Get Away + The Humiliating Truth About The Water Park

{First, a little about our get-away, then we will get down to the nitty gritty of this post, k?}

I cannot even tell you how happy I was to get away for just a few days this past week.
There was no long, exotic vacation for us this year because home projects took precedence, but a
little get away was in order for all of us.
Even if it was just a state away.
I feel like I have been needing to get away,  like really needing to, for about 8 months now.
We all have.

We stayed at a cabin in a state park for a few nights and it was the perfect mix of semi-rustic +
modern- it still had housekeeping services and was about 100 feet away from the lodge and pool.
Perfect.
It was also close to the water park... which means I survived the water park!
It was fun and the kids had a BLAST but I still have to say I am really not a water park person.
I am more of a let's find an empty corner of the beach and hang out or let's go swim at grandma & grandpa's where
we have the pool to ourselves kinda person.
But it was good and it was fun surprising the kids, they loved it and neither of them were scared even
on the biggest water slide.

{the nitty gritty part}

It's funny how you sit down to write about one thing and then feel compelled to share something
completely different.
Every time I have shared something really personal on here that's how it goes though.
I don't plan it out ahead of time or write and edit it... I just write it because I am feeling it.
Right then.

So, the truth about the water park.
The idea of going to a water park and wearing a swimsuit in public was beyond humiliating to me.
Not just a little embarrassingly folks, but humiliating.
Like I wanna die right here on the spot or feign sickness in order to miss this outing.
But I decided that my weight and my issues are MY issues and it wasn't really fair to punish the kids
because of it.
Right?
And we are not talking about my butt looks a little big in this suit but the fact that I am overweight
and unhealthy and some big changes are in order.
That's the truth.
It's been a long time coming.
I feel like in the last year my physical health has really went downhill as my mental health has become so much better
regarding my panic and anxiety issues.
Maybe I focused on my other issues and totally neglected my physical health?
Yeah, I think that's a tiny part of it.
I'm not making excuses though, I needed to lose weight before that, but I do think it got worse.

I think I am finally ready to get serious about losing weight and to get back into a regular
exercise routine.
I talked here about how I am trying to focus on the good and positive things that will come from
my baby starting kindergarten in a week and a half and this is a huge one for me.
One thing I keep telling myself is that I am going to get into a regular exercise routine and take time
for fixing healthier meals because I will have time to focus on myself like I haven't in years once
school starts.
Don't get me wrong, I am not using the fact that I am busy with the kids as an excuse to be overweight, I realize that
women with six kids can find the time to train for marathons if they want to, it's just a
matter of priorities.
And it hasn't been one of mine.
But I think I'm ready to change that.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

Whew.
All of that from a post about our little get-away.

Under The Tree

My little book lover.
I am starting to get excited for her to learn to read soon.
She has always loved books, I mean really loved books but has not shown any interest in actually learning to read until lately.
Although I really think had she been interested she could have learned a long time ago,
I have learned to not try to make them learn something until they are ready or initiate it--
much better that way.
So it's perfect timing that she is about to start school and is so ready to learn.
That is one of the positive things I am trying to focus on, how much she will learn and how much
I think she is going to LOVE school.
Fingers crossed.

Do you see my fence?
My fence is FINISHED, y'all.
I am so in love. I like to walk back there and just stare at it.
The last thing he has to do is put the gate on, which should be done this weekend.
Living the dream over here, we are.
It doesn't take anything fancy to make this mama happy.
>>>>>>>>>



I updated the shop yesterday.
I started making bracelets on Sunday and couldn't stop!
More to be added next week.
One more thing--
we are going out of town for a few days and surprising the kids by taking them to a water park
for the first time.
One last Hurrah before school starts.
Yikes.
I'm not really a water park person, I must admit.
Or a Chuck E. Cheese person, which is why my poor deprived kids have never been.
Keep me in your thoughts :)

Happy Tuesday, everybody. Have a great day!

Waitin' On The Freak Out

So.... my little girl starts kindergarten two weeks from tomorrow.

Just two weeks, that's just 14 days.

I'm trying to figure out if I am in total and complete denial or if I am going to handle it better than I 

did with Wyatt.

The jury's still out on this one.

Two weeks before he started school I was a mess, crying and sad and yeah, just a mess.

This time I am really trying to focus on the positive and the good things that will come with this huge change.

I decided that I can make myself miserable over it for the next few weeks or try to look on the 

bright side and make the most of our last two weeks of Summer vacation.

>>>>>>>>>>

ps- all these pictures are from my Nikon, not a single iphone picture here. 

that doesn't really happen a whole lot anymore!

Bits and Pieces of The Week

So happy that today is Friday.
And even happier that Eric is now officially on vacation for the next 10 days.
Ten days.
Yipppeee!
Because if you are a stay-at-home mom, too, you know that when the husband is on vacation from work = you are on vacation, too.
We are taking a road trip for a few days next week and the rest is just wide open--
just taking it easy and doing whatever we want.
And I really, really love that.

A few of my favorite things from this week--

* we finished up swim lessons and bid farewell until next Summer(Bu-Bye Tucker's mom!)
* made a mud kitchen
* got to spend the day with my BFF, sans children + day time margaritas
* found some awesome things for the shop this week
* found some awesome things for myself
* made some delicious homemade blueberry pancakes
* saw a rainbow
* followed by a beautiful sunset
* drove by when the rides were being set up at the carnival one night

And my favorite picture of the whole week-- the kids being silly and laughing so hard they couldn't stop
(probably about butts or some body part/bodily function I am guessing).
I love it so much though, butt talk, dirty feet and all.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Hope you all have a great weekend!
See you next week.

Instagram Friday = Instant Love

Hey there.
Wow, I must say, I am really happy Friday is here.
I have been feeling a little stir-crazy this week...kinda like how I feel when I am cooped up in the house during the Winter... but it is July...and it is so.freaking.hot.
Like 105* hot, with a heat index of 115* ...what? Really?
Ugh... really.
But, at the same time, I feel like I have accomplished pretty much nothing all week, even though we have been home a whole lot, which is really just kinda dumb.
Just one of those weeks I guess.

Everything outside is wilting and dying, even though we are watering 1-2 times a day.

The rose bush I got for Mother's Day finally bloomed though- and aren't they pretty?

I think they are called Peace roses.

I love the yellow with a tinge of pink.

We have spent lots of time inside this week--along with lots of swimming because that is just about

the only thing we (I) can stand to do out there.

I miss the kids just playing out in the back yard for half the day but hopefully this 

ultra-hot spell will be over soon.

I took the kids to see Brave yesterday. Have you seen it? We all liked it a lot.

It was pretty empty at the theater because I think everyone else had been to the cheap summer 

kid's movie that morning.

Does your local theater do summer kid's movies?

If you are not sure you should definitely check into it, ours are only $2 for

admission/drink/popcorn. 

Same price for kids and adults. Can't beat that!

/////////////////////////////////////

Fourth of July fun.

We had cousins over and cooked out.

Ice cream, sprinkler, fireworks, sparklers... what more could a kid want?

Lots of board games, a little baking, lots of sweating and ummmm...way too much fighting if you

wanna know the truth. This heat/lock-down is starting to take a toll on all of us.

What do you have going on this weekend?

Hope you all have a great Friday.