You Can't Take It With You....

Soon Rod and I will both be out of the country, so we decided to get our Will updated. Even though one knows that death is an inevitable part of life, it's a strange thought to ponder...especially when you have young children. Thinking about leaving my mom and children behind makes my heart ache; however, I'm not afraid to die. After listening to the recent series on heaven at church, it actually gives me great comfort and anticipation towards my afterlife. It is the people I would leave behind that makes me want to cling to life.

The day after we updated our Will, Leona Helmsley died. The headlines read: "Leona Helmsley leaves $12 million to her dog." Upon reading the rest of the story, you realize that this woman went to her grave with hatred, bitterness and unforgiveness in her heart. How unfortunate that a person chooses this path. The starving children in Africa, the homeless lying on the streets of America, all abused and neglected souls surely could have used some of that $12 million, but instead a dog named "Trouble" will reap the rewards. It made me sad for Leona Helmsley that she lived 87 years on this Earth and obviously never"got" it...that is, the true meaning of life. It also made me look inward and ask myself, "Are YOU getting it?" What am I doing to make the world a better place? When I meet my maker, will I struggle to tell Him about my kindness, my humility, my service or my forgiving heart? I hope not. I don't want to waste this precious life He gave me; and at the end of it, I want to really get it!

To all my 5 readers...bonvoyage...I'll update my blog next week!

Awww..The End of Summer!

The end of summer is fast approaching....next Monday is the first day of school! This event, along with my upcoming trip to Cancun, is making me feel a little jittery inside! I feel like a kid again, anticipating an event that is new and unknown. When I ask Alex if he is excited about school starting, he shrugs and nonchalantly says, "Nah." My stomach, on the other hand, is doing cartwheels. How can he be so calm?

Reflecting on these last three month's of long, hot (and surprisingly rainy) days of summer '07 puts a smile on my face. I got my tummy tuck at the end of May, and although painful, expensive and hard on my mom, was a procedure I am grateful I got to have. June brought record-breaking rainfall for most of Texas, and I was in recovery-mode, so the kids and I did a lot of "bonding" that month. July was back to the gym and swimming time and Aidan learned to hold his breath under water. August proved to be hot and somewhat mundane, but Sea World brought a welcomed break from our day-to-day routine. September is looming around the corner with great anticipation....school, Cancun, Rod's birthday, Alex's birthday, PTA...more of life's experiences to be shared!

Goodbye, summer....

Please don't strike, Hurricane Dean!

Since March, I have been planning a trip to Playa Del Carmen (30 minutes from Cancun, Mexico) for Rod's 40th birthday, but Mother Nature may put a damper on my plans. Yes, Hurricane Dean has hit the Gulf of Mexico. From what I have read, the most damage has been to the Yucatan Peninsula and the major resorts in and around Cancun haven't been too affected by Dean's wrath.

Although this is good news, I am still somewhat anxious. You see, I stay home with 3 boys. It has been a long summer. I am desperately needing some R&R on a tropical, 4-star, all-adult resort where my major dilemma of the day is..."What bathing suit should I wear?" I have been dreaming of lying on the beach, drinking froo-froo cocktails, reading a titillating romance novel and basking in my slothfulness. Not to sound too narcissistic, but doesn't "Dean" realize what he's doing to me? I know, I know, lives have been lost, homes have been damaged, businesses are closed...it's all quite tragic. However, I'm not sure "Dean" has ever stayed at home ALL summer with three hyper-active, bored boys whose greatest past time is to torment their mother. Surely, "Dean" is a man (disguised as a hurricane) who has no idea what a stay-at-home mom goes through...if he did, he would have stayed in the Caribbean.

To my fellow vacationers, Pat, Van, Mette, Allen, and of course, Rod...all I can say is...PRAY! :)

Sea World...or Bust!

My family just got back from a fun-filled and exhausting five days in San Antonio! One of the high points of our trip was visiting Sea World and feeding the dolphins! In the pictures above, my two-year-old is tempting a dolphin with his tidbit of dead fish. Realizing that the dolphin intends to eat the fish, Aidan decides to take it back during the feed...thus, a battle of tug-of-war ensues...but the dolphin wins...hence, the smile!

Sea World was amazing, and I highly recommend the shows. The food, however, was expensive and lacking in any nutritional value whatsoever. I was beginning to feel as big as Shamu since my diet consisted of mainly greasy fried foods with a side order of french fries (whether you wanted them or not). Come to think of it, I think Shamu ate better than we did. Luckily, I packed some oranges and granola bars so that my children wouldn't forget what real food tasted like. The restaurants on the River were exceptional, though, and every meal we ate in the evening was surprisingly good...sans the fries!

As I was unpacking from our trip and reflecting on the events, I think the children had a great time. One night we let the boys order ice cream for room service, which Alex was tickled about...okay, so it was $13 (with tax and tip) for three scoops of ice cream, but it's about the experience, right? Rod and I got two date nights by ourselves since my mom offered to watch the boys in the hotel room, so we had a great time. Hopefully, my mom enjoyed herself too (she said she did)! All-in-all we will have some great memories...