well hello there

i know it's been quite a long time since i posted but we've had quite a lot of things happening in the alley household. i thought i'd start with the 411 on the last couple months...just to catch everyone up.

• the diet/weight loss plan has been going really well...down 30 lbs. yay!
• apparently the gallbladder is not a very big organ but it can cause some big problems! i found out the hard way half of june and all of july. thankfully, surgery went well and recovery is going very well
• disney is still a magical, fun place even if you're recovering from surgery...our family {our whole family...all 9 of us} had a great time together.
• immediately our return from disney hubs and i boarded a plane and headed to boston. he had fun working while i had fun experiencing the great shopping, food, and sights in boston. i had a lot of fun exploring the city on my own during the day and then in the evenings i would take hubs back to experience the highlights. i unfortunately, though, did not taste any clam chowdah. i tried to broaden my foodie horizons and i did quite a bit but i didn't get to sample the chowdah. maybe next time.
• as soon as we returned home i was then in a mad dash to get ready for a hat and scarf party i co-hosted for a friend who is in treatment {chemo} for breast cancer. we had the best time loving on her and showering her with such pretty accessories.
• now? now i am enduring a grave injustice.........a summertime cold. seriously? how is it that i've been sick for a total of 7 weeks this summer with 1 week of reprieve and now i have a cold. i'll be honest that i'm not a fan but i'll stop whining now. i promise...i'm stopping. right. now.
• this week i'm preparing for my cousin's bridal shower which i'm co-hosting with my fabulous sister. i'm super excited about all of our fun plans...the shower will be so pretty and i just can't wait. i'm also seriously thinking over all the times i've thought that i'd like to be a party planner. the last couple weeks have fed that fun little desire...i do love planning parties {and bonus if it could be a party i wasn't hosting}.
• today i've spent my time cleaning {is it weird to admit that i really loved it...i didn't clean much with the gallbladder saga}, planning meals, answering emails and i was happy to be back in a normal routine. yay for normalcy!