Blog "award"

Thank you Jaimee for tagging me with blog "award"!

so....here are the rules...

• someone "gave" this award to you? Create a blog post including 11 random facts about yourself
• also in that blog post, answer the 11 question the person that nominated you has given you and make up another 11 questions for the people you will nominate
• give this award to at least 5 blogs (up to 11) and link them in your post!
• tell those people that you have nominated them for the award
• you cannot nominate the person that has nominated you
• remember to tag blogs with less than 200 followers

What is your favorite place to buy clothes? Ross, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx…I’m cheap
What person in your family do you relate to the most?  Probably my dad.  We are the most alike.
If you only had one day left to live, how would you spend it?  I would just want to be with my family and friends what we did would not be important.
Cold weather or hot? Definitely HOT
Iced coffee or hot? Again HOT! 
What is your favorite book of all time? Redeeming Love
What is your favorite date night activity? (keep it clean!:))  I love nights when we get really dressed up and go on a date, but equally love nights curled up on the couch.  Really anytime we get to spend together I love. (aw, but it's true)
Drink of choice? Diet Coke which I have given up oh how I miss it..
What advice would you give your teenage self? RELAX! Things will all work out.
What is your favorite cell phone app? Instagram
What is your favorite bible verse or quote? Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

11 Random facts, you may or may not know about me.  This was hard for me...

I love to travel.
I have an ugly temper (and traffic here has made it more obvious)
I’m extremely cold natured.  Like extremely.
Along with above…Summer is my favorite season.
I’m terrified of heights.
Salsa and pizza are my favorite foods.
Skiing is my favorite vacation activity.
I really really like shoes
and I really do not like to cook.
I would skip a meal to have dessert!  I love sweets!
Ike and I started kindergarden together.


I copied a few questions from Jaimee, but I liked them...
Mountains or beach?

Favorite vacation spot?
One makeup item you can't live without?
Favorite hobby?
Big or small purse?
Dream job?
Favorite verse?
Favorite season?
Hardest part of blogging?
Favorite feature of yours?
And lastly favorite cell phone app?


I give this award to...
Jenifer
Vanessa
Mel
Shannon
Lauren

Sibling time

My sister and Jason came for a visit last weekend.  We found this awesome deal on living social for a water park close to us and planned to go on Saturday.  Well I have never bought anything from living social or groupon so I assumed we could buy it Saturday morning.  I was putting it off because I was not sure what the weather was going to do.  Anyway you can't do that...it takes 24-48 to verify purchase just FYI.  So we quickly cancelled that purchase and made other plans.  We decided to go to the Choctaw Indian fair.  You park and ride a school bus to the fair.  As soon as we pulled up to the fair the bottom fell out, so we just rode the little bus back to the car.  Always an adventure, but we had fun regardless!  We ate instead always a blast.  :)
This is a picture we sent to our mom on the way...

On the bus...I posted this picture of Ike and I on Facebook and said long time since we have rode the bus together because Ike and I did ride the school bus together for a few years.  I have mentioned this before I think but actually my mom used to take us to school and I begged for us to ride the bus so I could see Ike.  Now Ike only rode the bus 15 minutes, and we had to ride an hour and half.  Oh I was just so in love already. 

We had a blast, and always love our time with these guys.  I don't believe I have mentioned this before, but they have also been trying to have a baby close to the same amount of time as us, and have been unsuccessful.  Amanda has seen a couple of doctors, has done her time with clomid, and they have not been able to find one thing wrong with either of them.  In our case everything seems to be wrong with me, and that is frustrating.  In their situation nothing appears to be wrong, and that is also very frustrating.  I HATE that my baby sister is experiencing this, but I know that Lord has allowed us to be there for each other through this journey.  I have been reading this book called Authentic Faith, and it was been such a blessing me, more on that later, but I suggest it to for everyone especially those facing infertility.   

Show us your life: Mantles

These are not the greatest pictures because they are all taken with my phone, but I love having a mantle.  Our old house didn't have one so I was excited that the rental house we are in does. I'm not great at changing out the decorations throughout the year.  I am hoping this is something that I can "grow" into.  

This is what it looks like most of the year... 

And this is Christmas.  I have to say I like it best at this time of year.  It feels so full and homey. 

Rest of the story..

Wednesday, we drove to the Lewes Ferry which you drive onto and it takes you across to Cape May, NJ.  My mom was really nervous about the ferry but it turned out to be fun.

Cape May was a beautiful, and our hotel was right on the beach which was so nice.  Wednesday afternoon most of us hit the beach! 

That night we ATE so good!  The boadwalk area was super cute we walked around a little before heading back for the firework show on the beach.

Thursday, Me, Ike, and mom went the day at the beach while the others went to a near by board walk.  I like to get in as much time as possible on the beach.  The water was supppppperrrr chilly even after you were ajusted to still had a chill to it.  I loved watching mom and Ike play in the water looking for rocks and sea shells. 

Is she cute or what?

I didn't get any pictures that afternoon but Chris and Rose came back and hung out on the beach for a while.  I am writing this so I will never forget this story or how funny it was.  Ike and Chris went out to play in the water, and while they were out there in Chris's words they were picking up stuff with their toes to see if they could find anything cool.  Well they come back to where Rose and I are laying.  Chris throws something that looked like a rock in Rose's belly button for a fews minutes she doesn't move then all of the sudden she jumps up yelling!  Come to find out it was a hermit crab!  It was the funniest thing ever!!  She at the time did not think it was at all funny because it "bit her" (aka pinched her).  This story is only going to be funny to those of us there, but I will forever laugh when I think about it!!
That night we headed back out to eat yet another fabulous meal! 

I really wanted us to get some cute pictures on the beach, but we didn't get out there before dark so here is what we got.  Not exactly what I was hoping for but some fun memories.

The boys of course had to get in the boat!

We were attempting to get a "dipping" picture, and Chris may have dipped Rose to the ground!

Then Friday, it was back to the ferry to head home.

Here we are at Rose and Chris's row home in the city saying our goodbyes Saturday morning!  Always so sad!

Trip up north

I always feel overwhelmed when I get back from a trip trying to fit everything in.  So I decided to break this trip down into 2 posts. Our first stop was in Columbus.  We had planned to drop off Buster and pick up Ms. Susie.  We had mentioned to my mom that she should join us.  She is not usually up for traveling so we were super surprised when we got to my parent’s house and she was packed up.  Ike and I were so happy that she had decided to go.  So the 4 of us hit the road.  We debated stopping or driving through, but in the end we just thought it best to get some rest.  We stopped in Knoxville and it was a good thing we did because the weather ended up being terrible in D.C..  Our first day, we relaxed at Aunt Iris’s house which Ike and I always look forward to.  Sunday, Rose and Chris met us and we all went to church at Mclean Bible Church in VA for the patriotic service which was so great!   We all really enjoyed it.  Then we spent the rest of the day with family.   (I had to borrow this from Ms. Susie off facebook)

Monday, we took my mom to see the sights.  Ike was so excited that she was along because the rest of us have seen everything and it was nice to have someone excited about seeing new things.  We all had a blast showing her around.  It was the best tour ever because Ike and Aunt Iris were our chauffer service.  They would drive us right up to the monuments and then come back to pick us up.  Tuesday, we ate all day.  This may seem like a joke but we did.  We got up ate breakfast, and then took showers to go to lunch.  At least that is how it felt this maybe the reason I gained 7 pounds!  In the middle of breakfast and lunch Ike and I had our fight for the trip.  We always have to be sure to get one of those in sometime.  I would like to say it was over something meaningful…however that is not the case.  We fought because I refused to down size my luggage for the beach trip we were about to take.  Since there was 7 of us going in one vehicle we were told to bring one small bag a piece.  I didn’t want to. Period.  Poor Ike has to deal with me.  I eventually did many tears later.  I blame fertility drugs.     
After lunch we went to Ms. Lynn’s house for supper (eating again).   We had northern BBQ and crabs.  I actually really liked the crabs…but still feel they are a lot of work for very little meat.  BUT the experience and social aspect is totally worth it!! 

My mom loves Alabama, so she was excited they were beside each other.

Next up…the beach trip!