Blessings

Yes, I know. It's been AWHILE.  I have so many draft posts started that never actually made it on the blog. I have pictures in cameras, on the computer, and in my phone that just have never made it on the blog.  I have memories and thoughts scribbled on notepads, calendars and typed into my Evernote account that have never made it on the blog. The memories have been documented but just have never made it here. Life is happening. Every.Single.Day and each day is special and I have been enjoying it!  I have had this pressure I put on myself to keep up with this blog and it bothers me that I have let it go for so long, but sometimes you just have to let things go for a little while. :) And I am okay with that.

I have been thinking a lot about blessings. I have been and continue to be SO BLESSED. My heart is SO FULL all the time I find it hard to contain myself!  My kids. My husband. My family. My home. My job. My friends. The list just goes on and on... but I am just genuinely happy with my life and appreciative of every day.  My relationship with Jesus has gotten back on track again and I really needed that.  I have been back to exercising again and am even considering running a half marathon in January 2014!  I never realized how much exercise played a roll in keeping my head on straight! That is a blessing unto itself!

My kids continue to amaze me. They are so much fun and always keep it interesting.  I love seeing their little personalities shine.  They are both so smart and so kind.  They are so full of love and life and share it with everyone they meet.  It makes a Momma proud...that's for sure. They are growing up so beautifully.

My Paulie is such a sweetheart. He is always looking out for me and making sure I am always happy. He puts me and the kids first before anything else and I couldn't be more grateful for that. He is such a romantic and makes me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world! My friendship with him has grown to be so much more than I could have ever predicted. It's hard to believe that it's been over 13 years since our first date.

My family is so amazing. Even though I live halfway across the country from them, I always know that they care and love me through it all.  It's so hard not seeing them all the time and not being able to share in the day to day activities, but I am grateful for modern day technology to make the miles seem closer. My in laws are so wonderful to me and I can't be more grateful for them loving me like I was born into the family. When I am especially weak from missing my family, it's nice knowing that I have caring "big as Texas" arms to hug me.

My friends are glowing stars in my life. I have friends from so many different stages of my life - as a Jersey Shore kid growing up on small island, to my college days, to my "young professional" days in Philly, to my Texas work and Mommy friends.  They are there for me no matter what. They support me, love me, and are that extra "It'll all be okay" to "shut up, you're being a drama queen" push that you need to hear.

I felt the need to post this today. I have been wanting to get back to blogging for awhile and I wasn't sure if I should just dive into a "here's what we did over the last 6 months" post or start tackling some of the highlights of last week!  Instead I just had to write what was on my mind. It felt good. Check that one off the list. Now let's move on.... :)