vacation rocks

this is for all my readers and fans that have been begging me to post on my not-too-soon-forgotten BLOG
(okay, so it was just Aunt Marlene who missed me...but just in case the other 4 of you who read this still care...)

* my store is in the (very long) process of being sold. thanks to the LORD for bringing in the last minute buyers during our final days of liquidation!
so i'm without employment (aka: FREEEEEEE !!!!) at the moment and enjoying every bit of it!!

* Josh and i have taken advantage of this freedom of mine and spent some time away from Ocala. we love mountains and decided to tackle the Rockies AND the Smokies within a 2 week time period. what fun adventures!!!
I finally got to meet his cousin Brian and wife and kids - Castle Rock, CO.

We got reaquainted with his cousin AJ and wife Andie (my favorite cousin-in-law EVER!!)- Littleton, CO.

We visited my brother Osh, wife Mandy and kids Kane and Kylee - Birmingham, AL.

Hung out with my cousin Em and her man Jack - Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, TN.

and found a few hours in between to stop by Aunt Marlene and Uncle Bruce's - Knoxville, TN. And Mamaw's - Farragut, TN.

WHEW!!! a fun, action packed 2 weeks and lots of pictures to prove it!
here's a sampling...
"Garden of the Gods"
Pike's Peak!! WOW!!
snow was so exciting and cold!

more vacation pics...

us at Pike's Peak
AJ & Andie - the fabulous cousins!
me, Andie and Shadow
Josh fly fishing in the Colorado mountains!!! a dream come true!!
Josh and AJ found a nice "little" fishing hole - haha
the Ocalians went all the way to Colorado for their first time horse-back riding
in Birmingham, Osh showing us his rad tennis moves
the Tennessee Smokey Mountains in the fall - BEAUTIFUL!!

still more...

Jack and Em looking gorgeous
best cousins!
me and Mamaw :)
Dundy and Harley!!

more pics coming soon! ...as soon as Blogger is nice to me!! AAHHHH!!!

a sad day

Goodbye, Steve.

We will miss you...

SCREAMING

...for a caption.




Help me out...

priceless

our Wednesday night activities included:

2 Dave Matthews concert tickets: $50 each

driving to Tampa in Josh's company vehicle: $0.00

leaving our "unauthorized" folding chairs at the gate and renting "authorized" ones inside: $10

my organic banana chips for snacking: $3

more snacks and drinks inside the amphitheater: $28

inhaling plenty of second hand cigarette smoke and pot: $a few brain cells



having the following conversation with a complete, drunk stranger:

"D'you got trees?"

"Do I got WHAT??"

"Trees."

"Um...no, I don't think so. What do you mean?"

"YOU know...TREES!! WEED!!"

"Oh gosh no!"

"Then what's in that bag?"

"Oh this? Chexmix. You want some?"

"Uhh, no dude...but that's cool...that's cool. Later."



priceless.




(I said second hand, Mom, SECOND hand.)

Dundy

for the past couple of months Josh and I have known about the task we would have in choosing a name for our puppy. We searched internet baby name sites, we considered names of our favorite foods, restaurants, movie stars, cartoons, cars, sports figures and cities, we played the "alphabet game" with Josh's family (that was fun and interesting!)....and STILL we could NOT come up with a good name that we both agreed on (how the heck are we gonna name a KID!?!?)

So the other night we were watching recorded reruns of our favorite sitcom and it hit us:
DUNDY was chosen.
(short of course for Dunder Mifflin)


in case anyone else out there is experiencing a similar dilema, maybe our previous top ten will come in handy: Bratwurst, Bailey, Fisher, Amos, Bogey, Sonny, Hershey, Crockett, Bennett and Mackeral.

8 weeks, 19 lbs.

we brought home 4 puppies last night (out of 9 total)

gave one away today -

one goes to his new home tomorrow -

Rachael takes Sophie home on Friday -

and Harley will only be left with one to take care of...

Cruisin'

My amazing husband scored big numbers last year at work so they sent us on a cruise to the Bahamas.
FREE!!

His company paid for the cruise, the tips, the drinks, the transportation and gave us each $50 to spend!!!


So we cruised, ate, snorkeled, ate, relaxed, got pampered at the spa, ate, sun-bathed, swam in crystal clear water, shopped, and ate some more.

They also had presents waiting for us in our room every day! We were surprised with a tote bag, an underwater camera, sunscreen, CHAPSTICK (yessss), a photo album and champagne.

Wow did we need this!



It was super fun and I would recommend cruises to everyone!

just love me

events from our busy week...

the little Johnson family with their new addition


Rachael giving me my cool Ukrainian gifts!! thanks Rach!!


me showing Rach where she can put her gloves in her "new" car

Homecoming

well a lot happened this past week, but two events in particular will never be forgotton in my family:

Sunday July 2nd Jodie and Aaron brought home their precious new baby Felicity!!!

she was so cute in her little dress!


she finally got to meet her Uncle Osh and Aunt Mandy


welcome home Felicity...you are very loved!!!


the second unforgettable event happened on the Putty side of the fam:

Josh's sister Rachael who has been in the Ukraine for 10 long months doing mission work came home July 4th!!!

we surprised her with a "new" car that we don't need anymore since Josh bought me one.

and she surprised us with lots of wonderful Ukrainian gifts!!

Welcome home Rach...we love you!!!

(I HAD LOTS MORE PICS BUT STUPID BLOGGER WON'T LET ME ADD THEM!! AAAHHH!!! stay tuned....- sorry Rach! ) :(

Happiness is...

~ Felicity ~

Soul Food

This was my devotion for today. It's just what I needed so I thought I would share it with the world.

"The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul." Psalm 121:7

Under Thy wings, my God, I rest,

Under Thy shadow safely lie;

By Thy own strength in peace possessed,

While dreaded evils pass me by.

A.L. Waring

A heart rejoicing in God delights in all His will, and is surely provided with the most firm joy in all estates; for if nothing can come to pass beside or against His will, then cannot that soul be vexed which delights in Him, and hath no will but His, but follows Him in all times, in all estates; not only when He shines bright on them, but when they are clouded.

That flower which follows the sun doth so even in dark and cloudy days: when it doth not shine forth, yet it follows the hidden course and motion of it. So the soul that moves after God keeps that course when He hides His face; is content, yea, even glad at His will in all estates or conditions or events.

- R. Leighton

Let God do with me what He will, anything He will; whatever it be, it will be either heaven itself or some beginning of it.

- Wm. Mountford

too cute for words