Snow Snow Not AGAIN!!!!!!!!

 

snow snow not again..... from htothe3 on Vimeo.

As promised, but decided to do it as a separate post

We Did It! ~ We Made It ~ 4 Hours Down & Here To Talk About It

The benefit of living close to Bean's maternal and paternal grandparents is: we rarely take LONG road trips. To clarify, in the Htothe3 family, we define anything over 2 1/2 hours as a long car ride. That being said, when we went to PA to visit Mr. Man’s brother and friends of ours, which was 4 hours away, I was NOT a happy camper.

Many of you are probably shaking your heads, since in the grand scheme of things 4 hours isn’t really that long, but we have gotten so used to everything being no more than 2 1/2 hours from us. What is so funny about this outlook is, when Mr. Man and I were dating we lived in Washington, DC. We used to take 6 hour plus weekend road trips to visit his parents lake house in the Catskill Mountains without thinking twice. We did it often and we LOVED our time in the car. Maybe it’s old age (LOL), but I HATE being stuck in the car.

My biggest fear of this trip, especially since we have never gone 4 hours with Bean, was how she was going to react. Obviously, she wasn’t going to take a 4 hour nap, so I could plan on half of the trip being a nap, but what was I going to do with her for the other half. Plan was to stuff the front of the car with toys and push them over to keep her entertained. Glad to report the planned worked…..every time I pushed one over she would laugh. We did have some melt downs, but we made it.

The BEST part of the trip was the joy on Bean’s face while she played with her cousins. As I shared in my the simple woman’s daybook entry on Tuesday “joy through the eyes of a child for me defines the joy in simple things.” This outweighs the the sacrifice of the 4 hours. Being able to watch Bean interact and appreciate the company of her cousins was the greatest gift.

Here are some pictures from the weekend:

Travels with the Htothe3 family VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The Simple Woman’s Daybook - #1

One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to add The Simple Woman’s Daybook (aka Peggy) posts to Health, Happiness, Hamstrings. This simple act also times into my wish to live authentically. I was fortunate to come across this on the blog gidget goes home written by Nicole. Check out her blog, the emphasis as she says “finding contentment in daily life” is something I am striving towards this year.

Outside my window... the sun is beginning to set

I am thinking... I can’t wait to go home and see Bean. I miss her.

I am thankful for... my family, my friends, but most importantly, the life Mr. Man and I are creating.

From the kitchen... great news : I don’t have to worry about my kitchen tonight.My parents are coming to see Bean tonight. They are bringing dinner.

I am wearing...jeans and a sweater. My favorite combo.

I am creating...a new focus for myself.

I am going...good question. Depends how you look at it. In 10 minutes, home.

I am reading...one of the Booking it in 2011 book: Mansfield Park, Jane Austin.

I am hoping...I get the hang of writing these

I am hearing...annoying conversations in the other room. No comment.

One of my favorite things...finding the joy in simple things. Wish I did it more often.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Learn Lean Lean!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Joy through the eyes of a child for me defines the joy in simple things.

Nicole, thank you for pointing me in the direction of this wonderful way of looking at one day.

Health, Happiness, Hamstrings New Year’s Resolutions- - (in no particular order)

 

The New Year is a great time to reflect and set goals. I strongly believe that New Year’s Resolutions should be a work in progress and  be reviewed and adjusted as time progresses. Here are some of mine:

~ To live authentically.

~ Be mindful of some of the basics I need in my daily life.

~Add the simple woman’s daybook posts to Health, Happiness, Hamstrings.

~Commit to blogging twice a week - but realistic that other commitments may get in the way.

~Join Booking It in 2011 – but only read as much as I can- no pressure to finish what I  can’t

~Compile family recipes and get the stories behind these recipes.

- MORE TO COME-

Happy New Year!!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!

 

~~~2011~~~

Mr. Man, Bean & I wish you a Happy & Healthy New Year.