Beach Bum

For the first time in nine years, I have taken vacation in August.  Like the middle of August.  It's so foreign to me.  In my previous job, we weren't allowed to take time off from mid-July through Labor Day because we were so busy.  I learned to just deal with it but in the back of my mind I always hated it.  It always felt like work stress kept me from enjoying half of my summer.  Our summer season up north is so short to begin with.

So when I started my new job, all I could think about was how different my summers were going to be.  I made sure to ask for time off both in July and August.  It has been wonderful.  Today, I went down to the beach at 10:30 in the morning...on a work day...in the middle of August.  So great!  I was alone, the water was calm, the sun was bright.  I had my favorite chair and a new book to read and I was in absolute heaven.

I am a beach bum.  Always have been.  I love sitting with my feet in the sand and reading.  And it's almost spiritual, the feeling of getting warmed up in the sun and then dunking in the ice cold water of the lake.  It recharges me.  It takes away stress and makes me feel like everything's going to be okay.

We Live Where People Vacation

Jussayin...

Backyard Additions

I got this guy this weekend at the Outback Art Fair.  I go every year and had seen him there for the past couple of years.  It was time he came home with me.  

Thanks to NieNie Dialogues, I heard about this etsy shop.  I finally bought one and will probably start to collect them and give as gifts.  Piggy & Dirt

Cedar Point 2014

Our second trip of the year was to Cedar Point.  My kids have never been there.  Well, my daughter has technically but she was only two weeks old in my belly and I didn't know she was there yet.  Hahaha!  Probably why she rode everything without fear.

It was really fun to have all the cousins spend time together.  We usually don't take more than one trip a year; hell, we sometimes don't take any.  But we decided that our kids aren't getting any younger and memories have to be made so the to-do list will have to wait.  It was worth it.  There were more smiles and laughing than complaining and pouting.  This is huge considering we (four adults and 6 kids) spent 14 hours at the park the first day and 12 hours there the second.  They're already talking about the next trip.