The Way We Were (with Fire and Gun Safety Tips)

Today is November 9th.  Should be an ordinary day like any other. For many people, it is. For me, it isn't. Today signifies a turning point in my youth, a day that changed my life and who I am forever.

Saturday November 9th, 1986 as I was away for the weekend in Lynn, Mass with my mother visiting her High School best friend, Ludlow Massachusetts firefighters saw what was at the time the worst house fire in it's history. It was the the home of my grandparents and it claimed the lives of my Grandmother, Aunt and my 9 year old cousin Rachel. I was 7 years old.

Cousin Rachel and Auntie Diane on top
 and Rachel cutting her first communion cake on the bottom

My Mother, myself and Rachel on top,
Rachel and our Grandparents in Old Orchard Beach, ME.

My Memere, Aunt Diane, Pepere, and cousin Rachel.
Those were the days!

On November 9, 1991 a classmate of mine was fatally wounded by a gunshot. It was accidental. I was 12. Out of respect for his family and all of those involved, I will not reveal his name or any other details. Although, I know many of you have this date and his name etched into your hearts and minds forever.

In honor of them, in rememberance and respect, I light these candles, For my family, and, My dear friend.

I'd also like to take this time to talk a little bit about fire and gun safety.

The U.S. Fire Administration has some great tips and resources on fire prevention.

Please, remember, to always test your smoke detectors and fire alarms! You never know when you are going to need them!

If your children are old enough make sure to talk to them about the dangers of fires.

Plan an escape route and designate a meeting place outside of your home!

Make sure you have two exits out of each room of your home with a clear path to each.

Always keep a fire extinguisher in your home, especially in your kitchen.

Gun Safety

The National Rifle Association has some great tips for parents  and a great safety program called The Eddie Eagle Safety Program.

What happened to my friend was a tragic accident, and nobody's fault. However, knowledge is power and you can never, ever be too careful.

Viva Las Vegas and Wedding Bells

Three years ago today, my husband I awoke in the wee hours of the morning and boarded a plane heading to Vegas. We were getting married!

A lot of  people ask us what made us decide to "run off to Vegas". The simple answer is that is just "so us". If you knew us personally you would understand completely. But, it wasn't something that I ever thought I would do until after we were engaged and planning a wedding.

We always knew we would get married. We knew from the moment we met. One afternoon in July, after we had been dating for 4 years, living together most of that time, Adam came home from work particularly early. I had a terrible morning and was so grateful for the added hands. Our 8 week old daughter was really giving me a run for my money. She didn't sleep well the night before, neither had I and a nap was not in her future. So, there I was still in my pajamas, hair a mess, eyes all bloodshot and swollen, when I turned around to find my now husband on one knee in our dining room with a diamond ring in his hands. I've never seen my husband nervous a day in his life. Not even when our daughter was born. He was a nervous wreck.

That morning turned into one of the best mornings of my life!

So, now the question was, when and where? We went back and forth, a November wedding? A Christmas wedding? We were new parents, stressed out already as our daughter was not a good sleeper. We'd had a particularly bad year in 2007, losing our first child in miscarriage, and the death of my mother and Adam's grandfather. One night as we were sitting together on the couch watching one of our favorite shows "Las Vegas", we both slowly looked at each  other, grinned and said YUP! So, that's what we did and we've never regretted it a single day.

So, after kissing our 4 month old goodbye (some tears were shed and not by me surprisingly) we headed out that cold October morning from my brothers home in MD and headed to BWI to catch our flight to Vegas. From the moment we left we were like giddy school kids in love. I've always heard about newlyweds acting that way but I never "got it" until then.

Upon arrive at McCarran International the first thing we saw (besides slot machines!) was this:

And on the shuttle going towards downtown Fremont Street where we were staying we saw

Our Hotel On Fremont Street                                                 

                                                                                                    

We chose to use Vegas Weddings and we are very happy that we did. They picked us up in a White Stretch Limo,which I have no pictures of as we were just so taken in by everything and in awe of everything around us. We chose to get married on the Stone Terrace at night and it was absolutely beautiful. Truly romantic!

Right before the ceremony began

During the ceremony

Adam saying his vows

First kiss as husband and wife!

We spent four glorious days in Vegas and had the time of our lives. It was filled with relaxation, romance, and excitement. We loved having four days to ourselves to just enjoy each other. We couldn't have hoped for a better honeymoon.

Some of the really cool things we saw:

Just us!

We had a wonderful time, but by the end of the trip we were anxious to get home to our little girl who we missed so very much! 

Just a few shots of us goofing off while waiting to board our plane:

So, happy Anniversary to the most amazing husband I could have ever hoped for. I truly hope the next 50 years are filled with as much love as we have today, as we raise our children and build our legacy.