Not a great pic because of the fencing, but this is one of the rarest big cats in the world--a Florida panther--critically endangered. I felt priveleged to see one up close. 

A baby deer hiding OUTSIDE the enclosure--somehow it gets out a crack in the fence, we were told, to hide in the bushes and comes back in at night to nurse from mom. 

One of the residential areas we drove around in. Very opulent houses here. 

Our first time canoeing in the state park, or ever. No, I'm not naked under there, but I wish I was--it was HOT out there!! We saw lots of birds, a couple of manatees, fish jumping out of the water, and a few bubbles that I thought sure were alligators. 

A pretty white egret resting in the mangroves during our canoe trip. 

One of the many species of gulls on Lover's Key State Park beach. So nice here. 

Hubby's feet from his comfy beach lounge. 

A view of the shoreline on Lover's Key State Resort Park beach. A quiet, pretty natural beach, except they had to haul in sand after Hurricane Charlie. 

I love my family...really I do...really

I'm taking a break from the vacation pics to describe my weekend trip. We traveled to attend my niece's 4th birthday party this past Saturday. Good party. Barbequed food, lots of kids playing and laughing. Had fun. But let me tell you why I choose to even elaborate on this seemingly normal, common event.

My family is not conventional. No Cleavers here. My husband never fails to be surprised at the family dynamics--his family was more conventional than mine. Oh, they have their own foibles, but you wouldn't necessarily find the interesting turnout at a birthday party on his side of the family that you would have found at mine.

Here's a rundown of the party guests: my half-brother(different dads), sister-in-law, my youngest niece turning 4; half-brother's other half-sister (different moms) and her daughter and son; sister-in-law's mother and mother's boyfriend; sister-in-law's dad and dad's girlfriend; my stepfather; half-brother's ex-wife, ex-wife's husband and their son; my oldest niece (from half-brother's ex-wife), next youngest niece (from half-brother's ex-girlfriend); a couple that work with half-brother and sister-in-law.....and the kicker...an ex-convict that is one of half-brother's best friends. I won't mention what he was in prison for, but let's say it was disturbing to learn that he is living right next door in the duplex by my half-brother and his family. Not that he didn't seem nice--I've kinda known him for a long time too, but anyway.....

So, if you read over the guest list a few times, you'll see why it's a bit confusing and unconventional. But, I'm used to it..doesn't really surprise or confuse me anymore. Mainly because they're all ok with each other. No fights, no guns, no drinking, no cops. If there was tension there, it would bother me, but everyone is comfortable with each other, and we just had fun. Highlight of the day--didn't bring swimsuits for my girls, and when they broke out a Slip n Slide, my oldest daughter quick as lightning, before anyone could notice, stripped naked and stood in line waiting for her turn. My youngest, slipping and sliding on and off in the mud and grass, diaper drooping down to her knees.

It was a great day. I love my family....really.

Day 2 pics are here!!

Not a lot of variety here, but lots of life! So, here's a short synopsis of our first couple days. Flew out of Nashville to Tampa on May 31, rented a car, drove 2 hours down to the Fort Myers area and our resort, checked in, relaxed, saw the dolphins, ate at Flippers on the Bay during the tremendous thunderstorm, returned and relaxed some more.

Day two, June 1: Hung out on the beach, enjoyed the manatees, played in the pool--enchanting little waterfall there. Hubby doesn't like to swim in the pool when there's an ocean nearby, but I think it's fun. Especially when you can see the ocean right there too. And you know a shark's not going to bite you. Ate lunch at Flippers, hung out in the hotel, took naps, went out to eat. We ate at some great restaurants there. Man, wish I could just go to one tonight!

So, basically, our first couple days we just relaxed and took wildlife pics--great vacation already!

Our hotel as viewed from the beach on the bay. Very natural beach around here, and quiet....ahhh. 

What's this? Is it Florida's own Loch Ness Monster? No, wait.... 

Manatees!!! At least 5 or 6 of them were swimming 25-30 feet from us in the bay by our hotel. It was so cool!! 

Though we couldn't get full shots of the manatees, here's some nice detail of the tail and side. 

A pelican flying by our balcony. This was a wildlife-ful day! 

Hubby takes great pics, doesn't he? Great detail in this shot! 

A graceful blue heron browsing for food near the hotel. Great way to end our second evening here. 

Looky!! Looky!! I finally posted Day 1 pics from our vacation.

If you will notice below, I posted pics from our Florida vacation that was, yes, can hardly believe it, a MONTH ago! However, they are out of sequence a bit. They go from bottom to top, so I'll have to remember to post them backwards next time. These are the pics from day 1 of our trip, and I took the advice of my friend and downloaded a great program called Hello that lets me post pics lickety snap on the blog. Great, super-duper stuff there! So, I will try to get the rest of our days on there soon.

The only reason I have time today is that the girls have been sick--isn't that sad? Stomach bug. They're resting in the living room. Now that I know how easy it is to post pics, I'll be doing it more often, I hope. So, stay tuned!

Our first view of dolphins frolicking in the bay. Took this shot from our balcony. We saw dolphins almost every day. I absolutely loved the wildlife in this area! 

Our lovely bath. It really was nice, pretty roomy too. Great housekeeping service here. I highly recommend this place for vacations! 

Our little kitchenette. Everything you could need. We didn't cook though. I made coffee once and we used the fridge for water, juice, and sparkling grape juice. 

Our king size bed, also messed up. But they had lots of pillows, at least. 

Our living area in our suite. I wish I had taken pics before we junked it up. 

The view of the bay from our room. Notice how cloudy it was. We walked to dinner at the nearby "Flippers Grill on the Bay", where they have seating on a deck right on the beach. There we got to witness an awesome thunderstorm right on us. It was a little scary, but they did have big plastic shades to pull down around the walls and keep us dry.

The first good view of our resort, Lover's Key Resort, just near Lover's Key State Park south of Fort Myers, Florida. 

Where does the time go?

AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!! I'm back into regular life and I'm overwhelmed! I can't believe I haven't got vacation pics posted yet. We got back from Florida on June 5 and then a trip to Louisville on June 8-10, then visited the family until the 11th, and I'm still not caught up. We still have the girls clothes in suitcases and I'm dressing them from there. We jumped back into our small bathroom remodel that we started in FEBRUARY!!! It takes us FOREVER to do this stuff. Our goal is to finish the tile by the end of this month, which includes cutting holes for each pipe, which takes about an HOUR per hole because of the diamond/carbide bit. I have to keep a steady stream of water on it while Bryan cuts it with the drill press or it will get too hot. And if you go to fast, the tile cracks. Just two holes left, then we can lay it all and grout it.

So, here I am, really needing to get a pile of dishes done, two loads of laundry done, finish up unpacking, and delve into some bathroom work. And of course the kids are ALWAYS wanting to go outside. So, I have to get this stuff done between outside time. If the pics get posted this week, it will be a miracle. All I can tell you now is we really enjoyed Florida. Lots of dolphins, up close to some manatees, birds all over, went canoeing for the first time, deep sea fishing, quiet beach, good food, and lovely hotel. Maybe I'll make little posts about each day of our trip. Might be more manageable. Well, off to tackle some giants! This is the day the Lord has made--I will rejoice and be glad in it!!! (if I can get a chance to ;)

Birthday or bust?

We celebrated my hubby's 30th birthday today. Well, sort of. Megan developed a high fever last night and still had it this morning and most of the day today. I woke up about 3 am and sat praying at the toilet, hoping not to lose all the yummy food I had consumed the day before. We had spent the day shopping out of town while the girls were at my in-laws and saw The X-Men III too! Woohoo, like a whole day's date. But we got back to the in-laws, had a good supper my sister-in-law fixed, visited with my brother and law and his wife for a little while there too, then back home, 2 hours away. Didn't get home until almost 11 pm, and Megan had the fever when we left. Anyway, back to the praying to the toilet.....didn't vomit, took a tiny bit of Pepto liquid, which almost made me puke, then ate some Pepto chewables, which went down much better. Then slept a little while longer, then up with trouble from the other end.

Despite all that, I cooked for hubby--grilled sausage, potatoes, baked beans, and ice cream cake. We enjoyed our meal and got through the day. Wish we could have had a better celebration, but at least we got a long date the day before :) If I don't post before our Florida trip, I'll make sure to post some pics and fill you in on our trip...hopefully I won't spend it praying at the hotel toilet.

Potty words and suntans

Doesn't seem to go together, does it? I don't know what's gotten into the two talkers this week. They keep singing songs, substituting words for things we do in the potty and certain body parts. I really had to get on them today and took away snack time and did some time outs. What really was disturbing was when they sang Sunday school songs, eg "Jesus Loves the Little Children". And substitute children for a potty word. Not sure who started it, but I've got to nip it in the bud quickly. This must be the age to be fascinated by bodily functions.

Then, the suntan thing. I don't tan. Sometimes I turn a slight peachy color with supervised, limited sun exposure. Otherwise, I burn or freckle. I have very light skin and I've slowly come to terms with that over the years. First, after years of playing with friends who would take me to the pool all day and not make sure I wore adequate sunscreen--then subsequent 2nd degree burns on my back and shoulders. Very painful, large blisters, led to big brown freckles all over my back and arms. Then there were the years of "laying out" in the sun as a preteen/teenager to try to get the desired "peachy" color. I burned the back of my legs really badly once right before an awards ceremony and wore panty hose that night---ouch!!!

Now as a more educated, aware adult, I understand that the effects of sun exposure are cumulative and can lead to skin cancer, especially in the light-skinned folk like myself. And here I am, headed to sunny Florida next week, new bikini in tow, and no chance of a tan. However, what do I find myself doing the past two days? I wore shorts and sat outside with the kids sunning my winter legs, hoping for that slightly "peach" color. I felt myself asking, "What are you doing??" Why do we think that a certain "shade" of skin is desirable? What's wrong with good, healthy white skin? Healthy skin should be our primary concern, even if it means we must forego the hopes of a tan, or even a "peachy color".

So, off I go to Florida next week, and I will wear that new bikini, my beach hat, sunglasses...and plenty of sunscreen. I will not let myself be the lady I saw in the beauty shop the other day. Probably no older than 60, but so much sun damage that her skin was leathery, wrinkled and baggy. Not trying to sound judgmental, but if striving for the perfect tan leads to looking like I'm 90 when I'm 60, count me out.

Zoe's "babycation"

Our pastor presenting Zoe with her dedication certificate and a Bible.

















See Zoe's pretty dress that my mom made? Megan wore it on her second Easter. It will be passed down through the generations, I hope.

Meg's preschool graduation pics

The "graduating class".


















My "little mommy".

















Meg's buddy.

















Getting the "diploma".














Peas in a pod.

Mother's Day

Our baby Zoe was dedicated yesterday at our church. Megan called it "babycated" :) I dressed her in a dress that my mom had made for Megan before she was born. She made it from material left over from my wedding dress, which she also made. Ivory satin, covered with ivory lace. She looked so pretty in it. And it was a connection to my mom, a way to honor her memory yesterday, to connect her with the granddaughter she never met. It was an emotional morning as a beautiful song called "My Mother's Faith" was sang before the dedication. I'm so thankful to have had a mom who raised me with faith, love, and encouragement. I hope I can do as much for my little girls.

I had a pretty good Mother's Day, except hubby had to work most of the evening. We had a good lunch at the Mexican place, a bit of a nap, and I mixed up a box of Ghiardelli brownies. Mmmmmmm. Chocolate makes everything a little better.

I'll try to post some pics of Meg's graduation and Zoe's dedication.

My busy week

Putting the breaks on this week to catch you all up on my life. A quick recap.

Monday: 2 mystery shops, during the last one my oldest daughter fell down outside while home with daddy and smacked her mouth right on the black top. Blood, swollen lips, and one loose tooth. Great! Preschool graduation was the next night. Figures.

Tuesday: One mystery shop, last day of preschool, preschool graduation that night. Daughter looks like she's had lip injections but says her poem very well. They said poems about what they wanted to be when they grew up. Megan wanted to be a mommy---"awww".
"I want to be a mommy,
a mommy just like mine.
I'll be patient, kind, and loving,
The best mom that you can find."
Wish I could live up to the poem.

Wednesday: Kids here all day. Little fella is here really early. Did the Bible Study questions for my last chapter of our Bible Study during breakfast. Interrupted after each one, but got them done! Woohoo! Raining most of the day. Had to keep the kiddos inside and entertained. They weren't too bad, only a few time outs. Team Kid that night. One kid freaked out at the end of class, total meltdown. Scared the other kids, scared us a bit--unusual for her. So glad to get home. Hubby not home until after midnight, though. Outage at the power plant.

Thursday: Kiddos here all day. Had to make emergency run to Kroger for some Cool Whip for a pie I was making for my small group meeting. First time taking all three kids to the store. Promised them gum if they behaved. They did very well. Chewed gum all day. Small group meeting at 7:00. We went over the last three chapters of our book--we have been doing this study for 10 months, and finally got it completed. Starting a new study next time--it's about sex, so we may finish it sooner :) Everyone left around 9 pm. Whew! At least the pie was good, we had good fellowship and finished our study.

Friday: I so wanted that last 20 minutes of sleep. Hubby got up around 5:30 am and remembered around 5:40 am that we didn't prepare the baked beans he needed for a potluck today. So, I was up at 5:45 am mixing together baked beans. The house smelled like bacon, onions, and pork and beans. I have now made beans at midnight and before 6 am. I don't want any baked beans any time soon. At least I found out later that they were devoured. Almost makes it worth it---almost. Had to get Megan to the dentist a half hour away at 8:45 am to check that tooth. She did great! It won't have to be pulled, but will probably become discolored. Ok. We can handle that. It's a baby tooth. She'll go back in 2 months for a cleaning and x-rays. To the mall for some shopping and kiddie rides. To Mc'D's for lunch, then home for some quick chores and naps. I took a long one today too. Well, sort of, between phone calls. Found out hubby will not be home until sometime tomorrow. I hate outages. Poor hubby gets so exhausted. We miss him so much. Vacation is coming.....quiet walks on the beach, sleeping in, no diapers, no dishes.

Good day today

The weather was lovely today. Warm and sunny, and we played outside for a while after lunch. I can almost remember how it was to be a kid again, just running, playing, throwing balls and frisbees. It was fun. I almost didn't want to stop and come in for nap time. Good exercise, fresh air, funny little kids. They love being outside, and I love being with them out there.

Tomorrow, if no rain, we'll hit the park again. Then again on Saturday for a birthday party for a preschool friend. I love spring!

Toddlers, babies, and doors

Why didn't somebody tell me that toddlers, babies, and doors do not mix? Zoe has had her fingers pinched in some type of door almost every day for a week. Today, Megan shut the toy box lid on her thumb. Scraped the hide off the inside, big bruise on the other side. I was so livid. I bandaged it the best I could, spanked Meg and put her in time out and reminded her for the 100th time to be careful about shutting doors when Zoe is around. I don't know if her little fingers are going to survive much longer. Or if my sanity will.

Days like this, I need my mom, just to call and vent, to get some good motherly advice, some "been there, done that" stories. I called my hubby, but of course, all he said was put a bandage on it. Men are just not that comforting.

These kids keep running around the house banging against the walls, acting like complete little monkeys. I'm thinking about crating them. Oh, vacation, where art thou?

Summertime's a comin

Well, there's 4 more days of preschool left. Then it'll be 3 kids here 5 days a week all day long. I'm not sure how I'm going to survive, but it'll be good preparation for when we have baby #3. I'm going to miss the 2 1/2 hours I had 4 days a week with just Zoe. Exercise time. Errand time. Extra chores time. Quiet time.

Looking forward to playing outside, popsicles, park days, library story time, trips for ice cream. Looking forward to my vacation the end of this month. Sad too, knowing already that the time will fly by and Florida will be just another nice memory.

Sometimes I feel like life is getting away from me. It's hard to even remember what my girls were like when they were born. I have a lot of trouble remembering Meg's babyhood, and she's only 4. Is that normal? I just want to vividly remember how she felt in my womb, how she felt in my arms, how she nursed. But it's so foggy. I wish I had videotaped every day since they were born, so I could go back and see it. If only there was that much tape. :)