THE DAY IS FINALLY HERE!

WELL JAKE,
THE DAY IS FINALLY HERE!!!
I HAVE WAITED SEVERAL MONTHS UNTIL I GET ON A PLANE AND FLY TO YOUR WAITING ARMS IN SYDNEY AUSTRALIA.
I HAVE BEEN PACKED FOR OVER A MONTH, AND I AM WAITING FOR THE CAR SERVICE TO RING THE DOOR BELL.
YOU HAVE GROWN SO TALL AND I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL YOU WRAP YOUR ARMS AROUND ME.
WE WILL EXPLORE AUSTRALIA TOGETHER AND MAKE NEW MEMORIES THAT WE CAN SHARE A LIFETIME.

SO GO TO THE AIRPORT AND BEFORE LONG "the nana" WILL BE THERE TO SAY...
G'DAY MATE!!!

AUSTRALIA...Here I come!!!

AUSTRALIA...HERE I COME!!!
Dearest Zuli and Jessica,
I am finally leaving for my much anticipated 2 month trip to Australia and New Zealand. Thank goodness SKYPE kept me connected to Rebecca, Eric, Jake and Oliver every single day for hours at a time. I felt much more connected to them than I could ever have imagined. In addition, as I mentioned...I took a full time job selling jewelry which I adored and it kept me busy at all times. That is what I needed. (MY sister Sherry goes to Florida from November-May)
The children are more amazing than ever and if you have been following their websites, Oliver is another Jake. Magnificent!!!!
I could not bring myself to go to Hoboken. I tried one day and it was too emotional for me.The children are adoring this experience and they are all thriving. So as a Mom, I couldn't be happier. Thank goodness Harvey and I are like 2 peas in a pod, so we just clinged to one another.
Lesson learned: What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.
When I came off my cruise last July and Rebecca told me that the family was leaving in October to go to Australia for a year, I thought that someone punched me in the stomach! Crying, I begged her to leave me Jake. She said she couldn't split up her family, and I felt "How could she do this to me".
But you are never too old to learn and I came to realize the big picture and that they are a family unit who sometimes needs to do things on their own. And miraculously...I am surviving.
The kids, Eric and Rebecca are waiting with great anticipation for me to come. Shortly after, Harvey will join me and when we leave for our cruise to New Zealand, the Rubensteins will be visiting and then Rebecca's best friend Allisyn.So before long we will be back into the loving cocoon of Hoboken...and our first stop will be seeing both you Zuli and you Jessica.
All my love,
Jake's Nana
Oliver's Nana
Beyond Basics Nana
Roberta

G'Day Mate!!!

My dearest Jake,

From the moment I came off of a cruise ship last July, and your Mother told me that you were moving to Sydney, Australia for 10 months...I have been paralyzed and unable to write. The pain of not seeing you each and every Thursday was too much to bear.

I looked at you each week before you left and cried my eyes out at the thought of not being with you, my best boy...my best friend. I started to write to you dozens of times, but became overwhelmed.


You mean the world to me, as your qualities are such that we are truly soul mates. In case you don't know what that means-it means that we really know one another very well and we know what makes each other happy and what makes each other sad.

But now, on November 11, since you are settled in at Sydney Australia...I have adjusted in many ways.

SKYPE means that we can see and speak to each other every single day and last Thursday we even had breakfast together and one of our "Starbucks" conversations.

I woke up at 5a.m. and we had milk and cookies together and chatted just the way we do every Thursday!

I have been working practically every day to help pass the time until I go to visit you and spend almost 2 months in Australia. I will be spending your birthday with you and we are already planning some wonderful outings for us. And hopefully, as any unselfish Nana would feel... I am happy that you and your family are taking advantage of this wonderful experience.

You are getting taller each and every day and I can see that you are very loving toward your new brother OLIVER.

Mom told me that one day when she was homesick, you were very kind to her and very caring. WHAT A BOY!

So now I have learned that what hasn't killed the Nana...makes her stronger.

I LOVE YOU MY JAKE,

G'Day Mate

How Am I Supposed To Live Without You???

View Michael Bolton "How am I supposed to live without you?"
on www.youtube.com

I could hardly believe it
When I heard the news today
I had to come and get it straight from you
They said you were leavin'
Someone swept your heart away
From the look upon your face
I see it's true

So tell me all about it,
Tell me 'bout the plans you're makin'
Then tell me one thing more before I go

Tell me how am I supposed to live without you
Now that I've been lovin' you so long
How am I supposed to live without you
How am I supposed to carry on
When all that I've been livin' for is gone

I didn't come here for cryin'
Didn't come here to breakdown
It's just a dream of mine is coming to an end
And how can I blame you
When I built my world around
The hope that someday we'd be so much more than friends

And I don't wanna know the price I'm gonna pay for dreaming
When even now it's more than I can take

Tell me how am I supposed to live without you
Now that I've been lovin' you so long
How am I supposed to live without you
How am I supposed to carry on
When all that I've been livin' for is gone

The greatest thing you'll ever learn...

There was a boy
A beautiful and enchanted boy
They say he wandered very far, very far
Over land and sea

And then one day
A magic day he passed my way
And while we spoke of many things
Fools and kings
This he said to me...

"THE GREATEST THING
YOU'LL EVER LEARN
IS JUST TO LOVE AND BE LOVED
IN RETURN''

Watch out Tiger Woods!!!

Well Jake,

We have spent Thursdays together swimming at The Y, taking dance lessons, gymnastic lessons even piano lessons. We have gone to museums,

Chelsea Piers, ferry rides, train rides and the list goes on.

And now, thanks to Hoboken Golf...Nana gave you your first golf lesson.

YOU DID SO GOOD!

You paid attention and had a good swing. I was sitting on the side with Aunt Sherry fainting from your adorableness.

I Love You So!!!

It's the simple things we love!!!

So I picked you up at school. You had just come back from Orlando...I missed you so much. When I saw you, I said "Jake you look so tall!!!".
You stood up straight and flashed me that big smile/grin that "Had me at Hello".

After all... you were away for 5 days and you really did look taller to me.
We went to Barnes and Noble. Seems like no big deal, but to us it is always a special time. After all, snacks and a drink then picking out books and finding a big cozy armchair to snuggle into and having me read stories to you...it doesn't get better than that.

I love our conversations and I love that when I tell you the same things over and over, you always say to me..."I KNOW NANA, I KNOW!"
And what is it that I always say to you???
Jake do you know who Nana's best friend is? And you always smile and point to YOURSELF.
And then I tell you..."Who will always be My Very First Grandchild???
And you always smile and point to YOURSELF.