Oh, Christmas Tree!

You know the old adage "a picture is worth a thousand words"?  Well, I'm going to let the photos do the talking in this post.  Now presenting... our Christmas tree!

Here are some of our sentimental ornaments...

Stay tuned for more photos of our holiday decor -- we have lots of little Christmas vignettes scattered throughout the apartment and we love sharing our ideas and photos!  For now, I'm going to sit and gaze at our tree...

Frankenstorm: Tracking Sandy

By now, many of you East Coasters are already feeling Sandy's effects.  Flooding, power outages and hurricane-force winds have been hitting the tri-state area for hours now.  I'll admit it, when talk of the hurricane first started, I was skeptical that we'd get hit hard.  Yes, our Caribbean vacation had been cancelled due to Sandy, but I was convinced that the storm would simmer down before it hit the coat.  Nevertheless, while we were grocery shopping on Saturday, we picked up a case of bottled water and some non-perishables.  Knowing our luck, I figured if we had the supplies then we wouldn't end up needing them.  ;)  Even until yesterday when they actually shut down NYC mass transportation, I wasn't too worried. But since this morning when meteorologists began reporting the storm as worse than predicted, I started to get a little nervous.  I've been keeping a watchful eye on Sandy since I woke up and I can tell you right now, I'm not a fan.

According to this side-by-side comparison, Sandy is going to be much worse than Irene:

Source

If you're without a television but have internet connectivity, you can view live coverage from The Weather Channel on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXMU2qwCVag

The Google Crisis Response Team has set up a site to track the storm.  Details about forecasts, public alerts, traffic conditions, evacuation routes, emergency shelters and more can be found right on one page:

(Source: http://google.org/crisismap/2012-sandy)

I hope everyone stays safe!!!  Keep tracking the storm, follow instructions from emergency personnel and stay inside!  Good luck to all...

Anniversary Remembrance

July 20th is a very special day to me.  On this day in 1946 my grandparents were married.

Here's a photo of my Babci and Dziadziu that was taken in July 2008 at our engagement party, a week before their 62nd anniversary.

Growing up, I was in awe of their love.  The way they looked lovingly into one another's eyes, chased one another around the dining room table for kisses, always held hands and generally showed love and respect for the other person, even during a disagreement, was so inspiring.  I always thought while growing up that if I could find a partner even half as wonderful as either of them, I'd be very lucky.  Obviously no relationship or spouse is perfect, but to me their marriage was a shining example of the gifts of family and love.  I have and always will admire their devotion.

Sadly, my grandpa passed away in April 2009, the month before our wedding.  I'd dreamed of sharing a wedding dance with my new hubby and my grandparents for as long as I can remember, but unfortunately life didn't work out that way.

I feel so blessed that we all got to celebrate their 62nd anniversary that summer as a family up in Maine.  Lots of hugs, kisses, singing and laughs were shared that weekend for sure!  Here's a photo of the lovebirds after we serenaded them with Sto Lat and a celebratory cake.

I am so lucky that I have so many wonderful memories of many years spent with both my grandparents, and cherish the opportunity to create even more memories with my grandma!  I always count my blessings when it comes to my family, but on this day in particular I am especially proud to be part of my grandparents' legacy.