Key West Road Trip — The Journey Home

{Journal Entry}

DAY 4:

‘Pulled out of St. Joseph’s Peninsula at around 1:30 or so, headed West on Scenic 98 to 71 North.  We’re planning to visit the Southern Tip of Georgia before we head home on El Camino 84 to Texas 287.  That’s the plan anyway.

*Update*

We ended up at a rest stop off of Interstate Highway 65 at 1 AM in the morning.  Ugh!  ‘Drove all night, but we didn’t want to pay the $$$ on a room for just a few hours of sleep.  So…after stopping numerous times at various motels–and trekking out to the ONLY (what seemed like it) National Forest in Alabama, we settle for a nice…much safer, rest stop.  It was the best choice, and one we should’ve made much earlier in the evening. 

*What I Learned*  Sleeping at rest stops isn’t half as bad as I suspected.  Guess it pays to listen to Nico sometimes; as much as I hate to admit it.  lol

The Beaches of St. Joe Peninsula

~ VIDEO ~

 

 

Love Is In The Air

Bluebonnets In Bloom

Life's Little Miracles

It seems like only yesterday when I sat waiting, not really worried, in the bathroom…on the phone with hubby at work, while we awaited the results of my home pregnancy test. Never once did I seriously think about getting pregnant so late in life. I was gearing up to become a grandma…way later down the road. But a mom…all over again? Never!

Well, here I am fifteen months and two weeks later, and my sweet little angel lay in her crib…having her afternoon nap. For more than two years, Hubby and I had been going at it like…well, Rabbits, never even worrying about getting preggo. In fact, we really didn’t think we could, for various and different reasons. Were we ever wrong! : ) And, now…looking back on this past 6 months since baby Nixi has blessed our world, and that of her older siblings, I know that God knew all along that we were meant to be her parents and she was meant to be our baby. Our little darling; we couldn’t imagine our life without her. To us…she is a miracle. But, then again, to parents everywhere, I’m sure their babies are little miracles too.

I’ve been blessed with four Miracles in my life: three in birth and one in true love. And although nothing in life is ever perfect; I have to believe that life is what we let it become…even more than we ever imagined. Never in a million years would I have imagined myself having a baby after 40; after my two other kids are…no longer kids. But, God knew, she would be just what the doctor ordered. We love her more and more every day. Our cup runneth over.

Baby Got a New Pair of Shoes

Me at Baby Shower

Me at Baby Shower

 

 

Whoa there Nelly! Where did my toes go? Beats me! It’s been months since I last saw them. Yes, I am now big…very big in my 7th month of PG-Land. The nausea is gone but the heartburn–OH Man…the Heartburn!–is here and is taking prisoners. One such prisoner is definitely me!

Yes, Hubby is still doing fabulously; nursing me right along with nary a complaint or grumble no matter the hour of night. Yes, I get up to visit ‘loo loo’ quite often. And Yes, the sex life is still moving along at a ’steady’ pace. ; ) We are a happy couple, excited that we only have two more months ’til we meet our baby girl. My baby shower this past weekend was a great success; baby got a new pair of shoes and then some. It was a blast to see everyone; many faces I have not seen in years, many faces I do not see often enough. Perhaps in these coming days I can change that and spend more quality time with the people I love and the ones who are always there for me…no matter what. Isn’t that what life is really all about?

Sunday Morning Sentiments

 

Gulf of Mexico

A View From Our World

Okay…so it’s not Sunday ‘morning’ anymore, but afternoon.  Still, I’m gonna write a little ditty ’bout the beginning of our day.  Here goes…

As I write this, Hubby sits in the next room, strumming his guitar for his biggest-little fan: our baby Nixi.  She loves to hear her daddy play his guitar, usually a bit of Pink Floyd, Staind, or one of our original songs we hope to put out there someday soon.  Breakfast was served a couple of  hours ago (Veggi-man Omelets w/ cheese), and now we are just enjoying our day while I try to talk myself out of working.  I know we’re not supposed to work on Sundays, but I still have  a lot of stuff to list on Ebay, and time is ticking away. 

Oops!  There goes the PA system — Hubby is about to crank it up!  :  )  Naw…I love to hear him get ‘into his strings’ (play the guitar), I too…am one of his biggest fans and he is one of mine.  I feel truly blessed to have such a great guy for my very own.  There was once a time in my life when I was all alone, my two older kids had their own things to do; not much time for Mom.  And I remember one night…sitting out on my balcony, looking out over the city…up at the stars, when I prayed for God to bring me a man who would be the one I thought I could never find. 

Never did I think, back then, that he would send him my way so soon.  But…am I ever glad He did!  Hubby plays beautifully ( I can’t strum a chord), and I sing (he can’t carry much of a tune, ‘ he thinks anyway); together, we are in tune.  Life is a song we just keep on trying to play.  Every now and then, we might hit a sour chord or two, but when we’re in tune and it’s all ‘just right’– Man!  Ain’t it sweet!  ;  )

Happy Sunday to you all!  I hope you find your path in life that is your perfect tune.  God Bless!  

A Zen Moment In Galveston

 August 16th 2009:
     Another peaceful-quiet Sunday morning, and I just blew-off some steam (see ‘You can’t Bullshit a Bullshitter’ post).  Hubby is still soundly dreaming, getting in some much-needed rest.  Me…?  I’m running on baby-time: up early…can’t go back to sleep because I’m a burst of energy.  No worries…!  By this afternoon, I’ll be the one resting and Hubby will be taking up the slack for me.  We work in shifts around here.  :  ) 
     Already, I’ve managed to fix me and baby an early morning snack (cinnamon toast with coffee); watered most of my growing number of plants…inside and out (still watering flowers/plants out back); managed to blow-off steam about biggest pet-peeves; Oh yeah!  Move getting dressed to the front of the list, lol; tried to call my sister…no answer; now…I am writing this little tidbit-of-a-thought.  If you have time to read it…fine.  If not…that’s fine too, I’m an understanding kind of gal. 
 
[sipping coffee]
     No, really…  I’ve been thinking alot lately about the beach, getting on with a life I can embrace.  Hubby and I want to move closer to the ocean.  Really…we’d both love to just wake up, walk out the back door…and be there, right on the beach, each morning.  I’ll keep on writing; maybe it’ll all pay-off someday.  I choose to follow my dreams, work hard for them, and see what comes…come what may.  So on and so forth…
     I figure in the next hour of this new day, Hubby will be rolling out of bed, so will my teen-aged son, and we’ll all brunch in a leisurely fashion.  As for the rest of the day?  We can tackle a never-ending list of ‘honey-do’s’…or we can take advantage of the day off and do a whole lotta nothing.  More than likely, we’ll compromise and cross-off a few tasks from our list and get some rest afterwards. 
     What we’d really love to be doing is heading to the beach.  As they say…  “Life’s a BEACH, and then it’s…not.”  
*Peaceful Sunday to You All!* 
:  )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
June 28th 2009:

I woke to a morning of peaceful quiet. Though it is early morning still; the dog and cat have both been fed and are at rest in their chosen spots.

The wonderful man who sleeps beside me takes in a much needed rest after a long exhausting week. The baby girl in my womb barely stirs as I pray that God has kept my just-married daughter and my teen-age son safe where they sleep.

All is right in my world…
I awake to no regrets.

But I think back to a time when I was lost in life and love…in every way. I feel for those who are…still.

Sex During Pregnancy

It’s a matter of opinion when it comes to whether pregnancy helps or hurts a sex life.  I for one have to say ‘It comes in stages’.  What I mean by this is:  In the very early stages of my current pregnancy I had feelings of nausea at any given hour or minute of the day.  Such was a pretty darned good reason for not being in the mood a whole lot.  All was well, hubby got through it. 

 But NOW… oh man!  The sickness is gone and the drive to ‘move beneath the sheets’ (or anywhere else for that matter) is back with flying colors.  Hubby is a very happy man.  ;  )  I have to say, I’m smiling alot more these days as well.  But alas, the uncomfortable days are yet to come.  I wonder what our sex life, or my sex drive, will be like when the belly has reached measures of mass-proportions.  I guess time will tell for me, but I want the opinions of other women who are, were, or have yet to be pregnant. 

It is your turn to tell your story.  I welcome you…to my blog.  It’s all about sex and romance.  Have fun!

Forty-Something Faux pas

Just when I thought I could see the finish line, I’m right back in the gate.  Thus are the thoughts of a forty-something pregnant woman.  With one adult child and one teenage child, I had been busy as a bee planning a wonderful and carefree year for two love-birds: me and my husband Nico. 

Imagine my shock and his surprise when I suspected something wasn’t quite right.  The nausea had me worried because it’s one of the signs of heart trouble in women.  Never in a million years did I actually think it could be ‘morning sickness’; though it did pass through my mind a time or two.  Several dry months later–no swimming the red sea–I felt compelled to mention it to hubby.  He was ecstatic, elated, you name it!  He loved the idea of a little ‘us’ growing inside of me; his never having had children and being almost 40. 

Me…?  I was on a different end of the spectrum.  I had been through years and years of single-mom-syndrome.  Needless to say, it hadn’t been easy for me or my kids.  So, I guess with the whole thought-association process thing, I was happy…and bummed at the same time.  I would never be so selfish as to ‘not’ want our baby; I love any little life my husband and I create.  But, it’s hard to explain really, I was just seeing some light at the end of the tunnel of rearing two kids…mostly alone with no help, and pouring dollar after dollar of money I never seemed to have, into countless wants and needs.  I guess I was gearing up for some ‘me’ time…or just getting used to the easy, low-key life my husband and I have gotten used to as a couple. 

It has taken some adjusting of my thoughts to realize that this time…I won’t be going it alone; my husband will be a wonderful father, of that I am sure.  And I’ve begun to realize that just because we are bringing a little life into the world, I know I am much more prepared now than I ever was then.  I feel blessed more than shocked and dismayed these days.  I’ve already felt movement (not sure whether or not it was gas), and my baby-clock has already started to kick in, getting up at least once a night to pee…visiting the fridge in the middle of the night.  I have to laugh at how funny life can be.

As for the travelling we’d planned on doing: that’s where the VW Westy we plan to buy comes into the picture.  I am a lucky woman to have a mechanically inclined man whose profession is auto paint & body.  Because when we get our Camper Van, however old and shabby it might be, we plan on turning it into a shiny-new hippie traveler; complete with a ‘baby on board’ sticker plastered right across the back window. 

I can hardly wait!