Well...this is really the end of Julia's time on the Endicott College Dance Team. It's so hard to believe. The dance team has been a huge part of her life...and ours too...for these past four years and now it's over. Ugh. Endings are so hard, but she has a bright future and so much to look forward to!
For starters...she received the Athlete of the Year Award! I love how her freshman year she won Rookie of the Year and her last year she wins this. So well deserved! She works so incredibly hard at literally everything she does. I've got to say...it really is easy being her parents.
One dancer was selected from each class...
Graduating Seniors...
Julia and her bestie, Emma...
Captains for one last time, Ava & Julia
First Years...Gianna loves these girls. Notice the boot. Her foot has been bothering her since January and it turns out, she has a stress fracture. Hoping it will be healed soon...
My old man...who is now 16 1/2 years old and weighs a mere 5 pounds...has been THE most HIGH maintenance cat from day one. Oh how I could count the ways...but I won't for now because it would turn into a novel. He has literally been on deaths door many times these past few years but he always bounces back. I think I have to give myself a lot of credit for that though. I swear it's my love and determination to keep him safe, happy and healthy. He's been my constant campion all these years, and despite how much work he is, I still want him here with me as long as he is feeling good and he's comfortable. After this last bout with a horrible case of IBD, he has once again bounced back on medication as well as my sheer determination to get him through it. This has meant three nights with very little sleep checking on him to be sure he was feeling OK and keeping his night sleeping space clean. It has also meant watching him closely all day long to be sure his "accidents" were cleaned up and that he didn't wonder off somewhere to create new messes. Ugh. The days were long but I think we're back on the other side of things again...for now anyway. Because I know there are always new challenges when it comes to KoKo.
Oh the way he looks at me with those now clear eyes...thank goodness. Again, after many visits to the vet and trial and error with expensive prescription food...he can see again! He always looks at me with so much love and trust. That gives me the energy to keep going to be the best cat Mom I can be.
Well...it's official. We are no longer parents of teenagers. Like ever. Ugh. These milestones are starting to hurt. Our baby is now 20 years old. Where does the time go?
Gianna came home for the day so we got to celebrate with her at the Cheesecake Factory (her favorite restaurant). Oh and she got a job today too! Yay! She's very excited. She'll be working at a country club this summer. It's the perfect job for a college student. We are so proud of her. She found the job all on her own and nailed the interview today! She went back to school tonight to celebrate her birthday with her friends. What a difference a year makes! She has made so many great friends at school and just loves being there. It makes this Mama's heart so happy!!
Happy 20th Birthday to our beautiful Gianna Mae! We love you!!!
My childhood home has been sold after being in our family for over 60 years. My sister purchased the house from my Mom many years ago and has decided to sell it and move to their Maine home. It's a strange feeling knowing my siblings are all in other states now. Two in Maine and one in Florida. Even stranger that no one lives in Norwood anymore...none of my friends or family. Yes, I still know people but none that I'm close with. Our other home, 486, was sold...Dad & Danny's business on Washington Street has moved...CeCe has moved to Walpole. Norwood will always be my home even though I haven't lived there for over 30 years.
The Murray's infamous rock. When it rained, their back yard would flood and would form an ice rink when it was cold. We had so much fun skating over there. When I was little, I would be stuck on a sled while the other three got to skate : /
Dad built loose stone steps going down the side of the house. It was so pretty back in the day but eventually they had to be replaced with these stone steps. I remember playing with my paper dolls on those steps and it wasn't the best idea. It was a little windy and one of my favorite paper dolls blew away and I never found it. I was so sad. But...a few yeas ago I was able to find the original paper doll set on eBay and now I have her back! I used to practice cartwheels on the old wood beam at the bottom of those stairs pretending it was a balance beam.
This is where my Mom's dog, Ewee, is buried. They'll take the stone but leave his ashes. My sister bought a tree in memory of my Mom and he is buried next to it. I know he's with Mama now in heaven anyway so I think it's OK to let him be. Dad's dog, Baylee, is there too...
My Dad always dreamed of building a screened in porch. I remember encouraging him to just do it. My old bedroom is up on the top right. I used to climb out onto that roof at night to look at the stars and suntan in the summer...
I have so many memories playing in that backyard and the woods. It looks a little different now with new trees and old trees gone...but the campfire rocks are still there...
Then Kimmy and I took a walk down the Path. This was our walk to the Oldham School for seven years, K-6.
About halfway on the path was a cut through in the woods to our house. It would save a few minutes walking to and from school...
Moving inside, I took a few pictures that bring back core memories. Most of the house looks different now but this doorbell my Mom bought is still there...
The back door going into our kitchen...
The biggest room in our house, the living room, that we barely used except for when we had lots of friends over or we were taking semi-formal and prom pictures...
The front door that barely ever got used. If anyone rang that door bell, you knew they were most likely a stranger trying to sell us something...
Our Den where we lived most of the time...
My favorite room in the house was of course my bedroom which isn't there anymore. It was a little room next to my parents bedroom that they made after I was born. It was TINY but I loved it. It had a folding door because I guess a regular door wouldn't fit. I didn't like it. I used to put my trash bin in front of it so no one could just barge in. My sister took the wall down and turned it back into one big bedroom.
That corner was my closet with built in drawers and cabinet. That's the window where I would crawl out onto the roof...
My bed was in that corner between the windows. One core memory is how we didn't have air conditioning upstairs and how miserably hot it was at bedtime. My dad would put a window fan in the left window blowing out so the "cool" air would blow in the other one. By morning it would be cool : / Oh how I loved my safe happy little room. I spent hours and hours playing in there with all my baby dolls, barbie dolls and paper dolls. As a teenager, I had a record player and loved playing my 45's...
And lastly the basement.. It looks different now but this was the closet where one year my Mom "hid" all our Christmas presents. She put all kinds of stuff in front of the door so it would deter us from getting in. But one day, while my brother and I were playing down there, we opened it and discovered all the presents. I of course looked away quickly as to not spoil my Christmas. Not so sure he did the same.
The original green tile floor. Just looking at it brings me back...
The laundry room...so strange but I want to remember this....
I sat next to my Dad on those front steps on many summer nights and played games there with my childhood best friend, Kim...
Goodbye 453 : (
(the original color of our house)
Here is some video Kimmy and I took on our last walk through...
