My Christmas Marathon

Well, it's the day after our marathon Christmas and I'm tired.  Yesterday started at 6 am and ended at 10:30pm. We watched my brothers family open gifts, then my sisters family. Then we all headed to Dad's and had breakfast together for the first time ever.  I got all teary eyed watching everyone hang out.  My family changed their normal Christmas plans for B and I and it was very humbling.  We opened our gifts from dad and to each other.  It is so much fun to spend time with these people!

We headed south at 11:15am.  Four hours later we drove into my sister-in-law's driveway.  Lasagna, garlic bread, apple pie and presents waited for us there.  We lazed around and then took turns opening our gifts.  Love love love watching my nephews open their gifts!  B's family are just easy to be around.  There were aunts and uncles and cousins hanging out with us and it's always a great time.

We headed home around 8:30 and spent awhile unloading our car load of gifts and luggage.  Then we settled into the living room to enjoy our first Christmas spent in our home.  B is a wonderful gift giver and surprised me with some wonderful things.  After our gifts, we just collapsed on the couch and chatted about our day.

This Christmas we spent time with all of our family, we travelled from one end of our state to the other and we opened our gifts in our own home.  It was a beautiful, wonderful, different day.

Christmas Vacation

I took a few days off from work so I would have an extra long weekend for Christmas. So far during this mini vacation it has rained, sleeted, snowed, freezing rained, and snowed some more.  We drove to my families during it on Saturday.  Went to church and then out shopping with my dad in it yesterday and today I have not left the comfort of my dad's home.  But I can look out and see it!

Through all of this some wonderful memories have been made.  We are in the midst of a major cribbage tournament.  We got to visit with old friends at church yesterday and see a great children's program. We went Christmas shopping with dad yesterday. Nothing like getting it all done in one afternoon.  Today I made lunch for several of us.  I've made fudge that doesn't look right, but tastes just fine.  B has gone snowmobiling with one of our nephews and I think there is a pizza party later on.  Can't wait to see what the next 2 days of our Christmas mini vacation hold!

Crabby Christmas

So I pity anyone who wants to chat, be kind, or just try to communicate in any way with me for the next few hours.  I'm crabby.  I shouldn't be, I have a wonderful husband, family, home, job.  But for some reason, this time of year brings out the worst in me.  Stress, headaches, bad moods...that's what my Christmas time is usually like.

Poor B doesn't stand a chance.  He's tried a couple of times to lighten my mood.  Not a good idea, I'm not buying it.  We had a Christmas party in one of my departments at work today.  That didn't help.  We got let out early and even that didn't make me smile.

I'm hoping this will pass, and that when I wake up tomorrow I will be ready to enjoy this most wonderful time of the year.  We are heading to see my family, my shopping is done and wrapped.  Life should be good, but something isn't right and I'm just not sure what it is yet.

Something to Look Forward To

B and I did something a little crazy tonight.  After I had my nails done (yes, I am a spoiled brat and had a manicure) we stopped by a local travel agency.  And that's when the crazy part started.  We booked a trip to Jamaica for 2014.  Yes!  Next year we will have been married for 10 years and so we are going to celebrate in style.  We aren't going until the fall, but it gives us something to look forward to and now I have a reason to get off my lazy butt and get moving!

This will be our 2nd trip to the island.  This time we will be spending 7 blissful days at an all-inclusive resort and I'm planning to just lay on the beach or by the pool and veg!

So it might be a little crazy, impulsive, over the top and I don't care!  We will have a blast and make great memories and that's what is important.

7 Days and Counting

So, I don't know about you, but this Christmas season is flying by.  This past weekend we had our first Christmas party on Saturday and our annual PJ breakfast for family on Sunday. We also had a major snowstorm in between.  Even with a foot of snow, we had about 35 out for breakfast!  Love, love, love that breakfast and the fellowship that occurs during it.

Tonight we finished wrapping gifts.  We've sorted out the piles between families and we are starting to move stuff to the entry way that we will be taking north with us.

Tonight we are getting more snow and hopefully that's it for a little bit. We'd like to go out and see the lights some night and just start to enjoy this season a little bit.

I hope you are taking the time to enjoy it too!

The Holiday Rush is Here

The tree is up, the house is decorated, a few gifts are wrapped, 4 apple pies are made and in the freezer.  I wish that I could say that I'm on the home stretch for holiday preparations, but....there are still cards to be addressed and mailed, tons of gifts to sort out and wrap, stocking stuffers to be bought, preparations for our annual PJ Christmas breakfast, and I'm not even sure what else is on that list on the fridge door!

We do photo calendars for each family, and one family's was finished and ordered tonight.  Tomorrow night I will start working on the other one.  I need to get some gifts wrapped and mailed to my best friend from high school.  Ok, I'm making myself tired and stressed just writing this stuff down!!

Here's the dream - get everything done this week and be able to enjoy next week, maybe go see some holiday lights, see a movie, enjoy the season with the hubby.  I'm hoping the dream is realized and that it doesn't turn into my worst nightmare!

Random Wednesday Thoughts

My mind is going a million miles a minute and so this post is going to be about the same! 

Tonight I went and got my nails shellacked.  Yes, I said shellacked - it's a special nail polish that is suppose to last up to 10 days and make your nails stronger so they will grow.  I did this during the summer and had nice nails for a couple of months.  Then life got in the way and I stopped going.  They are a pretty Christmas red and one of them is bugging me already because she missed a small section on the side and it's probably going to drive me crazy for the next 14 days.  I'm going to try to ignore it...but I'm such a compulsive person it's going to bug me, I just know.  I've already debated calling and getting it corrected, but I'm going to try to just let it go.

I want to put my Nativity scene out tonight, but I also want to do my Christmas cards and I need to start the calendars I do for each of our families.  So instead of doing any of those things I'm on my computer.  Oops!

We have a light bulb going in the kitchen and it keeps flashing and driving me crazy, but I don't think I have a light bulb to replace it, so I'm just going to pretend that I'm at a disco with the flashing lights.

I gained 2 pounds over Thanksgiving and that makes me so mad.  I'm tracking everything I'm eating again and hoping to lose the 2 pounds plus a few more before Christmas. 

The light is flickering again - time for a little Saturday Night Fever dancing I guess!

ThanksgivingChristmas

Do you feel like this year the holidays are just a little too close to each other?  We spent 4 days last week with my family celebrating Thanksgiving, eating too much, enjoying each others company.  I hadn't been to see them since the end of September.  I got to see my nephew play basketball and finally give one of my niece's her birthday gift.

And then my sister and I did a little cleaning at my dad's...and she dug out his Christmas tree.  What?  Can it be true that it is that time already?  And if I had any doubt what time of year it is, the Lord reminded me on Sunday when he sent the snow and sleet and horrible driving.  What should have been a 4 hour drive turned into a 5 1/2 hour drive.  We saw cars off the road and drove 40 mph for what felt like hours on an interstate built to drive 75. 

On the long drive home, I panicked inside.  Just 3 weekends before Christmas.  My house isn't decorated, no tree.  Thankfully we did some black Friday shopping and I am pretty much done picking up gifts for everyone - except B.  Last night I had plans with a friend, we shopped and had Mexican food.  What more could a girl ask for?  Maybe someone to do her Christmas card and wrap her gifts!!

Tonight B is working the night shift, so I'm decorating and hopefully addressing some envelopes and trying to un-panic myself!  Stay tuned!

McDonalds is My Kind of Place

B is working an extra shift tonight, and I decided to go to the big city shopping right from work. I would love to get my Christmas shopping done this weekend, but that's just not going to happen, but I thought I'd at least knock a few things off my list.  I left work at 3:30, and visited several stores before heading home.  Unfortunately, my last stop wasn't a store.  It really can't even be called an restaurant.  It's my favorite fast food joint - McDonald's.  For the past couple of years I have tried my best to avoid this place...too many calories.  But, lately I've had a hankering for some greasy fast food and tonight I fell spell to the golden arches. 

I zipped home, brought all my stuff in and through it on the floor and then woofed down my burger and fries.  I'm sure I should feel guilty about it, but I don't.  I might tomorrow when my pants feel too tight, but right now, I'm enjoying the aftertaste of a processed burger and awesome fries!

Why do I watch Criminal Minds?

I ask myself this question every time Wednesday rolls around and a new episode airs.  And I have no answer.  I love this show, I love how it makes my stomach feel queasy and uneasy, I love the interaction amongst the actors.  I don't love how it makes me check that my door is locked about 7 times every night.  I have seen every episode, some of them multiple (and I mean many multiples) times.  If I see it on my TV guide, I stop and watch, and ask myself again why am I watching! 

Unfortunately I've noticed that the premise of the show makes me uneasy, makes me less trustful of strangers walking down my road or in a parking lot at the local store.  I'm not sure that is a good thing, but I know that in this day and age, it is what it is.

Plus...B often works nights, so sometimes (like tonight) I'm watching it by myself.   Thankfully, one of the administrators in the school district I work on is a Facebook friend and we chat back and forth each Wednesday night about how scared and creeped out we are.  Basically, I love that she keeps me company when I'm scared to death!

The best laid plans

This past Sunday was suppose to be a quiet, uneventful day.  A day where the two of us could rest, hang out, visit B's mom and enjoy each others company.

That didn't happen.  We did sleep in (oops we missed church!)  My dad was flying to Florida for a couple of weeks.  He texted that he was on the plane, life was good. 

Then I got a text that Dad was back on the ground.  Um, he'd only been gone about 30 minutes - not enough time to get very far.  It seems that his plane lost an engine on take off and they had to circle back to the airport where they were greeted by fire engines and ambulances!  Okay.  He was fine, no one panicked and they were going to get another plane to take everyone to Florida.  That didn't happen.  He now needed a hotel room, before the other 149 people on the plane got one.  So I got him a room, then he needed his car reservation and hotel in Florida changed.  So I did that and he was all set.  I think I should have been a travel agent in another life.

While this was all going on, I sent B to visit his mom.  In between my travel agent duties, I went down to our basement to grab a load of laundry out of the dryer.  I was a bit surprised when I opened the door to find ink all over the inside of the dryer.  I said a few choice words and tried to remember how much I adore my husband who loves to carry a pen in his pocket.  I spent 30 minutes trying to get it cleaned up.  The bad news - 3 shirts and 1 pair of jeans (all his) got ruined. 

When B got back from his mom's, I tried not to be too over the top crazy about what I'd discovered.  I knew he'd feel bad enough.  And he did. 

After all that fun, I didn't feel like cooking and we needed some groceries - so we shopped and grabbed a a pizza and tried to decompress from our "quiet, uneventful" day. 

The rest of the story is that Dad made it to Florida yesterday safely and  was enjoying the 85 degree weather the last time I talked to him and after my cleaning job nothing else got ink on it in the dryer. 

I will be careful to wish for a quiet, uneventful Sunday again, that's for sure.

Cleaning closets

Today I am cleaning my closet.  My sister is going to get a big old bag of clothes and I'm going to enjoy going in my closet again.  I read several years ago that if you didn't wear something for a year, you probably would never wear it again.  I took that to heart and every fall and spring I go through my clothes and giveaway or throw away those that I don't want or are in bad shape.

Is it sad that I enjoy doing this?  Sometimes it's like finding an old friend that I hadn't seen for awhile.  Most times I wonder what was I thinking when I bought it in the first place.

I even have B on this schedule.  He moves older items into his "work" drawer or chucks them completely.  He is so slim now, we really don't have anyone to pass his clothes down too.   I don't think anyone will ever write a sentence like that about me!

Hi ho, hi ho, back to work I go!

For my favorite reader!

I got an email today from a certain special someone who reminded me I hadn't blogged in awhile.  It's been a busy bunch of weeks, and that is no excuse!

So here's the latest in our crazy little lives.  We have had wonderful visits from my family and friends from away.  My sister and niece, my friends from my old pre-marriage work,  my dad and then my oldest niece and her boyfriend ventured down for the first time by themselves last weekend.

When I first got married and moved "away" I used to cry when anyone left at the end of a visit, or when I left from visiting up north.  As the years have passed, the tears slowed down.  Until this past weekend when my niece left.  I was doing fine, we hugged, said our good byes.   And then she hugged me again and I lost it.  I miss her so much and having her to myself for a few days reminded me of those years that she and I hung out all the time.  She has grown into such a fine young woman and it was a treat to get to know her boyfriend a little better.

So, besides the visits, I've been helping dad find a rental car for an upcoming trip, Christmas shopping, and working.

The other big news in our lives is that B's mom has been diagnosed with breast cancer.  She has had surgery and we are waiting to see what the next step will be.  We ask for your prayers for her healing and wisdom for her doctors.

So, life has been pretty intense and I don't see it slowing down anytime soon!  But I do promise to do better and keep on writing!

Weekend Visitors

I am eagerly anticipating a wonderful, whirlwind of a weekend.  My sister, her daughter, one of our friends and two of her daughters are making the 4 hour trip south to spend the weekend with me and B.  They want to go outlet shopping on Saturday - the girls all have money they earned during potato harvest burning a hole in their pocket. 

I love all these girls and can't wait to spend 48 hours with them.  B will, once again, retreat to his man cave - his beloved Red Sox will be playing.  He is excited for another house full of females for the weekend, but he also loves to just chill with the game on.  And we will let him, probably.

We're going to order pizza and chicken wings from our local favorite place.  We'll blow up air mattresses and have snacks for the girls to raid at midnight.  We'll chow down on tasty breakfasts and I will probably cry when they all leave me.

I look forward to these too brief moments and cherish the memories we all make. 

Comfort Food Kinda Day

What's your comfort food?  I love chips and brownies and apple pie.  I love spicy, warm food and I love to cook these kinds of foods in the fall - not sure why.  Once the days start getting cooler, I feel like nesting and staying home and just kicking back and today, that's just what we are doing.

We went to our church's Saturday night service, so we slept in this morning and have just vegged all day.  B is recovering from bronchitis.  His beloved Red Sox are in the playoffs and their games aren't until 8 p.m. so he's trying to rest up to stay up.  Plus he has to work tomorrow and needs to be up by 4:30 a.m. (Just thought I'd point out - it's a day off for me!!)

So in honor of this stay-at-home, nesting, vegging kind of day - I've got chili in the crock pot and chocolate peanut butter chip brownies just came out of the oven.  Can't wait to indulge!

What are you doing today?

We didn't make any plans for this weekend.  We have no visitors this weekend and I have Monday off, but B has to work.  So last night, we had a little date night.  We went out to dinner, later than normal for us...we even had to wait for a table.  It was fun to just sit and chat while we waited.  After dinner, we went and bought B's mom a 70th birthday gift.  Then I had something to return to a local department store, so B hung in the vehicle listening to baseball stuff and I did a little shopping.  It was a great way to end my work week.

This morning, I felt like doing a little cleaning - the kind where you have a bag for Goodwill and a bag for the dump.  We are on "break" for breakfast right now, then we will get back at it.  I am a hoarder and but I'm ready to get rid of things...lots of things.  Thankfully we have a Goodwill nearby and our dump has a Trash & Treasure building that we can leave things in.  It makes me feel a little better to give things to those places rather than just completely throw perfectly good items away.  Oh, and we also have laundry going!  That was piled sky high - we sure go through a lot of clothes for 2 people.

I think we are going to go see a movie this afternoon, then who knows where this day and weekend will take us. 

I'm not usually a go-with-the-flow kind of gal, but I'm kinda liking this weekend without plans! 

It's Friday!

This is a first for me, writing on here before work!  I'm celebrating the fact that it's Friday morning, it's going to be a 3 day weekend for me, and I only have 8 hours of work until that starts!

Now, to decide what adventure we are going to go on this weekend.  Hiking?  Leaf peeping?  Shopping?  Movies?  Or maybe all of them! 

I'm ready for whatever adventure we decide to embark on....but until then, it's off to the coal mines! 

What I discovered this weekend

I am back to work after a wonderful weekend with my forever friends.  They surprised me with a little birthday party - cuz I'm a half century now and they thought they should mark that occasion, I guess.  We wore party hats and they gave me depends....fun was had by all!

Anyway, during this weekend I learned a few things:

1. Each of us nodded off at least once while we were sitting up talking - some at the dining room table.  I'm thinking it's because we are so tired and nothing to do with our age.
2. If you don't turn your furnace on in October, your house is cold.  I don't think I need to say much more about this one.  We are trying to just use our little electric fire place until it gets "really" cold.  We just wrap up in a blanket....all of us did this weekend.
3. I don't sleep as much as my friends.  They all were in bed by at least 11 and up by 6:30 a.m. or earlier.  I, on the other hand, didn't fall asleep until after 1 a.m. either night and was up at 7:30.  I need to figure out how to get more sleep, or how to make myself fall asleep earlier.  
4. We all go through the same things - two of my friends are going through health issues with their moms.  I've been there.  
5. I'm getting forgetful.  This weekend alone, I forgot my phone in the car and had to go back to get it.  I lost my debit card in Old Navy - and thankfully it was right where I dropped it when I went back an hour later.  
6. And finally, two days is not long enough to catch up with friends you haven't seen in over 6 months!

Forever Friends

This weekend marks the 10th year that my wonderful friends from the north will make the 4 hour trip to our house for a visit. I worked with these three beautiful lades for over 10 years and they were there  through my meeting B online and our initial dating, our break up, our dating again, engagement and then our wedding.  They were there for me when I had cancer and through my surgery and recovery.   Next to my family - spending time with these ladies are one of the things I miss most from my life before marriage.

We stay in touch via email and meet up at least once a year in the fall.  We try to throw a spring trip in every once in a while too.  When we are together it sounds like the hens are loose and on the move.  B visits for about 30 minutes, then retreats to his man cave, with his headset on.  We all talk at once and follow each others conversations and somehow it doesn't confuse us or seem strange.

The visit always includes a little shopping, apple pie and apple buying, and a lot of talking and catching up.  I've been readying the house for their visit, bathrooms are clean, supper is planned for tomorrow night, apple pie fixings are ready to be assembled.

They are taking the day off tomorrow to make their journey down and will text me along their way so I can feel like a part of their trip.  I can't wait to see them...but I know these 2 days are going to go by in the blink of an eye.

Everyone said we would grow apart, that we wouldn't keep this up.  But we knew different, we made a promise and we are all married to men that support this time together for us.  They know how much it feeds our soul.

Forever friends are hard to find, but somehow I have been blessed with quite a few, and I am so thankful!

The Table & Chairs

One of the last pieces of furniture from our pre-marriage days that we still had in our house was our table and chairs.  They were B's and I never cared for them - but they served the purpose.  Big old clunky chairs that tipped over if you sat too close to the edge.  The only thing I liked about the set, was that there was a bench and we could fit extra people around the table.

Over the years, we have discussed getting rid of the table and chairs and buying a new set,  and then an opportunity presented itself.  A friend's son was buying his first house and looking for furniture.  So I told her about our clunky table and chairs, texted her a couple of pics and lo and behold her son wanted them!  What????  And he wanted them immediately. 

This all came about the weekend before our vacation to Disney.  So on a Sunday, our table and chairs went out the door and we had a big empty room.   When we got back from vacation we still had a big empty room so we decided to paint it!  

Luckily we had found a new set the same weekend we sold the old one, and had been patiently waiting for them to call to set up delivery.  Well, my patience ran out this week and I called them twice yesterday to see when they were going to be filling our empty room.  They were very unhelpful and I was not impressed.    Today B went down to the store to see what was up and supposedly our set will be delivered this Friday.  I'll believe it when I see it. 

Meanwhile, we will continue to eat in the living room on our card table and folding chairs.

Oh No...the Big 5 - 0

Well, this is it...my final few days in my 40's.  Where has this last decade gone?  All I can say, is if my 50's are as jam-packed full of life as my 40's, it's going to be a wild ride!

In my 40's I got married, foster parented 3 beautiful children, had 2 different jobs, vacationed in Jamaica, lost my mom, and saw my oldest baby girl niece graduate from high school.

This past weekend we visited with my family for 48 hours.  Oh, how I love each and every one of them.  We had 16 sitting around a table yesterday, enjoying the wonderful meal my sister and sister-in-law put together.  We laughed til we cried, reminisced about the good old days and dreamed of what's to come.  Everyone wore black in honor of my decade change and I loved it!  B tried to get pics of me with everyone there - I told them I was documenting my birthday, but it was really just a chance to hug up on them for a second or two.  Plus a couple of my nieces and nephews told me that I didn't look like I was going to be 50!  They are now my favorites, ha ha!!

I love that my Dad wrote the following in my card -  "I know you are not 50, just 5 perfect 10's".   I've decided that 50 is nothing more than a number - it's not going to define me or the things I'm going to accomplish in the days, months and years a head!

Or at least that's how I feel about it today...not sure how I'll feel after the day has come and gone!

Let's Play Catch Up

You know it's time to catch up on your blog when your husband mentions it!  I had no idea he was even still reading it, I'm thankful that he does - he might be the only one!

Last we chatted, we were doing the Disney countdown.  Well, Disney has come and gone and we had a most wonderful, fabulous, magical time.  It seemed to take forever for the trip to happen, then it was over in the blink of an eye, and now, 2 weeks later, it seems like forever since we were on vacation!  As a matter of fact, I texted a photo of us to B today and reminded him that I wanted to be on vacation again with him soon!

So my thoughts on our Disney trip....we stayed at a great hotel, Wilderness Lodge.  The rooms, lobby, decorations, pool area, etc were fabulous.  We spent a day at each Disney theme park, rode segways, saw the Cirque d'Soleil, shopped, swam, ate, and enjoyed each others company.  It was nine days of "just the 2 of us" and it was wonderful.   Our flights down and back were hectic - delays, lost luggage.  But we got there and so what if our luggage spend an extra day in Baltimore on the way home!

We were both back to work within 6 hours of being home and we haven't stopped since.  Between working, painting and cleaning, laundry and all the other normal chores of life, we haven't been bored!

We are heading to visit my family this coming weekend - it's been 2 months since our last visit.  To say I'm anxious to see everyone is an understatement.  It will only be for 2 short days, but I'll take it!

Hopefully I can get back into the groove again and back to this blog!

Disney Count Down

B and I are getting ready for a little vacation to see the mouse!  We have been counting this down for months - when it was a triple digits countdown!   We even put a count down app on our phones, and have had so much fun reminding each other of how many days are left.

It was wonderful when we got to double digits, then last week we hit the single numbers and now we are down to 7 days...7 DAYS!!!  I love Disney World and all it has to offer and B loves me and all I have to offer - so this trip suits us both, ha ha!

We are staying on property, have trips planned into the parks, have a segway adventure planned (heaven help me, I'm sure there will be stories to tell about this one), and just can't wait to relax.

I've been planning all summer for this trip, buying a few new things, and not wearing them all summer just so I can have them for Disney.  I'm strange, and I know it.  B packed his suitcase last night.  I'm holding out for another day or two.  Oh alright, you know I've already put a few things in!

This is such a big adventure for us and I just hope it lives up to how excited we are for it!

Wednesday Wore Me Out

I stayed home a couple of days this week with my silly summer cold and today was my first day back at the grind.  Within 10 minutes of being in my office, I was tired, clammy, and ready to go take a nap.  But I'm a farmer's daughter, so I hung in there for my 8 hours and then headed home to crash.  My butt has been planted on the couch since I got here. Oh wait, I did sort laundry - so I have been somewhat productive! My sweet B is getting supper for us at Subway and then he's heading off to burn more calories at basketball (he's already biked today).  I'm going to continue to keep the couch warm and watch my waist expand. 

Here's hoping I find some energy for Thursday!

Summer colds

I have a cold.  It's summer.  It is probably the worst cold I have had in any season for several years.  How does that happen?  I'm blaming air conditioners.  I have one blowing on my back at work.  We have one in our bedroom and we spent the weekend camping with friends a week ago and the one in their camper was blowing on my face.  I think those 3 air conditioners conspired against me and have made me miserable. 

Summer colds stink, it was 80 outside yesterday and I was curled up on the couch with a blanket over me.  I've coughed til my ribs hurt and despite being at the beach on Saturday - I'm so pale it looks like I haven't been outside for months.

So, I'm home today.  Resting under my blanket, taking some meds and trying to make this cold go away and never come back!

I'm back....

Wow, this month is flying by and it's been a busy one.  Two weekends ago, B and I spent time with my family celebrating.  My Dad and brother and our family were selected as Farm Family of the Year.  We had so much fun, an industry dinner where we met our state senators and the governor.  We judged a potato recipe contest and had a float in a parade.  The best part was just spending time together and enjoying each others company.  I am so blessed!

We ended that weekend with a visit with my BFF from high school.  She and her family made their annual pilgrimage north.  We got to see a new engagement ring, met a sweet girlfriend that we hadn't met on our last trip to see them.  We played catch up on our lives and just enjoyed spending time with each other.  Leaving each other was awful - a 6 hour visit was not long enough!

This past weekend, we camped with friends at a local lake.  We got to play with their 11 month old son and 7 year old grandson!  We boated and tubed and ate and played cards and chatted and laughed and it was all wonderful.

This weekend, my sister and her kiddos are headed our way and I can't wait!  I miss my family always, and getting to have them here in our home is just simply heaven.  The kids and I are going to do something exotic while their mom visits with her best college friend.  Then we are going to do a little shopping, a lot of visiting and eating!

Oh....and in 28 days we are heading out on vacation to Disney!  The countdown is on and I'm ready to pack! 

It's an exciting time - I love summer, it's not exactly relaxing, but it sure is fun!

Please forgive me...

Long time...no write!  It's summer and we have been on the go - enjoying vacation, camping, family time, and hot weather.   This first vacation of the summer involved 4 days with B's family - camping near the ocean.  The first day ways great, we played the washer game, went to a concert at the campground, biked, walked - then it started to rain and rain some more.  We worried that maybe we should have started building an ark!  We spent time playing games, eating, going to the movies and even a bit of time on the beach in the rain.

The day we left them to head to my family, well you know what happened, the sun came out and they  all enjoyed 2 gorgeous beach days.  We enjoyed a a day of travel and then blistering hot weather while we visited my family.  We spent time at the lake with my sister and her family.  It was so hot, that I even got in the water.  This is an event that does not occur during a normal calendar year.  I'm not much for swimming in dark murky water...but oh it was cool and heavenly and it was just what I needed.  We also had a BBQ with the family and a little pool party. 

I hate that the time flew by and before we knew it, we were back on the road headed home.  I went back to work and B enjoyed a few more days off.  Just like that, vacation #1 was over. 

But...vacation #2 is only 43 days away and we can't wait!

Rainy Days and Camping

So, we are camping for a few days with B's family and it's raining this afternoon.  Need I say more?  The good news, we are not tenting - everyone has campers and we are staying with B's sister and brother-in-law in theirs.   We've played games, hung out, listened to some good country music and ate.   The bad news, this is the day we picked to go to the beach, and we were there long enough to lay out our towels and get rained on.

We have one day left to try for the beach.  The weather report is not looking good, but we will pack our stuff up again and try.   It's the chance you take, and we will have plenty of beach days this summer, just not with all the family.

We are having fun, making memories, taking pics, and enjoying being with all the kiddos.  So rainy days aren't so bad.

Vacation!

I feel like I've been waiting for years to have a week off.  I mean a genuine leave work on Friday and not come back til 9 days later kind of week off.  Well, my prayers have been answered and today at 3, I started my vacation!  

We are heading out to do some camping with B's family for half the week days, then will travel to visit with my family for the other half of the week.  Did I mention this means traveling from one end of the state to the other?  Oh yeah, when we do a vacation, we do it up good!

It's going to be a fabulous, family-filled vacation.  I have packed everything I own, because the weather is not cooperating.  I just hope we can fit it all in the vehicle tomorrow morning!   I'm hoping to get some downtime, maybe lay on a beach or on a couch or in a gravity chair and just chill.  I'm bringing a book, my ipad to do some Candy Crush, and lots of diet coke and snacks!

I don't care...it's my vacation finally and I'm going to enjoy it!

Day Trippin'

B and I are having a day trippin' kinda weekend.  Our anniversary is next week and for the past 8 years we have always gone away on the weekend before.  This year, we have a big trip planned at the end of August - so we decided to do day trips for this weekend.    Now the struggle was deciding which direction to go!

Yesterday, we headed to a state park that was about an hour away.  Neither of us had ever been there, so that made it more fun.  We stopped and got sandwiches, threw them in the backpack and explored.  This state park has trails that take you to the ocean's edge.  We hiked and took photos and just plain enjoyed each others company. 

Today - we think our adventure is going to take us to one of our favorite beaches for a day in the sun.  Of course, right now it's cloudy and there isn't much sun, but hopefully an hour south will change all of that. 

Flowers and the Dump

We kept busy today, beautifying the outside of our home.  We finally planted flowers - in an old washtub a great friend gave me, in a new little garden we created, and on both sides of our deck.  We cleaned out from under our deck and hauled a bunch of stuff to the dump.  Who knew you could collect so much stuff under a deck?   After our first run to the dump, we decided to load up the vehicle again and throw out one of our old barbecue grills. 

It felt good to spend time here at home, making the outside look a little better.  We are trying so hard to get rid of those things that we've hung on to for no reason.  Barbecue grills, old bikes, plant pots we will never use again.   We manage to clutter up our lives with things and then hold onto those things when they are no longer useful to us.  No more of that!

I'm always reminded of my mom when I plant flowers.  She loved to garden and taught me so much about what types of flowers to plant and how to do it.  I always plant pansies because those were her favorite - their "pretty little faces"!

I've got to go out and water our pretty little gardens again tonight and that may be the downfall to our little Saturday project...this could take awhile!  

A Romantic Evening...Not

Nothing says old married couple, like having an early (before 5 p.m.) dinner with the hubby at TGI Fridays then a shopping trip to BJs and Walmart for groceries and stuff we thought we needed.  Yes, that's how we have spent our evening.  I remember a time (a decade ago) that Friday night meant the anticipation of an evening out - dinner, movie, bowling, something exciting.  Never, during the courtship period of our relationship did our evening out include a trip to Walmart.  Now, no married date night would be complete without a trip around Wally World!

Of course, our evening out has concluded with the unloading of the vehicle, the enjoyment of putting everything away and now he is in his man cave watching the Bruins and Red Sox and I'm hanging in my favorite spot watching TLC and all the wedding shows!

Yes, we are an old married couple, no doubt about it.

Another Reason I Love My Husband

Every once in a while B totally catches me off guard and does something so unexpected that 4 hours later, I'm still amazed by it.  Today my sweet husband was resting up to move from yesterday's 12 hour day shift to a 12 hour night shift tonight.  Usually on these kind of days, he sleeps in, does some yard work if the weather is nice, does a dump run, starts laundry, and relaxes.

Today I walked into a home that had the laundry going (on the last load), the dishes were done, garbage hauled to the dump, the floors were vacuumed and our bed was made!  Um...what?  I just kept walking around discovering new things that had been done.  His messy bench at the table was all cleaned off.  The top step going down into the basement had been straightened back. 

I swear, if I walk around here again I'm going to find some other stuff he accomplished today.   This man can still amaze me, after almost 9 years of marriage.  I'm pretty sure that's a good thing!

Milestones and Memories

Last week, B and I spent 4 days with my family.  My oldest niece, the first grandchild on my side, graduated from high school.  A major milestone for all of us in so many ways.  She did it!  She and I are now fellow alumni of the local high school.  She was the first grandchild to graduate and my Dad handled it like a pro.  Of course he missed mom, but he made this graduation his own - he had a great gift idea plus he gave her a lovely piece of mom's jewelry to mark the occasion.  She is the first baby I ever diapered and fed and burped and now she is all graduated.  I am beyond proud of her.

The day of her graduation, she and I made bread.  Sounds strange I'm sure, but mom taught the two of us together how to make it, and it felt right to spend the time together doing something mom loved.  Friday, June 7th will remain a sweet memory to me, if for nothing more, than standing at the counter in my parents home, kneading bread with my sweet niece and chatting about nothing and everything.

We had a wonderful graduation party for her yesterday - a day filled with laughter and family and wonderful friends. B and I aren't sure why the Lord blessed us so richly with such wonderful families, but we are very thankful.

Thunderstorms

My mom was scared to death of thunderstorms.  If she heard a rumble of thunder, we had to go unplug everything in the house - TV, radio, lamps.  About the only things she'd leave plugged in were the refrigerator and the stove.  If the phone rang, you didn't answer it - the lightening could travel through the lines and into our ear.   We had to sit in the middle of the room and play quietly.  She would knit frantically - clicking and clacking her needles.  And please don't think about running water, being near water or drinking water during a storm!

I can remember her getting us up in the middle of the night and making us sit in the car during thunderstorms, because we were suppose to be safe on the rubber wheels.  Writing it now, makes me realize how extreme her fear of thunder and lightening really was.

All of this has added up to me not being a lover of thunderstorms either.  I turn off the TV (I don't unplug it, at least).  I sit quietly, away from the windows.   I avoid touching water at all costs.  I basically drive B crazy during a storm. 

We have severe thunderstorms in our area tonight and through out most of the state.    I am sitting here, with the TV off, avoiding the windows and not using my phone.  I did call my sister earlier, in between storms, so I'm a bit braver then my mom was.  B, on the other hand, is sitting in his Red Sox man cave, watching a game, drinking water and I bet he's even made a phone call or two! 

I guess opposites do attract!

Spring Colds

I stayed healthy all winter, no flu, no colds.  Nope, my body decided to wait til Memorial Day weekend to bring on a full-blown (and I use that word because I'm doing a lot of it) cold.  Headache, sore throat, runny nose and eyes.  Blech.  I carried a bunch of tissues in my pocket all day.  I used the hand sanitizer every 10 minutes.  I've taken tylenol and drank plenty of fluids.  And I still feel crappy.  I don't have time for this, I have things to do - important things!  Like get my hair highlighted and trimmed and enjoy the warm weather that's headed our way.

I am a big baby when I have a cold.  But this time, I'm not going to give in.  I worked today.  I'm doing laundry and trying to take care of business here at home.  This cold is not going to get the better of me!

Grown Up Stuff

B and I are being adults and finalizing our will this week.  It hasn't been fun or easy, but it is necessary.  We have been discussing this will for months, probably years.  We would put thoughts down on paper and then change our minds or throw the paper away and time would slip away.  In April this year, Dad asked for about the 100th time if we'd completed our wills and so we bit the bullet and did it.

I do feel like this is something, as a couple, we needed to get done and put behind us.   As an aside, if you don't have a will - please, for the sakes of your families, make one so your loved ones will know what you want!   I think we've learned things about each other during this process.   I have a new respect for my husband and the things that are important to him and I wouldn't want to be traveling through life with anyone but him.

Hot Chips!

When you were growing up did you call barbecue flavored chips "hot chips"?  I'm just wondering if we were the only family that did and still do.  If my brother asked me to get him some hot chips, I'd come home with barbecue every time.  In this world of every and any flavor you can imagine for potato chips - hot chips are still my favorite.

If you've never heard of a little brand call "Fox Family" chips, please try to find them and check them out.  They are made locally in the area I grew up and sold throughout New England.    They have 3 flavors - plain, salt & pepper, and barbecue.   For some reason, I can't find them anywhere near where I live.  I'm hooked on the barbecue and every time I visit my family, I bring a few bags back. 

These chips give a whole new meaning to "Hot Chips!"  They are spicy and you definitely need something to drink when you eat them.  They burn your lips, tongue, gums and throat...and yet I can't stop eating them.  I figure they are hot enough that they are burning right though me and not stopping to make any fat on the way out.

Sadly, I just ate the last of my hot chips from home and I've got to wait several weeks to get more.

Water vs. Diet Coke

One of my facebook friends started a page to help motivate herself and others.  She is issuing challenges to do with the way you eat, drink, etc.  She just started it 2 days ago and her first challenge for yesterday was to double the amount of water you drink in a day.  Well, swallowing my spit would be doubling the amount since I am not a water drinker.  I love my Diet Coke.  I start drinking it at 8 a.m. on a work day and take a sip before I go to bed.  Water, usually, just doesn't fit into my daily intake, but yesterday I decided to take on the challenge.  I drank water all day at work, topping out at 48 ounces.  That's a lot of water for me and a lot of trips to the ladies room.  Bonus - exercise and water! 

The good news, I was down a pound this morning.  The other good news, I felt better about myself knowing that I could do it, and that it was something good for me.  The bad news - man, did I have a headache by about 3 p.m.  I came home and did have a glass of Diet Coke, and then another with supper.  But that's a lot less then I would have had in a normal day.

Today I have had 24 ounces of water so far.  I even took some with me when I went to town!  Oh my, could there be a lifestyle change on the horizon?  Well, right now I have  a glass of soda sitting in front of me as I type.  So maybe I'm mixing it up - more water, less soda, better for me all around.

I don't think I could or want to give up my Diet Coke, but I do think that more water on a daily basis is something that I'm going to work on.

What I did for ice cream.

If you've read this blog, you know I struggle with me weight and it usually wins.  So, I've been on a kick of trying to record what I eat every day and stay under my calories.  We've been hiking and trying to get some exercise in on the weekends and during the week when we can.  It's helping, I've dropped a few ounces and I do feel better about myself. 

Today was a good day.  I didn't snack on things I shouldn't snack on.  I ate healthy.  But when I put in my food for day, I only had 110 calories left for the day and I wanted a sugar free Klondike Bar for 160 calories.  So....I got on the treadmill and walked enough minutes to burn the 50 calories...then I walked a few extra minutes just in case I hadn't been completely truthful or forgot something during the day.  Yeah, I earned my ice cream, the old fashioned way.

I've shocked myself today.  I had been letting things slide, hadn't been paying attention to what I'd been eating and really hadn't cared if I was over on my calories.  Maybe I've turned over a new leaf.  Maybe I've realized that swimsuit and short weather is right around the corner and I don't want to be as flabby as I am right now.  A little less of me would be nice!

So, I exercised for ice cream.  And I'll probably do it again.

Mother's Day Isn't My Favorite Holiday

First, let me say Happy Mother's Day to all of the Moms, Aunts, Grandmothers, Foster Moms and Friends out there.  If you have a part in a child's life and provide a positive influence - then you deserve a huge thank you!

Mother's Day as a kid, is a chance to treat your mom special, give her a gift, tell and show her how much you love her.  It's really something that should be done every day of the year.  I lost my mom 2 years ago to ovarian cancer, so Mother's Day is reminder of what I had in my live and what I miss every day.  I am so thankful that I had my mom for almost 48 years.  She was simply the best.  My sister and I went and got a sweet little basket of pansies yesterday and put them on her grave.  She would have loved them and talked about their pretty little faces.

B and I were foster parents, hoping to adopt.  That didn't happen and we only spent about 6 months parenting.  All my adult life, I've dreaded mother's day because I wasn't a mom.  But in my heart, I know I would have been a great mother and that I was not less of a person because that didn't happen.    I grew up in a little country church where the moms are honored, brought up front, given gifts.  And every year, I dreaded it.  I never got to stand up front.  I got to set in the pew.  There isn't an Aunts Day or a Mentor Day or a Special Friend Day but there should be.

Today I was heading home from a whirlwind weekend of visiting with family and I stopped to gas up the vehicle and get a soda.  The gentleman behind the counter gave me my change and wished me a Happy Mothers Day.  I smiled and thanked him.  It made me feel good to think that I looked like I could be a mom.  

I'm glad that I got to be part of a special day for the mom's in my life - my mother-in-law, sister and sister-in-law.  They are 3 beautiful women, inside and out.

So, I've made it through another Mother's Day, waiting for Aunts Day!

Hiking, me?

B is recovering from knee surgery and I need to move, so we have decided to do some hiking this spring.  There is a great little state park about 10 minutes from our house and we decided to see what it had to offer.  Fun, history, sweat, crampy feet, hills, mud, 60 minutes of uninterrupted time...those are all things it has had to offer us so far. 

I have a new pair of hiking shoes, supposedly the most fabulous, and decided to try them out tonight.  Probably not so smart to wear new shoes on a 60 minutes hike.  My right foot was not happy.  But, I limped through it and we burned some seriously calories and I'm ready to try it again this weekend. 

It's more challenging then the treadmill and more tranquil then the local high school track.  I am a little weirded out by ticks and have been itchy since we got home (no ticks though).  But so far that seems to be the only downside. 

I'm anxious to see if we can keep this up and keep pushing each other to do more and hike further.  This may just be the exercise push that I need!

Thankful

Everyday there are so many things to be thankful for.  I thought I'd share a few of the things that I've been very thankful for since I last wrote.

• My brother-in-law had emergency gall bladder surgery, and pulled through that fine.  Unfortunately, sometime shortly after the surgery, he had a heart attack (unknown to him), that then caused a blood clot, that then caused a stroke.  I am thankful, that he has pulled through all these things and is getting better.  He had some vision loss and some movement in his arm.  But those are things that can get better.  He's 42, has 2 children and a beautiful wife.  I am so thankful that he is still with us.
• B had knee surgery 11 days ago and is doing great.  He got the ok from the doctor today that he can start riding bike and getting back to normal activities.
• My Dad is going to be 71 tomorrow and he is doing great.  He's a handsome, on-the-go, prankster and I'm so thankful to have him to talk to, get advice from and play cribbage with.
•  My sister is a rock.  I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to help her out a little bit this weekend.  I love her so much.
• I am so thankful that my brother is such a wonderful husband and father.  That he can take a joke as well as he can be the butt of one.
• I am thankful that our God watches over us and protects us.  My heart goes out to the people of Boston, those that lost loved ones, or were hurt, or were the first responders.

There are so many things to be thankful for.   It's a list that we should update daily!

Busy, Busy

We are entering into that season of our yearly life where I can tell you what we are doing almost every weekend from now til September!  And our week days aren't much better.  I'm a planner, not a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kinda gal.  Now B, he just relies on me and he might as well.  There is no since in both of us being uptight about our calendar, hardy har har.

Last weekend we visited my family, a weekend full of hospital visits (to my brother-in-law), pageants, shopping, church and Easter dinner.  This weekend, B is having knee surgery Friday, we have a fantasy baseball draft and breakfast here at our house and I am attending a friend's wedding all on Saturday and we have a birthday party for our youngest nephew to go to on Sunday!! 

Why do we do this to ourselves?  Or maybe it's, why do I do it to us?  It might be the promise of spring, good weather, sunshine and flip flops.  It might be that 7 of our family members have birthdays in the next 6 weeks.   It's mostly that we are blessed with wonderful family and friends.

In the words of my mom....it is what it is...and we will just keep on truckin' (my brother's favorite saying when he was 8!) and try not to forget where we are suppose to be and what we are suppose to be doing!

Time flies...

Some of you will remember, at one time in our lives, B and I tried to adopt through the foster care system.  Our first kiddo was a very special little boy who was with us for several months.  He came into our lives when he was 9 months and left us 2 days after his 1st birthday.  He was adopted by his Uncle and Aunt and while it broke our hearts for what we lost, we couldn't have been happier that he was with his loving family.

Today that little guy turns 7.  Some days it seems like it was just yesterday that he was toddling around our home, driving our cat crazy, and amazing us with each new thing he learned.  There are also moments that it feels like it was a different lifetime, that B and I have moved so far away from that life. 

We have been fortunate to be able to watch him grow into a young man through photos.  He is tall and handsome and we couldn't have been more blessed to have been a small part of his life. 

Today we celebrate a special 7 year old that will forever be a part of our hearts.

Out of Calories

I have never been a skinny minnie, but about a year ago, I was down to my lowest weight in a long time.  I'd lost 22 pounds and was feeling pretty good about myself.  I wish I could say that I maintained that weight or even lost a little more these last 12 months...but I can't.    I have managed to put 10 of those pounds back on.  It's been a slow and steady climb and I'm not very happy with myself.  I cannot seem to get into an exercise routine, but I have stayed consistent with  my online calorie counter - myfitnesspal.com.  I have input what I've eaten every day plus the little exercise I've done.  I can honestly say I know why the weight has come on, and I wonder how much I would have gained if I hadn't been tracking it.

Myfitnesspal allows me so many calories in a day, and as of right now, I have a little over a 100 left to eat for today.  It's going to be slim pickings for supper!  If I'd go get on the treadmill I could earn a few calories.  And I've been making every kind of excuse of why I don't want to exercise.  It's Friday, I'm tired, I don't want to get sweaty, and so on. 

Truth is, I want to lose these 10 pounds before summer and the only way I'm going to do it is stick to my calories and get my butt moving.  I'm just not sure if I want this truth to start tonight, or if I want to wait til Monday.

Homesick

Tonight I'm feeling just a little homesick for my family.  B is working nights, my most least favorite part of his schedule, plus he just got back from visiting his mom for 8 days in Florida - so it feels like forever since I've really been around him. 

My sweet Dad calls me most nights and tonight was no different.  He likes to "check in" on me.  I love it, he makes me feel connected to what I'm missing in their daily lives. 

During tonight's conversation he told me that everyone is getting together tonight to have pizza at my sister's house.  Everybody but me and B and usually that doesn't bother me.  Tonight, on another night without my hubby, I miss them and this time they are having together.   It's been awhile since I've had these pangs of homesickness.   Tomorrow will be a better day!

 

The Best Visits

I think the best visits are the unexpected ones.  B is in Florida visiting with his mom and watching as much spring training baseball as he can possible get in while he is there.  More power to him!  I don't have the vacation time to take the trip and quite honestly, it's been his thing to do with his mom for the past couple of years and I love the good times they are having and the memories they are making. 

My unexpected visit came in the form of my dad and nephew traveling down to spend the weekend with me.  I had hinted at the beginning of the week that there was a trade show that might interest my dad this weekend in our area.  And he never mentioned it again - until Thursday night.  Dad was watching my sister's 10 year old son this weekend and wasn't sure if my nephew would want to make the trip, so he'd let me know.

Well, my nephew was up for the trip, Dad pulled him from school early on Friday and they were here in time for supper on Friday night.  We had a great time of playing cribbage, eating, visiting the trade show, eating some more, playing phase 10 dice and just enjoying each others company.

I love my family and the times we have together.  Their unexpected visit certainly made my weekend!

My Valentine's Day Gift

B took all my hints for the month prior to Valentine's Day (which included numerous searches for pretty rings on different jewelry store websites and keeping one particular ring's website up on my ipad for 2 weeks prior to the big day) and decided to give me jewelry for the big day.

I went with B to a dental appointment on Valentine's Day and after his appointment, he decided to take me "ring" shopping.  We went to the store that I had favored on my ipad and looked at that one.  Then we went to 2 other jewelry stores to see if they had anything that would fit my large finger (which is huge - I have man hands, what can I say).   We went to lunch.  We went back to one of the stores and I thought we had settled on one, and the clerk informed us that they had to check on the cost because it would need to be ordered in my size  Well, the price of gold had gone up substantially and the cost more than doubled so we thanked them for their time and left.  In the end, I told him to get me what he wanted and surprise me later in the day.  I even told him that I didn't need a ring, a pack of gum would be fine and it wouldn't have to be specially sized to fit my fat finger!

My beloved went back to the first store and ordered the ring that I had drooled over for a month.  That was the good news.  The bad news was that it wouldn't be here til March 4th.  On March 4th, I went to the store and asked if my ring was in.  Well, the 4 was really a 7 on our paperwork, so no it wasn't.  Then yesterday there was a phone call from the store telling me that the ring would be in today  Yeah!  So I drove down after work to pick it up.  Um, sorry Mrs. H, but your ring wasn't shipped today.  It will definitely be here tomorrow...on the 7th! 

Do I trust them?  Does this ring really exist?  And when it gets here will it really fit my finger?  Will I even like it? 

Stay tuned....the Case of the Long Lost Valentine's Day Ring will hopefully be solved tomorrow!

Lessons at the State Game

I grew up in a small town where basketball was king.  The goal was to make it the tournament, win the Gold Ball and be state champ.  I never played on the court (unless it was during phys ed!), but I've cheered, screamed, and cried at more than one tourney game.  I cheered for my friends during school, my brother and sister during their high school careers.  And now, I've cheered for my oldest niece and nephew.   I have 4 more nieces/nephews to go..and I plan to be at those games being the crazy aunt too!

Yesterday I watched my nephew's team try for the gold ball.  This is a team that wasn't suppose to make it to that level...would count themselves lucky to make it to the tourney at all.  But after 3 overtime games, winning over competition that had beat them during the regular season, they made it to the big one.  I wish I could write that it was a Cinderella finish and that they carried the gold ball home with them on the big yellow bus.  But that didn't happen.  They lost, not by a lot, but a loss nonetheless.  And in that loss, I watched these young men show us adults how to handle a defeat.   There were tears, but there was also no slumping in their chairs.  They accepted their runner up trophy and showed it proudly to the audience.  They might not have been yelling and smiling, but 2nd in the state really isn't that bad.  I don't know if I've been 2nd in the state in anything!

I sent my nephew a text after the game that told him how proud I was of him.  He scored 4 points, he made some great rebounds, and he's a handsome devil.  Oh and I also told him I was proud that he managed to foul one of the opposing team's players were the sun doesn't shine.  See what I mean?   I need to learn what those boys already know...how to be gracious in defeat. 

It's only a matter of time

B has a cold.  Not the stuffy head, blow your nose a million times kind of cold.  Oh no, he's got the deep in the chest, cough til your lungs explode and drive your wife crazy kind of cold.  I noticed his deeper, and somewhat sexier voice last night.  He said he was feeling fine, I knew he wasn't.  By 8 p.m. it was apparent that if I was going to get any sleep, Nyquil would need to be taken.  (By him, although I thought about it!)  So, he took his medication like a good boy and slept like a baby.  Of course that meant that the germs were being thrown into the air with each snore and I'm pretty sure the majority of them landed on me.

This morning my throat felt a little sore.  But I don't have a cold.  I blamed it on not sleeping well.  I swigged my diet coke all day and forgot about my throat.  We bought cough drops tonight, because I can't stand the hacking.  He isn't using them.  And even when he does use them, he chews them quickly (crunch, crunch) and that's almost as bad as the hacking.  I think a double dose of Nyquil is in the works for this evening.

I don't want this cold. I have tried to avoid him, but it's hard when you are husband and wife to avoid the germs being spread everywhere. 

So, I know it's only a matter of time before I'm hacking up a lung.  Can't wait.

The things kids say

We have had the blessing of having our 6 (almost 7 he reminded us) year old nephew at our house every day after school this week.  We love this kiddo with every fiber of our being.  He is handsome and smart and tells it like it is.  We have had discussions on all sorts of topics from why do we say the blessing before we eat to when can he have a sleep over.

He has had many pearls of wisdom for us this week.  He asked me Monday if I knew that B was 50.  I pretended to be surprised and asked him if he thought he looked good for his age.  He replied, "oh yes, he looks really young!" 

I made chop suey for supper one night - after he told me that he loves chop suey.  Unfortunately, mine was not quite as good as his step-mom's.  It was good...just not great like hers!  He ate a little bit, and then went home and ate another supper.

Tonight we were playing the Wii and he told me that I should play because I needed exercise.  I could stand to lose a little weight.  I said "what!" and he told me that I looked good, but could lose a little around my tummy.  So of course I played the Wii!   My personal trainer is 6 years old!

We have him with us one more night this week and I cannot wait to hear his latest thoughts.  Our house is going to be mighty quiet after tomorrow night!

No More Snow!

The past 3 or 4 weekends there has been no snow.  The weathermen have threatened us with the possibility, but nothing.  The past 3 or 4 weekends we haven't had much for plans - B was working, last weekend we just hung at home. 

We have had this upcoming weekend planned for weeks as a quick trip to see my family 4 hours away.  Monday, the weathermen talked of a little snow possible on Friday.  Tuesday, they said it might be around 6 inches in our area.  Today, they are now calling it a huge Nor'easter with feet (not foot) of snow, coming in Thursday night and lasting til Saturday morning.  What?????  I'm afraid to hear what these weather guys have to say tomorrow morning!

I worked extra time Monday and today so I could leave early Friday.  Won't that be great...driving in the middle of a blizzard?  The good news is that there isn't suppose to be much for snow where we are going.  The bad news...our 4 hour drive will probably take 5 or 6 stressful hours. 

Oh, some more good news is that Sunday they are predicting sunshine and no snow on either end of the state.  The bad news...the weather people will probably have changed that by Sunday!

So, please pray for safe travels for us!

Superbowl Sunday

So what's so special about today?  Yes, 2 football teams are going to battle it out to see who is the better team today.  Big whoop.  Yes, we are going to have  our 2nd annual Superbowl Party for 2 and eat buffalo chicken dip and fajitas.   Yum.  Yes, I am going to watch the commercials and probably not much football.  Truth.  Yes, I do all of this for my husband who is a sports fanatic.  Love.

I think what makes this day special is that B and I got up and went to church.  We worshipped and fellowshipped and heard a great message from our Pastor.    Millions of dollars are being spent today on bets, food, tickets, and more.  But the bottom line is that spending time with the Lord and an eternity in heaven is priceless compared to all the other goings on today.

I don't want to go...

to Zumba tonight!  Please don't make me.  I will learn to live with this spare tire around my middle..I mean it's been there for a long time, sometimes bigger, sometimes a bit smaller.  Yes, my pants are a bit snug again because I thought I should buy the smallest possible size I could fit in, not thinking that I might gain a few pounds at the holidays.   But I can live with the snug pants for a little bit longer.  At least until it gets a bit warmer outside.

It's cold.  No, I mean it's COLD.  Cold as in it will probably be under 10 and hopefully above 0 during my Zumba class.  And I'm going to sweat and then it's going to freeze when I go to my car and I'm going to turn into an icicle. 

B has been working nights all weekend, and tonight he's home and now I have to go to Zumba.  Darn it, why do I have to burn calories tonight?    I could be spending quality time bickering with my hubby!

I started this whining at work today at 8 a.m.  My Zumba partner-in-crime, who works across the hall, promised to not let me talk us out of going tonight.  At 3:30 p.m. when I headed home she reminded me of this while I was trying every excuse in the book to get out of going.  She's making me drive and pick her up.  She claims she hasn't done any exercising since our last class and really needs this.   She's pretty crafty, how can I let her down?

Truth is, I know I'll be glad I went when it's all done.  And I've thawed out from being an icicle.

Family Weekend & Monday Holidays

My sweet sister and her fabulous family visited this weekend.  We shopped, ate, watched Here Comes, Honey Boo Boo and played games on our phones.  There is never enough time together on these weekends and we try to squeeze as much in them as we can.  B is working nights so he got up early to visit yesterday, and in time to say good bye today.  When they are here, they spread themselves out through the house and we have to make numerous trips through every room to make sure they have everything.  So far, we have found 1 sock.  That is it, and that is amazing, usually its a bag of things.  I wish we lived closer, but at least its only a drive and not a plane ride away!

Since it is a holiday,  I didn't have anything planned today after they left.  B hasn't gone back to bed, even though I think he should for his night shift.  He doesn't listen to me....I think he tunes me out, ha ha.  So, we are watching Criminal Minds reruns and enjoying the downtime.

I'm so blessed to have a wonderful family and supportive husband.  

Race Pools versus Swimming Pools

We run a race pool and it is a labor of love.  I would love to have a swimming pool.  Do you see the difference?  The race pool is a lot of work, but so is a swimming pool.  The race pool had 280 teams in it last year.  I don't think we could fit 280 people in a swimming pool.  The race pool pays out money at the end of the season.  A swimming pool has to be closed at the end of the season and cost you money.   I don't miss doing the race pool when the race season is over.  I think I would miss a swimming pool during the winter.  The race pool work starts in January and ends in November.  We could only use a swimming pool from May to September at the most.  I think B is going to make me keep the race pool.  I don't think B will let me have a swimming pool.  I want a swimming pool.....

How do you know?

So, B bought boneless chicken breasts back in December and when I got them packaged up to freeze (back in December just in case you are wondering if they've been in the fridge since then) they looked funny.  They smelled fine - or as fine as raw chicken can smell.  And my mom was all about smelling stuff to tell whether it was still ok or not.  To this day, I still smell the milk every time I open it.  Anyway, the chicken looked like maybe it had freezer burn?  I don't know.  I decided to freeze it and hope for the best.

Well, tonight is the night.  We are going to find out if the chicken was good, or whether B and I are going to be happy that we have 2 bathrooms.  It's cooking right now and seriously, it still smells fine.  Just like raw chicken, semi cooked should smell. 

I'm thinking of making chicken salad sandwiches and baked fries for my sweet hubby.  I hope if I put enough mayo on it, with salt and pepper, it's going to be delicious and delightful.  Just in case, I'm going to go stock both bathrooms with extra Charmin!

A New Year's Resolution Update

I made a few New Year's resolutions and I'm happy to say, that a week into 2013, I'm on track.  Yes, for seven days I haven't failed.  Just 357 more days to go (or is it 358 - I'm not that great at math).  What are those New Year's resolutions?  I know I mentioned in an earlier post about how I wanted to be a new me in 2013.  And that's still the main goal - but I did set a couple of little side-goals, too.

• Floss every day.  Do you have a dental hygienist that lectures you every time you go for a cleaning?  I do.  She's nice enough...just really all about the flossing.  I'm not a good flosser.  I -tart about 2 weeks before my cleaning appointment, and so I'm usually still in that gum's-are- still-bleeding stage and she knows exactly what I've done.  After I get my lecture, I'm usually good for another 2 weeks of flossing before I get out of the habit.  Well, I've decided that I'm going to shoot for 365 days of flossing in 2013.  Hopefully, the lectures will turn to praise and there won't be any blood on the floss at my next dental cleaning.
• Exercise 3 times a week.  Yeah!  Week one down and I walked on the treadmill 3 times.  Tomorrow night is Zumba, then it will be back to the treadmill for the rest of the week.  It would be nice to make this exercise thing a priority and not fail at this resolution.   If I look at my track record - it's not great.  I get all jazzed up about getting healthy and then one bad week throws me off for the rest of the year.  Hoping that there aren't any bad weeks this year.
• Eating healthier.  B and I have been eating healthier for almost 2 years, but the holidays really threw me off.  Him not so much, but he's a robot when it comes to eating healthy, exercising and counting calories.  It's the only explanation I can come up with, because he just doesn't seem to make many missteps.  I, on the other hand, get distracted easily from my fruits and veggies by bags of chips and Hershey kisses.  So far, in one week I've eaten about a bushel of healthy vegetables and fruits, and not so much of the bad stuff.  I'm counting it as a week one victory.

Hopefully as this year progresses, these 3 little things will add up to big changes for me.  I've just got to allow myself to make mistakes and not let them throw me too far off track!

Mature Skin

Today has been a difficult day.  It started out full of promise and joy.  B and I headed to a town larger than ours with cooler stores.  I decided today was the day that I was saying good bye to my old friend Mary Kay and trying a new make up.  One of those cool stores in this larger town sells all kinds of make up and I had B drop me off there and told him I'd text him later, after I had spent a ton on make up.  I entered the store with my one goal in mind and headed to the Bare Essentials section.   Now, keep in mind that every time I've visited this store in the past, it has been mobbed with ladies getting their make up done and I've had to wait to get any help.  Today I was the only one in the makeup section.  A "salesman" approached quickly and asked if I needed any help.  Um, well, I really didn't think I wanted to have a dude help me with my new make up, so I politely told him I was "just looking.".  Ten seconds later, I was approached again by a "salesgirl" who might have been 18, but she was saving me from the sales dude so I quickly took her up on her offer to help me.

Here is where my day started on its down hill path.  She asked me what type of foundation I was looking for, and then proceeded to explain that there were 2 different kinds and that the pressed compact was for mature skin and would I like to try that.

Whoa, wait a minute.  I have mature skin?  When did that happen?  Sure, I consider my hair mature since I have to cover the gray every 6 weeks, but no one had ever mentioned that my skin was old.

I asked if I could try both kinds, the mature skin kind and evidently the younger skin kind.  Well, I have to admit the mature skin with its moisturizer and full coverage looked good.  But, so did the younger, less coverage, no moisturizer kind.  And as my young salesgirl explained, it wasn't like I had anything to cover like breakouts.  Well my mature skin does get a breakout every now and then, and I probably could use all the coverage I can get, but this 49 year old wasn't going to let this young whippersnapper of a salesgirl define her.

So...Guess what I bought?  If you guessed, the non-mature, no moisturizer kind, well you guessed right!   My skin might be mature, but I'm not.... So there!

New Year...new me, maybe!

It's the beginning of a new year and I've got plans.  Plans to lose weight, exercise, get my relationship with God back on track, keep my house cleaner, travel, be a nicer, kinder person and well, you get the drift.  I'm thinking 2013 might be the year that I try to be a new me. 

Don't get me wrong, I like the old me - most of the time.  But there are several (million) things I'd love to change.  I have no illusions that I'm going to be able to change everything, but I'm definitely going to try to be a bit better in certain areas.  And if I'm trying to make a change, then I think that's a step in the right direction.

So, what have I done so far in 2013?  I've walked on the treadmill.  We've done our laundry and I'm going to get it all put away tonight.  I ate healthy all day long.  And I tried to be a patient, kind, caring wife all day.   I think I've done pretty good for day 1! 

Not sure how I'll make out on day 2 - my first day of work in 2013.  Hopefully I can keep the kinder, gentler Andrea going.  I'll keep you posted!