Our Weekend in VA

The Caboose we stayed in this weekend.....

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The Natural Bridge

http://www.naturalbridgeva.com/

It's our Anniversary!!!

September 30 is a day that I will always remember fondly for so many reasons, but most of all I remember it as the day Lori and I celebrated 8 years together by deciding to bring our closest family and friends together to celebrate a very special day with us. What a great time we had, it was so wonderful to have everyone gathered in one place to eat, drink, and be merry with us on a day that meant so much.

So today, one year later we are celebrating in one of the quaintest little places I have ever been. It’s a wooden caboose car that has been totally restored, in the middle of about 5 acres of private property that is tucked away in the hills of Virginia. Lori found this place on the web and I have to say, it is THE perfect spot for a recharge weekend of quiet, comfortable fun for the whole family. They have a huge bricked patio complete with a ‘Hobo fire pit’, gas grill, and a gas fire pit. All the lights around the patio are old lanterns retrofitted for electricity and are on a timer to come on at dusk. Every last detail has been attended to and we have thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The caboose is about 5 miles from the Natural Bridge (read blog later for full update), and the VMI campus, so there is plenty to explore and keep us busy.

Off we go!

We are off AGAIN!

I will try and keep the blog posted while we are gone to keep everyone updated.

Have a great weekend!

Post Office

Today, after the gym we headed to Goodwill to drop off a few toys that Zoe has outgrown. While we were there, we looked through the books. Zoe was sitting on the floor going through the hundreds of books they had and all of the sudden I heard, “Mommy, Look at this book, I have to have it!” It was a book all about the Post office and Zoe loves to go to the Post Office!

Yesterday, much to Zoe's delight we had to make a trip to the post office to mail a package to Kee Kee, our Fresh Air child that comes to visit during the summer.
http://www.freshair.org/

Zoe has to run over and pretend she is getting stamps out of the vending machine, and then over to the scale to ‘weigh’ our package before we actually get in line. Zoe is certain the Post Office is just about the coolest place ever.

My two favorite girls
Zoe & Kee Kee

I miss you, Grandma!

Abuela,

On this day, a year ago we lost you. We weren’t ready to let you go but we knew you wanted to ‘let go’ and find your way back to Grandpa. I was sitting at my dining room table when the phone rang and we got news. Mom & Dad were staying with us in preparation for my commitment ceremony only days later. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was like everything was in slow motion. I didn’t know how to feel or what to say. I knew the only place I wanted to be was in my Mom’s arms. I remember going downstairs and waking her up. I didn’t even have to tell her what had happened, she already new in her heart & soul that you were in a ‘better place’. I can’t imagine what it must feel to lose a parent but I knew Mom needed my shoulder to cry on, as I needed hers. I crawled into bed with her and we hugged and hugged until we were finally able to let go of each other.

The memories I have of you fall nothing short of amazing. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t look up at the sky and wonder if you and Grandpa are looking down on us. Each and every milestone that Zoe goes through I just wish you were here to see. I know how much joy she brought you and how much you loved her.
I often sit back and hear the echoes of you singing to us in Papiamento or telling us stories about growing up and your life in Aruba.
I value the time we got to spend together before you left us even if you probably don’t remember it. I even took Zoe to see you a few times as she sat on your bed and made you smile and shared her juice with you.

Nothing can replace you not being here and each and every time I’m back home, I can’t help but to go to your house and look through old pictures. I spend hours and hours going through them remembering all the good times we had at all the family functions and can never get over how gorgeous you were when you were younger.

I never got the chance to thank you for the pearl earrings you left me. I wore them on my ‘wedding’ day proudly. Mom bought me a beautiful necklace to match and I knew that even if you couldn’t be there in person, you were there in spirit. It was an amazing day and I missed you very much.

I love you very much and miss you terribly. Life goes by so fast and sometimes we just have to slow down and take a breath. Zoe is growing like a weed, Mom & Dad are moving up to be closer to Zoe, and Michele and Ben are expecting a baby in March. A lot is going on but a day doesn’t go by that we don’t wish you were still here with us!

I hope you and Grandpa got that dance you were always talking about! I know he was happy to see you.

I miss you Abuela!

Baseball

Our Baseball Star...

Goodies...

While I was in the Bahamas, I was on a mission to find a can of Goombay Punch. As a little girl, I remember drinking it and LOVING it! I wanted to make sure I brought some back for Zoe. After asking a few ‘locals’, we found a store downtown that had plenty.

AND

Zoe's loves her purse from Mer. She's been wearing it all over town!

"Lady"

Today was my first day back to the gym after being on vacation so needless to say; it was no easy task getting back into my normal gym routine. Zoe, on the other hand couldn’t wait to get to DAYCARE!

On our way to the grocery store after the gym, Zoe and I were talking about all the things she did while I was gone and this is what she had to say…

Lori: “Zoe, did you have a good time while Mommy was gone?”
Zoe: “Yes, I’m exhausted!”
Lori: “Wow… (Laughing) that is a big word for a little girl.”
Zoe: “Mommy, I’m not a little girl, I’m a LADY!”

I don’t think a day goes by that Zoe doesn’t say something to make me laugh. She's a riot!

Bahama Mama's

I'm Back!!! What an adventure. We had an amazing time from the time we stepped on the ship to the time we got off. It was a blast and just what the Doctor ordered. I can't remember the last time Mer and I had some one on one quality time together. With us living so far apart, it makes it hard to see her as much as I would like to so the time we do have together, I treasure!

Here is the 'short version' of my trip....

Our first stop: CocoCay Island

We knew from the time we got on the boat that we wanted to rent jet ski's when we docked in Coco so we set it up the night before. When we got there, we were super excited to get out in that beautiful crystal blue water. Mer was the driver and I, being the passenger, held on for dear life. (we even saw HUGE starfish-- beautiful!) When we got back from jet skiing, we spent the rest of the afternoon floating around in the water and enjoying a few Pina Colada's.

Second stop: Nassau, Bahamas
As we were 'docking', I spotted a STARBUCKS out of the corner of my eye. I looked at Mer and said, "THAT IS OUR FIRST STOP!" (so what if a cup of coffee was $5.00). When we left Starbucks, we jumped into a cab and headed to Atlantis (the cab ride alone was an adventure) however, Atlantis was fantastic. We had a good time checking out the shops and even played a few slot machines. On the way back, we stopped at the straw market where Mer bought Zoe an adorable straw purse (they even put her name her name on it). Before we headed back to the boat, Mer HAD to get her conch salad! We were pressed for time but she somehow managed to get a ride from a local guy (who ran the scooter place) She not only went to the place where the locals go but got a small tour on the way. (I told her if she wasn't back in 20 min. I was going after her -- HA!) When she came back, she had a smile from ear to ear as she enjoyed her conch salad!!!!

Getting Zoe's name put on her purse

Atlantis


Ahh... conch salad!

That night, (the last night) we hit the casino where I won $15! Mer tried her hand at Black Jack. I had to keep telling her to cash out before she spent all her money!!!! Other than that, we just sat back and enjoyed ourselves. We got all caught up on what was going on in each others lives and we have memories that will last a lifetime!

Mimi and Zoe Weekend

Zoe and I have enjoyed a girl’s weekend while Mommy is on vacation with Aunt Mer enjoying some Caribbean sunshine. We took it easy Friday and didn’t do too much, just a movie and some popcorn, but Saturday we had a big day. We ran some errands in town, and then stopped off for some coffee and a juice at the local coffee shop. It was Zoe’s lucky day since there was a Mary Kay party wrapping up at the coffee shop. One of the women had her daughter with her and the little girl looked to be a little older than Zoe, but very happy to see another kid come in. They played in the toy corner for about 30 minutes while I took advantage and read the morning paper.

We left the coffee shop to finish up our remaining errands, including a trip to Blockbuster and the grocery store. Zoe was so good; I decided to treat her to some sugar free treats at the local candy store. She was a little overwhelmed at all the choices but finally settled on a handful of assorted candy and we then went home to get ready to fix dinner for Nana. We made ‘Bunny Chow’, a recipe I found in Kiwi magazine. It was a recipe for a parent/kid team to prepare that listed out the steps by role. It was very fun, and Zoe loved being involved helping make dinner for Nana. After dinner we enjoyed a movie and then wrapped up for our big day on Sunday.

Sunday, Zoe and I spent the day hiking, picnicking, fishing, and bird watching, we even made Nana come along. We set off on the hike and left Nana reading the paper in the picnic area by the stream. The hike was a 2 mile hike (one mile out and one mile back) and while I knew Zoe wouldn’t be able to handle the entire hike, I figured we’d go until she was tired and then head back. Zoe did fantastic, I was very proud of her we probably ended up doing about a mile and a quarter, but she was a champ. We went up hills, down hills, across the river, across the stream, and all along the riverbank. We stopped to see butterfly’s, the new soft moss, some pups, and just to enjoy the quite surroundings. After we got back to the trailhead where Nana was waiting on us we unpacked our picnic and had lunch. Zoe ate everything I packed her and more, she was famished!

When we finished lunch Zoe wanted to see how the fish were biting so out came the trusty Barbie fishing rod. I knew the ‘fishing’ wouldn’t last long, given the attention span of a 2 yr old. We wrapped up the fishing and packed up to drive up to the top of the mountain. We didn’t know they were having a wildlife exposition, so that was a nice surprise. Zoe got to see some owls, a hawk, a snake, and some cool animal pelts, including her favorite, a ‘kunk’. We took Nana up to the top of the mountain so she could see the nesting hawks and ravens and then we decided to call it an afternoon and head home. Of course, Zoe was OUT by the time we got to the bottom of the mountain!

What a day, and what a weekend. We had a really nice time, but we are sure looking forward to Mommy coming home. Mommy will be home Tuesday night, but Zoe still can’t figure out where she is!

Quality Time

I'm leaving on my trip tomorrow so today Zoe and I made the most of our morning together. When Zoe woke up, we headed over to the gym. One last workout for me before the trip, and daycare trip for Zoe to see her pals. After the gym we went to the park for some quality Mommy/Zoe time. We had a big time playing on the swings, going down the slide and running around and chasing each other.

When we left the park we stopped by Subway for lunch and split a veggie sub and some yummy Sun Chips. On the way home, Zoe said, "Mommy, today was a beautiful day!" I looked at her sweet little face in the rear view mirror and my heart melted. Being a parent is nothing short of AMAZING! I love every second of it, good and bad.

Shelli says she's going to keep the blog up while I'm gone. I'm sure Zoe is looking forward to some one on one time with her Mimi and her Nana!

Goodwill

Today was bittersweet for Miss Zoe. From the time she was an infant we’ve always gone through her toys and clothes. Anything she’s outgrown or doesn’t play with anymore, we drop off at Goodwill/Women’s Centers/Etc. This was the first time we’ve gone that Zoe was able to somewhat put it all together. As soon as we got to the ‘donation center’, I pulled out the bags and I asked her if she was ready to take them over. She looks at the bags, then looks at me, took a deep breath, and said, “Yep! I know others babies needs things too!”

9/11

Football Season

Today is the first day of the 2007 NFL season and many Sunday’s (seems like an eternity to me!) of watching football. Zoe is ready to root for her FAVORITE team, GO BIRDS! This morning Zoe tried to call Pop Pop to see if he was going to come over and watch the game with us. She told me, “Mommy, Pop Pop loves to watch a football!”

After breakfast, we went to work making some cookies for game day. Of course it wouldn’t be football season without a football cookie for Mimi. Zoe was hard at work decorating her cookies in order for them to be ready by kickoff.

Build-A-Bear

Meet the newest member of the family,

Happy Feet Bear!

Zoe picking her bear.....

Stuffing her bear....

Giving her bear a bath....

Picking out clothes for her bear.....

Making his birth certificate.....

Taking him home!

Crop Walk 2007

Shelli, Zoe, and I have signed up for The Crop Walk (http://www.cropwalk.org/) a 5K walk to help stop hunger. As most of you who know me know I’m ALWAYS looking for things like this to do (it’s just in my blood). If were not feeding the homeless, dropping off items at women’s shelters, hosting inter-city children over the summer, or handing out candy canes at local hospitals, then it just wouldn’t be us! Working with the less fortunate is always something I’ve always been very passionate about and enjoy doing. Now with Zoe being so young I don’t get to do it as much as I would like but we still try to do what we can. The older Zoe gets the easier it will be to bring her on some of these adventures, but for now, we will put Zoe in the stroller and walk for what we believe is a great cause. (see video below)

Crop Walk Video

Just in time....

I ordered this book a few weeks ago (to add to my collection) and it came in the mail today just in time for my cruise next week.

Here is a short description of the book: Drawing from her own experience as a white woman who adopted a black child, the author explores the complexities of race and adoption through both sociological and personal lenses.

I cannot wait to sit by the pool, relax, and enjoy my book!

No Pain, No Gain

Shelli and I signed up for a spin class at our gym so, this morning at 5am the alarm went off and we headed to the gym for our 5:30am class. It was pitch black outside, not a car on the road. I was a bit nervous but knew once I got there and the class got started, I would be fine. (I was hoping I wouldn’t fall off the bike mid-class).

5:15am, the doors open, we find a bike, get the seat and handlebars adjusted and wait for the teacher. He arrives, dims the lights (cosmic spin class), cranks up the music, and off we go. For the next 45 minuets all I could think about was my sister-in-law saying, “Oh Lord, please don’t let me die!” (That’s her famous saying--- she’s a firefighter!) Shelli was on one side of the room and I was on the other. I could feel the sweat just dripping off my forehead and back. What a workout, my clothes were drenched!!

I have to admit that as much pain as my legs were in from standing, then sitting, then standing, then sitting, up mountains, down mountains, right leg only, left leg only….SPIN .. SPIN… SPIN… I absolutely loved the class and look forward to the next one. Shelli and I went to this one together but are signed up for different times for the rest of the classes. She will continue the 5:30am (before she goes to work) and I’ve got the 9am (so Zoe can go to daycare).

For the last 2 months, Shelli & I have changed our eating habits 90%. We both gained so much weight – eating the WRONG things and not working out. The past two months have been eye opening for us and we are not only going to the gym and eating right but we're starting to feel so much better. We know the weight will not come off over night but we watch everything we eat and go to the gym daily.

Zoe had a sleep over at Nana’s last night so; we could get to class on time. Since Nana has been having her house renovated, Zoe goes over each night when the workers leave and check out what they did for the day and gives Nana a hand with whatever she may be doing at the time.

Well, we’re off to the library. We always stay busy!!!