Phoebe's Footloose Musical performance

I was flying in to Harrisburg, PA to see Phoebe in the Footloose Musical at Penn State Harrisburg. My flight was scheduled to depart at 9:30am and arrive in Harrisburg at 4:57pm. The performance was set to begin at 7:30pm. I had plans to attend opening night on Wednesday and again on Thursday, then fly home first thing Friday morning. I left the house at 7am and received flight delay notifications from United so I turned around and went home. Left for the airport around 8am. I got there and the flight was delayed again. We finally make it to Chicago for the connection to then find out that flight was cancelled and they put me on another flight arriving at 10:30pm. After several more delays, we ended up departing at 11pm. The captain said there was a storm system between Chicago and Harrisburg, but he'd get us as far as he could, even if it meant we'd have to go around the system, up to NY and then come back down to PA. I sent out "I love you" texts to Damian and Phoebe, just in case anything happened. The flight actually wasn't bad, we were able to get through the storm and arrive in Harrisburg at 2:30am. Needless to say, I missed opening night. But I knew I'd be able to see it Thursday night. Phoebe invited me to lunch with her between her classes. We had lunch at a mexican restaurant and took our time catching up on life. I dropped her off at school and went back to the hotel to get a little work done and get ready for the show. I got there around 6:45, got my ticket and waited for them to open the doors. They were having some technical issues, so there was a delay letting us in. We were able to go in and get seated around 7:30, that's when the show was scheduled to start. Around 8:30 the theater manager announced that they'd have to call the show. They weren't able to resolve the technical issues. My eyes swelled up with tears but I held them in. I was so excited to see Phoebe on stage, doing what she loves. Phoebe eventually came out and ran up to me and we hugged so tight. She was crying and said "I just wanted to make you proud". I said oh my gosh boog, you make me proud every single day. I just really wanted to see you out there. This is beyond your control. She told me that the crew were going to IHOP and I insisted that she go with them and don't worry about me! They were who she needed to be with at the time and I was not going to be selfish. I hung back and spoke with the manager, Amy. She was so sweet and understanding. I told her what I went through to be there and asked if there was any way that someone could record it and share it with me. She explained that they didn't purchase a license to video it. I said I completely understand, but if there's any way that they could share it, I would be extremely grateful. I mentioned that I would reschedule my return flight and stay another night if she had a strong feeling it would be resolved, but she couldn't say for sure. And the only return flight that I was able to switch to would bring me home Sunday, but still, there was no way to know if it would be fixed. The return flights were on time, no delays. I got back to Houston around 11am. Phoebe texted me links that evening to watch the live streams. THANK YOU PENN STATE THEATER!! I was able to watch my girl on stage. She was amazing as always. Meagan flew in on Friday while I was flying home. She surprised Phoebe. They have such a wonderful friendship. LaQuinta wouldn't let Meagan check in and still charged her for the stay. They said she'd have to be 21 to check in, so she called Comfort Inn & Suites and they said a 19 year old could check in, so she went to stay there instead. Footloose The Musical was a great experience for Phoebe. The cast cried as they were closing up the last showing. I'm thankful that she's having these experiences, and I'm thankful that she has a handful of real friends in her life.

RIP Mama Carmel

I just found out the other day that you had passed a month after we last spoke. I know you're happy to be reunited with our Mandy. Thanks for everything and for always being there. I love and miss you both beyond words. I hope you're free of pain. Until we meet again Mama Carmel. Hug my Cinnamon Roll for me. Carmel Mary Simpson March 20, 1958 - October 25, 2023

RIP Ms. Connie 💔

Ms. Connie was diagnosed a few days ago with lung cancer and liver failure. She wanted to go home for her remaining time. Fauddy just let us know that she has passed (5/13/24). My heart hurts for Shannon, Faud, Taylor, Maria, Luie, and all those grandbabies. I’m glad she was able to meet the grandchildren and watch them grow over the years. No doubt that she will be missed and this will leave a void in a lot of hearts. Rest peacefully Ms. Connie. You worked long and hard enough, it’s your turn to rest. We love you. 

Connie Acosta Obituary

Connie B. Acosta, 70, of Slidell, La., passed away peacefully on Monday, May 13, 2024, with her family by her side.  She was a native of Chalmette, La. and a resident of Slidell, La.  Connie was a member of the Catholic faith.  She retired after many years of working to provide for her family.  Connie enjoyed walking around the neighborhood, visiting with friends and family, cooking, watching TV and spoiling her Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her Father, Henry Barthelemy, Mother, Alzaier Charles, Brothers, Perry Barthelemy and Henry Barthelemy Jr.

Connie is survived by her Daughters, Maria Acosta of Slidell, La., Shannon Acosta-Whitfield & husband Ray of Chalmette, La., Son, Luis Acosta of Chalmette, La., Brother, Chris Barthelemy of Baton Rouge, La., Sisters, Jackie Spori of Gretna, La., Veronica Mendron of Merridan, Miss., Rhonda Barthelemy of Port Sulphur, La., Grandchildren, Taylor, Zachary, Sierra, Savannah, Caleb, Great Grandchildren, Ashton, Dominik, Carter, Giavanna, Daylen and Frankie.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

Arrangements are entrusted to Serenity Funeral Home of Covington, La.

RIP Gage Michael Grashoff

Gage Michael Grashoff October 15, 2002 - August 26, 2024

Obituary for Gage Michael Grashoff Gage, age 21, of Ponchatoula, LA and Carriere, MS, passed away on August 26, 2024. Born in New Orleans, he was the beloved son of Stephen Grashoff and Erin and Bryan Isbell.

Gage completed his education at Ponchatoula High School and later attended Northshore Technical Community College. He began working at Stray Cats in Ponchatoula and after finishing college, worked for Hydronic Technology in New Orleans. Most recently, he was employed by PSC at Stolthaven New Orleans in Braithwaite.
Gage is survived by his parents, and siblings Dane Grashoff and Taylor Isbell, and his grandparents, Gaynell Grashoff and Jane Cosse. His godparents, Lorraine Martinez and Chad Cosse, also survived him.
Gage was preceded in death by his grandfathers Walter Grashoff and Hlanson ‘Coon’ Cosse, and his great grandparents Mae and James Bascle, Camilla Asevado, Dotsi Mones and Ray Cosse.
Gage leaves behind a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who adored him, as well as his cherished pitbull, Rowan. Gage trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for over 15 years at Gracie United Team Jucao South and was a blue belt. His kindness and caring spirit will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
PONCHATOULA, LA. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the Visitation from the Chapel of Brandon G. Thompson Funeral Home, 1190 Hwy 51 North, Ponchatoula, LA. on Sunday, September 1, 2024 from 12:00 p.m. until the start of the Memorial Service at 2:00 p.m.


Visitation SEP 1. 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM (CT) Brandon G. Thompson Funeral Home - Ponchatoula 1190 Highway 51 North Ponchatoula, LA 70454
Memorial Service SEP 1. 2:00 PM (CT) Brandon G. Thompson Funeral Home - Ponchatoula 1190 Highway 51 North Ponchatoula, LA 70454


Copy the following link to view the slideshow. https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/7CFDP6SQ2C229NNM


Copy the following link to view the tribute wall and share a memory of Gage. https://www.thompsoncares.com/obituaries/Gage-Grashoff-2/#!/TributeWall


I am at a loss for words. I remember Gage being such a happy kid. I hope he is at peace now. My thoughts and prayers are with all of Gage’s family and friends during this time. I pray you can all find comfort in the memories made during Gage’s time here on earth.

Phoebe Graduated! Class of 2024

Phoebe's high school graduation was today at the Cynthia Woods Pavillion in The Woodlands. Tammy, Aidan, Payton, Evan, Brianna, Ms. Tess, Mr. Mike, Mikey, and Morryne came in to watch her walk across stage. We first met up to grab a bite to eat on Market Street then walked over to Cynthia Woods. Maya was graduating too, so Damian couldn't make it to eat with us, but we met up right before going to the pavillion. Mark, Grace & Chris also showed up to support Phoebe. It was a great day! After the graduation, they had a lock in for graduates at Main Event. I took Payton with me to chaperone. Our job was to hand out free raffle tickets to anyone that seemed to be having a good time. :) Congratulations Phoebe, we are all so proud of you!!

Penn State Bound

Phoebe receied acceptance letters from 5 of the 7 schools she applied to. She decided on Penn State. They her have attending the Harrisburg campus for the first 2 years then transferring to the PSU campus in State College for 2 years. She's excited, so we're excited, but I can say that I already miss her!

Phoebe’s 1st “official” job

Smoothie King asked her to start today after school. This kid is officially employed. It just hit me that I won’t see her after school today. :( This is getting difficult! But so bittersweet. I’m proud but sad, happy but I miss her. 

I brought her some tennis shoes and a few snacks to eat after school before she goes to work. I left them in her car. 

Update after her first day… 

She worked 6.5 hours, no break, no water, no potty break. They had her sweeping, mopping, making smoothies and she came home with her hip flared up and in pain. She said it’s fine and she’ll push through it but the momma bear wants to give them a piece of her mind. 🤔😣 She got home close to 10pm, only ate a lunchable during school lunch and had to work on a review for college algebra. My poor girl was exhausted. It was tough to watch. But I know it’ll only make her stronger and prepared for adulting. Still doesn’t make it easier to watch. 😮‍💨

2023 Highlights

Click HERE to see a short clip of highlights from 2023.

Phoebe is officially 5 feet!

Weighing in at 98lbs. She’s extremely excited to reach 5 feet!

RIP Truffles :(

Damian's parents had Truffles for a couple years. She was super friendly and playful. Yesterday, Dec 26th, while Truffles and Hershey were being taken on a walk, a Turkish Kangal Shepherd dog ran up and grabbed Truffles out of David's arms and killed her. We are all so heartbroken. Hershey and David are traumatized, and our sweet Truffles will be missed so very much.

Phoebe’s 18th birthday!

Phoebe LOVES Christmas! Especially music and lights. So we surprised her with a weekend trip to the Gaylord Texan Resort. We stayed in a room that overlooked the atrium. It was beautiful. We went to Main Street and walked to take pictures of the amazing lights. We also went to the Ice Show which was a Grinch theme. Amazing is an understatement. Aidan, Evan, Nanny and Brianna arrived on Saturday to surprise her. We had her answer the hotel room door after I pretended to call the front desk asking for extra coffee creamer. :) Everyone had a great time. 💕

Birthday gift from my love

I was perfectly happy with the original wheels on my car. My hubby decided to surprise me with a new set and now I’m like, what was I thinking? 😂 I’m in love all over again. 

Phoebe’s summer trip to LA

She drove to LA with nanny and cousins after they came in for the A&M student event. Today is Aidan & Evan’s graduation party. Phoebe is there having a blast! 

Phoebe took care of her own appt!

She wanted to schedule a hair cut. So I told her now that she’s driving and getting close to graduating, she could begin to handle those tasks. She scheduled her appt with Ulta earlier this week and today was her appt . She officially handled it and came back with a super cute cut. ❤️

It's true y'all, life is what you make it.

It really is our choice. 

If you choose to be happy, you'll find the good in everything. 

If you choose to be miserable, you'll find the bad in everything. 

We've got one chance at this thing called life, let's make the best of it. 

No one wants to hear us complaining, putting others down, claiming to be better than others. We're all human, maybe not all are humane, but we are human. We all breathe air, have hearts, we come from our mother's womb, and we are all mortal. The only thing that makes us seem different are our situations and our choices. 

And remember, the worst prison is living in fear of what others think. 

Be happy. Be kind. Be helpful. Take pride in who you are. Be trustworthy. 

I found my happy when I was able to be myself, 100%. Not living up to anyone's expectations but my own. Having open and honest communication, barking at the cat, acting like a kid, laughing a lot. Sure, it's not perfect, but that would make things boring! 

I choose to be myself and I choose to be happy. I hope you'll do the same. 

And stop judging others, you really don't know their situation. Some are too ashamed to share because of the fear of being judged. Stopping to lend a hand speaks so much higher than speaking down about someone. 

Rest In Peace Miss Jane aka Mimi

https://obits.nola.com/us/obituaries/nola/name/jane-philibert-obituary?id=35274432

Jane Vanderbrook Philibert, age 74 of New Orleans, passed away Saturday, June 11, 2022. She was a graduate of Francis T. Nichols High School, where she was on the flag team, and The University of New Orleans. Jane was a member of Alpha Xi Delta Sorority and served as Chapter Advisor for many years after graduating. Jane worked at Tulane University in the Business Library for 20 plus years, Louisiana State Attorney General Office and several lawyers in the New Orleans area until retiring to take care of her mother. Jane was known for her homemade fudge, bacon wrapped breadsticks, dirt cake and over the top birthday celebrations for people. She had a flare for attire that went with any holiday or occasion. She was a die-hard Mardi Gras fan, attending and participating in parades since she was a little girl. She was a member of the crew of Pandora and then the crew of Iris until her last ride in 2019. Preceded in death by her parents Edward Joseph and Doris (Born) Vanderbrook, Jr. She is survived by her son Rudolph L. Philibert, Jr; 2 grandsons, Aidan Edward, and Evan Brock Philibert, her brother Edward Joseph Vanderbrook, III and his wife Darlene, her nephew Edward Joseph Vanderbrook, IV and his wife Kellie and her great nephew Edward Joseph Vanderbrook, V, sister-in-law Elisa Philibert Siragusa along with other family members and many friends. Her son asks that anyone attending her services please bring some small token of remembrance of Jane: i.e., something Mardi Gras themed or something that depicts how you remember her. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Funeral Mass at 11:00 am on Saturday, June 25, 2022, in the J. Garic Schoen Chapel of Jacob Schoen & Son, 3827 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119. Visitation will begin at 9:00 am. Interment will be in St. Vincent de Paul #2 Cemetery. To view the Mass via livestream and sign the family guestbook, please go to www.schoenfh.com.

RIP Grandma Gioia

https://obits.nola.com/us/obituaries/nola/name/eleanor-gioia-obituary?id=51520962&utm_source=webshareapi&utm_medium=share_button&utm_campaign=wsapimobile_beta

Eleanor Barrios Gioia passed away on Monday, March 27, 2023 in Covington, Louisiana, at the age of 94. She was born on Monday, May 28, 1928 and was a native of Triumph, LA, a former resident of St. Bernard, Slidell and Picayune, MS, and a current resident of Ponchatoula, LA. She was a very loving, caring, and nurturing mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and great great grandmother who would do anything for her family. She loved visiting with her children, her grandchildren, and their families, especially the family crawfish boils, crab boils, and family vacations. She hosted the best Thanksgiving and Christmas parties at her home for her family. Eleanor was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Joseph C. Gioia, Sr.; son-in-law, John Walsh, III; parents, Victoria Ancalade Barrios and Justin Barrios; brothers, August Barrios, Evon Barrios, and Lloyd Barrios; sisters, Jane Henderson, Joyce Matthew, and Thelma Hingle; and great grandson, Kail Joseph Verdon. She is survived by her devoted children, Adeline Walsh, Linda Hughes (Harry, Sr.), Joseph Gioia, Jr. (Lou), Michael Gioia, Sr. (Tessie), Dominick Gioia, Sr. and Penny Erato (Paul); grandchildren, Harry Hughes, Jr., John "Jay" Walsh, IV, Joseph Gioia, Jr., Corey Hughes, Sr., Michael Gioia, Jr., Shannon Verdon, Carlo Gioia, Scott Gioia, Christian Gioia, Eric Strother, Dominick Gioia, Jr., Jason Gioia, Justin Gioia, and Malissa Gioia; sisters, Marion Weber, Anna Bea Lightell, and Emily Lind; brother, Vernon Barrios, and many great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Graveside Service at Forest Lawn Cemetery, 1751 Gause Boulevard West, Slidell, LA 70460 on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at 11:00 am. A crawfish boil will follow at LN Hughes Funeral Services, 21400 South I-12 Service Road, Ponchatoula, Louisiana 70454. Share your thoughts and memories of Eleanor in her guestbook by visiting Lnhughes.com. Arrangements are entrusted to LN Hughes Funeral Services of Ponchatoula, Louisiana.

Wedding 2b

That’s what we named this event. We were both married once before and our first “ceremony” in 2019 was with the Justice of the Peace. We originally had to postpone our elopement because we wanted all 3 of our girls there. Maya wasn’t going to be able to make it for 2.25.19 due to situations beyond her control. The next year was NCA and Phoebe worked so hard with her team throughout the year, I couldn’t ask her to miss NCA. There were additional conflicts this year, so  Damian and I decided to just do it anyway! So we made a weekend of it and had our wedding photos done at the chapel we booked in 2019. I got to wear my wedding gown, feel beautiful and take nice photos with my love. The chapel has livestreams so our families were able to watch the ceremony and see me act silly as always. :) We stayed at the Sage Inn & Spa in Kyle, TX. I had my hair and makeup done at The Marquis Salon in Austin, by Emmaleigh, who was amazing. We had a couples massage Sunday morning and then met up with his friend CJ for dinner at Lambert’s. The photographer took a few pics with their cell phone so they could share those with us the day of. It was a magical, relaxing day, not an ounce of stress. It was perfect. ❤️

Photo album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/tp69Rmk3xi3h7d2L8 

Halloween 2022

We worked hard to fill these gloves with candy for the trick or treaters. Phoebe went off to a friend's house, me and Damian decided to watch a few episodes of a series, so we left the bowl outside of the door with a sign asking that they please just take one. Needless to say, kids will be kids, and the first 4 doorbell approaches, the candy filled gloves were gone. Lol! Thankfully we still had a little stash leftover from the glove filling. :) Then kids began asking for bottled water! I was like sure, anybody else want water?! I was so excited kids actually wanted water! :) Another Halloween down, another Thanksgiving around the corner!

Phoebe’s 2022 Summer

Phoebe is having the best summer and it warms my heart! Although I sure do miss my boog. 🥰

She got her drivers license when summer began. 

Beach house vacay with Nanny, Cliff and cousins. 

Hanging out with her dad in Louisiana .

Hanging out with Kinleigh, MawMaw & PawPaw in Picayune.

Driving the golf cart with PawPaw.

This kid sure does love spending time with her family. 😍 We did something right raising her! 😁