Is the 4th of July and I cannot wait. We're going to have a blast up at my parents house and may even get to ride on their new boat. Now that I can't wait for and neither can the kids. It's going to be a weekend of family, fun, lots of food and great times! Speaking of food, my mom called me yesterday to get some recipes: a dip, a desert and a main meal. I won't be surprised if I come home 5 pounds heavier after this weekend. She also said she's put some of her finest California wines in the frig to chill and bought some beer for the guys. I'm just looking forward to spending time with them since we haven't been up to their house in months and really haven't spent any time with them since before they left on their boat trip. They were here last week but they were going back and forth between my house and my brothers and it was only for 3 days so we didn't see them too much.

I'm sure more great memories are going to be made this weekend!

is the main reason I started walking in Breast Cancer Walks. About 4 years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is now proudly a breast cancer survivor and has been cancer free for 3 years! I just talked to her yesterday and she went last week for her yearly mammogram and will find out the results this Thursday. She says she knows it will come back fine and isn't worried. But if everyone could just please say a little prayer we'd appreciate it! I'm sure it will come back fine too, but saying a little prayer never hurt anyone!

Between Kim and I, I think we must have taken over 500 pictures last week of our vacation in the Outer Banks. Before we even left to go though I bought each kid one of those wooden $1 picture frames from the craft store, along with some wooden shapes like sunglases, sandals and a sun. I also brought some seaglass and shells for them to glue on. Last Friday we set them up on the outside screened in porch and they all made their frames. They all came out so well too. Now to just pick out a picture of the 5 of them to put in there. We both got some great shots of all 5 of them. Maybe I should pick out 1 for that frame and then get them each a collage frame of say 3 or 4 pictures and put them in there. Hmmmm, I'll have to go and see what I kind find as far as collage frames.

I need some energy pills and I need them NOW! I am so tired right now I could go to sleep. I guess I'm catching up on all of the sleep I missed last week while we were on vacation. If I think about it, alot of nights I didn't go to bed until after 12 and even later then that like after 1 and then we were up around 8 or 9. I'm not used to that. Normally I go to bed around 9:30/10. I'm still up early, but go to bed early too. I guess last week I was just trying to squeeze out every little bit of time to be with our friends. It was such a blast! And well worth me being tired right now.

The "Spijack Family" is having such a blast this week. Between having fun times with great friends and being here in this awesome house - I feel rich and blessed! The kids are loving the indoor/outdoor heated pool, the theatre room and the game room and the adults are loving the hot tub, the great sounding stereo system throughout the house and the huge kitchen and everyone is just having a blast!

To see what you're all missing click here and then there's even more awesome pictures here.

I wish this week would never end!

I'm still not sure what to get Sean for his 40th birthday (even though his birthday was March 11th). There was no rush in getting him something since he's been away at work and won't be home until the end of next week. I was thinking something "golfy" but he already has a great set of golf clubs that he bought when we first moved down here 2 1/2 years ago. Maybe we can get him a gift certificate to an awesome golfing range around here, complete with a meal and some golf balls? Or, maybe just a night out for dinner with the family? I actually like the latter one better and being when he gets back he'll have been gone almost 6 weeks, I bet he'll like the dinner idea one better too.

is for the birds! Seriously! With it being 4 weeks since Sean left, I am exhausted and I now have a new found respect for any woman that does this alone. I know a few single moms, all with 2-3 kids or more and I don't know how you do it day in and day out. I am counting down the days until Sean gets back and right now we're at 9 more days. I'm beat and the past few days, by the time it's 2pm I'm ready for bed!

As soon as the kids get home, we're off to my parents up in Jacksonville for the weekend! It will be nice to get away! At least I'll have my mom to help with the kids for a little so I'll get a nice break after it's been 3 weeks of doing all of this by myself! My mom did mention my dad has a few things he needs help with: something about organizing all of the HDMI cables he's got for his computer and printer and such and then he also needs help setting up the VCR to their new flat screen TV. Now that last part I'm not so sure I'll be able to help with. I don't have a flat screen TV so I'm not familiar with how it works and where to plug everything in.

I'm just psyched we'll be looking at some new scenery, even though we will be bringing psycho doggie with us. 3 hours in the car with 3 kids can sometimes be alot. Add a seriously psycho dog to that and look out!

Yup, today is the big 4..0.. for my man! And it sucks he's not here with us. We made him a special big envelope to open on this day of stuff the kids made and cards, etc. But it won't be the same as him being here. This past weekend he sounded so depressed. Not only was he not feeling well, but just knowing his birthday was coming up and he didn't have us around to celebrate it with got him sad. His crew tried to get him to hang with them this past weekend and instead he stayed in his room the whole time. We're going to celebrate his birthday (and everyone's birthday in fact) that week we're with our good friends in North Carolina for Spring Break. I know being with them that week will make up for these past 6 weeks.

Have an awesome birthday sweetie and we'll celebrate it in a few months once things settle down! I love you and miss you!

Sean left yesterday for his 6 weeks of work in Louisiana and the kids have been basket cases ever since. Especially my oldest. We all just got off the phone with Sean and both Caelie and Tristan sobbed getting off the phone with him and Tristan has been crying for the past hour. I hope this doesn't happen every night for the next 6 weeks. They're breaking my heart and Sean's.