Welcome Baby Pascale!!!

We have a new niece!  Beautiful Pascale Ava entered this big, big world today!  We are so proud of Heavenly.  She has been so strong throughout her whole pregnancy and all of us are so happy for her that her daughter has arrived!  She was due to arrive on our anniversary but decided to come a few days later.  We are in Washington now, but we can't wait to meet her when we get back home!

My GREAT Grandma

I love my Grandma so much.  As far back as I can remember, she has played a very wonderful, loving, and supportive role in my life.  I have such amazing memories of being a child at her house.  It was a wonderland of sorts.  I loved the piano, her yard, her kitchen, her movable dishwasher, overnights, her pantry next to the kitchen table, the Easter egg hunts in the family room for little chocolate eggs, playing Mille Bornes, picking Italian plums straight from the tree in the yard, playing at the school across the street, and riding the huge branches in the backyard.  It was so much fun!

I tell my kids stories about my Grandma all of the time.  I want them to know how incredible their Great Grandmother is!  We got a chance to visit her this trip and we had such a great time.  The kids insisted on bringing sugar cookies like last time even though Grandma had made these amazing cookies that had carrots in them.  To say we were stuffed when we left is an understatement!  We talked and played for a long time and I have to say the highlight for me was watching Emily and Grandma play catch.  Emily was hurling the ball so fast at my Grandma and she caught it every time.  My older kids thought it was hysterical, too.  We had a great time visiting my Grandma.  She is truly phenomenal and I can't wait to see her again next trip!

Nana Banana

Our anniversary grounded us and made us feel very blessed.  We had planned to go and see my Nana the following day and were very excited to see her and give her a big hug and a kiss!  She is such a strong force in our family.  All of us feel so incredibly bonded to her.  I feel so blessed having her in my life and I know the entire extended family feels the same way!

My kids look forward to seeing her on each of our trips.  They not only love to see their Nana, but they also love the kitty that lives on her floor.  Sometimes I wish they knew my Nana when she was younger.  The personality, the fight, the cooking, the love she gave, and the singing.  It would have been amazing for them to see all of that.  Damien told Nana that the day before was our twelfth anniversary.  Nana turned to Damien and said, "I bet Lisa is still in charge.  She's always in charge."  We all went into hysterics!  Hey, what can I say? 

We love you Nana and were so happy to be able to see you.  Keep smiling.  You're one of the most amazing people I have ever met!

It's Been An Amazing Twelve Years

Every year it seems more and more surreal that I have been married to the same amazingly, wonderful man for twelve years.  I suppose if I did the math more often and realized that I am now 35 and I met him when I was 19, it makes sense.  Before I was married, if I heard about a couple celebrating their ten, fifteen, and twenty year anniversary- I thought, "Wow, how do they do it?"  Well, we are doing it and this is our formula.

Never give up on one another.  Take the time to listen, not just talk.  Have your partner be your best friend.  Make sure you laugh together throughout the day.  When times get tough or just seem utterly ridiculous, find the silver lining . . . it will make a great story someday.  Respect one another.  Try not to take things too seriously.  Encourage your partner to do something for themselves (sports, go out with friends, exercise).  Make sure you get away without the kids a few times a year.  Live young.  Talk about the past and remember life as it used to be.  Dream about your future and all that it will hold!  Don't go into an argument trying to win.  Instead, try going into an argument and working on understanding one another better.  Show your kids how much you love each other.  They will want that for themselves one day.  Play pranks on each other.  Go to sleep at the same time.  Always kiss each other good night and say I love you before you go to sleep.  Value all that makes your partner who they are.  And above all- love unconditionally.  This is what works for us.

Damien and I are ridiculously nostalgic.  We love to talk about our courtship.  Hands down, it was one of the greatest times of my life.  I will never forget the feeling of falling in love and what a wonderful ride that was. I loved when I thought for the first time- this could last forever!  I am so lucky to have met Damien when I did.  Neither of us were in college just to meet a husband/wife, but we found each other and it proved to be the most valuable gift of all.

I know I have explained our engagement story before but here is a little refresher.  Damien and I had talked about getting married.  We knew that sometime soon, we would commit ourselves to one another.  I am a tough one to surprise.  Some might say I am nosey but I like to think of myself as being very aware of things.  Damien had come to visit me in Kirkland during the summer of 1998 and I didn't think that we were going to get engaged during his trip!  He had taken my parents and me to dinner and during dinner, asked my parents if they would grant him their blessing to eventually marry me.  Still, I didn't think it would be that next day!

We were out and about looking at different church options when we stumbled upon Sacred Heart Church in Bellevue, WA.  It was beautiful.   Damien thought it would be cute if we tried the aisle out.  Yes, he wanted me to see what it felt like to walk down the aisle.  At first, I said no.  Then he asked again and I complied.  I started walking silly down the aisle and he said, 'Come on, like you're walking to me on our wedding day!'  The mood got more serious but still, I suspected nothing.  Ten minutes earlier I asked him why he was acting strange.  I also told him his palms were sweating.  I had all the clues right in front of me but I didn't see it coming!  Step by step, I approached Damien.  I had a few steps to go before I reached the altar and he dropped to one knee and asked me to be his wife.  It was extremely romantic and perfect for us.

I thought it would be a great surprise to Damien to plan a little something for him on the eve of our twelfth anniversary.  I planned to take the kids and Damien to Mass at Sacred Heart Church and show the kids were it all started!  I talked to the kids and told them the significance of our outing.  Then, I said that it would be really special during Mass for our whole family to walk up for Communion down the same aisle where Daddy proposed to Mommy!  They couldn't wait and they loved that Damien didn't have a clue!

Right after Mass was over at Sacred Heart.

 Damien was speechless as we pulled into the parking lot.  We haven't been back since the day of the proposal.  With tears in this eyes, he kissed me and said,  "Thank you."  We settled into Mass and the kids were giddy with excitement.  They couldn't wait to get communion and walk the aisle.  How sweet is that?  Matthew did fall asleep during Mass so he will have to relive the moment through photos.  Communion came and it was a great family moment.  Thirteen years ago, two of us walked down this aisle.  Today, six of us walked the aisle.  Life is amazing.

After Mass, we went to great French restaurant on Lake Washington which was right near the hotel where we stayed the night after our wedding.  The kids loved the whole experience.  They loved the nostalgia of it all and got to feel a part of the whole process.  I couldn't have been happier with the way the night turned out.  It was as if we had all celebrated together.  It was perfect.  Happy 12th Anniversary, Damien!

Alki Beach

My sister Jill LOVES the beach.  She seriously loves it.  Today, she asked me if we would like to join her and I couldn't pass it up!  Damien offered to stay back with Emily while she napped, which I really appreciated. 

I forgot how beautiful it truly is at Alki Beach.  It made me realize why Jill finds such peace and tranquility there.  If you look one direction, you see beautiful blue water with a mountainous horizon in the background.  If you look another direction, you have one of the most breathtaking views of the Seattle cityscape.  It is a lot to take in and certainly a place where you can clear your head and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors.

The weather was perfect and Michael, Claire, and Matthew were so ready to jump in the cold, salty water.  As we approached the beach, they saw a kid carrying a clear cup with a miniature crab in it.  Suddenly the need to swim dissipated and their minds went straight to catching crabs!

Kyle, Jill, Jake (Jill's finance) and his two children Tiernan and Morganday came prepared for a long day at the beach.  They had packed us all lunch and had everything we could have possibly needed!  All six kids had a blast as they splashed through the water looking for their pinchers.  Another cool part of the day was that unbeknownst to us, we sat right at the finish line for outrigger races.  The outrigger club was blasting cool Hawaiian tunes and every now and again, announced the boats that were finishing straight out in the water ahead of us!

I loved the day so much.  While the three kids explored the beach, I stretched out on my towel and read my book (The Help).  It was nice not to have to watch a two year old who is always pushing the boundaries.  Even though I love Emily so, so much- it was like a day off for me not to have to chase her around!  Claire and Matthew combed the beach for shells while Michael checked out all of the seaweed and found his own special treasures (one being a tiny crab leg that eventually would smell so bad- it stunk up my Mom's entire kitchen).

After some yummy lunch, Jill started burying the kids in the sand.  First, it was Claire who wanted to be buried 'all the way' while the other kids watched and swore they would never do that!  After a few minutes of seeing how cool Claire looked, they all wanted a try so Jill and I got busy pushing the sand all over them!  By the end, we were all laughing.  Especially when Michael asked it there was such a thing as bugs that live in the sand and bite.  You could see him debating over whether to get out or risk being bitten by the sand bugs!

As we enjoyed the beautiful sunshine and the gorgeous beach, I wondered why I don't come here more often.  There are so many amazing places to go in the Seattle area but I find myself spending so much time on the Eastside (Kirkland/Bellevue area).  While the Eastside is beautiful, I want to make sure I explore more of Seattle and all of the amazing things it has to offer.

I know that my kids will remember this day as a highlight of this trip to Washington.  I know that being at the beach for me was like a pushing 'reset button' for more patience and a clear head.  I loved it and loved spending some quality time with my amazing sister, Kyle, Jake and his great kiddos. 

Summer's Last Hurrah!

We flew up to Washington today to start a wonderful two week stay with my family!  Our trip in June was great but Emily was sick and things didn't go exactly as I had planned.  So why not try again?  The flight up was a breeze, we all arrived happy and rested and ready to finish out the summer on a high note!

Of course, there was the initial gushing from my family members to the kids.  It is always that difficult dance of wanting to cover the kids in kisses without overwhelming them as they walk in the door!  The kids were so happy to be back at Nonna and Grandpa's house that they weren't phased a bit by all of the smooches.

The first night we were back, Jill, Jake and the kids came over and it was so wonderful to see them all.  Especially Kyle.  He is just the sweetest.  He immediately was drawn to His Emmy or His Baby.  He has loved her to pieces since the day she was born. 

The following night, we went out to pizza and ended up at the marina where my kids love to hang out!  Ducks, sunsets, laughter, and family.  It was just perfect.  As usual- Emily kept us busy as we tried constantly to keep her from falling into the water!

Michael, Claire, and eventually Laura- found a way to wade out to a rock in the water for a cute pose.  We were cracking up watching Laura make her way out there because she was so ridiculously determined to do it!  I love her so much!!!

It's a wonderful first few days with my family.  I value this time more than I can even begin to communicate.  My family is amazing and being home makes me feel so grounded, loved, and at peace.  I can't wait to see what more is in store!

Emily . . . Where Are You?

Emily is a great communicator.  One thing that she struggles with is answering me when I call her.  Don't think I am fooled.  I know she doesn't answer on purpose.  She is just too busy getting in trouble!  I about died when I found her in Claire's hamper.  Lucky for me, she stayed in there long enough for me to run and get my camera for this shot.  Oh, Emily.  You certainly keep life interesting!

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Going to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is a MUST do for our family every summer.  We love it there.  Now that the kids are getting older, most importantly Emily, it is really manageable!  The kids love to go on the rides there.  This year, Matthew wanted to go on rides that both Michael and Claire wanted to go on, too!  That meant that Emily was hanging out solo on the baby rides. 

Matthew went on the log ride and the pirate ship this year for the first time.  Two years ago, Michael absolutely panicked on the pirate ride.  I feared the same result for Matthew but instead, he cracked up the WHOLE time!  Matthew surprises me on a daily basis, I swear.  We usually don't play boardwalk games while at the boardwalk.  (Geez, this sounds kind of contradictory.  Maybe I need to rethink our intentions!)  However, Matthew couldn't get the game called Stinky Feet out of his head.  And since Daddy seems to be Matthew's sucker, he promised him before we left he could play.  Matthew was so happy to shoot the water at the target and win a ducky.  Okay, here's the truth.  Michael actually played too and despite being told to lose, he won.  Classic.  We did convince him to give Matthew the ducky, though.  Those two . . .

Claire and Michael were the most excited to go on a ride called Tsunami.  It is one of those circular roller coasters that is on an angle and goes around and around and around and around.  Basically, you pay money to ride it so you can feel sick!   Oh, to be a kid again.  Emily and I were watching these two crazy kids when all of the sudden, both Michael and Claire had a look of panic on their faces.    What's wrong, I mouthed.  They were trying to tell me something but I couldn't make it out!  I thought maybe one of them needed to barf.  Then, I saw Claire raise a bare foot in the air and I knew what had happened.  Claire had lost her flip flop while being pulled and whipped by the centripetal force.  I mouthed to them that it would be okay and they went on about their business of having fun.  We did find Claire's shoe which was a major plus and now the kids had something extra silly to laugh about and tell their Daddy!

Emily had a blast over in the kiddie corner.  She rode on the boat ride, the car ride, the dragon ride (with Mom), the Pepsi truck ride, and I am sure a few I am forgetting about.  She didn't feel slighted about not being able to go on the big kid rides.  She was in all her glory in the kiddie corner! 

We indulged in yummy boardwalk food and had a blast on this gorgeous summer day!  We headed down to the beach with all of our gear, excited to swim in the ocean!  Last summer, Matthew got tons of sand in his eye and we almost had to take him to the ER.  I was dead set in keeping sand out of the kids faces this year and thankfully, we had no issues. 

The ocean was cold, but that was to be expected!  Michael and Claire didn't seem to mind the mild hypothermia and splashed around like they were in a hot tub.  Matthew took a little time to get used to the temperature but was waist deep in only a few minutes!  Emily did a great job, too.  We were worried about Emily.  Thinking of my fearless, crazy daughter in this vast body of water made me a little worried.  Thankfully, she was totally uncomfortable in the ever changing current.  YES!!!!  I found something that scares my sweet girl.  She hated the feeling of standing in the shallow water and then having the water and sand pull back out to the sea- making her feet feel weird.  This kept Emily out of the deep water and let us all relax a bit!

A few times, Emily would yell out to Michael and Claire to Come Back!!!  She was worried about them out in that big ocean!  We splashed around for a long time and once everyone agreed- we headed to the candy store to load up on salt water taffy to eat on the ride home.

Going to the Boardwalk during the summer just feels so right.  Happy Summer to one and all!

A Visit with Auntie Gina

Now that my sister Gina is a short one hour car ride away, we had to take the kids up to San Francisco to see her new place!  San Francisco living is very different living than San Jose or even Kirkland.  It has it's own feel, it's own vibe and Gina is loving it. 

The kids thought her apartment was really cool and really different.  It is updated but certainly has a 'historical' feel to it, to.  They loved looking out her bay window at the SF cityscape and couldn't wait to walk the really steep hills on our way to lunch.  We took a nine block walk into a really cute area where we noshed on pizza and sandwiches.  The kids loved seeing how people in SF live!  They saw a park and couldn't believe how small it was, realized that there are places called laundromats, noticed that a lot of people walk in the city, and that in certain parts- it smelled funny.  Michael was in his own world and kept asking us 'Am I Going to Fall into the Sky?'  Um, not sure where this came from but he was scared!  The sky was so blue today and it was really warm, too!  Nothing like a clear, warm San Francisco day. 

Gina had promised the kids ice cream after lunch and wanted to take them to Swensen's Ice Cream Shop for their sweet treat!  At first glance, they thought she had found a place that was identical to their last name!  Only on further review did they realized there was no D in this Swensen's.  But it didn't matter.  They had ice cream and plenty of it! 

We walked back to Gina's, took a few scenic pictures, Gina quickly painted Emily's toenails, and then said goodbye.  Claire and Michael are already talking about having a sleep over with Gina in SF one of these weekends.  Thanks for the great day Ween!!!

Simply Summer

I love this picture of my kids.  We had just walked into downtown Willow Glen for some after dinner frozen yogurt.  Everything about this picture looks like summer.  They are relaxed, they are happy, they are on summer vacation!  It is just the best.

Academy of Sciences & Japanese Tea Gardens

We've been wanting to head to San Francisco to see the newly renovated California Academy of Sciences.  For one reason or another, we just couldn't make it happen.  We found ourselves with a fully vacant day and a yearning to explore so we headed north to check it out! 

I went there once with Damien in college.  I am petrified of snakes.  Fact.  Damien took me there and didn't tell me he wanted to show me the only two headed snake in the world.  Fact.  Too bad it died by the time we got there.  Relief!  This was really my first time exploring the academy and it was really cool!

By the time we arrived, all of the kids were so excited to see everything this museum had to offer!  Damien was thrilled to walk in and see the first exhibit featured was the 40 foot robotic snake from the movie Anaconda.  Wonderful.  I put on a brave face and pretended this wasn't the snake the tormented me for an entire hour and a half movie years prior!  The kids loved it but the little two were a bit scared because it was so realistic!

We loved the aquarium portion of the academy, loved the rain forest area where butterflies abound, the kids LOVED seeing real life crocodiles (even an albino one), they loved the Foucault Pendulum and were stoked to have been able to see it knock over one of it's pegs, we got to walk over a see-through floor with giant sting rays swimming beneath us, the little kids loved the Young Children's play area, Damien and the boys were so impressed with the planetarium, and the yummy food from the cafeteria was just what we needed to give us a boost!

Overall, we loved it.  It has a little of everything and really helped the kids expand their knowledge of so many different things! 

Afterwards, we walked across the way to the Japanese Tea Gardens.  We have been there a few times in the past but we were just too close to it not to go again!

We ran and ran around and around the different little scenic areas.  The kids loved climbing on this giant rainbow bridge.  They must have climbed it a handful of times! 

We were able to sit down and have tea in the outside restaurant and I prayed that my overly tired two year old's lack of nap time didn't ruin our experience.  Turns out, she did great.  She is crazy little girl but uber-adaptable. 

We all had hot tea (which was great for the overcast SF day), almond cookies, fortune cookies, and the Japanese candies Hi-Chew.  It as absolutely perfect.  As I looked around the table and saw my kids so content and appreciative of our efforts to show them some new things, I thought to myself that I am truly so, so blessed. 

Here's to more summer outings and making time for these amazing experiences.