Monday, August 31, 2009
And we breathe.....
I often feel like I am choking living in the city. However, we are so fortunate to be in a city with wonderful metro parks! Granted we dont usually go to the "city parks" we choose the parks on in the suburbs :)
We just needed a day to breathe and take in nature again! We dont get to do near as often as we'd like, but we really enjoy it when we do!
The high temp for the day was to be 69! 69 and its August!!!! There is no way we could let the day pass us by!
Focus grasshopper...
Abagael is searching for the perfect rock to skip; Phillip is just diggin' in the mud
Abagael is checking out a very cool white catapillar
ACK! A snake! Lucky for us, it was dead!
These guys happened to come along on journey.
Everyone is watching them drive away, the children are confused as to why there is a vehicle in the forest :)
Phillip couldnt refuse this poor pole, he must give it some good ol' lovin'
A man deep in thought
Thought processes over....
We just needed a day to breathe and take in nature again! We dont get to do near as often as we'd like, but we really enjoy it when we do!
The high temp for the day was to be 69! 69 and its August!!!! There is no way we could let the day pass us by!
Focus grasshopper...
Abagael is searching for the perfect rock to skip; Phillip is just diggin' in the mud
Abagael is checking out a very cool white catapillar
ACK! A snake! Lucky for us, it was dead!
These guys happened to come along on journey.
Everyone is watching them drive away, the children are confused as to why there is a vehicle in the forest :)
Phillip couldnt refuse this poor pole, he must give it some good ol' lovin'
A man deep in thought
Thought processes over....
An empty nest
For those of you that have been following my annoying (yet loved!) birds nest just outside of my back door.....we now have an empty nest.
This was taken about 2 hours before they left the nest.
This was taken about 2 hours before they left the nest.
Ah, the things we learn!
Albeit the hard way!!! I have been canning veggies, but it just hasnt seemed to work out for me. Everything I canned (except for jams!) spoiled! I couldnt figure it out, and I was livid with the process. Turns out that you need to store canned veggies in a dark, cool area.....I just them setting on the counter by the stove.
I discovered in my canning journey that you can freeze things in mason jars. Since we try to limit our use of plastic, I found this to be a PERFECT idea.
I made a pot of chicken soup and we had some for dinner and I usually put the rest in ziploc freezer bags, and freeze for a later date.
This is the perfect chance to try out the mason jars for freezing! I fill my jars, just as I would if canning and put them in the freezer and check on them the next morning.....
Turns out you have to leave a little room in the top :) The pressure was so stongs that it bent the lids and rings and pushed them off!!!!!
I discovered in my canning journey that you can freeze things in mason jars. Since we try to limit our use of plastic, I found this to be a PERFECT idea.
I made a pot of chicken soup and we had some for dinner and I usually put the rest in ziploc freezer bags, and freeze for a later date.
This is the perfect chance to try out the mason jars for freezing! I fill my jars, just as I would if canning and put them in the freezer and check on them the next morning.....
Turns out you have to leave a little room in the top :) The pressure was so stongs that it bent the lids and rings and pushed them off!!!!!
Saying good-bye is never easy.
We have had to downsize our "family". Hector, our beloved Guinea Pig has been rehomed. We simply do not have the time to give him all of the love that he desperately needs.
He now lives with an amazing family with 4 children! He is getting TONS of lovin'!
Good-bye my dear friend.
He now lives with an amazing family with 4 children! He is getting TONS of lovin'!
Good-bye my dear friend.
Say hello to our little friend!
Kevin went out to the car to get something and found this guy on the porch! Knowing Abagael would love it, he had to bring it home!
2 days later, she chose to take him to the pond and set him free.
2 days later, she chose to take him to the pond and set him free.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Long awaited, and much needed.....
With the family life, school, and marriage going non stop, Kevin and I have both been feeling stressed over the last few months.
My mama came for a visit from Tennessee (ah how I miss "home"!) on Sunday and she plans to stay for 2 weeks. I didnt want to waste time, or put things off any longer. We needed a VACATION!
I had been trying to plan a vacation and just couldnt make anything pan out around my mama being here, classes, Abagael starting school again this month, doctor appointments, baby sitting obligations and so on.
Tuesday morning I called to see if we could get a car rental. My plan was to go to Maine with the family and take my mama along. Kevin, Abagael, and I vacationed in New Hampshire in 2004 and we LOVED it! While we were there, we also went to Maine and Salem, M.A. on Halloween!
So I wanted to go back. We needed to rent a car because I never like to take our own car when we take looooonnnnnnnnggggg trips because if our car were by chance to break down, we must wait to have it repaired, if a rental breaks down, they give you another instantly and our vacation doesnt have to be delayed at all.
So, I called Enterprise rent a car....they could have me a car by 5:30 p.m. I made the reservation and we went to get the car.
We get there, they dont have our car, they offer to drive Kevin to another store to pick up a car that they arranged for us. By the time that they get Kevin to the other store, they had rented out the car that they were suppose to be holding for us.
Before Kevin left to get the other car, I asked the salesman 3 times if this new car is going to hold 2 carseats and an adult in the back. He assure me that it will.
Kevin shows up at home with a Hyundai Accent. This does NOT, I assure you it does NOT hold 2 carseats and an adult....NOT. EVEN. CLOSE.
By this time it is 6:20 p.m. I call the store to complain and see if we can get a larger car....the store is closed....at 6 p.m. I quickly start looking over the paperwork to find a number where I can talk to someone...all I get is reservations. They can do nothing for the car that I already have, but they do offer the number for the airport location becuase they are open 24 hours a day. Perhaps they can help.
I call them, its automated, it transfers me right back to the reservation center. I do this 3 times and then throw in the towel.
Not wanting to delay our trip (and because of the tight schedule....we NEEDED to get going) I forego the carseat for Abagael (she is almost 7, and its only a booster) and cram everyone in the back seat. We get about 120 miles out and decide that it is just too small to continue.
At 8 a.m. the following day, I am in the door to Enterprise. I an NONE too happy and I explain the situation, the salesman who assured me that I could fit everyone is VERY helpful and gets into a car that is perfect! Our new car is a Pontiac G6 which proved to be just what we needed for the trip, and we were given a 10 percent discount for all of the misunderstanding.
I will certainly use this same company again :)
So we were on the road by 9 a.m. Because we lost the time overnight because of the car, our destination is now New York City! Long Island to be exact!
In a grand total of 36 hours, we did all of the following AND drove 1400 miles!!!!
Abagael is soooooooo happy!
We first stop at Buckeye Lake
My flower child MUST have flowers
By 10:30 a.m.
By noon, everyone had to be moved around
By 1 p.m.
We passed by dinner.....and breakfast....
While in P.A. I notice a storm coming in over the mountain
Which led to...
As soon as the rain stopped, we stopped to stretch our legs
By 6 p.m.
It was around 10 p.m. before we got into the city
I found an excellent hotel in Long Island, and the cost was great! Well, great for the loaction. We didnt make reservations for a room, we were just going to wing it. I should NOT have done that. At 1 a.m. I was looking for a room, going from hotel to hotel comparing prices.
The cheapest we found was $15 per hour or $79 for the night with free adult movies. Uh, thanks but no thanks :)
We ended up staying at a four points hotel. It was amazing! Worth the $170 for the night. Worth every single penny!
A morning after shot. The picture does NOT do the room justice. I was too tired at 2 a.m. to take a picture. The beds were full of huge pillows! The whole room was again, amazing!
Because we were so close to Amityville, Kevin and my mama couldnt pass up the chance. They work hard together with my laptop to find directions for the house.
And....ta dah.....The fruit of their labor.
(There just happened to be a lawn service there working the lawn...they all had a nice chuckle at us)
And then we were off to Jones Beach! The temp. outside was 90 and it was only 10 a.m.!
We were then off to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty!
The "Twin Towers" used to fill in the empty space!
Kevin purchasing our tickets for the tour....
(By the way, this cost is minimal! $12 for adults and $5 for children 4 and over. And this includes Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty and the ferry ride)
View from the ferry
Ellis Island proved NOT to be the place for Abagael. She rushed herself to the door and caught her toe on the door. The doors are heavy glass with metal on the bottom. She was wearing flip flops.
Although I considered capturing a picture of her wound right then for the scrap book, I decided to wait. We cleaned the wound, and got some band aids. I waited until the next day to take a picture.
I took her instantly for ice cream after we cleaned the toe, and stopped the tears.
And woundnt ya know ......
Her ice cream fell off the cone and on to her lap. Again it was 90 outside and she was sitting outside with her ice cream.
All pictures of Abagael past this point, sport a huge stain :)
Abagael in the entry of Ellis Island
And on the "segregated stairs"
On our way to the Statue
Now for random pictures that I took along the way....
A building with no windows
My mama came for a visit from Tennessee (ah how I miss "home"!) on Sunday and she plans to stay for 2 weeks. I didnt want to waste time, or put things off any longer. We needed a VACATION!
I had been trying to plan a vacation and just couldnt make anything pan out around my mama being here, classes, Abagael starting school again this month, doctor appointments, baby sitting obligations and so on.
Tuesday morning I called to see if we could get a car rental. My plan was to go to Maine with the family and take my mama along. Kevin, Abagael, and I vacationed in New Hampshire in 2004 and we LOVED it! While we were there, we also went to Maine and Salem, M.A. on Halloween!
So I wanted to go back. We needed to rent a car because I never like to take our own car when we take looooonnnnnnnnggggg trips because if our car were by chance to break down, we must wait to have it repaired, if a rental breaks down, they give you another instantly and our vacation doesnt have to be delayed at all.
So, I called Enterprise rent a car....they could have me a car by 5:30 p.m. I made the reservation and we went to get the car.
We get there, they dont have our car, they offer to drive Kevin to another store to pick up a car that they arranged for us. By the time that they get Kevin to the other store, they had rented out the car that they were suppose to be holding for us.
Before Kevin left to get the other car, I asked the salesman 3 times if this new car is going to hold 2 carseats and an adult in the back. He assure me that it will.
Kevin shows up at home with a Hyundai Accent. This does NOT, I assure you it does NOT hold 2 carseats and an adult....NOT. EVEN. CLOSE.
By this time it is 6:20 p.m. I call the store to complain and see if we can get a larger car....the store is closed....at 6 p.m. I quickly start looking over the paperwork to find a number where I can talk to someone...all I get is reservations. They can do nothing for the car that I already have, but they do offer the number for the airport location becuase they are open 24 hours a day. Perhaps they can help.
I call them, its automated, it transfers me right back to the reservation center. I do this 3 times and then throw in the towel.
Not wanting to delay our trip (and because of the tight schedule....we NEEDED to get going) I forego the carseat for Abagael (she is almost 7, and its only a booster) and cram everyone in the back seat. We get about 120 miles out and decide that it is just too small to continue.
At 8 a.m. the following day, I am in the door to Enterprise. I an NONE too happy and I explain the situation, the salesman who assured me that I could fit everyone is VERY helpful and gets into a car that is perfect! Our new car is a Pontiac G6 which proved to be just what we needed for the trip, and we were given a 10 percent discount for all of the misunderstanding.
I will certainly use this same company again :)
So we were on the road by 9 a.m. Because we lost the time overnight because of the car, our destination is now New York City! Long Island to be exact!
In a grand total of 36 hours, we did all of the following AND drove 1400 miles!!!!
Abagael is soooooooo happy!
We first stop at Buckeye Lake
My flower child MUST have flowers
By 10:30 a.m.
By noon, everyone had to be moved around
By 1 p.m.
We passed by dinner.....and breakfast....
While in P.A. I notice a storm coming in over the mountain
Which led to...
As soon as the rain stopped, we stopped to stretch our legs
By 6 p.m.
It was around 10 p.m. before we got into the city
I found an excellent hotel in Long Island, and the cost was great! Well, great for the loaction. We didnt make reservations for a room, we were just going to wing it. I should NOT have done that. At 1 a.m. I was looking for a room, going from hotel to hotel comparing prices.
The cheapest we found was $15 per hour or $79 for the night with free adult movies. Uh, thanks but no thanks :)
We ended up staying at a four points hotel. It was amazing! Worth the $170 for the night. Worth every single penny!
A morning after shot. The picture does NOT do the room justice. I was too tired at 2 a.m. to take a picture. The beds were full of huge pillows! The whole room was again, amazing!
Because we were so close to Amityville, Kevin and my mama couldnt pass up the chance. They work hard together with my laptop to find directions for the house.
And....ta dah.....The fruit of their labor.
(There just happened to be a lawn service there working the lawn...they all had a nice chuckle at us)
And then we were off to Jones Beach! The temp. outside was 90 and it was only 10 a.m.!
We were then off to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty!
The "Twin Towers" used to fill in the empty space!
Kevin purchasing our tickets for the tour....
(By the way, this cost is minimal! $12 for adults and $5 for children 4 and over. And this includes Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty and the ferry ride)
View from the ferry
Ellis Island proved NOT to be the place for Abagael. She rushed herself to the door and caught her toe on the door. The doors are heavy glass with metal on the bottom. She was wearing flip flops.
Although I considered capturing a picture of her wound right then for the scrap book, I decided to wait. We cleaned the wound, and got some band aids. I waited until the next day to take a picture.
I took her instantly for ice cream after we cleaned the toe, and stopped the tears.
And woundnt ya know ......
Her ice cream fell off the cone and on to her lap. Again it was 90 outside and she was sitting outside with her ice cream.
All pictures of Abagael past this point, sport a huge stain :)
Abagael in the entry of Ellis Island
And on the "segregated stairs"
On our way to the Statue
Now for random pictures that I took along the way....
A building with no windows
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