Perhaps you’ve noticed a lack of new posts lately here and have been
wondering where I’ve been? Or maybe you haven’t, in which case please
don’t tell me as it will just hurt my feelings.
I didn’t mean to neglect my website – life just…happened.
What EXACTLY have I been up to?
So glad you asked.
1. Trip to Indiana. One set of grandparents lives in
Indiana, where I grew up, and the boys and I went for a little road
trip to see them recently. As it turns out, it was the last time we’ll
be visiting my parents in their old house, since they are in the process
of downsizing into a new one! We did get to see the house they’ll be
living in, though, and it’s really perfect for them.
 |
| Hopefully
my dad forgives me for putting his picture on my website. I couldn't
help it. It's just too sweet. He's a really good Papa. |
2. Vera Bradley Outlet Sale. For several years now,
my mom and I have discussed going to the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale. Well,
this was the year we made our dream come true. If you’ve never been to
this annual event then let me tell you that it’s INSANE. I’m assuming
that you know what Vera Bradley bags are – if not,
take a look around their website then come on back.
I’ll wait.
I think people either love these bags or think they’re hideous. I
will say that if, like me, you like Vera Bradley but can’t easily afford
it, then you might want to consider a trip to the annual outlet sale –
there was an unbelievable selection of items and all at a substantial
discount. After we got back home with our loot, my mom and I added up
the savings and for most items it was more than 50% off! My mom and I
really enjoyed spending the day together (my very brave dad took care of
all the boys all day!) and decided we’d definitely go back to the
Outlet Sale another time – but probably not every single year.
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| Before
you think "hey, it doesn't look crowded at all" - this picture was
taken when we first walked in at the start of our session of time. It
filled up FAST. |
3. Indianapolis Children’s Museum. While we were in
Indiana, we made a quick trip to Indianapolis for the day. They have a
phenomenal Children’s Museum that we used to visit all the time when we
lived there. If you’re anywhere near Indy I highly recommend taking the
time to visit this museum – there is something there for kids of all
ages.
On our way to dinner in Broad Ripple after leaving the museum we did a drive by of my Alma Mater –
Butler University (Go Dawgs!). It looked mostly the same (again, I won’t mention how long ago I went to school there).
4. Bruce Springsteen. Once we returned home to
Cleveland, we had a visit from the other set of grandparents (you can
start to see why there’s been no time for post-writing). They watched
the boys one night while my husband and I headed to downtown Cleveland
for the Bruce Springsteen concert – it was our 11th anniversary gift to
ourselves. And it was AWESOME. Before the concert, we had some tapas and
drinks at
D’Vine Wine Bar.
This was our second time visiting this place – they have delicious food
(and at a bargain with weekly Happy Hour specials) and a wide variety
of drinks and wine flights. If you find yourself in downtown Cleveland,
looking for a place to maybe relax with your significant other, then you
may want to try this place out.
5. Playroom Redo. We live
in a really terrific rental house, but had a bit of a flood disaster in
the basement awhile back. We had to rip out the carpet before it became
a job for a Hazmat team. We replaced the flooring with something more
waterproof and also took the opportunity to make the space into a more
organized play area for the boys and all their Legos. It would probably
be more impressive if I had a “before” picture, too.
6. First Communion. Even
if you aren’t Catholic, chances are you’re aware of what a big deal this
Sacrament is to those of us who are. This was my second oldest son’s
special day and we were so blessed to have family and friends join us
from near and far away. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and we had a
beautiful weekend for the celebration! And I only cried twice during
the Mass. I’m sorry, but the sight of my sweet boy walking down that
aisle – dressed up, hands-folded, look of innocence on his little face –
of COURSE I got teary-eyed.
7. Mother’s Day. I was
fortunate enough to get two Mother’s Days! The first one was celebrated
with family during First Communion weekend – the boys got to swim in a
hotel pool and my parents treated all of us to a wonderful dinner out.
MY Mother’s Day was celebrated the following weekend. As many of you
know, my husband is the General Manager of a restaurant. Which means I
don’t ever see him on Mother’s Day. So when he did have a day off, he
helped our boys treat mommy to a nice, relaxing day together. My day
included a delicious breakfast, finally buying a new phone, time alone
at the bookstore/new fabric store, ice cream (finally got to try the
Blizzard of the Month – “Confetti Cake” – yum!), and a cookout for
dinner with chocolate covered strawberries that my boys made for me.
Not much more you could ask for in a Mother’s Day.
That, my friends, is a rundown of the last
month or so for our family. Phew. Where does the time go? Somewhere in
there, we have been making progress with school work, too. We’ve added
some things that I’ll be posting about soon. I’ll also be updating the
other information on this site, so be sure to check back often and take a
look at the calendar, groups and classes pages for things happening in
the Cleveland area. Contact me anytime if you have things you’d like
added or changed on the site – I always love hearing from you! Some of
you have already contacted me about adding/changing information – thank
you!
I hope you and your families are doing well and enjoying the season of spring as well!
~ Dori
