BACK TO REALITY…

Yep, I’m back from The Sister’s Trip 2012, and it was AMAZING!!! Probably our best one yet! We went for 5 nights this time instead of 4, which was most likely the main factor for making this one the best. (I never told my husband we extended it a night, I just told him when I’d be back and waited to see if he noticed. He never did! Men…they’re so observant!!!)

We stayed at the Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso, the Most. Amazing. Resort. Ever! They upgraded us to beachfront rooms, which were SO CLOSE to the beach you wouldn’t believe it. (Mindy said it was spitting distance. I don’t know where she learned how to spit, but no way could I spit that far!) Each building has it’s own concierge and butler, who did ANYTHING and EVERYTHING for us. On our last night, somehow they knew when we were coming back to our rooms, and they had bubble baths waiting for us with candles lit and rose petals resting on the bubbles. ROSE PETALS!!! I wanted to bring Luis home with me!

Anyway, we sisters had a bit of bad news right before we left, so being together was exactly what we needed. Everything else was just icing on the cake for us. (Lots and lots of icing!)

We’re already counting down the days until The Sister’s Trip 2013!

Karen

SISTER’S TRIP 2012, 2 MORE DAYS!!!

If you’ve been reading our blog for a while, you know that every spring, I take a trip with my sisters to Mexico. It is the one time every year that I can really, truly relax and not take care of ANYONE but ME!!!

Here are our rules:

• No husbands
• No kids
• No makeup
• No diets
• No exercise

It’s heaven!

One thing I may not have mentioned is that every year we buy t-shirts and wear them on the last day and on the airplane home. It started as a joke with the shirts saying “Mom Likes Me Best,” but we got such a huge response from people, we decided to do it every year.

So here is our list of shirts that we have worn:

• Mom Likes Me Best
• What Happens With The Sisters Stays With The Sisters
• Who Needs a Therapist, I Have My Sister
• I’m The Sane Sister
• 1 of 3, 2 of 3, 3 of 3 (this one was really funny after we dropped #1 off in Dallas and only #2 and #3 were left!)

And this year’s:

• NOT Mom’s Favorite (Hmmm, a little different from our first year!)

We’re looking forward to wearing it, but not too soon, since that means we’re on our way home! So you won’t hear from me next week while I’m basking in the sun. Jealous?

Karen

SISTER’S TRIP 2011 PICS!!!

OMGosh, I forgot to blog yesterday! And Melissa didn’t even call me on it! (Bless her sweet little forgetful heart!) But I kind-of get a pass, don’t I, since I blogged a day early last week, getting ready for Sister’s Trip 2011?

First things first: NOTHING happened to middle sister, Margee. We were looking for it, waiting for it, but nothing. Nada. Zip. Damn! Maybe her curse is broken. (I hope not. I mean, this is what great blog posts are made of!)

Our resort was nice, but not one of our favorites. They had this stupid “one towel” rule which really pissed us off! And I couldn’t find any refried beans ANYWHERE. Really? I’m in MEXICO people! But the beach was beautiful and we met some really great folks there and ate WAY too much. All in all, it was a FABULOUSLY WONDERFUL vacation!!!

See for yourselves:

 

      (I’m 3 of 3, in case you couldn’t tell!)

                            

Yep, already counting down the days until the next trip!

Karen

RAIN? SUN? SNOW? OH, WHATEVER!

Yep, I’m writing today because tomorrow at this time I’ll be on a plane for SISTER’S TRIP 2011! (Am I excited? Maybe just a little!) But I’m not going to post about the trip today, because I’m sure I’ll have a bunch to tell you when I get back.

Today, I need to propose this question to you: How can 4 weather websites have 4 different forecasts? (Okay, maybe this is about the trip a little, but it really goes beyond that.) With all of the technology these days, shouldn’t it be fairly easy to predict the weather? Yes, I understand that weather patterns change, and Mother Nature can surprise us all, but up until 2 days ago, we weren’t even sure if we were going to Mexico because the forecast kept changing. Rain on 3 days, then 2 then 3 then 1, and so on. Now, sunny all days. (Whew!)

But here’s the thing. If they are going to be wrong, shouldn’t they ALL be consistently wrong? I mean, shouldn’t ALL the meteorologists be seeing the SAME things on the SAME computers? We were watching FOUR different websites and they were all saying VERY DIFFERENT things. I just don’t get it. Are there any meteorologists out there who can help me out with this?

Okay, I’m done with my rantings! All I know now is that I need to finish packing, get my spray tan (so I don’t blind the others folks on the beach) and get on that plane at 6:00 tomorrow morning! Then it’s just me, my sista’s and a Bahama Mama in my hand. Adios!!!

Karen

7 MORE DAYS…

Yes, it’s one more week until SISTER’S TRIP 2011!!! For those of you who have been reading our blog for a while, you know that every year, my 2 sisters and I go to Mexico for an annual vacation in the spring. We leave everyone and everything at home. This includes husbands, kids, makeup, worries, exercise clothes and diets.

For anyone who has ever taken a girl’s vacation, you understand, don’t you? This is, by far, the MOST relaxing time of the year for us. Some of you are saying, Hey, didn’t you just come back from Florida with your family? Yes, yes I did. And while that was FAMILY relaxing, it’s not GIRLFRIEND relaxing. (Believe me, if you don’t know the difference, you NEED to take a girlfriend vacation. Now!)

Of course, the one thing that we are anxiously looking forward to finding out, is what’s going to happen to our middle sister, Margee. Something ALWAYS happens to her, as described in this blog post. (Okay, she may not be so anxious to find this out, but Mindy and I are!)

So, dear readers, next week at this time, I’ll be on my way to Mexico with my very best friends, my sisters! Aren’t I lucky? Yeah, I’m pretty lucky that we’re going to Mexico, too!

Karen

THE MIDDLE SISTER’S “THINGS” ON OUR TRIPS

My middle sister’s name is Margee, and during every Sister’s Trip, she has a “thing.” Something always happens to her! So Mindy (the oldest) and I have started documenting Margee’s “things” so we can always remind her, over and over again. (Isn’t that what sisters are for?)

I’m going to start with this last trip, because the first trip has the best story of them all!

Trip #4: One of Margee’s dogs dies while we are gone. Seriously. She goes outside to go potty, breaks her leg, and when the vet takes an x-ray, finds bone cancer. She was very old anyway, so the vet recommended putting her down. (Okay, even Mindy and I have our limits – we won’t make fun of her about this one, I promise.)

Trip #3: Margee and I decide we want to try something new, so we go parasailing. After about 60 seconds up there, I’m terrified, but Margee just keeps telling me she doesn’t feel so well. We motion for them to bring us down, but Mindy, who is bravely on the boat (HA!) thinks we are telling her we want to go higher, so that’s what she tells the boat operators, who do what she says. (Everyone does what Mindy says!) Finally we get down, get unhooked, and Margee promptly starts hurling over the side of the boat. Only the wind is blowing, so it all comes RIGHT BACK AT US and somehow she misses this (or just doesn’t care). The Mexican guys are trying to clean off the boat, Mindy and I are trying to avoid it all, and Margee finally puts her head under the railing so the wind just blows the hurl onto the side of the boat instead of back into it. EWWWWW!!!

Trip #2: Two “things” on this trip actually. First, Margee gets a cold. No big deal, just get some Sudafed right? No, not in Mexico. In Mexico, you can go to a pharmacy on any corner and get Vicodin, Percocet, Viagra, or just about any narcotic, pain killer, antibiotic, or almost anything else you want without a prescription, but YOU CANNOT GET COLD MEDICINE. I still don’t get this! She also fell on some marble steps. (I’m not sure of this, but I think she was going UP, not down!) She hurt her knee so badly, she had trouble with it for about 6 months.

But all of this just leads up to…

Trip #1: This is still the best one! We went to “Swim With the Dolphins” which was an awesome experience. The last thing the trainers have the dolphins do with us is put us in the water and have 2 dolphins bring us back by having them put their snouts on our feet and having us arch our backs and stretch our arms out to the side. The dolphins are so fast, we are actually raised out of the water. It’s amazing! When it’s Margee’s turn, everything is great. She’s flying out of the water as the dolphins are pushing her. Then I notice that her swim suit bottoms are not exactly where they are supposed to be anymore! I can tell that she knows this, but she’s going so fast, there’s not much she can do about it. Luckily, nobody else in our group seems to notice. So of course, being the good sister that I am, after she gets back (see, at least I waited until she got back!) I screamed to out to everyone, “OHMYGOD! YOU LOST YOUR SUIT BOTTOMS!!!!!!” So you’re thinking, okay, no big deal, so she’s embarrassed, but nobody else saw. Aren’t you forgetting something? THE VIDEO????? YES, each group gets the opportunity to purchase a video of EVERYONE in their group! Margee watched You Tube for months waiting for it to turn up! As for our video, we bought one for the three of us, but Margee took it to a company to have it “fixed” first so we (or our husbands) couldn’t “see” any unmentionables! (Oh, here’s something funny, though. On her way to this place to get the video done, she got a speeding ticket!)

So these are Margee’s “things.” You could feel sorry for her. Or, like Mindy and I, you could just make fun of her for the rest of her life! Don’t you just love sisters?

Karen

SISTER’S TRIP 2010

My sisters and I went on our 4th vacation, now simply known as The Sister’s Trip, last week to Mexico. We had a few bumps in the road on this trip, however, starting with our connecting flight in Dallas. (Remind me next year to get a direct flight please!)

Everything is going peachy, our 6:00am flight out of St. Louis is uneventful. We get to Dallas, pick up Sister #3 and get on the plane as scheduled. Suddenly we hear an announcement that the pilot doesn’t like this plane and wants to get another one. What? Is there a bug in the cockpit or did a wing fall off? No idea, but we all pile out. Finally, they find us a new plane. (Considering we were flying American and their hub in is Dallas, it seemed to take a really long time to find us a new plane, but whatever.) We all get on, then get an announcement that one of the passengers apparently left his passport on the first plane (really, who takes their passport out and puts it in the seat pocket?), so either they need to find it on that plane, or find his luggage and leave him in Dallas. Seems like a no-brainer, but for some reason, they didn’t know exactly where the first plane was. Hmmm. Okay. A maintenance guy finally finds the plane, and therefore the passport, and brings it to the silly man who left it behind. So you’d think we’d leave then, right? No, because they had started serving first class already, so we had to wait for them to finish. Seriously, I am NOT making this up! I just love American Airlines!

So, three hours late, we finally get to Mexico, in a torrential downpour. (So I guess it didn’t really matter if we got there late, right?) That seemed to be the theme for the next 2 days. Luckily, it was off and on. So when it stopped raining, we’d run out to the beach and lay down on lounge chairs (yes, sometimes wrapped up in towels!), just to be near the ocean. When it would start raining again, we’d run for cover. I know, we had our suits on, but the rain was really cold! Nevertheless, we were together, we were away from home, and we were still having a great time!

Saturday morning, the sun was shining beautifully! We ran out there as early as we could (after room service delivered breakfast and we ate a few bites) and didn’t move unless we had to pee or eat! It was amazing! We had all of Sunday morning out there also before we had to leave.

So all in all, we got a little sun time and a lot of sister time, which is really the point of The Sister’s Trip anyway! Here’s a few pictures of our vacation:

Karen

By the way, every year we have different “sister” shirts on for our trip. This one says “I’m The Sane Sister.”

BITS AND PIECES

I know, you’re waiting for an update on my Sister’s Trip. I’m just so tired right now, all I can say is it was great of course, but the weather didn’t exactly cooperate the entire time. More on Wednesday!

On the business front, our sale was a HUGE success on The Caregiver Organizer, but, sadly, it’s now over. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t still get our eBook or our first-run hardbound book. Just visit our website and see what they are all about.

On the personal side, did I really have to come home to a sink full of dishes? I should have NEVER made that comment (years ago, I might add) that he didn’t load the dishwasher right. He has since used that as an excuse to never do it again.

Have you ever used Skype? That’s how I called home from Mexico, as did one of my sisters. You know how there’s a big picture of the person you’re talking to, and a smaller one of what they are seeing of you? Why is it that the kids are WAY more interested in making faces into the camera and watching themselves than talking to me when they should be missing me? Find a friggin’ mirror when we stop talking!

Okay, I’m getting snarky. I think it’s time to take a nap!

Karen

TRYING TO WRITE A BLOG, BUT…

Hi! Karen here! I usually don’t blog on Tuesdays, but I traded days with Melissa since I’m leaving on my Sister’s Trip tomorrow and won’t be able to do my usual Wednesday blog. So I’m sitting here, wondering what to blog about but all I can think is that I’M GOING TO MEXICO TOMORROW WITH MY SISTERS!!!!!!

Whew, sorry! Lost my head there for a minute! Okay, I’m concentrating now. I have a bunch of topics I could write about, but for some reason I just can’t get my mind on it. WOO HOO!!! 24 HOURS AND WE’LL BE ON THE PLANE ON OUR WAY TO SUN, SAND AND PARADISE!!!!! Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry for that outburst. Back to work.

How about an article on how a nanny can make your life easier for you? SO YOU CAN GO TO MEXICO WITH YOUR SISTERS!!!!! No, no, Karen, pull it together! Okay, maybe a weight loss update? FORGET THAT… I’M SIPPING PINA COLADAS AND EATING NACHOS ON THE BEACH BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON!!!!!

Oh, forget it! How about if I just tell you all about it when I get back?

Karen

Psssst! Did I mention I’m leaving for Mexico tomorrow on my annual Sister’s Trip? :)

7 MORE DAYS TILL PARADISE!

For those of you who were not reading this blog last year at this time, you don’t know this, but every year since my dad passed away, my sisters and I have been taking a trip together to Mexico. This will be our 4th year. No kids, no husbands, no responsibilities, nothing but sand, sun and sisters!

I love my family (I’m required to say that!) but it is, by far, the most glorious, relaxing time I spend all year long. Here is our daily schedule:

• Wake up in our separate rooms.
• Have room service deliver breakfast (did I mention we’re in separate rooms?)
• Meet at the beach.
• Read/talk/laugh until we’re hot.
• Take a dip in the ocean until we’re cool.
• Repeat last 2 steps until lunchtime.
• Keep repeating those 2 steps until dinnertime.
• Return to our rooms (still separate!) to shower, relax some more, call home (maybe).
• Meet for dinner.
• Maybe find an after dinner activity, but usually not.
• Return to (separate) rooms and relax even more, until we drift off to a peaceful sleep.
• Repeat entire process for several more days.

Seriously, doesn’t that sound like heaven to you? We stay in separate rooms for a couple of reasons. First of all, we all need time ALONE, which we rarely get at home. But also, we’d probably end up killing each other if we stayed in the same room!

My sisters and I are best, best friends, and we love, love each other. But we know our limits with each other! We’re pretty sure that 4 nights is the maximum amount of time for our vacation (although when it’s time to go home, we’re always tempted to try another night!) and we know ABSOLUTELY we cannot share a room!

I highly recommend a Sister’s Trip, or Brother’s Trip or even a Friend’s Trip for everyone. Pick your favorite people and plan an annual event. You’ll thank me!

Karen