My big night on the town.

Yesterday was a bittersweet day. My friend Ryan, who we called Quazie, passed away almost eleven years ago and yesterday would have been his twenty-seventh birthday. Time really does fly. While it's a sad day because Quazie wasn't here with us, it was also a day filled with love and celebration. Every year since he passed, his family and friends gather for a birthday dinner with good food, good drinks, replaying memories come and gone, and making new ones all throughout. Although we miss him dearly, it's always comforting to know that you have that group of people who are always there to come together in times like this and remember Ryan with love and laughter all around us.  

Last night was so much fun and these friends and I always share that bond of what brings us together, and in a way that makes us our own little family somehow... Which often means no filters, over-sharing, a level of comfort that requires us to be hidden in a backroom at a restaurant, and as Ryan's Aunt Stacey expressed, "My cheeks hurt from laughing so much!" That's the kind of night I had and then got to come home to my three little monsters (plus Rocco) ready to snuggle up with Eric and I in our bed and make sure we were up with the sun. Thanks boys, Mommy loves waking up bright and early after a night out!! But it was worth it!

So, that's what happens when you're a Mom. You use that Monday night dinner as your big 'night on the town' and get to wake up early on Tuesday to loud and crazy children who are ready to play! So, off we go to buy Valentine's Day cards for Owen's preschool class and replenish the never-ending demand for diapers and milk! The glamorous life of a stay at home Mama continues...