While you were on your phone

While you were on your phone

You missed a sunset.

a conversation,

a smile,

the beautiful scenery,

the people around you,

the people close to you,

While you were on your phone you missed real life.

You missed the kids,

your husband,

your friend sitting at the very table with you.

You missed working that puzzle,

the wind in your hair as you look out the window,

singing that song with someone special,

You missed feeling what it's like to be bored.

While you were on your phone

You missed an opportunity,

bonding time,

squeals of delight from the kids around you,

a "look what I can do!",

a game,

a hug,

a moment.

Croatia & Slovenia 2019

We just got home from an amazing adventure!  Croatia & Slovenia!  Here is our route:
We started in the south of Croatia in Dubrovnik.  That's where a lot of Game of Thrones was filmed. And we ended in the Capital of Croatia, Zagreb!

First day all travel...  Flew from Dallas to Frankfurt, to Munich to Dubrovnik.  Dubrovnik was abolutely stunning!  The islands, the coast line, the old town!  Just wow! Our hotel was really close to the beach, so after our long walking tour of the town, we came back and hung out on the beach for the afternoon.  The water was crystal clear.  Beach was unexpected--pebbles!  

Next we headed up the coast to the town of Split.  I enjoyed it, but it was a bigger city and we didn't spend a lot of time there.  It was so hot there too!  

Driving up the coast, we stopped in an island town, Trogir.  Really cute place, walked and had coffee and enjoyed just watching the sea. 

Next up was the one place I really wanted to see!  Plitvice Lakes!  This place did not disappoint!  Sixteen Lakes connected by waterfalls!  With a cool boardwalk that you walk around and see everything.  So many people though!   But the beauty was just phenomenal!  We stayed the night at a hotel in the park.  It was an old hotel so no AC! ugh!  All our hotels were gorgeous.  This was the only one I wasn't too fond of. 

Next day, we made a quick stop in the town of Opatija.  Just enough to stretch our legs and have lunch.  We lunched by the sea and the waves were just ripping!  

Onward to Slovenia!  We stayed the night in the the amazing town of Bled!  Our hotel was right on the lake!  This was an unexpected treasure!  Such a fairy tale!  Beautiful lake with a castle on one side and a little island in the middle with a church on it.  We hiked, and went to the castle.  Got to hoop on top to the castle! Then we went down the summer toboggan!  Long lines but really fun!  This was definitely one of the highlights! 

Hated to leave this place, put then we went to the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana. Quaint little town on the rivers.  Walked a lot and had some great lunch there too-Steak!!  So good!

Last stop was the capital of Croatia-Zagreb.  We enjoyed the cultural dance and dinner that we had here!  Lots of good food and games! A full moon that night too! Walked a lot in Zagreb as well.  

My favorites:  

First of all, the tour.  We did Gate1 Tours (for the 3rd time) and we just love them.  They take care of you.  You have free time, lots of optional tours, great accommodations, the tour guide is awesome, local guides at the towns.  I just can't say enough good about them.

Another favorite, Bled, Slovenia!  Loved loved loved that town. Oh, I forgot to mention the caves!  We stopped at some caves in Slovenia and they were bigger than anything I've ever seen in the states!  Way bigger than Carlsbad!!

The coffee.  I just love European coffee.  Maybe it's the atmosphere, maybe it's the cafes, maybe it's the little cups and saucers, i don't know but I really really love the coffee in Europe.

Such a wonderful trip.  Enjoyed every minute of it.  Can't wait for the next trip!!

What's your favorite memory from a vacation??

Straight teeth!!

I got some amazing news at the dentist this morning!!!  My invisalign will be done TOMORROW!!  I go in the morning and get fitted for a retainer and get all the attachments off!   it's been about a year and a half since I started this journey!

I couldn't wait to start and now I can't wait to finish!!

It's been a long long journey but I love the end result!

AFTER!!

BEFORE!! Those are some crazy teeth!

And.... it's just in time for our awesome vacation!!

We head to Croatia & Slovenia tomorrow!  Everyone keeps asking me why Croatia.  Well, I hear they have the most beautiful beaches in the world!  And there's a wonderful place I want to see called Plitvice Lakes.  Plus, it's just somewhere that not everyone goes to!  I can't wait to see everything and just have some time off! 

I'll post pictures and blog about it on my return. 

Here's to new adventures and straight teeth! 🍷😄

Sisters

Some people have a lot of siblings.  Some people have none.  I have a wonderful sister.  It's just me and her now as both our parents passed away last year.  We are the only ones that hold our childhood memories now!

We were really close as kids.  We had very different personalities but we were great friends.  We did almost everything together!

I got married at 18 and left the nest.  She was just 15.  I moved across the country and started having kids.  She was going through high school and we just kind of grew apart.  I was in one stage of life and she was in another.  We still talked and she came to visit but it was a different time.

Then life hit.  With all the tragedies that come with it.  Lots of storms that threatened to pull us apart forever.

We clung to the liferaft-we only had each other.  I didn't have any other siblings to run to.  It was only us.

We muddled through.

We reached out to each other.

We started talking again.  Every morning.

The bridge was starting to be rebuilt.

Now I am doing things I never thought I'd do!  Go on a TRAPEZE???   Do Indoor Skydiving!  Start aerial yoga!

But the best part of all these things.... it's with my sister!!

We are still different in a lot of ways.  But we enjoy each other's company.  We laugh till we cry. And that makes me happy.

Love you Laura!💗💗💗

Introverts and Hoops

I can be in a roomful of people and feel so alone.  I know I should go up and talk to someone.  If I do though they may not engage in a conversation with me.  They may only talk all about themselves.  They may walk away.

So I stare at my phone, or look awkwardly around the room.  I get up and walk. 

The problems of an introvert.  I want to be included but I also don't.

But I must not be defined by my personality bents.  I can change, I can grow.

So I say hello to someone.  I ask them a question about themselves.  I listen.  Even if the conversation doesn't ever get back around to me, that's ok.  Maybe I'm the listening ear to another introvert that needs to talk.

I have to push myself to get out of my comfort zone.  Thankfully, I am married to an extrovert so he stretches me to get out of my own little world.

I also love the hoop.  It stretches me so much to get out there and just BE! 

Be me.

Be free.

Be who I want to be.

To some, it's just a silly little toy that makes me a "hippy".  But to me, it's real.  It's life changing.  It's a tool to help me get out of my introvert head.

So if you see someone sitting alone.  Gather up your courage and go say hello.  Ask their name.

If you see me hooping, give me a smile and some encouraging words.  It goes a long way.  It makes me bolder for my next people-y encounter.

Did it happen if I didn't post it?

We had a fabulous fourth of July!  Danced, hooped, listened to live bands, swam, rode bikes!  And to end the fabulous day, we watched amazing fireworks over Lake Carolyn from our rooftop pool.  Just absolute bliss. Ahhh...

While we were watching the fireworks, some people came over and stood by the pool.  They messed with their phones for a good five minutes. Then they videoed the fireworks for a few minutes, took a few selfies with the fireworks behind them, messed with their phones some more..and then they were all , "Ok, yall ready to go?" Then they left!  The fireworks show wasn't even over yet!

They missed the majority of the experience because they were on their phones.

So, in this day and age, does it actually happen if it's not posted on some social media outlet?

People nowadays, it seems, would rather just post that they did something cool, than actually experience it.

Now I'm all for social media and keeping in touch, blah blah blah.  But a lot of times, I just sit and experience it.  I don't need a picture.  I don't need to post it anywhere.  I just like to have fun, people watch, watch the fireworks.  Just have my own thoughts.

It's a lost art really.

Just being in the moment.

If there's ever a moment of down time, or standing in a line, out pop people's phones.

Look up!  Not only is "text neck" an actual thing, but there is a whole world going on around you.

An actual world.  Where real people with real feelings and emotions are.  Where real nature and beauty are right in front of your eyes.

Enjoy the moment.  Look up.

What if I didn't post it, or take a picture of it?  What if I didn't have my phone with me?  Would it still be fun?

Try it and see!  😊

6 weeks left!!

What week am I on???  It's hard to keep track.  When I originally got my Invisalign they would say week 1 of 55, week 2 or 55 etc.  At week 52, they did a rescan on my teeth and sent away for the last phase-the refinements.  So normally, I would change out my aligners every week.  On week 52, I kept that one in for a month and a half until my new refinements came in. 

So after getting my refinements, there's only 7 weeks left!!  10 at the most they said.  So I'm on week 2 of the new and final aligners.

I'm so very close to being done!

It's been a journey for sure.

Invisalign is a commitment.  You have to keep them in most of the time.  Just take them out to eat. Then brush teeth and put back in.  So I have to carry toothbrush and toothpaste everywhere.  Not much snacking (which is kind of a good thing!) because it's just a pain to take them out and then brush teeth for a quick snack.

But I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

My teeth have moved a lot!  I'm amazed at the changes.

Almost there!! As excited as I was to start...I'm even more excited to be done already! 

I started May 11, 2018...so it's been over a year now.  

I'm ready!!