And so, off I go!
I am leaving very early in the morning, so this will be my final blog until I return.

Don't forget to visit next week! I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures & Stories to "show & tell"

This blog of mine. Someday I'm going to print it all out, and have a nice size journal of "my life". I look forward to it, because - It really does matter. :) It's the little things in life, that add up, to the "Big Things".

May happiness surround you, and hugs an kisses land on you, in all the right places.

Catch ya next week.

Our bags are packed. As a matter a fact, they are already packed in the van. :)

Hubby took the kids to Barnes and Noble for the Harry Potter events. Brandon and Brooke were troopers this afternoon. They waited for over an hour to get wristbrand for the book reservation. There must have been 1,000 people there. It was crazy. Of course I pulled out the camera and got a few pictures. I'll post them sometime. Fun stuff. And, tonight - at 11:15 p.m they will begin to line people up in some order based on their wristband - so at 12:01 a.m , they will all be able to buy their book! Very exciting time for Brandon. He's a die hard Harry Potter fan. He's been reading the books since he was only in 1st grade. It was amazing. Hubby would read a chapter, then he would let Brandon read it. He would ask Brandon questions, and he'd always know the answer. Super smart boy. 1st grade is very young to be reading at the level. (Mommy here, just bragging about her smarty pants boy). It's pretty cool. He reads and reads, until he passes out. lol Heck, they know us well at the Library. :) Good stuff!

So, now I sit in silence. No laundry to do, no packing, no lists, no cleaning. I just sit, and blog. I feel good about this trip, my health, and my life. I am just as content as I can be. Oh, and I found the most sexy swim suit this afternoon!!! I bought it, brought it home, put it on... ran around the house in it, and the kids laughed at how silly I was acting. :) It felt good to just be me. :) :) :) :) The silly Mom they have always known me to be.

Well, I think I might make myself a cup of tea. That sounds really nice right now.

I think I'm really ready for this vacation. FINALLY.

And you. I hope you all enjoy your weekend. I hope when the sun rises, it shines bright, upon your face. And I hope, it makes you smile.

:)

HAPPY WEEKEND!

LMAO @ That picture!!!!!!!

LOL!!!!!

Well, I have been given a clean bill of health. Yippie!!!!! You go girl!!! :)

Only thing is, I have shrunk! lol Not in my booty, or any place like that.... I have been 5' 4" for years. Not anymore!!! I'm only 5' 3 1/4" now. Hmmmmmmmm not funny! I thought I felt short because I always wear high shoes, and when I take them off I feel short. But, nope..... I'm just shrinking! SO, I have to take more calcium - and a good multi vitamin. That seems easy enough. Oh, and higher shoes. lol :)

But, everything else is beautiful. So, I'm happy :)

Ok, I'll blog more in a bit. I think I'm all set for my trip. :) It's such a refreshing feeling.

Gonna run a bit more. I love it. I love it love it love it!

:)

Hope this message finds you in good health, and happy with life. C'mon, give me a smile :)

Adios!

Happy Friday!! Oh happy happy day!!!

Actually, a little nervous. I have to see a Doctor this morning. YUCK! 10:45 a.m. I do not enjoy going to the doctor. Especially "that kind". :P But, hopefully I will get a clean bill of health (lol, I am VERY clean). :) Funny. I'm like a porn star (down there). When I have these appointments, I usually let some grass grow (lmao) but no time for that! Well, it's beautiful this way - and it's all tanned and stuff.. so why should I worry? I guess I just don't want to feel judged. But, it's a personal preference. So, who cares!!!!! And, I love it this way!

Other than that......Almost ready to go. Whew. I am so excited. SO nervous! I can't wait til tomorrow morning!!!! I may blog a lot today, just to relieve some mental pressure. It helps me relax. Deep breath! :)

AND, tonight, HARRY POTTER! Book #7. Brandon has his book on reserve at Barnes and Noble. So, we have to get him there at 5:00 p.m to get his wristbrand. Then, at 8:00 p.m the events begin. AND, at Midnight, he gets his book - and home we go! I'm in for a long day! lol. He is soooooooo excited. I'm excited for him.

Brooke is wearing me out. :) (not really) But, having a girl is a big job. I had to paint her toes last night, as well as take her shopping yesterday, for... EVERYTHING! We had a great time, however... it is exhausting!


And hubby.... well, today is his last work day. He's beside himself with excitement. I'm looking forward to him coming home, and being on vacation - with me! He rarely gets a break. So, this is huge. wooohooo!

Gotta run. More blogging later.

This is my life.

Crazy or not, here I am!

And a HAPPY THURSDAY TO YOU!

Oh, this is nice. I'm sitting here at 8:45 a.m, in my towel! Nope, not rushing off to work....not sucking down my last sip of coffee as fast as I can... Just sitting here, fresh out of the shower, smiling about the fact that I am on "leisure time". lol

You??? Enjoying life? I sure hope so.

As I've heard all my life (from dear ole' Dad)......

Life is not a dress rehearsal
------------------------------

So, I say..............
This is it, baby!
Live life to the fullest.
We don't have yesterday, anymore. It's gone.
Today, we must dance. Or, hug. Maybe just smile.
Because we don't know about tomorrow. It's a mystery.
So love one another. And be your best you.
Today.

Happiness comes from within.
Our hearts can hold more than you think.
Embrace it <3

Happy Thursday.

Just be yourself.

It is official!
I am home from work, and now I can say with 100% certainty - I AM ON VACATION!!!!!

Wooohoooo!

Let's Celebrate!

WOW!!! It's STORMY out there.......

I hope the wind and rain doesn't sweep my car off the highway and throw me into space, on my way home from work.

THAT would be just my luck!


lol

So, it's 1:00 p.m, and I have 3 hours to go. I am very excited about this time off. I haven't had a vacation in 7 months. A whole week. SO, this is going to be a huge treat!

About my trip. I'm pretty nervous. I worry about things that "normal" people may not even think twice about.
Here's a few......

The Hallways to the Staterooms. Narrow. Oh my. Scary. Closed in. Can't stand the thought of it. However, I think since we're in a Suite, on the 11th deck - we have an open Atrium type of layout, not the closed in hallways. Mental note *Bring a brown paper bag. (lol) breath in - breath out......

The Balcony, in our Suite.....
Suddenly, I worry that my Almost teenage kids, will slip, and fall off. Um... Erin... They are designed in such a way that nothing like that will happen. It takes effort, for someone to go over.... *mental note: Kids will not be allowed to wear Heelys during this trip... (lol) As if they even wear them anymore!!!! lol. See, I'm a freak! Need meds! (j/k)

Forget about the stress over missing the ship. That is the most hysterical part. I'm not the one that stresses over this subject so much. *clears throat. We're leaving at 7:00 a.m on Saturday. We have to drive into Manhattan. The trip, door to port - 76 miles. It's an hour and 20 minute ride. We leave at 7:00 a.m. Why so early? Well, we have it all figured out. If the Van has mechanical issues, we can call AAA, and still have time to walk there and arrive on time! LMAO! :) Or, if we get lost.... even with the use of our handy GPS, and MAPQUEST, and directions from NCL.... you just never know. Heck, you know how those female drivers can be! lol! Oh, here's the best part.... if we DO get lost, even with all the backup, and we ask for directions.... each and every single time (no fail) we get back on the road, and hubby will ask... "Were you paying attention?" I always answer, "Nope, were you?" ... "nope" L-M-A-O! Would we call that ADD (Attention deficit disorder) or what???? :-) (( Did I mention that the ship is set to sail at 4:00 p.m.)) I think we'll be okay.... *wink

Ok... and then, what if all goes well.. we get past the check in point, and I have forgotten something important? C'mon.... Even though I have packed as if we're on a 6 month "holiday" (lol) and have made a list, and checked it 1,000 times..... I will forget SOMETHING of importance. And, nobody will be able to convince me that it's not so important... toothpaste? No problem... we can pick it up on the ship. But, still... I worry. :)

Okay. This is just the beginning of what goes on in this head of mine when it comes to planning a trip, and getting it to work out, without a flaw... And then I think... Is all of this really worth worrying about? And I know the answer right away.

Of course not.

SO, I relax..... and I enjoy the few days before the journey....

And, I so love the thought of relaxing, and soaking up each and every new adventure coming my way.

:)

Happy HUMP day!!!!!!!

It's raining, it's pouring - but this little girl aint snoring!!!! It's my LAST work day!!!! At 4:00 p.m - I am officially on Vacation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wooohoooooo!!!!!!

So, let me begin this day with a sexy hump day picture! Can you find me in that mix? Oh.... wait, I'm not in there! Silly me ~
Oh well, maybe next time! :P

Happy Wednesday!

Silly Erin.... What am I still doing up??? It's 11:30 p.m. It's way past bedtime.

Yeah.... It is. It's been quite a day. A nice day. Lot's of good stuff. Nice emails, not to busy at work. Nice evening. What more could I ask for?

It's late. I am so guilty of not blogging like I normally do. Lot's on my mind. So much going on. I Will catch up.

I have so much to say. Nothing ever really thrilling... but still... I'm full of stories, and thoughts, and ideas. This is a nice place to share. I hope you stick with me. I'm not a genius, but I hope that my "stuff" counts, and matters.....

Good night.

Sleep well.

Sweet Dreams. Now, and always.

Happy Tuesday!

Good Morning, and Happy Tuesday.

I'm at a loss for words. Give me a minute to gather my thoughts........

Well.... today and tomorrow & I am off for more than a week! Wow. Nice. I am really looking forward to it.

Last night. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......
It was OK....

Having a tough time getting the ball rolling on my blogging...

I think I'll come back to it later......

Happy Day.

Home from Work! Monday is now officially behind me!!! Two more working days to go!!!!
Almost time to let my hair down for a week!!

Counting down the days......

Can't wait. I could use a good vacation!

Last night was long. I couldn't sleep. Tossed and turned!

I have lots of work to do before I close up shop here at RU. I have to admit, I'm having a difficult time concentrating. I have random thoughts running all through my head. :) It's all good.

Good Morning, and Happy Monday!

Today is a new day. Let's make the very best of it!

Today was a very emotional day.

I was moving right along with my daily routine when I received a phone call from my Mom. She was so down. So sad. She had some upsetting news that she needed to share with me. I was surprised she had called, because we were going there for Dinner.... but I guess she didn't want to spoil my Dad's Birthday celebration, so she called me ahead of time.
Seems my Grandfather was diagnosed with Dementia/Alzheimer's. Very sad. Long story..... and I'm not very close to him, although he's been my "Grandfather" since I was born..... He's different. And I was never able to form a close relationship with him. It was my Grandmother I cried and felt sad for the most. He's been her companion and love, for so long. I worry about her. And I worry about how it will be for her.
But, because her faith is much stronger than most people in the family even know, she says that god wouldn't give her more than she can handle. And what will be, will be. And it will be okay. This woman deserves a medal. I honestly mean that. She is so precious. I have no idea where she draws her inner strength from. I can't even talk about. I had a hard time today. Very emotional.
I worry a lot. I do.

Well...... that's my news for the night.

We went to Mom and Dad's for Dinner. Physically, I wasn't feeling to skippy. Emotionally.... well, I'm okay. I just have a lot on my mind. And you know what? That's ok. And, I'm alright. :)

xo

Night.....

Sunday July 15 2007

Oh where Oh where have all my blogs gone?!?!?!

lol!!! I haven't had any in a couple of days!!! I have been going CRAZY getting ready for my trip. And, to top it off - Mother nature has arrived, making me feel all sorts of crampy and sluggish. :P
The wonderful part about that is, It's usually on the first day of vacation that it happens! Seriously. My body knows exactly how to time things sometimes. Looks like I'll be cramp free for my trip! Woohoo!!!!! Well, now.... aren't you glad you know about my monthly cycle? lol....

So....... Yesterday. Well, between hubby and myself - there was enough anxiety and tension to go around for anyone who was lacking stress ^..^
We hung in there. lol Took turns having little spells of grouch time. I know I was no bundle of fun to be around. So, I'm not even going to pretend that I was a sweet little princess. *smiles
But, it all worked out. And there was no major "blow out". lol!
We did wind down in the evening and head out for pizza and pool. I won the first game (I think he let me win), and he won the second. And the pizza..... BLEAH! I think they accidentally sent us the wrong pizza. I don't remember ordering a pizza with toppings like, water... and 10 pounds of onions... lolol!!! But, since we had nothing solid to eat all day, you'd of thought the pizza was the best we ever had! Once my stomach was full, I looked at the pizza like it was some sort of alien. :P Ewwwwww... and I was done!!!

Well, I think I am one of the most laid back, patient people I have ever met... BUT, I have to admit - I was a little on edge all day yesterday. Planning this trip is kicking my butt. And, even though I have a really good sense of humor, when I visited www.cruisecritic.com , a site that I am pretty active on, And saw that our Cruise Ship is having "technical difficulties" - I was none to pleased. :( She was scheduled to pull out of NY yesterday at 4:00 p.m.. At 7:00 p.m she was still sitting in NY Harbor. Oh my. And then I read that the ship was not able to travel faster than 20 knots, leaving less time to visit the ports in the Bahamas, and Bermuda..... oh please let this vacation run smooth.... please please please!!!!!

So, today I will pack as if everything is going to be fine. I have been told to worry less, or I will spoil the fun and excitement. It's true. I need to quit stressing. I'm sure everything will be just fine and dandy!

So, happy Sunday you beautiful people! :)

Thank you for being a part of my life.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Lets make this a *Lucky* one!

It's beautiful out, AGAIN!!!! woooohoo! You know what else it is??? It's 1/2 day FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *Does the Happy Friday dance

I'm not slacking in the "blogging" department on purpose. I have just had A LOT going on. It's been a VERY busy week. Plus, I have A LOT coming up. So, forgive me if I'm not so entertaining this week! lol

Happy Friday!

It's so beautiful out this morning!!! I am so happy that it's like this. The weather has been so yucky lately.
So, I danced in my car all the way to work this morning. My top came off, and my favorite booty shakin' music came on!!!! I sang as loud as I could, and felt the cool breeze move along my body. There is like zero humidity in the air. It's a perfect day!!!!!

Last night was a good night. I sat with hubby and watched a bunch of auctions end. Well... it was so exciting! Bidding wars until the last few seconds. We did so well this week on ebay!!! I am so happy about that!!!!!

And then..... knock knock knock.... at my door at 3 a.m. A reminder that Brooke is REALLY home. :) She wasn't feeling well. She has a stomach like mine. She gets sick very easily. Poor thing.
Anyway.... I was up at 6 something this morning cleaning up what looked like a crime scence in my kids bathroom. BLEAH!!!!!! She threw up something all over the floor, walls, bath tub..... and it was NOT pretty. But, I'm a Mommy. Mommy's take care of their kiddies..... good times and bad. And sometimes, UGLY. lol She's feeling MUCH better now. Turns out that the Popcorn she ate at the Harry Potter Movie didn't agree with the Dinner she ate....... ewwwwwwwwwwwww....

Oh, I better get to work


Happy Thursday!

This is the crap we're dealing with......

It's Here!!! HUMP DAY!!!! Hope you have a happy one!

Wow..... the campus was swarming with security, and Lawrence Twp Police officers. They aren't taking this threat lightly..... I'm a little uncomfortable about the whole thing, even when most people are making jokes about it, and not taking it very seriously. *sigh. I'm sure everything will be okay. Just nervous.

Last night was nice. Not much going on. I watched a really fun game show on t.v. It was called "Singing Bee". It was lots of fun. I would have done really well if I were on the show. lol. Not that I could ever get on...

Ut oh...

Oh no!

Oh me...

Oh my!!





Seems we're receiving Bomb threats, here at Rider University. Very strange world we live in. Someone (or some people) have decided that they are going to Bomb the Rider University Campus on July 20th. So, our President has decided to give us the day off on the 20th, "just in case". Well, that's good news. Now, I just pray that there's no Bomb a day or two earlier. It's scary. And, I get nervous about stuff anymore....

Well, I'll just have to put my faith in Security, and hope for the best, between now, and then. It's a crazy world we live in. *sigh....

HAPPY TUESDAY!!!!!

Today is another hot one!!! whew!!!! It's crazy hot! and Humid! BLEAH!

But, it's okay! I'm alive and well. And happy to be here. :)

My baby girl came home last night. It was so nice to see her. Of course, I ended up bringing Lindsey home with us. The two of them - Lucy and Ethel. No joke. That's what we call them. It's beautiful to see them have such a tight friendship. Talk about a bond. They have it. I love it for them.

Anyway, today is Tuesday. Happy day.

Wow. I was busy this morning.

Now, I can take a deep breath, and chill out a bit.

Brooke is coming home!!! I get to pick her up from Lisa's this afternoon!!! I am so excited. I miss her so much!!

Advise: Don't eat canned Mangos. Bleah! I tried them for the first time, since I LOVE Mangos. YUCK! I had to throw them out!!!!!

Back in a bit. Time to go have my 30 minute lunch break.

:)

Monday Monday!

Good Morning, and Happy Monday!

Well, I am here, at work. And I'm worn out!!!!!! I have to say one thing. (me, say one thing?) lol I worked my booty off yesterday! Well, okay. My booty is still there.... but I did work hard! :) All day, and lots of the evening. I cleaned, did laundry, listed on ebay. Dusted, mopped.... busy girl. Indeed. But, at the end of the night - I felt so good. I needed to do that. Oh, I even found time to do some shopping! I have a list of things I need to be sure to bring on our trip. So, I did get out of the house for a little bit. And, as always.... no trip is just a trip to the store. We found ourselves surrounded by a SWAT team of police. Seriously. Well, we weren't stuck in it, but we drove right past it. We could have touched them. It was scary. And on the way back, the road was blocked, with about 25 police cars, and a SWAT mobile. All these police men in black suits were surrounding a house. It was amazing to me. I'd never seen something like that in person (only in movies) Anyway, we weren't going to stick around with all those weapons nearby. Plus, it was obvious that someone was in crisis. And, that is sad enough. People deserve their privacy.
So, bottom line. There was a couple in their 30's having a domestic dispute. The wife got out safely. The husband was armed. He wouldn't come out. He ended killing himself in his bathroom :( . I read it in our local paper this morning. It was sad. I felt terrible because it reminded me that in a split second, it could happen to anyone. Things could be fine one minute, and the next - a life is lost. I thank god it wasn't someone in my family. But, I feel sad for the people involved.... *sigh

Ok. Time to get back to work.........

Here's the article.
Nine-hour standoff in Fairless Hills

By KENDRA GENTRY
Bucks County Courier Times
A nine-hour standoff ended around 10 p.m. Sunday night when police found a Fairless Hills man dead in his home of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. The man was found in a bathroom of the home on the 200 block of Devon Road in Falls. The neighborhood was thrown into disarray most of Sunday as police evacuated neighboring homes and closed off Trenton and Oxford Valley roads as the result of the standoff. Police said that around 1 p.m. they responded to a domestic disturbance between a husband and wife. When police arrived, they said they heard a sound like a gunshot. The wife, whose name was not released, left the house and was taken to her family, police said. Neighbors on Devon Road were evacuated when police surrounded the residence. Police said they made numerous attempts to reach Caine through phone, bullhorn and e-mail. Neighbors said the couple is in their 30s and have lived in the house for about five years. During the standoff, police used a remote-controlled camera and robot to observe inside the house. Several townships’ police departments responded to assist including Bensalem, Bristol Township, Lower and Upper Southampton, Northampton, Middletown, Newtown Township and Borough, Warrington, and Lower Makefield. Two armored personnel vehicles, police snipers and SWAT teams were also on the scene.

July 8, 2007 11:48 PM

Sharing Something About me.

Life. It has NOT always been easy. Not always fun.... Not always something I was able to figure out, or even understand.

But, there is someone dear to me, who helped me understand something so valuable. My Grandmother. She gave me such a gift, when she sat one afternoon, and she helped me through a crisis. I can't go into details. I think a lot of it is just a blur. But what I learned that day, was something I live by today. Something I have passed a long to my kids. It will be with me for the rest of my days.

I cried. I sobbed. I reached out for help, to my Grandmother. I needed direction. I was lost. Confused, torn. I had to decide what I was going to do with the rest of my life. Yes, right there, at that moment. I was in a position that left me in an unsafe environment. Not only for me, but my babies. I wanted to go, something kept making me stay. I had been encouraged by so many people, to do what I felt best about doing. I knew what I wanted.. but I was scared.... change is not easy. It's very uncomfortable. Even when it's for the best. Even if it will make life better, in the long run.

So, my Granny told me this. And it was all I needed to hear. She told me that there's a little professor in all of us. It is that little voice, that tells us what the right answer is, for us. She said told me this: You have no answer, until both your head, and your heart agree. Until then, you must wait. When it's time, that little professor will let you know. And yes, it's the right answer. But always, the head, and the heart must agree. And that voice, that little professor, will let you know.......

Well, I know she's right. :) I use that theory all the time. I ask my little professor to guide me, often. And I wait until they agree... listen for the answer, and I move along.

Now, For all I know, this might be common knowledge to you. But, to me - it was a gift. And now, I share it with you.

Enjoy. Good Night beautiful world.

Happy
Sunday....

Good Morning :)

It's going to be a productive day. I can feel it now.
This weekend has flown by. Not much going on. But, it's been nice. As long as there's peace - I cannot complain. Well, I can - but what a fool I'd be!

I was happy to see that Frank was back this morning with some new secrets. I was so worried that something happened to him. I worry too much.... I know.

It's getting down to the wire. Less than 2 weeks until my cruise. I'm starting to sweat about it. I am getting nervous. And very excited.. I know, I worry too much.

We watched a movie last night. WOW. It was very powerful. There were parts of it that were difficult to sit through. But, all in all - it was a really good movie. Sending out a huge message about life, and people. I'll post the movie title later. I can't remember what it was called. And the box is in the other room. AND, I'm posting naked right now (lol) and don't want to get caught running through the house. Not a big deal, if there were no children in the house. :P

Speaking of children. Today marks 14 days of not seeing or hugging my precious daughter. It's starting to really get to me. She's been away at the beach with my girlfriend for 2 weeks. She just started to get homesick the other night.. She called us at about 11:00 p.m, telling us she was ready to come home. Her voice is so soft and sweet. She has such a gentle way about her. I miss her a lot. I can't wait to see her, tomorrow...... *sigh

What else? Oh.... well. I used to post a picture of the week. Every Friday. Well, since I have such a big collection of sexy and adorable pictures, it was hard to compete with them. So I gave up on the search for cooler pictures. I have a new idea (nerd nerd nerd).... lol I'm thinking about posting my own something new on Sundays. Just for me. A fond memory to share. A personal fear... a secret...
I'm weird. Sometimes I think it's important to let it out. Off my back, out of my head. And, what if I lose my memory someday. And I forget..... I hope to have this site, to fall back on. :)

So, keep your eye out. You never know what might come out of this crazy little head of mine!!!!


Hey, have a pleasant day. Enjoy life. You never know what tomorrow might bring.