it's all good!

so many lovely, fun, gut-laughing, and wonderful moments happen every single day and many minutes of the day are spent thinking of the things that make me happy or grateful.

and yes, i have a million little happies...

burnt cheez-its, ice cold orange pop with crushed ice and a straw, having coffee cream in my fridge, rainy afternoons spent laying on the couch with the whole fam with dinner bubbling away on the stove, a new book, candles, my new slippers, smiling at people who look like they need it, good music i haven't heard on the radio, losing a few pounds although that hasn't happened in a while, my babies, new cookbooks, daddy playing street hockey every spare moment with our future hockey star, flowers (TULIPS, my fave!), new friends, old friends...

soooo many. it's good to write them down. makes me feel gooooood!

health seems to make my grateful and happy list every single day! it's the one thing that i use to gauge perspective. my perspective on important topics does vary from time to time although i must admit that thanks to my upbringing with the crazy, yet loving and very loud italians it usually starts from bad to worse to finally...dude, i can totally handle this. it's not that bad. in fact, what was i worried about? totally cool, we can handle that. it could be sooo much worse that this is actually good news!

the new vantage point that shifts my perspective almost always comes from looking at my kids and knowing that they are healthy. really really healthy, and that is the one most important piece of my puzzle. the puzzle of my life. of our lives.

however, the moments of discomfort or distress are equally important. i mean, why should happiness get all the props, the love? i think not. there is much to learn from the unhappy and challenging times in our life as well. i totally believe that out of pain comes strength. tears...growth, understanding... perspective.

in an otherwise beautiful week spent with a ton of friends that i am fortunate to have and sharing time with people that i love and truly value, making new friends, or connecting with old ones it was an amazing couple of weeks.

i am filled up from all the lovelies in our lives. i've learned that sometimes you don't know what you have until you are sitting in room full of women hearing their story and sharing in it and leaving them feeling like you could conquer anything if you had to because we are all in this together.

and possibly life decides to slap you around a bit and it knocks the wind out of your sails and you need someone to answer your call for help and when they do, they help you get the words out because well, you can't breathe or find the words to finish. they cry with you, say it's all going to be alright, they validate you, and then they call back so you can vent a little more...just in case you didn't get it all the first time.

we all need this kind of friend or friends. and trust me, your troop is out there...go find them.

right now, tonight...everything is good. really, really good. well, the glass of wine i am nursing helps a bit too:) oh and crying it out...totally works. no shame. cry it up, people. it's okay. get it out. totally works!

damn. life is so good and so precious. we have been living it up, but i am behind on photos, so i will be posting soon after this post to fit all the good stuff in!

photos from our camping trip over the new year!

beckham and i five minutes after the ball dropped!

the cousins!

moments that we will cherish forever. these camping trips will be what our children remember and talk about in front on their own children one day and i know that in that moment...my future self will be proud of the parents we were. helping our kids make memories they will hold with them forever!!!

we did a lot of this!

and this...of course!

yeah, i love you too!

and if that wasn't enough beauty in one post...

nella bean's first birthday bash was beautiful and full of love. kelle, is an amazing party planning girl and not one detail is overlooked. not one!

new, beautiful and inspiring friends: libby and sara!

nads taking it all in!

jeff, you look hot in this pic!

i have a few new recipes ready to go, but i need to go to bed, so i will post those on sunday! actually, i need to go clean out my closet. i am sure there is a village of people living under the items in my closet. it is unreal. i'll post pictures of that too. it'll shock ya!

fyi: jenn planned this camping trip and she rocks at finding amazing places to go. you can go here to find more info on the camp grounds in you see camping in your future! dude, go. it's awesome.

until then...enjoy the beauty of today! xo