A friend comes home

My friend Vanessa whom I've known since we were in middle school came home from Iraq. She's been home since the last week of August, but pretty much jetted back out of the country (to visit a friend in Germany) having been home only a few days. She's back now, and so I can finally publish this post.

My family and I along with her family and friends went to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airport to greet her when she landed. We were all lined up with posters, flowers, flags and big smiles. There are eighty seven million pictures at this link while only a few are up here. Julia Harding from Fox 5 was there to interview Vanessa and capture her coming home, but I don't think it ever aired. Oh well, she was pleased as punch to have us all there to see her and was even more suprised to have the tv station there.

Lala was very excited to see Vanessa as she only remembers her from our lunch with her right before she left last December. She's finally getting old enough to remember some of my friends that she only gets to see occasionally. The pictures speak louder than any words I can possibly write, so here you go. Enjoy!

Vanessa will be leaving tomorrow to go to her new assignment in Mississippi. Hopefully we'll get to see her at Thanksgiving.

Walking with the Dinosaurs

The hype was right! It's a great show. Lauren enjoyed it so much more that I ever would have imagined. If you don't know what I'm talking about, stop reading and go to this link. I'll wait. Isn't that cool?

B's company treated us to tickets and it turned out we were in a suite. We were shocked at how nice everything was. I haven't ever been in a suite, so this was a real treat. The company had provided food and drinks for us, so all we had to do was show up! We brought my best friend Danielle, her fiance James and her cousin's little boy Andrew with us. Lauren immediately went looking for the stage and scoped out her seat. Andrew decided he didn't like heights and choose to sit in Dani's lap further back in the suite.

When the show started, we sat down, got comfortable, and i got out the camera. Lauren's eyes were so large and glued to the stage the entire time. Because this is a dinosaur show, the host or archieologist, spoke about evolution which I do not agree with. So aside from all of that, it was a great show. They brought out a bunch of dinosaurs, but it was presented in a story format which was also pretty cool. WARNING:: Spoil aleart!!! At one point the dinosaur (i don't remember which one) went into the corner and made grunting noises. My daughter, ever the potty expert, said rather loudly to her daddy "i think he needs to poop" at which point a ball of poop rolled toward the anouncer guy. It was so funny! A great way to interject a laugh point for the rather captivating show.For those of you who like to see something different, I highly recommend it. It was loud in there though, so if you have anyone sensitive to noise, I'd rethink going and maybe try to find it on video. Hope you were able to enjoy my pictures. It was hard to take them in the dark, but a few turned out ok.

Away too long

I apologize for not posting for quite sometime. We have been busy with working, summer ending, college beginning (for my hubby) and preschool starting for Lala. I don't even know where to start, but I'll try.

First we went to Maryland to visit our best friends JD, Laurie, Connor and the newest addition Riley. We had such a good time. I just love holding brand new babies and Riley made me want another...almost. Riley is doing great and growing, Laurie is doing great too. C seems to love Riley, which is great since you never know if they'll like the new kid or want to put them in the trash! (remind me to tell you about a friend who did that to her brother once) JD is pretty much doing the same ol thing except playing with one more son, helping Laurie and adding diaper changing back into his list.

After we returned from a great visit, Blake started fall semester. For those of you who don't know, he is back in college finishing his degree in Biology. He goes to Kennesaw State University where we hope he'll be finished in the next year.

Lala started preschool at the church next door. She loved it so much last year, we wanted to get her back there doing her 3 year old thing and having a good time. So far she loves her teachers, has made a bunch of new friends along with a few old ones from last year, and is dying to be the snack person everyday. Apparently being the snack person has some pretty good perks! Thank God we are not responsible for that more than 1 time a month or so!

I have been busy floating from one project to the next. Work always keeps me busy, which is great, but I also have so many other things I'm trying to accomplish. First, I have been working on some baby things for a few of my friends with new ones or who are still expecting. I've been trying to finish up Lala's room so that I'm happy with how it looks. I am also trying to repaint and organize my office. It's time I make that area a happy place since I spend most of my time there.

I almost didn't mention. My best friend is getting married next May and so I've been helping her with invitations and other printable stuff while also joining her on the "perfect dress" hunt which she finally found, ordered and picked up! Yeah Dani! Now we are trying to do a bunch of the little things so she can be stress free when it gets to crunch time. We're hoping the wedding party can take a day trip up to see the wedding site. She's getting married at the place our other good friends, Kevin and Amanda, got married. It's beautiful up there.

We've also been lucky enough to make a trip up to the lake. David and Missy rented a boat for the day and some of us skiied while I kept falling in the water. It was so much fun and what a great treat! Check out my photos on flickr!

Well, that sums up the last couple of weeks or so. I hope to be back to daily posting now, even if it's of something I'd like to be doing instead of what I am currently doing!

On a Trip

We are going on a very quick trip to see our best friends JD and Laurie who just had baby number two. We are very excited to meet Riley and of course play with Connor. We'll post some pics and more details when we return!

Sidewalk Chalk

A sunny day, a bucket full of chalk and nothing to do....wait. I know! Let's go outside and play with the chalk on the sidewalk! Lala and I had a great time playing with the chalk. She gave me some direction as to what I was to draw. Once finished, she added some of her own touches.

Lala was busy drawing circles to jump in and out of. It was her game. I was given pointers on exactly how the game was to be played and the technique I should use. Her most favorite thing to do lately is jump. She jumps on the bed, ground, stairs, my feet, daddy's feet, in the kitchen and many more places.

We are heading up to the lake tomorrow so hopefully she'll get some of her jumping energy out by swimming. If not by swimming, then the climb back up the hill to the house!

A New Baby

Congratulations to our very close friends Jd, Laurie and Connor on the arrival of their newest family member, Riley Stewart Myers. He is a handsome young lad and joined the family yesterday. He is a healthy boy, 9lbs 12.6 ounces and 21.5 inches long. Mommy and Riley are doing well and anxious to get home. You can see pictures on their site.

In other news, I have posted some new pictures of our trip to the lake. We hope to be making another trip this weekend if I can get rid of my cold that has now turned into a sinus infection. Got the drugs today, so I should be feeling great tomorrow! Lala and I were able to get out for a little bit this week (with my yucky cold) to have some fun out on the drive way and side walk. I'll post those pictures later today. Have a great weekend everyone!

The Lake

Lauren took her very first swim in the lake last weekend. We went up to visit my brother and his wife's new lake house. Their house is on lake Lanier and is on the Gainesville side. It is a cute place. They have 4 bedrooms, a family room with a fireplace and a very large master suite downstairs. I think Lala may fall in love with their whirlpool tub! Not too much to tell. There's a house and a lake. I'm sure more will develop as they decorate and get it set up just the way they want it. We spent most of the day down at the dock fishing and swimming. Well, Lala and uncle did all of the swimming.

Was it just a dream?

I dreamed of life the way it used to be last night. My family was together having fun, laughing and i even believe a little bit of singing. Aunt Leslie was there loving and hugging everyone. Uncle John was cheering for the Gators. My mind is starting to play tricks on me. Just when I think I am through thinking of it, I come right back into the middle of it.

We went to my brother's new lake house this past weekend and it is so nice. A very steep walk to the lake, but a nice place to be as a family. Lauren had the best time swimming with Uncle David in the lake. David, Dad, and Blake all went fishing and caught some fish. They promptly returned them to the lake as we were not prepared to cook anything up at the new house.

Uncle David got his puppies (big dogs Anna and Jackson) in the lake and was teaching them to swim. A funny sight to see! We wrapped our long afternoon up around 6:30 and headed up to the house for some sandwiches and drinks. I think it hit me then that Aunt Leslie would not be there to join with us ever in celebrating and enjoying this new house or any of our or her accomplishments. It's not a sadness that is overwhelming any more, it's a sadness of missing her and who she was.

I think the sadness is still so overwhelming because we still don't know how Rachel is handling it all. She's been busy taking care of so many details and planning and repairing things that she hasn't really let it all sink in. I am praying for her, Ken and Donya and I know God is taking care of them.

Now I wait for my heart to heal and the joy to return. I know life will go on and that we will carry Aunt Leslie and Uncle John in our hearts forever. I am just so sad still and I really miss her.