Keep Calm and Enjoy Camping

I have so many memories of going camping when I was younger.  Watching all of the adults sit around the fire singing songs, the smell, roasting marshmallows, listening to the bugs at night.

But somewhere along the line as I grew into adulthood, camping no longer seemed fun.  I like convenience and I hate public restrooms to put in bluntly.

Fast forward many years later to when I met my now husband.  Prior to his accident that left him paralyzed, he was an avid camper.  I have to admit that I was thankful he was no longer able to do this, as I don't think for one second I could have gone along.  The bugs, the cold nights, the outhouses....ewwww, gross!

But then a few things happened.  Mainly, my parents bought a travel trailer.  And not just a travel trailer....a trailer big enough for my husband to be able to get around in his wheelchair.  And a bed just perfect enough for him to sleep in.

Obviously, this got the wheels spinning in my husbands mind that he was going to camp again.  He's not one to let his disability get the best of him, so I knew I was going to lose this battle.

Fortunately, the trailer has most of the modern necessities that I require....air conditioning, flat screen tv with cable, a dvd player, a full shower with hot water, electricity, a fridge, microwave, stove and oven.  Most of you won't consider this "camping", but for me, it allowed me to stick my feet in the big, scary camping water and test it out.

I LOVE IT!!!!!  We have now gone camping twice.  Once with my parents and once on our own.  I'm already counting down the days to Labor Day weekend because we are going again!  Who would have thunk it? 

And to make it easier for my husband, we purchased some portable wheelchair rails so he can go in and out of the trailer as much as he wants.

Testing out the new rails before heading out

The dogs have done so well and are much better behaved than we could have imagined they would be.  I was so afraid that Stewie would bark at EVERY.SINGLE.NOISE which then causes Lainey to follow suit.  Fortunately, that has not been the case!

Lainey helping Grandma Joyce finish her plate

Lainey's first camping adventure

Stewie's first camping adventure

Daddy & Stewie in matching outfits

Stewie getting some lovin' from Grandma

Mom & Dad

 

Lainey enjoying the fire with Grandma

 What are your thoughts?  Is camping your thing or would you rather stay at a Holiday Inn?

Not Enough Hours in the Day

So today is my 3rd day back to work after having 11 days off.  And to be completely honest....I need another vacation! I was more busy during those 11 days off, than I would have been had I gone into the office.

My time off consisted of a ton of shopping, 3 Thanksgiving celebrations (all on separate days), holiday decorating (both indoors and out), my sister's birthday, laundry and house cleaning, and spending time with family.  All of these items bring me great joy, but I greatly missed having a single minute alone with my husband during those 11 days.  By the end of my time off, we were so physically exhausted from being on the go, that I think we were both ready for me to go back to work.  At least during a normal work week we have dinner together and get some quality time to talk about our day, upcoming events, etc.  It's hard to put into words how badly I missed those simple conversations.

The good news, is that I have many scheduled days off in December and I am counting down the days until then.  I have promised myself that I will SLOW DOWN and enjoy those days as much as possible.

And because this post was kind of a downer....here is a picture of Lainey displaying her holiday spirit as we decorate the Christmas tree.

Vacay

I'm on vacation next week and I am counting down the minutes until this work week is over!

I'm truly hoping that somewhere in the 9 days that I have off, I can find at least ONE day to relax.  I plan to stay in my pj's and not move off the couch.  At least for just that one day.

A girl can dream...right?

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane

In less than 24 hours I will be on a plane heading to Mexico!  I know I don't leave until tomorrow and technically I'm at work today, but my mind is already on vacation.  My body is here, but my mind is sipping a margarita while digging my toes into the sand.

It's going to be a long travel day.  I don't know if I've ever flown with a layover, but I will tomorrow.  I'm hoping that the whole "flying first class" will make up for the delay in me getting to my destination.

Hey cabana boy....Bring me another margarita!!

Sun, Sun, Sun

In 3 days I will be in the lovely Cabo San Lucas, Mexico!!  I checked the weather this morning and it is going to be sunny and about 92 degrees EVERY day!!

I see a lot of sunbathing in my near future!  I know some of you will lecture me on how bad/unhealthy the sun is, but I don't care.  When you live in Michigan you take full advantage of any opportunity to put some nice color on your skin. 

I have a feeling this just might be one of my best vacations yet.  I'm going to live it up in First Class and allow the resort to pamper me.

I can feel the sand beneath my feet already!!

My brain doesn't let me enjoy anything

I leave for Cabo in 9 days!  And while part of me is so excited, part of me is totally stressing out. 

I have traveled international about a half a dozen times before, but I was always with a group of people.  Never by myself.  And not since there have been all these new restrictions on air travel.  I think if I had taken this trip ten years ago it would be a piece of cake....but somewhere in my "old" age I've developed severe stress about traveling. 

I have always loved flying and feel much safer in a plane than in a car, but for some reason my anxiety level is sky high (pun intended).  What if something happens to me?  What would my husband do?  My parents just lost one of their children 2 months ago how would they survive losing another one?

And it's not only the traveling part that is stressing me out, it's the whole "what am I supposed to pack" part!  I have gained back about 13-15 lbs of the weight I lost last year and at this point NOTHING fits me.  I was silly when I lost the weight and got rid of my "fat" clothes.  Telling myself that I would NEVER be this big again.  Well, ladies and gents, I'm definitely that big again!  I can't justify going out and spending money on summer clothes just for this trip because I definitely don't intend on being this size for much longer.  Ahhhhh....I don't know what to do!

And to pour salt in the wound....the girlfriend I'm going with is t-i-n-y!  It's going to be her skinny a** laying on the beach next to this whale!  Ughhhh....

Can someone please tell my brain to SHUT UP so I can actually relax and try to enjoy this amazing opportunity I have.

Wine, Cabo & Weddings...Oh My!

It's been a couple weeks since my last post.  I've got a lot of posts bouncing around in my head, but work has been so crazy lately and by the time I get home I am just too exhausted to sit at the computer.

So today you are getting bullet points:

• The weekend after my birthday I headed north to Traverse City for one of my good friends bachelorette parties.  We spent the weekend in a cabin right on Lake Leelanau and it was just gorgeous.  Friday night we had pizza and simply relaxed on the deck.  Saturday after having breakfast we headed to Ciccone Winery (the one Madonna's dad owns).  We had a private room for a wine tasting and it was very nice.  From there we decided to hit up a couple more wineries before heading home to relax, eat dinner and get ready for a night on the town.  A shuttle bus picked us up around 8pm and we bar-hopped until the wee hours of the morning (actually, it was only 1am but to this old lady it felt like we pulled an "all-nighter).  After cleaning up on Sunday we all hit the road for the 4 hour trek back home.

House on Lake Leelanau

 

Ciccone Winery



The "gang"



Shuttle Bus



• In 17 days I leave for Cabo San Lucas, Mexico!! Yay!!  The trip was totally unplanned and simply fell into my lap last week.  A good friend of mine has a time share at Cabo Villas Beach Resort and she and her sister were going to spend a week there.  Due to a job change, her sister can no longer go and I am the lucky person who gets to take her place!!  I am so excited.  After the year I have had, I really need some tropical weather to put my mind at rest and spend a little time relaxing in the sun.  And did I mention I'm flying FIRST CLASS!!

• This weekend is the wedding for the above mentioned bride.  It is going to be the first wedding I have attended since my own last summer.  I'm excited to see if I notice things I wouldn't have before.  I expect my overall feelings of the day will be totally different.  I used to go to weddings only to sit at the church counting down the minutes until the reception started so we could eat, drink and dance.  I have a feeling the ceremony is going to carry so much more meaning for me now.  I'll be back later next week with some pictures of the beautiful bride & groom. 



Morgan & Aron

Have a great rest of the week everyone!



I'm Back...

Oh blog...how I've missed you!! So much has happened since my last post.

I spent 2 very busy weeks preparing my parents house for my wedding/rehearsal, I got married, went on my honeymoon and now trying to survive being back to reality.

I have many posts to come, but first I need to catch up at the office! Today is my first day back since July 6.

Vaca Starts Today

Today I'm leaving for Panama City Beach....Yippee! About a 17 hour drive from Michigan but it will be totally worth it.

Enjoy the rest of the week and try not to miss me while I'm gone :)