Christmas!

I just wanted to share a few pictures from our holiday festivities. In staying with the Reed tradition, we did the bulk of our present opening on Christmas Eve. It was all about the kids and we ate, drank and were merry!

Christmas day was special too and we spent time with wonderful family! Hope you and yours had a wonderful holiday!!!

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Holiday Update

Let it snow.....

We are snowed in today! It's been crazy - all this snow. I love it, yet it's also been a royal PITA! I will completely overlook the havoc as long as Lyndon arrives safely on the 24th!

December has been zooming along. Life is busy and going well down in Olympia. We are still waiting for our house in FL to sell and that will determine much about our future. Lyndon flew out for my birthday on the 6th and it was so wonderful to have daddy here - even for such a short time. We had a weekend full of events and Sunday we went to the Seahawks game - although they lost (surprise!).

We travel up to Edmonds pretty much every weekend to see Grandma and Grandpa - this past weekend being the exception due to the weather. It is so nice being able to spend time with them and see our "northern" friends....

Our Christmas plans include much of the same - family and friends. We are looking forward to Christmas Eve with my parents and brother, then on Christmas Day will be having Lyndon's brother and family over as well as mom's brother, SIL and my cousin Jake. Looking forward to good food, wine and family. Never one's to take a day off, we'll be spending time with dear friends on the 26th and then our grande family get-together is on the 27th followed by our grande friends get-together that night in Olympia. The 28th is our 6th wedding anniversary so we are hoping to escape for a nice evening alone.

Still no pictures - life is slipping me by and I'm forgetting to take pictures!!!

Before I forget - congrats to Lyndon who was awarded with Senior Maintainer of the Year for VP-30. Just goes to show is such an asset. Once he returns to FL, the bomb will be going off that he will not be signing another contract - I will definitely update on that situation!

Merry Christmas to all!!!

Still no pictures!

Just a quick update this gloomy Black Friday! The kids and I are up in Edmonds - we arrived Wednesday night and had a nice Thanksgiving yesterday with our immediate family and my mom's friend Kathleen. We really missed Lyndon though!! In case you didn't know, Lyndon loves to cook and is such a huge help in the kitchen - he and my mom just have a great time together on holidays! Luckily The Ferguson's invited Lyndon to their Thanksgiving gathering - so he wasn't alone and we are so thankful for such great friends! In fact we have much to be thankful for this year! Although it's easy to focus on how hard it is to be away from Lyndon, we just have to remind ourselves that this is a small sacrifice we are making in order to spend the rest of our years together!!!

We had every intention of travelling to Portland this weekend to spend time with family and friends down there but the kids are under the weather so that had to be cancelled. Yesterday morning started with me taking Isaac to the ER (since we haven't changed our insurance yet) and he has Conjunctivitis (pink eye). It's very contagious and they are both snotty and coughing so we're going to have a low key, restful weekend here at Grandma and Grandpa's.

Life in Olympia is going well. I am so far enjoying my job and the people. The daycare thing is really hard to adjust to though. Isaac has not been separating well at all - every day my heart just aches when I have to say goodbye as the teacher has to hold him tightly while I leave. On the other hand, Sydney has been fine and vocabulary is already improving. So...there are good and bad things. I am hoping that as Isaac starts to feel better, the separations will get easier. Only time will tell!

I'm ready to ride this wave into December! We have lots going on and that always makes time go by quickly - which is exactly what WE want to have happen right now!

Obamamania!

I try not to be political on my blog because I have a lot of friends and family on both sides of the fence but I can't help myself. What a great victory! What a great future! Yes we can! Yes we did!

One Month Later!

I can't believe my last posting was a month ago. Well actually I guess I can! A lot has happened in the last month and although I have no pictures, will give the skinny on the happenings in our family!

We were in some ways sad to leave Florida - mostly because we had made some wonderful friendships that we will surely miss - BUT look forward to continuing throughout the years. We left October 16th - Isaac and I by plane, Lyndon and Sydney by car. Our first destination was Maine! Isaac and I arrived that evening, Lyndon and Sydney the following night. We spent a wonderful weekend with some dear friends, ate lobster ($3.25/pound people!) and reminisced about our days in the Pine Tree State. It was a lot of fun and a good chance to rest up before the LONG drive across the country.

Monday morning we left at 6am and drove until we could no longer - Erie, PA that night. Left the next morning and made it all the way to St. Paul, MN. Left the next morning and Miles City, MT was earlier than we would've liked to stop but none of us could keep going that day for some reason. Thursday - we arrived in wonderful Edmonds, WA around 7pm. The car now has an additional 5,000 + miles on it and we all were so happy to wake up Friday and not have to go anywhere! The kids were champs and Lyndon and I did well trading off on the driving. I did learn, however, that I get car sick if I read too much...

States Isaac and I travelled: Florida, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho and Washington. 15 states!

Sydney and Lyndon: Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut - all those in addition to the above. 9 more states!

What a week!

We are staying in Edmonds with my parents for a little while. The house is going on the market in Florida on Monday and we are anxious to see what happens there as in two years, it's gone down approx. $20,000 in value.

The GREAT news is that I got a job with the State of Washington!!! I start November 17th and the kids and I will be packing up and moving to Olympia next week.

I know the next six months will be a difficult time in our lives. We miss Lyndon terribly so please keep him in your thoughts and prayers while he toughs it out alone in Florida. We have some pretty big challenges ahead of us with selling our house and Lyndon's transition out of the military. That is still a "secret" to them (the Navy) but we're sure it's just a matter of time before it's known. There will be an incredible amount of pressure on him to stay in. Although we know there are definitely benefits to staying in, we have talked through and thought through this decision very thoroughly and believe this is the best for our family and especially our children. We know the bumps ahead will be rough but also believe that our faith, our marriage, our family and our friends will help keep us strong and help guide us through these times to come.

I forgot my camera/computer cords in Florida but they're en route here so pictures of our adventure and Halloween are soon to come.

Thank you to Brenda and Brian for your generous hospitality in Maine and thank you to everyone who keeps our family in your thoughts and prayers while our journey continues!

Final Trip to Disneyworld!!!

OK - we'll probably go again someday - but on Thursday our annual Disney passes expired so the kids and I left at 7am to head to Orlando and take advantage of the day. We had so much fun! Isaac is old enough to have fun - and to be a bit of a pain because all he wants to do is walk around and explore things on his own. I didn't mind letting him down to walk around a bit because it was the least crowded I had ever seen it. No lines. It was fabulous. We have waited as long as an hour before to just get on Peter Pan (not worth it) - so on a wonderful 80 degree sunny Florida day, it was perfect!

After we left Orlando, we took a detour through Ocala to see our friends and then got home late that night. It's been busy times these days trying to pack in these things we really want to do before we go!

Asleep on the toilet!

Sydney had to go potty after we put her to bed last night. 5 minutes later we were wondering why she hadn't returned to bed yet. She often sits on the toilet saying she's "trying" to poop as an attempt to stay up a little bit later..... HOWEVER, she had fallen asleep and was doubled over.

Zumba Jam

They had a one year anniversary party at my gym today from 9 to 1. It was kicked off by a "Zumba Jam" with a live DJ/mixer dude - and after the dance party was over, there was a ton of fun stuff to do there for the kids. I got Sydney's hair cut (new picture to come), we rode the party train, jumped on the bouncy toy and had all sorts of fun. Isaac had come too and spent the first part dancing and being the cutest part of the show - then he went into the daycare where he proceeded to fall asleep in the middle of the floor and take a good 45 min. nap!


Here's a shot of me before heading to the jam in the type of clothing you wear to zumba....or at least some of us do. You can't quite see the pant detail but they're hip-hop/cargo pants. I know! Aren't I a hip 30(ish) mom??

Nearing the end!

We have been busy busy organizing our house and getting it set up to put on the market. Although it's a few weeks before the kids and I leave, we're trying to pack everything in! It's also been fun talking about and planning our grand road trip to WA. Although we'll have little time for play, it's fun to see all the states we will be travelling through! It should take us roughly five days from start to finish and that's not making any stops along the way (besides to sleep at night). If it were up to Lyndon, we would take turns driving and would sleep in the car so we could get there sooner!



Last Friday we spent a fun impromptu Friday happy hour with The Ferguson's before we went to Orlando and they left on a two week vacation to NC. We have been so lucky here in Florida to have met such wonderful friends we have so much in common with! Robert is here short-term with Bank of America and they'll be moving back to NC in January so it works for both of us - it's been a fun fling! Kidding of course. We look forward to a long friendship with them and are already planning our Napa Valley vacation in the next couple of years!

Last weekend we spent at Disney World. On Saturday the four of us went to Hollywood Studios and it was quite a change from our last outing! Now that Isaac is walking, it's a new adventure! Lines are not so fun but he entertains many of the bystanders!

On Sunday I attended a Zumba certification course and now am ready to teach if I want to. I didn't go so much as to actually teach the course BUT seeing as how we're leaving FL and this is my MAIN source of exercise, figured it would be worth it to get certified. If in the future I can pick up a couple of classes then great! While I was at training, Lyndon and the kids went to Magic Kingdom and had a blast! He took them both on every ride they could go on! By the time they picked me up from my training, the kids were drained and ready for the drive home!

This past Thursday we hooked up with The Brook's family at the Gainsville mall and had fun at the play center and later got some ice cream. We are really going to miss them too when we're gone! Although we don't see them nearly as much as we'd like because of the distance - we always enjoy the time we spend with them!

On the job front, I am still applying for jobs here and there in the NW. I've learned that it's best to be picky and find what really suits my experience AND what I really want to do for the rest of my life. It's a great feeling to know that whenever I next get a job, I could end up staying for a really long time - but at the same time it's good to know that I can always find something now and can change later. We'll see what ends up happening!

Welcome Riley!!!

Congrats to Mark and Nikki Turpen who welcomed their baby boy on September 12th. Riley Turpen was 5 weeks early and weighed 4lb. 11oz. He and Nicole are doing wonderfully and are set to leave the hospital later today.

We can't wait to meet him!!!

MIAMI!

I'm finally posting about my FUN trip to MIAMI this past weekend! It was definitely a well deserved trip for my friend Jessica and I. With our family's impending departure from Florida, I definitely had to take advantage of a free weekend and take a mommy's getaway with my Florida BFF!

We left Friday night when the hubby's got home from work and took a fabulous road trip down to Miami. The scenery was at times beautiful and at times full of landfills but nothing could stop us from enjoying our time together, chatting, listening to music WE loved and not having to stop to change movies, take kids to go potty or anything of the sort!

We arrived in MIAMI around 10pm - bedtime for most - but the beginning of the nightlife in MIAMI. Sooooo, we of course had to take advantage of every minute of our free-time and met some of Jessica's friends out at an Irish bar in South Beach. Totally my kind of place - beer drinking, fun-having kinda people! It was great. We played pool and just had a good time relaxing with the locals. It was a late night but it was no biggie since we were able to sleep in until 10am the next morning! Seriously, when was the last time that happened? Definitely NOT since Sydney was born!!!

Saturday after we woke up we hit South Beach. Books, magazines and chairs in hand, we relaxed. It was one of the most carefree times I can remember. We chatted, watched the beach-goers, had a few cocktails and floated in the water. It was GREAT! We even saw a guy being arrested on the beach and saw some paparazzi scoping out the crowd! Being a Washingtonian, the only beaches I know are rocky and bunny up against cold waters! This water was warm - but still a relief from the hot Miami weather - it was great. After our beach excursion, I was happy (but burned) and we hit a Cuban dive form some dinner - it was memorable.

Saturday night was the most interesting. We headed back to our familiar Irish Pub and decided our night had to be more memorable than that - seeing as how we were in South Beach and all! So we hitched a ride with some unknown locals and they brought us to this club called The Fifth. We got some lucky VIP passes there and hung out with this fabulous makeup/hair artist guy and his entourage and danced the night away. Anyone who knows me knows how I can dance the night away!

Needless to say, it was a late night but we made it home and were so happy to return to our lovely families and especially our lovely husbands who supported our grand girlie getaway! Lyndon is such a wonderful daddy and I'm so proud he's such a competent and hands on dad!

Seriously though - we all need our girls!!! Never trust a girl who doesn't have girlfriends!

I missed my children very much but I really felt refreshed when I returned!!!

QUITTERS!!!

Just a shout out to two of the main men in my life - my brother and my dad. It has been one year today since they both quit smoking!!! Dad had smoked since he was in his teens and Justin probably had for a little under ten years. Great job guys and we are SO proud of you!!!

Isaac turns 1

This weekend we celebrated Isaac's first BD! Leading up to the event, Lyndon and I got a babysitter on Saturday for a few hours so we could do some kid-free shopping and dining. It was a real treat for us since we hardly ever get any alone time!

His birthday was fun and he enjoyed cake and cupcakes Sydney and I homemade.

On Monday, we were joined with our friends The Brooks' and The Ferguson's for a little party. It had been more than a couple of months since we had seen The Brooks so that was really nice and as The Ferguson's were just coming back from a weekend NC jaunt, we were happy they could make it too!

The sun is shining!

After almost a week long of stormy/rainy weather, we woke up to sun today! It's definitely a welcome change. Now we'll be back to hot and sticky....gotta love Florida!

Thursday and Friday everything was closed and Lyndon had those days off work so he's had to work the weekend in order to make up for lost time. None of us are happy about that but we had a nice time last night over at The Ferguson's. The last three Saturdays, we've been doing happy hour/appetizers in the evening and it's been tons of fun. Last night I brought some marinated shrimp that were scrumptious and Robert did some fantastic mesquite wings out on the grill with Lyndon's wing sauce.

The girls have fun together and the boys are starting to interact more and more. Miles is so sweet with Isaac and always returns his binkie when he finds it and helps him out with his toys and such - it's a joy to watch.

Rain Rain Go Away!

Well we're now getting our shot from Fay and it's definitely not as eventful as I thought. It's been raining for awhile now and the winds just started really kicking up in the last couple of hours but definitely not anything big. A few big gusts where we lost the top to our shed but Lyndon secured it and we're having an inside movie day.

Everything is pretty much closed around here. Lyndon's work is shut down today as well as tons of other employers (I've heard). I honestly haven't left the house as I don't want to be whipped around the road with these crazy drivers! However I find myself becoming a bit stir crazy and may try to make it to the gym - because they're open (of course they are!) - which means I have no excuse to be lazy all day.

Isaac has been having rough nights lately. He's up in the middle of the night for anywhere from 1 - 3 hours and it's hard to calm him down. I thought maybe it was his ears as he's been yanking on both of them but yesterday the doc said they were clear. Now I'm thinking it's his teeth. Poor babe, I feel so bad when I can't relieve his pain!

Sydney has been adjusting well to being back in preschool. She has Ms. Brenda as her teacher and there are 8 kids in her class - which I think is a great size for her. She is all decked out in her princess backpack every day (she goes four days a week from 9 to noon) and loves it. That girl is amazing - we can be on the other side of the store from some princess item and she discovers it. It's almost like there's this gravitational pull that gets a hold of her. Hmmmm. Although I love her enthusiasm about the usual girl characters (Dora, princesses, Barbie), the marketing those companies do kills me! They know exactly where to put the stuff so that the kids SEE it and they WANT it! I know all you mom's know exactly what I'm talking about!

Other than that, life is good. I'm still on the job hunt but am finding it's really hard to find something while living in FL but looking in WA. I've gotten a few calls but they want someone immediately - which I can't exactly do. They want to know when I'm moving but I want to have something lined up before I go - so kind of at a stand still there.

We've definitely decided on moving towards the south end and I really really really (really) want to get on with the State and move to Olympia. However, the governor and her hiring freeze has put a cramp in our plans. I've been looking at other areas - like Tacoma, Federal Way, etc. but I really would like to live and work in the same city (or at least very close to it) - so we'll see. We go back and forth about when the kids and I will move back. We don't want to spend too much time away from Lyndon but want to get settled and set up before he separates from the Navy - which we found out COULD be earlier than Feb. Stay tuned!!!

Upcoming plans - Isaac turns the big "1" on August 31st - I can't believe it. Not sure when but we'll throw a little party for him down here. The following weekend, Jessica and I are headed for a girls weekend in Miami. We're planning on leaving Friday (Sept 5th) when the daddy's get home from work and then driving 5 1/2 hours (Thelma & Louise). Saturday we're planning on partaking in the Run of The America's (10k) on Key Biscayne - doesn't that sound lovely? We thought so - and although I may have to walk some of it - we get free t-shirts! After our run, maybe a nap (maybe not) and then it's on to checking out the town - maybe seeing who makes the best mojito during the day and venturing around Miami's nightlife later - I am so excited as I've never been to Miami and since our time here is limited, really want to have some fun R & R with my Florida BFF!

Fay Update

OK, so over the last day, I've learned that you just have to be patient in watching the storm. The track changes constantly. Today I am starting to prepare. My friend Elisabeth has weathered a few of these and she basically told me all the things I need to do. Today I am going to buy more water - gallons of water. Everything from outside is coming in - BBQ, shed, kids toys, everything. I am a couple of days to get ready and if it really looks like it's going to be bad, we're packing up the car - or van - and heading to North Carolina with Jessica.



Click here to see the NOAA site for this storm - it's easy to read and updated quite frequently. . .

Hurricane Fay

This storm could mean big trouble for us!!! I'm sure you've heard about this storm on the news already. This will be our first hurricane experience - they are saying Fay will have a huge impact on the Jacksonville area as of now and we should definitely be prepared. Yikes!

My Buddy and Me!

Turns out Isaac loves having his picture taken. Tonight he and I did a photo shoot and he was all smiles for the camera. He is a little shy of the red light but then is all smiles for the flash!

Zumba

I did it! I signed up to become a certified Zumba instructor. The workshop will be in Orlando next month. Zumba is this super fun Latin dancing class I take almost every day of the week. It's fun and I love it! My fear was to move back to WA and not be able to find a class - a good one - so I thought getting certified here in FL where it originated would be a good plan. If I can't find a class I like when we move, I'll just teach it myself.

Our Little Man is Walking!

Isaac is offically walking! He took his first steps while in Washington - for my dad and Justin! Although it wasn't for us - we were so happy they could experience it. Since we've been back in Florida, he's been going more and more and now it's his preferred "mode of transportation"! It's so adorable and of course he still has his falls (an the bumps/bruises to prove it) but this is just such a fun time for us!

Yesterday he discovered the phrase "uh-oh" and now he walks around saying "uh-oh" all day. Life for me has gotten a little bit easier as now he is just enjoying his newfound freedom so much!

Learning to Ride

Now that we are back in Florida and somewhat settled, I am finally getting the chance to sit down and upload all of our pictures. All 276 of them.

The latter half of our trip was good. We really missed having dad around but tried to stay busy as much as possible! My interview with the State went really well and as of now I haven't officially heard anything but my inside source believes it's been offered to another applicant. I have a stack of about 5 other positions I plan on applying for and will be doing that this weekend! Having spent such a wonderful month in WA, we are so anxious to move back - more than EVER!

My parents put training wheels on an old kid's bike they had and Sydney loved it! I think we know what Santa will be bringing this year....

New Shopping New Life Email

Yesterday my email was somehow hacked and a message titled "New Shopping New Life" was sent to every single one of my contacts in hotmail. From the information I gathered, it doesn't look like this affects anyone who opened the email at all - it's just an inconvenience and I apologize.

In addition to sending this email, all my contacts in hotmail were somehow deleted. It seems as though hotmail and yahoo are being targeted the most and so from here on out I will be using my gmail account which is rebecca.linville at gmail dot com . I will be checking my hotmail periodically and will respond to emails and include my new email address. Unfortunately I can't send a mass email letting people know of the change.

Again - I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused!!!

The Interview

Well on Monday I had my interview with the State so I wanted to report that it went really well! I felt really confident after it was over and so I guess we'll just see. There were five total interviews and a few were already state employees so I'm afraid they'll have an advantage but that's OK - I'll just keep plugging away. The environment was ideal for me - actually kind of a "shop" office and I really do well in those kind of atmospheres. A decision should be made by the end of next week and this is probably just the start of many interviews!

Today the kids and I drove up to Oak Harbor and had a playdate with The Reeder's - friends from when Lyndon and I first met. Their daughter Kailee is 3 and son Mikey is 6 months and we really enjoyed our day.

With less than a week left before the kiddos and I head back to FL, I find myself panicking about how I'm going to fit everyone and everything in. Luckily we've had three weeks to really spend a lot of time with many good friends! It's just never long enough!! Next time we're back - it'll be for good!

Tomorrow

Tomorrow I have an interview with the State of Washington down in Olympia. I'm so excited about it and although I know it's pretty early in terms of moving back here, I think it's great experience and potentially a good opportunity to sort of get my name in there. Wish me luck!

This weekend the parents, kids and I headed to Yakima for a quick overnight stay. It was beautiful. I LOVE Eastern WA and definitely could see our family moving there one day. It was upper 80's and dry of course. The wineries were a plenty as were the apple orchards. What more could one want??

Isaac's Baptism

We had Isaac baptized on July 6th. Our Uncle Richard performed the service after the regular 11am service at Bothell First Lutheran (where we were married). Just family and friends attended and it was really nice! His sponsors were our good friends Dave & Katie Carter and Lyndon's sister Lindsey who was unable to attend...

4th of July Pictures

Spent the day/weekend in Anacortes. Attended the Anacortes parade and annual Fisher/Altman/Putney party. Tim's fireworks show was amazing!

Life in the NW

We've been enjoying the last 12 days in Washington. We spent the weekend of the 4th in Anacortes with a group of our friends, then took a break in Edmonds with The Reed's for a couple of days before heading to Tacoma/Olympia to spend more time with friends. We are so lucky to have such wonderful friends in our lives that open their homes to us as we come by storm a couple times per year!

Lyndon flies home tomorrow and we can't believe how fast time flies! The kids and I still have a couple more weeks so I'm looking forward to a little bit of a slower pace and being able to see some more friends.

In other news, I've scored an interview at the State of Washington the week of the 21st so we'll see how that goes. I have a feeling they are going to want the position to be filled sooner then I can fill it but we will see!

Soon I'll be downloading some pictures so stay tuned!!!

Rock the Vote

Just checked another thing of the to-do list. Sent off my paperwork to register as a voter in the State of Florida. I definitely needed to do this - seeing as how this state can go either way. In WA and Maine, I felt like my vote never really mattered (as far as the Presidential election is concerned) because they're so blue - but I always voted anyway. Voting in Florida feels a little more empowering. . . .let's hope this state can count correctly this year!!!

So much to do - so little time!!

We are in the one week countdown for our trip to WA. We leave next Wednesday - in the afternoon. I'm starting to feel a little stressed.

Last week and this week, Sydney's been going to a place called "The Little Gym" for summer camp. She has really really been loving it and it's been great for her mobility, flexibility and just for her to wear off a little energy! Last week was Western Week and this week is Pirate Week. Lydia's there with her for Pirate week so that makes it even better!!

One thing that's been keeping me busy is I've started to apply for some jobs in Washington. Currently, our plan is for Lyndon to drive the kids and I out for Thanksgiving - then he would fly back alone. He would visit again for Christmas and then move home permanently in February when he separates from the Navy. However, things could change at any moment. We really want to get me and the kids out there ahead of time so I can establish employment, find somewhere for us to live and get the benefits kicked in so by the time he's out of the military, we're covered. We have some very good friends who work for the State of Washington and most of the jobs I've been looking at are down in Olympia. We've visited there a lot in the last few years and we really enjoy the area - so we're leaning towards moving in that direction. The hiring process can take some time so I'm feeling out the waters now. If something works out earlier than planned, our move could be bumped up. So that's a big topic of discussion in the Linville household!

Trying to figure out what to pack has been taking some thinking as well. Our airline allows one free bag per person but the rest we have to pay for. It's not too expensive - but still - we're trying to be smart about what to bring. With four of us and having to haul a car seat, it's a bit of stuff we have to bring!

I've been making extra time for double workouts as well these days. I've gotten into a great rhythm at the gym and I go daily at 9:15 and then Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 in the evening. I'm just still trying to work this baby weight off....plus some. Since February I've lost 25 pounds - but still have a chunk to lose!

So that's our life in a nutshell lately. We're so excited for our trip and to see as many friends and family as possible. Weekends always seem to go so quickly but weekdays look really wide open so hopefully we'll be able to fit some visits in there as well....

I'll try to post some pics. soon!!!

Sydney's First Self-haircut

I hear it's happened to most mom's of little girls and I always thought it was hilarious and that I would think it was hilarious if my daughter was to perform a cut on herself. However this afternoon when Sydney said "mommy, look at how pretty my hair" - I was not pleased. Of course it's the week before we leave on our trip.....

I had just cut her bangs myself this morning. I put the scissors back into Lyndons cutting kit, then back in the linen closet. Obviously she was paying attention.

Thong

OK - just saw this morning the MOST ridiculous story ever. A woman is suing Victoria's Secret for the clasp coming undone on her thong underwear and popping her in the eye - causing damage and trauma. Seriously????

What has this world come to?

Long Time No Blog

I just haven't been hanging out on the computer very much. Since Sydney's been on "vacation" from preschool, we've been busy with activities that have kept us on the go. We've been lucky to see our friends The Brook's a couple of times in the last week - we always have so much fun with them. Other than that, we haven't really been doing much out of the ordinary - mornings usually go by quickly getting everyone ready and we make it to the gym almost every day around 9am. We all love going to the gym - Sydney has made good buddies, Isaac loves crawling around playing with the variety of toys and I just love my group exercise classes. I don't think I've mentioned much about my knee injuries but since January, I've been plagued by horrible knee pain that keeps reoccurring. In May, I learned I had a slightly torn meniscus and have been having to take it easy. Just when my left knee was feeling better, I injured my right one. For the past few weeks, my knee pain has been virtually non-existent and life has been good. I'm happy being able to release my stresses in a kickboxing, weight lifting or zumba class!!!

The past few days I've been feeling so sad due to the passing of Tim Russert. I was an occasional Meet The Press viewer and more often caught him on The Today Show. It was always obvious to me what a kind man he was and how in a world of such negative politics - he never came across as malicious to anyone he interviewed. He truly just wanted to make our country better and get to the root of any issues on the table. It has kind of taken me by surprised how emotional his death has made me. I've never really had someone taken from MY life so unexpectedly and watching the people who were close to Tim go through both celebrating his life and mourning his passing has been both humbling and inspiring. In particular, the interview with his son Luke was just so moving - what an incredible young man and what an incredible father Tim Russert was. One thing I've taken from this is that we just don't know what is going to happen to our loved ones so telling people how we feel about them is just so important! So those thoughts have been on the forefront of my mind lately. . . .

Speaking of. . . .a belated Happy Father's Day to my wonderful Dad. I feel so lucky to have had him as MY dad - he has always been there for me - to guide me, advise me and love me - no matter what. I love you daddy!

Also, we're very much looking forward to our trip home - two weeks from tomorrow! This will be our last trip home before the big move!!

More regular updates to come. . . .

Never a Dull Moment

I feel like for the last couple of weeks we've just been going and going and going! Last Sunday we travelled to Orlando to use our Disney season passes before they blacked out for the summer. We stayed near the parks and did Magic Kingdom Sunday & Tuesday and Hollywood Studios Monday. This trip, Sydney met princesses for the first time! She met Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Belle! They really do it right at Disney and make it all about the kids - and they don't just rush everyone through - they gave Sydney so much attention, asked her questions and really just made her feel like a princess herself. It was awesome! At Hollywood Studios, she met Leo (Little Einsteins)

and Handy Manny - then the rest of the day was pretty much filled with Lyndon and I taking turns on the Rock n' Roller Coaster. It is our *favorite* ride and lasts all of approx. 1 min. 30 sec. while you are rockin out to Aerosmith. I think we each rode it four times that day...occasionally mommy and daddy need a little fun too!







Wednesday was Sydney's last day of preschool for the summer - she's going to miss her friends but I think we'll be getting together with a few of them over the summer.

Other recent events included a beach trip with The Ferguson's on Friday and a boat trip with The Ferguson's yesterday. We were out on the water fairly early yesterday as it was the Poker Run. The Poker Run is a race of high speed boats that starts at Jacksonville Landing and has 7 stops around the area where each boat picks up a card. The boat with the best hand at the end of the race, wins. We caught up with the boats while they were docked for lunch and then they all passed us as we made our way back up the St. John's.

Once we got back to Doctor's Lake, we all jumped in the water to cool off and we swam for a couple of hours - it was perfect! Obviously I am becoming OK with swimming in alligator infested waters! Nothing like a long day on the boat - it makes bedtime a piece of cake!