Happy Places

Everyone needs a happy place. I have several: home, park, library, and of course, coffee shops. (Notice "mall" and other crowded places in general are not mentioned here.) All of these places hits a soft spot for me especially during the holidays. When I need to retreat I go to one of these places and I'm back to feeling complete again. As I write this I am at "my starbucks" sippin' on some decaf tea and munching on a biscotti. Who's happy? This girl ;D

We can't always be happy though. This past Saturday we attended the funeral services for a young man who left this world too early. When you see someone you care about in pain all you want to do is remove it and make it stop. When we grieve for a loved one who is no longer here, nothing can really make the pain stop. Only the support of one's friends and family can make that pain bearable. Our deepest condolences go out to the Atienza family...Crystal & Mark, we are here for you should you need us for anything.

Armand Ryan Atienza

Home

Gerald and I came home that day and really wanted to make some Holiday memories with the kiddos. We thought making smores over our fireplace and decorating a ginger bread house would do the trick.  It did!

 

I truly believe that wherever one dwells, as long as its inhabitants connect daily is a home. Anything less, no matter how extravagant the dwelling is, is not a home.

Park

I frickin' love going to the park. To run and to play with the kiddies is my personal fave. I'm a little under the weather today, but I took Gigi and Gavin to the Newark Library and the park nearby to play. It was cute. Gigi made three friends in about a 40 minute time span. Two girls and one boy...she's a friendly one like her mama :)

She even raced the boy on the slide and she won several times. The boy was one year older also. And Gavin? He thinks he's big boy now. He kept saying "no" and pushing my hand aside when I tried helping him. A year ago he was a drooly, crawling baby and now a toddler. *Sigh* Time flies, man.

December 2010

December 2011

Library

I personally love the library and I want my kids to love it there too! If the library charged money to get in, I'd totally pay it but luckily we here in the US have a plethora of free services to us. Our libraries and parks are the best! =) :) Studies show that if children are exposed to reading early on, they are more enthusiastic learners as they progress into school. I like to think that I am my children's very first teacher and I have a lot fun with that ;)

Here's to our happy places..Hope you visit yours soon :) Have a C&B week!