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

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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

Opening Day Baseball

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

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

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!

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!