Family | Peaches Prattlings

{April 9, 2017} She’s seven! A day with Miss A and a day for Miss A

Can you believe it! Today Miss A turned seven!

Where did the time go? Seriously! It was just yesterday SDL and I were talking about the adoption process, all the forms, procedures, etc and the next thing we knew, there was this fabulous bundle in our lives! I remember asking SDL a few times what our lives were like before Miss A was in it, couldn’t tell you.

What a precocious, smart, sassy, funny, silly little girl she is. Not so little, she’s seven and I get to celebrate with her! I made the same promise to Miss A that I did when EJS and MGS were born, I would be there every year for her birthday, either on her birthday or birthday dinner and I haven’t broken that promise and I don’t intend to start any time soon!

Saturday was riding lessons, helmet accented with a birthday tiara, of course! Then breakfast at Waffle House, a trip to Inman Park to see all the people walking around and meet lots of fury kids, especially puppies, most under 8 months old, love! And did they love Miss A!

We drove around Atlanta a bit and then it was time to go home, dinner, bath and bed or more fool auntie G into thinking you’re going to sleep, at least three times!

This morning was a bit of a sleep in, breakfast, then we got dressed and headed to meet CKM at the Grant Park Farmers Market. We walked around, looked at all the good stuff that was there and then lunch.
After lunch, since we were there, Miss A and I went to see lions and tigers and bears, oh my! And snakes and frogs and turtles and monkeys and apes and pandas and birds and flamingos and… And… so much fun to share that together.

Then it was time to meet mommy, otherwise known as SDL, and CKM at the Cheesecake Factory for a birthday celebration and what a celebration it was! This included a quick change in the parking lot into her fabulous birthday party dress, a little pink velvet number.

After dinner it was presents and then off into the wild blue yonder for bath and bed, oh, picking tomorrow’s fabulous outfit for celebrating her birthday in school. It starts with CKM’s present, an awesome tutu with pom-poms and happy birthdays in it!

I leave very early tomorrow morning so I got in as many giggles, hugs and kisses to last me until next time.

Happy happy seventh birthday Miss A! I love you!

{March 28, 2017} It’s never easy to say goodbye.

My very dear friends lost a furry treasured member of their family.

I say friends, they’re my family and my heart hurts for them tonight. Divit was a very sweet dog, he came to A&L K’s family eleven years ago. I still remember the day he came home, he was small and brown and scared. But curious, loving and wanting to fit in to his new family.

He was joining Jazz, his new older sister, a very sweet black lab and three two legged sisters who adored him immediately. This dog could jump! He used to drive the family crazy, jumping over the fence, the fence being over six feet high! Think this made his new prayers nuts!?

But he settled in quite well and loved his new family, including yours truly, Auntie J. He would greet me when I came to the house, didn’t bark, would snuggle and even say for me when I had to help remove a tick!

He was a great comfort to his family when Jazz passed and welcomed his new sisters, Twinkie and Yoohoo a few years later.

A while ago, the family received some sad news about Divit, he had a tumor. He was given a few months to live and the family made the most of that time. Trips to the beach in Florida, walks as long as he could take it, ice cream and all the love he could handle.

When I was down in GA the last time, we snuggled, hung out and had long talks and I told him that the family would be ok, they had his sisters and I would keep an eye on them for him. I had a feeling that would be the last time I saw him and it was.

The other ready, LK texted me to let me know, I had asked her to. It was going to be at 4pm yesterday that he would cross over the Rainbow Bridge and when I texted a little while before then, she told me his last meal was French fries and ice cream and I’ll bet he was happy. He looked it in the pictures she sent.

The vet gave each family member a Hershey kiss to say goodbye.

And then he was gone. I’m glad I had the chance to say goodbye and give him some auntie love.

Divit will be missed, remembered and loved. Right now, he’s probably chasing Jazz around. Hugs to my family.

{March 22, 2017} Double digits?? A TEN year old?

March 21st is one of my most favorite days of the year. Wanna know why?

It’s EJS’ birthday! This year… she’s TEN!

What? Think I think it’s crazy? How do you think her parents feel!

I remember the day my sister told me she was pregnant, oh man! I remember asking if I could get the Halloween costume, “yup, because if you don’t, it might not happen!” And that is what started my quest of all the Halloween costumes, did I love that? You bet!

This weekend was EJS’ birthday party and it was ‘Cupcake Wars’. She doesn’t even like cupcakes, but loves baking and baking shows and watching baking competitions.

There were three teams set up with four girls on each team. MGS was on my team, EJS floated from team to team each round. The aunties, AS, BS and myself all had a team to work with. Dad, ACS and his brother, JS, were judges.

The cupcakes had been made prior to the party, there seemed to be about 100! There were vanilla, red velvet, chocolate and fun-fetti.

Each round had different themes. The first was to make frosting and the judges had to decide based on the icing and pairing with the cupcake.

The next round was Spring and the judging was presentation, pairing and taste. The final round was in honor of EJS and strictly based on presentation.

Each team won a round. Any guesses which my team designed for final presentation? I do live on an island…

I can’t wait to find out what next year’s theme will be!
The girls eventually left and four came back and we all went to see Beauty & The Beast, loved it!

When a preview for Despicable Me 3 came on, EJS turned around to look at me to promise we would go together, MGS said the same thing when we were leaving the theatre. How much do I love that! Back to the house for dinner, two girls left and two spent the night. I’d say that was an awesome birthday celebration!

I talked to EJS tonight and I asked her how it felt to be double digits. Her answer, “Fun”, what a great answer!

What an amazing person my niece is! She’s smart, funny, silly, witty, clever, independent, fierce, caring, oh, I could go on, but you might think I’m biased…

It’s been such a treat to watch her grow up into this fabulous human being. She’s a special daughter, great big sister, fun granddaughter, fantastic friend and of course, awesome niece. I love when I first see her after being gone, the look on her face and then the hug, love.

I made a promise to her when she was born, I would be there for her birthday or birthday party and it’s not one I plan to ever break. How could I?! This is such an amazing kid!

Happy happy birthday EJS! I love you!!!

{March 14, 2017} Happy first birthday!!!

March 13, 2017, someone turned one!

My beautiful, smart, silly, fearless, curious, adventurous, happy granddaughter, Baby EB, turned one today!

Oh, how I wish I could show you a picture of her sweet little face! She is a wonder! Every day holds new wonders, excitement, joys, experiences, curiosity and so much more.

Each time i get to see her it’s a new experience, there is something new and exciting that she just learned or discovered.

I can’t wait to see where the next year and the next and the next takes her.

Happy birthday Baby EB. JJ sends love, hugs and kisses for your first birthday!

{March 13, 2017} What a weekend!

Paddle boarding, swap meet, visits, oh my!

You know my weekends are not sit around and do nothing, right? This was no different!

Friday was my second travel day, made it home, very exciting, laundry, straighten up, get ready for visitors, weehoo! Well, there was the dinner date with my honey, that was a Wahoo! We went for pho and then dessert a few doors down, closed them both!

Saturday morning cane early, with an alarm, boo. But… for a good reason! Something we have been talking about for a while and I surprised PSM with SUP lessons, Stand Up Paddle board lessons! The funny part…I ruined his surprise! He got us lessons as well, just hasn’t booked them yet! Sorry!

We headed into Honolulu to Ala Moana Beach to meet our awesome instructor Eva. We had a fifteen/ twenty minute lesson on the beach and a half wall, some stuff stuck, the rest came back when we went into the water.

It took a second, but we mastered it! Not experts ready to try out for the x-games, but we got the hang of it, enough that we went out and purchased a set of paddle boards for each of us! I think we’ll be doing this together every weekend I’m home and I think PSM will be spending some weekends practicing and leaving me in his wake! I’m hoping to find dime places i can do it on the mainland!

We had so much fun on the water, practicing falling, getting back on the board, turning, seeing sea turtles, they came by, stuck their heads up, said hi and then left, it was great! Some of them were huge!

After our fabulous experience, we were hungry! Off to a new place for breakfast, Egghead Cafe, really good breakfast. I had an avo-corn and egg sandwich with garlic aioli, yum! PSM had a pancake bacon,egg and cheese sandwich, he said yum. We shared the three pancake sampler, there were bananas, macadamia nuts, green tea, ice cream, red beans, so much…yum!

We then left to do some research into buying stand up paddle boards, went to a few places, left to do some thinking and went to the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet, http://www.alohastadiumswapmeet.net/content/home.aspx. 
This is an Oahu staple, three days a week its where you can find everything from trash to treasure. We bought Hydro Flasks, they keep your drinks hot or cold for hours, even days. I wouldn’t have believed it if i hadn’t tried it! Love!

Annie got an upgrad on her seat covers, these actually stay on because there is a separate head rest covert, who knew! PSM got some for his truck too. The best part, water resistant!

After the swap meat, we made a decision…Blue Planet, http://blueplanetsurf.com/, to buy our stand up paddle boards. We got boards, fins and leashes, it was a great package and they’re good boards. Because we bought two, we got tape they put on that will help protect the edge from the paddle, they ever threw in company logo stickers for the boards, looks awesome!

John was a great salesperson and help with installing the stickers, tape and helped PSM strap the boards to the roof.

We went home and got some dinner, tonight was Raman at one of our favorite places, shower, turn around and head back to the airport to pick up PSM’s aunt and uncle coming for a visit.

We got back to the house, visited for a bit, then bed, it was almost 1130 by now!

Woke up this morning, went to one of out favorite breakfast places, My Cafe, induced the family to malasada pancakes! Y U M!

Back to the house to pack and they headed to the airport to go to Kuai for the week, I was bummed not to be able to join them.. next time. I headed out to Honolulu to see TS!!! She was in Hawaii for the week with her daughter,KS and friend, M. How fabulous! We had lunch, caught up and they told me all about their fabulous time in Oahu and Maui, great trip! So great to see them!!!

I saw them off to the airport, went to the beach for a few hours and found my way home, without gps!

Then it was hanging out with Mollie, we’re talking about going to the beach in the morning for a few hours before I have to leave for Chicago.

Another fabulous weekend at home, too short, but fabulous! Can’t wait for the next one… next month!

{March 6, 2017} First run of the season…ahhh

I arrived in Denver late Friday, drove up to Silverthorne, where I was staying for the weekend.

The nice thing this time, I was joined by some friends. Last weekend I got to hang out with my friend APM, this weekend, his wife, NLM and their seven year ood daughter, ALM. They were already in the room asleep, best part… they brought my skis with them!

We got up Saturday morning, went for breakfast, caught up and then got dressed and headed out to hit the slopes at Keystone. I’m a skier and they are both riders, snowboarders, see…the two can get along!

ALM had never been on a gondola, she was a little nervous and after… didn’t want to go up the mountain ant other way!

We got to the top and picked a green circle, I was fine with this since it was a year since I’d skiied and wanted to get a feel for things again, they wanted it because ALM is still learning and this was a family/ learning trail.

We had a great time, there was stopping and starting intentionally and unintentionally, falling, learning, tumbles. We stopped after msking it down once for some hot cocoa and a treat, back up for another run.

It was great watching them together, I’m looking forward to trying a snowboard next year and NLM being my instructor!

At one point ALM said it was time for private lessons. That meant me, then her mom, then me. She would tell us what she wanted us to do, she said copy me, unless I fall, the don’t copy me! Sounds good!

After the second run, we were done, this had taken a good chunk of the day. We headed to the shuttle, back to the car, then the hotel. We regrouped, went to get some dinner at Whole Foods, back to the room for showers, dinner and a movie. We ended sacking out pretty early, a full day on the slopes can do that to ya!

This morning, breakfast, packing and they headed out for home and I went back to Keystone for a few runs, back to the hotel, shower, off to Boulder for an errand, traffic was ridiculous! Drop off my skis, say hello and goodbye and then to the airport.

Now I’m back in Chicago ready for a new week. Fabulous weekend!

{February 27, 2017} What a weekend!

This weekend was great!

I flew to Denver Friday evening and checked into the only hotel I’ve stayed in since I moved from Denver. It’s a nice Homewood Suites in the center of the city with easy access to restaurants, nightlife, museums, the highways to get to the mountains and anywhere else you want to go.

I got to the hotel, had to get some work done and eventually got some sleep. I set the alarm, but that snooze button is too tempting. The phone woke me up, oops. I got up and headed to the airport because I was picking up my honey!!!

PSM is going to a meeting in Iowa this coming week and needed a place for a layover and Denver was one of those options and decided to make it a weekend, so here we are! Together!

We went back to the hotel and met his mom’s cousin and her husband for breakfast, a very nice couple who have lived in Denver for over thirty years. We had a really nice time getting to know each other, hearing stories about PSM’s family and PSM as a little kid.

After breakfast, it was time for a little break and some rest, after a bit PSM got up and prepped for his presentation next week.

Later we headed out into the city and ended up at a Machete for dinner, PSM was craving what we can’t really get in Hawaii, Mexican food. It was a noisy, energetic, eclectic restaurant with an impressive list of tequilas, someone was happy!

We were meeting APM, someone I’ve been friends with since high school, we met in youth group. Thursday and now Saturday, friends from youth group, fabulous! I also found out that his middle name is PSM’s first make, go figure!

After dinner we walked around, got some coffee and tea for a minute then wentb to another bar to hang out a bit longer, then on to the hotel and closing the blackout curtains, we were sleeping in!

Sunday brought a sleep in, brunch, a little more practice and then a tour of Boulder. It was nice to be in a place that I love together.

Then off to the airport, our flights were ably the same time, he walked me to my gate, we got to spend a little more time together and we realized that this would be a good place to meet for a weekend, easy for us both to get to, sweet!

Then I was off to Chicago and PSM is off to Iowa. I’ll be in Hawaii in a few weeks to see him again and we have a plan for my April trip! Wahoo!

Have a great night!

{February 19, 2017} They said what?!

PICNIC, PEBCAK, ID TEN T…huh?

You call IT for support, you call customer service for help. You’re really not getting anywhere and you’re frustrated and you hear a term you have never heard before, but the technician says it, you don’t know any better, so you just accept it.

Let me let you in on a little secret…

PEBCA… Problem Exists Between Chair and Keyboard.

PICNIC…Problem In Chair, Not In Computer.

ID TEN T…write it out…ID10T.

Type

You’re welcome!

{February 15, 2017} Happy everything!

It’s February 14th, that means…a lot!

It’s Valentine’s Day across the globe for anyone who’s in and feels love. Don’t forget, love takes many forms. Spouses with each other, significant others, parents with children, grandparents, friends, soul mates, friends, kids, both two and for legged, maybe even more legs if you’re into spiders and octopuses.

My friends JCT and JT have their wedding anniversary today, how love-ly is that? Happy anniversary!

SDL and Miss A are celebrating their Gotcha Day! This is the day when the adoption became official, how fabulous is that? What was our life like before you came into it? I can honestly say, I have no idea! Happy Gotcha Day!

Oh, the love I have for my family and friends…my immediate family and extended family…my nieces and grandbabies…there are no words to express what you all mean to me. Happy Valentine’s Day.

To my love, my honey, my Boo. So much to say, I’ll tell you when I see you. What I will say is thank you for my fabulous flowers, I love them. Happy Valentine’s Day, I love you.

{February 12, 2017} Sunday…another snow day!

Sunday school, sledding, hot chocolate, snow, hotel.

Sunday was quiet in the morning, the kids and GES were at Sunday school, ACS was watching Sunday Morning, when I finally decided to come downstairs and I watched with him after making some breakfast.

When the kids got home, there was playing in the snow, a little deep in some spots! Sledding, which translates to Auntie J, pull us in the tobbogin! Hmmm…

After sledding, dry the snow gear, good thing I had it with me! Hot chocolate, lunch and then…pack up and head to a hotel for the night near the airport. Good thing, it keeps snowing, who knows what’s going to happen tomorrow? See how foggy it was from the hotel window?

Take out, bad tv, talk to you, bed. Fingers crossed I get out tomorrow, lots of flights are getting canceled.

Happy snow day!

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