Empty nest is beginning again

Our nest got a little smaller yesterday with The Boy heading back to UofL for his Junior Year...

Oh how I'll miss him. I always cry when he leaves in the fall. You would think that year five of him leaving (Vermont Lumberjacks, Springfield Pics, UofL year one, year two and now year three) would get easier?  Nope. It doesn't and it never will. That I know for sure. 

Last Year Best Year

✨MEET CAPTAIN JULIA✨
Our 4th year veteran and 1st year Captain from North Attleboro, MA.
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Favorite Styles of Dance: Lyrical and Acro
Most Excited For This Season: Football games and Pom choreography weekend

and New Beginnings...

✨MEET GIANNA✨
Our 1st year sophomore from North Attleboro, MA!
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Favorite Styles of Dance: Lyrical and Jazz
Most Excited For This Season: Team Bonding and Games (she said especially the Basketball games)

My Birthday

Flowers from Daniel...

Cards (and all my favorite candy) from Danny and the kids that made me laugh and cry...

Love capturing 8:13 on 8/13...

Love from my Mama...letting me know she was with me on my birthday : ) 

Dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with my loves...

I don't love my birthdays but I do love the fact that I'm still here...I'm healthy...and I feel loved.

UDA camp

This was Julia's last UDA camp and Gianna's first...

Julia is officially in her role as captain...

Blue ribbons which is the best you can get...yay!

The new 2024-25 team (minus one)...

So excited for this year!! 

Happy Birthday Nicholas

The Boy is 23! How can that be that he's 23?  Yup...just said that because it rhymes! Haha! Me, Danny and Nicholas (the girls are away at UDA camp) went to breakfast this morning at JD's downtown. I think that might be it for the celebrating as he's hanging with his friends tonight. We did go to Lynwood last week though with the whole family for his birthday dinner per his request. (They're closed for summer vacation this whole week.)

I got him some Louisville hockey merch, a Door Dash gift card and some of his favorite candy...

Sometimes I wish he was still little...

but Nicholas at 23 is also very special...

Love you so much Nicholas! I can't wait to see what this year brings! 

More Summering

I'm just getting around to posting some pictures of what I've been up to. Danny and I went to Thames in Bristol RI. It's my favorite rooftop bar/restaurant right on the ocean. We picked the most beautiful night...

We had a delicious meal with the most gorgeous views...

and ended the night with pink skies and a spectacular sunset...

Our niece, Erika, had a baby girl on August 2nd. She's a beauty...

And our nephew's wife, Erica, is having a baby soon too. We had her baby shower last weekend in Marshfield. Vinny (Breanna's boy) just doesn't like to smile for pictures. Always so serious...

A few nights ago, I went to Splitsville at Patriot's Place with Julia's two high school besties and one of their moms (the other was sick and couldn't make it)...

and finished the night with some frozen yogurt. It was the most beautiful night to be outside...

I loved listening to them talk about the things they did in high school that we didn't know about...honestly pretty tame...hearing about their careers they will have very soon (nurse, dietitian and occupational therapist) and their lists of baby names they're dreaming of that they keep on their phones. Ahhhh...to be 21 again and have your whole life ahead of you. Lucky girls...

Summering

Julia is having the busiest summer of her life so far. She's been doing her internship at Boston Children's Hospital in the cardiac ICU. I'm just so immensely proud of her! She is going to be the most wonderful nurse! She also worked the Royal Dance Competition nationals for two weeks at the Jersey Shore and Cape Cod. Then she squeezed in a few weekends working as a bar back for a local winery. She also is stepping into her new role as Captain of the dance team and fulling her obligations of filming skills and routines. In between all that she's been enjoying spending time with her friends and her boyfriend...

She'll be off to UDA camp next weekend and then moving into college on the 22nd for her last preseason dance camp and senior year at Endicott. Time is whizzing by...

Cape Cod

It was back to the Nauset Beach Inn in Orleans for us this past week. It was as beautiful as ever...

The weather wasn't as perfect as it has been the past three years, but it was still nice enough to sit out on the lawn chairs each morning and enjoy breakfast by the ocean and go to the beach every day.

Day one was cloudy, super windy and quite chilly.  I just bundled up in a sweatshirt and put a towel over my legs.  Day two was windy and warm so no umbrella again for me. That was a little rough for my Irish skin but I spent a lot of time cooling off in the cold ocean water. Day three was kind of crazy with fog moving in and out all day. It was cool...then hot...then cool...then hot. Again it was quite windy so I couldn't use the umbrella much. I forgot to put SPF on my lips and I paid the price the next morning. My bottom lip was huge!! Ugh. This has happened to me before. 

Day four the weather was finally perfect! Clear skies and lots of sunshine. The ocean was freezing this year!! It felt like the ocean water up in Ogunquit! 

We had yummy food all week like these clam strips at Cooks...

The flowers outside of our room...

We sat by the fire each night...

Until next year...

Hang in there Mama

I saw this on Facebook this morning and oh...how it rang so true to my life right this very moment. When I say words to my kids or husband that I instantly regret...when my house doesn't feel perfect enough in my eyes...when I'm going over and over and over again in my mind things I regret...so THIS...this is is what I need to remind myself of. I'm wasting precious time. My time. Time I cannot get back. 

Why are some days so much harder than others?

Why do I let the little things put me over the edge?

Why do I allow myself to feel every emotion in the house and take it all on?

And why do I feel everyone expects so much from me?

To be honest, after 21 years of being a mom, I’m slowly realizing they don’t expect much at all, it’s me…

I expect a lot from myself!

Maybe I’m the one who places these parameters on myself to only feel crushed, and often defeated, at the end of the day.

Maybe I’m the one who obsesses over getting the laundry done, because I truly don’t think anyone would notice until they didn’t have a pair of underwear.

Maybe I’m the one who second guesses every little thing, when we lose our filters and regret our words, but they casually move on never once again thinking about it and especially not losing sleep over it.

Maybe I’m the one who feels I need to be everything and do everything.

But why?

Why do so many of us place this pressure upon ourselves to accomplish with perfection so many emotional and physical tasks each and every day.

What happens when we don’t accomplish our mental or tangible to-do list because we were held up at work?

Lost track of our time?

What happens if we don’t feel each emotion that comes barreling our way?

What happens?

Nothing.

Nothing happens!

We are doing this to ourselves.

I truly believe this.

We are buying into false claims of what a mother should be.

We are not loving ourselves the way we need to be loved.

So today, let’s pinky promise ourselves this…

We are done with self sabotage.

We are done with worrying over every little thing.

We are done perseverating on our mistakes.

We are moving on.

We are looking towards the light of tomorrow.

We can do anything tomorrow…

But some things can’t wait until tomorrow…

loving the life we lead can’t wait until tomorrow.

Loving our life, with our children, can’t wait until tomorrow.

So friends, let’s do ourselves a favor and not be too late…

Let’s stop worrying we’re not doing enough and simply live our lives.

Our children and our own hearts will thank us!

Hang in There, Mama. You’ve got this!

- Written By Hang in there Mama by Ali Flynn

Tribute to Shannen Doherty

Such a sad day today. I opened Facebook on my phone and it was the first thing I saw. I literally burst into tears. Anyone who truly knows me knows of my love for Shannen and of course 90210. 

I've been listening to Shannen's podcast "Let's Be Clear" since she started it back in December '23. She was such a strong and beautiful soul. I'm so glad she got to set the record straight with her podcast. She was very upfront about her health journey and recently said her protocol had to change. Not sure what happened these past few weeks but it still took me by surprise. 

I loved her in the 90210 reboot!  She was a HOOT!! 

Now both Dylan and Brenda are gone. Both passed away way too young and ironically at almost the same age. I love this tribute Shannen did for Luke Perry on the last show he was starring in, Riverdale...

They stayed friends well after 90210 ended...

Shannen, you were a true Warrior. I have so much love and respect for you! 

Fly high...

Hang in there