A sad end to Mother’s Day

I was going to do my typical weekend re-cap last night of a wonderful Mother’s Day spent with both of our moms and how blessed we are…which all remains true. But our night was rattled when we received a call from Brian’s friend he had just returned from camping with. Their other friend who was with them returned home to find out that his mother had died while out kayaking with his sister (on Mother’s Day no less). Just so tragic and awful. We are unsure of details yet, but Brian is very rattled. This is one of his childhood best friends and he knew his mom quite well. Bri lost his dad tragically when he was in 7th grade and has unfortunately known the feeling of loss from a very young age, so he knows his friend’s whole world has been turned upside down.

We feel even more grateful and blessed that we got to spend the day with both of our moms, and it made me just want to hug my mom even tighter. It’s always sad events like this that give you perspective, but it has once again reminded me that life is so very unpredictable, precious and that we are not the ones in charge here.

Please send along any positive thoughts and prayers to our friend and his family, they will need so much in the weeks and months to come.

Hope you all got to spend Mother’s Day with your moms and kiddos and furbabies alike. XO

5 on Friday

Happy Friday everyone! Spring has sprung here after a last blast from Winter on Tuesday. Thanks to our hostesses as always! Here’s what’s going on this Friday:

1. Good Friday
It is indeed Good Friday and being raised Catholic in an Italian family it’s a big tradition to do a fish dinner. So we’ll be feasting on fried clams, haddock, garlic pizza and spaghetti with red sauce and tuna (which sounds gross but my mom makes it and it is delish!!) I love having these traditions and it always brings me back to childhood. After dinner tonight Bri and I will be heading to our friends’ house for a poker-themed 30th birthday party. One of my oldest friends (I’ve known him since kindergarten!) is turning 30. I still can’t believe we’re turning 30 this year.

2. This dinner
We made this last night and it was the perfect Spring-night dinner! So easy to make and the salad was so fresh-tasting. Plus we got to break in the grill for the season. It reminds me that summer is on the way.

Chipotle pork loin and black bean salad

3. Easter Brunch
We’re going to brunch on Sunday with my parents and grandparents which I am looking forward to – but I am even MORE excited because it will be where my bridal shower is being held in September! I just found out a couple weeks ago where my girls were planning to have it – the rest stays a surprise. But the food at Gentile’s is unbelievable so I know they will do a great job.

4. Tucker
I just love our pup. Bri and I were saying last night that it feels as if he is our child. We’ve only had him for 6 months but he’s such a good dog and I am so happy we could rescue him from the horrible situation he was in. Here he is sunbathing on our deck Wednesday even though there was still snow on it and it was 30 degrees out!

5. Thankful
As I was writing this I received a very sweet email from my future mother in law – she told us she finally had time to look and read through our wedding website and she just said some of the sweetest things. I am so lucky, blessed and grateful that I get to marry in to that family and she has been such a blessing in my life and someone I look up to greatly.

TGIF

5 on Friday

Good morning loves! Hooking up with our fabulous hostesses this week and sharing some Friday things.

1. Etsy

I wanted to send a quick thank you to Lisa, Nina and Jennifer for their suggestions about getting my own blog template off Etsy. Who knew?! I seriously never thought of looking there. So over the next few weeks I am going to peruse the selection and will unveil a new design!

2. Rent the Runway

Most of you have probably heard of RTR (referral link), and if you haven’t, you MUST try it! I’ve been using them for about a year and a half now and I’ve become slightly addicted. You see, I have this problem where I feel that I need a new dress for every. single. occasion. (Can you relate?) The issue is that I spend all this money on dresses I only wear once that end up sitting in my closet. So for most weddings and sometimes showers I’ve attended, I call on my trusty old friends at RTR! You literally rent a designer dress for four days (and there are some STEALS on there) then plop it in the mail when you’re done. So, I get to be donned in designer threads for about 50 bucks a pop. I’ll be wearing this fun number to my friend Kaitlin’s bridal shower tomorrow (pics to come!)

3. Kait

Speaking of Kaitlin, we are throwing her a fabulous bridal shower tomorrow! I am so excited. It feels like we’ve been planning forever and it’s finally here. We’ll be having it at this amazing restaurant called Laci’s Tapas Bar. I threw a shower there last year and they did such a great job. Plus, the food is amazing. Can’t wait to share some pictures from the weekend! Here is a preview of one of the tapas on the menu, Mexican Sliders…yum!

4. Easter

We’ll be celebrating Easter a week early with Bri’s family this Sunday since our nieces will be around. I made their Easter baskets the other night and I can’t tell you how giddy I get doing stuff like that! I love buying them Christmas and birthday presents. I am an only child so it is such a blessing to have them in our lives. The second we got engaged they started calling me Aunt Rachel, haha 🙂 It’s so fun to watch them grow up and turn in to little ladies.

5. Quote

I keep seeing this quote pop up, either on Pinterest or Facebook or some other social media site, and I am reminded and also humbled every time about how much I love it and how true it rings. It’s something I often have to remind myself of when I feel angry with someone or perhaps upset with a co-worker. You just never know what else may be going on in someone’s life.

Have a great weekend, everyone! xo

Thankful

I felt moved to write a quick post about how thankful I am. I thank God every night before I go to bed and try to make sure I feel moments of gratitude throughout the day, but sometimes I still feel like that’s not enough.

Since April 2013, our lives have been a whirlwind (in the best way possible!) We bought a house, got engaged, adopted a dog, and started planning our wedding. I’m slowly learning that good life transitions can sometimes bring about the worst stress. You’ll see in a prior post how much I struggle with anxiety and sometimes panic attacks, something I’m trying to get under control.

And through it all, I have these people in my life who just stick with me and don’t give up on me, no matter how frustrating or discouraging it can be at times. Brian is my life saver…I don’t know what I would do without him. He truly loves me unconditionally and at times when I know it is difficult. But I also have my parents and my soon-to-be in-laws who love me just the same. And my friends who just let me be me, no questions ask, and are an unbelievable support system.

I guess I just felt moved to put it in words now while I’m feeling it, especially coming off a tough week. I want to make sure I can look back at this when I’m feeling low.