Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving this year was a bit different in that we spent the afternoon with all the family at a Greek restaurant named the Odyssey. I thought most would be eating from the special Thanksgiving menu, however, the majority ordered Greek food. We must have eaten 4-5 orders of Saganaki (Oooopahh!) At first, the little boys were fearful of the giant flame that shot upward from the flaming saganaki, but then, they wanted to see more and were entertained by it.

The evening ended at our home with a fun family game of cards (poker). It was fun to see Neil, Anthony and Jenna playing side by side. Mike, Marlene, Steven and Michael join us after their Thanksgiving meal, and then Leah came later and joined Gabriel, Vincent and GianLuca in the fun. The boys asked for their favorite thing to do when they come to the house. First, they go upstairs with Grampa and play airplane spin on the bed and then they asked me to take out the vacuum cleaner to play with it (Go figure?!?) I wonder if that fascination will continue as they age...somehow I don't think so!

Later we made turkey sandwiches for everyone and had apple, pumpkin and french silk pie along with a tray of fruit and coffee. We had a wonderful time with all of the family!

Neil's Soccer Tournament in Naperville 9-20-09

Congratulations to Neil's Soccer team, the Plainfield Legends U-9 Girls. They were the winners of the Naperville Soccer tournament on 9-20-09 beating the U-9 Girls team from Canton, Michigan, 4-1. Congratulations, Coach Neil Bianco!

Banner Elk Resort Vacation

So I was planning on surprising my mother by visiting her in Atlanta over the Memorial Day weekend, but before I could finalize my plans, I received a phone call from my sister. She was with my mother at the time and began the conversation, "I know this is a very last minute request, but I'm taking mom to Banner Elk, NC next Saturday to my timeshare condo for the week...and we'd love for you to join us." My response was, "Ok!" And instead of driving to Atlanta, I made my way to North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We had a great time relaxing and just spending time together. We visited Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, which is the largest family owned home in the United States. Needless to say it was magnificent...well worth the hour-and-a-half drive. We toured the home, the gardens and the winery, where we participated in a wine tasting. Closer to the resort, we visited Grand Father mountain, where we wound our way up the mountain, stopping to see the wildlife enclosures and ending up at the top, crossing the mile high swinging bridge. We really didn't intend on crossing the bridge, but only taking pictures. Once at the top, we decided we couldn't miss the thrill of the experience and all the surrounding beauty. Sometimes, the most spontaneous plans turn out the best. Thank you for inviting me, Terri!

Sam Magdal at Finley's Grill Room

Last night, Neil and Lisa came over for awhile with Gabriel and Vincent. It's so much fun to see them, especially when we're not expecting it. They looked so cute in their matching argyle polo shirts. Gabriel watered my plants for me and Vincent sat on my lap as we watched a taped segment of Cat Stevens. Vincent joined in singing "Moon Shadow"...so cute!

After Neil and Lisa left for Target, Bob and I went to Finley's Grill Room in Lombard for dinner and music. The food is always good and this night, after eating, we went into the massive bar where we were able to watch the end of the Sox game (unfortunate as that was) and listen to Sam Magdal sing Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin music. It was a very enjoyable evening!

Taken

Bob and I went to see the movie "Taken" at the Glen today. We both thought it was an awesome movie! We highly recommend you go see this movie, especially if you're in the mood to see the bad guys get their butts kicked! Liam Neeson was terrific!

GianLuca's 2nd B-day

Family Easter Brunch

We're planning the first stay-at-home Easter Brunch for our family since.., well, I really can't remember if we ever stayed home for Easter! Debbie is hosting the brunch and everyone is contributing something. I'm making my egg strata, trying my hand at sausage bread and maybe salad and a fruit tray. We'll also probably have pizzagaine (truly don't know how that's supposed to be spelled!), Lamb cake and maybe a ham. I'm really looking forward to a more low key (and less expensive) day. This picture is from Gabriel's first Easter.

Friday evening with Pam and Rocky

Last night we made plans for dinner with Pam and Rocky, good friends from our days as soccer parents/fans. Though our children are far removed from their days as soccer players, our friendship has continued and has given us many memories to share. We spent three and a half hours at the Odyssey restaurant in Glen Ellyn and then came back to the house for another couple of hours. We could have gone on and on catching up on the lives of our children, laughing about old memories and sharing new stories of grandchildren and pets in our lives. Hopefully, we'll get to take that trip to Las Vegas we talk about every time we're together!

Bells and Whistles

This morning I met up with Anthony, GianLuca, Lisa, Gabriel and Vincent at the new "Bells & Whistles" restaurant in Glen Ellyn. It's a wonderful, charming old fashioned soda fountain serving terrific coffee and pastries, ice-cream, lunch and dinner. The kids had Mac 'n Cheese on cute fish dishes along with fish crackers and fruit. Anthony had a delicious chicken sandwich and capuccino. My hazelnut "skinny" latte was excellent alongside my banana bread. After eating and drinking, Anthony left for work, but Lisa and I took Gabriel and Vincent into the play area of the restaurant. We sat on the floor at the wooden train set with the boys and played for almost an hour! This place is play group heaven! Packed with moms and their small children, we visited at just the right time before a rush of activity. Deciding it was time to leave, we walked downtown across the tracks to visit Gramma. Always entertaining, the kids had a wonderful visit with her (as well as Lisa and myself). What a nice way to spend a Friday morning and afternoon!

A Surprise Treat

I received a wonderful surprise early this evening when Anthony called with an invitation to join him, Brandy and GianLuca at 2 Toots restaurant in Glen Ellyn. I met them right after work and had so much fun watching GianLuca enjoy the train delivering his food. He danced to the music as he ate, bopping his head to the beat. How he loves riding the coin operated horse, and after eating, running up and down the ramp, Anthony chasing close behind. What fun! Thanks for asking me to come, Anthony!

St. Patrick's Day Pictures

The morning of St. Patrick's Day I made a quick stop at Walgreens to buy green St. Patrick's Day items for fun at work. One of the items was a green shamrock necklace that contained a bubble mixture, with a screw on cap attached to a wand. My plan was to blow bubbles at work during my Admin Team meeting (just to celebrate the day...after all, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day!) What happened instead, to my great entertainment, was that Lisa made a surprise visit with Gabriel and Vincent. I ended up letting Gabriel and Vincent blow bubbles in my office until the start of my meeting. That was much more enjoyable than blowing bubbles at co-workers!!! Thank you for stopping by Lisa!

Saturday, March 21st

Spring is finally here and it's so beautiful out. Today, we're going to see Chazz Palminteri in A Bronx Tale with Rich and Vicki. We'll be eating at Volare restaurant downtown before seeing the show. I'll let you know how is is tomorrow! 

A beautiful Day!

It's Friday, March 20th and it's a beautiful day outside! A little cold, perhaps, but sunny and uplifting. It almost gives me the same feeling I get when I see my grandchildren (but not quite!) Have a wonderful day!

Bob's 56th Birthday Party

Pictures from GianLuca's 2nd Birthday party