Glee-ful

I am always looking for something that makes me smile and laugh. And this really does!!!!

When it started in the Fall I wasn't into it. I saw that many people were watching it, but I just didn't stop to check it out. Then a friend told me more about it and I began watching it this season. It is soooo good.

And, I was thrilled to get a call from my dad yesterday telling me that he, too, is watching it. How cool is that???

Are you a Gleek??

Shopper

One of my favorite things to do with my mom was shop!!! We could do some shopping. I was so pleased to run across this photo of her doing just that. I remember the day. My sister, my friend, my aunt, my mom, and I had driven to Williamsburg for a day of shopping at the Pottery factory. It was during our Christmas break. I loved shopping with my mom. Thankfully, I have passed that love on to my girls and the next time we go shopping I think we'll stop and take a picture and remember my mom.

Golf & Daddy

John and Shelly went out for a little golf adventure this afternoon. He took these photos with his iPhone and sent them to me during their adventure. I love that she loves being with her daddy and having fun with him. When I was little, I always loved hanging out with my daddy, too.

Birthday Recap

My birthday was simply perfect. All day I received wonderful emails, Facebook messages, gifts, and phone calls. And John and the girls showered me with gifts and love and fabulous cards! I loved it all. I now have two chaise lounges for out by the pool. As well as, large plant containers to decorate the pool area. I was super excited about these new additions to our backyard.

We went out for a yummy dinner. Then came home to lounge in the new chairs with a glass of wine, a piece of Carvel ice cream cake, and all while enjoying a fire in the fire pit. A perfect day!

14 Years Ago

This photo was taken almost 14 years ago on my 30th birthday. Some friends and family got together and threw me a surprise party. It was a fun evening.

So many things have happened in those 14 years. I got married, moved to NC, had 2 babies, and lost my mom. I miss her. She always knew how to make a birthday fun! Miss you mom.

New York State of Mind

Some people dream of living in a tropic locale or in a beautiful mountain retreat. I dream of living in NYC. Many times I have mentioned that I would love to live with our girls in NYC for a year or two. Well, the odds of that happening are slim, but a girl can dream. I do like to pass on this desire to the girls and often tell them to go to college, graduate, and then find a great job and a cool apartment in New York City. We'll see how that all pans out for them.

But, until my city dreams come true (for me or for the girls), I will just peruse this blog and live vicariously through her tales. Check it out if you, too, desire to live in a cool apartment with an awesome view.

Yummy

Tonight for dinner I prepared a recipe I found on one of my favorite blogs. It was a huge hit here at the house. I wish I had been thinking and had taken a photo. No chance of that now...it's all gone!

Check out this recipe and more at her blog.

Really like this song:

Prom Night

My nephew Eric before heading out to pick up his date for prom

Krissy heading off to prom

Fog

Over the past 13 months I have been smothered in what I call "the fog". It has been difficult to laugh, difficult to smile, and difficult to live life to its fullest. I am by nature a pretty happy person and for these past 13 months I haven't felt that way. It has been hard to be in the fog and not only hard for me, but I am sure hard for those around me.

Being in the fog is at times overwhelming and depressing and uncertain. I wasn't always sure when or if the fog would lift. It is even more challenging to navigate the fog without my friend, my advice giver, my mom. But, as I see the sun shining outside and I listen to my children laughing I begin to feel the fog lifting...ever so slightly. To be honest, there are moments I am not quite sure I want to move out of the fog. It has provided me with a veil to hide inside and sometimes I prefer being there.

But, in my heart I know that I need to laugh and smile again. I know that I need to live my life and be there fully for my children, my husband, and my family. These are the things that motivate me to move out of the fog.

I just want my mother to know that as I begin to see the sunlight break through the fog I look forward to walking toward the light with her in my heart.

Simple Days

Last Friday night Lily went to a sleepover. They stayed up until 2:30 AM. She came home and read her book and then fell asleep for 2 hours. I was thankful she was resting because she was off to her second sleepover at 5:00 on Saturday night.

Shelly wasn't quite as happy that she was sleeping. So she created her own little fun. She played with her little Barbie dogs and even bathed them. For some reason she wanted a photo of them with her back facing the camera. Not sure why.

It was a nice and simple afternoon.

A Typical Morning

I wanted to capture what our normal morning routine consists of each school day. I missed the parts that include getting dressed and eating breakfast. From there they brush their teeth, watch about 5 minutes worth of CMT/VH1 videos, and put on their shoes.

Then we head to the bus stop in the golf cart and look into the East as the sun rises. This morning I took some photos of the girls waiting for the bus and snapped a picture of the bus heading to the next stop.

Finally, this is the view of the house on my way back home and up the driveway. This is the only time during the day that the sun hits the front of the house, thus the reason why the red door looks sooooo bright!

The End---Spring Break

Our last day of Spring Break was spent in Miami. We left the cruise ship around 10 AM and headed for a hotel in Miami to spend the remainder of the day there. The girls swam in the pool, drank hot chocolate, and took a nap in the comfy beds.

Our flight didn't leave until 8:30 PM. So, we took advantage of the hotel room and then headed for the airport.

The girls ran around looking for the perfect treat.

Once on the plane, they both fell asleep. On this leg of the trip, I was Shelly's plane partner. After playing some games she drifted off to sleep. We then arrived home at 11:45 PM!

The end of the Spring Break recap.

Part 3 of Cruise Photos

Our next stop on the cruise was Cozumel. The weather there was just perfect and we had a great time hanging out in the sun, snorkeling, kayaking, swimming, hair braiding, and having fun.