My most brilliant ideas come to me when I'm away from my computer

Today, while enjoying a bottle of wine on my deck in the sunshine with one of my nearest & dearest...I uttered the phrase "I think of the most brilliant things when I'm away from  my computer."  Seriously...I get flooded with the best blog ideas and then I sit down to blog and uh...hello....nothing....Yup.  Today a conversation that started with a bottle of wine encompassed everything from gay marriage, military healthcare, puberty, forgiveness and beyond.  One of my best friends in the entire world, who gets me in a way that few others do....talk about a blessing!  

True Friends

Through the years I've had many friends.  I thought they were true friends, turns out most of them have been fair weather friends.  Some using you up & casting you aside, some have stuck a knife in my back, but there are those few rare gems that come into your life that continue to sparkle through all the muck that life hands out.  I have a few of those.  Those who accept me for who I truly am, those who allow me to share every dirty detail of my life without judgment.  Who aren't afraid to say what they think and give me permission and validation for my own feelings.  Those rare gems are true treasures.  In the last couple of years, I've had my share of trials and along the way, I have made a great group of friends who I love dearly.  In that group, there is one gem that shines brighter than all the others.  She is always there for me with loving words and the gift of laughter.  When I struggle with things, she lays it out there for me and helps me to see things from another perspective.  Then she makes me laugh.  She's seen me through some of my lowest points as well as some of my highest.  My life would be so very different without her and I am so thankful to have one gem that shines above all of the rest.

Wow...has it been that long

No posts since September 2012!  I guess my life has been busy.  Time to get back to it.  Let's see since September too much has happened to try to rehash and the reality of it is that I barely remember the activities of yesterday so I'm not even going to try to remember what has happened since September.  We'll just move forward!

The room across the hall

Last night it hit me.....soon the room across the hall will be vacant.  That room has been occupied by one of my children since October 4, 2004 when my daughter was born.  It was once pink, loaded with tiny baby things & Winnie The Pooh decor.  As she grew, it was decorated with Dora then Disney Princesses.  When the first child graduated and left home that room transitioned to a teenage boy's room.  Pink became khaki, Disney Princesses became posters, football pictures, a Fathead of Lebron James, prom pictures, manly colors like gray & black decorate the room.  At the end of January, my 2nd oldest child who turns 20 later this month will embark on a new adventure in his life in the US Navy.  That room that has held one of my children for 8 years, will be empty.  A house full of children will have slowly become a house with one child.  My heart is full of pride that my boys have chosen to serve their country.  My heart is full of pride with the wonderful men my sons continue to grow to be but there is this space in my heart that misses those little boys with eyes wide with wonder and hearts full of dreams of what the world holds for them.  I treasure each moment with my children as they continue to grow and hold on a little tighter to my youngest as know how quickly these years will pass and I will have not only an empty room across the hall, but an empty room next door.  My son needs to go on this adventure.  It will help him to grow and shape him in ways that myself and my husband could not and cannot do as parents.  I look forward to watching him move on to this next phase in his life, but as I walk past that room each morning I will be reminded how quickly time passes and how you never know what life holds in store for your children.  The room will become something....we have yet to decide.  I have distracted myself for months now trying to figure out what.  This morning when I got up & saw that door open with an empty bed, reality smacked me in the face and reminded me of why that room across the hall will be empty and what it means.....I will have successfully sent another child off into this world as a man....I love you Dylan.

Staycation

This is the first year in a long time we have not taken a summer family vacation.  Funds are low & our time off is limited.  So we opted to try to utilize the fact that the 4th of July fell on a Wednesday.  My husband & I took off Thursday & Friday.  I also took off Monday.  How was the "staycation"?  A success!  I feel refreshed & relaxed.  I can't say I am raring to go back to work tomorrow but I can feel good going in tomorrow knowing that I spent quality time with my family, especially my little girl who was really longing for some family time...and some mommy time.

Tuesday night started with an attempt at a backyard campout.  Bella invited a neighbor friend over.  We tried to sleep in the tent but it was 100 that day, the inside of the tent felt like 150 degrees.  The air mattress came inside & the girls camped out in the living room instead.  I had them do a backyard scavenger hunt & paint water worn rocks from last year's vacation to Lake Michigan.  In the morning I made them chocolate chip pancakes.  Dinner was quick & easy.

Wednesday, July 4 was spent at the pool.  Cocktails and water games were in the mix.  I ended up babysitting my granddaughter.  We took her to her first fireworks, which we left early because Bella was so tired and my daughter-in-law came to where we were to get the baby.  Dinner was something quick & easy.

Thursday, July 5, I took care of my over-due oil change & interior & exterior car wash.  I took Bella to breakfast at her favorite place, Bob Evans.  We attempted to get pedicures in the a.m. but our efforts were thwarted by a too busy salon.  We opted to go to the pool after an inexpensive trip to Claire's for some goodies.  We spent the afternoon at the pool, then went up for pedicures.  Dinner was quick & easy.

Friday, July 6, my husband & I got up early & tackled projects around the house.  Gutters were cleaned, garage was cleaned out, an old broken fridge was hauled off, weeds were pulled, flowers dug up & moved...all before noon.  We spent several hours at the pool.  I came home & did a  power/speed clean  of my house & got it ready for my girls night out.  I did get up & run to the grocery store.  Stocked the cooler with drinks & ice.  Girls night out was a blast!!!

Saturday, July 7, another fun & lazy day.  We watched movies, went to the pool...I actually went alone for about an hour.  So nice but so strange!  It's been a long time since I did that alone!!    Bella went to a friend's house for quite awhile on Saturday.  Saturday evening was just plain relaxing & I had ran to Kroger for a couple of things.  My husband made us steak hoagies...I hadn't had them in years but they were so tasty!  I also made the buffalo chicken from Pinterest that day.

Sunday, July 8, another day at the pool & a little cleaning up around the house.  At 3:30 my friend Karen picked Bella & I for a pre-concert dinner.  We took our girls to see Big Time Rush.  We had a great time!!!

Monday, July 9, got up & got some things ready for "back to real life" tomorrow.  We left the house by 10:30 to go to the waterpark where we stayed until about 2 then headed to a friend's pool to swim there for a few hours.  I have a few things left to take care of around here to prepare for tomorrow but we are pretty set for the week!  Yay!  I will definitely do this again!  I have had a fun & relaxing time & enjoyed my family!!!

Pinterest...I don't just pin it...I try it

Pinterest....a serious addiction.  A woman's wish list of crafts, DIY projects, recipes, wardrobes, hairstyles and the list goes on.  One can easily burn through hours viewing & pinning everything that their heart desires.  Although I know a lot of pinning goes on, most women I know don't end up actually trying many of these things that they pin.  Those that do, share their successes & failures.  I have tried a few things....a few have been a success...a few have been failures.  Mostly failures for my lack of patience with the project.  The most recent success is this yummy recipe!  I love buffalo wings.  They are not very healthy.  This is a pretty good alternative for the buffalo wing lovers in our house.  A Pinterest success!  Yippee!!!  This blog below is fantastic & is where I tracked down the buffalo chicken in a crockpot recipe.  Now...as to my other attempts at creating the masterpieces I see on Pinterest...well....more on those later.


http://reallyfrompinterest.blogspot.com

Source: reallyfrompinterest.blogspot.com via Hope on Pinterest

10 things that make me smile

It's tough to narrow it down to 10 things...these however are the 10 most common things for me these days....When I am having a bad day, these are the things that bring a smile to my face.

1. My husband's twisted humor
2. My daughter's laugh and silly sayings
3. Almost anything my 19 year old says these days....he's still in the "I believe everything other people tell me" phase of his life.
4. My granddaughter...especially now that she's cooing and smiling.
5. My friend Deb's laugh...it's contagious.
6. Tosh.O, it's a guilty pleasure.
7. Any time I get to spend with my mommy friends....there are just so many things to laugh & smile at during those conversations and the rare girls' night out.
8. My son's high school friend Mike.....he's goofy and he says it like it is...he always makes me laugh.
9. Hearing tales of new parenthood from my son & daughter-in-law.
10. Sunshine...seriously...it's so hard to be in a foul mood when the sun is shining...unless it's 105 & you are NOT in the pool or in AC ;0)
11. OK...I couldn't keep it at 10.....the crazy text messages I get from my friends Jenny & Rhiannon that literally make me LOL in the middle of the day!