Archive for the ‘blogging’ Category

So yeah, I took a year hiatus from blogging. No warning, I was terrible at it anyway. Figured if I walked away from it for awile the novelty would come back again. I’ve continued to read those that I follow so that I was still up-to-date. I k now my year off probably cost me some readers and it’ll take awhile for anyone to gain confindence in me that they’ll come to my blog and see a new post. Considering in 2010 I made all of three posts. But I’m refreshed, confident and in reading my favorite blogs, realized I missed it and needed to really concentrate on building mine back up again.

So, what happened here at the shack over the last 12 months? Well I’ll try and recap in the most minimal way possible.

April 2010

After the trip to my sisters in the last post, really all you have to do is scroll back to the last post and you’ll see where we were last year. But I digress. So after that trip we began to enjoy the Spring. Got the kids outside. And after spending much of our entire tax return on mortgage payments and repairs over 2 months time, we put our rental house out there to be rented once again. And my best friend had her 2nd child, a boy. Nathan. He is adorable.

May 2010

May was a good month. We found a tenant for our rental house, no more double mortgage payments. Weather was beautiful, I love how gorgeous my azalia bush is when it blooms. Mother’s day always has me showered with lots of love from my boys and my husband. I also helped chaperone Gavin’s class field trip to the Detroit Zoo.

June 2010

June was a special time for me. I was able to attend my birthson’s graduation commencements. I was very proud and happy to be there.

July 2010

July, more specifically, July 4th, is when we take our family summer vacation. This was probably my favorite yet over the years. My cousin had a mini-family reunion at his cabin in up north Michigan. It was so much fun. Picnicking, bonfires, smores, fireworks, swimming at the lake, camping, pitching tents, star gazing, walking in the open fields. Everyone had so much fun. From there we went to Boyne Mountain where we stayed at Avalanche Bay Waterpark.

July was also Blake & Brady’s 3rd birthday. We had a big backyard carnival and celebrated with lots of close family and friends.

August 2010

August included our end of the summer, “last hurrah” trip to my sisters. It’s the final trip out to see her until the following Spring (which for 2011 is just before Easter). Gavin also started the new hockey season. And we just ejoyed the final lazy days of summer.

September 2010

Had a fun visit with my birthson and his family where Blake & Brady had their first boat ride. Gavin started the 3rd grade. And Dave and I had a date night with his dad and wife to celebrate Dave’s final birthday in his 30’s.

October 2010

I had a reunion with some old friends from high school. These gals were my best friends and it was the first time in over 20 years that the four of us were together in one place again. We had a few trips to the local cider mill. Spent an afternoon at Henry Ford Estate where we took our family Christmas card photo. And then of course there’s Halloween.

November 2010

We took a little weekend get-away, just the 5 of us. We went to Splash Village in Frankenmuth. Gavin and I went to a Detroit Red Wings game with his hockey team. Thanksgiving was nice at my in-laws, and we put up our Christmas Tree.

December 2010

Highlights of December of course being all the Christmas activities and gatherings. Gingerbread houses. Christmas parties. Cookie baking. Santa, and finally New Years Eve. There was also the Big Chill at the Big House. Mighigan vs. Michigan State hockey. Dave refereed a couple high school games in the days leading up the the big game. He took Gavin with him to experience what truly is a spectical in what is called “The Big House.”

January 2011

My oldest son turned 23. Gavin attended a goalie school clinic. And Blake & Brady finally got real boy haircuts. I hated cutting their long hair, but it was about time.

February 2011

The worst winter happened all in one month. Too much snow. I heard somewhere that at one point, 49 states had some form of snow. Gavin turned 8yrs old. He and I went to his school dance. He looked so handsome. We also took a Winter weekend get-away. Went to Splash Bay in Maumee, OH for a couple nights.

March 2011

For an early Mother’s Day gift, my adorable husband purchased for me the digital SLR camera that I have been wanting for so long. I literally about cried when he said, “you deserve it, make it happen.” I’m loving it! Still learning the ropes, but I’ll catch on fast. Most recently I got to spend St. Patrick’s Day afternoon with one of my best friends enjoying some green beer and Irish fun.

There you have it. The last 12 months.

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Okay, after sitting here eyeballing my keyboard for the last 3 minutes, I’m finally going to make some keystrokes. Writers block sucks. I could once again sit here and type about how much of a horrible blogger I am. I could apologize again for not posting more often. And I could promise, again, that I will get better at this.I.promise.

The time I find to blog is, most often, after the rest of the house is deep in slumber. I’ll sit on the couch after having watched my tv shows I DVR’d, glance at the clock and think, to blog or not to blog. I’m so tired at that point that all I really want to do is just sink deep into my pillow and drift off. I’ll tell myself, I’ve got nothing interesting to write about. How do other moms find the time or even the leftover brain energy to get creative with what they post?

While I’m on that subject, lets go further. Moms that scrapbook, sew, quilt, you know the ones.. those crafty moms. Where the heck do they drum up the time or energy for such extra curricular activities? My boys, including twin toddlers I might add, keep me going all day long. Not to mention the laundry, the cleaning, the cooking, hell.. I can’t even remember the last time I picked up my toilet brush and put it to it’s intended use. Will that time come? Will I ever be able to even think of organizing my 1st floor bathroom linen closet? Or even catch up on the twins baby books?

I get so frustrated lately. I’m, well I used to be anyway, a perfectionist. I like things just so. No wonder I can’t get my 6yr old to do any chores, I can barely do them myself. How the heck are my children going to learn to appreciate the comfort of a well maintained home if I can’t find the time to make it that way. For pete’s sake, my 6yr old will open a snack and just literally throw the wrapper on his bedroom floor. Then he’ll take the scissors and cut it up into tiny little pieces and toss them on his floor. I can’t get him to respect his toys. It’s as if he doesn’t care. And I blame myself, because I can’t teach him. I just don’t have the fricken time!!!

In other news.. I met this woman at the last mom of twins meeting. Her art I’m dying to learn. She is amazing! Can’t wait to take one of her classes.

I’m going to have to start walking around with a pad of paper strung around my neck.  All weekend long funny or quirky moments would happen and in the back of my mind I’d think “I’ve got to blog this.”  But when the keyboard is beneath my fingers, nothing. I can’t remember a darn thing.

Was an uneventful weekend. Saturday Gavin got to go to a pool party with his grandma. That left Dave, the twins and I. Most of the day was pretty lazy. Not that I can really have a lazy day with twin toddlers running around. Sunday was a bit more productive. Finally got a second crib up in the babies room.  Not that either crib is being used, but they’re there. Eventually I’ll muster up the courage to transistion the twins from co-bedding with me on a mattress on the floor. Oh I’m sure that will be a good blogging week. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, check out this cute video of my neice I just posted on my YouTube channel.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpEetBccVzc]