiling for the camera!

I hope Spring is in your neighborhood also. I know some of you have had a very cold and snowy winter. We have been pretty lucky this year. It is so nice to see the flowers again and the green grass. I am looking forward to starting a vegteble garden this year with the help of some of the ladies from the church. I never did this before, but my dad has always had a garden from when we were kids. I hope his green thumb has rubbed off on me. I will let you know how it goes!

Our Vacation to Florida!

2008-04-05T20:06:00.003-07:00

On Easter Sunday after church, we headed out to Florida on an 18 hours car ride! YES....Family bonding! We stayed at Ed's parents house in Port St. Lucie for 9 days. 9 gorgeous days I may add. We would go to the beach from 10-2 and then go to the pool from 2-5. That was surely a vacation. No ties, no demands.....and the best part was that we went out to eat almost every night! Now that's a vacation worth bragging about. Enjoy the pictures below that I have posted on my blog! As most of you know, I love the warm weather and hated to come back....but I am happy to be back in my own bed! Miss the warm sunshine though! Enjoy the pictures!

Ed's dad! I just love his t-shirt! We love you Pop!

Matthew learning how to swim under water at the pool.

Matthew and mom...our last night in Florida at a Cuban restaurant. It was delicious!!!

And of course, every night we would have ice cream sundaes. Matt is being silly squirting all the whip cream in his mouth!

Vacation

2008-04-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

Daddy with his kids!

Eddie and his girlfriend Yani. She's a keeper Ed!

Dad with his daughter Jessica!

And of course, as Eddie would call me when they were younger,

"THE EVIL STEP MOTHER"!!!!!! They love me anyway, and I love them also. We had so much fun with them. Come and visit us in New Jersey soon!

Our visit with Eddie & Jessie!

2008-04-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity to visit with Ed's kids who live in Miami. Here is Eddie & Jessie. Eddie is 27 and Jess just turned 25 yesterday ...Happy Birthday Jessie! We love you! We have not seen them in about 4 years and boy, have they grown up. It was great spending the day with them and reminising about old times together.

We went out to Game Works which is a gigantic arcade room. Here is Eddie, Peter and Matthew! Poor Eddie is so short, 5'5" and my Peter is only 15 and 5'11 (I think)! The 3 brothers had a great time together!.

Eddie with his 2 daughters, Bri and Jessie and Eddie's girlfriend Yani.

Brianna and her big sister Jessica! See the resemblence....Yes, Jess is short too. She was even wearing spiked heels that day! She has grown up to be a beautiful young lady!

Daddy with all 5 of his kids! I can't believe it either....he looks pretty good for an old man!

Florida Vacation!

2008-04-05T19:27:00.000-07:00

As you can see Matthew got alittle burned at the beach. It was so windy that you never felt the sun on you. He was a real trooper about it though. Now he shows everyone his tan lines!!

Me and my honey! Love ya babe!!!

Bri with grandma Torres. As you can see, Bri is bigger than grandma. We miss you grandma!!

Grandma with the 3 stooges! Another 2 years, Matt will be passing grandma too!

Peter, Bri and Matt at the Shell Bazzaar. Every time we go to Florida we need to visit this shop, they have the neatest souvenirs in Florida. This is the shell outside the store!

A day at the beach!

2008-04-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

What an awesome week we had at the beach! Here is my honey trying to ride the waves in. Ed, Peter and Bri were brave enough to go into the water with a bad riptide. Luckily the life guards were on duty, (just in case)! Matt and I made sand castles on the shore! After I laid out in the sun of course....

Well, ok, they were alittle small, but we had fun doing it even when the waves washed them away. We got to walk on the beach and collect lots of sea shells for souveniers to take home.

I just love this picture of the kids. Just looking out into the big sea!

Peter, Bri and Matt after a day at the beach in front of grandma and grandpa's house. Oh the Palm trees!

Sick for Vacation??????????

2008-03-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

I have been sick for 3 days now with flu like symptoms. I am never sick and now we are leaving for Florida after service tomorrow. I already missed Good Friday service and the movie "The Passion of Christ". I am hoping to feel better for service tomorrow!

God certainly has a way of slowing us down. For the past 2 weeks I have been praying that nobody gets sick for vacation, and praying if we were to get sick that we would before we leave. I think next time I better be careful on what I am praying for. I spent the whole day yesterday on the couch watching tv and sleeping. I NEVER WATCH TV AND JUST LAY!!! I was going out of my mind!!!! I feel alittle better today, but am still fighting a nasty cold and feel very weak. We are driving to Florida, so thankfully I will be able to do alot of sleeping and resting while Ed does all the driving.

I am hoping that what I need is a nice dose of sunshine! They say vitamin C is good for you....

I hope to have some pictures up of our vacation soon. I will talk to you all soon.

HAPPY EASTER!

Our trip into New York City!

2008-03-16T19:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday, we spent the whole day in New York City. Jason has never been there, and Shelly was there once. So we knew their trip wouldn't be complete without a trip to NYC. Here we are at the South Street Seaport. We first went to China town and shopped for "COACH" pocket books which we got a really good deal on. They sell like crazy down there. The are not the real thing of course, but they looked pretty good to me. I wound up buying 2 of them. Can't wait to go back in April when some of our other friends come to visit.

And of course, our trip to NY would not have been completed if we did not ride the subway. We took the train from downtown to midtown. Matthew has never been on the NY subway before and he did a great job of holding onto the railing. Even Jason enjoyed the ride!

Peter couldn't resist taking this picture of a truck with graffitti on it. Only in NY do you see these things.

And of course Times Square! We had a great day. We also got to go to the "Midtown Comic Store" for Jason. If you know Jason, you know how much he loves his Marvel Comics. He needed to buy some for his comic room!! Poor Ms. Shelly!!

As you can see it was a great day in the city with the Fullums. I just couldn't resist this picture. They are just too cute. We enjoyed having them here so much. We love you guys and look forward to the "CRUISE" next year! Jason, good luck on posting the pictures to your blog. Love you guys! We miss you already!

Visit from Jason & Shelly Fullum!

2008-03-16T18:52:00.000-07:00

The bad boys Jason, Peter & Matthew!

Ed, Jason, Peter & Matt trying to be gangsters. Matt has the grills on his teeth!

The Diva's trying to look mean. It took everything for us not to smile or laugh. Oh, and yes, that is me in the back round. Just having some fun!

A Week with the Fullums!

2008-03-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

Jason & Shelly spent the whole week with us in NJ. Jason had a FLAME class in Stroudsburg and Shelly and I got to hang out for the week and do some shopping and catching up. We were very sad to see them go today and can't wait for them to come back soon to visit.

Ed and I took Shelly out to Clinton on Friday for some sightseeing in town. Clinton is the most historical town in NJ....that's what they tell us anyway. As you can see it was a beautiful day out.

It's Official!

2008-03-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

Well, as you can see I did pass inspection with the van today! So I am officially a New Jerseyan, well almost....I still have to change my driver's license but cannot do that until I get my new SS card and Marriage License. So we are almost there! Only in New Jersey does this happen. Living in Michigan the past 5 years was a breeze, they don't do "Inspecions" there. Now we will have one every 2 years.

On another note, we are waiting on our dear friends from Michigan to arrive on Sunday. Jason & Shelly Fullum will be here with us for a week. Jason will be taking a Flame class down in Stroudsburg, PA while Shelly hangs out and does some shopping. We are all looking forward to seeing the Newleyweds again. I will have pictures up soon and keep you posted.

The Sleepover!

2008-03-05T19:23:00.000-08:00

Saturday night we had my niece for a sleepover. Mom & Dad went out to celebrate Mom's birthday so we thought it would be fun to have Vincenza stay for the night...well it was fun alright! Her and Matt just love each other....well sometimes anyway!

Here she is smiling for Aunt Doreen!

Vincenza and Matt pretending they were flying fighter jets. Here she is trying to shoot her butt, so she told us anyway.

Even Shadow joined in on the fun. Vincenza got to ride him like a pony...she was so excited, more than Shadow was.

Matthew & Vincenza flying the pretend airplane.

Over all we had a great time after they all went to sleep. Aunt Doreen & Uncle Eddie were very tired on Sunday! But we had fun!

REJECTED!

2008-02-27T16:55:00.000-08:00

YES! That's what is on the windshield of my van....REJECTED! After living in NJ for 7 months that's what they tell you at the Inspection Station when you car/van fail the test. On Monday Ed & I went to Motor Vehicles to change our liscenses from Michigan to NJ. Well, he got his easy but mine, well that is another story. They will not issue me one until I get my SS card. I know the number but don't have the card since my wallet was stolen in Michigan a few years ago. I never thought I would actually need it again since I know the number! Well they need it. Then they asked me for our marriage liscense and when I showed it to them they said it was not valid, it was a certificate and they need the liscense. So, back home we went and ordered one online from Trenton. Today Trenton emails Ed and says they cannot issue me one because they need my NJ driver's liscense! DUH! How do you get a driver liscense without a marriage certificate, and how do you get a certificate without a drivers liscense????Well, Ed is applying for the marriage liscense now. Can you believe this... I never heard of anything so crazy. Then to top it off, Ed brings my van to get inspected today and it gets....you got it .....REJECTED due to a tiny crack in the tail light. So now this will cost me another $55.00 to fix. We are just hoping and praying that when it is fixed we are not REJECTED again.

I know it sounds like a crazy story, but when I walked outside today to get into my van and saw this sticker on my front windshield "REJECTED" I thought to myself how blessed I am that God never put a sticker on us that said "REJECTED". Have you ever been rejected by a friend, a brother or sister or even a spouse.....maybe you have, but God will never and has never but a sign on us that says "REJECTED". We need to be thankful for that!

So as I drive around in my van with my red sticker that says "REJECTED" I am reminded that God has not and never will reject me!! We are blessed!

We finally got our NJ plates and are almost official once we get rid of that "REJECTED" sticker. Only in NJ can you find this!! God certainly has a sense of humor..

More Anniversary pictures!

2008-02-24T19:36:00.000-08:00

OK, here are all the grandchildren...all 10,plus 1 on the way and 1 great grandchild Noah due to be born in May.

And here is the Torres family! My Peter needs to stop growing...he is only 15 and is already 6 foot!

Mom & Dad having a toast of Sparkling Cider. We didn't do champagne since dad is on medication and cannot have alcohol.

Here is my cousin Eileen (on the left) with her boyfriend Gil! Cindy in the middle. (Old friend of Eileen's) and Jimmy & Tammy (cousin). After this we were all pictured out! Unfortunately, I was not able to get pictures of the renewing of the wedding vows since I was video taping it. SORRY!! But we even gave them a certificate of their vows.

SURPRISE!

2008-02-24T19:17:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrated my parent's 50th wedding anniversary and gave them a surprise party! They were married 50 years on Friday 2/22 and they never had a fight!!! YEAH right.... There were 28 of us. We got to share a video that Andrew and Gisela put together from past memories. They also got to renew their wedding vows with Ed. My cousins from NY and Virginia came, we have not seen them in quite awhile. Their old friends from NJ (that my mom use to work with years ago) came out also. It was a great time. They really enjoyed themselves.

My brother Jimmy, his wife Angela and daughter Amanda, James (their son) was running around with Matthew somewhere.

Here we are, all 19 of us!!

Mom & Dad with their children.....LuAnn, Doreen, Jimmy & Lorraine (with baby to be!!)

Happy 50th Anniversary Mom & Dad! I hope that God blesses you with another 50 years together....ok maybe 30! I hope you had as much fun as we had preparing for it. We love you both so much and thank you for being the truly wonderful parents that you are to us and the best grandma and grandpa in the whole wide world. We love you!!