Traditions

Today we rolled our Fat Tuesday dinner & Dad's birthday celebration into one.

It's our family's tradition to eat an enormous homemade macaroni dinner with "gravy" (italian sausage, my Mom's awesome meatballs, and pepperoni in tomato sauce) for Fat Tuesday every year. I have made it each year when we lived in TN and in TX, and we would invite friends over to eat with us. It was truly awesome to enjoy it with the family again. It didn't really hit me until Samuel was asking to help my Mom hand roll the pasta (see below), and she had him pull up a chair. She was so patient in showing him what to do, and when he wasn't acting like a goofball and trying to make snakes out of the dough - he was actually making some pasta. My Mom said, "Samuel, I remember making this with MY Grandma when I was little like you.". OK so maybe I'm a little emotional, but I teared up. That's what it's all about. It's like a piece of my Mom's heritage passed to Samuel. I love that.

So here they are - making pasta

The boys in their Mardi Gras garb

We couldn't get Cole to go for a mask, but he loved the beads!

My sister Almarie & brother in law Scott

The birthday boy (My Dad), Grandma (his Mom), & Darin

It's funny - Darin totally gives Grandma a hard time, and she LOVES it. He always jokes with her about her sneaking drinks, etc. (She doesn't drink alcohol). Of course she thought these two were too much. I treasure being able to see her and having Sam know her. A few weeks ago when we were together, she sat at the kitchen table and played play doh with him. It was pretty cool.

Wish you could have been here too Kar & Rob - miss you.