The Vacation Story with Pictures

I got a call from my friend, Stef, on Wednesday morning at 7:15. People don't usually call at that hour so I was really wondering who it could be. She was calling to ask if I wanted to go with her and 2 other friends on a trip for 5 days. They had been planning this for months and someone dropped out at the last minute, leaving a space for me. They were leaving at 7:30 Thursday morning and we'd get back Monday afternoon. And I could do this all for $50. That's right, I said $50 (the cost of changing the name on the ticket).

S was already at the gym so I called him and we talked about it. He said yes and I didn't hesitate to say "Okay!" in response. I rushed around like a mad woman getting all my things together: clothes, toiletries, swimsuits, cover ups, cash and my passport.

Where did we go, you may ask? Here's a picture of my home for 5 days:

Yes, I went on a cruise to the Bahamas for 5 days with no husband and no children. Just 4 friends enjoying peace and quiet, getting to do whatever we wanted to do. We stayed up late at night, we slept late in the morning, we got massages and facials. We talked, laughed and just generally had fun. Oh, and we ate whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. I even got to watch my beloved Auburn Tigers play Tennessee with some fellow Auburn fans (which was just about the sloppiest game I've seen them play since Mississippi State. But let's not get into football just yet).

This really was a blessing to be able to drop everything and go away to relax. Kudos go to S for saying yes in the first place. Yes, he does travel a lot and I'm home with the kids by myself but he doesn't do that very much. He even managed to do all the laundry while I was gone.

This was the view I had all day Friday. The sun was out most of the day and the clouds gave us some much-needed relief from the warmth the sun provided.

A small island off the coast of Nassau, Bahamas. Those gray stripes are the sheets of rain pouring on Nassau. We were, thankfully, spared the rain while on the beach. However, we did get wet as we made our way back to the cruise ship.

These little friends greeted us each night when the steward would turn down the bed for us. My favorite one was the dog which, of course, I didn't get a picture of.

I'm Back!

I got home yesterday around lunch time and I'm exhausted. I need a vacation from the vacation to recover from the vacation that was supposed to be a time to recover from everyday life. (It really was but we played pretty hard while we were gone!)

I need to download pictures and promise to post about the whole thing after I get done with the laundry.

Unexpected Vacation

A friend called me this morning and I'm leaving tomorrow morning for a girls' weekend. Yes, I'm giving up a whole Saturday filled with college football but this is a fantastic opportunity to get away with friends. I'll fill you in when I get back!

Spending Time with K

S has, blessedly, been in town for the last few weeks, giving me freedom to do many things without all of the children in tow. While that hasn't included pedicures or haircuts or frilly things, that has included going to the grocery store by myself. That is a huge blessing in and of itself.

Last Thursday, I got to spend the afternoon with K. She was in desperate need of tennis shoes, something she could run in during PE. Her Keds from last year were just fine but it's really hard to run in those on the gym floor. I took her to a local shoe store, had her measured (she wears a 13.5, for those interested), and looked in the sale room. Alas, there was nothing in her size so we headed across the street to the discount shoe place. There, they had some cute and not-so-cute shoes and, after steering her away from ones that had glitter and hearts and all sorts of horribleness, we found the perfect pair.

When we got to the car, she asked if we could get ice cream. So we did. We sat inside, enjoyed our cool treats, and just talked. I took pictures of her blue tongue (blue from the cotton candy ice cream) with my cell phone and even let her call Nana using our OnStar in the car (a very handy feature).

The bottom line for me is that I got to spend time with her, just her, without any distractions. I sometimes forget that she's as much fun as she is, that she's learning at an alarmingly fast rate, and moving into the young lady phase. I know that she's growing up, that these times will be fewer and further between. That makes me treasure them even more.

A Forgotten L Story

L is, at least for the time being, my most humorous child. There are very few days that go by where she doesn't say or do something that really makes me chuckle. Not that K and H don't make me laugh but L just has a way with words.

Case in point: S and I were invited to our pastor's house to have dessert and fellowship with a few other people in the congregation. Since it was just dessert, we got a babysitter and went for an early dinner before heading over to the dessert fellowship thingy.

Our babysitter is wonderful and has been babysitting for our kids for several years. I think she actually started before L was born. Anyway, when we got home she told us that she had a really funny story to tell us.

Apparently C, the aforementioned wonderful babysitter, usually lets L and K take pictures with her cell phone. (This is not a bad thing.) At some point in the evening, she realized that the girls had taken her phone to their room. When she went back to check on them, L said something into the receiver and then handed the phone to C. C said, "Hello?" It was her good friend, M. L, in her clever little way, had called M and had been talking to him (yes, him) for about 10 minutes. She told him all about her school, her ballet, and her friend's birthday party coming up. It was hilarious and a little bit scary all at the same time.

She's four and already calling boys. I think we have a problem...

Served with a Side of Mediocre

I have not one but two fabulously mediocre things to tell you today.

The first fabulously mediocre item is about my new love. Coffee. I know some of you are in complete shock right now as I have been staunchly anti-coffee for many, many years. But a few weeks ago, when I got together with some friends for brunch (a rarity for us), I had a sore throat and wanted something hot to soothe it. I'm really not a fan of hot drinks but it sounded so good. In the past, I've had coffee with a little cream and sugar so I decided to go with that, just enough to take away the bitter taste but not too sweet.

Y'all, that cup of coffee tasted so good that I went back for a second cup. That got me hooked. So two days ago, I bought a coffee grinder and some whole bean coffee and ground my own at home. Oh, the smell was so inviting! My father-in-law, a coffee fanatic, gave us a coffee maker years ago so that he could have some java when he was visiting. I had to figure out the auto feature so I could wake up to a freshly brewed pot in the morning. Oh, it was heaven waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee.

This hasn't gone over very well with S, who is still staunchly anti-coffee. But he's learning to love the new me.

The second fabulously mediocre item involves pimiento cheese. It's a completely Southern dish that I love, love, love. A few months ago, Nana brought me some pepper jack pimiento cheese from a little deli near her house. Since said little deli isn't here, I figured I would have to learn to make my own. I got a recipe (thanks, Bunny!) and tried it, substituting the sharp cheddar cheese for pepper jack cheese. It was fantastic. If you like spicy stuff, this will hit the spot. I even added some chopped jalapenos to add a little more heat. It is totally and completely addictive.

And I can't resist this picture of my friend's new puppy. Too cute!

As Seen in the Backyard

Yesterday, S pointed out this eight-legged friend located between two trees in our backyard. I've not seen one this big in our yard before. (You might have to click on the picture to see Charlotte more clearly.)

On Saturday, while H was getting eaten alive by mosquitoes, S was assisting the girls on the swings. K's feet kept dragging the ground so S helped her out.

That's right: he dug two holes in the ground under the swings. I guess raising them up a few notches was out of the question.