Thanks, Brit!

So, my good friend found out I was going away last week and told me I had to read this book. All she said was that it was about vampires. It has been over 7 years since I read a book, and vampires was the last thing I wanted to read about. She insisted. So, I read, and finished it in one day. So eager to pick up the next 2, I read the 2nd one the next the next day. Then, Eva told me the 3rd was the best. So, I saved it for my trip, and it was by far, the best one. One more to come...it comes out this weekend!!! Anyway, a good, easy read about a girl who falls in love with a vampire. The way she writes is so descriptive and really makes you, or at least me, fall in love with all the characters. As soon as the book is over, it leaves me wanting more...cant wait for the next one. And, I just found out that there is a movie coming out in December!!!!!

Before and After

FOR SHELLY. I GUESS THIS WAS HER BIGGEST TRANSFORMATION YET....AND LONGEST (7 HOURS). THANKS AGAIN FOR THE HARD WORK!!

Refreshed

Thanks to my wonderful mom, and dad, I was able to get away for a couple days to relax for my birthday. I left Thursday, mom took the kids, and I headed to Melbourne. There is a B&B there that mom set me up with. Thurs night, I went to my friend Shelly's house where she spent almost 7 hours on my hair. Incredible work. She worked hard and long to color and then put in hundreds of highlights! Now, I am blonde again!! Friday, I got up, took a bath with no interruptions!! Breakfast was brought to my room. I then set out for the beach. Not for long. The sand was real uncomfortable in the cast. So, I spent the rest of the day reading by the pool. In the late afternoon, Dad set me up with a spa, so I went and got a Butter Wrap....exfoliated and honey buttered and then wrapped like a burrito for 45 minutes!!! Heaven. The spa was amazing. Bryan came in that evening and took me to dinner and stayed till morning. I just read by the pool some more and then went antique shopping. It was perfect. I would have loved to stay longer, but it was just enough time for me to relax. Thanks so much mom, and dad, for this!!! What a way to bring in my last year in my 20's!!

Lack of posts

I have been lacking posts because, well, there is nothing interesting going on. I read about everyone's summers and the swimming lessons, dance classes, parks, trips...not us. Due to a still broken hand, we have stayed indoors and kept to ourselves. The kids are getting bored out of their minds. I have taken them swimming once, but it is so hard with a cast to do anything with them. So, we stay home. I did take them down to West Palm Beach last weekend and part of this week. Had my cast taken off, and a new one put on. We are on week 7 now...5 more to go. I was hoping to have it off for my birthday next week...but no such luck. At least this one I can get wet! So, for now, nothing going on here. I get to go away for my birthday...mom is sending me by myself to a Bed and breakfast...cant wait!! Till then...read someone elses blog for excitement!

Lots of food, and pictures

So, when my moms family gets together, it seems like the big thing to do is eat, and take pictures, and there was lots of both!!!

Friday night, we went to Chicago Golf Club, a place I frequented as a child growing up. It was fun to bring my chidren back! We had a delicious dinner...filet and lobster! My mom has 4 sisters, and they were all there with thier families. The only ones missing over the weekend was Bryan and my sister and her family. (we missed all of you)

Mom and her husband, Mike Hana and Maddison and Uncle Monkey (Mike) My cousin, Cindy An attempt at a self portrait!

Rachel and SarahUncle GaryHey, Lisa, do you remember sitting in this same spot waiting for all the adults to come down?? Looks a little familiar!!

Saturday, the girls went swimming at the club. The water was freezing and I was glad to have an excuse not to get in! Thanks to aunt Beth, Cindy, Karl, and Aunt Carol for being great sports with my kids in the pool!

After swimming, we headed back to our cottage at the club and watched the hail storm, then went to dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's. Along with the family, my grandma invited a few of my grandpa's friends. A tradition in our family is to eat dinner, then sit around the dinner table for 3 hours talking, and drinking 6 pots of coffee! I was able to sit and talk for most of the time, thanks to my cousins who played with my children. A first for me in a long time!!!!

Chloe was unhappy, go figure, so I was making an attempt to cheer her up. Didnt work.

Sunday, I was able to go see my cousin (on my dads side), and her daughter, Taylor.

Then, again, lunch at the club, along with a slew of pictures.

My mom (first one standing), her sisters and parents

Maddison and her great-grandpaAn un-eventful (thankfully) ride home. They got to watch "Horton Hears a Who"!

Our Trip To Wheaton

My grandfather turned 80 last week, so the entire family, on my mothers side went to spend the weekend with him (they live outside of Chicago). I told the kids the day before we left and they were so excited to go on a plane. They have not been since they were babies, so it was like a new experience for them. We got up early Thursday and left by 6:30am to get to the airport. I had my mom with me, for crowd control. We had breakfast (Chloe loved her cinnamon roll) and then boarded the plane for our 9am flight. (by this time, my batteries died in my camera...booo) We were waiting for a while, wondering why we were not leaving the gate, when the captain came on and said to sit tight, we were having trouble starting the engines. NICE! About 1/2 hour later, they told us the mechanics were in the middle of a shift change, so no one was able to come look at the plane, we were going to have to de-board the plane. Now, not knowing this was not supposed to happen, the kids happily got off the plane. They sat and played and colored in the terminal while my mom stood in line for 4 HOURS!!! (By this time, I was really glad she came along) The kids were great for the most part. Long story....basically, they couldnt get us on another flight out till the next morning...so they put us up in the hotel there at the Orlando airport...the girls thought it was great!!! While mom was finalizing our tickets, the girls and I sat around a fountain, and thanks to a great idea from Maddison, we all went around teling what our favorite part of the day was. Even with a bummer of a day, the girls were able to find lots of great things that happened...like riding the train and going on the moving walkways!!! The next morning, we got up at 4 and walked downstairs to get on the plane. And, to our children's (and our) delight, we had first class seats!! After what we had been through, we deserved it. The limo picked us up in Chicago, and the girls thought that was so cool!!! I am soooo thankful my mom was with me. I would have gone home, not stood in line all day!

Good Homes

We found both of our dogs some good homes. Bubba left a week ago. It was sad. It was a love/hate relationship, but he was so good with the kids, I just went crazy with him running away so much. A great family got him. He is a hunter and was so excited. In fact, he texted me the other day and said UKC wants him to be on the cover of their calendar for next year!!!

Jack went to a great home last night. They found out yesterday that he needed a home and they drove here last night and loved him! I hope he did ok for them over the night.

So, now it is just back to us and Tex. One dog...that is how it will stay!