I am grateful for the many blessings 2014 brought. It’s been a wonderful year full of cherished happy times with friends & family…
Your soulful coach for wellness, clean beauty & eco lifestyle Savvy | Sexy | Beautiful | Healthy | You
I am grateful for the many blessings 2014 brought. It’s been a wonderful year full of cherished happy times with friends & family…
HAPPY 8TH BIRTHDAY JACKSON!!!
MOMMY LOVES YOU ♥ XOXO
This little boy has brought more love and light into my life than I ever could have hoped for. Jackson has a very special way about him… a gentle spirit and a joyful soul. People love his positive energy and infectious happy way. He’s not only smart, he looks at the world with an innovative and resourceful eye. I am very proud to be his mommy.
♥ He is a blessing & a gift from God ♥
By Kelly 2 Comments
The last few weeks have been quite emotional. My witty, warm hearted, charismatic Dad passed away. I’ve always felt lucky to have such an open, loving and warm father. Generous in spirit with a passion for life he was a great man in that ‘greatest generation.’
Psalm 42:7 says, “…the best response is a heart overflowing with gratitude,” this was my dad. He was truly grateful for the many blessings in his life. Even during the tough times he remained grateful, kept a positive outlook and persevered. As my brother said in his beautiful eulogy, my dad was genuine. I am blessed to be his daughter and miss him dearly. Losing a parent is a difficult rite of passage and now I’ve lost both of mine.
My father was a true American hero who served in World War II, receiving 3 Bronze Stars and a special medal for D-day. He was in the 121st Engineer Combat Battalion of the United States Army and battled in 3 major special series campaigns including D-Day where he was in the 2nd wave of American units to storm the beaches in Normandy. He married his high school sweetheart and love of his life 3 weeks after returning from duty.
Jake was a real man… loved baseball, horse racing & scotch! A true blue Dodger fan who watched every game he could. He was even a bat boy for the 1930s Yankee farm team where he met greats including Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig. He was a fine baseball player himself and might have played professionally if he hadn’t enlisted.
He worked in the car business most of his life and owned his own business where he had a large celebrity clientele but his true passion was entertainment. He was a great song and dance man. His talent, humor and great looks won him roles in plays, musicals and commercials. His resemblance to Jack Lemmon was uncanny and he had fun with it (so did we!) People didn’t just think he looked like Jack Lemmon, they often thought he was Jack Lemmon!
My parents had me later in life, they had three teenagers, and then had to do it all over again with me. They called me their ‘little surprise,’ as I got older I realized what that meant! They never made me feel as though I was an accident or that they had to make sacrifices to raise me. In fact, they told me that having a baby at that point brought the family closer together. He sure loved his family and we all felt that love.
Forever the optimist, my dad’s love for life was infectious. He was a master story teller and his great sense of humor stayed with him until the end. The outpouring of the fondness and affection for him from friends and family has been touching. He put people at ease, made them laugh and brought smiles to their faces, as did the clever nicknames he gave. I truly enjoyed his company, his presence was dynamic. He was fun and young for his years, he drew people in with his likable character. Kind and generous with, as my niece, Janessa, says, “… a whole lot of class and swag!”
I will greatly miss his quick wit, eager smile and loving way
♥♥♥
In Loving Memory
Jacob Clifford Harper
March 10, 1923 – July 10, 2013
God saw you getting weary.
He did what He thought best.
He put his arms around you
and said, Come and rest.
He opened up His golden gates
on that heartbreaking day,
and with His arms around you,
you gently slipped,away.
It broke our hearts to lose you.
You did not go alone.
A part of us went with you,
the day God called you home.
♫
By Kelly 6 Comments
Women are busier than ever these days. Whether you’re a stay at home mom or you work outside the home, you’re juggling a multitude of things. We’re working, keeping house, raising our kids and trying to take care of everything and everyone.
As crazy as our lives get, we must also take care of ourselves or we can’t properly care for those around us. I’m a busy mom, doing it all with no nanny, housekeeper or family to help but I carve out time and look after myself with exercise, proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. There are simple things we can do that really make a big difference… Read entire article at Just Between Friends.
Happy Birthday Daddy!
My dad, Jake, is a great man and a wonderful father, grandfather and great grandfather. I am proud and very blessed to be his daughter ♥
My dad has had an amazing life. He is a true American hero who served in World War II for nearly 3 years, receiving four medals. 3 Bronze Stars and a special medal for fighting on D-day. He was in the 121st Engineer Combat Battalion of the United States Army and battled in 3 major special series combat campaigns including D-day. His was one of the first American units to storm the beaches in Normandy. He married his high school sweetheart 3 weeks after returning from duty.
He owned his own business while I was growing up but he’s always been a song and dance man! Over the years, his talent, wit and charismatic charm has won him roles in plays, musicals and commercials. You might have seen his latest commercial for Kayak, it’s pretty funny, he plays Mr. Carroll…
By Kelly 17 Comments
2012 was a difficult year for many people. It seems nearly everyone I know was touched by some type of loss or illness. We unfortunately suffered a tragic loss in our family. I haven’t yet written about it but the last few months of 2012 were not easy. A devastating accident took the life of my beautiful mother-in-law, Diane Bonanno.
Diane Valerie Bonanno
September 11, 1938 – November 19, 2012
While on vacation with my father-in-law in one of her favorite places, Hawaii, a huge wave about 15 feet high slammed her to the ground, shattering her neck. This very active woman, young for her years who hiked and did yoga was, in an instant, a quadriplegic.
The next 3 and a half weeks were difficult and scary. We prayed for miracles. She fought hard, her will to live was strong but after many complications, she passed away just before Thanksgiving. My husband lost his mom. The outpouring of support and prayers from friends during this ordeal was overwhelming. We had a beautiful service for her just before Christmas. My husband, his father, sister and both brothers spoke from their heart, it was exactly what I think she would have wanted.
I am blessed to have known her. She was a beautiful person inside and out… kind, generous, thoughtful, spiritual, loving. Diane was a wonderful mother and an amazing grandmother who had a special relationship with each of her 10 grandchildren. She was full of love and helped people her entire life, always giving of her time and talents.
The medical staff in both hospitals said she was special. They rarely see so much love and support from families and visitors. They appreciated how kind and polite she was. Her behavior was a pleasant surprise for them as they expressed to the family how rare it is for patients in her condition to even smile. Another testament to her generous and loving spirit.
I loved being her daughter-in-law. We were very close and fortunately had none of the typical issues most women have with their mother-in-law. I could really talk to her and be myself, I always felt like she ‘got me’. I’m lucky we bought our home when we did because some of my last memories of her are how much fun we had shopping for new items for our home and decorating it together. My father-in-law said it best at her service, “all of my 3 sons are mamas boys and their wives still love her!” She loved deeply and everyone felt her love. A light in our lives dimmed way too soon.
Galations 5:22-28
“The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
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