Hello and happy Monday Friends! 🍂💛
I sure missed you!
It's been such an epic year. Between getting Annie graduated and moved to FL. Our big graduation cruise with the kids. Our wedding. And now we just got back from another amazing trip!! 2024 has sure been one for the books and I can't imagine a crazier year ever than this - but feeling so abundantly BLESSED! However, it's sure nice to be back home.
This past week and half or so we were on a trip with Matt's family. If you remember his Mom had fought cancer over the winter and needed to have chemo and radiation. To help give her incentive in her darkest days Matt's amazing Aunt Rita (well she's my Aunt now too😍) told her she wanted to plan a dream celebration trip for her. Rita is very well traveled and goes to places like Paris regularly for work and other things. So she orchestrated and treated us all a lot to an epic trip to Paris and to a cruise back on the Queen Mary 2 (Matt's Mom's dream). So we got to see Paris through Rita's eyes which was so wonderful! She knows so many neat little areas there. And then we crossed the Atlantic back on the luxury ocean liner QM2 (the last of the true ocean liners like the Titanic). So we celebrated Sue (Matt's Mom) and life in general and our honeymoon in real style and it was glorious!!
So many pinch me moments walking the streets of Paris. Staying in a lovely apartment Rita rented right next to the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs Elysee. Eating at amazing little places she knew. A rainy night cozying in at a favorite hotel bar of hers that played amazing jazz. Going to the Dior Museum and to the Paris Opera House which was jaw dropping! Attending a pastry baking class where we made homemade croissant dough and made croissants and other pastries (total bucket list for me!). And the big finale of a yacht cruise Rita booked for us where we sailed down the Seine one night, dressed to the nines, and had a gourmet mutiple course meal while looking at the Eiffel tower along the way all lit up. I still feel like it was all a dream!
And then hopping on the ship to sail home over the course of a week. During that week doing such fun things on the ship: trivia tourneys, bingo in the pub (I won one time!), Matt won several darts tourneys in the pub, playing blackjack in the casino (we came out ahead- yay!), reading and relaxing in the beautiful library, massages at the spa, seeing a show in the planetarium, and going to true high tea where we would all clap as they paraded out with the teapots. It all felt very Downton Abbey on this ship that was all art deco and decorated S0 BEAUTIFULLY! And then at night dressing up for dinner. Some nights had theme nights. And eating more multiple course gourmet meals! Not to forget, the amazing musical entertainment and shows. Did I mention I gained 4-5 lbs? 😁 Totally worth it though!
I will do a future post with more pics but for now I will share a few below. Again, I keep thanking God and pinching myself over the dream this whole past year has been. But I am ready for life to calm down now and just snuggle our furry babies. Keep having regular check-in's and chats with my real babies in their lives. And to spend time with family and friends (like you blogging Besties) and get back to real life. But wow has it been grand! 😋💗
Also, it was my dear sweet Hubby's birthday yesterday! So it was nice to get back this weekend in time for me to spoil him and treat him for his bday. I put up little love notes all over the house for him to find and wake up to yesterday. We went to church Saturday night, so we slept in yesterday. Then ran errands - bought him a couple of goodies, walked around in the lovely Fall weather, watched our Pack win (and Vikes lost - yay!), played cards, I made his fave peanut butter pie, and treated him to his fave local Shamrock pizza for dinner. We've been snuggling Ruby and Bubba a lot too. It is so nice to be home!
happy birthday boy with his favorite pie
THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:
ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:
had part of a bagel, some apple slices, and hot coffee with sugar-free salted caramel syrup and protein coffee flavored creamer
ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:
going to lunch at my former MIL's bestie that moved back to the area to see her new home and she wants to visit and see wedding pics (she invited several other friends of my former MIL's from the area - I sure look forward to catching up with them!), out with my Mom for our belated bday lunch and shopping, dentist appt, catch up on bereavement calls of hospice work, hospice work at facility, get ready for visit to my son's new apartment and see some cousins of mine
THINKING ABOUT:
Trying to soak up the last of this season I love so much! So many trees are bare now since we've been gone. Also, I've started some Christmas shopping and making my lists for Thanksgiving ahead. Yay for this time of year!
🎃🍂🧡
AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE
Listening to some classical Christmas music - just felt like it (don't judge!), looking at how tidy it all is around home. Did lots of clean up and laundry since we got back. Almost all back to normal ☺️
CURRENTLY READING
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (started on trip and still reading)
ON THE TV TODAY:
Dancing with the Stars, Survivor, Great British Bake Off, Jeopardy, Golden Bachelorette, Ghosts, Shark Tank, cooking shows, caught up on more Walking Dead episodes with Matt over the weekend
ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:
MONDAY - semi homemade chicken noodle soup, garden salad, beer bread (will share some with my Mom and step Dad)
TUESDAY - slow cooker meat sauce over healthy noodles, garden salad, garlic bread
WEDNESDAY - tacos
THURSDAY - slow cooker ham and scalloped potatoes, roasted veggies (will share with my Mom & step Dad)
FRIDAY - out for dinner
TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:
read, walks, spend time family
TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:
FROM THE CAMERA:
