One Last Time

Tomorrow morning we leave for one final trip to Michigan. As the summer is coming to a close and graduation has commenced, Alex is coming home.

To be fair, it won't be my last trip to Michigan ever. It is just the last time Alex is my reason to visit. It seems unreal that five years of traveling to Grand Rapids is over. I am honestly a little sad. From senior recruitment and admission activities to volleyball games and college ceremonies, and then the big day, graduation, Michigan has felt like a second home. This week, I will soak in all that I can, then bring my boy home.

To be fair, a second time, it is unlikely Alex will stay "home" for long. He has always had big dreams and an uncanny way of making those dreams come true. I know his heart is set to move out West. I know his bank account is laughing. So, for the next three to six months, he is home.

Layla and I will be getting on the road around three in the morning. Since Layla had knee surgery in June, her summer activities have been pretty limited. As much as I would have liked to have gone on a full fledge family beach vacation this year, it wasn't going to happen. Neither time or money would allow. Plus, surgery incisions needed to heal and physical therapy was critical. Therefore, I'm also trying to turn this trip into a vacation for Layla and I. Thanks to ChatGPT, a co-worker, and Layla's surgeon (who happens to be from the Grand Rapids area), I have created our Michigan Adventure itinerary. 

Tonight, I have us all packed up. Although I really tried to pack light, especially since I will need room to bring back some of Alex's moving boxes, my car is already full! I'm reminding myself that I won't have as much of "my stuff" on the way home. That's because Layla, Alex and I will need to eat pretty much the entire vacation. Snacks, drinks and cooking essentials galore! To prep the cooler, I froze a case of water bottles and any food that could be frozen. My old Igloo cooler is like a literal ice chest. My goal is to keep the food cold, just like a refrigerator, until we get to the VRBO on Wednesday. Because I've done this a few time before, I have faith this method won't fail me. And once all of the food is used from the cooler, I'll use it to pack the beach towels and bathroom products on the way home. I really have this all worked out in my head. Now, let's hope it actually all works out.

Let the adventure begin.

Entering 2025

New Year, New Me! Man, I really don't like that saying. But, that is all I keep coming back to. And yes, I do realize we are already two weeks into the new year, 2025!

In my defense, though, ushering in the new year was filled with complexities. For one, I was plagued with the stomach flu the weekend leading up to New Year's Eve. That was then followed by a head cold and upper respiratory infection that is still hanging around some. Because I was not at full strength, I could not bring myself to do anything but stay home on New Year's Eve. It turns out that neither Alex or Layla had plans to go anywhere either. So, late in the afternoon, I hung up some decorations, prepped some snacks and pulled out the Monopoly game. When the kids were younger, Monopoly and Mary Poppins is how we spent many New Year's Eves. Not only was it nostalgic, but super fun! Keeping with tradition, Alex bankrupted all of us and remains the champion! We gave a little toast and set off some noise makers at midnight. Then, we all FaceTime with Grace and Eva, who were having a "double date" night at Grace's house just a few blocks away.

New Year's Day was full of relaxing and family time. I resumed work the next day, but the rest of the family was still in vacation mode. By the weekend, we were preparing for the Snowapocolypse!

Although we are no stranger to snow and ice in the Midwest, this particular storm was predicted to make history. From accumulations up to 15 inches over and above up to an inch of ice, it was best to be prepared to stay home. 

Saturday afternoon, I ran some final errands...tanning, bank, liquor store, you know, the essentials. Fortunately, I had already done a complete restock of the kitchen right before the holiday. So, we were all set to stay in, as long as the power stayed on. Alex was getting on the road back to Michigan on Saturday evening, in an attempt to avoid the storm coming across the southeast. Layla and I went to 4pm Mass so that we wouldn't have any reason to leave the house come Sunday.

Sadly, as soon as we walked into Church, Layla mentioned her stomach hurt and started coughing. Before she could get inside the bathroom, she threw up on the floor. That was definitely not on my Bingo card for the weekend!

Needless to say, we didn't stay for Mass. Instead, I got Layla home where she suffered from the stomach flu for the next 24 hours.

Since Alex's break had come to an end, we were having a "final" family dinner. Chicken Marsala is a fan favorite, so I had committed to making an exorbitant amount. Poor Layla was down bad on the couch, but I packed a storage container for her to enjoy once she was feeling better.

Dinner was a success, Alex was on the road, the car was in the garage, Layla was vomiting, Grace and Jordan had made it safely back home, and Eva and I settled in for the great snow event.

Well, it did snow. And snow. And snow. And snow some more. From late Sunday night through mid-day Monday, it SNOWED!

In total, we got about 6.5 inches of snow at our house. Layla didn't resume school until Wednesday and even then it was a late start. Eva was called off of work for three days and because the roads were a mess, couldn't even leave the house. I was worried that she might have a nervous breakdown because she hasn't sat still since she got home in early December. However, it seemed the fact that no one could do anything finally gave her the opportunity to rest that she had not had. 

Even though I worked, it was really nice to have this extra at home time with the girls. On Sunday as Layla was starting to feel better from the stomach flu, I made French toast, scrambled eggs and coffee. Layla was cozied up on the living room pull out bed and Eva made herself comfortable in my bed. So, I couldn't help but serve them breakfast in bed! Sometimes you just have to make a moment special.

Once Layla was back in school, they only made it two days before the next snow event canceled everything again on Friday. Fortunately, by Friday evening the snow system had made it's way through the area. On Saturday, I spent the entire day cleaning and organizing, especially tackling the storage area in the basement. My regular Winter Project was well under way.

Sunday, I ran a few errands, went to Church, had my Aldi order delivered and reorganized the kitchen, fridge, pantry and all! The Eagles played in the Wild Card game that afternoon, so I made a homecooked meal of pressure cooked ribs, potato salad and a Mediterranean chopped salad to have at half time. The food was delicious and reminded my that I am actually a good cook. I've just gotten tired of doing it. And the Eagles won the game, so it was a great night all around. 

That night, I went to bed completely prepared for the new week with meals prepped and planned, lunches made, snacks stock and laundry complete. It finally felt like a fresh start.

And that is how I made 13 day into the new year before it felt NEW!

My goals for this year are for Fitness. Financial fitness, Spiritual fitness, Health Fitness, Career Fitness and Relationship Fitness. I'm happy to report I am on track on this Day One of 2025...or at least day one for me.

Weekend Wrap Up

Every weekend, I think that I'm going to get so much done. Then most weekends are so all consuming busy that I feel like I don't get anything done. And in the few moments that I have to accomplish my never ending to do list, I'm too exhausted or unmotivated to do anything!

However, this weekend was a little different. Maybe because it is what feels like the first official weekend of summer for me. Although Memorial Day weekend is typically what we consider the kick off to summer, I spent that weekend along with the few week days following on Eva's Senior Trip to Hilton Head Island. 

The following weekend, I was still trying to figure out what day it actually was! That weekend was jammed packed with catching up on household chores like cleaning and laundry and grocery shopping. It also included our annual Parish Festival plus my nephew, Ethan's, graduation party. By Sunday evening, I was again exhausted and felt completely unready for the next week.

This weekend, though, was slow paced while still chipping away at many tasks on my to do lists and several social events as well.

I would like to say my weekend got off to a good start due to my decisions on Thursday evening. It has been a very long time since I've had time in my house all by myself. Thursdays used to be my "me" night, but as the kids have gotten older, they spend more time home or coming and going through the house than they did when they were younger and still spent time at their dads. However, this Thursday I had a blissful few hours that I took complete advantage of!

When the house was empty, I took a nice long, hot shower and soaked in silence. For dinner, I heated up a Roasted Tomato and Chicken Risotto (one of my Factor meals that I'm really enjoying) and poured a glass of wine.

In my bedroom, I set up my bed tray and a side table for my food. Selected "Emily in Paris" from my Netflix queue, sprawled out across my bed and organized my life. Well...part of my life at least. I cleaned up the dozens of work emails I had, created my to do list, blocked out time on my calendar  to complete my work tasks the next day and week and even was able to answer a few emails. In just a little over an hour, days worth of stress and overwhelm dissipated when I was able to make sense of all the things I needed to work on.

I went to sleep earlier that night than most and sleep soundly.

Friday morning, I was able to start with a clear head and a renewed sense of how to be most productive in the day. By early afternoon, my to do list was almost complete and I just had one more meeting prior to getting in a little pool time.

In the afternoon, I packed up my laptop and work supplies and grabbed my pool bag. I love summer Fridays in which we are "offline" by the afternoon. Although I still need to be available and responsive for urgent items, it's awesome to spend these afternoons lounging in the pool.

When arriving at my parent's pool, I realized my nieces and friends were also lounging at the pool. A little annoyed, I focused on answering a few more emails and then found a shady place to read for awhile. Eventually, they packed up on went on with their day leaving me with a few joyous hours of floating in the pool all by myself.

In the early evening, I placed an order for Dominos Pizza to be delivered and packed up my stuff to head home. It was just Eva, Layla and I at home that night. I had decided on a pizza and movie night on the big screen and projector in the basement. Eva didn't participate because a). she's 18 and does what she wants and b). she had the ACT early the next morning. Layla, however, begrudgingly obliged because she did not have an option. We watched the Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood, a classic summer move that I had not seen in many years. Layla said it was too long and too boring. I really can't trust her assessment, though, since I'm pretty sure she was on her phone the entire time just with it hidden under a blanket so I wouldn't know.

Following the movie, we all retreated to our respective bedrooms for the night.

Saturday morning, I was up early to make Eva an avocado toast with poached egg prior to her leaving for the ACT. During that time, I indulged in several cups of steaming, strong black coffee.  I drink coffee every day, but for some reason the coffee that morning was exceptional. After Eva left and I did a little catch up on personal emails, I took one of the most glorious naps of my life. As much as I love to nap, I don't really get much more than 20 minutes and/or I can't sleep at all anyway. That Saturday mid morning was completely different. I felt like a new person when I woke up!

The rest of Saturday afternoon was spent running a few errands and going to two different graduation parties. Layla was again thrilled that I drug her along to all of these activities as well. Wrapping up the last grad party, I realized we were only a few minutes away from a Catholic Church with a Saturday evening Mass at 5pm. Thinking since we were already out and dressed up, we might as well fulfill our Sunday Mass obligation on Saturday night. Then, we'd have the full day on Sunday to do whatever we (I) wanted. And my big plan was to spend the entire day relaxing at the river.

The Sunday morning weather had much different plans, though. I awoke to the sound of rain which continued until the late afternoon. Quickly, I determined that a river trip just wasn't in the cards for the day. So, instead, I poked around the house all day completing odds and ends like putting away clothes, cleaning kitchen cabinets, dusting and sweeping floors, making a mental to do list of household repairs and updating our family calendar for the rest of the month. By the afternoon, I decided I needed to prep as many meals and snacks as I could. Mainly because I had some fruits and veggies that weren't going to make it through the week if I didn't do something with them. I made omelet bites, sliced veggies, prepped smoothie bags, made a banana pudding, pre cooked sheet pan fajitas for later in the week and made a Creamy Tomato and Italian Sausage linguine and garlic bread for dinner that night.

By Sunday evening, I am relaxed and happy. I am again sprawled out over my bed with a Netflix show and organizing my work for the next day.

It has been a long time since I've found this level of contentment. And I'm so glad I'm here right now in this moment.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

 "I had the best day with you today"! - Taylor Swift

That quote pretty much sums up the entire girls weekend and the experience of Taylor Swift.

I never considered myself a "Swiftie".  But, I am now.  She is an admirable woman and the positive energy she exudes, is contagious.  From the beautiful strong women that filled the football stadium, to the words she writes, the music she makes, the emotion and true humanly love she emits all the way down to the secret chants and friendship bracelets, Taylor Swift is the experience of a lifetime!

I'm so filled with emotions. My heart is overfilling with love and joy because I got to live this experience with my favorite girls in the world.  Grace, Eva and Layla, thank you for best day!

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour - THE EXPERIENCE

Kansas City, MO

July 8, 2023

The Big Event! (OMG)

This Christmas, I surprised the Eva and Layla (and Grace, but she knew because she helped), with a girls trip for an event of a lifetime.  The stress we endured to obtain admission into this event and the anxiousness of keeping it a surprise and figuring out how to do the surprise on Christmas morning, only added to the value of this experience.  And it truly is an experience.

Because we take turns opening gifts on Christmas morning, I didn't want to make this surprise and actual gift.  I needed it to be something all of them could open at the same time.  But, I also didn't want to make it a stand alone gift just given by me.

As I was finishing up Santa's workshop on Christmas Eve, it dawned on me what to do.  Since we open stockings more casually and at the same time, I decided to add this surprise to the stockings.  Even better, we don't open stockings until after all the presents and after breakfast.  So, this made the surprise element even better.  By the time we got to the stockings, if they had any hope of getting this gift, they were no longer anticipating it.

It turned out the stocking moment was an EPIC moment.

Fast forward to this weekend, we are going to the Taylor Swift ERA's Tour!!!

The girls have been amazing in preparing for this girls trip!  They have swiped my credit card (and sometimes their's) to buy all of the fun, girly, Swiftie stuff they can find!  Eva has designed the entire room and the selection of food and drink.  My role is to buy the stuff and prep the food.  Everything else is a surprise!

Because they use my Amazon, I know of some of their "surprises", but also did my best not to look.  We have each taken an ERA and my final pieces just got here this week.  At the last minute this weekend, I also decided that I needed to put "Car Bags" together for us. Since we were traveling about four hours to Kansas City, I wanted everyone to have some snacks and drinks, plus some essentials like phone chargers.  

Tonight, I planned my outfits, packed my bags and assembled my gift bags for everyone.

Tomorrow, we are leaving at 9am.  We are stopping by Waterway (Eva's work) to get gas and then hitting up a Starbucks.  We have the ERA's tour setlist ready to play on repeat and we are...

...Ready for It   

The Summer Storm

Over the holiday weekend, we had quite the thunderstorm roll through our area.  Although the weather was beautiful most of the weekend, on Saturday evening, the storm moved through.

I had just finished up my Saturday chores at the house and decided to reward myself with some pool time.  It was an extremely hot day!  As I was driving over to my parents, I could see there were some storm clouds moving in.  Thinking to myself, if figured I could probably get an hour of floating in the pool before the rain came in.  I got to my parents, laid in the pool alternating reading my book and watching the sky.  After about 30 minutes or so, the wind started to pick up and I decided pool time was over.  I cleaned up the deck and sat at the table under the pergola finishing up a chapter and drink, while also being prepared to pack and run.  As soon as the first raindrop hit, I grabbed my bag and made a mad dash for the patio door.  No, I wasn't afraid I was going to melt with a little rainfall.  But the sky was dark, the wind was wild and the rain was coming down fast!

I made it inside just in time and watched the storm from all the windows in the house.  It was crazy how more intense it was in the front yard than in the backyard...or at least it seemed that way.  It was also lovely to hear the rain pound on the roof of the back patio room and see the lightening streak across the sky.  In the front, I could see the force of the wind as trees were bending and branches snapping.

At one point, the wind became loud.  Not quite like the roar of a train, but kind of like hearing that muted some, like it was in the distance.  That is when I knew I should move to the basement.  I turned on the TV to a local channel to get the storm updates.  Once the eye of the storm had moved out of the area, I went to assess any damage.  And then the lights went out, and quickly back on.  Whew!  

Throughout the front and back yard, there were downed limbs and branches, but no damage to the house.  Out on the pool deck, chairs were blown amuck and one ended up in the pool.  Plants were turned over and the pergola cover had a pretty big tear.  All in all, the mess was minimal, unless that chair in the pool tore the liner.  The rain had slowed to a slow drizzle so I went through the yard and started to clean up.  I wasn't looking forward to getting into the pool, but I didn't see any alternative to getting the chair out.  As I'm lifting the metal chair over my head and out of the pool, in the distance lightening strikes.  At that moment, all I could think is that that would be one dumb way to die and quickly got of the pool and back inside.

Once I had dried off, I was cold in the air conditioning.  I went down stairs to find a jacket or sweatshirt to borrow and head what sounded like water running.  When I investigated, I found rain just gushing in through the flu.  My dad had several buckets and a few towels there already, so I knew this must be a reoccurring problem.  I found some spare towels in the garage and began mopping up and creating a barrier to keep the water from getting through the whole basement.  After about an hour of this work, I felt like it was under control.  And then I found another puddle in the backroom and mopped up some more.  Finally, I put all of the towels in the wash and began the wash cycle.

I turned back on the TV and decided I deserved a margarita while I watched a show and waited to finish the laundry.  As soon as I got up to make a margarita, the power went out.  And it stayed out.

I called my parents as they were on their way to church and filled them in on the events of the day.  I then packed up my stuff and was going to head home in hopes I had power and that there wasn't any damage.

As I was walking to my car, Laura comes flying into the driveway like a crazy person.  Apparently, her power is also out and she needs to get ready for work.  I inform her of the unfortunate and she speeds off to figure out something else.  Right before, Bev, comes flying up out front.  She's there to check on the house because she too is out of power.  I also inform her of the situation and that the house is back in order thanks to all of my efforts.

When I got home, I'm pleasantly surprised that I do have power and it barely even looked like a storm went through.  After the adventures of the day, I was so happy to have a relaxed and cozy night at home.

Let Freedom Ring!

 I am so glad I took Monday off work!  After a great weekend in which I got so much accomplished and also made time for rest, I was super excited to have some fun to celebrate the Fourth of July.

On Monday morning, I got up early(ish) and went out for a walk.  Then I made biscuits and gravy, eggs over easy and mimosas for brunch.  I have recently been loving brunch!  I think it's because I'm really not that hungry until 10am or later and then I can still eat breakfast food.  Plus, champagne!  

After brunch, I pulled out all of my patriotic decorations and got the house ready to celebrate our freedom.  I checked in a little bit on work, and as expected, it was very quiet.

In the late afternoon, I made some hot dogs and mac and cheese and packed up a cooler for the Heritage Festival.  We have been going to this Festival for almost a decade and it never really disappoints.  We know where to park, where to shuttle, where to sit and what to expect.  We get there in enough time to see the country music performers and judge them on their abilities.  This year, the opening acts were pretty decent and because they play a lot of cover songs, the crowd was up and dancing.  The main act, however, was not as impressive.  It was pretty clear early in the performance that he was inebriated.  Through his performance, he may have actually sang three songs.  The rest was just him talking (or rambling) about things no one cared about and also yelling to the crowd "YEAH!!".  I typically give a lot of leeway to small town Missouri festival performers, but this guy was just annoying!  Thank goodness it wasn't a long set block and the music for the fireworks was a ton better.

The firework display was also good, although it felt a little short.  That really could have been because I was also cleaning up and packing up so that as soon as the fireworks were over, we could head out of the park and to the parking lot.  It seemed like as soon as I was able to pay attention to the fireworks, they were over!  They were good, nonetheless.

The exit from the park was uneventful, which is a blessing.  Layla and I got home a little before midnight and called it a night.  We didn't have definitive plans for the actual fourth of July, but we knew we were going to do something.

For the fourth of July, we slept in some and enjoyed another brunch.  This brunch was pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausage.  Plus mimosas!  For the afternoon, my parents had invited us over for a late lunch / early dinner and some swimming.  My brother and one of my sisters were there with their kids, as well.  So Layla had a lot of company, whether she wanted it or not.  In the early evening, Layla and I went home to clean up for another local firework display.  

Layla had been chatting with some school friends and realized some of them might be at the Bridgeton fireworks.  This is the only thing she really wanted to do all weekend.  Although I was a little ready to wind down, especially since I did have to work the next day, I knew it was important to her, so we went.  We got there in the early evening with a cooler of drinks and snacks plus our chairs and blanket.  They had several food trucks including Kona Ice, so I treated Layla to a snow-cone.  There was a local band that played some 90's tunes and they weren't half bad!  Layla had so much fun walking around and catching up with her friends.  It was on this day that I realized just how much she has grown up this summer.  She's no longer a little girl but developing into a beautiful young woman.  Watching her just be her brought a few tears to my eyes and a few moments of reflection on just how fast time goes.

Once the fireworks were starting, Layla came back over to watch with me.  The music and the display was phenomenal!  This was one of the very best fireworks display I have ever seen.  It was pretty long and we even took a few minutes to lay down on the blanket and let it fireworks look like they were raining down on us.

After the fireworks, we took our time leaving the park and had no intention on getting out of the parking lot anytime soon.  To be honest, the Bridgeton police that were monitoring parking and directing traffic and just jerks.  So, to keep myself from getting into trouble by running my mouth when one of those pompous jerks says something arrogant and condescending, I decided we were just wait out the traffic.  We had extra snacks and drinks and were just going to chill in the car.  Eventually, a guy let us pull out in front of him and we were working our way out of the lot.  Once we got home, we cleaned up the best we could and I called it a night.  It was back to work tomorrow, and although I anticipated it being quiet still, I did have to be present.  And....our big event is coming up quickly!

Self Care is What You Make It

The fourth of July weekend was upon us.  At the last minute, I took Monday, July 3rd off work.  It seemed a little silly to have the weekend off work on a Monday and then have Tuesday off.  Most others in the company felt the same way, as there were a ton of out of offices.  I didn't really have a problem working on Monday because a). I work from home and b). no one else was really working.  But, after a little more thought, decided it would be nice to completely check out of work mode for four full days!

Layla was scheduled to go with her dad for the holiday weekend.  Eva had all the plans between work, Evan and friends.  She'd be in and out all weekend at home at nights.  Alex was back in Michigan through the holiday and Grace had decided to spend the weekend in Cape doing some final things before preparing to move home.  So, Friday after work, I had the house to myself!  At least for a little while.  I knew this would be one of the last times the house wouldn't always be full.  This seemed like the perfect (and only) opportunity for a few self-care days.  And by self-care days, I mean do all of the home things I hadn't gotten to yet.  It might sound strange, but this is self-care to me!  I needed to spend some intentional time getting organized, prepared and start writing some things down to get the running list out of my head.  Plus, I was going to sprinkle in some true self-care items like a long, hot shower with freshly cleaned towels, hair care and root touch up, walks and yummy food.

Friday night was dedicated to lounging.  I baked a French Bread Pizza and added some fresh, green peppers as a topping, poured a glass of wine and cozied up in my recliner in the basement to binge watch TV on the projector.  I just tried to let my mind unwind.  It felt amazing to go to bed relatively early and get a good night's sleep!

Saturday morning, I forced myself to stay in bed until 8am.  I had been awake off and on since 6, but my body still needed some rest.  Once up and moving, I got right to my normal Saturday morning activities (that I hadn't gotten to in weeks), such as bills and budget, meal planning, calendar updates, grocery shopping (online is the best!), and starting laundry.  When listing these out, it really doesn't seem like that much.  But, all of this easily takes me 4 hours.  And it's hard to dedicate that time block when we have a lot going on.  These are also necessary items to run an efficient household.  So, it is always soothing to me when I can dedicate the time and reset for the next several weeks.

Saturday afternoon, because I got my chores done, I rewarded myself with a trip to the pool.  I made a little lunch, backed up a towel, a book and a cooler and drove over to my parent's house.  They were in the country for the holiday weekend and I also had their house and pool to myself!  I turned on some music and floated in a raft with my book while sipping a refreshing beverage.  The weather was hot and the float helped me to unwind a little bit more.

Saturday evening, I took a long, hot shower and put on my most comfy pajamas.  I made myself some lobster ravioli and a glass of wine.  Then I turned on a movie until I started to fall asleep.

Sunday morning, I got up a little earlier so that I could get a few more things done around the house before going to Church.  The laundry I had started on Saturday had the last load in the dryer.  So, this morning, I sit and fold for about an hour.  It has also became the routine way that I start my Sundays; make coffee, fold laundry, watch Top 20 Countdown on CMT, get ready for Church.

After Mass, I took Layla back over to her dad's and drove out to pick up my groceries.  I order online but I order from a Walmart Market that is about a 30 minute drive.  I do this because I like their selection and service. And the Sunday drive is therapeutic for me, too.  

Post groceries, I cleaned out the fridge and cabinets, unloaded groceries and did a little meal prepping for the week ahead.  We have a big trip coming up next weekend, so I also starting putting food and snacks together to take along with us.  Late Sunday afternoon, I knew I needed to get some exercise in, other than the manual labor of the weekend.  I turned on a podcast and did my normal 3 mile walk within the neighborhood. Then I came home and took a nap!  Napping isn't an easy thing for me, most times I can't sleep longer than 20 minutes.  But this time, it was a peaceful 45 minutes and just what I needed.  I had put a whole chicken in the oven prior to laying down for the nap and I woke up to the delicious aroma of it roasting.  Sunday night was low key.  We had a family dinner and then relaxed for the night.  

Overall, the weekend was a huge success in the ways of preparation, organization, and feeling ready to take on the week.  And the best part was that I still have two more days to do the fun things!

A Birthday Weekend Recap

 The month of June has flown by and it seems like the days leading up to Layla's birthday lasted only seconds.  With the stress of work and some things personally, plus a few summer time activities here and there, we are at the birthday party time and I had not really prepared.

Whenever I asked Layla what she wanted to do for her birthday, her response was always, "I don't care," or "It doesn't matter".  Then, whenever I would suggest something, she would tell me no that is not what she wants to do.  So, it became a little challenging to figure out what to do when anything and nothing was fine.

In the end, I settled on having a family birthday party on Friday night.  We couldn't really come up with an acceptable theme, so in the end it was just birthday.  After being in the office on Thursday day, I stopped by the dollar store on the way home to pick up some party decorations and then to the grocery store for the ice cream cake and the last of the food items on my list.

That night, I set out to make over 50 sandwiches to serve as dinner to our family guests.  Last weekend and through out the week I made several pounds of Italian Beef and several pounds of chicken.  Thursday night was when I was to prep all of the sandwiches.  They definitely took more time to put together than I anticipated, but seemed to be a crowd pleaser once served.  Additional food items included chips, a veggie tray and a plain garden salad (per Layla's request).  Dessert was the ice cream cake, ice cream cups and brownies.  Drinks were sodas, capri suns, lemonade and beer (of course)!

Saturday, we had a pretty low key day around the house.  I spent most of it cleaning up from the party and starting my weekend chores of laundry and housecleaning.  Saturday evening, we get ready for the All Souls festival and were about to leave to meet my parents and Chimi's for dinner when my sister called and said they were going to Nick and Elena's.  Honestly,  I didn't want to spend money on either, but I was hungry.  So we decided on the pizza and salads.

After dinner, we went to the festival for the evening.  It was laid back and the music was tolerable.  Although I didn't win any money on pull tabs, it was fun nonetheless to spend more time with my family.

On Sunday, we attended Mass at 10am.  It was very bittersweet as it would be the last Mass Father Dolan would say prior to his retirement.  It was also the last 10am Mass to ever be held at Our Lady of the Presentation.  A few weeks ago, we were informed that our Church would be closing.  That is something that has taken me a while to process.

After Mass on Sunday, we came home to have a small brunch and sing happy birthday to Layla since it was her actual birthday.  Then, I started prepping for the night.  Layla did conceded that we could go to the drive in on her birthday to see Elemental and The Little Mermaid.  This was her third time watching The Little Mermaid, but she was excited for Elemental.  

The drive in was a blast.  It was not very crowded at all!  I had planned to pick up KFC on the way out but since the box office opened an hour later than I thought, we had more time to kill.  Instead, we found ourselves at Syberg's in which Layla and I shared their chicken dinner and we all got some apps to share.  

Once we got to the drive in, it was much closer to showtime than I had planned.  I wanted the kids (Layla, Ruth and Charlotte) to play at the playground for a little while so that Laura and I could get the car and chairs set up.  However, the playground had already closed by the time we got there.  We didn't have much time at all to set up before the show started.  But, we got it done.

Both movies were great and the kids got along and cooperated well.  It was late when were leaving the parking lot and we're apprehensive that our GPS would take us through some not safe parts of East St. Louis.  So, to avoid that, we ended up driving an additional 40 minutes out of the way.  It wasn't my favorite part of the night, but glad to avoid what could be a pretty scary area, especially for two women and three girls.

Once we got home, we crashed hard and slowly made our way out of bed on Monday morning.  I had taken the day off work to recover from the weekend activities and decided that it would be the perfect afternoon to go to the lake. We definitely got out of town later than anticipated (moving slowly, long wait at the DMV and oil change place, waiting on all to get ready).  We we did finally get to the lake, the girls got permission from my sister to go to the water, but I wasn't aware or ready.  While I was trying to set up on the beach, they started hollering and I noticed the brand new flamingo float was over the line and drifting down the river.  Within minutes, the unicorn float (also brand new) was following behind the flamingo.  I was so irritated because a) I was hot and trying to set up and b) they were brand new and they couldn't have just waited a few minutes.  Additionally during this time we were trying to set up a new canopy that was just not cooperating with us.  I finally gave up on it and threw in on the ground.  I started to pack it up while complaining that I was ready just to pack up all of stuff and go back home.  It was definitely not one of my finest moments of the day.

I am super proud of the girls for letting the floats go as opposed to trying to swim after them.  Once I cooled off a little, I was able to tell them this.  It was much better to lose some Amazon floats than to lose them.

The day ended up being okay with just some minor annoyances.  I forgot how taxing it is to keep and eye on little kids in the water.  I am definitely out of practice there!

Once we did finally start to pack up, Charlotte noticed a lady getting ready to take a small canoe out.  She politely asked her if she thought she might be able to canoe out to get their rafts that had washed up on the bank further down the lake.  It was like they were staring at us and mocking us from the side bank the entire day we were on the beach.  The lady was kind enough to try and with a few attempts and some big effort on her part, she rescued the floats for the girls just in time for us to call it a day.  She really was an angel sent to help!

On the way home, we made a quick little detour to get ice cream at General Custards.  We were pleased to see they had a drive through so we didn't have to unload everyone from the car again.  The frozen custard was a big hit and after the sugar rush, the kids crashed for about an hour on the car ride home.  

Once home, we unloaded and I gave Alex a hug as he was headed out on the road to drive back to Michigan for the next few weeks.  With Alex back on the road and Layla settled in for the night, I took a nice long shower and got myself ready for work the next day.  I did need to be in the office, so a little more prep took place than usual.  

As is always the case, I could have used just one more day off to truly do nothing and recover.  I'm not very good at allowing myself that time.  But, it does seem I am good at having a fantastic birthday celebration.

Small Town Fun

 As the summer kicks off, I have been keeping an eye out for things to do in our local community.  We spend so much time in our virtual networks or at school or work, that we often overlook the activities that are happening right in our neighborhood. 

Last week, I was needing to get out of the house.  Primarily working from home gives me the desire to get out and do something at the end of the day.  I get a little stir crazy always being at home.  So, one evening last week, I thought it might be nice to go get some ice cream.  But, it wasn't so much the ice cream I was craving as much as it was just to do something. 

Since the weather was nice, I decided that we should walk to Skeeters, our local frozen custard store.  Layla wasn't too keen on the walking part, but because there was ice cream as the end goal, she obliged.  We also decided to take Addy, our 1 year old Australian Cattle dog, on the walk with us.  To get to Skeeters from our house, it is just a little over a mile walk.  Addy and Layla both did great!  When we got to the ice cream place, I was worried that Addy would go nuts because there were so many people there.  But, she didn't!  Although she is a friendly dog, she is also pretty shy.  She just stayed right by us and was in heaven when we gave her a pup cup.

While we were out for the walk, I noticed the sign for the Concert in the Park coming up the following Wednesday.  On a whim last month, Layla and I met Laura and Charlotte to go to the first Concert in the Park.  We didn't really know what to expect but thought we'd check it out.  It was at the park just down the street from my house, so if it was terrible we didn't have to travel far to get home.  Upon arriving, we noticed the food truck from Pappy's and were stoked to eat some barbeque.  We were looking for the place to buy tickets to purchase the food when were informed by the city staff that this was a completely free event.  They handed us each a food ticket and we were in shock as we received our completely free pulled chicken sandwiches and chips.  In true Pappy's fashion, the food was delicious.  Laura and I got settled into our seats as the girls enjoyed playing at the park.  

I don't remember the name of the band that night, but they did a great job of covering some popular songs.  It was a lovely evening and a much needed break from being at home.

So, this week I noticed that the June Concert in the Park was scheduled.  Since Layla and I had such a great time last month, we decided to go again.  This time, she brought her friend Mia along with us.  Once we got there and got set up, we went on the hunt for food.  Instead of a food truck this time, the city was grilling cheeseburgers.  We got our food tickets and waited in line for a burger, chips and drink.  By the time the burger was placed on my plate, I was starving!  The girls and I found our spot in the grass and dug into our food as the band began to play. I was about half way through my burger when I the bite I took was clearly not cooked through.  At that point, I couldn't even think about taking another bite and threw the burger away. The girls had better luck with theirs, however.  As the girls took off to play at the park, I enjoyed a quiet evening by myself listening to the band.

Over the weekend, I went out of a walk on Saturday morning.  After completing my normal route (2 loops around the block, down the street to Church and back and another loop around the block), I decided I wasn't quite ready to be done walking.  I stopped inside quickly for a bathroom break and to grab my wallet.  I then walked up to the local coffee shop, LaJoy's, and got myself an iced coffee.  The coffee shop is super close to my house, but I decided to take the long way home as it lead me by the weekly farmer's market that was still going on.  I didn't spend much time at the market, but did do a quick peruse of the selections.  For a small town, there was quite the variety of homemade goods.  I made a note to myself to come back at some point over the summer to do some shopping to support our local businesses.  

By the time I got home, I had walked over 5 miles that morning.  I got to see parts of the town I don't frequent often and was reminded just how much there is to offer right in my own community.

The Return of the Alex

 Summer time is here and that means that Alex returns from college in Michigan.  Just like when he left for school this fall, returning  home to live for the summer comes with some big adjustments.  In true Alex fashion, he doesn't actually plan on spending much time at home.  He has decided to spend his summer in two week intervals bouncing between home in St. Louis and his new home of Grand Rapids, Michigan.  

Following his 19th birthday, Alex came home for the first time this summer on May 20th.  During this visit, he was also bringing his new girlfriend and they would be staying for two weeks.  The week leading up to him coming home, I feverishly cleaned the basement which is doubling as his room.  In the spring, I had bought new living room furniture so I was able to move the older furniture downstairs to create a living room area. When Alex came home over Easter break with his roommate, it was essential to have additional bedding so everyone had a place to sleep.  The couch has a pull out bed and it was perfect for Cal, his roommate, to have his own space.

However, it was during that week that I realized that the bed on the couch was just becoming the bed.  It never did get folded back up to utilize the living room area as I had intended.  The basement was also quickly overcome with a mess.  After they went back to school, I put the bed back and cleaned up some, but didn't give it a lot of time or attention with all else that we had going on.

So, when he was going to be coming home with his girlfriend, it was important for me to have a nice clean space for them.  I was able to secure an additional single bed from my sister and cleaned out the corner of the basement that was primarily toys.  It took me a good solid working day, but I transformed the basement back to a workable living space.  Alex had his bed.  The couch and loveseat were serving the purpose of the living room area and a separate space was set up with a bed, mirror, desk and chair for his girlfriend to have her own space.  It wasn't fancy, but it was clean and workable.

By the first night of them being home, I realized my efforts may not have even been worth it.  The clean space quickly became a mess and the extra bed was never utilized.  Eventually, I gave up on it being a functional space for anyone but him and his friends and decided if the mess didn't bother them, it would just leave it be.  Because the basement is a walk out, it did become like his own personal apartment minus the kitchen and bathroom.  He seemed perfectly happy with the set up (and the mess he created) so I suppose that is a win.

His girlfriend, Lauren, is perfectly nice.  She is very quiet and didn't say a whole lot.  But she was polite and kind and honestly just tried to stay out of the way.  That is not an easy thing to do when the house is full of people, I work from home and we have only one bathroom.

Prior to memorial day weekend, Alex and Lauren packed back up and left for Michigan.  Lauren is from Grand Rapids and they would be spending the next two weeks with her family in Michigan.  This week, Alex has arrived back home again, but Lauren did not come with him.  She also has obligations in Michigan to attend to and will be leaving for college in Massachusetts this fall.  During this time, Alex is focusing on working and catching up with local friends.  He has quite a few shifts lined up at the local Applebees and is in desperate need to add some funds to his bank account.  He has a few lunches scheduled with old school mates and is trying to squeeze in as much sand volleyball as possible. 

Alex is here through Layla's birthday (June 25) and then he is going back to Michigan to work a few shifts there and spend the Fourth of July weekend on Lake Michigan with Lauren and her family.  Around July 10th, he will come back to St. Louis to spend the rest of the summer.  We leave for vacation on August 5th and return on August 12th.  That following week, Eva and Layla start school and Alex will be going back to Michigan to start the fall semester of his sophomore year.

I was a little disappointed in the disjointed scheduling for the summer.  Selfishly, I just wanted Alex to be home with me and the family for the whole summer.  However, as we have survived parts 1 and 2 of his return, we have also appreciated the time when he has been away this summer.  I hope it is giving him the best of both worlds.  I know he'll have an amazing holiday on the lake and look forward to a few more weeks of him at home prior to the end of summer.

And as far as the basement goes, well, I've given up.  I did my best to make it nice and comfortable.  And if he is comfortable with a mess, so be it.  In September, once he is officially back in school, I will tackle the mess he left behind so that we can have our extra living space back and it is ready for him to destroy when he comes home again for fall break. 

Sister Time in Cape Girardeau

 After carefully reviewing all of our calendars, it was determined this past weekend through this week is the only time this summer where Layla could spend some time with Grace at her apartment in Cape Girardeau. With Layla starting club soccer in July and Grace moving back to St. Louis at the end of July and all other activities on the calendar, I wanted to be sure they got this sister time together.

On Friday afternoon, we packed up all of our stuff (me for the weekend and Layla for the entire week).  Attempting to utilize the "summer Fridays" offered at my work, we hit the road a little after 3pm.  We made a quick stop at Waterway for discounted gas (thanks, Eva!) and to say goodbye to Eva who would be staying home through the weekend to work.  Once on the road, we hit a small amount of traffic but were soon cruising along down highway 55.

That evening, our plan was to have low key night and hang out at the complex pool.  A little night swimming and some pizza was what was on our agenda.  However, prior to arriving, Grace had received a message from the complex that the pool would be closed for maintenance.  That put a wrinkle into our predetermined plans.  Instead, when we go there, we spent close to an hour looking for things to do in Cape Girardeau.  It turns out that there really isn't much to do!  So, we found ourselves at El Torrero's eating average Mexican food and drinking fantastic margaritas.

After dinner, we went back to the apartment where Layla and Grace played some video games prior to calling it an early night.  Somehow, I was able to get a decent night's sleep even though the smoke alarm low battery alert chirped every 45 seconds through out the night.

The next morning, we were all up relatively early.  My lower back / sciatic nerve joint had been bothering me all week making it painful and uncomfortable to walk, especially in the early part of the day.  I've learned that the best way to manage this pain is to be more active.  It is especially painful in the morning because of the inactivity during the night's sleep.  So, I put on my tennis shoes, grabbed my fanny pack and air pods and set out for a little walk through the neighborhood.  It was nice to get out and get moving right away.  And, I discovered that the neighborhood is not quite as flat as my neighborhood walking route back at home.  It was already turning into a hot day and the extra hills added a little challenge to my workout.

Once back at the apartment, everyone was up and moving.  Grace and I headed off to the grocery store to pick up the items we needed for our trip to the lake along with some meats to grill that evening back at the apartment.  Once the food was prepped, the coolers packed and Jordan's amazing cocktail mixed up and ready to serve, we loaded into the car to go to Trail of Tears.  It is super convenient that the lake and beach access is only 20 minutes from Grace's place.  Back home, it is easily an hour drive to find access to water.  The short drive was a huge plus.

At the beach, the crowds were already forming.  We were able to set up our spot with the beach blanket and chairs and then grabbed our rafts for the water.  Because it was a super hot day, we did spend most of the time floating in the water.  We enjoyed sandwiches and salads along with fruits and cheeses as our lunch on the beach.  And, we consumed a few cocktails to really set the beach mood.  After a few hours, Layla and Jordan were exhausted by the sun.  Me, I could spend all day and all night on the beach.  But, realizing this was not about me, I obliged to pack up our beach day and return to the apartment.

That evening, Jordan grilled us up some hot dogs and hamburgers along with a few steak kabobs Grace and I had picked up from the store.  Grace made corn on the cob and baked potatoes.  We had quite the feast while sitting on the back patio listening to some tunes.

That evening, Grace and I rewatched the Vanderpump Rules part 2 of the reunion.  We have become obsessed with this reality show and the Scandaval.  Grace would actually be coming into St. Louis on Thursday evening so that we can watch the final reunion show together...and she would be bringing Layla home with her.

We made it another early night.  That is not hard to do when you start the day earlier and pack it full of activities.  The next morning, I got up early, said my goodbyes and headed out early.  Once home, I was able to unpack, start laundry and clean up the house.  Eva was at work, so I had most of the day to myself.  It was good to reset and get organized for the week ahead.

Layla is delighted to spend the week with Grace.  Although Grace is working during the day, she has plenty of activities planned for Layla.  Tonight, she was taking her out for a special dinner, all you can eat crab legs.  Layla was in heaven.  Later this week, they have some swimming planned along with a night at the movies to see The Little Mermaid (a second time for Layla) and a self-care girls night in.

I'm so happy that not only do they get this time together but they truly want to spend time together.  I'm so proud of my kids and their love for each other.  This is the stuff memories are made of.

Memorial Day Weekend: The Unofficial Start of Summer

 Not long after Layla and I got home from the pool was it that Grace and Jordan arrived.  We spent a little time catching up while I put the groceries away and run them through the tentative plan for the next day.  As I was winding down for bed, they were heading over to play video games with her dad.  

The next morning, I was up rather early as that seems to be my pattern.  After my normal morning chores, I began to prep the BBQ for the day.  I had removed some pulled chicken from the freezer before I went to bed last night and it was defrosting nicely.  I put that into the crock pot to start heating up and planned to just bring it along with us.  The rest was pretty easy; baked beans, coleslaw and potato salad, all bought from the deli the night before.  I grabbed a box of mac and cheese along with plates, napkins and plastic ware.  Next up was to pack the cooler and we'd be set.

Once we got to the pool and got ourselves situated, we realized we didn't bring any snacks.  Grace and Jordan hadn't really eaten at all that day, so they were willing to go back to Schnuck's for some chips and dips.  They were gone about 30 minutes and the snacks were fire.

Throughout the afternoon, we splashed in the pool, laid in the sun reading books, and enjoyed a delicious BBQ dinner.  That evening, we had some ice cream sandwiches and cleaned up the deck and house.  It was such a delightful day.  We are truly blessed to have the luxury of a "pool house" and my parents generosity in allowing us to use it while they are away.

On Sunday, we made it to 10am Mass and then I put together a small brunch following.  Grace and Jordan were heading back home and Layla and I were heading out to the river.  Multi-tasking at my best, I cooked eggs and bacon while also making salads and sandwiches to take with us to the river.  I've honed these skills over the years and we all made it out of the house only 10 minutes later than planned.

The river was quite crowded that Sunday afternoon, but we made the best of it.  It's so much easier to take up less space when it is just the two of us with limited beach equipment.  The first time we tried to go to the river this season, the sky clouded over and by the time we reached O'Fallon, we could see the storm moving in.  At the very next street, I flipped around and we out ran the storm back home.  Disappointed that we didn't get the river time, this time is all the better.  We only stayed for a few hours and spent most of the time on beach doing some reading.  It was a pretty peaceful day.

Sunday evening was uneventful.  We had fried chicken that I had bought from the deli along with the leftover sides from the weekend BBQ.  I took a long, hot shower and climbed into bed early.  It was some restful self care that I needed after a fun and active weekend.

Monday was like my bonus Sunday.  Having the day off, allowed me to do all of the normal housework that I do on Sundays.  I did laundry, cleaned the house, swept the floors, scrub the bathrooms and washed all of the dishes.  The house was sparkling clean (well, I don't know about "sparkling" per se, but clean nonetheless).  I was prepared for the next week of work, you know the real American dream for which our heroes fought. I feel like I am ready to take on this summer break!

The End of Another School Year

 Today is the the last day of school for Layla.  She has successfully completed her 6th grade year and it feels like time is flying by as she is growing up.  I don't know who is more excited for the school year to be ending, though.  I know Layla is looking forward to a lazy summer spent sleeping in and lounging around with her phone as her single source of entertainment.  I, however, am looking forward to not having to get her up to get ready and then drive her to school.  I'm looking forward to not having to finagle pick up schedules and put a little more time back in my weekdays.

School dismissal is at 11am today followed by a school picnic with a food truck at the park across the street.  Since I'm not a big fan of school picnic, or school people or school parents or socializing in general, I decided we'd go.  Makes tons of sense, right?!  Honestly, I needed to kill a little time between after school and the next activity I had planned.  Plus, I knew Layla would enjoy spending a little free time and celebrating the end of the school year with her friends.

Since I had taken the day off work and Layla was to be taken to school by her dad, I was able to start my morning with some prep work for the day and holiday weekend. I packed up a picnic lunch, since neither of us were all that interested in the food truck options.  And to ensure I got a table in my prime location, I decided to get to the park at 10am.  To my surprise, there were no other school families there!  I really thought it would have been swarming with school moms setting up camp for their precious darlings.  Delighted I wouldn't have to make small talk for awhile at least, I found the best picnic table (and the one I had been manifesting) and dropped off the picnic basket and blanket.  This particular picnic table was furthest away from all other picnic tables and allowed me a great view of both the park and the soccer field. Feeling accomplished, I put in my air pods and strapped on my fanny pack to get a few miles in via the walking loop at the park.

When it was getting close to dismissal time, I headed across the street to pick up Layla and my niece, Charlotte from their last day.  I knew they might complain about having to walk back across the street with all of their stuff, but I was not going to risk my primo park parking to drive over to pick them up.

Once we successfully made it to the park, I realized just how great it was to have this table so far removed from others.  It was true bliss!

We enjoyed a small lunch and then the girls ran off to play while I listened to some music and caught up on emails.

When our allotted hour was over, I packed up our belongings and called for the girls.  I snapped a few mandatory last day of school pictures and we headed out of the park blaring the original "Schools Out" play list in the car.

We had enough time in our schedule to drop Charlotte off at home and then swing by our house so that Layla could change clothes.  Meanwhile, I swapped out our park gear for our movie theater gear and we we off to the movies.

The Little Mermaid had just premiered the night before and Layla had asked for only one thing on the last day of school, to see this movie.  I was thrilled to find a 1pm showing at the closest theater and even more excited that it would be in 3-D.

Although the movie was not exactly like the original, it was tremendous.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  And Layla did too!  It was a nice and cool way to celebrate the beginning of summer break.

After the movie, we came home and took a little nap.  Then, I prepped us some dinner and we decided some night swimming was how we wanted to end the day.  That evening, we went over to my parents house so that Layla could swim.  The water was quite cold, but she stayed in for a little while.  While I was absorbing the full vibes of the pool house, I decided a little pre-make BBQ and pool party would be necessary for Saturday.  I started loading items into my Schnucks cart for pick up and working up a meal in my head.  Since it is my parents house (albeit they are out of town) I didn't want to do a lot of actual cooking there. So, I decided on a menu I could pre make at home and then pack it up to warm it up at their house.  Just as I hit confirm on my grocery order for pick up a few hours later, Grace texted.  Both her and Jordan were bored and didn't have anything to do for the long weekend.  So, they packed a bag and were headed home for the weekend.  My house would be very full and I was so grateful I had already planned food and activities for Saturday.  A full house, sunshine, pool time and BBQ is just how summer break should begin.

A Little Afternoon Procedure

Tonight I’m laying on the couch watching Beach Front Bargain Hunt, dreaming of a beach vacation and trying not to think about the pain from a dental procedure this afternoon.

I was blessed/cursed (not sure which one) with two missing permanent teeth. That means I held on to my baby teeth for over 40 years! My left right baby had been bothering me for quite a long time. But, I was in a “watch and see” mode with my dentist. There was very little root structure left on the tooth, but as long as it wasn’t causing pain, we weren’t taking action.

In December, the tooth pain got to an almost intolerable level of discomfort, and I have pretty high pain tolerance. I was able to get into a new dentist, who was recommended by my sister, since my insurance changed and my life long dentist didn’t accept my plan. During the appointment, the dentist confirmed that the tooth was hanging on by a thread and that I could have just pulled it myself. Believe me, I was tempted to if I couldn’t get an appointment. I definitely didn’t want to go through the holidays not being able to enjoy all the delicious foods!

Once the tooth was extracted, the next step was the implant placement a few months later. Last week, I was scheduled for that appointment. Unfortunately, the imaging machine they use to print the model for the procedure had malfunctioned and I had to be rescheduled.

Fast forward to today, I had the implant procedure done. The whole procedure took about and hour. Thanks to great antithesis application, I didn’t feel any pain, just tugging and pulling. However, my jaw was aching being open so long! It took several hours for the numbness to wear off and talking and drinking were quite difficult. I felt like I kept tripping over my tongue!

For dinner, I had pre planned a Panera inspired dinner. One of my Lenten sacrifices is cut back/eliminate ordering or dining out. (I am a DoorDash addict!). So instead of actual Bread Co, like we still call it here where it was established, I made an at home Frontega Chicken panini. It was spot on, albeit a little spicy because I didn’t listen to the recipe advice and put the spicy chipotle mayo on both sides of the bread. I would have preferred actual focaccia bread, but my Walmart Neighborhood Market (a.k.a. where I order and pick up my groceries) doesn’t carry it. Instead I used ciabatta bread, which I’ve had before at Bread Co when they needed to substitute. I even dusted off my panini press to really make it authentic. As a side, I heated up Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup that I had gotten from my grocery store order.  It definitely did the trick and tasted pretty much just like the restaurant. It was also soothing to my mouth as by dinner time the numbness had worn off and some pain was starting to surface.

After dinner, I made a quick run to CVS to pick up the prescribed amoxicillin. There’s no infection, but taking the precautionary antibiotics to prevent. I also downed the next round of ibuprofen to try to edge out the pain.

Now, let’s be honest here. The pain is not excruciating. It’s more throbbing and soreness in the gum and jaw. But I’ve had enough babies and surgeries to know to stay up on my pain meds, even before the pain starts.

Which speaking of pain meds, it’s almost that time for another dose…and a small glass is wine. The wine is purely medicinal as well.

XOXO

Goodbye Sunday Scaries, Hello Sunday Success

Oh, Sundays. When executed properly, this is one of my most favorite days of the week. When I am able to relax, yet also be productive in preparation of the next week, Sundays are glorious. And there’s no better way to start a positive Sunday than going to Church.

This morning, I was awoke around 7am, but didn’t actually get out of bed until a little after 8. Once the coffee was brewing and the dishes from last night were cleaned up, I started to get myself ready for church. The girls were with their dad this weekend, so I had just a little time to myself. Eva rolled in close to 9 and my poor Layla wasn’t feeling well enough to go to church. She did throw up several times on Saturday and was feeling pretty light headed, so I gave her the pass. Although, in hindsight, I’m sure she was using that as her angle to get out of going to church. Eva was headed off to work, so it was one of those rare Sundays that I would go to Mass by myself. That really was okay with me. With it being the first Sunday of Lent, I could use the ability to focus and be fully present in the moment.

After Church, I made myself a little brunch consisting of a veggie omelet muffin that I had meal prepped on Saturday. Along with a mimosa, because no brunch is complete without. Now, this mimosa was a mix of Chardonnay and Sunny D, because that is what I had, but it did the trick. With my brunch served up, I settled in to pay my bills and balance my budget. With those tasks on hand, who wouldn’t need a drink!

Once my finances were in order, at least for the next week, I headed out to pick up groceries. In the past years, I’ve discovered that I loathe grocery shopping. The actual, physical part of going to a grocery store, selecting items, checking out, loading and unloading, does not bring me joy. Instead, sitting on my couch on a Saturday afternoon and selecting my groceries online and driving out to the far suburbs on Sunday to pick them up does in fact bring me joy!

So, I made my self comfortable in my car with the heated seats, Spotify and an afternoon beverage, and enjoyed the drive. My groceries were kindly loaded into my car and I never even had to leave the driver’s seat.

Since I was out and about, I figured crossing a few other items off my list would be a good idea, and save future me some time and stress. I made a quick Target run to buy my nephew Jacob a birthday gift, pick up a few office “essentials” (or so I’m telling myself) and grab dog food for my sweet Addy Mae. Hoping to maybe get a little Starbucks pick me up, I was disappointed when I realized this Target didn’t have a Starbies. My bank account, however, was not.

Upon getting home, I promptly unloaded my purchases and all the groceries. By now, I was starting to get hungry so I reheated a prime rib sandwich and gave myself a few minutes to sit down and eat. Post sandwich, I decided to take care of myself a little longer and enjoyed a short 20 minute nap. 

Once nourished and rested, my next task was to update the calendar for next month and plan out our meals. Breaking out the wet erase markers and Rocketbook pens, I got a little artistic release via planning.

This evening, I prepped lunches, cleaned up my office and took a much needed shower. I feel organized and prepared to enjoy next week. 

Tonight, I have a little journaling to do once I climb into bed, which it is just about that time.

It’s been a long time since a Sunday has felt so nice! And for that, I am grateful.

XOXO

Life from the Fort : The Next Chapter

10 years.  An entire chapter of my life has gone by in what feels like a blink of any eye.  It would be nearly impossible to catch you all up in one "I'm back post".  After all, it has been 10  years!  So, I'm going to start current and interweave experiences from the past ten years as they fit, either for context, reflection or simply to record the memory.

In short summary, I celebrated my 10 year work anniversary on August 1st.  It was also on that day that I officially resigned.  Fast forward to present (6 months later), I am back at my old company and could not be happier with that decision!  And that is a long story for another post, or twelve!

My babies are no longer babies.  Grace is 22, working full time and living in Cape Girardeau, MO with her long time boyfriend, J.

Alex is 18, playing college volleyball in Grand Rapids, MI and living his best life.

Eva is 16, a junior in high school, excelling academically and is absolutely gorgeous.

Layla is 12, in 6th grade (middle school), and really gaining confidence in her own funny and observant self.

My family is doing well.  All of my siblings are married (except me...divorced since 2014), and have kids.  Total grandkids is now up to 15.  My niece, Ruth, celebrated her 13th birthday this year.  She has reshaped the hearts of my family.

We've gone on a lot of vacations, traveled to a lot of places, played a lot of sports, took on a lot of activities and found a lot of joy in everyday moments.  

We grieved losses, overcame challenges, suffered through health issues, lived through a pandemic and are still learning to love and care for ourselves and others.

God is the center of our lives, or at least that is what we strive for.  But, a lot of days, this world can consume us and we become distant to our loving Father.  I can feel him calling me to strengthen my relationship with Him, and in turn, also calling me to come back to writing here.

As a family and individually, and even when it feels like we don't know what we are doing, we continue to do great things!

With that quick summary, let's start next chapter.  Welcome (back) to Life from the Fort.  

Thank you for following my story!

XOXO - Renee

Let the Sunshine....PLEASE!

Alright, Mother Nature. I’m getting really tired of these cold, rainy weekends. It’s May, for goodness sake. April Showers were supposed to bring May flowers, not May showers. I should be able to get a tan as I work on my garden. But instead, we are cooped up in the house every weekend trying not to kill each other. I’ve had enough of this nonsense.


Even though we endured another miserable weekend weather wise, we did manage to have a little fun in there as well.

Friday night, we rushed through dinner at our favorite little Mexican place and walked into the 8th grade play during the opening act. I was feeling quite awful that day. One thing that the rain didn’t help with was my allergies. With everything turning green, I turned into a big snot ball. Between my throat aching and eyes watering, I did manage to make it through full day of work followed by the play. The play turned out really cute and the kids enjoyed seeing it for the second time.

Saturday afternoon, the younger kids spent some time with their dad. That was awful on all accounts. I guess the kids had fun, but it is never pleasant dealing with him. He really is an unhappy man and oh how I got the brunt end of his misery. I don’t know why he can make me so angry still, but he does. I’m working on it though. One day soon his unpleasantness won’t bother me. One day.

Sunday the girls and I got fancied up for the Mother/Daughter Girl Scout event. It was much nicer than I anticipated. Alex went to a Laser Tag birthday party with friends. My sister, Laura, came over an hour early and we all got ready together. With the music pumping and some wine flowing, it was so much fun. Plus, we all looked incredible for the event.

That evening, we went over to my sister’s for some fajitas to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. I was exhausted by the end of the night, and never did make it to the grocery store or finish laundry. Yesterday when Layla woke up crabby and clingy, I took it as the perfect opportunity to take the day off. It was great. Layla and I napped, cuddled on the couch, and mostly did 12 loads of laundry. I think I needed the day just to catch up on “mom” stuff. I got the basement clean, the kitchen cleaned out and caught up on all the weekly stuff I neglected to do over the weekend. Alex’s practice got canceled so I was able to cook without having to rush off somewhere else. The kids had fresh sheets and clean rooms. Just that extra day made such a difference in my week.

Today, it’s back to the grind. But I feel much more relaxed since I was able to get so much done yesterday. I feel organized and back in control. The last few weeks of chaos really sent me for a loop, so it’s nice to feel put together again. At least until the weekend rolls around again!