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!