Day 93: Snow Day #2

That's right, we had another snow day today! The roads were beginning to clear, but good ol' Glenview thought it be best that the teachers take another day to relax and enjoy the beauty of the white city. And that is just what I did!

Adrienne sent out a mass text around 8:00 am soliciting interested parties in meeting for brunch. My immediate response, "YES please!" Ironically enough, I was the only one who could get my car out today so I played chauffeur. Anyone who knows me well can tell you I have serious anxiety when it comes to driving in the snow, rain, wind, bright sunshine, deep fog...

Let me just say, not only did I kill it (and almost a couple other passers-by) in the winter driving department today, I navigated my way through unplowed streets and snow-covered parking spaces. Does this mean I plan to EVER drive again when it's snowing? NO... I had my fill today. And, that's why I have my personal carpool buddy, of course!

So after brunch, Owen and Maizey had a very long playdate. They jumped and growled and fought over toys. They got jealous when one was getting more lovin' from the Mommas. Hours of playing was followed by a long nap and some loud snoring. The Mommas also enjoyed a cozy nap along with some wine, some smore's, and some cleaning of the bling :)

Tomorrow, we return to work. Thank goodness it's Friday! I really could use a couple days of relaxation :)

Day 92: Snow Day!

And what a snow day it has been! We woke up this morning to this:

And immediately geared up in our boots and snow gear to do this:

The snow is up to my hips and the streets are not even plowable. We let Maizers off the leash and she frolicked in the snow and let off some serious steam. She is such a sweet little snow bunny!


We came inside and enjoyed this:

Which led to a lot of lounging by the fire:

 A lot of reading and a lot of cleaning:

 Of course, there was some baking: 

Coupled with some wine:

Which led to this: 

And resulted in this: 

Mostly, we watched in awe as the the snow fell...and fell...

 

 All in all, it was pretty incredible to watch this monster storm sweep through our city. We are very lucky to have our fridge stocked, our heat working and the comfort of each other while we are snowed-in. 

Now I'm wondering, how am I supposed to get to work tomorrow?

 

Day 91: Holy Blizzard!!

I can admit that the Voticky gene has bestowed upon me the ability to exaggerate just a tad. But, seriously, I have NEVER seen a storm like this before. The snow is falling at rates that make snow plowing roads impossible. The wind is blowing so hard, when I opened the door to the house, my floors suddenly became covered in a very cold, wet blanket of white. The drive home was miserable, though I know it could have been worse had I left a minute later.

The best part of this Snowmageddon... the email I received at exactly 3:06 pm!

The wine is poured, the jammies are on! Happy Snow Day everyone!

Day 90: Sweetness All Around

The past few days have definitely been full of sweetness. Lots of sweet treats, sweet friends and very sweet moments.

Today, I wanted to hang onto the sweetness just a little bit. We have a lot of leftover chocolate and marshmallows from the smore's station on Saturday. So, I indulged and ate two three squares of a plain old Hershey's chocolate bar. It hit the spot.

I also spent some time this afternoon playing with my new fancy camera. I SO need to take a class or something, but in the meantime, poor Maizey has been blinded by the constant flash.

Day 89: McSteamy

As we get older, it becomes more challenging to buy gifts for everyone in our family. None of us need anything and most of us feel silly making wish lists. This year, I had one thing on my birthday wish list. A hard floor steam cleaner.

This winter has been brutal on my floors. Maizey tracks in more salt and snow than anyone could possibly imagine. Our floors, as lovely as they are, happen to be the very special type of wood that shows every smudge, fleck of dirt and eyelash that falls. Throw me in the mix, and you can imagine how many times Rick has come home to me on all fours scrubbing the floors. I used to make fun of my mother for scrubbing our tile kitchen floors with a toothbrush and bleach. I totally get it now, Mom. Please accept my apologies.

Lucky for me I have some fabulous sisters who so generously bought me this lovely steam cleaner. I was a bit skeptical at first, and I have to say, I still can't really understand how pure steam can sanitize my floors. Nevertheless, my floors were in dire need of a good cleaning yesterday and I decided to put my new present to the test. Literally. I cleaned one half of my floors with my old school rag and bucket of soapy water. The other half was met by the steam machine! I was pretty amazed and see a lot of steaming in my future.

If this supposed blizzard does indeed come through tomorrow, I may spend the day trying to figure out how to use the handy tool to create a steam facial! Or maybe a steamer for wrinkled clothing? Oooh the possibilities!!

Day 88: The 27th Year Begins

**WARNING** Long post with picture overload! 

I'm a big fan of birthdays. I love celebrating one person and making them feel special, and I love a good excuse to get people together to have a good time.

Yesterday was the perfect birthday. It began with a morning snuggle in bed, and Maizey helped me open my very large birthday present from Ricky.

  

What we unwrapped was this:

A brand new, very fancy camera for me to take awesome pictures for the Happiness Blog!

The next few hours were spent reading the owner's manual and snapping some very amateur photos of one of my favorite subjects: 

 

Then it was time for Birthday Brunch with Rick, Allie, Hart, Candy and Iz. We sipped our coffee and I ate eggs for the first time in months as a birthday treat to myself! The fancy new camera had to stay at home so our old little one had to do. 

After brunch, Rick and I took Maizey to her first advanced training class. She met some new friends and she got to show off all her cuteness. Then, Candy and Allie and I ran errands and got ready for the birthday bash of the year!

Rick really went overboard this year. He invited friends over to celebrate the beginning of my late twenties, and they call came ready to party. With sangria poured and tapas catered in, the sound of laughter and chatter filled up the house.  The crack candle burned all night, we played some intense Celebrity and made smore's in the fireplace. New friends mingled with old friends. It was really a perfect way to ring in the 27th year of my life. I feel energized and excited for the year to come. 

Thank you all for making yesterday such a memorable day! 

Day 87: Sister, Sister

When Allie was in college, her roommate told her about a term of endearment she used to call her sisters: "eeeerrrrs." Back then, whatever Allie did, we all wanted to do. So when she began calling us her Eeeerrrs we couldn't resist and the term stuck.

Well one of my favorite eeerrrs came to celebrate my birthday/get her Izzy fill this weekend, and I couldn't be more thrilled. On Friday night, Candy, Allie and I went out to dinner just the three of us. No husbands, no babies, no holding back. The last time we did this was a few months ago when Candy and I "kidnapped" Allie for her first night away from Miss Cuteness. Tonight, Allie wasn't itching to call Hart and check on the temperature of the house. I wasn't checking my phone for a poop report from Rick. We really just enjoyed our time together, drinking and laughing and catching up on the sister stuff that often gets lost in the craziness of everyday life.

I am so lucky to have my eeeerrs. They are the glue that holds me together. They don't judge, they don't lie, and they don't hold grudges. Sister love is the kind of love you don't have to worry about. It's always there. Always.

We missed you, Ash. So, we saved a seat for you at dinner!