A few other July happenings-

Seriously, where has July gone? I had all these extra pictures on my camera that I didn't put in here. So here goes....

Look at us- quite the patriotic family on the 4th I must say!
We celebrated Josh's 30-something birthday. We even surprised him with something x-tra special every day of the week. Why not? He IS our special man!
(LOL- the girls had problems with the frosting on the cake, but still tasted yummo)
We celebrated my Mom's 60-something birthday the week after. Can't par-tey too much in July.
(LOL again- yeah, we are not winning any awards anytime soon for the cake decorating!)
Thought this was too cute. Lauren helping Daddy in the 100+ degree "deep in the heart" of TX heat.
Our first tomato in our garden... HOORAH...I was doubting my green thumb for a bit until this arrived. ("Herb" really looked pathetic for awhile)
Good friends & tubing and lake-ing it.
Our little fishy Hannah and swim lessons.

Okay, that's that.

Hello August.

Coldplay Concert Surprise

I heard from a friend (thanks, Brenda) that Coldplay was still on tour. We tried to get tickets last year...but didn't want to dish out a ton of $. I decided to see if they were coming to Dallas...and it was sold out, but was this Tuesday! So on Sunday I decided to search and search for decent tickets. And those of you that really know me, know I love a search and a bargain. And of course, I am an Ebay freak. I figured that we once bought at clawfoot tub on there, why not try for concert tickets? I tried and tried and failed. Tried again...and got the deal of deals!

Josh knew I had something up my sleeve. I didn't tell him anything. I picked him up at work and we took off. I told a few people (jokingly) that he was going be so excited about this that he was gonna pee his pants. And I am not kidding (this is how well I know this man) that we were sitting down and he said,
"I am just so excited, I just might pee my pants!!" LOL




Okay, so we arrived and it was 103 degrees in the car thermometer. Oooookay. Then we were looking for our two aisle seats and....they had a big camera in them! What now?

Well, we whined and stomped our feet (kiddin'!) and they booted us up in the front section. I am talking just TWO seats from a stage that they did some songs on! Totally awesome I tell you. Josh frequently rocks Coldplay on his guitar and piano, so he was in Coldplay/guitar bliss.

In our luck, it ended up being such an incredible show with incredible seats and although we sweat out a couple quarts..... it was a night that we felt like we were in high school again! (even though that was decades ago, ugh.)


These next two pictures are not zoomed, Chris Martin right in front- playing just for us. (ha!)

2009 Atlanta Girl Weekend

Make new friends,
Keep the old-
One is silver
And the other gold.

(Yes, you can put a tune to it if you were once a Girl Scout!)

It was time again for a girlfriend get-away. All we could say was hooray! It takes awhile for all 5 of us to get everything coordinated between kiddos/job/husbands (and do this every 2 years) but it's so worth it in the end. We all came in again from California, Ohio, Virginia, Texas (that would be me!) and Keri from Georgia picked us all up. We went to the Blue Ridge Mountains and stayed at "Serenity in the Mountains Spa". Amy found it online in Ohio....and we all didn't actually know what to expect...but it totally exceeded our expectations in soooo many ways.

From the enormous luxurious suite to the top-of-the line spa....all we could say about it is that it ROCKED! We dove into the chocolate covered strawberries, wine, cheese...you name it, it was all-girl spoiling time. We laughed until our bellies hurt with stories about the days gone and the days present.

Not much changes in the comfort and love that we have for eachother over the ... how many years?! From playing Barbie's for hours together one day, to now having daughters playing Barbie's- this is what true friendship is. We all were a tad crazy "back in the day", and can be a bit goofy now too. Authentic lifelong BFF's is what we are.


Here we all are glowing and r e l a x e d after an hour massage and an hour facial-

Getting those toes all pretty...

At a local mountain restaurant where some of us ate fresh fish caught from the river below us- (and uh, for FREE?)
(yep, girls...the tattoo from the gumball machine is still on me!)

Downtown Atlanta- eating, catching up, looking (and laughing hysterically) at old photos of ourselves...


The 2 night spa time with my childhood buds was too short. I stayed another night in a swanky hotel with "Me too!". My friend Dawn left her 4 adorable babies and drove in from South Carolina so we could meet up. The conversation and laughter is never lacking with us but, again, we wish we had more time. After a great late-night yummo Maggianno meal, Dawn's 2 hour bubble bath in the posh hotel bathroom, meeting some fun people in between, shopping a bit, a car jump on the way to the airport from some more friendly people (wwhew!) .......I was off for home with memories to last a lifetime.

Lauren's trip to France!

"What I wold do at Paris, Franc"

I wold love to go to a butifl place cald Paris Franc. Thar spicy meat balls wold tast real good. I can tell sens my friend Jillian told me all about it. First I wold eat lunch and I eat the spicy meat balls for lunch and I'd go to my room. Up the elivator up the stairs and theres my bedrome. I wold put my sparkily yellow sundress on and put on a shiny perl nexles. Then I'll be set to go. I will go down the elivator down the stairs and out redy to go shopping and I hop in the taxe and go to a vary cool shop. I wold buy some cool sunglasses and there will be a pretty girl under the afile tower. She will be set to go home and I will bursh my teeth and go to bed.
by- Lauren



Lauren did an unbelievable amount of writing from her 1st grade class all year. The stack is several inches thick! She brought them home at the end of the year and I have not yet sat down to glimpse into her innoncent, imaginative mind yet. I am anxious to be whisked away into Lauren-land. I did although come across this one in her folder and it made me smile from ear to ear! Thought it might be fun to share...

My Dad

Father's Day. A day to honor, cherish, remember and spoil one of the most important persons in our lives. I can't tell you how many times in a day I honor, cherish and reflect on my Dad...not just on a day called Father's Day.

He still is a huge part of me and I continue to carry all the love and the ways that my Dad has influenced me to be the person I am today. I told Josh the other night that the relationship between a daughter and her Daddy is so powerful. I wouldn't be the person that I am without the treasured relationship I had with my Dad. I miss him more and more it seems but I am also realizing that I cannot change anything. Everything has been (and still is) all in God's hands. There are moments in the days that overwhelm me at times- both good and hard. I take these, and with God's perfect grace, I cherish the warm love and hope that is everlasting. It's a strength and comfort that can't possibly be compared.

So all those that are reading this, give your Dad (or favorite man in your life) a big squeeze, tell him how much he means to you and how much you love him. Not only on Father's Day, but many times throughout the year.

yeeaaaaah.....Daddy's Day!

Josh wanted a new pair of running shoes for Father's Day and he has been wanting a "money clip" for awhile too. Ya know, cuz he likes to carry and flash a whole bunch of one's around. Ha!

With camera in hand, Hannah snapped these adorable pictures of the excitement (a tad exaggerated-ha!) over a fat $100 bill and a money clip. He was even more excited to be able to R E L A X and do pretty much NOTHING this weekend. (...which has be reeeallly rare lately) Anyway, this was my gift for him being the most incredible Daddy (and hubby, best friend...) any women could possibly ask for. I fall in love with him over and over again seeing him continually falling in love with two precious girls. You are such a gift- in more ways than I could mention, Joshy and I looooooove everything about you!

7 things we looove about Lauren

1) Love that you are the sweetest soul wrapped in a tiny package!

2) Love your cute creativity, imagination through your art, and all the notes/adorable reminders around the house.

3) You are a soft spoken, sensitive, expressive... and yet a a strong, young independent thinker. Love it!

4) It is just so tender how you tuck your stuffed animals in perfect for the night.

5) Who can resist that smile that lights up your face and those giggle spots?

6) We love that you wear your heart on your sleeve and give with all your heart.

7) Those white blonde locks, baby blues and fresh freckles make you just plain precious, L-train!

Last weekend we celebrated our Lauren's 7th birthday. She wanted to have a "teddy bear picnic party" and then go eat peanuts that she could throw the shells on the ground for her birthday dinner (aka: Texas Roadhouse restaurant)......so that is just what we did! It was pretty hot and steamy outside with her girlfriends (and all the teddies) but it ended up being filled with a sweet cake (thanks Nana), awesome presents, and family and friends that are so cherished. Sounds like perfect to me! We enjoyed the entire weekend and filled it with spoiling a very special girl. I love falling more and more in love with you, sweetie. Happiest of everything to you! xo

A peek at a visit with Gramma and Grampa...

We went to see the movie "Up" (soooo cute if I might say!) and after Hannah wanted to get out the slip-n-slide. Uuuuh, hoping that it wasn't torn up...we found it. Grampa watched for a bit....then, poof...there he was slidin' down with the girls. Nothin' like watching a 7 year old and a 77 year old glidin' and slidin'!!

We (actually mostly Josh, really) did alot of moving and shuffling at the lake house and we fit in some tubing...yes, grampa too!

We ate and ate......and ate.

We headed to Wolf Lodge Run waterpark in Grapevine for a couple days with all the grandparents. We loaded up, headed out and really had a nice time. We got water logged, screamed a little, and got caught in the tornado (no, not the ride!) that went through Dallas for the night. There we were stuck on the bottom hot floor of an 8-story place.... sitting in a hall with thousands of other chlorinated people waiting it all out. Quite an experience!

...here's some more adventures in a few months G'ma and G'pa!

Last Day of School

1st Grade had a great picnic outside. One more school afternoon with Lauren's bff's forever!

A proud Mommy (and Daddy)! Lauren got some great awards...including most responsible and academic excellence. Her teacher was so encouraging and loving this year and really helped her "find her voice and come out of her shell".
Note: That really is a black eye on Lauren. She has a lovely shiner on her (that is looking worse every day!) from the corner of her bed!!

Okay, a Mommy has rights to brag a lil' more about her babies...right? (Yes, still my babies!) Hannah had an amazing year academically and by the time she was awarded for everything....I was trying to hold it together. These girls are growing up so fast. I really believe those that said "when grade school starts...it sure flies by...you just wait!" Well, it is TRUE!

After all the bittersweet excitement we pooled it and it was a sweet ending to a great school year.

Memorial Day weekend

Lauren had a parade at school honoring all whom had served in the military. She made this great box with all of the incredible , strong and very much loved men in our family that served in Army, Navy and Airforce.

Mom reflecting on the waters. The lake house yard had a for sale sign in it this Memorial Day weekend--and SOLD in less than a week. The memories are so good there, but it also hurts just the same. This house was Mom & Dad's dream come true. We know that there is still a big road ahead that is filled with more dreams to come true. We have faith that this life journey is all in God's hands for her.....

Our hope is that this very special home will be a blessing to the family that bought it---as it was for us.

Soooo happy the boat started after not starting or being used for way over 6 months. We count it a miracle...along with Josh's really strong patience and never- give- up attitude.

Sweet and juicy....

Just a cool pic I thought...

So in love...