Welcome, Spring!

After a crazy start to the month weather-wise, we've so enjoyed the recent spring weather.  This weekend was beautiful, and allowed us to finally get to work in our backyard.  Late last summer and into the fall, we pulled out lots of overgrown bushes around the pool to make more deck space.  Instead of replanting, we decided to fill in the areas with a mixture of pavers and rock.  After multiple trips to Home Depot and two days devoted to the project, it's almost complete.  (And when I say we in reference to all of this work, I mean Steve ... but someone has to oversee a project/keep an eye on the kids, right?)

Yesterday at Home Depot, Sara spotted some new friends who wanted to make a home overlooking our pool.  Their names are Linus and Sally, and I think they are perfect, don't you?!

As we were finishing up our work this afternoon, the ice cream truck came by and the girls enjoyed a cool treat while Steve and I enjoyed a cold beverage.  Now we're ready for the water to heat up so we can jump in.  We turned on the heater today to see if it would warm up enough to swim, but no luck.  I think a couple more weeks of warm weather will do the trick.  Patio furniture is out, beer fridge is cold, and - as of today - the sun is shining.  It's spring, and we love it!  Who's coming over?

Florida: Fun in the Sun

{couldn't choose/photo overload/no particular order}

 at the Nauti Mermaid: good band, good view, good company, good wine, great night

 sand play at Sanibel

 after dinner gelato

 mmmmm ... Yuengling

 "Mama Mia", our official movie of the trip

 just a little sand in the suit

 beach and park all in one

 ahhhh ...

 just like big sister

 spring training vs. the Red Sox

 Bonita Beach

 downtime art projects

 Grandpa finally caught a smile on camera

 sweet, tired girls

 hanging on the patio

learning to sew ... they made pom-poms

 this beautiful sunset earned applause on the beach

What a wonderful week in Cape Coral ... these pictures barely scrape the surface.  We're already looking forward to next year's trip.  Thanks, G&G, for all the special experiences and memories. 

Luck o' the Irish

We made it back from a wonderful week in Florida yesterday evening ... did some laundry, got ready for the week, and collapsed shortly thereafter.  I'll do a full vacation post once I've had time to sort through the photos.  For now, though, I'm just here to wish you a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sara loves any excuse to theme-dress ... she comes by that honestly. 

 It was nearly 60 degrees when we got home this evening, so we enjoyed some bike riding and ball throwing/kicking on the driveway before dinner and baths.

 

In another lifetime, I'd probably be drinking a pitcher of green beer right now.  Instead, tonight I'm *pinching* myself for my good fortune of fun travel, a beautiful day, and lots o' special times with my sweet family.

vacation time

Five on Friday

1. We made it through our crazy week.  Steve got home Wednesday night, and I think we saw each other for a total of maybe two hours before we said goodbye again this morning.  He's now somewhere in the middle of Nebraska for the weekend.  I would imagine he's really missing the tropics at this point.

2. I go through "shopping spurts" when it comes to clothes.  I don't know if it's the change of the seasons or just the fact that I feel like I keep finding great deals, but I've been doing more shopping than normal lately, and probably definitely need to curb that a bit.  But sometimes something new just makes me feel so good.  Anyone else?

3. When we got home tonight, Sara told me she had a BIG project that she has to get done before bed.  She's currently busy drawing and cutting out the planets and attaching them to ribbon that she apparently plans to hang above her bed so she can see them as she goes to sleep.  This girl ... I just think she's the best.

Update at 8:30: here's her finished product...

4. I was back on yet another elementary school learning curve this week as we prepared for last night's open house.  At middle school, we were lucky to have many parents come ... this year was a whole new ball game for me.  Lots of excitement and fun, and LOTS of prep for the teachers and kids.  It was a successful night, and another first checked off my list this year.

5. We are so excited to get to Florida!  Just a couple more loads of laundry and the final packing touches tomorrow, and we'll be ready to go.  For the first time ever, I'm making a concerted effort to bring only the clothes I absolutely need.  It's hard.  In fact, just a little bit ago, I even had to call my sister for moral support on the issue.

ice day

We ended up with a totally unexpected ice day today.  We knew that colder air was in the forecast for yesterday, with maybe some precipitation, but I don't know if anyone was anticipating the onslaught of sleet and ice we received.  It actually thundered as it sleeted, which was different.  Anyway, temps dropped all day yesterday into the teens, where they stayed overnight, so the roads were a no-go for schools in the area today.  I won't even pretend to be sad. 

Once I got the call last night - after the girls were in bed - I stayed up late to watch the Oscar's without feeling guilty or dreading my early alarm, which wouldn't be sounding.  I miss Jared Leto's speech (watched it online after seeing all the FB posts about it, though), but I did catch Matthew McConaughey's.  I so appreciated his homage to "Dazed and Confused," and - like probably everyone else - had to laugh about how far he's come.  Of course the only nominated film I saw this year was "Frozen".  I was sad that Sara was in bed well before the "Let it Go" performance, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.  And I loved the acceptance speech given by the husband/wife duo who wrote the song ... their kids must think they are SO cool.  My cousin-in-law went to school through college with Bobby Lopez (the husband part of the duo); how neat is that?!

After our inside day yesterday and our inside morning today, we headed to Target this afternoon.  There were still some slick spots, but the sun has been out today, melting a lot of the ice.  We clearly were not the only ones in Target with cabin fever.  I saw lots of moms - kids who weren't in school in tow - just casually browsing through the dollar section and clearance end-caps.  This has been a long winter by North Texas standards, so everyone needed to get out, and what better place than Tar-jay?  Am I right or am I right?

We've done lots of art projects, played lots of games, and now the girls are enjoying an episode of "The Berenstain Bears."  Must be a good one.

Steve sent me this view from where he is staying ... looks beautiful.  I'm a little afraid he won't want to come home.  And I'm not-so-secretly hoping he'll want to come home and then head straight back there with me. 

 It's definitely not an ice day on the island!

hectic

The craziness that I've been anticipating/dreading for a couple of months is upon us.  Steve left very early this morning to head to the Virgin Islands for a "business" gathering at his CEO's home there.  I'm so proud of Steve for unexpectedly earning this opportunity.  A handful of people were selected to attend, and the fact that he's one of them is evidence of the fact that his leadership is important to his company.  I hope he has a great time on his well-deserved tropical vacation. 

So the crazy part ... Steve will get back late Wednesday night, likely after we're all in bed.  On Thursday night I'll be at work late for open house, and then on Friday morning Steve leaves again to head to Omaha for a friend's wedding.  He'll return home on Sunday afternoon, shortly after the girls and I board a plane to visit G & G in Florida for a week.  On the evening of Sunday the 16th, we'll all be back home together. 

I know that some people operate this way all the time, but it's new for us.  Steve rarely travels for work - maybe once a year - so for all of our criss-cross traveling to happen at once is out of the ordinary.  I'm least looking forward to the next few mornings when the girls and I will be alone in our rush to get out the door.  Emma is into acting like getting up and dressed at 6:00 in the morning is the worst form of torture (kind of true), so it will be a gigantic miracle if I can get us in the car without tears each morning.  On the flip side, I'm most looking forward to being in Florida!  I have our initial packing piles all ready, so throughout the week I'll weed through them and get them down to a manageable load of necessities.  I know I'll breath a little easier once we're sitting on the plane next Sunday morning.

For now, I'm just going to focus on keeping calm and embracing this briefly hectic time.  And accepting any good vibes that float in my direction.