When you have.

Friends that come to celebrate your new beginnings.

Those same friends that hugged you tight on the first days of school, and certainly held you tighter on the last days.  Those friends that held you up when the tides pulled away harder than you ever expected.  Those friends.  These friends. 

Your Mom sets up little tables to represent you. Like pictures of you as a little girl, and baby. 

She handmade your signs, because why buy when her heart fills the paper with more joy from your Mom's hands.

She asked everyone to fill out these little cards with notes of love for the lonely days away. 

Because these girls will fly in different directions, and won't be there to hold you up.

 Family flies down from Nor Cal to celebrate with, and for you.

Sorry Crue-man, my one and only shot, and I gotcha with em' closed.  boo.

And your childhood babysitter shows up with the young man that helped take care of you too...

Mamarazzi glare.

Best Friend.

Cousin.  Sister.

She said to me, "Mom, thank you so much for my party, it was pretty much awesome"- 

It's always what rings beautiful to my ears.  It just does. 

2 of the six pack come over in a little row boat.  Hey Randy and Carmen!

Family.....

When your brother writes a little love note to you for another day in your dorm.

And when your brother also decides to unleash the beast, and paddle the new dock away, and your Dad is stoked.

I mean, when the party let's loose, why not go with it...

"We're not here for a long time, just a good time"

Memories for a lifetime.

On Sunday, after the races, we sat through her gift opening.  Many beautiful cards. Many beautiful notes, and many gifts from the heart.  This book sat there with a ribbon around it.  It wasn't until the next early morning as I sipped my coffee, sat it on my lap and began to read. 

"Oh the places you'll go!"

By, Dr. Seuss-

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.  And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.  About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."  With your heads full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest....


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Throughout the book, I sat reading on my bed.  Tears filled my silly eyes.  Not because of the tune.
But because I never knew this book was intended for college bound students.
And to know a friend wrote a note in it, handed it over to our girl.  Priceless. 
Shell, you are a light in Kali and my life.  Especially this month. xo

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And will you succeed?
Yes!  You will, indeed!
(98% and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

Kid, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!



Happy Thursday Kids,

Thanks for being patient as I uploaded these.

Monday night I served Gaylord dinner...and helped there.
Tuesday night I shared wine tasting with Maria here.

Wednesday night I shared dinner with Mel here

Tonight we celebrate Gianni's 19th year on this Earth.  A day after they stammered around the island.

Busy mom, yes indeed, tired eyes and tired feet, trying to rhyme yet have some fear that you all have given up on my blogging, oh dear. haha



CHEERS!

This happy and exhausted Mama Lisa

Happy Birthday Gio, we love you baby boy.  xoxo

Because I still can't get it together....

Our shin-dig of party pics are still shoved in one of my cameras. For the second day in a row I am walking around my living room looking at boxes for Kali's dorm, and can't wrap my head around it, so instead I water my flowers, and over bleach my sinks and organize counter tops, and still leave things forgotten.  Like the other memory stick in my big camera.

Scatter brain in full force. With that said, I will show you Sunday's best instead.

A few changes I noticed this year.  One,  you can't dip your piggies in the water during the 5 hour 30 min. intermissions they do between boats.  Second, 100.00 to get a family of 4 in is just redic. 

 These dudes will always be my favorite.

Bill, Gianni, Kali and I, attended this year.  For so many reasons, I could not wait. 
When planning parties I tend to over think things.  I tend to over plan, and over worry.  I know, go ahead roll your eyes.  It's just me.  CRAZY!  I woke up excited to spend the day by the waterside listening to this.  Nothing else, just this.

Even though I am exhausted from a full weekend, I continue to move on for work, for planning, and for the next big steps coming up.  Trying to avoid them isn't working, and so I just dive into all things "busy"-

I insisted on a brunch style breakfast at Simmzy's first- We arrived at the races close to 1pm.  Which if you ask Bill, was just a tad later than what he likes. But if you ask me, it's the best time to watch the big guys run.
"When Mama's happy"-

 Little obsession with hats lately?

Why not when you're a honey badger.  Get it girl.  

To my defense, I will stop those dog damn brown spots covering my face daily.  Fart heads.

As we enjoy this.  

These two love birds sitting in a tree. under a tree.

Super, not into the races.  (On a side note, they walked down to look for my cousin, whom they couldn't find, but made their faces light up for a quick second) ha. 

We headed home, cleaned up some more, opened gifts....and these two fishes swam.  The weather was 95% humidity, with no wind. 

It certainly introduced a new definition to frizzy hair, and clammy skin.

Just don't hug me, and don't sit too close in the car. HA!



Happy August Fifth.


later gators,
xoxo

L

Sure we have time...

To stop by and celebrate him. My Friday was filled with all things "Set-Up" for Kali's party, but we knew we'd stop by and give some love to Jojo!

Jordan, big 15!

Watching him grow, watching him evolve.  He's quite the fine feller.  JoJo, we love you dude.

Love

My bud.  The chapters we've filled together.....

But the fun didn't stop there, after a quick set up prep for Kali's party, we'd hop in the little boat and over to the "Bluewater".  The end of a long week with our 4 pack plus two.  Russ and Jodee snuck off to the island.

Stay tuned for Kali's going away party pics.  Thus far I've uploaded some pretty funny ones.

I'll need another day to loosen my grip from a desk full, and a mind SUPER full of more planning.

xoxo

Happy Birthday Jo.  You will move mountains, and shine bright in the sky for many, many, oh so many years.

You make us proud, you little stud-

Love,

Auntie Lisa and Uncle Billy.

Following a passion.

This dude has gone through several different hobbies.  Although I had him very young, I always followed his love for active sports, animals, and his love for the water....I most always shared so many moments together with this dude.  I read to him every.single.night.  I volunteered at his schools, and where ever my help was needed.  I was always "room mom"-  And most always, that Mom that would stand up when needed for him.

From surfing, to skateboarding, to bmx riding.  I've driven him to the farthest tracks, to the local ones too.  I remember my old little Jetta's road trips with them, and we'd high five eachother as we arrived back home from far away places- "She made it"-  ha!

I've sat on the sand in the very early foggy mornings, while he competed with NSSA (Surfing).  Soon, he'd end up purchasing at least 5 boards.  All sizes, shapes, and colors.

He's bought and sold at least 5 bmx bikes as well during his middle and high school years....

We've gone through electric scooters, gas scooters, and razors.

I'm quite sure many neighbors scrunched their noses at him, as I matter of fact I am very quite sure they have.
Skateboards, ramps, bikes, noise, more noise....friends.  All of it.  Haters gonna hate.  

Raising boys takes a different menu. That's for sure.  As they say, "boys will be boys"-

He has a passion for all living animals...so much so, that I would get asked at least twice a month to go buy fish, lady bugs at Home Depot, snakes, iguana's, lizards.  You name it, we've bought em.

His latest passion has been free diving and spear fishing.....This dude does not get sea sick. Neither does Kali. Talk about lucky duckies!!  He heads out just about every weekend, and at least one night a week.
He dives off of Palos Verde, and he heads way out into the Mexico waters.  A great crew of guys.
A beautiful chance to be with nature.  The great wide ocean is the perfect antidote for a stressful week selling fiberglass parts.  That's for dang sure.

We have a freezer full of fish.  What he catches WILL get eaten.
The one thing we all have in common in our home is the love for the ocean.
If Bill and I didn't get so sea sick, we always say we'd be right out there with him.

My wishes and dreams in this life is that my kids follow their passions.  Follow the dreams or the hobbies that make their hearts most full.

Staring out at the great big sea, or sitting next to your buddy while coming in from a perfect day on the ocean is what this life is all about.

As much as I nag him about staying safe (I'm scared he'll get tangled in sea weed), there is nothing better than a text from him while coming in with pictures of this happiness.

This. Right.  Here.


Living for today.  Because we aren't guaranteed tomorrow.

Happy Throw Back Thursday!

Love,
This Mama Lisa