Paige Ferg

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

2010-12-22T21:49:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas! We've had a great Holiday Season so far! God has blessed us with so much stuff and of course non-stop love from our family! A big thanks to all.
Our Christmas Card that I made...thank you Todd for being your goofy self so all could see why I'm getting laugh lines at 29!!

Dorks in public at a couple of huge Christmas trees. One at Seaside, FL the other in Miramar Beach, FL. Every time I see these pictures I just giggle. :) HO HO HO

The "Holiday"/Christmas Party for work. I've never been to such a huge company party before and I had to plan it...so much fun!

Thank you 2010 for such a crazy amazingly emotional year. Let's hope 2011 brings on some good times as Todd and I will both be turning the big 3-0. Time sure does fly and my mom keeps reminding me that I'm not getting any younger!

what a summer!!

2010-08-22T18:25:00.006-05:00

As the summer is coming close to an end, it's always fun to look back and remember what you did. (pictures that I have not shared yet)

My summer was a little longer than most, since I haven't worked outside the home since January. Not working was fun at times and other times it was very tiresome. It's hard to get motivated some days. Other days you are so busy you don't have time to prepare dinner. My housewife days are over. thank goodness. My new job as an Administrative Assistant started last Monday. I took my time and found a position with a company that I love. So far so good. And this week I am working at a golf tourney, and going on a dinner dolphin cruise (for work); how awesome!

Since I didn't work for a few months, I took advantage of my freedom. At the beginning of February I spent 3 weeks in Missouri with my family and friends (a surprise visit). I was able to spend some real good quality time with my grandma. It was such a blessing for me. Then in March Todd and I took a quick weekend trip up to Missouri again to celebrate Todd's Dad's new marriage. Ben (Dad-in-Law) married Debbie and they are amazing together. We are so happy for both of them. My 10 year high school reunion was coming up at the end of May and I managed to make the trip. Actually a 2 week trip with a ride home from my dad, mom, and sister! They came to visit us for a week in June. That was so much fun. Crystal was in great spirits, 6 months pregnant and HAD to go to the beach everyday!

Todd and I shared a weekend in Orlando to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary.

(we had to be tourists and take a photo here...lol)

Then in July Shane (Todd's brother), Rachael and Elsie came to visit us. I was able to spend time with them while Todd worked, then Todd would join in on the fun after work. It was so much fun to share our lives with them and to play with Elsie (such a cutie! She won Uncle Todd's heart!)

Clarke and his girlfriend Ramona has moved down to Panama City Beach. All the Ferguson boys were able to spend an evening together on the beach! Shane insisted on picnic at the beach (even though it looked like rain and lots of it). The picnic lasted for about 10 minutes before the rain clouds let loose. It was a great memory, and lesson well learned. Black clouds equal RAIN! (got it Shaner? lol)

You would say that our summer was super busy and lots of fun. Some great happy times. Then the dreaded phone call came to end all fun. Grandma Mac passed away. Todd and I were on a plane the next day. In death you try to celebrate and remember the good times. It's so hard when she was a part of our life and even though her life is over, ours still has to go on. Learning how to live without someone you love so stinkin much and someone who is a constant in your life is difficult. I'm so blessed by my lack of work the past few months because I was able to spend endless amount of time with Grandma Mac before she past. Lots of memories, love, and respect for my Grandma. All I can picture now is Grandpa EA and Grandma Mac square dancing in heaven together.

Carrie and Cory West and us were able to have dinner together before Todd headed back to work. The four of us had not been together in 3 years. Too long for such amazing awesome friends. The summer is coming to a close. We thank God for all the blessings he has given us and the moments we have shared with loved ones. We cherish all our Family and all our friends, where ever they may be at this moment.

love

2010-07-09T15:23:00.005-05:00

Family, Friends, Fun, Relaxation has been my past month or so.
- This picture is Rance, Dad, Logan and Emma. Logan just caught a monster fish at Mema and Papa's pond. We were able to fish and have wiener roast with s'mores a couple times during my visit. Oh how I want a s'more right now!
I was able to fly to Missouri and spend a couple weeks playing and working and seeing family and friends. Even though I missed Todd terribly, I was so grateful to have this time to recharge. Since we have moved to Destin, our friend outings have come to a standstill. Going out to meet new people new friends is something that is tiring and exhausting to me. So to actually talk to friends that know my name and family was loads LOADS of fun!!

My 10 year High School reunion was also during the time I was in MO. That was interesting and fun to see old high school friends. It's literally been 10 since I had seen most of them. Crazy how time flys. -This picture is at Grandma Mac's and my parents place. Me and Cody.

My Sister, Dad and Mom drove me back to Florida and stayed for a week. We were able to beach it everyday. Mom and Crystal was able to use their designing instincts and turned our condo into our home. Todd and Dad played Golf one afternoon. Todd enjoyed it but I think Dad wants to retire from golf. It's really a sport that you have to play to get better. Even a pro athlete like my Dad needs to practice at this sport. I just love my Daddy! Todd is just happy to be able to beat my dad at one sport. hehe Male Competition is so funny! -This picture is Mom and Dad at Pompano Joe's. I love when they come to visit. Always a refresher to have my loving parents hugging on me.

-This is my sister, Crystal. She said that Issac needed a Po Boy for dinner! And I'm sure ice cream for dessert! Being around my pregnant sister was so much fun, especially when it came to food! lol

My Sister is pregnant and she is so adorable. She is funny and always hot, but a great sport. I talk to her every week but it's still hard to not be there and grab her belly every day watching her grow into this fabulous mother. Being able to spend time with her and Haley was awesome. Speaking of being a good sport, Haley is so understanding of preggo Crystal. Such an outstanding man and I'm glad he found my sister. They will both be amazing God centered parents, and Issac is going to be the luckiest little man ever!!

After my family left a few days later Todd had a big manager meeting in Orlando. The RM suggested that I come along and have an extended weekend. So I joined him after his meetings and played in Orlando for a couple days. She gave us tickets to the Universal parks and we walked and sweated and I got a little sick on a ride (no vomit!) and we ate and had a blast. A note to all those going to Universal, Leave your purse or bag at home, you have to lock it up in a locker to go on any rides (it's just annoying and time consuming). The new Harry Potter attraction was open and we went on an awesome ride there. It was so neat how they brought the show to life, with the stores, the merchandise, the rides. Also note that the line to get into the Wand store was a 2.5 hour wait. Really what does that wand do? we didn't wait to find out. The Shrek 4D was awesome! We didn't wait in long lines so we didn't get to enjoy to many rides. But we still had fun. And I was ok with it since I left my motion sickness pills at home. I'm such a wimp.

oh yeah. Now Todd and I have been married for 8 years. The 7 year itch ain't got nothin on us!

shopping online

2010-06-27T09:17:00.002-05:00

Shopping online can be annoying at times, but then again it can save tons of money. Especially when you save so much in gas! If you are like me and shop online some then you should totally check out ebates.com. Here is our referral link, please click on it when you are ready to sign up http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=qTqTVbDRfBHOfND2Ehz7Bw%3D%3D
It's a free site! It gives you coupons and discounts and rebates, just for shopping online. Todd and I have become hooked. Although we can't think of things we "need" to buy sometimes. Ebates has a daily bouble coupon and like just the other day they had it at an ink store we were able to get $15 bucks back and free shipping & a discount with their already low price ink (we spent $57 on 11 cartridges). You can even use it to buy things on ebay, shutterfly, and vacation/travel stuff, etc. Well I'm just pretty excited about it and hope to help start saving you some money by shopping online. Another site is MrRebates.com here is our referral link to it Mr. Rebates sometimes you will find different coupons or discounts on this link.
Happy shopping!!

excited

2010-05-24T17:56:00.003-05:00

I'm going to put the beach behind me for a couple weeks and go to Missouri. Yes another trip. I can't believe it myself. God has blessed me with a wonderful husband and a family that misses me. Mom is going to put me to work to help customize her website. So this trip will be a working one. However I do plan on seeing as many friends and family as possible! If you are in the Springfield/Cabool area and want to see me, give me a call. Same phone as always.

Another reason for my trip is to see old High School friends as the class of 2000 is having our 10 year reunion. This makes me feel old. Shouldn't I have more things accomplished by now? I should travel more, pray more, and love more. It's a time of reflection and all I can think about is my waistline. lol but seriously it's true.

On another note. Since I'll be away for a few days, Todd and I went to the beach. We found a very RICH but quiet spot to relax. The water was beautiful, clear, and cool. The homes along the shore are amazingly insane there. We will be going to that beach again. In fact this is the beach we will take my family. Crystal, Mom and Dad will be heading this way in June. Shane, Rachael, and Elsie will be here in July. And when you ask my why I don't work yet.....my answer will be because I'm having fun with family at the beach! And I love being home when Todd is home. I'm still so in love with that man!

Coin Jug

2010-05-10T10:47:00.003-05:00

Growing up my parents had this really cool big glass bottle full of coins. My dad would throw the change from his pockets and my mom would empty out her coin purse in the big bottle. Every so often Dad would get the coin bottle and dump it out on the floor and us kids would sort through it. Pennies, nickles, dimes, quarter, half dollars piled up waiting for us to separate, count and roll. Dad would have us check for wheat pennies and check the year. It was so neat to see how multiple coins could turn into dollar bills. Looking back I wonder if this was Dad's way to get us to quiet down at the end of the day or so he didn't have to roll the coins by himself.

It intrigued me enough that I have always tried to put my change somewhere. In a vase, a jar, and car cup holder but I would always dip my hand in there so I could wash the car, do laundry, pay for toll roads, Sonic Happy Hour, important purchases! We now have a bigger jug and my hand doesn't fit inside! It's a little harder to fill up since we don't use cash much, but we are on our way. Saving for something, we just don't know what. Any ideas?

beachy moments

2010-04-13T17:01:00.004-05:00

My husband has got to be one of the most thoughtful husbands around. As you all know we live near the beach. What some of you may not know is that my husband doesn't like sand. A day at the beach, with sand everywhere, is not something we do. Unfortunately for me, because I could spend all morning, all afternoon, and all evening on the beach with sunscreen, an umbrella, water, snacks, and a friend...oh and we can't forget the snorkel gear, and possibly a game or two.

That's right, my perfect day is an entire day ON the beach. However since we live near the beach, I don't have to have an entire day to sit and soak up the salty air. All I need, yes need, is a few hours every few days. Which works out well because my husband can handle a few hours. A couple days ago we slept in a bit, puttered around the house for a bit, then took a little walk on the beach before the crowds came rolling in and before Todd went to work. It was such a wonderful time to spend hand in hand, sand in the toes, just watching people and the sea.

Yesterday was even more amazing. Todd called me from work and ask if I be ready when he gets home because he was going to take me to the beach down 30A. He said I could plan out all the details. So my eyes popped open and a huge smile covered my face! Ah we are going to the beach! It's like magical words. So I began to think and plan out our evening. Oh I know a picnic. No I don't want to mess with packing all the food and carrying it. Ok so next idea. Fruit! I love fruit and strawberries are in season. Um hello Florida Strawberries! So I went to the store, bought some strawberries, washed them, picked the greens off, and put them in a bag. Oh I just love planning this. And the simplicity of it all makes it even better! Salt Life at it's best!

The beach time was wonderful. A few gusts of wind, a few waves, only a handful of people and us. The strawberries were delicious and did a great job of calming our hungry bellies. The water was full of jelly fish, and so was the shore line. We sat and rested for a bit, then took a little walk. We stopped a few times to see all the jelly fish in the water. Like hundreds of them everywhere, each one a few feet away from the next. Crazy. Good thing we didn't plan on getting in the water.

Well until Todd spotted what looked like a big seashell in the water about 10 yards out. Oh do we risk it (by we I mean him risking getting stung and me risking well you know what you're suppose to do to jelly fish stings...) After I talked to him about his fears, he thought he would show me up and out he went. Leaping back to shore without a sting, he in fact captured a big seashell. Now for those that don't know, seashell collecting is a picky sport. No broken edges, not too many holes preferably no holes, and it has to be the right color (sometimes). Well Todd picked a dandy. The biggest one we have found so far! So we called it a night, and headed back to our place for dinner and a couple tv shows.

But so much fun! I love the beach!! Thanks Todd for taking me! It was such a wonderful relaxing fun night!

I hope you enjoy our pics, it was fun to goof off a bit.

Paige"made" Granola Bars

2010-03-19T19:23:00.003-05:00

Have you ever made homemade granola bars? Well I tried it and it was spectacular. It took a little prep time, getting all the ingredients together, but it was worth it. A healthier dessert/snack for us to enjoy. Plus less expensive than the store bought granola bars. Here is the recipe. Just note that it was a bit crumbly when warm, but once it cooled it didn't crumble as bad. Be sure to eat over a napkin or plate so you get every last crumb.

Paige"made" Granola Bars

2 C Old Fashion Oats
½ C Flax Seed or Wheat Germ
1 ½ C Mixed Nuts chopped (pecans, almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, etc)

½ C Peanut Butter
½ C Honey
¼ C Brown Sugar packed
2 Tbls Vanilla Extract
½ Tsp Salt
1 ½ C Dried Fruit (raisins, cranberries, blueberries, bananas, mango, pineapple, coconut, etc)

½ C Chocolate Chips (optional) Place over top of granola and heat for 5 minutes or until melted.

Preheat oven to 350ᵒ.

Mix together Oats, Flax Seed, and nuts. Spread onto sheet pan. Toast in oven for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a Medium Saucepan, combine Peanut Butter, Honey, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, and Salt and stir together over Medium Heat. Cook until sugar dissolves and mixture is creamy.

Take Oat mixture out of oven and combine with Peanut Butter mixture and Dried Fruit. Mix together then place in buttered 9x13 glass dish. Bake at 300ᵒ for 20 minutes. If using Chocolate Chips, place over top of granola and heat for 5 minutes or until melted. Then once melted smooth over the top of the granola before it cools.

Let cool and cut into squares. Be sure to cut while it's still a tad bit warm.

NOTE: Place parchment paper in glass dish instead of butter. Parchment paper reduces fat and makes it easier to take the granola out of dish to cut into squares.

Enjoy!!! If you dare to take on the granola challenge.

Surprise trip to MO

2010-02-08T21:15:00.003-06:00

Such a blessing! What a great surprise! I pulled it off! After 13 hours on the road I was able to surprise my family and show up at the door! Their faces were priceless! So much love!

This first week I have been to Springfield, and Oklahoma, and Cabool. And I am sooooooo tired. And now I get to work at the florist the rest of the week to get ready for Valentine's Day. I love working at the store for Valentine's Day, it's so much fun.

Emma celebrating her 1st Birthday! It was such a blessing to be able to be here to celebrate with her and the family. She is such a doll; a sweet little girl.

Elsie is now 3 months. She is getting stronger and now she laughs and smiles. Before long she will be crawling all over the place. She's so cute and such a joy to be around. I'm thankful that even with Todd not around they still let hang out with them...lol.

I have been able to see lots of friends and family so far on my trip. But there are so many more faces I want to see. Hopefully time will be on my side and I will be able to see more people I love and miss.

What a fun surprise this has been so far!

TWO

2010-01-29T11:52:00.004-06:00

Family photo January 2010. This is us, just the two of us. Married for 7 1/2 years and always planning something new. Most couples by now would have a baby, a dog, a mortgage, and 2 car loans. We are happy to report we have none of the above. Although a new car would be nice, it's just a want (until the nugget dies forever and then we get a new/old car!!)

Things we enjoy as a married couple:
-Coffee. Being able to enjoy a cup or two in the morning before the day begins is just so relaxing.
- Taking walks on the beach. Todd hates the sand but he does love being with me, so we go to the beach.
- Road trips. We love nothing more than driving a few hours to explore a new city. A stop at the local mall is always on the to do list.
- Acting like we are kids again. This is usually done with our friends, as we loving just being complete fools and laughing till our stomach hurts.
- Sitting in the same room or at the dinner table with nothing to say because being together is enough.
- Shopping. We can walk around the mall and not buy anything and have a good time.
- Cooking together. Creating meals complex or simple makes the dinner more enjoyable. Todd takes all the credit on teaching me how to cook. I would have to say that Mom and Grandma taught me a lot of the basics, but Todd did encourage me to try new foods. Thank you! Green food is good too!
- Sleeping in. Nothing is more relaxing or more sincere than cuddling in each others arms in the morning.
- Laughing together. We do this often since, well, face it, we are funny people. Stinkin hilarious!
- Being comfortable in our own skin. We don't have to put on a happy face if we are sad. We don't have to watch what we say. We just have to be our own self around each other. No secrets. No insecurities. Simple understandings. Just Love.

I'm a housewife!!!!

2010-01-24T19:40:00.003-06:00

(This is the new dinning/living area! I have a table again!! Don't worry we do have furniture in the place, just not for this photo.)

Oh yeah. This is the start of....The Real Housewives of Emerald Coast! Or at least that's the joke between me and my girlfriends! (filming doesn't start till summer)

My last day of work was Friday and I have a huge relief off my shoulders. I love having a job, just not that job. So while I'm in search for a NEW job, I will be a housewife. My good friend Ashley is a housewife, now she also volunteers at the Pregnancy Care Center (which is really like a job, she just doesn't get paid. lol) Anyways, she has set the standard pretty high, so I hope I can succeed. One thing I will not have to do that she does, is pick out the clothes my husband will wear. I mean come on...he has to pick out my clothes for crying out loud. And I LOVE IT!

So to start my Sunday, I went to church, got a newspaper to clip coupons and search through classifieds, and now I'm super busy working out and cleaning the floors. I mean just look at me work really really hard! I think I am sweating!!

Tile, Carpet, Hardwood the irobot roomba does it all.

The hardest part is finding the right cookbook that will hide the cords so the irobot doesn't eat it.

Notice how I can workout and clean the floors!!! Maybe later I will turn the dishwasher on and do my nails. Oh the life. I guess we will see how long this will last. You know before I go crazy and have to do something outside the house. But in the meantime I'll be selling a few items on ebay to hopefully make cash or at least clean out some boxes!

Oh yeah and church was fun. Of course it's not as fun going alone since Todd worked; but it was a blessing to be able to worship and learn.

2010 Broken to Renew

2010-01-06T14:46:00.004-06:00

So do you call it Twenty Ten or Two Thousand Ten or Two Oh One Oh? Well no matter what you say this year will be filled with Newness. What is it about a new calendar year that makes people reflect on their own lives? Most people try to do that on Sundays, and start new "diets" on Monday, but for some reason it's different with a new year. A new clean slate. A new year. A new beginning. A new search for "what" can change our lives for the better. For the Ferguson's it's going to be about a new change, a new home, a new town, a new beach, a new store for Todd and for me a new job search.

But the best part of our new adventure is our old but not forgotten love for church. With our job schedules we have not been able to attend church on a regular basis, and to some that is no big deal but to us, we can totally tell a difference in our lives. With church. Without church. No matter what anyone tells you, it effects your inner being. Our language changes. As much as we strive to be positive and uplifting, the devil tears us down. It's funny when you think that as much as a job can change your schedule so much that you forget how much you truly love and desire to worship the one and only King of my world! We are fortunate to have a solid group of Christian friends and a Bible Study group, but one can only go so long without the true soul breaking time when God grabs a hold of your life and says, "Seriously, Paige. You are choosing to go to a job rather than going to worship and praise ME. Me the one who saved your life. Me the one who continues to bless your life even though you continue to ignore your own hurting heart. You're starving yourself from promises. And it's time for a change. Take a chance." Ok God, you're right. Even in this tough economy, You are the One who can change it! Forget my schedule, my selfishness, and let's just work on focusing on the One True Boss. It's time to take a leap of faith and relearn my soul.

Good things come to those who love God.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-15T09:46:00.009-06:00

Todd and I had an absolutely wonderful time in Missouri and Oklahoma! We did not get to see everyone we had hoped to see, but our days were packed full of events, love, and good times. To go into detail about everything that happened and what we did, would be a huge blog, so here are some pictures to get some of the details.

Shane, Rachael and Baby Elsie Mae! Elsie's first Christmas! She is so precious to us.

Dad Ferguson and his new girlfriend Debbie. The Ferguson Christmas was held in OK at Shane and Rachael's house. It was so much fun. Ben brought his new girlfriend and so did Clarke. The family is expanding especially with cute little Elsie who stole all the attention, and made some bank with the Christmas Gifts!

Uncle Todd with his new niece Elsie Mae Ferguson.

Elsie is almost a month old here. What a great early Christmas present that God gave Shane and Rachael. I had to take a few pics during our stay in Oklahoma.

Grandma Mac celebrates her 74th Birthday with a Surprise Birthday Party! My mom and her baby sister, Bonnie "pulled the wool over her eyes" as a group of over 50 friends and family gathered together to celebrate with Mac. Cake, candles, flowers, balloons, candies, punch, cards, and presents made this day super special for Grandma. She couldn't stop talking about how we surprised her and how special she felt at her party.

Grandma Mac blowing out the candles...with a little help from her Granddaughter Crystal! Oh my sister is so funny.

A different kind of Family Photo! How fun to take a picture with my brother's kids. Logan is 3 and Emma is almost 1. What a great Family Photo.

Mom and Dad Walls! We love and miss you! "Home is where my mom is!"

The Walls Family Photo. Can I just say that we were freeeeezing. From left. Papa Glen, Emma, Mema Cleea, Rance, Logan, Elizabeth, Todd, Paige, Haley, and Crystal.

What a long but short trip. Never has 2 weeks flow by so fast in my life. We love and miss our family every day. Merry Christmas!

278

2009-11-24T19:22:00.003-06:00

I had every intention of blogging yesterday, however I started to get a sore throat so I headed to bed early.
And when I woke up by little sore throat was a really bad sore throat. I was blessed by not being scheduled to work today! Sleeping in and gargling salt water and spraying Chloraseptic was not on my agenda. I was suppose to go hang out with Sally and her family. She is my friend that I worked with in Springfield at Bolivar Insulation. They are celebrating Thanksgiving at her dad's in Alabama and she was going to drive a couple hours down to see me. (such a good friend) I hated having to call her to cancel (I don't want to pass this bug around), so I will have to drop in on her when I'm up that way to make it up to her!
On another note. I was also planning on baking some Cranberry Pumpkin Bread. It's a Dad Ferguson tradition...or one of his many specialties around the holidays. Look I even had Todd pick me up some Cranberries! When I get to feeling better I will make the bread, I would hate to contaminate it with my sickness. lol

The curiosity was killing me. I have never bit into a cranberry before. And now I can say I have and I ate it like a woman. Maybe my sore throat has killed most of the taste buds, but it was tangy and bitter but surprisingly better than I thought it would be.

279

2009-11-22T21:18:00.001-06:00

We were able to hang out with a few friends last night. It was a lot of fun with lots of laughs.

280

2009-11-20T23:12:00.004-06:00

The first Christmas present is officially wrapped! Do you like my cinnamon sticks as accent pieces, oh yeah, I'm "that" creative! As Todd and I start to realize that Thanksgiving is this WEEK and the next week we are in Missouri; panic, anxiety, and lists begin to fill up our days. We are so blessed to be able to fly home for the Holidays, or as we like to call it a late Thanksgiving and super early Christmas with a touch of Birthdays! Thank you Lord for the time you are giving us with our family!

281

2009-11-19T22:32:00.004-06:00

I stole this picture of Elsie Mae from Shane and Rachael's Blog. I couldn't help myself. A proud Aunt has to show off the new addition to the family!!! If you ask me, Elsie is just as perfect as could be. I can't wait to meet her and hold her and kiss on her. This is me getting antsy for Dec 4!!

282

2009-11-18T19:51:00.002-06:00

Inside the box of leaves was a small little USB drive that has tons of pics of my family. This one made me laugh. I could only imagine all of us jumping into a pile of leaves thinking it would be a "soft" landing! Knowing Logan he probably laughed, Eliz through a pile of leaves on his head, and he ran out of the pile to jump again! I sure do miss these kids and all their laughter! Thanks Eliz for the pics.

283

2009-11-17T22:03:00.004-06:00

What a great surprise! My niece and nephew playing in the leaves in this small little box! This was mailed to me and I received it today! so excited! I bet Logan had some fun putting all the leaves in that box. Emma probably put a few in her mouth! Thanks kids! I do miss the piles of leaves!

284

2009-11-17T14:00:00.002-06:00

Check out the new Cabool Florist Blog!
http://caboolflorist.blogspot.com
Don't forget to visit the store for their annual Open House!

285

2009-11-15T20:31:00.002-06:00

Who in the world can fall asleep sitting up like this? And while his wife is in the kitchen banging stuff around cooking dinner. It just amazes me how hard he works, but when he "hits a wall" he's down for the count. Speaking of, it's 8:30 and he's already sound asleep in bed. (I made him move from the couch)

286

2009-11-14T20:32:00.003-06:00

Sing the song: "Just driving along in my automobile..." and then clunk cling , "Oh Poop!" I pull over....look under the car nothing, nothing hanging by a thread, nut, bolt, nothing. I get back in the car and the noise is gone. I drive 5 feet and see a piece of metal like thing in the road...did I mention I was by myself, it was pitch black, and my phone was DEAD! I pull over to pick up the lump of metal....I'm 98% sure that this piece of metal came from the bottom of the golden nugget. a.k.a. my old car that get's me to work and back home period. So if there is anyone out there that could tell me if this rusted piece of holey metal is important, I might go see a mechanic. Otherwise the 2% hit home and I just happened to hear dragging metal under my car and pulled over and found this a few feet away. hummmmm
On a more important note. One of the best Local seafood places Captian Anderson's is closed for the season after today. The good part is that they had a big End of Season special 1/2 Florida Lobster Tail with seafood stuffing and 2 sides for $15.95. Oh yeah! Score, I finally had some Lobster and I didn't have to pay the usual $40ish for it! yipeee I got it to go and Todd and I had a romantic Lobster date in the clearance section of AE (I'm not allowed in the back of the store, and Todd couldn't leave). Talk about interuptions when the man was trying to work and all I wanted him to do was take 10 minutes and eat some LOBSTER!

287

2009-11-11T18:22:00.003-06:00

Just when Todd gets back to town he gets to leave again. This time he is covering for another manager at the AE store in Valdosta, GA for a couple of days. It will be a good experience for him. My little helper husband!
Oh yeah, so who is jealous that I have a blanket made out of sweatshirt material? So nice.

288

2009-11-10T22:13:00.003-06:00

A hand can symbol so many things. A Big High Five! Lending a hand. Count to 5. And your age. Maybe in 50 years I can look back and see what my hand used to look like. lol

289

2009-11-08T21:51:00.002-06:00

I Love My Husband!!!!!!!!!!!!

290

2009-11-07T20:03:00.004-06:00

The Iron Man Triathlon was in full force today. I have no idea how many participants we had but we were able to watch them ride by for most of the day. These people really are dedicated to what they do. Yeah for those that like endurance. But I would rather spend $500 on something other than an entry to the Iron Man.

291

2009-11-06T21:39:00.003-06:00

Well it took only 2 days before another message in the sand was found. Today it was outside the condo. The Iron Man Triathlon will be taking off tomorrow morning. A few of our guests are participating in the event. My coworker and I will be taking turns running outside to cheer for the bikers as they pass by.

On a different note. Shane and Rachael had their baby today! Rachael was not due for another 4 weeks, but when her water broke this morning she soon discovered that Elsie Mae did not want to wait any longer. Congratulations Okie Fergs!! We can't wait to meet her in December!

Oh yeah and for another announcement, Todd and I will be making a trip to Missouri and Oklahoma in December. I will be there Dec 1-12 and Todd will be there Dec 3-8. We are anxious to see all our family and our friends during our visit. yeah!!!!

And for another note. Todd just got back from an AE Regional managers meeting in Tampa. He was recognized for being awesome and came home with a Sirius Satellite Radio. Big stuff man! I'm just so darn proud of my hard working man!!

292

2009-11-05T23:04:00.002-06:00

If I were to step around the counter and walk through the back door towards the beach, this is the view I get to see. Not bad eh? The snow birds are starting to show up so I'm starting my ehs in stead of uhs. lol

293

2009-11-04T18:28:00.003-06:00

A quick trip to walk on the beach to find a couple of seashells and a message in the sand. "Don't worry be happy." I wonder how many other people found this little message and smiled? Maybe I will take another walk on the beach tomorrow and hopefully find another little something to take a picture of for my next post.

294

2009-11-03T22:26:00.003-06:00

So after a month of no internet we had it for a couple of days before....oh yeah...no internet again. That would be why I haven't blogged in a while. Sorry about that. I was so angry that I didn't even want to go to Panera to use the free wifi or use Todd's blackberry to do a text blog. But I'm back...for now.
Ok so these little cards are part of my new project. This group of 5 flowers were all flowers from the big family Hawaii trip last year. These are just the cutest little cards ever. Or at least I think they are. These and other groups will be on my etsy site soon.

295

2009-10-28T22:48:00.001-05:00

Trick or treat time is almost here. I had to get my favorite dark chocolate treat!

296

2009-10-27T22:35:00.002-05:00

297

2009-10-26T23:14:00.003-05:00

I'm pretty sure I've said this before...I DON'T DO MORNINGS!! And today Monday morning...well "Friday" morning to me....is no different. Although after I finish this wonderful cup of coffee, my morning will be super! I started the day a little tired, a little unmotivated, but I'm finishing the day happy. Happy because I finally sold my first photo on etsy! Actually she bought 2. It's so cool. Someone will have my photos in their house....someone besides my family! lol :)

298

2009-10-25T19:33:00.003-05:00

Eureka!! Finally internet at home again. I was about to give this project up since getting to a free wifi spot with my laptop was challenging.
For those wondering if I had an amazing beach view at work, here is the proof. This is my view all day long. Sure I have a fountain with running water. But my eyes hurt from all the chemicals that is in the water. The ocean view would be right around the corner, unfortunately I have to walk around the counter to see it. But I guess the Gulf is closer to me than others. No complaints...I guess. lol

299

2009-10-24T21:17:00.001-05:00

Oh yeah. My chi stopped working the other day and I finally got around to taking it back to the store to exchange. It was rather pleasant. I use to hate returning merchandise. After working at different retail stores I've become mune to the idea. No big deal.Just take it in plea your case and walla a new item. Oh and surprisingly the chi is totally worth the bucks. I never thought I would ever say that or own one. Talk about a magic wand!

300

2009-10-23T14:15:00.002-05:00

Before you were able to check out my white seashell collection. Now it's time to showcase my grey & black seashell collection.

301

2009-10-22T16:02:00.002-05:00

HI.
This is a plant at work.

302

2009-10-21T20:15:00.003-05:00

Well I got thinking about my post from yesterday. And I left with the conclusion that I didn't leave you with my profile name for etsy. Silly me. We are 417beach. Below is the link to the webpage. Happy shopping! lol

www.417beach.etsy.com

303

2009-10-20T21:57:00.003-05:00

The temperature finally went back up! It was t-shirt, shorts, and flip flops for me today...and I still managed to break a sweat out in the sun! I'm loving this!
I decided to take full advantage of the day and do a few pictures for my etsy shop. Here is a little sample of what I did. Do you like?

304

2009-10-19T20:24:00.001-05:00

Again another night going to bed early. Todd has a few full weeks of work ahead of him. Please say a little prayer for him.
As far as the picture. How do I turn my bedding into a beachy feel? I love the bedding which my folks gave us a few Christmases ago. Now that we love at the beach, I think it's time to incorporate some of the outdoors inside.

305

2009-10-18T19:35:00.001-05:00

It's 7:40 pm and we are already in bed. This could be either a sign that we are getting old or that Todd has been working a lot. Either way we are beat. Nighty night.

306

2009-10-17T23:30:00.004-05:00

This may be lame, but I spent my evening sorting through all the seashells Todd and I have picked up from our last big beach snorkel afternoon. Organization is not one of my strong attributes, but I did have a grand ole time dipping my toe in the organization world tonight.
Here is a White Shell Martini; it's a simple collection of all the white seashells gathered up on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico.

307

2009-10-16T23:12:00.001-05:00

A cold front came through the area to cool everything off. It's time to slip into some warm cozy socks!

308

2009-10-15T21:07:00.001-05:00

Not having internet at the house really does stink!

309

2009-10-14T21:26:00.001-05:00

A wonderful relaxing day. We both had the day off so we stayed in doors. The only thing we accomplished was finishing the 2nd season of Dexter. The pic will be posted tomorrow when I have to get out of the house.

310

2009-10-13T19:17:00.004-05:00

There is just something about living close to the beach that makes you want to go there on your days off. And maybe it has more to do with this amazing weather we have been having. Today it was 87 degrees, the water temp was perfect, and it was a yellow flag! Combine it all and you have a perfect day at the beach. As you can tell from this picture. Another thing you can tell from this picture is that we were about to get rained on by that enormous rain cloud which had no end. It did start to sprinkle but we had already endured enough sun time so we were ready to head back. It just amazes us that it's October and we are wearing tshirts and shorts and swimwear. It's just plain craziness and we love craziness.

311

2009-10-12T19:31:00.003-05:00

Tonight we went on a little date. We drove around a few neighborhoods dreaming of a new home, then we headed to Target to pick up a toaster. Oh I know a toaster. Todd was about to go crazy not being able to toast his bread, english muffin, waffles, etc. $22.10 later we left with a sack full of Target steals. After we picked up the $6 toaster we remembered we were on our last bit of toothpaste, so to the clearance section (you can always find great toothpaste on clearance at Target). And victory was ours as we picked up two tubes. Then we decided to shop all the clearance end caps. It was such a fun date! We picked up this awesome door mat. With all the sand and dirt around here we need to wipe our little feet before we enter our beach house. Let me know if our $1.24 door mat was worth it!

312

2009-10-11T20:29:00.003-05:00

Life is getting tough. Just the other day I wished upon a star for a way for me to "brew" starbucks coffee at work without a coffee pot. And walla starbucks heard my wish! Via! Surprisingly it actually tastes pretty good. Another surprising factor is that this is more economical than when I stop at the gas station for a cup of joe. Hum, I never would of thought I would see the day where starbucks was less expensive than a gas station. lol

On a side note: I would like to apologize for the missing picture Friday and no pic yesterday. I did take one, however since our internet at home is not working I get the privelage of driving down the street for some wifi. And well I just didn't make the drive the past 2 nights. It's such a challenge learning how to live in my house without the internet. lol

313

2009-10-11T20:22:00.004-05:00

In Hawaii the Palm Trees produce coconuts and bananas. In the Panhandle the Palm Trees produce these nut/acorn things. I have no idea what it is, but I bet someone that reads this just might Google it.

314

2009-10-09T22:20:00.001-05:00

Hum this could be interpreted in different way at different times in our lives. Is life so black and white?

315

2009-10-08T21:31:00.004-05:00

WAIT a second. I thought butterflies were only around in the spring and summer months....I'm so confused. :/ Would it be because it was 88 degrees outside and felt like 100? I think so. Those butterflies are just as confused as me. I just love Mother Nature. This pond at the park near our house reminds me of Grandma Mac's place. It's lined with all kinds of trees. The water is full of fish, lily pads, cattails, and a few ducks. It's just a small piece of home for me to sit and enjoy.

316

2009-10-07T22:23:00.004-05:00

Is it October? We woke up this morning and Todd posted on his Facebook status: 6am and 82 degrees. First 6 am is too early for me since it was my day off work, but the 82 degrees, wow-weee! I had lunch with my friend and then decided to take full advantage of the warmth. The beach became my resting place for the next 2 hours. I would of stayed longer if I had brought some sunscreen. The water was still wonderfully warm the sun super hot. A great day to play at the beach. The water is still so clear. A small suggestion to all my friends, Don't go on vacation to the gulf in the summer, wait and go NOW. The fall is so wonderful. Less people, less money, and Perfect temperatures.

317

2009-10-06T21:23:00.003-05:00

Finally, I spotted the first sign of Fall. A tiny leaf at the top of this maple tree.

318

2009-10-05T19:08:00.004-05:00

If the rain is here and the wind is mighty, then we have bigger waves. It's so awesome to see the waves crashing against the shore. I'm reminded of the song I used to sing in children's church, "My God is so Big! So Strong, and so Mighty! There's Nothing my God cannot Do!" You know the song, and now you will be singing it all day long! And Yes, You're Welcome!

319

2009-10-04T21:56:00.001-05:00

Update! Update!

Did you know that all the birds fly South for the Winter? Guess where all the birds are now? Oh yeah. Bird poop everywhere.

To be updated later. Still no internet and it was storming so we didn't want to take the laptop outside.

320

2009-10-03T22:42:00.004-05:00

Double date night with with Chapman's. We enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Treasure Ship. (Pirates and all) We always have good times with great big laughs. Our belly were hurtin from all the food and the laughter. We always act like big kids when we are around each other. But I'm sure you can tell that by our lovely picture!

321

2009-10-02T18:52:00.004-05:00

I just love how the entire sky changes colors at sunset. Oh if you could of only seen the entire sky! So beautiful, so magnificent! Enjoy!

Today I spend a lot of the day thinking of my life. Where I am, what I am doing, where I came from, where our next adventure will take us. It's a lot of thoughts and a lot of questions and a lot of prayers. Well here is to where today will take me tomorrow!

3?? updated 322

2009-10-01T23:02:00.001-05:00

Update: Well the internet is not back up yet, so I am using our good friend Panera Bread's Wifi! Yeah for free stuff! Here was/is the picture for post 322. I was at my work. Aqua's 16th floor and took a picture of Pier Park. It sure isn't anything to write home about, but I did anyways! lol

Original Post: For some reason our internet in our condo is not working. And I'm not real sure how to post a blog via Todd's blackberry. There is not a button to add pics so tomorrow I will post 2 pics. Bye

323

2009-09-30T21:04:00.005-05:00

I broke my rule. Here is a picture from yesterday, no picture for today. My camera did not come out to play, but tomorrow I will make it up to you! For those wondering what I did while Todd played golf. I held the flag, drove the cart some, and took a few pics along the way. Afterall Florida is home of the most beautiful beaches...and golf courses. We should retire here and play golf everyday.

324

2009-09-29T20:52:00.003-05:00

It's fun treating Tuesday as a Saturday. What better day to have off work to go play and do what you want without all the crowds of people! This morning we woke up and went to play golf. Ok so maybe Todd played golf and I watched. However he did let me take a couple of swings. And it took a couple of swings to even make contact with that stupid little white ball. Todd said I had good form, so maybe one day it will be one solid motion with some contact. (Santa, I would like lady golf clubs for Christmas. lol)
After golf we decided to pack a picnic for the beach. It's such a nice day. Crisp air this morning and crispier air tonight. A slight breeze that cools you off when the sun is not covered by the clouds. We snorkled some uncovering seashells. The beach was quiet. Only a few other couples were there and we were spaced out about 100 yards apart. I love living here during this time of the year. Everyone not from Florida should make a point to visit this area during the fall.

325

2009-09-28T20:02:00.004-05:00

Just when I was wondering what the picture of the day should be, wallah, I checked everyone's status on Facebook. Thanks Sally for the awesome morning so I can blog about it! For those that cannot read this just click on the picture to enlarge. Trust me it is so worth reading. Or at least it made me laugh. Maybe it's just because for years Sally and I would have our Monday morning conversations at work, and I could totally see her animations as she would have told me about it. Oh how I miss working with Sal, she was such a hoot. hehe

326

2009-09-27T19:09:00.003-05:00

Oh yeah, life on the water. It's so refreshing.

327

2009-09-26T19:57:00.003-05:00

Not only is my man the sexiest, he is the funniest. At least he is in my eyes. He got his new AE shirt in the mail today and we had to take a pic since he was jumping up and down about it. lol

328

2009-09-25T23:14:00.003-05:00

Date Night at the Ebro Greyhound Dog Races! It was completely different than anything we have even done before. These dogs really book it chasing that rabbit. Todd is a better guesser at the winners than me. I can't say it's skill because we couldn't figure out how to read the program. This was our first Big Date Night and not our last. I really love the time we get to spend together one on one. A great date. A great guy. A great life.

329

2009-09-24T20:52:00.003-05:00

Some days even shopping at Hobby Lobby can't bring a smile to your face. However when you go to check out and the cashier is singing to the Christian song coming from the speakers, that could bring on a little grin.

330

2009-09-23T19:23:00.003-05:00

We took a stroll down 30A. The sun was a shinning but the wind gave a cool breeze. Well the cool breeze was refreshing only when we were in the shade. I believe we had a great time at Seaside looking at all the neat shops. Dad didn't get a relaxing beach vacation but he did get a weeks worth of activities shoved into 2 full days. Tomorrow morning we say goodbye as he heads north. We sure did love our Ferguson vacation. Who's next for a little trip to PCB?

331

2009-09-22T22:11:00.004-05:00

Got Crabs. Ok maybe just one. I was fast enough to catch this huge crab by shore on Shell Island today. Dad had the camera ready and the crab was hanging on for dear life. Too bad for the crab we were hungry so we built a fire and cooked us some crab de la camp fire. Just kidding we didn't eat the poor crab, I just let him crawl back to the ocean.
On Dad's day 2 of his trip, or should we say his first day without driving at least 4 hours, we were on the move. Breakfast at Another Broken Egg (yum), then back to the house to get our stuff ready for Shell Island. I made some of my famous PB&J sandwiches for our picnic island lunch with a cooler full of ice cold water. We stayed on the island for 4 hours walking and picking up shells. It's just too bad we didn't find any big perfect shells. We walked a lot and swam in the ocean and rested. Then back to shore to get cleaned up for Captain Anderson's for dinner. Oh my that was delicious!!! After our delicious fresh fish dinner we drove into town to get Dad's World Market fix in. He just loves that store. And now we are enjoying a cup of coffee watching ESPN.

332

2009-09-21T20:51:00.003-05:00

Dad is here. Dad Ferguson that is!
We were able to have some delicious pizza at Mellow Mushroom, then walk on the beach, then head to Antonio's for some decadent desserts! It is so good to have great conversations with Dad. We are so blessed to have him come visit us for a few day. We have so many activities planned and hopefully the rain will stay away.

333

2009-09-20T19:02:00.003-05:00

Post 333 how exciting. But what is more exciting is finding out that Todd was home by the time I got home from work. The other exciting thing is that he had this amazing meal ready for us. Pork Chops, Brown Rice, Avocado with Tomato and Lime. YUM It was a delicious dinner. If he cooked for me every day like this I would be queen and he would be the queen's chef.

334

2009-09-20T00:18:00.003-05:00

Yep that is exactly what you think it is. And yep, I know, I can't believe I did that either. And yep, I really did climb up the pole all by myself. I've never been to a birthday party quite like this one, but it was a lot of laughs and fun. However my arms, back, and legs are a little sore from trying to twirl and swirl. I will not be making a career move. lol

335

2009-09-18T23:15:00.004-05:00

Do you have an area in your home that is the "catch all" for your pockets? Welcome to ours! Oh yeah and if you forgot which direction to head for the beach, we can help you with that as well. Our "To Beach" sign was given to us from my mom and dad the first time they came to visit. I love it!
The Bible Study group went amazing tonight. We had tons of new people there. It was a good laugh and a good lesson. We are ready for next week. TGIF!

336

2009-09-17T21:40:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow we start our Bible study back up, so I have been prepping food tonight. Every Friday night we have a different food theme for the pot luck. Our Bible Study is fun and it's really the only time Todd and I get to fellowship since we work Sundays. anyways...I went from work to the store to home. Then of course the new comedy night is on NBC, so we watched and laughed and during commercials I was in the kitchen. Needless to say, no pic of Sept 17, however here is a pic from a few weeks ago that I have not shared yet. Please enjoy!

337

2009-09-16T20:48:00.002-05:00

Water Three Ways!
Plain tap water. MMM
Crystal Light flavored. AHHH
Coffee. OH YEEEAAAHH

338

2009-09-15T20:34:00.003-05:00

The Biggest Loser started a new season tonight. As I watch them push themselves to their breaking point, I think to myself, "Am I strong enough to to that?" I will never know if I could handle the trainers screaming at my face but let's see if I can dedicate myself to pushing hard everyday. Today my weight is 146.8 lbs. After all if those people on the show can post their weight to millions of people, I can post it to the few that read my blog. So Cheers to getting in shape and loosing a few lbs on the way.

339

2009-09-14T21:02:00.003-05:00

Walking across one of the streets in the French Quarter a guy stopped us and said he noticed we walked across the street and we were in violation. Todd and I were like, what??? Then the guy said it was a Party Poopper Violation. He was raising money for some charity that provides something for the poor. Anyways we ended up giving him a $10 bill and he gave us this hat. We were stopped 2 more times by other people but since we paid our fine we were able to pass. I Heart N'AWLINS.

340

2009-09-13T21:43:00.005-05:00

What a trip.
New Orleans has a whole variety of culture that we have never seen before. We believe we ate everything Creole, Cajun, Louisiana, and New Orleans Style that we could cram in a few days. Let's see: Cajun New Potatoes, Po Boys, Gumbo, Jambalaya, BBQ Shrimp, Beignets, Coffee and Chicory, Hurricane, Alligator Sausage, Pralines, and Grits to name a few. Surprisingly we enjoyed each dish or drink or treat.

A little recap with a few of my favorite pictures.
The first picture is of a River Barge on the famous Mississippi River.

"Classy" Bourbon Street. This picture was taken before the police blocked off the road so vehicles won't drive down Bourbon Street. Now I know why my parents would not take me down this street when I was a kid. WOW. Talk about a different culture. Todd and I ate dinner on the balcony of this restaurant. It was a lot of fun to people watch, and the food was to die for! Believe it or not we went the entire trip without a "Lucky Dog" from the cart vendor shown to the right.

Every door and window had shutters. Most of the buildings in the French Quarter were over 100 years old. We spent most of our time walking around the French Quarter. It was so inviting with all the different style buildings and balconies. However once nighttime fell it was a little scary walking around the streets. The strangest thing was we almost felt more safe on Bourbon Street.

St. Louis Cemetery. No graves 6 feet under, in floods the caskets float up. The dead is buried in a family tomb. The burial process is quite fascinating really.

The trolley wires on Canal Street. We didn't take the time to ride on the trolley this time but our next trip we just might go All Aboard.

341

2009-09-12T23:04:00.002-05:00

Tourist Tourist Tourist Oh yeah that was totally us today. We took a bus tour around NOLA to get the history of the town and to give our feet a rest. It rained here and there so the dots on these pics are the rain drops on the bus window, and you will notice the reflection on the glass. A moving bus and a raining day and me behind the camera, well, these are the best ones. hehe

This picture is of a home in the Upper 9th Ward. It looks like it has a new roof, but still needs more improvements. It was sad to see the devastation that Katrina made on those neighborhoods. It was also uplifting to see the different new homes and homes currently being built by various charities. Homes for Humanity had an entire row of colorful homes along one street. Brad Pitt's charity has an entire neighborhood that is building some awesome looking "green" homes. Unfortunately it was pouring down with rain during that part of the tour, so I have no pictures. If we are brave we might make it there tomorrow.

This picture is of the markings that were made when rescue teams checked the homes for bodies. Katrina hit August 25 and they were able to check this home September 14. Four years later the markings are still there. At one house the markings was on the glass door. The owners of the home left it there but hung a wreath over it.

342

2009-09-11T18:34:00.004-05:00

Rain Rain Go Away!!
Today we walked EVERYWHERE in New Orleans! Around the French Quarter, the Riverwalk, even a little stroll down Magazine Street. My feet are swollen and we haven't even had dinner yet! As I update my blog, Todd is enjoying a little nap. It feels so good to have our feet up in a dry place. We thought if we started later this morning that it might stop raining; we were wrong. I had my pink umbrella and we were able to purchase Todd a nice black one. At the time we didn't really know how much we would actually be using the umbrellas. Luckily it only rained really hard once and shelter was only two steps away. The rain was more like a heavy sprinkle most of the day. All the locals say it's suppose to rain all weekend, but it's not gonna stop us from visiting a new city. Well we better get ready for dinner. Until tomorrow, stay dry.

343

2009-09-10T23:42:00.004-05:00

Earlier this week Todd and I decided to take a little trip to New Orleans. We both scheduled to have the weekend off work together, but we didn't really know what we were going to do. Somehow a get-a-way to New Orleans was mentioned and next thing I know I was online looking up places to stay.

We arrived here around 9pm and we were hungry so we unloaded the car and headed out on foot. We ended up a few blocks away at Deanie's Seafood (it was suggested by the hotel employee). Surprisingly when the waiter brought us our drinks he also had a bowl of new potatoes. From a distance I honestly thought it was hushpuppies, but no potatoes. I've never been served potatoes as a "bread" dish before our food. We love potatoes so we dug right in. Todd took the first bite and he said it had a kick to it. I was like, "Welcome to New Orleans, Honey!" He's a real sissy when it comes to spicy food. So I took a bite, and wow it got hotter and hotter even after it went down. Wowzers, if it's hot to me, then Todd must be dying. Our meal was quite good.

344

2009-09-09T21:11:00.003-05:00

I love me some PB&Js!
Just ask Todd about the first time he ever made me a PB&J sandwich. He would say that I took one bite and said, "What is this?!" And after hearing about it for 8 years I believe that I really said it. If I remember correctly he didn't make it perfectly. Now that he knows the correct way of making a PB&J he does an exceptional job. Each little corner of the bread has to be smothered in either Peanut Butter or Jelly. No big clumps of jelly in one spot and a little bit of in another...even. The same for the peanut butter, it has to be a nice even layer. Once combined it makes an unbelieveable PB&J sandwich! Yum Yum

P.S. My Mom's knee surgery went great! They were able to do a partial knee replacement and she should go home soon. Thanks for the prayers!

345

2009-09-08T20:14:00.003-05:00

I know I know, What in the world. My Mom is having knee surgery tomorrow (Wednesday 9-9-09). Actually she is having a partial knee replacement. Her hospital time and recovery time will be half the time as an entire knee replacement. Please pray that the surgery goes smooth and her recovery is speedy. She hates being in pain and with this surgery she should be free from any more knee pain! Plus next time she comes to visit she will actually get to walk on the beach! Good luck Mom! You know we will be praying for you!

346

2009-09-07T21:42:00.002-05:00

When you picture your 15 minute break at work, what does it look like? Does it look like this? Mine does. Seriously. Us girls take turns and go work out for 15 minutes twice a day now. It's so relaxing. We get back to work sweaty and hot. Luckily for me it's only 15 minutes, that elliptical kicks my butt! But I sure do love the view. Today I watch some dolphins playing in the ocean not too far from shore.

347

2009-09-06T23:03:00.004-05:00

Happy Sunday! I know it was not long ago I posted another Bible verse photo, but you get it again today! My good friend Cory West posted a new blog today based on Acts 16:25-34. So in the effort to get his blog read by my readers, here ya go!
http://beyondthedogma.blogspot.com/
Cory and Carrie live in Friendswood, Texas where they are working by serving the Lord at their church. And lately I've been missing my Westestsssssss! Believe it or not but we haven't seen them since we moved to Oklahoma (and they moved to TX)....ummmm since 2007....no wonder I miss them so much. Back in the day we would see eachother once a week if not more.

348

2009-09-05T20:17:00.003-05:00

It was rather cloudy by the time we were able to hit the beach. Nonetheless we still had ourselves a delicious beach picnic and then a nice little beach nap. And we were able to see a nearby fisherman catch a decent size fish. All in a days work! Or should we say...All after a days work.

349

2009-09-04T23:15:00.003-05:00

I love surprises. Today Todd brought home a few new outfits for me to wear. I also love having a husband that does all the shopping for me! I say, "Honey, baby, sweet pea, (lol) your baby needs a new dress." Whaalaaaa!
We have been doing so good on eating healthier, so tonight we decided to treat ourselves. Our favorite bakery shop is a couple blocks away from our home and the prices are pretty reasonable, so we drove over there picked up a new dessert item then walked over to the beach. We plopped down on our blanket and shared the delicious Chocolate covered Mocha Cake Truffle that was defiantly made for two. We watched the sea as the full moon lit up the sky. Ahh it was so romantic and peaceful. And then we took a deep breath to fill our lungs with the Ocean air, but all we could smell was donuts. That's right donuts. Apparently the donut shop across the street from the beach starts making donuts at 9:30. So we laughed and watched the stars.

350

2009-09-03T21:50:00.002-05:00

351

2009-09-02T20:27:00.004-05:00

What a treat! 2 pictures in 1 day! We took a short drive to the State Park and walked along the beach. I'm guessing this was an old pier. It was pretty cool. The water was so peaceful today.

We were the only ones on that beach, next time we will take picnic gear and stay longer. Enjoy our shadow portrait!

352

2009-09-01T21:23:00.004-05:00

This is our little friend outside our home. Mr Lizard puts a little spice to our lives. Every now and then I will catch a glimpse of him moving around outside, it's nice to know we have someone on patrol outside our door. He blends in pretty good with our surroundings. He must like it here.

I love it here because it's not too far away from the beach and close enough to smell the ocean air. To feel the gulf breeze against your skin cools you down from a hot day. I didn't get to take a walk on the beach today but tomorrow I will. At night the sand has become cool to the touch, but the water is warm. I would say the water is the warmest it will get all year. It's so clear too. Just the perfect shades of blue and green sparkling from the sun. Maybe just maybe we'll have some time to go snorkeling tomorrow. I'll keep you posted. For now I'm gonna sit on my chair outside with my friend Mr Lizard and enjoy the ocean breeze while looking up at the stars and the moon.

353

2009-08-31T19:36:00.005-05:00

Yum! Yum! Yum! Which one would you pick as your snack for the day? Today I picked both. Apple for my snack before lunch...I was hungry. And now the Skinny Cow for my movie treat. Plus I had to check on a condo on the 17th floor today, so I took the stairs. Oh my goodness, I could not breath for 5 minutes after I was finally there. No jumping up and down like Rocky. The elevator was pretty handy for the trip back down.

354

2009-08-30T18:39:00.003-05:00

One thing we love to do while walking on the beach is to pick up sea shells. Here is our little collection so far. This coconut palm basket is the same basket I made last year in Hawaii. Now that we have been living here a year, we have noticed a few things about the beach that we were not aware of before.
One: During the big tourist months, March-August, you will not find many sea shells along the shore.
Two: The seaweed attaches the Gulf in July. This year the seaweed cleared up the first week of August.
Three: To collect big shells, you must take a boat to Shell Island.
Four: The gulf breeze is always refreshing.
Five: It's relaxing to go hang out at the beach with friends.
There are more than just five but that's all for now.

355

2009-08-29T23:11:00.002-05:00

The one constant that we love to do in each new town we live in, is to find the best pizza joint.
Springfield, MO - New York Pizzeria
Bartlesville, OK - Brick Oven Pizza Downtown
Branson, MO - I can't really say we had time to find the best. oops
Panama City Beach - Mellow Mushroom
Just to be fair to some, we love crazy weird pizza. When we scarf down pizza, one we would consider the best, it must have sliced tomatoes, chicken, and the rest is a mixture of either/and spinach, artichoke hearts, and feta cheese. We leave the Canadian Bacon and Pineapple for the group parties and delivery.
Anyone hungry?

356

2009-08-29T00:14:00.003-05:00

It's a little too late in the evening....actually early in the am, so no time to write. Gotta get up early for work tomorrow. I'm just a darn night owl. Always have been, probably always will be. Coffee in the morning will be my cure.

357

2009-08-27T19:34:00.003-05:00

We love hats. Todd picked up a couple new hats today from work. Oh do I remember when hats from work were free!

358

2009-08-26T18:04:00.004-05:00

Don't forget to stop and smell the roses. Or in this case the flowering bush by my house. I just love the colors of the world. Cheers to the earth and all the many colors we see daily.

359

2009-08-25T19:54:00.004-05:00

A couple days ago we purchased a couple of magazines, "Whole Living Body + Soul" and "Clean Eating". Our intention is to start eating healthier meals and snacks. This is my dinner after I got back from the grocery store. A Multi-Grain English Muffin with delicious toppings of Greek style lowfat Yogurt sprinkled with Apple Blueberry Granola and a side of Apple. It might look good to some and "what were you thinking" to other; and I would agree with both. Surprisingly I will have this meal again, because I am full and everything tasted so good! I like surprising my taste buds. Oh and my grocery shopping mainly focused in the fresh produce section. Seriously! I actually bought a butternut squash, not real sure what I'm going to make. And I just finished roasting my own garlic. Maybe one day I will be a great housewife! Cheers to being healthy and hopefully losing a little weight in the process!

360

2009-08-24T21:11:00.002-05:00

TGIF! At least for me it is my Friday...on Monday. Oh yeah, since when do we celebrate Mondays? Only when you have Tuesday and Wednesday off work! I'm thinking about spending the next 2 days relaxing around the house. We have been on the move for so long, and with all the craziness at work a little TLC for myself is key. A little meditation and prayer is on my agenda.

361

2009-08-23T20:56:00.003-05:00

Questions? Answers? Does it really matter when the end result is the same?

Today was a gloomy day, a down right terribly disturbed day at work. I showed up for work at 10; it’s supposed to be same ole stuff just on different days. But today ended up being completely different than any other day. A day I would not like to repeat. Police cars, Fire Trucks, Ambulance, Yellow Crime Scene tape. Yep today was not planned by any means, well at least to our knowledge. A man, a 67 year-old grandpa, either fell or jumped from the 22^nd floor. The investigation is still open. The family is in shock. Goodness this entire building is in shock. We are saddened by the incident and we truly hope the family finds peace. But the question remains; Does it really matter what the answers are when the result is death?

362

2009-08-22T20:34:00.003-05:00

A lifeguard stand in PCB? I think this is the only lifeguard stand in Panama City Beach. I could be wrong but this is the first one I have seen in a year.

363

2009-08-21T21:26:00.003-05:00

My phone rings and it's my sis, Crystal. She's like screaming on the phone all in an uproar. Once I get her to slow down and speak in English she says, "Haley passed. Haley passed his first CPA exam. We just found out like 2 minutes ago and you should feel special because you are number 2 on the call list. And we literally just got home from eating at Cialito Lindo and we decided to check the computer. His score was there and he passed with flying colors! Yeah!!!!! He passed and we just found out!!!" So post 3 of 365 is devoted to saying GREAT JOB! CONGRATS! YOU DID IT! THAT A BOY! and GOOD LUCK this Saturday as you knock down test 2 of 4 in the Big CPA exam! Cheers to Haley!

364

2009-08-20T22:32:00.003-05:00

Today was my Saturday, although tomorrow will not by my Sunday. Todd and I headed up to Pensacola to see our friend Nat and her family. They are the most energetic people we know. We played school, then went to eat at Fish House, then to the park for a concert. The crew got a little carried away with the jammin music and thought they would dance along. From left: Craig, Carlye, Nat, and Todd...lucky for me I was behind the camera. Although earlier we were making funny faces of each other for the camera. Oh yeah the music was just THAT good.