Vacation recap, summer stuff, and a few things in-between!

Summer is almost over! Well wait...Perhaps NOT in Florida BUT as I sit here thinking it is nearly mid-August, that is so crazy to think I have been in Florida for nearly a year. Time really does go by in a blink-and I am enjoying every minute despite what life throws my way! What can I say about our beautiful vacation to Orlando, Florida for two weeks with my parents and siblings and my family? IT ROCKED! We all stayed in this amazing resort my dad had gotten from a guy he works with, he got a screamin' deal to say the least! We were literally 10 minutes from any park, restaurant, etc....AMAZING! The condo had two large bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a large common area, with dining area and kitchen. We all cooked our favorite meals and ate together, drank cocktails together(Minus the kids of course!)played card games, talked, laughed, nagged one another a little bit and overall just had a BLAST! The resort had countless swimming pools, paddle boats, activities that sort of reminded me of the movie Dirty Dancing where there was ALWAYS a game or something going on. My three babies turned into little fish while we were there, there was a few kid areas with slides and pools, then a small 2 foot high kiddo pool enclosed and off on it's own, Yes that is where we spent the majority of our time when swimming because they really loved it there and I was able to semi-relax knowing they were ok in less than 2 feet of water-Kellan is fearless, Scarlett started being able to hold her breath and go under, and Violet...Well what can I say about her? She is a BULLY! She would push her siblings, sit on their heads to keep them under the water, a total BULLY! My kids LOVE the water, and the one thing our little family missed was the beach, here in Fort Walton Beach we are literally 2 minutes from the beach and we can see water from where we live! The intense heat in Orlando was nuts, and the humidity did not feel so bad, when we came home I could totally feel a difference from here to there and in a good way. The breeze off the ocean is amazing and feels so cooling at night, still not enough to be without A/C BUT a positive difference. While in Orlando we knew we wanted the kids to see all the parks within the Magic Kingdom-we got 4 day passes which included the two Disney water parks. We covered all territory but in smaller pieces, the intense heat and the trio were totally NOT feeling it as much as the adults were and we had 3 fold up strollers and plenty of adults to assist but DANG the kids made it hard. The Animal Kingdom and the water park was our favorite, the kids loved both of those as well, oh and Gator-land! The water park by far was the biggest hit, and it was so cooling when the heat index exceeded 100 degrees with humidity! We took each day as it came, there were days where my folks and siblings would go to other parks and we took it easy, which was necessary considering that in my opinion I think my babies are a touch too young for those types of places just yet. In a few years we will go back for sure and enjoy it all much more, although the kids did go on the Haunted House, Dumbo, Peter Pan and of course It's a small world. They all did great, but like I said the animals and water parks were much more suited to their speed and age. Our last actual vacation day we went to The Kennedy Space Center, and it was AMAZING. Of course we could not enjoy it as much as I would have liked to because the trio was done sitting and listening and well, behaving in general. That is one place I wish I could have spent more time devoting to reading and really looking at each exhibit, but maybe someday when the kids are older we can go back. I have always been a HUGE Space nerd, and I got to meet a retired Navy Captain (0-6) and Astronaut who flew several missions with NASA, Captain Jon McBride told his story for 30 minutes and how he came to work for NASA. How he knew President Kennedy and how he contributed to NASA...WOW! Then I got to take a picture with him and of course I was such a nerd-I hugged him, then saluted him telling him Thank you for his service, and that I was an Air Force veteran myself and finally crying a little. I know it may sound silly to some, but this was AMAZING. This has always been on MY BUCKET LIST! It was a sad visit too, because the space program as we have known it for over half a century is changing, no more space missions in the traditional sense, but it was also so cool to hear my mom and dad's memories of space missions when they were young. My mom remembers them rolling in a black and white TV into her classroom when they walked on the moon, where as my dad remembers watching it from behind his big brother's friends couch because my dad was so young and the idea of someone walking on the moon scared him! Haha! What wonderful memories to hold on to! I sit back and wonder what stories and memories I can share with my family someday that are rich in history and such....I can share my military travels, experiences, and life experiences and I hope that one day they hold on to every word like I did with this man and his dreams, hopes and fears all real and came to full force. What a journey he went on and he continues to inspire, NASA will continue to inspire and make a difference just in a different capacity that is for sure. Our vacation came to an end and we came home, and now it is back to real life, how quickly real life sneaks in eh? My parents are planning on coming out for the Trio's birthdays and so that is exciting! The twins will start preschool next month full time we hope and Violet will be part time BUT the state of Florida has a program where they pay or help pay for preschool for those that meet the criteria. I pray we meet the criteria! Then when all three are ready for Kindergarten they all will go together, after much thought and research it works and makes the most sense for us! Prayers please-this is a big step for this mama! I am sad to see my babies not needing me as much anymore BUT it is encouraging that the state of Florida has such awesome educational programs to get our little ones ready for the big world ahead of them! Let's see....I am still at Starbucks part time, and it is a nice sanity check from being with kids all day long, and every day, and it is fun. This past Friday I also interviewed for a Unit clerk job at Twin Cities hospital here in the local area, it would get my foot in the door of the hospital setting again which I miss so very much and am very excited for! I am trying to not get any hopes up but I must say, the interview felt so good, felt so right, and I felt right at home when I walked through the doors, to meeting the Nurse Manager, to meeting and using my skills on the patients as it was a "working" interview. It went well, I am rusty in some areas but it felt good to be doing patient care again, had to dust off the stethoscope and put it to good use! Haha! Prayers please...This would make some things easier on our little family, and although it is a PRN job to start if I can renew my EMT license through the refresher course within 6 months they will pay for it and hire me as a patient care tech only which is more money. I am always still looking out for Government jobs, but sadly those are very far and few between, but I know God has a plan for me and it is with his timing that those things will work out. Over the past few months I have made a list of what Sarah wants to accomplish, that has nothing to do with anyone else-Just ME! I want to get more rooted into God's word with the women's bible study that will be starting again soon and I am so excited, I thoroughly enjoy my church family and they have become my friends, family, shoulders, and everything in between. Next I want to figure out what the heck I want to do with my Master's degree, I know it will be Health Care based because that is my passion, to help others and to make a difference even if just a small one. Next I am thinking about my physical health and what I want to accomplish with that. I have lost quite a bit of weight due to health issues over the past several months and am now trying to rebuild muscle mass, I want more defined arms, shoulders, legs, and abs so I will be working on that more. I need to eat correctly with my gluten free lifestyle, and never any cheating which can be hard but the havoc it wreaks on my tummy simply is not worth it so I plan to take a more active role within that arena. Next I have to let go of some relationships in my life, they are done and it does not have to be a big and sad story, just simple...Moving on is essential and I will always love those people in my life that made a difference but I will no longer chase those friendships. I am a grown woman and need to put my focus toward my physical health, mental health and my family. It is healthy to be this way, and as I embark on perhaps a new career and outlook on life this is essential in my growth if that makes any sense at all! I will close, and once I get all my pictures from the trip situated I will post some. Thank you to my readers-If any...This blog has always and always will be for ME and ME alone. Blessings and love to you all~

Side note I have been making some pretty awesome Gluten Free meals that I will share. I cannot wait to embrace all that life has to offer, for a few months I found myself very stagnant and now I am recharged and ready to conquer!