Adios Amigos...

Sailing off to Mexico for a girls weekend/birthday celebration! Back with lots of pictures next week - my trip, Little League, before/after shots of various rooms in our house...

Have a great weekend!

Some Saturday Stuff...

Saturdays are about lounging in your pajamas all day...cozying up to cartoons with the kiddos in one arm and wrapping your fingers around a warm mug of coffee in the other. About sleeping in and .....ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Whose Saturday is that?!?

My alarm went off at 5:45 yesterday,just enough time to grab a shower, lay out clothes for everyone and hit the road in time to make it to the Assisted Living Facility where my mom is the Director of Memory Care. We loaded a bus full of people there (employees and families), climbed back in her car and headed for the St.Petersburg Pier for the Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk.

The front of our shirts had pictures the Memory Care residents had painted, then put on transfers, ironed on the front...the back said the facilities name!

Meanwhile both kids had Little League pictures starting at 8:30 am and games at 10:00 and 12:00. I love baseball. I love Little League. I love watching my kids play. But I do have to say - it's a lot. Every Saturday basically all morning (usually til 2 or 3 actually), Monday games as well and Wed/Fri practices. But they are learning teamwork. And discipline. And healthy habits. And sportsmanship. Yep that's my mantra as I sit and cook alive in ridiculously hot FL September sun. Especially following the 3 mile walk in which I had already cooked alive!

Then it was off to a birthday party. Followed by date night. Woohoo. We had not had one since moving and it was good to get an evening by ourselves. Of course we went to Ikea...but that is besides the point. Ikea and Red Robin...and still among the most expensive date we have ever been on. LOL! But we did come home with a new desk and chair for Tristan, end table for the office, pillows for the couch and a rug, that has to go back. Todd wanted this rug...but I don't think it matches my decor...

Belated Birthday Post: Tristan turns 8!

Happy Birthday Tristan!

I cannot believe that it was 8 years ago already that you came into the world. I will never forget your first cry, or squeezing your cute little rolls for the first time, or watching your sister fall in love with you in the fraction of a second it took.

You have such a good heart always wanting to help people and are the gentlest little guy when mommy is not feeling good or had a bad day. But you have this mischievous streak that comes complete with the "I-might-have-just-stolen-a-cookie-from-the-cookie-jar" smile and "I-have-no-idea-what-you-are-talking-about-even-though-I-am-guilty" cackle to go with it.

You love to ride bike in the cul-de-sac, play with action figures, read books that are too big for you really, and sleep in. You hate taking showers and talking on the phone. You are playing baseball and loving every moment of it...you're so intense on the field...and you swing your bat, dig your toe and then hold the bat out in front of you like you are stepping onto Tropicana field and not just a tiny Little League field.

Today we will celebrate with your friends and those pictures will come later. But Friday we celebrated as a family. You are much loved kiddo!

Pics below from Friday - dinner at Outback with Papaw and Lolly and then gifts and drumsticks at home (cake is for the party!).

Sneak Peak...

Exhausted

That would be me. Exhausted, that is. I am working pretty much full time hours. My kids are in little league which practice in the brutally hot sun, a lot. Out of town family, events I promised to take pictures at, unexpected medical issues with friends and coworkers. It's all a lot.

So I suck at blogging. But I will be back next week with some pictures of the new place inside and some before and after pictures!

In the meantime I leave you with my two random crazy house things of the week!

1) to know me is to know I would love something called pressure washing but I have to say I LOVE pressure washing. Check out the "new" stones by awesome brother found for me!

2)our new neighbor...I think he may have gotten a little lost from his lake home. This picture is taken in my front yard (sorry the zoom lens was not on!)...

The Big Move

Box after box piled in our living room for the past few weeks and I postponed packing until the very last minute. I wanted the kids to enjoy their last days of summer playing in the pool, hanging out with friends, and having lemonade stands NOT packing. So I waited. And then I panicked. And then we made it anyway - whew!

And after everything was out I stood looking at the few remaining things and cavernous room where SO much of our life had happened in the last 5 years and despite my excitement at our new house, I cried. I had that moment, you know the end scene of any good long running sitcom - where the furniture has all been taken away and they stare at the set with melancholy music drifting around them and the flashbacks play. Yeah that moment.

And then I locked the door and walked to where my AMAZING friends stood waiting to join us in creating more of our story on our new set.

Again a HUGE thanks to all those that loaded, unloaded, rearranged furniture and in general share life with us. You are much loved.

And to Jonathan and Taylor aka the paint and yard crew - thanks for being my brother and one of my best friends AND bringing to our family the sister I always wanted! Taylor - Couldn't love ya more even if it was biological!

We are in!!

We are in the house and have gotten tons accomplished already. I would say about 80% of the boxes that are not Christmas/storage boxes are empty. The giant mural has been primed and painted over. The new futon put together. Lights replaced, a ceiling fan hung, my new washer and dryer delivered. The waterfall feature fixed, new shower heads. The list goes on. Oh and the yard...we mowed the mountain, trimmed the forest and did more edging than one could imagine possible in one yard.

A few really great things - love the house. LOVE our friends - who literally came out in droves. I think at one point there were 12 people helping. Awesome. LOVE my bro and his wife who gave up part of their long weekend to help with the giant list of "to dos" above.

Less than great - as excited as I am about the new place it was hard to leave the old. Sure sometimes my neighbors/parents made me nuts but most of the time it was great having them next door. My parents and I are friends and though its just a few minutes drive to the new place it won't be the same and that was a little sad. Oh and the AC broke...new unit comes Saturday. The repair men asked us how long we had been there and we literally had to say 24 hours...so that sucks. But we have learned an important lesson - home warranties are priceless on newly purchased homes.

So pictures will come later in the week...for now I have no internet on anything but this little comp and I cannot edit pics here so I will post some very soon...internet is supposed to get hooked up tomorrow!

24 hour countdown

Moving day is tomorrow - eeks!