Busy, busy summer!

Well, once again, I realized it has been almost a month since my last post. So much for my personal goal of posting here at least once a week! Summer has been busy for us! After returning from the cruise, we jumped right into the 4th of July festivities. We went down to the riverfront in Davenport on the 3rd, and were amazed by the spectacular display. I got some great photos with my new camera, and I will try to get a couple posted. Then for the 4th we drove up to Grand Mound, where the display never disappoints! The next weekend had more fireworks Friday night to kick of Eldridge Days. Saturday was a family reuinion picnic with Patrick's Mom's family, then home quickly for the Eldridge parade. Katie got to ride on a float for Curves with my mom. She had a blast waving to everyone and throwing candy to the other kids. Patrick then headed to Atlanta for a couple days for a CPE class on something captivating like Estate Tax Planning. I know you are are jealous!! The 21st of July we celebrated Patrick's birthday. At the same time we had a Half-birthday party for Katie & Jacob. This is a family thing we started last year. Since their birthdays are so close to Christmas, this kind of spreads out the gift giving a little, not to mention making it easier on everyone with holiday spending. We were lucky to have great weather, and spent most of the party outside. A few days later, my dear friend Leslie came to pick up her God-daughter, Katie, to take her home for a visit. So, off they drove to Indiana. Katie got some good bonding time with "Aunt" Leslie, "Uncle" Matt, and sweet little Emma. She got a little homesick the second night, but we drove out to pick her up the next day. Our visit was wonderful, but MUCH too short! It made me miss them more than ever!! We left Indiana and headed into Chicago for the day since we were only 2 hours away. We spent the afternoon at Shedd Aquarium, which is always a favorite of ours. We've spent the last couple weeks at home. We spent the day at the Mississippi Valley Fair last week. All three kids LOVED the rides, and went non-stop until the end of the wristband time. We're also trying to enjoy the pool, and the last of our days before Katie heads back to school. Katie starts first grade next week on the 16th. We have already gone shopping for new clothes and all of her supplies. She's a little nervous, but also excited to see her friends again. Well, it's getting late. I want to get to bed before this thunderstorm ends. It's one of my favorite sounds!

STOP READING!

Unless you want to be bombarded with details of our vacation! I didn't realize until today that it has been one month since my last post! The middle of June was packed with swimming lessons, and vacation preparations. I'm actually a bit relieved that June is over! Where to begin about our trip? First I'll start by filling some of you in on how this whole thing got started. On Christmas Day 2005, Patrick's sister, Dawn, got engaged to her long time boyfriend Mark. He literally got down on one knee, and proposed in front of the family at the end of the gift opening. I still get tears in my eyes when I think about it. It was a very merry holiday for everyone! From there the wedding plans and ideas started snowballing. For a short time the couple considered having the wedding on a ship. They quickly realized this was quite a burden on those they really wanted in attendance, and they felt badly about excluding other friends and family at home. SO, the next grand idea was for the family's to accompany them on a Honeymoon cruise. The nuptials took place back in March 2007, followed by a few romantic days alone in Galena, IL. Then ... the honeymoon! A cruise to the Western Caribbean. There were not as many family members on the trip as they originally hoped, but it was a nice sized group of 9. Any more, and I think it would have been utter chaos! The final list included Mark, Dawn, Patrick, Myself, Pat & Wayne (my in-laws), Brandon & Justin (Dawn's sons), and Cami (Brandon's girlfriend). We all arrived in Floriday on Saturday (6/23), and stayed at a hotel that night. We enjoyed a nice dinner (all nine of us!) at a Red Lobster. The restaurant worked hard to fit our large party in. They ended up putting us outside on their patio. We were the only ones out there, so it was peaceful and relaxing. The perfect beginning to our vacation! I'm going to warn you people now ... this could get really long!!! It's hard to leave out details, and it's really fun to relive it for you. I'll try not to bore you, but HEY! It's my blog, so I'll write what I want!! LOL!! The next day we loaded up and caught a shuttle from the hotel to the pier to board the ship. Princess Cruise Lines now has an online system where you can complete and print out your boarding passes and other documents in advance. I must say, the whole thing was SLICK! I was pretty impressed, considering I have heard some horror stories about standing in long lines, in blazing heat, being herded in like cattle. It was nothing like that! Patrick is still gloating that he was the first one on the ship. Figures since he was skipping, and practically running, ahead of all of us on the gangway!! Our cabin was ready for us right away, so went there first to drop of our carry on bags. Then we set off to start exploring the ship, and figure out where everything was! This is one of the largest ships sailing the oceans today. Click the link on the upper right of this page to see all the details. At 5pm, we headed up to the Lido deck to find a balcony and watch the ship set sail. What a glorious experience! Those of you that have done it know what I'm talking about, and those of you who haven't need to start planning your cruise! It's indescribable! As the Florida coast started fading, we wandered some more and found what would be our favorite spot to lounge. A deck at the back end of the ship with a couple somewhat private balcony levels, and close to a bar and a pool! If you have browsed the pictures already, this is where we took the pictures of the feet. :) Day two took us to Princess Cays, Bahamas. This is a private island with a private beach owned by the cruise line. Let me say here that the weather was perfect all week. Warm & sunny weather everywhere we went. Hot enough to really enjoy being in the water at the beaches, but not so hot that you worried about heat stroke! We went with the family (Mom-in-law excluded) and found a group of lounge chairs together in a bit of shade. We rented snorkel equipment, and floats (rafts), and spent much of the day in the water. The snorkeling was not exceptional, but it was really fun. Something I have done in the past, and would like to do more of if we take a trip like this again. We enjoyed a Beach BBQ served by the ship's staff with more food than you can imagine! After enough fun in the sun, we went back in for our daily afternoon nap! This was hard to give up after coming home!!! Later we headed to the dining room for dinner. With the exception of the two formal nights, Patrick and I went to dinner alone. However once you get to the dining room, most of the tables seat 6-8 people, so they pair you up with others that are not in a large group. We had the opportunity to meet some wonderful people from across the globe. All had their own interesting stories and adventures to share, and we really had a lot of fun. Even my not-so-social husband! Day three was "At Sea", as we sailed from the Bahamas to Jamaica. We spent that day doing more wandering of the ship, and participating in some of the on ship activities. We played some trivia, attended a seminar on shopping in the Caribbean, wandered the ship, napped, and ate every two hours. I just realized that I haven't even touched on that subject yet! There is more food than you can even imagine on this ship! There is a 24 hour buffet, a burger counter, a pizza counter, an ice cream shoppe, and more! It is insane! The average person gains 7-10 pounds on a cruise, and I can tell you ... it's really easy to do!! Day three was also the first of two formal nights on the ship. Everyone gets all dressed up in their fanciest duds for dinner. However as soon as dinner was done, this couple went and changed in to comfier digs for the rest of the evening. I would say at least half of the people I saw did the same thing. After dinner there are still lots of things to do, and activities to attend. We saw a hypnotist show one night, and comediens on two different nights. There are also concerts, and this ship has an outdoor movie screen. Grab a deck chair, kick back, and watch a flick. It was really neat. We did this a couple times. Day four took us to Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Our first stop there was the Green Grotto Caves. Patrick was a little disappointed. I think he was hoping for a little more exploration, and less of a guided tour. It was very interesting though. Our guide there was extremely knowledgable, and had a good sense of humor. I'm not sure I would do it again, but I'm glad we went once. Next stop was Dunn's River Falls. If you have ever been to Jamaica, I'm sure you have at least heard of this very popular tourist attraction. Our tour included actually climbing the falls. What an amazing experience! We had a lot of fun, and this is one that I would definitely do again! We were exhausted after that, so we opted to head back to the ship to relax instead of head downtown to shop. Glad we did, as the only rain of the week, hit shortly after we got back on board. I heard people saying they were hit with a downpour at the falls around that time, however back on ship we just got a light sprinkle. Day five was our favorite destination. I have already been looking into returning here for a longer stay! Grand Cayman is quite possibly heaven on earth! The first stop on our excursion was to the Butterfly Farm. Here they raise over 50 breeds of butterflies from around the world, some of them quite exotic. Again, a stop that I would recommend if you ever have the chance. Nice and relaxing after our more active day in Jamaica. Following the Butterfly Farm was a stop at 7 Mile Beach. This is one of the most famous, and beautiful beaches in the world. Pristine white sands & crystal clear water as far as the eye can see. My only complaint is that we had to leave so soon to return to the ship! By this time, my tan was coming along quite nicely! Those of you that know me well, know how challenged I am in this area!! I'm doing my best to maintain it!! Day six was spent in Cozumel, Mexico. I spent the late morning & early afternoon shopping with Dawn, while Patrick had the chance to go bottom fishing with Wayne & Mark. It was fun exploring all the little shops. Especially with Dawn. The locals really get going with the haggling when they find someone who speaks their language! It was quite entertaining, and although I didn't buy much myself, I still had a really good time. Our last day was once again spent at sea, as we headed back to Ft. Lauderdale. We did a lot of lounging, and I spent my last day working on that Caribbean tan. We spent most of the day savoring everything. Trying to memorize all the little details that will be forgotten all too soon. Thank goodness for the pictures & the souvenirs!! If I left anything out, please let me know!! I'm sure you won't have to twist my arm very hard to get me to start talking about it again!! Bye for now, and thanks for reading!!!

Time for a pedicure?

Alright, it’s that time of year once again!!! And based on this email that someone passed along to me I think we need to be reminded of a few things. So my sisters, PLEASE, raise your big toes and repeat after me below…. The Open Toed Shoe PledgeAs a member of the Cute Girl Sisterhood, I pledge to follow the Rules I when wear sandals and other open-toe shoes: **I promise to always wear sandals that fit. My toes will not hang over and touch the ground, nor will my heels spill over the backs. **The sides and tops of my feet will not pudge out between the straps. **I will go polish-free or vow to keep the polish fresh, intact and chip-free.I will not cheat and just touch up my big toe. **I will sand down any mounds of skin before they turn hard and yellow. **I will shave the hairs off my big toe. **I won’t wear pantyhose even if my misinformed girlfriend, coworker, mother or sister tells me the toe seam really will stay under my toes if I tuck it there. **If a strap breaks, I won’t duct-tape, pin, glue or tuck it back into place hoping it will stay put. I will get my shoe fixed or toss it. **I will not live in corn denial; rather I will lean on my good friend Dr. Scholl’s if my feet need him. **I will resist the urge to buy jelly shoes at Payless for the low, low price of $4.99 even if my feet are small enough to fit into the kids’ sizes. This is out of concern for my safety, and the safety of others. No one can walk properly when standing in a pool of sweat and I would hate to take someone down with me as I fall and break my ankle. **I will take my toe ring off toward the end of the day if my toes swell and begin to look like Vienna sausages. **I will be brutally honest with my girlfriend/sister/coworker when she asks me if her feet are too ugly to wear sandals. Someone has to tell her that her toes are as long as my fingers and no sandal makes creepy feet look good. **I will promise if I wear flip flops that I will ensure that they actually flip and flop, making the correct noise while walking and I will swear NOT to slide or drag my feet while wearing them. **I will promise to go my local nail salon at least once per season and have a real pedicure (they are about $20 and worth EVERY penny). **I will promise to throw away any white/off-white sandals that show signs of wear… nothing is tackier than dirty white sandals. ***Don’t keep this to yourself - pass it on to other sisters.***

Seinfeld Post

What is a Seinfeld Post, you ask? A post about nothing! Just like the show was about "nothing"! But I can't disappoint my loyal readers! (HA!) It's been crazy busy around here, so I haven't had a lot of time to post anything here. So this will just be a quick post to keep you updated on what is happening around here. I started a part-time job a few weeks ago. I'm working in the office for Quint City Stone. Just helping them keep up during their busiest time of the year. The best part is that I set my own hours, so I still have plenty of time to do things with the kids. :) The owners are our neighbors so they understand my priorities, and are very laid back! So far I'm having fun. The paycheck doesn't hurt either. This week is extra crazy with both Katie and Jacob starting swimming lessons. Of course they are in different levels, so their classes are at different times, but at least they are back-to-back. The lessons are at a private home in a beautiful neighborhood in Long Grove. So, while Jacob is swimming, I am planning to walk the area with my friend Kim, whose son is also in the class. Then while Katie is in class, we will go over to the neighbor's (another friend!) to play for awhile. Luckily this insanity is only 4 days a week, for 2 weeks! Patrick is keeping busy at work as usual. Luckily he is still able to get home at a decent time most evenings, even with the extra responsibilities of being a partner. In my spare time, I'm trying to get us organized and start packing for our cruise. If you think you're sick of hearing about this now, wait until we get back!! Be happy that I won't have internet access on the ship (because I won't pay the outrageous rates). As soon as we return I am sure to bombard you all with every last detail of our adventures! Consider this your one and only warning! LOL Well, time to get back to the cleaning and the laundry and the fighting kids! It's gloomy outside and that always seems to do something to their attitudes! Bye for now!!

What a day!

Well, sorry for the delay in this post. The "Blogger" was giving me a hard time about loading this many pictures! I had to try it a few different times before I could get it to work!

May 22nd, 2007 - What a busy, busy day for the Parker family!

Our day began bright and early. We had to get Jacob to preschool by 8:15 to prepare for his end of the year program! I can't believe it's over already! Jacob had a excellent year at preschool, and he is doing very well. He thoroughly enjoyed it, and I think he's a little sad that he has to take a summer break! The program was really cute, and Jacob sang his little heart out. He was very animated, and really got into all their songs!

When the program ended, I dropped Jacob & Emily off at my friend Betsy's house. It was time to catch up with Katie's class on their last field trip of the year! This picture is Katie with her "bestest" friend, Katie Rose! She is Betsy's daughter. The two met their first year in preschool, and have been best buds ever since! Here they are at VanderVeer Park. They got to do some fun nature activities with a guy from the park and then we enjoyed a picnic lunch.

The fun continued at "Rocket Park". The kids really wore themselves out. It very warm that day and if felt good to be outside! Katie didn't want me to leave her sight. She loved having her own mommy along.

This was the only field trip I was able to attend. I'm glad this was the one. It was so fun to see her running and playing with all of her little friends. I can't believe how much she has grown up this year! As of this writing, she has officially "graduated" from Kindergarten! I now have a first grader!

And finally, we ended our day celebrating the Birthday Girl! Yep, Miss Emily is now TWO years old! We took her to Red Robin for burgers & her favorite, french fries! Then back home for cake and ice cream.

I'm not sure where the time has gone! I'm so proud of my little girl! She is getting so big, and so independent! She tries to do anything and everything that she sees her sister and brother do. Sometimes this is good, and sometimes this is scary! But it's always cute, and always an adventure!

She is developing quite a vocabulary, and there are no words to describe her personality! She is sweet & loving, funny & sassy, kind & generous. She makes our family complete. I truly feel she is the thing that bonds all of us together. Some people used to ask us why we would want a third child, since we already had "one of each"? I think they must be crazy to ask that question!! One look at her, and you can't help but be captured by her gorgeous eyes, and her sweet smile! We love you, Emily! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!