Indulge!

 

 

Meeting Valerie Bertinelli was so fun! I grew up watching "One Day At A Time" and thought she was the funniest. I sure do miss 70's and 80's shows. The fact that I grew up liking the same shows as my mom proves all too well that she raised me to watch good prime time television. I miss those simple days of watching tv. Even with the interruption of commercials. I didn't mind that one bit and now we can watch a whole series in one sitting without any interruptions! Those were the days and meeting Ms. Bertinelli brought back all the nostalgia. I'm so excited to try her new cookbook recipes too. Since my husband loves to cook and is the main cook in the home I got it for him as a fathers day gift. I already have a few recipes in mind to try and reading her essays in between are inspiring too! So if you're in the market for a healthy and inspiring cookbook go get Indulge! 

A Special Temple Morning.

 

I hadn't been feeling well all week both mentally and physically. I blame it on the rain that continues to make my bones ache, and joints stiff. I call in stiff aching "boints." But then I look at these two lovely sisters of mine who are in their 70's and think to myself, "if they can wake up with aching knees and drive 45 minutes to Philly to attend the temple, then so can I. I literally just wanted to lay in bed after dropping off my son at school, but said a prayer and just like that...I felt better.

Our Easter.

 

Our Easter Sunday this year was extremely chill. We went to sacrament meeting and listened to talks about the Savior. We came home and since we had leftover cascarones from last year we sneakingly cracked a few on each others heads. It was still fun, but we all felt that it would have been more fun if we had the girls with us. Oh, those were the days when we cracked confetti eggs on our heads, had a big bbq easter dinner and go for a walk in the park! This time we took a drive to the temple in Maryland to take in the spirit of the Lord and reflect on his resurrection. Holy Week is something we always appreciate and try to reflect on those days where he went through so much. I feel that future easters will be very different from now on. Different as in not having huge gatherings, and just focusing on what's important which is Jesus. Especially during Holy Week. Who knows, maybe our gatherings will be big again when we have grandkids! 

Happy Earth Day!

 

Not only is it a week of service but it's also earth day today. Spring is absolutely stunning right now with the tulips in bloom. We went to the D.C. during conference weekend and the blossoms and cherry trees are all in bloom right now. It's too bad it doesn't last very long. The water is still a bit nippy in the mornings and it warms up during the day. We have had quite a bit of rain showers and are expecting more. Luckily the flowers hang on and are still in bloom. I hope that we find the time to serve in the temple and if you can't enter in the temple smiling at a stranger is good enough. And of course-to keep the earth clean and as healthy as possible. I mean, we do what we can to keep the earth alive right? Whether it's cleaning up trash at parks, or picking up someone else's trash on their property or the side of the road. It's pretty simple to keep our earth looking beautiful and I hope it continues to thrive! 

New York In Bloom!

Spring has officially popped up in the city and the blooms are stunning! After watching this show we headed toward Central Park to see if the blossoms have bloomed and they have! It was still a bit chilly over the weekend so we didn't walk for too long but I did capture a few shots of a blossom tree with Noah standing near it. Noah also captured a photo of me with these tulips before crossing the street to the park. Aren't these tulips stunning! So glad spring has arrived so we can enjoy the outdoors instead of being cooped up inside!

The Play That Goes Wrong.

 

After years of hearing Noah talking about the play that goes wrong we finally went to go see it! It was everything I thought it was going to be. British humor and boy do we love a murder mystery! We had so much fun laughing our tushes off. It's always nice to see Noah happy and laughing after a long year of school. Spring break was fun with all the shows we went to and I'm glad that I am able to do this with him. I'm so lucky to still have one kid left at home at my age! I look forward to more dates with my boy before he grows to old and has a girlfriend!

The Who's TOMMY!

 

There's something about the rain that brings us outside and when I saw cheap tickets to go see The Who's Tommy I snagged them. Noah had no idea what the show was about and I figured since he's into rock music and plays the guitar that he would like songs from The Who. And he did! He is familiar with a few and didn't know who the artist was. We loved the show and it was well done! I never saw the one back in the 90's but I'm sure it would have been interesting to see it so I can compare the two. The LED lights and the special effects were amazing! They didn't have those kinds of lights back then. It was a fun and rainy day in the city and I'm so glad I introduced Noah to The Who and saw Tommy! 

Ghostbusters HQ In A Deep Freeze!

We saw the new Ghostbusters movie and it really good. It seemed like a short movie but we enjoyed it. We went to the HQ in the city and saw it all decked out in a deep freeze. It was the coolest installation and so glad we came before they tore it all down. Go and see the movie while it's still in theaters. I love New York and seeing parts of the city where they filmed the movies was pretty cool! 

The Eclipse 2024.

I don't think I've ever been so excited to see a solar eclipse than the one this year. Maybe it's because I'm older. Maybe it's because I have a boy who enjoys science and loves everything about space. Or maybe, just maybe it's because this might be the last eclipse I'll witness in my life. Nah, I don't think so. I'll be 72 and hope that I'm still alive to be able to see the next one with Jon and maybe my future posterity! It was really cool to have experienced this with my son in our backyard and he was really into it. He was taking lots of photos and even did a little tiktok which he won't post. I did capture a photo of us on my Be.Real (another favorite app) as well as a selfie so here you go...

Spring!!!

Spring has sprung and I've been spotting quite a few blossoms on cherry trees lately. This is a blossom tree in our backyard and when it blooms its absolutely breathtaking. I wish they can last all year round. The older I get the more I ache for warmer weather and when March comes around my soul becomes a bit brighter knowing that spring is coming and it's finally here. Well, officially it's here but the temps have become cold again and hopefully spring will stay when Easter comes on the 31st. I love this time of year and as you can see so does Noah. This was taken in 2022 and although I love how time and season change but I hate how fast my kid is growing up!

The Day The World Stopped!

Four years ago this week-particularly on this day we were informed that we would have two weeks off from school. Little did we know that those weeks would turn into months that had us being cooped up in our little New Jersey apartment. That the world would turn into a pandemic that required us to wear masks. That we would not see our friends or family in person until it was safe to do so. That this would be the beginning of remote school. That we would have to be quarantined at home and if we went out to see friends to keep our distance within six feet. That we would end up having home church and that all of the missionaries including our daughter who was serving in Mexico City would have to come home due to the borders closing. That New York would be so quiet and peaceful that it felt like we had her all to ourselves. That everything in the city including Broadway, and the Rockefeller center would be shut down. And lets not forget about the protests......

Random Hearts.

 

Happy Leap Year babies! Last day of February and all I have are random photos taken in the city. We also had a snow day but I'll share those photos next month! LOL! I did manage to sneak in a snowy valentine stoop! I love valentines graffiti and decorations and if you're lucky you'll find quite a few spots in the city that are decorated with hearts as well as bodegas covered with flowers. Oh how I love flowers! The Oculus had a red ball installation for Chinese new year, and the High line hotel never gets old. So here are a few moments of mine captured in the heart of New York City! 

Tuesday's Snow Day!

We had our third snow day this year and in all honesty the kids could have had a delay because all the wet snow melted by 3pm! Noah and I enjoyed our day and went thrifting to find him some ski pants for the Klondike derby this weekend and ate at Cane's afterwards. I also wanted to check out the beach to see if there was still snow and it was slowly disappearing. We went to spring lake beach this time and stayed a bit longer because it wasn't as cold. I mean it was hoodie cold but not freezing heavy coat cold. I captured moments of Noah on the beach running around, looking to chase pigeons, and climbing on the rocks. It is always so soothing to hear the waves crashing and to just hear the peacefulness that comes from it. I love coming here off season because there's no people. We saw maybe three people as we were leaving but we still felt as if we had the beach to ourselves. 

Happy Cupid Day!

I romanticize this city so much when it comes to holidays and special occasions but particularly Valentine's Day. Moments were captured with my boys in front of this decorative stoop and had so much fun doing so.

Also, one thing I have learned throughout my years especially as I grow older is that if you look for it, and I mean really look for it-whether with your gals, guys, family, neighbors or even strangers...you'll find that LOVE actually is all around! 

Wishing everyone a wonderful cupid day! 

A Day In Rancocas Woods.

Going a bit backwards in time and seasons here in the new year but I wanted to blog about a hidden gem in south jersey that I found so charming. When Lexie came home from her mission we ventured out to many places. We were lucky to have spent so much time together during the day when Noah and Chelsea were still in school. It was always a good time with her and I sure do miss these moments spent with her. We decided to go to Rancocas Woods and actually get down this time to explore this little town. During the summer we'd go to pelican snow to get snow cones and always wondered about this town and its shops. This was the perfect opportunity to go since we had more time and weren't rushed. And it was the cutest town....

February Is Here!

 

Well, it's been a while but alas we survived January and made it into February. Not much going on here on this little space of mine except everyday life with one kid in the house and constant texting and twice a week phone calls with my girls in Utah. On occasion the hubs and I will venture out on the weekends to unknown territory and go on Sunday drives to the country side in upstate New York or PA. I personally have found it comforting in not being online all the time or posting as much. I absolutely love writing and as much as I love to blog and journal I seem to be doing that less and less these days. I seem to be writing a summary of my week in one entry as opposed to writing an entry everyday. I do have a "one line a day Journal" in which I write in it everyday but let's be honest. I tend to skip a couple of days and luckily this is the fifth year of writing in this thing and I am not going to torture myself in buying another one of these five year journals ever again! 

Anyway, love is definitely in the air this month and hope that there will be love in your hearts not just this month, but all year round. 

Snow Day On The Beach!!

Last Friday we had a snow day off from school and it was the best! Noah was in heaven because this was the second snow day in a week! He is realizing that the older he gets the more tired he becomes especially when he goes to bed late waiting for dad to come home. 10:30 isn't super late but it is for an 8th grader and he needs his sleep! He's starting to realize that classes will be more challenging in highs school which means lack of sleep will increase. He loves sleeping in and is so different from his sisters. The girls would wake up on their own but I have to wake up Noah. He owns a smartphone that isn't hooked up but regardless if it's not hooked he needs to use it as an alarm. I don't mind waking him but he is going to be 15 later this fall and he needs to start being more responsible in waking up on his own, but these past snow days were a blessing for him! And for me too as I love spending time with this kid!

Noah's Winter Concert.

Time certainly flies and Noah's 8th grade winter concert was last week. Luckily there will be one more concert this spring and then that's it. I believe that my time for attending choir concerts in the future are over because Noah mentioned not wanting to do in choir in high school. To be honest- it's okay and although I'll miss my kids singing in front of an audience it'll be nice to not attend so many events in the next few years. On top of all the other things that I know high school will give him including continuing Boy Scouts, choir is his least favorite thing to do. He'd like to play a sport in high school. Particularly golf (not tennis insert tear here) and continue to play his guitar but I'm not that mom that tells him to be involved in every single club! Oh no I am not! I want him to enjoy high school and not feel stressed out. I'm also getting up there in age and need my rest too! LOL! Don't we all no matter what age!

A Day In Washington Square Park.

By now all of the trees in New York city have come down but oh lucky we were to have seen some of them. I know the Rockefeller tree gets all the hype and that's the main tree that tourists want to see but there's so many more trees in the city that one can see. I love the tree in Washington square park. It's always a must to see that tree one last time before they take it down. Noah and I had the chance to see it and then afterwards went to Madison park where we spend time eating shake shack and listening to playing jazz music. They were pretty good by the way. I love coming to the city this time of year when the crowds are gone and the weather wasn't too cold! Always a nice day spent with this kid. He's so simple and chill and if we lived here we'd go for walks everyday here! 

Taking Out The Tree.

I think this tree could have lasted as long as it did but on the second weekend of this month we decided to take it down and just barely put it out this past week for recycling to come pick it up. It's always so sad when this happens. There's something about Christmas tree lights that just brighten up the room let alone your whole life! Especially during long dreary winters but luckily I find other ways to light up my life and this kiddo who is still with me in the house lights up my world and helps me whenever I need it. He's the one that took out the tree outside. The snow does brighten up the mood and it was nice to be outside for like two minutes. It's freezing cold out! We were so lucky to have gotten a tree for free this past year and the size of it was perfect for our little home. So long tree (we didn't name it Lol) Until next Christmas.

Snow Day At Normandy Beach.

I forgot how it felt to be cold or shall I write freaking freezing cold!! Like BRRRRRR! We hadn't had a good snow storm or any winter storm for almost two years! So this week has been a clear reminder that old man winter is definitely here! We had a snow day and a delay in school this week so Noah and I went for a drive to Normandy beach to see if there was any snow on the beach. When we arrived it was all gone and the snow turned into rain but we were lucky to have had a break in between the rain to get down and capture a few photos...in black and white. The day was dreary and was in a black and white picture taking mood. I personally loved how they came out. I sure do miss film and taking pictures with a camera but I shot these with my iPhone and I loved every minute of these freezing moments! And so did Noah! 

Birthday Girls Celebrate Birthdays Together For The First Time In Five Years!

This past Monday Lexie and Chelsea celebrated their birthdays together for the first time in five years! It is so nice that they're both going to the same college, live about 10 minutes away from each other and that they celebrated their birthdays together. Such a blessing and by the looks of their Instagram story looked like they had a fun time getting their nails done and just celebrating it in the simplest way. Love their relationship in sisterhood and how thrifty they are. I did teach them you know! The special part of their birthday is being born on the actual day of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I wrote about their birthdays here  when I first started this blog in 2011. I'll just rewrite what I wrote to them then on here again...

"Born on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday you two have resembled all of his characteristics, and I believe that is why y'all were both born on his birthday. You both are very strong willed, and are not afraid to use your voice. Especially you Chelsea! You two have the chance to wish upon something so great in your life that you'll hope it'll come true. The best part of living this life is that you can dream anytime, and anywhere. Dreams are what make our life interesting, and sometimes those dreams become your life. I don't ever want any of you to give up on your wishes, or on your dreams."

So grateful for these two lovely girl of ours. They sure have come a long way in what their goals are and hope that they achieve them in the future. They deserve only the best. 

Cheers to turning 19 and 24! May all your wishes and dreams come true girls! 

Happy 2024!

 

A little late wishing everyone a happy new year but here's to making more memories and relishing every moment with our loved ones. More adventures and not taking the little things for granted. Noticing the simple pleasures of life without documenting them online! Being offline more! Only certain moments should be shared! Nothing but positive vibes this year! Cheers to 2024!