My Grandfathers love for this country

Well, it's the 4th of July. I have so many emotions and opinions about today and what it represents. Our country has taken a dramatic turn since that day we declared Independence. We have gone from a people who want little government and no ruling hand telling us what we can and can't do, to a welfare society looking for the next hand out.

My grandfather came here from Sicily. He always use to say that the Mafia ruled there and if you wanted to get anywhere in life, it had to be with them or though them. They required payments for safety, loyalty above all others, they were the ruling hand. When my family came here, my Great grandfather Rosario was well aware that if he wanted freedom and peace for his son, America was the answer.

I wonder what great grandpa would think about us now. Would he be proud of the way we have sat back and watched our country lose its sovernty to the United nations? Would he be proud at all our freedoms being whisked away in long bills, no one has read, voted on in mass rushes clothed in emergency's?

I doubt it. My grandpa, the young boy, new to America, remembered coming to America as a celebration. In fact, because of their origins in the farm town of Combello Sicily, they were unsure of their birthdays. When they had to register in the new country, they all claimed their birthdays as July 4th.

Our country's Independence became their new date of birth, their new life. It had started. Tears come to my eyes as I write this. The fact that so much joy, so much love for this country was carried over in my family on that boat brings me pride like no other.

Today, my grandfather who graduated from Cornell law school in two years, served in the Air Force as a pilot, served on the NY state supreme court, and ran for President against John F Kennedy was a true American.

He believed in this country. He knew we had great potential.

Please don't forget why your family came here. We are a wild, proud, fighting, independent people. We come from explores who left their country's to give their families the gift of freedom.

We need to honor their memories and never forget that this country is GREAT! We are Americans! We are FREE! We need to never ever forget that the politicians are not America, WE ARE AMERICA!

God Bless you and the many who have died for us in glory to keep us free. Please don't let our families sacrifices to leave all known lands, to come here, to make us free, be in vain.

As my grandfather today lies in bed, suffering from the horrible disease of Altimers, he is unaware of the road we have started on. For that I am thankful. I don't think he would be pleased with us one bit. In fact, he want to kick our wimpy asses back to Sicily.

my life as a Christian, a non legalistic one.....

Every day, every moment, my relationship with my Savior is one that is always in the back of my mind. That's the problem... learning to balance my tendency to go into what I call "Maintenance Mode" with my kids and let everything else kinda come second.

I have been raised as a Christian, my parents are wonderful people who display Christs love to everyone they meet (some of you may have experienced this already). Its a hard act to follow. But the high expectations that puts on me is a good thing.

Every now and then, God gives me a slap on the head and says... "Jenna, Me first, those kids you have were a gift from me... that's husband of yours is a gift from me... those parents of yours are a gift from me."

I am the kinda gal who enjoys a good time. I love to have fun, I love people, I love kids, I love relationships and I love the work you put into them. Its so satisfying to see after almost 12 years, my marriage which has had good and hard times, come out almost 12 years later so legitly real.

The hard times, God allowed, I believe, to bring John and I out of our comfort zones and have to relay on Him.

We looked at each other after a very hard year of Elizabeth being very ill, John losing his job at the brokerage firm, and having to work 2 full time jobs to keep this roof over our head, and we can now say... "Wow, we learned a heck of a lot!."

We learned that Family is everything... love them no matter what... as with all things "This to shall pass."

We learned that we are a team. Our kids depend on us, we have pretty traditional roles and we find that works well for us. He goes to work, I stay home and take care of babies.

We learned that good friends are a blessing.

We learned though Elizabeth being sick and John losing his job that being a good friend is as important as having good friends.

"A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.Prov 18:24 New King James Version"

We also learned that all things really do work out for good... we have a pretty damn good life. One I am proud of. We have 4 beautiful children who I think are pretty good kids. They all have distinct personalities that God has giving them and I would not change one!

Elizabeth: smart, loving, a care giver. Always there to pick up a fallen friend or sibling.

Victoria: strong, opinioned, loving and snuggly. Always willing to hug and kiss her mama... always ready to defend a sibling!

Katie: Sweet, loving, precious... and feisty!

Johnny: all boy, loves his mama, looks up to his dada.. ready to smash and crash.

What it comes down to is that I really feel God has blessed us, has a plan for us, forgives us, and just like I have to discipline my kids and love them even though they are not perfect. My heavenly father loves me even though I have a few beers, say a curse word once and awhile, and yell at my kids for unrolling all the TP.

He loves me because I love him... he loves me because I am his child... he loves me because he created me. And let me tell ya, my God is always there... he never leaves me. He loves me!

What to do... what to do?

I always have to be doing something! Whats wrong with me? I tried to sit still and do nothing, and I realized... shit, I'm doing nothing.

I think we get use to our "normal." Having a hubby, 4 kids, 2 cats & a old dog make my life very busy... super busy. This has been my "normal" for the last 8 years. Now that my littlest one is about to turn 2 in October, things are starting to calm down. I was thinking I should get a hobby maybe, learn to relax... but then it feels so abnormal... so uncomfortable!

I thought... OK, I'll read... just sit down and read, something i would do by the day before I had kids... but that lasted for about 10 minutes... Katie dropped a glass bottle of Jam on the kitchen floor, while all 4 kids were standing there... Oh gosh! I spent the next hour looking at 8 feet, making sure no one had glass in their little toes. Cleaning the floor, searching for little specks of glass, and shooing the cats from licking up the globs of grape jelly... wonderful!

Then i thought to myself... I use to write! yes, i remember when i use to write... the blurry memory of sitting at a desk at the Sun Sentinel, writing a article, double checking facts, getting interviews... ahhh... I use to love that. Oh, but their is a problem... my kiddos would not do so well on a news floor.

I use to paint! I really enjoyed to paint! I looked around my house, I found some washable markers, some crayola watercolors, a little bit of clay with lettuce smashed into it (lovely). Ya, not feeling real creative anymore.

Then my daughter called me from the other room. "Mommy, can you help me dress my Barbie's?"
"Sure", I responded, and walked into her room. She had a whole set up of pink and purple dresses laying on the floor with about 15 butt naked barbies waiting to be made fabulous.

I thought to myself, " I use to love playing Barbies!" I can't believe I was in my daughters place, just a short time ago, asking my mom to help me dress my barbies. I sat down, started dressing barbie in a very way to sexy pink mini skirt and i thought to myself... "this is what I love the most, this is the best way to use my time. my daughter's and son need my extra time still, and the fulfillment I find in giving it to them way out ways that rush I use to get seeing something I wrote in print... well kind of."

Well it time for me to sign off. Katie is upstairs yelling for me. My oldest daughter Elizabeth has just informed me she squeezed into a Minnie Mouse dress that is about 3 sizes to small and can't get out... were did I put the scissors?