Back from the beach

We returned yesterday from our family trip to Myrtle Beach. We rented a condo for 4 nights. the condo was very nice; It was a "home away from home". 3 BR/BA, full kitchen, and washer/dryer. Did I mention it was oceanfront. It had an indoor water park, water slides and lazy river. The kids enjoyed these amenities.

Phoebe spent too much time sunbathing and earned herself a nice sunburn. Victor, Victoria and Madelynn got a little too much sun also on the beach. Colin and I were the only ones to escape the burn.

The section of Myrtle Beach we stayed in was very quiet. We went to the "Ripley's Aquarium", it definitely wasn't worth the $70. The "Broadway at the Beach" was pretty nice. It reminded me of "CityWalk" in Orlando. Lots of restaurants, shops, etc.. We had a nice time there.

Isn't it funny how exhausted we return from vacation. We were all in bed at 9:30.

We still have the rest of this week off from work. Our granite is being installed, Victor is redoing our back splash. What a way to spend his precious days off. He has already asked me what "project" I will be asking him to work on for his next vacation.

Have a great week! I will update with the kitchen photos when we have made some headway.

It was a good weekend

We had a very nice weekend. Graduation on Friday, Graduation party on Sunday. It was good to be around the family. Victor's mother (who lives here in Summergrove), took Madelynn and Colin to spend the night with her last night. It was so nice to wake up at 9:30, make and drink my coffee without any interruptions. I woke Phoebe and Victoria up and we were out the door at 11:30. They had some leftover money/gift cards that they wanted to use. We went and picked out sandals for Victoria and Colin, sundresses for Victoria and Phoebe bought some cosmetics of some kind.

We went to pick Madelynn and Colin up around 3:30 this afternoon; Colin was still taking a nap. He woke up about 45 minutes after we got there and didn't want to leave. This is not new, he NEVER wants to leave Abuelita. So, she told me to go on home and she would bring them both home a little later. It has felt so strange without them running around. I keep going to Colin's room to see if he is "awake". Well, I better enjoy it for a few more minutes, they'll be here soon. I wouldn't trade em' for the world!

Have a great week!

Summer is here, unofficially!!

The kids had their last day of school on Friday. What mixed emotions my children had. I remember only feelings of pure joy on my last days of school. They have a lot to look forward to.



We leave Wednesday for Myrtle Beach. We are all looking forward to a little time away. Victor is taking 11 days off. He thought it may pose a conflict with his work, but it worked out. He really needs some time off, he works really hard for all of us. Thanks, honey. We all love you very much :)



Let's see, what else, oh yeah. My cousin Claire graduated from high school Friday night. She will start at Mercer in the Fall and is planning to become a nurse. It was nice to see my Aunt and Uncle and cousins, they live on the northside of Atlanta. We hadn't seen them since my Grandmother's funeral. It's nice to have family close enough to get together for special occasions. MOM- you're next, time to retire and move on up.



Today, we are having a little graduation party for our nephew, Jeff. He graduated yesterday from high school. He has enlisted in the air force and will leave in early June. I believe he is going to Texas for training and then he hopes to be stationed in Europe somewhere.



Colin was sick with a fever for the past 3 days. He woke up today fever free, yippee! I plan to take the kids outside for a bit today, maybe the park. I have to get my house together first. We are grilling steaks tonight. I am making a chimichurri sauce for the steak, yum!



Have a safe weekend.

Happy Birthday Madelynn!

Saturday we celebrated Madelynn's 5th birthday. Madelynn chose to have a "bouncy house" party. Her birthday isn't until next Thursday, but with Graduations and vacations, I decided to have it the weekend before. Most of the attendees were her classmates from school as well as a few other friends from the neighborhood and her family. The kids had fun and it was nice to just leave and not have to worry about cleaning up the mess. Money well spent! Enjoy the pics and I will be posting later on in the week.

Madelynn- The Gradaute.

Yesterday was Madelynn's preschool graduation. It was so much fun to see all of the 4 year olds up on stage, singing and reciting their ABC's. Everyone, teachers and students have worked very hard to get ready for the performance and it showed. Tomorrow is Colin and Madelynn's last day of school, which doesn't seem possbile. I am looking forward to a few weeks with no schedules or agendas. Tomorrow, I am off for a pedicure in the morning (while the kids are at school) and a little shopping and back to school for the end-of-year party. More photos to come!

Happy Mother's day

On this Mother's Day, I want to stop and reflect on this last year and what I have accomplished? I honestly feel like I am always running crazy. Laundry, picking up kids, and work.. it never ends. I do have to say, that I wouldn't want it any other way. My children are healthy, my husband and I are happy, what else can a woman ask for? Nothing. I always have to remind myself to stop and enjoy the "little things", let the laundry and dishes pile up occasionally. I am going to try my best and cherish everyday a little more.

I want to mention the special women in my life. Mom- you are the greatest mom ever. I still haven't met anyone that can hold a candle to you. I mean that! My witty Granny Dee; Words can't even describe her. She is so independant and selfless, I can only hope to become half the woman she is today. And last, this is the first Mother's Day without my Grandmother Voncile. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her. I can hear her voice in my mind as if she was sitting right beside me. Her words of wisdom stay with me each and every day. She is missed dearly by us all!

Today was a great day. We did absolutely nothing. Victor had to work, but the kids and I hung out around the house. Phoebe presented me with her gift first, a coupon book. Full of free chore and babysitting coupons. I need to check whether they expire. Victoria presented me with my gift second. As she carried her sleeping bag down the stairs and on to the front porch, I could only wonder what she was up to. I didn't let my curiosity get the best of me and waited for my summons. 20 monuted later, Victoria asked me to come on out. There, on the front porch, were my planters. Victoria asked me the other night, what I wanted. I said, "I would like a few planters that hang over the railing." She kind of looked at me strangely and said, "Planters?" I replied, "Yes, the ones that hand over the railing." So, she did a great job at directing Victor to Home Depot. I love gifts for my home.

In closing, I feel that every day is Mother's Day. My children remind me of this every morning that I wake up. Life couldn't be better.

The weekend is over...

Our weekend was very quiet and relaxing. Colin had croup last week, which caused him to miss the entire week of school. He is much better now, thank goodness for that.

What's new: School is almost out, for the kids at least. My classes start June 9th. Phoebe is having her awards night tomorrow. She is in the top 5% of her class. Madelynn will graduate from preschool in a couple of weeks. Phoebe and Victoria are planning to travel a bit this summer. We are going to Myrtle Beach as a family on May 28. I can't wait to walk out on my balcony in the morning and drink my coffee and watch the waves, ahh... I will give a full report when we return. Victor and I will probably not be going anywhere solo. I have class until the end of July. We are also planning a Disney cruise in October. We may sneak a weekend somewhere in between who knows will us crazy kids!

Speaking of crazy, Victor and I came up with this idea on Thursday afternoon to refinish our kitchen cabinets. We replaced the flooring in our entire house last year. I don't think either one of us have ever been extremely happy with the way the cabinets and floors look together. We have plans to redo the counters and replace the appliances; This was only put off because we had a patio door that needed replacing. So, back to my original thought; Victor had 3 days off and spent them staining our cabinets. He got 1/3 of them completed and they look great. The color we chose was a autumn chestnut, I think. Anyways I will attach a photo so you can see the difference.