My sister-in-law sent me a link to this video of an a cappella jazz choir from Slovenia performing the 80's song, "Africa." It's amazing and definitely worth your time. Turn up the volume and enjoy! :)

My aunt Mary brought over something else to add to my growing collection of things to fix up for the back porch makeover. It's one of my mom's iron plant stands. It's not in great shape right now. It needs a couple of spots welded back together and a good coat of paint, but it will be perfect when I get it fixed up. Plus, it was my mother's, so it's special to me! :)

In other outside news, my little garden has really picked up! Check out my gardening blog for an update and pictures.

I'm really looking forward to my girls' night out this Saturday. Jeannie & I are going to Memphis for a show and then are spending the night with Vanessa & Tim. It'll be nice seeing Vanessa again and will be fun being there with Jeannie as well. We'll have to talk old times! :)

Last night Brandon rented New in Town for me when he took his video game back to Movie Gallery. I've been wanting to see it again since the night Jeannie & I saw it in the theater. It's so funny! Brandon even thought so. We watched it while he smoked a rack of ribs for supper. Yum!

I finally started on the kids' scrapbooks last night. It looks like it's going to be a long process. Why can't I just pick out some paper and slap a few pictures down on the page and be done with it?? I'm sooooooo slooooooooow when it comes to scrapbooking. Maybe I can pick up the pace and get done before too long. I need a scrap night with my girlfriends to motivate me! (Hint, hint, ladies!)

I'm seriously unhappy with our back porch. It's pretty much just a place for Brandon to grill and a catch-all for lawn & garden tools. I really want a nice, inviting place where we can sit outside on nice days. Our budget for a back porch makeover is virtually non-existent, so I need some creative ideas for using things we already have to make our back porch a nice place to hang out while still having some functional storage for what's already out there. I thought my friends in blog land might have some suggestions!

A little info for those who haven't seen our back porch: It's a concrete slab...maybe 10'x20'. (I'll have to measure to be sure.) It's accessed by French doors and a rock step-down. Our house is brick, so of course one side of the porch is lined by a brick wall. Around the other three sides are some pretty neglected raised beds. They're pretty much just dirt and the occasional weed. I plan to fill them with mulch. Brandon has two grills out there, one on either side of the door. We have no patio furniture other than some molded plastic chairs, but that is one thing we plan to purchase.

Some things I've thought of are hanging some Christmas lights around the roof, setting some potted plants out, and finding some kind of storage for all our junk that's out there. I also thought of hanging something on the walls. I need some inspiration! Anyone have ideas? Photos? I'm thinking of working on this this weekend...and maybe even while Brandon's at work and surprise him. We'll see! :)

Most of our department is at work this week, as well as a handful in the other offices, but the plant is shut down. It's been pretty quiet around here. It makes for a long day! At least we're off Friday for an "observed" holiday. I'm looking forward to vegging around the house all day! :D

Yesterday Brandon and I went with Kim & Gerald on their studies with Olga & Josh. They are doing so great, and I really enjoyed sitting in on Olga's study with Kim. It's really encouraging to see people learn about the Bible and progress. :) When we got home we watched our new DVD, which is awesome!

I think tomorrow we're going to Brandon's mom's house to visit with Hannah & Logan before they have to go back to Kentucky. We want to see them one more time before they leave because it might be a while before we get to see them again. It should be a fun evening and will be nice that I don't have to get up early on Friday morning!

Thursday when I got off work, Brandon and I loaded the car and headed to Birmingham. We had a room at the Sheraton connected to the convention center, so we were looking forward to being able to park our car and leave it there until we left on Sunday.

After we got checked in and unpacked our stuff, we met Mike & Jeannie and their kids in the lobby and went outside to catch the DART to Five Points, where we ate at Mellow Mushroom. The food was great. Brandon and I had never been there. And it cost us each a whopping quarter to ride the bus and not have to worry about driving and parking. Nice!

Friday morning, Brandon and Mike went over when the doors opened at 8:00 and got us some seats, and then they drove to McDonald's for breakfast before coming back to the hotel. We ate and then walked over for the convention, which was themed "Keep on the Watch." It was such an awesome convention! And we loved being there with Brandon's family. Here are Hannah & Logan in their matching outfits on Friday.

When Friday's session was over, Hannah & Logan came back with us to our hotel room and spent the night. What a night! We ordered pizza and Brandon picked up a box of fried chicken for supper (healthy!), which they ate on the end of our bed while watching TV. After supper, we took them down to the indoor pool to play along with the other million screaming children that were already in there. Next it was bath time, and then the kids banished Brandon to the cot we had ordered up for them b/c they decided that they wanted to sleep in the king-sized bed with me. I'll just say that when we finally got them to go to sleep, all three of us slept on half of that bed...and I was clinging to the edge trying not to get pushed off. LOL

Logan played 52-card pick up while we waited for our pizza to arrive.


While Logan threw cards around the room, Hannah showed off her smarts with a game of chess on my laptop.


Enjoying a healthy dinner of fried chicken and pepperoni pizza while watching TV on the bed. We might not make good parents, but we're a fun aunt & uncle! ;o)

Logan playing in the pool.


Hannah played with our friend Rachel's daughter, Colleen.


Um...no...Of course they aren't jumping on our bed. ;o)

Saturday morning, Logan got up and went with Brandon to save our seats while Hannah and I finished getting ready. That day we all got to sit together for the session. The kids were good and took notes in their new notebooks I personalized for them. (I blurred out their last names for this post.)

Well, we're back from our convention in Birmingham, and it was awesome...a truly memorable experience. One of our speakers said they were calling it a milestone in theocratic history, and I believe it. There were so many points I want to remember, and we got so many new goodies! (I won't spoil it for those who haven't been!)

The drama we had today was so touching. It was based on Jesus' parable of the prodigal son. There were nearly 6,000 people there, and I'd venture to say most of them shed a few tears. I sure did. In fact, I cried at least once every day of the convention. It was just so moving! There were lots of points brought out to encourage us while making us see the seriousness of the times we live in. Lots to take in and lots to think about!

I'll post pics and stuff later...It's bed time!

June 14, 2009: Cruise Day 4

On the last-full day on our cruise we were back at sea, heading for Mobile. Once again, Brandon and I were up for the sunrise. We barely made it this time, but we did make it! :) It's amazing how every day was a little bit different. They were all beautiful!

Sunday was a pretty relaxed day. We ate breakfast after watching the sunrise and then just took it easy. We watched the kids play in the pool with their new friends for a while then we went for some lunch. After lunch, I went back to our cabin for a much needed nap. All those sunrises were started to catch up with me! LOL

Later that afternoon, we all went up to the top deck to play a game of miniature golf. We actually ended up playing two games. The kids were having a ball, and Logan was really tearing it up. He kept getting a "hole in two" as he called them. He's so funny! Eddie, on other hand, kept getting holes in one. I quit counting on my game. LOL!

After dinner, we met Kelley at Doc Holiday's for karoke. Kelley & I were just there to watch & listen, but Brandon had planned to actually sing. It turns out that they already had their line-up for the next 30 minutes though, and after that they would stop because there was a comedian coming in to do his act. Can you tell it's past my bedtime?

Since we were carrying all our luggage off with us, we stuck around our cabin Monday morning and condensed everything down as much as we could. We took a break to eat when our breakfast arrived, and then we finished up packing. Around 8:00 or 8:30, they called our floor to disembark if you were carrying your luggage off. Customs & immigration went by quickly, and by 9:00, we were in our car in the parking deck. Home, here we come!

We interrupt these cruise updates for an exciting announcment from JessicaSprague.com: Sign up by Sunday for a free online Photoshop/Photoshop Elements class!

I'm so there!!

June 13, 2009: Cruise Day 3

Saturday morning, Brandon and I were up bright and early yet again. The same as the day before, we got our coffee and went out on deck for another beautiful sunrise. This time, though, we got an extra treat: there was a rainbow as well! I was so busy watching the sunrise that I would've never noticed if Brandon's step-brother, Chris, hadn't told me to turn around and look the other direction. Of course, the photos don't do either one justice, but you get the idea!

Around 8:00, we docked in Cozumel. The water was so blue!! As deep as it had to be for our ship to dock there, you could still see the shapes of the coral and rocks on the sea bed. It was amazing! And even at 8:00 in the morning, the heat was scorching! Brandon and I got off the boat around 8:30 and started the long trek down the pier into town.

Our excursion - Playa Mia Beach Break Deluxe - didn't meet until 10:30, so we had a little time to kill. One of our first stops was Del Sol, which is an awesome store where everything (or everything we saw) changes color in the sun. I got a tank top with a butterfly on it, and Brandon got some really cool sunglasses. The coolest thing about them isn't that they change color. Rather, it's the fact that they have a lifetime guarantee. If Brandon breaks or loses them, he gets another pair free. And if he breaks or loses those, he gets another free pair, and so on. SO WORTH the $45 investment! (We go through lots of sunglasses!!) So we got those two things, and then they gave us a free canvas tote, which also changes color. Very neat! (It paid off to sit in on the shopping talk the day before!)

We hit another couple of stores, and then we decided to find a shady spot to sit. Fat Tuesday fit the bill. It was located right at the end of the pier. There were wooden swings lining the back bar, where you could sit and swing and face the ocean, which was right beneath your feet. It was the coolest place! We each had a Victoria while we enjoyed the breeze and the beautiful view. What a relaxing way to start our day!

Around 10:00, we met up with Kelley & the kids. They were joining us on the excursion to the beach. We walked around a little bit more and took some pictures and then went to the meeting place for our group, where we got our arm bands to get us into the park. When everyone was there, we headed off to the parking lot where the buses were waiting.

There were coconut palm trees lining the sidewalk we were on, which the kids thought were really neat. The man in charge of the excursion told them that there would be coconut palms at the beach too. Logan turned to me and said, "You know what would be cool? If they had limes too...then we can put the lime in the coconut!!!" The little nut. He is so funny!! And then him and his sister started singing that song. LOL We love those kids...

So anyway, we loaded onto our bus and took about a 10-15 minute ride to Playa Mia Grand Beach Park. The first order of business when we arrived was reapplying a good waterproof sunscreen to the kids as well as ourselves so we didn't all cook. Then, we took advantage of the lunch buffet that was included in our excursion. They had lots to choose from and the food was great! One of our favorites was the spicy fried grouper. Delicious!

After eating, it was time to check out the beach. We picked out some lounge chairs and got some umbrellas for a little shade. The people there really take care of you. The guy that brought our umbrellas over and set them up and even took a towel and wiped what little bit of sand was on the chairs off. Nice! Anyway, so we decided we would take turns playing with the kids so that someone would always be at our chairs with all of our stuff. (We didn't find out until right before time to leave that we could rent a locker!) Here are some pics we got with our disposable waterproof camera while Brandon and I were in the ocean with Hannah & Logan.

Later, Kelley and I played got in the pool with the kids while Brandon sat with our stuff. I think they liked the pool better because it wasn't salty. Here's a pic Hannah took of Kelley & I. See the coconuts? ;o) I also have an adorable photo that we bought of the kids holding some beautiful macaws on the beach. I'll have to see if I can get that scanned soon and post it as well.

One of the last things we did at Playa Mia was take the kids out to the water trampoline they had anchored off the beach. They absolutely loved it! It did look fun, but I opted to stay on my blue float and enjoy the last bit of cool, clear Caribbean while I had the chance. It was so beautiful! Here's a shot of the beach from my float.

Our bus was scheduled to leave at 3:30, so by the time we turned in the kids' life jackets and our floats, we only had a little while to get our stuff together before we had to go. We used those last few minutes to relax in the hammocks. Of course, laying in a hammock makes you lose track of time and so then we had a mad dash to the parking lot to catch our ride back into town. There were a couple of others rushing as well. At least we weren't the last ones on the bus! LOL

Back in town, we didn't have long before we had to be back on the boat. We were all supposed to be back on by 4:30 so we leave at 5:00. Hannah had lost her flip flops at the beach, so her very sunburned, but very loving uncle Brandon gave her a piggy back ride all the way back to the boat. I love this picture of them together!

We had such a great time with Kelley & the kids. It was a good day! :)

June 12, 2009: Cruise Day 2

Amazingly, Brandon and I were both up super-early Friday morning. We had both showered, dressed, and I had my makeup on by about 5:30. (What was wrong with us???) When we were both ready, we headed up to the Lido deck. We grabbed some coffee and then went outside to wait for the sunrise. There were only a few people that were out there besides us. It was so peaceful!! After the sun was up, we went inside for some breakfast. They weren't serving the hot stuff yet, so we got croissants off one bar and some cheese and deli meat off another and made some breakfast sandwiches. Pretty good! :)

Friday night was the captain's cocktail reception. Here we are with Hannah & Logan. They really enjoyed dressing up and going to the "party". The captain came out on stage and introduced all the head staff members, and servers came around with fruit punch for the kids, which they thought was just great. And I don't know how many comments little Logan got on his suit. He's such a cutie! :)

Well, I'm finally getting around to posting about our cruise.  I have lots to share, so I'll break our trip up by day.  Here's day one: Thursday, June 11th.  Don't forget you can click on the photos for a larger view! :)

Well, we're leaving this evening. Our cruise to Cozumel is tomorrow. I am so excited!! I'll be sure to post lots and lots of pictures when we get back!! :)

Well, another weekend is coming to a close...I'm still scrambling around trying to get everything done before our cruise this week.  I have made some progress but still have lots to do.  Hopefully tomorrow after work I can get most of it taken care of!

Friday after work, I went to Tupelo for some shopping.  I found a few shirts, a swimsuit & coverup, and some jewelry.  OH, and a new book: Rhett Butler's People.  I've been wanting to read it since it came out and found it on the bargain table at Barnes & Noble.  Before I went home, I went to Petsmart for cat food and also Staples to get some notebooks bound for the convention.  Finally, I hit Kroger.  I didn't get home until 10:30.  I was so tired!

Saturday I spent the morning cleaning the house and doing laundry.  I got to take a break when my dad stopped in to see us.  He had been to the chiropractor with a bad back.  I could tell he was still hurting. Hopefully he'll feel better soon!   While he was there, Sam kept up with her tradition of running to him to chew on his fingers.  She's so funny!

Saturday afternoon, I went to clean one more time for our friend who was on vacation this week. We have been cleaning one of her businesses for her while she was gone.  Brandon went with me every day except Saturday.  He had worked Friday night and then again last night so he was napping while I went to clean.  

Anyway, while I was there look what I saw over the back door.  They must've just hatched.  The mother had been feeding them when I saw them through the back door, but of course she flew off when I went out to take a picture.  Her babies were so cute!

This afternoon, I took both dogs outside and gave them baths.  (THAT was fun.) and then laid out for a little while.  I really need some sun before our cruise, but I think I'm going to end up using the sunless tanner I bought at Walmart today. ;o)

OK, so I'll admit that I didn't post a front view of my hair last night because my eyes were bit puffy from having a "moment" after my shocking new hair reveal. LOL I'm still pretty shocked over it, but I'm willing to give it the chance to grow on me.

So anyway, here's a picture that I took a few minutes ago in the office. The lighting in here is bad, and the colors don't seem as extreme in the picture as they do in real life, but you get the idea!