2 x 3

You know who you are

Although I didn't have cell phone service for most of my birthday, as soon as I came back into service my phone was making lots of noise. And when I got home, I found that 3 elves had broken in and left me presents (and groceries on accident)! (I might have been even more grateful if they had finished the puzzle still sitting on my floor.) Ya'll (dare I use this expression?) filled my inbox with special things too! Thanks to all of you who made me feel loved and special on my birthday!


At work Thursday I saw this quote on the desk calendar at the nurses station for August 8:

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I thought Carrie's birthday card to me was even more appropriate:
Friends will be there for you when you do something stupid...
... but a good friend remembers to bring a camera.

You all know who you are...

Sunny Alabama days

So, I was really kidding. My summer wasn't over. I took another almost-week off at the Knights' lakehouse in Oneonta, AL. (I have now worked a total of 3 days in the last month.) Apparently I'm becoming a Giants fan... and an Alabama fan. I now have my own maroon Alabama shirt and I have fallen in love with the Alabama landscape (nice and mountainous around the lakehouse) to go along with my Alabama boy. It was nice to relax away from internet and cell phone service and eat lots of good home cooking thanks to Nanna, Aunt Suzanne, and Ryan's mom, Valeri. I don't think I've ever eaten so many fresh garden vegetables in my life!

Perhaps the best part about this vacation month has been playing with my camera. Digitals make picture taking so much more fun because you get immediate results on your experiments! Here are a few of the results:

Ross (Ryan's brother)

John boards with Ross behind

Ryan watches while his cousin John tests his wakeboard, Ryan's new wakeboard, that he couldn't use because of his knee... :-(

Robin takes a turn

John and Ross (I missed getting a good picture of Jeff, John, and Ross on there together)

Seen a picture like this before? Stanley gets a footrub from Nanna

On Sabbath afternoon we sang lots of old youth songs and hymns.
Here's Aunt Suzanne and Pawpaw.

Happy Birthday to me with Key Lime pie

One last spin before leaving on my birthday

Ryan's learning to use my camera too. Pretty good, eh?

Beach Week 2

Well, its over and I'm back at home in Collegedale. I suppose this means the summer is about over. Here are a few pictures from the last bit of our week at the beach:

Playing Pegs and Jokers, boys against girls. Girls won.

One last sunset

Our chariot

As MJ would say, "HOT!" I think all Mark III's have similar issues with pulling weight while producing AC because this trip was strangely reminiscent of backseat van rides to Harrison Bay x's 9 hours. But, we got 6 people plus all of our stuff including Ross's summer belongings into the van and a trailer which definitely made it worthwhile.



It's been one year since Ryan and I started dating but it really doesn't seem that long until I look back at pictures from when we first started dating like this one... We look pretty much the same but when I think about how much I have learned about him since then and how we have grown together and changed it makes me realize how wonderful good relationships are (and how wonderful Ryan is). Ryan tried to send me roses on our anniversary but long story short they never came and ended up getting shipped to his house in Charlotte the day we left for Florida. But hey, its really the thought that counts and they kept the kitchen beautiful for the week we were gone. Here's to a year that's been much more fun and much brighter than the last one, and hopefully, the first of many just like it.

Beach Week part 1

After spending a week and a half relaxing at home, I'm down at New Smyrna Beach with Ryan's family. (I was so relaxed at home, I didn't really take any pictures except at the ballgame. We spent lots of time watching great movies, talking, relaxing, walking, playing games, and hitting the sales in every store possible. It was perfect to just do whatever we felt like doing!) Here's a few snapshots of what we've been up to:

Reading by the water while the "kids" play in the surf (no shark bites yet, btw)

Ryan and his mom, Valeri

Celebrating Uncle Andy's birthday: L to R (there are 16 of us here)
Vicki (standing, Valeri's twin sister), Luke, Gramma, Uncle Andy (kneeling), Chelsea (standing behind), Ross, Valeri, Robin, Zach, Whitni's arms, (these two are Vicki and Andy's kids), and Aaron (Whitni's husband)





I've learned to play shuffleboard










Eating at Manny's with Zachary and Ryan





Zach, Whitni, & Aaron


We're all getting a chance to sail with Ryan's Uncle Andy

Ross skimming










A storm blows in

Watching the storm while eating Gramma's mac & cheese

Ryan and his Gramma

Papaw laughs with Stanley

Papaw and Ryan playing marbles

Rendezvous

Carrie and I couldn't pass up the opportunity that our close proximity afforded for an evening in Burlington at a baseball game. After all, what are the chances of ALL of us being in NC at the same time anytime soon?
Even though the baseball left a lot to be desired (as did the weather, Carrie's got a great lightning picture on her blog) we managed to have a fine time talking, throwing baseballs around (even into the back of the dugout), making massage trains, taking pictures, and catching wildlife. I can't remember when I've had more fun in an evening.


Stephanie's back home from camp!

Since you can't catch a ball sitting under the roof, Carrie stores the glove on her head.

Coming in from a grand slam... I'm not quite sure how they won this game. If we could have found Carrie a uniform she could have knocked out the short stop during the 2 hour rain delay and helped them immensely. I don't think anybody would have noticed, the whole affair had the air of a hometown baseball game with kids running through the gates into the dugout during the rain delay and players who stood out in the rain playing random games with baseballs.