Well... We have some catching up to do....

Hey.  It has been a while since I posted.  I haven't forgotten about you... the 3, maybe 4 of you who read this ;)  I always think about sitting down and writing.  Sometimes, I feel like I just need to savor my moments and emotions instead of immediately throwing them out there for the world to read.  Maybe I'm weird.  I don't know.  I think I have a really obsessive personality... I tend to perseverate on one thing for a period of time and then get tired of it and move on to the next obsession.  So far... Facebook and on-again-off-again blogging have been a fixation of mine for ... must I admit it?... 6 years.  I'm striving to loosen my grip on these addictions everyday.  It's hard when I have access to my network of friends at my fingertips on my phone.  I only want to be obsessed and consumed by One thing... Jesus Christ, my Lord, my Salvation.

My sister had this bumper sticker stuck in the frame of her dresser mirror when I was growing up that said, "Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing".  Yep.  A good motto.

So... now that I'm stuck at my dealership to get my oil change for the next hour, are you prepared for me to regurgitate the details of my life for the past 3 weeks??  :)  Take the last gulp of your caffeine-laden drink and prop your head up... this might take a little while.  :)

[deep breath... and GO]  I had the wonderful pleasure of working with special needs children for the school system this year as a PT.  They were such a joy!  They say the sweetest, funniest things!  They haven't yet developed the brain filters that we adults have... and they can totally get away with saying the things that we want to say!  I learned a lot from them each day... PATIENCE, how to persevere through difficult circumstances, patience, how to laugh at yourself, patience, unconditional love, patience, how to see things through a child's eyes, patience (hey, don't ask God for something like patience unless you're willing to get it His way!).  So school let out June 9th... and I've had the privilege to hang out with family and friends since!

My name twin, AA, and her husband (my cousins-in-law) came in for a week.  I missed them so much.  AA is preggo!!!  AH!  I'm so excited!  We had talked about having kids close in age and they would be best friends and hang out all the time... A bit of a hard dream to give up when you move 800 miles away.  But I couldn't be happier for them!  I know that they are going to be great parents.  We had sooooo much fun!  We ate a LOT of ice cream and other delicious foods of the area (BeacHhouse, Tortilla Bay, fresh fruits and veggies from the Farmer's Market, grinders on the Island... I feel bloated again just thinking about it!) It makes me sad every time friends/family leave and go back up north.  Florida is home now... I just wish sometimes that everyone could come down here and live.  ;)

Farmer's Market... YUM

Making dinner together with my name twin... it was a delicious team work effort :)

Name twin!... Eating out at our favorite dinner spot! BeacHhouse!... yes, that's the ocean behind us.  I told you we live in a beautiful place!

A night walk out to the fishing Pier on the Island.  A little fuzzy because it was... dark.  :)

[at the BeacHhouse] I love this guy... I mean, really.  No one I'd rather go through life with.

One of the MANY creatures Cuz n I pulled outta the ocean! The COOLEST shell I've ever seen!  Isn't God cool?  Oh.Yes.

Mote Marine... LOVE aquariums and Zoos.  Unfortunately, Austin's face sums up his appreciation for such adventures.  :)

Ok... still there?  My sissy, who I amorously refer to as Wawa (I couldn't pronounce her name when I was little so it morphed into Wawa), came into town last week.  I miss her.  She is so much fun to be around.  Even when she is going through a difficult time in her life, she is such a good listener, full of energy, her love for our Lord is so deep and evident... and I think we just get each other.  I mean, really... I've known her my whole life!  Austin was gone to camp most of the time she was here... it allowed for some goooooood girl time.  We both really really ... really enjoy taking pictures (we have the same camera)... so I couldn't POSSIBLY put all of the pictures up that we took.  But trust me, we had fun.  I made a list of all the things I could think of that we could do while she was here before she came in... when we laid out all the cards at the end of the week of all the things we did, we were impressed!  All those things in one week!

Of course, the beach.

BEFORE


Appreciate the length here... She's been working on this a long time.  I think she cried a little when I told her it was time to cut it off.  She went through a lot of vitamins and jello (yes, jello) to get her hair to grow.

                AFTER

Oh yeah!  That's right!  That brave woman cut 6 inches!  Woo!  Sassy!

The Ringling Museum... well, actually this is the house.  The property at Ringling Museum is stunning.  I recommend you go there.  It is free and open to the public on Mondays.

A look at the Museum and courtyard.  I think I'm gonna ask the gardner here to come over to my house...

Yes... look closely. Observe the face of terror (me).  Then look to the right at the face comforted by the fact that we are floating in the air "because it's Physics" (my sister, the high school physics teacher).  THAT was amazing.  Totally recommend it to ANYBODY.  We decided we are going to get our mom up there next time.  :)

Our view.  Breathtaking.  It was so calm and quiet from up there.

Well... I think that comes close to summing it up.  [HEY!  Wake up!]  :)  Since my sister went home, I've been working, cleaning, having fun with friends (see my friend's blog on our smores attempt).  Umm.... got a new job (I think it's safe to say now)... but more on that later :)

I love you guys... remember to "Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing".