Integrity

 

With integrity - you have nothing to fear, since you have nothing to hide. 

Natural Life 

Four more days

Four more days until Nationals! They're working so hard!!

Living Room refresh

I was tired of working at my kitchen table...so I had this grandiose idea of getting rid of my old couch in the fireplace living room and putting a new desk in its place.  Well...I hated it.  

I really missed having a couch! So off we went to the furniture store this past weekend and we purchased this new couch and side table...

I moved a chair out of the room and put my new desk in its place...

And voila...I love the room now!  I'm so happy!!  It's really cozy...

I'm waiting on a larger white ottoman that matches the white chair.  It's on back order until February so in the meantime that little one will do...

Then...what do you think about painting the brick on the fireplace...white?  

Holding my breath

Hoping and praying Julia and her teammates stay healthy and get to travel to Florida to compete at Nationals in two weeks.  Also praying their flights (and ours too) don't get canceled or make traveling difficult. This Virus it taking over right now and making life so complicated!!  I feel like I'm praying for a miracle : ( 

2021 Highlights

The year began with me and my siblings putting 486 on the market... 

and then selling it for way above the asking price. It came with so many mixed emotions. My heart was very heavy for months and months and I cried many tears over it.  What a generous gift it was from my grandparents and my Mom. 2021 was definitely a lucrative year for us. In addition to the sale of 486, we also sold the business and I received a generous raise at work.  Just in time for the kids heading off to college.    

Nicholas earned EHLP "Top Goalie of the Week" and "Goalie of the Month"!  So proud!!! 

and he got to play in the Frozen Finals!!

Then in the fall The Boy went on to sign with a new junior hockey team, The Springfield Pics...

and he just earned USPHL Northern Region "Player of the Week"!!!

We were very brave and remodeled not one...not two...but all three of our bathrooms!  What an undertaking that was but they turned out so nice...

Gianna turned 16...

and she got her license!

We finally got to go back to Cancun after missing our vacation in 2020 due to Covid...

After Julia's junior prom was canceled due to Covid too, she finally got to go to her senior prom!  She was stunning...

Julia had the most amazing and successful last year of dance at NEDA by winning first place at Elite Performance Challenge, placing 2nd at Starquest and winning the senior soloist national title at Elite Performance Challenge Nationals...

Right after that she placed in the top 5 for her solo at the Hall of Fame Nationals which led to her recompeting in the Showcase Showdown!!!  So exciting!!!

She was also on the cover of the NEDA dance recital program...

and received her 15 year award...

She also earned a coveted spot on the Endicott College competitive dance team...

She graduated from high school earning two cords...one for National Honor Society and the second for the National Language Honor Society...

We had a graduation party for Julia and my two nephews.  We took a Smith family picture to document the last time we would all be together for quite some time.  My brother and nephew moved back to Florida, my other nephew moved to Michigan for college, my sister moved to Maine, Nicholas moved to Springfield for hockey...

and Julia moved to Beverly for her freshman year of college...

And last but not least...I finally got my braces off after two long years!  I learned you are never too old to improve your smile...

What a great year it was after the debacle of 2020!! 

New Year's Eve

Well...this is what we're doing tonight on this last evening of 2021.  

Sitting by the fire...

Eating homemade pizza...

and Julia is doing Gianna's nails...

Nicholas had to head back to Springfield yesterday for hockey.  We're staying in because Julia has to go back to Endicott on Monday for a two week practice to get ready for Nationals in Florida...and practically everyone around us is getting Covid.  I would hate for her to miss even one day of practice.  I'm not complaining because this is my kind of night anyway.  

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 

That Virus

It began for our family in March of 2020 when everything got shut down and canceled. And here we are at the end of 2021, one year and nine months later, and that gosh darn virus is still wreaking havoc within our family and around the world.  

Out of my family of five, four of us got it.  I came down with it just 4 months after receiving my second vaccine.  What a disappointment that was.  I still got "as sick" as Danny who didn't get the vaccine. (What does "as sick" supposed to mean anyway? And exactly how does one gage something like that of another?)

I respect peoples rights to get the vaccine and I respect peoples rights to not get the vaccine.  

You know what I don't have respect and tolerance for?  The government, businesses, schools, individuals, etc. REQUIRING the vaccine and booster(s) and people pushing their own personal opinions on others about whether or not you should or shouldn't get the vaccine and booster(s). 

I believe in...

1. My Body

2. My Choice

PERIOD. 

Oh boy.  This country is so divided and broken.  

And that is all I'm going to say about that.  

I will pray and remain hopeful that 2022 brings HEALTH and HAPPINESS to us ALL.

Merry Christmas

I have to say there is something really nice about this next phase of life we are in with two teens and a twenty year old at Christmas time.  They like to sleep in!  Gone are the days of staying up until the wee hours of the morning preparing for Christmas.  Now we just do everything bright and early in the morning after a good night's rest while they sleep in!  I even got to prep the breakfast so it was all ready to go once we finished opening the gifts.  

Gianna really loved all her gifts this year which made me so happy.  She got a new pair of Converse high top sneakers, a Revlon hairdryer/brush, Lululemon aligns and sweatpants, several sweatshirts, and I spoiled her with a Tiffany heart necklace...

Julia also loved her gifts.  She prepared a list for me ahead of time which was so helpful.  That way there's less chance of spending money on things she may not want.  She got a new North Face backpack, a few things from Lululemon, the same Revlon hairdryer/brush that Gianna got, a pair of Converse platform sneakers, gel nail polish with UV lamp, some clothes and her big present that I surprised her with was a record player with speakers (a nice one this time...last year the one I got was a piece of junk). I also surprised her with Taylor Swift's new record...

She loves it!  It sounds so nice!!  

Nicholas was very happy too.  He got lots of clothes, AirPod pros and his big gift was a new iPhone...

A big pile of boxes and wrapping paper equals a happy Christmas morning...

This year we had a very small gathering with just my sister Kim and Paula.  Kerry and Dena just moved over two hours away and they had snow and ice this morning.  Driving would have been too risky.  My brother has moved back to Florida and of course my Mom is no longer here.  CeCe celebrates with her kids now. But like I've said before...our family will grow again as our kids begin relationships and start families of their own.  We still had a big Italian feast and finished up with lots of yummy desserts. 

Merry Christmas!!! 

Merry Christmas Eve

We woke up to a magical dusting of Christmas Eve snow this morning! 

Then Julia and I went to the Nutcracker.  We had 2nd row seats but no one sat in front of us so it was like we were in the front row!   

They didn't have the heat on in the theatre so it was c-c-c-cooooooold. We used my winter coat as a blanket to keep warm...

While we were gone Danny was making homemade sauce, meatballs, biscotti and fudge...

 

Topping our tree...

Then we went to Watertown to see this amazing man, Danny's Uncle Connie, who is 95 years young.  He is truly the sweetest and  happiest man I have ever met.  Family is everything to him.  He is always sharing words of love, encouragement and incredible wisdom...

My girls...

The Boy...

and my Daniel...

Our night ended with watching this movie as we do every year...

My heart is always the fullest when I'm with my little family of five.