Wednesday, April 04, 2012
Flying home for a nice, long visit!
The kids and I are flying back home to where my side of the family lives (in the Midwest) and we couldn't be more excited! Oronzo has to stay here and work, but he doesn't mind. I think my large, boisterous family is somewhat overwhelming to him at times.Extended family has always been important to me and I want it to be important to my children, especially since they were adopted. It's possible that I work extra hard to maintain those extended family connections, even with the distance, so that my kids feel connected to our families. I believe the fact that her son would be a part of a large extended family was appealing to Snuggle Bug's birth parents. I'm not sure if it mattered to Boo's bio mother either way.
The kids are finally to an age where they are remembering all of their relatives and beginning to understand how everyone is connected (i.e. their grandmother is my mother, their aunt is my sister). It warms my heart to hear the excitement as they talk about this upcoming visit. They can't wait to see their 8 cousins! They've been marking the days off the calendar for about a month now.
We're flying back home for 10 days! I'm pulling Snuggle Bug out of school. My father's health is quite fragile right now so I feel it's important for them to see him, possibly one last time. Thankfully, Snuggle Bug's teachers are understanding and are sending homework with us so that he won't get behind.
Two more days until we board the airplane that will take us to my family!! I can't wait!!!
Labels: extended family, family, vacation
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Mahalo Hawaii!
Well, our time in Hawaii (on Oahu island, to be specific) has come to an end. 21 glorious days that will not be forgotten.
As you read this, we're on a plane traveling back to our home state.
We'll miss beautiful Hawaii and our daily walks to Waikiki beach to play in the ocean, but we'll hold our memories dear. Snuggle Bug and Boo may not remember this trip, but we have lots and lots of pictures to share with them later!
I must admit, I'm looking forward to being home, to sleeping in my own bed, to seeing our two kitties, and to buying groceries at reasonable prices again.
Mahalo Hawaii for the wonderful time!
UPDATE:
We made it back home safe and sound. The kids traveled surprisingly well and for that we were thankful!
When we stepped off the plane back home, Snuggle Bug said, ALOHA to many passersby! He also asked us when we were going to see the ocean again. I had to explain that it'd be quite a while. He got spoiled with walking down to Waikiki beach every morning!
Both kids were happy to see their two kitties and neither of them protested when we gave them a quick bath and put them to bed shortly after dinner. I think they were happy to be in their own beds again!
Labels: business travel, Hawaii, vacation
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sore throat in Hawaii.
Here I am in beautiful Hawaii where the weather is consistently between 70-80 degrees day and night, yet somehow I've ended up with a sore throat!It hurts to swallow. It hurts to talk. It hurts to eat.
I'm wondering if I should go see a doctor but we're flying home Thursday morning so I'm thinking of waiting until I get home to do this, if my throat is still hurting by then.
We only have 2 full days left in Hawaii. I don't want a sore throat slowing me down!
Any recommendations on how to sooth a sore throat, besides cough drops?
Labels: business travel, Hawaii, health, vacation
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Surf's up on Waikiki beach!
Each day we walk down to Waikiki beach in the mornings to let Snuggle Bug and Boo play in the sand and ocean.
This boy and his three friends, all within the 6-7 year age range, were using their boogie boards to hone their surfing skills.
As for Boo, she was content to search the shore for rocks and shells, filling her bucket full of her treasures!
And when they put out a sign cautioning about jellyfish, she decided she wasn't going to let jellyfish stand in her way of having a good time! She stayed out in the water.
Good thing her brave daddy was out scouring the water and removing any jellyfish that he spotted before they could reach her.
One day as we were passing a beach front shop, Snuggle Bug noticed a boogie board in the shop window and asked if he could have it. Oronzo took him in and let him pick out which one he liked.
At first Snuggle Bug just held his new "surf" board. Then he asked me to pull him on it in the water, with him laying on his stomach and holding on to the board.
Today, there was a breakthrough, thanks to this "older" boy on the beach.
This boy and his three friends, all within the 6-7 year age range, were using their boogie boards to hone their surfing skills.
Snuggle Bug watched as they stood on their boards and balanced in the shallow part of the water. He noticed that they put the boogie board strap around their wrist on so he wanted his on his wrist too.
He asked me to hold his hands as he attempted to stand up on his boogie board.
In no time, the older boys were cheering Snuggle Bug on, giving him pointers like,
"Keep the front of the board up slightly out of the water," and
"Real surfers put the strap around their ankles when they surf, but it's okay for you to wear yours on your wrist for now."
Snuggle Bug spent the entire morning on the beach focused on learning how to balance standing up on his boogie board. He was excited that he was "surfing"! I was impressed that he caught on so quick, has great balance, and is overcoming his fear of water. Not bad for a new 4 year old!
Here's are some more pictures of my little surfing dude!
As for Boo, she was content to search the shore for rocks and shells, filling her bucket full of her treasures!
And when they put out a sign cautioning about jellyfish, she decided she wasn't going to let jellyfish stand in her way of having a good time! She stayed out in the water.
Good thing her brave daddy was out scouring the water and removing any jellyfish that he spotted before they could reach her.
We have one more week left on Oahu island. We're sure going to miss this beautiful place!
Labels: Boo, business travel, Hawaii, Snuggle Bug, vacation
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Look what we saw yesterday in Hawaii!
We went exploring yesterday. We hopped in the car and drove along the coast, stopping here and there to enjoy beautiful scenery, to do a bit of swimming, and to grab a bite to eat in a costal town.
The kids had a blast and so did we!
The kids had a blast and so did we!
I thought I'd share a couple neat pictures that Oronzo took while we were out and about.
Water rising from a blow hole.
Makapu'u Beach where we played in the ocean with the kids.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Fun in the sun!
We're having lots of fun in the sun here in Hawaii! The kids are loving their play time on the beach and in the water. I got to spend time with them there this morning before I went in to work at 11:00 AM. While I was working, Oronzo took the kids to a nearby zoo and then back to the beach after lunch and nap. Thankfully I only had to work 11:30 AM- 5:30 PM today so I was able to have dinner with them and run to the grocery store before it was time for bed.
Now it's time for me to head to bed. But before I go, I thought I'd share a few pictures. Aloha!
Snuggle Bug & Boo playing on the beach.
Boo getting brave about wading in the water.
Snuggle Bug & Boo in the water.
Building a sand castle with new friends made at the beach.
Sunset view on Waikiki beach.
Labels: Boo, business travel, Snuggle Bug, vacation
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Guess where I am right now?
You'll never believe where I am right now. Can you guess from the image above?I'm in Honolulu, Hawaii!!! We just got here today and we'll be here through 26 February! That's right, nearly 3 weeks in Hawaii! Talk about heaven!
I'm actually here for a work deployment, so everything is being paid for except for the 2 airline tickets we purchased for Oronzo and Snuggle Bug (Boo is still under 2 so she flew for free as a lap child)! And we only paid $180 for those two tickets after we cashed in some travel rewards points from our master card!
Oronzo and the kids insisted on joining me for this deployment. Oronzo said he'll work too...work on his tan, that is. :)
Getting here was exhausting and with Boo being sick with a cold, she was not in the best of moods during our 2 flights, especially the 5 hour flight from LAX to Honolulu! Still we survived and once we got off the plane she was all smiles!
We're renting a condo on Wikiki beach and there's a long strip of restaurants and shops within walking distance, not to mention that the beach and the ocean are only a block from our condo! Sweet!
Well, the jet lag has caught up to me and I'm ready to hit the hay! I'll share more along the way!
Labels: business travel, vacation, working mommy
Monday, January 12, 2009
We're back!
Boo and I have returned safe and sound from our long weekend in NE! What a fun-packed weekend it was. Thankfully I got over the stomach virus after the first day of being there and we had a blast at my cousin's wedding! Hooray!
Boo looked so cute shaking her booty out on the dance floor in her pretty red party dress! She danced with all the little boys, and some little girls too. :) I haven't downloaded the pictures from my camera yet but when I do I'll see if I can find one to share.
Okay, I'm off. I need to get a letter and pictures prepared for Snuggle Bug's birth mother. It's time for another update for her!
More later.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Back in NE for a wedding.
So Boo and I are currently in Nebraka to be a part of a cousin's wedding, so sorry no FIF today. The travel to get here was rough, as I was suffering from a stomach virus and had a squirmy Boo on my lap the whole time, but we survived and made it safe and sound. Thankfully the stomach virus has passed and I'm feeling like a human being again.
It's amazing how relaxing my trips back to NE are for me. When I'm home with family, it's like I can lay down all my burdens for a while and just relax. I sleep better, I smile more, and I enjoy watching Boo interact with her aunts, uncles, and cousins. They've all fallen under her spell and love her to pieces and she's totally at ease with them. I love that!
I can't wait for her to attend the wedding and dinner/dance reception tomorrow. I bought her a pretty red dress, and made her a matching hair bow for her long dark hair. She's going to be the bell of the ball! She loves to dance, so I know she'll have a blast! I brought the camcorder to get her on video.
By the way, thanks for all of the great advice on Snuggle Bug's nightmares. I'm using many of the suggestions you've offered. I also spoke to his pediatrician and was told that the nightmares are really age appropriate. He's getting older, his imagination is growing, and nightmares are not uncommon. The pediatrician also agreed that he could be picking up on our stress with the fostering situation and even having Baby Bug back in our life, after having her return home to her parents my be confusing to him a bit. He recommended that we just give Snuggle Bug lots of extra assurance and cuddle time and told me it's okay that I let him sleep with us when he gets really scared in the middle of the night. Although he did say that if it continues on for a couple of months, then I need to put a stop to the coming in to our room to sleep.
The thing that Snuggle Bug insists on the most is sleeping with the light fully on. Our pediatrician said that doesn't hurt anything so we just leave the light all the way on and that seems to help.
Okay, time to go read a book while Boo takes a nap. Did I mention how much I love coming back to Nebraska to get away from it all! :)
Hope you all have a great weekend!
It's amazing how relaxing my trips back to NE are for me. When I'm home with family, it's like I can lay down all my burdens for a while and just relax. I sleep better, I smile more, and I enjoy watching Boo interact with her aunts, uncles, and cousins. They've all fallen under her spell and love her to pieces and she's totally at ease with them. I love that!
I can't wait for her to attend the wedding and dinner/dance reception tomorrow. I bought her a pretty red dress, and made her a matching hair bow for her long dark hair. She's going to be the bell of the ball! She loves to dance, so I know she'll have a blast! I brought the camcorder to get her on video.
By the way, thanks for all of the great advice on Snuggle Bug's nightmares. I'm using many of the suggestions you've offered. I also spoke to his pediatrician and was told that the nightmares are really age appropriate. He's getting older, his imagination is growing, and nightmares are not uncommon. The pediatrician also agreed that he could be picking up on our stress with the fostering situation and even having Baby Bug back in our life, after having her return home to her parents my be confusing to him a bit. He recommended that we just give Snuggle Bug lots of extra assurance and cuddle time and told me it's okay that I let him sleep with us when he gets really scared in the middle of the night. Although he did say that if it continues on for a couple of months, then I need to put a stop to the coming in to our room to sleep.
The thing that Snuggle Bug insists on the most is sleeping with the light fully on. Our pediatrician said that doesn't hurt anything so we just leave the light all the way on and that seems to help.
Okay, time to go read a book while Boo takes a nap. Did I mention how much I love coming back to Nebraska to get away from it all! :)
Hope you all have a great weekend!
Labels: Boo, family, Snuggle Bug, vacation
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you out there!I have some catching up to do on my blog, but I'm traveling to Nebraska today (we'll be there 8 days visiting my family) so it'll have to wait until tomorrow.
I will be hosting a free-style Favorite Ingredients Friday tomorrow and I hope you'll join me!
Enjoy your turkey!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
We were robbed while on vacation!
A while back I wrote about how I needed to declutter our house. I never imagined that I'd be forced to de-clutter to an extent by getting robbed!Yes, while we were on vacation, our house was broken into (the robber(s) somehow forced open our sliding glass door in the back of the house) and many rooms were ransacked. Drawers and boxes were thrown on the floor and overturned, with papers and clothes scattered everywhere.
Oronzo's sister was actually the one to discover the break-in when she stopped by the day before yesterday to pick up something that she wanted to borrow. She contacted us in Mexico to let us know.
I spent the rest of our vacation stressing about the robbery, wondering what had been taken and feeling angry that someone felt they had the right to break into our house to steal from us! Coming home to the mess late last night was awful! We tried to shield Snuggle Bug from the mess as much as possible. Thankfully his room wasn't too bad. The girls' room was a mess but they're too young to notice and we tackled their room first to set it right.
Here's the list of things that I've noticed thus far that were stolen:
* Princess cut ruby in gold band setting (This was a family heirloom. It was a gift from my aunt that was given to my mother on her high school graduation day. My aunt, whom I was named after, died when I was very young. My mom treasured this ring and as a little girl she told me it would one day be mine. She gave it to me last year. I was honored to have it and I treasured it greatly. Now it's gone, stolen and probably pawned by now. This is the one item that hurts me the most to have stolen because of the sentimental value.).* Pear shaped ruby necklace and matching ruby earrings (gifts from Oronzo for one of my birthdays). These can be easily replaced.
* Custom made Mother's Day necklace with Snuggle Bug's birthstone set in it. This breaks my heart that it's gone but Oronzo thinks he can go back to the jeweler and have it re-created.
* My celtic cross from Ireland. I guess I'll have to go back to Ireland and find another one.
* About $200 worth of costume jewelry.
* My Palm Tungsten T2 PDA.
* An old Nikon CoolPix 5400 digital camera.
* About $100 in change that I was collecting in a big jar in my bedroom.
* My mountain bike (and Oronzo's as well, along with the child carrier that he had attached to his bike).
* A laptop NIC.
* Oronzo's iPod Shuffle.
* Oronzo's big jar of change from his office.
It freaks me out to think that someone (or several people) were in our house, tearing through our drawers, the children's rooms, and creating a huge mess in the process. I feel violated! We live in a nice, quiet neighborhood but that doesn't matter.
Looking back, I realize we might have done things to prevent this from happening. We could've asked our neighbors or Oronzo's sister to check in on our house frequently. We could've left at least one of our cars in the driveway to make it appear as though someone was home. We could've had better locks on our sliding glass door. We could've had our important jewelry locked up in a safety deposit box instead of assuming they'd be safe in our home.
In speaking with the police, we were told that they believe they're on to a man who they think is committing several burglaries in our area ON BICYCLE. This man goes in and only steals what he can carry on a bike. None of our big electronics were taken. Thankfully we had our laptops and good cameras and the camcorder with us on vacation. I can't help but think that whoever robbed us was not on bicycle. I think they walked into our back yard, broke in our house, stole the small stuff, and rode out on our bikes. Nice, eh?!
Oronzo, ever the optimist, said that we need to be thankful that they didn't clean out our entire house (they had 8 days to do so) or that we weren't in town when it happened and stumbled upon them in the midst of robbing us and endangered us or the children as a result. And everything that was stolen is replaceable (except for the ring from my deceased aunt) and they are only possessions and therefor not all that important after all. I wish I could focus on the positives but I'm just feeling depressed about our house being trampled through by strangers! Yuck!
Now I wonder, do I tell my mom about the ring being stolen or do I wait until she asks after it? What would you do?
Has your house ever been broken in to? How long did it take you to feel safe in it again?
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
WFMW: It's 5 o'clock somewhere
Happy Wednesday to you! It's time once again to post another WFMW tip!
Before I post my tip I'd like to let you know of the launching of my new business where I'm selling a few of my items in an effort to raise money for the web design of my online store. I'd appreciate it if you'd stop by and take a look. And there is a giveaway being offered!Now then, this week I'm coming to you live from Mexico, where the internet access is spotty but the margarita's are refreshing and it's always 5 o'clock somewhere (according to Jimmy Buffet)! My husband I are here with our 3-year old son and 15-month old foster daughter. We're having a blast hanging out on the beach, eating fresh seafood, and enjoying those margaritas!
I thought I'd share with you some of our vacation pictures.
View of the ocean from our condo. We've seen dolphins three of the four mornings we've been here.
Here's another view of the ocean from a look-out point not far from where we're staying.
Boo and Snuggle Bug playing on the beach.
Snuggle Bug enjoying his early breakfast and watching for dolphins.
Here's another view of the ocean from a look-out point not far from where we're staying.
Boo and Snuggle Bug playing on the beach.
Snuggle Bug enjoying his early breakfast and watching for dolphins.
This is a picture taken by Snuggle Bug (he's 3 years old and likes to play with Mommy's camera).Vacationing in Mexico (or anywhere for that matter) to recharge our spirits works for me. To find out what works for others, be sure to check out the other links at Shannon's, the creator of Works-For-Me Wednesday!
My past WFMW entries are found here.
Labels: vacation, Works-For-Me Wednesday
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Pictures from our mini-vacation
So, if you're wondering where I've been for the past 3 days, Oronzo, Snuggle Bug, and I escaped to Mexico for a mini-vacation Friday afternoon and just returned last night. Last week at work was extremely busy (long hours) so we decided to treat ourselves to a long weekend by the ocean. As always, we had a blast! I thought I'd share some pictures from our trip. Click on the images to enlarge. Enjoy!
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This was our first glimpse of the beach after we unpacked our belongings in the condo and went down for a walk. Pretty, eh?
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Here's Snuggle Bug with his new-found friend, Max. They were admiring a sand castle that two guys had built earlier that morning.
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Here's Snuggle Bug playing with another new-found friend, Aspen. They decided to try to make their own sand castle.
This was our view from the balcony of our rented condo. The picture doesn't capture the sparkling ocean water as the sun shone down upon the waves. It was beautiful! We had breakfast and lunch on the balcony each day.
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Snuggle Bug had his first sailboat ride this past weekend. He loved it! He got to help his daddy steer the boat for a while. We were thankful that he showed no signs of sea-sickness!
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Here's Snuggle Bug in the cabin of the sailboat. Don't you just love the pink sunglasses that he wanted to wear? :)
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The rocking of the sailboat upon the ocean waves lulled Snuggle Bug to sleep. He napped through our return to shore. We hit a wall of fog on our return but with Oronzo's GPS we had no problems finding our way back.
Well, hope you've enjoy the pictures. Have a great Tuesday!
Check back tomorrow for an adoption update.
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This was our first glimpse of the beach after we unpacked our belongings in the condo and went down for a walk. Pretty, eh?
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Here's Snuggle Bug with his new-found friend, Max. They were admiring a sand castle that two guys had built earlier that morning.
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Here's Snuggle Bug playing with another new-found friend, Aspen. They decided to try to make their own sand castle.
This was our view from the balcony of our rented condo. The picture doesn't capture the sparkling ocean water as the sun shone down upon the waves. It was beautiful! We had breakfast and lunch on the balcony each day.
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Snuggle Bug had his first sailboat ride this past weekend. He loved it! He got to help his daddy steer the boat for a while. We were thankful that he showed no signs of sea-sickness!
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Here's Snuggle Bug in the cabin of the sailboat. Don't you just love the pink sunglasses that he wanted to wear? :)
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The rocking of the sailboat upon the ocean waves lulled Snuggle Bug to sleep. He napped through our return to shore. We hit a wall of fog on our return but with Oronzo's GPS we had no problems finding our way back.
Well, hope you've enjoy the pictures. Have a great Tuesday!
Check back tomorrow for an adoption update.
Labels: family, Oronzo, Snuggle Bug, vacation
Monday, June 04, 2007
Pictures from our Mexico trips
Finally, I've had time to upload my pictures off my pictures and label them. So, today I'd like to share with you some pictures that we took during our two separate May trips to Mexico. Enjoy!
5/12/07- Snuggle Bug enjoying an ocean view of the sun rising. He was up at the crack of dawn each morning, which means I was up early too. I really didn't mind. Each morning we saw a group of dolphins feeding out in front of our beachside condo. It was a breathtaking view.
5/12/07- Here's Oronzo and Snuggle Bug swimming with the dolphins. For a mere $40 charge they were allowed to get into the water with the dolphins at a dolphin sanctuary. Oronzo and Snuggle Bug got to participate in the demonstration given to the large crowd that paid $6 to come see the dolphins. We learned that these dolphins were not taken from the ocean in Mexico. They were rescued in Australia and were in captivity for over 5 years in Cancun before being brought to Mexico.
5/14/07- Here's Snuggle Bug playing on the beach with two new friends that he made that weekend. Colin and Katie's parents were staying in the condo next to ours and the kids got to be friends. The three of them had the best time digging holes and making me run to the ocean for buckets of water to pour in the hole.
5/27/07- That's Snuggle Bug peeking out from behind his beach ball on the lawn of our rental house. I told Oronzo to get him a beach ball. I had no idea he'd get a ball bigger than Snuggle Bug! It took me forever to blow it up but Snuggle Bug loved it! The adults had fun playing with it in the ocean too.
5/27/07- Snuggle Bug getting messy on the beach. He would've spent the entire day out on the beach if we had let him. We had to be careful to make sure he didn't get too much sun.
5/27/07- Snuggle Bug and Oronzo hanging on the steps outside of our rental house. We had a great view of leaping fish, sailboats, dolphins, pelicans, and other sea creatures. Look how tanned Oronzo has gotten with being out near the water so much. That Italian blood of his allows him to tan without burning. Snuggle Bug and I are both part Irish so we have to be more careful.
5/27/07- My final picture is of Oronzo and Snuggle Bug walking on the beach. The three of us had so much fun together. Sometime in the near future we'd love to buy a 26' or 28' sailboat that sleeps 4 so that we have our own place to stay when we go to Mexico. Since we now live by the rule that we buy nothing on credit, we'll see how long it takes to save up about $12,000 for that. :)
I hope you all have enjoyed the picture show! Happy Monday!
5/12/07- Snuggle Bug enjoying an ocean view of the sun rising. He was up at the crack of dawn each morning, which means I was up early too. I really didn't mind. Each morning we saw a group of dolphins feeding out in front of our beachside condo. It was a breathtaking view.5/12/07- Here's Oronzo and Snuggle Bug swimming with the dolphins. For a mere $40 charge they were allowed to get into the water with the dolphins at a dolphin sanctuary. Oronzo and Snuggle Bug got to participate in the demonstration given to the large crowd that paid $6 to come see the dolphins. We learned that these dolphins were not taken from the ocean in Mexico. They were rescued in Australia and were in captivity for over 5 years in Cancun before being brought to Mexico.
5/14/07- Here's Snuggle Bug playing on the beach with two new friends that he made that weekend. Colin and Katie's parents were staying in the condo next to ours and the kids got to be friends. The three of them had the best time digging holes and making me run to the ocean for buckets of water to pour in the hole.
5/27/07- That's Snuggle Bug peeking out from behind his beach ball on the lawn of our rental house. I told Oronzo to get him a beach ball. I had no idea he'd get a ball bigger than Snuggle Bug! It took me forever to blow it up but Snuggle Bug loved it! The adults had fun playing with it in the ocean too.
5/27/07- Snuggle Bug getting messy on the beach. He would've spent the entire day out on the beach if we had let him. We had to be careful to make sure he didn't get too much sun.5/27/07- Snuggle Bug and Oronzo hanging on the steps outside of our rental house. We had a great view of leaping fish, sailboats, dolphins, pelicans, and other sea creatures. Look how tanned Oronzo has gotten with being out near the water so much. That Italian blood of his allows him to tan without burning. Snuggle Bug and I are both part Irish so we have to be more careful.
5/27/07- My final picture is of Oronzo and Snuggle Bug walking on the beach. The three of us had so much fun together. Sometime in the near future we'd love to buy a 26' or 28' sailboat that sleeps 4 so that we have our own place to stay when we go to Mexico. Since we now live by the rule that we buy nothing on credit, we'll see how long it takes to save up about $12,000 for that. :)I hope you all have enjoyed the picture show! Happy Monday!
Labels: Mexico, Oronzo, photos, Snuggle Bug, vacation
Friday, May 25, 2007
On the road again- to Mexico!
If you're looking for my Favorite Ingredients Friday recipe exchange, it's in the post below this one.
So, the picture that you see above is where I'm hanging out this weekend. Lovely, eh? We're spending the long Memorial Day weekend with 2 other couples, close friends of ours. We're renting a 3 BR house on the beach.
When I return, I'll do my best to play catch up with the comments and emails that many of you have left these past few days. Sorry I've gotten so far behind!
I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! If you're going out of town, where are you headed?
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Back from Mexico, pictures to follow.
Well, we're back from our long weekend trip to Mexico with Oronzo's parents. We had a wonderful time! Unfortunately, the 2nd day we were there, Oronzo's dad got in a car accident! Luckily no one was hurt, just their truck. Thankfully, they had Mexican insurance so the cost won't be as much as it could be. It was a bit of a hassle for them and they were upset, but the accident didn't entirely ruin our weekend. It just made things interesting. I'm sure we'll all laugh about it later. Oronzo has warned his father that he'll be harassing him for some time about having to go get him out of the Mexican police station.
I have taken lots of pictures but I haven't pulled them off my camera yet. I'll post them soon, so stop back!
Hope you all you mothers had a wonderful Mother's Day! I certainly did! I had my little Snuggle Bug with me and couldn't have been happier!
I have taken lots of pictures but I haven't pulled them off my camera yet. I'll post them soon, so stop back!
Hope you all you mothers had a wonderful Mother's Day! I certainly did! I had my little Snuggle Bug with me and couldn't have been happier!
Labels: holiday, Mother's Day, vacation
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Nebraska, here we come!
Yesterday morning, bright and early at 6:30 a.m., Snuggle Bug and I hopped on a plane to fly to Nebraska. We flew back to attend my 14 year old nephew's confirmation (I'm his Godmother) and we're staying for 6 days. Hooray!For the first time ever, we had to pay for Snuggle Bug to have his own seat. Now that he's two, we can no longer take him on free as a lap child.
I'm actually kind of glad that he had his own seat. I had my own space and he had his, which was nice.
Snuggle Bug had his nose pressed to the window to watch the planes and luggage carts before take-off. He loved take-off and he did just fine with the landings. He slept for part of the flight too. He's such a good little traveler. The only struggles I had was when it came time to make him sit down and put a seat belt on. He protested but I still got my way.
So, this may be a silly picture, but I had to take it. This "rapid charger" contraption fascinated me. I've never seen one before. For $3 you can charge nearly any kind of cell phone for 30 minutes. Pretty clever, don't you think.I though I had my phone charged before we left for the airport but between text messaging, taking and uploading pictures, and making phone calls, the battery went low quickly.
Unfortunately, I didn't have 30 minutes to wait and charge my phone, but if I did, I would've paid the $3.
Have you ever seen one of these before?
Well, time to go. Snuggle Bug is walking his older cousin to school and he's ready to go!
Hope to see you tomorrow for my Favorite Ingredient's Friday Breakfast Edition!
Labels: family, Snuggle Bug, vacation
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Cute pictures of Snuggle Bug
Well, as we're trying to decide what to do with Adoption #2, I thought I'd share some cute pictures of Snuggle Bug.
This is Snuggle Bug and me in the airport walking to catch our connecting flight to Nebraska (for our Thanksgiving trip home). Snuggle Bug is fascinated with moving sidewalks and escalators. Those proved to be a great way to entertain him during our layover! He's such a good little traveler though.
This is Snuggle Bug and me in the airport walking to catch our connecting flight to Nebraska (for our Thanksgiving trip home). Snuggle Bug is fascinated with moving sidewalks and escalators. Those proved to be a great way to entertain him during our layover! He's such a good little traveler though.
Here's Snuggle Bug braving the moving sidewalk on his own. It didn't take him long to get up the courage to walk on them without holding my hand. Isn't he cute with his little boy backpack on? We filled it with some of his favorite toys and books.
Here's Snuggle Bug with one of his cousins. This cousin is 7 months older than Snuggle Bug and the two of them love spending time playing together. They like to hold hands a lot as they're walking.
Okay, that's all the eye candy for today. I need to get back to work. Tomorrow I'm off and I don't return to work until 12/27, so I'll get a nice long weekend with my family!
Labels: family, parenting, photos, Snuggle Bug, toddler, vacation
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
We're in Nebraska
Yes, most of my side of the family lives in Nebraska and this is where we're currently at for the Thanksgiving holiday!
Traveling to get here was time consuming, but thankfully there were no delays, our luggage was waiting for us, and Snuggle Bug was a fantastic little traveler! He played, slept twice on the 2 flights we took, and had a wonderful time watching all the planes take-off during our 3 hour layover.
Being home with my family has been fantastic thus far! The weather is mild for this time of the year. Snuggle Bug is right now playing with 5 of his 6 cousins. My older sister's house is a tangled jungle of toys strewn all about the house, but the kids are having a blast! Thankfully, Snuggle Bug has shown no signs of shyness around his aunts, uncles, and cousins thus far. He just gets in there and plays with the best of them. I'm getting some cute pictures which I'll try to post later.
Tomorrow our entire family is getting together for a huge Thanksgiving feast. I can't wait! Of course, naps will follow shortly thereafter. :)
I'm off to eat dinner. More another time!
Have a great Thanksgiving everyone! I'd be interested in seeing some Thanksgiving leftover recipes this Friday for my Favorite Ingredient Friday recipe exchange!
Traveling to get here was time consuming, but thankfully there were no delays, our luggage was waiting for us, and Snuggle Bug was a fantastic little traveler! He played, slept twice on the 2 flights we took, and had a wonderful time watching all the planes take-off during our 3 hour layover.
Being home with my family has been fantastic thus far! The weather is mild for this time of the year. Snuggle Bug is right now playing with 5 of his 6 cousins. My older sister's house is a tangled jungle of toys strewn all about the house, but the kids are having a blast! Thankfully, Snuggle Bug has shown no signs of shyness around his aunts, uncles, and cousins thus far. He just gets in there and plays with the best of them. I'm getting some cute pictures which I'll try to post later.
Tomorrow our entire family is getting together for a huge Thanksgiving feast. I can't wait! Of course, naps will follow shortly thereafter. :)
I'm off to eat dinner. More another time!
Have a great Thanksgiving everyone! I'd be interested in seeing some Thanksgiving leftover recipes this Friday for my Favorite Ingredient Friday recipe exchange!
Labels: family, holiday, Snuggle Bug, toddler, vacation
Monday, November 20, 2006
Heading home for Thanksgiving!
Oronzo, Snuggle Bug, and I are flying to my home state early tomorrow morning, to celebrate Thanksgiving with my side of the family! We'll be there for a whole week.I'm not lining up guest bloggers for this trip because I'm staying with my brother, Cole, and his family and we'll have Internet access, so I'll be able to continue to blog next week. Hooray!
I'm really excited to be going home. I'll be able to hang out with my entire family, as well as some aunts and uncles. I may even have time to visit with some of my college friends while I'm back.
Snuggle Bug will be able to play with his 6 cousins while we're back and his aunts and uncles and grandparents will be able to love on him! Most haven't seen him since last Christmas.
My family has requested two things of Oronzo. First, they want him to make a big pot of his scrumptious Italian marinara sauce. Next, they want him to take professional pictures of each of my family members. These will probably be used as Christmas pictures this year. Oronzo is lugging home some of his camera equipment through the airport. I'm insisting that the 3 of us have our pictures taken as well. Despite the fact that Oronzo is a professional photographer, it's rare that I get a nice picture of the 3 of us.
I wish it weren't so expensive to fly back home. This trip is costing us approximately $660 in airfare alone. After Snuggle Bug turns 2 in late December, it'll cost even more than that because he will no longer be able to travel for free. Yikes! I'm hoping to convince my family to come my way next year for Christmas. We'll see how that goes.
Stay tuned this week for details on how our trip is going. I'm sure we'll have lots of fun!
Labels: celebration, family, holiday, home, Oronzo, Snuggle Bug, vacation
