these days...

first of all...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAILEY JOY!!! (I can't believe you're seven years old today.)

in other news:

1. I am not enjoying my job. Night shift does not suit me. I want a day job in labor and delivery or the O.R. I applied for a part-time day position in L&D but it was filled before my application was received.. those positions are hard to come by, but I believe there will be one for me at just the right time. (or at least I keep telling myself...)

2. Hailey was up puking all night, bless her heart! She's been in bed and on the couch all day, drifting in and out of sleep. NOT a fun way to spend your birthday. I love my precious daughter more than words can tell. My heart is so full it feels like it could burst..

3. Andy has finally returned home after almost a month out of town. I am still recovering from the weariness of single parenting. It has been a rough several weeks. But it is SOOOOO GOOOOOOOD to have my man back home!

4. We are excited about our upcoming trip to Colorado. Our 10th wedding anniversary is May 24th. We'll be staying at a beautiful lodge in Breckenridge for a few days before heading to Colorado Springs for my brother-in-law Ben's graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy. The kids will not be going with us to Colorado. It will be good to get away by ourselves for a few days, but I will miss the darlings like crazy. And now I have the task of figuring out who will take care of them while we are away.

5. A couple weeks after our Colorado trip we will head (all five of us) to Wisconsin for Ben & Charissa's wedding! I've never been to that part of the country before. I'm sure we'll have lots of fun. Ben & Charissa have waited so long for this...we are thrilled for them!

6. We are planning to book a condo today for our August trip to Orange Beach, AL! We've never taken a beach vacation as a family. I've been looking at photos for hours and dreaming of the fun & relaxation we will have together!

7. Hopefully there will be no issues at work with the time I've asked off for these travels.

8. France may have to wait a little while longer. I would rather have a family beach vacation this year and go to France at a later date.

9. I need to get back into my workout routine... with Andy being gone and my switch to night shift I've neglected to eat well and exercise regularly. And I feel like poo.

10. Last night we went out for dinner... Andy, me, the kids. We ordered a good bottle of wine, delicious food, 2 desserts. Andy & I both noticed a man who was watching us from a nearby table...not in a weird way. He was dining by himself, wearing a suit. As we were finishing our meal the restaurant manager and our server approached us and explained that the man in the suit had commented on what a beautiful family we are and that he had generously paid our tab. Wow! I was so touched by that act of kindness I had to hold back a few tears. It felt like (and still feels like) God was smiling on us.