Where in the world are the Swindells?

I Hate To Do This

2011-04-10T07:56:00.002-05:00

I hate to have to go private, but I've had a few too many odd comments from the wild world of weirdos. I want to share info with you, but I don't want to set us up for some creep to knock on our door, so my plan is that you will have to be an "approved" guest to peek into our world.

That being said, comment to this link or send me an email. I'll compile a list of those that want to continue reading this (when and if I ever make another entry--HA!). Hopefully in the near future I'll have a computer that doesn't frustrate me to all ends to post.

Until then, take care.

Where did the year go?

2010-12-08T11:07:00.007-06:00

This time last year, I was probably curled up next to the fire watching the snow fall outside my window and planning for a move to Florida.

Here it is 12 months later, and it seems like it was only yesterday. The good news is that we're starting to settle into being residents of the Sunshine State.

What I can't figure out is where all the time has gone. I know I've been lax, VERY lax on updating this blog. I tell you I have good intentions, but at the end of the day, the last thing I want is to sit in front of the computer. So, I'll give it the old "New Year's Resolution" for 2011. Merry Christmas to you :-)

As for the last 6 months, I'll give you the general run down. With the holidays upon us, I know I won't have much time between now and then, so I hope this tides you over.

August
We took a week long trip back to Louisiana. B was able to go fishing with his dad and brother, and the girls were able to visit with Clare & Kaye. My friend Adrian flew in for a few days, and I got some long awaited girl time. What fun! I must do this more often.

We took the girls to New Orleans. We got snowballs, rode the streetcar & visited Bill & Beth's shop.

We all had fun with the hats

At the end of the day, we shared dinner with Bill & Beth and said our goodbyes. It was a happy day, and our last memory of Bill. How happy we are we were there.

Back in Hammond
Papa helped Lise' sharpen her pencils for school. Of course, he had to find an exciting way to do it.

The cousins had a little girl time while it poured outside.

Lise' in Mimi's old Mardi Gras ballgown.

And there was a fish fry after the fishermen returned home.
It's not a party at the Swindells' without Ponchatoulas.

I think my camera stopped working right about now, so you'll just have to imagine the rest. It was a great trip. It backed up to the balloon festival, so we were out there each and every day. We fit in as many visits as humanly possible, but as always, there was never enough time to do it all.

More August to come.

As for Oct, Nov & Dec....those are to be continued. After all, I have to still feed my children.

Purple Pants in the Swampland

2010-10-10T09:29:00.008-05:00

As many of you know by now, B is now the proud owner of a pair of obnoxious purple pants.

It all started a few weeks ago when the plant announced a spirit day at work, and an email went out warning all participants that there was an LSU fan in the house. Past experience proved such fans to be rather lively in their display of team loyalty, and B is not one to let them down.

So, he came home and announced that I needed to find a pair of purple pants in Jacksonville, and he said this like it was going to be easy. Not one to back down from a scavenger hunt, I hit the thrift stores running. No surprise, there were no purple pants to be had in Jacksonville. Next stop, the mall. B had suggested finding a light pair of khakis to dye, but I had a better idea. I knew white was the IT color this summer. And within 5 minutes of being in Sears, I hit the jackpot. 75% off summer clearance! Score. Now off to Walmart to buy the purple dye.

The white pants before the dunk.

Almost done.

Ta Da

The plant had no idea he would go so far, and I'm here to tell you that we're already planning embellishments for next year. Suggestions are welcome.

At this point, I thought the pants would be shelved until next year, but on Tuesday, a contractor at the plant who had seen the pants called and offered him 2 tickets to the LSU vs. FLORIDA game. He happily accepted and started planning the road trip to Gainsville. On Thursday he hit the jackpot when he was offered 2 tickets in a box on the 45 yard line with a bunch of Gator fans. These pants were starting to pay off.

So yesterday, we dropped the girls off at the Grimlands and headed to the Swampland. As we walked around Florida's beautiful campus, we did get a few stares. The best part was that people tried to muffle their astonishment. Don't they know that if you're brazen enough to wear them, you expect it?

We stuck out like sore thumbs as we entered the gate to the suites, and this may be why the past president of the booster club struck up a conversation. He was wearing two of his four personal FL Championship rings, and before I knew it, B had them on.

I don't have to tell you that the game was a nail biter, and B controlled himself quite well. We had a great view, especially for the disputed call. B did let out a few hoot and hollers at the end, but he managed to get out of there without bite marks.

Where will the purple pants bring take us next? The investment has had quite the return.

Get those two wheels rolling

2010-09-30T11:11:00.005-05:00

Lise' has been begging to learn to ride a bike without training wheels for a while now, but I refused to start the process in New Jersey. For starters, it was COLD this past winter. I had no desire to face the elements while trying to keep a child upright. Secondly, we had no decent place to learn to ride in our town. I knew we were moving to Florida, so I kept telling her wait until it's warm, wait until we are in Florida.

She didn't forget, and practically every day she'd ask again, "When are you ever going to teach me to ride without training wheels?" Time after time, I gave her an excuse, mostly because I felt B would be a better teacher. So the next time she asked, I told her to ask Daddy. He was going to be the one to teach her. She wouldn't leave him alone, and with a new house and lots of little things that needed attention, he too began to make excuses. That was until one night she had him backed against the wall.

The conversation went a little like this.
Lise'-"Daddy, when are you going to teach me to ride without training wheels?"
B-"later Lise'"
Lise'- "When later"
B- "After I'm done (fill in the blank)"
Lise'-"So you'll do it today?"
B- "Yes"
Lise'-"What time?"

And with that she got her first lesson of how to ride a bike without training wheels. I took a note from her that day on how to get her Daddy to commit to something.

As for Abri, she too tried that day and got the hang of it slightly. She needs more practice, and until Daddy is available again, the training wheels are staying on.

Let's try this baby out

2010-09-30T11:06:00.006-05:00

Many know that B and I have wanted a pop up camper for years, but our postage size lot in Jersey didn't allow for it, so when we came to FL, it was at the top of our list. We combed craigslist for weeks, but every time we found one we were interested in viewing, it was gone before we made the phone call. That led us to start looking on craigslist in Baton Rouge. Florida is known for its camping enthusiasts, but in Louisiana, camping is a little less popular. This led to better options and more importantly better prices. We found one, sent my dad out to wheel and deal, and two weeks later, we had a pop up.

Dad was very kind to haul it over here for us.

It wasn't long before we were itching to try it out, and what better place to do that than Fort Wilderness Campground at Disney World. For those of you who haven't had the chance to visit, it's a 5 start camping experience. The sites were nice, the bathrooms were clean and newly renovated, and the pool was awesome. If only the heat index wouldn't have been hovering at 100 degrees. Despite the heat, we had a great time, although I have vowed that we will never again visit WDW in July again.

Toy Story Mania Ride

Breakfast with the Characters

The end to a great trip.

Back to Jersey We Go

2010-09-27T09:44:00.005-05:00

In June, the girls and I hit the road running. Destination....Atlantic Highlands, NJ. Since the move, we've all be aching to get back, so we arrived on our friend's doorstep the week after school let out and just in time for the 4th of July.

Our welcome home spread. The only thing missing was B.

On the way there, we stopped at "South of the Border" to see what all the millions of signs were about. What we found was fun things to climb on, overpriced ice cream and dirty potties. Glad we stopped though.

Abri and a random dress up picture.

In the morning, the kids went to VBS at the elementary school in town. They had a blast, and I only wish I had photos to share, but my camera broke on the second day into the trip. Maybe next time.

Our friends invited us over for pizza and swimming.

It was as if we had come back home. It's no secret I loved NJ. If B came home tomorrow to tell me we were going back, I'd have no problem with it (as long as it came with a raise :-) It was Mayberry, and I'm not so sure we'll ever find anything like it.

Our week was spent visiting with all our friends and eating our favorite foods. It was all too short, and before we knew it, it was time to hit the road again. This time, we were heading to Durham, NC to spend the 4th with Chris & Caron and their two girls.

Although the visit was short, we enjoyed catching up and talking about future plans. Hope to see everyone soon.

Lise's 1st Day of School

2010-08-26T10:11:00.007-05:00

Drum roll please........Lise' is an official Kindergartner today. The day is finally here, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about that. Of course, we're happy. Our move to Florida has been good, but Lise' doesn't have any friends her own age yet, so I'm hoping that all changes in the coming weeks.

We bought the backpack, the lunch box and all the supplies weeks ago, and until today, they've been tucked away in the spare room just waiting to be used.

B stayed home this morning to make pancakes for the special occasion-Mickey Mouse, of course.

Compare the above picture to the one below. It's from Lise's first day of Pre-K last year.

And then we piled into the car and drove the mile down to school. It's still hot here after all, and we had a lot of supplies to carry.

The drop off was fairly uneventful. She sat where she needed to sit, said goodbye to each of us, and out the door we went. Before we left, we wanted a picture. You can see she wasn't very cooperative.

We told her we wouldn't leave until she looked at the camera.

The school does a staggered start, which means this whole week, 4 to 6 kids start each day. Tomorrow the entire class will start. Lise' being an "S" is at the end of the alphabet, so we started today. Sorry boo, I was a "D", and I don't quite understand that end of the line thing.

So now, Abri and I are home alone the whole day for the first time in her life. Before Daddy left for work, she convinced him to play the game where you fish for fish going around in a circle. Then she talked me into doing a puzzle. She followed that with a bubble bath with her princesses and a few games on the Wii. Who knows what is in store for the rest of the day. All I know is that I can't forget to go get Lise'.

I've been forewarned that the line at pick-up is a nightmare. You have to line up one hour before pickup. We literally live 1 mile from the school. It's an easy walk on a cool day, but it's August in Florida. Need I say more? So for now, I'm going to say that Abri and I will walk to get her. If only I had remembered to ask B to get the jogging stroller out the attic. Maybe tomorrow.

And, last but not least, I've been trying to play catch up on the blog. Keep scrolling down. You may not have seen the latest and greatest.

What do you know

2010-08-25T18:13:00.004-05:00

I just posted the pics of all the deer that have been gracing our back yard this afternoon. Within an hour of the post, I looked back and noticed one nibbling at the grass outback. I thought it was strange that it was alone. I have no idea at what point the males leave their mother's side, but that was one thought that crossed my mind. Then a few minutes later, it was all answered. HE showed up. (Click on pic for larger view)

There was a moment of silence in our house as he graced us with his presence. He is a beautiful chocolate brown with a stripe running across his hind end. I counted 5 points, and the other one must be his doe.

I have to laugh because I've had terrible luck with cameras lately, and the latest arrived just today. I ripped it out the wall to get this shot through the blinds, and I'm just thankful I could figure out how to get it on.

What can I say...we love our deer

2010-08-25T15:03:00.004-05:00

There are two fawns in this picture. One is next to its mom, the other is at the base of the pine with the brown in the top.

Click on this pic to enlarge. She spotted me through the kitchen glass.

As far as I can tell, there are 3 sets of deer. One set includes 3 does and 3 fawns. Another is a doe and her two fawns and a third is 2 does and 2 fawns.

At the beginning of the summer, we saw them almost every morning. They'd eat and leave. One afternoon we got the special treat of the pack of 6 coming and staying for a while. They ate and napped. As the heat increased, so did the length of time between visits. In the past week or so, we've seen them two or three times, and the fawns you see in the pics are now quite bigger. If they have any spots left at all, they are quite faint.

Swim Lessons

2010-08-18T20:55:00.005-05:00

Both girls started in May. Lise' had experienced a few lessons at the YMCA in Jersey, but it only succeeded in getting her comfortable with the water and putting her face down in it. My goal for both girls was that if they fell into our pool without my knowledge that they could get themselves to the side.

I loved how the lessons never put any type of floatation device on the kids.
At first, Lise' was a thorn in her instructor's side. She was so thrilled that she could go underwater. She would continually bob up and down like a cork.

By the end of the third lesson, she was swimming across the pool.

Abri was a little slower at the whole idea of going underwater.

I'm happy to report that both girls are now official fish. Both have exceeded my expectations. Lise' is a natural and hasn't worn any type of floatation device since May. Abri evenutally came around once she figured out it wasn't so bad. Now I can't keep her out of the water, and although she can swim without a float, she's a dare devil, so unless all my attention is focused on her, you'll still see one around her waist. Her favorite thing is to dive down to the bottom, and she can do it. Sometimes she shoots too high and runs out of air on the way up.

Unwelcome May Visitors

2010-08-18T20:20:00.008-05:00

May marked our first month in the new house. I don't remember a lot about then, but here's a few highlights that were hard to forget.

This was the week the South had that splendid little cool snap where you could leave your windows open and let the breezes flow through. That's exactly what I did as unpacked box after box with the doors wide open. It was nice not to have to worry about insects flying into the house because we have the screened in porch.

What I should have been worried about were snakes! Two of them to be exact. It was mating season after all.

Thankfully, it was B who saw them before me. I promptly shut the doors and sent him to let them know our warm pool deck was not welcoming visitors of their kind and to "shoo" them back into the woods.

They wanted nothing to do with being shooed anywhere and retaliated by being defensive and striking back at B.

So, it was OFF WITH THEIR HEADS

Turns out they were black racer snakes...look it up. They are the "good" snakes you want in your yard b/c they keep the poisonous ones away. But, we didn't know that, they wouldn't go, so now they're raccoon food.

At the end of the day, there was one Mother's Day pic, although I took it myself, and Lise' was not present. Maybe next year.

Disney World-April 2010

2010-07-22T10:11:00.006-05:00

About three years ago, B was given a travel gift card that we somehow never managed to use. It was expiring soon, and when word came that we were moving to Florida, we booked a long weekend at Disney World. It was Lise's 2nd trip and Abri's 1st.

The girls weren't too excited about moving away from New Jersey, so we used the thrill of being close to Disney to try to smooth it over. We also used it as a potty training goal.

As you may have read in the past, Abri showed great signs of wanting to potty train before Christmas, but with all that changed during that time, progress was thrown out the window. We were so close, but she was a wall, and B and I tried everything to get her back on track. I promised her the moon, the stars and everything in between, and I'm just thankful she doesn't remember all that I owe her.

A few weeks before the moving truck came, Cinderella (Abri's favorite princess) called Mommy to tell her if Abri was a Big Girl by the time she went to Disney World, Cinderella would be sure to say hello.

Bingo! We had a winner, and by the time we made it there, we were diaper/pull up free.
With new haircuts, we were ready to go

So, now B and I had a big task on our hands....find Cinderella.
We had arrived the first night around 7pm and headed straight into the parks. It was nice, there were few crowds, and the air was still cool. We started in Tomorrowland and worked our way back to Toon Town.

The girls had not ridden many amusement rides, so this place was all new to them, and Lise' showed some signs of intimidation. She definitely was not thrilled with any ride in the dark, even if it was just for a split second. When we arrived in Toon Town, we headed for the Barn Stormer (aka kiddie rollar coaster). Lise' absolutely loved it, and rode until they closed the doors.

We had another little bit of luck in Toon Town-character greetings. More importantly, a line dedicated to princesses. Cinderella's photo was pictured that she was accepting visitors, so we got in line. After a small wait, we were invited in, but there was no Cinderella. Thankfully were weren't too disappointed because Sleeping Beauty and Belle (Lise's favorite princess) were there in her place. Apparently Cinderella had to ride in the parade at that time. Better luck next time.

So, as we headed out of the park for the night (it was nearly 11pm), the girls insisted we go see the castle. As we were leaving, the second showing of Spectro Magic started rolling down Main Street, so we sat down right in front of the castle and had front row seats to the show. The girls were mesmorized, and Abri was thrilled when she saw Cinderella in her carriage. It was a late night, and the girls were asleep before we hit the gates, but it was a great night.

The following days, we explored the different parks at our leisure. We did eventually return to the princess photo section where we at last got to meet Cinderella. What a storybook ending.

For more Photos, click HERE.

We've Been a Little Busy

2010-07-22T08:00:00.008-05:00

No excuses, just life. In the past 3 months, we've been nonstop. We've been to Disney 3 times, camping, and the girls and I drove back to NJ for a weeklong visit. Add pool time and visitors to that equation, and the last thing I've wanted to do was sit at a computer. Sorry to disappoint.

Did I mention that all 3 of our digital cameras along with portions of my computer have bitten the dust? The new power cord for the PC came in yesterday, so that is why I'm back.

The House
We've been here 3 months, and it still isn't ready for pictures. The house was vacant for a year. In the first few weeks, Mom & Dad came to visit. We spent a few days ripping all the overgrown weeds and bushes from the flower beds and then cut back what we wanted to save. By the time that was all over, we had hit the summer temps, so planting has been postponed until fall.

As for the interior, there's still a hole in the tile in the kitchen, but as usual, we've become accustomed to it. One day that will change-most likely when the moving orders come.

We've also started to de-brassify the house. We started with the knobs on the kitchen cabinets, and it helped tremendously. No painting has begun, but I hope once our summer travles slow down, that too will be addressed.

There's also been a lot of time spent in the pool. It makes B and I wonder how we ever could have considered a house without one. It's definitely made it an easier transition down here. We don't have to drive to find a park in the heat of the day, and they aren't constantly telling me they are bored.

The new fence we installed around the pool.

Our last days in Jersey

2010-05-05T15:15:00.021-05:00

As everyone knows, we somehow stumbled upon a great community in New Jersey. It was because of the people in this town that we fell in love with the area. The best group was AH playgroup. I had the privilage of scheduling our playdates every Friday, and they had a going away playdate for us.

We spent a final weekend in Hoboken with Uncle Dan and Uncle Richie

On our way home, we went in search of a monument my dad had wanted to see when he came to visit. (But we're moving, so he won't be going anytime soon). The search started at Liberty State Park.

After an hour of searching and within minutes of the gates closing, we found the Teardrop Memorial at the end of a road behind a few warehouses. It was a gift from Russia after 9/11 and the teardrop lines up with Lady Liberty and Ground Zero.

We attended the Easter Egg hunt in Atlantic Highlands. Although, it should have been called "Run for Eggs" because they weren't exactly hidden. Yes, the girls were using their Halloween buckets for the egg hunt. It was the day before the movers were coming, and I wasn't going to pull out the Easter box.

And, of course, we dyed eggs at home

And, of course just before we left, we found a fantastic new park at the Jersey Shore.

Abri trying to sweet talk B into letting her play in the sand.

She won

And this is Abri. Always with her head on the ground and feet in the air.

The end of a great day.

One last trip to Longstreet Farms. NJ has the greatest parks.

Abri looking at the peacock in the top of the barn.

That's one huge hog.

A crowd favorite-the 3-holer outhouse

And,of course, the move.

One Month Ago

2010-05-05T13:53:00.008-05:00

We were saying goodbye to New Jersey. It was the hardest place to leave yet. Our friends were really good about sticking to my "No goodbyes, only see you laters" rule. That definitely made it a less dramatic drive away.

It took 4 days to get everything packed on the truck, and at 5 pm on the Thursday before Easter, we hit the road. We made it all the way to NW Virginia that night with the plan to make it to Louisiana the next day. The next morning the Plan was out the window when Lise' couldn't keep anything in her stomach. I thought we had dodged the virus that was going around school. I guess I was wrong. Luckily it was the only symptom she had, so we trudged on with me at the ready for her to call Mommy at which point I would quickly hang over the seat with a bag ready to catch.

I offered many times to drive, but B wouldn't switch with me for the world. It was a long day, and we didn't make it to Louisiana. By the time we reached Alabama, Abri had the back end of the virus, so we decided to stay the night in Tuscaloosa. The next morning, we arrived in Hammond just in time for lunch. Lise' was feeling much better, and Abri looked as if she was doing fine. It was Mommy who was now sick to her stomach, but we were in the middle of a move, so no time for sickness.

Dying eggs with Clare & Kaye

Unfortunately, the truck was arriving the day after Easter, so B and I said goodbye to the girls and headed to our new home in Jacksonville, FL.

Our welcome was the opportunity to see the Space Shuttle liftoff into the night sky. B and I have seen it once before 14 years ago when we worked at Disney, and it was still as thrilling as the first time.

The bright light is the shuttle

The sunrise reflected in the exhaust trail from the shuttle.

We finally arrived to the new house just in time for a quick peek inside before the truck arrived.

Welcome Home

The dauphin doorknocker

What it looks like when you enter the front door.

Cabana Bath that connects to the pool outside.

Master bedroom. How do you like my Gone With the Wind curtains?

View of the pool from kitchen.

Kitchen

The first flaw. After closing on the house, B came over and heard a hollow sound below one of the tiles. It's his nature to investigate, and when he did, he popped up an entire two rows. For two weeks, we walked around and tripped over the DO NOT TOUCH zone.

Mural in Lise' & Abri's room.

The Jack & Jill bath off the girls' room

Spare room that will become a guest room and playroom.

What a 3 car garage looks like when it's empty.

The stuff that won't fit in the 3 car garage at the end of the day because it's too FULL!!!! Where's the basement?

First photo of the deer checking out the new neighbors.

B and I had the luxury of having a week to unpack without the girls being here. They stayed behind in Louisiana and spent time between Hammond & Baton Rouge. When they did arrive, it didn't take long before they had to try out their new pool.

And it wasn't long before we bought a dishwasher off Craig's List.

All in all, the new house is great. We wonder why we ever considered not buying a house with a pool. The girls are in it everyday.

Florida and the house do come with its flaws. For starters, you have to pump your own gas here. The pantry needs to be ripped out and redesigned. And, where in the world did all this heat and humidity come from????? It's positively suffocating, and since my 3 car garage is currently crammed with junk, my poor car has to sit out in the sun all day.

Coming Soon

2010-04-18T11:08:00.002-05:00

Forgive me once again, but I am still alive. There's been this huge thing called a move that has taken over my life. I wake up to boxes, I spend my day with boxes, and frankly, I'm tired at the end of the day, and the last thing I want to do is get on the computer.

Today we are going through the boxes in the garage. It's a 3 car garage, and it's packed to the max. I hope to one day get my car in there. I've already been reintroduced to the southern heat that bakes you, and my car is crying for shade.

Overall the move went well. I'll update you on the specifics later. At the moment, we're still searching for the one box that contains pantry items....mayo (Blue Plate of course), Vermont Maple Syrup (if it doesn't show up, I will charge the moving company for this one) and a huge jar of organic strawberry preserves. I know this sounds strange to you, but when you go to make a sandwich, it's something you look for.

So, for now I bid you farewell. I promise to return soon.

Wish me luck in the search.

Let this be a lesson to you all

2010-03-26T13:07:00.003-05:00

We put our house up for sale the first week of February. We also had our first offer on the house which was good, we didn't play games, but the buyer did. She pulled out of the contract in the end, but it wasn't long before we had our next offer.

The couple with the second offer also wanted to play games. B and I enjoy game nights, but not being toyed with. We had already been messed up by the first offer, so we were a little leery of any offers to follow. We were in day 4 of going back and forth with the second buyers when another offer came in.

This offer was the best we had seen yet, and they weren't making any demands. They just wanted the house. So, we gave up on offer number 2 and moved onto the people who seemed anxious to win the house.

Today, we are finally out of attorney review.(It's a NJ thing, and I don't feel like going into it now. It basically means that if they pull out now, they lose their earnest $). Now we just have to get out of inspection tomorrow, and we're good to go. Not to mention our agent has the names of three parties that are interested if the deal falls through.

The sad ending to this story is that buyers #2 are kicking themselves in the pants. They are devastated they lost the house. All they had to do was play nice, and it would have been theirs. You snooze you loose.

The New House

2010-03-24T18:20:00.007-05:00

One week from today, the moving truck will pull away. Tomorrow we close on our house in Jacksonville, and many have asked, so here are a few pictures. It will be ours tomorrow afternoon.

Wish B luck, he has power of attorney for me, so he has lots of signing to do-- Brian J. Swindell for Julie D. Swindell attorney in fact-or something like that. I'm just glad I'm not the one doing it.

When it rains, it pours!

2010-03-14T08:51:00.004-05:00

It's official, it's raining. It's not just a little either. We've had rain for three days now, and that combined with the snow melt, NJ is in a state of emergency. We're fine though, it's our basement that is suffering. I'm on 24 hour towel patrol to keep the river from running.

This is coming down the basement stairs. All towels that must be switched out every hour or so

I was watching the news this morning, and Mr. Jim Cantore informed us that if it was hurricane season, this storm would have a name, and not only that, we skirted a snowstorm of a lifetime because if it was cold enough, we'd have 7 feet of snow outside. I can't even imagine. Just down the road from us, 30ft waves were crashing on the shore.

The winds are crazy. I think we heard they were around 60 mph last night. B and I left the girls with a sitter to head north for his going away dinner with the managers here in NJ. As we were driving, trees were falling, power lines were down, and emergency workers were everywhere blocking off streets. We even had a stop sign blow down right in front of us and we had to just drive on over it.

As for what's happening with the move, it's a story that develops by the minute. We do have a house with a contract on it down in Florida. We close on March 25, and all looks like it's going well with that end of the move. The truck is scheduled to start packing on March 29, and we'll pull out of here on the 31st.

This house has been another story. We were excited to have a contract on the house within the first week of listing it. Long story short, the buyer was a little crazy. After a month of going back and forth, she pulled out. We're back to square one. Our realtor was excited enough to call last night and tell us we may have another offer coming our way today. We'll let you know.

Only two more weeks here. It's definitely bittersweet. I'd stay forever if I could.

Ballet Class

2010-03-08T19:53:00.007-06:00

We have a wonderful thing here. The Monmouth County park system. The programs that are offered are endless, and one of our favorites has been ballet. Lise' has been participating for almost two years now. She loves it, and we like it because you only sign up for four weeks at a time, there are no commitments, and no reviews. It's just a class that introduces them to the fun of dance. As usual, go to the picture website for more.

Abri has been wanting to join in the fun for a long time now. Prior to this February, each time Lise' dressed for dance class, she did too. We even had to bring her pair of ballet slippers for her to change into so she could practice her moves as she waited outside the door. With her third birthday, she finally gained admittance, and she went in like a star. Unfortunately, tomorrow is the last day for both of them. With the move right around the corner, I did not sign up for the next class.

Here's Abri. She just discovered the mirror on the wall.

And again

2010-03-03T20:51:00.004-06:00

Just when you thought the blizzard was it, we got another helping of 14+ inches of snow. That brings us to a grand total of 45+" this year. A record for this area, and a fitting farewell for us. I think NJ is sorry to see us go, and Mother Nature wanted to hand it to us on a silver platter.

As you know, I made it through the first storm with the help of my neighbors. This one originally was predicted to be 3-6" and done by Friday afternoon. By Wednesday, flights were being cancelled to and from Newark, and I could feel my heart sink with the knowledge that B would most likely not make it in to see us after two weeks of being away. It was devastating, and killed the usual excitement that comes with the arrival of snow. B's flight was cancelled for Friday, but somehow, some way, he figured out a way to get home on Thursday night, and for that he scored HUGE points. Not only did he have the opportunity to dig us out (something he enjoys), but we also were very grateful for and extra day with Daddy. The kids especially enjoyed the snow ramp he built off the back porch. I'm not sure who had more fun....B or the girls.

The girls love to taste the newly fallen snow.
I've added tons of snow pictures to our picture site. This includes newly added ones to the Blizzard File. Click HERE to see more.

More Snow

2010-02-25T08:27:00.002-06:00

Just in time to possibly ruin B's long awaited arrival tomorrow night. It's been 2 weeks, and we miss him! It's supposed to snow all day today into tomorrow. For now, Lise' has school today with early dismissal. I must get out there and clear a path.

Normally, I'd be thrilled to see one last snow (one can hope). It's a beautiful one. The flakes are large and falling fast. It's absolutely breathtaking. There's a quiet in the air that only snow brings, and we love it. From my bed, you can look straight up and out the window and feel as if it's falling on you while in the warmth of my flannel sheets. We will definitely miss the snow and the thrill of getting our snow suits on and playing it.

Weekend was a Wash

2010-02-15T16:12:00.004-06:00

We had big plans this weekend. The kids were off Friday and Monday for President's Day, so months ago, we planned a weekend with friends. We were going to go down to Lavalette, NJ to stay at Karen's parents shore house. It was going to be a last hurrah of sorts for our families, and the kids couldn't wait.

The girls and I flew in from Florida on Monday. Tuesday, Lise' went to school, and Wednesday the blizzard hit, so no more school for the rest of the week.

On Tuesday, Karen's family started coming down with the 12 hr bug that is running rampant through school right now. I didn't go near them for fear of getting this thing for the weekend. We even pushed our departure off until Saturday to give her family one more day to recover.

On Friday, B flew in. It was his birthday, but we were saving our celebration for the weekend. We had also saved Abri's 3rd birthday celebration for then too. She wanted an Orangey Party. I made an orange cake, everyone had their orange shirts, and there were orange party favors. It was all set.

12:45am on Sat. Abri wakes up vomiting. She wanted to go back to bed, so we let her. Maybe it was just a coincidence, right? NOT. We were up all night long. At 5am, Lise' joined in the party. It was a day of sitting around our family room with a 5 gallon bucket in the middle. I had an upset stomach, but that was about it. I had battled the nausea and thought I had won. True to what we had heard, 12 hours later, the girls were showing signs of great improvement. We decided to go down to join our friends the next morning after a good night's rest.

We arrived, we ate lunch, the kids ran off with their friends, and I had what I thought was a sinus headache. That grew into nausea, and by the evening, I was stalking the bathroom. Of all weekends! Are you kidding me???? I had to miss the lobster boil, I missed Abri blowing her candles out. I missed the Orangey Party. I'm so sad for that because she had been planning this for months. The night got worse before it got better, and halfway through the night, B came down with this evil bug.

This morning, we packed up and headed home. We've spent this weekend of birthdays, Valentine's Day and time with friends sick, and it stinks!

Right now, B is outside shoveling his car out so that he can make it to the airport tomorrow morning. More snow showers coming our way. The leftover snow is still piled high in the yard. I'm done. I've had enough snow. Send spring our way, please!

Have I mentioned we have a house for sale?

2010-02-11T09:44:00.002-06:00

Thought you'd all enjoy seeing the final pictures of the kitchen. Thank to all who helped!

Click Here

Blizzard 2010 Continued

2010-02-11T09:14:00.002-06:00

It's the morning after, and I've come to the conclusion that we can just blame B for the blizzard. When the transfer to Jacksonville came through and he left in the beginning of January to start his new job, I just knew we were in for a big storm.

Well, here it is. I have no idea how much snow we got, but I can tell you it is a lot. On the side of the house where no prior plowing was done, it's to the top of my knees. Thankfully the snow we had over the weekend had melted, otherwise it could have been much worse.

My neighbors have saved me. They came over with their snow plow, so for now, I can walk to the street and back. I've also uncovered my car. That alone took an hour, and I'm sure my arms will be screaming for a masssage pretty soon.

For now, we'll be hanging out at home. The roads are pretty icy, so I don't think we'll be venturing out. Call if you want, I'll be around.

For all our blizzard pictures, click HERE

2010 Blizzard

2010-02-10T16:07:00.005-06:00

Lucky for you, I've had nothing but time. The girls went a little stir crazy, so I put their snowsuits on and let them loose on the back porch. At the moment, we're still in whiteout conditions for the next few hours, and who knows how much snow will be there for me to shovel tomorrow.

Here's a few pictures from the day. I'll post the outcome tomorrow.

A shot early in the day. The snow was continuous through the night. Around noon, we had a sleet/snow mix that compacted the earlier snowfall. Then this afternoon, the blizzard conditions began.

If you look closely, you'll notice the path my neighbors created for me next to the car with their snow blower. It didn't take long for it to be covered with another seven inches of snow.

Sometime around 4pm, the girls got stir crazy. We had plans to go to a friends house for dinner, but after surveying the streets, I was afraid to get out and stuck with B down in Florida. So, we suited Lise' & Abri up and let them loose on the backporch. They remained their for an hour and returned drinched from fun.

The real part of the blizzard began.

Notice the inch of snow on top of her hat.

Our our front window.

More 2009 Moments

2010-02-10T12:53:00.009-06:00

We have a blizzard, so you get pictures.

B's Father's Day Present to Mr. Ed: A Yankees Game (2009 World Series Champions)

A cotton candy tongue.

ABRI
Catching Fall leaves

Exploring the arts

The attempt at potty training.

LISE'
After the Halloween Parade

Holding a butterfly

Pumpkin Patch

Sandy Hook

Flying a kite

Yankees Ticker Tape Parade

Vermont

2010-02-02T20:19:00.014-06:00

It seems like years ago, but the week after Thanksgiving, we decided to visit Vermont. We were thrilled to have Grandma and Papa joined us.

First we celebrated Turkey Day by putting our guests to work painting. At this point, we knew there was a possible move on the horizon, so all hands were on deck. There was a reward at the end of the day in the form of a sunset stroll on the beach followed by dinner of lobster and clams. We can have turkey any day.

Once our bellies were full, we packed our bags and hit the road for Stowe, VT. Our home away for home for a week, Trapp Family Lodge. And yes, that's THE Von Trapp Family from "The Sound of Music."

Can I just tell you that Vermont is absolutely beautiful? We couldn't get enough of it. The resort was amazing too. It wasn't fancy by any means, but it had everything you could want and more, and it all started with the views of the Green Mountains.

When we planned this trip in February of last year, we thought surely there would be snow on the ground the week after Thanksgiving. Trapp Family Lodge is renowned for their cross country skiing, and it's something I always wanted to try. The joke was on us though. There was no snow on the ground, and we had only one day of snowfall, so we had to to find other ways to entertain ourselves.

We hiked, explored Stowe, swam in the indoor pool, put together puzzles, took a wagon ride through the property, got massages, and all out enjoyed a relaxing vacation.

One night B and I left the girls in our chalet to head to the main lodge to listen to John Cassel play the piano while we enjoyed drinks at the bar. It just so happened that we were down there when Maria Von Trapp was having dinner. She is the daughter of Captain Von Trapp and his first wife. She was portrayed by the character Louisa in "The Sound of Music." After she was finished, she joined Mr. Cassel at the piano. It was quite special to be in her presence and a highlight of our evening.

One of the days we were there, the weather was less than hospitable, so we hit the road for a taste of Vermont.

We started at Cold Hollow Cider Mill where we learned about the process of making cider and tasted (and tasted more) cider hot of the press.
*We didn't learn this at Cold Hollow, but a nice drink we learned to make while at the lodge was warm apple cider with a shot of Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum and a Cinnamon stick. Umm Umm Good!!!! I highly recommend.

Now it was time for Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory. You can only look from above down onto the manufacturing floor there, and since all the excitement happens inside the metal pipes and cauldrons, it wasn't too exciting for the kids. The treat came at the end though, so everyone was satisfied.
This was an actual customer who was visiting the factory.

After the ice cream, we headed to Cabot Cheese Factory. This was the best tour of the day. We actually got to walk down on the floor of the factory to see the process. It was Lise' favorite. At the end you had a table full of samples. For those of you looking for an alternative for your Spinach Madeline, I recommend the Habanero Cabot cheese. It's spicy, so beware. A little goes a long way.

We rounded out the day with a trip to a farm where they harvest maple syrup. The syrup process actually occurs in Feb/March, so we didn't get to see the actual process. We did watch a video about it and tasted the 4 different grades. I will never eat fake syrup again. So long Aunt Jemima!

All in all it was a GREAT trip. I highly recommend Vermont and the Trapp Family Lodge. You won't regret it. For more pictures of our trip, click here.

Turkey Day

2009-12-27T16:39:00.005-06:00

This year, November was a blur. Midway through the month, Ms. Addie, her mom and her nephew came for a long awaited visit. It was a short one, but jam packed with fun. I don't think there was a moment that wasn't planned out to the minute. We took them on a tour of Sandy Hook and our area. They were able to climb the lighthouse at Twin Lights up the street, and Addie got to experience a one of a kind playgroup followed by dinner with friends. Luckily, the weather held out, and they were able to make it NYC several times. I even drove into NYC one night to meet them for dinner and the Lion King on Broadway. One of Addie's goals was to go to Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken. It's the home of the Cake Boss on TLC. So, on Saturday morning, we loaded into the mini and headed that way. There was a small line inside the store, and we recognized a few of the sisters that are also seen on the show, but the big moment was when Buddy himself came downstairs. He signed autographs and took pictures with anyone who wanted one. B took a picture of the girls and I with him, but unfortunately it didn't come out, so you'll just have to imagine it. He seems like just an ordinary guy who happens to be on TV. It was fun to meet him.

Like that, it was time to say goodbye to Addie and her family and hello to Mom & Dad. They arrived the day before Thanksgiving and got here just in time to pick Lise' up from school. It was the last day before the holiday, so the kids came pouring out of the building with pilgrim & Indian hats. It was cute.

We didn't have much prep work to do for the following day, so B and I took advantage of free babysitting and headed to NYC for the night. LSU basketball was playing in Madison Square Garden. LSU was outplayed by a mile, so we headed out just after half time and went over to meet our friend Richie in Hoboken for dinner. It was the first adult night we had had in a loooooonnnnngggg time, and I loved every minute of it.

The next day was Thanksgiving, and this year we forwent the turkey. It was all lobster for us. After dinner, we headed out to watch the sunset at Sandy Hook.

Once the celebration was over, it was time to get serious. Mom watched the kids, and Dad, B and I spent the next day painting. After all, we are moving.

For all the pictures, click HERE.

Let it Snow

2009-12-21T06:53:00.004-06:00

Thanks to that storm that pelted our friends on the Gulf Coast with rain in the double digits, we got lots of snow. I don't know exact measurements because the wind whipped it all over the place. I do know it was somewhere between 16 & 24". I think it's the most we've had at one time of any place we've lived.

It started falling lightly around 3pm and continued through the night. We had friends over for dinner, and when they arrived, you could still see the tops of the blades of grass. Throughout the night, the kids watched as the grass slowly disappeared. We have lights outside shaped like candy canes, and their benchmark for how much snow had fallen was whether or not the candy canes were still visible. By the time Nicholas and Evan left at 9:30, you could only see the faint glow of lights beneath the snow. B even had to shovel a path to their car.

The snow fell throughout the night, and we awoke to a winter wonderland the next morning. Thankfully, B is still around because there was a lot of digging out to be done. I'm not quite sure what I'll do if this happens when he's in Florida. This isn't Utah where I'd wake up to a nicely shoveled drive provided by the snow fairy.

After a hearty breakfast of pancakes, we suited the kids up, grabbed the sleds and headed to the hill. Last year I got caught without a sled because I didn't start looking until snow was coming. So, this summer, whenever we were at garage sales, I picked them up. Thank goodness I did because there wasn't a sled to be had in town, and we had three.

The best hill in town for sledding is down at the Marina. Some kind homeowners have chosen not to to fence their property in, and they are generous enough to allow the town to use it. What fun we had. The first run down for Abri, the snow wasn't very packed, and she got a face full of snow. So, for a good part of the time, she just sat and watched or crawled around making snow angels. Lise' was a little apprehensive at first, but it didn't take her long to go down alone. B and I even had a few chances to go down too. I think B would have stayed all afternoon if we'd let him. All in all, we had 4 different types of sleds. If you're in the market for one, we recommend the inflatable one that looks like something you tube in behind a boat or the round disc.

The snow will be missed. For more pictures, CLICK HERE.

Check out the Santa --->

2009-12-15T15:12:00.002-06:00

He's a little weird looking. More like the Santa you see leaning against the wall on Bourbon Street than the Jolly Old St. Nick you see at the local mall.

Hopefully he'll take the attention away from the fact that I've been MIA lately. Let's just say a lot has been going on. It always is, but when the weather is nice, I'd rather do anything but sit in front of the computer. Good news for you is that winter is almost here, and therefore, I'm inside a lot more. Oh well. I guess I should catch you all up.

This is a work in progress, but the BIG news you may or may not have heard by now is WE'RE MOVING!!!! We're flying down south for the winter-Jacksonville, FL to be exact. So, for all of you who drug your feet and pretended you loved us enough to come visit, you waited too long. You snooze you lose! You know who you are. And, for those who have watched us go through this before, the answer to your first question is, "NO, ,the house is NOT done!" No comment. The reinforcements are arriving after Christmas.

So, forgive me if I disappear and reappear on occasions with lots of info. I'd love to sit here the rest of the night and catch you up, but I have loads of laundry to put away.

No fears, I've downloaded my camera, so pics are coming.

Take care, and if you're looking for something to do, we'll always accept volunteers.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T20:01:00.012-06:00

From Belle (Beauty & the Beast) and the Orangey Witch (Yes, that's what she called it).

I'll eventually get back to September and October, but I thought you'd be anxious to see the girls in their costumes.

We had a fun-filled week. B was off in Jacksonville, FL on business, so I was one busy Momma.

The Sunday before Halloween we attended a party at the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club. The kids had a ball. The hit of the night was the fog machine. Abri couldn't get enough of it. Luckily, B was able to join us for this celebration.

Halloween Twister

Abri getting her first bite of chocolate for the night.

A Shirley Temple at the Bar

Tuesday, Lise' & Abri joined their friends at "Bring a Friend to Dance Class" week. It was at the local dance studio in town, and both of them had a grand time.

Friday was Halloween Party Day. Have I mentioned I'm the class mom? It was a success, but a little nerve-wracking considering I was also coordinating a Halloween party with 70 people for after school.

Abri waiting patiently for the school parade.

Lise' is toward the back of the line. They walk the block around the school. I was so busy trying to get pictures that I didn't realize Abri had joined the line and was walking away.

B arrived in time for Halloween, and we started it off with walking in the town parade. The entire town turns our for it, and the kids have a great time. Trick-or-Treating started immediately following, and the girls took no time to fall into line behind the rest of the kids.

Once we were all pooped from the door to door activities, we retired to my friend Karen's house where we had two award winning chilies (I've sinced improved my recipe), lobsters and clams. These northerners had never seen anyone boil lobster in crab boil in a turkey fryer. Ha! Between my chili and B's lobster skills, I'm not sure they'll let us move again.

Overall, we had a great time and we're looking forward to next year!

The rest of August in a Nutshell

2009-10-24T21:10:00.008-05:00

At the beach with Grandma

Hurricane Bill moved up the Eastern Seaboard, so we picked up breakfast, headed to the beach, and watched the waves come in.

Lavallette, NJ-where my friend Karen's parent's have a home on the water. This is the Jersey Shore, and a way of life for many here.

Our garden went crazy-cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon, okra, strawberries, and herbs.

Swim lessons at the YMCA

While I was away this summer

2009-10-24T20:46:00.006-05:00

B had about 3 weeks to work on the kitchen without little ones demanding his time. Chris came up to help and not only installed the cabinets, but in their spare time, helped the elementary school install the preschool playground. Thanks Chris! We appreciate your help. You even made it onto the PTO slide show.

The Before

The contents of my kitchen

Chris probably wondering what he's gotten into

The first cabinet

Looks great!
Now for the hard part; figuring out where everything should go. And notice, I still have no counter tops.

You'll have to hold tight for now on the end result. We're still not 100% done. You'll be amazed, I promise. Stay tuned.

Busy-that's where I've been

2009-10-24T20:20:00.003-05:00

Life hasn't slowed down one bit since I returned from our summer trips. As you know, Lise' started PreK, and she loves it. She goes 5 days a week in the afternoon, and she's already looking forward to all day next year.

There are 8 kids in her class, and only one is a boy. They all live to be the Line Leader. Lise' goes to gym on Fridays, and she came home telling me all about it. "Mommy, my teacher's name is Mr. Wolfe, but don't worry, he's not really a wolf." I happen to know that Mr. Wolfe is marrying the music teacher this coming year, so I can't wait for that reaction.

My least favorite thing about school is the introduction of words and phrases that I know my kids didn't learn from me. The first one was "Missed me, missed me, now you have to kiss me." The second was, "Look at my butt" followed by a giggle. I know it's only the beginning, but it's still the loss of innocence.

She's learning a lot of great things too, so I can't complain. Each and everyday she comes home with some sort of paint on her clothes, so I know she's having fun. The most noticable change is the sounding out of words to determine the letter it begins with.

Overall, it's been a great first school experience. Did I mention I'm the class mom too? My first responsibility is the Halloween party this coming Friday. I'll let you know how I do. I have to be creative because it's NJ law that all food in school must be healty. In other words, no sugar. How can you have a party without cupcakes or cookies? For now, I'm planning on bringing apple chips. If you have any suggestions, send them my way.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Off to School We Go

2009-09-09T21:19:00.006-05:00

Today was Lise's first day of Preschool at Atlantic Highlands Elementary School, and she had a GREAT time.

Believe it or not, but AH is smaller than the town we lived in Utah. Thanks to the playgroups and town activities, we are fully immersed in our community. It's a rare day when we don't run into at least one person we know just walking through town, and that has made it all the easier to send Lise' to "big school."

Yesterday was Meet the Teacher Day. We were invited into the classroom, and the kids sang songs, read a book and did a small craft. Her classroom consists of stations such as blocks, art, books, dress up/playtime and games & puzzles. Then once a day they will visit other areas of the school that will be a regular part of their curriculum when they advance into the upper grades. Those include gym, media/library, technology (computers), art and music.

For weeks leading up to school, I explained to Lise' that the teachers may call her Anna Swindell, and that she would need to politely correct them. I know all you teacher friends are thinking we asked for this problem, and we're aware of it, but in my defense, there was a line on the registration form that asked if your child went by something other than their legal name. I can't help it if the administration chose to ignore it. That being said, everything referring to Lise' read "Anna Lise" (at least we were 1/2 way there). I did mention it nicely to the aide and the teacher, and I figured it would work itself out over time. When I picked Lise' up today, I asked her what they called her. She said everything with her name still said Anna Lise', but she told the teacher, "My name is Anna Lise' Swindell,but my mommy calls me Lise'." How cute is she. I'm so proud she opened her mouth.

Lise' will go to school 5 days a week from 12:15pm -2:45pm. Who knows what Abri and I will get into.

It's late, and it's a school night. I must go to bed.

Company Picnic

2009-09-03T08:19:00.005-05:00

This company picnic this year was held at park grounds in northwest New Jersey where the mountains start. Lucky for us, it was a beautiful day, and the girls had a ball.

Swimming

Popsicles

Climbing Rocks

Riding Horses. This was a first for both of them. Lise' wanted nothing to do with it, but we put her on anyway, and she had warmed up to the idea by the end. Abri loved it. Now, Lise' is asking to ride a big horse.

Bounce House-notice the view

Bumper Boats-although we're not in this picture.

Cotton Candy

& Clams-one of Lise's favorites

Disco Inferno

2009-09-03T07:59:00.004-05:00

At the beginning of August, we were invited to a party thrown by my friend's parents in Lavalette, one of NJ's shore towns. The theme was the 70's, and there was music, dancing and great fun to be had. Unfortunately my friend Karen couldn't attend because her youngest child was sick. We had a groovy time anyway, and we cannot wait for next year's theme...Mardi Gras!

Look, they served stuffed peppers.

Summer in Review

2009-08-19T07:54:00.011-05:00

It's no secret that the last 2.5 months have been crazy for us. It really started back to April when B gutted our kitchen. We quickly adapted to only 2 feet of counter space, and it doesn't have to be said that it was an adjustment. From former post, you know he had to install new floor, rip out and replace the Sheetrock & various other things to get going. In our dream minds, we hoped to have everything completed by June, but we don't live in that dream world, and here we are mid Aug, but the good news is that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. More on this later.

Back to the summer. The Berry's visited the first week of June. We then had 3 weekends until our trip to North Carolina. The girls and I filled the weeks with playdates, ballet, Gymboree and Vacation Bible School. The weekends were dedicated to bbq's and remodeling the kitchen. June was gone.

We left on July 1 for Beaufort, NC. B's parents, Steve, Tanya, & the girls and us shared a rental house on the water. B's aunt and Uncle live down there, so we had endless entertainment. It was a fantastic trip, and no one was ready to head back to reality. Click HERE to see the Pictures.

After NC, we drove home, and exactly one week later, I left for Louisiana with the girls. We did drive again, so we were able to stop off in Raleigh to visit the Misitas and Tuscaloosa to visit the Colvins before heading to LA. It's a tiring trip, but it allows us to see friends we'd rarely visit if we flew.

Once in LA, we stayed at Grandma & Papa's for 2 days. While there, the Wale cousins had a "pool" party in the backyard. It was an afternoon of socializing and cooling off, and a great way for me to see as many of my kinfolk as possible. LOVED IT!!

I also got to squeeze in a very quick visit with Nicole and her new baby girl, Caroline. What a cutie! Wish it could have been dinner and conversation, but we know all too well the time restraints put on you when you are only in town for a few short days.

On Sunday, it was back to Hammond to drop the girls off with Mimi & Papa. They were staying there for the week while I flew off to Dallas for the Mary Kay Convention. I have no pictures to show you of their adventures, but I learn a little more each day. So far, here's what I know. They played in the pool, went for snoballs, went to Nanny Beth's in New Orleans and even went to the aquarium, colored pictures, did puzzles with Uncle Richard, ate pancakes with Papa, saw the alligator in Ponchatoula, went to Feed & Seed where they touched a baby chick. Whew, sounds like quite a week!

The following weekend they went back to BR to stay with Grandma & Papa who took them to see Mike the Tiger, beignets, Bass Pro, carousel and who knows what else.

I was back on Sunday, and we stayed in BR a few more days before heading back to NJ on Thur.

Outside of Mary Kay's office

Met up with Adrian & her friend Tracey for a quick hello.

Had dinner with Cameron, Peggy and Maia-friends from when we lived in the Big D

Handing out those Cadillac keys

Dallas was great! I was able to visit with friends I haven't seen in years. It was a short visit, but one I definitely enjoyed. The convention was great too. It's always inspiring, and hopefully I'll take a little of that with me this year to increase my business. So, if you're reading this and haven't tried any of our products, or even, if you have, but it's been years...please try again. The formulas have changed and just b/c one product didn't work for you doesn't another one won't. You have nothing to lose. MK is 100% satisfaction guaranteed! You can return it. And short of sounding like an infomercial, mention you read it here, and I'll give you a fabulous discount. Remember the holidays are coming. Think teacher gifts, hostess gifts, etc. I will gift wrap and mail for FREE :-)

So back to BR. I have to tell you that I was in Dallas when I jumped online to look up a friends phone number when I noticed a posting by my friend Becca on FB. For those of you who have known me forever, you'll remember Becca. She is the red head that lived down the street from us when were little, and we were stuck together at the hip for the majority of our young lives. Well, life happens. We went to different schools, and lived at opposite ends of the country. The last time I saw her was at my wedding in 2000. The posting said she was going to be in BR at the same time as me!!!! Don't think you know the excitement. We could finally get together and we did. She hung out with me and the girls all day, and then continued the night at her mom's later that evening. We should have had a pajama party. All the years melted away. That was fun! We have to do it again. I wish I had a picture here in NJ to scan in of the two of us.

Not to be out shadowed, Addie and I had our girls' night out in Downtown BR at Tsunami. We've tried on many occasions to make it down there, but the timing never worked out until now. Loved the view, the conversation, the company and the food! There's another pj party that needs to happen!

As always, it was time to return home. This time, Grandma was riding back with us. I had help! Overall, my kids are great travelers. But, when you're alone, if anyone has to go potty, everyone has to get out. If the kids drop something, I have to strain to reach or pull off, and if you're stuck in traffic, you can drive yourself nuts.

So, 1500 miles and counting. We got a bit of a late start out of Louisiana, and by the time we made it to Birmingham, the skies were not looking great. We hit the hard rain-the type that turns your knuckles white-and it was pretty much that way the rest of the way into Atlanta. We had decided to stay the night in Marietta, GA because PJ and Arielle had just moved there and we wanted to visit their new house. Unfortunately, PJ was out of town on business, but Arielle gave us a tour. It was late, and we enjoyed visiting, but we had to move on. The next day was a good drive. We stayed the night at the Misita B&B again and got an early start the next morning. According to the GPS, we were to arrive at our house sometime around 4pm. Great, we can do this. Then, Virginia got in the way. Somewhere around Richmond traffic slowed down considerably. Remembering this issue from prior trips, I got off, took a highway we had traveled before and made my way back to I-95. It was the type of entrance ramp where you can't see what the traffic is doing until you're committed, and we were in for it. Traffic was inching along. At this point we still had 6 hrs to go. I called 511 and the list of traffic delays was endless. Back to the highway. Rather than go through DC, we headed NE toward Maryland which meant we had to backtrack SE around the Potomac. At this point we had to make the decision whether or not to go back to DC and thru Baltimore or stay on highways. The welcome center helped with that. I-95 was a nightmare, stay on Hwy 301 all the way to Delaware. So, that's what we did. It was a great drive, and we finally completed our 3000+ mile trip somewhere around 9 that night. I'm just now recovering!

Grandma stayed with us for a week. Lise' had swim lessons everyday, so we couldn't go far. We came back to new kitchen cabinets, which meant I had to figure out where everything went. It's still a work in progress, and the pantry is almost done. The soapstone countertops have been ordered, and should be here in the next week. I cannot wait to send you pics of my COMPLETED kitchen!

The pantry in progress.

Our little Raisinette

2009-08-17T07:52:00.003-05:00

As many of you have heard by now, Abri had a bit of an interesting afternoon yesterday. It all started when she and Lise' were sharing a bowl of trail mix. I was busy vacuuming the den when Lise' told me Abri had put a raisin in her nose, and it didn't come out.

B got the flashlight out, but her little nostrils are so small, it was hard to see if there was anything in there. When asked, Abri kept pointing to the same side, so we had to assume it was still in there. For a split second, B did mention he had a pair of needle nose pliers, which we may have tried if it were still within reach, but it wasn't, so it was off to the ER.

I filled in the paperwork and was in the pediatric wing in under 10 minutes. That's when the nurse came around the corner and asked, "Now what side is the razor in"? Me: "Excuse me? Razor? No, raisin"! Whew, no telling where that would have gone.

So, the pediatrician came in with the tool to shine up her nose. At first she couldn't find it, and we were beginning to wonder if I had been had. After several attempts at different angles, she found it. It was there, just way back there. So, I leaned back on the hospital bed and held Abri in my lap. I held her arms down while another nurse held her head still. The doc pulled out the 6 inch pair of tweezers and pulled that sucker out in seconds. It was a big one too! Everything was so fast, she didn't squirm or cry. It was great. Now it's just funny to listen to her tell her story.

And the walls come tumbling down

2009-07-12T20:14:00.007-05:00

Remember this?
(Click Here)

And this?
(Click Again)
The floors have since been replaced and await refinishing.

In the basement awaiting installation

B called in reinforcements to help.

One step closer to finished.

Today, work continued.

Goodbye UGLY border

Hello dark kitchen.

The good news is that I'm leaving on Wednesday for 2.5 weeks. B has a huge Honey Do list. Now, you'll just have to wait for the results until I return.

June Bugs

2009-07-11T20:18:00.009-05:00

She put herself to sleep.

What Abri wears to Lise's ballet class.

Our neighbor's mulberry tree prevents us from parking in our driveway for weeks.

Abri helping B install the kitchen floors.

A BBQ at a friends house. The water wasn't warm either.

Abri figured out how to stay warm.

We had to force Lise' out of the pool.

Lise's taking swim lessons.

Abri wishing she was.

A Friday night picnic at the beach.

Have I mentioned Abri tries to climb everything?????

Making Lime Meltaway Cookies for Papa's Birthday

Lise' graduated from Gymboree.

Abri can't wait for her turn to come.

June in a Nutshell

2009-06-29T14:38:00.011-05:00

1st off, where in the world did it go?

June 5-10, our friends the Berrys, flew in from Empire, NV to visit. They are officially the first non family members to grace us with their presence, oh wait, Chris did come stay the night a few months ago, but that doesn't count b/c he was here on business. So, fear not Berrys, you still hold the title!

Just a little background, we met James & Adrian while living in Utah. James works for USG, and Adrian and Lise' & Sydney are only 3 weeks apart. Abri & Mason are 3 months apart. They now live in the "middle of nowhere" plant in Nevada, so this is bring the country mouse to the big city" territory.

Back to our visit. They flew in laaaaaattttttteeeeee on Friday night; arrived at 1am to be exact, so we gave them the first day off and spent it exposing them to Sandy Hook, the beach, the park, etc. That night, we just bbq'd at the house.

On Sunday, we took the Statan Island Ferry over to Manhattan. Once there, we hopped on the double decker tour bus. We figured it was the best way to keep all the kids in one place while learning a few things to boot. We could not have asked for a prettier day, and by early afternoon, the Daddies and the kids headed home while Adrian and I went to see Guys & Dolls on Broadway. You can't come to NYC and not do Broadway. It's an addiction of mine, and I'll eat canned beets for a week to go. This one didn't let me down. We were lucky enough to have seen Oliver Platt & Lauren Graham and a few other big names in the show. Check it out by clicking on the link. We ended the night by walking the streets of New York, eating world famous cheesecake and visiting Times Square. If only we had more time.

We started off Monday with Dunkin Dohnuts. The middle of no where had nothing of the sort, so there were many happy smiles in this house. It was a work day for B, so he took James with him for the majority of the day. Adrian and I took the kids to the splash park. What fun. They would have stayed all day if I'd let them.

Tuesday was our final day to cram in all things New Jersey, and the start of our month of rain. Lucky for us, the storms appeared early, and afterwards, it was just overcast and drizzle. One of Sydney's request was to see a lighthouse. We had shown her one the first day we went out to Sandy Hook, but we did one better. We took her down the street to the Twin Lights and climbed to the top. There you are rewarded with grand views of Sandy Hook and NYC.

We followed that with a trip a little further south to Point Pleasant where there is an official NJ Boardwalk complete with Aquarium and amusement park built with little ones in mind.

The day ended at Bobby's Burger Palace (Bobby Flay). B's favorite buger joint by far.

We were sad to see them leave, but we packed in as much excitement that was humanly possible.

At the dock of the Bay

2009-05-31T07:17:00.007-05:00

Last Monday morning, the girls wanted to ride their bikes, so we decided to check out the new trail our town opened that follows the bay. We didn't even make it half a mile, but we found something pretty exciting. Check it out.

Horseshoe Crabs!
It's mating season, and the funny thing is that we went out looking for them last year at Sandy Hook. We waded for over an hour in search of them, but only found one or two. This year, we hit the jackpot. At the end of the marina is a small cove that is a prime spot for crab mating. There were hundreds! The female crabs come almost out of the water to lay their eggs, and the male follows to fertilize the eggs. The females lay about 90000 eggs per season, and you can spot them in the pics because they're three times the size of the males. It was facinating to watch. That's the female in the middle.

The girls also had a grand time picking up shells cracked by the seagulls and throwing them into the water.

That's the males hooking on the females.

After much reluctance, we tore ourselves from the wonders of nature and walked back through the marina.

Is it just me, or do you really need a sign to tell you this?

We happened upon the town's Memoria Day Parade

More fun in the sun

2009-05-31T07:09:00.005-05:00

B's tomato project. It reminds me of the Land ride at Epcot.

Just things

2009-05-27T17:53:00.003-05:00

Abri can pedal her own bike

Gear for playing in the BIG sprinkler

When you can't hear Abri,she's definitely up to something. She dragged both chairs to the closet, opened the door and got things like nail polish and bubbles off the shelf.

Pool party in the den while B works on the kitchen.

Abri in a nutshell

Mother's Day

2009-05-23T06:29:00.006-05:00

I had the most wonderful Mother's Day weekend. We went to Atlantic City. We sometimes get special offers through our timeshare, and this was an unbelievably good one at $74 for the whole week down there. Of course, we just went Friday through Sunday, but it was a great time nonetheless.

On Friday, we drove down after B got off work, so there wasn't much time for anything else. But, on Saturday, we were on the move.

We started with heading 15 minutes south of AC to Margate, NJ. New Jersey is dotted with all sorts of beach towns, all with their own personality and boardwalks. Margate is no exception, and the ambassador to the town is Lucy the Elephant. I had seen Lucy years ago on the history channel, and she's been on my list to visit since we've been here. Be sure to click on her link, she's fascinating, and a definite "TO DO" when visiting Jersey. Where else can you climb inside an elephant?

The girls absolutely loved Lucy, but it was time to move on. Just a few miles south was Ocean City, NJ. We were just going to drive down there and maybe do lunch on the boardwalk, but we spotted the boardwalk bikes as we drove in, and once again, I'd always wanted to do that, so we did. What fun. The girls rode up front while B and I pedaled. I imagine it wouldn't be as much fun during the heavy crowds of summer, but we had a ball, and there's pictures to prove it.

Next stop, White House Sub Shop in Atlantic City. It's a dive famous for its subs and the people who have eaten them. B dropped me off at the door of this cash only establishment in what I would call a shady part of AC. It's the type of place my dad would like. It's only 20 feet wide, and jam packed with people. I went with the White House Special, and ordered the Whole Sub rather than a 1/2 because B and I were sharing. He had a good laugh when I walked out with a 29 inch sub. It was delicious, and we had lunch for 2 days. All for $14, not bad.

Our tummies were sufficiently full, so we went over the bridge (you can see from the balcony of our room in our pics) to Brigantine, NJ to visit the Marine Mammal Stranding Center. It's a small operation, but the girls were able to see a few seals currently undergoing treatment to be released back in the water.

It was now time to live up to our promise of the pool, so back to the resort we went. To say the girls love to swim is an understatement.
That night, we went back out towards the casinos for an early dinner and then headed to the boardwalk for what was planned as a short stroll before the shuttle would take us back for the night. It was a nice night, what can I say, we kept walking and walking and walking. We had long missed the shuttle that only left on the hour, and decided to try to beat the weather by walking on the boardwalk all the way to the resort. It was a beautiful night, but you could see the clouds brewing out over the Atlantic. We ran a little, walked a little, and ran some more. The rain was coming, and we almost made it unscathed. This is amazing because I wasn't in shoes designed to run, but rather in cute sandals with a small heel. I survived though, but next time I'll plan ahead.

On Sunday, B was a little anxious to head back home to work on the house. We found a cute little local joint just south of AC and had a lovely breakfast. On our way back to pack our bags, we drove past the Absecon Lighthouse, and it had just opened for the day. We pulled in, and guess what, mom's climbed free for the day. Fun, fun, fun! It's the highest lighthouse in NJ, and we made it to the top of 228 steps with 2 little ones in tow. Once at the top, you're treated to a 360 degree view of Atlantic City, the Atlantic Ocean and all in between. It was beautiful, but quite windy. Overnight a front with 30+ mph winds had visited. While up there, we also saw Donald Trump's private helicopter fly by.

By this time, it was lunch again, so back to the resort we went. B and I shared our sub on the balcony while the girls dined on PB&J. We then had one more quick dip and headed home.

Not much home improvement happened that weekend, but I'm not regretting it. We had a ball.

Be sure to check out all the pictures on our picture website.

Shazam

2009-05-19T08:31:00.004-05:00

Ahhhh...It's finally coming together. The sod was delivered yesterday afternoon, and B worked until 11:15 last night to finish. GREAT JOB!

Take Me Out To The Ballgame...

2009-05-14T20:21:00.008-05:00

Weeks ago, B informed me to that we were going to a Yankees Game. 1st thought, OK I'll go, but there was no heel clicking going on. We had gone last year, and while it was fun, it wasn't the greatest time of my life. B promised this time would be different. For starters, it was in the new stadium; we had to check it out right? Secondly, we had seats on the third base line, and it included some sort of suite with food and beverage. OK, I'm in. Besides, it was a business thing, and I'm not often included in on those, so why not.

B made arrangements for the girls to stay with Uncle Dan & Uncle Richie in Hoboken and off we went. The subway ride is always crowded going there, and since we ride from the southern tip of Manhattan to the NE side, it's a pretty long and crowded ride.

The new stadium is right across the street from the old one. We didn't have enough time to tour around the outside, and it was raining, so we went in searching for our seats in the Legends Club, whatever that is.

We soon found out, it was more than we bargained for. We missed going through our own private entrance. That was OK though because we were able to see the normal view of the stadium, which is nice. But, our section was so much cooler. We walked through a restaurant (all included in our ticket), down to another bar/buffet area (again, all included) and out to our seats which were towel dried when we arrived, and then we were handed a menu from which we could order any and everything we wanted all night long. Yeah! My kind of baseball game. A nice waiter would come over, take our order and then appear with all our desires from lobster rolls to zucchini fries topped with Gorgonzola cheese to goat cheese pizza. This is definitely the way to go! And, yes, they did have the usual hot dogs, Cracker Jacks and peanuts. Jerry Springer was also sitting down by us. That tells you how cool we were.
VIP check in

Our original seats

Our waiter

The Menu

We watched from our seats until it started to rain hard, then B and I went to another private lounge and waited it out. We then ventured into the other indoor restaurant and hooked up with part of our party there. On the way back to our seats, the guys decided to walk behind home plate, and due to the rain, most everyone had gone indoors and didn't come back. So, we mosied our way down 3 rows from the field and stayed there for the remainder of the game. After all, we had the special bracelet, so no one was kicking us out.
Our new seats behind home plate

Fly Ball-note the guy in blue shirt, you'll need him in a minute

Derrick Jeter

Us on the Jumbo Tron. Look for the guy in the blue sweatshirt just left of the plate and above the McDonald's symbol. We're 2 rows behind him. The girl in the white coat and hat was with us. She's next to me & B is on my other side. Click on the picture to enlarge.

What an exciting time it was to behind the plate. We could reach out and touch the players through the net, although I'm pretty sure the security wouldn't have looked too kindly on that. And, the best part, we made it on TV and the JUMBO TRON! Oh, and the Yankees won in the bottom of the ninth. Exciting!!! Loved it- although it felt a little un-American to be doing baseball that way.
Yankees WIN!

Subway ride back.

Finally the Beach Pics

2009-05-12T13:27:00.008-05:00

I've finally gotten it together and posted the pictures from our trip to Orange Beach last month. Click HERE to see them.

So what exactly did B do while we were gone?

2009-05-07T17:04:00.012-05:00

Remember how much I was in love with the kitchen when we moved in?-NOT!

Well, I'm happy to announce that demolition has begun! I'll pause for your applause.
The walls come down

The floor comes up

The beam finally goes up after a permit is secured. B is quite proud of himself for installing it alone.

Once the slate floor was removed, B determined that the majority of the plywood subfloor had to be replaced. That created huge holes down to the basement that intrigued the girls.

The 2 ft of counterspace I have now is more efficient than the entire previous kitchen.

Where do we stand now? The original cabinets we removed from a house and stored in the basement have had water damage. Therefore, a new cabinet order has been placed, and they should be in around May 26. B intends to install them himself, so if anyone out there is having and HGTV moment, we welcome you to visit.

Hold on to your hats-I have a lot to say!

2009-05-03T10:51:00.028-05:00

As many of you know, I returned from our 2 week trip 3 weeks ago. I'd like to say I've recovered, but things are just as crazy around here as when we left. Two weeks sounds like a long trip. You'd think it was relaxing, and it was at times, but truly, we didn't sit still. Here's a brief synopsis of the events.

B, the girls and I left in one car on a Saturday, and drove to Raleigh, NC to stay the night with Chris & Caron and Emery. It was a LONG drive that day, by far the hardest b/c you have to go through NJ, skim Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC and everything in between. The traffic was all headed south for the Cherry Blossom Festival in DC as well as spring breakers headed south for warmer weather. We spent one night there and said goodbye to B. He was headed back to NJ via Amtrak. Unfortunately, we hit the start of spring in NC, and all of us were hit by our allergies. It slowed us down slightly, but the girls and I headed onto Atlanta, GA.

It should have been a fairly easy 6 hr drive, but it turned into 8 or 9, and we didn't get to Jeff & Alex's house until dinner time. We had a quick visit there, and loaded into the car headed towards Daphne, AL (Mobile) to stay with Amy, Michael & Trey. The kids had a wonderful time playing, and with only a short drive left to Louisiana, we were able to stick around for a little longer visit. We were sad to leave, but anxious to get to Louisiana. We arrived in Hammond on Tuesday, and had a delicious dinner of sticky chicken. I had to call B and gloat a little. After being on the road for 1500 miles, it was nice to have a home cooked meal and free child care!

You'd think at this point things calmed down, but no. The next morning, we headed to Baton Rouge to celebrate Grandma's birthday. On Thursday, we went shopping, on Friday, the girls had haircuts (Abri's 1st), and that night, we went back to Hammond to squeeze in a visit with Steve, Tanya, Clare & Kaye. It was back to Baton Rouge on Saturday for the 2nd Annual Wale Family Easter Egg Hunt and dinner at Mom & Dad's with my grandfather and Uncle Johnny, PJ & Arielle, and Addie.

On Sun, after a delicious brunch at Another Broken Egg , the girls and I made a quick trip to Gonzales to a baptism party for one of B's cousin's new baby. On Monday, we said our goodbye's to Grandma & Papa and once again returned to Hammond for 2 nights. (No, we're not done yet).

On Wed, we left for Orange Beach, AL to meet up with Ms. Jennifer, Ira & Flossie at the beach. I'll include the details of that on a separate entry. I'll just say that we had a great time.

On Friday, we had to be in Atlanta to pick B up at the airport at 5:30pm before heading just NE of Atlanta to stay with Todd, Mandy & Emma for 2 nights. The guys fit in a round of golf in the morning before Mandy and I headed out for lunch and a trip to the spa for manicures and pedicures. That night, Dad joined us for dinner after driving the truck over from LA so that B could drive it back to NJ. We still had 2 days left with a stop over in NC once more.

Our final day of driving was exhausting. It rained the entire drive, and with 2 adults and 2 cars, there was no switching off. I've never been happier to see my driveway at this house before.

Total: 16 days, 11 states, 3157 miles (the majority of which was done alone with the girls), and you know why I haven't posted before this.

The girls playing dressup at Grandma's Abri's 1st Haircut Dying Eggs at Mimi's with Clare & Kaye Abri & Clare well on their way to turning into strawberries. Practice Egg Hunt with Mimi & Papa

2nd Annual Wale Family Easter Egg Hunt Eggstavaganza

Almost all of the great grandchildren

Abri was so happy to ride a big bike that she didn't realize Papa was pushing her along with a stick.

Lise' requested to visit Mike

Abri had fun in the rain on Easter Sunday while Lise' napped in the car.

I think the rubber boots was the best thing I could have packed.

Lise' enjoyed playing with centipedes & planting flowers with Mimi

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T16:40:00.002-05:00

We're still in Louisiana, and if we've missed you, I apologize. We left on April 4, drove to Durham, NC and stayed the night with Chris, Caron & Emery Misita. B left early the next morning back to NJ via the train, and I kept chugging south. The girls and I made it safely to Atlanta where we stayed the night with Jeff & Alex Mercante. After a night of pizza and movies, it was time to hit the road, this time to Daphne, AL (Mobile) to visit with the Fahertys. The two red heads had a special bond, and Lise' hated to tell her "best friend" goodbye.

There was a hitch in the road in Mobile. One of my sliding doors wouldn't close. It's all done by button, and it would close manually, but not easily. Allergies did attack in NC, so by the time we made it to AL, my head was about to rupture. Despite the door problem, I put the girls in the car and made it the final 2.5 hrs to Hammond. Whew, what a trip. The door still wasn't fixed though, so off to the shop it went. A phone call with a "solution" that required $2000 from the dealer prompted B to find his own solution. Answer, use the Internet. He found his answer, called me, and 2 minutes and a pair of pliers later, the door was working. Problem solved, at least for now.

In the other days we've been here, we've hung out with Mimi & Papa, Grandma & Papa, Abri had her first haircut (pics to come), an Easter Egg hunt with all but 3 of the 38 Wale Family, a baptism party for B's second cousin, dinner with more family, and the trip still has 3 days to go in Louisiana, 2 days in Orange Beach, 2 days in Atlanta and then back to NC followed by NJ.

All I can say is that we came, we saw, and we conquered. If we missed you this time, better luck next time. :-)

PS, no that isn't Grandma's egg tree, although it sure would be fun!

Twinkle Toes

2009-04-02T06:54:00.002-05:00

For Christmas, Lise' was given a book with different types of dances and how to do them. Unfortunately, we went off and left the accompanying CD in the stereo in Chicago, so who knows what they could be with just a little music to go with it.

March Madness

2009-04-01T13:33:00.007-05:00

I'm not quite sure what happened to B this month, but he's in excellent form. Check it out.

New Roof-Before & After

You'll also notice that the yard has been torn up. I went away for a night in Atlantic City with the Mary Kay girls and came home to it. The backyard is gone too.

Then yesterday, B made a surprise appearance earlier than expected. It was a beautiful day, so the kids spent the afternoon playing in the dirt while B and I redesigned the front of the house with a garden hose and loose bricks. We're now talking about having the driveway demolished and blacktopping only to the new (visualize it) flowerbed to the right of the front steps.

We're also inches away from having the permit to begin tearing down the wall in the kitchen. That means all our Ikea shelves that were added to hold various kitchen items had to be moved.
The old location of all the shelves

As for the rest of the madness, I'm leaving on Saturday with the girls for a quick 2 week trip down to Louisiana. Who knows what I'll return to find.

Winter Rewind

2009-03-23T14:33:00.010-05:00

It's Monday, and we're still held hostage by the winter winds outside. We'd love nothing more than to have a day in the sun. Oh well, I guess I should just be thankful that we're not in the Dakotas where they are getting 35+ inches of snow.

Here's what happens when your 2 year old has been inside way too long. "It's Fixed."

Other big news, Abri has officially been sleeping in her BIG GIRL BED for one week! Yeah. The first 2 nights were rough, but the rest have been fairly good. We'll keep our fingers crossed.

And, just because they're so darn cute when they sleep.

Did I ever tell you that we were in the King Cake business for a while? The girls had a great time, and I do say, they rivaled anything we would have gotten from home. Their favorite part was putting on the colored sugar. Lise' brought one to school & we made several for friends and neighbors.

*I only wish that stupid vacuum wouldn't keep ending up in photos. We don't have a closet to store it in downstairs. Please ignore it.

Weekend View

2009-03-23T14:21:00.003-05:00

I was sitting here just a while ago trying to figure out exactly what we did this weekend. Originally, we thought it was going to be warm enough to hike the newly expanded Hudson Trail along the bay, but the wind wasn't allowing that. Then, we thought we'd get a head start on the house renovations, but with the kids climbing the walls, we decided at the last minute to go to the St. Patrick's Day parade in Highlands, NJ-right next door to our town. As a former Louisiana resident, I think I have the authority to say that it was at best a C. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we went, but it consisted of every bagpipe group around (which was cool, but after the 1st few, they blend), and handful of politicians, a beauty queen, the high school band, one or two "floats" advertising local businesses and every fire truck from 5 miles around. The best throw they had going was gum wrapped like shamrocks. And, what parent wants their young kids chewing that stuff? All I can say is that we've been there, done that, and next year, I may just find something else to do.

More Snow!

2009-03-22T08:21:00.004-05:00

No, not falling, but more snow pics on our picture website. Click HERE.

Happy Spring!

2009-03-20T08:09:00.002-05:00

We've been counting down the days to the first day of spring. The bulbs are poking their little heads out & we even had one day this week where we went to the park without our heavy winter coats on. Imagine the disappointment this morning when we looked out the window.

It's not the Imagination Movers, but it's good.

2009-03-16T18:36:00.003-05:00

New recipe for carrots. (Click on Carrots). The kids enjoyed them, and they were easy!

Imagination Movers

2009-03-14T10:34:00.005-05:00

For the girls' birthdays, we bought tickets to see the Imagination Movers. It's a group of guys from New Orleans that write & perform children's music. We love them, and thought they would be a great 1st Concert for the girls. It was in a small theater, and we were sitting in the balcony, but the seats were great because we could see everything.

Birthdays

2009-03-14T09:43:00.015-05:00

As many of you know, we have just completed the season of birthdays in our home. By Feb. 12, we're done for the year. Jan. 8-Julie B's parents were visiting, so I had the ultimate seafood birthday dinner. Mr. Ed boiled lobsters and crabs, and everyone ate until they couldn't eat anymore. I think we've started a new tradition. ` Abri was the first to play with the lobsters. Lise' wasn't so sure they weren't going to attack. Jan. 13-Lise turned 4 Lise' taked (more like guilted) Mimi & Papa into staying for her birthday. We stated with a party at home with our friends, the Ilarrazas. We had dinner, and the girls played dressup and enjoyed the princess Dora cake Daddy decorated b/c Mommy was at a meeting. On her real birthday,we had lunch with Daddy at the mall and brought cupcakes to school and had special birthday pancakes for breakfast. A new tutu & backpack. A fish was the big gift. That's what she asked for, so I took her to the pet store, and we shopped for all the parts. Feb. 9-Abri turned 2 We just did a small family birthday-nothing big, but just right. She had a coke cake, and her favorite thing was blowing out the candles. We relit them several times, so she could keep doing it.
Feb. 12-
B By this time, we were tired of cake, but Lise' insisted B have something. We stopped at the Italian bakery on our way home to pick out a treat for him.

Old Man Winter is laughing now

2009-03-02T09:37:00.003-06:00

With only a handful of days left until we are actually in spring, Old Man Winter had to get in one last laugh in the form of a winter storm. The snow started last night and hasn't ended. I really don't know how many inches we've gotten so far, but I do know it was enough for the Weather Channel to mention Monmouth County on air. Apparently, we were under the "blue cloud" on the radar screen. For the day, the girls and I are just going to lay low and hope that B can make it home in time to enjoy some wintertime fun.

Here's my attempt at pictures. Later on, I promise I'll get out with the camera, but for now, you'll have to settle with what I can take from the door.

Here's the back porch. Notice the height of the snow on the chairs. Right in front of them is a child's picnic table.

This is the side of the house leading to the backyard. Click to enlarge & you'll see the depth of the snow. Also, look on the right. There's a table covered that should give you some idea of how deep it is.

Snowing hard

B was kind enough to scrape my car off before he left this morning. If you enlarge the picture, you can see the height of the snow in the grass.

Wonder no more!

2009-03-01T16:35:00.002-06:00

Yes, I've been MIA. I'm quite aware of it, but the first two months of the year are a little nonstop for us. If it weren't alreay enough to be coming off of the big Chicgao trip at Christmas, factor in 4 birthdays-almost back to back-and the regular day to day activities, and I'm pooped. So, now that things have calmed down, I'm back. Bear with me, I'll get pics up as soon as I can. It helps that we're sitting here waiting for the big snow storm to arrive. Should be interesting. I'm hoping my stocked fridge doesn't scare it away. Stay tuned.

Winterwonderland-Sort of

2009-01-28T12:23:00.005-06:00

These are all swans. They are sitting on the FROZEN Navesink River.

Yes, in the "I dream of winter" world, it's pretty. The snow falls every few days, there are long winter nights where we snuggle by the fire, warm winter soups and icicles in the windows.

On the flip side, it's so cold you could scream. You have to scrape the ice off your car before you can pull out the driveway. Your fingers freeze opening the door, and your kids are climbing the walls because they have had enough of the inside of your house.

BRING ON SPRING!!!!!!

This is a pond near our house. The kids were out ice skating and playing hockey. Now Lise' wants her own pair of ice skates.

Yeah, I did it!

2009-01-23T08:26:00.003-06:00

I finally can report that I now have Christmas pictures up on our Picture Website. Contain your excitement. I tried to comment on all of them to let you know what's going on, but for the most part, just enjoy.

We had a grand time from the moment we left NJ to the time we returned with Mr. Ed & Ms. Becky. There are more pictures too, I just have to wait until B gets home to get them off his computer. You may get to see those before Easter.

Sad News

2009-01-16T12:03:00.001-06:00

With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment,
it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed last week.

Larry LaPrise, the man that wrote 'The Hokie Pokey' died peacefully at the age of 93. The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. They put his left leg in. And then the trouble started.

Shut up. You know it's funny. Now send it on to someone else and make them smile.

Baby it's COLD outside!

2009-01-16T08:14:00.002-06:00

I don't think I can explain just how cold it is here right now. Numbers don't begin to explain the cold, so I won't go there. Just know that the high is 18, and that's without the windchill which dips below 0. All I can say is that it is a miracle the people in that plane made it out yesterday with these temps.

Have a lovely weekend.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-14T13:00:00.003-06:00

Yes, I'm back. I have lots to say and share, but you'll just have to be patient. Since we last talked, the family has been to and from Chicago for Christmas, B's parents joined us for almost 2 weeks, and Lise' and I have turned another year older.

Unfortunately for now, you'll have to deal with the Christmas theme. The site I get my backgrounds from is down at the moment. Therefore, deal with it. I'll get to it in time.

As for pictures, here's the link for the pictures I promised from our trip into NYC at Thanksgiving with Grandma & Papa. I'll get more up as the days go on. At the moment, I'm FREEZING and I must get up and move around. It's rather cold up here.

I'll be back soon!

Christmas in Chicago

2008-12-24T09:36:00.002-06:00

Hello from the North! We only thought it was cold in NJ! We left in between winter storms and made it out just in the nick of time. We stayed the night in Columbus, OH and fought our way through 40+ winds the next day on our way to North Chicago. We can honestly say we had never felt cold like that before. It was -25 degrees when we arrived. That didn't stop the kids from heading striaght to the snow. Great pictures to come. Since then, we've spent time eating, drinking and being merry with family. Today, it's starting to warm up. The older kids and boys headed to the slopes for a little skiing/snowboarding. I stayed behind with our girls, and we're enjoying watching the dollar size flakes fall all around us.

Merry Christmas to All!

HO HO HO! Merry Christmas

2008-12-19T10:28:00.005-06:00

I really should be packing right now. For those of you that don't know, we're scheduled to hit the road tomorrow morning for North Chicago. Mother Nature apparently didn't get the memo though because there's a winter storm bearing down on us as we speak and another on the way Sunday. So far, the plan still stands. We've adjusted our route a little further south, but the weather is covering our entire path.

It's been snowing here for over an hour now, and there's at least an inch on the ground, and the worst is yet to come.

And, that is the reason I'm procrastinating. So, you win. Here's our collection of Santa Photos from this year.

That top photo up there, that's the OFFICIAL Macy's Santa. Wow is he good! As anyone who's been to Disney knows, their lines are even themed, and so is Santaland at Macy's. It's the Macy's at Herold Square-the one you see in the background for all the Thanksgiving Parades. It's amazing. Another "not to be missed" in NYC if you're there at the right time.

Then, we attended our town's Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Santa was there too. Neither kid was too keen on hanging around him too long. I'm actually holding Lise' in the sleigh to get the shot. Too bad it came out fuzzy. There was no redo.

And, last but not least, Santa apparently loves the little children of Atlantic Highlands! This past Monday night, Santa came around to all the houses in our town to say hello to all the children. He stopped right in front of our house. He was escorted by the ambulance. It was great. They could climb into his sleigh and chat with him as long as they wanted.

We love the clean potties!

2008-12-17T15:44:00.003-06:00

I know I've been dragging my feet on getting the pictures out of our most recent NYC experience, but it's taking me a little time to go through and weed out what you don't want to see.

I have good news though. One of our favorite things we found to do was visit the Charmin Restrooms. Let's just say, it was the Disneyworld of restroom experiences. We even got a souvenir photo. Click here for all the info, and if you're in NYC for the holidays, it should be on your "not to be missed" list.

Fun in the Snow, without the snow...

2008-12-16T07:46:00.001-06:00

Click here to make your own snowflake.

Are you kidding me?

2008-12-14T16:30:00.002-06:00

As the years progress, I feel I kind of go with the flow. Sure, I've heard the stories of how movies were 5 cents and my parents walked to school uphill in the snow, etc, etc, etc. But imagine my surprise when B and I decided to take in a movie last night, and they wanted $18! Holy Moly!!!!!! Can you tell it's been a while since I've been to see anything? Although I enjoyed it, I'll be sticking to Netflix for the majority of my movie viewing.

PS, we went to see Four Christmases. Funny.

Grandma & Papa's Visit

2008-12-12T07:43:00.007-06:00

It all started with Thanksgiving Thursday. That was the day Mom and Dad flew in. B and Lise' went to the airport while Abri and I stayed behind to prepare all the sides for our big feast. That afternoon, our friend Richie (originally our neighbor in Dallas & now lives in NJ) came down to join us for dinner. Everything was delicious. I wish I had pictures, but I think I had so many other things going on, I forgot to take them. So, here's a picture of the table.

The joke was on me. A few years ago I received some rolled place mats, and I pulled them out for the big day, but when I unrolled them, it turned out to be napkins, not place mats, so Lise' & Mom got creative on that end of things.

The next day, we headed out in search of our Christmas tree. We had seen a tree stand on the main street in town, so I walked in and inquired about the offerings. It turns out they weren't officially open (good thing I didn't read the sign), but they sold us one anyway, making us the first to buy a tree in town that weekend.

Saturday was spent pulling out all the Christmas decorations and pulling out my hair. I could not put my hands on my ornaments. Since we've had kids, we've used a set of fabric ornaments my mom made when I was little. To the best of my knowledge, the last time I had the full set of ornaments on the tree was in Dallas, and that was 3 moves ago. I can tell you the box they are in, where they were stored in Utah and Alabama, but I cannot find them here. Our last hope is that they are stored in only 2 boxes not yet opened-china and crystal. Lucky for us, we did find the fabric ornaments. They went on the small fake tree in the Den. As for the fresh tree, we've had to make do with a bunch of plastic balls and drums someone gave me in the past. It was probably for the best though, Abri's favorite pastime is pulling all the ornaments off the tree.

While B was on the roof setting up lights, Grandma & the girls were making a gingerbread train.

That night, we made cookies for Lise's class. She was in charge of the sugar. Check out the cookie on the right.

And, all that was just the first 3 days! Just wait for the next 4. I'm out of time for now. Check back soon.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....

2008-12-11T08:20:00.003-06:00

I know all of you down south are frolicking in the winter white this morning, so I figured I share our first snow pics with you as well. We have rain this am, but on Sunday morning, the shrills of delight came out the mouths of babes as they couldn't wait to don their snow gear and get outside while I made breakfast.

Abri wanted to go outside, but she fought the institution of snow clothing.

Fine, I'll wear it (as she looks longingly at Lise' in the yard).

Lise' lives for making snow angels, no matter how much is on the ground.

Chillin' after freezing their fingers off.

It's your lucky day

2008-12-10T14:10:00.005-06:00

The missing camera has reappeared. Apparently, it hid itself between cushions on my friend's front porch. It must have really been mad at me because I checked the sofa personally. We've put our differences aside now that we've been reunited.

For more pictures, be sure to click on the link in the right column labeled OUR PIC SITE.

FYI-Abri was Minnie Mouse and Lise' was the cowboy princess.

Quite possibly the best soup I've ever had.

2008-12-08T10:21:00.004-06:00

This past weekend, I figured it was time to put away the Halloween/Thanksgiving decorations, and that included the many pumpkins we had all around the house. First, my plan was to just scoop out the seeds and roast them, but it was cold outside, and I didn't have anything better to do, so I decided to peel and roast 4 of the sugar pumpkins (smaller ones). I had done this back in October and it was delicious. This time, I wanted some sort of pumpkin soup. I'm not a real fan of sweets in my veggie soup, so I did a recipe search. The majority of the pumpkin soups include cinnamon-that is not for me, so I kept looking. Then, I came across the recipe for Pumpkin Black Bean Soup. Love all of the above, so I printed it and got to work.

I should have heeded the warning from the recipe writer herself. She highly recommends buying the pumpkin puree in a can and going from there. But, how could I do that? I already had these 4 beautiful pumpkins begging to end their life in my soup, so I got to work. WORK it is! I peeled-yes with a veggie peeler-all four, I scraped the innards, I roasted, and I pureed. The end result was amazing in itself, but then I moved on to the rest.

I followed the recipe for the most part, but I did change a few things up. First, I had no Sherry or Sherry vinegar on hand. So, I substituted Pinot Grigio (hey, it was in the fridge) for the Sherry and omitted the vinegar all together. I also only did one teaspoon of cumin (I was fearful of an overpowering taste for the kids). The end result was no short of a "Party in your Mouth!" I wasn't even sure they'd like it, but they LOVED it! Lise' coined that name for the soup. She calls it Party Soup.

So, don't waste another minute of your life without trying this fabulous concoction!

Disco

2008-12-05T13:06:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

More Christmas Fun

2008-12-05T12:32:00.002-06:00

Fa la la la la la la la la

2008-12-04T16:00:00.003-06:00

It's that time of year & music is in the air. I hope that little title keeps you singing the whole month long.
I guess you've been wondering what we've been up to. To Mom and Dad arrived on Thanksgiving Day, and we didn't stop the whole time they were here. While B and Lise' went to the airport, Abri and I were at home cooking the traditional meal. I outsourced the turkey, but cooked all the favorite sides of spinach Madeline, green bean casserole, sweet potato souffle, cranberry relish, cheesecake and apple pie. Ok, I really had a free apple pie from a local farm, but who's checking. We were joined by our friend Richie, who we first met when he was our neighbor in Dallas. Unfortunately, I'm just realizing I didn't take any pictures of the big event. Close your eyes and imagine.

At the conclusion of dinner, there was a big knock at the door. Lise' raced to see who it was, and on the stoop was a package from Santa. In it was the Elf on the Shelf. It's an elf sent by Santa to be his eyes and ears. Lise' named ours Sammy, and Sammy watches her all day long. At night, after she and Abri have gone to sleep, Sammy goes back to the North Pole where he tells Santa if everyone in the house had been naughty or nice. He changes locations each night, so when they wake in the morning, it's a search to see where Sammy has chosen to sit for the day. He's only here for the Season, so after Christmas, he will return to the North Pole until next year. He's been an EXCELLENT addtion to our family. Just the other day, Lise' came running to tell me that Abri had pushed her, but she didn't push back because Sammy was watching. Be sure to click above to check out Sammy's site.

I must run to fix dinner. I'm on my own tonight, so I have to be everything to everybody. More exciting news and photos to come!