Happy 40th to Me--Day 2

I forgot to tell about the pets yesterday. The house we're renting has 3 dogs on the property that are friendly and cute. This is a very pet oriented place, especially dogs. Restaurants have bowls of water for the dogs outside of them; there's a large pet supermarket full of supplies! When we first got to Hollywood yesterday, we saw an older couple walking their dogs. Each one was pushing a baby stroller and a dog was sitting in each one! I thought walking your dog meant they actually walked. :)

Jon hasn't been feeling too well, so we really took it easy today. I read a lot this morning and then we went to the beach for a few hours. We rode the trolley there, which was fun. We ate lunch on the beach and right as I was ready to eat a carrot, a gull swooped from behind me and is wings hit me in the head. Talk about brave! No, it didn't get my carrot.

We drove to Miami and walked along the northern part of South Beach this evening.

It's been so nice and relaxing! It was quite windy today, but a beach is a beach.

Happy 40th to Me --Day 1

Three days ago, I got a huge birthday surprise! Jon and the kids gave me a trip to Florida! The beach is one of my favorite places to be. I get so cold and down, with the January blahs, cold temps, and gray/brown days. This year was especially hard with the thought of turning 40 looming over my head. This trip was the perfect gift! I've always wanted to go somewhere warm for my birthday--it's a dream come true!

We flew out just after midnight on my birthday, January 30th, and took a red eye to Atlanta. We then caught a fight to Miami. Miami. Eek! Palm trees, sunshine, blue skies, warmth, the ocean. We're staying just north of Miami, in Hollywood, for 2 days and then we'll go to Key Largo for a day and a half, before heading home.

Guess where I spent all morning? Yup, the beach! I was practically rolling in the sand, I was so happy to be here! Unfortunately, Jon got sick a week ago and still isn't completely better. He's such a trooper! He went and napped in the car while I soaked up the sun. We explored around Holland Park this afternoon and just took it easy.

I love being here! Thanks family and friends, for making this possible!

Who Needs Earrings?

Flashback to five months ago. Jenna got her ears pierced the day before school started. She was so excited and so happy! Well, those five months have been pretty miserable for her. One ear didn't get pierced very well. It slanted instead of going straight in, but she didn't care. We took good care of them for six weeks, but it was very painful to change her earrings, so we only did it a few times. The last six weeks or so has been even worse than before. I finally googled how to get rid of infections because we were pretty sure that's what was going on. I told her we could try a few things or just grow them out. She immediately voted for growing them out. She was soooo relieved to get those babies out. I couldn't believe the state of her ears--red, swollen, full of pus. I told her we could try to pierce them again in a few years I'd she wants to, but as of now, she doesn't want that, even though she's got some cute earrings. We're wondering if she's allergic to the earrings they used. But.... Earrings aren't for everyone, right?

Crookshanks

Ask anyone who knew me way back when--I used to be a total cat person. I loved cats! But now I'm a dog person, even though I still get kitty calendars.

This cat showed up on our back deck last night and the girls named it Crookshanks. It showed up again tonight. Toby is scared of it and it seems tame, yet mean. It wants to be posted, but it bites and scratches.

Our animal loving girls want to keep it, but it'll eat the birds and drive us all crazy, listening to Toby bark and whine at it. 

Do I need to worry about fleas or rabies? Eek...

Seasons

When I was growing up, it seemed like the first snow would fall just after Halloween and it stuck around until at least March or April. We'd usually have a thaw in January, where it would warm up a little and the snow would start melting, causing flooding. I remember a couple of years of almost being trapped in my hometown because the flooding made the roads impossible to drive on. I remember people filling sandbags to try and divert the water. The cold would return and we'd be immersed in winter again for awhile. The March winds would blow and the melting would start once again. Call it global warming or the signs of the times, but whatever the cause, winter just isn't like it used to be. This past December was one of the warmest ever. We were mowing the lawn/picking up leaves just 2 weeks before Christmas. We didn't get any snow until Christmas morning and then it was cold and snowy for a few days.  Fast forward a week, and most of the snow has melted and it's warmer than average once again. It seriously feels like March, with robins returning. Don't get me wrong, winter isn't my favorite season, but I really miss the seasons of my childhood--the common summer thunderstorms, the warm days and cool nights of autumn, the deep snows of winter, and the warming days of spring. **The picture on the left was taken a few days ago and the one on the right was taken just after Christmas.**

Jarren's New Hat

Being a parent is tough. I always want to do what's best for my kids, but sometimes it's not always clear. Jarren struggles with focusing and paying attention to things that he doesn't have a strong interest in. He can sit and build with Legos for hours, but doing three math problems is torture and takes forever to do. Since he'll be going to middle school this year, I've been extra concerned on how to help him. We decided to try meds again a few months ago. I can't decide if it's a curse or a blessing, but he doesn't tolerate them well. He doesn't eat or sleep and loses too much weight. After trying three different types, all with undesirable results, we decided to try some natural methods. Really, what can it hurt? If it works, great! If not, he's no worse off. He's taking two kinds of drops and he had an electromagnetic treatment. The hat does something to help stabilize brain waves. He was very interested in this new hat and has been great at taking the drops. It's only been about 12 days now since he started, so here's hoping for the best!

Happy New Year 2015

Wow, another year already. This year has a lot for our family to look forward to.

*Jon's travel schedule is supposed to slow down a little, which is good in some ways and bad in others. He's been working hard on a project for our hometown and it'll be ready to roll this summer.

*I get to turn 20 again. I don't really know why, but 20 was my favorite age and the age I always feel like I am on the inside. Eternally 20.

*Kendall will start his senior year of high school in 2015. Isn't that crazy?! It seems like yesterday that he was starting kindergarten.

*Kristen will get her driving permit this year. How awesome is that?! Two drivers to worry about. Let the fighting over the car begin, haha.

*Jarren will be in his last year of life before hitting the teens, which also means, he'll be starting middle school in the fall. Yikes, where is the time going? Really.... And why am I talking about fall already? It'll be here before I know it.

*Jenna will be going to her school all alone later this year. She'll turn 9, which is the last year that she'll be in the single digits. Forever. 

I'm kind of excited to find out what other things are in store for us this year.

Happy New Year!