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Trying to remember that there is always a reason, always something that makes you smile during the day- recognizing the event, person or situation that made you smile will make your day seem that much better.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Lazy Labor Day Lobster Lounge

Labor Day weekend means many things for different people...
The end of the summer...
The beginning of fall
Back to school
One last hurrah..

For us it means spending the long weekend with hubby's family.
My sister in law and I decided four years ago after a long summer of trying to schedule some "fun" time and not being able to make schedules mesh that we needed something to mark the end of the summer...
One weekend of fun, sun, comfy clothes, drinks and lobsters.
And so, the Lazy Labor Day Lobster Lounge was born.
We rent a bounce house for the kids...
Buy a whole bunch of food...
Bring several pairs of super comfy clothes and just chill for the weekend...
This year was no different...
Giggles abound from the kids who loved the bounce house and were on a sugar high from the cotton candy...
There was lots of snuggles, lots of Auntie nic and Unkie's yelled...
We even played soccer in the bounce house...
Adults partook in some beverages..
No we did not drink it all!!
We had several camp fires...complete with roasted hot dogs...and s'mores


Lobsters...of course

And the guys even put on a couple of fireworks shows for us.

It was a lovely weekend with the family....
We did a lot of laughing...
A lot of jumping..
A lot of snuggling..
There were some tears when we had to leave...
But also, great big hugs and someone telling us that it was the best weekend ever.
I don't know how many more years we will have this one weekend that we don't let anyone else intrude upon, but it definitely will be one of the best memories I will have of the kids growing up..
Hugs and love to you all!!



Monday, September 10, 2012

Anniversary Weekend

Every year, in August, hubby and I make time to go away...
A quick weekend trip most of the time, but sometimes, the stars align and we can get away for a bit longer than that.
Many of you who read often know that we like to travel.
We just don't travel very often alone :)
It is just the two of us at home (well and four very needy cats) but there is something about being out of the house and away that allows us to relinquish all the stress of every day life and just relax.
It is a time for us to reflect on the past year and reconnect.
This year was no different.
We spent five days at a Bed and Breakfast in New Hampshire.
Now, we are not bed and breakfast people.
We try to be.
I want to be so badly sometimes.
I like the romantic notion of going away somewhere that isn't a sterile hotel and entering someone's home.
Getting to know others who are on vacation.
Sharing wine, playing games, eating breakfast etc.
In reality, many of these places just aren't for us.
This Inn was a good compromise.
They had a little cottage that we rented and we went in for breakfast and a game of chess every morning.
It is an area where we have been many times, with many people.
It was nice, to just relax.
Pretend to be tourists.
Take in the scenery.
Talk.
Those in depth and not so in depth conversations that happen when you are driving with someone that you barely have to verbalize something and they know exactly what you mean.
Those moments when you realize that you are both thinking exactly the same thing.
Laughing together about something silly and stupid.
Crying about the loss of a loved one.
Sharing stories that for some bizarre reason haven't been shared in the last twelve years.
Stopping to do some silly little roadside attraction simply because there are no time limits, no place to be, nothing to worry about missing.
Holding hands and taking in the scenery without saying anything at all.
Goading each other into trying something that hasn't' been done.
Compromising on activities
dipping your toes in the cold mountain water, knowing that there is no place else that  you need to be...but more importantly that you would rather be.
The casual drape of his arms around my shoulders, or my arm wrapped around his waste.
Smiling and laughing
Not talking about everything at home, 
Not stressing about anything.
But at the end of the weekend...what was the best of all...was looking at each other and realizing that although life is stressful,
Although we may yell
we may fight
We may get stressed out and crazy...
We still really, really like each other..
That sounds like a silly thing, but when we get caught up in the day to day craziness of work and the house and all that goes along with it...we sometimes forget..
The trip allowed us to refocus, communicate and enjoy each other's company...
It is a tradition that I know we will keep up every year...
because sometimes, you just need to take that step back and remember why it is that you are walking on the same path...and that you really do enjoy each other's company.

hugs and love to you all!!

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Nice relaxing weekend??

Not exactly...but at least we were productive...
Hubby is going away for the week so the plan for the weekend was to just lie low and enjoy spending time together.
We were off to a great start on Friday...went out to dinner and came home and watched a couple of movies..
He was out of the house early on Saturday to run some silly errands and a drs appointment...
Came home and went to the grocery store and to Walmart.
Picked up a bunch of stuff since we have been gone for the last two weekends for an extended amount of time ( I still owe you posts on our anniversary weekend...and our Lazy Labor Day Lobster Lounge)..
Opened the fridge to that nasty, the fridge isn't cold enough smell..
You know the one right??
Well, the freezer door had been left open (both of us swear it wasn't us...so we assume it must have been the cats :) )
After cleaning up the mess that was on the bottom of the fridge, we shut the doors and hoped..
Well, it wasn't meant to be....the fridge wasn't getting cold.
So off this morning to another one of those great home improvement stores to see what we could find.
After deciding on a fridge that was the opposite of what we thought we wanted, we decided to take the floor model.
Problem #1: Hubby's truck is in the shop..
So my wonderful husband, who is an engineer by training, said no problem...it will fit in the Jeep...just need to take the doors off.
Problem #2: Where to put the doors once they were off.
Tie them to the top of the roof...
After a precarious ride home, it was time to remove doors, shave some of the trim, move the existing fridge and get it inside.
To say it was a tense few hours at my house would be an understatement...but the fridge is in and turned on...
It is cooling off and we were able to save a bunch of stuff by using the old dorm fridge in the garage.
He's off to the land of potatoes for the week and I am snuggling with the kitties.
So not a relaxing weekend...but we will not have to worry about the fridge deciding not to work anymore and we got a good deal on it..
I hope that you are all doing well!! I miss you all and send happy thoughts and positive vibes out on the back of the cool fall breeze that's blowing today!
Hugs!
Doesn't he look proud of himself...

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Amazing Weekend..

We had a fabulous weekend together in New Hampshire.
I am facing the daunting task of a work email box to go through before I go back to work tomorrow...
So for now, I will leave you with some random cell phone pics from the weekend.
i will be back soon...promise!
Fabulous Inn outside North Conway NH...if anyone is looking for a place I highly recommend it! 

Beer sampler for each of us

Fabulous homemade raspberry and white chocolate scone 

Chocolate mint martini

We played chess before breakfast each morning.  

Ellis falls

Toast on our anniversary

All dressed up for our anniversary dinner
Hugs and lots of love to you all!!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Smiles..

Hello my lovelies...I hope you are all well..
We are packing up for another trip...
This one is a mixture of sadness and happiness...
Hubby's great uncle passed away the other night so we are headed north for a wake and a funeral tomorrow and Friday..
He was Italian through and through..
His booming voice will be missed..
his ever present smile stirring a pot of sauce at family gatherings will be missed..
The lingering smell of cigar smoke and vintage cigar boxes will always bring his face to mind..
We will celebrate his life and know that the sadness that is felt now will be replaced with the memories that one treasures for a life time.
Then we head to a Bed and Breakfast for some alone time to celebrate twelve years of marriage...
It is hard to believe that it has been that long since we joined together for a lifetime..
As we reflect on the past and plan for the future, we know that for better or for worse...we are stuck together..
I am sure that I will have some sappy post at some point..but I am unplugging on Friday for the weekend...so I'll see you all when we get back...hopefully with some pictures and some memories to share..
Until then I send positive thoughts and wishes your way on the back of the moonbeams..
hugs and lots of love to you all..

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Thursday thoughts...

From a friend's facebook page
To all of you who have walked beside me, picked me up, helped me smile, made me laugh or listened to me cry...thank you.
To all of you who have read the ramblings of someone from "way up north", left encouraging comments, emailed, instant messaged and made my life even fuller than before...thank you

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Absent

I haven't been around much lately...
Not for any particular reason..
busy with work and stuff..
I did get to see my parents last weekend which was awesome..
hubby ended up being able to come with me to the wedding so that was good..
It wasn't nearly as tough as I thought it would be and I feel like some things were straightened out.
I can't believe that summer is almost over already..
We had a rare free weekend this week and have managed to do absolutely nothing.
Work is good..busy..but good.
The kitties are doing well..
Hubby is good..
I have found a lot of announcements lately of people leaving..
taking a break..
I am reading...and trying to comment..
I just guess that I am not finding much to write about...
Just enjoying life..
Hugs and love to you all..
know that I am thinking about you and sending positive wishes on a regular basis..