I apologize for my absence...

...but I have been on vacation.  

On Thursday, Charlie, Abbie & I hopped on a Southwest flight to spend 4 glorious days in the beautiful & spectacular state of Colorado.

We traveled there to celebrate a very important anniversary.  10 years of friendship with these wonderful people.

During this time, I...

• enjoyed the breathtaking scenery
• ate too much food
• spent too much money
• skied until my body couldn't take it anymore
• soaked my aching muscles in a hot tub
• drank enough to feel a buzz but not so much that I had my head in the toilet
• partied a little too late for a mother
• bonded with my family 
• got away from a job that was making me very irritable
• laughed so hard until I cried
• slept very few hours but yet still had the energy to tend to a toddler the next morning
• successfully traveled with possibly the best child ever

Now it's back to reality. Back to working eight hour days, housework, losing the 4 lbs I gained over vacation, cooking dinners, blogging, learning HTML, scheduled bath times and early bed times.  God I miss you already, Colorado.  Hope to see you again soon.

Things I learned on our vacation...

*Nebraska has one of the best state motto's.

*The boat scene in Weekend at Bernie’s is possibly the funniest part of the movie.

*Onawa, IA has the widest Main St in the USA.

*The toll bridge going over the Missouri river in Decatur, no longer gives you a coin for your return back over the bridge.

*It takes twice as long to get Abbie to sleep while on vacation.

*Abbie does not sleep the whole night through while in a Pack n Play.

*The shittiest roads in Iowa are better maintained then the best roads in Tulsa.

*Never trust your Garmin in telling you what time you will arrive at your destination. It doesn’t take into account speeding.

*You never feel you have washed all the soap off of your body when you are showering in soft water.

*87 Octane fuel is higher in price in Nebraska then it is in Oklahoma.

*My grandmother’s Boston Terrier was born in 1900.

*Always remember to take the pans out of Mom’s oven before preheating it.

*It is the “ass-crack of dawn” not the “crack ass of dawn”.

*Never blog late at night.

*People yell at their kids at Walmart's in Nebraska too.

*I do not like stuffed green peppers, but I will eat Stuffed Green Pepper soup.

*Never be tempted to buy cheap wine at Walmart just because you can.

*I can not let a horse eat treats out of my bare hand.

*I miss & love my father very much and wish things were like they used to be.

*A self propelled vacuum is the way to go.

*A Prairie Fire shot isn’t nearly as bad as people make it out to be.

*Abbie did NOT inherit her mother’s hatred for chocolate.

*Abbie DID inherit her mother’s love for Taco John’s and Wendy’s vanilla Frostys.

*If my memory serves me right, this was the first time I had seen my favorite (sorry Kevin) stepbrother, Dan, in person since his wedding in 2004. 

*And the first time I had ever met my handsome nephew, Cael.

*Burger King now has tiaras along with their crowns.

*A one year old gets tired of sitting in her car seat about 3 hours into the 8 hour car ride home.

*A Honda Element isn’t the best vehicle to drive in high, gusty winds.

*One can get car sick from riding in a car with a fussy child and gusty winds.

*It takes about 15 min to go one mile when you are going 5 mph.

*Charlie did approximately 85% of the driving on this trip.

*The drive home always seems twice as long as the drive to Nebraska.

*Always remember to take out your trash before you leave on a week long vacation.

*After being away from home, there is nothing like crawling into your own bed for a good night's sleep.

On the Road Again

Greetings!! I am coming to you from the road. Today marks day 1 of our Summer Vacation. We are currently on our way to Nebraska for six days to visit family and friends over the 4th of July holiday. We haven’t been there since December when Abbie was a month old. Everyone is so excited to see her and how much she has grown. No one has expressed any interest in seeing her parents. Don’t they know that if it wasn’t for us, that she wouldn’t be here!! Oh well, I’m sure I will get a mommy vacation over the next six days. Abbie has been an excellent little traveler thus far. She fell asleep shortly after we got on the highway and hasn’t awoken yet. I have brought plenty of books and toys to keep her entertained on the road. Both of the dogs are passed out sleeping. They too are good in the car. They are nervous at first but once we are on the highway for awhile, they settle in and fall asleep.



While on the road, I hope to get reacquainted with my blog. It seems like when I’m at home I never find the time to sit down and write. Before I decided to become an accountant, I wanted to become a journalist. I used to love to write!! It seems like that has slipped away from me and I would like to find that passion again. So stay tuned for more updates as we make our trek to Nebraska!!