Vacation & Birthday Pictures

So June we (dau-in-law, g'baby and I) took off to Florida. My birthday was that week.

This is my favorite photo. Ethan and Stephanie at the airport in Indy.
Her parents lives there and this was the perfect opportunity for them to finally see Ethan in person. They had an awesome time visit with their daughter and grandbaby. I am really glad they were able to see them. I, likewise, had an amazing time with my friend Stefani. She was so generous. I can't even begin to thank her enough. She really made me feel at home and welcomed there. There was a lot of things to do there and I didn't even begin to tackle the main attractions. I focused on some smaller things. Like getting a massage the first day and having brunch on the beach. I also made it to the pool. A day of relaxing....

My one day at the pool and avoiding the sun. So happy I didn't get burnt while I was there. Lovin' my spf of 100. LOL

I was amazed by those tiny bananas. They were good too... yummmmmmmiE! I also got plenty of other fresh fruits that we enjoyed the week I was there.

Here I am hanging with the locals.... I found and purchased a purse and skirt.

Addicted to this one... shhhh. Hit the slots 2 days in a row...

Awww the beach in the evening is the BEST....

The Beach in the evening.... so relaxing!

Love THAT restaurant! Bubba Gump! Enjoyed the food and the company... thanks for taking me Stefani!
Jus' hanging with my gurl, Stef!

The Beach Life...

Stefani cooking dinner before we head up the A1A for a drive. Yummy Food!

Striking a POSE!!!!

Here is my friend and dietian guru, Pam. We just had a two hour conversation over lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. Delicious and I felt very uplifted by the time I left.

Here is the sky on the way to the U2 concert... the stadium is outdoors and we were definately worried!!!
Here Stefani and I are... U2 is in the backgroud. We had an awesome time that night. We totally rocked out at the concert. Bought some tees and I even got Beer spilled on my foot. Ain't a concert without smelling like beer... yuck! I could have done with out that. It was cool though. Seeing Miami from a distance and being in the stadium with my very good friend!

As we take off from Ft. Lauderdale, I have to scream for the effect of the picture. LOL The other passengers thought I was being silly.

How many 'day ones' can a person have?

"I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be."
– Groucho Marx

Always starting over, it seems!!! So yesterday I decided, while eating a king size Twix, that the YMCA workout felt great. I also figured I needed to do better with my commitment to a healthier me. So with that said, I had an awesome healthy dinner. Today is the day to start again... let's see how far I get.

Any suggestions???

Change is good.... right?

I have decided to make a few changes to my page; do not be alarmed by it. There has been a lot of changes in my life in general, so why no here too?

My changes have projected me into another place. Emotionally and physically. Some of which I am not too happy about, yet will deal with and move forward.

I do have the same job and same Jeep Liberty, which I still love. So there are some constants in my life. Like my wonderful husband and children. My changes consist of a new grand baby. You may be thinking that 10 months isn't quite new, but tell that to him when he is insistent on being held because he missed you. So we now have him full time and that has been the biggest change. The other changes have occurred over the time period I stated above. My baby girl is going into the 10th grade, yikes! So her schedule is changing and she is adding a sport to her afternoon activities. Hubs found a job and has a new schedule. My daughter-in-law has moved out and my son is preparing to move out. So with all the extra people in the house... I haven't felt really comfortable exercising there. I have been walking with my friend at lunch, though. Better that, than nothing at all. At least that is what I thought.... weight gain is the next change and exercise or lack of enough since E was born. I would be accurate to say that all of these changes have occurred over the past 10 months. I have felt like life has had me on the side-lines.

Today is a great day to start the race... seem to be saying that a lot lately, though. More to come... later!

NKOTBSB Tickets!

New Kids on the Block & Backstreet Boys Tickets

I have a PAIR of NKOTBSB tickets for sale.

New Kids On The Block & Backstreet Boys

Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

Tue, Jul 26, 2011 07:30 PM

Seat location: Lower Section 15, row 9, seats 7-6

Total Charge: US $300.00 or BO

These are very close to the extended stage and are really great seats! I have been in this section before!

KJ's first recording photos

Books! Born in a Small Town

This is a 3 books in one.

Debbie Macomber wrote "Midnight Sons and Daughters"
There's something special about Alaska-and about the town of Hard Luck. Scott O'Halloran grew up there: he's been away for years, but now he's back. To stay? Every body's wondering-especially Chrissie Harris. The girl left behind...
Nothing like a story where the guy is crazy in love... keeps hurting the girl... and she keeps falling for him! I mostly enjoyed the talk about Scott being a child with great romance suggestions for the 'now' married adults.

Judith Bowen wrote "The Glory Girl"
Glory, Alberta. A cowboy town in cowboy country. Hannah Parrish loves it here. "Once from a small town, always from a small town," says Jack Gamble, ex-prospector, a man who's ready to come home. He wants to find a 'nice, quite Glory girl'. And that's exactly what Hannah is-even if Jack doesn't know it yet!
Another Alaska setting, yet there was nothing really pin-point on that state. I loved the way Hannah dressed up at Halloween and became another person. It really got me when Jack said that he wanted both Hannah and her persona she was acting out. I enjoyed the twist this book brought.

Janice Kay Johnson wrote "Promise Me Picket Fences"
Melanie Parker never wants to leave Elk Springs, Oregon. After a lifetime of moving, she finally has a big house with a picket fence. To Kevin McNeil that should like prison. They could walk away from each other right now - if they weren't falling in love...
Wrapping up the books, this was a great ending. I wasn't sure about the 'white picket fence' setting. So cliche' but it seemed to work here. Another bout of miscommunication... as in every relationship. I enjoyed this book too for it's chemistry the characters had.

Clarifications

Steffy is my daughter-in-law who lives in IN.
Stefani, aka Stef is my friend who lives in FL.

Vacation Breakdown

THURSDAY:After working 1/2 a day, I hurried home to pack up the luggage. Steffy, Ethan and I left the house slightly ahead of schedule so we were able to have a nice drive to the airport, without feeling rushed. Baggage check was a breeze; however security was a bit stressful with all the baby stuff we had. Stroller, car seat, food... I knew it would take a while, so we were ok on time. Once we cleared security, we headed for our gate. Since we were early and the plane was delayed, we opted for some "Cold Stone" ice cream. It was great. Ethan did great on the flight over and was entertained by the gentleman behind us. We landed in FL and was greeted by my good friend Stefani and Steffy's parents. Once we obtained our luggage, I said my good-byes and started my vacation. Stefani was awesome and allowed me to stay with her, so we headed to her place and turned in for the night.
FRIDAY:Stefani allowed me the use of her car, which saved me lots on rentals. I had a massage appointment at 9am that was AWESOME!!! Then I rested by the Ft. Lauderdale Beach. I had a great brunch at the Beach Cafe and sat outside under their covered dock area. Nice breeze, chatter of locals, wonderful food and a lot of ME time. I met a guy there and we talked about life and situations. It was good to reflect with him, amazing how you can open up to a stranger. lol I drove back to Stef's condo and go for a swim in the pool and enjoy reading my book. When Stef got off work we were gonna go to a concert at Hollywood boardwalk; however it was raining, so we didn't go. So we met her boss at Chili's and enjoyed dinner there. Considered a movie and missed the start, so we went to the Isle Casino instead. MORE FUN!!! HOWEVER I LOST $10.00 in the grand scheme of things. Once we got back home, we stayed up talking and that was great also.
SATURDAY:We slept in a little and then Stef made some breakfast for us. We adventured out to the Galleria Mall -- Godiva chocolate was our true destination. YUMMY! We also stopped by a tattoo place on Sunrise for a quote. *grin* Swing by the Swap Shop, we checked it out a little and got some fresh fruit. YUMMIE!!! I also brought a purse and a skirt. Buying a fresh coconut, they chopped off the top and gave us a straw. I have to say I am glad I was the one who bought it. No guilt in not drinking more than ONE sip. YUCK... not to mention, I forgot I am somewhat allergic to coconut. lol Stef tried some and then we had them put it in a bag to take home. (not wanting to be wasteful) We went home and freshened up a little before heading to Fort Lauderdale beach. Saturday Night Alive was the theme and there were tons of free entertainment. We had a GREAT TIME! Except for that guy peeing on the beach, YUCK! Later we enjoyed dinner at Bubba Gumps. THIS PLACE WAS AMAZING!!! We check out tattoo(regular and henna) places while we were there. After an awesome time, we headed to the Hard Rock casino. It took an hour to get in and park, the place was packed....We had FUN! HOWEVER I LOST $80.00.
SUNDAY:Happy Birthday to ME!!! WOOHOO!!! The church service was GREAT... "ARE WE SERVANTS OR GUESTS???" Afterwards, we went to the Promenade. I LOVED IT! We had dinner at Mama Noodles. MOUTH WATERING... OMG! We walk around there and talked after eating. Stef bought me two unique cupcakes to enjoy later. We went to the Festival Flea Market. INDOORS AND WAS GREAT! Picked up some local dried fruits to bring home and share. Later we saw "Bridesmaids" at movies with her boss, Jen. FUNNY MOVIE! I have to say this birthday was fabulous and ranks at the top! Who would have thought that number 38 would have been so awesome?!?!?! Thank YOU to Stefani for making it a wonderful week and to my hubs for his support in me going alone!!!
MONDAY:Spent all day at Ft. Lauderdale beach. Reflecting, reading, adventuring, praying... and getting a tattoo! :)LOVING THE TATTOO! That evening we enjoyed a Spaghetti dinner at home:) THAT WAS GREAT FOOD! Then we took a drive up A1A between Pompano Beach and Boca -- seen the Lighthouse on drive --> stopped at Target, too. THE VIEW WAS AMAZING, EVEN AT NIGHT!
TUESDAY:I met with Steffy, Ethan and Steffy's Mom, Michele for lunch at Chili's. SPENT ALMOST 3 HOURS WITH THEM AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT!!! Our evening was a movie night at home. So dinner and watch "Jane Austen Book Club" movie! WE ENJOYED SOME FRUIT, FISH AND RICE. RELAXATION is a wonderful thing!
WEDNESDAY:Winding down my vacation... I met my friend Pam for lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. ANOTHER AMAZING FRIEND WHO'S TIME I ENJOYED! After I went to the store to pick up a couple ponchos incase it rained later and then went to the movies to see BAD TEACHER. Great movie! I met Stef at home and we got ready to see U2 in concert -- woo hoo!! Yeah for awesome weather during the concert. God was really holding back the rain for us and I am so thankful to him for that!!! WONDERFUL WEATHER AND WONDERFUL COMPANY!!! NOT TO MENTION A WONDERFULLY AMAZING CONCERT!!! Home by 2am. I finished packing and got a couple hours sleep before needing to be up at 5ish. *yawn*
THURSDAY:The flight back was a bit on the crazy side. They were there waiting on me when I got to the airport. I checked our luggage and then we started through security. That was such a process! I could tell her parents were not wanting to say bye... (sad for them, I know) So finally made it through the scans and detectors... whew, what a hectic event, it seemed. By the time we got to the gate... they were boarding! So on we went... Ethan was a little cranky but over all the flight was 'ok'. I had about 5 of those 'biscuit things' the airline gives you with a cup of coke. (Can you say 'running on fumes'?) So we were off the plane rather quick; however we had to WAIT for them to bring the stroller and car seat... so standing... waiting... Once that was obtained, we rushed to the other gate. Elevators were backed up... so we took the escalator (yes with the stroller)... we took a tram.... we took an elevator and then rushed toward the gate at the far end. (Isn't that how it always is?) We only had an hour for all of that. So I am thinking maybe, just maybe we can grab food... NOT! By the time we got to the gate... they had already loaded OUR zone. So on the plane we went and Ethan was not happy!!! Steffy and I were grumpy... so that makes THREE!!! lol Another up and then down.... 3 more biscuits and 1 more cup of coke later and we are touchdown in Indy! Rush to baggage claim.... then the three grumpies head to the jeep.... An hour after we land we are paying our parking fees and 'feeling' our way out of there. I head to the nearest restaurant, Denny's! After some time there, we head home and eventually I go to bed for a nap.

And that is my Vacation Break-down!