My Huckleberry

Trev,
This morning as we snuggled in bed, with kids and dog jumping all over us, and the sunlight streaming through the windows, you said some of the sweetest words to me. I don't know if you were aware how much they meant to me, but I thought I should let you know that they meant the world.
Thanks for being my huckleberry.
I love you!

Nice buns

(Photo taken a few years ago)

Monkey C will be 8 years old next month. She started ballet when she was either 3 or 4, I can't quite remember. But since she started, I have had to put her hair in a bun. We keep her hair long enough so that she is always able to do the "ballet bun". I am not very good at it. I use way too many bobby pins, and it stays put, but never has that polished look to it. I've seen beautiful buns at the studio, and I have seen messy buns. MC's hair buns are in between.
A couple weeks ago, she was playing at a friends house, and the mother of this friend offered to get MC ready at their house, and take her to ballet when they were through playing. This worked out great. When I picked MC up, I noticed her bun was that beautiful polished bun I have always wanted to perfect!! So, when I took the bobby pins out that night, I was careful and paid attention to how this mom had done such a wonderful job. Hmmm. Her bun looked much better for the next lesson because I tried what I had seen, but still not polished!!! I think with the way MC is going in ballet, I have many more years of buns ahead of me. By the time she is 18 or so, maybe I will have it down!

Fun with Cotton

It started with one of the kids...Monkey C I think. She got on the floor and Trev threw Cotton's toy over her. He ran, and jumped over her to get his toy. So Monkdy B joined her. Pretty soon all the kids were lined up on the floor, and we were laughing at our little Pom hurdling all 4 of them to get his toy on the other side. Not once did he land on them.

I'm game.

I love Friday. I played tennis for 3 hours this morning.
I take tennis lessons on Friday mornings. Tuesdays I play league games, and I am happy if I can fit in a game with Trevor or a friend on a Monday or a Thursday during the week.
My first lesson is 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. We do lots of different things depending on what we need to improve on. This morning we worked on underspin backhands, and cross-court returns. Al is our coach, and he is a kick. Keeps us smiling and laughing. He's easy-going and told me today that he has never had dinner without a glass of wine. Then from 10:00-12:00 I practice for team play. Our team will play in USTA tournaments in April, May and August. I love this practice, because it's more intense, and we really get working. Rob is our coach, and he has a drier sense of humor, doesn't like a whole lot of chatter during practice, and has helped me improve my game immensely.
Ever have someone believe in you, and make you think you are pretty special and that you have great potential that you might not be aware of? Rob is like that. He doesn't overtly show it, but often gives me the silent nod of approval when I do something well. For all I know he does this to all the other players too, but it doesn't matter, it makes me want to keep trying harder, and do better with each stroke.
I played hard today, and went through my water bottle during the first practice. When I got home, I scarfed down some beef and rice. (I have looked it up, and during that 3 hours of doubles and singles play, I am burning around 900 calories). I put in Spongebob for MD, because she was tired and wanted to lay down and watch it. I thought of cleaning up the kitchen, but opted to pull up a blanket and rest beside her for a few minutes. That few minutes turned into a 1 hour nap. I guess I needed it.
It has happened on days like this, that Trev will come home from work and ask if I want to play tennis after dinner. I may be tired, a little sore, whatever.
But you know what? I'm game.

my color

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Blue

You're blue — the most soothing shade of the spectrum. The color of a clear summer sky or a deep, reflective ocean, blue has traditionally symbolized trust, solitude, and loyalty. Most likely a thoughtful person who values spending some time on your own, you'd rather connect deeply with a few people than have a bunch of slight acquaintances. Luckily, making close friends isn't that hard, since people are naturally attracted to you — they're soothed by your calming presence. Cool and collected, you rarely overreact. Instead, you think things through before coming to a decision. That level-headed, thoughtful approach to life is patently blue — and patently you!

Take this test >

Change is a good thing!

My blog has a new look!
It's a new year, and I am all about fresh starts. Trevor has been coming home from work most days to rearranged furniture, different throw pillows, and my need for him to help me move pictures from one wall to another.

I decided to change from "Simply, Me." to "Happy Girl". I guess I decided that I don't always see my life as being simple. Not simple as in easy, but simple as in...measly. I am here in this big world, but I'm just a speck-simple. I think I used to see myself more that way. Kind of making a difference but in the background.
I guess that maybe I have felt some personal growth this year, and that always comes from amazing experiences, good and bad.

Maybe because of those experiences, I'm going to work on these goals. I'm...
1. Not holding back on "I love you". To anyone! Mom, Dad, siblings, friends, husband, kids, you name it. Everyone deserves to know they are loved, and is there really any reason for us to hold back?
2. Getting over being shy. This will always be a struggle. It's in the genes. But once you put yourself out there, amazing friends come into your life!
3. Knowing that I am good at more than just running the household. I made the goal to reconnect with tennis. I was scared to do it, but I can't tell you what a difference it has made in me. I am healthier, happier, more confident and just proud of myself.
4. Cherishing friends and loved ones even more. The more you live and experience the more you realize how precious life is. I CHERISH my loved ones and will try not to take them for granted.
5. Making time for sweet little moments. They are easy to miss. Especially with my children. They are growing FAST. I know that soon I will be trying desperately to grasp My oldest's fingers as she begins to let go.
6. Keeping that happy attitude. Sometimes it's so easy to get dragged down. To get caught up in all the drama and sadness of this world. But I will continue to try to smile, love and uplift as much as I can.

There are so many more thoughts and goals running through this head of mine. But I will share them with you here on my blog as they unfold throughout this new year.
Happy 2008!!
(blogging...notice MD asleep in my chair)

Christmas Vacation in the sun

I'm going to share quite a few pictures with you. When you come home with 1700 pictures (4 couples' combined photos), trying to narrow it down is REALLY hard. I tried to choose the ones that meant the most to me, and also represented our activities the best. I got it down to 25.
P.S. - sorry about all the cleavage...you practically live in a swimsuit the whole time you are there. :)

Here is my little list of things I learned from our BVI vacation:

1. If I lived somewhere humid, I would have naturally wavy hair.
2. Clothespins are a great fix when your fridge has stopped working and the meat has gone bad. (combine #1 and #2, and you know the reason for my "pirate name"...Clothespin Curly Sue...Aaaaargh.
3. Yes, the water in the Caribbean is THAT blue!
4. Fresh coconuts are quite good.
5. On a boat for 10 days, no kids and good friends...WONDERFUL.
6. I actually enjoyed the rocking sea. When we were on land for a while, I felt like I wanted to get back on the waves where I wouldn't feel so dizzy. Go figure.
7. Trevor is a ham.
8. Jamaicans in BVI like blonds.
9. I know how to drop anchor!
10. There is nothing like Ginger beer. It doesn't even touch ginger ale.

Pictures continued

mermaid and flying crazy man!

Rare footage of a mermaid with a snorkel, and a flying crazy man. Taken in the British Virgin islands.





These pics all taken at "the baths" on Virgin Gorda island. One of the most beautiful places we have ever seen. I loved this pic of Shelli, so I had to hijack her blog and post it here.

Rock-A-Bye Shelli!

Trev and I just returned home late last night from a very exciting trip. We were in the British Virgin Islands for 10 days. We rented a catamaran with 4 berths, and went with 3 other couples, friends of ours. We sailed the Caribbean and island hopped. It was such an adventure. We took lots of pictures, and once we find our luggage, we will be able to retrieve and post them for you to see.
I didn't need to take motion sickness medicine the whole time, and really got used to the waves and the rocking of the boat. But, I am STILL rocking! I was walking around like a zombie this morning trying to help get the kids ready for school, and steadying myself the whole time. As I sit here, the screen is swaying up and down, and it is a very strange feeling.
Glad to be back though. And even though we just enjoyed 85-87 degree temps and warm, warm water, it is so nice to look out at the snow and enjoy the Christmas tree and spirit that is here in our cozy home. Will post more about our trip later, so stay tuned!

Fall Follies

We've had a fun and busy fall so far. We enjoyed a trip to Seattle to visit my Aunts, Uncle and Grandma. The colors were beautiful and so was the weather. We also hosted our annual Halloween bash and had a fantastic time. There were quite a few people this year and we really enjoyed everyones costumes and company.