Ireland and Scotland Trip 2017

Long post ahead, but for those of you who want all the details of our trip!

Matt turned 40 and our 13th wedding anniversary was last week.  We celebrated with a huge 2 week long vacation to Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland with no kids!  I've had so many questions about it that I decided I will share all the details here.

We've never used travel agencies before.  We do, however, use private tour guides for our big trips out of the country.  For us, it is worth every single penny.  We don't lose time getting lost, figuring out how to drive on the wrong side of the road with different driving laws, directions, still getting lost despite using international GPS, getting lost in the accents/speech/language, or not getting to do something because they won't allow coach/large groups access to certain roads.  No long lines anywhere.  Plus we don't lose time waiting on the precious 90 year olds who are in wheelchairs... determined to make it up steep stairs of a medieval castle that aren't wheelchair accessible.  :)

So we researched the many tour groups, compared pricing, compared details, and decided on Ireland and Scotland Luxury Tour Group with Maurice Dowle.  Austen was our actual tour guide and driver.

We flew to Dublin.  Stayed at the Trinity City Hotel for 2 nights and toured Guiness Storehouse, Jameson Distillery, Dublin Castle, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, and Trinity College and Library (Book of Kells).  We ate at the Brazen Head, Arthur's Pub, O'Neill's, and a few other good ones!  I wish we had time to tour the Cemetery and Prison but we had to prioritize,  Trying not to kill ourselves and enjoy the leisure time as well.   We didn't use a guide for Dublin, and managed to walk to most places.  Got lost a few times.  Tried my first real Irish Stew = delicious!  Drank so many craft beers I had to take pics to remember them all.  Had my first official tea and scone.  Learned that the people there don't really eat lunch the way we do.  They eat a huge breakfast, have a snack and a drink around 3:00pm, and then eat a bigger dinner.  The sun rises a little before 5:00am and doesn't set until almost 11:00 pm.  Their days don't get started until 9 or 10am.  Most places don't open till 10am and then close.  Then reopen around 6pm for dinner.  We had a hard time finding lunches, so I was extremely glad I packed protein snack bars and meal replacement shakes for the car.  By the way, their "scone" is a fancy word for a b.i.s.c.u.i.t.  Except they put a ton of butter, cream/or clotted cream, and jam/jelly on it.  No matter which way you spin it... it was still a big biscuit for this southern girl.  I wanted the "real deal"  so went with the plain, but apparently you can get them cream filled or with fruit and raisins.  They also put milk in their HOT tea.  No such thing as cold tea or sweet tea.  It was all good though!  No complaints at all!

On Day 3, we met our driver/guide, Austen!  We felt very comfortable with him and he's hilarious!  Easy to understand and told us alot of the history everywhere we went!  He drove us through Kilkenny and then to the Rock of Cashel.  You can Google the details of these places, but its a medieval church.  This was our first day of "light rain".  The meteorologists aren't lying when they tell you to be prepared for all 4 seasons in 1 day there.  Yes, we experienced all 4 seasons and then some every single day.  So even though I felt ridiculous wearing my rain boots with certain outfits, it never failed I was thankful for them later in the day.

Sheen Falls Lodge was absolutely our favorite place to stay.  It is amazing.  I loved the small area of Kenmare and then we toured the Ring of Beara (which is basically a very long and winding road that makes a circle around the peninsula).  Perhaps if we had another day, we could have toured the Dingle Peninsula as well.  I really fell in love with this area.

On Day 5, we traveled to the Cliffs of Moher!  Wow.  Just breathtaking views.  Its as terrifying as it is beautiful!  You will definitely be standing on the edge of earth!  Just amazing.  I found it cool, yet strange, there aren't many walls there!  You walk at your own risk!!! And being someone afraid of heights, that's scary! It had also rained that morning (big surprise) so it was wet, slippery, and muddy along the walking paths!  I really found it odd that SO many people allowed their young children to go with them.  I would have had mine strapped to my back or handcuffed to my wrist!  This was one day I was so thankful we did NOT have our kids with us.   The Cliffs were on my bucket list, however, and it was thrilling!

the paths on the edge. I found it odd there was a fence to keep us from walking into the cow pasture, but oh well if you fall off the other side!  I slipped going down this part and my legs were shaking the rest of the time!  I also found it funny that there are stone "stairs" on the left side of this picture... but you see how many people choose the muddy side. #itookthestairs

We then traveled through the Burren Region, around Galway, to Ballynahinch Castle (the na is silent, so pronounced "bally-hinch").  We walked the grounds there which are beautiful fishing areas and paths.  I couldn't get far enough away to take a picture of Ballynahinch but if you go to their website you can see it.  Its really cool place near Roundstone (my favorite craft beer that isn't actually made there, but in Dublin of all places).  We visited the stunning Kylemore Abbey and Aughnanure Castle.  I'll have to let the pictures do the talking.  Those are definitely worth the long car rides.  Kylemore Abbey reminded me a bit of Biltmore Estate in North Carolina -- but even more so.  There is good story that goes with Kylemore also, but I will not spoil it for you.

Kylemore Abbey (under renovation)

just one part of Kylemore's magnificent gardens

Kyle more Abbey's cathedral/monument  in memory of Mrs. Henry

On Day 8, we went to Northern Ireland!  Yes, it is its own country with different currency than the Republic of Ireland!  We were technically in the U.K. now.  We visited Dunluce Castle and Giants Causeway - which is just one of God's many wonders in this world.  We really wanted to do the Rope Bridge but it was raining and very windy.  We were told it was closed, but did see a few people walking across it.  We also heard rumors of kids that recently cut it.... I'll go with the safer side and just look at it instead of walking across it.

We toured Belfast and stayed in the Fitzwilliam Hotel.  Belfast gets a bad rap because of their troubles, but we felt safe everywhere we went with Austen.  Luckily, Austen is from Belfast so he knew his way around very well.  Showed us where C.S.Lewis was born and the areas he grew up in.

Matt's birthday fell on that day.  We ate at the Dirty Duck in Holywood.   A local pub Irish singer sang Happy Birthday to him the night before -- that was pretty cool.  Toured Portrush and Holywood.  When you know someone that knows someone... you even get to see Rory McIlroy's personal trophy case at the Holywood Golf Club... and hold the heaviest and biggest trophies I've ever seen!  Very cool day.  Happy 40th Birthday, Matt!

On Day 9, we took a ferry to Scotland!  When I say ferry -- it was more like first class on an airplane and then some!  You drive your car onto the boat, walk to your assigned floor, eat, watch tv, stretch out on fur lined chairs.... it was the nicest boat I've ever been on! Then get back in your car and drive off!  Glad Austen knew what he was doing ;)

Spent most of that day driving and watching the scenery.  Beautiful area.  Drove through Glasgow. Finally made it to Stirling Castle further north.  Stayed at The Cameron House.  Found the Scottish accents a bit harder to understand.

Cameron House Hotel 

Drove through the Highlands and Glencoe.  Stopped in Fort William to walk around and eat.  Then on to Inverness.  Very long drive, but beautiful!  We stayed at the Culloden House in Inverness for 2 nights.  SO much history there!  Battle of Culloden, Jacobites, and Bonnie Prince Charlie! oh my!My favorite part was the "call for dinner" with the bag pipes around 6:00pm each evening.

Culloden House.  Culloden, Scotland

We took a boat ride on Loch Ness to visit Urquhart Castle!  This was one of my favorite days!  The lake is very interesting in itself and the castle was neat too!  I loved learning about everything there!

On the Jacobite Cruise Line

I thought this was neat.  The "darker water" you see in the middle, is actually the deepest part of Loch Ness that they think is deeper than the ocean in that particular area!  Perhaps that is where Nessie hides??  lol ;)

On Day 12, we drove through the Cairngorm Mountains to Edinburgh for 2 nights.  Austen left us at "The George" Hotel aka the Principal in Edinburgh.  We spent the last day and a half touring Edinburgh on our own.  AND. IT.  RAINED.  and by rain, I mean, it rains sideways.  from the ground up.  hard.  thunderstorms.  But when you only have 1 day to tour Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, and the Royal Mile.... you do it anyway!  Austen told us everyday "if you let the rain stop you here, you'd never do anything!"  So I didn't get as many pictures as I would have liked but at least we were inside for parts of the day.  If the Queen of England is in her "summer home", it is not open to tourists.  Thank goodness she had not arrived yet, because we really enjoyed touring it!  It was worth walking in all that rain!

Then we flew home from Edinburgh via Amsterdam to Atlanta.  Missed our shuttle and had to wait an hour for the next shuttle bus to Chattanooga (2 hour drive).  Then my Dad drove us the 1 hour to Athens, Tennessee so we could pick up our 4 kids.  By that point we had been up over 24 hours.  Got up the next morning, and drove 8 hours home.  Came home to 2 out of our 3 air conditioners broken and a sink that flooded somehow.  And 4 kids who think everything is better at their Gigi's.   Welcome home!

There are about 1,000 more pictures I could post, and I probably forgot some here...but you get the idea.  We had a blast!  Learned a ton!  Enjoyed every minute and then missed our kids too!  Thank you to Maurice "Mo" and Austen for showing us the way!  We want to go back to some of our favorite places and the places we had to skip.  Nessie is just waiting to be found!  ;)

Together is the best place to be.  Happy 40th, Matt and Cheers to 13 years married to me!

Things You Don't Think About When...

Don't get me wrong.  I LOVE my 4 kids.  I'm glad we had 4.  Matt was the one who originally wanted 4 kids.  I was good with 2.  We compromised when we got married and said we would have 3.  And here we are with 4!   (I realize we can plan all we want BEFORE kids but doesn't mean God will bless you with them biologically but its something I think people need to agree on before they get married).

I'm sort of torn on the number that everyone is fascinated with.  Some people believe it is one - two too many.  With other people, 4 isn't many at all!  My neighbors have 10.  My other neighbors have 6.  Another house down the road has 8.  And everyone in between has 3-4 each.   So I feel pretty normal in this neighborhood.

Growing up with only one sister who is 4 years older than me, I got used to doing things certain ways.  She didn't really "affect" me in many ways.  The things I did were not decided by anything she did (if that makes sense).

There are things I WISH I had known or thought of though before having more than 2. Yes, the messes are bigger ... and just more of them.  But I've found myself saying to myself "I wish someone had told me that a long time ago."  Yeah, if I knew then what I know now!

1)  Time.  You think 1 or 2 kids takes a long time putting on their shoes?  Multiply that times FOUR times longer!  You think 1 kid takes a few minutes extra to get in the car?  f.o.u.r. times longer.  If it takes you 10 extra minutes to pack a to-go lunch or bag... yep, that would 40 minutes later you MIGHT be ready to go.  Pretty much, you will be permanently late to everything you do from now on.

2)  You could apply that rule to almost everything.  If 1 or 2 kids stress you out... I wouldn't recommend 4.  Toss the "I want a big family" idea out the window.  You will be permanently attached to Chlorox wipes and a bottle of wine.  And coffee.  And more wine.  And more coffee.

3)  Bedtimes.  Good Lord.  Each kid has their own "thing" that helps them go to sleep.  And yes, you want them to go to sleep FAST.  Immediately.  I got lucky with 2 of mine and they never needed/wanted me to rock them or lay down with them.  Put them in the bed, say I Love You & Goodnight, close the door, and you're done.  The other two I spend AT LEAST 1.5 hours with each of them and they usually still aren't asleep after that.  But just reminding you , that if you like to read or watch TV or whatever it is you do to wind down after a REALLY long day... if you have alot of kids, bedtime rituals become the last half of a marathon.  For me, I don't have a hubby who helps me with this because he works nights, so Kudos to all of you who do have help.  You can tell me all about whatever ridiculous reality TV show you watch the next day.  But I haven't watched TV in about 3 years now and I rarely get to read.  Unless its Fancy Nancy to my 4 year old.

4)  If one kid gets sick = they will ALL get it.  Yep, thats ALOT of vomit.  Just     think    about     that.

5)   Things are not as simple.  I've heard "cheaper by the dozen" and "the more the merrier" and  "what's one more?"  That's only true depending on what you're talking about.  Ok.  For instance, I have 4 car seats in my car.   Even though I have one kid old enough to not need one by legal age, she is so short that she still requires a booster so the strap hits her across the shoulder and not the face.   No biggie.  BUT on the rare night that my hubby is going to keep the other kids while me and a friend take our girls to the movies, I can't just "swing by and pick [her] up."  Else I have to remove some car seats that I think my hubby welded to the seat.   Someone else has to drive or I have to meet you there.  Plus I usually have so much "stuff" in my front passenger seat even when its cleaned out and organized, that it just doesn't work.  Easier to drive separately.

6)  The level of planning reaches an all new high.  And I'm a planner!  Sunday mornings I ALWAYS hear the same question from Matt:  "why didn't you lay their clothes out last night?"  (so he can help get them ready FASTER.  Its because by Saturday night, I am mentally checked out from all the planning during the week:  the lunch boxes, the clothes, the homework, the signed school papers, the backpacks, the after school activity bag packing aka swim gear, ballet bag, baseball bag, and the weekly dinner menu (if I even get around to that).  Did you put gas in the car?  Which kid will you pick up first or which one gets out first will decide your car rider lines?  Will you have time to come home in between any of that or do you need to pack it all in the car?  Then someone vomits and throws all your plans out the window.  But needless to say, I usually don't lay church clothes out on Saturday night mainly because I'm exhausted.  And I fully expect one kid to wake up running fever during the night because that's just how it is.  See what I did there?  I multiplied my chances of that happening ALOT.  Plan to get woken up in the middle of the night 4 times as often.

7)  You.are.limited.  Yep.  The word that these millennial kids don't like to hear, right?   You are limited in space.  You limit what activity your kids can do because of either costs or timing -- usually one extra curricular activity will interfere with the timing of another.   So you have to pick one!  Heaven forbid one sibling determines what another can or can't do, right?  We teach our kids they can be anything they want... oooohhh, wait that falls on a Thursday night at 6:00pm?  Yeah, no. That's already our swim and ballet day.  Your sleep just got even more limited.  Your car space.  Everything has a limit.  Especially the iPad time.

It takes an army to raise an army.  My best friend also has 4 kids.  We used to carpool more often, but with 4 kids each, we have literally run out of room and can only pick up 1 extra kid... which sometimes defeats the whole purpose.  
What's that you say?  Get a bigger vehicle?  Um.. no.  We have several friends who drive the short bus with 6 kids.  That's not in the cards for me.

I'm not complaining.  Like I said, I LOVE my kids.  But these are things you DEFINITELY don't think about BEFORE having them.  You are probably thinking about all the positives of having a large family.  Plenty of those too... I might make another post about that later.

People tell me A.L.L the time "I don't know how you do it with 4 kids!"  and then I think that I don't know how my neighbors do it with 10!  Besides the homeschooling bit.  And they drive a church van.  My advice?  Find what works for you.  The limits will definitely find you.

Get Thee Behind Me!

A not so funny story.   But you might fight it amusing, because its times like this I have to laugh to keep from crying.  Ok, I did cry once.  It started out as laughter but progressed into sitting in the kitchen floor doing the ugly cry with a bottle of wine and Chlorox wipes in my lap.

About 3 weeks ago, Merritt woke up with red eyes and nasal congestion.  Could be allergies.  Could be pink eye.  Who knows, right?  Mason had been on an antibiotic for an ear infection from teething the week before, and we had some extra antibiotics in the fridge thanks to a lovely pharmacy family and a hubby who can't read the bottles.  But it worked out to our advantage, Merritt started the antibiotic and was completely clear about 24 hours later.  (kept her on that med for 7 days though).

Back up almost 2 years ago.  Mati Claire had what appeared to be an ant bite on her knee that got infected, red streaks running up and down her leg... we thought maybe spider bite instead, eventually turned into a black scab... was there for several months before falling off and leaving a pitted scar on her leg.    Several months later, again.  A new spot about an inch away from the first spot but followed the same format.  About 6 months later (this would be about a year and half later from the first spot) a THIRD spot very similar appeared.  Took her to the dermatologist and because it had already scabbed over they couldn't do a biopsy.  Couldn't tell me what it was (that was the day of the Smoothie King incident and where my kids went insane-link below).  Well, we decided we would go back IF she ever got another one because these are spread out months in between.

So back to present day on a Thursday (months later).  Mattox has a spot on his inner thigh that followed the same process:  looks like a white zit or ant bite type bump, wart maybe?, gets infected, his pants rub it and open it up, it drains, pretty gross to deal with, we put antibiotic ointments on it, black scab, and a scar.  A few days later, he has about 20 of these spots up and down his thighs.  I immediately recognize them as the same type bumps that Mati Claire had.  We take him to the dermatologist and he tells us its Mulloscum Contagiosa = contagious rash virus.  The derm "paints" the spots with a special medicine (that as a pharmacist, I have never heard of and never dispensed in my life).  We leave it on for 4 hours and rinse off in the bath.  Ok.  Got it.

Welllll, Mattox was apparently mortified to tell the dermatologist that he also had a few bumps around his private parts.  So the dermatologist failed to paint those with the medicine (no fault of his own).  One bump in particular again follows the nasty course of events of getting quite large, pus-filled, painful, and the redness/swelling starts spreading.  He can't walk.  His teacher calls me from school concerned because he can't sit in his desk at school the "correct way".  He was miserable.  Considering this is near his genitalia, Daddy puts him on some antibiotics for the abcess.  A few days later, a hot bath drains it out and it might be one of the grossest experiences of my life.  He learned the hard way to never be too embarrassed to tell your doctor anything!

I also learned that this virus stays in your system for exactly 2 years (will be permanently gone after that) and any new bump that appears in that time should be treated by the dermatologist immediately. Not your local pharmacy, not even your pediatrician.  ONLY the dermatologist has access to this "medicine" that they would not give to me.  So I have to get an appointment with a dermatologist every time he gets a new bump like this for the next 2 years?  Yep.       yippee.      They apparently did not ban my family from future visits to their office after our first visit with the smoothies.

See POST LINK HERE for that post.  I also learned that he should not take baths or share towels with anyone/siblings for these 2 years.    Did the virus know that they just destroyed my nighttime-bedtime routine?  I do better at separating the boys from the girls now that they are getting older, but yes, they do share baths and towels OFTEN!  Grrr.....

Ok, so Mattox is on antibiotics.  Merritt is on antibiotics.  Mason just finished antibiotics.  We're good, right?

Mattox wakes up a few days later with "the pink eye".  Although I wouldn't consider it pink eye -- just full blown dual conjunctivitis.  Nasal symptoms as well.  He looks like an alien with not pink but RED eyes.  Spots all over his legs.  Then he gets his first real bloody nose.  He looked like he was hit by a truck.  Or beat up.  Poor guy.

Ok its a long holiday weekend.  We have time to Recover.  Regroup.  Right?

Saturday, Mason throws up all over Mati Claire and is running fever.  So I assumed the stomach bug that has been circulating the community found its way to my house.  We are pros at that!  He was completely fine and symptom free for 2 days following that episode.
Tuesday morning I walk in the gym and I get a phone call from the director at Mother's Day Out.  "Mrs. Miley?  You need to come pick up your youngest son.  He has Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease."

ummm.. WHAT???  How did my other 3 kids ever survive without catching this?  This is a new one for us.  The praying commenced that no one else caught it despite their ages.  I can't really quarantine an 18 month old for a solid week or more.

Mati Claire gets a stye.  We thought it might be the beginning of "the pink eye"  (and I'm using quotations on that because that's what my kids call it).  Nope, just a stye so she's walking around with a hot washcloth/warm compress on it for days on end.

Merritt starts showing signs of "the pink eye" again and complaining of a severe ear ache. She.can.NOT. hear.anything.  We tested her for days to see if it was selective hearing or if she really could not hear.  But considering she finished a round of antibiotics, I was not too concerned.  It must be viral, so I let the conjunctivitis run its course.  I'm sort of in military-mom-mode at this point.

3 out of 4 are miserable.  complaining.  missing school.  but ok, I've got this.  I just make my rounds from kid to kid:  medicine, comfort, love and hugs, lots of rest and naps, video games/ipads are worth every penny, Chlorox wipe everything they touch, wipe again, and then wipe again.   wash, rinse, and repeat.

then my healthy one bites the dust.  I pick Mati Claire up from school and we barely make it home before she starts vomiting.   great....I don't know if she has the stomach bug or the beginning signs of Hand-Foot-Mouth Virus too (Mason was apparently classic text-book case with this).

ALL   FOUR   KIDS    SICK   AT    THE    SAME     TIME.     And its my birthday.   Its not only pouring down rain outside... its pouring inside as well!

Cancel the sitter. Cancel the date night birthday dinner we had planned. Heck, cancel the whole month of January!  Even had to cancel the cleaners.  Lord knows I've cleaned every inch of the house by now.

I've never had all 4 sick at the SAME time.  Each with their own thing.  I call my pediatrician because I'm on the verge of a mental breakdown.  They don't need to see ANY of them because its ALL viral. Obviously ALL the antibiotics they've been on haven't helped.

Insert my crying session in the floor here.  What else can I Chlorox?  The liquor store knows my name now.  ;)

Merritt who had been on the mend... I now find myself taking her in to see the pediatrician Monday morning because she is crying over her ears.  And she literally can't hear me unless I scream at her.  I asked if she wanted candy for breakfast -- and she replied with an answer that didn't make any sense. I'm confused as to what is going on with her.  She does have fluid in her ear, but not ear infection.  She might have to go see an ENT but we're on another round of different antibiotics, Sudafed, Benadryl, Flonase, her regular Prevacid, and Advil or Tylenol for the pain.

Here I am almost 3 weeks later.  All managed to make it back to school this week until yesterday.  Mattox has "the pink eye" AGAIN.  Very strange that both he and Merritt had the exact same symptoms TWICE both cases separated by a week or so.  Between the two of them, they have had it FOUR times!

When do the sicknesses stop??????????  They went an entire semester without getting sick.  They get vitamins.  They even get probiotics every single day.

Like I said before, Chlorox and wine are my best friends this month.  and the Kroger Clicklist.

Why yes, I did make my appointment for a spa day next week!

Christmas 2016

We had such a sweet Christmas this year!  My parents and grandmother came to stay with us for a few days.  Matt has been off work ALL week --- including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!  Wow. He has NEVER been off the night of Christmas Eve before ... so he got to see how it all goes down.  I am usually doing dinner, making breakfast casseroles, baths, bedtimes, reindeer food, cookies and milk for Santa, reining in the sugar-crazed kids, cleaning up so Santa can actually have room, putting all 4 kids to bed by myself, getting back up to put toys together or wrapping a few last minute jobs, trying to quietly put all the presents out, making sure the Elf is gone, and then putting myself to bed only to get a few hours before getting up before the kids to catch them coming down the stairs with the videocamera.  Its exhausting and hard to actually enjoy it... BUT since Matt was off... I got help this year!  yayyyy!

Mati Claire is 9 and getting into the pre-teen stage.  She was a little hard to buy for this year, but was happy with books and movies.  Mattox racked up on electronics and everything Minecraft!

Merritt got all the "big" gifts this year.  She got TWO motorized vehicles that we think she can do for her size and weight.  Small girl problems.  When you are extremely small, not strong, or coordinated enough to do regular bikes and trikes... she has a hard time enjoying playing outdoors sometimes (especially when the older siblings are running circles around her).  She gets frustrated and then chooses to come back in.  Hopefully these new toys will let her have some fun too.

It was alot of fun to watch Mason open his gifts this year.  This being his second Christmas, he quickly learned how to unwrap his presents!  He REALLY liked his new PB chair (it is pretty soft and cuddly!).  I have to say that I think his Christmas pajamas turned out pretty darn cute!  oh.my.  that little tooshie.   and.his.curls.  Lord help me.  I can't say no to the curls!

Never even had time to finish decorating the tree. No angel or star at the top.  Matt never got the last of the decoration down out of the attic... we let Coco, our Elf, stay there for awhile.

I let the kids decorate however they wanted!!! its hard to "let it go".

But I can do some mean cupcakes.  chocolate cupcakes with peppermint frosting.  and swirled.  yes, that made up for the cookies!

Mamaw playing with Mason

Our annual Sunday School class Christmas party was another big hit as usual.  I feel the need to explain why we dress up.  The party has evolved over the last 10 years from starting out as a tacky Christmas sweater party...to dressing up like Christmas movie characters.... to dressing up as Christmas-related anything...to just dressing up in general!  This year's theme was the HMA's (Holmes Music Awards) and we dressed up as singers.  When your last name is Miley and we've joked that we should name our kid or our next dog Cyrus.... it leaves very little room for debate.  We went as Miley Cyrus and Billie Ray Cyrus!  Fun times.   Just for the record, I DID wear a nude colored bodysuit under the swimsuit/sports bra.  Technically, the only skin showing was my arms.  just fyi.   It was hilarious seeing everyone's costumes!  At our age, we all have very little shame anymore.  You have to be able to laugh at yourself and I hope no one took that too seriously.  I did tell my girls that I was NOT who you want to be or take after.  They don't have a clue who she is, but enjoyed watching me be silly.  And blonde for the first time ever.

go big or go home, right?

I am SOOOOO looking forward to 2017!  Its going to be great!  I am done with both schools' fundraisers til the next school year.  We have a couple of vacations planned (one with kids and one without!).   Matt is turning 40 this year.  Girls are turning 10 and 5!  Merritt will be starting Kindergarten and graduating out of preschool (what??)  My 20 year high school reunion (not even sure if I can go to that, but 20 years really?)  And then my sister and I are going to see Bruno Mars in NOLA later in the year!  I.can.not.wait!!!

Catching Up

Playing catch up here.

Yes, everything is still going great after my surgery.  My sister had it done yesterday as well!  She is handling the post-surgery better than me!  But yes, definitely worth it!

We had our annual Halloween Miley Mash a few weeks ago.  I think this is the first year that is did not rain!!! We had a huge turnout with around 60 people.  But I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Apparently Matt doesn't own a brown shirt like we thought when I passed over the Chewbacca outfit.

I want to kiss his lips off!  Oh how I love this sweet baby (even if he wasn't a fan of being Yoda)

We dubbed him the "Santa Claus" of Halloween! He rocked as Willy Wonka!!! (see pic below)

the sweetest ladies ever!!!

trouble trouble. and more trouble! ;) i'm kidding, yall!  I love these boys like my own!

Princess Elena of Avalor!

I mean, it doesn't get any better than THIS!!!! We should ALL take notes!

White cotton candy!  I heart Etsy!

The reason we did Star Wars this year.  Darth wasn't having any other costume this year. 

my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE addition to my decorations this year!! She is something fierce for a wreath!

a few more new additions. 

I may have to go back and get some more of these trees!  

I wrapped up Eastside's Fundraiser just in time for Clinton Park's to begin!  Lesson learned, do not volunteer to chair TWO fundraisers ever again.  They have had my attention and every spare minute since school started and I'm tired!  But the good news is that Clinton Park's will be done as of December 15th and the PTO probably won't see me next semester at EITHER school!  I'm "off" as of Christmas break!  Nope-- you won't even see me at a meeting next semester!

We went to visit my family for a few days when we got out for Thanksgiving break.  Mati Claire has been begging us to take her to a UT game.  Of course I picked the absolute COLDEST game they've had all year.  Seriously, 20-30 degrees and windy!  We went prepared and had a great time though.  It was a good game.  Analyzers got mad because people started leaving after halftime... maybe some of it was due to the fact that FL beat LSU, but I'm willing to bet that it was because they didn't come dressed appropriately and it.was.freezing!!!!!  But worth it to experience the kids' first college game with them and make it memorable!  I bet they won't ever forget it!

NOT a FAN of the COLD, but a FAN of the VOLS!

So here we are at Thanksgiving.  What are we thankful this year?

• Thankful we have a roof over our heads.  
• The grandmothers are still with us (except the one I never met on Matt's side).  My Mamaw, Gan-Gan, Matt's Granny, Gigi, and Nana.  As tragic as 2016 was for so many people, we have been lucky and blessed.  
• Poppy is still with us.  Praises to God!  I know He heard our prayers. 
• Health and safety.  Just watching the news will make you want to never leave your house.  We were in Tennessee when the news hit of the Chattanooga school bus driver that wrecked the bus killing 6 children in the process.  We've had so many friends be diagnosed with cancer this year.  Or continuing to battle cancer this year.  2016 felt like the Grim Reaper was upon everyone.  Again, we are thankful for our family's health and safety during travel.  I want to wrap my kids up in a bubble and never let them out! ;)