Friday, March 28, 2008
A Day With My Girls
What a great way to end our Spring break week! The weather was perfect: sunny and about 72 degrees. Although I have been dealing with sickness (...again...), I fought through it and we went to OC for the afternoon. We bought our half-price amusement tickets for the summer. We walked along the boardwalk. We ate Mack's pizza for lunch (of course!). And we played on the beach. On the way home, we stopped for ice cream at McDonalds. Then went for a bike ride on the bike path and played outside some more. I LOVE this weather!! We actually had to drop our sweatshirts off in the car because it was so warm. Oh and check out the girls in their new 'shades' heehee!
Firefly Lane
Firefly Laneby Kristin Hannah
Published in 2008. 496 pages.
Firefly Lane
What its about (taken from amazon.com): In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the “coolest girl in the world” moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all---beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer’s end they’ve become TullyandKate. Inseparable.
Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, Firefly Lane is the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives.
For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship---jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they’ve survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart . . . and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test.
My thoughts about this book: I love to read about women's friendships. So, knowing that before reading this review should help you put it into perspective. I considered this a fairly quick read for it's size. By the end, it reminded me a lot of the movie 'Beaches'. I thought it was neat how the book is divided by centuries. Each title is a popular song of that time: The Seventies=Dancing Queen; The Eighties=Love is a Battlefield; The Nineties=I'm Every Woman; The New Millennium=A Moment Like This. I think most readers will be able to relate more to either Kate or Tully (for me it was totally Kate). But you feel close to these characters. I cared what happened to them. I think this could be listed as a top 2008 Beach Read. Not deep, you don't really learn anything from it, it's just an enjoyable read.
When I finished it: March 25, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
First Easter in NJ!
So we woke up early Sunday morning and saw that the Easter bunny had come and left baskets for each of the girls! How exciting!
Then we went to 9:30am church service. The girls loved being all dressed up in their new fancy Easter dresses! We came home for a short little nap, then drove to Ocean City to our friend's house by 2:30pm.
First, we went out to the beach for an Easter egg hunt. I felt like we were living our dream, being out on the beach like that. What a cool way to spend our first Easter in NJ! Everyone had a blast, it was so much fun.
Once we got back to the house, dinner was served. It was delicious! After a weekend of being spoiled with great food like that, it will be an adjustment to go back to our 'regular' home cooking! :)
After dinner, the kids all played together and we were able to enjoy some adult conversation by the fireplace. Very nice. By the time we got home, we were exhausted and it was another early-to-bed night!
What a super weekend. I feel so blessed!
Then we went to 9:30am church service. The girls loved being all dressed up in their new fancy Easter dresses! We came home for a short little nap, then drove to Ocean City to our friend's house by 2:30pm.
First, we went out to the beach for an Easter egg hunt. I felt like we were living our dream, being out on the beach like that. What a cool way to spend our first Easter in NJ! Everyone had a blast, it was so much fun.
Once we got back to the house, dinner was served. It was delicious! After a weekend of being spoiled with great food like that, it will be an adjustment to go back to our 'regular' home cooking! :)
After dinner, the kids all played together and we were able to enjoy some adult conversation by the fireplace. Very nice. By the time we got home, we were exhausted and it was another early-to-bed night!
What a super weekend. I feel so blessed!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Trip to PA last weekend
Sorry I've been kind of MIA this week...the girls have off school for Spring Break, which is keeping me busier than I could imagine! Here is my belated weekend update!
Friday
We left home around 9am and drove to PA. Arrived at Coventry Mall by 11am. Met Anita (mother-in-law) there. Holly (Boochy) was there, so we met up with her and she spent the day with us also. We shopped at:
Ate McDonalds lunch in the food court. Got Easter dresses, swimsuits, sunglasses, shoes & flip flops, shorts, capris, tops! Very nice and successful day.
Then we drove to Argento's for an early dinner with the Gilbertsville gang at 4pm. Unfortunately the girl that organized the get-together couldn't come because her son was sick. But there were at least 20 of us there! It was great to see everyone, most of whom I havent seen since we moved. And Kaitlyn was in heaven spending time with her 'best friend' Jennifer. I cant believe how much all of the kids have grown in just 6-7 months! Wow, time flies when you're having fun ;)
After dinner, the girls and I drove to Anita & Carl's. Boochy came along too just to stop in for a visit. We were so excited to see them and Ryan too! It was amazing to see Ry Guy walking all over and that mouthful of teeth! Carl had gotten a fish aquarium from a friend and had spent the day getting it set up. Unfortunately, after filling it with 60 gallons of water, there was a leak. So he had to drain the whole thing to fix it. We were thinking we could go pick out fish for it, but the fish tank didn't cooperate with that! We were all pretty wiped out, so it was an early night. The girls kept asking if they could go to bed! We set up sleeping bags and pillows on Ryan's bedroom floor and all of the kids crashed in there (Ryan in his crib of course!)
Saturday
When we woke up, we realized the Easter Bunny had come a day early to their house! He left baskets for Ryan and the girls - and ME! I havent gotten an Easter basket in YEARS. What a way to make a girl feel special :)
Carl made a delicious breakfast for us, which we all devoured - there were no leftovers! Then we worked on making Chocolate Peanut Butter candy eggs. This was a first for us and we enjoyed licking the spoons ... yummy!
Anita and I took the 5 kids for a walk and stopped at a store around the corner from them. It was a beautiful sunny day.
Then Carl & Anita offered to watch my girls so I could have some time alone. That was awesome! It is rare that anyone offers that to me :) So I went shopping at some of my favorite places in the area (that we don't have here in NJ). Boochy came and met up with me and we had a nice time.
By the time I got back to their house, dinner was ready. WOW, it was a lot of great food! I told them I would weigh 500 pounds if I lived with them! Then we tried some of the Peanut butter eggs (yummy!) They also had cake for dessert...check out Ryan's cake face:
Anita really wanted us to spend another night (and I wanted to too), but I knew it was in my best interest to get the girls home. I figured we had to go to church and the Easter bunny had to come here, plus Tim was coming home that night. So, we loaded up the car - where did all that stuff come from! heehee And I was off on the loooong drive home. OK, so it wasn't THAT long, but when driving alone with the 4 girls, it feels like forever sometimes. It really only took like an hour and a half. The girls watched a movie then fell asleep. We got home, unloaded the car and went to bed. Tim didn't get home till almost 12midnight.
Easter update to follow... :)
Friday
We left home around 9am and drove to PA. Arrived at Coventry Mall by 11am. Met Anita (mother-in-law) there. Holly (Boochy) was there, so we met up with her and she spent the day with us also. We shopped at:
Ate McDonalds lunch in the food court. Got Easter dresses, swimsuits, sunglasses, shoes & flip flops, shorts, capris, tops! Very nice and successful day.
Then we drove to Argento's for an early dinner with the Gilbertsville gang at 4pm. Unfortunately the girl that organized the get-together couldn't come because her son was sick. But there were at least 20 of us there! It was great to see everyone, most of whom I havent seen since we moved. And Kaitlyn was in heaven spending time with her 'best friend' Jennifer. I cant believe how much all of the kids have grown in just 6-7 months! Wow, time flies when you're having fun ;)
After dinner, the girls and I drove to Anita & Carl's. Boochy came along too just to stop in for a visit. We were so excited to see them and Ryan too! It was amazing to see Ry Guy walking all over and that mouthful of teeth! Carl had gotten a fish aquarium from a friend and had spent the day getting it set up. Unfortunately, after filling it with 60 gallons of water, there was a leak. So he had to drain the whole thing to fix it. We were thinking we could go pick out fish for it, but the fish tank didn't cooperate with that! We were all pretty wiped out, so it was an early night. The girls kept asking if they could go to bed! We set up sleeping bags and pillows on Ryan's bedroom floor and all of the kids crashed in there (Ryan in his crib of course!)
Saturday
When we woke up, we realized the Easter Bunny had come a day early to their house! He left baskets for Ryan and the girls - and ME! I havent gotten an Easter basket in YEARS. What a way to make a girl feel special :)
Carl made a delicious breakfast for us, which we all devoured - there were no leftovers! Then we worked on making Chocolate Peanut Butter candy eggs. This was a first for us and we enjoyed licking the spoons ... yummy!
Anita and I took the 5 kids for a walk and stopped at a store around the corner from them. It was a beautiful sunny day.
Then Carl & Anita offered to watch my girls so I could have some time alone. That was awesome! It is rare that anyone offers that to me :) So I went shopping at some of my favorite places in the area (that we don't have here in NJ). Boochy came and met up with me and we had a nice time.
By the time I got back to their house, dinner was ready. WOW, it was a lot of great food! I told them I would weigh 500 pounds if I lived with them! Then we tried some of the Peanut butter eggs (yummy!) They also had cake for dessert...check out Ryan's cake face:
Anita really wanted us to spend another night (and I wanted to too), but I knew it was in my best interest to get the girls home. I figured we had to go to church and the Easter bunny had to come here, plus Tim was coming home that night. So, we loaded up the car - where did all that stuff come from! heehee And I was off on the loooong drive home. OK, so it wasn't THAT long, but when driving alone with the 4 girls, it feels like forever sometimes. It really only took like an hour and a half. The girls watched a movie then fell asleep. We got home, unloaded the car and went to bed. Tim didn't get home till almost 12midnight.
Easter update to follow... :)
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Fantastic Weekend!
Believe it or not, I will be in bed before 9pm tonight! I am sooo tired! But I wanted to say...this weekend was super. Beyond words. So, I will give an update and lots of pictures tomorrow, but for now, here is one of our family on the beach today after the girls' Easter egg hunt. I hope you all had a great holiday weekend and look forward to hearing/reading all of your stories!!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Everything I Need to Know I Learned from the Easter Bunny
~ Don't put all of your eggs in one basket.
~ Walk softly and carry a big carrot.
~ Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.
~ There's no such thing as too much candy.
~ All work and no play can make you a basket case.
~ Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.
~ Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.
~ Some body parts should be floppy.
~ Keep your paws off other people's jellybeans.
~ Good things come in small sugar-coated packages.
~ The grass is always greener in someone else's basket.
~ To show your true colors you have to come out of your shell.
Taken from www.ircbeginner.com
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Busy Weekend Ahead!
This has been a busy week! Monday was St. Patrick's Day. All of the girls had to wear green to school. Tim and I were lucky enough to be able to attend the parties for both of the triplets' classes. First we went to Megan and Morgan's class where they sang songs and performed a skit about an 'Enormous Potato'. Then we had snack there. During snack, there was a fire drill. It was kind of funny, being a part of that with the kids.
Unfortunately, I didnt get a picture of Kaitlyn in her green :(
Morgan is towards the back of the line trying to pull out the potato!
Next, we ventured down to Madison's classroom where we had missed the singing part, but made it in time for snack!
After school, Kaitlyn and Madison had a play date at the same house. This family has a daughter in Kaitlyn's class and a daughter in Madison's class, so it really works out nicely. Their friends names are Marissa and Julianna.
Tuesday afternoon Kaitlyn had gymnastics. We also made the treats for Kaitlyn's Spring party scheduled for Wednesday. Then I had my girls night out which I posted about already. (FUN!)
Wednesday was Kaitlyn's class party and it was a Spring theme. Here are the treats we made for her party:
Today was another busy one. Tim is back on duty, so he had to go to the airport to work all day. I took the triplets to gymnastics from 9-10am, home to get changed and eat an early lunch, then took them to school by 11am (they went in early because they had Early Dismissal today). I picked up all four girls at 1:00pm and took them to the library for story hour. It was very nice. Myr friend invited us and I'm so glad she did. They read books, do a craft and have snack (all for FREE!) We left there around 2:45pm or so and went straight to Rita's for our FREE water ice! It wasnt as crowded as the Rita's in PA always were, unless we just got lucky.
This weekend is pretty busy too. Tomorrow I am meeting my mother-in-law in PA around 10am. We are going shopping and having lunch together. Then we have an early dinner planned where we are meeting up with all of our neighbors from the old neighborhood. That should be nice. We havent seen some of them since we moved. And Kaitlyn's best friend Jennifer will be there, so she is ecstatic! Tomorrow night we are having a sleep over at our friend's house (Anita & Carl) and we will get to see our little Ry Guy (aka Ryan)!
Saturday we will spend the day with Anita & Carl. They invited us to come up for an early Easter dinner. I think they also have some fun things planned, possibly a visit from the Easter Bunny and also making Peanut Butter chocolate eggs (yummy!)We will come home Saturday night.
Sunday morning - EASTER! We will go to church in the morning. Fingers crossed the Easter Bunny has time to get baskets ready for the girls! In the afternoon we are having dinner with friends of ours here in NJ - we are actually going to her parents' house in OC. And we will have an egg hunt on the beach - I dont know who is more excited, me or the girls!! lol Sunday evening, my cousin and her family are coming down to spend the night and we will have all day Monday together! whew...
This will be a busy Spring Break. I will post as often as I can, but it may be a few days! :) Enjoy your holiday weekend!!
Unfortunately, I didnt get a picture of Kaitlyn in her green :(
Morgan is towards the back of the line trying to pull out the potato!
Next, we ventured down to Madison's classroom where we had missed the singing part, but made it in time for snack!
After school, Kaitlyn and Madison had a play date at the same house. This family has a daughter in Kaitlyn's class and a daughter in Madison's class, so it really works out nicely. Their friends names are Marissa and Julianna.
Tuesday afternoon Kaitlyn had gymnastics. We also made the treats for Kaitlyn's Spring party scheduled for Wednesday. Then I had my girls night out which I posted about already. (FUN!)
Wednesday was Kaitlyn's class party and it was a Spring theme. Here are the treats we made for her party:
Today was another busy one. Tim is back on duty, so he had to go to the airport to work all day. I took the triplets to gymnastics from 9-10am, home to get changed and eat an early lunch, then took them to school by 11am (they went in early because they had Early Dismissal today). I picked up all four girls at 1:00pm and took them to the library for story hour. It was very nice. Myr friend invited us and I'm so glad she did. They read books, do a craft and have snack (all for FREE!) We left there around 2:45pm or so and went straight to Rita's for our FREE water ice! It wasnt as crowded as the Rita's in PA always were, unless we just got lucky.
This weekend is pretty busy too. Tomorrow I am meeting my mother-in-law in PA around 10am. We are going shopping and having lunch together. Then we have an early dinner planned where we are meeting up with all of our neighbors from the old neighborhood. That should be nice. We havent seen some of them since we moved. And Kaitlyn's best friend Jennifer will be there, so she is ecstatic! Tomorrow night we are having a sleep over at our friend's house (Anita & Carl) and we will get to see our little Ry Guy (aka Ryan)!
Saturday we will spend the day with Anita & Carl. They invited us to come up for an early Easter dinner. I think they also have some fun things planned, possibly a visit from the Easter Bunny and also making Peanut Butter chocolate eggs (yummy!)We will come home Saturday night.
Sunday morning - EASTER! We will go to church in the morning. Fingers crossed the Easter Bunny has time to get baskets ready for the girls! In the afternoon we are having dinner with friends of ours here in NJ - we are actually going to her parents' house in OC. And we will have an egg hunt on the beach - I dont know who is more excited, me or the girls!! lol Sunday evening, my cousin and her family are coming down to spend the night and we will have all day Monday together! whew...
This will be a busy Spring Break. I will post as often as I can, but it may be a few days! :) Enjoy your holiday weekend!!
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