Getting Ready for the East Coast, Baby!

We are in countdown mode now - leaving for DC/PA/NY in a little over 24 hours! I can't believe it is finally here! I am the first to admit to the fact that I should know more of our American History considering how badly I have wanted to visit our Nation's capitol. I have wanted to go to DC since I was probably around 8 or 9, but I just didn't come from a family that traveled! We lived about 3-4 hours away from extended family and rarely even saw them? My parents were just not the "let's hit the open road and go somewhere" kind of parents. Our road trips included stress, and handwritten blood types and wills and who the kids should go to in case of accident or death!? Good times... good times!?

So - somehow, whether I was aware of it or not... I picked a husband who loves to travel! While we are not yet able to GO as far or as often as we would like, the desire is there and we have 'gone' more than anyone else in my family, that is for sure! I explained to him early on the importance of Family Vacations and we have been consistent to take at least one or two a year. Usually they are within driving distance and fairly low key! The point of a vacation is to relax and unwind, right?!

Well - along came SparkPeople and I met up with a handful of delightful, fun, creative women (you know who you are!) on the same journey of weight loss as I - and we all hit it off and became the Sisterhood! We are the self-proclaimed Sisterhood of the Traveling Crops! We talked for quite some time about traveling crops and retreats and finally began planning one. At first we thought it would be an annual event - but reality is setting in before our first official Retreat and we are realizing maybe every OTHER year is more realistic? At any rate... the location picked was just outside of Hershey, PA (Yeah - didn't I say we were all trying to LOSE weight?! LOL!?) I really didn't want to have to travel that far on my own... and since i have always WANTED to go to DC and it is so close... we just decided to plan our summer vacation around the Retreat!

We leave Sunday night... take the red eye and arrive in DC on Monday morning... we have plans to stick around Inner Harbor on Monday... go in to DC on Tues and Wed (and maybe Thurs too!?) and then we will head to PA for my Retreat! While I am busy scrapping with the Sisters.. my fam' will take in some sights in NY! I have to admit to being a little bummed that they are going to NY without me... but I am also super excited for them! Besides, I am pretty sure that I will be having a great time with the girls!!! So - while I am not so sure how much RELAXING we will squeeze in to THIS trip - we will hopefully get to see all of the things on our wish list!!!

Once I return home, I will dig into that Wedding Album job I have... all the papers are so pretty and it has taken some serious restraint not to start in on it now... but once I am in, I am all in! I will also continue to design for Hoorray.com - look for them to launch their new website in early July... and check back here for some Freebies/Prizes from them soon!

Oh - and lastly, while we are gone - we are packing up a new Post-It Pad and plan to put it to good use via Operation Beautiful all over the East Coast! For more info and to play along - check this out:

http://www.healthytippingpoint.com/2009/06/operation-beautiful.html

So... I hope you are all enjoying your Summers...
getting some rest and rays
and Scrappin' Happy!
~Karrilee~