Celebrating Brian

This past weekend I flew to Rochester, NY to attend my cousin Brian's memorial service. Although it was very very sad, I think that Brian would be pleased with how this family came together to celebrate his life and say "goodbye". There were many tears, but there was also laughter and many stories shared. Brian loved to laugh and he loved his family, so I think he'd approve.

I flew to NY alone. No kids and no Chris. I'm not good about taking time away for myself and so it felt really weird walking through the airport alone on Thursday night. No kids. No husband. Just me. So weiiiiird.

I met up with my parents and brothers and we stayed together the five of us. I can't remember the last time we've spent a weekend as "the original five", since two of us are married with kids now. You may not know that I grew up in Rochester, NY for the first part of my life, until I was 12 years old, but I did. We lived a few streets over from my grandparents and also close to my aunt and cousins. My father also grew up in this town. Even after we moved to Michigan, we went back quite often to visit. To say that Rochester holds a special place in our hearts would be an understatement. In a way, it will always feel like home.

My brothers and I hadn't been back to Rochester in many years so there was lots of walking down memory lane, literally and figuratively. My brothers and I drove by the house we grew up in, hit up Cooper Deli where we used to ride our bikes to buy penny candies, and walked by the elementary school we attended as kids. It all seems like yesterday.... and at the same time like it was a lifetime ago.

We drove by my grandparent's house, which is now occupied by another family. As kids (and young adults), we LOVED being at my grandparents' house and I think the whole Mooney clan would agree, we loved spending time there, sitting around the dining room table having spirited discussions and laughing. That house holds so many memories for us. My grandparents have been gone almost nine years now and it still felt strange not to pull into the driveway and walk through the side door.

On Friday night, my cousin Julie and her husband Joe had everyone over for a BBQ. They are such generous, wonderful people and really know how to throw a BBQ! It was an evening spent catching up, remembering Brian, eating lots of food, telling stories and listening to stories.

This kind gathering, reminiscing, and laughing, it's good for the soul.

However, never far from our minds was the reason we'd all gathered. We came together as a family to say "goodbye" to Brian and celebrate his life. The "goodbye" part was so difficult, but I thought his memorial service was beautiful and really captured the spirit of who Brian was.

He was and will be, so missed. I kept half expecting him to walk through the door and join us at my cousin Julie's BBQ Friday night, and at dinner Saturday night. It completely sucks that he can't be here with us. There's no other way to put it.

Tonight, I'm leaving NY, feeling so blessed to have the family that I do. I really love these people so much and I'm proud of the history we share as Mooney's. We have an unbreakable bond, no matter what. We'll always show up for each other and there will be laughter and stories and that thread which connects us. And Brian will always be missed. 

Family

"Dad, are they really staying?"

34

Over the weekend I turned 34 years old.

My younger brothers like to tease me about getting older but I don't care one bit. So far the 30's have been a wonderful adventure. I married my husband, had little c and will be blessed with three more sons in the next few months. No doubt this year will bring many challenges but also also many joys and laughs.

My birthday was a perfectly low key, relaxing day spent with family. In the morning, a photographer came to the house to take some family pictures and capture this big belly, then I took a long nap and for dinner we sat around the dining room table, my parents, Chris, little c and my brother G, and enjoyed my mom's homemade pizza and pudding cake (it's the best!)

I also got some fun, thoughtful gifts such as a comfy bathrobe, a new lens for my camera, some scarfs and nursing wear. 

But the very BEST present? 

That I'm 27 weeks strong into this pregnancy. The boys still seem to be very content and cozy in my belly and for that I'm so grateful. 

And one more thing that I'll remember forever which happened on my birthday. Late that night as I was just drifting off to sleep I heard little c begin to stir down the hall. Since I can't get out of bed that easily or move very quickly, I usually usually nudge my husband and he goes to see what the little man needs. Just as I was reaching over to wake Chris, I heard Colin's little voice yell, "Mama!"

"MAMA?! He's calling ME specifically?!"

Colin has been a little late with his language development and although he has many more words now, "Mama" has been a very recent development in just the last week or two. 

And still, he's never called for me in the middle of the night. Usually he just cries.

Let me tell you, I dragged my pregnant self out of bed and wobbled down the hall just as fast as I could yelling, "Mama's coming!"

He just needed a drink of milk which I gladly got for him, basking in the fact that he called MY name. 

I'm sure that many years from now, after a thousand middle of the night calls for mom, the sound of Mommy yelled by my boys won't carry the same sweetness as this first. But for now, for today, it was the icing on the cake.

Mother's Day

Dear little c- I had just the best mother's day with you and daddy. Thank you for making it so special. As you know (at least on some level must know), daddy and I have been working SO hard to get the upstairs done (especially daddy). In many ways it has become all consuming and some days I feel like living in a construction zone just stinks!!!! Sometimes it makes me crabby. So when Daddy said that he had a whole day planned for us to spend together on Mother's day, for a second I thought, "well, we don't have time for fun! We should be working on the house!"...... But Daddy convinced me and off we went out together as a family for THE WHOLE DAY! And we didn't even talk about the house to- do list once!

Oh colin, you were so cute in the outfit you wore with your hair combed over to the side. You are looking less like a baby and more like a handsome little man. My man. For now at least. You are truly the apple of my eye. No matter what stress is happening in our lives, you are a constant reminder of what is really important (love) and that miracles really happen.

Here's what we did on our special day (Daddy made each part a surprise):

Brunch at Park Grill at millennium park. They were giving away free mimosa's for all the mommies. I'm usually not a mimosa kind of person but I thought, what the heck! You ate grilled cheese, fruit and strawberry orange juice.

The Aquarium. We'd never been there before and so we went. Even though we had to wait in line for a while, you still stayed awake and true to your nature took in all there was to see at the aquarium. We wondered what you were thinking as you watched all the fish. You'd stare and smile and point and look to daddy and I to share the moments. For us, there's nothing better than watching you learn and enjoy life.

As soon as we got in the car, you fell asleep. And so Daddy and I made a split second decision to stop at one of our old stomping grounds, Rose Angelis. It's where we had one of our first dates and also where I once ate so much I threw up! Yes, the food is THAT good. You slept in your car seat all through dinner which gave Daddy and I some special time. And we didn't even talk about home renovations! We mostly talked about you and where we see ourselves in 5 years. Suburbs or city?

It was a perfect day. I'm so incredibly thankful that you have your daddy as a role model for how to treat a woman. But really, it's not only me that he treats well. He treats everyone with respect and kindness and always makes me feel especially loved and appreciated.

Sometimes in the craziness of day to day living I find myself getting stressed just thinking about all that needs to get done- assignments for school, renovations, laundry, dinner, renovations, etc etc.

But on Mother's day, while we gallivanted the city without a care, one phrase kept going through my mind over an over: "We're a family". It seems like such a basic fact, but really it's extraordinary. Not 5 years ago I was single, then it was your Dad and I, and then you came along and we became a family

The three of us

"We're a family"

I like the sound of that