A HAPPY FAMILY IS BUT AN EARLIER HEAVEN

"A happy family is but an earlier heaven." - George Bernard Shaw

I am sitting here on my couch enjoying the cool breeze blowing through the open window and listening to the sound of our waterfall hitting our fish pond that we strategically placed a few years ago. I am completely satisfied and engulfed with happiness over this glorious weekend. Why you ask? Simply because it was a weekend chock full with family. And in my opinion it is how life is supposed to be lived. Family is so important to me. Friends come and go. Acquaintances will offer up advice and give praise. But in the end, well in the end is always family. And if you don't have family to turn to in your darkest hour or in your happiest moments, than somewhere along the way your path has veered off in the wrong direction.

On Friday we headed off to Staten Island to visit Grandma and Grandpa. It has been a few weeks since we were there and I simply miss our visits. Grandpa looked great. It was wonderful to see him up and about and off of the oxygen for long periods of time. He was tired at times but praise God he looked and sounded wonderful. Grandma was able to spend some quality time with Halainah which I loved. And we even got a surprise visit from Aunt Chrissy and Uncle Joe. We had a great time enjoying pizza and calzones and talking baby talk. Aunt Chrissy looks better than anyone I have ever known with her 9 month belly. And the icing on the cake is that Aunt Chrissy's water broke today and little peanut will be with us shortly. We are not certain if she will be able to have a normal delivery or a C-section so please keep her in your prayers for a safe delivery for her and little peanut. I have said my prayers to God and to Saint Gerard. Little Peanut we can't wait to see you and hold you in our arms. I am so thankful to have been able to spend Friday with them right before their family grows.

Saturday and Sunday were spent with our immediate family catching up on yard work that so desperately needed to be done and simply reminiscing about these last few years. Halainah had a blast outside walking from toy to toy to toy. She has some scraped knees to prove it but hey...that's what being a kid is all about. We enjoyed a wonderful BBQ each evening and it really felt like summer. But the best part happened on Sunday evening. Tony and I completed our adoption application for Halainah's mei mei. You heard me correctly, we are sending it out in a few days we just need to have a few things notarized. We are placing the next adoption in God's hands just like we did with Halainah. We sent in Halainah's application in May of 2007 and here we are exactly 2 years later sending in Halainah's mei mei's...we did not plan that. Who would have ever imagined that we would be traveling down this road again. Dumb question I know...God knew...it's written in our book.

Monday was fantastic. We headed off to Aunt Bonnie's for a big old fashioned BBQ with family, Halainah's godparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, Nonno, Nonna, great grandma, and Opa. We ate the most delicious foods that started off with Pasta of course...we are Italian you know. But than came the hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage, chicken, crabs with old bay and all the salads and fixings you can imagine. Oh wow am I stuffed. Halainah had a blast. She is such the little spitfire. I don't know how her little legs can go on and on all day long. She was her natural little ham self blowing kisses, talking up a storm, laughing, hugging and playing all day long. She passed out in the car 1 minute after we left. Today brought back a lot of childhood memories for Tony. As Halainah ran in and out of the isles of fresh vegetables that Uncle Mario grows every year he reminisced on how he would do the same as a child at his grandma's. It saddens me that Halainah will never meet a few of her grandma's. Well not here on earth that is. I love spending time with family and I love seeing Halainah loving her family. Every time she smiles, laughs, hugs, kisses, plays and clings to family it just melts my heart in a way that is indescribable. I thank God for Family every day and always will.

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend as much as we did and I certainly hope it was filled with family because that is how life should be lived!



Going for a car ride to Grandma's on Friday night!
Daddy and his China Doll in our backyard!
Lainey bug sporting her cute spring outfit for a family BBQ!
Cousins Alyssa, Cassandra and Halainah playing with letter magnets
A tender moment, Aunt Bonnie gently kissing Halainah. I caught the shot through the sliding door!
Halainah had a BLAST on the trampoline...got to talk daddy into getting one for our backyard!
Halainah really wanted to go swimming but mama said the water is too cold!
She is such a happy happy little girl!