Monday, May 26, 2008

A Spectacular Memorial Day Weekend











We enjoyed a dinner at Carraba's....Celebrating Cass's Bday with a fabulous dinner... watching Ally shine for the Salem High JV Softball team...buying our flowers and herbs for the season...a trip to the beach and just some good 'ole quality family time....

Today we topped off the weekend with a luscious lobster and steamer dinner and yes it was DELISH! YES...we crammed alot in...it is the start of summer and time is precious so carpe diem- right?

Monday, May 19, 2008

Amy & Chris's Bridal Shower











Yes....another typical Italian celebration...tons of terrific food...a beautiful venue and presents galore!! It was a fantastic celebration and Amy looked beautiful!!!

What was really funny was that My Auntie Peggy and Amy's Mom told her that yesterday was actually my baby shower. My Auntie actually had my mom send her a fake invitation. Amy is hysterical because she wouldn't leave it alone and kept asking a million questions and trying to nail someone down! The Ceder Crest, where the shower was, actually even had on the function sign "Holly's Baby Shower"..boy we had a laugh!

Chris and Amy got some really fun gifts and everyone had a great time!

I am posting as many pictures as this blog will allow!! :)


Wedding Wedding Wedding!!!! (I am praying I can make it...it is two days after my due date!!)

Aunt Syl, We Miss You


Rob's Aunt Syl passed away last week. She was such a trooper. She fought breast cancer for several years. Very recently, the doctors informed her though, that the cancer had come back and spread into her spinal cord.

She was almost done with her radiation treatments but they were taking alot out of her. At the same time, she was fighting emphysema and in the end, that is what did her in. She just couldn't fight anymore and passed away peacefully.

We are grateful that the kids and we got to see her and spend time with her right before her passing. Rob was actually the last one to be with her and as he explained, it was a life changing moment.

Zack is taking it the hardest because Aunt Syl spent much time taking care of him until the age of 7. He told her that she had been the most important person in his life.

Rest in peace Aunt Syl-we will never forget you. You will live with us forever.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

A Wonderful Mother's Day Weekend!











I feel so spoiled....the joy just kept on coming all weekend long! It is really rewarding to be a Stepmom....some call it the most thankless job in the world...I can tell you, though, nothing has brought me greater joy than Rob's kids who call me their stepmom...I am so thankful for them.

I am also thankful that I am able to share God's greatest gift with the one true love of my life...Rob. We are eagerly awaiting our baby girl and are in the final stretch! Next week, I will enter the final trimester- yippee!!!!

So back to Mother's Day Weekend...Friday night, my mom treated me to a pedicure and manicure and it was just what the doctor ordered!!!

Saturday, I had to go for my glucose screening test and Rob was so nice to get up and come with me...I should get the results early this week!

When we got back, I hopped on over to the Village Bean with Cass and Alexis for our regular coffee date and then we drove around town looking at houses in different neighborhoods of Windham and deciding which areas we were open to moving to, once the market bounces back in a few years!

Later on, I got to enjoy Zack's baseball game...it is so nice just to be outside after our grueling Winter!

After the game, we went to 4pm mass and then Rob's parents treated us to an excellent dinner up at Buckley's Great Steaks in Merrimack. The Buckley's are the extremely talented couple who own Michael Timothy's and Surf both and Nashua and now their newest project which boasts some of the best food we have eaten! The service was superb too!

We also started with an order of their special onion rings and we all agreed that they were the best any of us had EVER HAD...Grammy thinks they were battered in panko flakes...that made sense. They were so light and airy and were definitely made from sweet vidalia onions.

For the main course, I had a RibEye that was sauted in Espresso and Garlic...out of this world! Grammy tried Ostrich for the first time! Rob and Papa both enjoyed various steak dishes as well. The side I got with mine was a wild mushroom risotto...DELISH!

Grammy and I were so full that we passed on dessert BUT the boys endulged. Rob got chocolate raviollis (white chocolate raviolli shaped confection stuffed with pure chocolate fudge and topped with a strawberry coulis. Papa had a coffee flavored creme brule with some mini doughnuts on the side.

We pretty much rolled out to the car- outstanding dinner with plenty of laughs. I got to enjoy some stories of Rob's youth :)

Grammy and Papa also presented me with some very special mother's day gifts. They gave me the most beautiful white gold necklace that says Mom on it...got so choked up. Grammy also got the baby a Kewpie doll...so retro...so special...and I am so glad it is from her! It is already displayed on the baby's bureau/changing table!

Today was a special day with my family. Rob gave me some beautiful cards that of course made me cry! He also gave me a gift from him and the kids- a facial and massage at Bella Viaggio- I CAN'T WAIT....I feel like it is perfect timing- a little pick-me-up if you will!

This morning, I headed to my mom's first thing for coffee and croissants- our favorite!!! We then headed over to the cemetery to put a beautiful plant on Nani's grave.

Later Rob met all of us and we headed into the North End in Boston for the best pizza in the world- Pizzeria Regina- the original on Thacher St. It was FABULOUS. At 12:15, the line was already down the street BUT 5 seats happened to open up at the bar and we were game! It was so laid back, fun and casual...something we usually don't do on Mother's Day and I can thank my mom for that idea!

After lunch, we walked up to Hanover and grabbed some awesome Gelato at the Gellatoria. We had some belly laughs there too!

I have posted some various pictures from the weekend :_) HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all of your wonderful mothers, stepmothers, birth mothers and those women who have taken on the role to give a child the best! I respect you all!

Monday, May 5, 2008

Cinco de Mayo











Pretty proud of myself tonight. Got stuck at the office a litle late and still was able to pull our Cinco de Mayo celebration together. I could've never done it so quickly without my "RockStar of a Hubby" :) He got the chicken done on the grill and whipped up the mexican rice too.

I stir fried the peppers and onions and put together two kinds of salsa, sour cream, tomatoes, avacados and cheese. I also heated up the fajita wraps and lime tostitoes so they were oven baked- delish!

Lsstly, my favorite, I whipped up some virgin cocktails for the crowd- Virgin Flamingos- YUMMO- they consisted of cranberry juice, lemon juice, pineapple juice, club soda and ice with a twist of lime.

We had a fun little family night...I love my family so much!!!

OLE!

Made of Honor!


Yes of course we went opening weekend...it is a wedding movie...duh!!! Well the girls did anyway- Me, Kay and Ally. The boys went to see Iron Man..they were all set with the chick flick.

Well...it was wonderful...nothing earth shattering but very successful wedding movie..the chemistry between "Tom and Hannah" was steamy...the love story so believable and the ending was just perfect.

I compare it to "My Best Friend's Wedding" which is one of my faves...it is the same story only reversed and with a much nicer ending...hope you get to catch it!!!