I'm not sure if anyone is familiar with Randy Pausch's story...if not, go to You Tube and you will see his "Last Lecture". It is quite the story and he is such an amazing and courageous man. It really brings you down to earth and helps you to appreciate the little things and the "big problems" seem miniscule.
What was your best moment of the day and what was your worst?
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Hebron Harvest Fair
I was wanting to post something tonight and didn't really have any new pictures so I looked into the "archives" and realized I hadn't posted some pics from the fall...namely, the HEBRON HARVEST FAIR!!! How one forgets that, I will never know. Enjoy the pics and rest assured that I will post HHF pics and Syracuse Fair pics next fall!
Swine....says it all....LOVE HEBRON!!! thank god for my new Cazenovia home, brings me back to my hebron roots!
I think this was the blue ribbon pig
mamma's babies...awww
Fell free to ask Kel why we have this picture of her and her sheep!
AWWWWW my belleh and Douglas...yes ladies, that's my bridesmaid!!!!
Swine....says it all....LOVE HEBRON!!! thank god for my new Cazenovia home, brings me back to my hebron roots!
I think this was the blue ribbon pig
mamma's babies...awww
Fell free to ask Kel why we have this picture of her and her sheep!
AWWWWW my belleh and Douglas...yes ladies, that's my bridesmaid!!!!
Friday, April 4, 2008
Jack Fultz in Skirts?!?!
That's our team coach in front!!!! So funny but I must say - GREAT LEGS and even better jerseys! Getting very excited for Marathon Monday!
Putting things in perspective...
Tonight I checked our marathon blog - I know I am a blogging nut...one of my fellow team mates had posted an email from one of her donors. It really placed things in perspective and made me reflect on how grateful I am for family, friends, and to know that, when I complain about silly things, someone always has it worse. Check out her email - so very touching!
Much to my surprise, I received a pretty sizable donation last night from a teacher from my highschool (I recognized the name but I had never known her). About 10 minutes later I received the below email... I warn you, it's a tear jerker, but it really is amazing who you touch and the connections DFMC allows you to make with people who you may never have spoke with otherwise...
Dear Lauren,Bill told us about your endeavor coming up in a few weeks and I wanted to wish you good luck! I also wanted to tell you about my connection to your mom. You were a senior my first year at LFA and since I didn't teach you, I didn't know you personally but I knew your sister because I coached volleyball with Ardelle. I knew your mom also because she never missed a game. I remember when Ardelle had her first child, Yvie, and she asked me if I could hold Yvie during the varsity game because her husband was not going to be able to make it to the game. Yvie was only about 4 months old and naturally I obliged. But before I had the chance to make good on my promise, your mom stepped up and asked if she could hold the baby. She said that she loved babies and that she would love to help. Of course Yvie did not say a peep in your mom's arms throughout the whole match. Now fast forward to July 13, 2005. I was 33 weeks pregnant with my third child and I was about to leave for a doctor's visit to have a level II ultrasound on the baby. I had been having ultrasounds throughout the pregnany due to a low lying placenta but the most recent ultrasound was a little odd so the doctors requested the level II. Just before I left, I decided to check my email and it was then that I learned about your mom's passing. I was so stunned because I did not even know that she was sick. She never let on that she had just been to a chemo treatment at any of the VB games. She always looked so healthy to me. I was so sad to read that email. About an hour later after the level II ultrasound, I learned that my baby had a massive invasive brain tumor. It was so large that it had consumed almost his entire brain. I was devastated. We talked over our choices (we could either abort or deliver the baby but we were assured he would only live 10-20 minutes). I never even considered aborting the child so on July 25, we delivered him about 5 weeks early so that we could have a chance to meet him and love him. If I had waited until he was full term, he probably would have been stillborn and I didn't want that. He ended up living for 17 hours and we were so happy that all of our siblings and parents were able to meet him and hold him. It was actually as good as could have been expected. So as I grieved the loss of my baby boy, I kept remembering when your mom was holding Yvie Gerber and just loving her to death. I hoped that maybe my baby Evan and your mom would perhaps meet in the afterlife, and she could hold him and love him the way she did with Yvie. I still to this day think about your mom often and I hope that maybe she is looking out for my baby. I hope that is not selfish of me. I just miss him so much and it really helps me to know that just maybe he and your mom have met. I regret not paying my respects in person at your mom's funeral, but I was so depressed knowing that my baby was going to die as soon as I delivered him, that I just couldn't bring myself to go. I also wanted to send my condolences in a card and I regret that I never did that either. I hope that you and your sister and dad know how special your mom was (and still is) to so many people. I commend you for your effort in this marathon and I wish you good luck in all of your future endeavors. I think of your mom often and I will continue to think of her. I am very lucky to have gotten to know her, even just for a short while.
Much to my surprise, I received a pretty sizable donation last night from a teacher from my highschool (I recognized the name but I had never known her). About 10 minutes later I received the below email... I warn you, it's a tear jerker, but it really is amazing who you touch and the connections DFMC allows you to make with people who you may never have spoke with otherwise...
Dear Lauren,Bill told us about your endeavor coming up in a few weeks and I wanted to wish you good luck! I also wanted to tell you about my connection to your mom. You were a senior my first year at LFA and since I didn't teach you, I didn't know you personally but I knew your sister because I coached volleyball with Ardelle. I knew your mom also because she never missed a game. I remember when Ardelle had her first child, Yvie, and she asked me if I could hold Yvie during the varsity game because her husband was not going to be able to make it to the game. Yvie was only about 4 months old and naturally I obliged. But before I had the chance to make good on my promise, your mom stepped up and asked if she could hold the baby. She said that she loved babies and that she would love to help. Of course Yvie did not say a peep in your mom's arms throughout the whole match. Now fast forward to July 13, 2005. I was 33 weeks pregnant with my third child and I was about to leave for a doctor's visit to have a level II ultrasound on the baby. I had been having ultrasounds throughout the pregnany due to a low lying placenta but the most recent ultrasound was a little odd so the doctors requested the level II. Just before I left, I decided to check my email and it was then that I learned about your mom's passing. I was so stunned because I did not even know that she was sick. She never let on that she had just been to a chemo treatment at any of the VB games. She always looked so healthy to me. I was so sad to read that email. About an hour later after the level II ultrasound, I learned that my baby had a massive invasive brain tumor. It was so large that it had consumed almost his entire brain. I was devastated. We talked over our choices (we could either abort or deliver the baby but we were assured he would only live 10-20 minutes). I never even considered aborting the child so on July 25, we delivered him about 5 weeks early so that we could have a chance to meet him and love him. If I had waited until he was full term, he probably would have been stillborn and I didn't want that. He ended up living for 17 hours and we were so happy that all of our siblings and parents were able to meet him and hold him. It was actually as good as could have been expected. So as I grieved the loss of my baby boy, I kept remembering when your mom was holding Yvie Gerber and just loving her to death. I hoped that maybe my baby Evan and your mom would perhaps meet in the afterlife, and she could hold him and love him the way she did with Yvie. I still to this day think about your mom often and I hope that maybe she is looking out for my baby. I hope that is not selfish of me. I just miss him so much and it really helps me to know that just maybe he and your mom have met. I regret not paying my respects in person at your mom's funeral, but I was so depressed knowing that my baby was going to die as soon as I delivered him, that I just couldn't bring myself to go. I also wanted to send my condolences in a card and I regret that I never did that either. I hope that you and your sister and dad know how special your mom was (and still is) to so many people. I commend you for your effort in this marathon and I wish you good luck in all of your future endeavors. I think of your mom often and I will continue to think of her. I am very lucky to have gotten to know her, even just for a short while.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Our First Home!!!!
Marcus and I signed our lease today for our new (rental) home in Cazenovia, NY! We are soooooo excited to move there in June! The house is a really really cute farmhouse (historically protected because it was on the underground railroad) it is on 5acres of land and there is a little herb garden and I plan on planting a vegetable garden. I am a dork at heart but seriously we are both very excited.
For some reason the "blogosphere" as Marcus and I call it, will not allow me to attach the pictures of the home, so I am pasting the link. Click on the link and check it out and then, of course, let us know what you think! And, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS we would love to have visitors!
www.cazenoviagem.com
For some reason the "blogosphere" as Marcus and I call it, will not allow me to attach the pictures of the home, so I am pasting the link. Click on the link and check it out and then, of course, let us know what you think! And, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS we would love to have visitors!
www.cazenoviagem.com
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Syracuse trip to find a new home!
Semi-ghetto hotel we stayed atby the fairgrounds....haha
The college of medicine - Marcus' future residency home!
University Crouse Hospital
Beautiful Cazenovia Sunset
Cazenovia Lake
Syracuse University
More Syracuse University
More university
The college of medicine - Marcus' future residency home!
University Crouse Hospital
Beautiful Cazenovia Sunset
Cazenovia Lake
Syracuse University
More Syracuse University
More university
Happy Easter
Easter Sunday pictures 
Mimosas at Easter Brunch!
In the elevator before Easter Mass
Jim on Easter monring after the Easter bunny brought treats
Charley with his Easter bunny presents
Bakey and his Easter morning
Happy Easter Marcus!
Our Easter eggs the night before Easter
Marcus coloring eggs for the Easter bunny
Before the color was added
Only colored a few eggs this year
Mimosas at Easter Brunch!
In the elevator before Easter Mass
Jim on Easter monring after the Easter bunny brought treats
Charley with his Easter bunny presents
Bakey and his Easter morning
Happy Easter Marcus!
Our Easter eggs the night before Easter
Marcus coloring eggs for the Easter bunny
Before the color was added
Only colored a few eggs this year
Our first engagement presents
Flowers from Jon and Amy Frost
Bobby G's Books - Bride's list is great!
Flowers from Mom, Dad, Kathry, Julieana, Timmy, and Alexander
Fruit basket that came with the flowers
Bobby G's Books - Bride's list is great!
Flowers from Mom, Dad, Kathry, Julieana, Timmy, and Alexander
Fruit basket that came with the flowers
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Everyone's been asking, so here it is!!!
Our champagne to celebrate Marcus' residency in Syracuse, NY! 
Marcus popping open the champagne(it was soooo good but it still gave me a headache the next morning)
I LOVE this picture of us - so cute!
Marcus told me he was taking me to a very nice restaurant to celebrate his new residency. Me being the naive fool, believed him and so we both got dressed up to go out and these are the pictures before we left for dinner. I got a new sexy black dress (white house black market) and an awesome new necklace for the occasion. Little did I know what he was scheming all along...
My sexy necklace and little black dress...no girl should be without em!
So, we get in the cab to go to dinner (he refused to tell me where we were going because it was a surprise) but when he gave the cab driver the cross streets I knew that it was Rockefellar Center. I thought we were going to the Sea Grill which is the restaurant right by the ice rink in Rock Center. Plus, earlier in the week, he was teasing me and giving me hints about dinner and said it started with an "S" so I thought surely it's the Sea Grill.
Well, we get in the cab and he tells me to put a blindfold on - my first response was, it will ruin my hair and I will get car sick (I never get car sick except in a NYC cab!) and it was such a weird feeling to be blindfolded in a cab!!!
We got out of the cab and he leaves me on the sidewalk and is taking pictures of me with the blindofld on. I felt like such a moron. lol Then he led me to a building and through a revolving door into an elevator. (on a scale of 1 to 10 marcus gets a -14 as a seeing eye dog...I tripped on carpeting almost fell into the elevator, etc) While I was in the elevator, I knew we were going up high because my ears were popping and I kept asking him where we were going and of course, other people were in the elevator giggling at me - so embarrassing!!!!
When the elevator stopped and we got out it obviously sounded like a restaurant...
I'm out of the elevator, dying to know what's going on and Marcus places me against a wall and takes my coat from me telling me to stand and wait for him for a minute. He then actually has the gall to leave me standing there looking like a fool and takes another picture and then apparently he went to talk to the maitre'd
He eventually guided me to our table and told me to take off the blindfold and this is what I opened my eyes to....both of us cried immediately!!!! Such an amazing surprise and an awesome way for us to start the rest of our lives together!
OF COURSE - - - I SAID YES!!!!
Some pictures of Marcus and I after the "big question". I must be honest in saying I barely remember what we ate or if the food was any good, etc. I was beaming and so excited that nothing else really mattered!
The views from our table! Absolutely amazing! We were sitting on the 65th floor of 30 Rock. It is the only restaurant that sits that high up in the city. Not the most clear pictures, but you get the idea!
A fuzzy Empire State Building
Because I was blindfolded on the way p to the restaurant, I did not get to see how beautiful the hallways or lobbies were. So, on our way out after dinner, I was amazed at how beautiful everything was and Marcus was laughing because he also forgot that I was blindfolded all the way up to dinner. Here are some pics of the lobby, elevators, etc. Cheesy I know.
The future Mrl. and Mrs. DeCarvalho!
A picture of me in the lobby of 30Rcok. This is where all the NBC studios are (ie all the shows are filmed). Marcus and I love watching Brian Williams on the NBC nightly news so I had Marcus take a picture of me and Brian - haha
This fountain is really very neat - it is all electric and was installed by some European company for the winter time in NYC. They did this special on the Today Show about it (I love the Today show and watch it every morning at the gym!)
A few "after engagement" pictures of a party that we had at our place Friday night to celebrate with our friends. We celebrated our engagement and Marcus and Josh's residency placements.
Marcus' cool guy smile...
Me before I put my "party attire" on.
A little cake I bought on my way home from work to celebrate the occassions.
Marcus and Josh "cutting the cake" together to celebrate residency.
Some of the guys.
Marcus popping open the champagne(it was soooo good but it still gave me a headache the next morning)
I LOVE this picture of us - so cute!
Marcus told me he was taking me to a very nice restaurant to celebrate his new residency. Me being the naive fool, believed him and so we both got dressed up to go out and these are the pictures before we left for dinner. I got a new sexy black dress (white house black market) and an awesome new necklace for the occasion. Little did I know what he was scheming all along...
My sexy necklace and little black dress...no girl should be without em!
So, we get in the cab to go to dinner (he refused to tell me where we were going because it was a surprise) but when he gave the cab driver the cross streets I knew that it was Rockefellar Center. I thought we were going to the Sea Grill which is the restaurant right by the ice rink in Rock Center. Plus, earlier in the week, he was teasing me and giving me hints about dinner and said it started with an "S" so I thought surely it's the Sea Grill.Well, we get in the cab and he tells me to put a blindfold on - my first response was, it will ruin my hair and I will get car sick (I never get car sick except in a NYC cab!) and it was such a weird feeling to be blindfolded in a cab!!!
We got out of the cab and he leaves me on the sidewalk and is taking pictures of me with the blindofld on. I felt like such a moron. lol Then he led me to a building and through a revolving door into an elevator. (on a scale of 1 to 10 marcus gets a -14 as a seeing eye dog...I tripped on carpeting almost fell into the elevator, etc) While I was in the elevator, I knew we were going up high because my ears were popping and I kept asking him where we were going and of course, other people were in the elevator giggling at me - so embarrassing!!!!
When the elevator stopped and we got out it obviously sounded like a restaurant...
I'm out of the elevator, dying to know what's going on and Marcus places me against a wall and takes my coat from me telling me to stand and wait for him for a minute. He then actually has the gall to leave me standing there looking like a fool and takes another picture and then apparently he went to talk to the maitre'd
He eventually guided me to our table and told me to take off the blindfold and this is what I opened my eyes to....both of us cried immediately!!!! Such an amazing surprise and an awesome way for us to start the rest of our lives together!
OF COURSE - - - I SAID YES!!!!
Some pictures of Marcus and I after the "big question". I must be honest in saying I barely remember what we ate or if the food was any good, etc. I was beaming and so excited that nothing else really mattered!
The views from our table! Absolutely amazing! We were sitting on the 65th floor of 30 Rock. It is the only restaurant that sits that high up in the city. Not the most clear pictures, but you get the idea!
A fuzzy Empire State Building
Because I was blindfolded on the way p to the restaurant, I did not get to see how beautiful the hallways or lobbies were. So, on our way out after dinner, I was amazed at how beautiful everything was and Marcus was laughing because he also forgot that I was blindfolded all the way up to dinner. Here are some pics of the lobby, elevators, etc. Cheesy I know.
The future Mrl. and Mrs. DeCarvalho!
A picture of me in the lobby of 30Rcok. This is where all the NBC studios are (ie all the shows are filmed). Marcus and I love watching Brian Williams on the NBC nightly news so I had Marcus take a picture of me and Brian - haha
This fountain is really very neat - it is all electric and was installed by some European company for the winter time in NYC. They did this special on the Today Show about it (I love the Today show and watch it every morning at the gym!)
A few "after engagement" pictures of a party that we had at our place Friday night to celebrate with our friends. We celebrated our engagement and Marcus and Josh's residency placements.
Marcus' cool guy smile...
Me before I put my "party attire" on.
A little cake I bought on my way home from work to celebrate the occassions.
Marcus and Josh "cutting the cake" together to celebrate residency.
Some of the guys.
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