P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 366 - (+1) Happy New Year!
As 2012 is drawing to a close, I have been sitting here trying to come up with poignant words to wrap it all up in a neat little bow. Unfortunately, I am having a hard time doing that. 2012 is a year not easily tied up into a neat little bow...there were ups and downs, happiness and sadness, hellos and goodbyes...but then what year doesn't have that to some degree. So instead of summing up the year that I spent 366 days summarizing as we went along, I will instead end the year with this wish for continued health, happiness, love, and laughter. May 2013 bring positive changes, exciting endeavors and time spent with family and friends.
To that end, I need to go get comfy on the couch with My Wonderful Husband, The Bear, The Princess, and The Boy for the movie they are waiting for me to start.... Happy New Year!
"Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book.
Write a good one." - Brad Paisley
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 365 - Clean up
It all started innocently enough this morning. I was going to take down the Christmas decorations and the tree since we were home and had no plans. That was how it all started.....this is where it all ended... When I went up to the kids' rooms to take down the trees in their rooms, my spidey senses were assaulted by a mess beyond all my neat freak mind could comprehend. Thus began a clean up to end all clean ups - "What is this?" "I don't know." "Do you need it then?" "I guess not." "Ok then lets get rid of it." We made donate piles and trash piles and cleaned the remaining belongings so that miraculously one might even know what is there.
I did end up getting all of the Christmas decorations down and put away and then I moved on to the playroom closet and added even more to the trash and donate piles. In the end, we filled three large trash bags, four bags of clothes, and a pile of books, toys, games, puzzles, etc to donate that looks like Mt Everest.
I feel better already and so do the kids if they are being honest...We are going into the new year clean and organized. Bring it on 2013.. we are ready.
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 364 - Snow Surfing
These kids are all about the boards - surf boards, skate boards, and even these makeshift snow boards. They were "snow surfing" down our big hill today and they had a blast!
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 363 - Start the healing
These past few months have been some of the most difficult in my life. My dad's sickness and death followed by a hurricane that damaged a place that was special to us all and a connection to my parents was all almost more that I could bear. So when we finally got back to the island yesterday, I literally sighed in relief. I had missed this place so much. My Wonderful Husband, the kids and I made a trip to a favorite spot for lunch today that had just opened back up yesterday after cleaning up the damage from the storm. It was bittersweet to be back at Scojos without Poppy who had loved it as much as us, but it seemed a fitting place to come and start the healing in our hearts.
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 362 - Heavy sigh
The kids and I have not been to the beach house in almost four months. My Wonderful Husband has been there a few times for clean up after the storm, but the kids and I haven't been on the island since before soccer season started. The plan was to go to the beach house yesterday. But snow in PA kept us housebound. We were annoyed, but we rolled with it, changed our plans, and left this morning after the weather cleared. I joked yesterday that "come snow or high water" we would make it to the island. Little did I know how true that statement would be.... We made it to the island in great time and without incident and then started seeing the water as we crossed the bridge. Uh oh, not looking good.... then we stopped. This picture was actually a borrowed picture - we didn't even get this far and I was far too upset about the situation to grab my camera. The island was so flooded that the boulevard was closed. The police officer explained that it was impassable and it would be about two hours before they would be letting anyone pass. Heavy sigh. Ok...where does one go with a car full of three kids and a dog that just drove four hours from PA? Thank goodness my cousin lives close by and let us "gate crash" and even fed us while we waited. THANK YOU! :-) xo After an impromptu visit and once the water receded we were able to get back on the island and finally made it to our house.
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 361 - Lego Boys
My Lego boys spent the day putting together their new sets. They are both very proud of their handy work :-)
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 360 - Merry Christmas!
It really was a merry Christmas - some gift highlights from the day included a Lego Hogwarts set that The Bear has been asking for for a very.long.time, an American Girl doll for The Princess that she has named Kimmie, an Imaginext castle that The Boy was really hoping for, a sock monkey toy for The Pooch which he has already stripped of all of it's stuffing - it is now a sock monkey rag but he loves it just the same, a beautiful Coach purse that I never in a million years thought anyone would get for me, and some cool headphones for My Wonderful Husband. While these gift highlights were all great, the real gift today was the time spent together, the good food we shared, and the love we all have for one another. The gifts are just icing on the cake. I think I have mentioned before that this year has been one full of quite a bit of heartache, stress, sickness, and sadness....but as this year winds down to a close and a new one approaches I continue to be thankful for the good that we have in our lives. We are so very lucky and I am so very grateful....and as always - Merry Christmas to all our family and friends far and near, those still with us and those not here... xoxoxo
