How You Doin' (Part Two)

I told you I was committed to updating this little blog of mine. In a way I'm a little surprised myself. I had always sworn that if I got backed up I would just pick up right where I was and not back track. This certainly isn't the first time I'm going back on something I swore I would never do. You should just ask the youth leaders I had growing up about everything I said I would never do.

The thing is, with the blog I never really wanted this to be a journal. For now I feel like it's been a good spring and summer that needs to be documented. So, no...I'm not journaling. I'm simply documenting.

Early Celebrations This year marks 10 years of wedded-ness.Being that this year is the really the first whopper of an anniversary, we decided to go on an adventure sans children. It was the first time. Ever. Ever, as in since the girls entered the picture. Okay, our anniversary is not until November, but who says you can't celebrate a milestone of this magnitude for an entire year.

So we left the children in the capable and loving hands of Grammy and my niece, Victoria and headed to the rainy Northwest for a week.We had never been to Seattle, and the stars aligned in such a way that the city kind of chose us. For the record, the only time it rained was the day we left, but it was much colder than I anticipated.

We found a week away to be too long not only for what there was to do in Seattle, but it was difficult being away from the girls for that long. We divided our time between the northern Puget Sound/San Juan Islands and Seattle. Seattle has some fun and whimsical neighborhoods that we loved, and hiking up north was breathtaking. The antique stores weren't too shabby either.

The week away certainly did it's job: we were able to reconnect in a way that isn't possible when the kids are around. It's amazing how much effort is required before you remember how to have conversations without the typical interruptions and that don't revolve around the functions of life at home. I think we're sold on an annual couple's retreat. Maybe not for quite as long next time. 

My Happy Place Once again we are participating in the Great Country Farms CSA. Getting out to the country once a week where the girls have an opportunity to play after we pick produce from the fields is just about the happiest thing we've done this summer. I don't think there has been one time the girls didn't want to go.

Though they were very ready to leave this past week when we were DRENCHED by buckets of rain that lasted only while we were picking our peaches and raspberries. It started as the hayride to the fields left and stopped when we pulled up to the store coming home. It was kind of nice to have use of the heater in August.

More to come. Certainly the best is yet.

A Belated "Thanks A Lot" to Earl

Earl kicked us out of North Carolina. OK, that was last week. It's kinda old news at this point, but hey, I've been a slacker.

I could give you all the riveting details, but, like I said, it's old news and you've probably forgotten there was even a hurricane last week. Plus lots have happened since the book-induced neglect. Here's the rundown:

OBX - oh how you are missed, my friend
Last summer my family fell in love with North Carolina's Outer Banks. This year we rented a beach house in Corolla with Otterpop's family. The benefit of renting the last week of the summer is that the rates are discounted. Deeply. The drawback is that you are gambling with hurricane season. Which usually isn't much of a gamble because hurricanes don't regularly hit the Carolinas.

We lost the gamble this year, and Earl sent us packing 2 days early. The silver lining is that we left the night before the evacuation order and didn't have to deal with the traffic. I have a nagging sense of superiority because we got out before the other vacationers. Of course I would have felt like a complete idiot had the storm blown over after we voluntarily skipped out on two full beach days.

Here are picks. To get an idea of our fabulous location, the picture of the dunes was taken from our deck. It really was perfect.

My nickname should be Freckles.

A Night Out On The Georgetown
Otterpop and I hit Georgetown on a double date with his sister's in-laws who also came with us to OBX. We don't go there enough. Then again, if I was a more frequent visitor I would probably spent a lot of money. Too many fun things in too many fun stores. We went on a Friday night, so I pretty much felt like an old lady next to all the bar-hopping college students. Well, sort-of. There were people of all ages, but I definitely noticed how young college kids are. They really are just kids. Weird.

Invading the Farm
A friend of mine took family pictures for us at the farm. I'm in the process of sifting through 500+ pics and editing the ones I like. So fun! Really. I love it.

Missing In Action...again
Otterpop has been out of town...all week. This time in the slightly more exotic Jacksonville. I have friends whose husbands leave for 6 or more weeks at a time, so really I can't complain. But it really is a drag.

Big Girl Unders and Puddles
Addie-Cakes has been working hard on using the potty. I tried it early this summer and gave up when after three days Addie-Cakes obstinately refused to even go near the potty. She's doing much better this time. Except for the times she asks for a diaper and tries to put it on herself. And as long as I remember to take her every 30 minutes or so. Otherwise it pretty much sucks to be me. The water fall on my bed this morning was great fun.

Tomorrow we're taking advantage of the beautiful weather to pick apples and make apple sauce. Yea for fall!!

More posts to come now that I've officially left behind slacker mode. At least for the time being ;)