One extreme to another...

I had to leave these beautiful surroundings, on Friday....

 To come home to these beautiful surroundings.

Amazing what a day...and two states distances...can make! 

 I think I am glad I came home to snow and not gloomy rain! :-)

SHOPPING!

Oh such fun! I got to go shopping for clothes today. My sister-in-law (and one of my bestest girlfriends) took me to the mall. It was fun to get out of the house, it was fun to go with a girlfriend to help pick out outfits with, it was fun modeling the clothes for someone else and it was fun going out to lunch. We laughed, chatted and had a great time.

We are going to L.A. for the weekend. We both are Cookie Lee Consultants; she is a full time consultant while I am a Personal Shopper....mostly for MYSELF. Anyway this weekend is their annual convention. So we are heading out of town for that. And of course we needed new clothes for our trip. LOL

So now I feel all fashionable! Unfortunately this is more of a business trip than pleasure. Not a whole lot of site seeing..but we will try to squeeze some in on Sunday before we have to head home.

Now I have only tomorrow to pack, make a grocery list for David, pick up the house AND run last minute errands.

Family Weekend Away ~ Leavenworth

Our mini family vacation was a blast! We had so much fun. Everyone got along and enjoyed each other. My son, who said he would refuse to talk to us the entire trip; talked our ears off on the way there. He spent the entire 2 hours talking about history! OMG...we couldn't get him to shut up. LOL I think I had a permanent smile the whole way there!

We spent the weekend: exploring Leavenworth, shopping, playing games, a mini birthday celebration for my sister in law, and just goofing around. Had a wild game of charades. (I won...thank you very much). Played several games of cards (I didn't win....).

It didn't snow while there:-( BUT, on way home we got a big blast of it on the pass. It was slippery! We came upon an accident where one car had went over the side of road! SCARY Of course by the time we hit the snow; my camera batteries were dead. I was bummed about that.

Overall, it was a GREAT family vacation. I think a much needed getaway for myself, David and kids.

Here's the kids....being goofy in car ride over.


B and D playing in the pool. Did I mention its an OUTSIDE pool and it was about 40 degree's....at 10:00 at night! BRRRRRR


Getting warm and hamming it up in hottub.


This was the view from our backdeck of condo.


PRIORITIES! David checking his Fantasy Football stats..


D on the ride into town.


WELCOME TO LEAVENWORTH


David and my grampa...waiting on the WARM side of the street for us shoppers.



Public transportation.


Cute little Bavarian village nestled in the mountains.


The towns MayPole. They put this up about 9 years ago as a permanent fixture. AND WE WERE THERE. K and D remembered the celebration: parade, dancing in the streets ect. B was too little. But it was kinda cool to see it again.


My brother and family, taking a horse drawn carriage ride. My brother looks a bit bored. LOL


Nephew and B rolling down the hill in the city park.


Running back up....


America's Next Top Models...in the famous Hat Store


Helium fun! We laughed and laughed and laughed over this. I guess we are easily amused.


Davids turn!


America's Next Top Models part 2


Cleaning up to go home. DARN

HNT: Vacation Time

Me, enjoying the fabulous sun:



Me and my sunburned lips from enjoying too much sun and no lip sunblock:

Back to Reality...once more

UGH, I so hate coming home from vacations.

This last one was EXTRA great. Sunshine the entire week yet not too hot to enjoy it. Of course that could be because of the unlimited exposure to the pool and the lake. :-)

Was so relaxing. Spent lots of time on the boat, zipping around; also lots of time in the pool, just relaxing. We had good food, drinks and conversation. Even had a few nights out to the local bar for some more drinks and hilarious karoake!!!

As usual, I didn't want to leave. Now I am doing some serious daydreaming of owning a vacation house there. Daydreaming being the key word here!!! LOL

So back to my boring life. LOL.....

Pool, deckchair and lake....HERE I COME!

So, leaving for vacation on Sunday. A weeks worth of SUN, boating, swimming in the pool, drinks and just relaxing. I can't wait. My entire family is going (my family, my brother and his family, my mom and my grampa) plus a few extra's.

Nothing like a good Summer song to get me motivated to pack:-)

Whats your favorite Summer song????

Drifting back to reality

So I obviously made it back from Memorial Day at the cabin. I had a super time!!! Just what I needed. And extra special was my oldest daughter (19) came with us (the younger two were off with friends). It was really fun hanging with her for the weekend. Her dad and my brother spent the weekend trying to get her drunk. She had a few drinks but unlike the rest of her family; drinking isnt' her style.....yet. LOL

Meanwhile, ME? I spent Sunday night vomitting in a wheelbarrow. I'll spare you the details but that was the only icky part of my weekend. Those 'Hop, Skip and Go Naked's' sure sneak up on you!

For the most part the weather was awesome. On Monday, the entire family took a hike to a place called Sauk Falls. It was BEAUTIFUL.
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Since I have been back, I've been CRAZY busy with work, family and mundane stuff. Why does that always happen after a mini vacation????

Back to Reality

So I/we made it back from the cabin. OH BOY was it a fun weekend. There was TONS of snow so that was fun.

Nothing like hanging out with friends, drinking wine and sitting by the fire. We even managed a trip to the local bar for burgers and beer. That was a hoot! And we also enjoyed some spontaneous snowball fights with the kids on Saturday!

And yes, Friday night, Husband and I got in some very special 'alone time' in the bedroom. It wasn't as wild as usual since the youngest kid and friend ended up coming up with us that night. So the thought of two pre-teen girls in the next room kinda quieted the mood. LOL But....it was still...... enjoyable. It's kinda odd; how no matter what is going on in our lives, we just assume that going to the cabin goes hand in hand with some wild sex! And LUCKILY, it always happens that way.

The only downside is coming home. UGH...I hate cleaning up to leave. It never seems like enough time there, no matter how many days we stay. Husband says he'd love to live there, but I think if we did....it wouldn't be so special to be there day in and day out. The anticipation of going there to get away is what makes it such a special place to us.

Now we are back to our "real lives". UGH! I am already checking out calendar to schedule our next weekend to cabin.

Drifting Away

I'm soooo excited. Husband and I are taking off for the weekend. We are heading to the woods/river to stay in our family cabin.

Okay...okay...I use the term 'cabin' kinda loosely here. The cabin is actually a HOUSE with two bedrooms, two living rooms, two bathrooms, a big kitchen, electricity AND cable TV (two of them). But even with all the amenities, you can't help but feel tucked away when you are there. It sits on the river, nestled among many mountain peaks and trees.

YES, I am excited. (can you tell?) I've been working hard. He's been working hard. We haven't had a mini vacation for a while now. He actually has had a few weeks off here and there since the holidays. But each week was spent doing projects around the house. AND this week while on vacation he has been working at my grampa's house.

The kids will be coming up on Saturday. Possibly with friends. That is the only downside. LOL BUT we do get Friday night alone. AND.... I... CANNOT... WAIT. Something about the fresh air, sounds of the river and being 'alone in the wilderness' always makes for a VERY FUN night.

Also the next door 'neighbors' are good friends of ours. They called to say they were going up as well, so that will be fun to visit with them.

The first thing I am gonna do when I get there is: put on my old jeans and my cabin sweater, grab my slippers, throw the hair in the ponytail, have a beer/glass of wine/mixed drink and RELAX!!!! WAHOO

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend....I know I will. :-)