HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Lots to be thankful for this past year. To name a few:

1) Family
2) Nana
3) Friends
4) Our Home
5) My ability to maintain a profitable online business - who would have thought?
6) All the wonderful managers and their enormous support at the 25+ stores I visit each week.
7) New York Yankees for keeping it real.......
8) Our health
9) Everyone who helped Joelle realize a once in a lifetime experience in LA
10) Beach Pea - for those freakin' addictive Cowgirl Cookies!!!!
11) My big brother - no need to say anything more
12) Generators - :)
13) President-elect Obama
14) Last but not least: Joelle - my oldest, talented, smart and beautiful daughter who makes me proud day after day. Marina - my youngest, spirited, smart, unbelievably sweet, beautiful daughter who makes me proud day after day.

MUST SEE!!!

J, M and I went to see Marley & Me today. Warning: If you go, bring tissues! I'm not kidding. I literally blubbered. Trust me, the WHOLE theater was crying. All you could hear was sniffling. Men on each side of us were crying. At one point, my tears were uncontrollable. Seriously.

Anyway, it is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. No violence, adult stuff (well, one or two eeewww moments) or gross language. Just a great family movie that found we three girlz showering Amber with love when we got home.

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

I'm determined to get into the Christmas Spirit. It's not that I don't have any but it seems life's thrown a few curveballs lately.
So, let's start with the snowstorm last night. Perfect. Joelle, Marina and I ordered Thai food and watched a Christmas movie. That was a good start.

Today, I'll let the girls play a bit while I take an inventory of still-need-to-get presents. We're going to the movies this afternoon and tackling a little shopping. Tonight, another movie.

Tomorrow, we are going to get yet another storm. More movies, playing outside and maybe wrapping some gifts.

Everything that the week before Christmas should be!

WHY?

Ok.....I surrender. Whatever it is that is happening, please STOP! They say bad things/news comes in 3's so I hope my family is done. First, my grandmother. Next, power out for 5 days. Then, last night, my BFF/sister-in-law called sobbing. Their dog, Skye, collapsed in their kitchen and Dusty was rushing her to Scarborough (45 minutes away), in a blizzard. Skye didn't make it.

Sorry guys....we loved her too.

Seriously, why do these things happen to GOOD people?

ENOUGH

......can't stand this anymore. I want real food, clean clothes, a quiet neighborhood and my old life back. Christmas spirit? Um, not so much right now. Christie says she was told we'll have power by tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

NOPE.....NOT YET

No power but thanks to Shaun and my Dad we have heat, hot water TV, computer and lights! Yippee!!!!

NOSTALGIA

I find myself constantly (like, 4-5 times a day) sniffing my Christmas tree. I'm not talking sniffing while in the kitchen. This is stuffing your face into the tree sniffing. For some reason, the smell brings me back to Christmas at my parent's house when I was little. There was always that unique scent that I could only smell at home. This is the first year my tree has taken on that similar smell. So, if you walk into my house and my head appears to be getting devoured by my tree, you'll know why.

MARCHING....MARCHING...MARCHING

Joelle marched in her first parade today. Brings back memories...

You did great Joelley!

NANA......

I'm not one to pray. I just take for granted that what will happen, will. Tonight, however, I will ask the Higher Power to listen to Joelle, Marina and I as we ask Him to watch over our beloved grandmother.

Nana was taken by ambulance to the hospital tonight. There, she has been placed on a ventilator in hopes that she can recover from what is happening to her.

Joelle and Marina love her to the ends of the earth. There is no other like their Nana.

I love Nana so much more than anyone will ever know. I will say a special prayer for her tonight and I ask that anyone who reads this to do the same.

The stars are shining on you tonight Nana......