What Makes Me Happy Right Now: Random acts of kindness, Hanumen album & mushroom risotto.

Today, my lovely wellness coordinator, Jamilia, hosted her own seminar, Random Acts of Kindness.  I am SO proud of her and her amazing efforts.  The seminar has me bursting with gratitude and anxious to spread kindness throughout my life.

1.  Random Acts of Kindness.  Jamilia's presentation made me want to practice kindness a heck of a lot more than I already am.  Not only to others, but also to myself.  I am excited to think of different ways that I can practice more kindness in my everyday routine.

2.  The last two tracks on The Hanumen album.  The last two tracks on the Hanumen album have been on repeat on my phone for the past 3 days...and I'm still not sick of it.  It's so gosh darn beautiful.  Going to see Jai Uttal & Gaura Vani tonight for a kirtan, eeeeee!!!

3.  Mushroom risotto.  Growing up Italian, you'd think I would have eaten loads of risotto.  Nope.  Not in my family.  Weird, ey?  I've been recently experimenting with this creamy goodness in my kitchen and came up with a yummy shiitake risotto.  I think it still has some work but in the meantime I'm totally enjoying every delicious bite.

4.  This inspiring thought:  Breathe deeply and appreciate the moment. Living in the moment could be the meaning of life. 

5.  The leaves changing.  The fall foliage is as it's best like, right now at this very moment. As an artist I can't get enough of some of the brilliant colors that are all around!  Such a treat to the eyes!

Back in March of 2012 I decided to do these posts because it's really easy to be suckered into negative thoughts when we're surrounded by stressful media, unhappy people and whining Facebook status updates. My guru, Swami Vishnudevananda says that for every negative thought you have, replace it with 2-3 positive ones. I love this concept and practice it regularly. I usually find the most effective way of climbing out of a negative attitude is to think about something that I'm grateful for. Feelings of gratitude really lift you up. In honor of this concept, I'm starting a post with this same theme and will blog it regularly. I'll list a few things that make me happy, lift me up and keep me smiling! Let's face it, world peace is something that will never happen. However, I can create my own little world of peace and happiness in my mind through my thoughts! Please give it a try as well and share how it affects you.

Home, the Beautiful Jersey Shore

Today I was overwhelmed at how much I love where I live.  The Jersey Shore is so special to me for so many reasons.  It's beautiful.  It's vacationland all year round.  It's home.  I only hope that others feel as grateful as I do to live where they do.  

What Makes Me Happy Now: Plants, my dad, opportunities & lazy Sundays!

I woke up in my new place with the sun light streaming into my room and onto my face.  What a lovely way to start the day!  I rolled right over and grabbed my pen and gratitude journal to jot down a list of 10 things right off the top of my head that I'm ever so grateful for.

1.  Hibiscus plant in my backyard.  Lammer lived in Hawaii way back when, so he loves keeping a
hibiscus plant in our backyard.  The thing is gorgeous and produces these amazing bursts of color in the corner of our yard.  He'll pick one for me every few days and either leave one on the table, next to my bedside, or walk right up to me and stick it in my hair!  

2.  My office plant.  Speaking of plants...I absolutely adore the office plant (that my wellness coordinator, Jamilia got me!) that sits right next to me while I work.  It's so refreshing and super simple to maintain.  

3.  Danny, my Dad.  Today is father's day and my brother just happened to be visiting, so we Facetimed with our Dude for a bit.  Facetime is awesome for moments like this!  We were all able to hang out with our Dad for a bit because of little computers we held in our hands.  My father totally rocks!


4.  Opportunities.  I've got a fantastic job and one of the best parts about it is that I'm subject to some really great opportunities.  Last week I hired the amazing, Andrea Beaman, to come speak at Amscan.  She was an absolute inspiration to the employees, and has always been to me!  Check out more on her at www.AndreaBeaman.com 


5. Sunday = Funday.  Sundays are the laziest day of the week for me, and also the one day where I can hang all day long with my honey.  We make a huge breakfast at home and then come up with a plan for what we'd like to do for our day.  We'll hop on our bikes, go for a (stand up) paddle, head to the beach, or stay in to watch movies.  Whatever it is, it's awesome to unwind, reconnect with nature, and be with one another.  Yesterday we rode our bikes into town and played ultimate frisbee on the lawn of Riverside Park for hours.  =)

Back in March of 2012 I decided to do these posts because it's really easy to be suckered into negative thoughts when we're surrounded by stressful media, unhappy people and whining Facebook status updates. Swami Vishnudevananda says that for every negative thought you have, replace it with 2-3 positive ones. I love this concept and practice it regularly. I usually find the most effective way of climbing out of a negative attitude is to think about something that I'm grateful for. Feelings of gratitude really lift you up. In honor of this concept, I'm starting a post with this same theme and will blog it regularly. I'll list a few things that make me happy, lift me up and keep me smiling! Let's face it, world peace is something that will never happen. However, I can create my own little world of peace and happiness in my mind through my thoughts! Please give it a try as well and share how it affects you.

What Makes Me Happy Now: Safety of my friends/family and so much more.

This past week more than ever have I been counting my blessings.  Riding the hurricane out on the Jersey shore and seeing the damages it's caused has allowed me to celebrate all that I have to be grateful for.  As I do so, my heart aches for those who have lost their homes, and especially those who lost their lives.  I send them all warmth and love.  

1.  The safety of my friends and family.  A few of my friends lost their places and all that they own this past week in Hurricane Sandy.  I ran into one of them and even though she will probably never be able to go back to her place again or retrieve any of her belongings...she still had a smile on her face and said, "It's just stuff."  That was amazing to me.  

2.  The endless volunteers.  It's a shame that a natural disaster has to show humanity's compassion, but boy has it ever.   People have been sending supplies to the Jersey shore, driving down to help support those in needs.  Yesterday I saw a team of power utility trucks from Alabama.  Amazing!

3.  Power.  After riding the storm out in Neptune, Lammer and I headed up to my apartment in Red Bank mid-week and I was surprised with power late Thursday.  Light and electricity is good and something I shouldn't just take for granted.  

4.  The love and support from friends:  I can't believe the amount of text message "check-ins" I received throughout this week from friends and family all over the world.  Lammer got the same thing.  I also reached out to as many people I could to see how they were.  So much love going back and forth via text/email!

5.  Social networking.  Without it this past week, so many of us would have been in the dark (literally).  Even though phone service was spotty for most of the week, I was still able to connect to Facebook for updates, news and information locally to help get us through the storm.  So thankful for that to link us all together!!!

Back in March of 2012 I decided to do these posts because it's really easy to be suckered into negative thoughts when we're surrounded by stressful media, unhappy people and whining Facebook status updates. My guru, Swami Vishnudevananda says that for every negative thought you have, replace it with 2-3 positive ones. I love this concept and practice it regularly. I usually find the most effective way of climbing out of a negative attitude is to think about something that I'm grateful for. Feelings of gratitude really lift you up. In honor of this concept, I'm starting a post with this same theme and will blog it regularly. I'll list a few things that make me happy, lift me up and keep me smiling! Let's face it, world peace is something that will never happen. However, I can create my own little world of peace and happiness in my mind through my thoughts! Please give it a try as well and share how it affects you.

What Makes Me Happy Now - Awesome books, snacks on the go & fall beach days.

I've been particularly stressed these days, in the midst of a move coming up with lots to take care of before.  Uprooting and the unknown is stressful.  Now more than ever is when my gratitude journal needs to be near me to jot down the blessings that surround me each and every day.  Here are a few today.  What are the blessings in your everyday life?  Big or small?

1.  My commute.  I can't even believe I just said that.  I'm trying to dwell on the good parts of it though!  Since I leave so butt-crack early in the morning and drive home so dang late at night I get to catch the sun rise on my way to work and catch a killer sunset on my way home.  Since we're approaching the cold, longer days coming up I love soaking in those moments because before I know it I'll be commuting to and from work in the pitch black dark.  But, driving under moonlight can be very beautiful, too!  =)  No pictures for this thought because I'm very much against doing other things while driving especially fiddling with the phone.

2.  Hard boiled eggs & 22 Days Nutrition bars.  Being vegetarian all these years I became really comfortable with the fact that I was a "grazer" just like any other vegetarian in nature.  I was giving myself a free pass to eat all day long because I wasn't eating any flesh.  WHAT?!  I've stopped my CONSTANT snacking habits and amazing things have happened:  I've lost weight (whoo-hoo!), I've made SURE that my plate is balanced at each meal (with healthy fat & high quality protein), my sugar cravings are no where near where they used to be & I feel so much better.  However, every so often I do need a snack since I'm constantly on the go.  This is where hard boiled eggs come in and 22 Days Nutrition bars.  I am NOT a fan of granola, protein or nutrition bars since most are loaded with SUGAR and nonsense...but these are one of the very few bars that I actually give an OK to.  I swear by the Pumpkin Seed bar if I know I need something on the go.  Cracking open a HB egg is easy and yummy, too.  

Jamilia & I with the amazing author, David Singer.  So lucky
to have had him at Amscan for our Wellness Program!

3.  Awesome books.  So I hired David Singer, author of Six Simple Rules for a Better Life, come to give an inspirational talk at Amscan this past week.  I made it a goal to read David's book within a week of him coming to speak and believe it or not, I did.  Each day of reading it was a treat for me to open up to his book and get lost in his personal stories and great advice.  It was practical and achievable advice that we can all benefit from.  I highly recommend David's book, his website and connecting with him on Facebook.  

4.  This inspiring thought from David Singer's book:  Don't put off adopting a healthier lifestyle.  Make it a priority.

Sun, breeze, sand, ocean, good reads,
hot surfer boyfriend = all a gal needs!

5.  September beach days.  The rush of tourists are gone and us locals are finally able to enjoy our beautiful beaches without the crowds, traffic and congestion that summer brings.  Sunday is my beach day to sit under the umbrella with my favorite magazines/books and watch my beau ride waves.


Back in March of 2012 I decided to do these posts because it's really easy to be suckered into negative thoughts when we're surrounded by stressful media, unhappy people and whining Facebook status updates. My guru, Swami Vishnudevananda says that for every negative thought you have, replace it with 2-3 positive ones. I love this concept and practice it regularly. I usually find the most effective way of climbing out of a negative attitude is to think about something that I'm grateful for. Feelings of gratitude really lift you up. In honor of this concept, I'm starting a post with this same theme and will blog it regularly. I'll list a few things that make me happy, lift me up and keep me smiling! Let's face it, world peace is something that will never happen. However, I can create my own little world of peace and happiness in my mind through my thoughts! Please give it a try as well and share how it affects you.

What Makes Me Happy Right Now - The Olympics, yoga outside, gorgeous summer night concerts & more.

Last night I went to bed repeating the mantra LOVE, over and over again.  My heart center widened and I drifted to sleep with a sweet smile on my face.  I felt as if I were bursting with gratitude.  Today I'm ever-so-grateful for:

1.  BF & BF getting along.  There's nothing like the sound of your best friend and your significant other cracking up together, enjoying one another's company.  This weekend Frank, my long-time best friend from back home spent the weekend down the shore at our house.  He and Lammer had a blast together.  In the picture to the left, John is showing Frank how he "suits up" for a day of iron working with his heavy harness and tool belt.  Afterwards, a storm rolled in and the two of them stayed outside during the rain and played in the driveway.  They were like two little kids - I love it!!!

2.  The Olympics.  I can't imagine anyone arguing with me that having the summer Olympics on TV all day, everyday for these past few weeks has been the best thing ever.  So much excitement.  Also, so much inspiration.  I feel so lazy as I'm munching on snack foods while sitting in my living room watching these athletes do what they do, so it's been making me get the heck up and move even more than I already do!

3.  Enjoying a concert on your back.  Before your mind goes to a dirty place, hear me out!  The Celebrate Brooklyn stage in Prospect Park, Brooklyn is one of my favorite venues for a summer show. My great friend from college, Jessica, and I always book a show or two there each summer.  Last night we enjoyed Yo La Tengo and M. Ward while lying on our backs, staring up at the trees as the sun was setting.  We sipped white wine and just melted into our blanket.  Yum.

4.  This inspiring thought:  I close my eyes, think positive thoughts, and breathe goodness in and out.  

5.  Teaching yoga classes outside.  On days like today (breezy, sunny and gorgeous!) I teach my Office Yoga classes outside for the employees.  It's not only a treat for me, but certainly for them.  At the end of each class I let them lie on their backs and rest for a bit.  I give them the option of closing their eyes and just listen to the breeze, or two half close their eyes so that they can gaze up at the swaying trees and passing clouds.  Ahhhh...


Back in March of 2012 I decided to do these posts because it's really easy to be suckered into negative thoughts when we're surrounded by stressful media, unhappy people and whining Facebook status updates. My guru, Swami Vishnudevananda says that for every negative thought you have, replace it with 2-3 positive ones. I love this concept and practice it regularly. I usually find the most effective way of climbing out of a negative attitude is to think about something that I'm grateful for. Feelings of gratitude really lift you up. In honor of this concept, I'm starting a post with this same theme and will blog it regularly. I'll list a few things that make me happy, lift me up and keep me smiling! Let's face it, world peace is something that will never happen. However, I can create my own little world of peace and happiness in my mind through my thoughts! Please give it a try as well and share how it affects you.

What Makes Me Happy Right Now - Morning kisses, multinational music, & Jersey tomatoes.

Want to destroy that nasty, nagging ego of yours?  I sure do want to squash mine!  The best way is to celebrate feelings of gratitude each and every chance you get.  Our egos unfortunately will never cease, but we can at least calm or shush them.  Here's my trying today.

Today I'm ever-so-grateful for:

1.  Netflix.  Well, technically my brother's Netflix.  Teehee.  Because of it, I'm able to catch up on all of the documentaries I can dream of while on the treadmill.  So I'm doing two things at once - working out  and doing my body good while feeding my mind with information that helps make me a better health coach.

2.  The yummy peppermint tea that my boyfriend bought for me in the wee hours of the morning today.  We have a very similar commute and sometimes when we time it just right, we meet at the Sunoco Chock Full O' Nuts in Fort Lee for a quick kiss.  The hot peppermint tea that he hands me is always a sweet treat - but a big hug and kiss from him is even sweeter!  I sip this tea all day long here at the office, as you can see.

3.  Adanowsky - Amador.  He's a multinational, multilingual pop singer and actor who was taught how to play the guitar by George Harrison and taught how to dance by James Brown.  Pretty lucky.  This album features tracks in Spanish, French and English.  It's sweet, folky, soft and playful all at the same time.  Amador has been on my iTunes, looping for days now.

4.  This inspiring thought:  Summer Jersey tomatoes = the universe's way of reminding us that good-for-you food tends to be delicious!  I love dicing an organic, garden fresh cucumber, mincing fresh basil from my herb garden, then coring and thinly slicing fresh Jersey tomatoes into a bowl.  I grind fresh pepper, sprinkle sea salt and toss with some extra virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar).  A garden fresh salad with tons of Italian flavor for your taste buds, tummy and soul!

5.  My pedometer!  I invested in a more expensive pedometer last month ($40, Brookstone) and it was the best thing I could have done.  The pedometer accurately tracks my steps each day keeping me energized to move around as much as possible each day.  My daily goal is for at least 6,000 steps.  Yesterday I went all out and it was a 10k+ day!  It's 9am and after being up since 5 and working out, I'm already up to 5,500.  I highly recommend purchasing one for the fun (and health) of it!


Take THAT, Ego!  What are you grateful for today?


Back in March of 2012 I decided to do these posts because it's really easy to be suckered into negative thoughts when we're surrounded by stressful media, unhappy people and whining Facebook status updates. My guru, Swami Vishnudevananda says that for every negative thought you have, replace it with 2-3 positive ones. I love this concept and practice it regularly. I usually find the most effective way of climbing out of a negative attitude is to think about something that I'm grateful for. Feelings of gratitude really lift you up. In honor of this concept, I'm starting a post with this same theme and will blog it regularly. I'll list a few things that make me happy, lift me up and keep me smiling! Let's face it, world peace is something that will never happen. However, I can create my own little world of peace and happiness in my mind through my thoughts! Please give it a try as well and share how it affects you.

What Makes Me Happy Right Now - Tons of Firefox tabs, acoustic reggae & keeping the fridge open!

The rain has been so often that sometimes it feels like it will never go away.  However, it's allowing me to enjoy sunshine and blue skies even more when they bless us with their presence!  What are you grateful for right now?

Right now I am so happy and grateful for:

1. The 37 Firefox window tabs I have open. Yea...I've got 37 tabs of different web pages up at one time on my Firefox.  It may sound crazy, but it's how I work.  It helps me stay so organized and allows me to get back to things that I can't take care of at certain moments.  Love you, Firefox, for hanging in there with all those pages!

2. User-friendly sites. Speaking of web pages and stuff, user friendly sites rule.  It's so frustrating to stumble across websites that are confusing or have too many places to click, or links that don't work, or are poorly designed, etc.  Thanks, user-friendly sites!!!  You know who you are-

3. Stephen Marley's acoustic album. His acoustic Mind Control album is the real deal.  You can hear some of it here.  He's my favorite son of the wonderful, Robert Nesta!

4. This inspiring thought:

What the mind believes, the body achieves.  

5. Keeping the fridge open! I know, it's a terrible habit.  Even though I've been out of my parents home for quite some time now, I can still hear my mom's voice nag me to close the refrigerator door while I'm in the kitchen because it wastes so much energy.  Lammer has the same bad habit that I do except he may even be worse!  Sometimes I've walked in on him cooking food at the stove with the fridge door wide open on the other side of the room-HA!  I love leaving the door open while I work in my kitchen when I'm alone and when he's around since I know there will be no nagging (sorry, Mom!).  It's the little things...


Back in March of 2012 I decided to do these posts because it's really easy to be suckered into negative thoughts when we're surrounded by stressful media, unhappy people and whining Facebook status updates. My guru, Swami Vishnudevananda says that for every negative thought you have, replace it with 2-3 positive ones. I love this concept and practice it regularly. I usually find the most effective way of climbing out of a negative attitude is to think about something that I'm grateful for. Feelings of gratitude really lift you up. In honor of this concept, I'm starting a post with this same theme and will blog it regularly. I'll list a few things that make me happy, lift me up and keep me smiling! Let's face it, world peace is something that will never happen. However, I can create my own little world of peace and happiness in my mind through my thoughts! Please give it a try as well and share how it affects you.

What Makes Me Happy Right Now - Kombucha, Pretty Lights, Will Ferrell & Hammertime.

What are you happy for right this very moment?  Instead of complaining, let's dwell on the good things in our lives because there are SO many!

Right now I am so happy and grateful for:

1. Kombucha, GT's original formula with alcohol. GT's kombucha took a hiatus a while back for a bit because of the alcohol content in their delicious, fermented drink.  It was torturous.  Treating myself to kombucha on the regular has improved my health in SO many amazing ways.  GT's finally came back with a new, alcohol-free kombucha which has been better than nothing, but not the same as the real thing.  Anyway, it's back!  I sat in front of the drink section at Whole Foods last night with a smile from ear to ear and picked my absolute favorite flavor of GT's, grape, and the new third eye chai!!!  So glad and grateful there's a few of the old ones back on the shelves!!!  If you click here, you'll see ME on the website-HAHA!  

2. This picture of Will Ferrell. There are no words, just that it's perfect and can bring a smile to any bad day!

3. Pretty Lights. My music choices tend to contain a bit more energy in the spring/summer as the cold and dark winter fades away.  I love Pretty Lights!!  Check out their site, you can download like, all of their stuff.  They rule.  

4. This inspiring thought:

Nourish your mind as carefully as you nourish your body.

5. Stop, hammertime! While on a jog earlier this spring I saw this in my neighborhood.  HYSTERICAL!  I love passing it because it always brings me a laugh.  Silly things that make us laugh are so healthy and I welcome more of them in my everyday life!


Back in March of 2012 I decided to do these posts because it's really easy to be suckered into negative thoughts when we're surrounded by stressful media, unhappy people and whining Facebook status updates. My guru, Swami Vishnudevananda says that for every negative thought you have, replace it with 2-3 positive ones. I love this concept and practice it regularly. I usually find the most effective way of climbing out of a negative attitude is to think about something that I'm grateful for. Feelings of gratitude really lift you up. In honor of this concept, I'm starting a post with this same theme and will blog it regularly. I'll list a few things that make me happy, lift me up and keep me smiling! Let's face it, world peace is something that will never happen. However, I can create my own little world of peace and happiness in my mind through my thoughts! Please give it a try as well and share how it affects you.

What Makes Me Happy Right Now - Healthy granola, Stan & cool co-workers.

Many ladies experience a rough time each month. It's not fun. I'm trying to stay positive right now and focus on the good around me so that hopefully my gratitude will crowd out the cramps and uncomfortableness I'm experiencing at this time of my month (trying to be as vague as possible here-HA!). Enjoy-

Right now I am so happy and grateful for:

1. The lovely half of a grapefruit in front of me that I've topped with granola. When I haven't had a moment to bake my own granola, I grab my former classmate's granola, Purely Elizabeth. She makes wholesome granola with just a few ingredients, little sugar and lots of love. You can find her products at most health food stores, please give them a try. I've got my grapefruit spoon in hand and am cutting in as soon as I'm done typing this post!

2. Stanley's eyes. Even just the thought of Stan's sweet puppy dog eyes looking up at me gives me butterflies. Although he is turning 11 this August, he still has those same sweet baby eyes that I fell in love with all those years ago. He's my love. (Brag moment: that baby picture of him got him published in the newspaper quite a few times!)

3. Snatam Kaur. Sometimes the music we listen to throughout our day can help amp us up, let us lose or calm us down. When I am having too hectic of a day I love listening to Snatam Kaur (pronounced sun-a-tum core). She's got the most angelic voice and chanting along with her always puts me in a blissful place.

4. This inspiring thought:

True generosity doesn't leave you with less; it leaves you with more.

5. Awesome co-workers. For those of you who don't know, I'm a wellness director for

a large corporate wellness program for Amscan, Inc. in Westchester, NY. The "wellness department" includes me and my lovely wellness coordinator, Jamilia. Let me just say, she is the best darn thing that's ever happened to me and this wellness program! The two of us are so passionate about what we do and work SO well together. Best part about us, we LAUGH so often together. I can only hope that I give her the love, strength and compassion that she gives to me on the regular. Jamilia is currently going to school at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (where I went!) and is in the process of building her own health coaching business, Unique Health with Jamilia (link coming soon!). I couldn't be more happy for her. I thank my shining stars each day that I have her as my hardworking partner in wellness! (Even though she looks super cool in this picture, she doesn't usually wear shades inside, especially at the office. She had just got back from the eye doctor that day-HA!)


Back in March of 2012 I decided to do these posts because it's really easy to be suckered into negative thoughts when we're surrounded by stressful media, unhappy people and whining Facebook status updates. My guru, Swami Vishnudevananda says that for every negative thought you have, replace it with 2-3 positive ones. I love this concept and practice it regularly. I usually find the most effective way of climbing out of a negative attitude is to think about something that I'm grateful for. Feelings of gratitude really lift you up. In honor of this concept, I'm starting a post with this same theme and will blog it regularly. I'll list a few things that make me happy, lift me up and keep me smiling! Let's face it, world peace is something that will never happen. However, I can create my own little world of peace and happiness in my mind through my thoughts! Please give it a try as well and share how it affects you.

What Makes Me Happy Right Now

It's really easy to be suckered into negative thoughts when we're surrounded by stressful media, unhappy people and whining Facebook status updates. My guru, Swami Vishnudevananda says that for every negative thought you have, replace it with 2-3 positive ones. I love this concept and practice it regularly. I usually find the most effective way of climbing out of a negative attitude is to think about something that I'm grateful for. Feelings of gratitude really lift you up. In honor of this concept, I'm starting a post with this same theme and will blog it regularly. I'll list a few things that make me happy, lift me up and keep me smiling! Let's face it, world peace is something that will never happen. However, I can create my own little world of peace and happiness in my mind through my thoughts! Please give it a try as well and share how it affects you.

Right now I am so happy and grateful for:

1. The comforting mug of kukicha tea that is perched right between my typing hands. It's flavorful steam is flowing right up my nose and soothing my belly with every sip. YUM!

2. Gotye. His new album inspired me to pull all of his stuff from my iTunes onto one big playlist that loops alllll day long. Love him. My ears love the sounds he makes. Such great spring music.

3. My boyfriend's thoughtfulness. After 24 hours of traveling home from Bangkok (with no sleep in 48 hours), my beau greeted me with a bag full of treats I like (kombucha, coconut water, a vegan brownie, Lara bars and a pretty orange flower), and covered my apartment in beautiful rose petals. He pampers me in every which way! He's my dream come true.

4. This inspiring thought:

Feed your creativity: Expose yourself to more beauty, more art, more excellence.

5. Moments and conversations with my family members. After my long trip in Thailand with my cousin we flew to Paradise Island, Bahamas for a HUGE family vacation for my Uncle's 60th birthday. I realized how precious it is to spend time talking and getting to know each and every family member. They're all filled with different stories, quirky characteristics and inspiring lives. (This is only a small group of some of us in the Bahamas!) BTW, we're all a little crazy which makes us even better as a family!