Aruba, New York and First Steps... oh my!

Where does the time go? vacationing that's where!!

We went to Aruba the third week of August for my belated 30th birthday.. After a trying flight (Carson was not her normal chipper flying self) we arrived to an impossible rooming situation. A tiny, non-soundproof, tiny, too small for a bed and crib, tiny room that we were supposed to live in for a week. Carson started protesting the minute we got in there, and refused to lie down in her cage.. I mean crib....and the screaming started. Steve and I were seriously contemplating paying out serious cash to another property or even flying home if we had to stay in that room all week. Luckily for us, they had a 1-BR suite available and they only charged us a nominal fee to switch rooms. THANK GOD!! The week was looking a whole lot more promising at that point.

We had a fantastic time and the sun, sand and water was relaxing and just what we needed, but Carson was more excited when we got home... She did well and had a good time in Aruba, but she babbled more on the car ride home than she did the entire week. She jumped for joy in her crib and played with her toys happily for an hour, so her slogan is definitely "there's no place like home".

As my friend said to me, No Grass Grows Under my Feet, and she's right... this past weekend we made the journey to upstate New York where my Dad and Stepmom bought their retirement home... We had a great time.. They bought a house on a bay of Lake Ontario, so we had the sounds of waves crashing to lull us to sleep, and the beautiful view to occupy 90% of our waking hours. We took the boat out for a spin, and Carson actually fell asleep before we pulled away from the dock and slept the entire ride... I'm not a water-skier, so I could care less if they buy skis, but they definitely need a tube... perhaps next summer. We made the trip an international one, with a quick jaunt over the border into Canada to see the 1000 Lakes Region. We were there all of 20 minutes, but it was really pretty!

But, by far the biggest news of the weekend was that CARSON TOOK HER FIRST STEPS! She's now a walker! She took a couple of unassisted steps on Sunday and her face lit up as she realized her accomplishments. By Monday, she ventured down the hallway all by herself. Yea!! It was exciting that her Grandpa and Grandma Susan were there to witness the big event.

phew... I think I'm all caught up now... I've got a few work-trips planned this fall, but for now it will be good to stay home a bit and relax! You know that saying about needing a vacation from your vacation? I need a vacation!