I will always remember you

The best of the best. It's unbelievable that it's been 36 years. 

Trooper Gearty was born in 1961 in Norwood, Massachusetts. He graduated from Blue Hills Regional High School in Canton, Massachusetts in 1980. After high school, he served his country in the United States Army as a Military Police Officer.

Trooper Gearty was a five-year veteran of the New Hampshire State Police assigned to Troop F in Twin Mountain. He died in the line of duty along with Trooper Gary Parker transporting a prisoner to the Grafton County Jail. While traveling on Route 25 near the Wentworth-Warren town line, their cruiser was crushed by a load of lumber that broke loose from a tractor trailer. Trooper Gearty was 28 years old.

Trooper Gearty was survived by his wife, Debbie, and their six-month old son, Matthew.

Thanksgiving

Vinny is so cute. He had us laughing all day...

She's a Coach

Julia has been working as an assistant coach for a JV high school dance team. They have a great dance program. The varsity team is in fact State Champions in jazz and pom...and her JV team just placed 1st in Jazz and 1st in Pom too at the State Championship yesterday! Julia has put in so much work. She showed me a video of the team a few months ago...and I was like...oh dear...but the team I saw then and the team I saw yesterday...lightyears better!! Julia is an amazing coach and has so much to teach these dancers...

Julia introduced me to one of the mothers of a girl on the team, and the first thing she said to me was, "You have raised an amazing daughter. The girls love her!" That is the highest compliment I could ever receive. 

"Time in a Bottle" is their jazz routine. I love that song so much. It brings back so many memories of my childhood. 

I was so teary and just beaming with pride watching her stand with the other coaches. What a full circle moment...

I could really see all the hard work she has put in especially with pom...

Is there anything Julia can't do?!?! 

Mama's Day

For Mom's birthday this year, I thought it would be fun to spend the whole day celebrating her. So Kimmy and I created a list of all the fun things Mom loved to do...and we did them all!

We hopped in the car to start our adventure playing John Denver, Led Zeppelin and Robert Plant music...Mom's favorites! First stop...a candy store to get Mom's favorite candy...and wouldn't you know it...there they were right when we walked in the door! Both Skybars and Necco Wafers! 

Then we got fried clam strips for lunch. Mom's favorite! I have to admit, these weren't the best but we didn't have many places to chose from as most places in Ogunquit are closed for the winter...

Then it was off to get some ice cream. Any day out with Mom always included ice cream...

Her favorite was chocolate so that's what we got...

Yummmm....

We saw this sign in the ice cream shop so Kimmy added Mom's (and Nana's) favorite side dish...Waldorf Salad. How I miss that. Kimmy still makes it every year for Thanksgiving...

Then we went to the beach. Nothing like a cold November day at the beach. So beautiful...

Shirl was there...

On any walk, Mom would collect all kinds of treasures like rocks, sticks, leaves, etc. So we found some little treasures we knew she would have picked up along the way...

Then...of course...our next adventure was to find horses!! And wouldn't you know it...this was so random...but this lady came riding down the street on a horse!! How crazy was that!! Kimmy told her what we were doing and she was happy to let us take her picture. It was like Mom sent her to us!! 

We drove a few more miles down the road and found a property with lots horses...

I could feel Mama right there with us...

Last but not least...we went to a tacky gift store to find "some silly little thing" that made us smile. Mom had all kinds of things in her house that made her smile. Kimmy found these little birds. I love them!

When we got back to the house, we finished up doing some scribble art and going through my "Mama memory box". We laughed and even cried a little reading all her funny notes, cards and letters. She was a hoot! 

As I was walking around Kimmy's yard enjoying the cold crisp November air, I saw all these bright red leaves that looked like hundreds of rose petals...

So beautiful...just like my Mama. 

Mama, I hope you enjoyed the day right along with us. It was all for you! I love and miss you so much it hurts...but I know in my heart that you're always close by...

Last Football Game

Gianna had her 7th and final football game of the season. She's been sick with strep throat but she's a trooper and insisted on dancing. She pulled through and did a great job as usual! 

It was senior day so they celebrated the one and only senior, Ava...

Love this halftime routine...

Cats

So true!! It is so hard to get up and do anything when you have a comfy cozy cat sound asleep on your lap...or three...

As Mikey is the favorite cat of the girls (I of course love my 3 kitties all the same)...we send dozens of pictures of him back and forth all day long...like these...

He's just so dang cute!!!

Wedding in Philly

Danny and I went on a quick journey to Philadelphia to attend Lauren's daughter's wedding. Danny drove all six hours to Philly which I greatly appreciated. I'm not a fan of driving in a city that I don't know, nor am I a fan of driving through New York City. We dropped off our stuff at the Motto Hotel and walked over to the Reading Terminal Market. That place is crazy! So much incredible food. It was really crowded but we made a good choice getting some amazing turkey sandwiches. The weather was so perfect. It was sunny in the 60's! Wonderful for November. So it was a nice walk back to the hotel. Then the bus picked us up and took us over to The Lilah for the wedding. It was so pretty...

The happy couple...they really are so adorable together...

Lauren and I have worked together, but more importantly have been great friends, for 30 years! 

She mentioned Berta in her mother of the bride speech. Berta had a very special bond with Emma. It made me cry. I so wish Berta could have been there with us, but I know she was there in spirit. Berta, Lauren and I made a great team. 

I love and miss you, Berta...and Kato too! : )