Has the time flown by , or what? Man, I'm not to good with this blogging. My sister is fantastic, and I find myself caught up in her memories. I'm sorry for not writing more.
October went off without a hitch, and November was great. My mom and dad were at the beach with Julie, John and Savannah. We stayed up hereand went to Todds parents home. His sister and her family are close too. It is so wonderful having both sets of parents within 30 minutes of us. todd and I both have always considered that as one of our greatest blessings. We often see , and have many friends that have loved one's far away and are deeply grateful.
I am so thankful for my family, it is hard to express feelings. You really appreciate growing up in simplier times when life is so bustling now-a-days.
We are getting the decorations out of the atttic and its beginning to look alot like Christmas. It is my favorite time of year to decorate the house. No matter what time of day, the home is fun to be in, and the lights are always on.
Mom and I are heading up to Julie's with friends on the 13th for Franklin's "Dickens of a Christmas". It is decorated so beautifully for the holidays.
Well, it's back to more decorating.

Long Time, No Blog

Wow,
It has been a while since I blogged. I just got back from Girl Scout Camp with my Junior Scouts.
Sydney got to go to the same camp Julie and I attended for 6 yrs. in a row when we were little girls. It was really neat having her stay where I stayed and swim in the same lake,remember Julie?Great memories!

We are about to leave for our annual trip to San Diego. We have been to Legoland, Sea World an Miramar Airshow, the USS Midway, Hollywood, and many other great places. Here are some past pictures of our visits.


USS Midway

Blue Angels

Miramar Air Show 2007

Shamu

Sea World

WEEEEEEE.......

Here they go!

Todd and Nick enjoying a ride!
"I can't do this again!"

Fall is in the air

Autumn brings...
cool evenings
beautiful colors
football
campfires
apple cider
warm soup on a cool evening
Yankee candle fall scents
camping trips to the North Georgia mountains
caramel and candied apples at the fair
hikes by a river in the woods
bike rides on the paths around the lake
Blessings of Thanksgiving to God for what we have
thoughts of the beautiful country in which we live

Kindred Spirits

Have you ever had someone that was your friend and you did something out of the ordinary that was exactly alike? I mean so alike, it really took you for a loop?
On my sister' s blog(travelsofabooklovingmom),she was talking about her close friend Kim. They both like chips in their sandwich, which is something they didn't know about each other. It was a funny coincidence they laughed over during lunch.
My kindred spirit is Anne Levenson. She and her family were our neighbors( literally across the street), only for one short year. Our boys were both in kindergarten, we were the same height, and we just happened to attend the same congregation at church. It was wonderful!
We had a habit of showing up dressed EXACTLY alike. Same capris, same color shirt(sometimes from the same store),etc. She moved to Dublin Ohio, and on one visit, I yelled from the guest bedroom," I'm wearing my teal shirt with my khaki capris!" She replied," Ok, I've already got on my khaki capris, but Ill change out of my teal shirt and put on the fushia."
That really happened!
Isn't it great that God puts these wonderful people in our path ? I miss her tremendously and I know when we visit this fall, we'll come out laughing, going back and changing shoes, purses or shirts.

Labor Day by the pool

We had a great time at Grayton Beach. Mom and dad,Julie,Savannah,John, and the kids were there. Our dear friends, the Machemels rented the cottage right behind us. It was terrific!

We had the best shrimp and grouper, fresh from the Gulf, one night for dinner. There is nothing better when you make it yourself. The pool was FABULOUS! We ALL swam . The children turned into fish,they enjoyed it so much. With the jellyfish in the surf, it sure is nice to have another alternative . The washout is always good too ,but looks like you're swimming in tea.

Gustov sure came up close to the homes. I had not seen it that high in a long time. We left on Monday to return home. Oh what fun tmes we have with our family!!!

Heading to the Beach

We are getting ready to go for the last hoorah to the beach this weekend. My sister, brother-in-law, niece, children and I, will meet at the cottage. We also have our really good friends renting a home behind mom and dad's. They are eagerly waiting for us to join them in breaking in the new pool that was just put in. There may not be much swimming going on with Gustov coming close. Oh well, guess we'll just be together and enjoy each other's company playing Mexican Train Dominos. That would be a blast too! Happy labor Day !

School is in

I have gotten back into the swing of school with the children this week. It seems the older they become, the busier things are.
Sydney takes Ballet, Jazz and Modern Dance. She is quite good! I love to see her do Ballet. She has such grace and poise. Nick has just signed up for Lacrosse.I have no idea how the game is played. He has wanted to do it for over a year now. I hope he'll enjoy it. I remember all the activities my parents graciously took me to. They sacrificed so much for us!

Back to Reality

Well, we are back from a restful trip to visit my sister. I read books all weekend while our kids played and played. It is so great to see them grow closer. Julie and I just read and enjoy each others company. She has such an array of books that I love picking her brain on what to read.
School will be starting for us next week. It was a terrific summer. My children are getting more mature, and life is day by day.Many blessings.

Birthday Blessings

Well, I finally made it to my sister's home on Tuesday. The whole family decided to drive. My husband, son, and brother-in-law played golf for 2 days while the girls shopped. I had a big Birthday yesterday. It was a glorious day . It was so wonderful to spend it with my family. I was sorry mom and dad weren't here to share. They are filling up their new pool at the beach with water. OK, tell me where we would ALL rather be, GRAYTON BEACH!
Each year holds more blessings as my life unfolds. I am very thankful to God for everyday I am given!

It's better to drive!

Ok, I have to admit, it is better to drive than to fly. Speaking from 25 years flying experience, I have had yet another flying adventure. Thanks to the great thunderstorms in Atlanta, which are a wonder to see, they certainly reak havoc on a trip to your sister's house with the children. Our trip turned into an 8 hr "turnaround and go back home trip". I really think I should have considered driving today. I am going to have faith in saying that we weren't meant to fly tonight,neither were the other 155 people on our airplane . I get to go home to my bed, but the weary travelers must persevere for yet more adventures tomorrrow. Just one of those days when it is better to have driven! Especially when the destination was only 4 hrs away! :)
Sis, I'll get to you yet!

My Busy, Fun Life

Well, keeping up this blog is going to be a challenge for me. When my life gets busy, time really does fly. Todd and I have been having fun sharing a wonderful nutritional product, MONAVIE. It is a fruit juice with the world's purest, most potent form of Acai (Ah-sigh-ee)Berry which only grows in the Amazon rainforest,plus 18 other free -radical fighting fruits. Dr.'s are raving about it helping their patients! This company has built a 1 BILLION dollar business in less than 4 YEARS.
Due to the Acai content, and other fruits combination, it is really changing peoples lives with ,high cholesterol, cancer,diabetes, joint problems, etc. The list goes on. It's the real deal!
Well, that is my plug. We are just so excited that we need to share it with people. It tastes GREAT too! Feel free to look on the website and links I posted & check it out for yourself.

http://www.monavie.com
www.brighart.com

DRINK IT, FEEL IT, SHARE IT !!

Time with my Best Friend (My Sister)

My sister Julie and I always go on some sort of girl getaway every May. We have been to

San Francisco, Napa Valley, Santa Barbara, Manhattan, Boston, Cambridge, and Kennebunkport.We have the best time while our precious husbands watch our children for5 days. Aren't they GREAT! It is such a blessing to be able to get together. We laugh til we cry. I usually drive her crazy with my driving, but we get there in one piece. We have always been extremely close and pretty much know what the other is thinking. I'll always thank God for my

precious sis. She is definitely my rock! I love you woman

Cambridge House Inn

Our quaint Bedroom Lunch in Concord(Lobster Rolls!)

The Old North Bridge Lighthouse in Maine
Cabot Cove Cottages

The Sweet Dream Cottage

My Baby's Home

Well my 12 year old son, Nick, has just come back from Taylor Christian Camp in Ky. He was with lots of great christian teens from the Woodland Hills church of Christ and the Chapel Hill congregation in Tn. He has not been that far from home for a week before. He had no cell phone signal, so it was like the old days with no phone contact for a week. Needless to say ,it was harder on me than him. He had a great time and didn't really think of home too much. He said he was having too much fun. He is a really good christian young man. We are so proud of him and he LOVES his mama!
My sister and I used to attend church camp and Girl Scout camp every summer .No AC and swimming in a lake. You were a good swimmer if you got to swim to the drain in the middle of the lake at GS camp. Devos at the lake,singing songs and praying with friends.
Those were fun times. Many friendships were made that lasted for years. I think that every child needs that bonding experience with other kids.It builds confidence and character, not to mention a sense of independence.

I Love Photography

I love to take pictures. My wonderful husband bought me a Nikon for Christmas a couple of years ago,and it has been such fun. My parents cottage in Grayton Beach ,Fla. on the Gulf of Mexico is our little slice of Heaven.

Sitting down for the first time

Well , I have begun a humble attempt to have a blog. I have had several friends start blogs, and I enjoy them immensely.My sister's especially,(Travelsofabooklovingmom). She has become quite the writer. I'm hoping to extend my knowledge and vocabulary somewhat in taking on this endeavor. Either that, or make a fool out of myself for the whole world,which is what I usually am best at.I would just like to carve a little niche out of this world and maybe offer a chair to those who want sit for a minute or two. I love the Lord ,and I love my family.I am hoping the I can sit a while and remember the memories I am making in my life and those around me. Feel free to sit with me anytime.