WILD & WACKY TIMES WITH THE FAM!

Well the last two weekends have been crazy. The very last weekend in June I slipped over to Atlanta to see Nina for her birthday weekend. It was SO MUCH FUN!!! Friday night we enjoyed dinner & a movie at the house. Saturday morning Christian had an early morning baseball game. I really love watching coach pitch. The kids are so adorable. You can really see how much fun they are having!

Don't be afraid - the knife is just to ward everyone off from her yummy cake.

After the game Nina & I went for lunch by the marina & then went shopping. I LOVE the store Honey Butter in Woodstock. Then there is FoxTales - a precious locally run bookstore. Ooohhh also Christine's! The little community around Nina is quite charming. We always have fun. A little bit of trampoline time on the couch too....



The kids & I whipped up a yummy cake! Then Keith grilled some great steaks for dinner. The day was all about Nina... which I think she liked :)
Sunday was a different day - Nina and I worked on a home project of hers and it took a few hours to get everything pulled together but by the time I was headed home, we felt content with the project. ;o)

Last weekend we headed to the big city of Camden for a few days of food, fireworks & fun!

Aren't all "my" children adorable??
Mom & Dad graciously hosted this crazy clan of family! Pray for their sanity :o) We all really appreciate all the time & effort they put in so that we can all be together. The pool was sparkling & the food was sensational. We love you!
The pool is rarely this calm - we were all sitting at the picnic tables eating lunch. I thought it interesting that the water was just calmly waiting for our return. The volleyball net was probably breathing easier since no child or adult was dodging its threads! :)

Don't be fooled, this grin is full of mischief!

My husband's eyes are cutting to the side due to the food that is passing him by... yeah.

Jon's birthday happens to be July 4th so along with the typical homemade ice cream & barbecue we blew out some birthday candles! LONG hours in the pool made the weekend perfect. We also had this yummy punch that was, well... YUMMY!

My big brother Jeremy was able to stop by for some yummy dessert & to wish Jon a Happy Birthday!

The Quest of Dai: The Eroe

Okay before I put my weekend in Atlanta then Fourth of July pictures & post I have to take a moment to post about the book I read yesterday.

A few weeks back I participated in a charity auction for Bridget Zinn. She is a new author who in one year published her book, got married & also was diagnosed with cancer. Her cause is one that brought together many members of the writing community. They offered items such as signed books, ARCs, paraphernalia, etc.

I bid & won 2 items: a signed Stephenie Meyer "Eclipse" & a signed "The Quest of Dai: The Eroe" by Vivian Marie Aubin du Paris.

I had never heard of Vivian nor her book, but just the synopsis caught my attention. I was blessed to receive a direct email from Vivian & was pleased that she responded to a reply that I sent. I expressed to her my own writing goals and just enjoyed 'speaking' with another young woman who has/had dreams that are similar to my own - give or take the bunny. :o) (you will have to visit her site to understand that last bit).

I was excited to receive my personalized book and then came yesterday. The first day I had free of other reading/writing projects to open the cover; a beautiful cover with a majestic picture of a wooded area. I came home from work around 5:15 and as I sat on my couch I traveled to a world full of amazing people & places. Dai is the main character (Diamond Gold is her whole name - cool, huh?). She is a normal 18 year old from Indiana who only wants to enjoy the magic that Prom and your last years of High School bring. Who knew she was destined to save another world? The characters she meets are mysterious & in their mystery I lost myself. I fell in love with the one person who gives her more grief than anyone else - much like I feel she is falling in love with him. After 4 hours I closed the book. I had laughed outloud, balled my eyes out, gotten angry at the frustrating attitudes that we as humans tend to develop, and I ached for love lost. But thankfully this is book 1 of a trilogy....I just now need the other two books :o)
I could not breathe for about an hour. Literally I would sit on the couch with Marcus & Peanut, then I would just start crying. I ached for so many things in that book. I am now invested in the story. Vivian wrote a book that I many times in the past have found myself falling in love with. There is chivalry and the hilarious misunderstanding of people from different lands. Love, compassion, hatred, betrayal, confusion, & destiny flow through the chapters. Those things we think we would choose so easily become the difficult choices. How we see the world - the good we see in people is questioned by evil actions. Then there is the romance of two people who think that the other hates the first & vice versa. They internally fight the connection for fear that if they fall they will lose everything in the end & the pain of that is so unbearable that it is better to just deny it all.

I completely adored this book. It is fast paced so it is a quick read even for those who don't read as fast as I do. I cannot wait for the next two & so hope to see many more things from Vivian. She began this book when she was 18. It is now, I am sure, her pride & joy.

I also hope to one day share one of my own with her, for I may have found a kindred spirit from a far away land myself. It was a wise choice for a good cause and I will forever be grateful that I stumbled upon it. I only hope that Dai will look back on whatever choice she has to make & will feel the same.....

I pulled the trigger & did not even know it was loaded...

Everyone has their trigger: that word or movement or item that brings a memory back so fresh. It almost always is unexpected, especially when that trigger knocks us back into moments that took us by surprise to begin with. Tonight I found myself packing an overnight bag, collecting some books, arranging my iPod and I wrote down the date on a CD I was burning for my sister… I am going to Atlanta this weekend to see Nina, Keith & the kids for Nina’s birthday. I am going by myself so that Marcus can get some work done, plus they are going to Camden for the Fourth so he will see everyone then. My hand shook when I set the pen down and I got so nauseated. I found myself just sitting there and it took a few moments to register…it was the date that did it. The last days of June…

A year ago I took the same trip. Packed the same bag – even some of the same clothes; I went by myself last year too. Last year Stacie met me in Atlanta on her way down to Camden. It was a great trip – we celebrated my sister’s birthday, ate some yummy food, the kids finished up swim team, Nina & I were bouncing off the walls ready for New York, I was excited about seeing them the upcoming Thursday for the Fourth. The repetition is eerie due to its repetition, but I realized a moment ago that last year I wrote a blog entry when I got back from Atlanta all about the weekend and the fun we had…that blog entry is the last entry I made until August 2nd – the day we should have been in New York. I did not make a single entry in July 2008.
2 weeks after the Atlanta trip I was screaming my head off and terrified out of my mind. For some reason that fear hit me tonight like a brick wall. I just sat down beside my bag and just cried. You would think I had watched the saddest movie or read a tear jerker book. I could not & still cannot stop the tears. For a minute I just was trying to quit sobbing. I cannot imagine what people go through when they are hit with the memory of a loss but for me this was a loss that for a second I could not explain the grieving, but that is what I have done for the last 30 minutes – grieve. I grieved for a part of me that I had not even realized had died. That part that had always been excited about unknown weeks ahead & adventures yet to come, but also that part of me that plans extensively. Marcus has noticed that when we plan a trip lately I don’t come home within three days with “travel book”. So far I have waited until the week we are to go on the trip to compile information. Fear of the unknown and fear that if I plan and put my heart into it the world will just rip the plans away.

It physically hurts to be afraid of the rest of the summer – yes ridiculous isn’t it, I am afraid of the upcoming weeks. Terrified of repetition. I even threw in an odd shirt in my bag just to really mess it all up :o) Laugh at the pitiful girl – trust me I have to. Sorry for a bummer type of entry but blogging is my personal therapy. This is a new thing for me. I mean I have my fears but the unknown has never really been one of them. I tend to run head first, thinking later about the unknown. But in the last year, I have been more cautious and have tried to be more self aware.
Anyway, tomorrow I drive. I loaded new songs to the iPod, I have my camera for new pictures, I may buy a few new clothing items this weekend or something, I just know that mixing it up a bit in even the littlest way will help. Here is to a great weekend and an amazing rest of summer. Hopefully the repetition will be the comforting kind and the unknown will be the extraordinary kind. :o)

Sleep - Eat - Swim - Eat- Swim - Sleep - Eat - Swim - Eat - Sleep.... ah summer.

We went South last weekend to Camden for Father's Day. We were quite tired when we arrived but some wonderful Chicken Salad on Croissants, fruit, fruit dip & chips were waiting for us... goodness it was so good we woke right up. Well we at least woke up enough to slip into the pool for a few hours. :o) The water was so warm it was like a huge hot tub set on just the right temperature. Mom, dad, Marcus & I just floated and talked. It was so nice. Saturday was a warm, cloudless day. The water was still warm but cool enough to be refreshing. By 9 a.m we were an hour in and stayed until around noon got out, ate, went back in, got out around 6, ate, went back in. Do you see the pattern here? lol.

We had so much fun. Eric, Mindy, Coy, Colton & Hannah all came down and the kids had fun playing in the pool. It is always so nice to see them. The boys are growing up so fast! Hannah is just a little doll. She is so sweet & really coming along with the swimming. They all asked if we would be there the 4th. It is a wonderful feeling being loved by your nieces & nephews. I never really had that type of relationship with my parents' siblings. My dad's were so much older than him & my mom's just were not close geographically. This time though, I get to spoil them rotten. I get excited every time I get to visit with them and sad when it is time for them to go.

The summer this year is a whole new kind of HOT. I mean what is the deal? Every day I walk to my car at lunch, every day I grimace at the temperature of 105, 111, even 121 last week that my car is at. Then as I try to enjoy my lunch the lowest it goes is 99. Dude, what is the deal???? It would not be so bad if say it were end of July or August, but um, middle of June? Way too hot, too early.

So as I type this I realize that there is still so much summer left. So many more days of sauna like heat and steamy afternoon storms; but there are also beach trips, volleyball games in the pool, sales, family gatherings, reunions, books to read, books to write, cool evenings inside, good food to eat... so the balance is quite in my favor. I hope your summer is a hot one with loads of entertainment. :)

Whirlwind weekends...

So we slipped away last weekend to see Robert & Ramona.

It was a lot of fun. A whirlwind, but a lot of fun. We needed the escape. Though we travel a great deal of the time we find that the trips aren't always 'relaxing'. This one was actually quite relaxing. We spent the day in Galveston at the beach on Saturday then that night we relaxed under the stars in a hot tub. It was quite nice.

We ate some Shrimp Kisses at Fish Tales on the beach - YUMMY!! Butterflied shrimp with a pepper cheese on top then wrapped in bacon.... oh yeah. :o)

By the way Robert & Ramona have pets... not a dog or cat.... birds. They have birds. Okay I love to see birds eating the food in my backyard that I put out. Nothing is cuter than a parrot on a tropical island... but these are birds that randomly land on your: shoulder, leg, arm, chair, table..or head. Yes I was the victim of Sugar's love for blonde hair.

Then Tazoo bit Marcus while I took a shower. No worries though Sugar decided she liked both of us. Tazoo stayed in the cage for most of the visit. It was very different. I have to say though Robert & Ramona are very taken with them & it is obvious the birds are quite fond of them as well. It is a cool set of pets, just different for us dog owners. :o)

Sunday we found time to do some shopping and I found an adorable dress and purse. LOVE THEM!!! Then we caught a plane & found ourselves back in T-town. What a crazy weekend!

Memorial Day... Pensacola Beach 2009

Oh we had a wonderful Memorial Day at Pensacola Beach. The first day was a bit sketchy high winds (like 20 mph gusts) and rain threatened to create a very enclosed weekend but by mid day the winds were becoming slower & the sun was glowing through the clouds. The waves though... wow! I am not sure I have ever seen the Gulf with such high crests! It was beautiful!

We sat on the beach and sunned a little then on Sunday everything was as it should be - GORGEOUS beach weather. Oh it was wonderful. Regan & Riley loved the easy access pool & hot tub.
The waves were calmer than the day before but also still very high. It was a yellow flag day so everyone hit the water carefully. It was clear - no jellyfish or seaweed - and cool. John (Mike & Rhonda's little boy) was buried in the sand. I don't mean like sitting down or lying down I mean standing up buried to his chest. It was hilarious. Eian dug the hole & dropped him in it. Then they just filled it in! Crazy.

Marcus & I were staying with Robert & Ramona at a beautiful home on the beach called the Tiki House. It was HUGE; fully equiped kitchen, gigantic living room, game room (big screen with a bunch of game systems) then a traditional game room (air hockey, pool, ping pong & foosball), private pool, hot tub, and fenced in back yard. It was awesome. There was 21 of us staying in the house. Ramona's family had come down from Utah, Kansas & Tennessee.
We had some wonderful cooks in the house & the meals were great. Marcus & I of course made time to head to Peg Leg Pete's... twice. :o) Rob, Regina & the girls stayed as well & we had some great times swimming, playing cards, ping pong, just relaxing. It really was a great time. I did somehow manage to NOT blister my face, shoulders & chest, but somehow DID blister my legs... very bizarre. It usually is a trial to get a good tan on my legs but for some reason Sunday's beach time gave me the red of a lobster. lol Today though it is a deep dark brown so I am happy - even though it was painful to get to this point.
We so wanted to stay and play in the sand for longer but our Nutter was in Camden & we missed him. So we headed to mom & dad's to get our baby & get home. Marcus developed a summer cold after the trip & we are still fighting through it - he also has given me the sniffles... darn him.

Oh & by the way.... TWILIGHT won 5 of their 6 nominated awards at the MTV movie awards on Sunday. But the MOST important part was the sneak peek of NEW MOON! If you are interested, scroll down a good ways and you will see the video player. Enjoy.

Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert

Eric, Mindy, Marcus & I went up to Pelham to see Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert & Lady Antebellum. It was a fun night out! All 3 were a lot of fun to see on stage!

Miranda was a ball of energy on the stage!

I love the pink guitar!

Then to the delight of the crowd her boyfriend Blake Shelton came on stage & performed with her.

Then of course there was Kenny.....

Mothers Day, Birthday, Swimming, = FUN!

This past weekend was Mother's Day & my father's birthday. We headed to Camden of course - both moms are there. My sister & her family were coming in from Atlanta & wouldn't you know we each arrived about 15 minutes apart.
Yep so rather than getting us in two chunks where the kids might calm down a bit or we get settled.... we all arrived together. Mom & Dad were a bit flustered after about 5 minutes of 3 dogs, 4 kids & 4 more adults infiltrating their home. :o) But they love us so no biggie... right mom? *wink*wink*
After we all got settled, fed our faces and shipped the kids over to my brother Eric's house; Nina & I began to make Dad's birthday cake. It was a strawberry cake recipe I got from Paula Deen's show. OME! This cake is so yummy. It is real strawberries, no food coloring, yummy cream cheese/strawberry icing and just plain good!!
You have to puree a lot of strawberries & well we were missing some rum or else we would have had some awesome daiquiris! No sprite either so the virgin kind was out the door as well. Bummer.
Nina & I proceeded to peruse the internet for a bit then we both began reading on some books I had brought home. It was late into the night that we switched off the lights and all crawled into beds.
Saturday a.m. came bright and early. Earlier than I expected really... Nina had lost a crown on her tooth on Friday & happened to have called her childhood dentist (the one my mom still sees) and he VERY nicely agreed to meet us in Selma to put it back on - no charge and the office is closed. It is so great to be from rural Alabama. :o)
So we scooted about an hour above Camden and in 10 minutes her tooth was fixed and we headed to the mall for some last minute shopping. I had fun because I would just bring Nina dresses and make her try them on - it was like Life Size Dress Up Barbie. I loved it! lol We found 3 dresses on the clearance rack - $25 each. These are $100 or more dresses!! She got two I got one. IT WAS GREAT. We also found some last minute birthday/mother's day gifts.
Once we got back to Camden around 11:30 a.m. it was: LET'S GO SWIMMING TIME. So everyone slipped into bathing suits, we got the kids back from Eric, and dove into crystal clear water in my parents' back yard. The sun beat down and we played & played. Dad, Eric, Keith, Marcus, Jeremy - all the guys fixed Cajun Blackened Catfish & Fried Catfish for lunch. IT WAS SO YUMMY! Dad was thrilled with all of his presents and the cake went over beautifully. Erica & John even made it out to swim and eat. The 23 of us had a wonderful time.
Saturday night Marcus & I headed to his mom's to spend the night. We sat up talking for quite sometime, catching up on all the Camden news. Then on Sunday we fixed a big elaborate lunch: Steak, Salmon, Grilled Onions & Squash, Green Beans, Salad, Corn on the Cob & Coconut Custard Pie. OME! Just relisting all this stuff makes me gain 5 pounds!!! lol
The weekend was wonderful. I am so glad that we were able to spend it with family. I was surrounded by mothers. My mother is one of my closest friends. My sister - an amazing mother - is another of my closest friends. Their guidance, their generosity to their families, their view of life is so precious to me. I see my nieces/nephews and am proud everyday that they are mine. I cannot imagine if they were my actual children.
My brothers, my sister and I were raised by a mother who allowed us to be curious, to explore our own interests, to understand that differences do not define you and that love is the most important emotion in life. She gave us a reason to want hugs and a need for companionship. She instilled in us that lessons are learned from mistakes so don't fault yourself into thinking that regrets can control you or should be allowed to influence your decisions. She taught us that a switch/tree limb is not just for fruit or leaves to hang off of. She taught us that closing doors while the air conditioning is running means she won't be hollering at you later. She taught us that when you are married you do things for your spouse - not because HE/SHE is your spouse & it is expected of you but because if you love someone you do the little things for them without question, without reservation. You do it because you want to. Life often puts us into categories, little slots, but mom never did. I am thankful everyday for her and I pray that more people are as lucky as I am. This world needs more mothers like mine.....