Summer Lovin'

And we had a BLAST!

Our trip to Ocean City, MD was absolute perfection. We lounged on the beach, cruised the boardwalk, hung out at arcades and ate way too much bad for you food. 

Thankfully I was blessed with a kid who loves to travel. She instantly adjusts to whatever new routine we take on for vacation, with little whining. Believe me, I know how rare that is!

Our goal for the vacation was just to rest and be together- nothing big or huge, just away from the house and daily grind. I think we accomplished that and more.

Fun in the City of Roses

Jake's grandmother lives all the way across the country in Oregon. She flew all of us- her son and his wife (My In-Laws), five siblings, their spouses and children- for a total of 15 people to come visit her and our other far-away relatives. She got to meet the two newest great-grandchildren- Ms. Chucky Sue and Dorita.

 

We ate too much good food, swam in the hotel's pool a LOT, visited museums and a zoo and just hung out with Nana Oregon.

I need NCIS's "enhance" button for half these photos.

We visited the Portland Oregon LDS Temple- it was absolutely beautiful. It was my fourth temple that I've ever been in, sixth that I've seen in person.  Can anyone figure out the first three I've been in? (Oooh reader interaction!)

When on vacation we try not to eat at chain restaurants- but we made an exception for Jack-in-the-Box and A&W. We don't have those where we live, so it's ~exotic~ cuisine!

While the rest of the country was dealing with one of the worst heat waves EVER, Portland was actually  chilly- I bought a sweatshirt out there to keep warm on the beach. Portland was also amazingly GREEN. We have great forests near us but not huge evergreen forests with ginormous trees creating huge canyons around the highway.

We went on The Family Mecca to-

  The Tillamook Cheese Factory.

While the cheese was delicious, the factory itself was kind of a dud. I remember going to a cheese factory in Vermont (Right next to the Ben&Jerry's factory) and we got to see a lot more of the cheese making process there than we did at Tillamook. Tillamook had fancy posters up about their cheesey history, and a cool altered VW van for a photo op. The best was the sugar-coma inducing ice cream shop   on the main floor. The Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl has made appearances in several dreams since I devoured my two scoop.

Because I'm an AWESOME wife and appreicate all forms of Dork, we treked up to Astoria to see the Goonies landmarks.

a far away view of Haystack Rock- we got a lot closer but I was too busy making sure Chucky-Sue didn't go wandering off into the freezing cold ocean to take closer photos.

Chucky-Sue loved the sand on her FEET but when it got on her hands she was very upset and whiny. She wanted to be in the water, but MY hand turned blue in seconds so we dipped her in quickly then wrapped her up in her blanket. Strange that was her first ocean experience, all the way across the country.

The Goonies House. Jake was impressed, and thankfully didn't do the truffle shuffle.

Astoria is a historic town that's been SQUASHED on to a tiny peninsula. I loved the cramped houses and tiny alleyways that criss-cross all over the place. It's been the location of over 300 movies, according to their brochure- including Kindergarden Cop and Free Willy. We ate at a really fresh seafood restaurant that had butcher paper table covering and crayons. I spent the whole meal coloring and drawing silly pictures. Jake enjoyed the comic book store we found just down the street.

   

This was a set up for a HUGE farmer's market. They had these awesome coloumns all over the downtown area- everything had a rose or cherub carved on to it- I love when cities take the time to add pretty details like that to their public areas. 

 Even the sewer covers had roses molded on the tops.

Wanna guess what famous story this is??
I was so mad there was such a long line!

I have a thing for lamposts and windows. so pretty!

 

We also got fancy family portraits done with 4 generations of Fishers. Chucky-Sue may have been grumpy at first but then she got a hold of a cellphone to play with- that got a HUGE grin!

What you don't see is that Kay and I are balancing very carefully on a uneven cement wall.

 Our poor knees.

 and here is the lot of us. I think this is the first time in photograph history that we are all looking at the camera, eyes fully open and no child pitching a huge fit.

Thank you Nana Oregon for such a wonderful family vacation!

and we-are-gon.

Ooh, I'm full of puns today.

We're off to Oregon for the week of 4th of July.

I promise more fulfilling posts after that!

Camping!

Thanks to the wonderful free public wifi at our local library, here are the long awaited photos. I kinda wish they were better quality due to the huge build up I've been giving them...

This is Chucky-Sue highly enjoying our tent. She quickly learned that the entire thing makes that fun crinkly noise that her little book does. We couldn't put her down without her trying to scrunch and munch on the tent floor. She probably was the most comfortable in our tent, sleeping in her normal napping spot- the bouncy chair. She slept GREAT, and didn't wake up even with the older kids having fun with night-time tag  and glo-sticks.

However, she did wake VERY early. Early enough for me to watch the entire sunrise which, while pretty, is so not worth being tired the rest of the day. (Notice my oh-so-happy face for being up before Mr. Sun.)

and just a cute shot of Niece cause she's pretty and had just got new bangs :)

Oh New England...

So the little one and I are up here for my sister's high school graduation and we're having a grand old time!!! Nonie (My mother's name for "grandmother" as she is too young to ever be called "grandmother") has been spoiling Chucky-Sue silly, lots of fun new toys to look at, a bouncy seat, and clothes by the bagful! Don't worry, she's been spoiling me too; buying me Dunkin Donut food daily and letting me take some of her old stamping stuff home!!

I've gotten to play the proud older sister role to Mae as she won a scholarship at her Senior Dinner, and I'm looking forward to reprising the role on Friday at the Graduation :) It's weird looking around at her 2010 class and seeing all the little pipsqueaks that used to annoy me on our bus! They've all grown up and even at 22 make me feel OOOLLLDDD.

Mae has also relished being an aunt, she is always kidnapping Chucky-Sue away from me. (And she willingly changes diapers!!) It's really cute to see her try to calm her down and play with her. Now go check out my mom's blog to see a video of Mae reading to Chucky-Sue :)

I love visiting up here and seeing my old friends but I can't wait to go home back to Jake, been missing him like mad :) be on the look out here and on facebook for photos of our visit!

Long Lost Writer

MISSING: SIMPLY 14 BLOG WRITER
LAST SEEN: Searching for free wifi throughout town
REWARD: Nothing but more funny awesome interesting posts

Sorry I've been so MIA the last month or so, our neighbor moved and so did our wifi at home. Thankfully nothing too exciting passed without documentation (thanks to my mobile facebook to update photos instantly.)

We've been just getting used to being a family of three, Chucky-Sue and I have lots of fun during the day getting to know each other. She has a few new "tricks". She smiles all the time now, attempts to sit up despite her large noggin, and loves playing with scarves and brightly colored things. We're actively excited for the big trip up to New England (and the train! I love Trains!!) But I've learned that planning long trips with a youngster is not fun. Half the weight I'll be carrying will be food and diapers for ms.stinky-butt. :)

Chucky-Sue has been playing a local "celebrity" visiting our families various workplaces (two schools, two offices, a restaurant and a bank) she is still great with strangers and can put on a "show" for them by smiling and babbling away.

I do have photos and videos to post someday, but my battery is dying so you'll have to live with this short post!

Ten places to visit before I die

Jake and I talk about dream vacations a lot. It seems those without money always wonder what they'd do with it once they get it! Freakishly, we agree on a lot of trips, you can look on his blog to see his choices.

1. Tour of Europe: England, Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and Russia. I'd love for it last a whole summer, but I'll gladly settle for a week or two!

2. Alaskan Cruise: Jake and I always joke about moving back there (he lived there when he was 4 through 6) but a cruise through the icy waters and seeing the whales would be so cool!

3. Good Ole American Tour: See all the things I never saw as a child, The Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Yellowstone National Park, Statue of Liberty, Golden Gate Bridge, the Hollywood Sign and a billion others. Maybe we'll live in an RV, home school our kids and travel the country!

4. Antarctica: Okay, if I ever COULD, I'd probably say no cause I'm scared of freezing to death, but it would be so COOL. Nothing to see but snow and ice for miles, talk to some penguins. Maybe we'll add it to the world wide cruise.

5. Hawaii: The only state our poor pretend RV could never drive to. I'd love to see the volcanoes, learn to SCUBA dive or surf! I've always wanted to see the Pearl Harbor memorial sights and the museum.

6. New York City: It's a trip in and of itself. I could LIVE on Broadway if my means let me. I want to see a billion shows, Wicked, Lion King, Mary Poppins, Next to Normal, [Title of Show]! And then of course, the historical sights, tourist spots, film locations- central park! I could make a million vacations out of that city.

7. The White House: I've been to DC a lot of times, I've seen the white house a lot too. But I'd love a personal no-hold bars tour of the place. (pretty sure that only happens to the First Family, Vote Jake 2012!) That house has held so much history that directly affects me!

8. Australia& New Zealand: It's just so beautiful, how can you not want to go there? Also, it has the film locations for Xena, which was my favorite TV show for a good long while.

9. Brazil: Ever since my Uncle went there for his mission, I've been intrigued by the country. First of all, Cow intestine soup? I have to see them try to make me eat THAT. Ben's photos from there were jaw dropping gorgeous too.

10. Biblical Tour: Egypt, Israel, all those little mediterrian sea places. It'd be wonderful to see the places described in the bible and immerse oneself in that culture. Again a summer there would be amazing. I better get cracking on those million dollar ideas.

Thanksgiving Back Home

There is no better feeling than going home! Michael figured out a way to get me to NH to spend Thanksgiving with my side of the family. (Most of whom I haven't seen for a year plus, and a few cousins I had never met!) I'm going to skip over the actual traveling, because as you can tell in Michael's post about Thanksgiving I HATE flying. I especially hate flying in tiny rinky-dink propeller planes that may hold 30 people and look like you have to wind a rubber band to get it off the ground.

I got to visit old high school haunts with my friends, have a fantastic girl's day with my mom and sister, shop for things I don't need, go in New England Country Stores (which are much better than Southern ones, sorry to say.) It was great to see old familiar places, NH is like a big snuggly warm blanket or a well-worn pair of jeans, it feels old and comfortable.

I got to have Dunkin' Donuts Hot Chocolate and Doughnut, it was the first thing I did when I got to NH. I don't understand people's fascination with Krispy Kreme when DD is where it's at! The Christmas Dove (an year-round christmas store, ornaments, decorations, music, food etc. etc.) was my favorite store when I lived up there, it's room after room of different themed christmas items and set ups like Giant window boxes with trains and town models. I got my hair done at the salon that did my first hair cut, and almost every haircut since then. The owner and many of the stylists know my hair very well and know exactly how to cut it. (They also know to have at least 2 people blow-dry my hair, or we'll be there for hours!) Michael laughed when I went on and on about this salon, but I love it!

I also met "Gracie", a cute little cat that my mom got from her boss. I won't get into the psychologicalness of her naming a cat with a name that rhymes with mine soon after I got married. This poor kitty-cat was scheduled to be fixed on this coming tuesday, but sadly it was a week too far, as she went into heat the day we arrived. She cried and cried VERY early in the morning, and it was hard getting her mind off of finding a man-cat. Luckily, it only lasted a few days and she was her playful self our last night in NH. (two words: Laser Pointer. Hours of entertainment right there.)

I think it's fitting that my 100th post is about my home and re-visiting my favorite places. I'm hoping to not have to wait another year before going up there again, I didn't get to reconnect with half the friends I wanted to, or visit the newly remodeled high school. I will have photos from my lunch with my high school BFFLs<3 to share soon, keep a look out on Facebook.

P.S. My grandma is on Facebook now, what has the world come to? ;)

Thanks

I wanted to give a quick thanks to everyone, I can't even begin to say how much your kind words and thoughts meant to me and Jake. It is amazing to see how many people were willing to do so much for us. We're really truly blessed. I will try to get out and personally thank everyone, but I didn't want to forget anyone either. Thank you!

And yet another update, I'm doing fine, the nurses continued to be amazing throughout the night and this morning and I'm healing up a quickly as the doctor hoped I would. I have been put on a bit of a bed rest, so I don't think I'll be at church tomorrow, but I should be fine for my vacation, as long as I sit/lay down for most of it.

The hospital also has bi-yearly (one around Christmas, and another in spring.) memorial services for the babies there, and once I get information about it I'll post it on here.

Thank you again, I feel very lucky even in this not-so-fun time.

Idina Menzel in Concert!

For our honeymoon (only 7 months late!) Jake and I went to see one of my all time favorite singer/actress/performer of all time- Idina Menzel in Cary NC. The concert (which was my first ever!) was BEYOND amazing.

She sang songs from her two albums, and some from some Broadway shows she's been in (Rent and Wicked).  Jake spoiled me and got us seats four rows away from the stage. It was absolutely fantastic! I took millions of photos and videos- if I posted them all here you'd be reading for days!










It was better than any honeymoon I could have imagined!





(This is one of my very very very very favorite songs of all time. It's from the musical Wicked. It's awesome and EVERYONE should go see it!)