Mommy Musings

I just back yesterday from a girls weekend down the shore.  It is the first time I've done such a thing, well, since Skip and I got married. A few of my girlfriends have been going down every year for the last few summers, but I was either pregnant, nursing a newborn, or dealing with some big family drama.  So I was so excited  to head down with them this year! We stayed in Point Pleasant, and headed down Saturday morning. Attempted a pic with my girls before I left...that went well The weather wasn't great at all, a little chilly and raining, but we wouldn't let it damper our spirits.  Three of us headed down in one car, and we met up with the other two girls.  Once we checked in, we spent the afternoon eating, relaxing, and exploring the town a little. I got in a quick run before we started getting ready to go out, and was amazed at just how flat it was down there!  Running would be so much easier if I didn't have to worry about hills and inclines like I ...

As we all know, I was a little nervous before Skip and I went to CA.  I imagined all the worst case scenarios.  I came close to cancelling the trip more than once. I am SO glad I didn't.  Because obviously  my worrying was for nothing.  Skip and I didn't die in a fiery plane crash and the girls didn't get sick and have to be hospitalized. But we more than just survived.  We thrived  with the experience, all of us.  The girls {while they did get sad} have some wonderful  memories of just being with my parents....ice cream desserts, early morning snuggles, silly dinner conversations.  Precious moments for the four of them.  The girls also learned that it's okay if Mommy and Daddy go away for a little while, they'll always come back. And Skip and I?  We had one of the best weekends in years .  While it was so awesome to spend some real quality time with family and friends, it was the little things that meant more.  The...

Skip and I were taking the red eye home Wednesday night, so while everyone else was leaving in the morning, we had the whole day to do some more exploring.  I didn't feel that great when I woke up in the morning, so I went back to bed while Skip got some breakfast at the hotel.  I finally got up and we were packed up and checked out by 11:00.  Our flight wasn't for another 12 hours...now what? First things first, we had  to check out the Pacific Coast Highway.  Skip and I have been talking about driving it in a convertible, for years.  I was so excited  to finally do it! Let me tell you, it is  worth all the hype.  I have never seen a more beautiful drive. There is something so captivating about the mountains and ocean being so close together. We obviously had to get out and snap some pictures along the side of the road. We made it to Malibu around lunchtime, so we stopped and ate there. Then it was back to the car.  It was time to hit H...

Tuesday morning dawned {and by dawned Skip and I slept in till 9} and it was wedding day!!  Skip and I didn't have to be ready till 2, so we spent another relaxing morning together.  We drove around a bit more and stopped at a cute little bagel place for an early lunch. Sadly the bagel was not quite  up to Jersey standards, but it got the job done. We headed back to the hotel to take our time getting ready.  Finally it was time to meet up with some family and caravan down to Malibu for the ceremony and reception! The ride down took about 45 minutes and was absolutely beautiful... ...but it was nothing compared to the gorgeous wedding site!  It truly was breathtaking.  Skip and I had some time before we were needed for pictures, so we just wandered around and snapped some pics for ourselves. Cousins! My own personal secret service Me and the groom! I made Skip do this, haha The groom and his sister! Then it was time to jump in some professional pictures! The...