Saturday, July 28, 2012

Too much time on my hands & Beach Memories

Yeah.

Sure.

How many moms have you ever heard say that they have too much time on their hands?

Is it any wonder I've got too much time on my hands?
Ticking away with my sanity
I've got too much time on my hands
It's hard to believe such a calamity
I've got too much time on my hands
And it's ticking away - ticking away from me

Do you even remember that song by STYX?  I LOVED STYX!!!!  (Just showed my age, yet again.  Damnit.  I hate when I do that…Don’t let it end…I’m beggin’ you don’t let it end this waaaaaaayyyyy)  I digress. 

I’ve not written in a while.  Normal for me during the summer.  Especially now with work (soccer).  It’s kept me busy.  Which is good – no complaints. I work for some great folks…between Daddy and the Soccer Guys – I really do enjoy WORK!

We had the Annual FAMILY beach trip.  NAGS HEAD  2012. 

I decided to NOT post from the beach….just added time away (even for a few minutes) that I could spend with the Hubby or the Kids. 

And  I had 7, yes, SEVEN kids with me. Just me (and Hubs).  SEVEN KIDS.  Four that are MINE (and Hubs) and 3 that were our responsibility.  So as far as I was concerned they were MINE.   So plus all the rest of the FAMILY…that made a lot of dang people for me to count.  I think we ran an average of 12 kids (again, 7 mine) for the week.

Oh and my lame butt cousin Lea has a baby that she NEVER brought down to the beach!!!  And don’t cha know I am going to bust on her for it…wanna know why…oh cause sweet baby boy is almost 6 months old….and she DIDN’T BRING HIM TO THE BEACH…  who is this I see on the beach???

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Oh wait..I think I know the answer to that question…THAT is my youngest-wittle-baby-boy (back in 2009)- born at 28 weeks- weighing 2 lbs 12 oz -had only been home from the hospital for 4 weeks-when we took him to the beach-weighing in at 5 pounds ish…

oh yeah..So, COUSIN LEA, why you would deprive your sweet boy DAYTON the first trip to the sand….WRONG WRONG WRONG.   We will NOT let him forget that his toesies DID NOT touch the sand on his first damn family nags head vacation.  You can explain that to him later.  I’m sure it will be a session or two for him to work out in therapy.

(DISCLAIMER – Lea and her Hubby, Solo, were in the process of trying to coordinate a move to the dang beach and really were super crazy busy.  But if I don’t bust on her…who will? Oh wait – yeah, the rest of this crazy family..)

Back to the numbers of the folks at the beach..Plus the adults…I think we were consistently….22 adults?   So kids, plus adults, we were a good 34 ish this year.  One of our smaller years.    

As you may recall, each year I make a video from the pictures at the beach.  And it really is neat – I started it in 2005…to watch the “old movies” and see how much the kids have grown…and our dear sweet family members who are now longer with us – to see them and the fun that we had….it’s neat…

I’m waiting on Holly to send me her pictures from this year so I can make the NAGS HEAD 2012 video….but for now….if my regular blog music is on…turn it off on the bottom of the page and walk down memory lane with me…

Nags Head 2005….

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I love the 2005 one.  The music is just GOOD Smile  Taking you Home by Don Henley is one of my all time favorite songs.  Yes, I spend more time trying to find the perfect songs than I do messing with pictures.  (It was also my summer of blond hair.)

Then there’s Nags Head 2006. 

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Nags Head 2006 was a hoot.  Brag moment, the little red tops that all the girls wear – with the hair bows-I made them.  I was insistent that they have them!  Thought they turned out so cute.  The hoot part is that we started this vacation over at Uncle Billy and Aunt Marty’s cottage on the sound– and they old men taught the young guys how to play strip poker.  Now, let me tell ya, this was the farthest thing from perverted.  We were all there and laughing hysterically!  It was our 2nd year at “Fancy That” – one of our favorite cottages. 

Nags Head 2007

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Pootie hates the Jessica Simpson song that I used for 2007.  I love it.  Now, 2007 is a tough one for the family to watch.  It was our last year with Uncle Billy.  I am so glad we have this to see him smiling….and at a place he loved…the beach with his family!  He was the epitome of a camp counselor and if he could organize a game of “who can eat the piece of white bread the fastest” he would…and did…lots!  We made this year a two week vacation – staying a small cottage then going over to “the big cottage”….In hindsight, it was one of the best gifts we could all give heach other.  One last time all together.  Yes, it was extra time off work.  But it was worth it.  It really is fun being in Nags Head that long.  Oh and we were there for the 4th of July – Lola’s bday!  She loves that!!!

Nags Head 2008

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My Daddy does not like the black and white format I used.  I got bored and wanted to mix it up that year.  And I told him when he does his vidoes he can make them anyway he wants to!  OH YEAH – that’s right, HE DOESN’T MAKE THEM – I do!!!!  I think this was the last year that my brother got to come to the beach.   It was also the last summer with Grandmother Doris.  Bless her, she did not want to miss a single moment and loved to sit in the shade and watch the kids play!

Nags Head 2009

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Again, it’s a crazy video creation.  I get bored!  And as the creator, I get to do what I want!  This was a neat year – ummmm  I had a BABY!  A tiny baby!  SURPRISE!  His sweet little self was suppose to come 2 weeks before the planned vacation…instead…he came THREE months before.  We got him home about 4 weeks before we made the trek.  Oh and I had to have surgery 4 days before – the whole retarded uterus thing.   It was wonderful and everyone was super excited to see him!  Oh – the construction that you see in some of the shots, that was the new pier being built at Nags Head.  It was AWESOME to watch! 

Nags Head 2010

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Creative license became a theme obviously.  Nope, Daddy doesn’t like the sepia anymore than he liked the black and white.  This was another two week vacation that included July 4th.  I love the songs in this one too!  We were at the Paradise Found cottage, so again, you can see the pier under construction.  One of my all time favorite pictures of Hubby and Bubba are in here – bet you can spot it. 

Nags Head 2011

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Yes my Bubba had long blond girls on his head!  Gosh he has grown so much!  All of them have…cracks me up looking at HOW MUCH!  As soon as HollyBeth gets her butt in gear and gets me the last set of “goodbye” pictures I’ll get 2012 done.

I’ll give you a preview ….I actually didn’t do a very good job of taking lots of pictures.  Do you know some years I’ve taken 500 pictures!  How crazy is that?   

It’s the end of July and I hate thinking that the summer is almost over.  I love having the kids home and I am not ready for the craziness of school!  Lola heads off to middle school this year – Crash will be in 8th and Pootie in 10th.  Bubba will still be home with me.

So enjoy the last bit of SUMMER!  Enjoy and embrace your FAMILY!  I love mine, as crazy as they are, and I’m very thankful for the memories that we’ve created together.  

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

What do you think?

Interesting discussions have come up at my house the past couple of days.  Long story, with many parts, but the THEME is What “drives” you?  what drives you to do what you do?  And this can apply to anything – your job, your lifestyle, your hobbies, your choices on parenting, marriage, etc…

Do you totally LOVE what you do?

You feel needed in doing what you do and you need to feel needed?

You find “joy” in being right, and need to feel to right?

You need to check off the DONE box?

It’s your “dream”, your “ideal”, what you “love” and doing XYZ brings you joy, peace and love?

Was just chatting with the HUBBY and I had to HONESTLY state why I felt so driven to get something done…(for part time job)…and I said honestly “I want to be right”. 

I honestly NEED to show that “I/we” are correct about something.  I feel like we are in a DAVID and GOLIATH situation and going to be picked off…so my fight to be RIGHT (as in correct) in what I state, write, show, drives me even more.