Not leaving on a Jet Plane.

..But I know when I'll be back again. (get it?)

First things first!! That necklace I am wearing? Abby who has the Etsy Shop, Simply Charming in SC, made me this beautiful necklace and earrings set. We did an ole fashioned swap, my art for hers. Isn't it lovely? I would have worn a shirt that flattered the necklace more, but I can't - all of my clothes are packed away - will get to that in a minute. Thank you my dear sweet Abby, I LOVE love LOVE it, but you know this already!
(Oh - and the picture? Allie, my 4 year old, took it, she might have a picture-taking eye, heh?)



In other news, I have been a bit absent-blog-minded..yeah, I made that up.
Summer is in full swing here, we are in the pool constantly.. spending little time indoors. AND I have been busy getting ready for vacation. We leave this Saturday for a little more than 2 weeks.

We have a good friend staying at the house, which will give me peace of mind with leaving for so long.

We are going on a car trip, which is how we travel. There really is no better way to see the country, and I absolutely love spending time with my family like that. Air travel with the girls has never been fun for us. We despise the layovers and the cramped airplane conditions. My husband flies all of the time for his job, so, he likes to drive when able. Driving is really not a money saver for us. With the price of gas and cost of hotels and food, it probably evens out to air travel, or at least comes close. I really do just prefer it.

We are really very lucky that Allison and Emily like it too. We play lots of "I spy" games, color with markers and crayons, listen to music, watch movies - NOT the driver, of course! We plan small fun stops for them and I pack a ton of stuff, to eat, drink, and play. Then, we will hit the hotel pool when we stop for the night. It is definitely something to look forward to each day on the road.

We are going to Connecticut to visit family and friends, New Hampshire to visit my brother and his family, and New York to vacation at Lake George. (All this, from the starting point of home, in Texas.) Then, we are home for 3 weeks in July, 1 week in August, then, we go to North Carolina for 3 weeks. This summer will be a busy one.


(random pic of emily to break up all this text.. Allie took this one too!)

I put my Etsy Shop on vacation, thinking that I will re-open in July. But, I wonder what is the point of listing and re-listing, if I have to take it off again in August. I know it is only 20 cents to list, wait - is that right? Anyway.. but 20 cents is 20 cents, am I right? If I do wait until September, I will have a LOT to list, so that is happy!

maybe I will just focus on a shop re-launch when the kids go to school in September and I will have -gasp- dare I say it - some time alone to myself 2 times a week every week! Yes! Emily will be starting preschool, so both my kiddos will be in school! Craziness!! (But, Yes, that blog post will be coming - wait for it - in September - when I talk about how hard that day was, to leave both my children at school - but, then, a week later, I will be over it, right?) ah.. my little girls.

Oh, I digress.. what was I saying?



Oh, and here I am with jack.. we are going to miss him on our journey, as he is staying at his favorite kennel.. I will just have to give him big hugs when we return. And take him for a nice long run!

Take Care now.. see you in July!

Kristin

Emily is THREE

I had a really fun birthday. We had cake.

and I was a fairy. We had plenty of kid games, and a pinata, and a pool, and cake, did I mention cake?

Then, we went to the beach. My sister was so excited.

It was beautiful. I could close my eyes and imagine myself there now. My Mom couldn't stop but think about what the coastline, miles and miles east of where we were, was going through. The oil spill - it is a thought that is constantly on my Mom's mind. It is just devastating.

My Mom couldn't stop hugging me, she can't believe I am three.

My Dad loves to play with us in the water. And he makes us laugh every time.

We saw a big shark. He looks mean, but he was actually really nice, we walked right into his mouth and he didn't even shut it on us.

We went to a restaurant and had a lot of fun. There was a man playing guitar, lots of Jack Johnson covers, my Mom liked that a lot.

We went on a dolphin sightseeing boat trip.

and we saw dolphins. They came right up to the boat.

Now, we are back home for a little bit anyway. We are heading off on another trip soon. Until then, Mom hopes to be able to make more art for her Etsy Shop, as it has been awhile since she listed anything, and she is beyond sure she is quite buried in the searches. This is what she last listed: Cursive Love


Love.. it is in the air!