Cheryleeski's Visit 2014

My cousin Cheryl came for a weekend visit.  From the airport we went straight to the Catch the Leprechaun 5K race.    

The next morning while the kids were in school we pampered ourselves with a facial at Shealy Skin Spa.  

And then we continued the pampering when the kids got home from school by getting pedicures.  

On her final day we went to our mutual friend Sara's house for a reptile party where Cheryl coined the phase "reptile dysfunction".  Always a wacky time when Cheryl's around.

Summer Vacation in Orlando

Florida Vacation

Aunt Carrie gave us a week without kids!  She took both kids down to Florida for a week to spend time with their grandparents, cousins, and aunts and uncles.

The kids had an absolute blast and we got some home projects completed, slept in, and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

 Trent drove down for a weekend to pick the kids up and gave me the house to myself—pure bliss!

Precious Moments

Someone please open a window and let some of this damn love and laughter out! I'm choking on it for Christ's sake!

ChErYlEeSki's Irish Visit

My cousin Cheryl came down from Massachusetts for a weekend visit to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.  The first evening she was here we ran the Catch the Leprechaun 5K Race with another Newburyporter in the area, Sara Backland.  Together we helped drain the kegs at an alarming pace. 

On St. Patrick's Day we loaded up the new mini van with the kids (along with some "roadies") and headed to Dunleavy's Pub on Sullivan's Island.  In hindsight this wasn't my greatest motherhood decision.      

It was a block party and by the time we got there it was too rowdy for kids (fights breaking out, chics crying and a guy passed out on the sidewalk) so we only stayed long enough to chug a few beers and witness some shenanigans that although funny to us was frightening to my children. 

It wouldn't be a proper visit without introducing Cheryl to an underground Filipino Karaoke party where we battled with the best.  It was a quick and fun little visit that left me thirsty to visit Cheryl in August for more silliness.  Fire up that Fry Daddy cuz I'm coming home!  

Roadtrip to KnoxVegas

Rya and I took our first road trip with just the two of us.  On Wednesday, we drove up to Carrie's in Knoxville (about a six hour drive) to return her car.  Rya and I had a blast on the drive up.  We sang, we chatted, we snacked and we laughed. 
 

While at Carrie's I did some organizing projects as a small token of my appreciation for her loaning us her car for so long.  She really is the kindest and most generous person I know! 

 

Trent and Currier drove up after school/work on Friday.  We promised the kids snow so we drove up to Gatlinburg and took them to the ski resort for a snowball fight.  This lead to some crying and a blow to my neck that knocked my back out of alignment (those little bastards play dirty!) but it was still fun and awesome to see the kids play in snow for the first time. 

 

Before heading back home we went out to eat at Senor Taco (for the third time that week!)  I fibbed to the waiter and said it was Rya's birthday so she'd get free dessert and whipped cream in the face.  It was the first time I saw her experience embarrassment.  Unfortunately she's in for a lot of that with me as her mother. 

Disney Marathon Weekend

We arrived Friday evening for the Disney Marathon Weekend.   My Aunt Joanie works for Disney so she was able to get us a great discount at the All Star Sports Resort inside Disney.  Our room overlooked a giant heated pool that captivated us until almost Midnight.  

  

On Saturday my Aunt Joanie and Uncle Ricky treated Trent and the kids to a day at Animal Kingdom.  While they had an awesome action packed day filled with roller coaster rides and amazing animal encounters, I went to the marathon expo to pick up my race packet and then I spent the rest of the day hydrating, stretching, resting and trying to calm my marathon jitters.   

 

Now for the not-so-fun part—Sunday started with a 2AM wake up call!  Yes, I had to get up at 2AM to eat, get dressed and catch the shuttle to Epcot at 3AM.   I arrived at Epcot at 3:30AM with 60,000 other idiots and then waited an hour to begin lining up at the start line.  It took two hours of walking and waiting to finally get to the front of the start line.  My corral took off at 6:25AM. 

Once I began running I felt great and it would occasionally dawn on me, “I’m running a freaking marathon!” and I couldn’t help but smile.  Eight months of training, physical therapy,early bedtimes, early wake up calls and that final ridiculous 2AM wake up call all came down to this and it felt awesome to finally be in that moment. 

The  race started and ended at Epcot and the course took us through all the Disney parks.  Aside from several stretches of crossing highway overpasses, it was a beautiful run with lots to see.  Everything was going great until after the Magic Kingdom I started to feel that familiar pain in my knee caused by IT band friction syndrome.  At mile seven I stopped and did the stretches I was taught to alleviate the pain and the pain would subside just to return even sharper a little later.  This went on and on and on for the remainder of the race.  I stopped at one medic tent to have them wrap my knee only to stop at the next medic tent to have them unwrap it because the tape made it hurt even more.  

 

I was diagnosed with this injury a while back so I went into this race knowing this could happen so I ran when I could and walked when I needed. It was tough and it took every ounce of will power to finish. At mile 22 I hit the notorious "wall" and had a little mental breakdown that led to some crying. That dreaded voice entered my head saying, "You can't do this" but that voice turned out to be a liar.  I just couldn't give up knowing that Trent and the kids were waiting for me at the finish line.   

Oh, crossing that finish line!  "What's it feel like?" everybody asks.  It felt incredible and it's hard to describe but I think it's comparable to giving birth.  It's months of preparing your body to perform and you have all these preconceived notions of how it's going to be but everything is completely different and things don't go your way and it hurts worse than you ever imagined.  After hours of pain you begin to think you're going to die and just when you think you can't take it anymore and after you've told all the doctors and nurses and marathon spectators to go fuck themselves (just in your head of course), you look down at this brand new human that your body created or you cross that finish line that your body carried you for 26 miles—and you're reborn.  YOU FEEL SO ALIVE!   

 

After the marathon, Trent's sisters and their families came to the hotel to celebrate with us.  We mostly hung out by the pool so I could stretch and soothe my sore body.  Aside from my knee injury, I also got a pretty good sunburn, lost a couple toenails and had some ugly chafing in places I'd rather not speak about.  Being surrounded by people I love made all the pain go away.  Well that and the pizza and beer.    

 

The morning after the marathon, Aunt Joanie and Uncle Ricky surprised the kids and took us out to breakfast with the characters.  It was an awesome buffet and I indulged because "I ran a freaking marathon yesterday!"  It was the perfect way to end the marathon weekend.  Oh, did I mention that Trent was playing football with his nephews at the hotel and pulled his hamstring? Yeah, he was limping around that breakfast buffet in a marathon t-shirt stealing my damn thunder!    

 

Running a marathon was a check mark on my bucket list.  I don't think I'll ever run a full one again but I'm so proud that I did.  I learned a lot about myself.  I've spent my whole life hating my body for not being perfect and now I can't stop thanking my body for being so strong. 

 

I want to thank everyone who supported me, believed in me and encouraged me through this whole dream but mostly I'd like to thank Billy Squier for "The Stroke" because that killer melody took me across the finish line!  

Lucky Coin

Trent's sister bought some Greek bread in Tarpon Springs and cut the bread into equal parts for each of her siblings to take home.  She said there was a lucky coin hidden in one of the pieces and to search for it after we all got home.  Guess who found the lucky coin!?

50th Anniversary

We spent New Years weekend in Tampa celebrating Trent's parent's 50th wedding anniversary.  With the whole family together, we cooked and ate big meals, played board games, watched football, drank a ridiculous amount of booze, spent a day at Tarpon Springs, watched a slide show of Mimi and Papi's fifty years together, laughed a lot and cried a little.  It was a great weekend celebrating two incredible, loving people!  

  

Aunt Carrie

Aunt Carrie came for a weekend visit so she and I could go through some photographs and brainstorm for Mimi and Papi's upcoming 50th wedding anniversary in January.  As always the kids adored having her here. 

Thirty Years

Thirty years is a long time, but I remember every detail of that day like a broken Etch a Sketch which can't be erased. I was eight-years-old and just finished tap dance class. About to walk home with my cousins, my uncle came to pick us up. We refused the ride but he insisted. I knew. I knew then she was gone. I entered our apartment to the smell of Rice Crispy Treats wafting from the kitchen full of anguished faces—my aunts, my grandmother and my brother. My brother's eyes confirmed what I already knew as my grandmother told me to change out of my "unitard". I sassed back, "It's called a leotard!," and my aunt hit me and told me to do as I was told. I climbed the stairs to my bedroom, hands shaking. I pulled the string on my ceiling lamp so hard it came crashing down and shattered, just like my world. With a book, I swept the glass under my bed, changed my clothes and told God I hated him. I went back down to the kitchen and my uncle, one I didn't particularly like, told me my mother died. "Don't worry, she's in heaven now. She's an angel watching over you," he said. I wondered why my father wasn't there. I wondered if I'd get to see my mother's body.  I wondered what the hell was going to happen to me?!  My heart ached and I felt abandoned.        
 
It's hard to believe it was so long ago; the memory is still sharp and painful, and it knocks the wind out of me when I allow my mind to go there.  When I told the kids that my mother died thirty years ago today, Currier asked, "How many days is thirty years?"  Together we figured out it's 10,950 days.  I acknowledged that was a lot of days to miss someone and Rya asked, "You still miss her?"  "Of course I miss her.  I will always miss my mother. It doesn't matter how old you are—when you feel sick or sad you'll always want your mommy."  For me, today is one of those days.    

Lucky Penny

The day I took Penny in as a foster (September 19th) I posted her picture on facebook asking if anyone was interested in adopting her.  My cousin, Danielle, from Massachusetts messaged me almost immediately with questions about Penny.  After a week of facebook messages, texts and phone calls, her and her fiance, Daniel, decided this was the dog for them.  

They drove down from Beverly, Massachusetts (An 18 hour drive!) yesterday to adopt Penny.  It took about thirty minutes of paperwork at the Charleston Animal Society to make it official.  We learned that Penny was originally found as a stray and then surrendered to the shelter by two different owners in her short little life.  Penny has a luxating patella (trick knee) in her right hind leg and the first owner was worried this could lead to medical expenses later so dumped her and the second owners claimed they couldn't adapt to her so once again she was dumped.  On September 19th, the shelter sent out an urgent message because the shelter was overflowing and 31 dogs were on the kill list.  Penny was one of them.       

Penny went from death row to damn lucky because Danielle and Daniel are so in love with her and I just know it was meant to be!  I got goose bumps seeing the happiness and love surrounding this dog.    

Funny thing is I never met Danielle until yesterday.  It was Penny that brought us together and now we'll always have that bond—Penny and the same wacky relatives!   

I thought for sure I was going to break down and cry when it was time to say good bye to Penny this afternoon but I didn't.  I know she's exactly where she needs to be and knowing I played a role in that makes me happy.  Today was a very happy day.  Fostering is rewarding. 

Smokey Mountain Getaway

We rented a log cabin in the Tennessee Smokey Mountains to celebrate our 15 year anniversary.  We brought the kids and dogs along because nothing says romance like dog farts and sibling bickering! 

The cabin was loaded with kick ass amenities and located in Sevierville near Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.  Our cabin was called Smokey Sunrise and it earned it's name.  The sunrises were just that and so breathtaking!   

We spent most of our time in the jacuzzi on the balcony. 

And the jacuzzi in the master bath. 

Trent's sister Carrie and her friend Heather came up from Knoxville and spent a night with us.  They took us to Gatlinburg for dinner at Dick's Last Resort.  

They also took us to a moonshine tasting because they know how to keep it classy! 

 

Trent and Currier went to Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum while the girls shopped for treasures.  Trent was mortified when Currier saw the world's biggest shotgun and exclaimed, "HOLY SHIT!  How can anyone even hold that friggin thing!?"  On our way home to the cabin late that evening while listening to a lecture about watching my mouth in front of the kids, a big black bear ran into the road in front of us.  It was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen.    

 

We spent a whole day in Pigeon Forge taking the kids on every cheesy (and most likely extremely unsafe!) carnival ride we came across.  We also played a round of putt putt golf and rode go carts until our asses hurt. 

We mined for gemstones not once but twice and filled two mason jars with all our gems!  The kids and I loved this! 

 

We met Trent's cousin Tim and his wife Carrie for dinner at the Smokey Mountain Brewery in Pigeon Forge.

Tim owns several Old Tyme Photo shops in the area and he treated us to a shoot- So fun!  It wasn't a typical way to celebrate an anniversary but we wouldn't change a thing about this getaway!