Vegmom Moments

Tree Course

Once upon a time in a weekend not too far away, my friend came to visit with her two kids... Let's do something new we said... It will be fun we said...

Hiking, Kayaking, swimming, or Paddle Boarding we said....

A little while later we were all hanging from trees... Really Really HIGH trees!

Adventures for 2016 continue and this one... Well, it was pretty cool... My favorite part though was watching the boys work together, conquer fears, and thrive in the outdoor playground.

Would I do this one again? Well, I don't have a choice because the Teen wants to take his dad... Sooo....I'll do it again.   Was it crazy scary?  Eh... I think it would have been had I not been harnessed up in a prior tree course long ago.  

During that adventure, I fell off a platform and experienced what it was like to utilize the harness.  Knowing what the drop and catch felt like, showed me that this adventure would be no different.  Worse case scenario?  You fall, pull yourself up, and start over.  It isn't like you'll hit the ground unless a tree breaks or the cable above you does.  And well, there were storms the week before...Buuuttt never-mind that... HOWEVER, this one was different because the whole harness clippy thing was quite finicky and there weren't any guides on the course itself.  Therefore, you figure it out at each station, or sit there until someone finds you. 

I'm not mechanically inclined... So I spent a lot of time figuring it out. 

Summary:  Was it scary?  Not so bad...  Was I slow as a turtle stuck in a mud pile?... Oh Yeah!  Was it an afternoon full of laughter?  Most definitely!

Natural Beauty

I was telling my friend the other day that something about this time of year makes everything look more vibrant to me.

But the more I think about it, I don't know that it is the time of year or the time of my life. As I get deeper in to my 40's and this stage of life, I feel like I'm noticing so much more. The colors, smells, textures!!

For example, this sea shell. I didn't take it with me because there was someone living in it! But I saw the shell and just admired the color. I thought: "That is going to be my kitchen back splash some day" and took a picture. Before now, I would have been like: "Oh, cool shell". But now I'm like: "I love the colors of this little guy, and the design, I need this in my life" then I visualized my future kitchen and bathroom.

This butterfly? It was in my backyard and I watched it forever. I've always thought butterflies were awesome but on this day, I couldn't stop looking at the beautiful colors as he moved his wings.

Then there are the sunsets that light up our sky in all seasons.. 

And the flowers or leaves that decorate the ground:

The beauty is everywhere!! Is it the time of year or just my state of mind that has me noticing how vibrant it is? I don't know, but goodness life sure is pretty when you stop to look around at it!

 

Always the Math

So the teen started 8th grade a couple of weeks ago (they are on a weird schedule) and thankfully, it has gone well. What I have learned through this year is that every day is an opportunity to bite my tongue and squeeze my fingers so they don't accidentally flick the smirk off his face. Ha!!!

People always say that the time flies by quickly but you don't realize that truly until you have to buy man size shoes for person that came out of your belly.

I'm so proud of the quirky young man he has become though even with the teen hormones raging and the attitude in full swing, he is making life work in his way, on his terms, no matter what anyone says. There are days where we clash like the Titans and days that we communicate so well, as if it were me and my Mom chatting over a salad.

There are days where he takes care of his needs and those around him with a helpful hand and not being asked.... Then there are days where he questions EVERYTHING, annoys EVERYONE, rolls eyes, slams doors, and gives a great big "duh" until you just want to flick him on the noggin. But all days are perfectly him as he finds his way in this world and makes his mark.

Recently he got a state recognition medal for his score on the ACT's and then yesterday he got these test results from Spring. To the adults in our lives who claimed he wasn't eating enough "meat" for brain development and the teachers that said he wouldn't do well on tests or in this new school, I think he is doing JUST Fine, thank you very much!

Middle School is a challenge! I won't lie and say everyday is full of glorious moments. But as adults we face challenges, lord knows we aren't perfect in everything we do, so I think it is a shame that we expect our kids to be.

As this school year marches on and he begins to tower over me in size, my hope is that the desire to flick him on the forehead becomes less and less necessary since I won't be able to reach anyway.

Signed,
Vegmom of a Teen

(send reinforcements)

Beach and more Beach

2016 is the year that I say yes to more adventures and creating memories even if that means a whole lot of quick trips to make that happen.

Our 25th wedding anniversary has come and gone but not before going back to the first beach stop we went to after getting married. We used to try and go to different adventure stops never visiting the same place twice. But since becoming a family of three in a hectic world, it became easy and safe to go to the same places every time. Our favorite spot was only a 5.5ish hr drive so it became our go-to.  And we stopped visiting new places until this year. 

For our 25th anniversary and because I didn't have travel points to our favorite spot, we ended up trying something new.  To a beach we've stopped at but never stayed.

The Westin in Hilton Head, SC!  OH MY Kale, this place was AMAZING! I mean, I could seriously live there. The room was beautiful, the view was beautiful, the staff was so friendly (from the guy that changed out my down pillows to the restaurant staff that made a special smoothie).  I mean we were greeted with veggie and fruit infused water... It seriously doesn't get much better than that. 

Every menu had Vegan and GF options, the pools were spotless and the drive to get there wasn't so bad. The shops near by were fun and there was even a Whole Foods within a couple of miles.

But the Beach!!! The beach was amazing!! In one direction all you could see were crowds of people. But look the other way, and you could walk for what seemed like miles without passing a single person!

I loved this place so much!!!  (yeah, I rented some chairs and an umbrella too... sorry, not sorry)

However.... The teen had a molar falling out upon arrival. It twisted, got stuck in a braces wire, and he wouldn't pull it. He was NOT a happy camper AT ALL and felt pretty cruddy.  The husband decided that watching TV shows was more exciting than adventuring so both of those lumps opted to stay in the room most of the trip.

The old me would have been extremely upset by this... But the new me said: "See Ya, I've got a vacation to enjoy"

Granted I offered up solutions for the teen and offered the hubs to join me but when I was met with resistance; "See Ya" was the next best thing.

So off I went...

I walked from sun up to sun down. I found shark's teeth and beautiful shells and breathed in the ocean air. I walked until there was no more beach. I sat on the patio coloring in my book, listened to music, and sat by the pools to eat lunch.  I turned off my email and all social media accounts to fully be present in everything the resort and nature had to offer.  We did all meet up for dinners, which was nice.  Especially since the food was so dang tasty!

While it was our 25th anniversary and spending time together should have been on the agenda, I decided long ago that I have a life to live and my path isn't the same as his. A vacation to him doesn't match a vacation to me. And THAT has to be okay. At the end of the weekend, I have beautiful memories and another adventure for 2016!  

I'll absolutely definitely go back to this place and really want to take my teen again so he can fully enjoy it this time.  Needless to say, trying something new in a city that we stopped at 25yrs ago, was pretty awesome!  Really really really Awesome!