2016 Happy Single's Awareness Day

South America BOUND

Its that time of year again!  July, Ecuador, Medical trip......it seemed we had a lot of time before our trip this year, then before you know it, it was time to leave.  I had been so busy with the house, jobs, etc. that this trip came up way too fast.  I ended up packing at 2100 last night.  Needless to say, getting to bed before midnight and waking up at 0300, was going to make for an interesting day.  We got to RDU around 0400 and despite us thinking that our seats were spread all over the plane, we ended up together. THAT started our day off GREAT, despite no sleep.  Checked in, 5 bags checked, and each of us had our backpacks with all appropriate electronic devices and chargers.  :)

After waiting on the rest of our group to check in, the girls had to get Starbucks!!!! Then I think their giddiness came from no sleep, not that they were actually getting along!  Made it through Security, body scans, taking off shoes and all the other interesting attire restrictions, we were able to get to our gate and then shortly after were able to board.  We have been all over the place, however, Lauren has never been on a plane.  She was fine, until we started moving and then, for some reason, she was almost hyperventilating.

I look over as Lauren is tearing up, and Allison has her hand and is trying to reassure her.  Lauren couldn't tell me what she was worried about, maybe the Asiana plane crash that has been all over the news all week, I don't know.  But seeing your child cry and be scared, isn't a good feeling, however, me seeing Allison being the 'big' sister and looking out for her, made me smile.

 

Needless to say, we made it up in the air, through the clouds and the rest of the 2 hour flight was uneventful until the landing, then Lauren was laughing and crying ALL at the same time.  Im not sure if she thought she was scared, really was scared, or was just sleep deprived! :)

It has rained so much the last two weeks in Raleigh, being able to look out and see the sun shining and the blue sky, was some relief.  It was beautiful!

Got off at D11 and had to get to the complete opposite end of the terminal---D48 here we come!  Next stop....TRAM ride.....

After a quick pizza stop (yes, its 0900) for the girls, they unloaded at our gate and Lauren was O U T.  Dwayne and I went and had breakfast and caught up since our last trip in 2012.

All in all, I feel like its going to be a great week.  Both my girls with me, Lauren experiencing this for the first time and Allison practically running our team.  Missing some friends that are usually here, but we have Bob........

 

Never enough time

Today is Tuesday, and we have sooo much to do.  I am busy with a full patient schedule this week.  I have yet to pick up suitcases from the storage building, too much to still unpack, not to mention finalizing cruise plans, etc.  That 3 weeks I lost in the changing of closing date for the house, is taking its toll on me! 

S/P July 4th....

Got up early, had lots to do!  Allison requested cinnamon toast for breakfast, so fixed a ton and the girls garbled them down.  Headed over to the old house to pull the huge hosta and other plants that I wanted to keep.  It seemed to heat up early, so we had to get them pulled and moved and replanted before it got too hot.  Not that we were slow, but boy were they HEAVY.  We brought 3 daylily plants over and 2 huge hosta.  We pulled 3 hosta but couldn't fit it in the car with everything else, so we have to go back and get that one.  We did manage to get everything in the ground, I just hope they make the transition well.  I got the hosta from Jim's in Charleston, probably 7 years ago and they have been great, year after year.  I haven't pulled anything from the front yard at the old house yet, but need to.  Trying to juggle a new house, unpacking, our South America trip coming next Saturday, I can't seem to find enough hours in the day to get it all done.  I am very thankful that the girls have helped tremendously.  It amazes me every day how well we are all getting along and this house actually feels like a home. 
     I managed to get another coat of paint in two more walls in my closet so that only leaves one wall, but I have ran out of paint, so that last wall will not be done until after our trip.  However, because I finished the other ones, I was able to empty about 9 boxes of clothes.  I look in that closet and think, 'now I have room for someone else's clothes'.  ha ha.  Isn't that silly?  But the old closet was overflowing with my clothes, not to mention me having two dressers filled.  So, I kind of laugh every time I walk in the closet.
     I also found a stand up freezer for the garage that a friend on FB has posted, so that's perfect.  The old one I had, I left at the old house, however, we use a lot of freezer space, and the new fridge won't be here until next month, so this will be perfect.  Lost track of time, so hopefully picking that up tomorrow.  
     The girls got more stuff unpacked, and we ended up breaking down more boxes.  I tried to get more boxes more organized in the garage.  Would like to have enough organization to get the Audi in the garage when we are gone for 9 days.  Oh, and we got the tv up on the wall in the living room.  We did it all by ourselves.  It was way higher than at the old house, so it was, I'm sure, entertaining for anyone that happened to be watching from outside.  BUT, its up, its secure and it works!  Not too bad for 3 girls, huh?
     Allison seems to have found a liking for Sloppy Joes, so that's what we stopped and made for lunch.  Again, I'll go back and say how nice it is with all of us in the house and it so much feels like a family.  I took this weekend off, because I knew that we needed to unpack and with the trip next weekend, I had too much to do.  But it is nice to be here and the feeling in this house, is nice.
     Lauren has built a Fort today out of blankets and boxes in the bonus room, Allison has her Xbox hooked up to her tv in her room and I sit here and look around and still have so much to do, but also know it would be nice to just put my feet up and relax....... I just may do that, after I finish a few more things! :)

2013----WOW, what a year!

Hello out there!  Its been awhile....I seemed to have left out 2012 all together, but wow, what a year 2013 is turning out to be!

Home Renovations and Mom

2012 Valentines Day

TeamBuilding Bowling

Best Baby Shower EVER!

Cookie Exchange Party

Tanas-Allison & Lauren

Random

Over the last 9 months so much has gone on in my head, my heart and my life.  For the first time in my life, I held nothing back and made myself completely vulnerable.  My outlook on alot of things changed and I was willing to do whatever it took to take the path my heart told me to take.  Fast forward 9 months.  Hard to believe...life is no where near where I wanted it to be.  However, I look back and am thankful for some very special people in my life.  I don't regret anything that I have said or done over the last nine months.  Even though family and alot of friends for a long time believed that my fairy tale would happen the way I wanted it to, they soon realised, as I have, that maybe that path wasn't supposed to be for me.  I have always stated the facts and the truth and held nothing back in talking about things to friends, whether I was right or wrong, the entire story got out.  My feelings, my wants were all out on the table for everyone to hear.  And for those of you that know me, know that it wasn't like me.

Talking to Belinda on the cruise, it was funny because in a random conversation she said "I couldn't see you NOT letting your feelings out....thats the only Michelle I know".  I have changed.  Alot of things have changed me.  I think for a better person.  Its sad that Chris lets his fear dictate his life.  I don't expect the perfect relationship and any relationship is going to have its negatives and positives, however, if you are both willing to try, Im not sure how you could go wrong.  Bull and Jenn got married a few months back....Bull has heard a shortened version of my feelings for Chris, our relationship and the last 9 months and one thing Bull said to me was "I used to be a player...do you know when I knew Jenn was the one?.... She was the first woman I could completely be myself".  Wow.  Very powerful for sure.  I remembered that statement.  I'm not sure Chris can be 'himself' with anyone.  I think he is so afraid to let out exactly how he feels.  I have asked numerous times over the first 5 months of the year that if he felt that we couldn't be together one day, to just tell me...to look me in the eyes and tell me ..because I needed to hear it.  He has never said it.  The one thing he did say that I will never forget is : 'don't count me out forever...just count me out for now'.  That is very powerful too.

I have made multiple attempts at trying to get time with him.  I have texted, emailed, etc and I get little to nothing in return.  Kind of sad when we have known each other for more than 20 years, were together for almost 3 and the fact that I told him I would marry him in a heartbeat 6 months into our relationship.  Kind of hard to go back and act like those three years never happened.  I guess what hurts is knowing that we had talked marriage, kids, houses, life, etc and he makes me feel like our relationship was something like in high-school.  Maybe to him it was.  So I guess thats why the picture at the top, is something I tell myself every day...because the Chris I knew and loved would not have just ignored or forgotten me like he has.  He would have made time, would have called, etc. so in reality it means exactly what the picture says.  It means nothing to him.

I guess he wants me to be the one that lets go, moves on and doesn't bother him any more.  I know my friends and family want that.  They are all upset with him because of how this has gone.  They all, ultimately, want me to be happy, and if was meant to be with him, they would be ecstatic, but if not, they all feel that he owed me to tell me and not string me along.

I am a great person.  I have a great family, have alot to offer and going through what I have and wanting to spend the rest of my life with someone, the person I am meant to be with will be the luckiest person in the world.  I still hold nothing back and will speak the truth and Im not afraid to tell others how I feel.

Is is that time of year again?

Believe it or not, it is!  This year we decided to get our Christmas Tree the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Usually we wait until a week or so later, but Lauren was tracking out and heading out on her venture for 3 weeks and with my work schedule, this weekend was going to be the best time to get one.  This would also let Lauren decorate before she leaves.

We LOVE going to Pop n Son every year.  They have stands throughout Raleigh and Wake County, but nothing is like going to the actual farm.  Looking through all the trees, just to find the perfect one!

After completely butchering the ceiling last year, I told the girls we couldn't get one quite as big as we did last year.  But everyone knows, I love BIG trees!  It was quite difficult last year getting it off the car, in the stand and in and out of the house...so we needed to get a smaller one this time.

The girls ended up spending about 30-45 minutes going through all the rows of trees.  We went back and forth between 3 of them.  And then we finally agreed on this one!  We had them cut a bit off the bottom, and then the funnest part-put it in the shaker.  Then we got it wrapped in red/green netting!

Allison paid and then got to pick a wreath out for FREE!  Tis the season!  I love fresh wreaths.  We've never gotten one, but I love the smell.

Every year it seems as if Pop n Son gets bigger and bigger every year.  I remember when there was a gravel driveway and a tin-covered area that you paid and that was it.  Now they have paved the driveway, a huge seperate barn where they make wreaths and garland, they are now selling hot-chocolate and the HUGE Mr. Snowman.  But its a local company and for us, its a tradition.

Now, off to the house......

Allison decided we weren't going to have the issues we had last year, and she was determined to get the tree down and in the house!

Yep, off the car it went.  Look at the pretty netting!  Are we looking like the Griswold's yet?

Allison then realized she wasn't sure how she was going to get down.........

Finally, I got to do something...cut the netting!  The girls wanted to do everything else!

Oh wait, they needed me for something else....to hold up the tree!  At least Im good for something!  In the stand it went and in the house they went.

Allison wanted to finish cutting the netting......next up.....DECORATE!  I absolutely L O V E this time of year....it really is magical.  I love having the girls here, everyone is getting along...there is something truly amazing about this time of year.  The next month is going to be great!