Making plans and catching up

This past weekend I spent down in Virginia visiting my brother and his family. It was a long weekend but a lot of fun. It was for my niece’s birthday. She is now three! I can't believe it. I took a bunch of pictures but haven't had a chance yet to put them on my computer.

I am glad I made the trip down. I really didn't want to make that drive down in the summer. Going south in the summer around here is like the kiss of death. Horrible traffic. I forced my mother to wake up at 5am on Saturday so we could get a head start. It paid off because we made awesome time and got to spend that much more time with my family.

It was a really nice day. Got caught up with everyone and then had a little BBQ for Abby's birthday. It had started off crummy in the morning but was beautiful by the afternoon which worked out nicely. I was so tired by the time everyone left though. My brother, SIL and I were going to go out for some drinks afterwards but we all were just too spent.

Sunday we got up early again (although I barely slept at all anyway) and then met up with them for breakfast before hitting the road. It was a quick weekend and a whole lot of driving, but worth it. I'm also really excited because in July we will be taking my niece for the week. I cannot wait! I know it'll be a ton of work, but I don't get to see her that often so I'll take what I can.

I'm just trying to fill my days and weekends with fun activities in order to make the time go by a little faster. It really feels like time is standing still at work, so I am making plans so I have something to look forward to.

I am running a race this weekend and going to a BBQ on Sunday. And I actually joined a Softball league that starts next Tuesday. I am so excited!! I played when I was younger but haven't played in years. It's a laid back league though so I'm not worried about being a superstar. But it's something to help break up my week and something new and different!

There's also things on my bucket list that I always do in the summer. It's a must! Going to the boardwalk for dippin dots and all sorts of good food. Going to hurricane harbor or Six Flags for the day and being a kid. To name a few. What are some things that you feel isn't summer until you do them?

Putting things into Perspective

So I disappeared for a couple of weeks. My life was turned upside down and I'm still coming to gripes with everything that's happened.

Long story short (because I can't really talk about it all yet), my dad's sister and one of her daughters died very suddenly. They were killed in a house fire. Which is really and truly beyond horrifying for me to even imagine still. It shocked me to my core. Not only am I extremely upset at this loss, it brought up a whole bunch of other issues I wasn't quite ready to deal with.

I have mentioned in the past on here, that I do not have a relationship with my father. Before this I haven't seen him in over 8 years. As hard as it is to explain; the lack of relationship isn't really a bad thing to me anymore. It is what it is. He and my mom divorced when I was 12. I didn't speak with him for a long long time because of everything that happened after. When I was in college I reached out to him. Despite my best efforts it just wasn't working out. He wasn't being a dad for me still. I had finally realized that having him in my life was making me sad and depressed, and it was just time for me to let it go. I haven't really looked back since. Don't get me wrong, I still think of him from time to time. And I miss the fact that I never really had a dad in my life or will in the future.

It's also definitely messed with me in terms of having a serious relationship in my life. I am terrified of getting hurt by a man I love. So I keep them at a distance. This is something I have been working on but I'm a work in progress for sure.

Since my parents divorce I've rarely seen anyone on my dad's side of the family. I think in part it was because they really didn't know how to maintain a relationship with us. Especially considering none of us spoke with my dad. The last time I saw most of them was well over 10 years. The thought of seeing all of them (there are a lot of them) at a wake, was just almost too much for me to handle. Then add the fact that I would be seeing my dad. I was a wreck. And despite not having seen my aunt or cousin in years, I was/am really sad about them passing. No one should die that young. My cousin was only 27.

I was afraid of what my dad or my family would say to me. If they would be mean toward me or what. Thankfully my brother came with me and we faced it head on. My whole family was welcoming and touched that we came to pay our respects. My dad was a shock to see. He has aged greatly since the last time I saw him and does not look like he's in good health. It was extremely awkward at first being with him. But I feel like in the end it was almost like closure. I've finally realized that he is in my past. He'll always be my dad and I will always love him because he's my father, but other than that. I am truly okay that he's not apart of my life. And I now know I can face seeing him without falling to pieces.

Having this tragic event happen has put everything I've been struggling with lately into perspective. Life is so short and so precious that I cannot waste anymore time with it. Dealing with the deteriotion of my friendship with my best friend, and realizing that I will be just fine if she's no longer in my life. Not taking offence to the fact that she basically planned her entire wedding in a week and didn't tell me a word about it. I now realize we are just two very different people in very different parts of our lives. And she is just selfish and isn't being malicious toward me when she doesn't tell me anything. That's just her now.

With regards to my career, I have to just go for it. I'll deeply regret not trying at the very least becoming a baker. Again life is too damn short for me to not be living every second of it. I have officially applied to the college to become a student come this fall. I'll keep you posted on that!

See you next year!

This past week has been crazy. I was in Texas from Saturday through Tuesday for work and I've just been playing catch up on work because I will be off all next week until January 2.

I'm not sad to see this year end. While some amazing things have happened, the second half of this year has been kind of a bust. And it's just getting a little bit worse at the moment. I can't really talk about it, but know I'm not in the best place right now. Because of it, I'm eating like there's no tomorrow.

I'm tired of being stressed and feeling/eating like this. So I've decided, I'm going to enjoy my week off, enjoy being with my family, especially my niece. Re energize and plot out my next moves. I have big big plans for 2013 and I plan on seeing them through!

So this will be my last blog of 2012. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!! I'll see you on the bright side of 2013!

Not quite ready to let go

I feel like this little blog of mine is dying a slow and painful death. I feel like I have no words for it lately. I'm not ready to let it go just yet though. I've had this blog for years now and it really shows just how far I've come as a person. I've grown so much on this blog and it's helped me work through a lot of crap.

I don't post very often, but I do still like updating. We'll see how much longer I'll keep it up though. Maybe if things start to change (ie find a new job or get a boyfriend lol) I'll get a burst of energy and enthusiasm for writing.

This weekend I'm going to Texas for work. I didn't realize it at the time it was booked, but going away for 4 days the week before Christmas blows. I'm missing out on so much this weekend. So many holiday parties to be had. And I'll be stuck at a convention. Thankfully I'm going with my closest friend at work and we do get a decent amount of down time. Here's hoping for warm weather and really good tex mex!

Also I've been done with Christmas shopping for weeks now and I wrapped all my presents this past weekend. So I'm ahead of the game. When I get back, I'll only have 3 days to work and then I'm off for 11 days!!! Yay!!!! I cannot wait for this! Christmas this year should be awesome. My brother and his family are coming up for a few days. So I'll get to spend Christmas with my niece, bake cookies and do all that fun stuff with a toddler. Then I may be going down to the DC area for a couple of days to spend more time with them. And hopefully see some of my friends from college.

It's been so crazy busy for me and it's just going to get even crazier starting this weekend. It's going to be a whirlwind and I hope I'll be able to take some time and just enjoy everything around me. I just love this time of year!

Reunited

I had a great weekend. I took off work last Friday to spend the day with my niece. She's finally back in the US for good and they spent a few days in NJ before heading down to there home in DC. It was a great day and so worth me missing a day of work for. We went to the beach and then to a BBQ that afternoon. She is fearless in the water. It's amazing.

Loving the sand and the waves

She loved getting knocked around by all the waves. She would hold my hands and then kick out her feet!

Then on Saturday we went up to visit my grandma. Since a lot of my family haven't seen my niece in well over a year, we had a little party. It was great and my niece looked adorable in her little party dress.

Here we are on my grandma's stoop.

The weekend was great but ended way to fast. I miss her already but am looking forward to seeing them again in a few weeks. It's great know that they are only a car ride away now. No longer a very long plane ride! I am looking forward to seeing them much more often and creating awesome memories with her.

Family Fun

This past weekend was really busy and fun for me.

On Friday night I got together with two of my oldest friends. We spent the night laughing and looking at old yearbook pictures. I can't believe how awful I looked when I was in middle school. haha. It was a great night and there was so much laughter. I really needed that.

Saturday my brother and I went to the shooting range together. This was the first time I've ever been! I was so freaked out when we got there. It's so loud and there's shells flying all over. It was really overwhelming. Thankfully after a few rounds I started to get the hang of it and felt a little more comfortable. Now I can't wait to go back there and practice some more.

After that we went to my twin cousins graduation party. Thankfully the heat wave broke and the weather was perfect on Saturday. There was a lot of family there that I hadn't seen in a few years, it was nice to catch up with everyone. Also we got to take a family picture which was great.

Here is a picture of my mom, brothers and my grandma being totally inappropriate trying to grab my brother's package. lol. My family is crazy and I love it.

Sunday I got to hit the beach again. It was packed! I had to fight for a little piece of sand. I have never seen the beach that crowded before. The water was also really rough. I saw two people getting rescued because of the current.

All in all though it was a great weekend. Jam packed but a lot of fun! This coming weekend my friends from college are coming up for a visit. I can't wait for them to get here. I want this week to go a little faster already.

Mini Vacation

I took a little vacation last weekend. It was much needed. I had off July 4, so I decided to take off Thursday and Friday to make it a long weekend.

I had barely any plans, just to relax and go to the beach. I've been on the go so much lately, that it was nice to not have any plans and to just enjoy myself. I went to the beach almost every day except for Saturday. It was way too hot out that day. I get antsy and bored quickly at the beach so I have like a 3 hour max before I need to leave. Which left me with most of the day to do whatever I pleased.

I went to a fair one night, a BBQ another. Out to lunches and dinners. It was wonderful and really allowed me to relax and recoup. Plus my brother is back from India as on Sunday! He'll be spending the next few weeks here in NJ so it's going to be great to spend time with him.

On Sunday my mom made lasagna to celebrate his return. It was delicious and the perfect way to end my little mini vacation. Now I'm back at work (happily) and ready to get back into my normal routine.

Long Overdue update on my cousin

Back in February I told you about my cousin being in a horrible motorcycle accident. He was in a coma and it was very touch and go for a while. He has made such remarkable progress since then!! He went through in patient rehab and the out patient. He had the piece of his skull put back in and is getting stronger every day. In a few months he may even be able to get back to work.

It's a total miracle. How far he's come in such a short time. I was able to see his this past weekend and it was great. He and my uncle came up from Florida for the week. They drove because he's not yet cleared to fly with the amount of pressure there are in planes. He was just like the guy I knew before. Goofy and full of life. His scares are insane but he's not in any pain.

I was so happy I got to see him. It had been at least 2 years since I last saw him. He's matured so much in that time. I'm hoping to make a trip down to Florida in a few months to visit them again.

Here's a picture of us!

Great way to kick off the summer!! (Pics)

This weekend flew by for me. It was so much fun though and is making me look forward to this summer and all that it holds for me!!

Friday I went to a PBA Ball. Basically it was an excuse to dress up and eat my face off. There was an open bar too, but I decided to not partake being that I was running a 5 mile race the next morning. It was a lot of fun though. I enjoyed watching other people get tipsy and make fools of themselves. I sadly didn't get to win any of the raffle prizes though. My heart was set on a 4 pack to Disney, which would have been perfect since I'm going there in October! Despite that, I had a blast.

All dressed up and ready to dance!

I didn't get home until Midnight and because of the race the next day I was so nervous I didn't fall asleep until 2! I got about 4 hours of sleep before I had to head out for the race. This was my first 5 mile race. It's called the Spring Lake 5 and it's a HUGE race here in NJ. About 10,000 people run this race every year. I've never seen anything like it before. Total craziness.

You felt like cattle at the start of the race. So many people packed in together. It was hard to start too, after a few zig zags I was able to break away and get a good pace going. It was really hot though. I had never ran in such heat before, it's a total shock to your body. By mile 2 I wanted it to be over and done. It was then that I stopped worrying about my time and just focused on NOT walking. I really wanted to get under 50 minutes but I wasn't going to kill myself. This race was really cool though, all along the course they were blasting music and there were fire trucks spraying water at you at every mile. Which was heaven to me.

I am happy to say I did not walk and finished in 49:31!!! Yay!! I got under 50 minutes. I'm so proud that I didn't quit and I made my goal. If it had been cooler I know I got have gotten a better time, but I'll take this. Also I knew a woman who has been a runner all her life and I came in a good 6 minutes before her. That made my day.

After the race, I rushed home, took a shower and headed up north to my cousins graduation party. The difference in weather was crazy! It was bright and sunny in my town, an hour north at my cousin's party it was pouring rain and thundering. Thankfully they had a giant tent set up so we didn't get wet. It was great to see my family. I had some family come up from Florida who I hadn't seen in a while. I was exhausted though. I tried to sneak upstairs for a nap, but it was way too noisy. I still had a lot of fun, but was happy when we got back on the road.

My mom and grandma! and me beat red from sunburn. lol

After we got back, I stopped by a friend's BBQ for a little. I cut out early and headed home for some much needed sleep. I slept in on Sunday until 10:30. That never happens to me! I guess my body really needed that sleep. I spent Sunday being lazy and did some shopping. I just needed me time that day.

Monday I went to the beach! I had to. It was beautiful out and even though it was crazy crowded I had to kick off my summer with a trip there. I bought a season pass and I really hope to get good use out of it this year! I love the beach. It's like home to me. 



How did you kick off your summer?

Italia Trip!! With lots of pictures

My trip to Italy went by way to fast! I couldn't have asked for a better trip! The weather was perfect there. In the 60s and sunny. It was great to see my brother and family. The hotel I stayed in was right next the pantheon and in walking distance to practically everything. I walked a ton, so much that I was sore every night. We even took a day trip to the town my grandma grew up in. That will have to be a blog all on it's own though. Too much to tell from that day.

It was just a great great trip. It was great to be with my family, to eat awesome food, and to see some of the most beautiful sights. Words can't even describe it. Here are a tiny sampling of the many many pictures I took!



This was the view from my hotel room window!! The Pantheon. This was the best hotel I've ever stayed in.



Trevi Fountain. Which was a 5 minute walk from my hotel.



Me and my niece at the top of the Spanish Steps. That was a tough climb holding the kid. lol



Me inside the Colosseum.



This was taken on the roof of my hotel. That's the capital building.



In the Vatican Museum. This is the hallway that leads to the Sistine Chapel. So intricate.



Me in front of St. Peters



I climbed to the top of St Peter's. over 500 steps to get up there! I was out of breath and sweating hard, but that view made the whole thing worth it!



The Bridge of St. Angels. I loved this bridge. So pretty.



The mouth of truth! I was determined to go here. I've been dying to see this ever since I saw Roman Holiday. Ironically this was the only church that I had to wait like an hour to get into. No other places had any sort of line.



The relic of St Valentine. I had no idea that this church had his remains there. That was pretty cool to see.



Last night in Italy!! With my niece.

Bullet Points

There has been a lot going on so I figured it would be best to just use bullet points.

- My cousin is doing a lot better. They took out the vent yesterday and he has been able to speak a little bit. He has a long road of recovery ahead of him, but he is strong and stubborn, and I just know he'll do great. Hopefully soon they will transfer him out of trauma and go to the rehab portion of the hospital.

- I don't know if it's the season or what, but people all around me are breaking up with their significant others. I know at least 7 couples who have broken up recently. I think that's crazy. Maybe they were all waiting until after Chirstmas and New Years to do it.

- I am leaving for Italy in less than two weeks!!!!!! I am so so happy it's almost here. I cannot wait to see my brother and his family. I cannot wait to eat pasta and gelato! I really hope the next 11 days fly by.

- On top of my Italy trip (b/c that wasn't enough I guess lol) I just booked a trip to Orlando in October! My mom has a timeshare and the week was going to expire in December. So my friend and I decided to go to Orlando. I have been dying to go to Harry Potter World. The room for the week is free so all I have to worry about is travel and other expenses!! Whoo hoo!! Since we are going off season the plane tickets so far don't look to be too bad. About $250 round trip.

- I am looking forward to the upcoming three day weekend. I am running a two mile race on Saturday. Part of it actually is on the beach which will be a new experience for me. Apparently the afterparty is awesome so I can't wait. Then that night I'm going out to dinner with 4 friends. Some I haven't seen in a while so I am really looking forward to catching up.

- I hope you all have a great Valentine's Day! Even though I'm single I like this holiday. My mom gave me a big box of candy today to celebrate. What's not to love about that?!

Knocked Out

My cousin has been slowly improving. He's awake but still on a ventilator. He can breath on his own, but the dr's won't take him off the vent until he follows certain commands. He is aware of what's going on and has even smiled with his brother. I wish he didn't live so far away from me and I could go there and visit.

I'm happy that he is surrounded by his family. His brother lives in Alaska and flew in right away. His dad lives in Florida but came as soon as he heard. Same with his mother. Even a few of his friends have come down. I just can't wait until he's finally off the vent. It's going to be months and month for rehab though. And he'll never be able to do his job again. That's the worst. He loved his job (commercial diver) more than anything. Now he's back at square one. He'll most likely go live with my uncle while he recoups and figures out his next step. I guess that's the one plus of him being so young. He's only 20; he has plenty of time to figure things out.

It's crazy how something like this can unravel you. I've been in a daze every since I found out about the accident. I think about him non-stop. I have no motivation to go to the gym. All I want to do is be home. I'm going through the motions and I'm still working out. But that spark isn't there.

This past weekend I went to Baltimore to visit some friends. It was a great visit and a much needed distraction. However when I got home on Sunday, I was exhausted. We didn't really do much, but I guess everything just caught up with me. I was emotionally and physically exhausted. I was supposed to go out for drinks before the super bowl and then to my friends to watch the game, but I ended up staying home. I just wanted to be home with my family. My brother had a few friends come over, but they are basically like family.

It was just what I needed though. My mom made homemade pizza and chili. I made brownies and buffalo chicken dip. We all just dug in and enjoyed the game. As soon as the game ended, I went to bed and slept so soundly. I hadn't slept that well in days. I was thankful for that. Sometimes I just need to listen to my body and relax.

Every day I feel like I'm getting back to my old self. But I'm not going to push myself too hard. The last thing I want to happen, is me slipping into depression. I have no real plans this weekend and I plan on taking full advantage and just relax.

Update

My cousin is slowly improving. He still hasn't woken up yet but every day he seems to be a little bit better. The swelling in his brain has gone down a lot and he is attempting to breath on his own. He is also responsive when there are people in the room. (Squeezing hands and stuff). They are going to try taking him off sedation soon and see what happens. We have no idea what he'll be like once he wakes up or if he'll have lasting brain damage.

It just breaks my heart. He's so young and his life will never be the same because of this accident.

Last night my cousin was struck by a bus, while riding his motorcycle. He is in critical condition, but the doctors are optimistic. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers today.

Haunted House?

Something strange happened to me last night.

I came home from the gym. Both my mom and brother weren't home. So I came in, put my dogs out, then went to take a shower. I shower in my mom's bathroom (it's nicer). Whenever I shower I turn on one light in her bedroom because it's pretty dark in there. So I turned on the light, and then went into the bathroom and took my shower.

When I finished up, I dried off, left the bathroom and turned off the bathroom light. Suddenly I realized that there was no other light on in the bedroom! I ran back into the bathroom and turn on the light. Then I crept out of the bathroom and went to the light switch. I flipped it back on and the light was working just fine. I figured that my brother must have came home and turned off the light.

I called out into the house. No one responded. Suddenly I heard the garage door opened and I was flooded with relief. Until that point I was really freaking out. My brother walks into the house and I ask him. Brian did you come in here and turn off the bedroom light? "No I just got home"

Brian I'm really serious, did you turn off this light. "Carolyn I JUST walked in the door, I haven't been home since this morning"

?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!

I freaked out. I told him that someone turned off this light! Check the house to see if someone is in here. He thought I was joking. He was like, no one is trying to break in, stop being ridiculous. I went into my room to put my PJs in. All of a sudden I started crying. lol. With all the adrenaline that was pumping through my body and being really freaked out, I couldn't help. He heard me crying and I guess felt bad. He searched every nook and cranny of the house for an intruder.

Finally he told me no one is in the house and there wasn't any doors or windows opened. So now I have no idea who turned off the light! I know for a fact that I switched it on before I went into my mom's room. The light didn't go out, someone TURNED IT OFF.

So now I've switched gears. If no one was in the house. Maybe it's a ghost? Which truthfully, freaks me out way more. I don't want to be haunted. When I told my mom the story this morning, she told me it must have been my grandpa. Quick backstory, my grandpa died in my house. So I guess if we are being haunted it would be by the person who actually died here.

Strange things have happened to my mom before, but I've never really believed her. Or there was an explanation. But now, I'm beyond freaked out. I know this probably sounds silly, but I just can't explain it. Someone effing turned off this light!

I actually had to take something last night to calm me down so I could actually sleep. If this is a spirit I really hope it leaves me alone. I don't know if I can take anymore shenanigans.

Eating and Shopping (Two of my favorite things)

My Thanksgiving was wonderful. By Thursday my mother had calmed down and the whole house was ready for my family to invade. It was a great day with lots and lots of food. It was also the first year I didn't have to sit at the kids table! I am 27 and this has never happened. lol

I live in a ranch house. The dinning room and family are connected together. There used to be two little walls between the two rooms. Last year we knocked down the two walls and made the passage way wider. Because of this we were able to connect the dinning room table and the kids table together, so all 20 of us could sit and eat dinner as a family. It was so nice! No one missed out on any conversations.

I ate so much food though. I just couldn't stop myself. I was so full that I thought I may be sick. My mom made her famous pepperoni bread, there was spinach artichoke dip, and cheese and meats platter for our apps. Dinner we had turkey, stuffing (one with sausage, one without) sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, broccoli rabe, green beans.... oh it was delicious. Thankfully I don't like dessert, or I may have actually gotten sick. My aunt made key lime pie and pumpkin pie, my grandma made apple stroudel and there were cookies.

It was a great day. But really long. I woke up at 7:30am to go to the gym and my family didn't end up leaving until 9pm that night. I was asleep by 9:30.

Unfortunately all that food caused me to have severe heartburn. I woke up at 3:30 in pain. I took tums but they didn't help. I figured since I was up, I may as well go shopping. lol. I was so sure that it was going to be packed when I left my house. My first stop was Kohls since I live right near there. I figured I would drive by and see what the parking lot looked like, before I would even go it.

It was a ghost town. I couldn't believe it! There was maybe 8 other people in the store. It was awesome! I got so many good deals, including a gold pair of earrings that were $300 marked down to $50 bucks. I got a Kitchen Aid Mixer for only $130 (after discounts and a rebate)!!! I've been dying to get a mixer for a long time. This was a great deal! Plus with the $15 kohls cash back I got like $105 dollars to use there this weekend.

After Kohls it was still only 5:30. So I headed down to the Jersey Shore Outlets. This was a little more busy, but I had no problem parking and was in and out all the stores pretty. The only store that looked crazy was Burberry. There was a line to get into the store and the line to check out wrapped around the store. There was no way I was going in there. But I got 50% off everything at Cole Haan and since it was before 8am I got an extra 20% off my total. Ann Taylor was 50% off everything. I got the most darling coat. So many good deals. By 8am I was totally done with my black friday shopping!

I had such a good experience. Later on in the day when I was driving around I saw that kohls was a madhouse. I am so glad I went before it got really busy. Me getting hearburn was the best thing to happen to me!! lol

How was your Holiday? Did you do any shopping for Black Friday? Online or in store?

Getting Ready for Turkey Day

Things at my house are crazy. My mom is getting everything ready for Thanksgiving and is in full melt down mode.

This happens every. single. year.

We have had Thanksgiving at my house for almost 30 years. My mom goes into panic mode a week before the holiday every year. Between the cleaning and the cooking she is a mess. I try to help out as best as I can, but she makes a bigger deal out of it than it is. She always thinks there are more things to be done then there really is.

So this weekend was crazy. I had to move a ton of boxes down into the basement, countless loads of laundry, help iron and hang new curtains we bought for my room and the living room. I had to go buy the liquor, some food she forgot and a larger curtain rod for the windows.

There was window washing, floor washing, shaking out rugs, cleaning toilets. It was a lot and I was exhausted. Got in a workout just from that!!

We got a lot done though and my mom is starting to calm down a little. It's definitely a tradition I've come to expect ever year. And honestly, the holiday wouldn't be the same without it.

I have a very short work week this week, so there is a very good chance I won't blog again until next week. I hope you all have a Wonderful Thanksgiving and a great Black Friday if you shop!!!

I am very thankful for my health and happiness this year. I am so full with love this year, and so thankful to be surrounded by people I adore.

What are you thankful for?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I'm one of those people who love to get their Christmas shopping done early. That way I can actually enjoy the holiday season once December hits. I try to be done with all my shopping by Black Friday.

Well this year I have outdone myself. As of today, November 14, I am FINISHED with my shopping!!!! Jealous? lol. I can't believe I'm done already. I even bought all my cards for everyone. I'm so ahead of the game, I'm considering wrapping all my presents next weekend! But then I may feel kinda strange. lol.

The reason why I'm done so early is because with my brother and his family living in India, I had to mail out their gifts this week, in order to ensure they would have everything by Christmas. Once I got started, I just finished with everyone else.

I am really looking forward to the holidays. I love love Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday), and I can't wait for Christmas this year. I have cousins flying in from California that I haven't seen in at least 4 years! We are having a mini family reunion. We usually have around 20 people to celebrate Christmas with, this year will be over 30! It's going to be great!

Last night I even watched Elf on TV. I love that movie and it really got me into the holiday spirit!

When do you try to get your holiday shopping done?

Updates (one really exciting)

I'm officially going to Italy!!! OMG!!! I am so excited to go back! I found a really good rate at the hotel my brother is staying at. I feel so much better now that we will both be at the same hotel. Much easier to coordinate with each other. Hotel is booked, and I'll probably get my plane tickets next week. I am bursting I am so excited. February can't come fast enough for me now!

I had my two week check up last week for my Iron infusions. Unfortunately, my levels barely went up. I have to go back in a few weeks to see if they continue to go up. I really hope so, I do not want to have to get the infusions again. That sucked. So fingers crossed for a good check up in a few weeks.

My mud run is this Saturday. It's so close! I'm in panic mode now. I am so nervous about the race. What if I can't handle all these obstacles? I am insane. I am so nervous that I can't seem to stop eating. Seriously. All junk too. I need my body to be in tip top shape and I keep on eating sugar and sodium. UGH. The whole time I'm eating, I'm internally yelling at myself. I am such an emotional eater, especially when my anxiety acts up. At least now I recognize why I'm doing this and I do stop myself before I eat too much. I need to find another outlet for my nerves. Hopefully my 4 mile run I have planned for tonight will help calm me!

I have been so busy the past few weeks. I'm honestly not used to being so busy. I used to rarely go out. Now every weekend I have something planned. It's crazy and great, but also exhausting. I cannot wait until November when things should calm down a bit for me. At least until the holidays start up again.

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is like a month away?? Time really does seem to be flying by!! I gotta get a start on my Christmas shopping!!

Possible trip to Italy!

I've mentioned many times before that my brother lives in India. I even went to visit last January. It was an incredible experience. Thankfully my brother and his family will be moving back to the states come this summer! I am so excited at the prospect that they'll just be a few states away, rather than on the other side of the world.

I haven't seen my brother since I was in India. I got to see my Sister in law and niece over the summer. It is crazy how fast my niece is growing. They were not able to get any time to take off to visit this winter. Which meant having to wait an entire year before I got to see any of them again.

UGH.

So I looked around and found a decent plane ticket to go back to India. So I emailed them and told them I would possibly be coming for a visit. They were really excited. Then I found out that they were planning a trip to Rome for the end of February, and would I rather go there instead of India? UM YES PLEASE!

I've been to Rome before, but it was only for about 3 days. Not nearly enough time to see everything I wanted to see. Plus the prospect of seeing them again makes me so happy! They had already booked a hotel and that was way to expensive for me to get a room there. I looked around and found an AMAZING deal. Roundtrip flight and hotel for the week (and a really really nice hotel) for only $1300!! That was what my plane ticket to India was going to cost!!!

Best of all the hotel is right near the main train station and a lot of the sights. Plus it's pretty close to where my brother and his family are staying. I think. lol. Cities in Italy are very confusing.

My only problem? NO ONE will come with me! Most of my friends are teachers and they cannot take off a week during the school year. The others, can't afford it. My mom doesn't even want to go! Which is unbelievable to me. She is petrified of flying and has never travelled out of the country before.

Which means I'm probably going solo. I'm not going to let that stop me from going there, but I just wish I had a travel buddy! I know once I get there I will be fine, but I still get nervous.

Nothing has been booked yet. I'm waiting to talk to my brother on the phone to solidify planes. I really hope it works out though! I'll be bummed if it doesn't!