Bright Lights, Big City!!!

Just got back from a weekend away with old friends and I cannot begin to express how amazing it was. The whole 4 days were just perfect. NYC was just the most awesome place I have ever been and having been there 3 other times, this was by far the best visit yet. I know that New York has this magic it places on all it's visitors and I felt that magic from the moment my plane touched down but it wasn't just that.....it had more to do with the people I was there with. There is something to say about being with friends....true friends. The one's who will never judge you and love you always for who you are....faults and all. I spent my 4 days with 2 of the best girlffriends I will ever have in my lifetime. I think that is what made this trip so perfect. From the great conversations over many glasses of wine, to the shopping spree's and of course seeing all the wonderful sites NYC has to offer. I am home and happy to be here but a part of me misses last weekend....I miss my girlfriends and what we shared and I hate that I live here and each of them live in different places but what I know for sure is that these are lifelong friends and we will be doing this again soon. I am thinking Vegas next! The Woo's will always live on....we are just getting started. Thanks Ker and Angie for being such amazing friends and thanks New York for opening my eyes again to what life is all about.

That Toothless Grin...

I remember when Ashton got his 1st tooth. Such an exciting time, one of the many firsts we would experience with him. He had such a toothless grin and now my baby had his 1st tooth....no longer that toothless grin. I knew that time would fly by, so many people told me it would but until you experience it yourself....you have no idea how fast it goes by. So, here I am....5 years later and once again my son has a toothless grin only this time he lost his 1st tooth and another is on its way out any day. Hard to imagine my baby is now a boy but seeing his smile reminds me now everyday how fast life passes us by and not to take one day for granted.

My little boy got on a bus and it drove away....

I have waited to post about this b/c I wanted it all to settle in first but now I am ready to talk about it. On August 25th.....my sweet boy - Ashton - woke up as excited as can be and was ready for his 1st day of school. He had breakfast, got dressed and we packed up his backpack. Outside we took many pictures and of course I gave him the rundown of things to do and don't do on the bus. And then we started that walk....the walk I had been thinking about for 5 and a half years....the walk that I new someday would come and would mean that my baby has gown into a boy....the walk to the bus stop. Ashton was so excited and Logan was too. When we got there it was jammed packed with kids ready for their 1st day of school too. I kept whispering into Ashton's ear that I would miss him and I hoped he had a great day....he was ecstatic. I heard the bus coming from afar and my sweet little boy ran to the front of the line and waited with such excitement. The bus pulled up, he jumped on only to turn around quickly and wave goodbye.....and then he was gone :( The bus drove away and I had tears in my eyes knowing all the amazing things he was about to experience. Of course, Waine and I just couldn't leave it at that :) We ended up following the bus to school and were able to see him get off and walk to his class. He was so cute, walking so proud.

Since that day, Ashton has been on that bus many times. He LOVES school. He loves his teacher and is making tons of new friends. Everyday, I wait at the bus stop for him to get off and usually he is 1st and has the biggest smile ever and waves to me. As we walk home....he tells me about his day, what his favorite part was and all the funny stories of things that happened.

I can't believe sometimes how fast life is happening...one day he is an infant and then next he is getting on a bus and waving goodbye to me. I am so proud of Ashton and look forward to all the new and exciting things that will come his way.

My 35th Birthday!!

I had the best birthday weekend with my friends and husband. Friday night was amazing, Katie had the whole night planned at the Cabana Club on the beach with Karen, Sybil, Kristin, Lory, Dawn. Christy and Laura. Just a perfect night with wine and plenty of app's and cake :) I opened some amazing gifts from just about the most amazing group on woman I know. We drank lots of wine.....had some great conversation and ended the night getting a bit more tipsy in my hot tub and pool. Then on Saturday, Waine took me to Caps on the Water with Grant and Dawn. I had some yummy oysters and delicious food and drinks. We ended the night at Kristin's house having just the best time. I am so thankful to have so many people that care so much about me.

I feel blessed on my birthday!

Girls Weekend....

I just got back a day ago from my yearly girl's weekend with my good friend Dawn and a few of her friends. It is always so nice to get away and just relax. I rarely get to be by myself much less at a hotel with friends. We had a great 1st night but a huge storm came through and lightening actually hit the next building and it caught on fire. It was completely destroyed and a little scary for us. The next day we did the beach and then all had spa appt's. How relaxing.....I had a Hot Stone Massage...something I have never done and it was just perfect. I sweated at least 10 pounds out in the steam room and then spent the rest of the day sipping champagne by the pool. Had an amazing dinner and went dancing. The next day, we did not rush back home but had breakfast by the pool. It was just the perfect weekend and I can't wait to do something like this again. Mom's need to take time for themselves, we tend to do it all and never do much for ourselves. It just wears us down and doesn't make us very productive so I think that this should be a requirement as a mom - Quarterly spa weekends!!

My Kindergarten Kid...

Last night we took Ashton to visit his new school. It was amazing! Liberty Pines Academy will be Ashton's second home from Kindergarten til 8th grade. So many thing will happen during those years, so many changes. It was a beautiful school, brand new and Ashton was so excited to walk through the halls of what will be this amazing experience for years to come. I took a step back and watched him as he walked ooohhhing and aaaahhing over everything. I tried to imagine him walking there with his new friends laughing at jokes and having fun. I wondered what he would be like when he was in 8th grade getting ready to leave this place and heading off to a new adventure. All I know is that my sweet baby is growing up right before my eyes and I am the luckiest person in the world to get to be apart of his life. In the next few weeks, Ashton will be experiencing all the joy of starting Kindergarten and I can't wait to share all of this with him.

GO WOLVES!!

From May 11th, 2008

Dirty, Dirty girl.... Current mood: accomplished
Back from Muddy Buddy in Orlando and I DID IT I was a nervous wreck on Friday not knowing what to expect and all the waiting Saturday morning to get started was making me sick to my stomach. But the gun went off and there I went....off to run/bike 7 miles in the worse terrain ever as well as 4 obstacles. Soft sand, gravel, hills with tree stumps all around.....it was nuts. People were dressed up in crazy costumes. And did I mention the mud pit at the end?? I have never been so dirty ever in my whole life and I loved every minute of it. I was completley covered in mud from head to toe, kind of like a spa treatment but totally different. Can't wait for my next adventure in September in Animal Kingdom.......Everest Expedition here I come

From February 28th, 2008

Today, my baby turns 5!! Current mood: blessed
It is almost exactly to the hour that my sweet baby Ashton was born. That was a day that has forever changed my life. I had no idea what to expect of motherhood but I soon would learn. In the last 5 years......I have loved, laughed, cried, yelled, acted like a monkey to make a baby laugh, sang silly songs, seen literally every cartoon and cartoon movie ever made, been pee'd on, poo'd on, thrown up on, gotten almost no sleep, practically stopped wearing any makeup and only wears sweats (my husband wishes that might change ). It has been an amazing journey....I have taught someone how to use a fork, drink out of a cup, put thier own clothes on and how to ride a bike. I have seen my boy fall down, get his feelings hurt by friends, have a best friend and quite a few girlfriends already, meet his his baby brother for the 1st time ever. The day I met Ashton was the best day of my life....I am forever changed b/c of him.The moment the doctor handed this 8 pound, 16 ounce little baby and he looked in my eyes, I felt so much love. I look forward to all the amazing things to come...... his 1st day of Kindergarten, his 1st T-ball game, his 1st date......I will be there for him everday of his life cheering him on. Happy Birthday 5th Birthday my sweet Ashton. Mommy loves you very much!!

From February 18th, 2008

Daytona 500....a whole new experience! Current mood: hungover
Went to the Daytona 500 yesterday and had a blast!!! But couldn't help but laugh at how old I was starting to feel. 1st off, we started drinking at 9am.....bad move. I was drunk and hungover all by 1pm. Then the 6 of us 30 somethings that went had to crack open our 5 Hour Energy drink just to make it through the next couple of hours and of course had to re-group and start drinking again, my legs killed me from all the walking and I would have totally paid someone $100 to golf cart me over to the closest bathroom and food stand But, it was such an amazing day.....something I have never experienced before and to be with friends and to share these memories is something I will never forget. The sounds of the cars racing by was unreal, just so powerful. I am pretty sure I still do not understand one thing about Nascar and racing and I basically picked my car on the hottest driver but it was so much fun. The 3 hour car ride home was not so fun and I am totally paying the price today but I would do it again in a heartbeat!!!

From December 31st, 2008

Happy 2008!!! Current mood: adventurous
So today is the last day of 2007.....all in all it was an amazing year and I have no regrets so because of that I have very little things I want to improve on in the new year, maybe just some slight adjustments to life, tweak things a bit. So here it goes, Michelle's 2008 new years resolutions........
This year I would like to take better care of me. I am not being selfish in anyway, actually I have been very unselfish for so long. I have put my children above and beyond everyone and everything and trying to be the best mom I can be to them. But because of that, I forgot that I, Michelle, still exist. So, this year all a while being the amazing mom that I am, I am going to take time for me. I want to travel more with my husband without the kids. We have never done that ever, honestly we have only been away from our kids 1 night, twice in the almost 5 years that we have been parents. I would love to reconnect with my husband. We will be married 7 years in a few months and well, you know what they say about that.......the 7 year itch is awaiting us This past year I have had so much fun with my friends and I totally want that to continue. I love going out, partying and I am just not ready to let that go and probably that will always be a part of my life
So, that is the social side of things and for the personal side of my life, I a really hoping to continue my journey with my health and fitness. It has been such an amazing journey but it is definitley not over. I am also hoping to find my inner feng shui this year. I know....are you all laughing at me now But, seriously....I am hoping to find some peace in life and chill out a bit. Life stresses me out alot and I really just want to take things day by day and not at all sweat the small stuff. We will see how that works out
So here is to a happy, healthy, fun 2008!!!

From November 2007

Busy as always..... Current mood: thankful
Life can be so busy it seems but it is a good busy, the kind that makes you realize that you have friends and family that want to be with you and that love you very much. I feel very lucky to be so busy. For many, it can be stressful and tiring and believe me...I feel that way many times but I just have to remind myself that there is a postive to all of this. I am busy b/c I take my two beautiful boys to school and sports and to friends homes, I am busy b/c I have parties to go to & many girls nights, I am busy b/c my friends want to have lunch or a cocktail with me, I am busy b/c we go out of town to visit family, I am busy b/c I joined the Junior League and am doing so much for the community and giving back to those in need. How can one look at all this busyness and feel bad about it? I am thankful for these things that make life so crazy and hectic and I can only hope that they will continue in my future :)

From July 10th, 2007

The THIRTIES ROCK!!
The 30's
All I can say is WOW, am I ever loving my 30's. I was so nervous the day I turned 30. I thought my youth was behind me and I was supposed to turn into this serious mom who handled all the house bills and issues and disciplined her children and would have no fun. I will never forget on my birthday my mom pulled me aside and said "Michelle, embrace your 30's. I had the most amazing 10 years while I was in my 30's, they were the best years of my life and I can only hope for the same for you." Darn it if she wasn't dead on I am approaching my 34th birthday in a month and all I can say is these past 4 years have just been amazing. I am smarter and wiser and with all of that knowledge, I am having even more fun than in my 20's. I feel awesome, healthier than ever, I have an amazing family & friends who support me and I am just able to have fun. The 30's ROCK! Now, off to my favorite afternoon cocktail

From January 2006

Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Disney through the eyes of a child :)
Just a few weeks ago, Waine and I took Ashton to Disney for the 1st time and while I expected him to be amazed, I had no clue that I would equally be amazed. It was truly one of the best days I have ever had. It was pure magic! When we got on the monorail Ashton was already excited and we finally walked through those gates and Pluto, The chipmunks and Goofy were there to welcome us in. It was so fun to see the excitement in my sweet son's eyes. We moved on into Main Street where it was just as fabulous as I remember it to be. We started at "It's a Small World" and Ashton's eye's were glued on everything and anything. His eyes were wide open with excitement. I wish I could have bottled that moment forever. The rest of the day was filled with fun while we went on Peter Pan, Winnie The Pooh, Snow White, The Tea Cups, Pirates of the Caribbean and so much more. My sweet boy had the time of his life. The usually reserved child was filled with so much energy and no fear what so ever. At the end of the visit while Waine and I were so exhausted from walking, Ashton was dancing in the street asking to go on more rides. I couldn't have asked for a better day with my 1st child. Ashton received his Mickey mouse ears and I look forward to the day that I can bring little Logan and see the excitement in his eyes. The day at Disney is a day that I will never forget. I know that I will be telling this story to Ashton many times as well as someday telling his children.

From January 2006

Tuesday, January 31, 2006..

The Holidays are over!
Wow! One month past Christmas and New Years and I finally feel as if I am getting my family and our life back to normal. This was a great Christmas with my boys but as usual just as overwhelming as it always is. We had a great few weeks preparing and the best part was explaining to Ashton who Santa was and what he did. This year he finally got it!! It was so much fun. He "asked" Santa for Thomas the Train as well as a firetruck and since he was such a good boy - that is what Santa was going to bring. Waine set up his train tracks and table on X-mas Eve and that evening along with my mom we had appetizer and listening to holiday music. Waine went outside with some jingle bells and acted like Santa for Ashton. Ashton was just amazed and a little scared :) The next morning we went to get Ashton and Logan and brought them to the living room where the toys were. The look on Ashton's face was priceless. He was so excited and just so happy. Logan had a ball as well. It was baby's 1st Christmas and it was just wonderful. We played all day and just had a wonderful holiday! Waine had off 2 weeks and it was so nice having him home "full time" with the family. These times are so precious. This is our time with our boys and I love every minute with them. Someday they will have another family to share the holidays with but for now......they are mine, all mine :)

From December 2005

My Perfect Circle
My perfect circle consists of my wonderful and loving husband, my smart & sweet 4 year old boy, my adorable & cuddly little 2 year old baby and of course my lab ~ Hunter. I look back on my life and there are so many amazing things I have been through - some sad, some bad, some stories to iffy to tell. I have met some amazing people, been given some wonderful opportunities and because of all these things, I am who I am today. All of these things are apart of my circle. I love my life now but I truly look forward to where this circle of life will lead me and there is one thing I can be sure of.....My family will always be with me no matter where life takes me ~ they are my perfect circle.