Good Scents.

Have you smelled this perfume? I must say that it is amazing. My mom had a bottle of it sitting on her dresser and I opened it to smell...and fell in love. For my birthday, she bought me my own. I'm fairly particular about my scents. I don't like to smell like everyone else. My husband gave me a bottle of Daisy by Marc Jacobs for Christmas and I love that one too. I love getting perfume for gifts because it's not normally something that I will spend my money on.

I'd love to know....

What's your favorite fragrance?

*Take a fragrance personality test HERE.

Confession...

So. I have a confession to make. I am not proud of myself at all for this. I am actually downright ashamed at what I am going to admit. Brace yourselves...
Remember yesterday when I talked about forgetting my camera when we visited my grandparents? And how I said when they came up for a picnic that I would not forget my camera? Well....Here's the confession.

I FORGOT IT AGAIN!!!!!!!!

Someone tell me, what is my problem? Am I that disorganized and scatter-brained that I just simply cannot remember to pack my camera? I'm plum out of excuses. I really think that I will purchase a cheapy disposable to keep in my purse. I know they take horrible pictures but, it is better than none at all. I always dream of preserving memories in beautiful photo albums for my children to see when they grow up but, I am dashing my own dreams. :) I know I am probably overreacting just a tad, but I need to do something.

I will come up with a solution.

Any suggestions?

The Camera-less Weekend of Memories.

So....This past weekend, I ventured to Ohio to visit my relatives. My relatives consist of Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles. I thought it would be a good opportunity to see them before we moved farther away. The only thing was, I was husband-less. I decided that I wouldn't let it stop me. I loaded the kiddos in the car and drove 5 hours. I had high hopes for this trip and it went rather well until...the case of the "Terrific Threes" decided to rear it's head! Honestly, I think 3 is harder than 2- can anyone agree? Her favorite word is "no" and she says it so well. She still hasn't learned that the outcome of saying "no" is not fun. I am confident that the day will soon come. I always pray that the day would be today. It's not.
We spent 4 days with both sides of my family. I realized that my children are so blessed to have 2 sets of great grandparents, and that I am blessed to still have both sets of grandparents. I watched as my grandfather told my son stories of when he went fishing as a little boy. I smiled as they played in the same yard that I played in when I was a child, and bathed in the same tub that I did when I was their age. They kept asking me questions..."tell me the story of when you got the poison ivy, mommy!" Wonderful Memories were created. Do I have pictures to prove it? NO. What is wrong with me? I'm mad at myself. First of all, I forgot the camera but remembered the camcorder. Did I bring it out? No. It sat in the car the whole time. Of course I had my hands a little full but, I'm not accepting that excuse from myself. Maybe at the least I can just buy a little disposable camera and keep it in my purse so I won't miss the special times where I need a camera? One good thing is that my dad's parents are at his house this week and they are coming up today to have a picnic. I WILL have the camera and I WILL take pictures. tons.
So, we are back and I am exausted but, thankful I made it in one piece. Thank The Lord for his amazing grace, portable DVD players, and the library for carrying Charlie and Lola Dvd's.
If all goes well, I'll post pictures of our little picnic. Pray that the clouds don't rain upon us. :)

Tuesday Outings.

Went to the zoo today with friends. The sky fought off rain for most of the day. The sun peeked out every so often to tease us. The kids had fun seeing the Rhinos, monkeys and of course, the elephants. We had a picnic lunch and then came home. My friend and I talked over coffee while the kids played together. It's nice to have friends. We have planned to make Tuesdays "our day" to do an outing with the kids. It will be fun and something to look forward to. Last week we went to the canal, fed the duckies and had ice cream. I love the "Lazy days of Summer", where you can just relax and allow the day to take you where it may. Long days outside, picnics in the park, and casual suppers are all some of the joys of summer for me. I love that happy-tired feeling; when you're tired for a good reason. :) I thank The Lord for those happy-tired days. I can tuck the kids into bed knowing they had fun...and it made them sleepy enough to drift off in 5 minutes or less. I think today will be one of those days. Not just for the kids but, for me too!

Disappointed.

Yes, I am a bit disappointed. Why? You ask. Well, I have been searching online to find a Walmart Supercenter near where we are going to live. Do you think I could find one? Of course not. It would've been too easy to find a grocery store within decent driving distance with affordable groceries. I have mixed feelings about Walmart stores but, continue to shop there because they save me a lot of money. Call me a hypocrite, but I will be a frugal hypocrite. The part I dislike is when the huge stores move into small areas and pretty much drive the locally owned stores out of business. That I do not like but, like I said before it doesn't stop me enough to boycott. It looks as though I will have to adjust where I shop which will be a fun little adventure. At least they have a Trader Joe's on just about every block. :) Honestly, where I will shop is the absolute least of my worries but, I have been thinking about it. Maybe I'll just stock up on my usuals here before we leave.
While I'm thinking out loud (or on screen) I've often been wondering, how does one live in a city with small children? I mean, I've been living in NY state for about 20 years, in small towns. I'm a lover of the city I've just never lived there. I've been having daydreams of how I will ride the train with a stroller and little tykes in tow. How will I meet friends? Will people like me? Will I want to leave as soon as I get there? Will it feel like home? You know, those crazy, worrisome, and sometimes irrational fears that often pop up. I am excited though. I feel like I am embarking on a new adventure and there are so many wonderful things awaiting us. We almost have our apartment. I say almost because we took the weekend to make a decision whether or not we would commit to a certain place. I will keep you updated. I continue to try and pack and get ready to go. It's not long now about 1 1/2 months. I think it will go fast.
Hmmm...Maybe I should learn to make a Boston Creme Pie. Yeah. That sounds like a great idea.

Since My Last Post....(in bullets)

I haven't really felt like blogging lately-no offense. I love to blog but, lately there's been lots of other things going on that are taking precedence over blogging. I will be back regularly at some point but, until then you may have to settle for several bulleted update-type posts. Thanks to whoever is still around to read. :)

• We had our yard sale and made $300
• I have been on an "unofficial hiatus"
• I celebrated my ___st birthday. :)
• We went on vacation with my hubby's family to Outer Banks, NC. It was lovely
• I've been trying not to put off packing for too long.
• Trying to visit out of town family before we are too far away. :(
• Enjoying the sun and its warmth
• Having multiple picnics per week
• Enjoying squirts with the hose
• Painting rocks
• Painting faces
• Having fun
• Being Busy
• Having fun being busy
• Ready for the next phase of our lives.

Win A Gift Basket!

I know I haven't posted anything "real" lately but, I will soon...at least I will try. It's been a bit crazy. Anyway...Sandy at 4 Reluctant Entertainers is giving away an awesome gift basket....head on over to win!

Midnight Blogging.

It is 12am and I cannot sleep. Nothing new, really. These kinds of evenings are very normal. You know, the kind where your mind just will not shut off, no matter how much you try to force it. Thus resulting in midnight blogging. Honestly, this is really the first chance in a while that I have actually been able to sit and type anything. We were in Boston for 10 days and since then, I think I've only checked my email twice. Things are crazy. Really crazy. Good...but, crazy. We have something going on literally every, single, day. This weekend we just decided to chill. In fact, we ended up cancelling something we had planned for last night so we could just relax.
We were also invited to a cookout tonight but, opted to stay home and have a much-needed and very important family night. We had our own cookout and a bonfire, complete with s'more-making. Have you ever spread peanut butter onto the graham cracker before adding your chocolate and marshmallow? You must try it. Kent even brought out his guitar and we sang around the fire. We even sang Kumbaya. Yes...we did. The kids requested it, and I played it on the guitar. Not well, but I played it nonetheless. Kent laughed (to himself). We also told "homemade" stories, as the kids call them. After we tucked the little ones into bed, Kent and I watched a very predictable and slighlty less than entertaining movie* but, it was just nice to hang out together. Tomorrow, we will be having guests for the next few days, and then I will prepare for vacation! I cannot wait. I'm ready for the sand, sun and saltwater! The kids have been talking about it for weeks. It will be a fun break for us! Not sure the next time you'll hear from me. Thank you to all who are still keeping up!

*By the way...just in case you were wondering, the movie we watched was Bride Wars. Not as great as I expected, way too predictable like most romantic comedies. I didn't really think it was that creative. Anyway, I do love Anne Hathaway. (just my opinion...in case you wanted to know.)