Still here! We've been busy!

***UPDATE: I am slowly catching up on my blog post to do list. I will link the items below as I create and publish the blog posts.***

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I am SO GUILTY of neglecting the blog!!

I haven't written a blog post in months. Seven months to be exact.

I would love to say the reason is because I have just been lazy. Honestly, I would LOVE to be lazy. LOVE. LAZY!

However, the reason is the absolute opposite.

Since that last blog post in April, so much has happened. We have...
* put our house up for sale ourselves; sold it two months later
* had my parents visit for a few days
* Marco's extreme love of the vacuum
* watched Rocco play Little League baseball
* celebrated Marco turning ONE!
* celebrated me turning 38 (crazy!)
* my mom began her battle with breast cancer
* I achieved a new half marathon PR (1:47:03) at my first race since having Marco, and placed 4th for my age division, 44th overall. All with no formal training plan.
* Giuliana went on her very first sleepover
* Gabby said goodbye to so many good friends at her last day of school in WA.
* Rocco graduated from pre-K
* Gabby started doing round-off back handsprings
* I had the wind knocked out of me when another mother, who had also lost one of her twin sons during his sleep (so similar to how we lost Matteo), contacted me. We have since corresponded countless times and will obviously have a lifelong connection.
* I got bit by a dog on my butt while finishing an 11 mile run w/a neighbor/friend.
* vacationed to MN and saw lots of family and friends
* crossed the 4th anniversary of Matteo's death
* Celebrated 11 years of marriage by taking the kids to a theme park for the day. It was exhausting. I would not recommend this for an anniversary celebration.
* Gabby attended some very cool summer camps.
* I cracked a tooth in July (and didn't get it fixed until mid-September!) while dealing w/the stress of packing.
* Said goodbye to some very, very special friends in WA who we will miss dearly, but will forever be a part of our lives.
* In 2 weeks we moved our family of 6 out of a house, drove 800 miles, spent 11 nights in 6 different hotels, had 2 kids with croup & 1 w/ear infection, 1 midnight ER visit, toured new school, started new activities, and moved into a temp apartment while house is being completed. Exhausted yet? I was & am still recovering I think!!
* Spent a magical night and day in Canon Beach, OR on our road trip to CA.
* I attended my 20 year high school reunion in MN.
* Gabby and Rocco started school in CA.
* Gabby started gymnastics at a new gym, hip hop dance, and swimming.
* Giuliana started tap and ballet, gymnastics, and swimming.
* Rocco started Karate and swimming.
* We hit Tahoe for a weekend of playing on the beach, swimming, and paddle boarding.
* Vacationed in Santa Cruz and Los Gatos over Labor Day weekend.
* Rocco, Gabby and I ran in a school sponsored race. They ran their very first 1 mile race, and did SO great! I ran the 6K and placed 5th overall and 2nd for my age division.
* We moved into our new home!
* I ran the Lake Tahoe half marathon and placed 3rd in my age division, 38th overall and made the Top 25 Women's list.
* Giuliana started preschool.
* Rocco busted for eating double lunches at school
* Celebrated Halloween with a devil, pirate, lion, and a monkey.
* Marco and Giuliana's 1st college football game
* Marco turned 18 months
* Giuliana's 1st hair cut
* Signed up for the Malibu half marathon and didn't get to run it. Lucky me... I spent the day before the race in bed with a nasty tummy bug.
* Gabby turned 8 years old

So yeah.... we've been a little busy. However, I'm finally starting to get caught up on some aspects of life. Photos and blogging have been on the back burner for a long time... slowly and surely, I'll get caught up. Hoping to post about each of the above items soon and I'll link as I complete them. 

I am a nut for archiving our family's milestones, funny stories/memories, and life events. I guess because of Matteo. After he died, I was SO THANKFUL I had taken the time to journal so much of his life, because now in a way that is all I have left of him... the memories.

So... stay tuned! Updates coming! And, hopefully I will soon get back on track with my once weekly blog post, if not more frequently. 

Also... I am contemplating going private with this blog. Still undecided for the moment.