Gitty up!

I am blessed to work for Wells Fargo - not only do I like my job but I'm proud to be a part of the organization. Yesterday was a special occasion, we had special visitors. Not the kind you take to lunch and show the operation to, the kind that draws team members out into the heat to look and pet and talk sweet to....these kinda visitors...

Please take special notice of the horses, I swear it looks like they're talking to one another! I'm sure it's just me! ;)

These guys travel in luxury as they should!

Complete with climate control and plenty of room to spread out, they arrived in style!

After taking a few folks for a ride, they were calling it a day, after all it's a little warm out there for them!

So, til next time and I hope there's a next time real soon because I ❤ them!

Off to a great start!

Every morning when I wake up my phone is flashing with notifications...emails, tweets and sometimes texts. Rarely are there things that are really exciting but today?! Well, today, I had a facebook note..hmmm. This is what is said:

Men Men, i just have to tell you - we went to a winery tonight for moms bday and i ordered a grilled cheese that had chips so with my chips, i asked for a pickle, they brought me a huge pickle that looked like they just picked it, all the people looked at me and had a very confused look, so you problly know what i was doing.. i was squeezing the juice on my chips, they must not know how we eat our pickle juice and chips i said all this because even mom and daddy knew right away where i got it from... YOU! & i remember when you first taught me when i was 8 years old. love you and im very sad i havent seen in a long time :((

This is Cierra, she's Luanne's daughter (you know Luanne, yesterday's birthday girl!) and I've known her since before she was born. And for some reason there's always been little things about Cierra that remind her of me. Just little things - personality traits...all the good ones, of course! :) Anyway....

To explain her note a little bit, it happened by accident years ago. I do not like pickles! If I bite into one, well you can have the sandwich it was on because I'm done with it...YUK, but one day buried under my grilled cheese and chips was an innocent little pickle. With all the good food resting on it there was bound to be a little pickle juice sharing going on. Let me just say OMG :) that's some good stuff! Abusing the heck out of the pickle to get every last bit of juice for your chips and grilled cheese is a science that takes work! It needs to be perfected. And let's just say, I've got it down to just that....a science. Yes, I'm sure it seems a little odd to most but don't hate until you try it! ;) And don't expect me to eat what's left because crunching into a pickle isn't happening!

But honestly, none of that is the point. It always makes my heart smile when you know someone has paid attention. I know it's just a little pickle story but it's so much more to me than that. :) Cierra Jade - you made my day! Thank you for sharing and for making me smile!

Happy Birthday Luanne!

Sending special birthday wishes to Bev who I've called Luanne for as long as I can remember. There's no reason why - it's not her middle name, I just like it. I'm sure she loves it! ;)

Hoping you've had the bestest day ever, Luanne!

If you haven't already, stop by Crockett's Corner and catch up with her!

Hotter than Hell!

No really, it is...the high today in Hell, Michigan was 96 with a heat index of 104. Well it was 100 and felt like 105 here! (official weather.com information) And, it doesn't look like we'll see any real relief for a couple of days.

Seriously, it is HOT! My car doesn't lie!


And whoa is us...another air conditioning issue at home. The second this year...since we've had one every single summer we've lived in this house, can we please just pretend we paid forward and skip next year's show? k, thanks! Thankfully with a little help from Jeff's friend, it was fixed in no time and we WERE ARE back to luxury...well it sure feels like a necessity when it's this hot! Nevertheless, we're grateful.

UPDATE - It's still hotter than hell and at this point, I mean the place we all fear we could end up if we don't play nice! We woke up at 1 am to warmth...the kinda warm where you just know something's not right. I jumped up to check the temperature...yep, 81 in our bedroom :( I've been through the drill so many times, I knew what to check.. running down the stairs I started to realize it felt really warm there too....checked that temp...80! Great...now there is zippy air conditioning working anywhere in the house! I know it will all be fixed soon and this too will be a memory but gosh it sure seems like the biggest hurdle ever! Fingers crossed and prayers sent that this too is something 'easy'.....stay tuned!

Update to the UPDATE - we're once again enjoying a cool house. Don't want to bore you with the details and honestly, I'm too tired of thinking about it all to explain - what's important is that it's comfortable and we're GRATEFUL! (please don't let me posting this jinx us! ;))

Still looking forward to the weekend. It's been a REALLY, REALLY long week!

One, Two, THREE!

He's captured my heart! He's sweet and feisty and makes me smile. And I can't talk about him without telling how special he is.

And for the times when he gets me up way too early to go outside (said in a whisper voice that sends him and Titan through the roof with excitment) or when I can't sit in peace because he must be on my lap and then get down and then back up..repeat, repeat, repeat and for the times he goes tilted (angry) because he's sleepy and doesn't want to be bothered by his furry siblings -

well they're all worth it because he's Mason and he's special! And he makes up for all of those things when he runs to get a squeaky toy because Jim just got home and he knows he's going to ask him where his toys are or when you ask him if he wants to see Grandma and he turns his head to the side and then pounces on you, and if you say boat or byes - well be ready because he wants instant gratification!
He's three today! The Mason puppy is three! This could call for a lil doggie ice cream celebration!

Pinterested?

There's a buzz...a techy buzz and I love that! I've been seeing Pinterest.com mentioned here and there. I took a peek, ask for an invitation to join and voila, I'm there. It's fun, it's an easy way to gather your ideas - things you like, sites you want to revisit, a way to connect. I'm still learning and finding my way around the site but I'm think I'm liking it. It's definitely got my Pinterest (ha!)! I'm thinkin' it could be one of those things where time slips away before you know it!

Tell me if you've found it too, we can be Pinterest friends.

At last!

Sometimes you want to go where things are comfortable. Where there’s a calm and peacefulness and this is it for me! There’s nothing better than this view

Or this one

Or watching this

Jim

And this

Jonathan

And this

Jacob

And then there’s the excitement of new things happening on the river. The towpath has been washed out because of flooding. For as long as I can remember, there's been detour signs taking bikers and hikers around where the path used to be. There's new signs, big ones too! Signs that construction is underway.

Should be interesting to watch the progress.

Can't wait to get back....til next time

Bird Magnet?

Yes, they're creatures God made and if you know me, you know how much that matters but I seriously don't like birds! I'm actually really afraid of them...they're flapping wings and God help us all if they get too close! Why then do they have to keep building nests close to the house? To try to convince me that they're not so bad after all? If anything could work the sight of little babies might do it.

Today, Jake and I were sitting at the table and I looked out at the tree closest to the patio. There was something paper like in the branches. Now for sure I was not going to investigate...way too much risk involved - there could be a bird guarding, so I sent Jake ;). He came back in to report that it is indeed a new nest made with a dryer sheet! Guess there's a shortage on twigs? Anyway - back out with the camera....he went!

First of all this makes me laugh! I took this from the safety of the house with my phone!

He did good! and for all of you wondering, he was not attacked or harmed...I would've have run to his rescue - really, trust me!

There are no eggs in the nest...not sure if we're too late or too early. 'We'll' check again in a couple of days!

Hey Jude!

I’m going to be Mimsie and Jim, well he’ll be Duffy to this little man!

And let me just be completely honest and tell you that when this picture came to my phone tears were in my eyes. He’s so real to me now, that’s his little face and while we have a while to wait before we’ll meet him, there’s excitement in my heart.

We're already praying for him... for his health, for his future, for his happiness.

And this little girl is going to be a Mom. The little girl who mothered her brothers and ask questions about if she’d ever grow up, she's going to be a Mom.

You know we love music and I've seen Signature Sound perform many times, but the first time I heard this song, I couldn't help but be emotional. And today, when I gathered my thoughts, I kept thinking God give this child a good heart!

Amen!

I don't have to be me til Tuesday!

Starting tonight, I don't! And let me just say that I'm going to live it up and squeeze every minute I can. I ♥ three day weekends, I do! I like knowing that work is closed and nothing's piling up while I'm not there. Bottle up that feeling cause I'd buy it!

I think I'll do some of this

and enjoy some of that (ok, more than some)

and that

and maybe watch some of these

oh yeah and lots and lots of this

with him

and him

and Jim...

Enjoy!