...because home doesn't happen overnight.
03.28.13 / Leave of Absence

My boys’ spring break began at 2:27 p.m. today. At which point, they promptly put on shorts and t-shirts. BECAUSE IT’S SPRING BREAK, MOM! I reminded them that it was 45 degrees outside but it didn’t make any difference to them.

We are leaving early Friday morning to visit family in Florida for a week. I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to this trip. I’m so over Ohio weather right now. My grandparents live in Florida and we haven’t visited their house since Everett {my middle lil’} was a baby. We are driving with three kids so wish us luck!

I’ll be taking a leave of absence from the blog world. I hope you understand. HH has been working 12-hour days for months without hardly any time off – even weekends. He just arrived home this evening from a business trip. We both need some time to unwind, regroup, play with our kids and just be. We’ll be celebrating two birthdays while we are away too. Mabrey turns one {!} this Saturday and Everett turns five next weekend. You guys, my kids are growing up way too fast. Mama no likey.

If you want, you can keep up with our vacation adventures on instagram @housetweaking.

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My absolute favorite thing about road trips is READING. {Thank goodness I usually don’t get car sick while reading in the car.} I love to read but haven’t been able to set aside time for it much lately. I spent a small fortune on reading material for me and the kids {HH isn’t much of a reader} just for this trip. We are saving money by driving and staying with family so it’s justified, right?

For Everett – much to my delight, he’s finally starting to show an interest in reading…

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For Layne – he’s my bookworm and will probably have all three of these books finished by the time we cross the Florida line – not joking!…

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For Mama – that would be me…

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I was trying to pick some fun, happy reads – nothing too heavy or that would require a ton of thought. And I couldn’t help but pick up a few glossies as well…

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I’ll be back after our vacation with a bunch of new posts about the stripes in the boys’ room, the wall planter in the kitchen, plans for an outdoor dining area, a detailed look at the laundry nook, perhaps a vacation recap and Mabrey‘s birth story – among other things.

What do you have planned for spring break? Discovered any good books lately?

Florida or bust.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

27 COMMENTS
budget decor

27 Comments

Arli
28.March.2013

Safe driving and have a great trip! Hope you all get to relax and enjoy your family.

Hannah
28.March.2013

Its beautiful down here right now! You’ll love it. I’m planning on taking a vacation AWAY from Florida to Maine in a few weeks. I know. I’m crazy.

Enjoy your trip!

Stephanie
29.March.2013

Safe travels and soak up the sun! I highly recommend Bossypants by Tina Fey–a great vacation read!

Krista
29.March.2013

Have a great trip! Some of my best memories growing up were driving from Ohio to Florida to visit family on spring break. We did it every year and loved it!

Oh my gosh, The Art of Racing in the Rain is one of my favorite books of all time. I accidentally read it on the plane and I was ugly crying for the last half of my flight! I wonder what’s the difference between the grown-up version and the kids version?

Anne At Home
29.March.2013

Bon voyage! Hope you get some nice warm weather – it’s allegedly autumn here but it was over 30 C (about 86 F I think) here yesterday. I’m not complaining though. Enjoy your break x

Omali
29.March.2013

Have lots of fun in sunny Florida!! Enjoy your family and sending lots of blessings your way!!

kristiina
29.March.2013

Good for you! You’ll come home refreshed and probably full of a million ideas (I say that selfishly, obviously ;). Safe travels…

I am jealous that you can read in the car, I can hardly read my iphone without getting nauseous!

Have a great trip and don’t worry about us here, every blogger needs a vaca :)

Gillianne
29.March.2013

Good for the Miller family! Safe travels, and have a wonderful and relaxing time.

swoo
29.March.2013

I’ll be missing your posts…but family recharging time is more important! BTW, I bought my daughter the I Like Bugs book when she was learning to read. She loves the book so much that she wouldn’t let me pass it along to my niece…and my daughter is 11 now!
Have a great trip!

Marcy
29.March.2013

Charlotte’s Web – wow, there’s a throwback! I enjoyed reading when I was a kid, but I’m not a fan anymore. I think all the research/reading I had to do in college killed it. Ellen DeGeneres – she’s just hilarious!

Great that you’re taking time off to reconnect/recharge your batteries. I wish I could be on a flight to FLA right now (relatives in Dania Beach), but not a chance. Hopefully the weather will warm up quickly for you, but I know 60’s/70’s degree weather is nothing compared to 30’s and 40’s. Enjoy the rays!

Enjoy your time with your family! You, and they, deserve it!

I loved The Art of Racing in the Rain. Is that a children’s sequel you have there? I highly recommend the novel!

I hope you guys have an amazing vacation!! You totally deserve the time to unplug and be with your family. Enjoy! :)

kristen
29.March.2013

enjoy your trip! it’s chilly here in Florida but warming up this weekend! Just finished reading The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball. It’s a wonderful book about love, farming & food. Her memoir of going from NYC working woman to a farmer’s wife. I recommend it!

Shannon
29.March.2013

The weather should warm up nicely for you! :) It was chilly this week but will be back in the 80s on Sunday!

Kathleen
29.March.2013

Enjoy your trip. We’re still expecting weather in the 30’s on Monday so no spring in sight for us in Chicago. It’s gotta come soon, right? Right?! I have this insane urge to wash windows. I gotta troll Pinterest. Maybe it will go away!

Have SOOOO much fun in Florida on vacation. Will you let us know how The Honest Life and Seriously, I’m Kidding are. I’ve been wanting to read those. (And I don’t even have children yet AH!)

Sally
29.March.2013

Enjoy your vacation and family time!! I too would like to know what you think of the books you’ve selected to read:)

Bon Voyage!

PS: Happy Birthday to the kiddos as well:)

Elizabeth
29.March.2013

Oh my, is that a new domino I see? Must pick that up soon. Have a great trip!

Theresa
29.March.2013

I loved “Racing in the Rain”! I’m a magazine addict; I get more than a dozen but I pay very little (try Amazon, Magazines.com, or Best Deals Magazines). I can get most for $5-$8 for the year!
I was off this week and just purged, organized, donated, and cleaned. I also learned how to make my own fabric softener, laundry detergent, and hand soap. I’m ready to get serious about saving money and the environment! Have fun and enjoy your family!

Jenna
30.March.2013

HOLD ON…Is that a new edition of Domino magazine I see?!! For SMALL SPACES?!!

Lisa
01.April.2013

Our first Saturday of my 1st grader’s break included a trip to our library. Mom (thats me) didn’t get any, but he checked out Junie B Jones and Diary books. He reads at 2nd grade level and is so proud to read chapter books. We brought the books on our road trip to California, where we saw Mickey. This was his 2nd trip to Disneyland and his baby sister 1st. The whole family enjoyed his Spring Break, and I hope he still wants to spend his break together when he is in college. I hope you and your family enjoy your Spring Break!

katie m
01.April.2013

I did the same thing! I’m sure the girl next to me was less than pleased she had to listen to me whimper and blow my nose for half the flight. It was really an amazing book though.

Julie S
05.April.2013

I’m very much looking forward to the posts about the wall planter (it looks SO amazing – I will be waiting to see how it looks in 6 months :) ), Mabrey’s birth, and the outdoor dining area. Have FUN on your break!

I hope you all had fun this spring break! Looking forward to having you come back.