Fireworks on the Lake

So I am behind....big surprise I know, but I am catching up. This would be for Sunday, July 3rd.

We had some friends to the lake today to swim, eat, and watch fireworks. Our neighbors up there put on a show like no other, at least in my opinion. It lasts longer than the big City ones and it is a little more enjoyable since you are with friends and family instead of friends, family, and 10,000 others. While I love people, a lot leaving the same place at one time tend to make me a little nervous. Especially now that I have kids.

We had a great time with everyone. Our kids all play so well together and with a lake to wear themselves out in it was great. They swam until the sun was starting its descend too!

Brandon grilled some very good hamburgers and hotdogs. I made the oreo/chocolate chip pie thing. And of course there was beer, wine, and best of all was Nick's margaritta's! Those are always the best! Thanks again for making them!

Well, it was a great fireworks show. The kids had a blast watching them, and playin with sparklers. Even our neighbor's kids came to play with the sparklers. I am all about the more the merrier so it was great. I was glad to meet the neighbors. They are really great. Hopefully we will see them up there more, as again Brandon and I are determined to get up there more this year and make the most out of every weekend. Of course it will be like 2 at least before we go again, but it is all for good reasons! Weddings and Football!!!

Before the night was over there was an incident. I will not go into details for the person's privacy, but I do ask that you all say a prayer for a dear friend of mine. She suffers from disautonomia (sp?) and just needs some prayers. Thanks guys, you are great!

Saturdays at the Lake

There is nothing better than a holiday weekend at the lake....well except a holiday weekend at the beach! Even if my toes are not in sand, there is water, which always makes things more enjoyable!

We were at the water most of the day today, which is great for several reasons. We are making memories Danny and John Michael will have forever, not to mention Brandon and myself. They also get VERY tired, which means bedtime is usually not a HUGE fight. It also seriously helps my mood to relax and my mind to be more open.

Tonight several of the neighbors started to test out their fireworks. It was great to get some mini shows. Tomorrow night seems to be the night that everyone is shooting so we will also be shooting ours. Most of them anyway, we will probably save some for the 4th. I hope that we will anyway. I love fireworks, but seriously who doesn't?

Danny fished for a while today, but had no luck. He was not very happy. I tried to explain to him that the heat of the day was not ideal for fishing off a pier, especially in an area that can get as busy as ours with sea-doos and boats. Hopefully he will have better luck before the weekend is over. If not there is always the next trip, but that will be in a few weeks. This is seriously been a non stop summer. We plan to come up though even after school starts, pick the boys up on Friday and head East on 20.

Well, I have been working on more pictures. I will have them done this week, but I will feel better when they are done. I do not like having to ask people to wait on me. Of course they know that it is worth it. Hopefully the facebook posts are at least giving them an idea of what to expect. Speaking of that I have a few copyright releases to get out! Sorry for the delay if you are waiting on one!

Well, I am off to bed shortly. I am about to the halfway point on my paper and then I am calling it quits, at least for now. Rest does me a lot of good. Looking forward to spending tomorrow with my family and friends! Know that you are all in my prayers as always! I hope that you are having a great 4th of July weekend!

July?!!!!

So I am super pumped that it is July 4th weekend, but I am a little shocked that July is here! I know I say it every month but WOW!

So we came to the lake today to spend the weekend here! Brandon cut the grass before we left, well the front yard. So by the time we got on the road it was early afternoon. The yard looks great though, and I really appreciate him getting that done, now for backyard, but he can ride it and it does not take any time.

We got here and unloaded, got the air on, and then headed out. We went to the Shops at Grand River, which excited John Michael because he got to play on the Turtle, he even convinced Danny to come play with him. It was too cute, and I am glad that the boys really can get along when they want to anyway.

When we left the Mall we went to TNT, which was the best thing ever as far as the boys were concerned. We got a little, well in comparison to our lake neighbors we got a little, for us we got a good bit! I am super excited about trying out some sparkler photography. Good thing my guinea pigs are with me!

After TNT it was to the grocery store. It was super wild at the store and I was pretty sad that there was no Diet Cherry Coke. I have a love for that and Coke does not seem to feel it necessary to stock it in Birmingham anymore. So sad. Hopefully I will find some before we leave.

Well, the boys are in bed and I am working on editing some more photographs and some homework. The best part about doing it tonight is I am lakefront. It is amazing what kind of motivation a little water can add!

Well, I better get back to it! I hope that you all have had an amazing start to July, I know that I have! Know that I will say a prayer for all of you tonight! While everyday might not be perfect it can be positive and sometimes that little change in thinking can bring on so many amazing things!

Orange Garnish

Today was pretty uneventful, I was not sure if we were headed to the lake tonight or tomorrow so once I had that question answered it was time to get some things done.

Homework, editing pictures, laundry, cleaning house, well those are routine. At least for the next 5 weeks, then I get a one week break from homework at least! It is definitely the small things that matter the most sometimes. I am trying to break up computer time so my children do not think I live on this thing. It will be a little easier to do when school starts. I can get most of my stuff done while they are in school and then the nights will be for the family.

John Michael has become fascinated with fruit and drinks. So today he asked if I could put an orange on his cup. At first I was confused, but then I was with him. Orange Kool-Aid, sliced oranges, all topped off with an orange garnish. He was a happy little man. He even shared his orange with Danny, which is rare.

Well, it has been another late one, but at least I am on time with the blog, well sort of it is after midnight. Anyway. I will see how it all works out tomorrow.

Good night everyone! I hope that you all have an amazing Friday! Know that my prayers are said for all of you each night. Find your blessings and count them each day...they truly are priceless and everywhere. Who would have known that today one of my joys was an orange!

Bed Time....WHAT?!?!

So tonight has been wild, let me rephrase the boys have been wild all day and it has continued on into tonight. I am trying to get a lot done. School is happening, I have pictures to edit, a house to clean, getting ready to go to the lake, working out some things on personal and professional levels. All of these things become harder when the boys want to hinder instead of help. Tomorrow they are getting up and going outside until the sun goes down. Then maybe they will be in bed at a decent hour. Sorry to use my blog to vent, but I needed to do so for a few minutes.

I love my boys and would never trade them or change anything about them. Some days though I have to pray for patience and today is one of those days. Especially since John Michael is still awake and seriously standing on his head on the couch. To show that this is fact that is the picture that I chose for today.

I am seriously thinking that sticking him in our bed is the only way that any of us will get any sleep. Prayers for you all tonight!

So I wrote this last night and blogger acted crazy and I could not post! Hopefully tonight it will behave!

It's Full

So I have been so excited about my curio cabinet. Now it is completely full. The problem is I have 2 more boxes of glasses that I know of for sure in the garage. What is a girl to do? I did not even get a glass like I normally do while we were at the beach because I have nowhere to put it. Tomorrow while cleaning out a little I am hoping to make some progress on my actual cabinets.

Right now Brandon and I are working on a few problems. Well, not really problems, but we want to make sure that whatever decision we make is the right one. Sometimes a brick on my head would be super nice. Well, as long as it contained all the answers that we were seeking.

With the dreary weather outside the boys and I did not do much at all today. I got some laundry done and the cabinet full, but really nothing spectacular. Tomorrow maybe. Danny did lose his sword, he was mad and threw it so I confiscated it. Needless to say he was not happy for a while.

Well, I am off to bed. I am glad to be caught up on my blog, this one at least. Know that you are all in my prayers and hopefully tomorrow will be more interesting to follow.

Bath and Body Works

So everyone has a weakness and Bath and Body Works is definitely mine. When they are having a sale as amazing as the yellow sale and I have a coupon I cannot say no. I did 2 things. I placed an order online, and then printed the coupon and went shopping in the store. I got a few things of shower gel and a lot of hand sanitizers and wallflowers. It is possible that some of these will end up as Christmas gifts, but even more possible that I will enjoy using them all.

We were supposed to go to a birthday party this afternoon but the boys were just not minding. Nothing I said was heard and I was not about to take them anywhere. Needless to say I felt bad, but we will send Krystal a card.

I have a lot going on with the business that I had to work on today and will continue to work on. I am ready to make an amazing living doing what I love.

Well, I managed to stay a day behind, but I hope to catch up tonight and be blogging in real time!