Category: Sorry I’ve been MIA

A Trip to Omaha

Posted on by bumpuskimberly

My husband and I decided at the beginning of the year that we would take our grand girls and son to the zoo, and decided on the Omaha Zoo. I mean if I’m being honest, I think we both needed to get out of town for a bit, and with it only being about two and a half hours away, it was doable with a 12 year old, four year old and 16 month old. So I’ll try to hit the highlights of the trip with the drive, hotel check in, zoo, etc.

Day #1 – ROAD TRIP

We hit the road about 1:00 p.m. Typical drive, nothing special, except when we had to make a pit stop to get a few snacks (what is a road trip without the proper snacks – ummm…a boring trip). We finally made it to the hotel, checked in…aaaannnnddd our room smelled like weed. Welp, that’s not gonna do for us. Finally, checked in to our second room; much better. But wait, what do you mean we can’t rest up after being in the car for so long? Oh, yeah, headed to the swimming pool. Did I mention how tired I am? No, well I’m tired and I want to go to sleep. So after we showered, we all got dressed again and headed to eat spaghetti at Spaghetti Works World Market (www.spagworks.com). If you ever get a chance to visit Omaha, stop by; you will not be disappointed.

Day #2 – ZOO DAY & RETAIL THERAPY (BECAUSE I NEED IT)

So let’s talk about the sleeping arrangements from the night before – anyone who has children and have had the privilege of sharing a bed with either one or two of them, y’all already know my story. Not only did I have two little people sleeping with me, Teagan woke up at 4:00 in the morning to tell me she had a nightmare about a duck chasing her. Huh? A duck? Where did the duck come from? It didn’t matter at that point; I just wanted to go back to sleep. Oh, and I had been tossing and turning most of the night anyway, because I had Harper sleeping under my back, and Teagan was stretched out like she was the only one in the bed, and my husband and son were snoring in the other bed. Needless to say, I did not get much rest, nor sleep. So breakfast was eaten by all, then we headed to the zoo. But first, I needed to shower; the next thing I know Harper has gone head first, fully clothed, into the shower. *SIGH* Now I have to change her clothes…can we just get to the zoo already? I must admit we had a really good time – the weather was perfect, except when the wind blew it was a little chilly. Don’t worry, it warmed up and it was so much fun. Teagan was excited to see the rhinos, zebras, sea lions, and her favorite was the aquarium. I’ll definitely go back; you definitely need to spend at an entire day or maybe two days to fully experience the fun. (www.omahazoo.com)

After the zoo, I needed a ‘lil retail therapy, so we headed down to the Nebraska Crossing Outlet Mall (https://www.nexoutlets.com). This is an outside mall, much like some in other cities who have similar stores (i.e. Ann Taylor Outlet, Nike, Michael Kors, Osh Kosh B-gosh, etc.) It wasn’t crowded outside; the stores were very clean inside and everyone wore a mask and practiced social distancing. I tried to find some new clothing items to wear, but since I had a 4 year old who told me I had too many blue and yellow things chosen to try on, I thanked her for helping me with my colors and since she was ready to leave, we left. Did I mention I was tired and needed a nap? I didn’t, well I did. So while my husband, son and Teagan went swimming – yes, again, Harper and I took a much-needed nap. Later we had dinner and it’s time for bed, so we can leave after breakfast the next day.

Day #3 – HOME BOUND

After eating an early breakfast, we had planned on staying a little later and heading to a small black owned business that sells popcorn, but opted to leave a little earlier so that my husband and I would be able to rest and get ready for work the next day. No traffic driving, but one hour outside of home the radio/satellite stopped working. I have no idea why. I’ve only had my car for two weeks, so anything malfunctioning would give me serious anxiety. Luckily, it all worked out in the end and it was something to do with my bluetooth connection. I mean who can ride in a car with no music? No one.

So I’m happy to be back home and relaxing in my own bed. We had such a wonderful time, and I’m especially happy that Brendan, Teagan and Harper had a chance to experience the zoo.

Thanks for allowing me to share my mini-vaycay adventure with you guys. I can’t thank you enough for supporting my blog. There’s still more adventures to come

NOTE: You can find Huskerland Popcorn on their Facebook page (Huskerland Popcorn – http://huskerlandpopcorn.com

Sorry, I’ve been MIA

Posted on by bumpuskimberly

Since my last post, a lot has happened in those weeks. It just seemed like when one thing happens in your life, it’s like a domino effect for the other things that come after. At this point, I’m semi-back. I’ve missed all of my readers, and I hope you’ve missed me, too, so I’ll share a few tidbits of what’s been going on in my small part of the internet.

Sometime in mid-February, my husband and I decided to refinance our home. No biggie. Then, approximately a week later, his daughter, Janay, passed away after a brief illness. Several weeks later, my husband was on his way to attend the visitation when he was involved in an accident. His car was totaled but he was okay. Thank goodness. In the meantime, we had a rental car for approximately two weeks, aaannnnddd we were looking for a new car. Let’s just say car shopping sucks – BIG TIME. You think you have something in mind, but then you look at something else, like it, then another car catches your attention and you like that one, too. It’s almost like a never-ending cycle. Anyhoo, we found a car that is just my style and speed (2020 Honda Pilot EXL AWD), but guess what? I couldn’t do the financing on it because why? WE WERE STILL GOING THROUGH THE REFINANCING. Yes, since mid-February. Luckily, we were able to put some money down to hold the car until the refinancing went through – THANK GOODNESS FOR VERY KIND PEOPLE – and this past Friday our closing documents were signed, and we were able to pick up the car early Saturday morning. And in the midst of all of those things happening, we were both working and taking care of our household. We didn’t complaint about the hiccups that are all things adult that happened regarding the car and the refinancin; we were just grateful we were able to get something that will suit our family and is reliable. We were both sad that Janay had passed, but she lived a very fulfilling life despite her being handicap. She was so very truly loved by us and family friends. Now, she’s able to rest peacefully.

With all that being said, I want to thank you all for being patient with me in getting my life things in order, and to take the time to readjust and to decompress for a minute. My goal is to bring you content you will love and share with others. I want everyone to walk away from my blog knowing that you’re cared about, that you find pleasure in what you’re reading, and you take joy in knowing that things aren’t so bad after all. I’m also in the process of putting together my NEW office. Nothing fancy, but it will be special to me to have a place where I can hang out, chat, post and be laid back…never know there may be wine or cocktails involved. That should be fun, huh? I’ve ordered my desk, just waiting for it to arrive – hopefully soon, because I am excited for what’s next. Plus, I’ll be picking out some new wall art, lighting, storage and all things office. I’ll share the before, middle and after pictures with you soon. Plus, I’ll need some suggestions, I’m sure.

Thanks for your support.

Kimberly

Time to Spring Forward, but why?

Posted on by bumpuskimberly

I don’t know about you, but the idea of moving our clocks forward one hour is just wrong. It’s only been one day and I’ve been sleepy since I woke up. We’ve all gotten used to having that “one hour” of what we believed was extra sleep, but let’s be honest, in reality we’re all still waking up just plain ‘ol tired. Plus, with this pandemic that has now turned a year old, we could all use that extra hour..or two. But who are we kidding, it was bound to happen anyway; it does every year around this time. Anybody know why? No? Me either. What I’ve heard and been told is that it was to help the farmers have a longer time tending their crops, as opposed to trying to take care of their fields when it gets dark at like 5:00.

But what I am looking forward to is the freshness of spring itself. Things are new, the air is semi-fresh…I mean Denver and other states have just been dumped on with the snow, and the official start of the Spring season doesn’t begin until March 20th. I think we’re all ready to have a few more hours of daylight, plus that’s one step closer to summer. We all need it, that’s for sure. I want to be able to garden, to sit out on my deck sipping a glass of wine; to grill outside, to listen to the birds sing, and just being outside without having to put on a bunch of winter clothes. But let’s not get off track with what’s been going on in the world since this time last year. We’re still in a pandemic, and although the number or cases is declining, with more and more people getting vaccinated, now is no the time to become reckless. Am I ready for a much-needed vacay? Damn right. Am I ready to not wear a mask EVERYWHERE, especially in the summer heat? Absolutely. Am I ready to spend time with my aunt and uncle, cousins and close friends? Oh, my goodness yes. I also don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, either. I mean we can look at the news, and read the newspapers and know how opening everything up in some states at 100% is not an ideal thing to do. Not right now anyway. I would love to go sit on a beach with my feet in the sand, watching the waves, soaking up the sun, and watching my grand girls run around making memories, but I’m no fool either. I’m too suspish of what’s out there, or what’s next. I’ve learned that If we follow protocol and listen to those who are smarter than me, or us, the scientists, those who specialize in this field, we will all be one step closer in returning to what will possibly become our NEW normal. I am on pins and needles for that day to come, but in the meantime I will continue to practice social distancing, wear my mask, and practicing good hygiene…wash your hands, people; it’s not that hard. Plus, you should be doing that anyway, but I digress…let’s just all do our part.

We’re almost to the finish line, let’s not trip over ourselves and having this virus win the race.

Moments of the Week

Posted on by bumpuskimberly

So I celebrated my birthday on Wednesday, and my husband surprised me (he knows I don’t like surprises) with what else…cake and an unexpected Zoom party. So much fun! Of course, I fussed quite a bit about it for probably 30 minutes prior to the birthday gathering, but in the end I’m glad he planned it. He’s quite sneaky like that.

My cake was chosen by my granddaughter, Teagan – she’s 4. She chose a Moana cake. She really likes Moana. She wants to be Moana for her birthday. her birthday is in August, so she can be Moana when she turns 5. Bless her heart for choosing it.

My son, he’s 12, told me he dislocated his shoulder in his sleep one night. When he tells me things that make no sense, I give him serious side-eye, because I already know what’s coming next. He told me this because he didn’t want to attend jiujitsu that – Wednesday. He was able to play his video games with the same “so called” arm that he claimed to be dislocated. When I explained to him that he was using his arm to play a game on his phone, he insisted that he wasn’t using his arm, jus this hand so that was okay. He needs to pay special attention in Science class so he can know the ins/outs of tendons and nerves and muscles – same tendons, nerves and muscles that control his hands and fingers so he can play his game. He’s funny – he went to jiujitsu anyway. He was okay. His arm didn’t fall off. He ate tacos right after.

My family in Texas got hit with the extreme winter weather. My dad was hunkered down in his home, as was my sister and her family. They came out on the other side without any issues to their homes or health. Pray for those families who lost loved ones, had major damage to their homes, and everyone who is still trying to recover from this.

Don’t know about you, but I’m ready for the weekend. Be safe and see you next week for Moments of the Week.

Today I turned…50!

Today I turned…50!

Posted on by bumpuskimberly

Today I turned 50! (Insert happy dance, high five’s, electric slide or whatever dance your heart desires). I’ve had a wonderful birthday, but I’m sad. Not the type of sad because I’ve turned a half century old, but sad in the sense that my mother is not here to celebrate this fabulous milestone with me. Sandra, is…was her name. She was fantastic. She was funny, a great listener, my shoulder to lean on, and my most trusted confidant (besides my husband). She died from breast cancer almost 11 years ago. I still remember. It’s painful to think about sometimes. I cry..a lot sometimes. It’s okay that I do that, I’m just reminded how much I loved her and she so loved me, but I am so happy she’s resting, comfortably, and she’s with my brother, her son – he too taken way to soon. The lessons she taught me will remain until I close my eyes and take my final breath. She had been through so much in her time on earth. But the one thing I remember most about her is even with the shit she went through – losing a son, breast cancer twice, losing her mom, her youngest brother, the list goes on, she continued standing. Of course there were tears; there were times where I’m sure she felt beat down, wanting to give up. SHE DIDN’T. She stood. That is the one most important thing – KEEP STANDING. I know I’m going to sway, sometimes even stumble, but I’ll remain standing.

I treated myself to a birthday treat. I decided to celebrate my birthday, my womanhood, my strength, my grit, my awesomeness. I had a photoshoot. Side note – hadn’t done that in several years. I was happy that I did it. It was about me. My celebration. My milestone. I had so much fun. It was therapeutic. I guess I needed it….no, I did need it. I’m so glad I did it, and I’ll do it again.

So on my 50th Birthday, I celebrate my mother. Sandra was…is her name. I hope she would be proud of the woman I’ve become, of my tenacity, my strength, and me continuing to STAND. I loved her so, and she too so loved me.

Happy 50th Birthday to ME!

Valentine’s Day

Posted on by bumpuskimberly

A day of happiness and promises of being in love FOREVER is now in the books. I hope you all have a very HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY, especially spending it with the ones you love and cherish the most.

I spent the day before making cookies and showering my grandgirls so much love; I hope they will be able to look back when they’re older and realize how much they mean to me.

It’s cold here in Missouri. I hope the weather improves very soon – Mother Nature needs to get it together very soon. I think everyone is sick and tired of the snow and the below zero temps. My husband and I cooked dinner and we stayed in to watch a movie. Just spending time with him is my favorite thing to do. We work different shifts, and the only time I usually see him is when I’m kissing him goodbye in the morning before I leave and on the weekends. P.S. – If you have not seen or heard of Judas and the Black Messiah, it’s a must see. I will say that I have not been vigilant with learning about Black History. This movie showed me that my lack of knowing needs much improvement, as I believe knowledge is power.

My birthday is this week – I’m turning a certain age. Tomorrow, February 15, 2021, I will be taking pictures to celebrate. Hope you check back in the next few days for an update.

Kimberly