Miami

It feels as if it were a dream.

Imagine winning a trip to an exotic resort. That's how I feel this was. It was like winning something fabulous, only I didn't win my Mom gave it to me.
This was possibly the best gift I've ever been given. I have my Mom to thank - totally.

Miami was everything I thought it would be: exotic, retro, hot, relaxing, fun, interesting and on and on.

The resort was A-MA-ZING! First class all the way. Multiple pools, a private beach, a lazy river, waterslide, multiple restaurants and bars and people to wait on you hand and foot wherever you went.

South beach was a blast!! Jimmy drove from Orlando to see the sights of South Beach with my Mom and I. It was just funny to take the A1A to Beachfront Avenue (Vanilla Ice, ya'll!!).
The clubs and the people were pretty much exactly what I pictured. I took a ton of pictures and can't wait to post them!

It's funny because I didn't realize how much I needed the get away until I got there. And vice versa, I didn't realize how much I missed home until I got back.

And, since it's Father's Day, I have to say THANK YOU to my Bill. Thank you for understanding this opportunity and for holding down the fort while I was gone.
I am very lucky to have a partner who I can trust - making it actually relaxing to be away. Not every Mom has a Dad she can rely on to run a household like he can without turning the house completely up-side-down in the mean time. I love you honey!

Stay tuned for some, hopefully, really funny and cool pics!

Besties

5 days

I was rocking Laila this morning for her morning nap and she was drinking her bottle and lying on my chest. She was curled up all tiny and sweet and I thought about my trip next week and being gone for so long and I freaked out.
I know some of you have left your little ones for extended periods of time. Does the anxiety and guilt go away?

Fight the Fight

Bill and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary on Sunday and as I was laying in bed I started thinking about how our relationship and our lives have changed SO much in that time.

Of course, I had the perfect blog post in my head at the time, but now can only remember the main point:

I feel that now a days it is so easy for us to give in. Whether it be with our spouse or with our children, it just seems so prevalent.

Even though I have a million wonderful things to say about my husband I'd be lying if I said we didn't have difficult moments, or whole days go by without really talking, or even times when I wonder WHAT THE HECK WE HAVE IN COMMON??
It's so easy to let that wall build up between us and it's work to break it down sometimes - but we do - and it always feels better afterwords.

I don't ever want to be that couple that is married "for the kids" or just stay married but sleep in different bedrooms and lead completely different lives. What's the point of that?

It's the same thing with our kids. It can be beyond exhausting sometimes just to get through a day.
It would be so much easier to just let them act like wild goats - but you can't - and it pays off.

The point is that you have to keep fighting the fight.
Give that hug even if the thought of another person hanging off your body gives you the shivers.
Choose to let the other person be the crab for today.
Speak to your child when she is acting up in public.
Repeat yourself for the millionth time.

As hard as it is - if you want to have a real marriage and children who others can tolerate then fight the fight.

Happy 3rd Birthday Delaney

What to say about our Delaney that I haven't said a million times?

Honestly, she is just beyond adorable. She's just a waif of a thing - Bill and I look at her when she's fresh out of the tub and just laugh because she's such a peanut!

She's goofy and cuddly. She's smart and sassy. She's sneaky!

I took the girls to Como this morning to celebrate and Laney went on the swing ride for the first time. I'm in anguish that I didn't have the camera because it was the most amazing thing to watch.

When her and CeCe first got in their swings Laney turned to CeCe and asked her to hold her hand. I told Laney that if she doesn't like the ride just yell for me and I'd get her out.

Those swings went up and started to spin and her grin was SO BIG!! She was giggling so hard it was making me laugh with her.

I'm telling you, it was just perfect.

I love that little monkey more than life itself. I just cannot believe that she's already 3!