Spring Break 2018

We have been counting down the days for our girl trip to FL since NOVEMBER!!!

Here is Delaney getting the obligatory pre-vacation pedicure.....

Delaney leads a rough life!

Florida Here We Come!!!!
(Note who ALWAYS gets the window seat)

When we landed, we wasted no time getting to the beach!

We need some practice with the selfie stick!
I was just glad I remembered to pack it.

Rule #1 on vacation---we get ice cream! 

Or in this case, an ice cream taco (not my smartest parental decision)....

 For obvious reasons............

We headed to St. Augustine and had the best bread sticks (and pizza)!  

And of course, ice cream #jenandberrys #itsaninsidejoke

We headed to the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum

 

In 2005, Dave and I were here for Superbowl and we thought it would be fun to see what our future children would look like so we threw away money paid money so this machine would morph our pictures to show us what our future kids would look like. Only our "kids" weren't the kind you would want to claim. I would show you the picture but my and Dave's pictures look like mug shots from the St. Johns County jail! Delaney couldn't wait for me to show her what she was "supposed" to look like when we got home. Somehow, I found it in our junk drawer :-)

It's the kind of picture you can't "unsee" and I am so thankful our little girl looks NOTHING like the machine said she would!
I wanted to tell these people sitting inside to save their $5!

I took this for all the TWD fans (it's made from bbq sauce). 

And what about last night's finale???  Soooooo good!

                                                

Seeing how much she weighs on different planets. 

Here on planet Earth, she weighs 64.7 lbs.

 

Daytona Beach--you were everything those "don't make'em like they used to" 

80's Spring Break movies said you were...... so much fun!

After we got our fill of the beach, we headed to Universal Studios!!

Our first day started with......

And as you can see.....

 It was a very tough decision which one to get.....

 Delaney finally decided on an Oreo donut (and thankfully, wasted half of it) #allthatsugar

After donuts, it was time to hit the parks (armed with our fanny packs and most comfortable shoes--which were no match for the 13,000 steps we did each day) we were pumped! The weather was perfect. A certain mom may have forgotten to take the sunscreen that day :-) 

The same mom who refused to buy it in the park!

 

We just missed Scooby and the gang!

Now, here's my gripe about Universal Studios, to ride the Hogwarts Express you HAVE to buy a park hopper! But it was soooooooooooooooo much fun.

I have no words for the Harry Potter attractions at the park. They are unbelievable.
I do however have words for the fact they got rid of Jaws and Back to the Future though :-(

 Using her wand to cast spells throughout the park!
She saved her Christmas money to buy this overpriced wand.

 And this overpriced spritzer fan!
I would hate for her to get hot in FL.........:-)

Please take your kids to Universal, it's so much fun!

 She wasn't very happy that this was the only roller coaster she could ride. The kid is fearless!
Sydney was such a good sport and rode the rides her mother was too chicken to ride! 

I literally GOT OUT OF LINE at The Mummy!

 No ma'am......
This is not the Mummy, it's some "kiddie roller coaster" I also refused to ride.

The butter beer (non-alcoholic) was everything and more I dreamed it would be.

Someone may have told her this is the ONLY motorcycle they better see her on!

 This girl was all about the souvenirs.....her mother is not :-)

 And candy!!!

I stole these pictures from Sydney because Millennials know how to do this :-)

  Diagon Alley....

This was the best we could look for a 7:15 am flight!!!

                                            

We had a GREAT trip and are so thankful our friends opened their home to us (and cooked AMAZING meals). The parks were so much fun and somehow, we went the perfect time. Delaney had a late Spring Break so I think that helped! We walked on some rides with no wait and the wait times were usually 5-10-15-20 minutes! Do NOT buy Express passes before you go, there's no incentive to, I would have wasted FOUR hundred dollars for both days. Wait until you get there to see how long the lines are and start in the back of the park!

And since we've been home Delaney has been telling me about all the things we forgot:

1. Her lemonade Icee from the park I promised her
2. The seashells she got from the beach
3. My personal favorite---to go to Volcano Bay (this is the water park at Universal Studios that I did my best to make sure she knew nothing about---except that darn tall volcano stuck out like a sore thumb as we entered the park) she never once mentioned that park until we got home. #momfail

Don't you feel sorry for her? Ya, me neither!!! We had a pool and hot tub at our friends' house so the water park was never gonna happen!

Angie, Syd and Don----thank you soooooooooo much for letting us invade your home and for the amazing meals! Delaney just loved hanging out with Syd, she was like her own personal glam squad doing her hair for her everyday!

I just love vacationing with Delaney Newsom! I also love that I get a front row seat to her life. 

And in true form....now we're off to plan Fall Break! Especially since Delaney's first day back to school is today and it's snowing!!

Easter 2018

Delaney started questioning the Easter Bunny last year so I wasn't sure what this year would bring.

For sure, it's the last year the Easter Bunny will be hopping on over to our house :-(

Thank goodness our Easter Bunny shopped at Christmas (I didn't get to go out b/c of sickness). She got lots of great stuff for her basket (minus candy of course) :-)

I told Dave Newsom's daughter to go get dressed for Easter. Again, thankfully I shopped early this year or she would have stayed in those pajamas (above) all day. I don't know why I am even surprised when she walks out dressed like this. I think this is about the third Easter she's worn those shoes so there's that....... 

 Obligatory picture with her Easter bunny she got when she was born.....

 I combined her birthday with Easter this year (#ohyesidid). Her grandma made her a homemade cake and cupcakes and the birthday girl only ended up eating ice cream. So I guess next year it's a big ole tub of Blue Bell ice cream for her. And can I get an Amen that Blue Bell is back?!?!?!? #besticecreamever 

 Before Easter, aunt Catherine found this on Pinterest!

 It was too cold to go outside so our Bunny hid eggs downstairs. 

As usual, it would have been easier to herd cat..............

 Then it was present time......thank you everyone for all of the great gifts!

 And just like that, she's 8!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Pretend like this was taken this morning when Delaney didn't have "after school hair"! I forgot to take her picture before school and she was less than thrilled to take this (and may have had to put stuff back on) when she got home. But since she's not in charge....here's the best I/we could do.....

I tell Delaney we celebrate St. "Daddy's" Day because her daddy loved this holiday (as in, took off work for it)

 My friend made these for our group! We too take this holiday very seriously! We hired someone to drive us around in our tailgating bus. It was a great time.

Oh this girl......

My lazy child is so ingenuitive!

I mean I guess it's one less step for her to not have to open up the cabinet door and it is a "chip clip". My almost 8 year old is so much fun you guys!!!

A Little Limbo???

This day started out with one of the walkers and ended like this....

Mental Note: take Delaney skating (this was only her 3rd time).

I'm not sure if we have any blog followers left out there because who likes bloggers who only blog once a month?? The short story is...Blogger is no longer supported by ios (and most of my blogging is/was done on my phone) and this laptop that I am sitting here typing on needs some serious IT attention!! Who wants to convert my blog to WordPress for me??? :-)
I have really good intentions of doing a better job blogging.

Just like the laundry I suppose...:-)

Life has been busy!! We're gearing up for Spring Break, started a bathroom renovation this week, and Delaney has had birthday parties for the last 8 weekends (see above) and another one this weekend! Oh, and my brain is simultaneously planning Delaney's EIGTH birthday and Easter (and Spring Break)!!!

P.S. I am serious about the WordPress thing :-)

The Kool-Aid

After seeing the previews every time we were at the movies, Delaney kept saying she wanted to see it and I just wrinkled my nose at her (all I could think of was how awful La La Land was). And then after literally everyone I know telling me how good it was and that I had to see it, I decided to "drink the Kool-Aid". We downloaded the soundtrack a week before we went so we were ready! The soundtrack is on repeat at our house and we are already talking about going back to see it!

GO SEE THIS MOVIE, YOU'RE WELCOME!

Jack v. Justin (I am not saying SPOILER ALERT because no true fan could have waited to watch!)

Ok, maybe it was more like "Brady v. Foles" but for the female population in America, I think it was more "Jack v. Justin". I mean weren't we all just watching the Super Bowl so we could watch This Is Us? (By the way, I don't trust anyone who doesn't watch this show :-) I literally cannot be friends with you, I'm sorry, not sorry.....

I don't think any of us could mentally prepare for last night's episode, especially after watching that exciting game! Way to go Dan Fogelman, way-to-go! (Oh, and you too Eagles)

I'd be lying if I said that episode didn't hit home but it also was a good reminder that when you are married to a "Jack", it's so much easier to be happy than sad. Case in point, remember how he tied sheets around the kids and lowered them off the roof? I may have laughed out loud when I saw that because Dave "may" have told me how to do that to Delaney in case of a fire WHILE I WAS STILL PREGNANT!! And I don't remember him telling me to make sure I got out too :-)

And remember how on the anniversary of Jack's death, Rebecca got in the car and songs kept coming on the radio?? Um, yes, that REALLY happens! On the anniversary, there is always some little sign or something that happens, it's a real thing! I may even love it more when YOU hear a song that reminds you of Dave and you call to tell me.

 So Justin just didn't do it for me last night, I mean it was good, but let's face it..............

 Wasn't THIS the best part of the show?

On February 4, 2007, Prince was the halftime entertainment at the Super Bowl in Miami. I don't remember much of that show other than I sat like a drowned rat in a poncho for hours (totally worth it, that's the one we WON) but man was that a fun surprise last night
#purplerain #rememberwhenhewentbythesign #thatwassoweird

So back to the Super Bowl, can we get an Amen the Patriots didn't win (again)???
Ok, so I'm off to start dinner (chicken in the crock pot)!!!!
Anyone else afraid to use their crockpot now???