What I Did On My Summer Vacation

(AKA: Airport 2010 ... A Horror Story)

I have been editing and going through trying to find the "right" pictures to post. But there are just too many. So, I have decided to make a little slide show to share. However, in order to buy time to figure out how exactly to do that, I will share a few here and tell you some stories.

***WARNING: If you are planning a trip this summer and are scheduled to fly on an airlines that starts with "U" and ends with "nited", you may either want to run away now OR take notes and be prepared. I'm just sayin... ***

Friday morning my mommy flew into town and we met up at the airport. After a quick trip out to breakfast with the family and a romp through some unknown parts of inner Detroit (I do NOT recommend this procedure) looking for a bank, we returned to the airport where I said goodbye to my sweet girls and my wonderful man. (I may or may not have bawled like a big ol baby!)

(Please note - I had not yet removed the camera from the bag, but if I HAD, you would now be seeing pictures of the girls chewing on the fruits of their puppy dog eyed labor - gummy worms. As well as pictures of my mommy lovin' on her grand babies.)

Mommy and I checked in and headed to our gate - all was right with the world, as we even had time to stop and get some snacks. And then our plane pulled up to the gate. At which point I began to wonder if this plane had a mommy that might be accompanying us. Don't believe me? See for yourself:





Yeah, those stairs, that is how we got ONTO the plane. M'hmm ...

And, this, dear friends, is where the adventure/story of woe begins.

We left D'town a little bit late and knew that our time between flights in Washington DC would be limited. We mentioned such to the flight attendant and asked if she could possibly determine where we were to go when we landed so we would not miss the next flight. She called ahead, found out the gate number and showed us, on a map, how to get there.

We came in at Gate A3, grabbed our bags and took off. We had to get to Gate D16 (in another building entirely) in record time. We had been told that there were various hours of the day in which the "people movers" were operating and that they would be the fastest way to get there. We found one, bound for the C/D terminal, and jumped on. We ran through THAT building and arrived at our gate in time. Except, thank you so very much, our flight's gate had been changed to A1 - that would be the one right-stinkin-next-door to the one we came in at.

So, we grabbed our bags - again - and took off. Ran back through the A/B terminal, jumped back on the people mover and headed to ... the Z terminal. Which, it would seem, is the place where it parks when it's done moving people for the day.

nice.

At this point, we are simultaneously laughing hysterically and growling angrily. It's an odd emotion ... I don't recommend it.

We flung our bags on our backs and headed out again. This time running the entire way from Z to A ... literally. We arrived at our gate with, according to my watch, my cell phone, mom's watch AND the clock on the stinkin wall, five minutes to spare. Only to learn that the plane had already left. At which point Miss U***nited Airlines looks me in the face and says (with an attitude) "everyone else got here on time".

She then sends us to the Customer Service agent in the C/D terminal.

Who sends us to the INTERNATIONAL Customer Service Agent in the A/B terminal.

Where we find "everyone else" (ya know, the ones who got there on time) waiting in the same line trying to get on a new flight to Montreal.

We finally make it through said line and find ourselves booked on a new flight which is to leave in an hour and a half.

Except, ya know, not so much.

All said and done, our 30 minute layover turned into a SIX hour adventure in the Amazing Race training ground, otherwise known as Dulles International Airport, Washington DC.

This is where I need to let you know that shoes like this:



are not meant for running.

And this is where I took the one and only picture of mom and I together of the entire trip.



(how sad is that?)

Eventually our plane arrived - this one was the first plane's LITTLE SISTER!!! - we climbed the FOUR steps to get on and left the USofA.

We arrived in Montreal, Quebec, Canada sometime after 1AM. And, it would seem, the hotel shuttle does not run very efficiently - or, ya know, at ALL - at that hour. So, we hopped ourselves into a cab ... and $50 later, checked into a beautiful hotel room, collapsed on the beds and slept til almost 10AM the next morning.

And so, with the airport 2010 horror behind us (for now), we headed out to see Montreal ...

To Be Continued ...

Project 365 - Weeks 22, 23 & 24

Yeah ... I'm playin catch up again.

I have no excuses except to say it has been nuts. That is all ...

Here we go!
May 23: Cars - This is what ya get when Daddy watches NASCAR ... so, basically, every stinkin Sunday!

May 24: Rose Garden - the first official rose has blossomed on one of the bushes out front! We had no idea what color they would be, but I love me some pink!

May 25: Picnic - One of the best parts of having a fenced backyard. The kids can play outside while we cook dinner. Daddy grills while mama gets the rest ready! LOVE it!

May 26: Another One Down - She lost another tooth. And, yet again, she pulled it herself! (taken with cell phone ... yuck)

May 27: Aaron - He said the bass was too heavy on his shoulders ... so he hung it on his head.

Ummm ... ok.

May 28: Oh No - PLEASE tell me this aint right. This would be why I LEFT Arizona!

May 29: Haircut - OK, I confess, this was actually taken on the 28th, but I can NOT find the pic for this day. Oooops!

May 30: Rose Garden Part II - The second bush has blossomed and these are a fun orange/red swirl!!

May 31: Remember - It says it all.

June 1: Clouds - Love me a pretty sky!

June 2: Decor - It's starting to look more and more like home as more and more stuff makes it up on the walls!

June 3: Fish Fly - every year about this time they come ...
... the lovely fish fly. Which can only mean it's just a matter of time til the streets are covered in their carcasses and the town starts smellin like dead fish!

Lovely!

June 4: The Plane! The Plane! - She likes planes.

We live near an airbase.

She is a happy girl.

And her daddy is a VERY happy man!

June 5: Photo Shoot - My first official photo shoot as a paid photographer!

June 6: Kayla - She graduated today! SO proud of her!

June 7: Seven - Our 7th anniversary. I LOVE that man of mine!

June 8: Window - A very good friend of ours made this window for us as a wedding present for a VERY big window that was in the bathroom of our first house. THIS house has no windows in the master bathroom ... but that was not about to stop me from hanging it up. (Used to be twice as big. It's been cut in two and the other half is hanging in the upstairs bathroom over the window in there.)

June 9: Quack - This guy has been around a while. We have named him Timex, cause he takes a lickin and keeps on ... well ... quackin.

Seriously, due to an unfortunate wet bed incident he had to be put through the washer ... and he STILL quacks when ya squeeze him!

June 10: Eli - LOVE this baby boy!

June 11: Clouds Part II - and, yes, it was taken with the cell phone ... while I was driving ... on the interstate.

Kids - do NOT try this at home!

June 12: POOL! - It was FINALLY time to hit the pool. The girls were VERY excited! In fact, Sophie got a little TOO excited ... but that is a story for another day.

June 13: WINNER! - I got to deliver the Kate Carlson CD/EP to the winner - Miss Amanda - at church this morning. We took a pic together but somehow it did not get saved, so I asked her to take a new one for me - this is with her webcam but she said I had to doctor it up ;-)

(Can ya see why I call her SuperModel?!)

So, how was YOUR week?

Winner, Winner, Chicken (Enchilada) Dinner

(because "chicken dinner" is just so common and, honestly, I just have Mexican food on the brain!)

So, CLEARLY, when I said I'd pick a winner "Saturday afternoon", what I meant was Saturday afternoon ... in, like, Hawaii or someplace. Or, ya know, something like that.

Cause I mean, come ON, I am never one to procrastinate or anything like that ... no ... uh huh ... not me.

Much.

So, that being said ... a winner has been chosen.

And here is how it was done:

Me: Honey, pick a number between one and nine.

Hubs: wha..? (he is very sleepy)

Me: Pick a number between one and nine ... please.

Hubs: why?

Me: It's for the blog.

Hubs: for MY blog? (who knew he even HAD a blog?!)

Me: No ... for MY blog.

Hubs: What are we doin here?

Me: Givin stuff away ... pick a number!

Hubs: Six ... how's that?

Me: That is super swell ... thanks.

Hubs: Anytime.

(and, with that, you get a look into the thrilling goings on of the fascinating lives here in B Manor!)

(I know you are excited!!)

Anyhoo - since the very technical choosing process chose number six, and the sixth comment was from the lovely J (AKA Amanda, or as I like to call her, SuperModel!), then SHE is the winner! Congratulations Girl!

And, since y'all asked, HERE is where you can order a CD - or one of her beautiful t-shirts. And, the really cool thing about the shirts is that it's part of the Got Your Back program and when you order one for yourself (for $15) you also get to send one to someone in Haiti that has a need. How cool is that? Yeah, I told you this girl has a heart for God like nobody's business. So does her mama ... or, as we affectionately call her, Momager!

OR, if you are the downloading type, you can down load the music HERE. But, then you would not get the BEAUTIFUL cover that her Mama created. And, really? Who does not wanna look at this:



(Her mama, Melissa - also one of my very best friends - is an AMAZING photographer and also makes some super cute crafts that she sells in the store on her sight. Got my eye on one of those bags!!!)

Thank you all for participating and, again, congratulations Amanda ... I will get you your disc as soon as possible! I KNOW you are gonna love it!

Radiant

Anyone who knows me well knows that I LOVE me some good worship music. GOOD, soul stirring, hands in the air, tears in your eyes, heart comin outta your chest, face down in reverence, glory revealed worship music ... nothing beats it! It can bring me to the throne of His Grace quicker than anything.

And I could not ever live without it.

Now, there are a few select CD's that take me there in a way that others cannot. I call these my "go to" CD's. And I keep these in a special place. A place where I can find them if I'm having one of "those" days. I'm SURE you know what I'm talkin about!

Most of my "go to" CD's have been around a while. The first couple One Day projects, a Third Day disc, a couple FFH CD's, a Vineyard collection and a compilation project from the RocketTown people. The "go to"'s have not changed much over the years - they are all around ten years old, if not more - it is (in my mind) an elite collection that very few pieces can touch.

Very few.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I have a friend. She is young and beautiful - inside and out - and has a heart for God that is unique and pure and beautiful. She's one of those people that wear the Grace of God like a cozy blanket draped across their shoulders. Her words radiate with joy and peace and her smile lights a room. And, on top of all of that, she is talented.

Frankly, the girl can flat out SANG!

She lives in Nashville and could be takin that town by storm, if she chose to.

But, she chooses Him.

She knew at the age of 14 that God had placed a calling on her life. A call to worship. And now, at the age of 20, she is heeding that call. She follows His will and, in doing so, has seen doors open for her that she never even knocked on.

I LOVE how God works that way!

If you want to read her story you can find it HERE or, told in her own words, HERE. It is BEAUTIFUL, just like her heart.

(She's also on Facebook)

A couple months ago I got to spend some time with her in Nashville and she shared some music that she had been writing, as well as a few covers, for a women's conference series that she was asked to lead worship for. I am not even lying when I tell you that, right there in her mama's kitchen, with foil in my hair (she also does good hair!!), I was brought to my knees in worship. The power in her words and in her rendition of songs I already know well ... wow. All I can call it is anointed. She was in the process of creating a CD/EP of her own to share with the women who came to the conference. And, I knew right then, that my "go to" collection was gonna have a new piece soon.

SO, when it arrived at her mama's doorstep last week and she asked if anyone wanted to review it on their blog I JUMPED at the chance to get my hands on it.

But then I had a moment of panic. How could I give a fair and non biased review of music that I had already fallen in love with? Music made by a girl who already has my heart!?

So, last night when it arrived I decided to listen to it with a critical ear and put all my preconceived notions aside. So, I put the disc into my computer and hit play. The girls were watching one of their favorite shows but both stopped what they were doing to come over and listen. So I turned it up ... loud.

By the end of the first song we were all dancing and I was in full worship mode. Even Sophie had her eyes closed and her little hands up in the air with her face lifting toward the ceiling. And when it was over they asked for more. So, I wiped my tear filled eyes and hit play again. And again and again.

In fact, as I write this, I am listening to it yet again. And, yet again, I am wiping tears from my eyes and am blown away by the beauty of my King and the heart of my friend for HIM.

And, here is the best part ... I have an extra copy to give away!

So, friends, meet Kate Carlson



(I told you she was beautiful!)

Now, I am going to take comments on here until Saturday afternoon, at which time I will hold a drawing and the winner will receive their very own copy of this AMAZING disc. I am so excited to be able to share her with you!

So, what are you waiting for? Go on ... leave a comment!

Up Downs (and I am NOT just talking about the workout)

OK ... let me just say that I broke TWO rules this week. I completely failed on my water intake (especially over the weekend) and I weighed myself on Tuesday.

I KNOW!

I am soooooo fired.

But, I really amped up the workouts this week. And it seemed to pay off.

After the weekend, I knew that it was not gonna be pretty and when I weighed on Tuesday AM I was UP THREE POUNDS! YIKES! So I kicked the workouts into high gear and really watched what I ate, but again, totally failed on the water part. I REALLY need to work on getting it all together at the same time!

OK, so after all of that, I weighed this morning - I had lost since Tuesday, but am still up .4 from where I was last week. I am OK with that though because I know what I did wrong and am determined to fix it.

Also, on Thursday I did a MAJOR workout - Slaughter Boot Camp. It's a military style workout with obstacle courses, running with sandbags, up downs and everything. THEN, I got up this morning and did a Jillian Michaels' Last Chance Workout. My workout Diva friend Jane explained that you will always weigh more right after a workout, so I am hoping that explains it. Either way, .4 is nothing to cry over. I just need to keep my attitude up and carry on.

THIRTY TWO

Yep ... that's right ... THIRTY TWO POUNDS!

And, as you can imagine, I am just a tad bit excited about it.

Had a rough couple of weeks through the move and everything leading up to it. So rough that even my quiet time suffered. And, let me just tell you that if I am not doing right by God, you can believe that I won't be doing right by ME!

The sad thing is that I spent a couple weekends with some of my best girls and letting God love on me fully through them and through His word. Then I came home SOOOO on fire for Him and for life and for wholeness through HIM.

Then the move stuff literally slammed me in the face.

I had a plan in my head. I had it all figured out. Then we got the keys and the house was ... let's just say NOT clean. So the weekend that my man was away, the weekend I had planned to start moving small stuff over and getting the old house organized and ready to go, well, it was spent cleaning the new house instead.

So, I did what I always do during stress/emotion/fatigue - I let everything that keeps me grounded fly out the window. Quiet time, workout time healthy eating, even drinking my water, all of it out. HOWEVER, rather than eating JUNK and going backwards, I did have a small victory in that I managed, somehow, to pretty much just stand still. I gained two pounds through it all and they went away again as soon as I stopped needing all the caffeine that I seemed to need with the move and stuff. Because - OF COURSE - I got the caffeine in not just a cup of coffee (which had become the norm), but in frappe's and frappucinos and in LARGE doses of diet coke ... LARGE doses. Yes, it's diet, but still ...

And, at the same time that all of this was happening, my sweet Dedra - my early morning or ANY time of the day phone call/text accountability partner - was going through her own stuff. So we were BOTH off our game a bit.

But, it was just a short detour ...

And, now I am BACK ... back in the Word, back in the real world and back in the game.

And, I am gonna challenge any of you that need to get back on the fitness train ... or even board for the first time ... to join me. I am documenting the journey HERE. Come join me. There is ALWAYS room for accountability/support partners and friends on this train!

Sometimes ....

... a very sweet, mild mannered girl ...
... can just get a feeling ...
... that she needs to let it all go ...
... and let that inner Rock Star shine through ...
... and just have a little FUN!

And then, when she's done, ...
... she can pick up and carry on with her sweet, mild mannered self.

Rock on Hattie Grace ... rock on.

Project 365 - Week 21 ... I think ...

We have been busy lately ... VERY busy.

I took a trip out of town ...

We moved ...

Craziness has been the norm around these parts. And, while I have remembered to TAKE pictures for this project, I have not had time, gumption or either/both to post them.

All that to tell you - BEWARE!!!! You are about to go into picture overload.

Now, I am not even gonna try to organize my thoughts enough to put dates on all of them and we are just gonna do quick explanations of each. I hope that's OK.

Here we go...
Bed Head - she wears it well!

Bubbles! (I was trying some new camera settings)

Sweet Mercy ... it's available year round now! I cannot tell you how happy this makes me!

The Ryman - Took a little trip with my besties! We started off in Nashville. Trying a new setting on the camera, I got this pic of a rose with the Ryman Building in the background! (Just a few short weeks later it was threatened by the Nashville flooding)

ROAD TRIP!! The next day we ventured to Atlanta. This sweet thang is my Sweet Nikki! LOVE her!

Mama Beth - Live and in person, in all her hair glory - Beth Moore! It was so sweet of all those women to come out to hear Beth speak a personal word over me and me alone!!

Family - this is what they do when you pull out the camera ... they RUN! That handsome fella is my nephew Duncan who graduated from High School just this last Friday!

Back to the real world ... at least I had a helper with the house chores!

This was the end of this pair of glasses. Within 5 minutes of this picture the left arm was no longer attached.

Chris ... that's (one of) my boy(s)!

Drummer Girl - Elmo was learning all about drums, so she needed one of her own. An empty oatmeal container and a spoon did the trick!

Venturing through our new neighborhood we found a little park.

New House Playdate! It turned into a cleaning date, but we had fun along the way! (that's a whole lotta curly right there!)

Tuckered out. What you cannot see here is that from the waste down, she was buck nekked!

Smilin for her big brother's camera!

Finally clean and ready for the furniture!

Nothin says Cinco de Mayo like a good strand of MardiGras beads! This is what the mexican restaurant was giving away as favors! (wha?!)

OK, she's just cute!

Moving Day!!! Shauna was helping to put the legs on the couch. Do not even ASK what she is laughing at - this is a family friendly blog after all!

SURPRISE!! A birthday party for my Bro in love John, given by his sweet girlfriend Jean.

Mother's Day

This was taken a few days earlier (oops) I had just loaded the pantry shelves when everything came tumbling down on top of me. The shelves were not attached to the studs, just the drywall. Fun, huh?!

And, this one was taken the day of John's party (second oops) off of the pier in Jean's backyard. Beautiful!

The laundry room is more accessible now and she LOVES watching the clothes spin and the bubbles flow!

THIS is what you get when your toddler puts a piece of plastic tubing up her nose ... waaaaayyyy up her nose. Luckily we were the only ones in the ER and it was a quick trip!

I asked the girls what they wanted for dinner. One said granola bars and the other said popcorn. I was too tired to resist, so we had a little carpet picnic. Please, don't judge...

A fenced backyard offers a LOT of outdoor playtime!

I FINALLY have my big bed back. Of course the very next day I changed to the summer quilt. It's gettin warm around here!

just playin with my camera

I have a new job - I get to watch this little guy, Eli, 2 or 3 times a week ... and they PAY me!

Shopping Buddy! She was so worn out that not even a trip to the bux could keep her awake!

(NOTE: her drink was of the DEcaffeinated variety!)

Testing out the benefits of sunset lighting!

I don't even know what's happenin here ... I got nuthin.

But I know a few rock stars that better watch their steps! This one might just take over in a few years!

Our church is doing a series called Servolution - all about being called to serve people in the name of Jesus. This was a service week and Hubbs & I participated by doing a little yard work for a group home. This is just a small glimpse of what we did!

So, how was YOUR week? Or ... ya know ... month?