Wow. I just had a whirlwind weekend where Gleek Retreat really happened.

For a quick look you can see some photos. I’ll write more in depth about everything over the next couple of weeks and scatter them here and there.

I was on a panel on Sunday about how to incorporate other forms of media into your blog and this was my introduction:

(it’s a 5 min video, warning)

And then after everyone went home Stacey and I cleaned up and I headed home to see my favorite small people.

And wow. They make me happy.

It’s good to be home.

I said I would post today and I have 43 minutes to make good on my word.

Hi.

Tomorrow will be controlled by nothing but a list of things to do, of expectations, of excitement. It’ll be fueled by coffee and sheer adrenaline. I’ll be working harder because I know my kids are waiting for me, because I know people are depending on me, because I respect and enjoy the company of my partner in this crime of blogging conferences.

Then Saturday will be here, before I even know it and then will come crashing down on me. Months of work and millions of emails later – we’ll be done.

And I’ll pick myself back up, excited for tomorrow. A little quieter for a while after all that talking, blogging, tweeting … all that planning. A little less for a little more.

I’m so excited.

I’m so nervous.

I’m so ready.

It’s a beautiful rainy day here in Holland and my dutch dancing this morning was canceled, no matter that I was already dressed and walking to find my group.

I have a list of things to be doing right now because both of my kids are sleeping but I can’t quiet my mind and my hands want nothing to do with busy work.

So I’ll just catch up here *smiles*, you don’t mind, do you?

May has been a full month. Full as in fulfilling, full as in robust and full as in overflowing.

I submitted to a magazine and was asked to write, which I did. I’m pretty sure I’ll be in the next issue but I haven’t heard the final yes or no, although maybe I did and I’m trying not to jinx it. It is on my life list to be a published writer for magazines, so … holding my breath.

This is the month when Gleek Retreat is happening and behind the scenes I am BUSY getting things wrapped up (sponsors) and planned (swag bags, details, etc) for the event. I am tired in the best way possible, but I’m also anxious. Ready to see some faces.

Last weekend the hubs and I went to DETROIT! to see some friends and also a Tigers Game, a first for me. It was a wonderful little hiatus.

In one of my recent lists of lovely I linked to this and we tried them … delicious fun, folks. But don’t really eat them. It’s just wonder and awe in bubbles … a snake of bubbles. Perfect post naptime pick me up, to see something floating above you, made from your breath – this beautiful string of little soapy rainbows.

And then giggles. Lots and lots of giggles. Filling the air, filling me up, preparing me for a celebration. The one where he turns two.

The one where she watches and celebrates him anew.

She made us a family and he made us complete.

Happy birthday, us. We did it!

It’s a busy time of year around these parts. Tulip Time is a festival I’m in love with and it begins in just a week. ONE WEEK. I’m also a Dutch Dancer so I get to be around the action almost all week. I love it. LOVE IT.

I have an undying love for this festival which is odd because most “locals” just hate it. The town becomes a mass of hungry ants looking for somewhere to sit. Parking and one way streets become pedestrian piles and no one pays attention to the signs. It can be very frustrating if you’re a type A person who just NEEDS TO GET TO TOWN. Because you cannot.

But I love it nonetheless. In spite of it’s lack of crowd control, in spite of the grease and the parades and the traffic. I love it.

Not only is it Tulip Time week, it’s also my son’s second birthday next Wednesday and I’m a little nuts about birthdays. My kids’ any way, or maybe just their cakes.

I have a whimsical earthy idea for his birthday this year, but it’s smack dab in the middle of Tulip Time, as well as in the middle of a week, in the month that is the conference I am planning while we’re selling our house.

Yea, I’m a lunatic.

I’d love to do an outdoor party under globe lights but I don’t think I’ll have my act together to pull it off this year. He’ll only be two, so his party isn’t a big deal to him yet. I could take him to the beach with a new truck and he’d think he was in heaven. Which, IDEA!

Last week I went shopping for something to wear to an event for a political evening.

How about I tell you how that went?

Here I am all gussied up to go and have a great time.

Accessories and everything! I did freak out right before we left because 1) Aaron was late and I was sure that we were going to be the last people to walk in to this thing, and I had no idea how to wrap my head around being that couple while I was wearing those shoes and 2) The hair.

I did not figure out the hair, but it served it’s purpose of sitting my head and not having any cowlicks, so I’m fine with it and we were not that couple so I could quiet my head about the shoes. Although, I did not. I very much did not shut up about those shoes. The shoes that I bought and wore with way too many toes to fit into them.

At one point in the evening everyone went to the lawn so that Rick could speak to us about his plans for Michigan’s future, he could campaign while we listened near the water, it was lovely, but I noticed that every woman who was standing either took off their heels or played footsie with the sidewalk as they tried to relieve the pressure from that evil-form of a shoe.

I tried to last longer in them, thinking I could stand in one spot all night and wince inwardly as someone came to shake my hand or introduce themselves. I was really awkward for a while, lesson learned.

Because where I decided to park myself was a good 15 feet away from where everyone was congregating and meeting each other.

By the bar.

Oh the fun! It was a very fun evening, we met some really nice people and stayed til they were cleaning things up then went back into Holland for dinner with friends. All in all a good first cocktail event for me to try out some shoes and a dress.

And Rick is pretty cool, too.

Last week we ate out way too much. Adjusting to the new diet of gluten free allergen laden children has proved to be tiresome. So there are nights, too many lately, where I say – Um … remember when we didn’t have to think about gluten or modified corn starch? Remember those awesomely lazy nights where I could feed my entire family from the SAME store? and the SAME brand of food. That was awesome.

Any way, we just go out now and look the other way while the children eat something that may or may not be allowed within their allergies. Mostly it is because we’re still being parents and trying, but sometimes it’s not and man, that feels good. So one of those nights … we came home late after eating out again and we were telling the kids that when we got home there was going to be no “show me this!” “read me that” tonight since we’re awful parents and out past your bedtimes when there’s school tomorrow.

Then she saw a star and wished up on it. (I meant to say it like that by the way.)

It was: I wish I could ride a horse … a REAL one.

I love how simple their dreams are right now, anything is attainable to them. No mountain too high.

This is a dream I can help make come true so I asked Facebook for some suggestions. I got a number for someone who owns horses and then a friend said she herself had a horse and would Jessica like a ride in the pasture?

Yup. Yes she would.

It was fabulous.

The best part? On the way home she yells up to me from the back seat, MOM! MOM! MY DREAM - IT CAME TRUE!!!!

Why yes, yes it did. Now make another one, and this one … make it Bigger!

I have so many things to tell you. Shoes. Parties. Dresses. Horses. Dreams. Sunshine.

However, I’ve only got a few more days to meet my fundraising goal for the Holland March of Dimes, TEAM OLIN! Will you help me spread the word?

I only need 25 people to give $10, that’s not hard right?

We hosted my family at our house this year, which is something of a tradition these days. I love it.

This is a new branch of my family – my step dad, brother and sister and her fiance. They’re pretty awesome if you ask me. We started saying we’re eating at 1:30 but come whenever because they’re used to arriving, talking, having a drink or something and then eating … my family has always been, you come at 1:30 and lunch is served. It’s changing and it’s nice.

It’s fun! Because now I get to try appetizers.

And we all know how much I love to try new things

Place setting this year were personalized prints for each and every person, including the children. I got them all free from Feed Your Soul which is an art project for artist to offer one of their works for a free download.

I also picked up a couple Specialty Blends of spices from a shop downtown Holland called The Seasoned Home for each family that attended. Steak rubs for a couple, popcorn spreading for one. It was so fun.

I made ten cornish game hens thinking we’d maybe have one left over … but we had more like 5 left over. Maybe six. I overestimated but it was good either way. I stuffed the hens with a lemon wedge, clove of garlic and bay leaf, rubbed them down with EVOO and salt and stuck em in the oven for about 2 hours.

We had plenty of food. Enough to feed the neighborhood. I love that.

Entertaining people feeds my soul in ways I can’t explain. I love to do it.

So, Happy Easter! (a bit late) I’ll leave you with the cutest people alive. Seriously.

Weekend’s are mostly like a black hole in this house – we get so excited to be together for 48 hours that we end up forgetting about making plans or doing anything worthwhile, so some times we end up staring at each other for 48 hours having the same conversation over and over.

“What should we do today?”

“IDK, what do you want to do?”

It costs us money to be so brilliant at our calendar keeping skills. We end up getting in the car to go on adventures because we’re sick of looking at our yellow living room and dirty windows. Then we eat out too many times and forget diapers.

Sheesh. Who let us be adults?

So I had this REALLY GOOD idea to copy Aaron’s list of fun things to do, he made this with our daughter last weekend as we were in the middle of another round of “Huh’s?” while staring at each other, and then I put things on the calendar.

Like. Officially.

This past weekend we made our way to Grand Rapids to see the Big Big Bugs exhibit at the Public Museum. Followed by a luncheon, planned, to eat out in the city – then naps and a party with friends that night, kids included.

Sigh.

What a wonderful Saturday. Sure, it still cost us money – but we planned for it.

(I had my camera so photos are coming – but it was just such a nice change of pace.)

I’ve talked about this before, but I’m planning a conference for bloggers for later this year right now. AND! I just confirmed myself as one of the speakers!

Oh the perks.

I’ll be covering the topic of incorporating other forms of media into your blog … video, photos.

Excited yet?

Don’t you worry, we’ll cover all the ticks involved with incorporating your face, live, into your blog … if that’s your thing.

I have a lot of ticks.

One of them being planning this very conference for all you friendlies. I love you all so much.

See?

I’ll have more to say on this topic at the conference … and I’m sure I’ll be caught wide mouthed with something similar in my eyes about something. I’m … emotionally dramatic when I speak … would that be a good assessment, folks who know me?

Anyway, thats how I roll. Completely authentic and open and raw. What you see is really what you get. Even if it’s my booger.

Peace.