Hello friends and happy Tuesday! It is our first week in March……which means BIRTHDAY WEEK and not just any birthday week THE birthday week for turning 30! Yes, the big 3-0! I am taking the plunge - and truly head on….starting with excuses to play and toast and cheers and party ALL.WEEK.LONG. Wahoo!
Before we truly launch into March though I need to recap our last week of February that ended up being pretty major! And let you know that February has been so dang gone crazy that the theme for this month (love and being a couple) was put on hold. Of course not the love or being the Mr. & Mrs. part….but the activities and events that Danny and I both had planned to make this month extra focused on the “we”! The good news is we were too busy setting up our next phase of life (THE BIG MOVE OF 2015 is COMING!!!), enjoying some snow days, celebrating hockey - and truly starting our 2015 off right, that a new theme just did not fit. And since we had some special things in mind that required focus and carefully chosen time for February - we opted to wait until we are a little more settled in OUR HOME to dive right in! Sorry folks - the love fest is gonna have to wait….. but don’t worry it is coming!!
Last weeks fun truly started on Wednesday - the high school semi-final championship game. Last year this was the game that ended the O’Connell season. This year the O’Connel Knights faced another hard team and very physical game - but landed on top!! Danny and the coaches were thrilled with the team’s ability to play together, put the plans into action and their incredible amount of focus. Even for this hockey novice, I could tell the difference. The boys celebrated the win and planned for the Championship on Friday!
Thursday night we had plans with our friends Ryan and Megan. Ryan has been good friend since high school for both Danny and I. In fact I knew Ryan better than I knew Danny during my O’Connell days. Ryan was in our wedding, a best friend to us both - having filled a lot of roles for us over the years. And now we are blessed to have gotten to know his beautiful and vivcious girlfriend Megan! She is fun loving, full of energy and smiles! A dinner to catch up with them outside the hospital walls was just what we needed to welcome the weekend.
Before we knew it Friday night was here - and it was exciting! Danny was pumped up - the school was rallying behind the boys (thank you Bridget and her Dance Team for the banner) and we headed to the game.
At 5:30 I raced out of work right into a heap of traffic EVERYWHERE! I tried a few different routes - but no luck and arrived at the very last moments of the first period. The boys were ahead 2 to 1. This was not only promising, but truly impressive. The periods were made longer for this game and the other team outweighed our gang significantly in number of players. As we headed into the second period the score increased, but we held the lead! Then the third period and we tied - then down to three minutes and the Knights went down. The coached pulled the goalie - and another point down we went. The game ended 5 to 2 - and it was sad. The first two periods were so strong- but the extended periods, the difference in team size, it ultimately got us.
The kids were sad, the coaches disappointed, and our fans silenced….but after the initial shock passed everyone was really proud of our team. In just a year they had already significantly improved and with more recruits to come, another season for spring hockey, followed by summer practice - next year the team will be even better! This season has ended - but not without a bang! Good job boys and I can’t wait to see you next year!
The second saddest part about Friday night was my Aunt’s 50 birthday party we had to miss. This was a decades costume party - from any decade she was born in- and our family had a big theme planned - 101 Dalmatians! Sadly though Danny and I had to exchange our role of spotted pups for hockey fans and my dad was stuck because of bad weather out west in Texas - so my mom’s henchman was out too. My sisters and mom were left alone - but did a great job!! Sorry we missed it Kim - but a Happy, Happy Birthday!!
Saturday was a bit of a slower start after a lot of hockey and a little bit of House of Cards watching (in previous years we have binge watched and fast….but this time around we made a promise with the move and life so full right now we need our sleep - NO BINGE WATCHING! So we fit in just a few episodes). The day was spent packing, working and preparing for the first official birthday celebration that night - the Bessette girls’ birthday dinner! My mother-in-law, Pat, and I share the same birthday week….but this year Pat and John will be on a cruise! So we met for an early birthday dinner at our favorite family Italian restaurant (shocking - I know)! Joined by John’s sister, Linda and her husband, Rob - we all had a great dinner and toast to our family's favorite March gals!
Sunday was F-U-L-L. We packed and prepped. Since my in-laws’ cruise is set for 10 days, we planned to move to their house and take care of their dog. So our goal was to pack up as much of my parent’s house as possible and live out of my inlaws with just suitcases. We did pretty good and by the time Sunday night rolled around and we went to mass, my family’s last minute request to celebrate my birthday dinner before we headed to the Bessette's house for the coming days was met with tired eyes. Danny and I tried to rally - but ended up with Chiense at home…and a pretty big cookie! Not the big celebration we all had planned but with moving prep, a mini-move to my inlaws and full weeks for both the office and my contract work - it was just what we needed.
Finally last night we finished packing up our current basement dwelling, gathered our suitcases and work and play and STUFF for the next 10 days……so today, I am crashing hard! We have set up “home” for the next few days in Vienna, but are really dreaming of our final move to our permeant HOME…..just the three of us! In the meantime some fun birthday plans are a fantastic distraction …..that and the SNOW we are expecting! Not ideal - but its not moving day yet so I am saying….bring it on as long as March 15 is sunny and clear!!
The last few weeks and days to come feel unsettled. We are enjoying ourselves but just bouncing between homes and families. In an odd and such perfect way though, it is helping us to really appreciate moving and finding our own space. It has been a long awaited experience and now we will truly savor it!
Hope your week is shaping up nicely and thanks for visiting to share in ours!
