This post will be more of a personal nature, though since I love writing than just about anything, I’m sure something writing related is going to pop up.
For the past few days, my husband, four kids, and I have been on a vacation. They have Spring Break, and we decided to take some of the days they have to visit with the grandparents. (This is on my husband’s side. My parents have gone to be with the Lord.) We’ve been doing the usual stuff, taking walks on nature trails, letting the kids burn off energy at the pool and the parks, and visiting.
I’ll share one picture of two of the kids. The one in the white shirt has a real sense of humor and jokes around a lot. This picture really shows it, which is why I’m sharing it.
It’s been a fun and relaxing trip. We had some excellent temperatures, too. Summer is just around the corner. In my family, we love the pool and spend a lot of summer days there. I love sitting under an umbrella and writing on my laptop while the kids play. We used to go to parks all the time, but the oldest is now 12 and the parks are starting to become boring to him. So we’ve opted for the pool more often than not.
One nice thing about vacation is that I always come back refreshed and ready to write. (I knew I’d start talking about writing in this post. I can’t get away from it. Even when I’m on vacation, I’m thinking of what to put in my next book.)
And last night while the kids were swimming, I pulled out my laptop (which managed to get a 2-day reprieve from me) and started writing. This time, I was writing my novella “The Shy Groom” in the anthology A Groom’s Promise.
I also caught up on some reading in the car, but I’m still not done with Snake by Rami Ungar or The Daddy Pact by Kristy K. James. I did get a beta read in for Catherine Lynn. Progress is just slow when it comes to reading because I want to get the next book out, and in order to do that, I need to write it. I’m just going to have to accept it. I don’t read fast anyway, and it’s hard to get a lot of books in when you do good just to get in a full-length novel in a month. If it’s 500 pages, it’s longer. But see, I’m usually editing while I’m writing, too, so that all adds up to time taken out. So it is what it is, and I’ve finally come to accept it. This is why I love novellas so much. They’re easier to finish.
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Thanks for the shout-out. I’m not surprised you’re still working through it though: it’s a pretty dense book.
I really am enjoying it. I wish I could get through it faster.
Me too! I want to hear what you have to say about it.
I’m glad you’re enjoying your vacation. Since this is a busy time at work, none of us can take vacation in the spring. But I’m SO looking forward to mine in the early summer. We can’t afford to go anywhere for a week right now, but we might take a little two day trip or something. Or we might just hang around the house. 😉 Have fun, and come back ready to write!
We wouldn’t have gone except Tony’s parents happened to be in there and it was a way to see them. We live states apart, so when the opportunity presents itself, it’s a good idea to go. I’d like the kids to have this time to look back on when they’re older. I only knew one grandparent, and I saw her maybe three times in my whole life. Back then it wasn’t as easy to communicate long distance as it is now, but it’s still nice to see someone in person. 🙂 You got to take time out and enjoy time with those you love. Life is too short, no matter how long you get to live.
I love going and doing things outdoors. But seeing as the temps here are just now getting to be in the 40s there is not a lot to do just yet. Plus getting 108.6 inches of snow since like January 23, and half is still out there. Not a lot of places to go hiking, and no place to go swimming yet.. please send me the warm weather. I want to be outside.
I’m sending all the warm vibes your way. Once the spring bug bites, it’s hard to sit and wait for things to really warm up.
Honestly, I don’t know how you manage with all that snow. Even when I lived in Alaska, I don’t remember getting that many inches in one winter. The big thing was the cold and ice. I see the snow you guys get on the East and wonder how you manage to shovel it all.
Love the pictures of your boys. Hope you’re having a great time.
We had an awesome time. I want to do this stuff now while the kids are young enough to want to be seen with me. I know the day is coming when they’ll be “too cool” to go on vacation with the parents. 🙂