So much love in the air...

this weekend was nice. saturday night was matt & holly's wedding:

congrats to you both! here's to a lifetime of love and happiness. we love you :)

sunday was the start of football season so you can imagine what we spent the day doing. yesterday was also the day that i decided that i am going back on weight watchers. keith said he was going to try doing it with me, so we'll see how that goes. i've b een having a hard time finding good sounding recipes, so once i get started i am thinking of starting another blog that will feature recipes, good low-point snacks, and my progress.

aubrey has been a bottomless pit today! she won't stop eating. i finally got her to sleep after fighting with her for a couple of hours.

friday night is my niece's wedding! carina & mike have been together for over ten years! she also announced her pregnancy a few weeks ago. i am so ecstatic for them, and i can't believe i am going to be a GREAT aunt at only 23. then on sunday i am finally having lunch with laura, my best friend of 20 years, and ryan, her ex-stepbrother. we all grew up together and after laura's dad and ryan's mom got divorced, we haven't seen him. i ran into him a couple of weeks ago when keith and i were taking aubrey for a walk on the boulevard and we've been trying to get together but things kept coming up.

i am off to look up some more weight watchers recipes!

Grateful Friday

today is a very special grateful friday, as we are mourning the 8th year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. this week i am grateful for:


this gorgeous quilt that keith's mom made for aubrey. perfect for chilly mornings!



a gorgeous fall day, which ended with delicious homemade apple crisp topped with vanilla ice cream.


the little mermaid, for entertaining aubrey while mama did some dishes and for having such catchy songs that i've been singing to her all day :)

above all, i am most grateful for those who fight for the freedom that everybody in this country enjoys. i am grateful for those who risk their lives over in foreign countries to protect us.. and above all, grateful that even after such a horrific tragedy, we as a country are able to stand tall and keep strong.

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry

Did you weep for the children
Who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below

Did you burst out in pride
For the red white and blue
The heroes who died just doing what they do
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself to what really matters

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her
Did you dust off that bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Speak with some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger
Stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

The greatest is love
The greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?



what are you grateful for this week?

Wake me up when September ends..

i hope you all had a very nice labor day weekend. the weather was perfect for it!

keith and i took aubrey over to visit aunt kathy on sunday. she met her cousins, ashley & alyssa and her uncle ronnie (to avoid confusion.. there are 3 ronnies on keith's side of the family. one did pass away a couple of weeks ago.)

last night i decided to put aubrey in one of her many red sox outfits and do a two month "photoshoot". i laid our red sox blanket down on the bed over her boppy pillow (which, might i add, is the best invention.. EVER.) and propped her up on it and i went to town. why waste money taking her to get professional pictures done when i can do just as well for free?



i've gotten quite a big dent of my 'to-do' list done in aubrey's bedroom. she's outgrown all of her newborn clothing so i put them all in a box and added her 3-6 month clothing into her bureau along with the 0-3 month clothing that was already in there. all that's left to do, really, is to finish cleaning up the last of our stuff that is in there and decorate, which of course is my favorite part.

what did everybody do for labor day?

Grateful Friday

i apologize for not being around much this week. it's been quite busy.. we had uncle ronnie's funeral on monday and then after, went to keith's aunt's house for food and family time. i took my mother shopping on wednesday and went food shopping last night. i love that i can buy 2 weeks worth of groceries for just a bit over $80. my mom taught me to shop well. ♥

i've decided that i am going to make aubrey's halloween costume, rather than buying it. it'll be cheaper and it will be original. i got most of the supplies at the craft store last night. the last thing i need is just a onesie, which we will get when halloween is a bit closer. there is no telling how much she'll grow in the next month & a half and i don't want to buy something that won't fit her.

tomorrow my sweet baby will be 2 months old. time just flies by so quickly..

this week, i am grateful for-

my beautiful family:




the wonderful people at the senior center my mother goes to, for buying aubrey this gorgeous dress, which she wore to uncle ronnie's funeral:


my camera, for making movies:



what are you thankful for this week?

"Tut-tut, it looks like rain.."

the rain is falling on my windowpane,
but we are hiding in a safer place.
under covers staying dry & warm,
you give me feelings that i adore ♥

we're in the middle of a horrible storm. the rain is coming down so hard, we could barely see ten feet ahead of us on the drive home. today was uncle ronnie's wake. he is being cremated & we will be burying the ashes on monday.

i just gave aubrey a bath and she is happy as a clam, sleeping in her swing. when she wakes up i will probably put something on the tv that plays nursery rhymes and sing to her. we were doing that earlier and when "she'll be comin' 'round the mountain" came on and the kids said "choo! choo!" she thought it was the funniest thing. she was cracking up! i wish i got it on video. perhaps i'll put on the same show as earlier and see if she finds it funny this time so i can record her doing it.

what are everybody's plans for this rainy weekend?

"Grateful Friday"

"This week (much like every week,really) has been rather busy,
so I would like to, from now on, look back every friday
& think about the things that made me happy this week."
-miri, at here we are together

miri and i have been friends for quite a long time. we met on greatestjournal years ago and have kept in touch ever since. she has two beautiful children & a wonderful husband. she is such an inspiration and i always look forward to reading her posts. she has inspired me to be more family oriented and to start being more grateful for everything i have been truly blessed with.

this week, i am grateful for:

finding my old camera & seeing pictures from rachel's jack & jill back in september, 2008. this is my new favorite picture of me & my mom:


the cooler weather, which brings warmer pjs & a very snuggly (almost!) 2 month old:



& of course, with the cooler weather, digging out my favorite mug and enjoying my first cup of hot coffee in quite some time:


what are you thankful for this week?

Time for change

it's 4am and i just got the little one back to sleep after being awake for an hour. she usually sleeps til 5 or 6 so i'm hoping tonight was just a fluke.

keith's uncle passed away yesterday. we aren't 100% sure on details right now but word is that he had a heart attack. he was only 55. life is just too, too short.

we have decided to give aubrey her own room, since we are living here til at least june of next year. we will probably be making the transition this weekend. keith & i will be taking the smaller bedroom, as aubrey's crib won't fit through the door without completely taking it apart.

aubrey and i have a date on saturday night that will involve lots of singing and cuddles and aubrey's favorite: tummy time. her neck is becoming quite strong. pretty soon she'll be able to keep it steady. i can't believe how big she is getting, so fast. this sunday will mark two months since my little sweetpea was born. time does go by much too fast.

i would like some blog friends. if you are reading this, please suggest to me a friend or two. it'd be greatly appreciated :)

First Post - The Introduction

i've been blogging for as long as i can remember. many of my good friends have come from sites such as caleida, greatestjournal, and livejournal. i figured it is now time to steer away from those sites, as many of them just bring a lot of unneccessary drama.

my name is darby. i am 22 years old and live in a small town in northern massachusetts.
i am married to my best friend, keith ryan.i have a beautiful daughter, aubrey elaine


i am a stay at home mama. i love to scrapbook, cook, bake, clean, and read.
if you are reading this, say hello :)