Where did the time go...

Wow, it's been forever since I posted and I feel like I have completely forgotten how to use blogger...yikes!  Things are doing well on our end.  Erik and I are trying to enjoy the last bits of summer before it fades away, I can't believe Labor Day weekend is here already!  I really love Fall, but I don't think I'm ready to say goodbye to summer just yet.  I haven't posted since February (sorry!)  but I have a feeling that once Fall sets in I will get back in the swing of things.  Hope everyone has been having a good summer :)

Snow Day!

beautiful beaded snowflakes

My fabulous snow dance worked last night and I'm so grateful to have another three-day-weekend. Hip hip hooray for snow days! I got a call from work this morning telling me that we were closing early due to the impending winter storm and I didn't need to bother coming in. It was music to my ears :). Not that I didn't want to go to work...but Erik has been home on vacation all week and this gives me the chance to spend a day at home resting and relaxing (or cleaning and organizing...) with him. Maybe I will even get a chance to dust off my craft table and do something creative! Thank you for snow days!

I must confess...

...I still have some Christmas decorations out. Yikes! I really thought Erik and I put most of it away when we got rid of the tree in January, but I'm just now realizing I never put away our nutcrackers. (or the ceramic Santas on our kitchen windowsill) Oops! I guess I will spend part of today making sure there are no other remnants of Christmas laying around, after all, it's almost St. Patrick's Day!

Pretty in Purple...

I made a few easy necklaces last month to give out as gifts...but this one is for me! I love the color purple and while at the bead store in December I fell in love with these and simply had to use them all together in a necklace. It's perfectly purple. It makes me think of all the lavender that grows in our garden...I can't wait for spring!

Adventures in Alabama Part 2: Trap Shooting

Hunting is an everyday part of life for Erik's family down in Alabama. Since we were out in the middle of nowhere, there really wasn't much for us to do other than shoot things. I got to try my hand at trap shooting for the first time and it was actually quite fun! The first three photos are of us trap shooting. The orange things in a box were the clay pigeons we were shooting. The next picture is of our ammo and the last is photo is of a shell shoved in an ant hill...boy oh boy did those ants get mad :)

Adventures in Alabama

I'm sad to say that Erik's grandfather, Elsie Whatley Jr., passed away on 2/3/08. He was a wonderful person and I feel blessed to have had a chance to meet him a few years ago when we traveled to Alabama. He led an amazing life and will be greatly missed. Erik and I were able to get tickets and fly down to Alabama for the wake and funeral last week. Despite the occasion, the trip went well, and it was really good to spend time with family. Erik's grandparent's are from a very small town called Sweet Water in southwestern Alabama. (insert banjo music...) It is literally out in the middle of nowhere...and it was kind of nice to be away from everything for four days. No malls, no traffic, hardly any cell phone service, no internet...nada...just miles and miles of pine trees. Here are some photos from our trip down south...

Alabama here we come...

Watching the sunrise while on the airplane and enjoying the view of the mountains...


Once we landed in Birmingham we rented a car and drove 3 hours to Sweet Water...

We were out in the middle of nowhere...and it was nice for a change!

Baby pine trees were everywhere...

...and I had to take a picture when we drove by the hay-bale art! There was a monster truck, tank and helicopter all made using hay bales.


Here is the "Whatley Estate"...otherwise known as Erik's grandparent's house :)

Say hello to the Elk...and the elk's rear...


...and last but not least, Anne the hunter...lol...not really, but I did get to learn the fine art of trap shooting and brush up on my target shooting skills. :)

So, there are a few pictures from our trek to 'bama. More to come soon...

Hola Amigos!

Señor Erik and I trying on the festive sombrero at Mary's birthday party 1/18/08...olé!

Hello everyone...sorry it's been forever since my last post. January was a crazy month for us and every-time I sat down with the intention of blogging I would have a hard time relaxing much less find something interesting to blog about! But I'm back, and hopefully will be able to get back in the swing of things. Anyway, January was a blur and I won't bore you with all the details, but here's a peek at what I've been up to...

We hung out with my sister for her birthday...

We visited Cassandra in Boston...and helped show Flat Stanley around town :)

We totally broke every New Year's resolution we made...

and we also took several more mini-trips to the shore...check out the waves!!

There's January-in-a-nutshell...now onto February! (even though it's already half over...oops!)

Winter Walks on the Beach

I miss summer. I really, really miss it. Erik and I have been talking a lot about the beach lately. It must come up in conversation at least twice a day...so we figured we should take a trip down to the shore, even though it's freezing out! Yesterday we hopped in the car after a yummy breakfast, fueled up with some coffee...mmmmm coffee, and headed to Misquamicut, RI. We were secretly wishing it was the Outer Banks we were driving to, but we will have to wait a few more months for that drive.

It was cold and overcast yesterday at the shore, the sun kept poking out from behind the clouds and we had the beach to ourselves. It was so refreshing.

I love being by the water. I even made a mini video on the camera of the waves... I know, I'm a dork, but I figured it would be a good pick-me-up to watch it whenever this winter weather has got me bored.

While walking we found lots of seashells, neat rocks, a piece of sea glass, seaweed, bird footprints and Erik even spotted a lobster tail.

This first trip to the shore of 2008 definitely left us rejuvenated and I'm sure we will be hanging some pictures on the fridge to remind us of the day.

On the way back home we stopped by the Connecticut River Museum in Essex.

We didn't see any eagles out and about, but there were lots of sea gulls walking on the ice and even a pair of swans swimming in the water. Erik was hoping to see some eagles, but I guess we will have to plan another trip down to Essex to do that.

Also, If we ever win the lotto, we want one of these :)

Friendship

"Friends let you know that you are not alone on the road of life."

-Unknown

Catching Up With Old Friends

"The best mirror is an old friend." 

--George Herbert  

Catching up with old friends can be so rejuvenating.   I always love it when I get in touch with an old friend for the first time in years and we are able to reconnect and talk for hours as if time hadn't past at all.  Even though time had passed (lots of time..) and events had occurred  (major events...), it's proof again that true friendship always lasts, no matter what life may bring.  You never forget your friends.  (evidently I have a hard time remembering events though,lol)

Savoring the little things...

Since today was a snow day at work, Erik and I spent lots of time resting and relaxing at home. I never feel like I have enough time to do this, so it was a nice treat. Spending time at home gave me the chance to look around and appreciate my surroundings and also made me want to take photos of random everyday things that sometimes go unnoticed in the helter skelter of everyday life. Things I walk past or use each day but don't ever think twice about. I took ten minutes and walked around the house and took pictures of the first 10 things that caught my eye. It was nice to have some time to enjoy the little things in life...