Finally....

I'm finding my way out of my funk. Thank God. It feels like its been forever coming. Things aren't perfect, but I think I've at least got a better attitude. I'm realizing life is pretty much all about about accepting what has already happened or what can't be changed in life, overcoming and moving on. Yeah for me! And it couldn't come at a better time.....I'm now looking forward to the next week or two....

Here's what's in store for the next two weeks. We have kids this weekend. My sister is coming down to visit the kids Saturday and Sunday which I know Taylor's excited about. I don't know if the other two even know she's coming. Brandon really warmed up to Leigh (my sister). He was all excited when she came down for the girls birthday party because the two of them did science experiments. They made crystals or something and he kept telling me I had to mail her the crystals once they hardened. I felt like a drug dealer or something mailing this baggy of different colored crystals to Leigh. Like if the post office opened it they'd believe that it really was a product made from a child's science experiement. Anyway, he likes her. But for 3 days couldn't remember her name, even though we told him time and time again. He call's her "Sarah's sister" which is funny when he says it to her face. Same goes for my parents. They call them "Sarah's Mommy and Daddy." We were trying to think of nicknames they could call them. We don't want it to be awkward, because my parents obviously aren't their grandparents and my the kids aren't my parents true grandkids. My mom could probably be "Kitty" because some people call her that already. My dad...who knows. Brian thought maybe Chief. But I think they've already got their names from Bella and Brandon. Sarah's Mommy and Daddy.

I have to work Sunday. Monday and Tuesday is our last attempt to get everything together for the cruise. Later in the week, Brian's brother and sister-in-law, Rick and Holly, are visiting from Arizona for Passover. Of course, in tow will be Sydney, their daughter, and their baby son, Ryan, whom none of us have met yet. I'm excited. He looks like a cutie. Friday we're having a big day out which surprisingly I'm looking forward to. I don't want that to come off the wrong way, but a lot of family events, at least in my family and other families I've been close with, are done more out of necessity than want. I actually enjoy spending time with Brian's sister Amy and SIL Holly. They are more like me than not, which is a change as compared to the past. I don't feel like I have to bite my tongue around them, which I'm very grateful for. We're taking the kids to Annie's Playground in Fallston. I think they'll have a blast. Saturday we fly to Ft. Lauderdale and set sail on our cruise. I'm very excited. I'm excited about being excited because for a good week or two I could care less if I even went. But now, I'm really looking forward to it.

I'm even looking forward to the spring/summer. I'm definitely looking forward to nicer weather. Ugh, this cold crappy stuff can go somewhere far far away. I want sun and 80. No humidity. Not that much to ask for. Anywho.....I need to start to make a list of things I want to do. We probably won't be doing the big trip (like Chicago last July) just because we're going on the cruise now. But, you never know, I'm pretty good at finding deals, so maybe we will. Laura and I want to take Blaze (her husband) and Brian to the Hope and Glory Inn in VA. We wanted to go last year but it didn't work out because of scheduling. Its a little more than a normal B&B. It has little cottages you can stay in, a lake, restaurant, pools....just pure relaxation. I hope we can figure out a time to go. I know at some point we definitely we will be going.

I'm also excited to hear the Newseum is opening up again in its new home in DC on Friday. Marshall (my ex-husband) and I went there in 2002 while it was still in Arlington (or Alexandria, I can't remember). I'm not really into museums that much, but this was awesome. I'm looking forward to going again. Obviously a lot has happened in the news since them...its definitely one of those museums you can go to time and time again. I also want to go to the International Spy Musuem, even though I've heard mixed reviews about it, the Holocaust museum, and do a trolley tour of DC. I've lived down here for 10 years now and I've probably only been to the city 3 or 4 times. I get good last minute deals emailed to me from hotels that need rooms filled----maybe we'll be spending a day or two in a fancy shmancy place in DC for next to nothing. (Thats how we ended up in Chicago.) Same goes for Baltimore...I want to do the tour thing and actually stay in the city, even though I can get there in 15 minutes. Of course, there's NYC too....Laura and Blaze want to go with us. I want the pizza tour. I did mention that before, right?

Oh, if you have kids and are in DC, go to the National Museum of Health and Medicine at Walter Reed. Its really cool. And free (at least it was a few years ago) so thats a plus. There's cool stuff in there like real (dead) lungs of a smoker/non-smoker/black lung, an exhibit of a hairball that was the size of a girls stomach (she ate her hair), old medical equipment, and even a table full of leeches swimming around (alive, and yes very gross).

So, in summary, I'm happy I'm finally excited about the next few months. Hopefully things will stay on this track.