Pavelko's Blog

I Met My Guardian Angel

2009-09-23T10:09:00.002-04:00

I think I met my guardian angel...her name is Candy.

Where do I start...

I decided I would work on 30 things I want to achieve before I turn 30, one of them being 30 random acts of kindness. Well, I'm beginning to realize, I'm the recipient of many of these random acts of kindness, just making me want to pay it forward that much more.

There was one week in July that was a rough week for me...I wasn't feeling 100% emotionally, I fell running, one of my clients passed away, I was working very long hours, and it just wasn't the best of weeks. That Tuesday morning I woke up exhausted and it was only Tuesday! I threw on the first thing I grabbed out of the closet and didn't really do my hair or makeup that day. To say the least, I wasn't looking my best by any means. I stopped by the grocery store to get a few things on my way home from an appointment and one older lady approached me out of no where saying "Oh honey, don't you look so nice today. I love it when young ladies dress up and look so lady like!" Was she talking to me? I looked at her with tears in my eyes and so "I certainly don't think I look nice today, it's been a rough week and you have no idea how much your comment means to me." She responded with "a fact is a fact and I hope you have a wonderful day." I left her with tears running down my face. Then I got to the cash register and the lady behind the counter said "Don't your nails look so pretty. Do you do them yourself or do you get them done somewhere?" I said to her that I felt so blessed by her comments and the lady before because I was having a rough week and they both had just made my day. The lady behind the cash register said "Well, you do know who is is control don't you?" "I certainly do", I said. And we continued our conversation reflecting our faith and the hope and peace found through believing in the Lord. She ran around the cash register and gave me a big hug and said that she would be thinking and praying for me. Her name was Candy.

I have thought about her every day since then and make a point to go to that grocery store, even though it's not the closest one to me. A few weeks later I ran into her again and we immediately connected again, sharing our contact information with one another. Candy told the lady behind me that we would be done soon and shared our last encounter with each other. The lady behind me in the check out line said hearing that story blessed her day because she just started a new job and found the job very difficult and thanked us for sharing our story. Amazing...it really was like pay it forward! Candy specifically asked that I pray for her that day and I did.

Today I received another phone call from her reminding me to look up because He is sitting on the throne and loves each one of us so much! Wow, what an encouragement. Matt and I have been going through some difficult times with our home and a few other things and it was just the encouragement I needed to get myself back up. I love this woman without even really knowing her. Although, we both do know that we are sisters in Christ.

With all that said, I want to encourage each of you to reach out to someone today. You'll never know what impact you will have made on them that day and each day ahead. I can't wait to get to know her better. I truly feel like she is my guardian angel.

So, go out there and pay it forward!

One of a few

2009-09-15T08:08:00.003-04:00

I've been diligently working at achieving my 30 before 30 and I'll provide more updates in the coming weeks. I have finished a few of my goals, but I'm proud of my most recent accomplishment "Crochet a blanket and FINISH it." Sarah, I should make you proud :)

As most of you know, I'm going to be an aunt soon!!! Yea! Can't wait! So, this blanket was made for my new niece or nephew. It has 125 stitches across and there are over 125 rows, so do the calculations...that's a lot of stitches. They were all out of love and I enjoyed every minute of it. I'm excited to start the next one! Maybe this time, I'll learn another stitch. :)

First Friday

2009-09-11T16:09:00.003-04:00

Jeff, Carrie, Matt and I had dinner at the Press Room outside on Friday night. It was so nice eating outdoors near the fountains with two of our favorite people :) Later we met up with Kim and Graham and ran into a few other people we knew along the way. I always love walking around First Friday's...visiting the art galleries(Liz Hess is one of my favorites), cute little shops, and more!

Saturday Matt and I drove down to OC, MD...of course we had to leave at the break of dawn around 6 AM (there is no other way)! We had beautiful weather, read good books, got plenty of sun, visited our favorite restaurants, and listened to a VERY talented musician our last evening at dinner. What more can you ask for?

One Day...

2009-08-17T16:05:00.004-04:00

One day I'm going to live here... Annapolis, MD. It's always been my favorite town...I love the quaint little town, the relaxing atmosphere, the Naval Academy, and the fact that's it's close to the water. Matt and I visited Annapolis over the weekend and had a great time. We got down there on Friday evening and had dinner at Mike's Crab House. What a fun little restaurant...there was an outdoor bar, live music, and we sat right on the water. Now, that's my kind of place! While it's fun to get dressed up on a nice vacation, you sit me down next to the water and I'll be content for life! Saturday we walked around town, tried out a few new restaurants, took a tour of the Naval Academy, toured two old Historic Homes, and relaxed by the water. I must say, I am very proud of Matt. He's not a fan of seafood, but he made it a goal for himself to not eat any meat or chicken while we were down there and he lived up to his goal! He ate shrimp, crab, and crab cakes...I was very impressed!
As much as both of us love Lancaster and the fact that we are so close to both of our families, I must say that I would love to one day live tin this beautiful town of Annapolis, MD.

The Last Month in a Nutshell

2009-07-30T17:24:00.010-04:00

It's been a while since I updated my blog. We had a lot going on this last month or so. I can't believe how fast summer is flying by. Business has been busy and life in general, has been a lot of fun. So, here is a few of the summer moments in a nutshell.

I went to NJ and spent an evening with Ang and Heather. What fun going out to dinner, playing games, late night talks, watching a chick flick and going for a walk! We missed Crystal though!

Our first Chesters family vacation! Wow! Words can't even describe how much fun we had on vacation and all the memories we created. A few of the many memorable moments include having lunch on Mirror Lake, evening smores, spa day with my mom and sisters, kayaking (my new favorite outdoor activity), seeing the top of White Face, playing games at the game room, visiting the ice cream parlor, the beach, taking a boat ride around Lake Placid, going out for nice dinners, sharing laughs, and SO much more!

Celebrating our 5 year anniversary in Lake Placid! I can't believe it's been 5 years already! Happy Anniversary babe!
Going to the Chamber dinner to see T. Boone Pickens speak.

Showering with gifts! Yea! Carrie's going to be a mommy!

My Favorite Holiday

2009-07-09T12:23:00.003-04:00

As much as I love Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and Easter, I have to say, my favorite holiday is July 4th! Everyone just seems so happy and you don't here of anyone being overwhelmed as they plan for this holiday...what is there to be overwhelmed about with cookouts and fun times outdoors. I think I also love July 4th because I have so many fond memories of spending this holiday at my favorite place in the world...the beach!

We had such a great weekend... Friday was Grace's graduation party. Fun times! We played volleyball, spun around until we fell down, played Frisbee, spent time with family and friends and watched the Conestoga Fireworks.

Saturday Matt's cousin Keith came in from Pittsburg and his Aunt Pat came in from Arkansas. It was nice having a laid back day on the porch chating and catching up on life. Pictures to follow...

Sunday, Matt and I slept it, which was much needed after a busy week last week. We got some work done around the house and then went back over to mom and dads to watch Wimbledon, finish up the leftover, and play more Frisbee. Later that evening, we walked over to Long's Park to watch the best fireworks ever!

10 Years Ago...

2009-07-01T08:40:00.003-04:00

I fell in love.

Matt and I met when I was in elementary school, believe it or not. He was three years ahead of me so he was always out of my league...too old, I thought. Well, that's how it feels anyways when you're in 6th grade and the boy you like is in 9th grade. He was actually hanging out with one of my friends growing up and that's how I met him. He always seemed like a nice boy and I had hoped that one day I would meet a boy like him. Who knew I was going to end up marrying him! I also remember going to the Landisville pool with my cousins Karen and Johnny and I would see Matt at a distance and get those little butterflies in my stomach. I liked that lifeguard! But again, I was just an elementary school girl and this boy was in high school. He would never notice me.
Years later, we met again at a small group at church. We became good friends for about a year and e-mailed each other back and forth at college. After spring break, we kind of lost touch again. That following summer (summer of 1999) we hung out with our small group friends and soon realized we had mutual feelings for one another. It truly was a relationship built out of a friendship. I think back of all the fond memories we shared and continue to share with one another. Some of the fondest memories of that first year are going to Denny's late at night talking and then going to Conestoga Country Club to star gaze, running from the cops on the golf course, making dinner together, taking walks, going to the beach, visits at college, and so much more.
So, happy 10 year anniversary to falling in love with the love of my life. More to come for our 5 year anniversary that is coming up in July :)

Happy Father's Day Dads!

2009-06-22T13:16:00.002-04:00

Dad. Hero. Father. Friend. Strength. Loving. Relaxed. Foundation. Fun. Just a few words to describe my dad. What a special time it is to celebrate all that our father's have done for us. Saturday night we went over to my parents house after having quite an eventful morning, which I won't get into. Carrie made a yummy brisket and dessert, Grace made the potatoes, and mom covered everything in between. We had a fun, relaxing evening sitting around talking, playing games, and enjoying each others company. Some of the fondest memories I have with my dad include... And, please keep in mind, this is VERY few of MANY!

Throwing around the Frisbee or paddle ball in the evenings at the beach
Playing in the pool in the summers
Fishing at the Brown's in Salisbury
Going to Hershey Bear games
Chewing bubble gum under the tree and telling dad about my week
Sitting at the top of the neighborhood waiting for the bus to come
Decorating birthday cakes for my dad
Dancing at my wedding and crying like a baby!
Having my dad tuck me (and Curious George) in at night
Going to the Orioles baseball game with my two sisters and dad
Dad reading Twas the Night Before Christmas every Christmas Eve
Dad's hugs
Date nights...rotating with Dad and Mom
Pulling the weeds to surprise him
Waiting at the top of the neighborhood with Carrie for dad to get home from work
Going to Pine View Acres with the family
Swimming far out into the ocean and getting toppled over by a wave (okay, it was far for me)
Sunday trips down to Baltimore after church
I could go on and on and on, but again, that's a few...

Love you Dad! And, Happy Father's Day to my brother-in-law Jeff who is soon to be a daddy also!

Last Day of School!

2009-06-11T08:56:00.003-04:00

I'm like a little kid! I'm so excited that today is the last day of school! Woohoo! Matt certainly put in his hard work this school year, now it's time to have a relaxing summer break together! Well, he, of course, has his "honey do" list, but we'll still be able to enjoy summer break together. It's so nice having him home in the summer...he's such a great help around the house. Considering the summer months are my busiest, the schedule works out perfectly. Some of the things I'm looking forward to the most this summer are...

Walking down to market
Going out for ice cream at Pine View Acres and Carmen and David's, which by the way, has the BEST ice cream in the world
Family summer vacation to White Face Lodge
Walking down to Chestnut Street Cafe with Matt to do some work and read together
Going to the park
Throwing around the Frisbee in the evenings
Gardening
Long runs
Swimming
Going to the beach...duh!
Picnics and cookouts with friends and family
Grace's graduation party
Planning for my niece of nephew, Baby Bierlein, to enter the world
There are so many, but I just realized what time it is and I have to run... Until next time :)

Best Buddies

2009-06-09T17:11:00.009-04:00

Mattias was back in Lancaster for a friend's wedding. He flew in on Thursday evening and we continued the tradition of taking a little drive, listening to great music, having great talks and sharing lots of laughs, and grabbing something to eat. Matt, Mattias, and I stayed up talking and Trevor (a high school friend and now my next door neighbor) stopped over to let us know that his little boy had been born the day before. It was an exciting day. Friday, Mattias and I went to Chestnut Street cafe...my favorite cafe in Lancaster. If you haven't been there yet, be sure to get there this summer! It's a great little place! We walked back home and Nick picked Mattias up for the wedding. Sunday, Matt, Renea, Mattias, and I packed a picnic and met Dan at Hamilton Park, threw around the Frisbee, football, and had a great time. We ordered a pizza and they delivered it right to the park. This was one of the best evenings ever! We all had such a great time. The rest of the week was filled with fun and great talks as always...visiting Water Street Rescue Mission, picnic with the Chesters clan, going to market, walking around town, and a little of anything and everything in between. I am so thankful for the friendship we share. While we're sad to see him go, I know we'll see each other again. Matt and I are looking forward to one day visiting him in Sweden.

Mattias and his American parents

My Swedish parents

Three buddies

Matt and Mattias cooking

Mattias and Renea

Grace's Senior Year

2009-05-29T10:38:00.007-04:00

A few weeks ago Grace had her high school prom! She was absolutely stunning, as always! Here are a few pictures...

She also had her graduation last Saturday. Congratulations Grace! Dad put a bid on the front row seats at Graduation, so the whole Chesters clan showed up in the front row. A few tears popped out, but all in all, I did surprisingly well! I just can't believe how fast these years have gone by! It seems like just yesterday when I saw Grace walking down the hall dressed as a crayon for her Christmas concert at Lancaster Country Day, or watching one of her many piano recitals. What good memories! I'm so proud of her!!!

Where Did the Time Go?

2009-05-08T14:33:00.002-04:00

Where did the time go? I realize today is the last day of school for my little sister, Grace. Wow...how time flies. I remember holding her for the first time so excited to have another little sister. And, going down to the beach each summer. I remember her funny little habits growing up and I remember taking lunch into school for her when I came home from college. So many memories... And I find myself all teary eyed thinking about it...gosh, I'm going to be a wreck at her graduation. I'm so proud of who she has become and so excited to see where she's headed in life. I know that she will be so successful at anything she pursues. She is a woman with a strong will and determination and I so admire that about her. More to come from prom, graduation, etc., but wow, my sister is officially done at Country Day and big and better things are yet to come! Congratulations Grace! I'm so proud of you!

30 Before 30

2009-05-02T11:58:00.003-04:00

I decided I would make my own wish list of things I would like to accomplish before I turn 30 in January. While it's a milestone, I hear that 30 is the new 20, so I'm not too concerned or worried about turning 30!

Understand that I have my other personal and business goals for the coming year, but it's just that...personal!

I'm excited to keep a journal of my 30 Before 30 Goals and share my experiences as I accomplish each of these goals.

Lose the 30 pounds that I've been working towards!
Take several more spontaneous trips down to the beach...even in the fall and winter.
Go sky diving...hmm...I hope I can get this one in!
Send 30 letters (not e-mails) to 30 different people just to let them know I'm thinking about them.
Read 3 novels, 3 business books, and 3 self improvement books
Go hiking and spend one night in a tent...but only one night!
Host a wine and cheese at our house with friends.
Learn to surf! Yes sirie! It's something I've always wanted to learn how to do!
Run 30 miles at one time.
Run a race in which my time is a 9 minute mile!
Collect 500 canned goods at my next Christmas Party to take to a local Food Bank.
Take a spontaneous day trip to DC with Matt.
Collect a combined total of 100 coats, scarves, and gloves at my next Christmas Party for children in Lancaster.
Donate 30 personal items.
Give 30 hours of community service.
Write 30 thank you letters to 30 individuals serving our country overseas.
Take 30 pictures on 30 different days of 30 different non-materialistic things I appreciate in life and put the pictures together in an album.
Learn how to put a spare tire on my car.
Crochet a blanket and FINISH it!
Spend quality time with each member of my immediate family and learn something new about each of them (including husband, parents, sisters, and in-laws).
Encourage someone to live their "impossible dream."
Go to a professional baseball game with Matt.
Spend a weekend with girlfriends at the beach.
Cook 30 meals for Matt.
Create 5 new recipes with Matt that have no common ingredients.
Give 30 spontaneous gifts.
Go deep sea fishing!!!
Memorize 30 new scripture verses.
Try on my wedding dress one more time and finally, get it cleaned and preserved.
Write down names of 30 people who have changed my life in the past 30 years and tell them how they made a difference to me.

Wow, that went by fast

2009-01-19T07:41:00.003-05:00

We had a great weekend this past weekend, but it went by so fast. Now, most weekends do fly by, but goodness! Friday night I went down to Jenna's house and spent the evening with her and Jude while Matt went to church to welcome the new youth director. Jenna made some yummy homemade pizza, friends of hers stopped by for a bit, then we gave Mr. Jude a bath and after that, went downstairs, ate some yummy brownies that Jenna made and watched Sex and the City. Love that movie! The next morning we ate breakfast, played with Jude for a little, and then I had to head home to help straighten up the house and get ready for our evening dinner guests. Matt and I ran some groceries, straightened up the house, and then I worked out while Matt prepared a 5 star dinner. I swear I married a top chef! Uncle John and Aunt Mary came over for dinner...the menu included mushroom and panchetta ham stuffed chicken with a creamy cheese and mushroom sauce over top. We had bread, bread dipping sauce, a yummy salad, mashed potatoes and green beans with chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream to finish it all off. Sunday we went to church to listen to a great sermon, went over to the Pavelko's for a bit, Matt helped some friends fix their car, and then we went over to our friends house, Matt and Tara's for dinner with Rashard and Michelle and all the kids. We watched the Eagles game...started off very disappointing, then we had a glimpse of hope in the 4th quarter, and then it all ended and the Eagles lost. :( Better luck next season. And, did I take any pictures this weekend? Nope. :( Sorry, I forgot my camera.

Biggest Loser #2

2009-01-06T08:06:00.002-05:00

Time to work those Christmas cookies off... Biggest Loser #2 starts tomorrow!

It's easy...all you have to do is e-mail me your starting weight as of tomorrow, January 7th. NO ONE else would know your weight except me. Each week, I would e-mail you little bits of encouragement and then each Wednesday, you would e-mail me your weight and I would calculate the percentages. It would be $20 to participate and the Biggest Loser of each week (based on percentages) would receive $20. At the end of the Biggest Loser competition, there would be grand prizes...last year's Biggest Loser won a free night stay at the Lancaster Arts Hotel and the second runner up won a $100 gift card to Leola Village (they have a hotel, spa, and restaurant). Different times I would invite people to work out, but it is not mandatory to show up. Just a way for all of us to continue supporting one another.

Let me know if you're interested by e-mailing me at Jessica@pavelko.org or calling my cell at 808-7471.

A few more pictures

2009-01-02T09:57:00.005-05:00

Here are a few more pictures from the holidays with the family...

Where Are You Christmas?

2008-12-29T17:59:00.008-05:00

It's one of my favorite Christmas songs, but goodness, it went by so fast. Wednesday Matt and I both ran a few errands, finished wrapping up the gifts, and then got ready for the Christmas Eve service at church. We did t he 6:00 service with my family, continued the tradition of going to Symposium afterward, and then went to the 10:00 service with the Pavelko's. Matt and I got home late and I was ready to crash...ugh, I'm so old! Heck, I almost fell asleep at the 10:00 service. Anyways, we got home and I made my two yummy cheeseballs for Christmas Day at mom and dad's and then we went upstairs, ready Twas the Night Before Christmas and waited for Santa to arrive. The next morning we woke up, exchanged gifts, went over to the Pavelko's to exchange gifts and then over to my parents to enjoy the day with family. Here are a few pictures from the day. More to follow...

This one just cracks me up! Sometimes I just get the giggles.

Now we're serious. My beautiful sister and I on Christmas Day.What can I say...we make each other laugh.This one makes me laugh too. Matt is allergic to dogs, and Liddy always finds a restful spot nearby on Dad P's lap.

Things I love all in one evening...

2008-12-24T08:14:00.003-05:00

First of all, I absolutely love to give. When I was little, I used to want to take meals to the homeless on the streets, I served at Water Street Rescue Mission with my family and church, and some day I would like to walk the East Coast of the United States (in my spare time) and raise money for a cause. I am so determined to make a difference one life at a time. I guess it's the pay it forward concept. Anyways, last night I started an annual tradition of collecting warm clothing, used instruments, and food for children and their families at the School District of Lancaster or families in that area. I was so impressed by how much stuff I received, considering it was only two days before Christmas. If you have items that you would like to donate, please let me know and you can drop them off. I have plenty of wine and cheese left over if you would like to have a glass of wine too :)
Then, after everyone left, and my favorite CD was on...Jim Brickman's Holidays, Matt and I turned off the lights and danced. It was the perfect way to welcome in the holiday season. The distraction of TV and the hustle and bustle of everything can just get to be too much sometimes. After our little dance, my brother-in-law Dan stopped over and we had a nice chat with him. After he left, we watched my favorite Christmas movie, the Nativity. That IS the true meaning of CHRISTmas. Rejoice! Our Savior is born!

Christmas Time

2008-12-22T18:12:00.007-05:00

Matt's school Christmas concert was on Thursday. It was so cute and the kids just sang their little hearts out! I so enjoy going to his concerts each year and seeing the kids. You see the joy in their faces and the pride in their hearts when they're done singing their song. As Matt announced one of the songs, one of the little first graders yelled out as he stood there on the bleachers, "Ooo...I love this song." So cute!
I've never waited this late to do my Christmas shopping, but Saturday and Sunday we walked around the mall and did our Christmas shopping. It was tons of fun. Most people hate the crowds, but I kind of enjoy them. Call me crazy, but it adds to the Christmas fun. Saturday night was our Christmas Party at the Kocher's.
And, traditions continue. Each year we have Pappy over to decorate our Christmas tree. Last night we just ordered pizza and snacked on some cookies while Matt and I decorated the Christmas tree. Pappy was our entertainment as he shared his jokes and stories of when he was younger. Last night he told a story I never heard before about Nanny and Pappy dating way back in the day. It was really cute! Does he look his age? 93 years old and going strong!

L&A Christmas Party

2008-12-17T15:58:00.006-05:00

So much fun that evening...but we always have a blast!

...wait until you see our Christmas card. Too funny!

The boys...Matt, Charlie, Chris, Jim, and James

The girls...Abbey, Allison, Me, Sarah, MollyUs...and no, we did not try to match that evening...I promise!

Christmas Favorites

2008-12-16T18:01:00.002-05:00

I was tagged...

Christmas Song:
Grown Up Christmas List, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, O Holy Night, All is Well, Welcome to Our World, Where Are you Christmas, I love Luther Vandross's O Come All Ye Faithful, there's so many...

Christmas Movie:
Definitely the Nativity Story...talk about the real spirit of Christmas and then some fun ones like Its a Wonderful Life, Polar Express, Babes and Toyland (watched this with my sisters growing up), Rudolph, White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, Santa Claus with Tim Allen, and the movie Elf cracks me up so much! I love Will Farrell!

Christmas Cookie:
My nanny's raisin filled cookies. My aunt and I used to fight over those. The best! But, I also love snicker doodles, sugar cookies, and you can never go wrong with chocolate chip. I love baking cookies just as much as I love eating them, but I also love giving them away to clients and putting a smile on their faces.

Christmas Gift:
I remember getting Snowball when I was young. I wanted a puppy so badly and my parents gave my sister and I a Westhighland White Terrier. I cried and was so excited!

Christmas Memory:
I would have to go with my sister in having my dad wake me us in the middle of the night because he heard Santa. He said we had to let mom sleep, but the rest of us went downstairs and saw Santa putting gifts under the tree. Years later I found out it was my mom dressed up like Santa….but I’ll never forget the pure joy that brought me as a little girl. My mom did so many great things for us…and still does. Every holiday she made so special...really, every day my parents made so special.

I also enjoyed surprising Matt one Christmas with a gift of encouragement by gathering letters and memorabilia from each of his teachers/professors that have inspired him musically. Then, we had the opportunity to visit one of his all time idols in VA, Steve Melilo.

Christmas Tradition:
When I was young we would go to Longwood Gardens with the Beyers, go to the Christmas Eve service at Lampeter United Methodist and Mrs. Godfrey would give us a Christmas ornament, decorating the Christmas tree in the basement, living room and family room, writing letters to Santa and leaving cookies out for him and carrots for the reindeer, going Christmas shopping with Dad and going down to Watt & Shand's to get a Texas Tommy, sitting on Santa's lap, going over to Nanny's with all of my cousins, spending Christmas evenings with Grandma, Grandpa and Dad's side of the family, making appetizers on Christmas Eve and spending that time as a family, putting fires in the fireplace and sipping hot chocolate, looking out the window on the way home from the Christmas Eve service to see if we could spot Santa's sleigh, oh, there were so many...

Now Matt and I enjoy putting up our two nativity sets, decorating the tree with Pappy, baking Christmas cookies (oh, so many), reading Twas the Night Before Christmas (still), reading the Greatest Story Ever Told on Christmas Eve, Watching the Nativity Story, listening to Christmas music on the way to Thanksgiving, going over to the Pavelko's to unwrap Christmas gifts (after we unwrap our own, that is), eating Dan's awesome stuffed French Toast, going over to Mom and Dad's and having a wonderful fun-filled day with family, picking out a Christmas tree, Christmas Eve service and dinner at Symposium, Christmas shopping, Christmas morning joy.

Christmas Meal:
Um, everything you can think of. Meatballs, cheesy shredded potatoes, green beans, cheese and crackers, crab dip, cookies, fruit, veggies, more cookies...

Christmas Beverage:
Love apple cider, hot chocolate, and always enjoy a glass of wine at holiday parties.

Christmas Decoration:
Nativity sets and white Christmas lights

Christmas Flower:
Is there anything other than a poinsettia

Christmas Ornament:
Like Carrie, my Christmas pickle from mom, and the ornaments I made Matt when we were dating. I made an ornament for each year we were together. I can't wait to have kids and have them come home with homemade little Christmas ornaments.

Christmas Smell:
Christmas tree (although I'm allergic), Christmas cookies, cinnamon, my new potpourri

Christmas Hymn:
O Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night, O Holy Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, there are so many good ones.

Christmas Card:
I love getting pictures of my friends kids. So cute...they usually end up staying on my fridge until next Christmas.

Christmas Shopping Moment:
I love Christmas shopping, period. I just love giving

Christmas Book:
The Greatest Story Ever Told, Twas the Night Before Christmas, and Polar Express

Christmas Party:
This year we had a lot of Christmas parties to go to and all of them were different and fun. Although, I love my guys at Lewis & Associates and we always have a blast at that Christmas party. This year, I even won an award for one of the most funny moments in the office, but I won't proceed in going into details...today, anyways.

Cooking vs. Baking

2008-12-08T16:35:00.002-05:00

There's a reason why Matt does all the cooking and I do the baking. Oh, we laugh about it though! We had such a great weekend, and maybe I'll share more in a later post, but it was just a laid back fun filled weekend...one of the best weekends we have had in a long time.
Anyways, Matt decided to do some baking on Saturday and I decided to cook dinner tonight. Well, there's a reason why Matt does the cooking and I do the baking. Matt tried to make an apple pie...I really think it would have been fine, but he put way too much sugar in it (because he's experimental that way...he doesn't believe in measuring or following recipes). Not only did he put too much sugar in it, but he decided to make an Apple, Peanut Butter, Raisin Pie. Hmm... He tried...hehehe... Just a little too sweet.
Today he said that he wouldn't be home to cook dinner so he helped me get some soup started. How do you screw up soup? I don't know, but I managed to. It's just one big mush pile. I guess we'll eat it...either that or pasta, but it looks pretty funny. I tried making a chicken rice vegetable soup, but it looks more like mush with some color in it...not appealing at all. So, I'll hold my breath and give it a try tonight. Better luck tomorrow...

Thanksgiving

2008-12-04T08:20:00.006-05:00

We followed our tradition of going up to Kingston to visit Matt's extended family. It was a lot of fun and it was really good to see everyone again. It was a smaller crowd this year, but still just as much fun. And, as always, we all ate way too much and then fell into a food coma by the end of the evening. I helped in the kitchen by mixing up the mashed potatoes and I'm always assigned to make the desserts. Oh, they were so yummy...of course we had the traditional pumpkin pie, rice krispie treats, chocolate truffles, brownies, and butterscotch brownies. I also made an apple cranberry crisp that we forgot back at home, but we were able to enjoy that later that weekend. Anyways, back to the kitchen... I can't say this ever happened before, but as Uncle Jack was carving the turkey, Tom the Turkey decided to walk right off the table onto the floor. Uncle Jack let out a great squeel...a few ran to the kitchen to wonder if everything was okay and then we all burst out into laughter and put the good ol' 10 second rule into play! So, with all that said, here are a few pictures of our day. More to follow of Thanksgiving Weekend and our first Thanksgiving meal of the season.

Our little guy...

2008-11-25T11:51:00.002-05:00

We just received notice from World Vision that we have a new little boy now that we'll be sponsoring. His name is Aregahegn Chofora and he lives in Ethiopia with his parents and two brothers. He's 6 years old and enjoys playing hide and seek. We're excited to get in touch with him!

Welcome Rowan

2008-11-24T09:15:00.002-05:00

Rowan Zachary Young was born on Friday, November 21st!

Congratulations Adrian and Julie, and Olivia too!

Lake Placid, here we come!

2008-11-19T13:00:00.004-05:00

The other week, the Chesters family sat down and discussed some options for 2009 Family Summer Vacation...our first family vacation with the Chesters Clan and our spouses! We decided on this awesome resort in Lake Placid called, The White Face Lodge. Check it out! Anyways, we'll be headed there sometime in July and I'm just so excited! Spa day, shopping, water sports...how can you go wrong!

Happy Anniversary to me!

2008-11-17T15:47:00.002-05:00

I just realized today is my 2 Year Business Anniversary! Woohoo! Two years ago today I sat down in front of a 'Focus Group' or other local professionals who serve Lancaster County seniors and presented my business idea. Everyone agreed that I needed to proceed with providing my services to Lancaster County seniors. I feel so lucky to have all of my mentors, family and friends supporting me every step of the way. It's certainly not easy running a business, but well worth it at the end of the day!

It's the Most Wonderful Time...

2008-11-15T08:58:00.004-05:00

I love the Christmas season. After I clean up the house today and go to the gym, I think Matt and I are going to start our Christmas shopping. Some of my favorite things about this time of the year are:

Listening to Christmas music
Driving up to Scranton and having a few hours to just talk about life while we listen to my favorite Christmas CD
Thanksgiving!
Seeing extended family members
Baking, baking and more baking...Christmas cookies, truffles, cakes, tortes, pies...
Watching some of my favorite Christmas movies...It's a Wonderful Life, the Nativity, Polar Express, Miracle on 34th Street, Elf, and the list goes on
Christmas shopping and wrapping gifts while watching one of my Christmas movies
The scent of cinnamon and evergreen
Christmas morning!
First Friday downtown and Tuba Christmas
Spending weekends with friends
Hearing Dominic the Donkey on the radio and laughing like crazy!
Christmas parties
Matt's Christmas concerts...especially his school concert...the kids are adorable!
Picking out a Christmas tree
Decorating our Christmas tree with pappy
Getting dressed up and going to the Christmas Eve service
Seeing the little kids at church in their Christmas dresses and suits...so cute!
Spending lots of time with family
Sipping on hot chocolate and enjoying a Christmas cookie or two
Apple Cider, Spiced Rum, a little dab of butter and cinamon to finish it off
Celebrating many many birthdays within a month...Dad P, Mom C, Matt, myself, Eric R, Kent, and a few others that I can't think of right now
New Year's Eve!
Snow...hopefully we get some this year. I'm not a huge fan of it, but I'd rather have snow than dreary rainy days like this one! And, if we get snow, let's get lots of it so we can go out and play!
Seeing my Messiah girls (miss you this weekend!)
Lewis & Associates Christmas Party
Christmas caroling (which, by the way, I'm going to arrange to go to a retirement community and go Christmas caroling)
Decorating the house with lights, candles, and my nativity set
and so much more...

Thank You.

2008-11-11T10:39:00.001-05:00

Thank you to all those who fight for our freedom. Happy Veteran's Day.

PMS!

2008-11-06T13:20:00.002-05:00

Post Marathon Syndrome. You get a little depressed and you're waiting to sign up for the next marathon. Well, today my PMS symptoms stopped...finally...for my sake and for Matt's! hahaha... I found that Lancaster is having it's first marathon!!! Holy Crap! I'm so freakin' excited!!! And, not only is it in Lancaster, but the proceeds go to one of the retirement communities...Garden Spot Village! Ha! Sign up! They're taking walkers too! Let me know if you're interested and we'll all be in together! It's the best experience ever!

Just Me, Myself, and I

2008-11-03T09:29:00.003-05:00

Tis the season! Matt is crazy busy this time of year and I miss him, but I've started enjoying these little nights to do some of the things I love the most...baking, crafts, scrapbooking, running, etc. I was never fond of staying at home by myself, but now I love those "Me, Myself, and I" nights! I found this yummy recipe in my last Kraft foods magazine that I'm going to try out tonight. I'll let you know how they turn out. Nothing like a little glass of red wine with dark chocolate truffles.

Lewis & Associates Halloween Party

2008-10-30T11:10:00.004-04:00

Last night was pumpkin carving night with the families at Lewis & Associates. What fun! The guys always go all out with the office...I must say, it looked pretty cool, and spooky too! The kids always have a ton of fun...of course, so do the adults!

World Series Champions!

2008-10-30T09:30:00.003-04:00

Need I say more?

Running is a mental sport, we're just all insane

2008-10-27T16:08:00.010-04:00

30,000 runners. 100,000 spectators. 26.2 miles. 5 hours later...finish! And, free beer at the end! This is a little description of my past weekend at the Marine Corp Marathon. What a wonderful weekend. It was my 6th marathon, my 2nd Marine Corp. Saturday we walked around the Expo a bit...it's the ultimate 'Obsessed with Running' Expo and I love it! We started at 8:00, or should I say, the horns blew at 8:00...I started at about 8:15. It takes a little while to get to the start line...as there are over 30,000 runners. You really can't start running comfortably until about Mile 4. If you're in it to get a great time, you're probably at the wrong race because it's nearly impossible to move the first couple of miles...you just go with the flow and have a good time! So, enough of my babbling, I'll show you some pictures. More to follow later this week. Oh yeah, I finished in about 5:14 and Danaun finished in 6:30. Most importantly, we beat the bridge. If you don't beat the bridge, you can picked up by the 'clean-up bus.' Funny, but not funny. That bridge is brutal.

Matt, Danaun, and I at the Carbo Load dinner. Gotta get your carbs in!

Before the marathon in the freezing cold

Walking to the start line...I think I'll get somewhere between the 5 hour marker. And we can't even see the Starting Line from here. You have to walk a mile before you even cross the Starting Line. Insane, huh?

This official start is under the red balloons.

This is mile 4...see how crowded it still is?

Almost there! .2 to go. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

After the marathon, waiting for the Metro

Pain is Weakness Leaving the Body

2008-10-27T11:43:00.003-04:00

This was one of my favorite posters I saw yesterday in running the Marine Corps Marathon. Yeah...I'm in a bit of pain today, but it's well worth it. Experience the ultimate runner's high...there's nothing like it. Of course, there's nothing like the pain you experience either! Ha...walking down the stairs...IMPOSSIBLE! How about crawling down the stairs... Which leads me to one of my other favorite quotes: "Toenails are for sissies." Yup...lost another three. It's sad when you're not even 30 and considering going to a Podiatrist already!

Just wanted to let you know I'm back and alive. I'll be posting some pictures later on today as well as some information about my finsih, etc. Yesterday couldn't have been more beautiful outside!

If you're interested in running a marathon, let me know and we can train together. I think the next one I'll be doing will be the Flying Pig Marathon in Ohio. We'll see...

Let's Get This Party Started

2008-10-24T08:55:00.005-04:00

I live for these marathon weekends. Danaun, Matt, and I are headed down to DC this weekend...and no, Matt's not running.t I know at least three other people running, so that will make it even more fun...Dave, my senior roommate Kerri, and of course Danaun. Last summer Danaun and I trained together for two separate marathons and this year we're running the Marine together. It's the best marathon there is! Over 30,000 runners and over 100,000 spectators. As if that's not good enough, the weather is supposed to be perfect on Sunday! So, wish me luck. Oh yeah, if you want to see where I'm at on race day, you can go onto http://www.marinemarathon.com/ and track me. Kind of freaky, but still cool! Wish me luck!

Fall Baking

2008-10-21T09:37:00.006-04:00

Two things I absolutely love...Fall and baking. Put the two together, and life couldn't be any better. Last night I had some of my girlfriends over to do a little baking. Yum Yum! We made applesauce (what a workout!), pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips (everything is better with chocolate) and an apple pie. What a fun evening!

Recap...

2008-10-20T08:31:00.007-04:00

Last week my computer crashed, as you could see, so I'm just going to do a quick recap here, because I have to get back to working. Here's a few highlights of the past week or so.

Rob and Kathy's twins, William and Wyatt, got baptised last Sunday. They are so precious!

Here's our little buddy Price. We can't leave him out of the picture!

Friday night we went out to dinner with Christen and Dave and the boys, Jullian and Colton (I used to babysit for them). They are such great boys and I miss them! Dave is running his first marathon, Marine Corps, next weekend, so we went over a few of the details before the weekend. I know he's going to do an awesome job!

Matt, Danielle, Pam, and Butch were in from Pittsburg this past weekend. Matt is my 2nd cousin and we used to be little pen pals for a few years back in High School. It was great to see them over the weekend. We'll see you again in November! Have a great time in Hawaii!

Our neighbors Trevor and Unissa got married this past weekend! Congratulations!

And, Matt and I at the wedding.

Crazy Computer

2008-10-14T10:23:00.003-04:00

My computer crashed, so it's going to be a few days until I post updates on my blog. Hopefully I'll have my computer back by the end of the week. It's amazing how much I depend on my computer. Craziness!

Spoiled Rotten

2008-10-07T16:45:00.002-04:00

You must go! Trans4mation on South West End Avenue is AWESOME! I've always enjoyed getting my haircut and going to the salon to get pampered, but this place tops it all! I went around the block to get my haircut, they did an awesome job (I love my stylist), they asked me if I wanted a complimentary makeup touchup (umm...YES!), gave me a whole bunch of free skin care stuff, and told me that I would get a complimentary eyebrown wax if I schedule my next appointment. Just try it out. It's right behind the Republican office. Make sure you ask for Tiffany! She's awesome!

Hands on House Half Marathon

2008-10-06T16:10:00.006-04:00

Yea! I completed another Hands on House 1/2 Marathon and conquered some of Lancaster County's most grueling hills! Now it's only 3 weeks to the Marine Corp! And, I have to mention...I'm so proud of Sarah for completing her first 1/2 Marathon. Once you start running these, you can't stop. Way to go Sarah!

Choose to Make a Difference

2008-10-04T17:53:00.002-04:00

I've always wanted to make a difference in people's lives. Some days I get discouraged because I don't see the immediate affect I have on someone, but then I realize that it's not up to ME to change that person...maybe it's what God does through me. But, you have to make the choice to allow God to work through you (maybe that is choosing to make a difference). You plant the seed and someone else waters it and puts the seed where it will get sun...or vice versa. There are so many needs in this world...find something you're passionate about...whether it be helping a child, listening to a senior, lending a hand to the homeless, or just share a smile with a stranger. I want to share a story with you. Maybe some of you have read it before, maybe not. It's just been on my mind lately. Today, I've kind of used this blog as a journal. I promise I'll put something on here soon that's a little more light hearted. I think I'm too serious sometimes, but take this poem for what's it worth!

I'm inspired...

2008-10-01T10:15:00.002-04:00

Ainsley's a big sister!

2008-09-30T15:07:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to John and Alexa for their new baby girl, Kathryn Elaine Eidam

Look at him...

2008-09-26T16:48:00.003-04:00

He's too cute! My little buddy Jude is 3 months old!

A Simple Change

2008-09-24T08:17:00.003-04:00

I just got finished reading the most beautiful love story ever...although, maybe it's not over yet. It was the story of Misty and Darren Leblanc. Misty lost her battle to brain cancer last night at 9:15. I have followed her story every day for the past several months. I went to Messiah College with Misty and Darren and while I did not know them very well at all, they have inspired me and so many others more than words can express. Their love towards each other, their love towards others and most of all, their love towards God was indescribable. You'll just have to read a bit of the story for yourself.

So, I ask that we all make a Simple Change in lives (me included)...

Hold someone a little closer today
The people you love...tell them. And, go beyond that and tell them why you love them
Forgive someone and stop holding so many grudges
Stop criticizing others because you never know what may be going on in their lives and more importantly, their hearts
Find the simple things in life that make you happy and remind yourself of those things often
Find the good in life that each day holds. And, even if something bad happens today, find the best in it. There's a reason for EVERYTHING. And, you can find something good out of every situation (I'm going to work harder on doing this personally).
Be passionate about life
Don't say you're sorry unless you mean it (I couldn't imagine doing something like that!)
Be thankful
Touch the life of another (Pay it Forward concept)
Follow Jesus Christ...following Him does not always make life easier, but He forgives ALL sins, loves unconditionally, and will give you a peace beyond all understanding.

P.S. Please keep Darren and his 20 month old daughter, Olivia in your prayers.

And, one more,,,

2008-09-22T08:09:00.003-04:00

Yea! Danaun and Lisa got engaged over the weekend! I'm so excited for them. Danaun is my great running buddy. Matt and I have grown close to Danaun and Lisa over the past year. We appreciate their friendship. We're so happy for you guys!

Congratulations to...

2008-09-19T16:36:00.005-04:00

Luke and Mindy

Kim and Graham for the birth of their baby girl, Natalie

Mark and Jamie for the birth of their baby girl, Ava

The Weimer Boys

2008-09-19T14:04:00.002-04:00

Rob and Kathy were our dear neighbors for 4 years. They moved last Fall and while they are only 10 minutes away, we sill miss stopping over every day and kicking our feet up together and telling each other about our days. On our wedding day, Rob and Kathy told us they were expecting their first child, Price! Matt and I love that kid! He's so funny and he's just the sweetest kid in the world! Well, Rob and Kathy just gave birth to twins in late July....William and Wyatt. So, here are the three beautiful Weimer boys.

I want to be a LOSER, do you?

2008-09-16T20:23:00.004-04:00

I'm so excited, my favorite show, BIGGEST LOSER, is back on and I'm going to play along this year. Who's in? I don't have any ideas yet on how this is going to look, but if there's others of you out ther that want to play along, let me know. You can e-mail me at jessica@pavelko.org and we'll figure something out. Suggestions are welcome!

Two Fast Weeks...

2008-09-16T12:56:00.011-04:00

What a great two weeks! Boy, did they fly by! Mattias is quite energetic, but most of us know that already. Gosh, we had so much fun together!

So, to give you a little recap here on the rest of our week...

Thursday we went into Grace's school to see Kim Lansinger (she's married now, but I forget her married name). Mattias and I sat in Grace's class for a bit and then took a quick tour of the school. We also got to see some of Grace's friend's artwork. When we saw the art teacher, the art teacher came running over and said "Are you Grace's parents?" Mattias put his arm around me and said "Yes, we are very proud of Grace." Then we just laughed and told her the truth. Hahaha...Grace resembles Mattias so much too! After walking around the school, we sat in at a jazz class, which was very interesting. Later that day we grabbed a bite to eat at Luciano's and then headed back to Barnes and Noble to go through a few books. Afterwards, Mattias wanted to try out Lancaster Brewing Company. Notice Matt's creative shot! Love it! After grabbing a beer, we went out to Tobias Frogg again for more wings and beer. A few friends met up with us there.
Friday was a bit dreary outside, so we spent most of the day indoors. Mattias is quite passionate about serving the homeless, so my dad arranged for us to go to Water Street Rescue Mission to have a tour of the Mission. It was quite amazing...I have been there several times, but it ceases to amaze me every time. I'm better at holding my emotions in these days, but a few tears slipped out. One guy that was living there shared his story with us and how he has been clean and sober for 14 months. We both shook his hand and congratulated him. After our tour, we went to Prince Street Cafe (one of my favorite cafes downtown) and then went to see Matt's school. We had the privledge of seeing Matt teach a class of first graders! It really was too cute. Matt is absolutely wonderful with those kids. Our favorite part of his lesson is when he sang "I love Dr. Seuss" on his guitar with his kids. Mattias even has a recording of it. Maybe I can somehow get it onto the blog. I'm sure Matt would love that! :) We returned back home to rest a bit. My dear Renae (my 10 year old neighbor buddy) came over and Mattias had the chance to get to know her a bit. We propped up our feet and relaxed for the afternoon and then Mattias taught me a few salsa moves. I knew a few already, thanks to Latin Funk, but it was fun applying a few of my steps. Does anyone know of any local place where you can take salsa classes? After my salsa lesson, we stepped into the kitchen to make a few of our own creations...yummy apple crisp and homemade ice cream. Later that evening, we just met up with some friends at Annie Bailey's.

We slept in on Saturday and then went up to Harrisburg to see Our Body with Nick and Kerri. Great exhibit! We walked around Harrisburg for a little while and then Matt and I took Mattias to Duke's on the Water (used to be the GMan in Harrisburg). After lunch we took a little drive, visited Sam Lewis State Park and then enjoyed our last evening together at Valentino's and Marion Court.

It was time to say goodbye on Sunday. I'm never very good at saying goodbye...especially when it comes to saying goodbye to my best friend who I only ever get to see every few years. We always have so much fun together. Fortunately, I don't think it's going to be another four years until we see each other again. And thank goodness for internet and phone, we still talk several times a month. We spent the day in Philly and had to get a cheesesteak before he left (which, by the way, I started a diet yesterday). We walked around town for most of the day and then we took Mattias to the Philly airport where we said our goodbyes. Both of us had tears in our eyes and then after he walked away, my flood gates opened up. We had a great time and I wouldn't have changed the past two weeks for the world! Talk to you soon buddy!

Life in Lancaster County

2008-09-11T10:04:00.009-04:00

Ah...we're having such a good time but the week is flying by way too fast! Not a day goes by when we don't have a heart to heart conversation or we find ourselves bending over laughing so hard it hurts. We have found ourselves playing games each day too...little things like favorite this or that or what we're thankful for and/or proud of in life. We always strive to pull out the best in the other.

As far as what we've done the past day or so. Tuesday we went to Valentino's for breakfast, sat around the house and talked for a bit, walked downtown to see Mrs. Armstrong and then walked around market, and then came home, made brownies and took them over to my parents house for dinner. Mattias had the chance to play the piano a bit and see my sisters again. We all shared a few laughs as always and then later that evening Mattias, Matt and I watched August Rush. Great movie!

Yesterday, I had an appointment in the morning so, I dropped Mattias off at the mall until I was done. After that we went into Lititz and walked around...visiting Wilbur Chocolate Factory, Cafe Chocolate and walking around the quaint shops. Later, we stopped by Cherry Hill Orchards for a fresh peach (so yummy) and then picked some apples (I think we'll make an apple pie today). After being out in the sun for a while, we decided to go somewhere a little more shaded, so we stopped by Susquehannock Park. Great times! Mattias and I had a great talk, as always. Somehow we can talk to each other in different ways that we talk to most people. We always have great conversations with each other! We have so much to learn from the other. As we walked back to the car, I found this great big hill and said "hmm...looks like a nice hill to roll down." He said "what are you thinking?" And of course, I ran over, layed down, and rolled down the hill. He did the same. We laughed until we cried and had grass stains all over us. I felt like a kid again and loved every second of it. After that, I decided to teach him a few other games and again, we fell over laughing (quite literally). On the way home, we stopped by and picked up a case of beer and some corn on the cob and then grilled some of the leftovers from Friday night. Trevor came over too. It was a nice layed back evening.

By the way, I have to mention...I'm so proud of my hubby...he rode 34 miles on the bike yesterday! Go Matt!

New Things...

2008-09-09T09:13:00.007-04:00

Today was filled with new things! Mattias and I started off the day by walking downtown to try out a new cafe off of Chestnut Street. Gosh, I don't take enough advantage of living downtown. It was nice to take a walk a few blocks away to have breakfast in town in this quaint little cafe. We sat outside and it was a beautiful morning. After that, we took a nice little walk around town and then came back to the house and chatted a bit. Later we stopped over to visit mom and then packed up and headed to Lake Grubb. Who would have known there was a beautiful big lake right here in Lancaster! It was really gorgeous (by the way, Matt and I found it by accident the other day). It's my new 'relaxing' spot in Lancaster. It must be the best kept secret in Lancaster.

After taking a walk around the lake we stopped by Caruso's for a cheesesteak. We stopped at home to say a quick hello to Matt and then headed back out to the mall to do some shopping. Our first stop was for me at White House Black Market. It's nearly impossible for me to go to the mall and not walk into that store to try on some of their latest fashions. Love that store! After that, I decided that I wanted Mattias to experience Coldstone Creamery. Yum! We sat outside and shared a cup of Mint Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip. Later on we went over to Barnes and Noble to pick up a few books to read. After spending a good hour or two in the bookstore, we finished the evening off with wings and beer at Tobias Frogg. It was a great evening outside and it was the first time I ordered wings. Mmm...

My two favorite boys...

Good times...

2008-09-06T16:19:00.003-04:00

I decided to have some old friends over from High School to see Mattias again. It was a fun evening and it was great to see everyone again. Time flies...I can't believe it's been 10 years since graduation. It's always nice to catch up with old friends.

He's back!

2008-09-02T11:42:00.004-04:00

Mattias arrived yesterday at 2:15 at the Philadelphia Airport. It was funny because I didn't have my glasses on, so I barely noticed it was Mattias until he was practically right in front of me waving his hand. We both dropped our stuff and ran up to each other and gave big hugs. It was so good to see each other again. We kept giggling...we couldn't believe we were seeing each other again after 4 years! I, of course, brought him some Oreos and Fritos and he brought me some yummy chocolate from Sweden as well as this yummy mustard (guess you have to experience the Swedish breakfast to know what I'm talking about). We were going to head down to Philly to get a cheesesteak, but Mattias was pretty tired and we figured we would just lay low for the afternoon/evening. Instead, we stopped by Wendy's, which is his favorite fast food restaurant and took a nice car ride home through the country roads catching up. We have so much to catch up on! I needed to stop by the corn wagon for some eggplant and Mattias decided he would get a tomato. He said their was nothing like the tomatoes here, so he bought it and immediately bit into it like an apple. It cracked me up! So happy he's back! There are a lot more posts to come...he'll be here for two weeks and I'm sure we'll take some adventures while he's here.

Catching Up

2008-09-02T11:22:00.012-04:00

Sorry, it's been a little while since I've posted. A lot has gone on the past couple of weeks. Here's naming a few...

1. Steph and Brent's beautiful outdoor wedding in Pottstown 2. Nissley Winery with friends
3. Dad and Grace's bday celebration
4. Orioles game with dad and his 3 girls - if you can't read our shirts it says Happy Birthday Dad. My creative sister Carrie made the t-shirts for us that night. We had so much fun wearing those t-shirts!
5. Vance and Jenn's wonderful wedding
6. Book study with Jenna (and Jude too) - we're reading Boundaries together...great book!

Amazing Grace!

2008-08-13T15:26:00.008-04:00

How beautiful is my sister.??? ..I'm not humble about it either. I think she and Carrie have to go into the modeling business! They're both just so beautiful. Not only is she beautiful but she's a fun loving gal too. I just can't believe that she's a senior already! These are Grace's senior pictures that were taken by the all famous Joel and Rita who did Matt and my wedding as well as Carrie and Jeff's. These pictures are just awesome. They do the best work! Check out the rest of their pictures at www.thewiebners.com and click on their blog.

Hey Jude!

2008-08-13T07:22:00.007-04:00

Finally, I was able to take a trip down to Wilmington, DE on Monday to see one of my best friends, Jenna. We were roommates my senior year of college. Jenna just gave birth to little Jude Evans Burchnall 6 weeks ago. He is just so precious. It was such a nice evening outside...we had a nice meal out on the patio (first time I had fried green tomatoes...yummy!) and then we took a nice walk around the neighborhood with Jude. Jenna and I were able to catch up a bit, which is always nice. I always look forward to having the opportunity to visit again. Little Jude is such a little bundle of joy! I can't wait to someday have a little one of my own.

Hilton Head Vacation

2008-08-11T06:55:00.013-04:00

I can honestly say I haven't been that relaxed in over a year. The Pavelko family (Mom and Dad P, Matt, my brother-in-law, Dan and I loaded up the car and headed down for Hilton Head at 3 in the morning on August 2nd. I have never been so happy about waking up at 3 in the morning! The Pavelko's own a timeshare down at Surfwatch so that's where we stayed for a week. It's really beautiful and the pictures don't do it justice. The weather was perfect and we were able to spend every day on the beach. Most evenings were spent in the condo kicking our feet up and a few of the nights we decided to drive around the island to either get ice cream, go out for a drink, or walk around the shops. Thursday night Matt and I had a date night at Shelter Cove and Friday the whole family went down to Harbour Town for Alaskan King Crab Legs. Ahh, it was a good week. Can't wait to go back! P.S. I'm sure there will be more pictures to come. But for now, here you go...

Our first night there...teaching the Mom and Dad P how to bowl on Wii. Fun times.

My hubby

Mom P and Dan playing in the water puddles.

And us...

It was a good day...

2008-08-01T06:54:00.003-04:00

Last night I got caught up on some work while Matt ran some errands. After he got home we made a quick dinner and they stopped over at my parents house for a bit to visit and then went over to Jeff and Carrie's to drop off the keys and went out for ice cream...where other than Pine View Acres. If you've never been there, you must go. Hard to describe other than the fact that it's a little quaint country store with yummy ice cream. Anyways, it's just these simple things in life that I enjoy and more than anything, I enjoyed spending some down time with my family. I find that we don't get to see them as much as I would like, so last night Carrie and I agreed that we're going to try to get together at least once a month. Last night was a good night.

Tomorrow we leave for Hilton Head with the Pavelko clan. I'll touch base when we get back! Have a good week!

Recap of July

2008-07-28T08:25:00.014-04:00

I intended to post more pictures of some of the events in July, but time got away from me. Can you believe we're going into August already?
Here is a little recap of other events in July:

1. July 4th picnics at mom and dad's and at Buchanan Park
2. Teaching Price how to do a somersault - I love kids, what can I say!

3. Todjr's 1st birthday party

4. Visiting home away from home - where else other than Ocean City, MD

Taking One Step at a Time...

2008-07-23T09:19:00.002-04:00

So, I realized I have to take a little of my own advice sometimes...take one step at a time (my business slogan). Some days I tend to get overwhelmed and discouraged...not exactly sure why, but I do. Don't we all sometimes? Then I stop and realize how blessed I am...I have a husband that loves me, I have created a successful business, God is God and God is Good, I have a wonderful family and great friends, I have a roof over my head, I'm in good health, and the grass is usually green and the sky is usually blue (thanks Brandon!). Not to mention, I have WONDERFUL mentors. Today I was at my personal training session with Mike D and he pretty much told me how it was. I won't get into all the details, but it's conversations like these that really get me back on track. I am so blessed to have a number of mentors that keep me on track physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and business wise. I am so blessed to have people in my life like Mike D, Adrian, Brandon (there's two of them), and of course Matt (my #1 cheerleader, encourager and mentor), and my family and friends. So, to all of you reading this blog today, thank you for your support and encouragement.

Celebrating 4 Years Today

2008-07-16T08:01:00.001-04:00

Today Matt and I are celebrating our 4 Year Anniversary. I can't believe how time flies! Sometimes I take advantage as to how fortunate I am to be married to such an incredible man. I've been in this 'Top 10' phase, so here are the Top 10 reasons I love my hubby, Matthew John Pavelko.

He believes in me.
We share some similar interests to keep marriage fun but we also have enough differences to keep marriage interesting.
He is constantly encouraging me with business, running marathons, and much more. He's my cheerleader!
There is nothing more important to Matt than being content with what God has given him.
Matt, quite literally, takes each day as it comes and makes the best of it.
He curls up beside me when I'm crying or discouraged and doesn't have to say a word to make me feel better.
We pray together on a regular basis. He used to not want to pray outloud, but one day it just dawned on him that he would start doing that because it was important to our relationship. We enjoy doing devotions together as well. Engraved in his ring is "A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
If I ask him to take care of the laundry or dishes or any other household chores, he does it automatically without any complaints. He cooks too and he's quite a chef. Why do you think I've gained 15 pounds since I've been married?
He tolerates my craziness...we won't get into all those details...
He's always interested in new things...new adventures, new restaurants, new places to visit (locally or not), new learning opportunities, new everything.

...and he's cute too :)

Too Funny

2008-07-16T07:45:00.002-04:00

Last night Christina, Rebeccah and I went to see Sex and the City after grabbing a quick bite to eat at Ruby Tuesdays. The movie was too funny. I laughed so hard and I honestly can't remember the last time I laughed that hard without stopping. It was the kind of laughter where tears were running down my face and I loved it! I would definitley go see that movie again in an instant.

Billy Joel in Concert

2008-07-15T12:33:00.000-04:00

Last week my cousin Chrissy called to see if I wanted to volunteer at an upcoming concert in Hershey (last Thursday night). Who was playing but BILLY JOEL!!! My absolute favorite! Matt and I had to leave first thing the next morning for Ohio, but heck, I could sleep in the car the first half (as I would have anyways). So, Thursday afternoon, I was off to Hershey. I helped seat people and was on the ground level close to the stage. The whole evening was just incredible. His music, his humor, the light show, and all. Loved every bit of it! Thanks Chrissy for inviting me to go along!

My top 10 Billy Joel favorites:

1. And So It Goes

2. River of Dreams

3. Lullabye

4. We Didn't Start the Fire

5. Innocent Man

6. Goodnight Saigon

7. This Is the Time

8. Leningrad

9. Piano Man

10. She's Got A Way

Goodbye Patches

2008-07-15T08:15:00.001-04:00

Yesterday Matt and I were on our way home from Ohio when my mom called and told us that their cat was not doing well...not well at all. Mom told us a few weeks back that Patches kidneys were failing, so this phone call was to be expected. Unfortunately, they had to put Patches down yesterday. Patches was our cat growing up. We bought her when I was in 8th grade and she certainly was a good cat...a unique one. Here are her top 5 unique traits:
1. When she wanted to come out of the laundry room, she could open the door with her paws herself.
2. She could play catch with you.
3. She always stood her ground when Liddy (our dog) tackled her.
4. She could turn on the water faucet on. Even when mom and dad put a rubber band to hold the faucet in it's place, Patches still found a way to untangle it and turn it on again.
5. She could make Matt sneeze 5 times in a row. He still loved her...

An Evening Out for Caregivers

2008-07-10T12:14:00.000-04:00

Last night was my first "An Evening Out for Caregivers." I took my caregivers, more like caregiver, to the Conestoga House Garden Tour. It's really beautiful there. If you have never been, I would highly recommend going. You can take a book or pack a little picnic lunch and use their grounds to relax in the gardens or by the pool any Wednesday. It was a really nice evening. I had hoped for a handful of caregivers, but it was raining earlier in the day, so I didn't expect much. I was happy to have one, although I would have also liked to go to the movies with my mom, sister and Peggy. Oh well, next time. If you know of any caregivers who might need 'an evening out', e-mail me at jessica@pavelko.org and I'll add them to my mailing list. Keep your eyes open for our August event.

Please Pray for Misty

2008-07-08T08:45:00.000-04:00

I would ask that at some point, each of you put a minute aside to pray for Misty LeBlanc. I went to Messiah College with Misty and Darren and Misty has Stage IV brain cancer. Their faith is phenomenal and their fight is strong. They stopped the chemo last week because it really wasn’t working anymore, but now they are solely relying on God to heal Misty. Darren and Misty have been married for five years and have a beautiful daughter, Olivia, who is about 18 months old. Pray that Darren and Misty will be able to share many more years together and pray that Misty is able to see her beautiful daughter grow up.

Pray that God heals Misty and works a miracle in their lives. In Christ alone, HOPE IS FOUND!

Messiah Crew Get Together

2008-06-30T13:50:00.001-04:00

Heather, Crystal, Ang, and I lived on Hess 2 at Messiah my freshman year (their sophomore year). Ang later transferred to Temple to be closer to Pete, Heather married Phil and lived in Harrisburg, and Crystal and I became roommates my junior year (her senior year). After being out of college for a year, we all got reacquainted and we hang out quarterly...at least try to. Heather, Phil, Ang, and Pete all live in NJ, Crystal and Tony live in Mechanicsburg, and of course Matt and I are in Lancaster. We most often get together at KOP because it's more or less right in the middle. This time, we went to the Cheesecake Factory. Unfortunately, Crystal and Tony couldn't make it. We missed you guys! I love these girls like they were my own sisters!

Ang and I enjoying the yummy chocolate cheesecake.

Ang, me, Matt, Heather, Phil, and Pete

The girls

Dave Matthews Band Concert

2008-06-30T12:29:00.000-04:00

Friday night I had the privlege of going to my first Dave Matthews Band concert in Hershey with my friend Abbey, her sister Natalie, and Natalie's friend. Abbey's other sister was there with her boyfriend, but they were on ground level. It was a great evening. We thought it might get rained out, but we were okay...not a drop of rain during the concert. The Black Crows opened and then Dave Matthews Band came out and they were awesome. It was a great evening!

Had a Blast!

2008-06-27T09:31:00.001-04:00

Last night was the picnic and we had a blast! I can't take any credit for the boat because I got in late from a meeting with a client and didn't have time to put my boat together. Oh well...there's always next year. When I got home Matt was hard at work with his boat...I was very impressed by what he came up with. His was the first to cross the finish line, but due to the rapids, his candle went out, so it didn't count. The theme was 'Luau' and there was tons of good Hawaiin style food. Yum yum! We took care of the boat race after dinner, then had dessert, mingled with one another, and later Charlie and Wes entertained us with music. I was impressed...they did a great job. While they were playing the music, I went out and caught fireflies with the kids. They are SO cute...each one of them. And, they're all so well behaved too. We had a blast!Matt's is the second one in from the right. James is the first one at the right...his was top notch with smoke bombs and all!

Charlie and Chris releasing the kids boats.

Which one is it going to be?

THE KIDDOS

Claudia and Cooper

Brady and Sammy

George

Claire

Lewis & Associates Picnic

2008-06-26T12:43:00.000-04:00

It's officially been a year since I've worked at Lewis & Associates with these fun loving guys. Tonight is our 2008 picnic and we're having a Luau theme. I will definitley post some pictures tomorrow. Each year they have a tradition to make boats that will flow down the Flory Mill stream. I'm up against some guys that design structures for a living, so their boats are top-notch. It should be interesting to see what I come up with. I have to get my creative wheels spinning. Here are the supplies we have to work with. Should be fun times. Wish me luck with this boat race.

My First Golf Outing

2008-06-25T08:06:00.000-04:00

My friend Christina called me the other day to see if I wanted to play in the PANPHA golf tournament. I had to laugh. "Christina, I've never played golf before." She said, that's okay, neither have I. Well, you only live once and you should make the most out of each day, right? Why not? Last Tuesday we loaded two sets of golf clubs into her cute little convertible and headed into Lebanon to play at Royal Oaks. It couldn't have been a more beautiful day. As we got closer we got a little nervous. We were anxious to meet the other two members of our group...hoping they would just want to have fun and make the most of the day. Let me say, we couldn't have asked for a better two guys to play with...Bub and Mike. Gosh, did we get our laughs in for the day! Fortunately we played in a scramble (using the best ball) so it made the game a little easier for all of us, although it still took us 6 1/2 hours to play the game. I didn't do as bad as I thought and Christina was great! Watch out...we'll be back next year!

Reimbursement for Mileage Going Up

2008-06-24T09:45:00.000-04:00

Finally, the IRS is raising the mileage deduction rate from 50.5 cents to 58.5 cents for the last 6 months of 2008. I know it sounds dorky that I'm so excited about this, but it makes a huge impact on us business owners.

Chamber Mixers are Tons of Fun

2008-06-21T13:08:00.000-04:00

Eee... You have to make sure the laces are good and tight. My dear friend Lisa offered to help me out!
Here's Bob and I out on the ice.

Bob looks like he just landed from doing a triple axel! Way to go Bob! hahaha...

So, I usually go to Chamber Mixers to network with other business owners, but this time I solely went to have a good time. The event was advertised as an evening to play games like broom ball, etc. Well, I decided I would wear jeans and sneakers...I figured everyone would be in casual attire. Um, no... I was the only one in jeans. I decided I might as well make the best of it, so I put skates on and went out on the ice. There were only a few others and they worked at Lancaster Ice Rink, but I'm not shy... I did recruit a few friends to go out with me so I wasn't alone.

He's Coming Back!

2008-06-21T13:01:00.001-04:00

My best friend is coming back! Mattias and I met at JP McCaskey in 1997. He was an exchange student from Sweden. I'll have to post a picture of us 10 years ago. Anyways, he came back for Seinor Week in 1998 then came back in 2002, I went to Sweden with my sister in 2003, he came for my wedding in 2004 and now we'll finally be seeing each other again on September 1st, four years later. I think he'll be coming back for two weeks. I can't wait! Fortunately due to the Internet, e-mail, and other communication sources, we still have the privledge to talk to each other at least once a month. He's one of my best buddies in the whole world, quite litterally! 72 more days!

It's Official!

2008-06-21T09:42:00.000-04:00

Summer is officially here. In other words, Beach Season is officially here. No doubt in my mind, Spring and Summer are my favorite seasons of the year. I love spring because I love to see everything come to new life and I enjoy being out in my garden hearing the birds chirping, and seeing kids come outside to play. But again, I enjoy summer just as much. I enjoy going to the pool, having kids come over to play, taking evening walks with my husband, fireworks, summer picnics and going to the beach. My mom, sisters and I used to live down at the beach and I miss it tons. Dad would come down on weekends and take a week or two off here and there to come down and spend time with us. Boy do I miss those days. I used to work at a Bakery, Dumser's Dairy Land, and Harpoon Hannas. Matt and I are still going to try to get down there a couple times this summer. My ultimate goal is to one day have a place of our own down there. It's okay to dream, isn't it?
Anyways, HAPPY SUMMER and enjoy this beautiful summer day!

I was in the news twice now

2008-06-18T14:57:00.000-04:00

Yea! Business is sky rocketing. It's all about being persistent. I never expected having my own business but Matt kept budging me. Well, I could argue with him, but then God started to lay it on my heart. And, you can't really argue with the Big Man Upstairs, so I decided to take a leap of faith, and now look...I'm famous!

http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/223088

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lNfJazDV8l4

Hello Again!

2008-06-18T14:56:00.000-04:00

Yeah yeah yeah... So, you got tired of seeing 'Welcome Delainey'. Although, she is super cute. I guess you just wanted to see something new. Sorry I haven't updated a blog since, hmm...January was it? I decided to start over and create a new blog to keep you updated with our personal lives, business, and other stuff. Enjoy!