Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Fun in Fall

I love the excitement that fall weather brings. It is time to trade the summer clothes and sandals for sweaters and jeans, preparing for Halloween, Thanksgiving, bonfires with friends (and hunting season!). The green leaves on the trees turn to gorgeous shades of reds and yellows.

After searching for a great day trip, my kids and I decided on Skyline drive, about an hour away from where we live. We packed up the car, grabbed a few snacks for the trip and headed out. Once we made it to the Shenandoah National Park, we were in awe. We drove slowly through the windy road and stopped at just about every vantage point we could.

We stopped and parked in one of the lots and took a nature walk to get an up close view of the colors. We played in the leaves and laughed. The kids ran around the trees and studies the various leaves and colors they had.


After a long day of enjoying the sights, we were rewarded with a phenomenal sunset. It was just another one of nature's spectacular portraits of color and texture.

Where are you enjoying the outdoors this fall?

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Another year

Could it really be another year has come and gone. And if it has, where did it go? I had someone recently point out to me that I haven't posted in a while. I had taken a break from sharing my thoughts with you. This last year has been one full of broken promises and turmoil, but it doesn't stop me from believing. I continue to be let down by people in my life and I still choose to try to see the good in people. I have made new friends and lost old ones. Life still goes on...

Yesterday was a pretty hard day. The 10th anniversary of September 11th, 2001, was filled with tears, chills, and anxiety. Ten years ago, I was 5 months pregnant with my second child and in Pennsylvania getting ready to come back to Virginia. I was a stay-at-home mother, married with a family, and I thought, happy. Ten years later, I am a hard-working single mom, struggling to make ends meet. I don't see my kids enough, I work too hard.

Yesterday was also filled with hope. My girls have grown into wonderful little women. They have such loving hearts and are so giving. I am so proud of who they are becoming. My career has finally started to take off. I have started to focus on doing things that make me happy. I am taking more time for the outdoors and photography. I am working on being creative with crafts and experimenting with baking. I am even toying with the idea of starting a new blog based on some of my other passions, as well as possibly taking on a part-time job for a bit of fun money for travel and other fun things I have been wanting for a while.

I hope to be back on a more regular basis and jotting down my thoughts. Please come back to visit and see what the next year holds...