Just Simply Holly

With just one week left until the kids head out to spend a month with their sister, I decided to check some of the local travel sites just to see if they had any last minute deals on travel. Yes, I know, I’ve talked about this quite a bit already, but dang it, we haven’t been without kids for almost 17 years and we haven’t went away in even longer than that. So I think we really do deserve to take some sort of mini vacation, even if it is for only a long weekend!

I was quite shocked when one of the online travel sites that I checked out last night had a 3 night Vegas trip for $249 per person that included a really decent hotel! I also found a 4 night package to Orlando for $247 per person, but I’m just not sure if I want to go to Florida in July, ya know? But were trips that had to be booked by July 1, which I can’t do right now. If we do something like this it’s absolutely going to be booked last minute, with just a day or two notice, if that. So I have a feeling, as it gets closer to the dates that we want to travel, I might be able to snag us up something within the prices we wanted to pay! I’m NOT giving up! LOL

Well, it is time for my vacation to come to an end. But as they say, all good things must come to an end. Our first flight leaves the airport shortly after 10:00 AM, then we have an almost 3 hour lay over after a 1 hour flight. The next flight leaves shortly after 2 and we’ll be in the air about 2 1/2 hours, then we have a one hour lay over before the final flight home, which is supposed to arrive at nearly midnight. It’s going to be a long day, but I think it will be fun!

So I’m signing off from sunny California and will see you when I get back home to Ohio, but probably not until tomorrow morning!

Today is the last whole day of my cross country vacation. It’s so hard for me to believe that it’s almost over and that in the morning I’ll be hopping on a plane and flying home. It’s been an amazing and unbelieveable time and a trip that I definitely will never forget!

We’ve had some really good times and I’ve heard Lisa and Emily talk about other trips that they have taken that sound like they’d be a ton of fun as well! Yes, I know, I’m just wrapping up a vacation, why am I thinking about another one already? I don’t know if it’s because of the amazing things that I’ve seen this week, or if it has anything to do with the minimal amount of stress that I’ve felt, but in some ways I almost feel as if I could go on vacation permanently…LOL!

More than anything, I’d love to be able to take a trip with my husband and let him get some time and space away from the stresses of daily life! But I think if I were to go somewhere with him, I’d like to run away to an island that has miles and miles of white sand beaches! Maybe check out some of the St. John villa rentals and spend a relaxing vacation in the Caribbean sitting on the beach sipping on drinks that come with those cute little paper umbrellas in them…LOL!

It’s kind of sad that this week is over though, it’s been an amazing time spent with some very amazing people, and I feel very honored to have been a part of it!

Yes, I’m sure you’re probably getting tired of me talking and talking about it, but I’m sorry, this is something major for my life, and this IS my blog, so I’m going to talk about my trip again…LOL!

It’s so hard to believe that in a mere 48 hours I’ll be running around making sure I have everything I need ready! And what is ever more difficult to believe is the fact that one week from today, I will be in California!! It all feels strange to me, and today I’m feeling frustrated, anxious, worried, nervous and excited all at the same time…LOL

I’m really looking forward to this trip though! I know that I need this time to just recoup and get myself back together, I’ve been so stressed this past month or so and unfortunately my family had been getting the brunt of that stress. I swear, if I were a member of a wine of the month club, I’d have called them just BEGGING for them to send the whole years shipment all at once…LOL!

I am hoping to be able to pick up a nice bottle of Pinot Grigio for my husband while I’m out in California as well as a little something for the kids! As for getting something for myself, well, I get to see my bridge and I might get to see the ocean if all goes well, and there’s not much I could buy that would mean as much as being able to do that!

I’m sitting here this morning watching the news and listening to all the reports about the insane gas prices and how those prices are going to affect travel over Memorial Day weekend. It’s so sad to think about how bad gas prices are going to affect peoples travel plans this summer! Even airlines are raising flight prices to reflect the never ending raise in the cost of fuel!

They had a person on the news segment giving tips about how you can still travel over the summer, but that you really need to shop around and find the best travel deals possible rather than just packing things up and going. They said that by planning in advance, even by just a week or two, you can actually end up saving yourself several hundred dollars. They also said that many airlines are going to offer substantial savings for the last minute travelers so that they can fill the seats on a plane rather than flying it with empty seats because each empty seat on a plane in flight actually costs the airline money.

I’m not sure what we’re going to be doing this summer as far as travel, other than my trip that’s coming up in a few days and the kids spending the month of July with their sister on the East coast. The month prior to the kids leaving will be spent getting them ready to go and when they get back it will be time to kick in and get them ready for the next school year. Hopefully we can fit some sort of small family outing in with them and I’m also hoping that my husband and I can get away for a weekend while they are gone!

Yes everyone, I’m talking about my upcoming trip to California again…LOL! I know, you’re probably getting sick of hearing about it, but I honestly can’t help myself! See, you have to understand a little something about my life to understand why I’m so excited about this trip!

The last real vacation I took was when my husband and I went on our honeymoon in May of 1992. Prior to that, the last vacation I took on my own was in 1985, and the last time I was on an airplane was in 1980. Yes, I know, I lead a very sad life, but I’ve always been a home body! And as a parent I’ve always felt that it was my “job” to be there for my children. And since we don’t have a wad of cash hidden between the mattresses, well, a “real” family vacation is something that has just never happened. On top of that, I’ve been so extremely stressed out lately that I sometimes wonder if I’m just completely losing it!

And honestly, for as long as I can remember, going to California and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge has been my dream! I think that’s what makes this whole trip seem so surreal to me. Have you ever had a goal for you life, something that you set WAY up there, knowing that the chances of it ever happening were slim to none? This was that goal for me. Honestly, I never thought this was something that would ever become reality! And now, here it is, just a few short days away from happening!

And the week ahead of me, OMG, it’s going to be INSANE! I’ve got to start going through things and making an attempt to find some clothes that not only are appropriate weather wise, but that also fit me. Being a housewife and mother for the past umpteen years, I have a VERY sad wardrobe! I am the last person that I buy for! The last time I bought summer clothes for myself was like maybe 3 years ago. And I wore the same pair of sandals for 5 summers…LOL! The only reason I won’t be wearing them this summer is because at the end of last summer one of the dogs got ahold of one and chewed it up. And I’ve searched and searched, both online and off, and have only found one pair of sandals that were similar to those, and they were online. So I’m hoping that I can order them tomorrow, pay for super expedited shipping and have them here before I leave…LOL!

I’m excited, but I’m nervous. I’m a completely unselfish person and I feel so very selfish for doing this…LOL! Plus I think I’m worried that I’ll find out that my family will function better without me here

Plane, train or taxi cab, all the choices HIP! LOL NO, I’m not losing it, I promise!! But I need to let you know that at the end of this month I’m going to be going away for a few days. My best friends daughter took a job offer in San Jose, California and we are going to accompany her on the drive out to sunny California. We’re planning on taking our time and stopping to see some of the many wonderful sites this country has to offer. Once we reach San Jose we’re hoping to be able to make the 50+/- mile trek up to San Francisco so I can see something that I’ve dreamt of seeing my entire adult life, The Golden Gate Bridge!

We’ll be leaving either Memorial Day night or the Sunday night before. And I’ll be flying home very late on the night of Monday June 2. I’m so very excited about being able to take this trip, but I also feel guilty…LOL! This will be the first time I have ever gone away from my husband in the 16+ years that we’ve been married and it is also the first time I’ve ever gone away from my kids for more than a couple of days. I know that they will be fine while I’m gone, but I also know that I’m still going to worry about them!

But for once I’m going to be selfish and do something for myself! I need this, I REALLY REALLY need this! Life has been VERY stressful lately, not that it hasn’t always been filled with stress. But the things that have gone on in the past month or so have really pushed me to the edge. I think getting away is going to be just what I need and am hoping that when I come home I will be a little less stressed and maybe even a little more happy!

Although we still have a few years to go until we get there, my husband and I were recently talking about our 25th wedding anniversary, which will happen in 9 years…LOL. The thing is, my husband has a “problem” with thinking about going to any type of foreign country, he just wants to stay in the United States…LOL! I’m a beach person, I always have been and I always will be. One of my dreams has been to go on vacation to a tropical beach with beautiful blue water and just relax like I never have before.

Considering that not a single person at our wedding thought we would stay married for a year (It’s now just a couple of weeks away from our 16th anniversary) I think it’s only fitting that if we do make it to our 25th anniversary we do something extra special to celebrate it! I brought up going to somewhere like the Bahamas or the Turks and Caicos Islands, but he flat out refuses. Then it hit me, why had I never thought about North Carolina?? So when I brought it up to him, he said it’s a definite option that he’d consider!

Then I checked out some of the nice Condo Hotels that are available because if we take a trip like this I want to be able to have enough room so that I don’t feel like I’m cooped up and I also want something that has kitchen facilities so we don’t have to go out to eat every meal! Condo Hotels are a great option because they offer all the amenities that I’m looking for, and many more. Unfortunately, I haven’t found any that book 9 years in advance, so I’ll have to be patient for a while…LOL!

As we’re nearing the close of 2007, we’re getting closer to our first “major” family vacation. I haven’t spent much time getting things ready for vacation, but I realize that I really need to start thinking about it and getting things ready. We need to get the dogs to the veterinarian for check ups and shots and their 2008 licenses before we’ll be able to take them to the kennel they are going to stay at while we’re gone. I also need to pick up the travel gear that we’ll need, including at least 2 travel bags, possibly even 3. Since most of our family vacations have involved camping, we’re used to packing in tote containers and not travel bags, so we only have 2 nice sized bags. And somehow I don’t think the airlines would be too happy with us if we packed in totes….LOL!

Thankfully I have been making lists of things we need to do and we need to pick up from the store, so at least I have some of it organized. But something tells me I need to get in gear because the next couple of months are going to go by very fast!

My nephew and his fiancé have finally narrowed down their wedding plans. The wedding is to be in October and it will definitely be in Las Vegas. So now, they are researching the best hotels Las Vegas has to offer. They want a hotel that will offer them a room with the best view possible as well as one that is close to the strip and the wedding chapels. I don’t think they’ve chosen a specific chapel yet, but I heard that his fiancé specifically said she didn’t want to be married by Elvis…LOL! No matter what hotel or chapel they choose, I have no doubt that they are going to have a beautiful wedding that they will cherish for years to come! They are such an awesome couple and it is so exciting to hear the plans for the next stage in their life together!