Look Who's Two!!

Q is two! My wheel-of-fortune lovin', twinkle singin', phone talkin', "muppin"-handed nephew Quinn is TWO YEARS OLD today! It's hard to believe that this little chunky monkey...



has grown into this amazingly handsome, incredibly intelligient, insanely adorable little man so quickly.



I love our talks on the phone and our time spent together, even though it's not nearly as often as I would like. Buddy, I hope you know how very much I love you!

Happy Birthday, Quinn!

One year...

...since I said good-bye. I thought it would get easier, but it hasn't. Maybe it will. I wonder how long it takes for it to get easier. One year, but it seems like just yesterday. August 21st will be a day I'll never forget, but not for reasons we like to remember dates. Birthdays, anniversaries, special events, big plans. Those are dates that we remember with ease, with smiles. The other ones we don't forget, marking the end of life, at least here on this earth, are stained with tears. Tears, not for what he lost, but selfish tears, for what I lost, what I miss. Tears of relief, because he suffers no more. Tears of jealousy, because he is celebrating and I am hurting and sad. Tears of joy because so much of him is in who I am.

I miss my dad so much! I think about him all the time, and remember his funny, quirky ways. I am so thankful for the years we had with him, for the memories we made, and for the people he touched. And through my sadness, I rejoice, for he is celebrating with the King for eternity!

I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. John 11:25-26




See ya soon, Dad!!

Spontaneous St. George

Yesterday evening, Wade & I were eating some seafood at a place on the coast that we like, about 20 minutes from home. It was still early, and we decided to head down to St. George Island for a little while. We got down there, it was beautiful (of course) and we just walked for a while. There was hardly anyone on the beach, so it was nice and quiet. I took A TON of pictures. We met a couple that was visiting the island for the first time and became fast friends with the two of them. Overall, a successful evening!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Most Amazing Sister

Beautiful. Strong. Inspiring. Faithful. Understanding. Funny. Caring. Smart. Sacrificial. Tender. Witty. Brave. Patient. Friendly. Sexy. Hard-working. Compassionate. Sensitive. Supportive. Courageous. Gracious. Genuine. Encouraging. Honest. Generous. Intelligient. Considerate. Kind-hearted. Humble. Silly. Giving. Selfless. Candid. Diligent. Adventurous. Gifted. Admirable. Trustworthy. Sincere. Wife. Mother. Daughter. Granddaughter. Niece. Aunt. Sister-in-law. Sister.

My sister, who also happens to be my best friend, turns 29 years old today and boy, does she look good for her age!

We've been together from the beginning. Well, almost. I got a 14mth head start, but who's counting?



One of my all time favorites...



The beach...



We've seen the Olympic torch together...actually, we've seen the Olympics together!



Boston...



And even, Italy...



Her Wedding Day...


and my Wedding Day...



I wouldn't be who I am today without my sister. She is an incredible women, and I consider myself blessed to call her not only sister, but friend.

Happy Birthday, Barbie!! I love you!!

Lord, I thank you for my sister and the blessing she is to everyone who comes in contact with her. I pray that this year would be overflowing with blessings from You. I pray that You would touch her in a special way this coming year. I pray that her marriage and children would be blessed. I pray a hedge of protection around her and her family. Thank You for who You are in her life. Amen.

Head over to her blog, Halabys Go Upstate, and wish her a Happy Birthday!

Pensacola/Destin

This weekend, we decided to get out of town and wanted to go over to Pensacola. The National Museum of Naval Aviation is there on the Navy base, and it's been said to be comparable to the Air & Space Museum in D.C. The museum was great! Lots of neat old planes to look at, cool exhibits from the different wars, and an extensive collection of military uniforms/patches from all different eras. We also watched 2 different IMAX movies. We had a good time, and it kept us in from all the rain from the weekend. We didn't get to take the trolley tour to see the other planes outside because the trolley was broken, so we'll have to do that next time.

Here's Wade in front of one of his favorite planes.



There's also a cemetery with markers of thousands of servicemen/women. It was humbling to read all the of markers, with men & women having served in all branches of the military, and from World War II up through the Persian Gulf. I'm so thankful for the brave men & women that have fought for the freedom of our country.





On Sunday, we headed to Destin, one of our favorite beaches. The water there is ALWAYS so clear and blue. There was a nasty looking storm cloud looming over us, but we did stop long enough to get a good look at the water. Even overcast, the water is amazing.

My man.



The scary cloud.



Hopefully, next time we get to go for a weekend, the sun will be shining and we can enjoy it a little longer!

Our babies are growing up...

Do you see what these are? Any guesses?



Yes, those are eggs. Not just ordinary eggs though. These DID NOT come from the grocery store. Our girls are finally laying eggs!! We have 4 so far! I knew it wouldn't be long, since our male of the house (not Wade!) has been cock-a-doodle-dooing ALL. THE. TIME. I thought they were only supposed to crow when the sun comes up, but either that's a fib or our boy is an overachiever. He crows all day long. It was cute the first couple of days as he was "learning" and "practicing". Now, he's about got it down.

Here's a couple of our little egg producers and their "stud":






Hard to believe that just 6 months ago, this is what our babies looked like:



I guess we can't call them our babies anymore...

Saturday Morning Treasures

Got a late start this morning...we didn't leave the house until about 7:15. The last few weeks we haven't been finding good deals until later in the morning anyway, so this wasn't a big deal. Not a great day, but not awful either.
Here are a few of my finds:

Fun little never burned candles in different types of glasses (a mini martini glass, wine glass, etc.). All 6 for $1.00



A little "knit kit" with instructions on all different knitting projects. This is one of those things on my "to learn" list. It even has needles in it!



And my favorite for the day: The clear apothecary glass was only 50 cents, and the awesome amber-colored canister was only $1! I love them! I haven't decided what to do with them yet, but I'm sure I'll come up with something.



I also found a couple of books for 25 cents each, and hubby found several treasures of his own.

I also wanted to share my favorite finds from a couple of weeks ago.

2 Fireking bowls (1 in green & 1 in blue) and a vintage Pyrex dish in "flamingo pink". I love them!



Well, those are my treasures! We may skip next week, but who knows. I can't wait until next time!