We Came, We Saw, We Conquered

Recently our three girls and I were able to take a bus trip to New York City. GREAT TIMES! We left our home town at 11pm on a Friday night, got into New York City at 8AM on Saturday. We spent the entire day Saturday touring the city, and then headed back home at 8pm that evening and were back home by 7am on Sunday. I know most of you are probably thinking, "Are you nuts?" Well, maybe a little, but we had an amazing time. The bus took us to each place, dropped us off and then picked us back up and we were off to the next stop. We didn't have to worry about taxi's, subways, or getting lost. We were able to see the following places while we where there: Battery Park, Ground Zero, Grand Central Station, Central Park, China Town, Little Italy, Pier 17, and ended the day at Times Square. We also saw many other interesting things in between each of those mentioned above.

We bought shirts, purses, pizza and hot dogs all from street vendors! Only in New York can you get everything you need for a day from someone standing on the street, hahahahaha. We wanted a slice of New York Cheesecake, but by the time we found it none of us were hungry enough to eat it. . .how very sad. Needless to say we were tired, full and smelly when we got home, but we would all do it again tomorrow if we had the chance.

Easter 2009

Keeping with family tradition, our family along with my brother and his wife, went to Mom and Dad's for lunch Easter Sunday. I have attached a couple of pictures that were taken after lunch. The first one is of myself, and the three girls (Trisha, Tiffani, and Tara). The other picture is of my Mom, Dan (my brother), myself, and Dad. My brother and I were laughing because I think this may be the only family picture with just Mom, Dad and my brother and I since Dan and I were very young. We've had many pictures taken with our extended families, but very few with just the four of us. This is definitely a picture that I will treasure.

The afternoon was wonderful! We ate way too much (in fact, by the end of lunch I was wishing I had worn my "fat pants"), and we laughed until our cheeks hurt -- good times I tell ya. I will miss days like this when I'm in Ireland. It will be the memories of these times that I call on to get me through the rough days. Thank you Lord for an amazing family, the gift of laughter, and pictures that make it possible to hold our memories for a lifetime.

Surprise 49 1/2 Birthday Bash

I know most people don't celebrate their 49 1/2 birthday, but those people apparently don't have friends with the same sense of humor that my friends have. You see, a number of my closest friends have recently celebrated "milestone" birthdays. Being the good friend that I am, I couldn't just sit back and let these special birthday's come and go without harassing them a little - okay, maybe A LOT! I felt pretty safe doing this because I will be in Ireland for my next "milestone" birthday. In light of this, my friends decided to celebrate my 50th birthday five months in advance so they could have their fun/revenge (depending on how you look at this).

Since my birthday isn't until September, I didn't suspect anything when they told me they were planning a surprise birthday party for one of my friends husbands. I brought the covered dish that they requested I bring and I even had my daughter pick out a funny "old man" card for the man whose party I thought was taking place that night. Even after we got into the building I still didn't realize that the party was for me until one of my friends ask me, "Marilyn, where are you going to be on your 50th birthday?" I couldn't believe they got me! I'm usually pretty good at picking up on things like this, but I honestly had no clue on this one. I have to give cudo's where their due. . .this plan fell together perfectly.

The party was wonderful. They had invited all my family and they even invited friends that I don't usually get to see very often. Of course, the room was decorated with black tablecloths. The centerpieces were made of metal coffee cans filled with dead tree branches and black balloons. They also had lots of "Over The Hill" signs, and blowup walkers scattered around the room. They were even thoughtful enough to provide a roll of toilet paper so people could write "Happy Birthday" notes for me. I must admit, this was one of the best "Over The Hill" parties that I've ever been to. One thing is for sure, when my friends throw a party it's a huge success!

I can't believe they got me, but I also can't believe they went to all that work just for me. I truly do have the best family and friends in the world! Thanks guys for all your work and effort. I will remember this one for a lifetime.

First Motorcycle Ride Of The Season - WhooHoo

Due to the bright sunshine and the warm temps today, I was forced to get my motorcycle out of our storage unit and fire it up for the first ride of the season. It took quite an effort to get her started, but once we got her running she ran like a jewel all day long. I know some of you are probably saying "why in the world do you ride a motorcycle". Well, if I have to explain why I love to ride, you probably aren't a rider, which means you wouldn't understand even if I did explain. Motorcycles are one of those things that people either love them or they hate them. I happen to love them!

Riding for me is a great stress reliever, along with a great time to pray. There's no radio, no cell phone, nothing but me, the bike and time. I've done some very valuable praying over the years on my motorcycles. I'm so thankful that God provided this beautiful day for us to enjoy. It felt good to feel the sunshine and the warm temperatures after a very long Ohio winter. Regardless of how you relax or enjoy your sunny days, I hope that you were able to get outside today and spend some time appreciating the blessing that God sent our way. Those of you that enjoy motorcycles, well, maybe I'll see you on the road someday. Until then, ride free, ride long and ride safe!