christmas and such!

so I am trudging along! Trying to get into the Christmas spirit w/ record highs in the 80's!!!! I love living in Florida, love the only life my kids know, but... I long for slightly cooler weather! In the meantime, we always go downtown to see the Christmas lights Thanksgiving weekend(yes, these are a month late... whatever) a few shots of us attempting our Christmas in a tropical paradise! We look forward to our annual tradition of decorating our car and pull trailer(from Jack's construction work) and joining other families at our dear friends house tomorrow night for caroling, jingle juice, and yummy treats tomorrow night! Victoria Park is the "hood" to hang in for the most AMAZING lights ever! Not to mention, the parade of cars that cruise through doing the same thing we are! Stay tuned! My early 2110 resolution is to update more often! Merry Christmas!!!!!!

36, 15 years.... and it's all still good

well... FINALLY a new post! Life has been crazy busy and then I got so far behind I was intimidated to even try! The kids have started school and are settling in to the routine quite well! Very easy this year because of the whole multi age thing, they are all w/ the same teachers as last year! I am officially working 3-4 days a week in a great office and really enjoying my new place and the people I work with! I feel so blessed to have stayed home for all of these years, but now they are all in school and knowing that makes working so much easier. The economy sucks and Jack and I have been humbled by our uncertain future. The restaraunt is doing well thanks to our AMAZING friends who continually support us and send in everyone they know! In the meantime, I feel numbers are playing BIG this year! I turned 36 in September, which seems all "whatever" but when I think that I met my hubby @ 18 I am reminded that I have spent half of my life with this man! GASP seems so weird! Life is good. I love him, I love the life that we have made, I love the dad that he is, and the wife and mother that he encourages me to be! I also feel like I am embracing a new attitude at 36! I now realize that being surrounded by a a lot of really amazing people is great, the circle of really close friends gets smaller! It is those friendships that humble me when life gets tough, that encourage me when I get tired of dealing w/ everything, and that laugh, just because we know it is good for our aging souls!!! I leave these girls after a weekly breakfast, or a rare night out and I am lifted! I am a better person for being around them. I am comfortable in my mothering, yes, I always strive to do better, but I am OK knowing that my kids are great kids, they know there mom is not all June Cleaver baking cookies while the crock pot is going, and they love me! They think I rock, they enjoy being w/ there dad and I! ( I do ROCK my crock pot at least twice a week) They have a love for their friends and family, and their personalities are really starting to take shape and mold, and I see them becoming these really cool little people. Jackson is playing soccer, and proving himself to be quite a good goalie, while Abby is LOVING volleyball! So great to see her do something that she loves... FINALLY! and Olivia, well she is just content w/ life! I swear she doesn't know what a bad day is! Just a free spirit that finds the journey of life one BIG ASS party! I sit here, and I feel good. I am back. I blogged... now see that wasn't so bad! I will stop myself from going back and changing any of this, because I want to express myself in my truest form, I want to let it all out, cause no matter how shitty life seems, it is still a really great life! thanks to a great husband, cool kids , great family support and REALLY GREAT FRIENDS!!!!!

So... we had 2 days, a free hotel room and lots of energy to get as much done as we could in NYC!!!! We arrived midday, checked into our room in Madison Square Garden, right by Penn Station, so we could easily hop on a subway if needed, and set out! First on foot to the Empire State Building, where we decided to buy our tix, w/ the ride inside! It ended up to be pretty cool, a simulated helicopter tour of the city, and history of the ESB, all narrated by Kevin Bacon! then we shot up to the 86th floor for some amazing views of the city, and then up to the 102nd floor for an even more exhilarating look! The kids loved it while I literally felt sick having them up there! Then we headed downtown to Little Italy, where we shopped on Canal Street, before dinner at Lombardi's, supposedly the 1st ever pizzeria in the U.S. It was magnifico, as was the homemade wine! Then we took it all in, followed by amazing dessert, and Little Italy at night! We hopped on the train and said to hell with it and headed down to Times Square around 10:00 and took in all of the lights and action! Abby said "mommy, it's like a whole nuther city at night" to which I realized she has the city bug in her just like her mama!!!! Headed back to our hotel around midnight and crashed! (did I mention FREE) Next morning was daddy's b-day so it was his pick. He quickly decided on the Museum of American history, followed by a walk thru Central park, and Lunch at Carnegie Deli. Thank God for the walking because we did not need to eat again for a week after that lunch. We went got our car out of parking and drove down to the WTC site, where we actually had to explain the entire place to our kids, because they are too young to remember 9-11. Sobering to say the least. Then it was time to head to Long Island where we had a very excited group of family waiting to start a 5 day party, ending w/ a Family Reunion, that was more like a wedding reception! Oh how I love my husband family. They are all LOVE all the time. So gracious and hospitable, and always rolling out the welcome mats. Making sure we go home at least 10 pounds heavier, and our kids are spoiled rotten! I will post pictures of all of them in my next post, cuz they are so special, they deserve one all to themselves!!!!!

NYC

they had a ball walking in the city in the rain

held my camera out over the Empire State Building and feel sick just typing about it!

view from the top of the empire state building

our nations Capitol

Well ,been home exactly one week today and am finally facing reality and getting back into my groove! This place was excellent. From the moment we were welcomed to yet another beautiful and spacious retreat to rest our tired feet, to all of the beauty that awaits in our Nations Capitol. The kids loved riding the train in from Virginia to D.C., we walked around and took in the sights before finally embarking on our "duck tour" w/ the famous D.C. Ducks!!!! We toured the National Mall and then cruised down the Potomac for a beautiful and very informative tour of D.C. After this we hopped back on the train and took it to Arlington National Cemetery, where after living out a very familiar scene from National Lampoons Vacation... (think "sorry folks, parks closed") we did get to peak into the reverent beauty of this sacred place. After that headed back to KellyMarie's parents house where we were welcomed w/ hot pizza and good wine, and great laughs and conversation. After the kiddos went to bed, KellyMarie and I got some serious mom time in the hot tub w/ a bottle of really good red wine! We truly are thankful to have had this time w/ the Heslin family and their hospitality was beyond generous! Moving on to NYC tomorrow, my heart just started beating hard thinking about it! I can NOT wait to show you the fun we had there!!!!!!!

Washington D.C.

OBX

We decided to take the scenic route from Charleston to the Outerbanks of North Carolina, alon US 12. Pretty nice lots of farms and a few quaint coastal towns. We broke it up as we were not due at our friends home until Frida, so we stopped in the cute town of New Bern, NC, and discovered alot of historical places dating back to the 1700"s including a reminant of a church where George Washington himself worshiped. Next morning we are off to Whalehead Beach, at the very northern tip if the outerbanks. I am talking where the GPS just doesn't want to calculate, and wild horses roam deserted beaches. Where some areas are only accesible by 4 wheel drive. Upon our arrival we were welcomed by our great friends the Heslins, and her parents beautiful Oceanside home, respectfully called "At Ease"!!!!!!!! Love flowing from this place and, felt like it was our very own vacation home, where we were welcomed w/ ice cold beers on the beach, and grilled burgers, and hot dogs for dinner. We have soaked up every ray of the sun, and truley enjoyed our time on the beautiful beaches. Along w, great food, and lots of wine, and crabbing, and touring the local light houses, and just lots of laughs, both for the adults, and the kids(who have gotten along quite well) We do have 7 of them under one roof!!!!! They have loved learning to boogie boared, and the secrets to catching crabs. I can NOT say enough about the hospitality and great time we have had! Tommorrow takes us to Washington D.C. and I am sure lys more to blog about! I leave you with pictures!!!!!! enjoy!!!!!!

Road Trippin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I sit here and it has been 4 days into our trip and I have to say.... wayyyyyy fun! I had planned to blog before now but honestly this whole discovering parts of this amazing country that we live in thing has left us in a few stops with GASP.... no Internet connection! well, that and just plain old tired, I mean the kind of tired that when your head hits the pillow, you don't move for the next 8 hours! The kids have been great, and as long a we stick to our plan of stopping and finding some fun town to walk around in, and discover, they are easily amused. We left Naples Wed. morning around 5 a.m.(yes, that is how we roll) kids slept in the car till around 9! Fed them breakfast of healthy powdered doughnuts, and OJ. This held them til Lunchtime, which was perfect because we had just crossed the Fl/Ga line and it was time for gas. we stopped in the town of Cumberland Island GA., had some sandwiches, and went and took a peek at the National Seashore and the quaint town of St. Marys. then we rolled on to Charleston, our first destination to explore and our overnight stop. All I can say is "hello, cuteness" This town is just adorable, with all of it"s quaint homes, and shops. We took a stroll along the water, and then thru a local park. We landed in this great restaurant/ pirate museum for dinner where we dined on local favorites, of she-crab soup, stuffed collards, shrimp and $3.00 beers for mom and dad!!!! Then we just walked around and took in this town that is soaked in history dating back to the early 1700's. Saw actual civil war sites, and walked where our forefathers walked. Hit the hotel(by the way the Holiday Inn in Charleston Historic Dist. ROCKS) around 9:30 and we were all sound asleep by 10:00! ( I know party animals we are) Leaving you with some pictures of Charleston!!!!

Wedding Bliss

Olivia

took alot to get this picture