A Most Blessed Pashca May 31, 2011

April 23 and 24, 2011

Pascha 2011 was the most Blessed Pascha we have had really since our first Pascha together as husband and wife 7 years ago.
Mainly due to having Noah on Good Friday 6 years ago, being prego with Silas the next year and then my health took a turn for the worse when i develop Postpartum cardiomyapthy 4.5 years ago
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This year I was feeling wonderful therefore I was prepared, made all the traditional Pascha food for our basket.
Eric Served and the kids were angels for me during the 3.5 hour service that started at 11:30pm.
It is the most beautiful service and I am so blessed that my children, love it, understand it and look forward to it.

It was just the most beautiful and Blessed Pascha in years!

I did not have the opportunity to take as many pics as I would have liked or as many as I normally do. With Eric serving i was preoccupied with the kids and soaking up each and every second of the service. However, I did take a few good videos and really Video is so much better when it comes to documenting a Pascha Liturgy.

Each year for the 40days before Easter we observe Great Lent in which we fast from meat. diary, oil, wine and most seafood. We also lay low meaning we do not host or attend parties and we use this time to reflect and pray.,
After the Holy Pascha midnight service each Family fills their “pascha basket” with ham, kielbasa, cheese, diary and oil products and we all go to the hall and ‘break the fast together” It is the perfect ending to a perfect middle of the night Celebration.
We usually get home around 4:30/5am just as the sun is coming up and the birds chirping. It is the most wonderful time of the year for us.

CHRIST IS RISEN!!!!
INDEED HE IS RISEN!!!

The Tomb of Christ lays in the front of the middle aisle. As each person enters the church they Venerate the tomb of Christ by doing three full prostrations and kisses the plashchanitsa

Silas looking sleepy and “Rewwy want my bed, but I like being at church in the middle of the night mama,mama rub my back please”
Silas is the sweetest little guy around:-) Zofia was her lively diva self from the minute we woke her up at 10:45pm

Noah, Silas and Zofia durning the procession at midnight.
I bought the cutest linen suits and ties for the boys and the most fabulous dress for Zofia. Sadly we did not get a portrait style pic of them on Pascha but we will be dressing them up in the Pascha outfits and having a photo shoot soon:-)

Procession at Midnight

Blessing of Baskets

A New exciting Adventure May 3, 2011

January 2010
For the Past 15+ years Eric has been capturing wedding for one of Chicago’s well known high end Photography studios, Stuart Rodgers Photography.
For the past 5+ years Eric has been their stuart Rodgers MAIN wedding photography and has become very close with the owners and their family.

In August 2010, Stuart Rodgers Photography approached Eric regarding Eric taking over the wedding photography side of the business. To say the least Eric was stunned, I however was not at all. Eric has worked so hard, been so loyal to SR photo.
Eric is a Gentle, honest, genuinely kind, passionate, amazingly talented and hard working guy. I firmly believe that is why SR photo felt confident in Turing their successful wedding business over to Eric.

So the deal was that they would no longer be booking weddings under Stuart Rodgers photography and referring all clients and inquires to Eric as well as changing the name on vendor list from Stuart Rodgers Photography to Eric Meng Photography at such venues as The Drake, Old St. Pats, The Four Season, Womens Athletic Club, The Ritz, University Club just to name a Few. They told Eric they would give him a few weeks to make a decision.

Eric informed me of all of this and we talked long and hard about it. I from the very beginning said “DO IT” it has always been my dream for Eric and our family to have our own wedding photography business. Eric is so talented and we both have that entrepreneurial spirit and personality and i have PR experience. However, in order to launch our own business would have taken months of hard work, time and money and Eric was not willing just yet to take that leap.
God had other plans though and in August 2010 Eric Meng Photography was born.
Stuart Rodgers photography officially turned their wedding business over to Eric and made this change to their website. ( click on the word this to read the news)

Of course this news came at one of the worst times for us as it was just 2 weeks before i was having my hysterectomy.
While the advertising part of the business was taken care of and we had instant clients we had to build the insides of the business so to Speak, create and launch his website, find a supplier and online proof and purchasing site, booking keeping, find an accountant, create packages and price list, etc. in a little under a month half of that time i was out of commission having and recovering from surgery so Eric was Mr. Mom, working his regular 9-5 full time job and creating and building his photo business. Wow…he never ceases to amaze me.

Eric did it and his first wedding under Eric Meng Photography was booked in October 2010, just under two months. Once he booked a few wedding the business took off and the business was officially successful and that all happened in only four short months.

This was not an easy decision but we would have been foolish to pass up this amazing once in a lifetime opportunity but at the same time taking this on meant that Eric and i would become very busy and we would have a lot to juggle.

Eric would still have to work his regular job for awhile and we NEED the insurance Eric gets from his work. Eric and i both have rather serious diseases and because of that we would never be approved for private health insurance. Of course I could get a job with good health insurance for the family but right now is important for the family that I continue to be a stay at home mom, taking care of the house and kids.
However, we have said from the beginning that if it becomes too much for Eric to work at SCHAWK and run the business then I would go back to work part-time to get health insurance.

I have been helping with the business and i love it. I will be creating all the albums and talking to the couples about their album design. I am very excited about this as it will bring out my creative side that for the most part has been in a box since i have became a mom. I am also helping with the PR side of the business and putting together the information folders for all perspective clients etc.

We could not feel more blessed and we thank God everyday for this opportunity.

My husband continues to amaze me and i am so thankful for him and so honored to be his wife and so incredibly proud of him!

A very magical New years May 3, 2011

For the first time in years we decide to stay in on New Years Eve and celebrate with the kids. 2010 was a year of much positive change for our family and 2011 will be a year full of even more positive change and new endeavors and i just wanted to stay home with my amazing husband and beautiful children and celebrate the end of 2010 and the begining of 2011

We had the kids take a later nap so they could stay up late.
We ordered Asian food, i made lots of yummy, healthy snacks, we had sparkling juice for the kids, watched a movie and then watch the festivities in Chicago and NYC on TV and played games.
I bought fun hats and noise makers and we had and absolute BALL. This was the best New years Eve!

We rang in 2011 with the kids at 10pm

We put the kids to bed at about 10:45. About a half hour later we hear little foot steps piddling down the stairs. Noah and Zofia did not want to miss out on the “real” celebration.

I was so curious as to what Silas our “party animal was doing and why he did not Join his big brother and little sister. So i went up to his room and was quite shocked when i saw this.
\
Bless his heart, He was passed out. This was out of the norm for Silas our little “frat boys” LOL

Christmas 2010 March 18, 2011

CHRIST IS BORN!! GLORIFY HIM!!!!!!
December 24 AND 25, 2010

Every year on Christmas eve morning. We pack up the van for the day and head to the city for a very yummy Breakfast at Ann Sathers in the Andersonville Neighborhood of the city. It is our little family tradition we started the first year we were married. The food is amazing and they have the best cinnamon rolls which they are famous for here in Chicago.
We buy several dozen rolls to give to our friends and family and we stop at their houses along the way to my parents. It is super fun and our friends and family love it and look forward to it each Christmas eve.

We have had the same waitress for the 3-4 years and this year she recognized us and said “you guys come every Christmas eve right…i remember you guys and especially because of all the dozen boxes of cinnamon rolls you guys by” We love this tradition.
We had a nice Christmas eve at my Parents house. The kids were very excited and happy about their gifts from Grandma and Grandpa:-)
They are very blessed to have the most loving and amazing grandparents. Thanks Mom and Dad….we all love you so much!





We love are funny and goofy Grandpa……the kids loved these glasses he bought for them:-)

The family before Holy Supper at my parents house….i am taking the pic.

Christmas Tree 2010

CHRIST IS BORN!! GLORIFY HIM!!!!!!
Chritsmas Day at Church

Kids with Grandpa and Grandma on Christmas day at our house.

Day after christmas……..Just chillin after a busy few days.

We had an Amazing and very BLESSED Christmas 2010

Fall is in the air January 3, 2011

Oct 9, 2010
A fun day at Sonny Acres pumpkin farm with Mamma and Baba

Silas could not WAIT to go down the “big slide”

We has a great time. Poor Noah got sick just as we got to the farm but he was a tropper and made the best of the time we were there. Of course we cut our day very short because it was clear Noah was not feeling well at all.

We made a quick stop at target so i could pick up everything i needed to make the kids costumes.
I found this fabulous witch hat for myself and Silas just had to wear it. He was a HUGE hit throughout Target and everyone thought he was so cute…he was:-)

The loves of our lives December 5, 2010

Spring 2010

Our Neighbor Kelly is a photography student.
Eric is mentoring her and she is always wanting to shoot photos of the kids.
We did a little spring photo shoot in April.
I think they turned out super cute….i just love that they are so organic and not in a stuffy studio.



Noah 5yrs, Silas 3.5 yrs and Zofia 2yrs
The boys would not cooperate for individual shots so we just got Zofia. She is just so adorable in these photos. Feel so blessed to have Zofia….the little daughter i always dreamed of.

Noah is FIVE……oh my December 5, 2010

April 2010

I can not believe that our first born child is five years old already.
Noah is the most amazing, compassionate and smart five year old.
He brings such joy into our lives.
He is our miracle baby as the docs thought i was miscarrying and wanted me to have a D and C.
I am so glad that i put my faith in God and not the doctors and went for a second opinion because i can not imagine our life without our sweet Noah.

Happy birthday stinky hims ( that is a nickname eric came up with when Noah was a baby….don;t ask just laugh and smile lol)
WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH BUDDY!

We had a fabulous stars wars themed party for Noah.

Another fabulous cake by Michelle

Present time!!!!!!!! Noah is such a blessed little boy…he received just wonderful presents.


Noah thanking Auntie Mary….he is such a sweet little man:-)

Instead of treat bags i put the ingredients for home made playdoh in a mason jar and gave on to each child. It was a big hit and so much more useful and better then a bag full of candy and silly little toys.

Buddies


Casey, Noah and Alexander

2010..the year of change December 5, 2010

A few days after the new year i had an experience that changed my life forever.
No need to go into detail about the experience as a whole as it is rather long and boring.
It changed who i am as a person, Wife, Mother, Daughter and Friend and i am forever grateful for that experience.
During this experience i learned a lot about myself and who i have become since Oct 2006 when i was diagnosed with Postpartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM)

I decided it was time for me to go back to work part-time….i just felt i needed a “work break”
I lost a little bit of who i am since my diagnoses in 2006 and i needed to get some of who i used to be back.
So in the begging of Feb I accepted a position as a educational home visitor/social worker for a Social service/child development center in chicago inner city.
I was very excited on my first day Feb 24, 2010 and after my first few weeks i felt like i have known my co-workers and boss forever. It was a perfect fit.
I loved the job, while i was nervous going into certain neighborhoods the families i served and what i was providing for them made it all worth it.

The kids took well to the change and loved their babysitters. We has a few different babysitters come to the house the days i worked.

While i miss being a full-time stay at home mom sometimes i know this is what i needed to do for my family and myself. It has made me a better wife, mom, daughter, sister in law and friend.

I have the best of both worlds right now. I have a “work break” three times a week and i have 4 full days with my kids at home. It is an extremely flexible job and the center is very family oriented which makes it very easy to be a part time working mom.
This has been one of the best decision i have made.

Some of My CRCL family – 2/2010

Catch up time November 21, 2010

In the process of updating my blog from this past year.
Oh my, I will NEVER neglect my blog again.
I am posting right now via the wordpress app on my iPhone. I am super excited about this app, Hoping it will make updating my blog/scrapbook easier.
Stay tuned for a years worth of posts soon:)

December 2009 October 3, 2010

We welcomed our friends Casey and Gwen into our home a few days a week again while their Mom and Dad worked.
We love having them over, the kids have someone to play, with my children are entertained meaning i have an accomplished day:-) and we have so much doing art projects,learning letters, numbers,shapes, colors and going on field trips and nature walks.

A race between Brothers, Noah and Silas

“Awe that was a good race Silas”
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The boys at the Zoo

Zofia and her best friend Gwen