HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Let it Snow!

We've had back-to-back storms the last few days, which managed to dump about 6 inches of the white powdery stuff ... I must admit - it does look pretty, even as much as I despise winter! Carly had a little fun in the snow yesterday afternoon -- not too long though, cuz it is

C O L D out there!

The Holidays ...

Is it just me, or does the holiday season seem like it is moving in 'fast forward'? I swear the days and weeks race by more and more quickly with each passing year. (Sigh....) I do love this time of the year -- I just wish the festive season could last a tad bit longer! Then again, I must admit that I am perhaps the world's BIGGEST freak when it comes to "taking Christmas down" ... once Christmas Day is behind us, I struggle mightily with the urge to take all holiday decorations down and pack them away for yet another year ..... I guess it is just my way of dealing with the fact that "it's over". :o) So yes, you guessed it -- that's what I spent the majority of today doing -- taking down all signs of Christmas so we can start the New Year off fresh and clean (well, "fresh", anyway ... this house is FAR from being "clean"! ha). It feels pretty good to have that NOT small task behind me already ..... I literally start dreading it the day after I put everything up! LOL!

Wanted to share a couple of pictures from Christmas Eve ... and also report in that we had a WONDERFUL Christmas -- we celebrated with both sides of the family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and enjoyed each and every moment. Santa was good to all of us, which was an added bonus. :o) Here's a rundown of the biggest hits:

Sony Reader - from Santa to Michelle

iPod Touch X 2 - from Oma/Pappy to Alex & Nick

DJ Hero - from Santa to Alex & Nick

Zhu Zhu Pets + accessories - from Santa to Carly

iPod Touch - from Santa to Mike

Hope you all had a festive and merry Christmas!!! Here's to a Happy New Year!

Holiday Greetings!

Oh my! I didn't realize it had been SO LONG since we last 'talked'! LOL. Not even sure where to begin as, I'm sure like most of you, life has been just a little bit chaotic/hectic the last several weeks. I think I set a new PR (personal record) this year with my Christmas shopping -- I was completely finished, with all presents wrapped & under the tree a whole week before Christmas. Never before have I managed to accomplish that! So, this is proof that there definitely IS a first time for everything! Many thanks to several of my friends (you know who you are ...) who positively inspired me this season. :o)

Here are a few highlights from the last month:

Nick's basketball season is in full swing (and he now sits on the sidelines - more on that a little later ...) so we've dutifully attended I don't know how many 7th grade basketball games. (He's #20)

Carly and a friend had fun at a "Holiday Dance Party" hosted by the Children's Discovery Museum.

We baked and decorated (and are currently in the process of consuming - LOL) 12 dozen sugar cookies and a variety of other holiday goodies!
Carly has had an absolute ball with our "Elf on a Shelf" this season -- George Jr III (affectionately so named by Nick and Carly) has found some very interesting hiding spots this year. The first thing she does when she gets up each morning is search the house for "The Elf". :o)


In the midst of all the holiday hustle and bustle, we managed to squeeze in an evening of fun with some dear friends.

We celebrated Oma's 68th birthday!

We endured (oops - I mean "enjoyed") yet another of the infamous Holy Trinity School Christmas programs -- 90 minutes of anticipation just to see your child up front on the risers for approximately 4 minutes of fame. :o) Carly is wearing a black and red dress - it's hard to get good pictures in a jam-packed, heated up, poorly lit gymnasium!




And, last but not least, we rounded out the last week of school before Christmas break with a true "break" ... haha ... Nick fell in gym class on December 17 while playing volleyball (yes, volleyball of all things -- LOL). He decided to tell us about his 'sore arm' later that evening after he got home from basketball practice. Long story short -- we went to the doctor the next day, were referred to an ortho, and left later that afternoon with a nice blue cast on his left wrist. Turns out he fractured his hand/wrist - actually a bone that runs on the top of his hand down to his wrist. Fortunately, the cast comes off on January 15 - so he only has to endure 4 weeks of this 'torture'. So, this is why he is now "sidelined" in basketball.

The next few days are sure to be filled with lots of holiday cheer -- we'll celebrate Christmas Eve with Oma/Pappy and Christmas Day with Mike's side of the family. The kids are anxious to tear into that sea of presents under our tree ... and they're looking forward to Christmas morning to see what other goodies Santa might decide to leave for them ..... :o)

From our home to yours -- Merry Christmas!!!

Happy Turkey Day!

Wishing family and friends a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all had a festive day surrounded by those you love!

Home Again, Home Again!

All good things must come to an end, right? Well, that's kinda how it felt when reality slapped me in the face this morning. Back to the rat race that is otherwise known as life in the Miller family! LOL. Our trip home on Friday went without a hitch -- albeit with just a little bit of stress getting to the airport on time. You see, we had to make that 'one last stop' at Stein Mart in Naples on the way to the airport to get price adjustments on the things we had purchased earlier in the week that were on sale during their annual 14 hour sale on Friday. It was well worth the effort - I think between the 3 of us, we recouped about $150. :o) But then, with all that newfound money burning a hole in our pockets, we just HAD to do a quick 'once over' the store to see if there were any buys too good to pass up. So, our departure from Naples was just a tad later than we had anticipated. :o) Jen piloted our Jeep Laredo on the way to the airport and she successfully delivered us with not one minute to spare. And yes . . . if you were wondering, we did manage to give back at least part of that $150 we 'saved' at Stein Mart (no surprise there, I'm sure). Once again, the Naples economy benefited from our visit. ha.

We were very happy that we were able to catch a few rays of that glorious Marco sunshine before we left the condo on Friday - although it was a bit chilly (I think the temp was about 68 when we ventured out to the beach at 9:30am), it quickly warmed up and we were able to soak up a couple of hours' worth before coming in to finish packing, 'close' the condo, etc.

All in all, a WONDERFUL trip. Good friends, good times, good memories, good food, good shopping, good relaxing ..... all good. :o)

Lazy Dayz in Marco

"The flip flop girls" enjoyed a leisurely, lazy, lounging day today. I took my morning walk (which is more like an 'almost run' - LOL) down to the last building and back, along with the fierce wind and chilly temperatures. Darn it, Hurricane Ida! I thought for sure the sun was gonna pop out for us, but it went in and out of clouds ALL DAY LONG. And instead of getting warmer, it got cooler as the day went on. So, we made the most of the situation and just hung around the condo watching movies (Mama Mia! and Twilight), various TV shows, and playing on our laptops (which is a luxury in itself since we don't typically have time to do these things in our 'real lives' - LOL). We ventured out for a walk late this afternoon and are now settling down to watch Flash Forward, Grey's Anatomy, and Private Practice. We head home tomorrow . . . and as usual, our departure brings mixed feelings. This week is just such a treasured time away for all of us -- let me tell you, a break from the usual stress, chaos, and hustle & bustle does a busy mom sooooooo much good. So, THANK YOU honey, for letting me escape on this trip year after year after year, and THANK YOU mom and dad, for opening the condo (my favorite little slice of paradise) to me and my friends. :o)

Already looking forward to next year's Flip Flop Girls Great Escape -- 365 days and counting.

Diary of a Shopaholic

Ummmmmm ... well, just take a look at the evidence and assess for yourself what has occurred during the last day and a half here in South Florida. :o) What else are girls supposed to do when a hurricane dampens our beach plans?!


Our itinerary:
Holiday House
Jet Set Surf Shop
Beall's Outlet
Best of Everything (Naples)
Best of Everything Gifts (Naples)
Stein Mart (Naples)
Joey's Pizza (dinner on Tuesday night -- at 10:30pm -- LOL!)
Walgreens (Jen had to pick up a prescription but still, we proved that you CAN shop - even at Walgreens!)
Best of Everything (Naples)
Marshalls (Naples)
Macy's
Gymboree
Bakers Shoes
Express
PF Chang's (lunch on Wednesday)
Marshalls (Bonita Springs)
Best of Everything (Bonita Springs)
Target
Stein Mart (Bonita Springs)
Marshalls (Bonita Springs)
Walmart

And now here we are -- back at the condo once again. We'll be visiting the local post office tomorrow to ship some of our special finds home. Our 'haul' was so significant we seriously had to use grocery carts to bring it all upstairs from the parking lot. LOL. In all honesty, though, I can't think of a better way to spend a day. :o)


Looking forward to more beach time tomorrow! Heaven knows our bank accounts can't handle any more shopping! LOL. I think Jen summed it up the best -- she said "every year we take fewer pictures, cook less, and shop more ..." Yes indeed! Bring it on! :o)

Another Day in Paradise

Still enjoying ourselves here in Marco! Although I have to say our weather has been less than perfect the past couple of days (thanks to Hurricane/Tropical Storm Ida), we've still managed to catch quite a few rays of that lovely south Florida sun. Today, for example - the forecast was for clouds and possible rain but we planted ourselves on the beach despite what the weatherman said. And guess what? The sun came out! So, we soaked up what we could and then headed out for some afternoon SHOPPING! We hit two of our favorite spots in Naples - The Best of Everything and Stein Mart! Found great bargains and 'must haves' at both stores, so the Naples economy is a little richer tonight. :o) Sounds like it will be raining tomorrow, so we'll more than likely do a little more exploring of the shops, stores, and boutiques here on the island and in Naples. Fun, fun!!!

A few pictures from today:

Cool cloud formations in the sky

Mr. and Mrs. Seagull on the beach

Me standing outside of my ALL TIME FAVORITE STORE IN THE WORLD :o)

Signing off for tonight!

Marco Time!

Another GREAT day here in paradise! Actually, the weather didn't cooperate too well today - we're feeling some of the effects of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Ida, which is bringing clouds and lots of wind. Still, I spent most of the day at the beach and pool. Robin and Jen decided to check out some of the stores/shops on the island while I lounged. I didn't feel too guilty lounging because I started my day off with my favorite 3 mile walk down to the last building along the beach and back. :o)

Then later this afternoon, the three musketeers ventured out once again to a few more of my favorite shops. Based on the weather forecast, beach time tomorrow is questionable as well, but hey - in all honesty, we just don't care. This trip is not so much about coming home with a tan as it is about coming home rested, relaxed, happy, and stress free. Oh, and a few dollars poorer, too. (Can't forget about all that shopping! LOL.)

Didn't take too many pics today -- just a few random shots of palm trees.

More tomorrow!

Great Escape 2009 - Marco Island

Once again, we find ourselves in beautiful Marco Island, Florida . . . for a few days of total "girl time" . . . i.e. lounging in the sun, walking the beach, hunting for shells, surviving on a diet consisting mostly of cream cheese and sour cream based dips/appetizers & drinks with some sort of alcoholic content and, of course . . . SHOPPING. This has become an annual tradition for Robin, Jen, Heidi, and me. Unfortunately, a construction accident left Heidi's husband in the hospital last week so she was unable to join us this year. HEIDI, WE MISS YOU!!! We're here until Friday and are enjoying every single minute.

Let's see . . . we arrived in Fort Myers yesterday around noon. We leisurely made our way to the island (shopping started even earlier than usual this year! LOL) and got to the condo around 2:30pm. We unpacked, relaxed on the lanai for a little while, and then headed to Walmart for our weekly supply of food and drinks. We didn't do much last night, other than go out for dinner, because all of us were up by 3am Illinois/Iowa time in order to catch our flights. Needless to say, we were TIRED girls last night. I think we all were in bed by 11pm. At 4:23 this morning, we were roused out of bed by the complex's emergency evacuation system, which is broadcast VERY LOUDLY in each unit ... the broadcast sounded an (annoying!) alarm and played a repetitive message that the 3 of us will never forget - LOL. "Attention please - an emergency has been reported. Please leave the building immediately, using stairways and not elevators, blah, blah, blah...." We wrapped up in blankets and trudged down the stairs where we hung out with numerous other people staying at the Somerset this week. I felt so sorry for the families with young kids and for the elderly people. We were ultimately visited by police and the local fire department. Turned out it was all for nothing, so at about 5am, we headed back to bed.

Today was a "sun day" for a Sunday. :o) We lounged on the beach all day, chatting, napping, listening to music, and looking for shells. Ahhhhhh ..... paradise. Came in late this afternoon and had a scrumptious home cooked dinner (Italian Wedding Soup - yum), some drinks (of course), and we're now all 'playing' on our laptops. Again, paradise.

Looking forward to another day of the same tomorrow . . . and the next day, and the next day, and the next day . . . Well, actually, we'll probably do some shopping tomorrow afternoon and/or on Tuesday. More paradise.

Check back soon - I promise updates daily throughout the week!

Halloween Fun!

Happy Halloween 2009!!

Some pics from the festive weekend .....

First, we carved pumpkins:

Carly wasn't afraid to stick her hand in the 'goop' (albeit with a rubber glove - LOL!).

Alex hard at work:

The finished products (we ended up with one traditional jack-o-lantern, compliments of Alex, one kitty cat, compliments of Carly, and one creepy raven, compliments of Nick):

And finally, time for Trick Or Treat! Carly was adorable as a pink and white kitty cat:

The boys, of course, were nowhere to be found when it came time for trick or treating......Alex went to a party with friends, and Nick went to a friend's house for the night ..... hmmmmm this is the FIRST time Carly had to trick or treat with just Mom. I guess the boys really are growing up .....!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!

One ... Two ... Three ... Four ... Down for the Count

Let's just say that this has not been the best of weeks around here. All 3 kids and I came down with a lovely strain of Influenza A last weekend. I'm happy to say that, after 7 long days, we are FINALLY all on the mend. Poor Carly got the worst of it -- she battled a raging fever for an entire week. I don't think her little body could have possibly held any more Tylenol or Motrin. Alex was the first to return to school -- he finally went back on Wednesday. Nick returned on Thursday and I was home all week long -- down myself through Wednesday and then home playing nurse-maid to poor Carly on Thursday and Friday. Her 104 fever finally broke in the wee hours of Saturday morning and she has been fever free ever since. Hooray! Let me tell you -- this was one NASTY bug. And a prime reason why all good moms should get their kids in for flu shots as soon as they are available in the fall!!! I delayed .... and you see for yourself what happened. :o( Needless to say, we will be headed to the doctor's office at some point this week to finally get immunized.

Here's to a better week for the Miller household! Thank goodness the kids and I are better because Mike left this morning for Orlando on a business trip ... lucky dog - he'll be basking in the warm Disney sun all week while we battle the central Illinois chilly weather here.

Hope everyone is staying WELL!!!

Homecoming Fun . . .

It's Homecoming week for Central Catholic High School! This year's theme is "New York, New York". Dress up days include "NYC tourist", "Roaring 20's", and "Favorite Broadway Show". Today was "Roaring 20's" and here's what Alex looked like when he left for school this morning:

He said the school was filled with gangsters ... I'm thinking he probably fit right in! (minus the bat, of course ... no weapons allowed) :o)

Considering I was running to Walmart last night at 9pm to find a solid colored tie and a fedora (sp?) hat, I'm hoping he already knows what he's gonna wear for tomorrow's theme! I suggested he go with Grease - that's pretty easy to do and won't require Mom to run around at the last minute frantically searching for costume supplies. LOL.

And as for me, well, once again I volunteered (why???? please remind me of this NEXT year!!... ha) to co-coordinate the annual alumni & friends homecoming luncheon, which will be held on Friday. So today I spent the day at home working on centerpieces for 24 tables. Check out my small 'masterpieces' (okay, so the term 'masterpiece' might be just a small stretch....)

All in all, a very fun and action-packed week! Check back soon!