Florida

The week before last, Quentin and I took a trip to Naples, FL, with his family.  My brother-in-law had a speaking engagement at a Psychiatry Conference, so the rest of us spent some good, qualilty time together.

 Most days, we hung out at the pool or beach until dinner time; then back to our hotel to get ready for the evening.

It was fun to see the changes in my niece and nephew since our trip with them last year, to Marco Island. Last year, my niece, in particular, much preferred the pool area, and was intimidated by the ocean. Not this year, though, she loves the ocean!

                                                               As does my nephew....

I spent a lot of time at the pool, and had a few "pink elephants"..... delicious!

Most evenings were spent going out to dinner, with the prerequisite that the restaurants have "buttered noodles" and "cheeseburgers" on the children's menu. We made a stop at Spin Frozen Yogurt, where they had carousel cookies as a topping option - I hadn't had those since I was really young. So much for the diet, but it was really tasty.

The last night, Q and I went to dinner... just the two of us. Of course, this was also last minute (this is a theme with us!) We weren't able to get into the restaurants that we preferred to go to, and didn't want to wait forever, so we ended up going to a bar and grill type restaurant. I guess it's not where you go, but who you're with...we had fun.

The last day, we decided as a group, to take an air boat tour in the Everglades....fun.

I love this dorky picture of Q and me with our big headphones on....to drown out the noise of the air boat.

We were able to see some alligators close up .....

Overall, Florida was a success, and we made some great memories. It was also a relief to know that our Daisy was having fun at home with the dog sitter, Ashley, while we were gone.  I was sent this cute picture as proof!

Looking forward to our next Florida vacation.....

First Post

I am very excited to be writing my first post. At first, when I started to consider writing a blog, I wondered what I would write about. I guess that is the beauty of it, though, it will all depend on my mood and what the focus is of that day.

Today, I have been thinking about how thankful I am for so many different reasons. I have a few relatives right now, who are struggling with various health concerns, and are doing this so gracefully. I find the strength that people have to be so amazing. I find myself preoccupied at times with concern over various aches or pains, and I am so thankful for the people around me who remind me to live each day to the fullest (They don't even realize that they have this effect).

I left my job as a Social Worker in a long term care facility last April, and that job was good for me in so many ways. I've felt, as long back as I can remember, that I wouldn't be fulfilled unless I was somehow making a difference and helping others. I have always had a soft spot for older adults, and am aware of the difficulties that one faces as they get older. I thought that if I could somehow make that transition a bit easier for people,  I would be fulfilled. There were days that definitely filled my heart, when I felt that I was making someone else's day more bearable, but there were of course those days where I felt there was nothing I could do to help a Resident.

 I knew that I would choose to leave when I was pregnant, but my husband and I decided to take the time now to do some traveling before we get pregnant. So, this extra time on my hands has definitely given me more time to "think." My life is in transition right now. Almost all of my friends have children, as do many 33 year olds. I love, love, love my coffee and lunch dates, but am unable to identify with what is such a major part of their lives right now. I look forward to being able to identify.