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Highlight of the Week
There are few things that light my soul on fire, like bargain shopping does. I’ll never forget, having a conversation with Derrick once – where I stated that even if we became millionaires, I’d still go to thrift stores. I simply love the thrill of finding that perfect item at a killer deal. It’s an addiction. And it’s my Mother’s fault.
This week was the Just Between Friends – Pittsburgh East sale in Monroeville, PA. It’s a semi-annual gigantic consignment sale. I seriously am not sure how to describe it. It’s larger than life. Thousands of items – clothes, shoes, & toys. My Mom & I have gone to every sale since Braelynn was born. We have a lot of fun! Like I said, the bargain-shopping-bug was passed on to me by my Mom, so we have a blast digging thru all the stuff to find the best deals.
We don’t just casually shop though, we take our shopping seriously. We both take a load of stuff to sell, so we can get in early as consigners. We split up as soon as we walk in and go digging for the big stuff on our list. This year, we spent less than we have in the past, but found some of the best deals we’ve ever found! Christmas & Braelynn’s 3rd birthday are going to be awesome this year!
Yes, This Happened
- We went to Kennywood last Sunday! Yes, again! This is the 3rd time this year for me, the 2nd time for Derrick & Braelynn. Derrick’s job had a work picnic on Sunday, so of course, we went! It was a crazy hot & busy day, but we still had a great time. Braelynn rode her favorite rides: the kiddie coaster, the “horsies” (carousel), the whip, and the turtles. We ate Potato Patch fries (which Derrick waited in the longest line ever for) and ate ice cream while watching guys try their hand at the basketball 3-point challenge. It was a wonderful day.
- Sometimes the best toys are the ones you already own. This week, I swapped out a few toys that we had put away before Braelynn’s birthday in January and, needless to say, it’s been like Christmas. One of the big things we had put away was a Disney Castle & characters. It has provided literally hours of enjoyment over the last few days. The first night we brought it back out, she played with it for a solid hour, only interrupted by bedtime. The next morning, the first thing she asked for was her castle. She wasn’t even interested in our normal morning routine – she just wanted to play with her castle.
- Monday of this past week started out as a rough day. I was cleaning the bathroom, when I realized that I hadn’t heard from Braelynn recently. Everyone knows that a quiet toddler is always a bad sign – so I went to investigate. Not only had she closed herself in my bedroom, but she had further closed herself in my closet. Yep, not good. I opened the doors to find her with my makeup bag, and let’s just say, a lovely combination of eyeliner, mascara, and concealer all over her face & in her hair.
- On Wednesday, we had a picnic at Oak Hollow Park in Irwin, PA with Auntie Ruby. I’ve been to Oak Hollow Park so many times, but never realized that there are trails, a stream, and a pond with a fountain there! It’d be a great spot for an adventuring couple’s engagement photos!!
Feeling Blessed
My Grandfather’s health has been on a downward spiral over the last few weeks (my Dad’s Dad). He was in the hospital for a few days, came home for a few days and was at Zeb & Emilie’s wedding, then went back into the hospital for another few days, was home a day or two, and then back to the hospital. The doctors just couldn’t seem to figure it out. They said he had congestive heart failure, then it was a form of pneumonia, then full blown pneumonia, then A-Fib, then A-Flutter, back to congestive heart failure – needless to say, it’s been a roller coaster. He finally was seen by a new doctor this week who was able to look at the whole situation with fresh eyes. He suggested a procedure to fix his racing heart-rate and that procedure was finally completed on Wednesday. Thursday, after an insanely long ridiculous day (he was discharged at 8:30am with the exception that he still needed to be seen by one doctor – that doctor didn’t make it in to see him until 8:00pm), he finally came home. We stopped in to see him yesterday & he seems to be on the mend! He’s tired & still not 100%, but said he’s feeling so much better. He just needs to rest up & he’ll be back to his normal self. Praise the Lord!
