I'm back ....

But this is common for me. I come and go with this blog. For some reason i just like the set up here better than LJ.

I'm also back from Palm Beach. We had a blast on very little money. It was great to get away and spend time unplugged. Zack is loving his iPhone, but forgot his charger so we had no internet access. It was nice! We window shopped and ate in the condo instead of eating out. We went to Peanut Island to snorkel, laid on the beach and played in the waves. I got a bit burnt though I thought I was diligent with the sunblock. :p

I'm exhausted from the trip, but have so much to do this week. I'm excited about all the good things going on. I don't want to jinx anything so I'll write about these things later. :)

Rich and I have been working hard in the yard. 16 years here in this house, the plants were way overgrown. I ripped many of them out, replanted some in the cove and trimmed back a Bird of Paradise that was taking over the front of my house. I couldn't even see out my front window anymore! We put in a cute wall and trellises, but are far from finished. I used the money my parents gave me as an early birthday present. It will take a while to finish but the difference already is amazing. :)

Hooker Mom?

I picked Meg up yesterday from her friends house in MI and she was so excited to tell me she saw a Barbie that looked like me when I was younger. She took a picture of the computer screen with her phone. The image was small but I did agree the face (and big hair) did resemble me in my skinny days.





We ran around so much and were gone all afternoon after that. I ended up coming home and puking in my sink because I couldn't make it a few feet farther to the toilet. I don't have a bug, just over doing it after chemo. So I had forgotten about her showing me that until I just sat at the computer a few minutes ago to check my email. I called her in here to see if she remembered where on the web she saw it.





It turns out it was the Cher Barbie ...

"She's dressed like a hooker."

"So I look like Hooker Barbie?"

"The face mom. The face! ... and you had big hair."

"Oh, that's Cher!"

"Who's Cher?"

LOL :p

Trying to get it together...

Making Strides is coming up. I'm trying to get a team together. This is the logo I made that will go on the team shirts. Knowing me I will probably change or tweak it before they are made... I'm never happy with what I do...





I'll be reopening Faery Wings soon and put that as a sponsor on the back of the shirt. A few recent events have made me realize I was too depressed to promote it, and I have a few doors opening.

I am also going to be doing some volunteer work for the Cancer Foundation. They are amazingly nice women who work there and gave me great information to get the help I need. Zack and Meg are going there this week to get volunteer hours. When I get a little money I'm going to donate items from Faery Wings for their auction.

It's past due time for a PET scan. I put it off because the co pay has gone up so high. But I need to get it done.

I'm so tired today. We all are. Just having a lazy day at home today after such a crazy busy day yesterday. I've been putting cold tea compresses and aloe on Zacks sunburn. My poor baby boy. Meg and Rich have headaches from all the crazy rides they went on. Serves them right for being such daredevils. lol I'm thankful Rich loves to ride roller coasters. I used to love them, but chemo has fucked my body up and I get sick as hell with most any motion now. I even had to sit in the stationary seats in Shrek 4D. I've become pathetic.

Thank God for Chris. We sat in air conditioning and sipped drinks while the daredevils played. Thank goodness for the wimpy rides too so I could have some excitement. Thank you Chris for such a great birthday gift. We had a blast. You are an amazing friend. It was exactly what I needed. Another huge thank you goes to your friend who got us VIP passes. It was so awesome to be able to go to the front of the line and not have to wait for anything! When people would look at us with our badges I kept thinking I would tell them Meg was a FORD model. (well she is!) lol I wish my camera wasn't broken so I could have some pictures of the day... especially when we were under Hulk looking up and Rich and Meg upside down! I had a great time and can't WAIT till Harry Potterland (or whatever they are going to call it) opens "next fall". lol

I hope we didn't wear you out too bad. I know I zoned out a few times, and didn't think I'd make it. But after our rests in air conditioning I felt better. I'll probably be in bed most of tomorrow too. But it's a price I'm willing to pay for having such a blast.

uuuuggghh... I feel like crap...

I was already exhausted. The long drive to Hilton Head in spring breakers and snowbirds heading back up north after Easter traffic, and quick one day vacation before heading home about killed me. We did have fun though.

We pretty much hung out on the beach all day Saturday. It was beautiful. Dolphins were playing just offshore for hours. The beach up there is just gorgeous. I was going back and forth between being under an umbrella and not. I just can't handle the sun like I used to. We went on a really long walk with my sister and her husband. We came really close to walking the 2 miles down the beach to my parents other condo, but turned around with about a half mile to go. I love the beach better at that condo, but love the area and marina and actual condo unit better at the new place. They are looking at buying a huge 2 story condo there at Shelter Cove. My cousins rented it last summer when we all got together. It was beyond amazing. I hope they get it. Rich, the kids and I are going back this summer and then again at Christmas next year.

Anyway, back to being on the beach. We went back after taking a break for lunch. We were just being lazy relaxing in the sun talking and laughing when a cool breeze started blowing. It was refreshing in the hot sun. Out of nowhere the wind kicked up whipping sand. It was ice cold! People were running gathering there things, umbrellas were flying down the beach, everyone packed up and left. I was amused with the chaos and noticed Rich and my sister still sitting also wrapped in their towels and not moving. After about 10 minutes of being battered I asked my sister what she wanted to do. She said she didn't care she was fine staying. We were all covered in goosebumps and it was getting colder by the second. I thought.... I asked the wrong person. I then asked Rich what he wanted to do. He said ...let's go. I suggested the hot tub back at the condo. They liked that idea. Steve met up with us at the hot tub. We stayed there and talked for quite a while. After that we showered and went down to the shops and ate at the Mexican place on the harbor. It was great food. Then we bundled up wanting to continue enjoying our only day there and walked to boardwalk area. It wouldn't have been so cold if the wind wasn't so strong...lol. We had a blast anyway. Rich even found a hard to find car for his Pixar Cars collection. We are like two kids in a toy store. :p We went back up to the condo and sat with Val and Steve chatting for hours before we all were so exhausted we went to bed.

On the drive home Sunday I got to drive my new car. I hated not being with Rich but we had fun following each other and talked on the phone alot. We stopped at the outlet mall in St. Augustine to see what they had on sale. I love the curtains my mom bought me from there and wanted to find some for my living room. We ended up wandering the whole mall. We get distracted easily. When we got back to Brevard we stopped at a car wash and washed and vacuumed my dad's car and my new one. We dropped by my parents house and thanked them for letting me use their
car so much. By the time we got home my babies were already there. It was good to be home. They love my new (used) car and Zack is thrilled to have my Grand Am. :)

Rich came home from work yesterday with a stomach bug. Now on top of being exhausted I am feeling queasy and my stomach hurts bad. I saw what he went though. I hope mine doesn't get that bad!!!

All I have to say is ...

... my daughter is nuts. lol

Got to have a mom and Meg day today and had a blast.

I can't wait to have a Zack and mom day.

Stuff ...

I am excited to have my kids home with me today. I think we will head out and go do something fun. Meg spent the night with a friend last night but should be home soon. It was their weekend with their dad and I know they had a good time goofing off with him. Rich and I were up at the Avenues Friday night with Zack and Meg and their friends as we are most Friday nights. It is so cool how many friends they have and how well liked they are. Friday was more crowded than usual. Exams are over and everyone was celebrating. Most of the time we all hit a movie ... sometimes the same one... sometimes different. They were waiting for their dad to get done with work so it was best not to see one. Meg and her friends love to shop. She got alot of money for Christmas and is a smart little shopper. She knows how to look for good deals and doesn't spend her money frivolously. I always take a portion and put it in savings for them. We are heading out and seeking a job for Zack this week. Most of his pay will go into savings, but some will be spending money and some toward a car or insurance. Right now he is listed as a very part time driver and it is killing me. I can't imagine when he gets a car.

Things have been going great in my life. I am so excited about the future. My business plans are all falling into place, my kids are strong, loving and smart. My family is just amazing. I don't know what I would do without them. Rich and I are doing well. Alot of the problems and stress I had are disappearing. I am even beginning to believe my separated husband and I can get to a point where we can work things out amicably.

The Attack ...

... of Uno.

omg... that game is so much fun! I was looking for our old Uno cards and couldn't find them, so I sent Zack and Meg to the store to buy the Uno Attack I saw on sale. It definitely makes the game more fun. I have problems with my lungs, especially when I laugh hard, so I was pretty much coughing up a lung the whole time. I don't know how he did it, but Zack won all but one game. I lost because I went over 500 first. He ended up with 27. No fair. It didn't help that I was between Rich and Meg and both were giving the mean cards to me.

This is definitely going to a blast when all my sisters and their families cram into both my and my mom's houses this Christmas. I think I get the nieces and nephews. Ash and her hubby of 1 year, Les, Kristina and Jonathan.

We also have alot of fun with the Scene It games. We have a few different versions. Last night we played Disney Trivia and of course I think I am the master of that. Meg beat me. :-P We all decided we would never beat Chris ... lol I guess when we play with her it will be us as a team against her. That may work. ;)

The Magic of the Kingdom

We spent a marathon day at Disney on Saturday starting at Epcot and ending up in the Magic Kingdom until after midnight. Our dear friend Chris joined us as well as Zack and Meg's friends Lindsey and Michael. My friend Diana was nice enough to let me use her Navigator so we would all fit in one car. I need to get her lazy ass back to Disney with me.

Cute, huh? We were getting ready to head out the door when the girls ran over from Lindsey's house with this stuff on. Zack and I looked at each other and said ... do we have to be seen with them? *hehe* Apparently Kurt had a good morning hitting garage sales. I wish I could find stuff like that! No... the girls didn't wear that to Disney.

I didn't take pics of our day. Not sure why. I usually snap pictures like crazy. Maybe it was because the girls went one way, the boys another and the adults did their own thing. We kept in touch on cell phones but met up periodically through the day to ride stuff together too. It made a great day. :) When we all met up at midnight (except Chris... she wimped out early) ... we were exhausted! No one really wanted a picture but I made them pose anyway... lol. You can't really tell but the view down Main Street was breathtaking. Christmas decorations were already up.

Da girlie girls are always up for a photo opportunity. :)

The pictures Rich was taking during Wishes didn't come out quite as good as this one from another one of our trips. This one is perfection. Rich, Chris and I still watch the show in awe no matter how many times we have seen it. When Tink flew out of the castle I looked at Chris with the biggest smile and said ... I still get chills when I see her. I feel like a big kid. We love WISHES!!!

We made our way back to the car, drove home, crawled into bed with theme park filth still on us... and slept in late the next morning.

How Hallow Was Your Ween?

We had a blast. I can't believe it's taken me this long to post about it. Rich and I sat out on the driveway handing out candy. The house was decorated great. We even had a fog machine going. There were so many kids! There was a non stop herd for almost two hours! It's been a while since we've had one this active and was a refreshing change from the past few years. Neighbors I hadn't talked to in ages stopped to chat and we even reminisced about how when the kids were young we would all walk together pulling a little red wagon with pitchers of Margaritas and beer. lol It definitely made the long walk up and down the cul de sacs more fun while the kids ran door to door.

It was so busy I didn't get to snap good pictures. Here is one of the front of the house. The fog wasn't very heavy in this one.

This is a close up of my boyfriend. He had a black rose in is hand for me, but the kids were goofing off with it when I took this picture.

Romeo was so excited with all the commotion. This is the only picture I took of him and his costume is half hanging off. I'll have to put it on him soon to get a better pic. He is such a cute little Ewok. :) Rich looks mean as hell in this! lol

Of course my Meggie looked adorable! She was a witch and Linds was a faery.

Ok, Zack didn't dress up for Halloween. He and Chris went to see Saw 4 against my better judgement. But there was some drama in the neighborhood and Tina and I wanted the boys to stay out of it. Luckily things cooled down and nothing ended up happening. The boys were back by 7:30 and ended up walking around harassing the girls when they ran into them. lol

The story behind this bag happened a few nights later when I got back from Naples. Zack, Rich and I were putting away the groceries and Zack decided to put this bag over his head. I grabbed it and drew the cute little face on it. When I wasn't looking Zack drew the hand making such a lovely gesture and put it back on. I died laughing.

Being a warped mom, I found it to be a Kodak moment. :p

Me being the witch I am. I was actually just in regular clothes with a witch hat. I colorized this picture for fun.

Naples

Rich and I had an amazing time in Naples. This was Rich's first time there. I've been several times with my kids. My parents own a share of a condo which is where we stayed because they had to come home early and no one was going to be using it for the rest of their week.

It was a fun, busy and relaxing couple of days all in one.

This was the sunset on our first night there. Noel's bands were still in the area and made the sky look ominous! The beach was actually more beautiful in person.




The second night we decided to hang out at the pool. We were so tired from sightseeing all day we just wanted to relax. Here is one view from the pool.



Here was another. My photography is not the best. I was having more fun goofing off. :p



I caught him yawning... lol



I snapped this just before I got in the hot tub with him. You can see my hand in his glasses!



A picture of our feet while lounging enjoying the scenery.



The trees above us.



This is what complete and total exhaustion looks like.

Even with as tired as I was we ended up staying up super late. I had a couple of Sam Adams Black. I fell in love with that beer and I am not a big beer drinker (... or a drinker period.) It has a chocolaty caramel after taste and goes down so smooth. I also fell in love with an Oktoberfest beer that had a pumpkin spice. I can't find it anymore! I was going to stock up. lol :-P

I'm in Ewok Hell ...

I am trying my best to make my Romeo an Ewok costume. I have been struggling with it for the past 2 hours. I have no pattern... just a picture of an Ewok and some brown fabric. I'm definitely no Suzy Homemaker. Even though the seams were aways a mess, I made my kids costumes when they were little or threw together pieces from thrift stores and what we had at home. My kids are teens now and won't let me play and have my fun anymore! :p So I started picking on Rome last year. I dressed as a kitty and he was my punk pup. This year is a bit more challenging.



I sat down on the ground with him to figure out where to cut the face and ear holes in the fabric. This is not an easy task for a dog that has a mind of his own and listens to no commands what so ever! He decided attacking the fabric, rolling around and jumping all over me was more fun than being measured.



By the time I got a face cut out and got it over his head I was trying to trim off excess fabric so it would be easier to work with. He felt it necessary to sniff and try to lick the scissors while I was cutting , all the while turning in circles so I got to the point I didn't know what I was cutting off anymore... (no I didn't cut off his tongue!) Thank gawd Ewoks just wear a raggedy head wrap cape looking thing, because this is not going to be pretty. *laughs* I have to wait for someone to get home to help me hold him still. I also have to figure out how I am going to keep this ON the little brat. *sighs*



Here are a few pictures from last year ...

















Now I'm just waiting until 5 when everyone is home. We will be carving pumpkins tonight. I'm so excited! :) I love Halloween <3

Heeeeere crabby, crabby, crab...

I warned them I'd be back! lol

We went back looking for these crabs when Dan was here. I have to give credit to Rich for snapping this shot since I was driving ever so slowly along the preserve while Dan and Rich hung out the window hoping to catch a glimpse of these huge beasts! The ones pictured here are only about 6' to 8' but there are some twice that size! I've lived in FL for 22 years and have not seen land crabs like this!

Anyone that knows me well knows I get excited about the simplest things. There is so much wondrous life all around us. The beauty of nature fills my heart with joy.

Respect life.

Life is good <3

Things are going very well in my life. Everything is falling into place.

I've been having a blast this week with a dear friend visiting from Sweden. We've been on the go doing everything we can think of. Seeing the huge smile on his face when he got to sit on the back of an alligator at Gatorland was amazing. That's not something he gets to do back in his homeland. ;) We along with a few of my other friends had a blast playing ... ignoring the wretched heat and humidity. Chris braved an enormous snake (shaking like a leaf) just to get me and Olivia to stop calling her a wimp.

Thank you for the wonderful gift Russell!

We've played on the beach, gone to the movies (Stardust is adorable), Disney, and I'm sure the highlight of his week was sitting with me in my IV treatments... ha! But all will be lasting memories. He cooked Swedish pancakes topped with cloud berry jam and fresh whipped cream. He also baked a cake with lemon and chocolate mousse beautifully decorated with fruit on top. I am going to gain 10 pounds with him here... lol

Today Rich took him up to St. Augustine. I didn't think I could make the trip after having chemo yesterday because the heat is just unreal. But tomorrow is play time at the beach again!

My kids are enjoying his visit. They are also doing awesome in school. They seem to love their classes and are coming home with great grades so far. They are happy and so excited about things to come. Zack will be getting his license very soon, he is also seeking a job and looking forward to the opportunities that will bring. Meg shared her dreams with me and together we actively sought out the best way to fulfill them. There were so many avenues, but we researched and went for it. I am going to be a bit cryptic on the news we got because I don't want to jinx anything ... but she now has an opportunity of a lifetime. I will scream it so the world can hear once we go to our meeting. :D Cross your fingers for us!

I have two of the most mature, well balanced, bright and beautiful children a parent could ever dream of having. They are my heart and soul. They will always be first and foremost in any part of my life... even before my own needs. They have been through the ringer and had so much drama and trauma in their young lives. I will not allow them to be hurt again. It's disgusting when selfishness casts a dark cloud over their lives, but they are smart and understand it's source and have learned to live with it and not allow it to effect them. They are truly my heroes.

On another note, I am blessed to have survived stage 4 cancer since 2002 even when all odds were against me and I had no support.... only pain, loneliness and hate in my marriage. I am so fortunate to have Rich come into my life. I don't know how I would have survived this past year and a half without him. He loves me unconditionally, pampers me, my kids absolutely adore him. My daughter clings to him and my son has a great friend in him. He stood by and supported me in my pain, and also when I mistakenly thought I could mend my marriage. He sits with me during my IV treatments and the nurses all love him. He goes to my doctor appointments and sits quietly listening to what the doctor tells me. He also helps me remember things I need to talk to the doctor about (chemo brain sucks...lol) My eyes have opened and though I have always appreciated his support... I am beginning to see it through new eyes. He is absolutely amazing <3

It doesn't matter where you go in life, what you do, or how much you have.

It's who you have beside you.

Life's a Beach

We had another incredible day at the beach.
Instead of Vero we hit Sebastian and had a blast!

The hurricane in the waters south of us are sending in some heavy surf!
The waves were powerful.

My daughter is trying to figure out how to get inwithout getting clobbered like her brother and Rich. lol

Coming back to rest after being beaten up by the surf... lol

She could play in the sand for hours ...

*credit for the last photo goes to Rich*

Vero Beach

We drove down A1A to Vero on Saturday. It took my mind off bad things going on in my life and my heart was filled with all the beauty abound.

We drove through a state park where there were HUGE land crabs. They were too fast for me to take pictures of them. If I had more time I could have sat patiently waiting.

I will be back little crabs... mwah ha ha ha ha

Here are a few pics of our day. This is heading through a public access to the beach. The water is so blue and the walkway to the ocean was incredible. So peaceful and serene.

on to something fun...

My sister thinks she is funny. Actually she is.

We were standing in the checkout line at Ross and my niece saw a Bellydancing for Abs dvd. I got excited and said how I had always wanted to learn to bellydance. My sister found and picked up this dvd and said this was more my speed ...

We couldn't stop laughing. She put it on the counter with the rest of her things and bought it for me. I haven't tried it yet, but can't wait to. I want to be "alone" in the house the first time I try so I don't feel like a complete dork... lol I have been getting on my step machine and doing stretching exercises. My stamina isn't good and I need to build strength. I won't push myself until I find out the results of the echocardiogram.

This should be a fun new hobby!!! A few years back a friend bought me an expensive gypsy scarf that jingles. That should be a fun accessory when I figure out what I am doing! *hehehe*

Sunset on the Marshland

Just got back from a great vacation with family on Hilton Head Island, SC. Here are a few photos I took of the marsh, harbor and view from my parents condo. Such a beautiful island! I can't wait till I can afford to buy a place there. For now I enjoy going and meeting up with my family that already have condos I can vacation in. :)

The harbor in Shelter Cove.

Heading out to the marsh.

Sun had just gone down.

So beautiful...

On the balcony waiting for the fireworks.

They do a fireworks show every Tuesday night during the summer. I got caught up in watching them and didn't concentrait on taking photos. My dear friend Rich took this one ... lol

Banners from the past

I used to run a message board at times I miss tremendously. It was a group of close friends goofing off and a place to not take life so seriously. I used to love making birthday banners for my friends. Here are a few I did ...

This one is my all time favorite. Terry is a big horror movie buff so I edited a picture of him into one of his favorite movie scenes. lol

This one is animated, this blog doesn't show it that way. If you click on it it shows the animated version.

This one is also animated.

I used to have a blast making these. I have a huge folder of them.