Labor Day - Family Style

I think someone totally gets the meaning of Labor Day. 

Tybee Island Time with Jenny and Friends

Glenna making it happen on Italian night!
Awesome ziti! Happy Birthday to Chris!

Finally...Tybee Island!

Friday - Kevin and Heather relaxing on the porch at the house. 

Saturday - Beach time with Jenny, Chris and Linda

Sunday - Gang's all here
(minus Mr. Wonderful who was wonderful enough to take the group pic for us)

Vacation on the Mountains

Baby Girl and I at Grandfather Mtn.

We enjoyed a fun family vaca up to the mountains of North Carolina. It was our second trip to Blowing Rock and our first to Highlands. Blowing Rock was amazing. Very relaxing and this time, we got to try some new places like the Village Cafe and Proper (actually that was in Boone). We visited Grandfather Mountain and Tweetsie Railroad. What we initially thought would be a few hours here and there, turned into full day trip. The baby girl did great.

Mr. Wonderful and Mr. Perfect playing golf in Cashiers, NC

Baby Girl with her YiaYia and Papou in Highlands, NC

Off to Highlands and I was pleasantly surprised by how incredibly gorgeous it is up there. The drive over was in the midst of a torrential downpour so I started thinking it wasn't worth it. I was so wrong. The town was quaint and full of plenty to do without too many things to do. Love that about vacation spots. We visited the waterfalls and sunset rock. We shopped a little bit and my new mother-in-law and I walked a lot. It was so relaxing.


Of course, all good things come to an end AND mine came to a screeching halt when I got so sick on the drive home. I was so sick I could barely keep my eyes open or enjoy reading or do anything that exterted more energy than sleeping. Being sick sucks and you never quite get it until you feel so yuck again.

Animal Kingdom

Alumni Weekend...Jenny Style!

Off to the beach

Going to meet up with some friends from college...I'm sure there will be photos. :-)

Visiting the other Kingdom

Mr. Wonderful and I had the day off on Monday and invited our special friend to come along with us to Animal Kingdom. The weather was perfect...A slight chill in the air and breezy. We went on a safari and hiked the trail with tigers and a tapir. Saw Nemo too! Pictures coming soon...

in love with ocean reef!

On our way to Ocean Reef with my assigned reading.

i have no idea what's coming...

thanks to the chaz and k, mr. wonderful and i had a great time in Ocean Reef.

if you get a chance, go...it's a slice of heaven on earth.

here are some of my not-even-doing-this-trip-justice vacation pics:

thanks labor day

mr. wonderful and i completed our lucky #7 labor day together. it was low key and relaxing which is always good. getting ready for vaca with chaz & k so it's wonderful to take it easy before it all.

went to the movies and saw MY BEST FRIEND at the Enzian. totally cute movie! met aa's friend from turkey. she was very sweet.

so much to report on today but just don't have it in me right now. hope everyone had a great holiday! will try and catch up before i leave on thursday night for the keys.

i'd rather be swimming.

Mr. Wonderful and I enjoying the beautiful Florida Keys in 2005.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TIM (not pictured)

AND JMO (miss photogenic herself)!!

naps in the afternoon

so, today was a particularly nice day because i was home. did a few things but nothing too overwhelming. i read a few things in the "reading" room and then took a nice afternoon nap. it was so refreshing. i think i overdid it a bit on the weekend so it was a good catch up. i look forward to using this new part of the house that is finally semi-clean. i still need more book shelves...don't we all. i guess it's a good problem to have. i think offices should allow optional nap time. i was more productive after a shot of sleep. something to think about when making policy changes or giving feedback about what's missing in corporate america. :-)

on a mixed vacation

i started my first week long vacation of this year at home with mr. wonderful. we did a few things at home and then headed to jax. in jax, we got to see his family and some of trish's friends. its been one year since she passed. there was a special service at the church and a group visit to the cemetery. millie (trish's best friend) and i spent time together. she shared how she still gets angry that she's not home when she comes over. i can't help but agree at times with a strangeness that falls over me when i'm at their house and she is no longer there. so, even though i was dreading the event and the ceremony and all of the hoopla that brings emotions to the forefront that you're really trying to let go of...i'm glad i was there. i'm glad i was a part of something that remembers her the way i like to remember her.

that evening, i headed to atlanta to visit with be frie and the new baby. the drive was quick (thankfully) and when i arrived she was asleep. the nursing schedule will do that to ya (so i hear). her little boy is absolutely beautiful and i am so happy that she's turned into super mom. he's a mere five weeks old and she really is amazing with him.

on memorial day and after volunteering to change diapers, we headed to her parents house for a cookout. it was great to see them, ,as always. enjoyed visiting with matt, danielle, ella, laura, bernie and everyone! be frie's baby is so special. he cried as i held him in her parent's living room watching the syndicated version of the Soprano's. i would cry too. it was the episode where dr. melfi gets attacked and then has the decision to tell tony so he can take care of business or not tell him and just deal with it all internally.

this is where i will eventually write at length about seeing daniel, and having my own little sushi feast. it was completely out of hand.

i headed back to florida on wednesday morning. it was great to get away but i knew the to do list was piling up.
thursday was my official garage clean up day...totally not something i wanted to do but i had to do since mr. wonderful has been so focused on the pool as of late. i got a ton accomplished and i know the happy go lucky trash men were so happy to pick up my curb that afternoon.

friday was, i repeat, WAS going to be my day of R&R (relaxing and reading) but the weather was awful that it changed my plans into what became a day of mixed activities. a little cleaning, a little reading, catching up on show's on the dvr. that night, i picked mr. wonderful up (yea baby) and we headed to st. augustine for a friend's art show and then to dinner with his dad at the Columbia (so good).

then, there's the weekend which i will try to sum up in bullet point fashion:

• laura's 93rd birthday party

• jeremy and mandy's babypalooza shower


• j & g over for XBOX fun while i sat outside in the sun


• skipping sunday soccer

a great vacation overall. next one is in july!