~Anxiously Awaiting 4th of JULY Weekend~

4th of July is Always a Fun time. Cookouts, watermelon, pool time, & who could forget to top it all off with FIREWORKS!!!
This time of year Everyone is such in a good mood, reminiscing over what they've done the 1st part of the summer break & what they are looking forward to the rest of the season of summer.
I LOVE me some cookouts, grilled hamburgers, potato salad, watermelon & maybe even some homemade ice cream....YUMMO!!! Plus getting to hang out with family/friends adds to the celebration!
We have a full agenda this weekend & am anxiously awaiting it. Birthday dinner, family reunion, cookout #1, cookout #2....All I can say is I know we're going to be stuffed to the brim with all the yummy foods to choose from....(not complaining though)
So to prepare for the gatherings, got the RED, WHITE, BLUE wardrobes laid out for myself & Miss Chloe, getting the recipes thought out and grocery list wrote....Hope Everyone has a Lovely, & Fun 4th of July Weekend!!!!! ( Great bonus is being off work on the 4th....makes time for some much needed Vitamin D @ the pool :) )

Walking EXPERIENCE not too GRAND

I used to walk alot through our subdivision, for exercise, nice quiet time etc. When Chloe was a baby I used to push her through, no problem whatsoever....not the case anymore!
Last night we decided to go walking with one of Chloe's school friends, so us as Mom's loaded the kids in their seperate strollers for hopefully a nice evening walk with some "girl talk"....not as soon as we started the kids started whining to get out and walk as we were...okay, no problem, then it was a running battle, kids running in middle of streets, us Mom's yelling at them to get them to side for fear of them getting hit by a car.

Kids back in strollers, whining some more...Kids out again....on & on, constant battle....so needless to say about 1 hour later we make it around to our driveway...End of our "Walk / Run-after-toddler/Yell-at-toddler"....Not to mention the MANY, MANY comments Miss Chloe decided to voice out at neighbors in the neighborhood....some I just ducked my head as I'm blushing...my blunt, witty Miss Priss, just HAD to comment on numberous individuals...might add several were men in our subdivison with their shirts off...guess they never had "Cat Calls" from a almost 4 year old female....Lol.

I think we will stick to play dates of playing on swing sets or riding motorized jeeps....No More Walking with a Hyper-Verbal Munchins anymore for QUITE a while :)

Nothing SPECTACULAR, but still memorable.....

We had a GREAT Anniversary weekend, even though we didn't do a whole bunch, just nice to have a care-free, no schedule agenda together. We did do a dinner/movie date,I used my "Living Social" deal ( the 2 movie tickets for $9) and had a $50 gift card for eating dinner out....We had a nice evening together, some time to talk & reminisce over the last 6 years of life together being married.....

Sunday we celebrated Father's Day in our Heavenly Father's House & then had lunch with my Mom's side of the family, it was my Papa's 82nd birthday as well....A nap came later and then time to visit with my other grandparents, and we stuffed our faces with pizza for dinner.

Looks like the summer calendar is going to be booked full....but Loving LIFE & Thankful for all of the opportunties to spend with family & friends!

~Anniversary WEEKEND~

Well tomorrow is the BIG 6th Anniversary of our LOVE!!! June 18, 2005 is the day we pledged before God & all of our family/friends our love and commitment for each other. As I reminisce over the day, it just brings a smile to my face, what a beautiful day, sun shining, warm weather and the location our church, the place my parents said their vows years earlier.

I wanted to plan a fun, eventful day on Saturday, but most of our plans have fell through. Chloe is staying with my parents, so just a whole day to ourselves. We had first thought of doing a hot-air balloon ride, something we could check off our "bucket list" but b/c of short planning and the expense of doing this venture we're going to hold off for a few more years, maybe our 10th anniversary or something. We, or should I say I thought of doing a couples massage, but with a few injuries later, me with stitches, and James with a hurt shoulder, thought we might hold off on that as well....not to add the added expenses just this week in ER visit, pediatrician visit, and medicine, probably a smart money-wise option.

So tomorrow whatever we end up doing, hoping for it to be a spontaneious day of no time table, I'm sure it will be treasured, as anyone that knows my husband knows the workalcoholic is ALWAYS at work. I am hoping to plan a nice dinner out tomorrow night, even have a couple of gift cards that will help out and actually have a movie ticket deal that I got online for super cheap, so may just plan a dinner/movie date for tomorrow night.

I am super excited & anxious to see what the future holds for us....We ALWAYS strive to keep God 1st in our Marriage and know that he will lead us down the paths in life, and with that in mind & our commitment to each other it's a joy that is unmeasureable.....

thankful Thursday

1) I'm so Thankful for the RAIN we received last night. It has been weeks or months since we have had any rain....I just made me smile & rejoice inside when I heard the thunder start....and then the drops started. Saved me a "nightly chore" of watering my plants & rain water is much more nourishing. Not sure how much rain we received, but it rain for several hours....I did a little happy dance around the house, plus gave me some time to finish up some much housework.

2) My DADDY - This weekend is Father's Day & I am THANKFUL for having such a strong Christian Father that not only has done so much for me, but for my little girl as well. I am a "Daddy's Girl" and am proud of that.



3) June 18, 2005 - The Day that I married my BEST FRIEND! What a Beautiful day it was and I cherish all of the special moments of that special day! 6 years later ( on Saturday) I am as in LOVE with my Wonderful Husband, James as the day I said "I DO"! He is such a strong, hard-willed provider for our family, but he has a soft side as well....I am so THANKFUL for the Lord putting our 2 hearts together, he completes me!!!!!!

NiGhTly Chore, I LOVE, but my husband HATES

Flowers, flowers and more. I LOVE flowers/plants, I think it adds so much to a home, warmth, serenity and the feeling of "home".

I have to admit I'm addicted to a degree, I have flower gardens, pots, hanging baskets, etc. I always try to do the perennial route since they come back every year & you don't feel as if you are wasting your money as much as annual plants that dry-up and die in a few months.

Lowes sale racks are my "FAV" and then I found the local Walmart close to my work, has clearance shelves as well...always tempted on my lunch break to make a pit stop to see what is slashed down in the flower dept.

Every night after we finish dinner, I head out to de-head my flowers ( as this makes them bloom alot longer and look fresher as well) and get some H2O to quench them from the dry, hot sunshine of the day.

I personally find it relaxing to go around all of the flowers and do this "nightly chore" but of course my husband isn't as crazy about it, but he does help out when he is home early from work. With the heat that we have in Georgia a day or 2 without the nurturing much-needed water, the plants are pretty life-less.

I'm attaching a few photos of some of my colorful plants around the perimeter of our house....and some are taste-worthy....we have a Peach tree, Cherry tree and and some blueberry bushes as well....

NOT sooooo....Great Experience

As usual I'm ALWAYS soooo vain about my yard, I can't stand for anything to be out of place. So decided that the bushes/hedges needed trimming again, was working away until I had an accident. Got a little carried away speeding away with the hedge trimmer, guess my leg got in the way...hedge trimmer got hung right above my knee. I pulled it out and the blood started gushing....I get a little quesy when I see alot of my own blood, might add I have very low blood pressure and iron. I limped around the house, found Chloe, as we were home alone, did a few phone calls and started towards the ER.

Some stitches and a few shots later, got all mended up.....Now for being a little safer tonight....gotta finish up the yard!

{The BEST time}

Saturday we ventured out to a planned day for Chloe. Santa's Land in North Carolina. I went there as a child as well, 45 years later they are still in existance.
We stayed 7 1/2 hours. Very kid-friendly rides, Chloe had a BLAST!!!
The "Rudicoaster" roller coaster was Chloe's ALL-TIME Favorite...She literally rode it probably 20+ times, as soon as the ride was over, she was off in a hop/skip and right back on it.
I really enjoyed the Paddle boat ride as well....All over VERY Nice Family Outing!!!

****I Love little moments spent together, making memories for the future******

Vacation Bible School WEEK

We have been having VBS @ our church this week. My Mom & I have been helping with the 5th & 6th graders, which have been rather calm compared to what I was assuming. Chloe has had a Blast all week, not just going to VBS, but getting to stay @ her grandparents all week, can we say SPOILED!!!!

I've been refreshed on alot of Bible stories I have forgotten about. I've drove plenty this week to be able to help with it, 90 minutes per day, plus gas, have had to fill up about every day, but to me it is sooooo worth it! There is no Price on the AWESOMENESS that God is and He Always provides!!!
I'm Excited to see if anyone has asked Jesus into their hearts but if not we at least know that some seeds have been planted for future acknowledgements....

BABYLAND GENERAL Adventure

I remember as a kid going to Babyland General, the home of the FAMOUS Cabbage Patch kids, an annual summer trip.

Chloe has been 1 other time, but not to the New Babyland General ( really, really nice, clean compared to the older one). Chloe was soooo Excited!!! She ran from doll to doll, holding the dolls, sitting with them etc. just that extra sparkle in her eyes just melted my heart.

We got to witness 2 births from "Mother Cabbage". 1st one was named after Chloe...."Chloe Taylor", I recommended Chloe and some little boy yelled out Taylor...but of course I wasn't about to pay the $200+ for that doll, just a little out of my budget. I do own some of the older cloth ones that are actually worth a good bit.

If you have never been to Babyland General in Cleveland,Georgia, I highly recommend it. It's FREE ( big + ) and it's so fun for the little ones, beware there are some gift shop items that really draw the kids in but all Chloe wanted was a Cabbage Patch sunvisor....

{Unique Flower Nursery.....FOUND! }

A couple of weeks ago I was referred to a Flower Nursery I had never been to. Curosity ALWAYS kills me, so I got my mapquest print-out & decided to head on over and check it out. "Full Bloom Nursery" in Clermont. Got a little lost finding it but when I did I was very impressed!

A gravel drive to a nursery where alot of the plants are grown there, with full descriptions of the plants, best place to plant, how tall they would get, all of the qualities...

I spent a couple of hours scoping the place out....I knew I couldn't leave without something, ended up buying a couple of scrubs and a low-growing "toe-tickler" as the sign said to grow between my rocks in my flower garden.
Highly recommend this nursery to anyone....Not the average plants/flowers that Lowe's or Home Depot carry.

thankful THURSDAYS

1) My Costa Sunglasses - I swear, I can't leave home with out sunglasses. I admit I have raccoon eyes alot of times from the sun but I just can't stand to squint, gives me such a headache.



2) Watermelon - YUMMY!!!! My favorite fruit of ALL time!!! I like a little salt on mine and it MUST be cold from the refridge! My hubby brings at least 1 home per week as he goes to south GA to get them to sell.

1. Have you ever been to the capital of the USA-Washington DC? If so what's your favorite site? If not, what site would you most like to see on a visit to that city someday in the future? Is it even on your list of places to visit?

NO, I'VE NEVER BEEN TO WASHINGTON DC. I WOULD LIKE TO GO THERE ONE DAY.

2. When did you last attend a wedding? Are there any weddings on your summer calendar? Were you a summer bride? If you're single is summer the season of your dream wedding?

LAST SPRING I ATTENDED MY SISTER'S BEST FRIENDS WEDDING. YES, I WAS A SUMMER BRIDE, JUNE 18. I ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE A WARM, SUNNY DAY TO GET MARRIED ON AND OUR WEDDING DAY WAS PERFECT! :)


3. What is your favorite way to eat strawberries?

JUST PLAIN, COLD STRAWBERRIES.


4. What is one thing you are especially looking forward to this summer?

VACATION TIME - WE'RE GOING TO THE BEACH AGAIN THIS YEAR, MYRTLE BEACH. I LOVE PLAYING ON THE BEACH, LAYING OUT IN THE SUN, WALKING THE BEACH AT NIGHT PICKING UP SEASHELLS, CHLOE IS GOING TO HAVE A BLAST THIS YEAR.


5. Do you use/like the self scanner at the grocery store?

SOMETIMES. BUT IF I HAVE ALOT OF COUPONS ITS EASIER TO GO TO AN ACTUAL HUMAN.

6. Share a favorite piece of common sense advice.

IF YOU ARE FAIR-SKINNED PLEASE WEAR SUNSCREEN SO YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE A COMPLETE LOBSTER.


7. Barefoot, flip flops, tennis shoes, sassy sandal-your first choice for summertime?
FLIP FLOPS....LOVE THEM....CUTE & CHEAP!!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

VBS STARTS @ OUR CHURCH NEXT WEEK.....CHLOE STAYING WITH HER NANA ALL WEEK