Carol Gentile
Blog
Nappy time
Hotel del Coronado - San Diego
My Baby...
That sunset I was telling you ab out....
Humming bird enjoying the flowers almost as much as I was -Temecula, CA
outside our room at the villa
Mason & Christie
New GE stainless steel appliances, new sinks, cabinets & quartz countertops in kitchen & baths.
New shower doors, and tub completely refinished.
| A Day in the Life.... |
Well, thought it was time to put some words & thoughts down to some of the pics that we have taken and give friends & family a little insight into our lives. Please be forgiving...I am new to this idea of blogging and know I tend to be wordy. I will try to get better with time.
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| July 31, 2007 - Thoughts on our time & our fav wines!! |
STILL GETTING OVER CALIFORNIA: In all my life I had never thought of actually going to California. Many of our vacations had been as a result of sports (thanks kids!) and well, California was no different. Cj's summer select lacrosse team plays every year in Temecula, CA and being that we have never been with Cj on a sports related trip, this was our excuse to getaway. For me, the adventure was both exciting and a little scary/bittersweet. Joe had made wonderful & romantic plans for us to getaway and find some time for each other, and still be able to enjoy Cj's games. For me, it meant leaving Christie at home alone to take care of the dogs, and Matt to check in on the office. Sounds crazy, but it was hard for me to leave two of my kids at home. Even Cj would be staying at a different hotel with his team. However, Joe did such a great job at trying to plan the perfect time for us, that I put aside my feelings and started to take in what would very soon be a sampling of our life without our kids. For us traveling is not an easy task. Becuase of Joe's DVT history and my recurrent problems with my hip, we are forced to fly only first-class. Okay, honestly, that really isn't so horrible but still even in those settings, having to sit for more than 3 hours can be really painful & uncomfortable. For me, I take refuge in 7 advil...for Joe, he walks as much as he can. We had to leave early in the morning, change planes in Phoenix , just to get into San Diego by 11:30 am. There had been a security breach at the San Diego airport, so we were forced to sit an additional 35 minutes before debarking the plane. To add to this, we had to wait about 45 more minutes for Avis to bring us our car. By the time we finally hit the highway, as you can imagine, we were a bit stressed. Our first stop however was the zoo. After downing a couple of cold beers, Joe & I headed out to find the koalas & pandas. The zoo was incredible, and we had a blast taking photos of everything we saw. We did our best to take in about 90% of the zoo, and by the time we were done, we were exhausted. So off we headed to the Hotel Del. What can I say except...BEAUTIFUL?! Our room faced the ocean. It was extreme. Can you imagine waking up every morning, opening up the sliders, stepping out on your patio with the beautiful pacific to greet you? After a romantic evening and a few walks on the beach...it was time for us to head to Wine Country. Joe's second secret for our romantic getaway lied waiting for us about 70 miles north of San Diego in Temecula. With in moments from turning east on Rancho California Drive, we were transported from a normal suburbia to an Italian-style countryside, filled with vineyards and wineries. Joe & I were immediately in awe of the sheer beauty of the landscape. We knew at once that this place was perfect. Joe had made reservations at the South Coast Winery, Resort & Spa. Everything on the site was designed with the hint of beauty & romance, wine & luxury. We splurged for the first time in our lives spending a half-day at the spa. We could never go anywhere else and feel the same as we did that day. It was pure decadence! I am not sure who who enjoyed the spa more, Joe or me, but it doesn't really matter, we both had a great time and it definitely did the trick at relieving us stress & anxiety that comes with having your own business, three teens, and our own personal zoo. Ah, now, when to go back?? Okay...so to get to the good stuff. As you are all probably wondering, how was the wine? Well, let me tell you some of our personal favorites: Ruby Cuvee - South Coast Winery: a bubbly light red wine. Very delightful. Cabernet Rose - South Coast Winery: bright, fruity and crisp. Fiorella - Ponte Family Estate Winery: crisp, yet dry, rose. Not overly sweet with a clean finish. Beverino - Ponte Family Estate Winery: bright red, easy drinking. Takes on different personalities when served room temp or lightly chilled. Voignier - Ponte Family Estate & South Coast: non-oaky, steel barrel fermented, hints of honey-dew. One from South Coast more fruity, however both very good. Chardonnayr Sans Chene -South Coast Winery: aged in steel vats, no oaky chardonnay Cody's Crush - Maurice Car'rie: blend of red & white wine mix, served chilled. Refreshing, although horrible in color. Syrah -South Coast Winery: old red, subtle tannins. For information on becoming a Wine Club Member, visit South Coast Winery Wine Club , Ponte Family Estates Wine Club and Maurice Car'rie Wine Club . August 19, 2007 - Christie's Baptism
Sunday, Christie was baptized at St. John Lutheran Church in Ellisville, MO. In attendance were Joe & I, Mason her boyfriend, and his family, her youth leader & his wife, her good friend Aaron's family (Aaron was away at college and could not be present) as well other friends that she has made while attending church over the past several months. The Geyer Family with Christie Pastor Pete lead the service. Following the service, everyone gathered for lunch at St. Louis Bread Co. We are very proud of her and the choices that she has made in her life and hope that God will bless her always.
Mason, Christie & Pastor Pete |
Japanese Festival -Labor Day Weekend 2007 |
There is always a lot going on over Labor Day Weekend in St. Louis, including the Japanese Festival which has become a bit of a family tradition. This year however, instead of taking the whole family, it was just Joe & I. Matthew got a tattoo, Christie was at a soccer game with her boyfriend's family and Cj went to a bbq with friends. So Joe & I decided to make it a date. It was wonderful....
The festival is composed of food, vendors, arts & shows, and of course, the gardens. There is something for just about everyone. For Joe, it is the food & the beer! Kirin and Sapporo saved us from the heat and the Yakitori satisfied our munchies.
One of my favorite things to do at the festival is just to 'take in' the different people. From young to old, from every background and culture, everyone seems to take in the Japanesse heritage if even just for the day.
And what a better place to spend a weekend than the Botanical Gardens?
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Saturday, September 28, 2007 - Tile Man When people think of Joe, many thoughts come to mind. Husband, father, owner/operator of TAB / IPE, musician.....and recently home improvement specialist. The latter seems to be one that surprises me the most. However, since 2002, this side of Joe has made its way out on several occassions. And although he has done some wonderful things around our house, I think he has really peaked to an all-time high with the townhouse. No one could believe what the place looked like when we purchased it back in June of 2006 to what it looks like now just over a year later. The place shines like a model home.
When we bought the home, we bought it 'as-is.' It was up to us to remove the stained and matted beige carpet , the layer over layer of dingy and cracked laminate tile in the kitchen & baths, the greasy appliances that looked as if they had never been cleaned, the outdated brass light fixtures and the hideous cabinets. Even the toilets and sinks were a mess. It was a disgusting job, and one that opened up a few surprises we weren't expecting, like the leaks in the kitchen & baths that needed to be fixed. There was also the task of moving & adding in new electrical boxes and lighting in rooms that had none. Once that was done, we were left with a bare canvas, that was ready for paint and all new upgrades. I think just about everything in the house, was due for some sort of make over or change and we were up to the challenge. Joe laying the hardwood down in hallway. Work began in July of 2006 and continued until before Christmas, where about 80% or so was completed. It was not until news of Ivan coming to stay with Matt that we were motivated to 'finish' the job. So, work began again in July 2007 and still continues to today, however, now it is about 95% done. Today, Joe left bright & early to begin the tile baseboards that will complement the terracotta tile in the basement family foom. From there, he will have some touch up painting to do, and install the handles on all the cabinets and a bit of trim work around the dishwasher & refrigerator in the kitchen. Then it will be up to Matt & Ivan to decide how to decorate the lower level.
From the gorgeous Brazilian Tiger hardwood floors on the main level, to the Venetian plaster in the kitchen, the ceramic tile in the bathrooms, to the finishing touches of the terracota in the lower level family room....everything speaks to the love & detail that he has put into the house. Not to mention, the many hours. Several Putting in the tile baseboards. evenings after work, long weekends, holidays....have been dedicated to making the once old, dark & depressing townhome into a young, youthful, bright & inviting place to call home. Matthew, too, has done his part in this as well, but adding his own interior design touches including the touch of Tuscany and his love of wine country. No one would suspect that the townhome is habited by a 19 year old and his 21 year old cousin. From the smallest of details, like candles and vases, and accessories, one would hardly expect to find two bachelors living there unless they were fortunate to stop by during a big football game or perhaps an all night game of Halo 3. It has been a long and sometimes frustrating journey but one that has been also quite remarkable. The townhome The terracotta tile with the cream border, makes for a dramatic look.
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Ivan eating Hardees with cousins, Christie & Cj earlier this year on a visit to St. Louis.
Sam, our cookie queen!
Leaving the house.
Cj...looking quite handsome, don't you think?
October 1, 2007 - Gentile "Circle of Trust"
Dinnertime with the Gentile's has always been an entertaining event. You never know what will be said or by whom. We have often warned our guests to expect the worst, and hope the for the best. If nothing else, there will be a few laughs mixed with a few gasps, I'm sure.
When there is more males than females at these outings, one can be assured of some colorful conversations for sure. Take last night for instant. Imagine a table of six 'adults' at Chevy's (American/Mexican cuisine) discussing everything from buffets and how much they can eat, to outtakes on religion or where one can buy mace. Not to mention that many jokes that were made to our somewhat druggy waiter who we were all sure did not get our orders correctly after taking about 5 minutes to put them into the system.
Despite our dysfunctional family, we have yet to 'turn away' our newest family members (now, take that term lightly, it is more like Meet the Parents' "circle of trust"....once you are in, you are in...LOL) Ivan, Erica & Sam. Ivan & Sam have a wild & crazy lil' bro, who likes to hang out with them & from time to time given them trouble. Ivan & Cj enjoy hitting the local buffets and I believe have made it a personal challenge to see who can out-eat whom. Some of their favorite haunts include Bocana's, a local Brazilian all you can eat MEAT place. and Emperor's Palace, a very cheesy and very greasy Chinese/Korean/Japanesse/American Buffet. After one of their escapades, it is not uncommon to see Cj roll into the house with a severe case of the 'itis' which is followed by a trip to the bathroom and then bed to sleep it off.
For Sam, her adopted brother is more 'affectionate' and finds giving her an occassional 'dead leg' much more rewarding than a hug. He has also found ways of getting her to make him some of her delicious cookies* at his whim. How and why she does this is totally beyond me, but I guess in some part she enjoys his unusual & often boisterous company. Cj is good at confiding in her, and having her assist him with his math, although honestly, it is more of a challenge to get him to do his math at all. On more enjoyable occassions, Cj & Sam will go out for a bite to eat or catch a movie. For Cj being an 'only child' now with both Matt & Christie out of the house, Sam has been a great addition to his life.
Ivan & Erica seem to be enjoying seeing each other and hanging out more since Ivan is so close now. When you don't find Ivan chowing down with Cj, or going to school, you will pretty much guess he is with Erica. It is so nice to seem them together, and to be so happy. It is also nice that when Ivan or Erica are at SLU toghether that get to see Christie from time to tim. Unfortunately, both Matt & Christie have been so busy with school, work, etc...they do not have a lot of time to just hang out. Hopefully as the year goes along, this will change for both of them. Until then, though, I am glad they get as much time as they do with Ivan & with us.
Hopefully Ivan, Erica & Sam have had as much fun being part of our family and spending time with us as we have with them. We look forward to more good times, more craziness ahead.
*Sam's Delcious Cookies - because Sam is such a great baker and she has won us over time & time again with her wonderful cookies/brownies, I am going to dedicate a special page just for her. Hope she won't mind sharing in some of her delicious recipes with friends and family, but they are just so wonderful they really need to be shared and she needs to be commended for her hard work. Keep the cookies coming, Sam!
October 3, 2007 - Reasons I love St. Louis
Many people wonder why St. Louis...well, for me, there is no question. It may not be as cosmopolitan as New York, or as posh as LA, but St. Louis offers a lot and most of it is free. Take for instance, The St. Louis Art Museum, just opposite the zoo in Forest Park. There are several galleries that you can wonder through finding masterpieces from Van Gohn,
to Monet
& Picasso 
to religious art,
to Chinese tapestries and vases, to Americana furnishings. You can spend hours wandering through the modern art gallery, or taking in the special exhibits that are often offered with an audio/visual guide. It is one of the leading art museum in the nation and there are several original pieces.
The galleries represeent a vast assortment of time periods, including pre-Columbian art & American Indian, to a unique collection of prints, photographs & drawings. Artists often come into share their 3-D conceptional art. The beauty of the art is carried over into the building itself. The marble stairway in the East Wing that overlooks the yard beyond is breathtaking.
Another reason I love St. Louis, is our zoo. Like the art museum, it is located in beautiful Forest Park. Along with the Muny, an outdoor ampitheater that hosts several musicals over the summer months, the Natural Museum of History that houses many memories from the 1903 St.Louis World's Fair, the Jewel Box- a free-standing greenhouse built for the World's fair, and the St. Louis Science Center, the zoo is a highlight to many who visit St. Louis and for those of us who live here. When the kids were small, I would pack them up in their double stroller & backpack and haul them to the either the zoo or the Science Center at least once a week every week. Being a poorer young family, it was a great place for the kids to get out. Both are free to the public and although you can pay for parking, there are several free places to park if you are will to walk a bit.
Since my kids were little, there have been several wonderful upgrades to both. The most obvious is the addition to the flower-lined walkways. The new addition of the River Walk and the Bug house are also fun for the kids. I have to admit, I have never been in the bug house, for my intense fear of the creepy crawly, but I have heard it is 'very cool' from the kids. :) The children's zoo is an interactive area of the zoo for young kids. It gives them a chance to touch and feed various animals and a place to run and play.
The Big Cats are one of my favorites. We have several large cats on display. Lions, tigers, leopards, pumas, etc. If you are lucky, they are often very photogenic. I also have a soft spot for gorillas. Now this is one change in the zoo that is not my favorite, I prefer the old Ape House from when the kids were little, but still it is a great place to view several species of apes. There is a thick glass wall that 
seperates the viewers from the apes.
Actually one of my favorite zoo memories was with a 3 year old Christie and one of the gray backs. He was sitting with his back up against the glass wall, all serious and contemplative, and Christie was standing just behind him looking in. When all of a sudden, he flipped his head around and found himself staring right into her face. With that....Christie screamed and ran out of the the building. It was a so funny, I still find myself laughing about it. Needless to say, gorillas aren't her favorites.
Tattoos - Family bonding?
W ell have to include a blog section on the Gentile family collection of tats. Let's see...it all started with Joe. Ah, yes, Joe...what a surprise, huh? About 3 years ago, he and Matt conspired to go do a little male bonding together and get some tattoos at a local tattoo parlor a trendy part known as the Loop. On the part of Matt, it took some convincing on my part to allow him to get one, but if anyone knows Joe, they know that whatever Joe wants Joe gets, so there was no discussion on his at all. So, one afternoon, he & Matt took off for a few hours which included the now traditional 'after-tat' meal....at Blueberry Hill (a restauant owned by the infamous Chuck Berry.)
The first tats were a bit simple. Matt chose a bull's skull, symbolic of his astronomical sign for Aries. Joe decided to embrass his heritage with a Japanese symbol for devotion. What I didn't realize at the time was how this first outing would be just that...a first of many.
Next to follow suit was Christie. She decided that a piece on her lower back would be nice. What she didn't realize at the time was how much that area was going to hurt. Yet, she held true and got her first tat at age 14. She added a cross to it this year, having it placed in the heart soon after her baptism.
Next to go, was Matt, again. On the idea drawn originally by his little brother, Matt decided on a back piece between the shoulder blades of a distraught angel brought down on his knees. This piece is actually one of my favorites, one because Cj designed it, and too because of its meaning to Matt at the time that he had it done. It was at time when he was being bombarded with challenges, and needed to find strenth and purpose in his life. His third tat came soon after, and the words "Why hast thou forsaken me?" crossed his chest.
Not to be outdone by the rest of the family, for Cj's 16th birthday, he designed a 'family crest'
to symbolize the bond they all shared. This one encorporates the cherry blossom (to symbolize Gentile=gentle), the Samurai sword, and the Japanesse phrase for "way of the warrior". All three boys got this one, and Christie had the cherry blossom put on her hip.
Still though, the tats go on. Matt added two more...the word Faith & four skulls (?) which he says represent his family who are in his words 'worth dying for'. Joe's love of the ocean and the BVI lead to his "Sails to the Wind" pirate. He is now waiting on adding a Samurai to his collection.
Cj, too, wanted to add to his heritage by having a large tiger on his left shoulder. Next year, he hopes to complement it with a dragon on his right.
Even Sam has become part of the family with her tat that she choose to embrace her Indian heritage. Squeezing Cj's hand for over an hour, she was able to make it through the discomfort only to be rewarded with a beautiful thunderbird (restoration & balance) on her lower back with the S'klallam word meaning the 'strong people' above its head.
The big joke is me...I am the only one still unscathed and although they try hard to persuade me, I doubt I will undergo any ink to their dismay. But...who knows?
Homecoming 2007 - Cj & Shelby
Saturday, October 6, 2007
LHS Homecoming Dance
After doing a few last minute errands, it was time to get ready for the the big night. Cj sported a sleek black suit from Express, a black & white striped shirt, & red tie to complemet his date (and girlfriend's) red dress.
Surprising her with a teddy bear, Cj was off to pick up Shelby and meet a group of friends before heading out to dinner at Yia Yia's.
Eight couples, meet over at Abby's house for pictures. Abby has been friends with Cj since middle school.
Afterwards, the boys, not being satisfied with their small steak dinner, headed to Taco Bell and then off to the dance at the school.
Afterwards, everyone headed over to
Shelby's for a bonfire, snacks and
some more dancing.
Putting on her corsage. On their way to dinner.
Time for giving thanks...
As I sit writing, I can't help my find myself looking out the front door at the radiant reds from the trees that line our street. Over the last couple of years, we seem to have had a very short time to be able to enjoy all the colors of fall. This year however, God has blessed us for several weeks. Such incredible hues could not be missed, so of course I had to take out my camera.
New Town - hmm...?
A couple of weeks ago, Joe & I decided to take a look at a little town about 25 or so minutes away called New Town. We hadn't really heard anything about it until our trip to California, and then Matt expressed an interest in. Matt of course, having the 'designer's mind', loved the concept of self-contained town, complete with its on canal that goes through the center of town, small parks randomly dispersed every few blocks, a town hall, ampitheater, movie house, and little shops & kiosks that line Main Street. 
Of course, hearing all of that, Joe & I were curious. So, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, we decided to head out to New Town. Now the first thing we noticed, was that New Town, although not far from the highway was sit pretty much in the middle of nowhere. To me, a western came to town. You know, how in middle of nothinginess all of a sudden a town pops up. Okay, well putting this in today's terms....imagine going through a fairly dull industrial area, followed by barren farmlands, to all of a sudden have a sign welcoming you to New Town pop up from nowhere.
Now anyone who has seen the Truman Show can appreciate the architecture & design of New Town. The same guy who created the movie set helped design the town, and is on the same idea of places such as Celebration, FL. 
The whole town has an era of a time long gone, where children were safe to go outside and play. Where neighbors gathered in the evening for a concert at the Town Hall. Where you enjoyed sitting on your front porch and taking in the gorgeous sunsets and waving at your neighbors as they passed by on their evening walks. Although Joe was a little freaked out by it, he was also taken in by its simplistic charm. The homes, some simple some elaborate had character. Even the row houses, or apartments above the shops all had a small town feeling that made you really like being there.
Victorian Row Houses add real charm
Lil' Kiosks that line Main Street opposite the Ampitheater
