Future Guilt

It is way to early in the morning for me to be awake, let alone typing on here. Yet, here I am with my head full of thoughts that just won't stop. I have felt so guilty recently about my parenting. I'm not perfect, far from it. but I wonder... what will my kids remember about me when they're older? 


Mommy sat at her computer too much.
She couldn't cook at all!
We were always running late for school. 
She yelled too much. 
There were days our dirty clothes pile filled our rooms! 
She stressed about money.
Mom could lose her cool in an instant.
She would torture us with her bad singing everywhere in the car!
Mommy was too hard on me.


All those moments as a mom I work hard everyday to avoid, will those be the things they remember most? Will they look back and smile? Am I doing OK? I know most people will say "Oh honey, they won't think of those bad things! They will remember that you loved them, that you took them to cool places, the weekends shopping at the farmers market, the times spent on the trampoline. They will think of you when they see a classic Ford Mustang, when they burn dinner it will make them laugh thinking of the many meals you tried to cook, they will know that you did your best!"


Really? 


I'm not so sure...


I think I lose my temper with them too much. I wish I would think before I opened my mouth. I should really duct tape my mouth closed. 


I wish I woke up bright and early every day to make them a hot breakfast before school, I wish the house was always sparkley and clean with the clothes put away perfect. That's just not in the cards. 


I wonder if my mom ever felt the same way, because I sure think she did an amazing job! I remember her yummy cooking, how the house was always tidy, she always smiled at everything I did and took the time to pay attention to me. We traveled the world, and she taught me a lot about life. I don't remember bad things. Did they happen and kids just don't retain all that if the good outweighs the negative? Boy I hope so. 99% of the time it's all good around our house. 


I hope they turn out alright. I really am trying to do my best! 




au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time... 

Better Today Then Yesterday

It's been a week. One week ago we lost Sammy, our boxer. (You can read my way too sad sob story about how much I love him here.) 

The kiddies taking Sammy on a walk a few weeks ago

This has been a   L O N G  week. When you are sad time seems to slow down. I am pleased to report we are all feeling better in our house. It was pretty depressing around here for a few days. Our other 2 dogs wouldn't even play with us, it was pitiful to watch a dog go through the grieving process. Who ever said animals don't have feelings is full of bologna. The kids are doing better. My daughter is like a rock, nothing over emotional ever bugs her, but my son is my sensitive one and this has been hard for him. 


All in all life goes on. The house seems slightly emptier these days but we have to keep chugging away. This Saturday will be my daughters 7th birthday (Wow how time flies!), and then we will be preparing for the 1st day of school shortly after. 


Summer is slowly drifting away. I hope you've had a chance to do something fun with the ones you love. 




au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time... 

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Every body has that one movie, that one they HAVE TO watch every Christmas. For my husband it's "A Christmas Story" for my daughter it's "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" for my son it's "Home Alone." But for me it's always been Irving Berlins "White Christmas."

I love this movie. I remember as a kid getting in my Christmas jammies and curling up on the couch with my mom for a family movie night. We would sing along to every song. We would dream of snow falling on Christmas Eve and wishing we could spend the holidays in Vermont. 

We would laugh as we fast forwarded the "Choreography" number. (try it! they look funny in fast motion!) And we were touched when it all came together in the end. 

I love this movie so much that it was all I wanted to watch when I went into labor with my son, ha ha. IN MARCH! 

Needless to say, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney & Vera-Ellen have been apart of my life for a very long time :) 

I keep trying to shove my love for this movie onto my children... So far it's not working. They want to watch things with more action, more pizazz. I hope as they get older they will appreciate this classic as much as I do. Until then, I will force them to suffer through it to appease there ol' mom. Here's a great clip for your viewing pleasure:

(The funniest part of this great movie)

Now it's your turn! What is your favorite holiday movie?

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

Epcot Day

Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know I am WAY behind on adding the rest of our family's Orlando vacation on here. Sorry life just never slows down around our house and since summer is in full swing I am on permanent "mommy, entertain us!!" mode with the kiddies.

Epcot was a lot of fun. Sure it's more educational than the other parks, but don't think it is any less fun! We had a blast.

Favorite things break down:
*my son: Test Track, Turtle Talk with Crush
*my daughter: Mexico, Mission to Mars
*my hubby: Mission to Mars, Test Track
*me: the aquarium, The Worlds

One thing we all enjoyed was a band called "Off Kilter" in the Canada land. They were awesome! Very cool Irish bag pipe music set to drums and a rockin' show.

It was another scorcher. We spent a good deal of time splashing in the many fountains around Epcot to cool off. I for sure want to come back here again. I feel like we weren't able to see even half this park has to offer. One more park to go!!!

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

Disney World Featuring The Magic Kingdom

On to our next installment of all things Mickey...

The most famous (and my favorite) of all the parks is The Magic Kingdom. I could easily spend the entire week at this 1 park. If you have ever been to Disneyland this is very similar. A lot of the same rides are shared between the two, the main difference is that MK is bigger and more spread out.

It was a scorching 5 million degrees Fahrenheit on the day we went. Thank goodness for breathable clothing and frozen water bottles!!

Favorite things breakdown:
*my son: Buzz Lightyear, Splash Mountain & Pirates of the Caribbean
*my daughter: It's a Small World, Dumbo, Peter Pan's Flight & Goofy's Barnstormer
*my mom: The enchanted Tiki Room, It's a Small World & whatever the grandkids liked
*my hubby & dad: every ride that made the kids happy
*me: Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, Mickey's Philharmagic & The Tea Cups

We took a break mid-day to cool off and take a short rest back at our cabin. Armed with some new "get up and go" we were able to stay and enjoy the park till late in the evening. I am also shocked and pleased to report that both kids were happy without 1 hissy fit ALL DAY! Wow, Walt Disney sure is a magical guy ;)

We've done MK quite a few times over the years and here's what I've discovered about crowds:
* Halloween is an amazing time of year to go. Trick or Treating with your favorite Disney characters is just so cool! And there are hardly any people, you get the park pretty much to yourself.
* Christmas and Thanksgiving are decorated to the max! The crowds are moderate, but nothing too crammed to enjoy yourself.
* Mid-June is HOT!!!! The crowds are big, but they were not near as bad as I expected.

We hope to try February/early spring next time around. Hope you've enjoyed your little tour of the Magic Kingdom :)

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

Disney World Featuring Fort Wilderness

I have hundreds of pictures from our fun filled family vacation, there is NO WAY i am going to be able to talk about all we did in 1 post. So I have decided to break it up for ya'll :) This first installment is all about where we stayed: Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground.

We loved it! We opted for a cabin instead of tent camping.

My daughter took pony riding lessons, my son took archery lessons with the rest of our family. We swam, explored, watched the wonderful Hoop-Dee-Doo Review, enjoyed S'mores with Chip n Dale and made amazing wonderful family memories.

We rode our bikes all over the campground, and also rented a golf cart to tootle around in. It was so nice to wake up and head to the parks via boat too! It was a wonderful place to stay especially since we had a large group. I highly recommend staying here to anyone, even those that don't like camping. It's very magical, Disney magical. 

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

Vacation Time!

In a few days we are out of here! Headed south for Florida, Orlando to be exact. Gee, what's in Orlando that the entire family would enjoy??? DISNEYWORLD! This will be our 3rd trip as a family. We love it.

For the first time ever we will be going to all four parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot & Disney Studio's. I hope the kids don't run out of steam, just incase i'm packing lots of candy to give them a sugar rush when needed. One can never be too prepared :)

Also for the first time we will be staying at one of the Disney resorts. We'll be sharing a cabin at Fort Wilderness with my parents. The kids are bouncing off the walls with excitement! OK, OK, me too!

To save money we will be trying to eat as many meals in our cabin as possible. My dad will be manning the grill while my mom makes some of her amazing  creations in the kitchen. We will be lucky enough to enjoy the company of a few more family members while at the park. My Aunt, Uncle and their 2 kids will be joining us, kind of a mini family reunion.

Well, I better get back to cleaning the house and washing clothes in preparation for the big trip! Plenty of pictures and info coming soon! 

If you have any advice, tips, anything to share about the theme parks or Fort Wilderness please let me know!

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

My Grandfather & His Flags, Revisited

*This is an old post I wrote awhile ago, seemed fitting for today. Enjoy :)

Memorial day weekend is once again upon us. I always reflect back on those who have fought for my freedom. I also think of my Grandpa John. He had so much respect for this nation, it's soldiers and it's flag. He understood what it meant to live for ones country. He served for and loved America.

Every year he'd drive his golf cart to the local cemetery and place hundreds of flags on every single grave belonging to a service man. Even as my grandfather got older and walking became more difficult, still there he was every memorial day. He knew what those men and women had sacrificed for him and he was sure not going to let anything get in his way to honor them.

I learned so much about honoring ones country from him growing up, even though he never sat me down and told me anything about it. Just by simply doing what was respectful, by acting on what was right I learned so much. The phrase "Actions speak louder than words" is so true here.

Every morning he would raise his flag up that tall flag pole in his front yard, and each evening he would lower those colors back down. It was (and is) disrespectful in his eyes to leave the red, white and blue out in the rain, the cold, the darkness. Even to this day, if I leave my flag out, or a corner touches the ground I feel so bad.

On this coming memorial day I hope you take a moment and thank those who helped make this country what it is. One thing I know I will be doing is passing a tradition onto my kids, heading to my local cemetery and placing flags on graves with my children. I know my Grandpa John would love to be alive and going with us, I'll place an extra one out there for him.

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

My Big 7 Year Old!

My munchkin is growing so fast! He recently turned 7, I am in shock at how fast time truly does fly. We celebrated the occasion by having a Mad Science birthday at the South Carolina State Museum. Friends and family joined us for the festivities. I love that my son enjoys science so much, something he did not get from his mother :)  I was always the artsy type while my husband has always been the math/science kind of person. I like to think the mud pies and day dreaming are thanks to me, ha ha.

The kids at the main entrance of the museum, ready to PARTY!

Munchkin and Mini-munchkin making science goggles

 
science experiment time with daddy!

no candles were allowed so grandpa used the lighter on his iPhone, so funny :)

All the party kids


being attacked by JAWS!

my hubby, myself, lala & papa with the kiddies

It was such a nice birthday party. The museum did a fabulous job. We had a scientist do cool experiments using the kids as willing volunteers. I always love when you can mix in some learning into the fun.


au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

Thankful...

The other day my mom was sharing with me about a song that has truly touched her. Thankful by Josh Groban. So, I of course had to hear this amazing song. It is such a beautiful song that reminds me there IS so much to be thankful for...

Somedays we forget
To look around us
Somedays we can't see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see.
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

Look beyond ourselves
There's so much sorrow
It's way too late to say
I'll cry tomorrow
Each of us must find our truth
It's so long overdue

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And every day we hope for
What we still can't see
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

Even with our differences
There is a place we're all connected
Each of us can find each others light

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see
It's up to us to be the change
And even though this world needs so much more

There's so much to be thankful for

On this holiday season, remember to look around you and smile. We live in a busy world, slow down and hug those around you.
Merry Christmas everyone.

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

Hello From The Trenches!

Hey Everyone! How have you all been? Geez, I have missed the "blog-sphere" but have also enjoyed the break. What has been going on you ask? Most of you were correct in your guess that we are moving. I couldn't come on here and talk about my husbands job hunting till he had something firmed up, heaven forbid someone from his current job found out and we were jobless because of MY blog. I would have never lived that down!

OK, on to more important things...

Where are we moving? You will never guess, nope not in a million years...


Spanish moss, warm southern rain, small town...



Good fried chicken, millions of mosquito's, front porch rockin'...



Green growth everywhere, humid nights, fireflies...



Friends, family, home...



Is any of this ringing a bell? Obviously we're moving back to the southeast, but the plot thickens, we're moving back to the SAME TOWN we moved from to get to Arizona!? How crazy is that?

I wanted more for my children then I thought a small southern town could offer, but what I have come to realize is we had it all to begin with. Great friends, a great community, life was good. Luckily my hubby's old job has wanted him back since the moment we left, so getting a position there was pretty easy (it's an even better position than he had before we moved!).

Doesn't the saying "The grass isn't always greener" come to mind? ha ha

Now for the yucky, not fun stuff... Trying to sell our home. I LOVE this house, you all know the time we've spent painting & decorating it. It's perfect, just in the wrong place. I really wish the tornado from the "Wizard of Oz" would pick my home up and drop it down in South Carolina. But, that won't happen, bummer. Our house is on the market now, we've had a few lookers but nothing has come of it yet. Also when we get back to SC we have to rent for awhile, not a big deal for most, but you try renting a home with 3 dogs!!! Impossible.

There is a lot on our plate right now, so far I have dealt with the stress pretty well. I've only had one melt down in a restaurant parking lot sobbing into my hubby's arms. My hubby begins his new (old) job in December, if the home doesn't sell by then I will be staying in Arizona till it does with the munchkins and pups.

Please keep us in your prayers for an easy transition and guidance as life once again takes another crazy turn in our life. And if you know anyone looking for a home in AZ let me know *wink wink*


*pictures from Hartsville - The Art of Good Living web site

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

My Ever Changing Path

Closed Path by Rabindranath Tagore

I thought that my voyage had come to its end
at the last limit of my power,---that the path before me was closed,
that provisions were exhausted
and the time come to take shelter in a silent obscurity.

But I find that thy will knows no end in me.
And when old words die out on the tongue,
new melodies break forth from the heart;
and where the old tracks are lost,
new country is revealed with its wonders.

************

I know I haven't been the best blogger lately. I see I have even lost a few followers in my absence. Sorry!!! Life has some unexpected twists and turns in store for our family. All good things, I promise. It has been hard to blog when these changes have been all consuming in my mind and I can't discuss them on here just yet. I am a bad liar, and to come on here and be all "Hey everyone! We're all sunshine and roses, things are same old same old here" would be unfair to me and you. I hope you all understand. Sorry for the vague dialogue. Life is truly a crazy path with many unexpected things around each corner. Thanks for coming by and reading, it means the world to me. :)

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

To The Pool And Beyond With MS

I have to send a huge message out to my Grandma Arlene... YOU GO GIRL! I am so proud of her. She just recently started a swimming class to help with her immobility caused from Multiple Sclerosis. Does this not look like the face of a happy lady?



My mom and dad flew out to California a few weeks ago and got her all signed up and ready to go. My grandmother was a bit nervous since it has been over 10 years since she has been able to get into a swimming pool. But she is also an adventurous type and couldn't wait.

Here's a little definition of MS "Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune response attacks a person's central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), leading to impairment in sensation, movement, cognition, or other functions depending on which nerves are involved." -courtesy of wikipedia

Grandma Arlene was diagnosed with MS in the late 80's, luckily she was older so it had been a very slow progression. Her main area affected has been her legs. This was a camping, hiking, motorcycle mama we're talking about here so once the MS took away her ability to walk it took away a huge chunk of who she was.



She lives in a little town in the mountains and when word got out that there was a handicap excess-able pool we all jumped at the chance to get her in there! I mean where is the one place you can feel normal and healthy even if your legs don't work anymore? The pool!! Her smile is the most beautiful I have ever seen and I loved getting these pictures in my e-mail inbox today.



Way to go mom for giving this amazing gift to grandma, and way to go grandma for getting right in the water, and always inspiring me to jump over any hurdles that get in my way. I love you.


*added later by my mother: "How blessed I am to be the daughter of this "swimming Grandma". Her example of how to live life hand in hand with her Heavenly Father & happy for each and every day is truly a feat we all can learn from. Her legs may not work, but her heart & love for her family makes up for any "disability" people may see on the outside. I LOVE you Liz for sharing this beautiful story with your friends."
Thanks mom :)

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

It's Been Awhile

Hi world! I haven't posted in a week! What have I been up to you ask? Well I can show you better than I can tell you...

*twitter snippit


My parents visit, football, killer thistles, trampolines and resting. It's all there :) Pictures to come and hopefully the chance to visit everyone else's blog for a change!! (any tips on how to keep up with that?!) Hope you all have a fabulous day!

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au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...