Our Adventure called Life

My skin has turned a reddish brown, speckled by freckles that only return after a little time in the sun.  Sand from our morning at the beach has taken up residence in my sun dried ocean blown hair. I sit on the very balcony that I've relaxed on since birth, my eyes squinting against the sun as I look over the tops of palm trees and into the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Mexico.  1982-Me (standing) with Rhea and Grandma It's a moment I never saw happening. The condo my grandparents used to bring us to yearly now have the laughter of our children bouncing off the walls.  I haven't stayed here since before Scott and I said "I do," 7 years ago.  Between the fast pace of time passing and vacationing in other locations, returning to St Petersburg hadn't been a priority, until now.  Yesterday we filled the car with gas and luggage and began the 13 hour drive south.  The kids were entertained with "prizes" every few hours and a movie or two.  S...

Good Morning!! The first morning after a travel day is rough, especially if you don't get a good nights rest.  My brain was over thinking the events of the following day which kept me from having the best sleep.  Paisley had ski school the following morning at 8:45 and I was fairly nervous.  This was his first day on skis, with an instructor he/we've never met, with kids he's never met, and we're in another county.  I can't tell you how many times I questioned if this was a good idea.  Luckily, Paisley was extremely excited and we had talked through the details as much as we possibly could.  The next morning, Paisley hopped out of bed and wanted to get his snow pants on immediately. Fueling Up We fixed breakfast from the convenience of our kitchenette and had everyone bundled in snow clothes and out the door on time.  We found the Whistler Kids area and signed in.  Paisley got to meet one of the instructors and went over a check list of...

Our little travelers As our 9th annual ski trip was in the planning phase, there was some interest in hopping the boarder and skiing in Whistler, Canada.  Accommodations were a little trickier than normal as there aren't a lot of VRBO's up for rental near the ski area.  We settled on a hotel room with a kitchenette, renewed our passports and waited on our departure date. The boys We flew out of the airport near our home, while a little more expensive, saved us a couple hours in the car with little people whom were already facing a long travel day.  Armed with snacks, prizes and coloring books, we boarded our flight and headed to Chicago! Discussing runway activity After boarding the plane from Chicago to Vancouver, we were mildly nervous there wasn't a movie screen on this flight.  We had planned on the kids being entertained on the 4+ hour flight with a movie  or two.  Luckily, the time flew (literally) and the items we brought were enough t...

In May I had the honor of Skyping into The Today Show and being the fan of the week during Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb's hour.  I answered their question correctly and won a trip for 2 to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Scott and I wanted to wait until mid-west winter weather was upon us before we traveled south for a little fun in the sun! Sun down wheels up We settled on a post-Thanksgiving, Pre-Christmas vacation.  The kids were under the care of their grandparents and Scott and I drove to Nashville to catch our flight.  It was an evening flight that allowed us to watch the sunset while the twinkling lights of the cities below to come to life. Welcome! We drove to our hotel, the Fort Lauderdale Mattiott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa.  Christmas lights illuminated the palm trees and we could hear the roar of the ocean as we walked inside to check-in.  The staff was incredibly friendly and upgraded us to a room with an enormous balcony! ...

Wyoming.  The state that was my home for a short time.  The state in which I wed my husband.  The state that calls me back, speaking to my heart, the mountain air speaking to my lungs.  Like an addiction, I think about it, long for it, aching to put my feet on the trails that scar the mountainside. Scott mentioned in the early part of 2016 that we needed to get back to Wyoming.  We hadn't been there since our wedding in 2010 and it was time to introduce our children to our favorite piece of land. As summer came to end and we looked for a fall escape, our eyes landed on the western part of the states.  Plane tickets were booked and room accommodations were made.  The mountains had called and we were on our way. As our plane landed on the tiny runway of Jackson Hole, the bright yellow aspen dotted the landscape in every direction.  The mountains rose up towards the heavens shining brightly in the sun.  And there with my little famil...

When our group decided on Big Sky Ski Resort in Montana for our trip this year, I felt butterflies in my stomach.  I was going to be reunited with one of my true loves....the Rocky Mountains. Breathe it in Why is it that when I'm in the west I feel so "at home."  I only spent a few years living the high altitude life, yet it just feels right.  We left the kids with family and Scott and I hopped a plane with some friends westward bound. The home we rented was spacious enough that we weren't on top of one another and also granted us access to the private Moonlight Club (more on that later!).  The room Scott and I stayed in had a Sleep Number bed and I'm now convinced that we NEED one of those (I set my # on 100 for those of you that have one!).  I'm not sure I'll ever sleep the same after this!   Kissing my husband for the first time in Montana Weather-wise our timing was perfect.  Our drive thru the canyon to Big Sky was clear as can be. ...