What I'm up to right now.

Fall has finally arrived here in North Georgia. Or at least it feels like it. The mornings are in the 50's and the afternoon/evenings are in the 80's. It's absolutely perfect! I open the windows and it cools the house all day long. I love it!

This is the second week of school for my younger two girls, and the oldest has been in college for a month now. Everyone seems to be settling in quite well. My house is quiet and MUCH cleaner. LOL. I've used the last week and a half to get my house back in order from the chaos that is summer break.

Now.... NOW.... It's finally time to get back into MY world. It's time to knock out a couple of books, plan some giveaways, prepare for my next conference, and submerge myself into my fictional worlds. I've missed them so these last four month!

On the personal front, this is the time of year when I schedule all my yearly check-ups. Yesterday I had my very first dermatologist head-to-toe look for suspicious mole activity. The doctor removed three of them. Eek!! I should hear back about the biopsies in the next two weeks. My grandmother passed last year from melanoma so me, my sister, and my mother figured it was time to have a once over. It just happened to be my turn yesterday. I now have Band-Aids on my left shoulder, left thigh, and right hip. Two of the three are places that never even see the sun!

Work-related, I have lots planned for the next few months. I have blog posts planned for you, a few newsletters, and of course opportunities to win goodies and free books. Stay tuned for more to come!  :)

Off to College We Go

Today is move-in day for my oldest daughter. We're heading out in a few minutes with two car loads of her stuff, driving an hour south, and hoping it won't take too long to get her settled into her dorm room. I get to meet her roommate today, and hopefully her roommate's parents. Phone numbers will be exchanged and there will be lots of pictures before I leave her there.

I find it reminiscent of her first day of kindergarten. Lots of smiles, laughter, hugs, talking it up, and then saying good-bye. On that day, I made it all the way to my car before the tears began to flow. I'm anticipating the same scenario today. *Sniff, Sniff*

I don't know where the last 18 years have gone. It seems they flew by in the blink of an eye. When they're little you never think they'll be grown so quickly. All you worry about then is if they're eating enough, are they wet, why are they crying this time. You don't really think that the years will be gone in no time at all and you'll be driving them to college.  Eek!

I'm grateful she's ambitious enough to know what she wants to do with her life, and I have no doubt my determined, stubborn child will accomplish anything she wants to do.  I'm also thankful she's only moving an hour away! LOL. Mommy can go visit any darn time she wants to! :P

She's giving me that look now, so I better get off here and start driving. I'll come back this evening and update this post with pictures, as well as on my Facebook page.

Happy Friday!


EDITED TO ADD PIC 8/16:

I'm on vacation this week!

© Christie Silvers 2015
I'm finishing up P.M. Terrell's Exit 22.

It has been six years since my last family summer vacation. We had several years where we were caring for Tim's elderly parents, and then their passings. It took a while to get all that stuff in order. Kids stuff, work stuff, job changes, and even my own work events. Finally, FINALLY, we had a good year, Tim has vacation days again, and I'm determined to take my oldest on one more vacation before she leaves for college next month.

So here we are, toes in the sand and hoping the sunscreen holds out. Yet knowing, unfortunately, it won't. LOL. My 10 yr old is building sand castles and pushing my patience on the allowed distance she can go out to sea. My 15yr old is jumping in the waves and then tanning on a beach towel.

My 18yr old is sitting in the condo, probably watching some sort of anime on her laptop. *Face Palm*

I'm reading, people watching, and just enjoying the peace, waves, and sunshine. Meanwhile, the hubby is swimming in the ocean, causing panic when I look out and don't see his head bobbing. All in all everyone seems to be having a good time (even the condo-bound 18yr old), and that's all that matters to me.

I'll be heading home Friday, so until then be prepared to see lots of beach pictures floating around my social media pages. :)