new york highlights...

what a great trip it was!!

..here are some photo highlights..



elmwood village (saturday)
..this place was on the way back to lockport from buffalo..
we stopped for a sweet art festival that covered 4-5 blocks..



up close... (sunday)



on a steal bridge in the lightning..
my cousin johnny was our tour guide :)



in the gift shop :)



the twins.. (2 out of 5 of my aunt cheri's kids)
..they're 11 and have more energy than many of us know how to handle..



in action..



our first experience with guitar hero..



..in a homemade elevator with my grandpa's brother..
he showed us around his entire motel..<3


aunt beth and uncle john (dad's brother)
...the one's who hosted/spoiled us the whole time!
this was at lake ontario the last day (monday)



aunt, grandma, and neighbor around the table..



from the air...

listening well..

so i've been reading and reflecting as much as i possible can lately..

life for me is kind of coming to a cross-roads, or so it seems, and i'm so eager to walk well wherever the good Lord leads.. however, i believe He wants us to seek and pray and ask and knock and seek some more, so that's what i'm doing.. that's where i'm at..

by the way, i'm not reading just anything i can get my hands on; these titles in particular are aiding my reflection-process greatly: financial peace revisited -dave ramsey... good to great -jim collins... 48 days to the work you love -dan miller, and... looking for God -susan ortberg

jetplane..

yay!! we're officially leavin on a jetplane next weekend!!

...jeremy and i are getting to go to niagra where my family lives!!

friday through monday; i can hardly stand it!!
(too bad i didn't take that picture.. i love it! :)

SP8..

playing with sammie.. one of life's simple pleasures indeed..


at market commons..


silly..

vacances de famille

Thursday...
first, we went to Edgefield.. [granny & papa's]..


kayla and dalton (marty's boy).. they're both 5 i think.. wow!


mom and braxton (marty's youngest)..


granny, papa, and dad.. <3

Friday...
then, we left for the great city of Atlanta!!


kayla has discover 'fortune tellers!'

..very cute! ..when you get to the fortune part, she laughs and says.. 'ha! ha! ..you are a cat!' or 'you are a dog!' ..it's quite funny.. i tried to reason with her and suggest maybe i'll have a dog as a pet.. rather than actually be a dog! ..you would think it might register, but i don't think it ever did! :) ..

the Georgia Aquarium..

we spent a good 3 1/2 hours in that massive place.. mom said it was the biggest in the US.. very nice indeed!! :)


..silhouettes.. (wow; i had to look that one up!)


..real big fish!!


..mini-me.. :)


photo-opp?

..not sure the point of this.. the one in myrtle is actually much better.. i think it's supposed to put you in the scene.. except north georgia is actually experiencing a drought right now, so they skipped some of their usual water-sights.. i was thinking this might have been one of them.. ??


just plain cute..


that night we checked into our hotel at Stone Mountain Park...


dinner, i mean dessert, at the in-house restaurant..
(sprinkle-covered ice cream!! ..mmmm!)


...with cherries for dad ;)

..after dinner kayla and mom had to check out the indoor/outdoor pools and dad and i spent some nice chill time back in the room...



mom brought her computer to do some business for dad.. of course i couldn't resist trying out the internal camera!! :) ...horton liked it too!! :)

then we made it on the shuttle in time for the laser show at 9!

..i didn't get any shots of the actual laser-lights, but kayla and i did have fun with our shadows and on the shuttle ride! :


funny faces...


..more silly..


fun with sister.. :)


Saturday...
Stone Mountain Park...

walking around.. i couldn't resist..


the glorious carving..


to the top..


on the top!!


mom's favorite..


..i think i took a picture every time we walked by..


..visiting the glass blower..


ahhh!


boat ride..

After we were completely worn out from our full day at SMP, we had to spend some time at the excellent hotel pool!! ..while dad relaxed in the room of course ;)


she's such a STAR!


mom and i had spa-treatments.. she picked pedicure!!
..i picked massage!! ..mmmm...


of course she had to do her hair before we went to dinner..
(standing on the toilet so she can see herself better....
...told ya she was a STAR! ;)


the amazing view from our restaurant porch...


Sunday..
getting ready for the ride home..


helping daddy get the bags to the car..


bary (the bear), her 'fortune-tellers' and the cheetah girls..
..i'd say she was set..


..i was pretty content myself!!


happy times.. we even made it home in time to see our favorite people..
..thank God for anna (kayla's bff) and jeremy or we might not have been so eager to get home!!

18 days..

my 18 days off will officially end monday...

we have been called into work friday with monday off in it's place.. that's fine, it's all the same to me..

..what a good two weeks it has been!!
..going with the fam really made the time seem all the more worthwhile! it was nice to spend the time with them, see my grandparents, and i especially like the part about still having some time-off left! :)

..stay tuned for highlights from the trip.. <3
(photo: market commons yesterday.. just b/c.. the king and queen.. :)

home sweet home..

just have to say, it's great to be back and still have some time-off left!

mom brought her new computer with us so she could do dad's banking..
these are from her internal camera... silly, but fun..



horton makes anyplace feel like home!! -at least he helps!- :)

greatness..

"...greatness.. is largely a matter of conscious choice.." -jim collins

..what a profound statement that is.. i think sometimes, especially as believers, we can get caught up in 'it's all going to work out' ..

..while the Bible does say that God 'works all things for the good of those that love Him,' ..it also says for us to 'ask, seek, and knock.. and then the door shall be opened..'

(i'm actually listening to this one on cd while i ride.. it's a study of businesses that not only made the leap from good to great, but sustained 'greatness' for a substantial amount of time ...very interesting!!)