Toes in the Sand {2}

The second half of our vacation was spent in Virginia Beach!  I was really excited about this because I had never actually been there before (only drove through a small section, which wasn't nowhere near where we stayed).  I booked our hotel for here way back in January when I knew our vacation would be, on Priceline.  Let me tell you, I am so glad I did!  I got a fantastic rate (especially considering it was during the July 4th timeframe) and our room was awesome!  Oceanfront with a balcony, can't beat that with a stick!

Not a bad view to wake up with!

 

 

If we looked down to the left on the balcony, we could see King Neptune's statue, Makayla's favorite!

 

 

We spent our time here doing a lot!  We shopped, visited the aquarium (the turtles were a big hit with Makayla), spent time on the beach, walked the boardwalk at night, watched fireworks, and oh yeah, we survived a category 2 hurricane!!  Slept right through it! 

 







Makayla on the bus..she loved it!

 The big turtles, her favorite!

 



They made stuff from junk they get out of the ocean, pretty neat!

Fish outside the motel..too cute!

Bikini babe!

My favorite!

Us :-)

Muah

Enjoying the beach late in the evening.

And during the heat of the day!

Fireworks.  Awesome.

King Neptune

I honestly can't wait to go back!  It was such a different experience for me seeing the beach in a more 'livelier' form than the laid back Chesapeke Bay that I was used to all my life. 

Oh and did I mention, our rental car ended up being my 'dream' car!!!  You have no idea how stoked I was to get to drive the Buick Enclave!!!

Awesome vacation, awesome times!!

Toes in the Sand {1}



Excuse my lack of blogging the past couple of weeks.  I was busy packing one week and busy last week on vacation, with my toes in the sand!

We hadn't been to the beach in years.  Like 10 years!!!  We were long overdue for a change from our regular vacation spot (Amish Country in Ohio) and Makayla was at the age this time to enjoy the beach and all it has to offer.  Let me tell you, she LOVED it and we had a great time!!

 

For the first three days, we went to my old vacation stomping grounds growing up, the Eastern Shore in Virginia.  I can't count the number of years we spent going there and I always loved it.  Its not crowded, tranquil, and the motel we always stayed at has a private beach.  Score.  Its just as lovely then as it is now.  Plus I scored us a king suite at a GREAT price!

 









Stay tuned for part 2 of our trip, Virginia Beach!!

Her

I can't explain how lucky and blessed I am to have 'her' in my life.  God gave me one of the biggest blessings of my life when he gave me her. 

 



Like-minded

Sometimes in life, you run across someone who is a lot like you in a lot of ways.  You share the same beliefs, you enjoy doing the same things for fun. 

You just 'click'.  Or maybe you could say your 'like-minded'. 

I feel that way each time I talk to or am lucky enough to be around my sister-in-law.  And one of those days was yesterday!!  I was blessed to get to spend a few precious hours chatting with her and attending one of our Sunday morning church services followed by one of our legendary church dinners.

You know, the kind with fabulous, home cooked, southern food?

Oh yeah.

I can't say how blessed I felt (and still feel) to get to share thoughts with her, to get to know our families histories, and most importantly, to share our faith. 

Love ya Kathy, and can't wait till we get to do it again!!



Two Guys

I wanted to devote a post on Father's Day to the best two guys I know..my dad and my husband!!



First for my daddy.  Words can't express the love my heart holds for you.  When I was little, I was a daddy's girl.  I followed you around like your shadow.  When I grew into a teenager, we distanced some but the feelings were always the same.  I was just becoming more 'grown up' I guess.  I know you always had my back and were always there for me.  No..matter..what.  You walked me down the aisle when I got married.  You held Makayla the day she was born.  You have become one of Makayla's very best friends and she cannot WAIT to go to see you when we visit.  She always talks about you and gets a sparkle in her eye when we talk about you.  I love what you are to her. And what she has done to you...made you into the world's best grandpa.  You are still the same, strong silent man you have always been.  Preferring to be in the background and not in a lot of pictures (which I always struggle to find good ones to use in posts like this!!).  But that's okay, because that's you.  I could never ask for a better daddy.  I love you.  I love you.  I love you.  You mean more to me than you'll ever know!



And for the love of my life, Damon.  Becoming a daddy to Makayla has been the best thing ever.  I've seen a side of you I never got to see before.  You are so caring and concerned about her.  You bend over backwards for her and always want the best for her.  You are protective of her.  I love watching you and her together, it melts my heart to hear her giggle when she's with her daddy.  And her love for you is bigger than the ocean.  She loves to pretend she's talking to you on her phone when your at work.  And even though it wears me out, the few times she's been awake late at night when you get in at work always gets to me.  Its like she hasn't seen you in FOREVER and she's so happy to see you!  I love you as a husband and I love you as a daddy.  You are awesome and I'm so proud of you!  My love for you has grown deeper seeing this side of you. 

To the two guys in my life, you both complete mine.  I love you to the moon and back!

Summer lights and flowers



 

Its pretty at my house this time of the year!

On sleep...

Sleep.  Its a great thing when you get to get a normal amount every night.  Until something (or someone, in my case) disrupts it.

Let me explain.

Makayla.  Yup, you guessed it, my 3 year old has been the source of my sleep problems as of late.  It all started about 3 weeks or so ago when, to my surprise, she figured out how to get into bed with me!  I woke up, bleary eyed, one morning to find her snuggled up to me. 

It was sweet.

I loved having her close and the fact that she wanted to snuggle with her mommy made my heart melt.  But then it started happening every single night.  And once I wake and find her in bed with me, I can't get back to sleep until I get up and take her back to her own bed. 

Here is how my sleep schedule has been going:  go to bed around 2am (Yes, that late.  When you have a husband that works a schedule like mine does, you stay up just so you can have some conversation with them!), wake up with Makayla in bed with me anywhere from 4-6am, take her back to her room probably an hour after she gets in bed with me, go back to sleep, hope that Ravey (the cat) doesn't wake me up to get fed now that she has seen me get up once (it happens), sleep until 10 (if Makayla doesn't get in bed with me again, which she did last night!).

Thing is, I have no idea why she is getting out of bed all of the sudden!  I am trying something tonight (her humidifier, which she used to sleep with it going last year every night) and am hoping that works.  I have wondered if maybe she is needing a regular sized bed (she sleeps in her crib that's converted to a toddler bed and has been for quite a while with no problems), if she is hot/cold, a noise is waking her up, bad dreams, etc.  I didn't want to have a co-sleeper on my hands but this one seems to be out of my control! 

Any thoughts/insights/tips?  I'd much appreciate it!!