30 Day Blogger Challenge: Day 19

First things first...Happy Halloween weekend (almost ;) to all of you! :) I can't wait to see all of your pictures! :) I wanted to post pictures of the kids, but I want to wait until Sunday when they are both dressed up, at the same time, and HOPEFULLY cooperating! ;) My mom is bringing Mia up to my office this afternoon for our Mini-Halloween party (for all the employees kiddos!) I'm super excited for my friends to see her all dressed up. They see her often (she goes to daycare right down the street, so typically every other Friday is "Mia Friday" where I bring her in the office for a few hours in the afternoon) BUT they haven't seen her dressed up as a chicken! :) Manuel isn't coming (but have no fear! :) it's because he has his Halloween parade and party at school. He's 4 1/2 now, you don't miss those sort of things! He has changed his mind from a knight (we have the costume) to an Indian (we have the costume) to NOW he's going to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (and guess what? That's his costume from last year! As I said, he's 4 1/2, it's what they do! :) Thankfully we didn't actually spend money on the Knight or Indian costume or else I'd be an angry mommy! :) They were hand-me-downs! :)

Day 19: Something I miss...

I miss my dad. It was a year May 15, 2010 since he passed. It was the day after his memorial service that I found out I was pregnant with Mia. My dad a VERY rough 59 years of life-part of it was his childhood, a HUGE part of it was choices he made. He shouldn't have died so young, but 40+ years of alcohol and drug abuse will do that to you. No matter what though, he was my dad and I LOVED him! He was a great dad (when he was sober) and I miss those times. But mostly, with all my heart, I miss seeing him and Manuel together. He and Manuel had SUCH a special bond! Manuel will randomly talk about my dad and I LOVE it! I wish he was here to have met Mia. I miss what could have been between a PopPop and his first granddaughter.

I miss my nephews, Mateo, Ian and Anthony. Although I only knew them for mere moments this side of Heaven. I knew them while my sister carried them. I miss them, I love them, and I can't wait to see them one day! :)

I miss family vacations. My family (meaning extended, as well) is VERY close! When I was little we would all (20+ people) go on vacations together. They were amazing! I miss those days.

I miss my Nonna (ny grandmother) and PopPop's (my grandfather) cooking. They were both born and raised in Sicily. They moved to America when my mom was around 8 years old. They knew how to cook food like no one I've ever met. Food, cookies and homemade bread! YUMMM!!! PopPop died in early December 2003. Nonna is still here, but a brain tumor took away her ability to cook and live alone. She now is in a nursing home :( But I am SO happy that she is still here to have met my children. They know and love their Nonni. Although she can't live on her own, her same spunky spirit is still in there! :)

Okay, there I go getting deep and mushy TWO days in a row! :) I apologize. A few lighter posts will be posted later today (or in a few minutes because I'm at work and don't feel like working! :)

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