Travel Tuesday- Pompei, Italy

It was totally awesome to walk the path of such an incredible part of history!!

Monday Memories-Football Fans!

The Love of Football

Begins early....

(BJ & Jayce 1997)

Love And Hope Thursday

Father & Son

Travel Tuesday- Disney Cruise 2000

Back in September of 2000 we went on the Disney Cruise to Bahamas and their private island called Castaway Cay. We had a splendid time! I will need to post more pictures later as those albums are tucked away. But, I wanted to share this one of Jayce (still in his PJ’s) with Mickey Mouse. This is when we first arrived at the port to check in before boarding the ship! He’s so cute and what an incredible vacation!!

Monday Memories- BJ's Truck

BJ enjoys having a truck. This is his second truck, the first was a Ford. For almost 3 years now, his truck has been at his Dad’s house since we have been overseas. We brought my car with us and bought another car when we got here so we could have two vehicles in use with us.

My husband has been counting down the days until he gets his truck back!

We bought the foot rails and the custom bed cover and had it installed just after we purchased the truck back in 2006.

I feel the tubing foot rails look stylish and adds a clean balanced feel to the truck.

This is a picture of the bed cover so you could see how it rolls back and forth. More so, when the back hatch is locked the cover remains securely in place and cannot be moved unless it is unlocked. It is super nice.

Not too much longer till we get the truck back! Woot`Woot!

The Beauty Of Sicily

Recently we went on a drive around Sicily and I captured this shot. It’s a true reflection emphasizing the beauty of the terrain here.

T.G.I. F.- Upcoming Plans

This week I wanted to focus on TGIF. We are ecstatic about our upcoming move to Texas!! It’s something that we have wanted for quite some time and thrilled that our dreams are becoming a reality.

I am so grateful for our life and the direction it is leading. I have complete trust that everything we desire will come full circle has we begin the ground work for establishing our new home, schools, jobs, etc.

We have always known we were going to retire in Texas, so for us to get there a few years earlier makes this all the more special for us. And, since this is our final destination we have been speaking with an architect with a few select builders to draw up our floor plans while looking at master planned developments to buy land. We have two particular areas in mind (both quite beautiful), but will make our final decision once we arrive. These are very big decisions so we are not taking it lightly; we want to make sure we find the perfect fit for our family! Since we are planning to have our home custom built to suit our needs and wants, the overall process will take about a year or longer to complete. But, taken as a whole, I trust it will be well worth the wait!

I was looking through our folder of our favorite floor plans (we’ve been searching thoroughly) and wanted to add a picture for inspiration since we don’t have the final plans drawn up as of yet. We still have many decisions to finalize…

Furthermore, last night, I had a wonderful phone conversation with the principal of the school that we hope for Jayce to attend. And, we are now beginning the application process! If all goes well, we should confirm his placement within the next few months or so.

I have ordered my study guides to prepare for the Texas board exams for licensure. I am excited to begin my new journey. I know at times it will be challenging, but I am ready to face those challenges!

Albert Einstein quoted, “Imagination is everything-It is the preview of life’s coming attractions”—as I have mentioned before, I can only image what God has planned for us, I trust it is beyond our highest expectations!

I am so very thankful for all of our victories both big and small!

Love And Hope Thursday- Cookies

Special Memories

What is your favorite type of cookie? I personally like to eat warm freshly baked gooey chocolate chip cookies. I bake homemade chocolate chip cookies for my husband, they are his favorite treat. (The picture above is of the cookies I baked yesterday, don’t they look amazingly delicious?) The catch, it’s hard to please him. He wants the cookies a particular way, which translates into not too thin, soft, and never warm.

Why is he so picky? Let’s talk a little about his childhood. One of his favorite childhood memories of his mother is when his she would make him chocolate chip cookies, most of the time it would be raining outside, and he would sit by the window, watch the rainfall while drinking milk and eating the cookies.

How does this affect me? I’ve spent countless amounts of hours searching and experimenting with recipes in search of the “one” to recreate these special memories. Not to mention, if it rains I better whip up a batch cause as soon as he gets home he will say, “Chocolate chip cookies would be perfect on a day like this.”

Why go through all this trouble to please? Simply spoken, love. Not only the love I have for my husband but also for his mother. She has only been to visit us a few times since we have been away from home. It’s important to my husband and me to remember special moments we share with loved ones because we don’t get to live our daily lives near family members. Of course, we create our own special moments, establish new traditions to pass on to our children, but we hold family dear to our hearts.

Will I ever find the perfect recipe? Probably not. And that does not bother me. I know that no matter what types of cookies I make for him, those memories are with his mother, and that alone warms my heart. It is a quality that I admire about my husband; he loves his mother (and family) unconditionally. I am an excellent cook; I know my cookies are delicious! We associate certain taste and smells with memories... when those memories are heavenly it cannot be broken or altered, only somehow recreated to remember, smile, and be happy.

Just For Fun...

I came across this image of Jayce from 2007 and I never noticed the ball suspended in the air until today. I thought it looked pretty cool, so I decided to play around with the image and accent the ball in the air, which resulted in the picture below. I like them both.

Travel Tuesday- Florence, Italy (Preview)

(Ponte Vecchio)

I’ve had a busy day, and now I need to go on my daily run and work on an assignment for one of my classes, but I wanted to post one of the images from Firenze (Florence). This was taken while on the bridge, which is one of the most famous landmarks of Florence. It is a huddle of shops, mainly jewelry and goldsmiths. However, I’ll post more pictures later so you can see all the grandeur of this beautiful city.

Monday Memories- Furball

(Our cat, Smokey, 2008)

Baby Sign Language-Video Three

Here is another sign language video of Lana... She's too cute and so very smart, I must say!

Happy New Year

2010

We welcome 2010 with much excitement because of our return to the states soon, Texas to be exact. BJ had been negotiating orders with many setbacks, but as of a few weeks ago, the waiting became a joyous moment and it became final for Texas. Therefore with the New Year, it brings much change for each of us. I pray that we continue to prosper with each new venture we embark upon. Here, wishing each of you a grand New Year with love, health, and happiness!