You have GOT to read this...

I finished this book before we left New Hampshire & I loved it even more than the first one. I'm currently on the last book of the series & I'm having difficulty finding time to finish it. Let me just say, you have GOT to read this series! So amazingly wonderful! A perfect mixture of scripture, history & fiction. I feel like I know each character & I'm invested in their lives. Pick it up!

Spring time

I found this in the top corner of my stoop this morning. I jumped up on my ladder (aka: barstool) & captured this photo. I knew those barstools would come in handy for something other than seating (aka: decoration) for the overhang on my counter. This makes me excited for warm weather, long days & loads of sunshine! Don't they look just like those little Cadbury eggs you used to get in your Easter basket? Stay tuned for hatching! 

50 Years!

On March 10, my grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary! The entire family has been sneaking around since before Thanksgiving to plan a big parTAY in their honor. Well, we pulled it off (trust me, it wasn't an easy task) & they had no idea what was coming. On Thursday night, we had a 1938 Buick Special pick them up for a night out with all their kids, grandkids & great grands. My grandfather LOVES cars so he was super excited to ride in this HOT car. It was so Bonnie & Clyde...without the machine guns, of course.

They totally thought that our nice family dinner was their big surprise but we pulled one over on them when they arrived at the clubhouse Friday night where they were greeted by 130 of their dearest friends & family! We had a yummy dinner & a fun time dancing the night away. It was so special & they were so shocked!

The Cake (Mom & I decided we wanted to give it a shot & there were times that I thought I might have to find a last minute baker but I think it turned out pretty good)

Pete & Beckie celebrating with a dance. They really know how to "glide" in perfect sync! I guess that's what happens when you dance together for 50 years.

Cody & my Grandmother. I think she finally loves him! ;)

Us. We only have 44 more to go!

A Ya-Ya Wedding Shower

May 9th is rapidly approaching & we are all pumped for Little Miss J's BIG day so, Sunday, the Ya-Ya girls gathered to celebrate with a little wedding shower! Jenna is beaming & I couldn't be happier for her. I got to see her try on "the" dress this week & it's stunning. Our next event is a gals weekend in the ATL, baby! Can't wait!

Kenzie, Jenna & Me

All the Ya-Ya girls (you can't even begin to imagine the noise level in that house)!!

Singin' in the rain...

I could have used this jacket & umbrella over the past few days! 

Encounter 09: Part II & III

We spent the past 10 days in NH for MBC's Encounter weekend. The first weekend we were joined by 280+ students & 240+ students on the second week. Between Encounter weekends, we spent a little time just outside Boston with our dear friends, the Needham's. We were so blessed to build new relationships & see many students make decisions for Christ. Big thanks to the following: Bethany & Andy for being tour guides through Boston, for hosting us & (most importantly) for taking us to Mike's; Greg & Sharlene for letting us crash at their cozy condo; Mike & all the band guys for "sharing a pizza with someone you love"; The Carver's for making us feel so at home in NH; the Kokx family for making us laugh & being our built in alarm clock; MBC camp staff for inviting us to be a part of your journey & for loaning us the "green machine"!  

As I mentioned in my previous post, we got to see the biggest snow storm of the year. Let's just put it this way...we had no idea how to handle this situation. No gloves, no shovel, no clue.

There are lots of beautiful bridges in New England

MBC Encounter

One of Cody's 10 talks. I think he's pretty great!

The 3 C's playing checkers. We fell in love with these cuties & can't wait to see them again!

We spent a lot of time snuggled up so we were very grateful for The Needham's fireplace. 

Our trip to NH & MA was a blast! We froze but we also got to see signs of Spring being ushered in when the temps rose to the mid 50's for the last few days there. But, it looks like we left camp just in time because they got another 6 inches of snow overnight!! Craziness. I must say I was delighted to land in the great state of Georgia where the temp was 68 on Sunday night at 10:37. Amen! 

I think I'll go to Boston....

We spent the week hanging with our pals, Bethany & Andy in the burbs of Boston. On Tuesday, we jumped on the "T" & spent the day in the city. Let me just say...it was freezing! I'm not even embarrassed to say how cold it was because all the New Englanders were whining about it too!! 

We had lunch at Fire & Ice 

Andy & Cody doing a perfect portrayal...

I couldn't resist jumping on this guys lap. Sorry to say I have no idea who he is because people were sitting on his name. I'm sure we will meet again! 

I convinced Cody to sit on the donkey for a pic. It's really cold, apparently!

We rushed through the freedom trail, ducking into Starbucks or H&M every 10 minutes so we could thaw out...just like our forefathers during the revolution! 

In my opinion, no trip to Boston would be complete without...

The last time we were at Mike's, the line wrapped around the block & the place was so packed we couldn't see the display cases. It was SO worth it!

How do you even choose?

Bethany, Shauna, Cody & Me on the "T" with our Mike's!

Our little Mike's box contained 1 chocolate chip cannoli (the best), 1 lemon cream puff, 1 chocolate cupcake with chocolate fudge icing & 1 sugar cookie the size of Cody's face! Yummo!

We had a "wicked" fun time in Boston but we were happy to get to a warm fireplace. Thanks Bethany, Andy & Shauna for showing us around! Next time we visit, we are hoping for warmer weather! 

Oh the places you'll go!

Oh the places we go and the people we meet! Since we travel all the time we have friends from all kinds of places & when we our travels permit, we make every effort to see our pals. Todd & Amy invited us to an event they hosted in Boston a while back & we instantly clicked so we were pumped that our travels brought us back together on Monday night! We were a little nervous about driving in the biggest snow storm of the year but then we remembered...hello this is Massachusetts, not Georgia, they actually have more than one snow plow in the state. It was great to connect over dinner and delicious cheesecake (we had to take full advantage of the Cheesecake Factory being in close proximity). We talked for hours & we were amazed how fast time goes & how much has happened in our lives since our last visit. Todd is on the hunt for a new job so we are hoping it brings them closer to the ATL! Until then, we are keeping our fingers crossed! 

Winter Wonderland

This morning I woke up to this. There is a "wicked" deep blanket of snow & it's still coming down (I propped the camera on the window seal so the picture is exactly what I witnessed first thing this morning). It's stunning! I must say though, I'm not overly excited about going out in it but it's still nice to look at. Yay for snow days!

My baby...

This past June, after a year of iphone "fever" we finally made a decision to go for it and after a 6 hour labor (standing in line on the release day) we walked out of the Apple store with our new bundle of joy! I was in love the moment I set my eyes on that beautiful work of art. She is absolutely perfect though she did sustain a serious injury that altered her screen with a crack and I feel tremendous guilt every time I look at her. However, there is no need to report me to "iphone services" as this was the one and only fall and it was a complete accident. 

Well, my baby has been in my purse for the past 72 hours and I've missed her terribly. She just doesn't work up here in NH and I have to say this is the first time I've been away from her this long. All you mother's know what it like to leave your child for the first time. Anything over a nights sleep is just too long without seeing her screen light up and hearing the little noises she makes when I get an e-mail, phone call or text. There is nothing like having facebook, twitter and texts right at my finger tips. 72 hours, people! 72! It was pretty touch and go there for a while but we made it through! Thank goodness my baby works in Boston!