thiscrazylife

baseball, slippers and such

2011-03-15T18:22:00.003-04:00

We are in the full swing of season round here. Blessed with a very busy restaurant, me with my AWESOME new FULL TIME job, kids in 3 different directions, and trying to learn to balance it all. this brings me to baseball... he plays 2 games a week (sometimes 3) 2 practices a week, and would prefer the batting cages or to hang at the field with his baseball homies than anything to do with myself and his sisters. We secretly LOVE it! (ha!!! take that you little 11 year old punk) We load up on jackets, and LOTS of change/ dollars for the concession stand, and head out! I love the weather this time of year, I love even more the chance to sit and watch my boy learn the game. He is making a whole new group of buddies, learning not just about hitting the ball and running, but learning about the correct steal, slide and the perfect bunt. He stuffs his mouth with sunflower seeds, has the perfect stance, and most important .... he is literally having a ball!!!! The girls love the little posse of friends they have at the ball field. They love working in the concession stand, and cutest thing ever is to hear Olivia announcing who is up to bat, and cracking herself up on the loud speaker when she calls out her big brothers name!

My boys take this serious, they have their practice jersey and game jersey meticulously laid out the night before, the best bat, glove and whatever else fits in that VERY expensive ball bag. I do want to make 1 HUGE disclosure on this blog and feel free to comment. I will wash the uniform 4 times a week, scrub the pants to get them white as white, travel to whatever field, fund the snacks, pack the water bottles etc. and damn near kill myself hooten and hollerin for him to RUNNNNN!!!!!!!! SLIDE!!!!!!!! GOOOOOOO!!!! GOOOOOOO!!!, but I wil not .... I repeat WILL NOT remove his cup from his jock strap, just sayin! This is a task he can do, I go to load the laundrey and yup, there it is .... no way buddy, nadda, not doin it.

Hey . . . and by the way, who says you can't wear uggs in Naples? I am rockin out the slippers, it is cold out there baby!!!!

girlfriends...

2010-12-15T17:39:00.002-05:00

What would I do without them! I need them, love them like sisters I never had. I have lots of them (thank God) Had the opportunity to hand w/ a few of them last night. We grew up here, went to high school together, married, had children etc. and now we have to schedule these not often enough dinners together! I literally get giddy before seeing them. I know there will be lots of laughs, great gossip ( yes we gossip... so?) sometimes tears, but most of ... acceptance. We know no matter what we are going through, we love each other, we love each others spouses (or significant others Tommy.. just saying) we love our children and love talking about them and the mamas and wives that they make us! I have been up and down lately, mostly good days but some yucky ones. I am ready to move on, ready to forget all of the hurt and pain, and fuck it! sometimes I am tired of the whole "you are so strong" " you can do this" bullshit and so, when a night like this comes, there are no words. We just know. We know what each of us needs. They speak to me and at the same time they say nothing at all... they just get it! I can say what I want and they support, no judging, just letting me know. We talk about things inappropriate, we say things that some of you only WISH you had the friend that would say that shit out loud. We get serious, talk about local news issues, politics and religion. We may not always agree, but we ALWAYS accept each others opinions. I saw a sign in Homegoods yesterday, it said "when you find a TRUE friend, you hold on to them w/ both hands". Well I am grabbin these girls tight, holding on with my non-slip gloves, and not letting go! Looking forward to a new year, full of an empty canvas, full of happiness, and especially full of memories with these bitches!!!

randomness...

2010-11-07T19:11:00.002-05:00

I hate to say it, that things are good. That is something I want to be careful with. I thought things were good before, I thought I would never feel good again, but I DO! that huge cut I suffered from that massive blow is finally starting to scab up. Eventually there will be a scar. I am sure it will be an ugly scar, but i think I can cover it up pretty good. I wouldn't change a thing about the way I handled myself. I know who my true friends are, the ones that I am sure it was so hard to be there, but they were. The friends that want BOTH of us to be happy, good. I look in the mirror and I am proud of the way I have handled myself. I am proud of the mother and wife that I am. I am inspired by my faith and truly have experienced Amazing Grace. The power of forgiveness is strong, and I feel empowered that he and I are strong enough and love each other enough to do this. We are growing, yes with lots of tears, but also lots of laughs. Brutal honesty and a renewed belief in ourselves and our vows and the faith that we believe. I am stronger because of this. I am doing things I never thought capable, and I feel good. Yes, there will be bad days, but I learning to cope, I am learning to be vulnerable, I learning that hurt is accepting that it can be good again. I am learning what true love and true friendship is, but most of all... I am learning to love this crazy life of mine all over again.

and ... a little more lake

2010-09-16T22:07:00.002-04:00

the lake

2010-09-16T22:04:00.002-04:00

blessed w/ southern grace!!!!!!

2010-09-16T21:32:00.003-04:00

it was perfect. It was just what i needed! My people, my roots... "kin" we left early, we drove all day, we saw Cotton in full bloom, and drove through the state of Alabama wrapped in Gator snuggies ( GASP )!!!!! we arrived in time for supper! greeted by cool air and wine on the deck and a sunset on the lake. We ate the MOST delish pot roast and mashed potatoes, and we laughed. We laughed, and caught up, and just "soaked" each other up! I always feel like I am at a bed and breakfast here, we have our own little sweet, a big welcome cozy bed, a guest room, a bathroom, all upstairs and cozy and perfect. Woke up every morning to the smell of coffee and eggs, and bacon, and gravy and biscuits. Every meal around a table, preceded with "grace" led by my Uncle Sonny, he was most grateful for the blessings of family, and the children of our family. Days were spent with Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, all arriving and BIG hugs, all day on the boat, and fishing lines, and cast nets, an "wine thirty"!!! BB-Q and grill outs, and CAUSBIES cookies delivered special by my cousins from Kennett. "ooey gooey butter cake" and b-day cake for my cousin Jonna. Late night chats with my cousins, early morning coffee outside in crisp air. A long and perfect day on the boat, a visit to the water falls, as we watched our boys climb the rocks and take their first daring jump off of the falls!!! Followed by late afternoon on the dock, kids running and jumping off the dock, wave running and tubing. more food, more wine and more chats. LOVED waking up to all three kiddos climbing into bed and cuddling w/ me. Life is different her, no phone, no computer, but lots of love. We have been coming here for 17 years now, and we have thousands of memories. Sooo many laughs, soooo much love and most of all ... lots more memories to come. I love these people. I love their unconditional love, and the "southern grace" I am blessed to be born with.

this and that...

2010-09-02T08:14:00.002-04:00

life is rolling along, I think it can,t and then I find myself doing it... just living. I am still alive, I am more aware, more appreciative. I am breathing in my mornings a little deeper, hugging my friends a little tighter, listening to my kids just talk about their friends, life, praying a little more, working a little harder. Kids have settled nicely into school, they love their teachers and complain about homework, they get off the bus starving, rush through homework and the race outside to play with their friends, stop the ice cream truck, and beg to stay out 10 minutes longer when I tell them to come in. I am packing today, heading to Tennessee, to soak up my southern roots like biscuits soak up gravy. I haven't seen them in a while, I need them, my roots, my dads family. I need my kids to play with cousins, swim in a lake, jump off a dock, catch fish and eat the best southern food in the south. When we are there, life slows down, we sit on a porch and say few words, or sometimes we don't stop talking, we remember our grandparents, and Christmas's and dinners spent at the kids table. The kids FREAK out when they see a lightning bug, Abby swears she saw a "Tinkerbell" and my heart swells, my eyes get cloudy, because I love this big ole southern bunch so much! We head out tomorrow, early in the morning, dive the 12 and 1/2 hours, surely stopping at a cracker barrel along the way, driving along back roads, and state highways. They look for signs, Georgia, Alabama then into Tennessee/Mississippi. They get excited and so do I! I can't wait....

sunsets and such...

2010-08-22T08:41:00.003-04:00

Life is like a sunset. To me sunsets are like a perscription for therapy, written by God. You have this amazing canvas, and a never ending water line, and the most amazing sounds of waves hitting the shoreline, the sound of seagulls and a gental wind against your face. You look out at this big beautiful sky full of shades of orange, gold, yellow, blue, turquoise, gold and you realize there is something so much bigger than yourself and your problems. If you have had the opportunity to live on the west coast of Florida, you have grown to know that some of the best sunsets come after a storm. The clouds drop down, the colors unite and melt into something much deeper, much more colorful, more electric than you can ever imagine. You sit there and continue to look out in awe of what is happening right before your eyes. I am reminded that this is the way life works as well. God gives us everything, he also presents us with storms, and what I am learning is that the storm is there so you can learn to get through it. I thought it was one big beautiful life, never really had to grow up. Never been presented a challenge. sure their have been life changes, and challenges, but not on such a personal level. I have gone through the storm, been knocked down, scared, literally hanging on for my life, but then in moves a sky, a sunset like this night, and I see a deeper "me" a more beautiful than I could imagine "me" I am getting to know a more mature Donna, learning to live with my heart a lttle more gaurded, learning that I can only live in today, the future scares me, but today is good, and at the end of this day, there will be another sunset. I don't know if it will be a magnificent, or full of electric colors, but there is one guarantee, the sun will set, the night will come and tomorrow is a new day. I must say a quite exciting day... my baby boy starts middle school, he is super excited and full of confidence. Abby starts 4th grade and Olivia starts 2nd grade and they both have had their outfits laid out for a week... right down to their shoes. There is a buzz of excitement around our home and I like them am anxious about the next chapter. I look forward to blank pages, and the fact that I get to write my chapter. I am challenged to be a better mama to my babies, along with a fresh start on homework schedules, and after school activities, and working more, I look forward to the person I am growing into, the friends that have literally held me together. They have let me borrow their boxing gloves, mouth guards, hell... even brass knuckles. They have sent me text that say things as simple as "i love you" to funny hysterical jokes, that I needed in the middle of a good cry, that make me bust out laughing. I am going to face more challenges, more storms, but I look forward to therapy on the beach and many ore of the amazing sunsets...

one day at a time...

2010-07-25T20:25:00.003-04:00

sometimes life sucks. I got in the ring, I jabbed and covered my face and thought I held it off, then WHAM!!! knocked out, like didn't see it coming, like OUCH what the fuck was that???? I layed there, eyes blurry, head spinning and really thought I can't get up, but then, slowley I came too. I saw the ropes, I heard the count, then slowley I made my way up. I grabbed hold of the ropes and with all the strength I had I slowly pulled myself up. and here I am, 2 weeks later and I am up... a little dazed and confused, and suffering from one HUGE headache, There is a HUGE cut, that will take a long time to heal, and the scar will be big. Back at work, taking my kids out here and there, showered, a little gloss and mascara, and alot of friend therapy and sunsets. Went to see my dad for the first time in 9 years and oh boy, picture me,no bra, tank and boxers scaling a wall to get into the "ash memorial" @ vanderbilt pres. put a glass of wine down, looked up at the cross on top of that church, and said "ok... I am here... WHAT????? and what happened next? it started to rain... yep I said it ...rain, as in I am braless in a wife-beater tank and boxers and it is raining on me @ 11;30 at night at a church that I am sure has some type of high tech security system! and then there came the "ropes" again a call from a good friend "where r you... come here " and as I sat there listening to Norah Jones and just cried, a friend pulls up in her van, braless as well, and says "I am here your gonna be ok, I know this hurts but you can do it"! and here I go pulling up on those ropes... I am up, I am dizzy, I an not sure how stable I am to stand, but I know those ropes are my bitches, I can't thank you my friends enough for being my ropes, for texting, calling, PRAYING, crying, offering to sleep @ my house, taking my kiddos, and most of all telling me how strong Iam, how I can do this, and I am NOT CRAZY!!!!! I am sure there will be a few more times I fall, get knocked out, but I know I have some strong ropes around my crazy life in the ring, and I have never felt better knowing you bitches got my back!!!!! Life is CRAZY, not fair and DAMN this hurts, but I will apply ice, take some ibuprofin, wake up face another day of "this crazy life"up tommorrow , and I know I can do it! they say it takes a village, well shit I feel like I have a whole country! then I have the few, that meet for drinks, show up at my house, call for sushi, laugh til it hurts @ BBG, sit here and say nothing at all... but most of all they say "I support you, I love you" well that is just the medicine I need~~~~~~ Thank you my ropes...

2010-07-20T22:07:00.002-04:00

Lots going on, lots to write. For now... my boy! he turned 11!!! Where did it go? I remember what he felt like, what it felt like when he was nursing, how he slept better when I put him next to me in bed, and he slept better when I, wasbreathing next to him. I love being his mom, it is an honor. I love his smile, his sense of adventure, his love for everyday. Sometimes life, deals you a shit but I look at him and it is all worth it! i have cut the cord BIG time, letting him leave on a 2 week trip w/ his grandparents to NY and PA. Ohhhh how I will miss him, but know how ready he is I know what a good boy he is, and I am ready... I am ready to be a middle school mama, a mama of an 11 year old...

FINALLY!! a little catching up!!!

2010-06-20T11:49:00.002-04:00

took "this crazy life" to a whole new level in the last few months, but I am back, and I am bloggin. since my last post lots of crap, but lots of good as well. worked ALOT, volunteered ALOT, and spent alot of time just thinking, and what I find most amazing about this CRAZY life is it is all growth. It is so true that whole phrase "if he leads you to it, he will lead you through it" Feeling very grounded in my friendships, and juggling the whole working mom/ PTO president/ church / baseball mama/ girl scout mama/ business owner/ wife, and ya know what.. it's all good! my boy just finished elementary school and I am so excited watching him grow and mature into the great kid that he is. My girls are growing, and learning, and just soaking in all the little girl things that come w/ their age. So blessed watching there bond, watching the way they care about their dad and I. Seeing how much they understand, and they are not babies anymore. So, with this summer comes a new attitude, a new appreciation, and hopefully alot of sunsets, w/ cold drinks in our hands and sand between our toes. thiscrazylife is MY life, and I am embracing it! Learning, growing, and feeling truly blessed.

christmas and such!

2009-12-17T19:03:00.002-05:00

so I am trudging along! Trying to get into the Christmas spirit w/ record highs in the 80's!!!! I love living in Florida, love the only life my kids know, but... I long for slightly cooler weather! In the meantime, we always go downtown to see the Christmas lights Thanksgiving weekend(yes, these are a month late... whatever) a few shots of us attempting our Christmas in a tropical paradise! We look forward to our annual tradition of decorating our car and pull trailer(from Jack's construction work) and joining other families at our dear friends house tomorrow night for caroling, jingle juice, and yummy treats tomorrow night! Victoria Park is the "hood" to hang in for the most AMAZING lights ever! Not to mention, the parade of cars that cruise through doing the same thing we are! Stay tuned! My early 2110 resolution is to update more often! Merry Christmas!!!!!!

36, 15 years.... and it's all still good

2009-10-20T08:57:00.002-04:00

well... FINALLY a new post! Life has been crazy busy and then I got so far behind I was intimidated to even try! The kids have started school and are settling in to the routine quite well! Very easy this year because of the whole multi age thing, they are all w/ the same teachers as last year! I am officially working 3-4 days a week in a great office and really enjoying my new place and the people I work with! I feel so blessed to have stayed home for all of these years, but now they are all in school and knowing that makes working so much easier. The economy sucks and Jack and I have been humbled by our uncertain future. The restaraunt is doing well thanks to our AMAZING friends who continually support us and send in everyone they know! In the meantime, I feel numbers are playing BIG this year! I turned 36 in September, which seems all "whatever" but when I think that I met my hubby @ 18 I am reminded that I have spent half of my life with this man! GASP seems so weird! Life is good. I love him, I love the life that we have made, I love the dad that he is, and the wife and mother that he encourages me to be! I also feel like I am embracing a new attitude at 36! I now realize that being surrounded by a a lot of really amazing people is great, the circle of really close friends gets smaller! It is those friendships that humble me when life gets tough, that encourage me when I get tired of dealing w/ everything, and that laugh, just because we know it is good for our aging souls!!! I leave these girls after a weekly breakfast, or a rare night out and I am lifted! I am a better person for being around them. I am comfortable in my mothering, yes, I always strive to do better, but I am OK knowing that my kids are great kids, they know there mom is not all June Cleaver baking cookies while the crock pot is going, and they love me! They think I rock, they enjoy being w/ there dad and I! ( I do ROCK my crock pot at least twice a week) They have a love for their friends and family, and their personalities are really starting to take shape and mold, and I see them becoming these really cool little people. Jackson is playing soccer, and proving himself to be quite a good goalie, while Abby is LOVING volleyball! So great to see her do something that she loves... FINALLY! and Olivia, well she is just content w/ life! I swear she doesn't know what a bad day is! Just a free spirit that finds the journey of life one BIG ASS party! I sit here, and I feel good. I am back. I blogged... now see that wasn't so bad! I will stop myself from going back and changing any of this, because I want to express myself in my truest form, I want to let it all out, cause no matter how shitty life seems, it is still a really great life! thanks to a great husband, cool kids , great family support and REALLY GREAT FRIENDS!!!!!

2009-08-18T18:53:00.002-04:00

So... we had 2 days, a free hotel room and lots of energy to get as much done as we could in NYC!!!! We arrived midday, checked into our room in Madison Square Garden, right by Penn Station, so we could easily hop on a subway if needed, and set out! First on foot to the Empire State Building, where we decided to buy our tix, w/ the ride inside! It ended up to be pretty cool, a simulated helicopter tour of the city, and history of the ESB, all narrated by Kevin Bacon! then we shot up to the 86th floor for some amazing views of the city, and then up to the 102nd floor for an even more exhilarating look! The kids loved it while I literally felt sick having them up there! Then we headed downtown to Little Italy, where we shopped on Canal Street, before dinner at Lombardi's, supposedly the 1st ever pizzeria in the U.S. It was magnifico, as was the homemade wine! Then we took it all in, followed by amazing dessert, and Little Italy at night! We hopped on the train and said to hell with it and headed down to Times Square around 10:00 and took in all of the lights and action! Abby said "mommy, it's like a whole nuther city at night" to which I realized she has the city bug in her just like her mama!!!! Headed back to our hotel around midnight and crashed! (did I mention FREE) Next morning was daddy's b-day so it was his pick. He quickly decided on the Museum of American history, followed by a walk thru Central park, and Lunch at Carnegie Deli. Thank God for the walking because we did not need to eat again for a week after that lunch. We went got our car out of parking and drove down to the WTC site, where we actually had to explain the entire place to our kids, because they are too young to remember 9-11. Sobering to say the least. Then it was time to head to Long Island where we had a very excited group of family waiting to start a 5 day party, ending w/ a Family Reunion, that was more like a wedding reception! Oh how I love my husband family. They are all LOVE all the time. So gracious and hospitable, and always rolling out the welcome mats. Making sure we go home at least 10 pounds heavier, and our kids are spoiled rotten! I will post pictures of all of them in my next post, cuz they are so special, they deserve one all to themselves!!!!!

NYC

2009-08-18T18:46:00.002-04:00

they had a ball walking in the city in the rain

held my camera out over the Empire State Building and feel sick just typing about it!

view from the top of the empire state building

our nations Capitol

2009-08-12T17:47:00.002-04:00

Well ,been home exactly one week today and am finally facing reality and getting back into my groove! This place was excellent. From the moment we were welcomed to yet another beautiful and spacious retreat to rest our tired feet, to all of the beauty that awaits in our Nations Capitol. The kids loved riding the train in from Virginia to D.C., we walked around and took in the sights before finally embarking on our "duck tour" w/ the famous D.C. Ducks!!!! We toured the National Mall and then cruised down the Potomac for a beautiful and very informative tour of D.C. After this we hopped back on the train and took it to Arlington National Cemetery, where after living out a very familiar scene from National Lampoons Vacation... (think "sorry folks, parks closed") we did get to peak into the reverent beauty of this sacred place. After that headed back to KellyMarie's parents house where we were welcomed w/ hot pizza and good wine, and great laughs and conversation. After the kiddos went to bed, KellyMarie and I got some serious mom time in the hot tub w/ a bottle of really good red wine! We truly are thankful to have had this time w/ the Heslin family and their hospitality was beyond generous! Moving on to NYC tomorrow, my heart just started beating hard thinking about it! I can NOT wait to show you the fun we had there!!!!!!!

Washington D.C.

2009-08-12T17:38:00.000-04:00

2009-07-26T22:01:00.000-04:00

OBX

2009-07-26T21:42:00.002-04:00

We decided to take the scenic route from Charleston to the Outerbanks of North Carolina, alon US 12. Pretty nice lots of farms and a few quaint coastal towns. We broke it up as we were not due at our friends home until Frida, so we stopped in the cute town of New Bern, NC, and discovered alot of historical places dating back to the 1700"s including a reminant of a church where George Washington himself worshiped. Next morning we are off to Whalehead Beach, at the very northern tip if the outerbanks. I am talking where the GPS just doesn't want to calculate, and wild horses roam deserted beaches. Where some areas are only accesible by 4 wheel drive. Upon our arrival we were welcomed by our great friends the Heslins, and her parents beautiful Oceanside home, respectfully called "At Ease"!!!!!!!! Love flowing from this place and, felt like it was our very own vacation home, where we were welcomed w/ ice cold beers on the beach, and grilled burgers, and hot dogs for dinner. We have soaked up every ray of the sun, and truley enjoyed our time on the beautiful beaches. Along w, great food, and lots of wine, and crabbing, and touring the local light houses, and just lots of laughs, both for the adults, and the kids(who have gotten along quite well) We do have 7 of them under one roof!!!!! They have loved learning to boogie boared, and the secrets to catching crabs. I can NOT say enough about the hospitality and great time we have had! Tommorrow takes us to Washington D.C. and I am sure lys more to blog about! I leave you with pictures!!!!!! enjoy!!!!!!

Road Trippin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-26T08:36:00.003-04:00

I sit here and it has been 4 days into our trip and I have to say.... wayyyyyy fun! I had planned to blog before now but honestly this whole discovering parts of this amazing country that we live in thing has left us in a few stops with GASP.... no Internet connection! well, that and just plain old tired, I mean the kind of tired that when your head hits the pillow, you don't move for the next 8 hours! The kids have been great, and as long a we stick to our plan of stopping and finding some fun town to walk around in, and discover, they are easily amused. We left Naples Wed. morning around 5 a.m.(yes, that is how we roll) kids slept in the car till around 9! Fed them breakfast of healthy powdered doughnuts, and OJ. This held them til Lunchtime, which was perfect because we had just crossed the Fl/Ga line and it was time for gas. we stopped in the town of Cumberland Island GA., had some sandwiches, and went and took a peek at the National Seashore and the quaint town of St. Marys. then we rolled on to Charleston, our first destination to explore and our overnight stop. All I can say is "hello, cuteness" This town is just adorable, with all of it"s quaint homes, and shops. We took a stroll along the water, and then thru a local park. We landed in this great restaurant/ pirate museum for dinner where we dined on local favorites, of she-crab soup, stuffed collards, shrimp and $3.00 beers for mom and dad!!!! Then we just walked around and took in this town that is soaked in history dating back to the early 1700's. Saw actual civil war sites, and walked where our forefathers walked. Hit the hotel(by the way the Holiday Inn in Charleston Historic Dist. ROCKS) around 9:30 and we were all sound asleep by 10:00! ( I know party animals we are) Leaving you with some pictures of Charleston!!!!

Wedding Bliss

2009-07-15T17:06:00.002-04:00

Olivia

took alot to get this picture

wedding cuteness

2009-07-15T16:48:00.003-04:00

It was GRAND! It was GORGEOUS! It was sooooooooooo FUN!!!!! My niece got married! This is the same little girl that was 5 when I started dating her uncle, the same little niece that I had walk down the same isle in the same church for my own wedding. The same little niece who I have had the pleasure of watching her grow up, and (sob, sob, sob) become a beautiful young lady! I will admit, I saw her for the first time as a "grown up" only this day! Until July 11th she was still our "lolly" I watched her walk down that isle and she literally was growing up as she got to that alter! She was beaming as she married Jesse and still had that sweet giggle that only those who know Holly, know what I am talking about. Her flower girl was our Olivia, and I have to say, she was in her glory! she went to get ready w/ the bridesmaids, and loved all of the excitement and fun to be had! This was a bonus for me, because I got to be there when Chet got a look at his daughter the bride for the first time! Let's just say, lots of sobs, he had to walk out of the room and compose himself at one point, but it was so tender and sweet! Olivia enjoyed her ride to the church in the limo with all of the girls, then she was a champ! She walked down the isle like she had done it all before. Jackson read from the bible, and I have to say he was quite impressive! He even had a previous teacher of his in the congregation, and she was boasting to all how great he did(thanks Steph). After a few pictures, we headed to the reception where the real party got going! I absolutely LOVE and ADORE my husbands family from NY, and they came down for the wedding!!!! We danced and chatted and laughed ALOT!!! I am adding more pictures because I couldn't fit them all in this post!!!!! Enjoy!

2009-07-01T07:51:00.002-04:00

10 YEARS!!!!!! WHAT????? Where did it go? 10 years ago today, I became a mom for the first time! Not just any mom, but Jacksons mom! Life has been one big ride with him every since that day! This is my boy, ALL boy All the time!!!!!!!!! He is great at every sport he touches, he is kind and has a big heart! He has compassion for all things living, LOVES any kind of pet, even the creepy crawly ones! His favorite hobby, other than sports is fishing! He tries his hardest in school and with a lot of determination, keeps up good grades! He is fun! But most important, he loves his mama! I am blessed to be his mom, I am honored ( and a bit frustrated at times) to get to call this boy mine! He has God in his heart, and a magnetic personality! They say you forget when they were babies, well not me , not yet. I remember his 1st 4th of July, just 3 days old, holding him and watching the fireworks out his nursery window. I remember his breath and the way it felt on my chest, I remember the way his little body slumped on my chest and the was his full head of jet black hair felt against my chin! Ohhh! the joy of watching him grow! It just keeps gettin better!!!! Happy Birthday Jackson... may your every dream, wish and hope come true!!!!!!!!!!

Worlds Greatest Dad

2009-06-22T12:04:00.002-04:00

As I thought I would write this big "ode to daddy" I realized I need to take more pictures of him with all 3 kids together! My children are blessed by this man! He loves them unconditionally, supports them in their choices, coaches their sports teams, reasons with them far better than myself, and most of all he is a great role model for them! He works two jobs, and doesn't complain, comes home and is always willing to jump in the pool, or take a bike ride or play some type of outside sport! The affection he shows them is without a doubt one of my favorite things about this man! Sure sometimes I am annoyed that he is constantly walking around with a girl on each hip, or whatever grand idea Jackson has of the month, there he is finding any piece of equipment that is needed for his latest venture! Sure I think he gives in to easily or babies a little too much, but you see, this is what makes him the greatest dad! Behind every great dad, there is a nagging mama for sure!hahaha! He is always willing to volunteer at their school for whatever is needed, including an every other week cooking lesson w/ Olivia's Kindergarten class! our kids think he hung the moon and all of the stars around the moon! So this one is for daddy! We love you and are soooo lucky to have you!!!!!!

Catching up!!!!!!!!

2009-05-20T16:32:00.002-04:00

So much to write about! I promise there will much to do about Abby's first communion, and class field trips and piano recital and much more... but lat night was about catching up! Let me introduce you to Lisa, Lauren, Dina & and Andrea! I met these girls in high school, 15 years old, nothing to stop us! 20 something years later, here we are! Dina has moved away to Tennessee, we have 11 kids between us, we have supported each other through births, deaths, marriage and divorce... but last night we were 15 again! Only the conversation is a bit more mature(not really) hahahaha! We remembered old times, talked about our babies, and laughed! I mean REALLY laughed HARD! With tears rolling down cheeks, and a few head turns from others in the restaurant, we were the same! I think we all have only gotten better w/ age, and yes, now we meet for sushi, instead of the mall food court, and we talk about when we had our babies, and how they are growing up, and at one point I started cracking up, because for just a second there we were all grown up! You need times like these! Time for each other, time to reconnect, time to realize that when we finally get some "time" all we want to do is have fun! Cuz we don't know when we are going to get to do it again, we don't know how much more busy we will be next time! All of this means "yep, we have grown up" but last night felt good to just be the same old friends... Catching up!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-02T15:38:00.002-04:00

First of all let me put out a disclaimer! These pictures were taken by my amazingly talented friend Kelle Hampton, and I am sure there is some rule about taking pictures from someone elses blog and putting them on your own... but I couldn't contain myself!!!!!!!! My sweet little Abby is receiving First Holy Communion next weekend, and Kelle is doing the pictures for the entire church!!!! So we got to have a little fun w/ Abby early so she will have some displays for the ceremony! She did all of this at her home, in her yard and even w/ a baby on her hip at times!(sweet Lainy Love) So here goes... I have been thinking about this day fir a long time! I think being Catholic is wonderful and we are a family rooted in our Faith. Trying to raise my children Catholic is sometimes hard, and by that I mean I just want them to understand it and truly embrace it! I want them to find all of the customs and traditions as sacred as we do! Starting with her 1st communion! We have been practicing how to receive communion, and what it means an what a sacred blessing it is to come into communion with your church! She has gone to her first Confession and she is truly excited to be doing this! So with all that thinking I am gonna let you in on the personal side, this is a little hard but here goes! My dad passed almost 8 years ago (Abby is 8) and I often wish he could see them growing up. My mom and dad were married for 35 years and I feel blessed by my childhood and all of that! So my mom has re-married and is very happy, she gave me her wedding gown that she wore when she married my dad and it has been in the closet, I have kind of thought this would be the answer to Abby's 1st communion dress. So the time came and I pulled it out, and it had that smell, the smell of my Mom-Mom's house(my grandmother) and I got out the wedding picture of my parents and I looked at the beautiful dress! This dress that my Mom-Mom made with her sweet hands! I looked at the pearls and the fabric is amazing... but my favorite part of the dress is the buttons on the pack. Satin buttons, lots of them all the way down the back, and so my mission began. Called Jack's Aunt Sandy who was a seamstress in New York and has made all of the other nieces dresses and I asked her! Well "yes" was the answer and here is the final product! Along with the veil that Jack's mom went and got for her, also a rosarie and a prayer book, and sweet little white gloves. I took her for her shoes, she had one request... high heels! we found them and before we could by them she had to go walk around on the tile in the shoe store to make sure the"clopped"!!!!!!! So Kelle's pictures today, she wore here cross that she was baptized in that her god-parents (Uncle Dom and Aunt Ria) got for her, and the new earrings with little diamond and pearls that Daddy and Mommmy got her! My friend Jacy came and did her hair and she was just basking in all of the fuss and fun! We got to Kelle's and I had to stop the lump in my throat when it all came together! Then she posts these pictures on her blog and I finally cried! The sweetness and innocence was captured perfectly and I could not be happier! to check out all of Kelle's amazing pictures go to www.enjoyingthesmallthings.blogspot.com

Book her now, because she is on the rise and I want to get her as much as I can before she is booked out months at a time!!!!!!

Spring Break

2009-04-24T07:25:00.004-04:00

Justa few shots from Spring break! I have more of Easter and cousins and family, but for now.... a perfect day on break with friends! Spring break for us was just that... a break! We didn't do much, we slept in and hung out. We had a day at the beach, and even a day a Busch Gardens! I will post pictures soon! For now.... just this perfect, delightful relaxing day!

SIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-30T08:03:00.002-04:00

Can't believe she is six today! I remember waiting for her, so excited!(really thought she was a boy) She is the completion to our little family! She is fun, and sweet, and sassy, and has a personality 100 times bigger than her cute little self! Six or sixteen or forty-six she will always be the baby! There is not a day that goes by that she doesn't crack us up! Her whiny little voice eats on your last nerve but it is part of who she is! We had a cake for her yesterday... she insisted that Aunt Shell make her cake. We had lasagna, and eggballs, chicken. wine and yes.... CAKE! She is part of a great big fun, dynamic, loud Italian family, and adds her own little bit of "Lucarelli" to the gang! I love her... I sooooo love her! Thank you God for this little piece of heaven! Happy 6th birthday to my baby!

P.S. Happy Anniversary to Michelle and Chet on a long lasting marriage! You two are an inspiration!!!!!!

P.S.S. Kuddos to me on her "bling" shirt w/ "6" studded in rinestones. I saw it in a catalog for $34.99 and made it myself for under$10.00! Go mama!!!!

Slumdog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-11T15:16:00.002-04:00

Went to go see this movie today! I now see what all of the fuss is about! Seriously BEST movie I have seen in a while! It deserved every award it received! The music is amazing. I feel like I have seen into a whole other world today! A world that people like me forget about! Screw the recession! We are privileged to live in this country! I think in honor of anyone who questions just how lucky we are go see this movie! Then down load the soundtrack, cause it was awesome. Then when you are done, call me if you are thinking about booking a group trip to India, because I will go with ya! I am moved, I feel grateful, I love that the Pavillion offers $4.50 movies on Wed. mornings! I love that Lena is willing to be my movie partner, and that we both agree on what kind of movie to see! I love that every time I go see a movie... I cry! I think it is funny that she doesn't and always looks over at me as though I am some BIG sap, and says" are you really crying?" this is me! This movie made my day! hell... it made my week!!!!!!

baseball

2009-02-23T09:59:00.001-05:00

Opening Day Baseball

2009-02-23T08:15:00.002-05:00

Sunday was a great day!!!!! We had opening day for baseball. I am just saying, but I think this kid is awesome!!!! There were team pictures, and tug of war, and a home run derby, a dunk booth for the coaches, hot dogs, hamburgers and so on! The buzz was fun and the weather was perfect! Sunny and breezy and it just felt like the day was made for baseball! Jackson looked so cute and all of the boys had a great time! We got to see old friends that we haven't seen in a while, and hang out with friends that are like family! This kid is great and is always willing to try out new things and give it his best! Lots of fun, looking forward to the season, and all of the fun that goes with that!

Girlfriends

2009-02-18T13:17:00.003-05:00

My girlfriends are the BEST in the world. I have had a really yucky month, things have just been blah, and I am trying to keep my chin up, and smile because I really do have lots of other things that I am thankful for. My job stinks right now, our economy is in the toilet, this is not easy for a family that has put all of eggs in the construction/ restaurant business basket, but I know things are gonna be o.k.! So I have these awesome girlfriends, and they lift me up, and they put it in perspective, and they help me laugh at myself. It could be pizza together on a Friday night with the Chaney's, or my regular weekly breakfast with Lena, or a phone call from Char, or all of my pep talks with Amy! ( I could go on and on, like little random messages on Face book from friends all of the time, friends who are just... there, right when I need them) Somehow we all just get each other, We are wives, mothers, teachers, taxi cab drivers, PTA promoters, volunteers for our church and our community, but most of all friends! Friends who just get it. Friends who don't judge, friends who can see the good through all of the yuck! I turn to music a lot when I am going though something and I SWEAR that the Zac Bron Band knows me. They write songs just for me! They take all of the words out of my head and sing them in a song just for me! This song is getting me through! This song comes on and I can NOT sit still, no matter what my mood I have to sing and dance! So for now I choose to see the positive in all of the yuck, for now I thank God for blessing me with amazing friends, and this song... just for me!!!!!

finding peace

2009-01-29T18:24:00.003-05:00

this is the beach on a weekday morning... not a sole in sight

my favorite running shoe is always Adidas!!!!

no words necessary

the view I get to look at every night

my front yard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

again.... view from my front porch!!!!!!!!!!

Well while I feel terrible for my family and friends in Missouri and Arkansas and Tennessee I feel blessed to live where I live!!!!! I love this time of year in Florida!!! My new thing is to run on the beach! I feel like I live here and I don't take advantage of this beach in my back yard!!!! I love it, the sand, the water, the shells. the birds, all of it! This economy is yucky and lots of stuff is weighing heavy on me... but I am trying to keep it simple, trying to focus on the positive! Things like my kids--- they rock and as hard as it is to raise them everyday, I know that I have great kids! I love my husband, he is a good man and even when we are off, I know that we still love each other deeply. I love that we both are risk takers and not afraid to try, and we both feel like as long as we are in it together we will be o.k. I love my friends, seriously... love them. They make me laugh and if I don't talk to them almost daily I miss them!!! I am trying to embrace the yuckies, to slow down, to find joy in the simple things! I want to sit still and live more in the moment! I want to ski so bad and I know that it is not gonna happen this year, so I pretend plan what an amazing trip we will have next year! I am thankful for a job, and a paycheck, and a boss who is cool, I am thankful for Jack's paycheck and I admire his work ethic. I love that one of my best friends is my little girls teacher, and the comfort and joy that come with that! I love that she is the teacher at school, but still my friend at home! I love my house and even though we are stuffed in here w/ no more room this is the home i brought my babies home from the hospital, this is the home that Jack and I built together--- literally! Well that is it for now-- just random chatter but I needed to say it!

2009-01-21T20:37:00.002-05:00

Well, I guess while the rest of the nation is experiencing bitter cold temps and lots of snow and ice.... I give you these! These pictures were taken over the holidays by my cousin Cheryl who was visiting from New Jersey! I had to post them, because even though I have lived here for all of these years, I still find it hard to believe that we can do things like this in January!!!! Don't get me wrong, tonight will dip down in the high 30's, (and I will probably turn on the heat for the 1st time this year) but we will warm up again just in time for another amazing weekend! Jackson truly loves being a part of this big awesome Italian family, but this little guy is one of his FAVORITE cousins ever! This is his cuz, Louie and his sister Kayla (along w/ Brendan and Brianna) they were visiting, and literally took him along on their vacation with them! Jackson barely ran in to change clothes and brush his teeth before he was begging to go back and hang w/ them! He got along great with his cousins, and they kept him completely entertained! We miss them already and can't wait to see them this summer when we go visit! We are even planning a trip to see the Statue of Liberty w/ them!!!! I know... I can't wait! We are blessed by lots of family both near and far away, and I know these guys will be close for a lifetime... just like their dads!!!!! Thanks Louie and Cheryl and Kayla and Louie for making some great memories for our boy!!! We miss you and can't wait for this summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

a peek........

2009-01-05T20:27:00.003-05:00

The flower girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the mom and maid of honor figuring out the bustle

" Superstar Steph"

The sister of the bride!

So I purposely did not include the faces. I have to leave some suspense! But here is a small peek into a HUGE event! Oh yeah, I could talk about the new year and all it has to hold, and resolutions (cuz I got a few) and all of the things I need to say about this year! But for now, a peek into a ... wedding! My niece is getting married in July and we couldn't be more thrilled! She is marrying a super cool dude and he already feels like part of our family! The cutest part... the flower girl! Yup, she picked sweet little Olivia to be her girl! Olivia is so excited and can't wait to wear her dress, and get her hair done! She keeps talking about "the bridesmaids" like they are her friends! She loved hanging out with them for the day and we all went to watch Holly try on THE DRESS!!!!! all I can say is... GORGEOUS!!!!!!! I have to admit a tiny little tear came to my eye as I watched her twirl and giggle and look soo beautiful and grown up in her gown. After all, this is the same little girl who was a tiny 8 year old bridesmaid in my wedding! So for now I leave everyone w/ this... one of the biggest, most wonderful things we are looking forward to for 2009!!!!!!!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T20:45:00.003-05:00

This is what it looks like now!!!!!!!!!!!!

Big girl on her new bike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jackson with hi Noni!!!!!!!!

Santa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Nativity my in-laws build every year!!!!!!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T20:18:00.002-05:00

Christmas Angels!!!!!!!!!

My angels and a King!!!!!!

The house all lit up for Santa!

Words fail me right now! It was perfect and magical and emotional and everything Christmas should be! We started with mass and my girls were angels in the nativity and Jackson was one of the 3 kings, and I cried. I cried at the sight of those kids re creating the story of his birth, I cried when they sang " Oh Holy Night" and again when they sang "Silent Night" and again when we went up to receive communion, and again, and again all night! Then we came home to leave out the cookies and Milk for Santa, and the girls sprinkled reindeer food on the grass. Then we were off to Jack's parents house for a loud, food filled, kids running and screaming party complete w/ a visit from Santa! That was late, then we drove home and watched for Rudolph and laughed when the kids sprinted in the house to get in bed before Santa saw them!!!!! They slept in until 8:30!!!!!! I was up and excited and waiting like a little kid to see their faces. They tore open gifts and we ate a huge breakfast and sipped mimosas and put together a basketball hoop, and rode new bikes and all of that fun Christmas stuff. Then off to the Family again for beef wellington and pasta and home made wine and lots of laughs, and cousins and Aunts and Uncles and Grandparents!!!!!!! Now it is quiet and the house is a mess and kids are sleeping and I..... am so full of love and gratitude and peace! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good-night!!!!!

2008-12-25T20:17:00.001-05:00

Best Christmas gift ever!!!!!!

2008-12-21T07:27:00.002-05:00

I wanted to post this yesterday on her birthday, but we had too much fun! Today is better anyway, I am able to slow down and reflect. I can not beleive it was 8 years ago, I can't beleive she is growing up so fast. I can't beleive that this sweet little Christmas delivery has become such a sweet little girl! She is everything a little girl should be. I remember holding her in those first few hours after she was born, and Jack saying "look at her fingers... they are little girl fingers" and they were, long and slender and dainty. We brought her home 8 years ago today! Jackson was so little it took him about a week to figure out she was gonna stay with us forever! I think he kept thinking, one of these visitors would take her home with them. We dressed her up in this Christmas dress and put these little black shoes on her like she was our doll. Well this year she is dressing up in her Limited Too clothes, complete with her Jonas Brothers hat and a sparkly scarf, and the shoes... well lets just say the girl may have a little problem! I love these pictures, I love the one where she is in a little stocking in her hospital bassinet, I love the one where Jackson is checking her out for the first time, I love that Dr. McLean grows his beard and dresses like Santa at Christmas! She loves that Santa brought her to us! (hehehe) I love the picture with my dad... had I known then it would be our last Christmas with him I would have probably taken a gazillion more pictures! I love my little Christmas angel, as that is what we call her and she gets this crinkly little grin because she knows how special she is!

Christmas Cheer

2008-12-10T16:12:00.002-05:00

I love this time of year! I truly love the spirit of the season and all of the fun that goes with it! The house is starting to look like a Christmas village, I am sure the neighbors houses power surge every time we plug in our outdoor lights! (Jack seems to think he is Clark Griswold this time of year) A few of the presents are wrapped and look great under our tree, and one of my FAVORITE things of all... the Christmas card are beginning to flow in! I love getting pictures, and updates and beautiful cards from friends far away and friends right here in town! For most of you who read this you have already received my card, so I am not done yet! I love to take pictures so I will continually keep posting pictures of these gorgeous kids! Some fun things we have been doing so far, 3:30 a.m. shopping with Andrea the day after Thanksgiving, Nyseems fun ornament exchange party, Olivia's Christmas show at school decorating 5 trees throughout our house, our "elf" "buddy" and all of the fun he brings to our home, "Santa Claus" the book! If you don't have it... get it! I got mine at Sam's, it has a little diamond on the front and is THE BEST Christmas book yet! This weekend is full of fun w/ a birthday party,(for Olivia) a fancy dress up brunch at the yacht club ( for Abby) Jackson's hockey play off game, Fun music, cold beer and pizza Friday night at our Restaurant, and my office Christmas party on Saturday night! I watch them, and they truly understand the spirit of this season! They are not real caught up on the toys, they are more interested in all of the fun and magic of it all! I will keep you posted, and don't worry, lots of pictures! I just hope you don't pass out or have heart problems from looking at all of them!! I am biased... yes, but they are so dang cute!!!!!!!

Love, just Love!!!!

2008-12-02T20:53:00.003-05:00

And then there are those days.... I had one today! You know the one that NEVER seems to end!! I worked! For those of you who don't know me, I work in a dental office two days a week! A great office w/ great people, but today was a busy one ( which is good) but it never was gonna end(which is not good) I came home... LATE to a home that was a mess, nothing to cook for dinner, 4 people needing me all at once, and a neighbor kid to boot! Then Jack's sister came by and then a friend called w/ a minor emergency(which I won't talk about because they already make fun of my blog) in a good way! I scrounged up dinner. Ra men noodle soup and hot dogs... uhhgggg! What have I become? then we finished home work, had a 10 minute family clean-up time( I swear they think I am the effing maid) a few tears along the way... then the magic words! Yep that's right "BED TIME" Ahhhhhhhh! Then I went to put on my jammies and finally take off my scrubs from work, and when I came out, this is what I saw.......

Yep my little sweet, perfect, loving children bonding! Jackson reading a book to his sisters! They were all under a blanket(except Abby, she wanted to go read her own book, but couldn't tear herself away) He read 3 books before they were done! Every once in a while I would hear him say " do you know this word Olivia?" "say this Olivia" and sound it out! Then all of the day went away! (I know I am on the cheesy side here Fro) but come on this is good stuff!!! Little reminders that they are here to fill my house w/ love and laughter and fighting and screaming and all of the stuff that goes with having kids! They can erase a bad day in one swift move, they fill my "love bucket" I am so glad they love each other, I am so glad they are them!!!! This is the stuff I can't get enough of!

2008-11-26T19:19:00.000-05:00

He is back.....!!!!!! That's right our friendly little helper elf "Buddy" is back!!!!!!! He actually came last year and boy did we have fun with him, but to our surprise he came back this year!!!! His book tells the story of a helper elf who is sent here by Santa to watch us and report back to the "big guy" nightly!!!!! We are not allowed to touch him or he could loose his "magical" powers! We CAN talk to him and he can go whisper in Santa's ear, but he is NOT allowed to talk to us... per Santa!!!!!! The excitement in our house tonight is the kind that sends giggles all the way thru it!!!!! This is why I love this season... the wonder and the magic of it all... thru them is so great!!!! I wish I could go whisper to Buddy the elf... that they never grow up. That they always believe in Santa. That the pressure and reality of adulthood is soooooooo far off that they don't even feel the economic hard times we are against!!!!!!! On that note, I was gonna blog about being grateful so Here is my TOP 10!!!

1--- I am greatful for God and my faith!!!!

2--- " " " for healthy Kids

3---" " ' for my Man!!!!!!

4--- " " ' for Thanksgivimg w/ a BIG obnoxious Italian family that I adore!!!

5--- " " " a mother who taught me everything I know!!!!!

6--- " " " sisters in laws... cuz I never had a sister!!!!!!

7----" friends who live back to back and feel like family!!!!!!

8----" " " all my girlfriends... who love me for being CRAZY ME!!!!!!!

9--- " " " the wonder of Christmas thru my Kids eyes!!!!

10---" " " Hope.......

oh and as I write this I have a little one w/ strep throat, high fever and all that goes w/ that! I am still grateful.... Yep Life is good... The season is among us and I can feel the spirit of Christmas all around us!!!!!!!!!! Oh and Jack's brother Chet just stopped by and the girls are telling him all about the elf!! I am soooo grateful for Aunts and Uncles who Love my kids as much as me!!!!!! They ROCK!!!!!!

2008-11-23T21:12:00.000-05:00

I have been waiting a long time to say this!!!!!!! My best friend is having a baby!!!!! This girl is my soul sista, I mean it! God put us together at 16 for some reason... and it just stuck! We have watched each other thru boyfriends, parent drama, weddings births of babies(mine) loss of parents, loss of friends and thru it all we have only gotten better! Probably because we both hit the lottery with husbands! They actually not only put up with us, they put up with us together... which is a completely different story! So I can not even put into words how excited I am that she is about to step into this crazy journey of motherhood! She will make not only the most beautiful mother, but honestly I can just see it! Her there in a rocker, feeding her baby, Hyden seeing if he can get them anything! Her burping, changing diapers, folding little baby clothes that smell like "dreft" detergent! I know this is just rambling to some, but I could just explode I am so excited for them! She is a natural nurturer, she is compassionate, fun and loving, but to call her a "mama" soon brings tears to my eyes and butterflies to my tummy! Oh boy... It's gonna be a long time till July!!!!!!!! Until then, I can just close my eyes and picture that sweet little bundle!!!!!

Showering Trina

2008-11-21T06:55:00.000-05:00

How cute are these two preggo sisters!
Just a few close friends w/ their girls!

Lots of help from the little girls

Yummy Cupcakes!!!!!!

Today I am writing about the baby shower for our friend Trina! It is so much more than that! This girl is so great! She is the beautiful mother of four children, 1 girl and 3 boys!!!! This was the day to honor her! Natalie thought it would be neat to include all of our daughters this time! So glad we did that! The little girls all played and giggled and went swimming, while the moms enjoyed great food, and lots of laughs while we all caught up w/ each others busy lives!!! On that note, I have to say what an amazing group of women this group of girls is! Just the few of us that got together on this day have 27 children between all of us! To say that we really need to schedule time to catch up is an understatement!!!!! But friends ... let me tell you! These girls are golden! I know everyone loves their girlfriends...blah, blah, blah! But mine are amazing! I mean it, I almost burst sometimes when I think about the growing bellies and growing fa miles! To think most of us met, when not one of us had even had our first baby! Well here we are now, running between soccer, hockey,baseball, football,girl scouts, piano lessons, PTA meetings etc. we found a little window of time , on a Sunday afternoon to slow down and "shower" this amazing mother and wonderful friend! "Congrats Trina"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-11T17:18:00.000-05:00

Well We are home from our little mini- vacation... and it was good! We took a mini road trip to Augusta to visit my friend Amy and her husband Hyden! We had a ball seeing all of the fall leaves, and the cool crisp weather! We went to a farm, saw lots of different animals and wild life, took a tour of the Savanna rapids, went to a street festival, ate lots of awesome food, drank lots and lots of wine, and had a blast! Amy was the ever gracious host, and truly showed us a great time! We want to go back, but until then, we have these awesome pictures! Thanks Amy & Hyden!!!!!!

more Georgia!!!!!

2008-11-11T17:11:00.000-05:00

Fall trip

2008-11-11T17:07:00.001-05:00

2008-10-21T20:09:00.000-04:00

The cheerleaders!!!!
Go Tigers!!!!!
I love this face!!!!!
The Golie!!!!!!
So our Saturdays are filled with cheer leading and soccer!!!!! It is crazy... the girls are at one park and the boys are at another, but somehow we seem to make it all happen! Partly thanks to lots of help from Uncle Chet and the boys!!!! I love it!!! I love seeing them get into their "thing" I love and hate being the goalies mom! One set of parents are yelling for him to "save" and the other set are secretly hoping he "lets one up" I want to yell at them all and say "that's my boy.. leave him alone" The girls are sassy and sweet! They yell out their cheers and shake their little "things" as hard as they can! They and all of the other girls giggle and compare ponytails, all at the same time they are actually trying really hard and improving by the week! We finally get home around noon if we are lucky and then it's lots of rest time! They chill out, we watch football, they run around the neighborhood w/ the other kids! There is something about this awesome weather in Florida on October, the "ping" of an aluminum bat and the sounds of of kids yelling and screaming that makes you smile! A really good Saturday would be the sound of the washer, dryer, and the dishwasher all going at once! Man... I love the weekend!!!

14 years ago today!

2008-10-15T10:39:00.001-04:00

I married him 14 years ago today! I feel weired even writing about it, bit it never fails, I keep remembering every moment! I remember waking up being soooo excited! I remember spending the morning w/ my bridesmaids getting our hair done and drinking mimosas! I remember getting ready at my parents house, and all of the picture taking and excitement swirling around! I remember the look on my daddy's face when I came out into the living room! I remember going to the church in the limo and all the cars honking and waving! I remember standing in the back... could not walk down that isle fast enough! Ohhhh the fun of that day! It felt like I was floating! I looked back at these pictures, and gasped! Not by how young we were, but by how far we have come! To see all of our family members that are no longer here, my dad, Grandma Mitrani, grandma and grandpa Lucarelli, Uncle Phil and the rest! Man life just keeps on going! Here we are 14 years later, 3 of the most AWESOME kids in the world, and ya know what? We actually still like each other! I still get excited when I haven't seen him in a while! He is the worlds greatest dad! He is my man! Happy Anniversary baby!!!

2008-10-15T10:36:00.000-04:00

more wine

2008-10-05T20:09:00.001-04:00

So here is the "thing" when I married my man.. I married his Family! Not a bad move I must say! It is so fun being part of such a loving, in your face, LOVE their culture and their heritage type family! One perk... once a year they make wine. yes that's right their very own! They don't buy it from the store, they buy the grapes, have them imported in and make enough for the whole year! Downside( could there be one) strong stuff! no preservatives, no sulfates, just 100% YUM!!!!! The fun part is this is their tradition! They all gather kids included, and they all have a part! from unloading the truck, to breaking down boxes, to dumping the grapes and so on! the process today involved putting the grapes thru a machine that separates the stems from the grapes and outs them in these 50 gallon containers. Then in 40 days they will get together again and they will put them thru the "press" then they have wine! The longer it sits the better! I love that my kids get excited for this day! The minute they know it is in the plan, they wanna know... "is the truck here yet?" "is it time?" They go over like it is all part of the weekend like this is what every family does on a Sat. afternoon! The day is followed by a huge meal, this time Linguine w/ clams and of course, lots of wine! I love him... I love his family... I love the wine! "CHEERS" or "SALUTE"

making wine

2008-10-05T20:06:00.000-04:00

kepp going more pics to follow!

2008-09-29T09:20:00.000-04:00

So... she started piano lessons! She is so excited and so are we. Her teacher is Mrs. Trina and she is so kind and soft spoken and lovely! Just what our little Abby needs! She comes in and can not wait to practice! On Sunday nights she asks " is tomorrow piano mommy?" I love that she has an itch to be creative, I love that she is so sweet and really wants this! I love to here her counting and playing while I cook dinner! Please let this be her "thing", cuz she needs a"thing"!

more Golf Tourny Pics

2008-09-21T20:54:00.001-04:00

For Evan Forever

2008-09-21T20:29:00.001-04:00

What a day!!!!!! I was honored to be a part of something amazing today!!!! Today I got to volunteer in a golf tournament! I have to admit that I have never even played golf before, so I was completely impressed!!! My friend Lauren and her husband Chris do this in memory of their son Evan every year! If you could scoop up all of the love and compassion that these people have for them and what they have been thru and wrap it up, you would never find a box big enough to fit it all in! I was amazed at all of the people that came out to be a part of this! The best part was reconnecting with old friends that I have been out of touch with for far too long!!!! After a fun morning of making sure all the players had there beverages, we headed in to the club house for an awesome lunch and ceremony to recognize all of the people involved! The best moment came when Lauren and Chris let us all in on the secret... they are having a little boy!!!! Tears, sighs, chills and lots of love and prayers all wrapped up into a big smile for them as I write this!!! They will be wonderful parants again and Jocelyn will make the CUTEST big (little) sister ever!!!!!

Birthday Sista

2008-09-15T23:28:00.001-04:00

So, I have these two friends, that I have always celebrated my birthday with, Jen and Angie! So let the celebrating begin!!!!!! Tonight was just for Angie! She is the "old Lady" of us all! I love having our own restaurant for this reason! We can have a private party whenever we want! Yep... there is always a V.I.P. pass at "Lucarelli's!" This is one of the friends that you don't have to talk to everyday, and still feel in touch when you finally do get to catch up! This is one of the friends I shared my pregnancy with and birth and nursing and feeding schedules, and nap schedules and even a couple of birthday party's with! I mean literally our kids were born in the same week! I don't know what I would have done without her in those early days of motherhood when I didn't know what the hell I was doing!! Sarah, Heather, and my Jenny... Thank you for this wonderful night for our friend! Angie happy Birthday... may your every wish come true!!!

2008-08-29T08:29:00.000-04:00

Well.. they say a picture is worth 1000 words, then need I say more! I feel like these 2 pictures sum up our first true week of school! The Lucarelli Family is wiped out! No more fighting over bedtime, nope they crash! The 3 of them have settled nicely into the back to school madness! They all love their teachers, love their new friends, love the bus, etc. They wake up with excitement each day and are truly ready to go to school! Though I think these pictures show, we are excited about a long Labor Day weekend! We could all use some rest! (especially mom and dad) P.S. I know some may think it strange that the two girls sleep together, yes they all have their own rooms, but these sisters are joined at the pillow! I have tried to separate them for years now and it is just not happening! This too is o.k., I never had a sister, so I love it! plus I am sure the day is coming when they lock each other out of their rooms! ohh!... I hope not! I'll just show them these pictures!hehehe!

couldn't leave these out

2008-08-21T08:56:00.000-04:00

Back to school

2008-08-21T08:24:00.000-04:00

Well! I did it! I sent my baby, my youngest, the little completion if my family off to Kindergarten! I mean... my baby! Where did the time go! I know all moms say it but it truly went too fast! I could have kept her another year! I know she is ready, but not me! Thought I was, but nope! The only consolation prize is that she is in such a great place! She has Jennifer and Andrea as her teachers and I know that is better than anything I could have imagined! She will come out next year a completely different little girl, but I will still call her my baby! OMG I think I just started to cry while I blog! WTF is wrong w/ me???? I sit here, the house is quiet, I have waited for this day for 9 years! I feel like I am forcing myself to stay here and just get used to the quiet, the focusing on me and what I need to get done does not come easily! I am not a "me" person! guess I,ll have to work on that! I am a very proud mama! I love sharing these pictures! I am so excited for the next two years w/ these teachers! ( for those of you not familiar w/ our new school, it is multi- age) they combine K-1, 2-3, and 4-5 classes together! 2 Teachers, teaming w/ other great teachers! what that means for us is 2 years w/ the same teachers! So for two years I get to watch them become these amazing little people w/ the same teachers! Abby has the two that Jackson had last year, They are awesome! She was a little apprehensive yesterday, a few tears, anything new is very scary for her! But They all got off of the bus yesterday w/ Big smiles telling me it was "the best first day ever!" Jackson is w/ Mr. Mazzora and he came home all excited! He is playing it all cool as he is in the 4th grade now! I think he will do great w/ this team of teachers! He said it was great and that is all I wanna here him say on the first day! oh yea he did say it felt like he was only there for "like 5 minutes" that's good right? So to all my mom friends... Cherish your time w/ them cause it really does go fast, but when you finally get to the point of them all off, I just hope your little guys are half as lucky as mine to be w/ such awesome people to fill their days! for now I think I'll clean, organize, all of those things I said i can't do w/ them around! Then they will come home and we will talk about their days, the friends they met, who likes who, and I will just soak it all up! yep... life is good, a little too quiet, but good!

Just Rain

2008-08-19T16:24:00.001-04:00

Well, we not only made it thru the tropical storm, we had a ball! Last night we all got cozy turned the AC down really cold (in case we lost power the house would be cool) and settled in for a rainy night! About 5 a.m. the winds really picked up and the power started to flicker on and off! That had me up for a while, then the power went off for good around 6 a.m. and stayed off until about 10 a.m. I have to say I really enjoyed the quiet and listening to all of the wind and rain! With the kids playing out in this mess all day, I feel that I am even more ready than I was to start the first day of school tomorrow! The kids are really excited w/ their outfits laid out and their backpacks are overflowing w/ supplies! So with the extra day Jackson decided to do what any boy would do! We are lucky enough to have about 10 acres behind us that belong to Jack's family so it is the perfect place for Jackson to ride his ATV. He had so much fun splashing thru our new now waterfront backyard! I couldn't help but snap a few shots of my boy, just being a boy! When I say that.. I mean REALLY awesome boy full of all of the stuff that makes them boys! by the way totally loving this new editing for my photos! thanks Kelly, one more thing to get totally obsessed with and do nothing else that I should be doing! but it's soooo fun!

Back to school

2008-08-17T09:08:00.000-04:00

Well, we went and met our teachers for next year, toured our classrooms, got to see old friend, got to see which of our friends we will be in class with next year, and all of the other stuff that goes along with back to school! Hell, we have even laid out our "first day" outfits! I was totally gonna write about all of the excitement and then... BAM!... new plan! They say a Fay is coming right for us! Yep our first hurricane and it is totally gonna screw up our first day of school plans! I am so happy with the teachers my kids have for next year they are so excited! I am so lucky to have one of my best buddies from high school teaching Olivia next year! Andrea Chaney along w/ Jen Briggs will get to spend the days shaping and molding her into the little student she will become! They will not only teach her how to read and do math, these two gals are soo awesome. I know that the compassion and love that they give her over the next 2 years are giving her an awesome foundation for the rest of her life! I remember my kindergarten teacher and how sweet and fun she was, and that is exactly what these two have been called to do! Ya know when you meet someone and say to yourself "she should be a kindergarten teacher" well these two are just that! With their soft fun little teacher voices and their creative juices always flowing I know Olivia will still be talking about her first teachers for a lifetime! So meet Mrs. Chaney and Mrs. Briggs! Then let me go on and on about Abby's teachers for next year! Mrs. Steel and Mrs. Conforti! I have been blessed to have had them last year for Jackson and I am soo excited for Abby next year! These girls are tough! But also loving sweet and SO MUCH FUN! They not only teach these kids math and reading and writing and science etc., they have fun doing it! Jackson is having a hard time saying good-bye and moving on to 4th grade because he will miss them sooo much! That just makes me sooo happy for my Abby! So here is Mrs. Steel and Mrs. Conforti! Sorry I have none to post of Jackson with Mr. Mazzora and Mrs. Vidauri, but getting that shot is a little hard w/ a way too cool 9 year old! So I promise, when we finally have the first day of school you'll get to meet them!

Go Team U.S.A.

2008-08-08T11:09:00.000-04:00

With all of the excitement of the opening ceremonies tonight I thought it appropriate to write about swimming! All 3 kids swam on a swim team this summer, the oldest 2 this is their second year! They swim for the Montereys and I have to say it is quite cute! Jackson has become pretty good and I must say the breaststroke is his thing! Abby is coming along, but the smile on her face when she finishes a race(last every time) is so worth it! She thinks this is the greatest! Olivia was a little nervous at first, but we have to say she is a natural! She swims so hard and then when she takes a breath... she stops! then start again! It is hysterical! All of them have been watching their time, and they are all improving pretty well! It is a huge commitment, practice on Mondays and Tuesdays w/ meets on Thurs. nights! For now they only swim on the summer league, we will be moving on w/ hockey soccer, piano lessons and all the other fun stuff back to school brings, but as we watch the games over the next few weeks... they will be encouraged! Who knows maybe we will have another Michael Phelps in the making! HA!

2008-08-04T16:32:00.000-04:00

Well as I promised... my post on fishing! We went over to the Lintzenich's for a family dinner w/ old friends (and new ones) and I think "Doc"( Jackson's new name for Amy's dad) had been planning this one for a while! I don't know who enjoyed it more the kids or him! As the Adults enjoyed things like brie w/ grapes and shrimp cocktail and awesome wine (or beer for some) Dr. L taught the kids fishing 101 in the lakes at Kensington! He had it all planned out, where the adults were to sit and watch and the two trees that the kids would stay between! Youngest to oldest they went, Madison first followed by Olivia Abby, and Callie! Jackson and Reese were baiting their own hooks before long and the fish were a bite in! We all hung out until well after sunset watching them shriek and giggle! A little piece of me missed my dad for them! But what a better person than "Doc" to be the one to put his hand so gently around my babies and calmly teach them about something that means so much to him! We laughed and took lots of pictures and just enjoyed being together doing something quite simple! Then as it grew dark we headed in for a yummy dinner and MORE yummy wine and more laughing! Oh that's right... not every one... Jackson and Reese stayed out w/ their flashlights until they caught the big one! The most awesome catfish! In which Doc promptly put down his wine glass got out a fillet knife and showed them the how to of filleting the fish! These were memories that will not be forgotten! I so love the man that made these memories for them! Oh by the way... Jackson is now consumed w/ fishing! We had to go buy the exact pole we used that night, only we used shrimp this time and he fished all day yesterday off My bro in law and sis in laws house! Caught 3 mangrove snapper and a teeny tiny snook! Yep.. he's got the fishin bug!

Good Times

2008-08-02T09:22:00.000-04:00

My BF Amy and her family came in this past week! Whew! What fun! We always revert back to our 16 year old self when we are together and it is like a huge release of stress to hang out together! She came w/ her husband Hyden and his girls Reese and Callie! We had pizza at the Deli, then we were out for Jack's b-day! We went to the water park and all sorts of fun! One highlight was fishing at her parents house! That will be another blog because it was so special! This one is for Amy! I am ready for her to live closer! My kids adore their Aunt Amy and it hurts my heart that we can't experience our day to day challenges of life together! Jack knows, when we get together the sound decibel will be broken at some point! The cool thing is she married a guy who ( I think ) truly gets a kick out of it! So for the next week we will recover, we will slow down hang out and pretty much miss our Aunt Amy!

Open for Bizzz

2008-07-28T10:29:00.000-04:00

We are officially open for business! Not quite sure yet if we are insane, but I always try to look on the bright side! I figure we will do great as long as we tell all of our friends and they tell their friends about us! Here is the deal so I only have to explain it once! Jack and his family have been in the business for 30 years! We had Angelo's for 20 some odd years and in that time Jack and myself opened Luca- Deli! We sold both 4 years ago and honestly never looked backed! Jack went to work for his family in their construction and dry-wall business and he LOVES it! We have always done catering on the side and that has kept Jack happy doing what he loves most and that is cooking! Well here we are 4 years later, w/ a VERY SLOWWWWW economy, and the owner of the building could not find anyone to rent it out, so after much discussion and a couple bottles of wine ( he knows how to get me)HA! We decided to go it again, this time w/ his Aunt Cathy as a partner! She worked at Angelo's all those years and has been cooking along side Jack, so it made sense! This will allow Jack to handle the stresses of two businesses! It will be the same menu as before, but this time we are really looking to push the catering end of things as well! We will do office party's, corporate events, private party's including Kids make their own pizza party's all the way up to weddings! We also have Jacy from Sweet J's confections making all kinds of goodies! I'm sure this will be great! Wish us lots of luck!!!!!

tadpoles

2008-07-21T14:16:00.000-04:00

So with all of the rain last week, we enjoyed inside days and The American Girl Movie, and... a trip out to Golden Gate to THE dollar spot (any excuse to got to this particular dollar store is well worth it) this is where the wonderful Mrs. Chaney had the hot idea to get these fun little containers and go "tad-poling" The recent monsoon week that we had left a beautiful fresh crop of these baby froggies! The"canal" frontage of the Chaney's home provided the most wonderful afternoon excitement! The kids had no fear as they scooped up these fun little guys and put them in their respective containers! Funnier were the mommies who were scraping up the one that missed their delivery into their new homes! YUCK!! We probably caught about 100 tadpoles but we made a rule that they could all keep 3-5 for going home! You see we are gonna watch them grow into little frogs!(fingers crossed, little prayers).. we are feeding them amphibian food and so far all are alive! Even after Abby managed to spill hers all over the office rug!YUCK again!! bye the way that was first thing in the morning w/ my eyes half open just starting to take my first sip of coffee! The Chaney family even brought us a refill of "canal" water to refresh their new habitat! I use the term "canal" because our kids DO NOT play in the ditch thank you very much!HAHA! All joking aside they had sooo much fun and at the same time this has prompted a Google search from the kids on their new "pets" so I am feeling a little educational! I know the Google thing is hysterical, cuz I don't think the encyclopedia is in their vocab! Here's to more fun, rainy days!!

2008-07-17T23:14:00.001-04:00

So, on our way thru Alabama, we stopped in Mobile to tour the U.S.S ALABAMA! So exciting! This is something I thought might be kind of lame, but we ended up spending 4 hrs. really enjoying ourselves. A few facts, she shot down 22 enemy planes in WW II. W/ her crew on board she weighed 90,000 tons, she was commissioned in 1942 and retired in 1992! Along w/ seeing the on board hospital, dental office, cafeteria. galley where all of their meals were prepared, we also saw the officer quarters and where these brave soldiers slept! A little eerie and very interesting! We also toured the flight hanger and some really cool aircraft from the early days to present day Operation Freedom! then the tour of the submarine! I swear, I have so much respect for these men after seeing the cramped way they lived for months at a time! Some of the passages were a little nerve racking wondering if we could make it thru! Can,t you guys see the headlines now... "Naples family stuck in historic Navel Cruiser due to narrow opening"HAHA! All joking aside I recommend this to anyone traveling thru! Definitely gives you perspective!

more Mississippi

2008-07-15T10:43:00.000-04:00

Just a few more shots of Mississippi! I couldn't leave em out! Super cool Steve on his Motercycle... My mom-mom and Abby, they have such a great bond, the shrimp boats! So many more, but I had to share a few! I love the last one if me and Jack! I am sure the kids saw this "look" way to often!

2008-07-15T10:17:00.000-04:00

Well we are home from our road trip to my family reunion in Biloxi Mississippi! We took my 2 nephews along C.J and Jacko! The kids were great, but I must have you close your eyes for just a moment and have you visualize 5 kids in the car... 3 of which were very gas filled boys! uhggg! The kids love to explore and discover new things and boy did they! One of their favorite memories will probably be going out to the fish camp on the bayou that my family has had a little cabin at forever and spotting gators! I did this as a kid and I felt it a right of passage for my babes! You wait until dark, then we all sit on the dock w/ flashlights in hand and splash our feet in the water. then we wait and scan the water w/ our flashlights until we see their beady little red eyes pop up! Ooohhh! the excitement! Then as they check us out and swim closer we throw marshmallows (we found they really enjoy Cheetos) in the water and watch them SNAP it right up! Crazy to some but to my gang very normal! ( if there is anything normal about them)LOL! We also went and checked out the strip in Biloxi, so different since Katrina! The casinos are BIGGER and BETTER than ever, but gone is all of the historic sights of the civil war and the beautiful old homes along the beach! WE had a ball at the Hard Rock, where we had lunch and Jack had a little luck in the Casino! We took a walk along the Pier and checked out all of the shrimp boats! We even hung out and chatted w/ some local shrimpers who gave the kids a little overview of shrimping! Not to mention some good eats! Friday night was an awesome crab and shrimp boil, along w/ my cousin Terry's famous seafood gumbo! Saturday was brisket and ribs, w/ all the fixins... beans, potato salad, wilted lettuce, garlic brad and awesome desserts! We had fun! We visited ths U.S.S. ALABAMA in Mobile , but that will be another post, as I am not as tech savvy as my other BB's (blogging buddies)! This is where I need a crash course on digital scrapbooking! Way too many pics! Somebody help me! felling overwhelmed but happy to be home...

2008-07-08T22:29:00.000-04:00

Speaking of girlfriends... This is Char-Char! Happy B-day girl! This is such an awesome woman! She is an incredible mama, sister, aunt. cousin, daughter, wife and most of all ... my friend! This girl can light up the world with her smile! She is all around GOOD! I miss her and wish she would get her ass back to Naples so we could celebrate properly! I hope all your wishes come true Char, cuz your 1 in a million and you deserve all your 35 years can dream of!

girlfriends

2008-07-08T18:57:00.000-04:00

So seriously! I have some of the greatest friends! Today you meet "My Darcy" She is so great, my kids love her and I love how she loves them! we met in High school, along w/ "Fro" aka Andrea Chaney. These are the friends who ya get with and it all good! No need to put it on, find something to talk about! It just comes naturally! We swam, had lunch, swam some more! The Chaney-- Lucarelli kids are great together! They all had a ball w/ Aunt Darcy and playing in the water! I am so grateful that I still get to hang out w/ people who I grew up with! Just seeing mine and Fro's kids play is awesome! I love these girls because they have known me the longest! Speaking of I just started this whole face book thing and it is quite fun!One of my longest(dare I say oldest.. GASP) friends found me on there! I have to give a shout out to Kristi as I know she reads this! Sorry for rambling, but that is why this post is called "girlfriends" yep I'm lucky enough to have some of the BEST girlfriends in the world!!! I hope you enjoy the pictures evn more I hope you all have that "girlfriend" you connect with! I hope you all are enjoying your summer and I hope you all are HAPPY! cuz that is what matters most!

2008-07-06T09:06:00.000-04:00

Well another holiday weekend and we had so much fun! We went to see the fireworks on the 3rd up at Miromar! They were awsome! I love to watch my kids faces as they watch the sky and then they get so excited with all of the BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!!! The 4th was spent on the boat w/ friends!! The kids were born to be out on the water, (they have so much of my dad in them) We came home and grilled out w/ Aunt Darcy, then we watched all of the fireworks fom our backyard! We actually have good fireworks over here so no need to go crazy trying to get down to the beach! Saturday was spent just being lazy, and now we are heading up to Germain arena! Jackson has a hockey game this morning! I am loving staying home this summer, considering last summer we were here for like a week! I do miss my family, I am sure they were all at Pick-wick this weekend having a ball! Well enjoy a few of our pictures and hope you are enjoying your summer!

2008-07-01T07:56:00.000-04:00

Are these the same boy! Yep cuz that little baby in the pic. is turning 9 years old today! I still see that little baby in him! Every time he looks at me I see that little "mama's boy" wanting me to give him all of the love my heart can! I said I would never forget what they were like when they were babies! I remember the way he smelled, how he fit into my arms just perfect, the sound he mad, even his sweet little cry! Here's the thing, as much as I miss that baby, it only gets more fun! Watching him grow is a gift! This is one cool kid! He makes us laugh so hard our cheeks hurt! He has all the wonder and zest for life that we all need! He loves sports, dirt, anything HIGH, is super daring(i say this like it is a good thing)! This sweet, cool, awesome kid is 9 today! I feel like I could relive every moment of this day 9 years ago, it seems like yesterday! I can honestly say, without rushing it that I truly look forward to the future w/ this guy! I now know it only gets better!!!!

Cooking up some Fun

2008-06-28T10:29:00.000-04:00

This was so fun! (Thanks Kelly for the pictures) I hope we can do it again and again! This is a great girls night out! You can choose from 1 up to 15 meals, you can have them split if you think it is too much for one order! Each order feeds 4-6 people! I made the chicken pesto penne and had plenty of left overs and that is w/ a family of 5! O.K. so maybe I added a little extra pasta! Thing is they let you bring in apps. and beer and wine, the more wine I drank the more "creative" I got w/ my menues. These girls were great that work there and are always right there to help! The girls that were there cooking are some of the funniest, fun girls! So thanks for such a fun night my friends! I hope to do it again soon! Looks like we are eatin good this week!!!

Islamorada 08

2008-06-24T12:15:00.000-04:00

We are home from the keys!!! I honestly forgot how much I love this place! The minute we go over that bridge and hit US1 my heart rate drops! This is a place that forces you to slow down! It forces you to appreciate the beauty that God creates! We had such an awesome time with Amy and Hyden!!! There is nothing in the world like hangin w/ one of your lifelong friends and her husband, doing nothing but laughing the entire weekend! We soaked up the sun, drank, snorkeled, ate fresh seafood every night on some beach barefoot w/ sand between our tows, listened to the band @ Holiday Isle, drank more, snorkeled, went for rides in the Jeep, ate more, and saw some amazing sunsets!!!

We got home missed the littles so much, but still wanting to be back in the keys I did not feel like I was done w/ my vacation.... and jack asked

did we eat too much? check
did we drink too much? check
did we sleep more than eight hours a night? check

did we relax? check

did we come home w/ a little too much sun,(that is just proof of all of the fun) check

yep... that was a good vacation were done!

2008-06-20T18:18:00.000-04:00

OOPS!!! one more picture! Soo cool!!!

Exciting Day!!!!

2008-06-20T18:10:00.000-04:00

Such excitement!! We were at the beach w/ all of our friends and this is what was flying overhead!!! Yep-- Even if you don't like him you gotta admit teaching my kids that that was "MARINE ONE" and inside was the Pres. of the USA is pretty exciting! So low we could really read it and see it!!! Very loud and very patriotic!! The kids were very impressed! We had fun w/ all of our friends but this made the day a little more fun!!!

summer has arrived!!!!

2008-05-31T12:00:00.000-04:00

Well I can't beleive I am doing this but I have been inspired by reading other friends blogs and I thought this could be theraputic! What a fun way to journal our summer fun and ( not so fun moments) !!!! I too thought it was crazy and now I find myself doing this!! Just another sad attempt for me to show off my gorgeous family that I love with everybeat of my heart!!

I have this idea that I am going to be that mom that my kids say... "when we were little, my mom always...." and then follow up w/ something amazing!!! So first day out of school, I decide they can each grab a friend to go to the waterpark! So we get up, get on our suits, gob on tons of sunscreen, find everyone a towel, make sure we have $$$ for the day, load up in the car ( I am now sweating) and head off for our fun filled day!! I felt like I was in the scene from National Lampoons Vacation when we pulled up to the empty parking lot and read the sign... "Sorry Folks, Parks closed" UHGGG!!! So plan #2, we will go to the beach!!! Come home, get the beach chairs, buckets, skimboards and all the toys to go to the beach. We now have to stop at the store to buy snacks and drinks to have at the beach ( I am soo tired by now). We arrive at the beach, everyone falls out of the car, grabs their own stuff leaving me with all of the heavy, yet need things, and runs to the edge of the water and jumps in!! The beach was awsome, water was like a lake, and felt great! The gang all actually played together nicely, long enough for me to read two magazines! Yep, that's right 2!!!!! swam with the kids, then the whining began! "We want to go home" "we are hot" and so on. Loaded up just in time to miss the rain, got home, all jumped in the pool( our version of a bath in the summer) and so the summer has begun! Yep I am tired! I must say, for all of the work, we are so blessed to live in such a beautiful beach town. The sounds of their shrieks and giggles, or the look on their faces when Jackson caught a star fish, them their screams when he chased them w/ it! That is why I luv summer! Maybe, just maybe this will be one of those " when we were little my mom...." moments! and that is my first BLOG!!