Gianna's 19th Birthday

My very last year having a teenager!! Honestly, where have the years gone? I'm so thankful to have this blog. I've been able to document all her birthdays on here since the age of 2! It's so fun to look back on each year of her life and each birthday celebration. You can literally see the evolution of her big, larger than life personality! 

We had a nice Italian dinner at Don & GiGi's and then back home for presents, cake and ice cream. We missed having Nicholas at home with us but we facetimed him at school...

Gianna's boyfriend, Nick, and her best friend, Kate, came to dinner with us. CeCe and Carolyn joined us too... 

It's not Easter without the tradition of the big chocolate egg from CeCe (and Pops)...

Julia always photobombing...see the hand? I was trying to get a picture of her gifts...

and again...

From that beautiful smile of hers, I'd say Gianna had a great day!  

She is so happy to be home with her people, sleeping in her own bed and snuggling with Mikey. There really is no place like home for her. She has had quite a year away at college. It hasn't been easy for her and not exactly what she had expected...but she's been a trooper! It's almost over and she couldn't be happier! I'm looking forward to what this next year around the sun has in store for her! 

Happy Birthday Gianna Mae!! We love you!! 

My Philosophy

What will be will be...everything happens for a reason...it will all look better in the morning...

Having fun

While I'm home missing the kids, I love it when they send me pictures of what they're up to. Nothing makes this Mama's heart happier then to see their smiling faces...

Happy Birthday Dad

Such a cute picture. Love and miss you every day! 

Friends

Gianna and friends getting ready to go to a party to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. They all look so cute...

Clover Lane

Today I found out that one of my favorite bloggers, Sarah of Clover Lane, has passed on. I knew she was fighting cancer, and today I heard it took her away.  Even though I had never met Sarah in person, she was such an inspiration to me. I've been following her blog for many years. I especially loved her Ordinary Days posts. That was my biggest lesson I learned from her. I did some of my own "Ordinary Day" posts because of her. 

Her daughter's wedding is coming up soon as well as her first grandchild to be born. Life just isn't fair sometimes. As Sarah said, "fair is a place where pigs win ribbons."

I'm wishing her six beautiful children (the youngest is only 11) lots of love and healing. They had the greatest gift here on Earth...the love of their Mother. 

"I am going to live the rest of my days, which I pray will be as many as I always intended them to be (thousands) like they are ordinary days.  Because I've said it before, ordinary days are the best ever.  Ordinary days are the most beautiful days on earth." - Sarah of Clover Lane

Encouragement

 

This little life

Flowers

I'm giving myself some flowers today. It's been a stressful week and I'm grateful it's Friday. I need this weekend to regroup and take a breather.