Weddings

I love weddings. I love going to weddings. Weddings usually make me cry. I get all nostalgic and think about my own wedding, which I loved every minute of. Everybody told me that my reception was the most fun they ever had at a wedding. I was proud of that, because we hired the "one man band" guy we had seen at another wedding because he really knew how to work the crowd. We chose really cool songs for our first and last dances and because it was before Christmas, we chose poinsettia plants as the centerpieces. For the seating assignments, we attached the "Table #__" cards to a Christmas ornament with our names and our wedding date hand-written on them, that I made myself. It's been 14 years and people still tell me they hang their ornament up and think of us every Christmas. I love that!

I remember my brother telling me that he felt like a fish inside a fishbowl on his wedding day, where everyone was watching him and Di and their every move. All eyes on them. I loved that feeling! I know, I know, this doesn't shock those of you that know me well. (My brother also used to say I had a mouth the size of Peru, and my nickname from a close family friend was "Motor Mouth". I am NOT shy.) I still watch my wedding video once in a while. Hubby still has never watched the entire thing!! That was our agreement - he didn't want it video-taped, I did. So, the agreement was that I would never MAKE HIM watch it. Marital harmony!

This coming weekend, Hubby and I are traveling to a wedding in Pennsylvania. The groom was one of my former teens when I was doing the High School Youth Group at Church. He was a sulky, moody boy who showed up at the Mass because his new girlfriend dragged him there. At first I figured we'd see him this once and he'd never return, girlfriend or not. But he surprised all of us by coming back again and again. When we wanted to paint our youth center, he offered to paint a mural on one wall. At one point he was so upset about a youth group issue that he staged a boycott until we heard him and his peers out. His graduating "class" from the youth group are among some of my favorite teens to this day.

After he graduated, we didn't see him as much, but kept in touch with him. One day he called us and asked if we would consider him joining the adult team for the youth group. I was so happy and proud. He wrote a paper for a college class about his experiences with the youth group and how we all helped him change his life around. I have never, ever, been more humbled by someone else than I was that day.

Well, he joined our team and in the long run (and I do mean LONG run, many years and a few parish changes later) ended up running the youth group!! He has since "retired" (as have I) and met the love of his life who he will marry on Saturday. I don't have any younger siblings, and he is an only child, so we are always joking that he is my little brother and I am his sister. I really, really like his wife-to-be, too, and I tell him all the time that I might even like her better than I like him. Typical older sister thing to say, huh?!

I am truly blessed to be able to witness this marriage and I hope they have many, many years of happiness.

((tear))

- G

Marathon Start

I feel like I have been running a marathon since I last blogged. (Okay, stop laughing NOW!). The last post was all about our Summer activities. Since then I have gone back to work, Pal has gone back to school, and it is now October. I didn't even have ONE post in September! I will catch you up as best I can:

Pal was at Cub Scout Camp during the week of my last post. He didn't really like it this year because they decided that the Webelos II scouts would go to an offsite Boy Scout camp instead of staying in camp with all of the others. So they would pile onto a bus for a 45-minute ride to the other camp every day. Then on the last day they brought them back into the camp with all of the other kids and it was (to quote Pal) "awkward". Plus this was the first year that I had to be back to work and couldn't go as the "Den Escort". I like to think he missed his Mom. =)

Back to work came early for me this year. Myself and 2 others got a promotion and this brought on a ton of new responsibilities, (it was a whole other job on top of our regular jobs), and boy were we in shell shock. I have never had so much work to do in such a short period of time before. I was EXHAUSTED at the end of each day! I would rather be busy than bored, but at this point I could have used enough time to take a bathroom break!! Especially since I was looking around and it didn't seem like the other 2 had as much work to do as I did. Thankfully they noticed, too, and everyone pitched in to help me when I needed it. When I got home every night it took all I had to keep my eyes open!

Pal started school before Labor Day. He seems to like his new teacher and isn't getting loaded down with homework, yet. This teacher likes them to get as much done IN school so they don't have to take it home. I love that theory, but I worry about next year when he goes to middle school and has to manage his work himself. This is not his strong point! He is also doing Karate twice a week and has decided to keep learning trombone in the school band this year. On top of all of that he has CCD and Cub Scouts, so we are always going somewhere.

In the same week that Pal went back to school, he turned 10! We had a "Lego Store" party with 3 of his buddies, with pizza and cupcakes after. Then we had a family party at the house, which was small this year. And that was just fine with me!! Here is a pic of the Lego Party:

Toward the end of September, one of my cousins from Arizona came to New England with his wife for a short vacation. I'll call them the "Carbs". This is one of my "long lost" cousins that our family never really knew until I made contact with one of them about 10 years ago through email. It was so great to see both of them, and this was her first time to the east coast. She just fell in love with it, and we all got along so nicely. Here are a couple of pictures from their visit: My sisters C & P, with myself and RCarbs


The Four R's
RCarbs, my Dad, my Brother and my Nephew)


My Dad and RCarbs (they kinda look alike, don't ya think??!)


Mr. & Mrs. Carbs and Dad

My family once again did the Alzheimer's Memory Walk as the team "Memory Keepers". Here is a picture of the whole team:

Now we are headed into Columbus Day weekend - at long last! It is also Hubby's 39th B-day next week! He will be spending the following weekend camping with the Cub Scouts (did I mention that he took over their den this year?) Look at how cute he is in uniform:I will be thoroughly enjoying some time to myself (in other words, the house will get cleaned and stay clean for longer than 10 minutes!!!). I have made some plans to hang out with the ladies and I am SO looking forward to it.

Mom's disease is progressing, and she now needs assistance with eating. She looks pretty good though and doesn't seem to be in too much pain. Here is a recent picture of her with 2 of my nieces:


I've caught you up on my life since August (not 100%, there isn't enough blogisphere out there to chronicle ALL of it!!!!). Pretty soon it will be the holidays and we will be saying, "Where did 2009 GO?"!!!

Have a great long weekend!
- G

Summer, Summer, Summertime!

It's a rough life, but somebody has to do it.....
Two of my lady friends and I, chillaxin' in the pool in Cape Cod, MA


I feel like I've been on a Blog Vacation, because it was Summer and I was busy doing a million (other) things. I guess that's a good thing, right?


Here is a photo montage of our Summer:

Pal with cousins and friends on July 4th in N.H. - What is better than sparklers???


Pal being cocky after catching a frisbee in Vermont



Just some of the beautiful balloons that were about to fly - Vermont



Vermont again - our ambitious group of bike riders ready to hit the trail!



Pal and his cousin DD taking flight in a tethered balloon - Vermont



Exhausted at the end of a long day in Vermont (rough life this kid has, huh?)



Pal with his cousins and Hubby going for a canoe ride in N.H.



Pal and his best buddies - camping in Maine



Okay, lightsticks in Maine *might* be as cool as sparklers in New Hampshire!



A bluebird eating breakfast at our feeder in N.H.



Our last hurrah - Florida in August (and our sweatiest vacation ever!)



The building of "Harry Potter" exhibit at Universal Studios in Florida - we cannot wait for this to open!!!



Pal with Shaggy and Scooby Doo at Universal Studios.



Pal getting eaten by Jaws - Universal Studios.


Shamu show at Sea World, FL



The new "Manta" roller coaster at Sea World, FL. Possibly THE best coaster we've ever ridden!



Dinner with Minnie and cousins at Chef Mickey's in Florida



Mom and Pal with their favorite mouse in the World!



This was our dessert at "T-Rex" in Downtown Disney!



I will leave you with this gift - the sun setting over our hotel in Florida:




I hope you enjoyed the pics from our Summer. I realize how blessed I am to live the life I do, and I am thankful for it.


On to the school year....here comes 5th grade!

-G

The Sounds of Summer

Certain sounds can bring me right back to Summers of years gone by. Some of them have always stayed the same, and some have changed according to location. Here are some sounds that remind me that Summer is really here, even if the weather hasn't shown us it is.

Here are some sounds that I love:

Red Sox playing baseball - the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd. Reminds me of when I was a kid and my oldest sister was obsessed with Rick Burlson. I love all of the background noise from the games, too.

Crickets - except when the huge ones decide to live right outside my window!

Rain and T-Storms - My Mother loved rain storms, and we used to gather on the front porch and watch the lightning and listen for the thunder. Once when I was little, I remember that she took her shoes off and went out to the street to run in the flooding rain water.

Splashing of pool water - I grew up with a pool, so I remember hearing my brother and his friends jumping into the pool, wishing I was cool enough to be included in their pool party!!

Bug zappers - thank goodness no one in my neighborhood owns one. I just remember them from when I was a kid. ZZZZZZZttt!

Big bugs bouncing off the screens - those huge moths, or June bugs buzzing the windows looking to come in!

Lste night street sounds - I grew up on a main street, so there were always cars going by, but I remember sitting at my window on really hot nights and just listening to the sounds of the neighborhood in its "quiet" mode. You could hear a car coming to a stop at George Street, or a lone person walking sounded like 10 people when it was that quiet. The big tree in the LeBert's yard across the street, blowing in the breeze. Occasional car accidents, and my Uncle walking around the corner to check it out because he heard about the accident on his police scanner.

Kids outside playing - it's a sound like no other. I remember our neighborhood teeming with kids playing Relievio or kick-the-can. Now, for my son, it's the neighborhood kids playing "army" complete with teams and forts and weapon stashes.


I am not looking forward to the heat and humidity that I know is inevitable, but I do love the relaxed schedule and having the time to enjoy the sounds of Summer.

Enjoy yours.

-G

Work/School's out for Summer!

I can't believe that it is June. Today I am out of work for the Summer, and I have that same feeling that I used to get on the last day of school when I was a kid. It's a giddy, bubbling sensation that won't allow me to sit still! I am dreaming of lazy days, staying in bed until I feel like moving...ahhhhh the dreams you dream....

Pal will be out of school in 10 days. I am also looking forward to this, because it means no backpacks, homework, trombone lessons, etc. No schedules. I truly feel that kids deserve Summer vacations because the school year feels like it is forever long, and they need a breather. I'm sure I will feel differently by mid-July!!!!

Yesterday the 4th Grade performed a musical concert for the parents. It was really good, and the music teacher did a great job picking songs that weren't too "baby-ish" or silly. These kids are all about 10 years old, and they don't want to look stupid. There was one kid who I gave a lot of credit to, he did a solo and tried to impersonate Elvis - it was awesome! He did forget the words halfway through but just the fact that he did it was great.

Here is a picture of my shy guy:


For the Summer, Pal is going to a morning camp in town with some friends. I won't make him go every day but for the amount of money they charge he will be there as much as possible! Other than that we are planning on going to our campground on the weekends and hopefully hosting some friends and family there, and in August we are taking the pop-up with a group of friends to Maine. Not sure of any other plans but knowing Hubby there will be more to come!

What are your plans for Summer? Please enlighten me!

Happy Friday!
-G

Happy Birthday K2!

Today is the 15th birthday of my 4th niece, the third-born child of my sister P.
I have referred to her here as K2. My sister P decided to tell me that she was pregnant again while she was bleaching my new apartment bathroom! I was going to kill her. But then I was so excited for her and for the fact that I would now have 4 nieces (or my first nephew, because we didn't know at the time). When K2 was born, I was at the hospital waiting with my family and we were all convinced that she would be a boy. So when my brother-in-law came out yelling "It's a girl" we were all so shocked!! Another niece. At least we were used to little girls in our family, so K2 fit right in nicely!

Right after she was born, my brother-in-law had to go away to a conference and my sister was going to be home with the 3 girls by herself. After a 3rd C-Section she was going to need help, so I took a week's vacation and stayed with them. Because K2 was newborn, my main job for the week was to take care of her - feeding, burping, changing, rocking, etc. We bonded that week - I felt so strange the following week when I had to go back to work, it seemed like I was leaving MY child!

On my wedding day, K2 was only 19-months-old so her Aunt on her Father's side brought her to the reception hall for the family pictures. She was so adorable in her cream-colored dress, wobbling around unsteadily. My sister used to call her "Tweety Bird" because she had this little wisp of blonde hair and huge blue eyes. When they were trying to take a photo of my sister's family, she kept leaving the picture and walking over to hug my knees. It was so cute.

Now, K2 is turning 15. It seems like yesterday that she was the little 4-year-old to whom I gave the doll "Molly" from the show "The Big Comfy Couch", and she wanted to know "Where her friend????"! She meant the human clown lady named Loonette!! (Check out the You Tube video here:) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=515yvLdzws

K2 is incredibly artistic - she draws things the way she sees them, and some of her drawings would make an architect jealous. She is also hilariously funny, although her shyness would make you believe otherwise!

So, Happy 15th Birthday, K2. You are beautiful, funny and talented and I know you will go far in life. I love you, Tweety Bird.

Love, AG

Vacation Memories

This is the new version of "The Thinker"!


Our vacation was wonderful. How could it not be? We were on a 900+ foot luxury ocean liner, visiting gorgeous Caribbean islands, eating what and when we want, and meeting people from all over the country and world. There were a lot of New Englander's on this cruise because of school vacation week. We had the amazing opportunity to have dinner with the ship's Doctor - a very interesting man who was born in Australia but is an ER physician in Taiwan. Here is a picture of Hubby and Pal with our very own Adam Bricker:


He told us our cruise was one of the busiest for him - there were a few serious ailments, one man almost died but they were able to stabilize him long enough to get him off the boat in St. Thomas. We actually saw them taking him off the ship and into the waiting ambulance. I sincerely hope he was able to get the proper medical treatment in St. Thomas and is on his way to recovery.

The first place we visited was Samana, which is in the Dominican Republic. This island is lush and beautiful, but also one of the poorest places I have ever been. It was so disheartening to see the poverty, but we also used it as a teachable moment for Pal - he saw how other people have so much less than he does. I can only hope that the images of the dirty children and emaciated animals will stick in his mind the next time he whines about not getting the newest video game or toy! One thing that struck me about the children of Samana, though, was how happy they were - they always smiled as Pal waved to them as we drove by. They were happy with life, not because of what they had or did not have.

This was the waterfall we hiked to in Samana: Gorgeous, huh?

The next island we stopped at was St. Thomas. Hubby and I had been there once on another cruise. We loved the sight of Magen's Bay so much that we vowed to come back and swim there.
So, Pal, Hubby and I went to the beach at Magen's Bay. The water was so crystal clear, and the beach was incredible.

Next, on to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.
I may have even liked Tortola better than St. Thomas! The first thing we did was "Swimming with Dolphins". Expensive, but totally worth it. The dolphin we had was a 3-year-old male named Atlas. They are such intelligent, gentle creatures, and their skin is so soft and leathery. An experience of a lifetime. I have pictures, but have to scan them in so I will update this post with those as soon as I do it!

After the dolphins, we went to Cane's Garden Bay. Take one look and you'll fall hard:

Here is Pal on the beach at Cane's Bay:

After a full day at sea and nursing our sunburns, our next and final stop was Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas - which is NCL's own private island. They tendered you from the ship onto this little strip of land in the middle of the ocean. We were on the 2nd tender of the morning and there was already a race for beach chairs. The other thing that Pal really, really wanted to try was parasailing, but Great Stirrup Cay was the only place that Pal met the age/weight requirements. When we inquired about getting a reservation through the ship, we were told it was sold out. So, as soon as we arrived onto the island, Hubby went right over to the parasailing kiosk and asked if there was any availability. The guy told him that they could go on the next trip out! So lucky! So, before the age of 10, Pal has been swimming with dolphins and parasailing, not to mention going to Hawaii at age 5 and going on a helicopter ride over a volcano!!!

Here is the view of the ship from Great Stirrup Cay:


Here are a couple of pictures of them parasailing:



As you can see, it was quite the trip. None of us got seasick, there was no major travel issues and we came home with lots of memories and pictures. I'll leave you with one of my faves - it was just a comical moment at that kids pool.




Have a great weekend!
-G