Snow Snow Everywhere!!

It's snowing again, kinda wishing we were back in the Caribbean - that trip now feels like a lifetime ago. Early Friday morning we made our way up to New Hampshire to take Joe back to University. All 5 of us went for several reasons, its about to be Katies 18th Birthday and part of her gift is to go snow boarding on some incredible New Hampshire mountains, of course Joe and Elliot did not want to miss out on that. We are considering buying a house up here for Joe and friends to live in and for us to use (if not wrecked by students) as a vacation home. Colin has diligently been researching for weeks, had set up visits with a local realtor and so on Saturday we looked at 12 houses - phew I was exhausted. But it was fun, we looked at some really disgusting stuff and some really dreamy-take-me-now stuff. Joe and Colin will continue the search, the decision is really up to them, I will just be called in to clean and help furnish a new place but it is an exciting project for all of us. So, of course whilst stuck in New Hampshire we got caught by one of those aggressive New England snow storms. We are leaving today and hoping to make it back to Pennsylvania in one piece. Having lived in Wisconsin for several years we are pretty experienced bad weather drivers but you never know whatever other crazies are on the road.

Since coming back from our little New Years break we seemed to slip back into business and chaos a little too quickly. And then January is such a blah month dont you think, the extreme cold we have been experiencing in Philadelphia just seems to add to the everyday effort it takes to get through the day. Grad School is busy and intense as always, as is work. Life has that feeling of getting back to normal with everyone back at school and work. It was really lovely having Joe home for a few weeks but it was very obvious he wanted to needed to go back to University so we are hoping he has another great semester, we are sure it will be a good mix of acdemics, social and snowboarding - not sure if it will be in that order but hey his priorities may be different than ours!!!

A Wonderful New Year and Lots of Sunshine

There is something very therapeutic about leaving the sub zero temperatures of winter and escaping to the sunshine. Even though our trip was only 4 days long I feel like we were away for 2 weeks. We landed in Miami and immediately spent the afternoon by the pool soaking up some rays. We mooched around South Beach in the evening, now that place is crazy and very colorful! The next day we boarded the boat and off we went to paradise. Its amazing how quickly both of us left the stresses of work, family, school behind as we sailed out of Miami Port. Highlights were the day we spent at the Atlantis Resort, that place is huge and beautiful and we only did a fraction of it. It is also the place where I discovered how delicious a mojito at lunchtime can be,only problem was I then fell fast alseep in the sun and I am now rather pink!! The accomodation on the boat was quiet and restful, the food fabulous and Colin and I just enjoyed each others company and a few days away from all the stressors of life. It was abit of a risk leaving 3 teenagers at home alone, I did worry about it a little. However, on returning home, not only were all 3 children alive but my dog was happy and the house was spotless - if anything else happened I just dont want to know about it!!! Back now to the wind, rain, ice, cold, laundry, groceries and oh yeah that four letter word - work ---- yuck!!!