"Kicking and Screaming"

Eh.

Spring break is officially over. I think it's actually harder on me than anyone else in the house because I've been out for almost two weeks! I'm entering the work week kicking and screaming...

I thought I would post some pics of my travels abroad. I've spent the last two days pretty much recovering on the couch or in my bed! It was a great couple of weeks with family.

The first set of pics are from my trek to Springfield to see my sis and her family. My parents and sibling Bill and his family joined us for a couple of days.

I flew back on Monday and we left Tuesday morning on a quick family vacation with the boys to Atlanta. Both trips were a total "blast from the past" as I remembered lots of memories from Springfield including my weekend with the girls and then my OTHER week with the girls in Atlanta. The picture in front of the Coca Cola mural in Atlanta Underground and from on top of Stone Mountain are for them...hope they bring back good times. We all could use that.

(I didn't take any pictures at the mall we shopped at with Matt's aunt but I did go there also.)

We also went to the Atlanta Aquarium which was awesome! A must see if you have kids! I was dying to take the guided tour of the CNN building but that didn't fly with the kids! Matt has promised to take me back alone so I can do it...

We took a chance with priceline.com and bid on a four star hotel. It was terrifying as you only get to pick the area of a town that you stay in and the rating but not the hotel in particular. We ended up at the Glenn Hotel in downtown Atlanta and it turned out to be really great. It's not especially "family focused" as it's a pretty swanky hotel that's really modern. Definitely 4-star, though. (Click on the hotel name to go to their website. I've included it for my buddy, Di because she would LOVE this hotel! ) We figured that some celebs would be spending the night based on a conversation that we overheard and I was so excited to run into one of my favorite reality tv guys! His name is Jeffrey Chodorow.

Mr. Chowdorow starred on "The Restaurant" as the co-owner of Rocco's in New York. I came to really love him and his savvy business smarts. It was great to see him in action at the bar of our hotel!

Here he is behind me being really important on the phone! He was so stressed out! I was kind of worried about him?! Had he not been screaming at someone about something not being approved, I surely would have sent him a drink! Oh well! :)

We were definitely fish out of water in that kind of hotel. We quietly asked how much to tip the concierge and the valet guys. We were shocked at how much a candy bar costs in the wet bar and I purposely strolled around in the bathrobes...just because they were available! It was the first hotel that I felt completely comfortable laying on the comforter and napping and frankly...that alone was worth every dime we spent. I highly recommend getting your hotel this way and going for nothing less than 4-star! It's a whole new world of vacationing!


(The lined the hotel hallways with plants...very "fung shey"!)

When we got back, Matt's parents were waiting at our house and we have finished the break out with them. That is always tons of fun.

SO...it's been great and I'll remember these past few days fondly. I hate being so far away from our families but I do love that time spent with them is always very "quality".

Enjoy!


Me with my nieces and nephews

Me and Jeannie

An Elevator shot



Gazing at the Springfield skyline



Dad treated us to a Seafood Buffet.






More elevator shots...the elevator at The Glenn would talk to you!



Atlanta Underground

Jo taking it easy at the hotel!

Atlanta Aquarium...so beautiful!

The sharks overhead!

Centennial Park where they have honored the Olympics

Stone Mountain

I can barely do "heights" anymore so I was on all fours here, trying to not roll down the mountain! Not as fun as I remember it when I was 19!