Julie Gumm - Author

Early Anniversary Trip

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Well my bloggity vacation ended up extending a bit past my real-life vacation so now I’m playing catch up.

But the first week of August Mark and I disappeared to Cozumel, Mexico for an early anniversary trip (we celebrated 18 years last Sunday).

As always, this was a frugal vacation. Really, my husband rocks at these. First, air fair was free (used airline miles), our 6 night all-inclusive resort stay was just a few hundred dollars (partially covered with airline miles) and everything else was done on the cheap.

This was the view out the lobby of the hotel…

It was right next to the “adults-only” pool. Let me tell you something about “adult-only” pools at all-inclusive resorts. Between 8am-1pm they are blissfully quiet. But as soon as the swim-up bar bartender shows up all bets are off. We ended up spending most of our time at the family pool. Yes, while we were on a kid-free vacation. That’s how bad it was 🙂

We ate a very weird variety of foods, but could always rely on the chips & guacamole. Or at least Mark could. Avocados are the one food I detest.

But we ate every meal staring at the ocean. One night at dinner there was the most amazing blood-red sunset. This pic does NOT do it justice but I didn’t have my good camera with me.

We took the ferry over to Playa Del Carmen then took a bus down to Tulum to see the ruins. It was hot, and humid as you can tell by Mark’s shirt.

I spent one entire day like this…

We got incredibly lost looking for this… (but fortunately it’s a tiny island so you can’t get really, really lost)

Mark stopped to ask for directions…

Okay, it wasn’t THIS lizard, but it was a lizard (he says gecko) that he rolled down his window and hollered at.

We climbed the lighthouse. The man said “When you get to the top be sure to watch your head.” As he was climbing Mark even read the sign “Watch your head.” And then he promptly banged his own head.

We had a lot of laughs and thoroughly enjoyed our much needed time away together. We used to do trips together at least once a year (even if it was only a 3-day weekend) but this is the first non-work-related trip we’ve been on together since Luke & Beza came home 2.5 years ago. Yes, long overdue.

We are so blessed that both our parents live in town and are willing to take the kids. They had a blast at the grandparents (having since grown weary of their parents summer schedules) and were not even sad to see us go.

We’re already scheming for our next one 🙂

Nothing new?

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A couple days ago I noticed someone had found my blog by Googling the phrase “i would buy my kids clothes anywhere but the thrift store”. I’m sure they were sorely disappointed.

But my friend Kelley posted this video link of a TED talk and I thought it was pretty interesting.

I’m not sure I would be showing pictures of my underwear to the audience, and while her style is definitely different than mine I’m sure any one of us could accomplish the same thing.

Review: No Biking in the House Without a Helmet

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If are adopting or have adopted from Ethiopia and have not heard of Melissa Fay Greene then one of either two things is true – you live under a rock or you hate to read.

Her book “There’s No Me Without You” is part memoir of Haregewoin Teferra, who took in AIDS orphans, and part medical history chronicling the spread of HIV/AIDS in sub-saharn Africa. At nearly 500 pages it wasn’t light reading but it was moving, inspiring and infuriating all at the same time. (The infuriation was aimed at the fact that so much of what is happening there is preventable. But that’s another post.) It’s pretty much required reading for all Ethiopian adoptive parents – or it should be.

So when I saw she had a new book out, I knew it had to go on my must-read list. Imagine my delight when the author appeared on Twitter, followed me, and then asked if I’d be interested in reviewing the book.

I admit I don’t always read the introductions to books but I’m glad I did. I was laughing out loud by the second page.

Greene’s new book chronicles the creation of their beautiful, yet admittedly chaotic family – four children by birth, 5 adopted children from Bulgaria and Ethiopia. Their story is told with heartfelt honesty, revealing Greene’s struggles with post-adoption depression (hello, I can relate to that), detailing fist-fights and name calling and yet uncovering one clear truth – this is a family built on love…and humor.

At 350 pages I couldn’t speed through it as I do most books, but on the other hand I didn’t want to. I wanted to hang out with the Greene family as long as I could, laughing my way through the pages.

No Biking in the House Without a Helmet on Amazon.com