My Three Wishes

For my 9th birthday I took some friends to see the new Disney movie- Aladdin. I liked the movie, but what I really loved was to dream about what my three wishes would be. I remember lying in bed at night coming up with my grand plan of what I would wish for. Looking back, I think nine might be a little old for believing that I might find a magic lamp with a genie inside, but it kept me dreaming!

So, the consensus on my three wishes was some variation of this:

Wish 1: I wished to be 30.
Wish 2: I wished to have a family- husband and children.
Wish 3: I wished to have a house.

Here is why:

Even when I was 9 years old I was ready to grow up. Why, you might ask? This will lead you to wish number 2.

Wishing for a family could be considered two wishes (husband and children), but in my mind I made it one! I have been wanting to be married with babies since I was 9 years old. I used to pretend I was pregnant ALL the time! I had the perfect ball to put under my shirt, and I would play pregnant lady all day long! I was a weird kid, I know! So, my family hasn't been too surprised by me being pregnant most of my married life.

Wish number three was a house for my 30 year-old self and my family. I love houses, always have. I was introduced to looking through the real estate section of the newspaper when I was seven and my parents were house hunting. It has been a favorite activity of mine ever since then. I love everything about houses. I love real estate, I love decorating, and I dream of doing a total gut-job to a house.

I was reflecting on my life today and thought back to my wishes. How lucky am I? I got all of my wishes (minus the being 30 part)! I am twenty-six years old with the most wonderful husband, three beautiful, healthy little boys and a cute little house. Everything from here on out is just icing on the cake! I truly am living my dream, and sometimes I need to sit back and remember that so I can appreciate every minute of it!

Dreaming of Vacation

Life with three little boys keeps me pretty busy. My house is loud, chaotic, and there is a never-ending list of things I should be doing (laundry, dishes, more laundry). When I choose to ignore this list, one of my favorite things to do is look for vacation destinations.

It relaxes me to even dream of being able to go to the beach and lay there reading my chick-lit without anyone telling me to cook them breakfast or get them more milk. The past couple of weeks I have been looking for places to go, so I thought it would make a good post.

I love to travel. I used to consider myself a world traveler, but since the kiddos I have evolved to more of a close-to-home traveler status. I would sign up for the Amazing Race in a heartbeat if I didn't have 3 little boys who I can't be away from. I think J.P. and I would totally dominate!

I have spent many a nap time researching places I would love to go. So, here is my list. Some are tried-and-true and some are new.

The Maldives

I was lucky to go here with my husband on our way home from India in 2005. I think I will spend the rest of my life trying to get back there. It is my heaven- turquoise waters, white sand beaches only accessible by boat or seaplane, shallow waters and sunsets to die for. We stayed at the One & Only Reethi Rah and it was over and above a 5 star experience. I have even trained my kids to say that they want to go to the Maldives. When flipping through travel magazines I find myself picking out pictures of The Maldives without even knowing where the picture was taken. I can't imagine a place more beautiful! I think J.P. will take me back someday, if only to make me stop asking!


Seaside

We have taken two family trips to Seaside and have another one planned over Thanksgiving. I cannot imagine a more perfect family vacation. Seaside is a picturesque community reminiscent of the 1950s. It is made up mostly of homes- which is ideal for traveling with children (full kitchen, laundry, plenty of space). The town is centered around shops and restaurants. Everything is in walking distance, and a car will sit unused for the whole vacation. There are multiple pools as well as a gorgeous beach. While I was initially turned off because most of the houses are not beach-front, there are many that have rooftop decks which offer amazing views of the Gulf. I hope my children will grow up with many memories of summers spent in Seaside.

Greece

I think Greece would be the perfect compromise of vacation for J.P. and me. I love ocean and beaches, and he is a major history buff. We could stay somewhere overlooking the Mediterranean (like here) and then hop on over to Athens for some historical tours. Maybe someday...

California

While this is not really my dream vacation, it is what I am trying to cook up at the moment. J.P. and I could use a weekend away and we have tons of free flights in the U.S., so we find ourselves looking in Cali. I have found some gorgeous places, but am still looking for suggestions- send them my way!

Antarctica

I would love to do this just to say I did it! I am not a cold-weather person, I would probably complain the entire time, but I think it would be really cool to say I have been to Antarctica. However, I doubt it will ever top my priority list.

And just for fun, here are a few randoms...


Taj Mahal, Agra, India
Lake Tahoe

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Now it's your turn to tell me your favorite place in the world! Where have you been that you would go back to over and over again if you could? Where would you go if you could go anywhere in the world? I need new places to dream about!

PS- If you comment anonymously please include your name!