all that i am

I knew we didn't have a 'family photo' to use for this years' "all family journal"
so I tried to figure out what the next best thing would be

this is what I decided upon

this photo was taken this past summer June 2013
on Casino Pier, Seaside Heights, New Jersey
7 months after hurricane Sandy hit with all her devastation

but the story begins almost thirty years ago
Saturday June 23, 1984
two days after we buried Nancy DeGeorge
the Bettis Family Picnic at Kennywood
the last time I ever rode one of these amusement park rides

I felt so sick
and wondered how did I get so old so fast?!?
Frank and I had just celebrated our first wedding anniversary
was I really already on my way to being an old married woman?
would I really not enjoy riding rides anymore?

[shortly there after, we discovered we were pregnant with Domenick!?!?
hence the nausea]

this summer
that first born son and his wife and their first born son
welcomed little Timea into their far away family

this summer
for the first time ever frank and I took our beach vacation by ourselves
our nest truly became empty this year
because in February of this year
Stephen moved to Pittsburgh, joining the rest of his American siblings

last fall
when Sandy struck the east coast
Courey and Andy were at Rehoboth Beach
for Neon Swing X-perience's road trip beach tour
and were evacuated

this fall
andy retired from the band

Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant were our boardwalks our little ones grew up on
when we used to visit Uncle Bob's and Long Beach State Park

seeing the boardwalk torn to pieces this summer
and the concessions struggling to reopen
and the homes lying sideways in the streets
was very sad
but to see the construction and the commitment to rebuild was inspiring