Fireworks and Boat Rides

Happy 4th of July! I hope everyone had a lot of fun spending time with family and friends, eating some good food, shooting off some fireworks, setting things on fire because of the fireworks, and hopefully not drinking TOO much :) We had a wonderful 4th at our house. Our first real one with Livers, because last year she was a bit too young to really care. Most of our festivities took place on the 3rd, because our town had its celebration on that day (don't ask me why), but we did have the obligatory cookout on the 4th.

This was the first time that either of us participated in our town's 4th festivities. We really wanted to just see some fireworks, but I had hoped to see what kind of children's activities they had planned so that Livers would have fun, too. When we drove up there around 8:15 or so, it was very crowded. J wasn't feeling too good, and this did not sit well with him. Top that with the fact that it was $10 to get in, and the night was almost a bust. After driving by we decided to do a loop and see if we could park somewhere for free, so we found a space by one of the dikes by the lake and started to walk.

To get to the festival you had to cross a bridge that goes over the lake. This scared J, because he worried that someone would hit us, but I assured him it would be okay because there was a sidewalk. As we're crossing the bridge I look down and tell Jeremy that I think I recognize one of our friends driving a boat. He said there was no way, but I kept insisting. He still didn't believe me until B's daughter looks up and sees me and starts shouting, "Lindsay! Lindsay!" We all waved down at them, and then we noticed that the boat behind them was full of some more of our friends. We call down to them to say that we're walking to the festival, and they asked if we wanted to get on their boat and see the fireworks. I love a good random evening, so we agreed and walked over to the other side of the bridge, hopped the guard rail, trekked through some brush, and made it to a little beach to board their boat. We didn't have a life jacket for ourselves, but they had a small one for Livers to wear.

I was concerned about how Livers would take to being on a cramped pontoon for an hour or so, but it didn't faze her at all. She enjoyed walking back and forth from one end of the boat to the other, trying to get into people's chips and cookies, and messing with the various gauges next to the boat's steering wheel. We ended up tying our boat to our other friend's boat and sat there for awhile chatting and waiting for the fireworks to begin. It was a lot of fun. As long as I've lived here I've never been on a boat (except to ski on a neighboring lake when I was kin college and once sailing), and it was a whole lot of fun. I kept telling J later how much I wish we had a one of our own.

Around 9:15 or so, once it had finally gotten dark, they finally started to shoot off the fireworks. I wasn't sure how Livers would react to them, since I know some children are very sensitive to sound AND we were on a boat with no way to escape if she had a fit. Luckily she was absolutely mesmerized by the sounds and colors. I muffed her ears with my hands for awhile just in case she was frightened by the sound, but after awhile she wanted them off of her ears and to get out of my lap, and it apparently didn't bother her at all. She spent part of the show running back and forth from cupholder to cupholder placing water bottles in and out, in and out. When it was time for the grand finale she had positioned herself next to M, the boat's captain, and was intermittently trying to touch the controls and stopping to watch the last fireworks get shot off. The look on her face as she watched them was priceless. She was so enthralled with them. I wish I could have gotten pictures of both the fireworks and of her on the boat watching them, but the swaying of the boat combined with how generally pathetic my camera is made it impossible.

After the fireworks were over we untied ourselves from our friend's boat and then slowly sped back to M's house. It was too dark and dangerous to try and jump the railing and trek through the woods to get back to our car, so we decided that I was going to hitch a ride back to my car and drive back to pick up J and Livers once we got to M's house. It was so calming driving back to the house (when Livers wasn't getting into everything). I loved how dark and peaceful it had become and the way the breeze felt on my face. It amazed me how well M new his way through the lake, because I'm sure I would've hit someone or beached the boat.

We finally got back to his house after 10, and hung out there for a little bit. His house was very nice, and he gave us a tour of it. We definitely had a case of house envy :) Around 11:15 we finally left to head home. Livers fell asleep in the car halfway there. You always think that keeping a baby up that late would mean that she's sure to sleep nice and late the next morning, but nope. Up around 8:15, right on schedule.

Overall it was a very nice, relaxing 4th, probably one of the best I've had. Nothing too high class, nothing too stressful, no hangovers, no sunburn. How was your 4th celebration?

Real-Life Thursday, Week 3

Where the Magic Happens: Our Bedroom
Here is our lovely, magical bedroom. It's nothing particularly special, but it's cozy for us and we love it. Luckily for me I've been on a ridiculous cleaning kick this week, so aside from the unmade bed the room is pretty clean. And don't mind the little one. She "insisted" on making sure she was in the pictures, too!

My husband's side of the bed:
It would be barren if I didn't put a wedding picture up of myself. That, by the way, is the only wedding picture in the house. We've been married three years and I STILL haven't ordered any yet.


The bed:
This is usually how it looks. Some days I decide to make it, but usually it's nice and lived in for when we get into it the next night. I also try and take a nap every day , because I'm a strong proponent of the "sleep when baby sleeps" idea. Livers is doing her normal try-and-get-the-phone routine.

My side of the bed:
Nothing special, really. I do have a beautiful vase from my aunt that she gave me at Christmas, and I believe Livers' goal in life is to break it. You can see her going for it right now. I also have a picture of Livers and me from Christmas and the obligatory bottle of hand lotion.


Top of my dresser:
Since we have an older house we have little closet space, which meant we both had to get dressers. I usually try and keep it pretty clean, because clutter bothers me. I have on it a lamp that I got from Target that I originally had wanted to put in the hallway but decided was very pretty here. The picture was one that I won on eBay. It is from an independent artist, and it's one of my favorite possessions. I thought I wanted to put it in my office one day, but when I kept it here (to have a place to keep it until then) I decided it added a lot of spunk to our gray bedroom, and it's been here ever since. I also have one of our four clocks (because we always want to know what time it is at 4 in the morning), an old picture of us, chapstick, and books I intend to read someday.

My husband's dresser:
His is intended to keep all of our entertainment equipment for the bedroom. One thing I really like about both of these dressers is that they didn't cost much (we got them at a naked furniture store) and my husband stained them himself. They took him forever, but he did a fabulous job.


Our artwork:
The pictures above the bed were all taken by my dad. He loves photography, and he always has his camera with him. He walks about 6 miles every weekend, and these are a couple of shots that he took last fall while on his walks. They are special to me because he took them and they were taken of places around where we both live. The other tree picture is a generic Target print, and the picture of Livers was one from her Christmas pictures this year.



Inside of my dresser:
I couldn't open all of the drawers so you could see everything, but you get the point. Clothes, clothes, more clothes.


Under the bed:
Usually it looks like we're growing a third dog, but vacuuming under the bed was on my t0-do list this week (since it hadn't been done in over a year). The gray you see is the dust I left behind, and it will stay there until we move one day :) Also featured are speaker wires, and a roach trap (not pictured).


Closet and Laundry:
Here is our closet. Yes, I color code all of our clothes to make it easier to find. I told you, I like to be organized :) The laundry hamper is at the bottom right. It is empty because Livers and I did all of the laundry yesterday. (Her favorite part is to take everything out of the basket while I'm folding it and then put it back into the basket. Fifteen times.)


What I sleep in:
This is a fuzzy picture of what I will be sleeping in tonight. I am a pajama bottom and T-shirt kind of girl for the most part, because it's what I find most comfortable and warm. If I get cold in the middle of the night I'll end up putting on one of my husband's long-sleeved shirts.

Real-Life Thursday, Week 2 (and a Little Bit Late)

I saw a few of my blog peeps, like Apple Joos and Tiaras and Tantrums, participating in this last week, and I thought looked like a whole lot of fun. After checking out a couple of people's participation for this week I decided that I wanted to jump on the bandwagon, albeit a little belatedly. So here is my real life, Part 1, and late, because it wouldn't really be me unless I was at least a good 10 minutes behind.

Our Junk Drawer:
Yes, every house has one, and I try to keep it as neat as possible, but there's always more junk that needs a home.


Where the Blogging Magic happens: My desk.
This would've looked different if taken at 11 PM last night. I have wanted this desk from Pottery Barn since I first saw it in their catalog, and I used my garage sale earnings and anniversary money to get it. I should take a nice long look at this picture, because it will never look so pristine again.


My Favorite Jewelry:
It would have to be a tie between my wedding jewelry and this necklace. I wanted a very simple, classic wedding set, and it definitely is that. The necklace is the only real jewelry "splurge" I've ever allowed myself. I usually just buy cheap costume pieces that cost less than $20 max. I found this in an aquarium gift shop. I absolutely love rainbows, so when I saw this I wanted it really bad. It really isn't that expensive, because the beads aren't real gems, just Swavroski crystals, but it was more than I would normally spend. It was easy to justify, though, because I knew I'd wear it with everything, and I have.
My Best Feature:
It would have to be my extremities: the hands and feet. I've always felt that the rest of me was pretty plain and ordinary, but I've always thought my hands and feet were beautiful and feminine. Though some people think I have freakishly long toes, I've always found them unique and beautiful.

Real-Life Thursday, Week 1 (and a Little Bit Late)

Here's another belated Real-Life Thursday. I thought the one I labeled Week 1 was actually first, but I was wrong. Anyway, here is a little bit about my very real life :)

The Fridge:
Our fridge is a typical parent's fridge: photos of the kids, random magnets from take-out and the vet, fridge toys, pictures, etc. On the side not pictured I have a paper keeping track of our spending and bills to be paid. Inside the fridge looks pretty typical for our house. It's a little cleaner than normal because it was trash day, but I need to go through it pretty soon.

The Sink:
We have a white plastic sink. I don't like that it's white, because it scratches and needs to be regularly Cloroxed to get rid of stains, but I LOVE how deep it is. It's a good 10 inches, at least. When Livy was little, it was her bathtub (when it was clean). If we ever do anything in the kitchen I'd love a nice stainless steel or ceramic sink. The flower at right is from my husband for our 3-year anniversary. I love love LOVE red gerbera daisies.

The Toilet:
This is the one that gets the most sittage. It's technically the guest bathroom, but it's the only one in the house with a tub so we use it almost exclusively. The room looks clean because the floors were mopped (and not just Swiffered) for the first time in about 5 months yesterday.

The Closet:
Our house is old, so my husband and I have to share this one closet. I regularly go through my clothes to get rid of things I don't wear, because otherwise it is bursting at the seams. When I was in college I started to organize my clothes by sleeve length, color, and type of clothes, and it has stuck with me to this day. It makes laundry day a snap and finding things very easy.
My Favorite Shoes:
I am a flip-flop girl during the summer, so these are my favorite pairs. I usually go with something simple that I can wear with anything, like the brown Rainbows you see (or a pair of Black Tevas), but awhile back I found the sparkly number on my feet on sale at Coldwater Creek, so I snatched them up. Usually cute shoes are painful, but these are surprisingly comfortable.

My Favorite Room (and it's view):
This would hands down be my office (the kitchen is a close second). It used to be in our spare bedroom, but I wanted to be closer to the action in the house, so we moved it to the "dining room" (which had been functioning as the dogs' room) in November. I love the nice dark gray walls and how they pop against the white trim. If you didn't notice, I have a slight fetish for things rainbow. I have ever since I was a little girl. I'm just glad I found a husband who will put up with it, because I'm willing to bet few would. Also, you'll notice that this seems to be someone else's favorite room, too. That would be my dog Lacey, and she's residing on her favorite spot in the house.

The view you see if of our backyard. We have tons of trees, so looking out of most windows in the house is like looking out of a tree house.


Self-portrait:
This is me and Lacey. I asked my husband to take it without a flash, because I didn't want you to think that you were seeing a ghost. And I wish I could take credit for the crocheted afghan, but my husband's grandmother made that for me. I just bought the yarn and told her what I would like, and she made it in something like a month and a half. She loves to do this, and God Bless her for it :)

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - I Heart Turtle!

Be sure to check out other Wordless Wednesday participants!

In Honor of My 100th Post

I recently had a mini-milestone on my blog: my 100th post! To celebrate my excessive verbage :) I am going to give my readers some insight into my life by providing 100 pieces of information you never knew (maybe) about Lindsay.

Here they are, in random order!

1. I LOVE rainbows (big fat duh)...
2. ...So much so that my office's nickname is the Rainbow Room, because I have amassed so many things rainbow in nature.
3. I love penguins.
4. And most animals
5. I am very afraid of spiders and bugs. I will kill them mercilessly if they are in my house.
6. I'm from the South and have lived within 20 miles of the same spot my entire life, including college.
   
7. I usually don't have much of a southern accent, unless I am talking to my family, yelling (in anger or to call for someone), or around Southerners.
8. I'm a Tiger fan.
   
9. I got my degree in Biological Sciences, but I got certified to teach the year after I graduated.
10. I taught high school for two-and-a-half years, and I quit (permanently) when Livers was born.
    
11. If I could wear PJs everyday and get away with it, I probably would.
12. I love nectarines. Their smell is intoxicating and their taste heavenly. Mmmmm....
    
13. I ADORE sweet tea. Southern style, because a packet of sugar and cold stuff does NOT cut it.
14. I adore sweet tea so much that when I gave it up for my first Lent I lost three pounds in six weeks.
15. I was raised Pentacostal but converted to Catholicism right before I got married to J.
16. I liked being pregnant so much I've actually considered surrogacy, but I'm sure I couldn't do it.
17. I love to make lists, which is probably why this is so much fun to me.
18. I'm very organized.
19. When I get back to having a paid job, I would like to be a professional organizer.
    
20. I can deal with other people's clutter but not my own. Clutter makes me crazy.
21. I love the Container Store so much I could marry it.
22. I love reading celebrity gossip magazines, but if it's not in People I won't believe it.
23. I love to read books, but I rarely make the time to do it.
24. My favorite book of all time is "Beach Music" by Pat Conroy.
25. I worked at a radio station as a DJ when I was in college.
26. My first job was at Taco Bell. I lasted for three weeks.
27. I've also been employed at an on-campus bookstore...
28. ...twice,
29. A residence hall desk worker,
    
30. A "lobby babe" (glorified secretary),
31. A deli,
32. And as a barista at a local coffee house.
33. I met my husband while working over the summer at that Coffee House.
34. We dated for three and a half years before getting married.
35. We got married at the beach where I went as a child, and still go today.
36. We've been together for six and a half years.
37. We named our daughter after a TV character.
38. I tried to have a regular, old-fashioned, epidural delivery.
39. I had a C-section after 12 hours because she was coming out sunny-side up and likely would have taken many many hours to come, if she did at all.
40. I actually would like to have a VBAC, but my OB won't let me.
41. I love trivia.
42. I was captain of my school's Academic Team in high school.
43. I was a huge nerd in high school.
44. I never partied until I went to college.
45. I collect art glass vases, but only colored glass.
46. I enjoy photography but need a better camera.
47. I love to scrapbook but don't do it often because I am too tired when I finally have the time.
48. I would love to learn how to paint in acrylics.
49. The only bone I've ever broke was my elbow. I did it falling out of a sandbox when I was five. We didn't realize it was broken for three days.
50. I've never had stitches, even with a C-section. (I had staples then.)
51. I didn't start wearing glasses until I turned 21. My vision is just bad enough for glasses to be helpful.
    
52. I never wear fingernail polish because I'm too anal about chipped polish.
53. I have ridges on both thumbnails.
54. I have 12 piercings but only wear one pair of earrings. 11 of the piercings are in my ears, 1 was in my belly button.
55. My favorite number is 13. I always wished that I'd gotten one more piercing because of this, but I never did.
56. If I ever had a tattoo, it would be of a rainbow that I designed.
57. I hate needles, so I'll never get a tattoo.
58. My three least favorite words are: panties, crotch, and diarrhea.
59. To knock out a few, here are 10 things I love: cool windy days,
60. ...sunrises and sunsets,
61. ...making Livy laugh,
62. ...fall,
63. ...that I'm persnickety,
    
64. ...getting into bed when the sheets are cold and you have to get into the fetal position to get warm,
65. ...lying in the grass and looking up at clouds (or hanging upside down on monkey bars to look at clouds, but I haven't done this since I was eleven),
66. ...traveling,
67. ...sweets (cookies, cake, pie, candy, chocolate),
    
68. ...Christmas.
69. I always wanted to have my house decorated like the Griswolds in "Christmas Vacation," and last year I came pretty close. The entire job took at least twelve hours, and I did it by myself. I will expand next year.
    
70. If I could afford to furnish my entire house in Pottery Barn, I probably would.
71. I could spend thousands of dollars in Hobby Lobby but likely never find the time to use my finds.
72. To kill some more, here are 10 things I don't like: tighty whities,
73. ...people who are always complaining but never do anything about it,
74. ...Sarah Silverman,
    
75. ...disrespecting the elderly,
76. ...thong underwear,
77. ...waiting for your favorite show to come back on at the beginning of the season,
78. ...college students who drive expensive cars that their parents bought them,
79. ...vagueness,
80. ...chirping birds first things in the morning,
81. ...the smell of freshly-cut grass.
82. I can't sleep without a fan or similar sound. The sound of silence is deafening.
83. I sleep in a sheet, blanket, and heavy comforter year-round because I get cold and I like the weight on me when I sleep.
84. I very rarely wear make-up, and when I do it's usually just eyeshadow, mascara, and lip balm.
85. I am addicted to lip balm. I used to only use Cherry Chapstick, but I had an allergic reaction to it after using it for years.
86. I am allergic to almost all environmental allergens. Except feathers.
87. I love the beach, and have gone to the same one almost every year since I was one. Even though I'm going to the beach this summer, it makes me sad that I'm not going to the same one I've always gone to.
88. I wish I had been born with red hair or curly hair.
89. I would dye my hair, but I can't afford the time and maintenance that would go into it.
90. I am a horrible liar, so I rarely do.
91. I will be a sports spectator, but I don't like watching them on TV.
92. I could eat my weight in Reese Pieces and Double Stuffed Oreos.
93. I love milk. Except for a little water to brush my teeth (or sweet tea if eating out), it's all I drink on most days.
    
94. If it were fall/winter year-round, I'd be happy.
95. I love it when the leaves change color in the fall. I always try to take lots of pictures of them.
96. My parents have been married for 31 years tomorrow. I have one younger brother.
97. I have only hit two animals with my car. When I accidentally hit the rabbit, I cried uncontrollably for an hour. When I intentionally hit a snake, I laughed.
98. I'm a gadget freak. This is one reason why my husband and I get along so well, and why I rarely fuss if he wants to buy some for himself.
99. I am much happier now that I'm a stay-at-home-mom than I ever was when I worked. Ten years ago I would have never imagined myself saying this.
    
100. Meeting and marrying my husband was the best thing that ever happened to me. Giving birth to Livers is tied with that.

Menu Plan Monday - June 30

As bad as I've become about getting this up in a timely manner, I should really start calling this Menu Plan Tuesday...

Here's my, once again, belated post for the week.

• Monday: eat on your own
• Tuesday: Skillet Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and corn
• Wednesday: Tilapia, rice, and frozen veggies
• Thursday: Hot dogs and sweet potato fries
• Friday: Chipotle Turkey burgers, Greek oven potatoes, veggies
• Saturday: BBQ Chicken legs in the oven, Macaroni and Cheese, carrots
• Sunday: homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs from my parents
  
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