How sweet it is to be loved by you....

It may sound corny to some and will probably show my age as I grow more and more reflective, but....life is good.
Seriously. Today the weather was terrible and cold and gray - who would know that it was August? But as I look back on my day, and the whole week, I not only smile but almost get a little misty eyed. There are funny things, sad things, and just oh so lovely things and at the end of the week I think about how we pack so much living into this time. We may not realize it but we all do - really do - live out loud...and A LOT!

There were a lot of hilarious moments this week, some of them are only funny now as I look back on them. Funny all the time is how Becky and I play an intense game of phone tag for weeks before speaking. Becks is my rock, my solid and heart of gold friend. The kind who you know will sit with you when you're old and gray and senile....and tell you that you are old, gray and senile! Today I finally got to chat with her and hopefully I'll be seeing her tomorrow AND next weekend. What a treat that would be.

Funny (now) is how my Morgen reacted to the enormous storm that happened this week. In her defense, this was a HUGE thunder and lightning show - like none other I've seen before. But then again....Morgen thinks that the bug zapper is somehow coming to get her and that the washing machine is a force to be reckoned with. Around 4am during the storm, my Morgen decided to rearrange our furniture in her attempt to be close to us and "feel safe" from the storm at hand. Finally Ms. Morgen ended up in the basement. In the morning, it took her 5 minutes to find her way out of the labrynth she had created for herself.

Bonding at work this week consisted of my colleagues/friends gathering in my office (I have a good view of the street) to watch (and create theories on) the police presence outside. Why had they blocked the road? who was in the woods? was it a bank robbery? Among our funny made up stories we stopped to realize that something big WAS going on. When my husband could provide no answers (yes, we all think he knows about ALL police activity in the area) we moved on to lunch only to find out that a truly tragic accident had occured. Our sadness for this woman produced more conversation - much more somber conversation and I know that we were all a little more grateful for what we had at that moment.

Our friend Christina lost a friend this week who had been battling for her life for some weeks now. Our love, thoughts and prayers are with her family and with Christina who is truly effected by her passing.

On the loving side....my husband and I had a date this week. On a trek to try to meet Dog the Bounty Hunter at a book signing we stopped for dinner in Ridgewood (thanks for the help Sean!) and never went to the book signing. The 4 block long line of crazed fans made us realize that we're not THAT crazy and that it was nice to take a drive together, talk in the car, talk over dinner and just enjoy each other.

Cairon and I also had a date this week :) as usual she prepared a great meal and we chatted like girlfriends do. Then Cam (her eldest son) showed us a hilarious sketch on YouTube from Flight of the Conchords. YOU MUST check it out. Search for "Flight of the Conchords Jenny" and just watch it. At work, we're all reciting lines from it.

and then back to today....the reason for my reflection. Today was raining and cold. The perfect day to stay in bed and cuddle. But I had work and we both had errands and appointments. So off we went, somethings we did together and in the rain, we huddled under one umbrella. Someone asked us - did we want another umbrella? and Eric said, "no, it gives us a chance to hug" and I thought - how awesome. It does! We walked so close under that umbrella, my hand in his back pocket, Eric's arm wrapped securely around me. Life is so good. When we stopped in to see someone that Eric has known since the age of 5, he hugged me like I'd known him since my toddler days and asked how "the old married lady" was doing. After a slew of great compliments (my confidence meter sky rocketed) he turned to Eric and said "I tip my hat to you. You done good" and referred to me as being able to bring all the good things out in my loving husband.

And that felt wonderful....When I got home from work today Eric was playing a video game that I know he'd been dying to get. And since I got a great present today (you'll have to see me to see it!) I thought "what the heck". As he played, I read my novel and we shared our time without speaking. Eric made my favorite dinner (favorite dinner from HIM) - grilled cheese on fresh bread from the local bakery and tomato basil soup. MMMMM today was a perfect day for this meal which is usually reserved for Valentines Day. And as I left the family room (he's playing again) to type this post, I brought him the fresh baked cookie I picked up for him when I got the bread. Our little ways of showing each other that we're thinking of each other - that we love each other. And I hope it never stops.

And so the reflection...and the song playing in my head....because every now and again we should all stop and think about how sweet it is......

Faster than the speed of light - there goes the weekend...

Whew! Well, we survived it - it was our first bbq with about 40 or so of our close friends and family! It was great, there was lots of food, drink, fun and catching up with friends. But as with any other party I didnt get to spend as much time as I would have liked to with everyone - playing hostess (and host!) means that you get approximately 6 minutes with each guest :) which is why, one day, when we're rich and famous (or just rich) I'll hire people to work at all our bbqs so that I can sit and chat with all my friends.

Though Eric and I had worked our butts off all week to clean a house that was in disarray from renovations and go food shopping and shopping for outdoor furniture, we woke up on Saturday and realized that we had gotten through the entire week like true partners - no arguements, a lot of compromise and a lot of laughter. Of course, there was frustration but all of that melted away each night when we snuggled on the couch before going to bed.

And when our guests began to arrive on Saturday with sunny smiles and children and presents in tow we relaxed and just enjoyed our evening. Our friends and family are incredibly generous people - from my sisters who went food shopping for me and cooked sides in the morning (and picked up liquor and some ice - wow!) to my best friend who brought pasta salad and another who brought my smiley cake :) to our close friends who gave us everything from great bottles of wine, great beer, amazing pastries, cookies and cakes...and even a beautiful housewarming gift in the mix from my awesome cousin and his gorgeous (and fun!) wife! An enormously huge thanks to our friend Cairon - she's so close to our hearts she might as well be family - for lugging the huge canopy to work for us so we could borrow it. She couldnt even make the bbq but wanted to make sure we had everything we needed!

The first photos is of our friends Billy and Christina :) Christina and I have become great friends through Bill and Eric.
The second is of our friend Gerard (we met him and his fiance PatT on our honeymoon and they're amazing and fun people! We missed you Heather and Keith)

There's PatT! Gerard's lovely fiance



Eva is so curious about PatT's broken foot :) she touched the cast a few times but was still puzzled ... so cute!

Saturday came and went in a flash and soon Sunday morning was upon us. Eric woke at 4:45am to head to work (sigh) while I slept soundly. I promised him that I would clean up as much as possible in his absence but my day also had another important event in it! Visiting my friend Shenin and meeting her two baby girls for the first time!!

But first, I caught Morgen and Ginger napping on a freshly vacuumed couch. They were totally wiped out from a day of fun with all their people friends yesterday. Their cousin Belle (owned by close friends Tara and Gary) even sent treats for them!
Here's our Dining Room - not finished yet, but definately clean - and gives those of you who couldnt make it (and my mom and dad in Michigan! a work in progress view of the house)
and living room - Every time Morgen hears the beep of the camera turning on she comes into the frame. I'm convinced she thinks I should only take photos of her! Ginger is in this shot too - still sleeping on the couch.

What I refer to as our "Wedding Mantle" :)
Our bedroom - the first room finished :)
Second Bedroom :) - Mom and Dad - doesnt it look different?!

And then the best part of the day - meeting lil Sophia and Serena Jamal. They are beautiful little girls who were born 2 minutes apart. Serena is older and Sophia plays the part of the little sister incredibly well, though I promised to give her pointers as she grows. They did what all 6 week old babies do - they cried, slept, ate, and gave us immense pleasure as we held and cooed at them. Shenin is a beautiful mom and is blessed to have her calm and always smiling mom and dad here to help her with her new bundles of joy. Thank you for letting us share in your joy - you know we'll be back soon and even sooner if you need something!
Rukshana and Abdul with baby Serena - she's such a munchkin!

And there's Grandpa with baby Sophia and then Abdul and me on the couch with two sleeping babies with full bellies! I've got baby Sophia and he's got baby Serena - who makes the greatest faces when she dreams.

We love you girls!

"I will never be the woman with the perfect hair, who can wear white and not spill on it." Carrie, Sex and The City

But I can try damn hard :)
This week seemed longer than the rest and I cant explain exactly why. It was one of those weeks wrought with emotion, difficult decisions, unnecessary turmoil and late nights.

As I continue to enjoy and learn at my new position in my career, I struggle to be the best I can be in the workplace....
As I enjoy being married to the love of my life, I work hard at not making the same mistakes twice and being the best wife I can be...
As I love and laugh with good friends and family, I try to hold it together for them in times of hardship but sometimes....just sometimes...you have to let it all out.

And this was certainly a week of letting it all out! But from that comes good conversations, reference points, and a renewed look at things. I sit here, at the end of the week and think about how lucky I am...I have a wonderful loving husband who makes me laugh and I truly truly enjoy spending time with, I have a caring & supportive family and multitude of good friends who are my extended family. We have a home, two oh so cute dogs, great careers, and all that "good stuff" that comes with being content.

Why the reflection? :) Because as Eric and I continue our home renovations and continue to strive for the best at work and manage our personal lives - you sometimes realize it can all be overwhelming. So, yesterday - our two month and one day anniversary - we really looked at how great things are....Just great. And so, for those of you coming over next Saturday for our bbq - if there's a pile of mail on the table and I dont care about it - it's because I'm just happy to be surrounded by family and friends.

But no one said we'd stop trying to have it all ;)

He who has gone, so we but cherish his memory, abides with us, more potent, nay, more present than the living man. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Early Thursday morning the world lost an amazing man. Laz Pappas, father of my dear Stephanie Pappas-Kenyon and her brothers Mark and Paul, passed away this week.

I suppose I could write something flowery about life... but something is stopping me - I'll just say this -

Laz was a wonderful, vibrant and loving husband, father, and grandfather. He was that truly good person that you recognize as being soulful the moment you meet him. His passing is a surprise to all of us....

The pain I feel for this loss is tempered by the joyful memories I have of Laz from January 7, 2006....the day his little girl married a wonderful man. Remembering his exuberance and absolute happiness on that day brings a smile to my face. And that is the picture that I will keep in my memory.

I think she knows, but I'll say it again, I'm here for you - for the things you need and the things you dont need (yes, that means chicken fingers and fries) - for love, support, and laughter. I am always here for you - good times and bad. Much love.

It's been HOW LONG?

Well we figured it out - my dear Carol Jacob and I hadnt seen each other in almost two years.

She moved to Washington D.C. and though we spoke - we hadnt actually spent good quality time together. I was in our capitol for a convention and an event I was hosting and took Sunday evening to get a mani-pedi that I desperately needed and to see miss Carol J.

She lives in the cutest neighborhood and has a great apartment - the view of which reminded me of Cook Campus, which for the RU students is a lil sanctuary in New Brunswick NJ. And things between us were just as they had been...no time lost...no need for pleasantries. Within moments we were gabbing, laughing, and sharing as if we lived next door to each other and hadnt seen each other for a week.

That is what true friendship is about.

I brought her our wedding photos so she could feel as though she was there (and after loading all 800 photos onto her MAC I think she's pretty close) and then we decided that we would need to schedule a girl's weekend. Being that two of our closest friends turn 30 this year ...its definately a time to celebrate 12 years of friendship....more for some less for others but the times we have shared in the past 10-12 years could fill a lifetime.

I love you girls!

What's a summer without Bar-A? :-)

Every year my alma mater throws a Young Alumni party at Bar-A in Belmar (now it's called Lake Como but to me it's still Belmar) and I know that the day will come when I'm no longer allowed to be a 'young alumna' and so I take advantage of it! :)

Not to mention that Keri is Executive Director of the RAA and one of my closest friends - so it gives me a good excuse to see her and Steph and Jen as well!

I also caught up with a long long long lost friend - Lauren F. and I hope that we keep in touch. I'll be emailing you Lauren (if you're reading this) and hope to see you soon!

Another Cheeseburger please!

Saturday, 6/30 was a great day for a bbq so we headed over to Mike and Steph's - they really know how to throw a party! Aside from the fact that I hadnt seen them since the wedding and we consider them our family - we were super excited for Mike's burgers (he's great on the grill)

There's no better way to spend a beautiful Saturday in the summer - we were surrounded by our close friends and their children... some tinier than others and I got to meet baby Kat for the first time! We ate, laughed, played beer pong (it was hilarious) and all around reveled in how blessed we all are to be able to enjoy each other's company.