Happy Birthday

July 15, 2009

Happy 1st Birthday to Lily! Happy Birthday Aunt Sherry! Lily and Aunt Sherry share their special day. Aunt Sherry and my cousin Shannon flew in from Miami today and we celebrated with a birthday dinner party at our house. Lily loved her baby stroller!

We all enjoyed Aunt Sherry's strawberry cake...

Lily wasn't too sure about her bear cake that Nonna and Molly made her...it is the same bear cake pan that mom made for Molly's 1st birthday!

I'm off tomorrow and plan to spend the day with the girls (hopefully at the pool). Lily's party is Sunday night, so here's to a great weekend with family and friends.

You Have New Picture Mail!

July 13, 2009

I love to hear this message, because 9 times out of 10 it is from Emily and is a picture of Lily. As Monday morning was creeping by at work...I got this one titled 'Practicing her typing skills'

My response back: 'Already a workaholic just like her aunt!'

Reviews...

July 13, 2009
Friday night while I made dinner, Ray went to the Redbox and came home with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I was very upset as I thought it was a sad movie, but I was totally wrong...it is a beautiful movie about unconditional love. I gave the very long movie '2 eyes wide open'. On the other hand, on Saturday night I gave Gran Torino '2 eyes shut within 15 minutes'!
Ray really enjoyed this movie, but I might have been tired, because I stayed up way late Friday night finishing Dedication. I started Dedication before we left for the beach, but didn't take it with me, because I thought it to be too complex for a beach read (plus I borrowed it from Jennifer and I'm known for dropping books in water). I picked it back up and had to start over, but I ended up really enjoying this book. It is about seeking closure while holding a place in your heart for your first love and in the end...was it all worth it...

While at the beach, I read Life's a Beach. At first I didn't like that the 40 year old had moved into an apartment over her crazy parents garage and her workaholic sister was absolutely annoying, but Molly recommended this book (which is a big deal as it takes a very special book to hold Molly's attention). I was surprised how the book turned around and it was a rare gem that as I was reading along I found myself feeling as one of the characters. Super easy read, so if you are a day dreamer like me, you can read a page and drift off and pick right back up where you left off. Happy Reading!

More sad than Michael's death...

July 8, 2009

I love the Memphis zoo and believe I have posted twice about their pregnant elephant. I was so amazed that they carry their babies for 1 year and 9 months, so excited about getting to see a baby elephant and even planned to enter the naming competition. Well on Monday night at 10:23 pm, the calf was born and today at 10 am the calf died. You can read the details here...http://memphiszoo.org/elephantblog.

Asali drinking out of the pool at our recent trip to the zoo...

Happy 4th of July!

July 4, 2009

Went with mom, Emily and Lily to visit Grandma Deen at her new home. It is an assisted living facility in Searcy...it's a new place that is managed by the hospital and it's top notch! Almost felt like a ski lodge (without the slopes)! Everyone was super nice. She has one bedroom, a large living room and a huge bathroom. I really think she is going to like it. Their afternoon activity was a 4th of July parade and watermelon. It was simple, but super cute.
Grandma took us on a tour before the parade...I think my favorite room is the old fashion soda shop, where they have an ice cream social once a week.

Lily was really a hit with the ladies!

This is Mr. Willis, he and his wife eat each meal at Grandma's table. They decorated everything with wheels for the parade...he has the water hose holder...they also had fertilizer buckets, etc...

This is Baily, my cousin Jason's daughter, she looked super cute riding her scooter in the parade!

Lily decided she wanted to join the parade too!

Hmmm...watermelon.

Fruit Pizza

July 2, 2009

My Grandma Mullen use to make delicious fruit pizza, so every summer when the fruit gets ripe...I make one and then Ray request another one about every week! I made one tonight and it was fantastic and looked kinda patriotic, so I thought I would share the recipe. Gma Mullen used a sugar cookie crust, but I use chocolate chip!

1 roll of chocolate chip cookie dough

1/4 cup sugar

8 oz cream cheese (softened)

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 t vanilla

8 oz cool whip

Assorted fruit - I like to use blueberries, strawberries and peaches

Preheat oven to 350

Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray, press cookie dough into pan (I've learned that if you wet your fingers the dough smooths out best). Cook 10 minutes on 350.

Mix sugar, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until well blended. Add cool whip. Spread over cooled cookies and decorate with fruit. Enjoy!

A Day at the Beach...

June 30, 2009

begins around 9 am after we have had our coffee with coconut cream and blueberry donut (or in Kendall's case chocolate with sprinkles) from the Donut Hole. We cover ourselves with sunscreen and head out with all our stuff. Once the tent is set up and Lily's pool is filled, we jump some waves and Molly gets Lil to sleep. We settle ourselves in our lounge chair. I love the ones you rent, Em loves the ones that you buy at Walmart that set low to the ground and lie all the way down and Molly's favorite is the old fashion lay out chair. Kendall plays in the sand and rides the waves on her boogie board while the rest of us people watch, read, talk and join Kendall in the ocean. Lily wakes up after a 2 hour nap and plays in her pool for an hour or so. Around noon few people head to the pool and as we start getting hungry we go up for lunch. After lunch we relax on the beach and discuss where we are going to dinner. Whenever we feel we have had enough sun for the day (or it starts raining) we head up and get ready for dinner...really could you think of a better way to spend a day?

Happy Birthday Molly!

June 27, 2009

Happy 23rd to you...here's to a great night of celebrating. We love you!

Life's a Beach...

June 20-25, 2009
well, when you are at the Beach...HA! Such a great time on 30A for our annual girls beach trip. It was absolutely wonderful to be on the beach and such a treat to get to spend a week with my mom, sisters, niece and Ms Donna & Kendall. I'm so lucky and thankful to have such a wonderful family/friends who get along so well. Destin is just too crowded these days and 30A has so much character and beach charm. We stayed at the Inn on Blue Mountain Beach and it was fantastic...really a home away from home. Lily was an absolute delight to be around and it is such a joy to spend time with Kendall, she has grown up so much since our first beach trip 4 years ago! I'm going to break this post up...will talk about our time on the beach, all the wonderful seafood and the amazing sweets over the next few days, but for now...a few pictures to tied you over. I'll spare you all 333 that I took and spent 8 hours uploading to Shutterfly!
Lily's 1st dip in the ocean. She loves the beach just as much as her mom, Nonna and aunts do!

First things first...

June 26, 2009

Had a wonderful vacation and actually cried when we left, but first things first...my Father's Day post didn't load on Sunday, so...

June 21, 2009

Happy Father's Day Dad. I love you and thank you for everything. Definitely owe you a good Father's Day dinner when I get back from Florida...lobster maybe?

Happy 1st Father's Day to you Caleb.

And...Happy Father's Day to all the other dads.

Zoned...

June 19, 2009

We got power back Sunday night around 11 pm. Hooray! I've been in a 'zone' all week...had a line review today and while I thought I was well prepared at my 1 week out meeting...stuff kept coming up. I can honestly say I don't think I felt outside from Wednesday till today at 3 pm...yes one of those weeks. However, now I'm headed for vaca! Destin here I come!

As promised...pics from the tournament.

What the table looks like when you have 14 people without electricity...everyone had atleast 2 beer mugs...

48 hours...

June 14, 2009
with no power. We had 'severe' storms on Friday...even a tornado that touched down in Mississippi. We were one of the lucky 100,000 Memphis residents to be left without power. Ray talked to the power company on Friday and they said there was a blown fuse on our street and basically told him we were very low priority...the news is saying it will be about a week. It really isn't that hot...it is about 80 in the house, but it is very boring without the Internet. We came over to hang out and eat dinner at my parents! I have some great pics from St Jude yesterday...we followed my all time favorite golfer, Phil Mickelson, around...I so enjoy being on the golf course. Celebrated Laura's birthday at Boscos last night and overslept today, so we ended up at late Church, but I'm so glad we went...wonderful message today. I'll post pics when we have power back!

Happy Birthday...

June 10, 2009

to Ray! Were off to dinner...I wanted to try this place out, but it's not my special day! Ray is picking, so we shall see where we end up...

Happy...

June 9, 2009

there are only 3 work days till the weekend, 7 work days till my next big presentation and 8 more days of work before we leave for vacation...

that my day lilies started blooming. My Grandpa Tex had 100's of day lilies...he worked in them everyday...they all had a name tag and he made a video of them every year when they bloomed. He loved this hobby and I always enjoyed going out to see his newest blooms. Anyway, he gave me 8 of his favorite ones and the first one has bloomed for this season. Too bad I didn't make some name plates, I'll have to do some research to figure out what I have here...

is what I would be if my job was the 'cupcake women'! How fun would it be to drive around in this cool van and sell cupcakes...just like the ice cream man, but better!

Lions, Tigers and Bears...

June 7, 2009

Last night...we kept Lily, while Emily & Caleb and Mom & Dad went to Maggie's wedding. We had a great night at the park and singing with the guitar. This morning, Caleb made us a delicious breakfast...then we all went to the zoo. Memphis has a great zoo and we really do not go enough. Tonight we had an early birthday dinner for Ray. All in all, it was a wonderful, busy weekend. Now, I'm off to get some stuff done around the house, so I can snuggle in for the beginning of the 3rd season of Army Wives...I've so missed this show!

The girls at the zoo...

Taking her first bite of snow cone...she decided she liked it

Waiting for the polar bears...

What are you doing to me...

Hmmm....

Okay, I like this...

Waiting patiently on lunch...

Ray and I loved the new birds and bees exhibit...

What 5 hours at the zoo will do to you...

The Four Corners of the Sky...

June 6, 2009
Book Report: Just finished 'The Four Corners of the Sky' by Michael Malone. Excellent book...while it doesn't out rank Water for Elephants or The Secret Life of Bees, it is up towards the top of my all time favorite books. It is about 600 pages, but I finished it quickly. I've never read this author, but I understand he use to write soap operas, his style is excellent and I plan to read other books by him (don't worry, it is not a sappy, drawn out love story as most soap operas). I picked up the book while we were at Ray's parents house in North Carolina, it was under the 'local artist' section. It is an easy book, but it is complex in a way that you 'wonder' more than you do with most books. Who would like this book? Definitely Jessica, Jennifer and Kristy...well really everyone who is not intimidated by very large hardbacks!

Perfect night...

June 5, 2009
for the Harbor Town 5K. The weather is just beautiful. So great catching up with Lisa, Kristy and Christy. Molly, Thanks for being my walking buddy...I love doing 5Ks together!
This day 15 years ago...Kristy and I were in France at the 50th Anniversary of D-Day...(how cute are our outfits...we wore these stylish red jackets with blue linen shorts and white tights). All the coverage of the 65th Anniversary has me thinking back on this time of my life...so thankful to have such an experience of a lifetime!

Happy June...

June 1, 2009

My 4 year old hydrangea is finally all blue...and absolutely beautiful!

Now, his twin that was bought at the same time and planted on the same day refuses to turn blue and grow...they get the same amount of light and water and have the same soil. Go figure...