St. Anthony's Feast

The picture on the left is from 2005 and on the right is the same location taken yesterday...bittersweet...

We walked over to the North End for St. Anthony's Feast...the food...oh my goodness...so good!!!

See the signs for Fried Dough and Fried Oreos???  Yummm!!

Yummy steak on a stick...

and we ended the night at Faneuil Hall...

waiting for the street performer to begin his show...

I love Boston!!

Julia's 13th birthday

I am now officially a mom of TWO teenagers.  How in the world did that happen?  My Julia Rose turned 13 today!!

We started the day with a yummy breakfast.  Julia's pancake was about twice the size of her head!  The waitress warned her but she said she wanted it anyway.  I think she ate about a quarter of it...

Gianna picked out a very special present for her big sister. We were shopping at Charming Charlies one day and Julia spotted this pink sparkly powder spray. Gianna whispered to me that she wanted to buy it for Julia's birthday. So when Julia was over a friend's house a few days later, we went back to the store to buy it for her. There was only one pink bottle left and we grabbed it just in the nick of time before another little girl got her hands on it!

Incredibly soft Vera Bradley blanket...

She also got a beautiful Alex and Ali bracelet. Gianna picked that out too. She knows her sister well...

I took Julia and Lizzie to get their nails done...

 and then some of her other friends came over for pizza and a sleepover...

Julia is such a sweet girl.  She is funny...I mean really funny. She knows how to make me laugh. She had me in stitches yesterday! She is such a good friend and is incredibly kind and thoughtful. She loves me...that I know for sure. When we were horseback riding the other day, she kept turning around to warn me about low branches and rocks. She's always looking out for her Mama. She is the best daughter anyone could ever ask for. I'm so lucky and grateful to be her Mama and I absolutely love watching her grow up. I am so excited for what the future has in store for her...

Sarah, Lizzie, Arianna, Livvy, Bella, Alyssa and Julia...

such cute friends...

Field Trip

Today I took the kids to visit their Auntie Kimmy at her school. She has recently been appointed Superintendent!  We are very proud of her!!

You never know Nicholas...

Kimmy treated us to a yummy lunch and on the way home we stopped at a ropes course...

Nicholas and Julia loved it!  Gianna...not so much.  She is not a risk taker that's for sure.  She decided to sit it out with her Mama and have an ice cream instead.

They were up so high!!  I don't like heights...

New school

Gianna had orientation today for her new elementary school.  I'm still trying to come to grips with the fact that we've been forced to leave the elementary school we've attended since day one.  Gianna only had one year left at her other school. How sad that she was made to leave her final year and so very sad that she had to leave all her best friends behind.  Unbelievable.  But as I've said before...we have no choice but to make the best of this crazy situation.

Here's to new beginnings.  I hope it's a fun year for her and that she makes some nice new friends.  Just one year left of elementary school for her and then she'll be off to middle school...gulp!!!  

Beach

Yesterday the girls and I spent a great day at the beach with dance friends...