Road Trip 2011

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Here is proof that we made it to the Midwest for our 3rd annual road trip! I always wish I would have taken more pictures, but these show fun with family and the many Easter baskets the boys received and enjoyed so much! We were lucky to visit with parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. This may have been our last road trip from South Carolina to the Midwest since we will soon be a family of 5 and only have two more years in Greenville. But, I guess you never know what I will do! I may just road trip with three kiddos next spring ;)

A Girls' Staycation!

I was so lucky to have my two closest girlfriends take time out of their busy lives to come visit me here in Greenville! The minute I got the phone call from them saying their flight was booked I was totally giddy...I think I needed a paper chain to count down the days like the ones I make for my kids when something exciting is on the horizon :) We had an amazing weekend with weather we could not have ordered better. We enjoyed a lot of walking and exploring downtown, ate every meal we did not eat at home outside in the perfect weather, shopping (of course), and relaxing over great conversation (and LOTS of laughs!!). They even threw me a baby shower complete with sweet baby girl outfits, practical pieces, and a beautiful bracelet just for me to enjoy. Talk about feeling blessed! As Kelly, Mendy and I laughed and talked we realized we have all been friends for well over 20 years. We also realized how incredibly lucky we are to be able to say that and that we are always be able to pick up from where we left off. It is a gift that we all treasure and are thankful for as we have been there for one another through fun times and some of the most difficult moments we will ever face. Thanks girls from the bottom of my heart for giving me such a memorable staycation before baby arrives, and for your friendship.

Home

After 10 days, 6 states and over 2,000 miles we are back home in South Carolina. We experienced a 50 degree DROP in temperature from SC to Iowa, so I have to admit being back in the heat kind of feels good (even at almost 30 weeks pregnant!). We also had more bizarre weather adventures being a part of the big tornado in St. Louis, and being very lucky to not be in the path of destruction.

As we put a close to our 2011 road trip I am expecting some very exciting guests later this week, so I won't be posting our trip pictures for awhile. Two of my closest girlfriends are coming to visit for a few days and I can't wait! Unfortunately before they arrive I have to unpack, do piles of laundry, organize all of the boys' new goodies from family, clean my house, plan meals, go back to work and settle the boys back in school, and on and on. But, I will do it all with a smile on my face as I am so thankful for being able to travel home to see family and friends and now prepare for dear friends to visit!

Today, I was one lucky girl to be Blake's date on his field trip to the Children's Museum of the Upstate here in Greenville! I was able to rearrange my work schedule to be a part of his special experience as well as serve all of the kids on my caseload this week, for which I am so grateful. Blake had an incredible time exploring and being a part of this hands-on learning experience. He is now at an age where I can just stand back and watch. His favorite, by far, was the ball contraption (the picture where he is playing with the 3 other boys) and I'm sure he could have stayed there all day. The water activities and music room were close behind, and overall he really checked out and tried everything. We had a great time with his peers, other parents and all of the wonderful teachers and staff from his school! But, shhhh....don't tell Dane. He was at school and doesn't have a clue what he missed ;)

Sweet Dreams...

Whew! What a weekend in the Hollenbeck house! Dane has moved up into a full-size big boy bed, and baby girl Hollenbeck now has a sweet nest of her own. Her room is simple, but has that touch of vintage that I love. She will share her room with our antique iron bed and dresser that I hope someday she will be proud to call her own, but in the meantime can house guests and likely myself for those busy nights in the beginning. I was lucky enough to find her bumper and bed skirt at a local consignment sale, and I LOVE the vintage quilt fabric and super soft pink inside. I remember eyeing a similar piece at a boutique in Kansas City (prior to having boys!), so I was thrilled to get my hands on it. And that girly pink tulle bed skirt! So fun! The crib and changing table are simple and white, and I am slowly getting everything in its place. Don't you just love the smell of freshly washed baby clothes and blankets! We will continue to enjoy getting everything just right before our baby girl arrives, and for now I know I will just love walking into this room to take it all in every now and then...

Is this a Sign?

After much thought and ignoring my feelings of guilt, I hired a cleaning lady. Those of you who know me well know this was a very difficult decision for me. I like to do everything myself, and Matt and I both NEVER hire out and always do everything ourselves. So, I researched, called many references and took the plunge.

She was initially scheduled for Wednesday at 1:00pm, which totally conflicted with naps since she would be cleaning up to 4 hours, but I was committed to make it work. She called at almost 1:00pm to tell me her Dyson was not working and needed serviced. What is a cleaning lady without her vacuum? So, okay, we rescheduled for today at 2:00pm. Again, conflicting with naps, but going to make it work. She frantically sent me a text a little before 2:00pm asking me to call her because our dog attacked her. Um. Okay. So, I called...we talked...she told me her life story of her fear of dogs. Baron is a yellow lab who makes you fear him by licking you and jumping up with excitement. Attack is not an appropriate description. I explained to her just open the back door and leave him outside until you are done. No such luck. I explained that I refuse to leave him outside from the beginning of the day or kennel him, so now she is coming back in one week (her next opening) at a time where I not only have to load my kids up and go somewhere, but also my 80+lb. dog.

Maybe this a sign from above reminding me why we don't hire out. We have done it twice while living here. Once for a fence, which has to be redone before putting it on the market. And, second, for interior painting which had to be completely redone by Matt and me. We decided never again. But, I made the leap in hopes to ease my load a bit. Maybe I will just live with a dirty house.

Blake's 5th Birthday Adventures...

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Time has flown...Blake is 5! We went a different direction with birthday planning this year, and instead of the traditional birthday party at or near home, we chose to celebrate his big day in Atlanta at the Georgia Aquarium. We also wanted to include his friends, family and classmates so we sent invites to his "pen pal" party asking everyone to make a card and mail it to him. It was such a success and so much fun to see his face light up when he realized all that mail was for him! The ones he received from his classmates made a huge impact because he sees them everyday and they are truly his buddies. Blake also received several gifts from family in the mail and loved opening all of them! The Georgia Aquarium was absolutely amazing. Blake was mesmerized and so engaged in each and every part that I'm sure he would have stayed all day and spent the night. After he picked out a fish from the gift shop we braved the crowds at The Varsity for some good old-fashioned grease served up as burgers, fries and onion rings. Then, of course, on the way back to Greenville we had to stop and shop at the outlet mall. Atlanta is a little over 2 hours from Greenville, so after leaving at 7:00am and getting home around 9:00pm we certainly knew we had put in a full day. Seeing all of Blake's excitment and joy in everything we did (aside from the shopping!) was well worth our travels and we would do it every weekend if we could.