30 before 30: Month 3ish

I haven't looked at this list since the last time I wrote an update. Needless to say, I haven't been actively working on the list.

List update:

Fun run season is coming up, I haven't registered for any yet. Registration for the one we really want to do isn't open.

Camping isn't happening any time soon, the weather lately has been too crazy.

Bruce's first birthday is coming up, hoping to get family photos around then. I've been looking for the perfect shade of blue for him to wear.

Stockings, nope.

Tattoos, nope.

Photography class, just waiting for spring classes to be scheduled.

I am officially crossing sweet tea off the list.

Hot air balloon, nope.

White water rafting, nope.

Snow tubing almost happened around Christmas but then it didn't happen, so that'll have to wait until the end of the year.

Sewing machine, nope. I do have some pants that need to be turned into shorts, so that will be a good project to get start with.

Photobooks, just the two of the girls so far. Guess I should start Bruce's first year one.

Monthly dates seems so hard to accomplish, I need to work harder on this one.

I have cleared out a shirt from the closet, so a pair of sweats and a shirt. Woo.

Natural bridge, nope. Next time I go to my mom's house we'll plan to visit there.

Canning, nope.

I have started talking to my brother about visiting his house before he moves again in the fall.

There is a homeschool convention I plan to attend in August.

I'm not even sure I want to go to a blogger conference anymore since I've stopped writing on the art blog (for now).

I'm not sure why I haven't started an art journal yet...

Er, the foul language thing needs more work.

Volunteering, nope.

State parks, I have a Chimney Rock visit scheduled for April after that I'll only have Morrow Mtn and Lake James left to visit. Maybe I'll also visit Mt. Mitchell, it's just over 2 hours away.

I have been working on the gardens whenever it's nice out. I cleared out the front bed, created a bed around my mailbox and transplanted some irises, and have moved some bushes. No planting yet.

I have been consciously hugging more often.

Game night, Tuesdays sounds good. Tomorrow it is.

I finished reading Gone Girl and was so disappointed I haven't picked up another book since. I still have 10 books to go.

Mile High Bridge, nope.

I am not going to accomplish coaching youth soccer. I was planning to coach U5 but Lexi has decided she doesn't want to play and I do not have the skills to coach older children.

Finding time to go to the gym, easier said than done.

Other things:

Travis was laid off in January and got work on another site in February, he is down in SC now but we are used to him traveling for work so life goes on.

We became a vegetarian family in February, just because. I don't feel bad that people eat meat, I still like burgers and bacon, but I don't miss them.  We did try plant based dairy products, they were gross so we're not vegan.

I have been working hard with a friend to start a strictly secular group for homeschoolers in our area. I can't wait for it to grow! We have a lot of ideas for this group.

We're getting ready for Char's 3rd soccer season, she is very excited about it. Char will also be a registered homeschooler when she turns 7 so we are busy planning that. As much as I love child led learning, I do have to acknowledge required testing.

Lexi is just being Lexi and if you know Lexi then you know what that means.

And what keeps me the busiest of all is the little dude that is running around my house. He needs a bell.

30 before 30: Month 1

Last month I wrote a list of 30 things I want to do before I turn 30. It's been one month since I've turned 29, so I wanted to update you all on my progress.

I've actually managed to finish one adult fiction book! I chose The Help and I can honestly say that I enjoyed it very much. Gone Girl is next on my eBook hold list.

I've been doing well with the sweet tea thing, haven't had a sweet tea since before my birthday. I thought I would miss it more than I do.

I was doing a six-week program at the Y but stopped because of the holidays. I need to schedule another appointment.

I finished Lexi's third year and Char's fifth year photobooks. I have several to go before I'm caught up.

I've managed to throw away one ratty pair of sweat pants I've been hanging on to for dear life; I have no idea why. One step closer to a decent wardrobe!

So far, that's what I've accomplished. Not as much as I'd like but better than nothing!

11 months to go!

30 Before 30

I realize it has been months since I've updated this blog.

I have a little baby that loves to be held and I'd rather do that than sit at the computer and blog. Though sometimes I do wish I had more time to blog, then I could keep a record of all the cute little things that baby does so when he is older I can come back to the blog and reflect.

But, this post is not about that

This post is about the fact that I recently turned 29 and I made a list of 30 things I want to accomplish before I turn 30.

So here ya go (in no particular order)

Run a fun run with the family

Go camping

Get updated family photos taken

Finish Alexis and Bruce's stockings

Get Alexis and Bruce tattoos

Take a photography class

Quit drinking sweet tea

Ride in a hot air balloon

Go white water rafting at the US National Whitewater Center

Go snow tubing

Learn how to use my sewing machine

Make photobooks for each of the kids (catch up on the girls)

Go on monthly dates with Travis, Charlotte, and Alexis

Donate all my pre-kids clothes, replace with new clothes

Visit the Natural Bridge

Learn how to can food

Go to my brother's house

Attend a homeschool convention

Attend a blogger conference

Start an art journal

Cut down on the foul language

Volunteer locally

Visit all the state parks within 2 hours drive

Start a garden

Give more hugs

Start weekly game night

Read at least 12 adult fiction books

Go across Mile High Bridge

Coach a season of youth soccer

Finish a 6 week fitness program at the YMCA

I will update with posts as I cross things off the list!

I've already started the fitness program at the YMCA and haven't had a sweet tea in days (ugh)

Happy Birthday To Me!

December 5th was my 28th birthday. I'm getting closer to that big 3-0. Yes. It is freaking me the freak out.

Honestly,
it feels like I just graduated yesterday. Maybe it's because I'm married to my HS sweetheart or maybe because I really did graduate yesterday and in the blink of an eye 10 years went by.

No one will ever know.

So, first I have a birthday announcement which I actually made on my birthday on Facebook but have yet to announce on the blog.

We're excited to be expecting a baby boy in April! I'd be just as excited to be expecting a baby girl but Travis was feeling very out numbered so he is super excited!

Yes, we have a list of names picked out. No, we will not announce the name until we actually name him which will be when he is born.

I don't expect I'll be posting much about pregnancy because quite frankly, it's boring. I will however mention that at 20 weeks I've already been fussed at for gaining "too much" weight. I gained "too much" with my other two pregnancies also. Let me just go ahead and tell my body to stop gaining so much weight....not. Here is my 21 week bump. Travis says I'm carrying higher than I did with the girls. I don't really notice things like that, all I know is that I feel like a whale and I can't imagine getting any bigger.

Second, since I'm 28 this year I thought I'd make a list of 28 things you may or may not know about me!

1. I play the flute
2. My favorite color is pink
3. I dislike pickles. A lot.
4. Summer is my favorite season
5. I don't have as many tattoos as I want
6. I've considered getting a job just so I can buy shoes
7. I have a potty mouth
8. Laundry will be the death of me
9. One week before I was supposed to go to boot camp I found out I was pregnant
10. I watch a lot of documentaries
11. I think my babies are the cutest babies ever
12. I've had a sewing machine for two years and have never used it
13. My second toe is longer than my big toe
14. I don't read (non-picture books) as often as I'd like
15. I love celebrity gossip
16. I despise talking on the phone, that's why I don't have one
17. I don't drink alcohol
18. My Pandora is filled with techno stations
19. I can roll my belly
20. I went to college for interior design and architectural drafting
21. Vienna roast is my favorite roast of coffee
22. I'm pretty darn lazy
23. My husband is my best friend, we've been together 12 years
24. I wish my hair was straight
25. I have a younger brother
26. I have a freckle on the bottom of one of my toes
27. I love hiking
28. My goal is to one day move to Hawaii

That's my list and it took a lot longer to write than it should have! Did you learn anything??

Er...it's almost December!?

Okay

I dropped off the face of the bloggy world.

Not only on this blog but on my art blog as well.

Some things came up that I'll discuss soon but right now I just wanted to mention I've been hard at work setting up activities for our annual countdown to Christmas.

The countdown starts December 1st! Stay tuned, I'll be blogging about it :)

In the meantime, browse around and read about our countdowns from last year and the year before

You can find those posts here

August: 2012 Goals Review

For a while I was updating you all on how I was doing with my resolutions for 2012. I fell off the blogging wagon and now I'm back on, ready to update you again and make some changes.

So how have I been doing?

Visit more state parks: This one is in the easy section for a reason, because it's freakin' easy! We have been frequenting a few state parks but none on the list because we moved. Now we only live close enough to Lake Norman and Morrow Mountain and I'm pretty sure we'll make it to those by the end of the year. The other parks on the list are now obsolete so I'm replacing them with:

*Chimney Rock

*Gorges State Park

*Grandfather Mountain

*Lake James

*Mount Mitchell

All of these parks are within 2 hours of us, so nice easy drives and plenty of time to enjoy the parks. I just love living in North Carolina!

Get Charlotte involved in some sort of social setting: Char is on a waiting list for a Girl Scout troop this fall, we've joined a homeschool co-op that has a lot of children her age, and dance class is planned for fall. I think this one is covered for the year!

Explore more of Greensboro: This one is not going to happen now that we've moved so let's just change it to "Explore more of Charlotte"

Improve my photography: This one I've completely failed at, so far. I haven't read any books, done any photo shoots lately, I've gotten really lazy. *sigh*

Expand Dilly-Dali Art: I'm excited about this one. I'm in the process of creating a series for homeschoolers, planning on teaching a co-op class, and possibly being a contributor for a larger blog.

Set aside time for activities: I've already posted about our schedule spinner, it's been working wonders! We are a little less strict with it since it's summer but once school starts in September it will be doing its job perfectly once more! 

Maintaining a proper diet: For this goal we decided to watch our carb intake. It's really been working great for us. Reading food labels has really been eye opening as far as added sugar. There is sugar in everything!!! Now that we've been on the low carb diet for awhile it's hard to cheat, mostly because you feel absolutely horrible when you do, bloated, lethargic, and gross.

Eliminate internet distractions: Urm, this one is a work in progress...

So there you have it! I think I've been doing great so far!! I'm on track to finishing quite a few of my resolutions for 2012!

The Wee Hours

Last night I was up late reading my own blog like it was a book. I couldn't stop clicking "older posts"
It's been awhile since I've gone through the blog, I especially loved looking at all the pictures I've sorta forgotten about.
The blog has been lacking in content lately. I don't get many views or comments and I'm okay with that.
The blog isn't really for anybody else but me! I was reminded of that last night when I was reading my crazy ramblings and looking at the fun things I've done with my babies.
I need to make more of an effort to update this blog for me and my girls.
I have a terrible memory and this blog takes me back to those times I've carelessly let fade away.
So, I'll be working on this space more often from now on.
Some things will be different, I'm officially retiring Pancake Sunday.
Some things will come back, I'll be working on Project 365 again.
I'll be updating our parks list and I'll be posting more about homeschooling (Char will officially be a Kindergartener this year!!)

Of course, I'll be doing all of this while the kids are snoozing away in their beds (which is not at this very moment) so until then, enjoy this picture of what we've been doing lately.

Enjoying Summer! What else??

Diet Update

I realize I have failed to give you an update after starting our new diet.
The good news is that Travis is down to 198, that's great for him. I'm down to 114, I'm sure it's all water weight though. I have to get my butt in gear if I want to cut that fat. Finding time to exercise is killing me though.

Gonna nip the muffin top in the bud!

I'm really active with the girls regularly but I want to set aside time to focus on raising my heart rate and really getting into the zone.

Eating fewer carbs is not bad at all! I thought I'd go crazy without my bread and pasta but I feel great! I never realized how bloated carbs made me until I stopped eating them.

Now we're on to eating more carbs, fruit and certain veggies (peassssss!!!!!!)

Hubby is joining an adult soccer team and I'm going to give zumba a go, we'll see how that goes!!

More later :)

Day One

So we have officially started our new diet. I told you that I would fill you in on our stats so that you can keep up with our progress.
These are from Monday morning
Travis: 6'0" 210lbs
His goal is to drop to at least 180lbs and go from there.
Aleacia: 5'8" 120lbs
My goal isn't to drop pounds but to lose the extra fat I have hanging around (can you say muffin top?) I'll be able to gauge my progress by how my pants fit.
The first two weeks are called "induction" it drops you to a low amount of carbs (20 net grams per day) and then after induction you add 5-10 grams per week to find your ideal balance of fat, carbs, and protein.
For ease (because we're lazy) we've decided to eat the same thing everyday, for at least the first week. We may venture a bit by the second week.
Breakfast: eggs, sausage, spinach. (The girls get oatmeal and milk, too)

Lunch: salad greens, broccoli slaw mix, tomatoes, olives, cheese, chicken breast, olive oil and vinegar dressing
(The girls eat chicken, a little bit of salad, and fruit)

Dinner: hamburger with cheese, sautéed onions and mushrooms, salad greens, olive oil and vinegar  dressing
(The girls eat hamburger, salad, and whatever veggies they want)

Travis eats snacks, I never remember to so I add extras into lunch or dinner. He eats a combination of cheese sticks, olives, cream cheese, avocados, celery sticks for snacks.
So there you have it! We're on our way and I'll be sure to keep you updated as we go along.

Posts from my phone

As much as I dislike my phone, it has been doing a great job keeping me sane. I'm able to keep up to date with it and that's all I really need, just the reassurance of people posting status updates, the tell tale sign that there hasn't been an apocalypse while I was at storytime. Hey! You never know
...
Anywho, depending on how this posts, I may never need internet again! (Lies!) Seriously though, it will be easier to post more often about life in the big city. Uh, did I mention we're in Charlotte, NC now? My little (big) Charlotte is thrilled, a whole city named after her!
Charlotte is amazing and I see us here to stay, we'll see how I feel about that in a year ...
More posts to come, I just wanted to try out this app.

February and March Update

So right now, I'm supposed to be working on a couple Pancake Sunday posts.
Well, it ain't happening. Not that I'm procrastinating, because I really was prepared to work on these posts (I even had some coffee after dinner to prepare myself!)
I've been failing big time with technology lately!

First, I tried to clean my keyboard and now some of the keys aren't working. I was able to find an app on the iPad so that I can connect it to my iMac and use it as a wireless keyboard. So far it's been working fine, but it's annoying because I have to look at the keyboard to see what I'm typing.

Lame.

Now tonight, as I was trying to find the pancake pictures I can't load iPhoto. I don't know what the crap is wrong with it because it worked earlier today, but now, it isn't working.

Right now I want to slam my face on my desk.

In other news:

During February, Travis was sent to work out of town, he comes home when he isn't working overtime.
I spent most of February moping around trying to find the balance once again, I should be used to this by now...but sometimes I just like to have a pity party for myself.

We've been visiting a new city in the mountains where we are planning on moving to. Right now we are going through the rental application process, once that's approved then I'll start packing and bragging about how awesome this place is and everyone will hate me and be jealous and I'll be all like

"nyah, nyah"

I've been focusing more on the art blog than I have been on this blog. Mostly because, I don't know. I guess because I'm trying to build the art blog into a business (eventually) and this blog is just a place for me to ramble. Which I like to do occasionally.

We've been really enjoying the weather lately and I am ready to start working on our state park list. We've been visiting small parks because the girls like to play on playgrounds but every once and awhile I can convince them that going on a 5 mile nature hike is awesome. Especially during spring when all the little critters are out and about!

I guess nothing actually earth shattering, I live a pretty normal life.

Recently I left a pile of laundry on my bed for two weeks because I didn't want to put it away. Yes, I hate laundry THAT much. I even slept in the bed right next to the pile.

Yup.

Oh, here is something else you can laugh at me about.

Recently, we went out to dinner and Lexi told me she had to go potty. Okay. So I took her and she went first, number 2 (that's important). She said she was done, flushed, then I used the potty, she flushed for me, I washed my hands, she washed her hands, it's a long process...you moms know. Anywho, before we left I asked if she was ready, she said yes and we went back to our seat. As soon as she was settled she yelled potty again so I lifted her up out of her booster only to find she was actually telling us, she went potty. In her pants. Number 2. On the booster seat. At a restaurant. In public. OMG. 

In my 4+ years of being a mom, I've never had to deal with a public accident. I never want to do it again. I will spare you the details but want you to know it was gross and messy and gross. 

The end.

January: 2012 Goals Review

This is a post I've been meaning to write for some time, well...since the end of January at least.
I think writing an end of the month review of how much I've accomplished on my goals will help me to reach them better by looking at what has been working and what hasn't been working and making the appropriate adjustments.

In order to write this review, I will be referring back to my goals list and going through each goal one by one.

Visit more state parks: We haven't done much of this yet because though the weather has been mild, it hasn't been consistent, and there is nothing worse than getting to a state park and having the weather turn on you! We'll start heading out more once the weather starts staying nice for longer periods of time (which should be soon!)

Get Charlotte involved in something social: We haven't done this yet either, we have been taking her and Alexis to a new storytime so hopefully that will hold her over until the new semesters for classes begin or we find a more suitable social group for her.

Explore more of Greensboro: We have done this to some extent. We've discovered a few libraries in that area we really love. When we first moved down here we were heading in the opposite direction (Burlington) to go to the library but didn't feel like it was a good fit. The Greensboro library has been perfect. The storytime we found is wonderfully interactive, filled with lots of kids (the librarian knows all their names!), lots of stories, movement, singing, and even at the end they do a craft that goes along with the theme of the stories that were read. The girls just sat there on the ground while everyone was singing and dancing at first but they are slowly becoming more and more comfortable.

Improve my photography: I haven't taken the time to focus on this yet, but I have been doing the 365 project daily (even though I find it hard to post daily). Hopefully, now that we've found a new library we're happy with, I'll be able to explore the world of Adult Nonfiction.


Expand Dilly-Dali Art: I have launched a few new series on the blog that people are really responding to which is great, my FB page "likes" have jumped quite a bit which is also great. Still, I'm looking for more of a local community reach, which I am hesitant to get started on building. Mostly because I don't plan on staying in this area long so all my efforts would be wasted if we moved halfway through the year (which I'm hoping to) I did find a few new tips on helping to start an art group that I will definitely keep in mind when we do get settled in a new area.

Set aside specific times for activities: I'm surprised at how quickly we were able to adjust to this new goal. At first I was having trouble with keeping track of the time, I finally sat down and wrote a schedule for pretty much every hour the girls are awake (8-8). I made a "clock" that the girls can see so they help keep me on track, there are different colors for each type of activity so that it's easier for them to read. Of course, I'm not crazy strict with it and don't force the girls stick to it 100%, a couple of times we replaced a few of the morning activities with outdoor time and just did the morning things in the evening. Easy peasy! I will post more about how I made the "clock" in another post.

Maintaining a proper diet: Like I said in the original goals post, this is mainly Travis's goal because he has issues with putting on weight easily if he strays from the path. He was able to meet with a fitness nutritionist in the beginning of the year that told him pretty much everything he already knew, but felt like he had to hear it from a professional. That being said, he's done pretty well on the diet thing, and he's been keeping up with his daily working out. I, on the other hand, haven't ran in what feels like forever. I'm starting to feel doughy, so I guess I better get my butt on the treadmill!

Eliminate internet distractions: So this one has been pretty much a fail for me. It's so hard to keep off the internet during the day when I'm trying to build a fairly successful fan base on the Dilly-Dali Art page. I mostly only get on for networking with other bloggers, I haven't been on my personal page much. When I am on my personal page most of the stuff is posted automatically from other sources. All of my photos are posted automatically and links are easily shared when posted on another FB page. This goal will take more work than I thought!

So there you have it! I think I'm doing fairly well goal wise, especially considering there are still 10 months and some odd days left!

The Best Thing I've Ever Done For My Curls {Update}

This is a sort of kind of an update about my own personal life. This blog started out as a way to let friends and family know what we're up to and sometimes I tend to stray away from that. Sooo, here is what's been going on!

Remember when I went poo-free? Then, I gave a little update and was like, "Hey, I like this!" Then, I never gave another update after that. Well, I really loved being shampoo free, all was going great, until I bought a Groupon to get my hair colored. So I got my hair dyed (which I hated) and they washed my hair, all the months of being shampoo free ruined in one wash. After that I started washing my  hair again.
Now I'm back to my poo-free ways! I love it, so simple, I use baking soda and apple-cider vinegar to "wash" my hair about once a week. My curls have never looked better! They are actually curls! I don't even have to use product, they dry into ringlets instead of frizz.
If you've ever wanted to try going poo-free I think winter is the perfect time to try. There's a period when the oils in your hair are adjusting and your hair is greasy for awhile (lasted about a week for me), winter is perfect to just wear a beanie all the time. Nobody will even know.

In January,  I made a list of resolutions to accomplish by the end of this year. I am proud to say that I accomplished a lot of them! The most awesome one in my opinion is getting Alexis out of diapers. I knew she would be by the end of this year. She's only wearing diapers to bed, which I think is amazing. Another amazing thing that I didn't anticipate AT ALL is that Charlotte would be out of diapers completely. She has been going to bed in panties.
One night, Travis and I were in the living room after the girls had been put to bed and Charlotte came out dazed, went to the bathroom and went straight back to bed. Travis and I looked at each other, jaws dropped. She hasn't worn diapers since and she wakes up at night when she has to go. No more diapers for Char! WIN!

As far as an update for Travis, this is the suckiest one to write. He is a commercial Union plumber. A union can be awesome because he works out of one local but can work anywhere in the US through another local, that is what he was doing when he moved down here to NC. Since his local is based in VA he was considered a traveller. We discussed and decided, if traveling is what he wants to do then that's awesome. I'm okay with it, we agreed I could pick a home base for the girls and I to live where he can always travel back to. Still haven't decided where we want home base to be, somewhere beachy and south, I hope.
Either way, he's back to traveling. It was a bit sooner than we expected but you can't say no to a job in an economy where people are having a hard time getting jobs. So once again, right before the holidays he is away from his family. It's like an exact repeat of last year. It's only been a week so far and things are fine on both ends, we've been there, done that. We have until July (when our lease is up) to decide what our next step will be.
Just to make one thing clear, I refuse to move back to Virginia.

Things with me are going as they usually are. The art blog (Dilly-Dali Art) has taken off since starting in February and I've been throwing around options of an art group through the library and even offering private services. Travis being away again throws a little monkey wrench into the plan but once the holidays are done and I'm going over resolutions for the new year, I'll have better plans as to what I want to do with it.

Other than that we're doing everything you'll normally find us doing: playing outside, going to the library, learning new things, creating art and loving life!

Changes Again...

I feel like I'm always making changes to the way I do my blog. It's my blog so I guess whatever makes me happy goes. For months I've been trying to find the happy medium between blogging, house, kids, hubby...just life in general.I thought a blog schedule would motivate me to post more often but it turned into more of a chore and I felt really guilty when I failed to get a post up. I also felt like the blog turned into just the scheduled posts instead of updates on family life. This blog originated as a way for family and friends to know what we were up to.

I'm doing away with the schedule!

I've kicked that pesky schedule to the curb, the only post that will be "as scheduled" is the Friday Blog Hop.

A little update on what we've been up to: being outside.

Those two words describe us perfectly! We got a map from a park we went to recently that had all the state parks of North Carolina on it, we've been slowly crossing the parks off the map. We have about 5 more parks within our range for making it a one day trip. All the other parks we'll have to camp out at to make the trips worth it. I have a lot of pictures from the parks we've already been to and hope to have them posted for you soon!

Be sure to check the blog regularly because now that there is no schedule I don't know how often or what I'll be posting about!

And don't forget to "like" my Facebook page!! 

I Owe You All A Post!

I've decided I need to post about something other than pancakes!

We've been loving life down here so far but it's been quite overwhelming trying to fit in a whole bunch of activities into a small amount of time.
Travis works 60+ hours a week so I've been trying to make sure the girls are able to do things with him, well, I've been going about it all wrong.
I've mucked up all of our schedules and really have been wasting more time than I should be.
So now I've been slowly trying to get our schedules in order and figuring out which activities are important for me and the girls and which ones are important for him and the girls.
As much as I want to be able to go grocery shopping with him, I realize it is something that I am able to do without him, besides he just stands around waiting for me to tell him what to do next.
Another place he is not necessarily needed is the library, that's always been a momma and girls thing for us, not sure why I expected him to start joining in now.
He's not needed to be home for me to start cooking or cleaning or schooling or shopping or even exploring the area, yet I've been waiting for him to come home before I start doing those things and it's stressing him out and frustrating me that we don't have the time to do it.
I've had to step back and realize this for myself.
Now that I have, I can start being productive again.
Since I've found that running on a (LOOSE) schedule helps me function best I've decided to implement a blog schedule to help me post regularly throughout the week.
I happened to be goofing off on Pinterest and came across the perfect schedule!

Monday will fulfill my artsy side and help me to start posting regularly on the Dilly-Dali Art blog, Tuesday is a great library time for us since we used to go on Tuesdays anyway, I already wanted to add a cooking post (besides pancakes) and already have a draft waiting, I'm going to switch it up and make it What's Cooking (with the kids) Wednesday since I love having the girls in the kitchen with me, Thursday will be something new for us but being thoughtful is definitely a quality I want my girls to have, and somewhere fun on Fridays sounds like, well...fun, and it will help me to post more reviews for my 'Parks and Rec' tab.

Now I'm not sure how to end this post soooo...

THE END.

'Ello!

(Regarding the title...I hope someone that reads my blog has seen the Labyrinth, you'll be able to hear that a very specific little voice in your head saying, "'Ello!")

Hello! We are here!!!

Wahoooooo!

We left Saturday night and arrived Sunday morning, phew! What a ride!

I don't know how Charlotte did it, but she was able to resist the lull of the car ride, she stayed awake the whole way. It took us almost 3.5 hours exactly, with one stop for gas for the U-Haul.

After being here almost a week, the verdict is in...

we love it here, already!

The first day we were here we did some driving around, then we kinda chilled on the 4th because this blew in:

We weren't really expecting them to shoot off fireworks, but guess what!?

They did.

And last minute TRAVIS (yes, I'm putting it all on him) decided to go, I mean, last minute.

9:30 to be exact and by the time we got there the fireworks were over, and then guess what happened...

we got stuck in the after-fireworks traffic!

Yep.

Ooooooh man, fun times!

After that lovely storm, I woke up to this the next day:

We had .5 mile visibility, completely clear is 10 miles (which is what Hampton Roads was) 

Neat, huh? I love fog, when I don't have to drive in it of course!

And then we were graced with this lovely sunset:

And now all of you followers and lurkers are free to be mad at me because those are the only photos I have from down here so far.

My "shutter-release button finger" is warmed up now and I can't wait to start posting pics of our awesome adventures here in teeny, tiny Whitsett, NC!

Sidenote: I am alllll ready for my first Pancake Sunday down here! Can't wait to post it, and also I'll be adding a new post (I'm thinking Wednesdays) so keep an eye out for that too!

Oh Hai!

I've been gone.
for a long while.

But I'm back! 

ZOMG!

But then I'll be leaving again for a short while

But I'll be back again for a long while!

ZOMG!

(again)

So I want to share with my adoring stalkers (and lurkers too, you know who you are) what is going on

We (the girls and I) are moving down to live with the hubster!

Woooooo!

I am so excited to start a new adventure in a new place where I am a complete stranger and I can make up anything I want about myself and nobody will know because, well...because I'm a stranger!

We leave next weekend so I only have a short amount of time to build an elaborate facade...I have one part of my story already figured out:

new friend:

 "Oh hai, Fancy McDangerpants (my new name). I noticed you have a scar on your neck, where did that come from?"

Fancy McDangerpants (me):

 "Ahh, yeah...once, when I was on vacation at Jurassic Park, I was playing flag football with some Velociraptors and one accidentally cut my neck open with its super long sickle claw that they use for piercing vital throat organs. It's all good though, we're still friends. In fact, we still laugh about it over the phone every once and awhile."

new friend: 

(BTW, my new friend is Jackie Chan!)

I'm still working on a story about how I found the girls on the side of the street when they were just little eggs and I hatched them in my Quaker Dinosaur Eggs oatmeal because, how else are you supposed to hatch eggs? PSH!

There has been some other stuff going on in my life as well...Charlotte had her dance recital...she cried. There's really nothing more to say about it than that.

I'm not really sure what will become of the art group. We'll be moving into an apartment, so doing art with two young girls in a rented space will be new to me! A learning experience for sure, maybe the art blog will be about my journey with tricks for apartment living or maybe I'll just end that blog...haven't decided yet!

Alright, I think that was update enough. 

I really enjoyed this time we've spent together, it's been too long. I don't know why I stopped seeing you in the first place...guess we just needed some time apart. I may or may not see you before we move, but I'll be seeing you in less than a couple weeks for sure with another update :)