I'm certain I've reached my "Bubba" quota!

Today we traveled to Gary's hometown of Thomaston, Georgia. His sister and her family still live there and today was his niece's wedding. This morning I was a little worried about the overcast weather, but it turned out to be a beautiful day. What a gorgeous setting---the ceremony was right by the lake and the reception was under a pavilion just a few feet away. Now, Thomaston is a small town with alot of country "folk", but good people. Ones that would do anything for you---but you have your share of rednecks too. I can't tell you how many men would turn and look if they heard anyone say "hey Bubba"! It made me chuckle. At one point, Zack leaned over to me and said, "hey mom, where is 'over yonder'?"

I won't bore you with tons of pictures, but I think the last one sums it up quite well...

This is my hubby with his younger sister

During the ceremony...check out the two precious flower girls! They are the groom's from a previous marriage, but love their new step mom like she was their very own mama!

Ahhhh, young love...

For some reason I just love this picture of hubby. He was watching for the seating of the mothers to begin playing.

I thought this was precious of the girls twirling and skipping--this was my favorite photo of the day!

Check out this fella's handy beverage holder! I'm pretty certain someone in his family calls him "Bubba"

The Safety and Comfort of a Father's Love

I don't know if any of you saw this story this morning on The Today Show. I went in to wake Zack up for school, turned on his tv, and was a tearful mess in a matter of minutes! Click here to watch the video. (It will show a brief commercial, then the video)

This soldier just returned from Iraq after being gone for 7 months. He showed up at his son's school on "Show and Tell" day. He walks in the door, calls out his son's name and this precious 6 year old hears his Dad's voice and runs and jumps in his arms crying and telling his daddy how much he has missed him. I was a wreck! I was telling Gary about it at dinner, a weepy mess again, then came home and showed him the video, yep, more tears.

I've thought about it several times throughout the day today and the verse that came to mind was this, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (John 10:27) What a beautiful example this was of a father's love, comfort, safety and security. The child recognized his father's voice immediately.

Do we recognize our Heavenly Father's voice? More importantly, do we listen for it? If only we would run to our Heavenly Father and seek shelter in the safety and security of His loving arms as this child did to his dad. Whatever you're going through, whether it be divorce, miscarriage, health issues, financial problems, loss of a loved one, ...the Lord is waiting, with arms outstretched...will you run to Him?

Center of Attention

I was talking with hubby about how the three of us (me, hubby and teenage son) spend far too many nights, all in the same office, backs to each other, tapping away on our own computers. Hours can slip by before anyone notices.

We've decided to re-institute "game night". Suprisingly, teenager was all for this! He invited one of his best friends that lives two streets over and we played Family Guy Monopoly....for HOURS! Does that game ever end?! Hubby always has to be the banker, and always wins. Hmmmm, Confuscious say "some-ting smell fishy here"!

Here's a picture of my baby, Zoe. She IS a puppy in a cat's body. She follows me all around the house and always has to be right in the middle of everything. She was helping Zack with his game, although he was doing purrrrrrfectly fine without her!

Where's the Panic Button?

Today was quite a busy day. I had sales meeting this morning, followed by caravan, lunch with my realtor girlfriends and then out showing houses this afternoon with clients in from California. At lunch, one of my girlfriends told us about something that happened to her this past Sunday which was too priceless NOT to share!

She has been having some medical problems (no, that's not the funny part) and has been having some tests done to check her thyroid. She also has noticed an increase in panic attacks. Now, she's claustrophobic. When we go on caravan, she either needs to sit in the front passenger seat, or next to one of the doors in the back seat. She freaks out if she has to sit in the middle! She never likes to feel "trapped". Anyway, this past weekend she decided to go through the car wash and was telling us that right in the middle of the car wash, she had a panic attack and jumped out of the car.

I'll wait and let that sink in (no pun intended).

Yes, you read it right. She jumped OUT of the car in the middle of the car wash! She then stood there getting soaked, panicking, and then you know what happened next? The roller brushes ripped off her car door and water was spewing inside soaking everything! OH MY WORD! To have been the car behind her's would have been an unbelievable sight! She then jumped back in the car and tried to back out of the car wash, unsuccessfully, all the while being drenched from head to toe. She says she doesn't really remember how she got out because she was in such a panic-striken state, but the worker had to call the manager and he had to come (from home) and "assess" the damage. She also had to make that dreaded call to her husband.

He ended up having to drive her car home (without the door) and also drove it to the dealership yesterday morning (without the door) to have it repaired. He now thinks he understands the seriousness of her panic attacks.

Now, I love this dear friend, but we all were doubled over at lunch when she told us this story and none of us would promise not to tell anyone!

Car Wash... four dollars and fifty cents

New car door... eight hundred dollars

Jumping out in the middle of the car wash and being soaked from head to toe... priceless.

Ginger Rogers, I'm not...

...... but, oh! how I live vicariously through all these ballroom dancers! I have always loved watching ballroom dance competitions on the local PBS channel. The way they glide across the dance floor as if floating on air, the precision of the quick step, the rhythm of the mambo, the footwork of the fox trot...I love it all!

I have been anxiously awaiting the new season of Dancing with the Stars! I forgot to blog about it last week, but I am a complete and total fanatic about this show!!! I loved Drew and Cheryl two years ago and didn't think they could be "topped" until Cheryl did it again with Emmitt Smith last season. I loved it! Looks like she might be 3-time champion with her partner, Ian, who is showing much promise in the shake-the-hips category! But a contender in this competition could be Apolo, who has proven he can groove with the best of 'em. I'm also surprised at Leila (Muhammed Ali's daughter). Initially, I didn't think she would be very good, but I guess as a boxer, you gotta have some fancy footwork. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Heather Mills...when I first heard she was going to be on the show, I have to admit I thought, "oh brother, the sympathy vote!" but she has "wow-ed" me! She can dance better with a prosthetic leg than I will ever be able to with both my legs. She danced the mambo tonight and it was amazing.

Any of you out there addicted to this show like I am? If so, who are your favorites? By the way, did I see Chuck Woolery in the audience or did my eyes deceive me?! Maybe he was looking for a "Love Connection"!!!

Believe it...or not!

As promised, his version of what happened at Sea World...go here to read more!

I love how he "tones down" the story. Fact of the matter is that he was not a happy camper about not being able to see Shamu do the all new show called "Believe". Poor, little retired usher, who's worked hard his whole life to be able to retire in Florida, got bored sitting at home all the time and decided to get a job in one of the happiest places on earth, where children and adults alike are amazed with eyes full of wonder at the things God's creatures can be trained to do. Little did he know that morning when he was putting on his swanky cotton/poly blend Shamu Stadium usher's shirt, that he would be met with an angry, insensitive patron that didn't give a rip about the newest addition that was born into the Shamu family!

Why else would I keep saying under my breath, "Hon, it's not Ralph's fault..."

More pictures... Universal City Walk and Downtown Disney

This picture made me laugh...at Downtown Disney there is a Legoland store and right near the boardwalk, coming out of the water is a huge lego lochness monster. I positioned Zack so it would look like that thing was about to take a bite out of him...

How about lochness monsters may be aggressive...

Zack, wishing from Zoltar that he was "big"...

Downtown Disney...

When he was little, he would have JUMPED at the chance to take a picture with Mommy in Pooh Corner.....now, not so much...as you can see by the look on his face!

Planet Hollywood at Downtown Disney...

Pleasure Island...coming and going...



We ate dinner at the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney...one of Zack's favorite things to do every time we go...

"Tracy Tree" at the Rainforest Cafe...just had to get a picture!

I don't know if I've posted this one already, but it's the Crab House, except the "u-s-e" on the sign are burned out and it made me laugh...

At the Harley Store in Downtown Disney....yeah, that's about as close as he'll ever get to riding one!

My 68 year old mother....bad to the bone!

Universal's City Walk...

Hard Rock Hotel with Islands of Adventure in the background...

What a handsome fella!

I'm "no brain" before my morning coffee...

Saw this on Lynne's blog and thought I would give it a try! Looks like I'm pretty evenly balanced, huh?! I have some people that might argue that! Post your results too!

You Are 55% Left Brained, 45% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

and yet again...more photos!

(I should have posted these in a different order. I posted my trip report, then pictures, which puts my trip report post at the bottom. Oh well. I'm done for the night. It takes too long to upload all these photos! I will post more tomorrow!)

A short, but eventful day at Sea World...


Zack at the Shark Encounter

yikes...more sharks!

I don't think this baracuda liked me taking his picture...or maybe he was just saying "cheese!"


Shamu stadium...let's sit here and watch the baby swim by it's mama for 15 minutes

More pictures...

Back to the Future ride...the line for this was a little over an hour long! Someone told us they are closing this ride at the end of March. Had a nice little adventure in line at this ride with a worker named "Jake" that hubby will have to tell you about too. I think Gary and I have switched roles...I used to be "bad cop" and he was "good cop"....hmmmm, maybe we should get his blood pressure medicine increased!

The E.T. ride...son loves the smell in this ride...strange, I know...

Got a quick picture before a nice little worker politely told me NO! PHOTOGRAPHS! ALLOWED!

Zack and Nana in front of the Men In Black ride, so much fun!

A new ride this year, The Mummy roller coaster! Awesome!

Mardi Gras...Universal style!

He's smiling just a little too big, dontcha think?!