A 19th Birthday and a So Long for Now

Last week was so super busy with Vacation Bible School, but such a blessing.  We finished up Thursday night and bright and early Friday I was heading to Tampa.  It was my brother Michael's birthday and my last time to give him a hug before he was up at college until Christmas break.  I spent most of the day with my mom, dad, and little brother Matthew, while Michael was catching up with his friends.  The four of us all went together to get Michael’s birthday gift which is hard to believe even now and I was there.  We don’t do things like that in that in my family…haha!  Mom took me to Lake Shore Learning, my favorite teacher store and I stocked up!  Thanks mom and monetarily dad!!

Later that night we all went to dinner at Flemings for steak.   It was delicious and we had a great time.  We had appetizers and two types of potatoes.   TWO TYPES!!!  I got excited about the potatoes because it was the first time I had eaten any since Adam and I started the South Beach Diet.  We did have asparagus but, I think I had more starches on my plate than the green stuff!  Michael and Lande

  Matt and Me (my date for the night)

Dad and Mom

We went home for presents and cake before my final big hug.  I was heading back north in the AM to be with the hubs family at the river!

A print of the Tampa skyline so that he may never forget his roots!

     

The Nook  for the avid reader!  With over 5,000 free westerns!!

  

Michael getting some Boostie love!!!

I wish Michael the best of luck up at school and I will miss him when and if I get to Tampa  this fall! 

 

*LRW*

I like Coke

I like coke but,  I don’t know much about NASCAR.  This was the response I got when I wrote a letter to one of my students before I attend the NASCAR Coke Zero 400 July 3rd!  This post has been lingering above my head to get done so here goes…

I had the privilege to attend the race with my husband, his dad, and two brothers.  Let me say before I met Adam I was right with my student, because I knew nothing about NASCAR.  Since them I have learned how long the race season is, what race tracks are in what city, what trademarks each racer has, the racers number, etc, etc, etc.  I root for Dale Jr, which is Adam’s favorite, but I like most of the racers for different reasons.  

Dale Jr. = Adam’s Driver

Kasey Kahne = Cutie

Mark Martin = The Oldie but a Goodie

Carl Edwards = Does a great back flip

You all get the picture!  We had been at the beach since Thursday and had cloudy weather the entire time.  We were hoping it would be clear for the race that Saturday night.  We hoped but, it did not change the weather.  It rained the hardest right as Annie dropped us off at the International Speedway.  BOO!  We were soaked, but I tried to keep myself up beat for all the fun we would later be having if the race would even get to go on that night.  I had to make a purchase since my hair was matted to my head with rain water.   I proudly wore number 88 which is Dale Jr’s number.            Not the best picture  and I am sporting my poncho, ha!

Usually the boys go early and watch the pre-race stuff and watch the concerts, but since it was raining we got there later.  We did however still get to see the fly over and sing our national anthem.  It was such a wonderful moment to show how grateful we were to be experiencing freedom during the fourth of July weekend.  

I was in awe of how large the speedway was, I was snapping pictures left and right when we got there.  I thought, “Who knows if I will have this opportunity again?”

    

We got there right when the race was supposed to begin but since it have been raining  they had to dry the track off before any racing could commence.  TV is so deceiving because those dryers were louder than the actual race cars going around the track and the cars are pretty loud.     All the cars were ready to go across from the finish line but, we had to wait for the track to dry.  The NASCAR people tried to  keep the fans entertained with interviews, games, and a MARRIAGE PROPOSAL. Oh yes we got to see a proposal at a NASCAR race…ha!  They were so excited, here are the love birds being interviewed.

Shortly after the proposal we got to hear the famous race words, Gentlemen start your engines and then 88 was off! 

You about needed a manual for all the flags they used through out the race.  You have the green, yellow, red, white, black and white checkers.  I was so confused thankful Adam and his Daddy helped me out! 

  Green Means GO…….

The first lap…

Kept up with who was in what place with the Placement board.

      Then we got a red flag because of this….

 

A race car on fire!!! Thankfully he was ok and not one of our drivers. :)

There were many wrecks but they all seemed to happen on the other side of the race way so I don’t have pictures.  I was so intrigued by the accidents that I forgot to take a picture of the yellow caution flag.  It is true I believe people go to see the wrecks, because they really are something. 

  Finally these two flags came out signally the end of the race.  It was a long night but a great one, my father-in-law’s driver won the race!  The race car driver Kevin Harvick had never won the Coke Zero 400 so we all went home happy! However we didn’t get home till after 1 pm (I think or at least it seemed that late). 

Thanks for letting me enjoy my first race Pappy !

I am also thankful my hunny put up with all my questions…haha!

Oh and the fireworks after the race are amazing.  I wish I had taken picture but I was too busy trying to keep up with them boys running to the car!  A great first experience and I look forward to experiencing it again soon, or at least hopping to!

*LRW*

South Beach and Fourth of July Fun

No we were not in Miami on South Beach for the 4th we were on the South Beach DIET during the fourth of July weekend.  Unfathomable right…No ribs, corn on the cob, potato salad, banana pudding, rice crispy treats…I could go on and on!  Adam was never drawn off the diet,  me I am not as strong willed.  We are on week 3 and have been eating super healthy, but I am so craving some junk food right now.  I have reached my goal and am trying to maintain.    Adam is only 13 lbs from his goal and I am proud of his determination to reach it.  We will be spending a week at the river in a few weeks and he keeps saying…”We are gonna look good at the river!!”….love it!

We celebrated the fourth of July weekend while at my FIL’s  beach condo at Daytona Beach.  Adam’s dad and Kellee (MIL),  renovated it recently and it turned out beautiful.  The couch and the new windows are probably my favorite part.  Annie and I went to the beach for a few days earlier this summer and every night I fell asleep on the couch while watch GLEE.  It is so comfy! 

Adam and his best friends love to play cards when they get together, so in the past year I have wanted to learn how to play the different games.  Spades was not one we ever played probably because you can’t put money on the game!  So while at the beach this time I learned how to play Spades.  It was such a blast, but DW says it hard to play with me because of my ADDness. Since then I have downloaded the Spades app on my phone to keep up my skills until the river (oh yes DW and Annie…we want a rematch…haha).

The rest of the time we played on the beach.  It was not a super sunny trip but we made the most of it. 

 

The waves were huge and powerful while there!  But the boys and AB still got in them. 

 

     

 

Adam and his Daddy chilling out taking in the beach.

 

 

 

 

AB with Pappy’s hat…too cute!

 

 

 

 

Uncle Adam being silly and AB copying him…haha…she loves my man!

                  

 

 

 

The boys getting in a game of frisbee.

 

 

 

Adam’s brother Van and his youngest, Warren with a friend joined us for beach fun too.

 

 

 

Warren is such a handsome little one, but hates the camera.  You have to sneak a picture or he turns away and say no camera.

 

 

 

Pappy with his sand castle “cough, cough’ that someone else built, ha!

 

 

 

Spending time at the beach with so many people that I love to pieces was a great way to celebrate even if Adam and I were dieting! 

 

 

*LRW*

All About AB Time

I may be missing my little ones from school, but that means I have much more time to spend with my number 1 little one…Annabelle!!!  To be her Aunt  “Nen”  is probably the best thing I could imagine until Adam and I start our own family.  We love to spoil her with love, time, and gifts of course.  I am so thankful for this time to spend with Annabelle and Annie!

She loves her Uncle Adam so much that her Momma and Daddy are probably tired of hearing his name every time they pass our house or a big black truck.  This little sister is just like her big brother in more ways than one and we just love it and thank our Lord for his treasures. 

*LRW*