Welcome to our World

It’s hard for me to believe it was a full ten years ago we announced on Facebook we were expecting baby M to arrive the next month. Where has the last 10 years gone?!? We have four children now instead of two, we live in a different house, attend a different ward, all my children are in school full time instead of being home full time, both Hubby and I drive different cars, none of us wear the same clothes we used to, I don’t eat dairy and wheat anymore, have many more smile lines, I have an iPhone and Apple Watch and air pods instead of a flip phone and even my dog passed away and I have two new ones. For the most part, I am much more calm and have learned tons in the last ten years. I miss certain parts of the last decade but am so grateful for the life I have now. February is packed! Basketball and volleyball and Girl Scout cookie sales and horse back riding and puppy training classes and volunteering at the elementary school and planning for summer activities. Natalie lost h...

We’ve survived the coldest month of the year once again. Volleyball tournaments, basketball games, gearing up for Girl Scout cookie sales, orthodontist appointments, hip hop, lots of sick days, taking care of and cleaning up after our puppies and Hubby’s birthday stand out to me as I look back.  We were late to our first ever cookie rally because we were playing at the park and meeting the new student in M’s class, but she was still able earn two Junior badges and win a prize at the rally.  I call that a win!  My guys had a good start to their basketball season with winning both of their games in January. My son is really liking his first time being on a basketball team and is looking forward to the rest of the season.  D is loving the fact that his dad is the coach!  The day we realized our smaller puppy is the same height as our 6.5 year old.  On Martin Luther King Jr. Day the guys went skiing/snowboarding at Winter Park and loved it. ...

New Year’s Day found us visiting The Alligator Farm to meet plenty of gators, take an air boat ride and walking around Everglades National Park.  I was amazed at how full of life Everglades NP was.  I have never seen so many beautiful birds, plants and fish so close together in such shallow, clear water.  I could have spent much more time there but the children were happy to go back to the townhouse to enjoy the pool and tv and Hubby & N finally caught what I caught from D.  The heat and humidity certainly feel good, especially with the coughing, but doesn’t cure it.  The next day we took it easy playing tennis and building a magnificent sand castle and walking to the souvenir shop across the street. On Friday we spent most of the day at Theater of the Sea in Islamorada and loved it.  We liked how there was a schedule that you could go from one thing to another but you could also opt out to take a break.  We loved wading with and feeding the p...

I am writing today from a lovely screened in balcony in Key Largo, Florida. There are plenty of trees and butterflies and a slight ocean breeze to enjoy while I eat my lunch of an apple and Advil. If you’re going to be sick, this is the place to do it. Yes, D came down ill right before we were to travel and I told him the heat and humidity of the Florida Keys would help and lo and behold, he shared his illness with me and my favorite place to feel sick is in a beach chair in the sun and the sand. We flew in to Fort Lauderdale for the first time late on Christmas Day. Actually, with the time change it was technically December 26 when we landed past midnight, got our luggage, rented a car, and headed to a hotel close to the airport to crash for the night. We woke up just in time to grab breakfast at the hotel before packing up and checking out. Since we had time before we could check into our townhome in Key Largo, we went to a park near by and played tennis together as a family....