Eight Years

It seems like just yesterday that this was going on:

Dancing at Our Reception

June 15, 2002

But eight years have passed and I'm not really sure where they went. We celebrated with dinner at Hot & Hot Fish Club on Southside, which is one of our favorite Birmingham restaurants. Among our random dinner conversation, we reminisced about our wedding ceremony (which took all of 13 minutes) and our reception (which we both thoroughly enjoyed and had to be "encouraged" to leave so the guests could). My favorite memory from our reception has to do with Ken's singing. We were dancing and singing along to "With This Ring" (a favorite beach song by The Platters from our growing up years) when the band tripped a breaker and the power went out. Ken didn't miss a beat--he kept right on singing! I laughed so much and really haven't stopped laughing since.

I feel truly blessed to have this man in my life who encourages me and allows me to be who I am. He makes me laugh, both at the world outside and at myself, and loves me for me. We have a true partnership and I couldn't ask for a better person with whom to share my life.

So, Ken, thank you for the last eight wonderful years. I can't wait to see what the future holds for us!

Hot & Hot

June 15, 2010

Butterfly

Early yesterday morning, I glanced out the back door and saw what I thought was a rather large black butterfly. I grabbed my camera and ran out the back door. (Of course, taking my camera from my nice, cool house into my humid Alabama backyard necessitated me waiting about 5 minutes before I could actually take a picture.)

I snapped several shots of this butterfly, which turned out to be blue. This is what it looked like:

This makes me want to go to some beautiful garden and snap pictures of whatever moves!

Memorial Day Weekend

(This a REALLY picture heavy post! Sorry; they were just too good not to share!)

With my family, when we do something, we do it ALL THE WAY or not at all. So, Memorial Day Weekend was no exception! The whole family--Mom, Dad, Sue, Nick, Carter, Callen, Steve, Emily, Ken and I--spent the long weekend at LBF. The general premise for being down in Orange Beach was that we were going to have Callen's "Toe Dippin' Ceremony," but no one in my family ever really needs an excuse to go to the beach!

Mom, Dad, Ken and I arrived late Wednesday afternoon. Sue, Nick, Carter and Callen rolled in late Thursday night. Even with the late night arrival, the pace really picked up Friday morning. Carter and Callen, both, hit the ground running, so to speak.

Carter helping Big Pat unload the coolers

(Every time he picked up a Blue Ice, he would say, "Oooo! It's cold!)

Shortly thereafter, we hit the pool. Carter was a little reluctant at first and only wanted Sue to catch him, but he warmed up pretty quickly after a few jumps in the pool. He even let me catch him a time or two. The one who surprised me was Callen. She is a TRUE waterbaby! She just LOVED being in the pool. She figured out, rather quickly, that she could splash in the water with her hands and by kicking her feet, she could move around in her "floaty." She had so much fun and entertained all of us!

Kicked back and coolin' in the pool

Carter on a mission

(Probably heading to dump more toys in the pool)

Callen kicking her feet to move around the pool

Emily and Steve both came in Friday night. Saturday morning, Carter was so excited to see them both and want them both, IMMEDIATELY, to play with him in the pool.

Uncle Steve "throwing" Carter from his hands

All the excitement was just too much for some people

Even with the awful mess along the coast in Louisiana, it had not yet arrived in Orange Beach Sunday afternoon. We all made the trip to the beach so that Callen could have her toes dipped.

The Beach marred only by seaweed and storms May 31, 2010

Callen just LOVED the water

(She takes after her Bamma!)

Carter, on the other hand, wasn't having ANY of it!

(He had to be bribed with ice cream just to let Nick put his feet in the water and he had a death grip on Nick when his feet went in.)

Callen was very interested in Uncle Ken's sunglasses

Steve and Emily supervised Carter in the sand

Nick, Carter, Sue, Callen, Emily, Steve, Button and Ken

Big Pat and Bamma with Carter and Callen

I think it's safe to say that we all enjoyed the long weekend! I know I'm biased, but I think my family is just THE GREATEST EVER!!!