They share my passion.

There are many characteristics I hope to pass to my children. Confidence, enthusiasm, morals, zest, work ethic, devotion, honesty, determination, sincerity, hope, desire, strength, trust, faith, courage, happiness, completeness, emotion, quality, goals, contentment, obedience, respect. But without passion, there's no drive. And with no drive, there's no success to accomplishing the above.

I possess & express passion. My children witness my passion & for me to witness theirs is a dream come true.

It's who I am.

It's what I do.

It's how I live.

Adoring the Passion.

My husband has just returned safely from Hungary. Earrings tomorrow.

Live brightly! ♥

BlogHer & my hasty decision.

I'm tired as all get out tonight but for some odd reason, this has been on my mind.

Some of you know I used to partner with BlogHer. BlogHer, at the time, also partnered with MckMama (I will not link to her blog - google if necessary). For strictly ethical reasons, I decided to abruptly end my relationship with BlogHer solely because they continued to partner with her. I just didn't want to be associated with a company that supported her (or any other blogger, for that matter, that blogged in the same unethical manner as MckMama) & her lack of morals. That's just me - I always attempt to take a stand for what is right. You can read about my decision here.

If you've known me long & many of you have, you know what an honest person I am. I sincerely hope you know what an honest person I am & I sincerely hope I portray that quality. I am proud to advertise my honesty. I may not always do it the proper way, but I do it. And I don't have to try & I don't have to remember, because I always tell the truth. Many don't agree with me & that's ok - I will never apologize for being honest.

My thoughts are this. While I had the partnership with BlogHer, why didn't I just honestly and/or boldly blog about my disappointment & frustration? Was it that I was concerned BlogHer might get angry with me, if I did? Why did I take the easy way out & sever the relationship? This is where I sometimes get irritated with myself. I am quick to act, versus possibly taking ample time & thinking things through. Thoroughly. I really need to work on that. Anyway, it's not that I regret my decision because ethics are extremely important to me, but maybe now, over a year later, I actually do regret my decision.

The bottom & most important line is: BlogHer ultimately did end their partnership with MckMama. MckMama was guilty of plagiarism & from what I can tell, that was the final straw for them. BlogHer took the high road & that is very important. And, admirable & impressive. If I had only waited, if I had blogged & voiced my concerns/dislikes/frustration & waited for this to pan out, I'd still be a partner with BlogHer today. (I am not typing this in hopes of BlogHer contacting me - I have contacted them way prior to this. I'm simply expressing some thoughts.)

I don't know why this is eating at me - I suppose it stems from myself not allowing a great company to prove their true colors. That's my fault. My hasty decision to do the right thing jeopardized a great opportunity for me to work with a great company. And that part just sucks.

Live & learn, which I do daily. And for that, I am grateful.

Hubby returns tomorrow evening (earlier than expected - he had the wrong flight information - yay!) so as soon as I find my black felt & get caught up on some much needed sleep (I sleep very poorly when he is away), I'll be posting my reversible, gold earrings.

Happy hump! Ü

Skyping.

My husband is currently sitting in another country. So as time allows, especially with the time difference, we've been doing this:



He is exhausted. No sleep in 24 hours. I'm just about as exhausted as he is & I haven't gone anywhere. ;o)

He doesn't return until Thursday & even though I'm currently trying to post every day or so, it may not happen this week. But I'll try. :) I have decided to try something new & attempt to sell some beautiful, reversible, solid gold, pierced earrings via my blog. I have sold a lot of jewelry in the past via eBay, but never my blog. Might as well give it a go, no? I have them all clean & shiny, so I'll try to find the time in the next few days to get them photographed & posted.

Happy new week! Get some sleep for me! Ü

Moments.

These suckers here (Texas slang - sorry) are some pretty funky photos. I've learned that the Rebel is not near as fast as my camera. So, when I click the shutter, I take the camera away from my face. Only to discover, the Rebel is not quite done doing it's business. Oops. Now I know. Ü



Below: The neighborhood lawn guy's rig. We call him 'Mr. B'. Because we can't pronounce his first name. :) Cutest, sweetest, little mexican man I've ever had the pleasure knowing. We ♥ him. (Jags' is dripping w/ sweat!)



Below: Evidence of how the previous owner maintained (or, um, didn't maintain) this home. Nice, sloppy mortar from a job he obviously did himself. Looks super.



Below: Check out the trees. I oversharpened. ;o)



Below: Meltdown.



Below: Can you see the smoke from the Spark Scooter?





My camera is being shipped tomorrow, for repair. Sniff.

Happy weekend! Ü

I decorated for fall!

I never decorate for fall. Usually a few weeks before Halloween I'll put up some silly Halloween decorations for the kids, but that's the extent of it. At Walmart last week, I saw some pretty little fall decor. And Mercedes loved them. So, ok. For $15, we grabbed some.



And then it sat on my counter for a week because I thought 'that's so not me'. I was going to return it. Until I remembered that Mercedes chose the tablecloth herself, & even though I apparently grabbed the wrong size (shocker), I couldn't return what she thought was so pretty. So today I emptied some glass vases & let her fill them with the glittery decor. I had her toss aside the pinecones that had no glitter - I decided I'll save those & we'll spray them for Christmas. I'm sooooo creative. Ha! I also decided not to exchange the tablecloth. Heck, for $5, I'll probably trash it when we're done using it anyhow.



I'm aware this is pretty lame fall decor. Especially when the beautimous, striped tablecloth clashes with my cobalt flowery 1980's wallpaper. Oh well. Can't win them all, I suppose. :)



This little scarecrow was $1 at Dollar Tree. Maybe I'll get lucky & he'll blow away. Isn't he cute?



The big kids love the decorations. Which reiterates to me, that elaborate isn't necessary, & simple can indeed illuminate happiness. And that, to me, is a beautiful thing. ♥

Happy fall, y'all! Ü

I'm bombing.

I did so good for a while & it's all gone by the wayside. The bottom line is I just don't eat enough food. Sounds crazy, I know. Why in the world cannot I not just eat breakfast? I am not a breakfast eater (unless weekend or vacation). I cannot. I have never been a breakfast eater. Diabetes is confirmed @ 6.5. I'm at a 6.1. I had a long, thorough conversation w/ my dr.'s nurse a few months ago. I was on board. I can do this. She laid out a plan, gave me websites & it was a go. And it went. And then I got out of the habit.

And now, with the exception of a pathetic 4 lbs. lost, I'm back to square one. No breakfast. No snacks. My first meal @ 1:00 or 2:00 p.m. Maybe dinner, maybe not. Maybe cereal in the middle of the night because I'm starving.

I don't need help with anything. Ever. Ever. Never. Ever. But this, as stupid as it sounds, man I just can't do it. And it's eating. It's 8:30 p.m. & I've had one meal today. I just looked at my husband & told him flat out "I just can't do this eating routine. I need help." Oh dear gawd. Seriously, Melissa? Hubby just ran to MckDonald's & picked me up a cheeseburger & fries because it's late & I'm tired & bordering a cold. There a silver lining, however. A sliver of silver (I'm so clever). I am doing pretty good avoiding whites. Pasta, white bread (which I rarely ate anyway), rice (which is killing me because I love rice), potatoes (except for fries, right now) & I'm even avoiding sweets. That said, diet cokes are back in full force. And that alone makes me angry. Most of you know I attempted to switch to black tea. I love sweet tea. I currently have every artificial sweetener made in my pantry. And I have Stevia. Packets & liquid. But the tea isn't working. And I'm not willing to continue to battle Candida just because of tea. So I kicked it to the curb. Green tea, which I've read does not interfere with Candida, I'm still experimenting with. (I developed Candida about 15 years ago, when my dr. (at the time) gave me antibiotic after antibiotic after antibiotic (4, I believe, different ones, in a row) to try to rid an ear infection. Once you have Candida, it's near impossible to rid. Little did I know, black tea & artificial sweeteners (exception: Stevia) kicked my dormant Candida right back into high gear.) I do wonder if this over abundance of sugar running amok due to Candida has any bearing on my near-diabetes? I don't know.

I don't even know why I'm typing all this. I know I'm frustrated, for sure. Maybe typing it out here will help me kick a plan back into action. I know tomorrow is a new day. I know I want to be fit, in shape & healthy. I know I don't want diabetes. I know I'm on the fast track to having it.

So here I go. Wednesday. I certainly am no wimp & I can do this, as dumb as it sounds. Starting tomorrow, with breakfast. Thank God for tomorrows.

Decorating dilemma.

The picture above the fireplace I have had for years. On a wall. I've had it so long, it became a part of the wall. I didn't even see it anymore. Considering it didn't even match the living room, which is where I had it located, I decided to ditch this puppy & attempt to sell it on Craig's List. I moved it into the family room on the floor until I got it listed. During that time, it dawned on me that the picture matches that room perfectly! So while I was couch-ridden on Saturday, I had hubby do some relocating for me. I had him move the mirror from the fireplace & stuck the picture up there:

Group A:



And placed the mirror on the wall shelves:



Hmm! I like it. Even though I like the height of the picture better, I think I prefer the mirror atop the fireplace:

Group B:



With the picture atop wall shelves:



Speaking of my wall shelves, notice the they do not align symmetrically. This drives me crazy! They are Pottery Barn shelves I bought many years ago. I love them. I better love them for what they cost. :) That said, we have never been able to match them perfectly. We went back & forth with Pottery Barn, changing out shelves, changing out the brackets, blah, blah. It was such a hassle & ultimately, they are still unlevel. I finally gave up & just live with it. (But it still drives me crazy. Even though I could probably purchase a tiny L-bracket to lift the shelf on the right. Who has time for that? ;o)

I mentioned the other day that I pulled a muscle in my upper back due to a sneezing attack. Well. Hubby & I remembered that Thursday night, I got blindsided & tackled by my 3 year old. I was sitting on the floor & she flattened me. Since that wasn't funny enough, my 6 & 7 year old decided to join her & I had all 3 of them bouncing on top of me. Ha! Pretty sure that is what caused my pulled muscle. Little nimrods. I think they owe me dinner. Ü

Ok, which group do you prefer, A or B?

Pool hair & dinner.

I ♥ her hair after she swims. :)



Excuse the quality. I'm using our old Canon Rebel & well, I don't do manual too good since it's not my camera. But I try. :) I never knew how much I really love my camera until it broke. Sniff.



And to prove I'm not too familiar with the Rebel, below is a photo of my dinner:








Ha! Where the heck did my photo go? I swear I took it! Right after I took Mercedes' & I even viewed it on the camera's monitor! Hmm. Well, let me tell you, my dinner was delish! It consisted of fresh veggies (whatever was left in the frig - squash, zucchini & asparagus tonight) grilled in olive oil, crushed pepper, salt, basil & garlic powder. Hubby grilled the same thing last weekend, but used fresh garlic & it was so yummy. Because we had leftover veggies (except for fresh garlic), he made it for me again today. Below is a photo I snapped with my cell phone of last Sunday's dish:



Plain, simple, easy & yummo! Next time, I'll be getting really creative, tossing in all sorts of fresh veggies & switching from regular salt to kosher. I don't know how to cook on the grill but gosh, I would really love to know how. I would cook on the grill probably almost nightly. Last summer, I think it was, hubby tried to teach me. We went out there & he showed me this & showed me that & you do this & you do that & I was so excited! Five minutes later, I couldn't tell you one cotton pickin' thing he said to me. LOL So, he grills. :)

After a sneezing attack last week, I've been down all weekend due to a serious pulled muscle in my upper back. Pfft. Slowly it's improving. While I was being bossy sitting on the couch yesterday ;o), I had hubby move some things around for me in the family room. I like! A lot! I'll try to take & post photos tomorrow.

Not sure what this week has in store, other than a haircut for moi. But I know this, it's gonna be super! 'Cause I said so. And I'm bossy. Hope you do the same! Ü

Goodwill goodies.

I'm totally getting aggravated with this store. This isn't the huge Goodwill close to our house, this is the one I drive about 20 minutes to. I like this one better because it's considerably smaller & they have better items. I think those who work at Goodwill are for the most part, volunteers. Which is fine with me. But recently, & I guess maybe it's because they just do the job because they have to, the clothes at this store are a mess. The volunteers are just sticking them any & everywhere. And I don't mean just a little bit. I mean a lot a bit. :) Boys' are in the ladies' department, ladies' in the girls' department, kids' (boy & girls) in the mens' department, blah, blah. It takes a lot of time to sift through the clothes. And really, sifting through the clothes is just something I like to do so it's no big deal, but for someone like me who has OCD, it's just so frustrating. Maybe next trip I'll try a different store. Thrifting is something I have grown to love. Who woulda thunk? Ü

When the lady rung my purchases today, the total came to $3200. Ha! So she reentered & I have (had) no clue if she got all the items or not. Here we go:

5 shirts (Nike, Justice, Gap) @ $2.99 - $14.95
Little cassette player (forgot to add to photo) for Mercedes, this one in great condition! - ?
Cute little tin Christmas tree (I'll remove ornaments) - $3.95
2 heavy, silver candle holders - .95 each - $1.90
Tiny mason jar -$1.00
Blue Coke glass (my kids drink out of these, I have a collection) - $1.00
Hallmark Christmas decor plate - $1.25
Ralph Lauren button shirt - ?
Denim skirt - ?

Total w/ tax: $26.03

As I now see, it appears she forgot to charge me for a few items after having to void the ticket & reenter all the prices. It took so long, I didn't even check the receipt. I knew $26 sounded about right so I just paid & we got out of there. The electric drum I bought last time I had to trash (& some other things) - so I'm ok with not paying for the clothes. Nonetheless, I hate when stuff like that happens & I feel as if I stiffed them. Pfft.

This store does have a large Christmas section & Mercedes & I spent over 30 minutes going thru all their cute Christmas decor/stuff. She loves all the pretty things & we had so much fun. Can't wait to do that again. ♥

Kidbits.

Haven't done a Kidbits in quite some time. How I will love looking back on these some day. Ü

We had an interesting afternoon. I was running late (not late, running late) to pick Bentley up from school. I park on the street & he walks up the sidewalk (as most students do) & then hops in. I just knew today that he would be walking up the sidewalk & start to panic because he couldn't see me. I was picturing him freaking out because mom was no where to be found. I was towards the back of the line (I'm usually towards the front) - I could see him walking, but he couldn't see me. I started crying because I knew he was going to be so upset by the time he got to my car. He wasn't. But I was. He laughed & looked at me like I was losing my mind. I really need to lighten up. Ü It is sweet though that he rubbed my arm to console me. He is very protective of me & I love that. Awwwwww. ♥

He is so fun. He loves to impersonate & he does such a great job. He can impersonate characters from Alvin & the Chipmunks like nobody's business. We were laughing & having a grand time (which is rare in the car, because typically, he's reading!) while at the elementary school waiting for Audi & Jags to be released. The einstein that I am decided to have him impersonate me.

Me: "Bentley, let's hear you impersonate me."

Bents: "Really?"

Me: "Really. I want to hear how you think I sound."

Bents: "Really?"

Me: "Really. I want to see what you've got."

Bents: "Well, ok." And so he begins, while my sunroof was open & all the other parents were sitting in their cars with their windows down (beautiful day here today) -

"TURN THAT SHIT DOWN!!"

Oh. My. Gawd. Do I dare peek around & see if any of the other parents heard? I was laughing so hard, I had tears rolling out of my eyes. Maybe you need to know our life & maybe you need to know how loud & crazy our family is to be able to grasp his comment but trust, that impersonation was so accurate (I'm referring to his tone/attitude - no worries, I certainly do not walk around cursing all the time in front of my children :) & so darn tootin' funny! He was so pleased with himself, he reenacted it tonight for his dad. His dad was (less than) thrilled. ;o) And as I publish this post I'm laughing again, as Bents just walked in here as Urkel, with his t-shirt tucked in & his pajama bottoms pulled up to his - man boobs.

I love my Bentley & I love my life! I am one blessed girl! ♥

Live out loud.

We bought socks! Ü

I don't have that heartwarming story of how when I was was growing up, I had that strong desire to be a mother. I never really desired to have more than one or two children. I never even considered being a mom, really - I guess I assumed when the time was right, I'd make the decision to become a mom (like that happened). As a matter of fact, years ago I distinctly remember talking to my employees & making the comment "I'll love my children, but they'll be in daycare as soon as I'm able to return to work!" Oh yes I did! Ha! :)

I did know I always wanted a girl. I didn't/don't have that gushy-gushy relationship with my mom & I guess down deep, I always hoped to have a girl so I could do things differently. I got my girl. I got two girls! And who woulda thunk I'd have girls who adore bright colors & desire to wear funky mismatches? Right up my alley. And I've learned to so appreciate their innocence, so appreciate that they don't care what others think & how they like to dress to make themselves happy. Isn't that the way it should be?

So funky socks it is. Funky anything it is. I don't desire to tell them no, I don't desire to take their individuality & I don't desire to change them & make them something they are not. They are perfect! And so are their socks. Aren't these fab? No, this isn't all of them, the others are in the wash. Ü



And can I just add that I am tickled pink that Jaguar never wears a matching pair? I don't even pair her socks up anymore because she'll just separate them. She is (unfortunately), however, becoming more aware of her appearance & she's now putting pinks with pinks, etc. Except for today - she wore pink shorts with a red shirt. And totally unrelated socks. I couldn't have been more proud.

So what do I think? Live out loud! Wear those funky socks. Be true to yourself. Who cares what others think! One thing's for certain, I'm going to learn a lot from my girls. And I can't wait. ♥

Moments.

(Cell phone shot. I'm having to send my camera to Canon for repair. Sniff. And that's her fake smile.)

Remembering 9.11.01. Moments.

I love our town. We've lived here 13 years & it continues to grow by leaps & bounds. Currently, it's one of the most sought after places to live in the US. We moved here only because of location & as long as I live in Texas, I hope to stay here. Yesterday, we drove by the Town Hall & discovered a beautiful tribute to those lost on that horrific, undeserving day. I'm proud to live in this town. ♥







This, below, broke my already broken heart.





I was home that morning, feeding our 5 month his bottle. Everything after that is a blur, other than my mother phoning. She was panicking. I offered to bring her office a television so they would have access to the footage. She declined. And as the rest of the world did, I watched the footage throughout the day, keeping my husband updated. I know so many of us went to bed that night & laid in silence. Praying.





And to this day, we continue to pray. Living life, just a little fuller. Tomorrow is not a promise, it's a gift.

May God continue to bless those & their families affected by such a horrendous, selfish act.

For my children. My life, my world, my loves.

Ten years ago, when my first 5 lb. 13 oz. baby was born & placed in my arms by one of the most selfless women I've ever met, I vowed that this song would forever be dedicated to them, my children. The lyrics are actually printed & placed in Bentley's baby book. This song makes me cry & this song brings me to my knees. This song is exactly what my children do for me.



I am so grateful for my children, I am so grateful to God for allowing me the privilege of being their mom. There are no words to let them know just how much I adore them & I hope this song will remain in their hearts, forever.

My children - have I told you lately that I love you? No matter where life takes you or what challenges you encounter or the mistakes you will make. You are amazing. You are beautiful. You are strong. You make me: think, cry, smile, melt, frustrated, laugh, angry, hurt, focus, determined & proud. You make me strive to be more, to push on & go further. My prayer is that I do the very same for you. The fun & love we share is immeasurable, true & pure. You make me a better person, you inspire me & you complete me. And I thank you so much. I love you. For eternity. ♥

Neutrogena "Rapid Wrinkle Repair" Moisturizer.

I love all things girly. I have always been a girly-girl - love makeup & hair/beauty products. That said, I am not one of those girls who believes you must purchase the most expensive beauty product(s) & makeup to look & feel your best. Over the years, I have tried almost all expensive name brand & drugstore brand makeup. To me, I found some of the expensive brands worse than drugstore brands & the others just 'ok'. As a matter of fact, a few years ago I returned all of my new MAC makeup because I disliked it. It just wasn't worth the money. If it's just 'ok' in my book, and/or not better than my drugstore makeup, it's going back. Not only that, but I lead a very busy life. I don't have the desire nor time to traipse to the mall everytime I run out of my favorite makeup or product. In my opinion - drugstore brands are sufficient. Keep in mind, it's not necessarily what you purchase, it's how you apply it. So if you don't/can't apply your makeup adequately, it will matter none if it's expensive or less expensive. Oops. Got a little sidetracked there. :)

I have always heard that the best product to use to reduce/minimize wrinkles is Retinol. Retinol, Retinol, Retinol. So, I found this "Rapid Wrinkle Repair" Moisturizer, by Neutrogena, which contains Retinol. I have been faithful to Olay for many years, but I decided it was time to bid farewell (sniff) & give this amazing wrinkle repair product a try.



Per Neutrogena's website, this is what the product claims to do:

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Visibly fade the look of stubborn wrinkles with our fastest Retinol formula available! So effective, 100% of women tested had noticeable results in just one week.

Featuring its unique combination of Retinol SA, Glucose Complex, and Hyaluronic Acid, Rapid Wrinkle Repair Moisturizer moisturizes and renews the look of skin throughout the day, and helps to smooth wrinkles fast and diminish the look of age spots. This super charged formula is combined with UVA/UVB SPF 30 for daily sun protection.

Skin is left feeling smooth and looking younger.


Accelerated Retinol SA
Fades the look of stubborn wrinkles
Brightens skin tone
Smooth fine lines & texture

Well now. Not only have I used this product now for "just one week", I've used it for a few months. Three things.

1.) The price is fabulous. I got this for around $10 (much less than Olay!) at Walmart.

2.) "Wrinkle Repair"? Um, no. Not one tiny bit. Can't tell one single change or fade, after having used this product for a few months. Recently, I began really focusing on some deep, long wrinkles (thanks Mom!) around my eyes, to see if that would help. Nope. Nothin'.

3.) A few weeks ago, at Meet the Teacher night, there were a lot of parents/kids shoved in a very small hallway that hadn't had air conditioning for months. It was hot, to say the least. Everyone was sweating (heck, we were almost panting, truth be told ;o) & I noticed my face began to burn. Severely. It was horrible & I was so uncomfortable! I know the culprit was this moisturizer - but I'm not sure if it was the actual Retinol itself, or another ingredient, that provided the burning sensation. It was so awful, I wanted to run home & wash my face just to get some relief! I have never experienced a burning sensation like that on my face before.

So on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being mah-vah-lous?

I'd give this product a -0-. Not even a one.

Moisturizers, eye creams, wrinkle repair & the like may be one area I'm willing to splurge in if I can find a product that truly does what it claims to. This is one area I don't have a lot of experience in, since I've always been so faithful to Olay. I think that Olay's higher end face lotions/creams contain Retinol, so that will be my next step. I've looked at Pro-X (many mixed reviews on this product, however) for a few years, but could never find one that claimed to be a 'moisturizer'. I want moisture & I didn't know which product is comparable to a moisturizer, so I have yet to try it. Unless something comes along between now & then, I'll definitely try the Pro-X next.

Happy moisturizing! ♥

To Galveston we went!

Friday. Got the kids off to school. Fed Mercedes. Rushed to shower. Had packed snacks the night before (Bentley spotted them & I had to fib to my kids - which I never do! - told him I was cleaning out the pantry. Ha!) so that was done, but had to pack all clothes & toiletries, etc. Got it all accomplished (ahead of schedule, thank you), dropped the dogs off at the vet, checked in with hubby, went & withdrew Bentley from school first (but never told him why & Mercedes didn't even spill the beans! Good girl. :) & then went & picked up the other two. Mercedes did reveal the secret at that time - "we're goin' to the beach!" she exclaimed. They were all so excited, screaming & yelling with their hands in the air; that is why I do what I do! That is why I adore spontaneous adventures. That is why when others deem my adventures 'ridiculous' - oh hell no. I do it because of them. And that will never change. I have no desire for it to. Surprising them, no matter how short the adventure is (or how old they are!), I will do forever. And my children love our spontaneous fun! ♥

So we came home, grabbed the hubby & off we went! Nintendos packed, movies packed, snacks ample - we headed out for a 5 hour drive. Which turned into a 7 hour drive due to traffic, construction, dinner, blah, blah, blah. But who cares! We didn't. :)

Got in late evening (you know, not planning for a little trip = no reservations ;o), found a room, scoped out the room & the balcony, got everyone set & hit the bed. Beach on Saturday!

And beach we did. It was so very windy! An overcast day, very warm temps & to the beach we went. I wanted pictures galore - so this trip I packed my camera bag (typically I don't) & all my camera lenses (typically I don't). Woohoo! I was ready for some beautimous photos! But my freshly camera battery died. Kapoot. Deader than a doorknob. I was just sick. I didn't get one dadgum photo with it.

So, we chilled at the beach, swam in the pool, chilled in the room & then readied for dinner at Gaido's! We ♥ Gaido's. Everyone looked so cute all ready for dinner & I forgot to snap a photo of everyone with my cell phone! Grr. It was raining by Saturday evening & rained all night. Complete awesomeness.

Sunday around 4:00 a.m.'ish, I was (quietly) screaming & gasping with stomach pains. I woke hubby up because I seriously thought something was wrong. Waking hubby up = waking everyone up. Ugh. After vomiting numerous times (you're welcome for that little tidbit of information :) all was ok, but none of us got much sleep after that (Mercedes also woke up @ the very same time, screaming with tummy pains! Her issue though is requiring a GI Specialist's assistance). You know what I love so much about hotels? The continental breakfasts. We won't stay in a hotel that doesn't offer it. Hubby always takes the kids down to breakfast & brings me back my breakfast. Love that! Sunday turned out to be an icky day - actually very chilly (felt great!), raining & the wind again was tremendous (on this trip, the wind blew my new prescription sunglasses on the concrete & chipped the lenses, & blew my cell phone on the concrete cracking the glass! Oy.) We decided to pack it up & head out - taking our time on our way home & stopping along the way if there was something we wanted to see. Our trip home was actually much quicker than going.

And that - was our crazy, unplanned, last-minute adventure! I'm so glad we did it. And so glad we'll be doing it again. Galveston is one of our most favorite places ever! ♥

Here are the few random photos I snapped with my cell phone:

Our clean, organized room:



Saturday at the beach:

(The water was as dirty as the sand due to Tropical Storm Lee. And look how far back our chairs/umbrella were! I kept telling hubby the "ocean is low". Ha! I just noticed this - see the four children who all have a foot in the air? Those are my four. LOL :)



The amazing rainbow as we headed to dinner. If you look very closely, to the right, you will see a double rainbow! Oh how I wish my Canon had been working. They were just beautiful, but my cell phone was unable to capture the true beauty & clarity.



We visit Galveston often. One particular visit, five years ago to be exact, I had to see a dr. because I needed an antibiotic. Guess what arrived today? The bill. Five years later. LOL :)

Make it a happy week! The choice is yours. Ü