Financial Planning

This morning, I met with Dave Sands at Edward Jones for our yearly financial check-in.  It was the first time that I had seriously talked to him about retirement.  We went through all of our finances, our expected expenditures, our estimated income and the future.  We were able to come up with a plan that would allow Doug to easily retire at 65 and possibly even 62.  I also asked him about some other financial issues that affect us, but were outside of our control.  He confirmed that what I had researched was correct and we talked about the best way to handle the situation.  

As I drove away from the meeting today, I felt so much better.  Over the past few years, I had been incredibly anxious about where we stood financially.  Buying the second home, selling it, moving, Meg's wedding, Cameron's college expenses, car payments, transmission issues and medical bills had all added to the stress.  Doug's tremor and fear of not being able to work compounded by the lack of familial support only made my anxiety over finances increase.  Today, it was so nice to hear that we were on not only on track, but might even be able to retire early without help from anyone.  

Cleaning Out

Since I planned on being in Indiana for a couple of weeks, I decided to come up with some projects to keep me busy.  The first one on my list was to sort through everything that Meg had sent back from Chicago.  She thought that Brett or Cameron might need a couple of the items and that she would donate the rest.  I was glad that I sorted through it all as there were a few items that had been accidentally placed in the pile.  Once we figure out what was for the donation pile and what wasn't, Cameron then looked through it all to decide what he would like to keep.  He and I also set aside some clothes for Alina to look at and a fews items for Brett.  We even kept a few things for Cal in case he moves out on his own next year.  

Once I finished with everything of Meg's, I turned my attention to the upstairs closet where I had stored quite a bit after we sold the Syracuse house in August.  It was organized, but still packed with things that I thought Cameron, Cal, Meg or Brett might need in the future.  It also had Meg's wedding dress in it as well as her Prom dresses and a robe that I had made for her out of my wedding dress.  It didn't take as long as I thought that it would.  It then only took Cameron ten minutes to decide what he wanted for Bloomington, what he wanted to save for later and what he wouldn't need.  We moved some of it to the garage with the furniture for IU and organized the rest back into the closet.  There was definitely a lot more space then when I started and overall, I was very thankful to have finished my organizing for the day.  It was an awesome way to spend my time in Syracuse and it felt great to be productive.  

The Eye Doctor

Yesterday, Cameron visited the eye doctor and today was my turn.  When I first moved to Ocala, I had planned on keeping all of our doctors in Indiana except for our primary care physician.  I thought we would visit enough that our family would be able to keep the same dentist, gynecologist, urologist and dermatologist.  Once Doug's company moved the Elkhart plant to Ocala, our trips to Indiana declined.  I also had some dental issues that required immediate attention.  That's when I realized that it didn't make sense to live in one state and visit doctor's in another.  Plus, there were a lot more doctor's available in our new hometown, so it was easy to switch.

The one doctor that none of us have changed, however, is Dr. Caughell.  I was incredibly impressed with how quickly he diagnosed Meg's eye disorder when she was in middle school.  We had been to several optometrists before him and none of them could help.  After months of eye therapy and a lot of progress, I was a true believer in him and his medical knowledge.  Thus, when I realized that Cameron needed glasses, I took him to Dr. Caughell right away.  I soon followed.  

This week's visit reminded me of how much I appreciated having him as an eye doctor.  He remembered all of the issues that I had with my own eyes and was able to write a prescription for me that would help my eyesight, keep my eyes healthy and even save me a few dollars.  I know that there will be a time that I will probably have to change, but hopefully, no time soon.  

Back to Florida

I am not sure why, but last night I had a terrible time sleeping.  I think that I was anxious about getting Doug to Midway and then making it to South Bend airport on my own.  I hadn't driven through Chicago in a long time.  I did eventually fall asleep, but I was pretty tired this morning when I got up.  

The good part about not sleeping was that I able to switch Doug to an earlier flight.  Southwest has a new same day standby policy.  It worked perfectly for him except that he got a C boarding pass and ended up between two large men on the plane.  He said that he didn't mind as he fell asleep right away and it got him back to Florida almost six hours earlier than originally planned.

Another reason that I struggled to sleep last night was that I was very sad that Doug was returning to Florida.  We would be apart for almost three weeks and I knew that I would really miss him.  He would be busy with work, so it made sense for me to stay.  I also had a lot of plans with my children and friends.  Thankfully, the trip to South Bend went well and by the time I dropped off the rental car, I felt a lot better.  My mom picked me up and we stopped by the cemetery before making it back to Syracuse.  The rest of the day was a quiet one, but we did get to play cards after dinner.  Overall, it was a good day and I was glad that both Doug and I safely arrived at our respective destinations.

Visiting the Windy City and Cal

After a fun game of Oh Hell with Cameron in which Grandpa completely fell apart, Meg, Doug and I left for Chicago around 3 pm yesterday.  We had to pick up a rental car at the South Bend airport, but were still at her apartment well before dinner.  I was so incredibly thankful that the rain stopped long enough for us to unload all of the shower gifts from Meg's car without getting wet.  We had time to unpack and even helped Meg put away her new spice rack.  We ate at Bar Taco for our evening meal which was delicious.  We got caught in a rainstorm on the way back, but didn't mind.  We then all enjoyed listening to music the rest of the night.

Today, Meg and Doug met Carl and Marina for lunch at Portillo's in Naperville.  They said that they enjoyed the visit.  Doug also liked seeing all of the places that we lived after we were newly married.  There were a lot of things that had changed and many that had stayed the same.  It was a fun time in our life, but a tough one as well with Doug's long hours at Crowe Chizek and us becoming first time parents.  

Tonight, Cal came over to Meg's for a visit.  He and Maggie had just gotten back from a wedding in St. Louis followed by a birthday celebration in Orland Park.  We had our own small birthday celebration with Cal as none of us had seen him since he turned 26.  He loved his new shirt, hat, socks and candy.  We let Cal pick our dinner stop, Piece Pizza.  Doug and Cal tried a spicy sausage pizza and liked it a lot.  Meg and I had their guacamole.  After dinner, we walked back to Meg's and talked for quite awhile about movies, work and our family.  Meg gave Doug his Father's Day gift which he planned to wear on his next trip to Disney.  It was an awesome evening that Doug and I enjoyed very much.  

Tough Memories

As much fun as it has been visiting our favorite places in Northern Indiana and seeing old friends, there is one memory that stands out in the month of May that is very difficult to remember.  Two years ago this week, Cameron's friend, Richard was shot and killed in an unthinkable domestic situation.  Although, Cameron and I can now talk about him without the incident coming into play, it took a lot of work to get there.  Thus, being back in Syracuse sometimes is hard for both of us at times, especially this time of year. 

When I think back to how far Cameron and I have come since May of 2022, I am really impressed.  In August of that same year, I told Cameron that our goals was to "move forward with Richard's memory and leave the tragedy behind.  I am not sure that either of us thought that we would get there, but I can definitely say that we have.  At times processing the grief was all consuming.  Thus, I really appreciative of all our family for their support. 

Cameron said recently that Richard's death was a defining moment in his life.  I know that it was for me as a mom as well.  I have thought about Rocky Balboa's quote regarding life many times over the past two years.  “Life ain't about how hard you can hit, it's about how hard you can GET hit and keep moving forward”.   Incredibly thankful today to be moving forward.  

Meg's Bridal Shower

Last December, Meg and I called her Godmother, Jeannette.  Meg wanted her bridal shower to be in Northern Indiana.  We had talked about hosting it at Grandma Jane's, but both of us were nervous that we wouldn't be able to pull it off living outside of the state.  Jeannette offered right away to host it for Meg and the three of us began making plans for the event to happen this memorial Day weekend.  

Meg decided that she only wanted one shower for both sides.  That meant that she would have to invite forty women to her shower.  Jeannette felt that was doable as long as the weather was nice.  Thus, Meg sent out the invitations and we all looked forward to the event.  

Meg and I were both excited for the shower today.  The weather was absolutely beautiful and the decorations were gorgeous.  Jeannette stuck with the flower theme for the tables, food and party favors.  There was plenty of food along with some awesome desserts.  Besides the Barnhart family, Grandma Jane and Nancy also brought food as well.  

It was just a wonderful afternoon.  We ate lunch, played games, learned more about Nick and Meg, and watched Meg open her gifts.  I appreciated getting to know the Yoder family a lot better.  I had never met Nick's aunts and grandmother before today.  They were very nice and I was glad to talk with all of them. 

After the shower, Meg left with her friends.  They had all been invited to Gabrielle's for a bachelorette party tonight.  Paula and Gabrielle had plenty of food for the girls, they had the house decorated and they planned to make friendship bracelets as well.  I stopped by for a couple of hours and had a lot of fun listening to the girls share stories.  I was so happy for Meg that her day had been special.  I enjoyed celebrating her and was glad that she had received so much support from her friends and family.  

 

Flashback to Last Year

The past twenty-four hours have felt like a flashback to last year at this time.  Just like in the past, Doug went to the cancer doctor for his yearly screening, we stopped at Walmart for groceries, and then enjoyed a fun late lunch at Hacienda.  We also played rounds of Oh Hell, ate lunch at Oakwood with Cameron, watched the boats go by and even made it to Goshen Brewing Company for a snack and some new beers for Doug to try.  

The part that felt most like Memorial Day weekend last year was attending Alina's open house.  It was a very nice event filled with delicious food, cake and a lot of support from the Bethany community.  It was nice to see all of Alina's accomplishments and the pictures that she had on display.  It was also wonderful to visit with so many of the Bethany teachers and friends of Cameron.  It was an awesome reminder of how much we loved the Bethany community.  The rain didn't even dampen the mood and I was very glad that we were able to attend.  

Survivor Finale

Last night was the Survivor finale.  Although I had sworn not to watch any more episodes after my favorite player was blindsided,  I ended up watching way more than I planned.  I was glad that I did as it was the most interesting Survivor that I had watched since the original aired twenty four years ago in May 2000.  Not only did my favorite player get voted out this season in a blindside with an idol in his pocket, there were four others that did as well.  It was crazy.  This season also featured the two most annoying Survivor players ever, including one who was allergic to anything and everything.  In addition, I thought that it was hard to guess who would go home at each tribal council or who the overall winner would be.

The Survivor finale show saw another first for me.  I couldn't remember any other time that I would have been happy with any of the final three winning.  The jury had a tough decision and finally picked the one that had been on the ropes from the very first day.  Her tribe had gone eleven straight days without flint and lost the first four immunity challenges.  She definitely was deserving, but her win brought even more drama to the show when the two closest allies had a falling out.  The one on the jury did not vote for her "ride or die" giving his opponent the 5-3 edge.  Even better than the finale was all of the tweets posted afterward vilifying the choice.  In the end, I was glad that I decided to stay engaged.  It was a fun way to spend Wednesday nights this Spring.

Back "Home"' Again in Indiana

Doug and I left this afternoon for the Midwest.  We had planned this trip so incredibly long ago, it was hard to believe that it was finally time to leave.  Doug had not been back to Indiana since February and I had last visited in March.  Our flight was a good one although we had some turbulence in the air and hit some bumps on the landing.  I watched the movie "Anyone But You" on the trip.  Meg had really liked it, and I found it very entertaining.  Doug slept for most of the flight.  He had started taking cough medicine that made him pretty tired.  Thankfully, the rest made it easy for him to drive from Midway to the South Bend airport.

Cameron met us at the second airport.  Doug and I were both glad to see him and enjoyed a nice dinner out together at Evil Czech.  Cameron filled us in on all that he had been up to since we last saw him in Ocala.  His classes and golf had kept him extremely busy.  He was also able to catch up with his friends from Bethany and those still in high school.  He and Alina had spent some time together and had made plans for what they would do once she graduated.  It was a great way to celebrate our return "home." 

Our 31st Anniversary!

I always thought of our 30th wedding anniversary as a huge milestone.  Cameron would be graduating high school and soon off to college.  Brett, Cal and Meg would all be done with college and starting their adult lives.  At first I thought we'd celebrate with a romantic cruise or a trip to Key West.  I never dreamed that we'd be getting our home ready to sell so that we could move to Florida permanently.   With all that was going on, we never took that vacation that I had always dreamed of years ago.  That never mattered to me as I was way too excited about our new adventure.  Plus, I knew that we'd be able to travel more once we reached Florida then we had in the Midwest.  

As we quietly celebrated our 31st anniversary today, I couldn't help but smile.  This year had been filled with so many changes.  Doug and I had grown to  absolutely loved Ocala.  We have found so much to do in our new town and the surrounding areas.  We also really liked the weather and our new church has been an absolute blessing.  In saying that, we have put in a lot of hard work this past year to make the move a successful one.  Thus, it was very nice tonight to celebrate at the first restaurant that we ever visited in Ocala - Crazy Cucumber.   

Happy 26th Birthday Cal!

 Cal turned 26 today and although Doug and I were't able to spend the day with him, we did get to talk to him and wish him a very Happy Birthday.  We were very glad to hear that he had gone golfing with his friends yesterday and was going out to dinner with Maggie tonight to celebrate.  We made plans to see him on Monday night when we were in Chicago after he gets back from a wedding in St. Louis.  Although I had already given him his birthday money through Venmo, I am very excited to see him and have a fun present ready for him to open.  Cal's only complaint about his birthday was that he now had to be on his own medical insurance.

Cal had enjoyed a lot of successes this year including his relationship with Maggie and his career at Plante Moran.  He had also had a couple of setbacks that made life challenging for him.  Through it all, he has remained positive and we are very proud of how hard he has worked this year to overcome any roadblocks that he has encountered.  Our wish for him is a happy, healthy year twenty-six.  

Knights of Columbus

Brett spent the weekend at the Indiana Knights of Columbus Convention.  It is held annually and this year it so happened to be in Bloomington at the Monroe County Convention Center.  While Brett was there, he attended mass daily, listened to speakers, hung out with fellow Knights from the Bloomington chapter and even ran into someone from Syracuse.  The best part of the weekend for him, however, was becoming a 4th degree Knight.  

I was very happy for Brett.  He had worked hard to become an active member of the Bloomington Knights.  He has helped run their Tootsie Roll Drive for the past several years, attended bimonthly meetings, enjoyed dinners with members outside of the Knights, and volunteered for Knights activities at the St. Paul's.  It has been a great experience for him and a wonderful way to give back to the community that has become his home.   

Our First Honda Accord

Thursday night, Doug pulled out of the Tijuana Flats parking lot slowly.  The reverse gear had hesitated and he was concerned that he had done something wrong.  I had noticed this happening several times in the past few weeks, but hadn't sad anything yet.  I was hoping that it was an isolated incident or that I was wrong.  Just like today, the Pilot had run fine after putting it in drive, it just hesitated when backing out.  It did the same for Doug and it started a conversation that both of us had been thinking about having. "When should we buy a second car for Florida?" was the topic for the rest of the evening.

Once we got home from dinner, I started researching nearby dealers that sold Hondas.  Although, I really wanted another Odyssey when the Pilot died, we weren't sure that the Pilot was on the way out.  It only had 170,000 miles on it, well below our current Odyssey that just hit 222,222 this week.  Doug had wanted an Accord since he bought his first Honda in 1992.  The Civic fit better in our budget then and he chose that instead.  We talked about an Accord several other times throughout the years, but there was always a reason that we chose a different Honda model.  Thus, I decided that this time there would be no excuse.  If we found a reasonably priced Accord, I was most interested in us purchasing that for Doug.

The Honda dealer in Ocala didn't really have much to chose from, so I looked at Gainesville instead.  I found a silver one with less than 60,000 miles on it that fit our budget.  I called the dealer before it closed at 8 p.m. and was promised by the sales person that I would have a video of the car in the morning.  It was the first thing that I saw when I woke up Friday morning.  The car didn't look quite as great in the video as it did on the website.  The dealer admitted that before I could ask anymore about it.  Doug and I still wanted to look at it yesterday afternoon, but while I was waiting for Doug to get home from work, I found another one online that I liked a lot better.  The salesman agreed immediately and sent us another video.

Doug was home early and we arrived at the Gainesville dealership by 3 p.m.  The salesman had the Accord ready for us to take a test drive.  We both liked it a lot and Doug decided that he was ready to talk about the price difference between this one, a 2019, and a new one of a lesser model.  In the end, Doug went with the one he test drove.  He really liked it and it fit our budget perfectly.  It also left room for us to replace the Pilot if needed.  We had an appointment on Monday with a transmission guy in Dunnellon who was going to let us know if there was an issue with it or not.

Between spending time with the salesman and meeting with the finance person, we were in Gainesville three and a half hours yesterday.  It was a long day, but we were both excited our Heinisch family Honda #10. Doug and I picked up the car this afternoon after the fuel pump was replaced.  All Hondas, including the Pilot, had this same recall, so I was glad that it was taken care of before we drove it home.  Doug and I made it back by 3 this afternoon.  I was thrilled to finally have the Pilot to myself and extremely happy that Doug finally had his red, Honda Accord sitting in our driveway.  

An Interesting Start to the PGA Tournament

I haven't been sleeping very well lately.  I keep waking up in a complete panic and it takes me awhile to calm down.  I'm not really sure why this happens, but it can be extremely frustrating.  Sometimes I fall back asleep, other times I stay awake for the day.  I was so tired when I went to bed last evening that I thought that I would be able to sleep through the night.  I couldn't, but thankfully, I was able to fall back asleep a few hours after I woke up and actually stayed asleep until my alarm went off at 9:30 a.m.  

Even so, I still didn't feel like getting out of bed right away and started looking at my phone.  A news story caught me completely off guard.  Scottie Scheffler, golf's number one ranked player, had been arrested.  That sounded strange to me and as I read the story, it became even more bizarre.  There was a fatal accident outside of the entrance to the golf course this morning.  The players were instructed to drive around it over the median.  While he was doing so, a police officer jumped on his car.  Surprised by the event, Scheffler didn't stop right away and was subsequently arrested on multiple felony charges.  He then spent several hours in jail before being released just in time to make it to his tee time.  I called Cameron right away and he confirmed what I was reading and gave me some more information about the arrest.  It was absolutely unbelievable.

I watched the PGA off and on throughout the day thinking about Scottie Scheffler.  We had had experience in the last several years that had changed my perspective on police.  I had come to realize that they had a lot of power.  Abuse of that power can make a huge difference in someone's life.  I hoped that his situation would soon be resolved as it sounded as if he had acted legally and the arrest was due to a miscommunication.  The good news was that he had one of the best rounds of his life today, shooting a 66 and putting him in the top of the leaderboard.  From experience, I thought that tomorrow might actually be more challenging for him as the adrenal from today wore off and the reality of the experience set in overnight.  Either way, I will be rooting for him the rest of the weekend.  

The End of a Wonderful Prayer Group

When I started Barry's Cenacle in March, I didn't know what to expect, but I was excited to learn more about it.  The first thing that I realized was that the group was quite a bit older than me and had several seasoned prayer group members.  I decided that the best approach for me was to sit quietly and listen.  I was so glad that I did this as I learned quite a bit over the past three months.  Not only did Barry have a lot to share, but so did the women that were part of the group.  There were Bible verses, stories of faith, the history of the Catholic Church, reflections on the afterlife and so much more.  My favorite lessons revolved around Barry's travels throughout the world in search of sacred places.  I even learned about a few Saints that I had never known before and was surprised with roses after a group novena to St. Therese of Lisieux.  I really looked forward to each Thursday morning and will miss it a lot.  

Thankfully, our prayer group ended just as I was getting ready to go to Indiana for a few weeks.  Thus, I will have other wonderful things going on to keep me occupied.  I hope that there will be another group starting up in the fall, but if not, this spring has inspired me to learn more and continue on my own faith journey.  

Installation of Officers

In February, I received a call from the nominating committee of Blessed Trinity Council for Catholic Women.  I was told that I had been recommended for the positions of Vice President or President next year.  I was absolutely shocked as I hadn't been in the group more than six months and had not even considered being an officer next year.  The more that I talked to the nominating committee about the duties of those positions, the more I realized that I definitely would not be able to take on the responsibilities of either of those offices.  Instead, I offered my services as treasurer.  I felt a lot more comfortable running for that position as the commitment would be one that I could handle during the next two years, and I had experience with it.  I also told the committee not to feel obligated to put me on the ballot and to only use me if they could not find anyone else.  

Elections were in March and I was surprised to see three people up for the treasurer position.  I assumed that they just put my name on to be nice and either the CPA that was running would win or the previous treasurer would be reelected.  Thus, I was surprised to hear that I had won.  I was a little bit nervous at first, but once I saw who else was elected as President, Vice President and Secretary, I felt a lot better.  I knew all of them and had enjoyed getting to know them this year.  

I didn't really think much about my new position until this week.  We had a new officers meeting on Monday night and I was a little bit overwhelmed to say the least.  Last year's treasurer had a family emergency so the books had not been balanced yet, an audit need performed, and there were several meetings that we needed to have this summer that I couldn't attend, because I would be in Indiana for Meg's bridal shower and wedding.  

Thankfully, tonight I felt a lot better.  I was able to meet with the leadership chairperson.  She would be able to help with the audit.  The new president also made me feel a lot better about the summer schedule.  The best part of the night was the actual meeting.  There was a mass beforehand in memory of a parish priest that had died earlier in the year that we attended as a group.  The installation of officers was next.  It was an impression ceremony in which Father Pat oversaw.  We then had dinner, fellowship, pictures and a short meeting before adjournment.  As I drove home tonight, I couldn't help but feel good inside.  When we moved, I wanted to find a church that was welcoming, provided spiritual support and had multiple ways to get involved.  Blessed Trinity has been all of that and more.

A Unique Solution

I spent the today in Magic Kingdom with Meg and Nick.  It was a great day even with the brief thunderstorm.  We spent that time riding Pirates of the Caribbean before donning ponchos to ride the train around the park.  We did get in other rides during our trip and ate a fun lunch at Casey's Corner.  We also went shopping and hung out at the Boardwalk for awhile.  It reminded me a lot of the times that we stayed at the resort when our children were younger.  It was a lot of fun then and I was very glad that Nick and Meg were enjoying all of the amenities that the resort had to offer.

While we were walking out of the park, I realized that my back was hurting.  That was unusual for me, but I figured it was from all of the walking and standing that we did that day.  The pain didn't go away once I got home and by the time I picked up Doug from work, it was intense.  I thought that rest and Ibuprofen would help, but by 8:30 it was so bad that I considered going to urgent care.  

Instead, I decided to wait until morning.  If it got worse or stayed the same, I would call the doctor.  I knew that I wasn't going to die, it just hurt.  Around this time, Doug finished working at home and asked me if I wanted a drink.  I really don't drink much anymore, but 7-UP and cherry vodka sounded good, so I went ahead and had one.  We then started watching Modern Family and within ten minutes I realized that the pain in my back had completely gone away.  I couldn't believe it.  The vodka must have acted like a muscle relaxer.  I didn't care, I was just so excited that my back felt so much better.  It was not a solution that I would use frequently, but for tonight, I would call it a win.  Now, if it would just work on my leg, that would be a real victory.  

Summer Classes

Cameron started two summer classes last week.  He is taking one of the harder business school prerequisites and a class on folklore which fulfilled a general requirement.  The first one requires Cameron to be online two hours a day, five days a week, but is only four weeks long.  The second one is at his own pace and is six weeks long.  He's not too excited about either one, but it would really help his schedule out in the long run.  It would free time for him to study abroad next summer and get a full time internship during the following one.   

The other nice part about taking classes this summer is that it keeps Cameron busy and focused on his education.  With traveling back and forth to Florida, being a part of Meg's wedding and helping with the Bethany golf team, Cameron didn't really have much time for a summer job.  Classes will fill the void where a job would have been and still allow him time to hang out with Alina and his friends in Goshen while he's in Indiana.

Cameron's already talking about staying in Bloomington next summer.  I think that sounds like a great idea.  He could finish his study abroad program, take classes, and hang out with his IU friends all while living with his roommates in his own apartment.  Some of my best memories of my college days were made during summers in Bloomington.  Cameron definitely would enjoy it just as much.  

Happy Mother's Day

It has been a long time since we spent Mother's Day with all four of our children.  In fact, I believe that it may have been Cameron's confirmation weekend, five years ago.  In 2014, I actually spent Mother's Day home alone with only Meg so that Brett and Doug could visit Jeanette on her last holiday.  Thus, I had gotten used to spending Mother's Day with only one or two Heinisch children.  It looked like this year, I would only be spending it with Doug.  That had not happened since I was pregnant with Brett.

Although I would have enjoyed hanging out with only Doug for the day, I was very happy when Meg invited him and I to meet her and Nick at Epcot today.  They were going to be in Orlando for a few days this week and although they didn't plan it, the timing was perfect for a Mother's Day celebration.  The four of us had a lot of fun riding a few rides, walking through the countries and sampling some of the flower and garden festival food.  It was a wonderful afternoon ending with a new MagicBand+ from Meg and Nick.

Meg wasn't the only one that made Mother's Day special.  Doug had surprised me with flowers on Friday.  Cameron had given me a "caution snake" sign for the backyard while he was here last week.  Cal sent me a Disney gift card that I was able to use today for a new phone case, and Brett texted to let me know that he had a fun gift for me the next time I saw him.  Although, I loved all of the presents, my favorite part about today was spending it with Meg and having each of the boys call to wish me a Happy Mother's Day.  The best part of my life is being Doug's wife and their mother.  Whether in person or across the miles, I always enjoy hearing from the Heinisch four.  They are loved more than they will ever know.

Snake Away 1; Snake 0

To say that I was a little bit obsessive after seeing a snake in my backyard would be an understatement.  I had spread more Snake Away than I needed, emptied two bags of Epsom Salt in our yard, bought a snake pole and gloves, plus put a new corner caddy with "anti-snake" tools on the back patio.  Cameron even gave me a new sign for Mother's Day that I proudly displayed.  The only thing that I hadn't done was research how to purchase snake repellent - a tool that I knew that Batman would use if it existed.  

I was glad that all of my efforts had worked.  I had been checking for weeks to make sure that the backyard was snake free and that its hiding place in the fence was empty.  I hadn't seen the snake since it hissed at me last month.  I felt a lot less scared, but still always cautious when I went out on the back patio.  I knew that it wasn't poisonous, but I definitely wasn't interested in startling it and risking my family's first ever snake bite.  

Today, I received even better news.  Doug found the "vicious" offender dead in our front yard.  It must have found a new hiding place there when I scared him away with the inordinate amount of Snake Away that I put down last month in the back yard.  We weren't sure what killed it, but thought that maybe the weed and feed that Tru Green sprayed on our yard on Friday was too much for it.  It didn't matter to me.  I was just so glad to be done worrying about snakes for now.  I was also happy that Doug made good use out of our new snake pole moving the dead reptile into the bushes with it.  I do realize that snakes are good for the eco-system and keep rats and other rodents away from our home.  Even so, this one was a little too close for comfort and I was extremely happy that I no longer had to worry about it.  

The Fall Guy

When I saw that Ryan Gosling had a new movie out this spring, I thought that I might want to see it. I loved him in the Barbie movie and it looked like this one might be funny as well.  It was based on a 1980s television show, "The Fall Guy", that I remembered, but never really watched.  Doug was more of a fan of it, so I asked him what he thought.  He wasn't sure, but said that he would go with me if I wanted to see it. Once we heard that Cal had given it two thumbs up, we made plans to see it this weekend.

Doug was home from work in time to catch the 4:30 showing today.  The movie had a lot of action which he really liked.  It also had a love story and was very funny as well.  Ryan Gosling was in 100% of the scenes which we both appreciated.   We also loved seeing Lee Majors, the original star of the Fall Guy, show up in the final credits and enjoyed Jason Momoa's cameo as well.  Although it wasn't quite as good as The Barbie Movie, it was a fun way to spend an afternoon and a great way to start Mother's Day weekend.    

Our Decision to Move to Florida

When I was ten years old, my parents took me on a long vacation to Florida.  We spent several days at the Polynesian Resort at Disney World and several more at Fort Lauderdale beach.  It was a lot of fun and I remember it well.  Shortly after that time, my grandparents moved to Arcadia and we spent several weeks a year visiting them and exploring more of the Sunshine State.  

Although there were still visits to the beach and theme parks, my family went on trips to other recreational spots as well.  We took a long drive on alligator alley stopping to take an airboat ride in the Everglades; we visited a local animal preserve and saw a two headed cow; took a tour of Thomas Edison's  Florida home and saw the Ringling Brothers Museum.  All of that while playing golf, going shopping, catching new movies at the theater and enjoying the warm weather made Florida my favorite place to visit.  The fact that my grandparents lived there made it even better.  

As Doug and I began talking about where we would like to live once all of the Heinisch children moved out, he mentioned several states that he would be interested in as our next home state.  Tennessee, North Carolina and Texas were all on his list.  They sounded fun to me and I looked at a few, but my heart always was in Central Florida.  Thus, when Doug got the chance to follow Champion to Ocala, I was more than ready.  The weather change would be perfect and I knew from a long time of experience with the area that we would love living there.  Once I was on board and Doug found that the cost of living to be the same as in Northern Indiana, we began getting ready to move.

Our children didn't quite have the same experience with Florida that I did growing up although they did spend quite a bit of time in Orlando over the years.  Thus, when they heard the new, they were extremely excited that we would be living less than an hour and a half away from their favorite theme parks.  Once they visited and realized how much more there was to do, they fell in love with our new home.  Each one of them has planned multiple trips to see us and have enjoyed all that we have done whether close to Ocala or a short drive away.

Today on our way to the airport, Cameron and I talked a lot about his return trip to Florida in June.  He definitely wanted to go to the Everglades for a weekend visit.  I also told him about other places that we could visit while he was here - Cape Canaveral, the Thomas Edison Home, the Tampa Zoo, and St. Augustine were just a few.  He told me that was what he loved most about Florida.  There was so much to do, but it was also a different climate than the Midwest complete with tropical weather and species of plants and animals that were only found in our new home state.  I was happy to hear that he felt just as enamored with the Florida culture and climate as I was when I was younger.  We had planned and talked so much about his return trip this afternoon that it made leaving him at the airport so much easier.  We were both already looking forward to his next visit.  

Music Bingo & More

Between Cameron's last visit in March to his one this week, Doug and I have talked about all of the places that we wanted to take him to while he was here.  Some were new like The Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville and Stumpknockers in Dunnellon.  Others were more familiar such as Tijuana Flats and Mellowmushroom.  Cameron and I even came up with a few stops this week that we hadn't planned, such as Broke N Records, The Peacock Cottage and Chicken Salad Chick.  Cameron not only ate well, but found a few vinyls to purchase as well.

Cameron said that he had enjoyed each of the new and old places that we tried and we appreciated him being a good sport about letting us drag him all over Central Florida.  Last night was one of Doug's favorites as we finally got Cameron to The Lodge for an evening of Music Bingo.  It wasn't as crowded as it had been in the past, so we were able to get a prime seat and order a few Happy Hour appetizers before the games started.  It was a lot of fun and thankfully, there was no one beside us making out as there had been on the night that Doug and Meg played.  Cameron let us know right away that he was horrible at Bingo, but he did really enjoy playing.  There were also a lot of old songs that he knew.  Doug even Bingo'd on the third round earning a gift card that paid for half of our dinner bill.

Bingo was an awesome way to end a week of fun with Cameron.  My favorite part of the night, however, occurred when we pulled into the driveway.  Doug asked him if our new house was starting to feel like home.  Cameron thought about it for a minute and said, "Yes, it really does."  That made both of us smile.   

The Indiana Primary

Today was one of Brett's favorite days of the year - the Indiana Primary.  He had worded very hard this spring to help several campaigns in the state.  His main focus was the governor's race for which he made hundreds of phone calls on Mike Braun's behalf in his bid for the Republican party governor's nomination.  Brett also worked on Andrew Ireland's campaign this spring.  He was excited to find out that Ireland had earned the GOP nomination for the Indiana House of Representatives.  In fact almost everyone that Brett backed during this primary won their nomination.

The best news of the night, however, wasn't the victories of the politicians that Brett helped.  Instead, we were all very happy to hear that he had won his bid for delegate to the Indiana Republican party convention this summer.  Sean would join him as delegate as he had won a seat as well.  I know that they were both extremely excited to hear the announcement last night.  It was a well earned victory and I for one can't wait to hear all about their experiences this June.

The Tootsie Roll Drive & the Lincoln Zoo

While we were enjoying our visit with Cameron, all of the Heinisch's in the Midwest were having a nice weekend as well.   Brett was in charge of the Tootsie Roll Drive for the Bloomington Knights of Columbus.  I don't know how long he has been running the charitable event, but I believe it has been at least four years now.  Last year was one of the most stressful ones as Walmart decided to deny the longtime fundraiser at their location at the last minute.  Brett had to scramble to find a new one.  Thankfully, another Knight worked for Kroger by the mall and they were able to change locations albeit to a different weekend.  This year they went back to graduation weekend for the drive and had a very successful turnout in monetary donations and volunteers.

Cal and Meg both had nice weekends as well.  Cal spent a lot of it with Maggie.  He had decided not to go to Las Vegas with his friend group and instead enjoyed watching movies with her and trying out the Margaritaville restaurant on Navy Pier.  Meg and Nick did some shopping on Saturday and had a nice dinner together before he had to fly out on Sunday.  Meg and Cal used that time to go to the Lincoln Park Zoo together.  They had a lot of fun seeing the animals, taking a walk and catching up on old high school news.  I loved the pictures of the animals that Meg took until I saw the one of the snake.  Even with that on my text message, I was really glad to hear that everyone had had a wonderful weekend in the Midwest.