A few vacation pics

Here are a few pics from the vacation. The hot tub was great to soak in after hiking, or just to relax in.
Man oh Man, I came home wanting one (to put it mildly).



One of our first hikes to an abandon mine. Notice babygirls attire for hiking. LOL! She always puts her girlie ways to work. A SKIRT to hike in??? I didn't even notice until we were half way up the mountain. Oh well. It worked for her. LOL.

This was the first waterfall we saw. It was amazing and beautiful!!

Later on in the hike, we came across a smaller waterfall that cascaded into a little cove with a beach. Even though the water was FREEZING the kids went in swimming anyways. They may never have another chance to swim with waterfalls around them.

So many other experiences. Wanted to upload the mountain coaster, but need to figure out how to get it from my phone to here. Hmmm. Technology sometimes baffles me. That's when I say..."Oh honey....." LOL.

Vacation

Summer is just flying by. It is hard to believe it is already the end of July. It looks like the last post was when we had just arrived for our vacation.

I am pleased to say we had an absolutely amazing time. It was filled with adventure (hiking trails and seeing waterfalls) thrills (riding the mountain coaster 3 times. If curious go to www.wisp resort and check out the mountain coaster. It was way cooler than it even looks), fun (riding go carts, bumper boats, playing lazer tag, mini golf, and aracade games one day all day), relaxation (soaking in the hot tub at the cabin each night) bonding (bonfires, family board games, rooting for USA soccer team for the World Cup) plus lots of other great things.

It was truely a vacation that was memorable, and meaningful. Great conversations, great bonding, and time with each other.

Now I am ready to start planning next year's vacation. Hmmm. So where in the world (or east coast) are we going to end up next year? Well time will tell.

Attitude adjustment

Awwww!!!!

Here we sit in the beautiful mountains of Deep Creek Lake. The scenery is absolutely breath taking, and I need an attitude adjustment.

What????

Yes. I have planned this family vacation for a year now, and everything I thought we would do, we probably will NOT do. How frustrating!!!

It is difficult to plan activities that interest all ages from a teenage boy wanting adventure and thrill, to a little 6 year old girlie girl who just wants to color in a coloring book. WOW!! What a challenge!!

I am noticing how my disappointment with weather, inability to do the activities I WANT to do & planned is affecting the mood of my family.

So I need an attitude adjustment, and give this vacation to the Lord and all He wants it to be for us. To enjoy my family no matter what activities we do. Even if it is just playing on the computer together or watching a movie. We are together without all the distractions and responsibilities that we have at home (Thanks to Hubby for helping me realize this).

So I am going to start out each day asking
"OK, Lord. What do you have for us today?"

And go with it and enjoy it!!

Home sick

Today is day 2 that I have been away from my family. I am away for work. Four full days of training that I had to travel out of state for.

It's not that I have not been away without my hubby and kids before, I have.

Ususally it is a fun ladies retreat, or girls getaway.
Usually, I only do an overnight.
Usually, I am on my way home by now, if not home already.

I think I am also ready to be home knowing that I still have 2 more nights away. It makes it seem so long away.

Normally its a fun trip or a business trip with my hubby. He is the one in training and I am running around having fun. Now it is me having the training and not having hubby or kids or having fun.

Not fun in the sense of a pleasure trip, but we are having our laughs and giggles. And I do enjoy my coworkers that I am with. So it is not horrible, just that I miss my family.

We have tests everyday and will have a final at the end of training. I better get back to studying.

Playing with my daugher

The other day, I'm playing hair salon with my daughter. I am the patron and she is the stylist.

As she is putting my hair into tiny little piggie tails all over my head(I ended up with 21 of them, I kid you not), she says.....

"I am really not trying to pull all your hair out, but somehow that is what keeps happening...."

as I am cringing, and twisting, and squealing as she slowly pulls out every single follicle of hair that I have.

All in the name of spending time with my daughter in the world that she is in.

As long as she dosen't want to play doctor, I might end up dead.... for real. LOL.

A time to reflect

This weekend I will be heading to my old stompin grounds.
The grounds that I started to become independent, to find out who I was.

The grounds to which I had giant hair with lots of hairspray.

The place where I played sports, went to dances, played in the marching band, and cut classes or even the day altogether.

The place that was my home away from home. When I wasn't at home or a friends house, I was definitely doing something there.

The place where I had some of the best memories of my life, and some of the worst memories of my life.

To the place I felt loved and hated all in the same day. Where one minute I was on cloud nine, the next minute I was in the dumps.

Yes, this can only mean....

I am going back to my high school.

This weekend we are having our 20 year reunion. WOW!

It seems like just yesterday I was there. Yet, when I look back and it seems like an eternity.

Such an oxymoron.....High School......

Just a song in my heart

"My God is so BIG, so STRONG, and so MIGHTY.

There's nothing my God cannot do.....

For YOU!"

Just a sweet reminder to me that,

NO MATTER WHAT,

God is in control.

Sometimes it's the kids songs that speak louder than anything. So simple and so true.

Stepping out of the comfort zone

I have decided to take on a challenge and step out of my comfort zone.

Hmmm. What did I do, you may be asking.

Well.....

I have taken some classes in which are very comical to someone who might be spying on me....

What classes did I take?

I have taken 2 different classes.....

For those of you who know me, are you ready for this.....

Are you sure?

Really sure?

Ok, Ok,......

I have taken.......

A ZUMBA class!

AND

A HIP HOP class!!

What is comical about it.... come and watch me and then you will know.

I am not kidding you, it was hysterical. I am clumsy and uncoordinated and I think I laughed at myself more than doing the actual steps. Even the instructor could not keep a straight face! Every time I looked at her, she was smiling big with a "I'm dying laughing at these girls. I am gonna bust a gut." look on her face.

But it was sooooo much fun! I took the class with my mom and a friend. We had such a great time and laughed all the way through it. We had so much fun with Zumba that we decided to take the hip hop class. That class was more technically difficult, but the zumba class was more intense.

I will definitely take both classes, but I think my favorite was zumba!

I'm a zumba girl!

Milestones

Milestones.....good? or bad?

Yesterday my Dad hit a milestone....He turned 70 years old. WOW!
Does that make me old too???
Not sure I can handle me thinking of making that milestone. But then again, at least I would have made it to then as well. Hmmm..

Milestones...they make me think....

I know when I had my little ones, I couldn't wait for them to hit that next thing. Ahhhh! They were growing up. Hitting those milestones at the right times, they are developing normally.

Now as I think of my kids hitting milestones, it almost makes me sad. Noooo!! They are growing up. I guess there is no pleasing me. LOL!

Isn't it funny how that works....
When you are young, you can't wait to be all grown up.
When you are all grown up, you wish you had your youth back.
When your kids are little and you are in the midst of the chaos, you can't wait for them to grow up.
Once they are getting beyond those difficult years, you wish they were back that age (believe it or not it was easier).

Just makes me remember to...
Enjoy each day for what it gives you.
Celebrate life today instead of waiting for tomorrow to bring what you think you want.
Only to realize you wanted what you had, but now it is gone.

Carpe Diem as they say!
So happy birthday Dad and we are going to enjoy the day to it's fullest!!!!

Where did spring go?

It went straight to summer!