by Sarah | Jul 13, 2021 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Top Ten Tuesday
Five months until Graduation! Hard to believe that in 5 months time I’ll be free from all of this schoolwork, tests, stress. It’s been a super difficult year and a half. 2021 has been exceptionally hard with me working full time as well as school full time – at least until I resolved that issue last month it was.
Now I’m dreaming of what I will do when I only have to work 3 days a week. When I can have freedom from studying, and an actually decent combined income for once in our 19 years of marriage. 6 months until I achieve my second Oola dream in life and find a new level of…well, oola. 🙂
So what do I want to do when I graduate? Oh, there’s plenty.
- Take a real, honest to goodness, 2 week vacation at Disney/Universal. I want to not be cramped by only so any hours/days that we need to cram every little thing into. I want to chill by the pool, spend some hours at the park, and maybe chill in the room with the family. A trip where we don’t have to plan every minute because we have ALL the minutes.
- Get another decent camera and start photography again. I miss my camera. It’s still here, but it’s ancient…and with all the wildlife I need some better lenses too. Maybe get hubby or one of my kids involved in it, too.
- Crochet/knit all the things. While I AM still crocheting while in school with supplies I had around…I have lots of projects saved that I want to work on.
- Get my Etsy business back up and running again. I miss the hell out of crafting. I miss making my jewelry and have some more things I want to try doing jewelry-wise. I can’t wait for the freedom to explore more projects.
- WRITE. More than my crafts, I miss making words. I miss my fun worlds and characters and hearing them chatter at me in my brain. Right now so much of my brain is vitals and anatomy and pharmacology…I want to revisit Dominion Falls, The Tribe, The Exceptionals, maybe even Lake Point again…and I want to find NEW worlds to create and explore.
- Beach time. I moved to Florida for the proximity to the gosh darn beaches…and I have not gone NEARLY enough. I am a water baby and want all the beaches.
- Travel. I want to see more of Florida, ALL of Florida. I want to pack up my kids and drive wherever. I also moved to Florida for freedom and getting-out…but school and covid and urgh…but my kids are going to virtual school next year and I’ll be working/schooling less. It’s time for us to get on the road.
- Go back to school. Weird, right? But I want my BSN. Employers want me to have that BSN. So I want to keep on going on. Not right away, but I want to start before 2022 is over.
- Tackle my bucket list(s). Next week I’m going to revisit and revamp. I’ve done a LOT more of my 50X50 list than I’ve actually managed to get around to marking as done, and some of the things need to be switched around. I also have a Florida bucket list and a Disney bucket list. I want to get back to checking things off. For a while I was doing 2-3/year on the 50X50, but the past 2 years they’ve been neglected due to moving, work-stress, school, and covid. I have a LOT to catch up on. Only 5 years until I’m 50…
- Get a personal trainer. I need someone to kick my butt to work it out…because while I plan on some plastic surgery eventually (a few tweaks I wanna make), I also want to get healthy again. I want to feel strong again…and I got that best when I was working out regularly and eating better.
What do you think I should do? I have other things…but they’re more practical/boring – like paying off credit cards and getting a new car. These were just about chilling out and being happy again. What do you think?
by Sarah | Apr 2, 2019 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Top Ten Tuesday
Continuing our countdown of my dream family vacations, we have reached #1…
Florida
Not only is this another WHOLE STATE…you can also tell I started this list before we made our plans to move, right? And with this you can probably picture me dreaming of living there being just one big vacation for me…trust me, I don’t. I’m gonna be working FT, as is hubby, and kids will have school…BUT I totally AM looking forward to all the different things we’ll be able to do when we have time off. Trust me, I’ve been saving up ideas. Ideas that go beyond the obvious of the theme parks (which we will visit with regularity, but oh, there’s so much more I want to see).
Because just like there’s supposedly more than corn in Indiana…
There’s more than theme parks in Florida.
From wildlife preserves and nature parks scattered throughout the state with hiking trails galore, and photo opportunities everywhere. To the Buddhist temple with a farmer’s market every week full of all sorts of foods I can’t wait to try.
To the beaches everywhere – so many I can’t even count, and I want to check them all out (Siesta Key is at the top of the list right now).
To Key West, which I’ve never seen and can’t wait to drive my girls over that bridge to see (Erik won’t join us…he’s got that phobia of bridges).
I keep finding all sorts of “hidden gems” that I need to uncover in Florida. It’s good we’re moving there because it would take a lifetime of vacations to uncover all there is in Florida to see and do.
Have you ever been to Florida? What was your favorite part? Do you like the theme parks? Have you gone beyond them?
by Sarah | Mar 26, 2019 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Top Ten Tuesday
Continuing our countdown of my dream family vacations, we hit #2 on the list…
Mackinac Island
No cars. No chain hotels. Transportation by horse & buggy or bike or your own two feet only.
Beautiful scenery.
Simple quiet.
Good restaurants and nightlife.
Honestly, what isn’t there to like about this quiet little island on Lake Huron?
I first heard about it in high school and though I’ve only seen mention here and there since, it stuck with me through moves to other states and back to where Mackinac Island is close enough to drive to (not literally, have to take a boat there, but you know what I mean).
It seems like the idea place to head for a simple, fun-filled vacation.
Have you ever been to Mackinac Island? What was your favorite part?
by Sarah | Mar 19, 2019 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Top Ten Tuesday
Continuing our countdown of my dream family vacations, we hit #3 on the list…
Albuqurque for the Balloon Fiesta
This is another thing my parents have done numerous times, but I’ve never seen first hand.
Can you imagine being there as hundreds of hot air balloons in all shapes and sizes and colors take off into the air? It fills me with wonder just imagining it.
I mean, sure, I’ve heard wonderful things about Alburqurque in general and it’s a beautiful area and there’s plenty I’d like to see there…
but the BALLOONS!!
Yes, I know…I’m waxing poetic over hot air balloons, but they’ve always fascinated me and captured my imagination. It’s not for nothing that a hot air balloon ride is on my bucket list.
I would just LOVE to see this, and share it with my kids. This happens every year around my wedding anniversary – so maybe one day we’ll get to go for our anniversary. That would be awesome.
Have you ever been to the Balloon Fiesta? What was your favorite part?
by Sarah | Mar 12, 2019 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Top Ten Tuesday
Continuing our countdown of my dream family vacations, we hit #4 on the list…
An Alaskan Cruise
Okay, okay…this one is kind of a cheat of a two-in-one. Honestly, it doesn’t HAVE to be Alaska for the cruise part, I’d take any cruise, really…BUT…if I had to pick one that would be my top choice to go on first, it would be this one – and not just because I don’t require a passport to do it.
I’ve long wanted to go on an Alaskan Cruise specifically. Even though I’m opposed to cold weather anymore – the beauty and wonder of Alaska still pulls me in. I’ve seen so many pictures of Alaskan cruises on my perusal of the internet that I’m truly fascinated by the sights to be seen. The glaciers alone would be worth it…but all around the state is a beautiful sight to be seen…even if I’d never want to live there.
The cruise portion is a no-brainer, though. The food, the activities, everything about a cruise is something I’m all on board for. My parents have been on like 20, but I’ve never been on one. I had one planned for my honeymoon…but ended up cancelling that (stupid, stupid, stupid). I want a chance to do it all.
Have you ever been on an Alaskan Cruise? Or any cruise for that matter? What was your favorite part?
by Sarah | Mar 5, 2019 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Top Ten Tuesday
Continuing our countdown of my dream family vacations, we hit #5 on the list…
Colonial Williamsburg
Once upon a time my family took a trip to Virginia. We went to Busch Gardens so we could ride some amazing rides…and then we went to Colonial Williamsburg because my dad has a degree in history and we always visit these places.
On the same note, I always loved towns like this. Though I hated history class…I’ve always really loved history brought to life in books, or places like this.
I would love for my girls to see the way Colonial Williamsburg brings history to life in such a big way. We have a lovely small town that does something similar here…but there’s something about the whole large community bringing it to life that was something special.
There is so much to do there that isn’t available at other similar style towns. From the restaurants with period-appropriate foods, to the governors mansion, to the fife and drum march and carriage rides. I could spend days on end. My kids would probably hate it after a day or two, but the kids can’t love every family vacation, I sure didn’t love all the ones my parents dragged me on.
Have you ever been to Colonial Williamsburg? What was your favorite part?
Five months until Graduation! Hard to believe that in 5 months time I’ll be free from all of this schoolwork, tests, stress. It’s been a super difficult year and a half. 2021 has been exceptionally hard with me working full time as well as school full time – at least until I resolved that issue last month it was.
