The Follow Up

Finally got the pictures us in the water.  Its so hard to get good pictures when we are in the water because there is over a thousand people all around you running for the water and then you have to run around they're support crew who's trying to get pictures at the same time.


Here's the video from the day (Neicy and I are NOT in this). This will give you an idea of the craziness of the day....

Lewes Polar Bear Plunge Benefiting Special Olympics Delaware.

Anyway.... back to US!

we posed for pictures on the beach.  Still in the warm jammies

Heading in....screaming as the cold water meets your feet

Working our way out.  I was having trouble cause I lost my shoe.

At least it floated up to the top!

Neicy after the plunge!

There were over 3,200 bears who raised over $725,000 for the Special Olympics of Delaware!  Wonderful people working for a wonderful cause!

Just a Day at the Beach - In February....

Once again, BFF Neicy and I spent the day at the beach in February!  And it was SO warm and fun!  Warm, you say, in February??!?!  Really??  And even if it wasn't warm, we'd still be there for the Special Olympics of Delaware!

Yes, Really.  We got to the beach early and set up camp.  It was warm enough to walk on the sand in bare feet.

Check it out!  58 DEGREES!

Getting some sun before swimming

After claiming our spot on the beach and checking the water temperature (brrrr!), we headed back up the boardwalk to check out the sites.  There are lots of normal people there (like me!) and then there are the people who just wanna have fun......

KISS was there... wonder if their make-up ran in the water.

Getting their patriotic on.....

WaWa was a big sponsor of the Plunge

Yogi came out of hibernation for the event

Safety is of the utmost importance to everyone involved.  They held a safety meeting on the boardwalk.

Safety meeting with the coast guard and State Police

Safety divers getting into place, the boats were following close behind.

Once the safety people were in place, it was time for the count down to run into the water.  Let the fun begin!

I don't have any pictures of us IN the water yet.  Still waiting for a friend to email them over.  The water was refreshing! and COLD.  But that's the point, right?  To be a polar bear, you have to have cold.  If it wasn't cold on the beach, you have to have cold in the water.

So, more pictures later in the week.....

Crazy for Balls

Jaxon loves to play with a tennis ball. Sometimes more than one.  Just about everyday, I take him out and throw the ball for him to chase and bring back. Rinse, Lather, Repeat.  The little pup will run after that ball for HOURS!. 

Then we come into the house and he brings me the ball to throw in the house. Not as much fun as being outside but he still enjoys it.  When he's ready to quit, he will climb up on my lap with the ball. He usually holds the ball until he falls asleep.

This weekend, he stayed with the Gparents and had a BALL, literally.  They went shopping and brought home a bag of balls to keep in stock for both doggies.  The Gparents hid the bag away because there already were three or four balls out for the boys.

While they finished putting away everything else, Jaxon helped himself to the bag of balls.  He carried it out of the hiding place and proceeded to play.

How do you OPEN this?

When the GParents came into the living room and saw what he was doing, they being good GParents, encouraged him.  lol  He had so much fun trying to get into the bag and then finally getting IN the bag.

He rolled with them.

He shook them.

He just had a ...  well a BALL with them.  I when I got there to take him home, he started packing his bag.  He made sure at least ONE of those balls were going home with him.

Jaxon packed his bag

When we got home, I unpacked both of us and we snuggled on the couch.  After he brought the ball.  Love my little BallNut.

I Love Recipes

I love recipes.  I love to cook.  I love all things FREE!  When I had the chance to combine all three of these AND get my recipe file organized, I jumped on it!

In this wonderful blogging world there are tons of different sites, ones that focus on poetry, mommy blogs, cooking blogs, couponing blogs and blogs that direct you to FREE stuff!

The blog Free Stuff Times is one that I REALLY like.  The person behind the blog lists a wide variety of opportunities for FREE stuff.  Just like the title says.  I've been directed to offers for free magazines, free wine, free events and free books.  So far my favorite FREE direction was for a FREE cookbook!

A couple of months ago the website, Gourmandize was listed on the Free Stuff Times with instructions on getting a FREE cookbook.  I immediately checked it out and fell in love with the site and the offer.  You have to join to site in order to get your free cookbook.  Then you have 90 days to type all your recipes into the website and order your cookbook.

Gourmandize is also a little community for cooks.  There are TONS of recipes on there from everyone.  You can check them out and vote on them, make comments on them and use them for your own enjoyment!  I have had so much fun looking over everyone else's recipes!  When I needed some ideas for a party last month, I went right there!  Not only did I have access to my recipes but to a whole community's!

I spent 90 days picking through, organizing and typing my recipes.  MAN!  Did I have a lot!  Finally I was done typing and proofing and ordered my cookbook.  I couldn't wait for it to come!  Yesterday, it was on my doorstep when I got home!  Oh boy, ho Boy! Packages to open!  Books to caress and drool over!

I ended up with TWO books because I had SO many recipes
I divided them with my FAVORITE always use ones in one book
and my other ones in the other book.
You have the option to BUY your book as well as the free offer

Gourmandize has several options of the cookbook you want.
I chose a hard-cover with spiral binding
There is one recipe per page
The pages are coated so you can wipe them off if they
become a casualty of cooking

The recipes are listed in Alphabetical order.
I don't know if that is my preferred way of having them
but it still works!

My Cookbooks will have the place of honor, right next to my
other favorite kitchen staple.

Thank you Gourmandize for your free offer of a cookbook!  They are works of art!

Head over there now for your free Cookbook!

Play With Me! - WW

This was Tuesday Afternoon with only about 6 inches of snow

Wednesday Afternoon with about 14 inches of snow.  We lost his ball in the snow.

Tuesday Tidbits

Its' snowing!  They are saying we are going to get anywhere from 5-10 inches of the white stuff.  I am going to retreat to my own little world where its 80 and sunny and there is a cute guy in the surf to watch while I read my book. 

Dad's at Chemo today.  Hopefully he will get home before the worst of the snow starts.  ESM is at work and hopefully she will get home safe and sound as well.

If you are in the projected path of this storm, I hope you are safe and sound as well.

I had my first dinner party at the new place.  My parents came over for dinner on Friday and it was a success!  Good food, good family and good laughter filled the house.  Hopefully we will have lots more of those parties.

I'm planning to invite the girls I work with over for a dipping party.  They have been so supportive of me during my time of need.  They have offered advice and listened to me flip flop on making a decision.  I'll post some pictures from that get together.

Its crazy time again!  in TWO weeks, I will be swimming in the Atlantic Ocean for the Delaware Special Olympics.  This will be my 6th year of doing it.  Neicy and I are going to spend the night before down there and do a little partying.  Its going to be a blast!  The only hicup in the plan is that neither Neicy or I have anyone who can stand on the beach and take our pictures.  But the people we team with should have someone who will take them for us. It will all work out.  I can't wait!

Singing has been on winter break since the Holiday concert.  We're supposed to start back tonight and practice for the spring concert.  I'm not holding much hope that we'll start tonight.  But I have next week to look forward to!

Time for me to gather up the grant I'm writing.  They are not going to extend the deadline for weather so I think I will still be spending my afternoon off typing.

Be safe if you are affected by this storm and the coming cold blast!

So Many Benefits

This will be the last post I make on the benefits I've seen since moving, I promise! Next week, I'll start telling you all about the good things happening in my life.

Before I moved I post a list of things I was looking forward to when I moved.  Here are some examples:

One that I am loving is not being woke up in the middle of the night.  The other day I woke up and couldn't figure out what day of the week it was.  I had slept THAT good.

Green veggies in the house has made for some very yummy dinners.

Me and Jaxon have been singing while we make dinner most nights.  I love music!

There is a benefit to moving that I didn't anticipate happening.

Jakes is spending more time with me than he was!  I've been in the new place for three weekends and he's been with me for all three weekends.  He actually spent a WHOLE weekend with me, which he hasn't done in a very long time.

This week, he's off school and is with me for those days off too!  He's spending FIVE consecutive days with me, even though I have to work!  When he asked me to come and get him, I wanted to cry tears of joy.

I am SO happy that he loves being at the new place and it shows that he does love me, even when we fight.

If there were no other reasons for moving, this one is the BEST.  Having my son with me as much as he wants is paramount to me and my mental health.