boat drinks.

So much fun this past weekend...hanging out on Dock Holiday and enjoying the very hot weather! We did lots of relaxing, talking, visiting, and laughing!! And we celebrated...Libby is now a college graduate! Yay for her! What an exciting time for the two of them. We couldn't be happier.
Dad got a new jet-ski for the boat. It is way faster than I ever care to go. (I like to stay around 30 mph which drives Tommy crazy!) Unfortunately, the lake is so littered with debris that it's more work than fun...trying to refrain from running over a tree stump! We did get in to cool off even though the lake is still a bit chilly. I washed my hair in it and nearly froze to death.

Finishing up school this week...parent/teacher conferences and such. An elementary school building is sad without the kiddos. I spent the day working in my room...cleaning, purging, thinking, reflecting.... and it was soooooo quiet. The kids really are the soul of a school. When they are gone for the summer the silence is deafening. I'm thankful for all the kids I've taught. Sending them on their way each May is a proud moment for a teacher. They come so far in the span of a school year...all of them. I love my job--but make no mistake-I love my June, July, and August, too.

Off to do laundry, eat dinner, and get ready for vacation. We have to do lots of snuggling with the dogs..they are giving us the silent treatment for leaving them at home too much. And they thought they got adopted by 2 homebodies...HA! Not this month.

Sidenote...this will be our last Tuesday with television. Next week starts "No TV Tuesdays" wherein we do not watch TV....we talk, read our marriage books, listen to CD's, anything other than TV! Tommy is pumped! Stay tuned for the myriad of excuses he will give next Tuesday. It should be interesting.

PS...Steph, Thanks for reading the blog! I sat and talked to your mom for a good while on Saturday..... we were both wshing that you and Mike (and Tyler, of course!) could have been there! Maybe next time, I hope...the lake wasn't the same without you. Janae and I always talk about the afternoon that we spent floating on rafts, talking about life, and drinking Danny boys. That is, until the ol' water patrol arrived! good, good times...

country C (with the c standing for cute)

LONG POST ahead....I'm making up for not blogging lately...
Sometimes you meet someone and they touch your soul and make you smile down deep...that is what happened to me this morning. Tommy and I got up bright and early to drop off the weim rescue stuff at the Waggin Tails 5K and then we went to the church for our annual Servefest. I signed us up for the nursing home visit. Long story short--we soon found ourselves in the lobby of a local elderly care facility....surrounded by all shapes and sizes of sweet, sweet old folks. My job was to paint nails and Tommy's job was to visit and talk...mostly just to listen. We met many delightful folks...Tommy played checkers with a man who had the most beautiful eyes....I painted 100 fingers all shades of pink, red, and even blue....I met a couple who truly personified the Nicholas Sparks story, The Notebook. He seemed to be in perfect health...while she was so burdened with alzheimers that she didn't remember anything from one moment to the next. I sat and talked with him a bit. He said he comes every day, twice a day...and that she doesn't recognize him ever. He held onto her and smiled sweetly as she repeated things over and over. She spoke of things that happened 60 years ago as though they were current events. Though she was completely confused...she would frequently lean over to her husband and whisper, "Don't you leave me, baby." And it occured to me that maybe, just maybe, that is what God does...her memory is gone...even her basic common sense has up and left...but He makes sure she still has a heart and that heart knows when it feels safe and at home. She may not know who he is--but she sure knows she doesn't want to see him leave. I had to excuse myself because I don't have the tight rein on my tear ducts that Oprah Winfrey has...mine come spilling out and they don't stop. I pulled it together long enough to tell the old fella that I hope and pray that if my mind ever gives out that my husband will be as faithful and dear to me as he was to his sweet Marie.

In a world full of selfishness...there sits a man who stays with his confused wife day after day and holds her tightly and says, "There's no where else I'd rather be."

So...I get it together and get myself a Diet Mt. Dew which always helps me out! I decide to walk around and see if there are any nails left unpainted....and this is when I run into Rita. I know her name is Rita because that is my opening line to everyone...."Hi there...what's your name?" She says to me......and this will forever be a staple in my vocabulary from this point forward......"My name is Rita...but you can call me country R for short." I thought she was HILARIOUS...such a spitfire. She proceeded to name me Queen S...and that is how we carried on for a long while. I wheeled her around and she entertained me until my cheeks hurt. She and I have something very important in common...we both LOVE nicknames. (Though I have never thought of calling someone Country+their first initial until now!) For the rest of the day...me (country s) and tommy (country t) laughed about Rita and her genious nicknaming method. I loved her....she certainly had a special zest for life.
We went there to serve....but ironically, we are the ones who left all filled up. I hope the residents got as much out of it as we did.
We went to Captain's Quarters for lunch. It was SUCH a BEAUTIFUL day. We sat and looked at the water and talked and talked. After lunch we went to visit country n! We watched the Preakness (poor Barbaro!!!) and placed fake bets on who would win. It was a very good thing they were fake because none of us had the winner.
What about Friday's photo shoot baby. Is she a beauty or what? Those cheeks are gonna be famous some day! As usual, I had sooooooo much fun behind the camera. Subjects like this familia make it so easy.
All in all....a great, great day.

Long time...no blog...

I have been a very slacking blogger. My excuses range from being very busy all the way to being a tad bit burned out on the blog thing. I do like it though--and want to keep it up. Maybe when school is out (IN 8
DAYS!!!!!!) I'll have more time. We shall see.
Looking forward to vacation. So
happy to be going
somewhere I've never been...and with fun friends, too. I'm really looking forward to the little umbrella that I will insist on having in my drink.....and the massage!
Heading to the lake, first. Dad--if you are reading this anymore...we can't wait to get down to Dock Holiday! We have been craving a lake trip.
Sad that the dogs will be in a kennel for so long though. 2 trips will make them think we have left them for good! Of course, I will be ready to come home to them! We miss them the most at night!
Here are some recent pictures...I have no idea in what order blogger will decide to post them...so I'll just say that some were taken on Mother's Day...and some are of a recent baby shoot I did.
Happy Tuesday....

yawn.

This photo kind of sums up how I feel today! Tired!! I have a thing for yawning babies though--so I had to post this picture from last week's photography venture. What a cutie this little guy is.

Nothing too terribly exciting to post. We are excited to watch 24 tonight. That show certainly sweetens Mondays for us!
We are hopelessly addicted.

Lots to do tonight! I am just headed out for a stroll around the block. I wish I could say I was going to run the whole time--but we all know that's not true!

Happy Monday.

Have I mentioned lately that I love my dogs to pieces?

Is there anything sweeter?

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~Bern Williams

She doesn't have a name yet... but she has already wrapped herself around their fingers! She is too cute! Positive thoughts going out to Blake and Tex tonight...I don't think they'll be getting much sleep.

We are safely back from a last minute trip to the beach! It was so much fun to get away to warm sunny weather. We spent every day on the beach getting a turn (which is a cross between a tan and a burn--heavy on the burn). We went out to eat a cute little places....and shopped at the outlets, of course. According to Tommy, I should not utter the phrase, "I have nothing to wear" for at least 3 months. The beaches are so pretty in Destin. I just love to feel the sand on my feet. They say if you live there - you take it for granted. Yeah, well, I'd like to give it a try and see if I can blow that theory. Sure, I wouldn't go to the beach every day....but I would never tire of seeing the sun rise and set over the ocean, or the smell of the salt in the air, or the sight of palm trees, or the many restaurants with decks out over the water, or a colorful little umbrella in my drink after a long day at the 6 jobs I'd have to take on to live in that house right on the water that I really want! Oh well, I don't think living so close to an enormous outlet mall would be good for my marriage anywhooooo!
Glad to be home safe--even if it is ice cold! Feeling very thankful for the blessing of a vacation with Tommy. I was reminded again of why I am so in love with him. The guy is fun!

weekend.

Mom and Dave came to visit on Friday! We went to our favorite restaurant on the river. (I think it's the proximity to the water that we are so fond of, not so much the food.) It was very yummy though--we enjoyed it!



Several trips to the airport dropping Blake and Tex, then Justin...then picking them both up...fun to go to the airport...I'm always wondering where people are going?? Most look happy and excited to be traveling. Some look as though they are dreading the trip. But, as I said--most look excited. I always see other people's luggage and think to myself, "Hey, I want that!" More often than not, the said luggage has a monogram on it. I'll have to check into that. I also always see tan people at the airport. I need a tan far worse than a piece of monogrammed luggage, that is for sure.
Sadly, UK lost this afternoon. Needless to say, my dear husband was not a happy camper. He refuses to believe that Tubby CAN NOT hear him screaming insults at him--so he continues to coach the Cats from our living room. I was glad we didn't have any frieds over to watch the game. I am quite certain that they would have been frightened by his craziness.

After a brief period of mourning for our team...we moved on to other cherished Sunday activities...some reading, napping, ironing, etc. As you can see, Tommy's most recent interest is building his own home. I would personally rather not....but we shall see.

Here are some more Sara Kate pics that I love.

Time for the Sopranos! Goodnight...

precious.

I was in all my glory today with another photo shoot! There are no words to describe how cute this little one is! And her momma is the sweetest....oh how I wish they lived close again!
Here are some of my favorites....there were 190 photographs in all!!

~~S A R A K A T E~~

Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.

-Dorothea Lange

my very first....

P H O T O S H O O T....

Sometimes you can tell a large story with a tiny subject.

-Eliot Porter

Thursday Randomness...

Here we have some peanut butter treats for the dogs. I use the term "treats" loosely...really they are just spoonfuls of peanut butter. I could only snap a picture of Abby. Pepper has requested not to be photographed while eating. They both enjoy some PB every now and again.



And then...this is quite possibly the best Thursday gift Tommy has ever given me.....he ordered HBO just in time for the new season of my absolute favorite show (I love it even more than 24, and that is a lot!) I love, love, love Uncle Junior, Chrissy, Meadow, and Big Tony, of course. The first episode of the season is on Sunday night. I can't wait. I think we'll have a little Sopranos Par-tay right here in our living room.


We have been watching several movies lately....thinking of getting Netflix....
Must Love Dogs...Not so good. Very mediocre, really.
In Her Shoes... Pretty good, but not really
It should be added here that both of the aforementioned unextraordinary movies did make me cry. Imagine that....
Lastly, North Country, grrrrreat flick. A bit hard to watch at times....but inspiring in that there are people in the world who are willing to stand up for themselves and others against all odds. I like that. A lot.

see...

Pepper loves date night, too!

for my sweet little namesake...

~S A R A KATE~
I've been working on these birth announcements for little Sara! Mark..Jennifer...hope you like them! The first batch will go out this weekend!
I cannot wait to hold this baby! Only 10 more days until we get to meet her. Tommy and I are both excited. Isn't she gorgeous?

PS...Her mama is the one in the pink boa in the November Archives. They look just like each other....but she looks like her dad, too!









The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh