Happy Birthday Sandy

Yesterday was Sandy's birthday.  Her second birthday in Heaven...and her second birthday I've spent celebrating with her sisters Anne and Marylou and her other besties Jill and Laura...and sadly not with her there.  This year we went to one of her favorite places The Chieftain.  She loved getting a bucket of muscles with cold glasses of Guinness Beer.  Her sisters were brave enough to drink Guinness in honor of her...even though they didn't like it! 

We played four rounds of musical bingo.  Laura won a round!  Just before she got her final song I said "Come on Sandy help her out"! Laura and I both looked up with big smiles...and then they played her winning song!  I'm a believer : )  

One of Marylou's friends came too and gave the five of us roses in honor of Sandy.  Such a sweet and thoughtful gesture...  

As much as I love getting together with her sisters and her other besties...Sandy is the one I want to be with.  

This was taken at the Chieftain too...

I love and miss you. 

New rug

Our living room is done! I love how it looks now. Much brighter! New furniture, new curtains, new table, new lamp, new TV console, new TV, new pictures and last but not least...a new rug...

Now on to the other living room for a facelift : ) 

Gianna's Homecoming junior year

Gianna and her friends Caroline and Kate...

Gianna and her friend Abby...

I miss her

Dance Video

This is Julia and her teammates from the end of last season dancing for their teacher and choreographer Kara Pendlebury.  Kara created this video and I absolutely love it.  I took the liberty to add music as the video didn't have any.  I appreciate Kara so much for making all these beautiful and creative videos which have become precious keepsakes for me.  

Turning People into Trees

When you go out into the woods, and you look at the trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the trees and you allow it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn't get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don't get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree. 

The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying, "You are too this" or "I'm too this." That judgment mind comes in.  And so I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are.

- Ram Dass

Kid's bathroom remodel

The last bathroom remodel is DONE.  Thank goodness.  It's simple but I love it.  Here it is...

She's Home

My girl is home!!  But ever so briefly.  It's the first time she's been home since she left in August!  It's a long weekend but she had rehearsal until very late Saturday night so she couldn't come home until yesterday.  Danny and I picked her up at school really early Sunday morning and we went to our favorite apple picking place...

When we got home, Danny made homemade pasta, sauce and meatballs and I made homemade bread and apple pie with the apples we picked.  Then Julia invited her best friends over that she hasn't seen since the summer...

and we had a yummy feast!!  It's so awesome having her home...even if it's only for two days.  

It was a bonus Mama weekend for me as Nicholas was home on Friday night for a game! Nothing makes me happier than having my babies home with me.

Game Day

Kerry, Dena, Danny and I had a great day watching Julia perform her sidelines and halftime! Go Gulls! 

License

Now all three of our kids are licensed to drive...watch out!!!

The Boy

New hockey profile pic...

He says no smiling makes you look tough : ) 

First full games

Nicholas got to play two full games with his new junior hockey team this weekend!  He did great!!  It was a weekend showcase in Marlboro so he decided to come home and commute to the games from here. It's been so nice having my boy around for the weekend. I'm actually very happy to have him closer to home this year.  Yes...last year was an amazing experience for him but it was a little too far from home for this Mama. We'll get to see him a lot more this season...

EC Homecoming Freshman Year

We spent the day yesterday at Endicott for Julia's freshman year Homecoming.  In the morning before the football game, they had an unveiling of the dance team banners along with all the other D3 sports teams.  Julia looked gorgeous for the occasion...

Unveiling of their 10 time New England Champions banner! 

and 2 time National Champions banner! 

After that was the football game against Curry College. They won!  It was a great game! I loved watching my girl perform on the sidelines and at halftime...

Danny brought sausage pockets from the deli for Julia...nice half time snack...

Then after the football game there was a ring ceremony for last year's team. They won two national titles at Disney...one for Pom and one for Game Day. 

They all received their championship rings...

 

National Championship rings for both 2020 and 2021...

Hoping Julia and her freshman teammates can defend their title this year at Disney and win one of these rings too!  I'm super excited to be going and watching them compete three routines in January! 

Sideline and half time performance...