people, places, architecture...

snapshots of Cali...♥

manatee trip

What a trip! Being with Kayla and her friends, teachers and parents was fun fun! And so was seeing and swimming with the manatee! The first ones we saw (above) were basically in rehab captivity. Most of the first day was spent driving to Crystal River, FL, after our stop at Homosassa Springs, all we had left to do was try on wet suits, eat, and of course swim in the hotel pool & hot tub. yes, they were outdoor and no, they were not heated. crazy kiddos!

By 7:30 am we were suited up and ready to board our boats. It turned out to be a beautiful 72+ degree day in sunny Florida. The water was still shockingly cold, but we were thankful for the sunshine!

My underwater cam didn't prove waterproof, but I did salvage some shots & screenshots from a video before I submerged it!

We saw several manatee and most of us got to touch/pet them. ((Manatee Manners say we couldn't pet them unless they approached us- if they were resting or doing their own thing, we couldn't bombard them or crowd in on them for a selfish rub. If/when they did approach us -which they did because apparently they're quite curious and like the right attention-- then we could pet them with one hand.))

I had one swim up from behind me and bump me- I thought it was a kid or parent so I tried to get out of the way. I realized it was a manatee just in time to rub his side. So crazy. Clearly they're used to the many snorkel-heads that come see them every winter because they didn't seem to mind us in their space. (They also had lots of roped-off sanctuary space that we couldn't enter, so those who did mind could steer clear of us tourists.)

After the manatee adventure we went to Rainbow River where we got to swim in much clearer waters -Kayla's favorite- and mine! I grabbed a cheap underwater camera so I could capture a bit of the experience. We snorkel-floated up the river for a good hour, spying fish and divers and other underwater goodness.

We were plenty worn out after all the water play, but we still had pizza at the gulf and gift shopping and pool-swimming and ice cream-having and hair braiding and hide-n-seek in our adjoining rooms... and finally when we had the girls settle down around 11:30, they were out!

I didn't mean to write this much, but it was such a great trip. So thankful I got to go with my girl! ♥

wedding roadtrip...

Such a treasure getting to spend a roadtrip-day with Steph and attend Rachel & Shaun's sweet wedding! Lovely. Lovely. Lovely.

more favorites♥

Saturday at PBR. Yep.

full on ridiculousness.

four perfectly acceptable dismounts. I guess.

Wow.

Most worth the drive: mom-bonding!:)

Good times.  ♥

Columbia weekend...

We just enjoyed our second annual Floyd-family weekend thanks to my husband's attendance at the Converge SE conference...

We played ball in the house, swam, and snuggled the sweet Floyd boys in the mornings [while being served coffee & breakfast!!]...


I was also able to work on a Naptime Diaries' family photo-shoot!!



Quite the honor capturing this lovely fam!!
...I posted a few more pics on my new Photog page! ♥


Aaaand we watched the very informative, absolutely life-changing Food Inc. before heading home yesterday!!!


If you eat, ever, I recommend you watch it too. It's that important! Seriously.
(It's on Netflix and quite possibly at your favorite local library!!)

sisters & friends... a few road trip pics

Steph and I hit the road this Thursday to see these twin beauties in Columbia... They were way too sweet and kind-- amusing us with dinner, hilarious sister stories, 30 Rock via Netflix, and brunch on Friday before we came back to the beach & they headed for Charleston...

It was great getting to spend some quality time with these dear ones Kristin & Kelley...

Kelley & Steph... brunch at The Gourmet Shop

so cute in their matching sunglasses

Friday AM walk with my new camera friend...

mmmm... Moe's for the ride home<3

Fun times! ♥

Charleston road trip...

Sweet weekend away with my love...

we slowed down, 

talked, 

listened, 

read, 

dreamed, 

laughed... 

sweet, restful moments... ♥

Friday evening.. Isle of Palms

Saturday sunrise <3

breakfast-chill-time

http://bluebicyclebooks.com/ 

Dave's 30th birthday oyster roast... mmmm! :)

I knew it was good when I returned ready to face the busy work-weeks ahead!

Really good stuff. 

pure thankfulness in this heart of mine... ♥

water reflections...

Jeremy and I got to go on a high school youth group retreat this weekend... Our good friend Dave invited J. to be the guest worship leader for the weekend, and let me just say it was special; totally refreshing and inspiring and all around wonderful!! --most retreats usually are wonderful and refreshing, I guess, and this one did not disappoint!:)

So, one of my favorite parts...

Saturday while I was taking in the awesome view at Longridge, I noticed the reflecting clouds and trees on the water... wow.

We see water-reflections all the time; we know it happens; it's a fact of nature. We even know it's pretty.

But I couldn't help but think: Couldn't God have just made water, land, trees, etc. just plain useful and purposeful?!

Of course, but He didn't...

He went and added Beauty!

He made water glassy and let it reflect the trees and heavens and our faces...

Just because He's good!? 
Just for fun so we could enjoy it all the more!?

Or maybe so we'd see the abundance and unnecessarily wonderful beauty of it all and let it point us to a Creator that must be Good to paint the surrounding landscape on the water just for our pleasure!

Raleigh Road Trip..

Great times on the road with my love this weekend.....

getting there really is half the fun...

playing... (aka fighting antsy-ness)

We saw some sites...

NCMA

had great food...

  

enjoyed some fantastic company...

and played Jenga with our new friend Rowan & family!

got to visit the local Vineyard church...

Triangle Vineyard

and we even had time for a hike before heading home! :)

Greenway Bridge

And there you have the highlights... Thanks for stopping by! ;)

quick trip to Charleston... (Sat. 5/22)

busy day in downtown Charleston...

we got to see the Jordan twins again

which was wonderful!

Sam & Jason were there at

the very same time too,

which was pretty great!

Day trips with Jeremy have to be

one of my favorite things ever!

We ate at Vickery's,

walked down to Market Street

for to-go dessert from Kaminski's,

and then headed over to N.Charleston

to hang and stay with the Libbon's...

more fun pics from the day

Southport-Fort Fisher-Wilmington-Day trip..(Sat.9.5)

Jeremy & I are a good team when it comes to day trips..

we both like to pack in as much touristing as possible in the daylight hours!

...more pictures on fb.. ♥

missin out? (Sat.8.8)

my biggest hang-up for going out of town is always what I'm missing back home...

this weekend's road trip to visit the grandparents left behind a lot of things to be missed.. (sophia's bday party, J.singing at church Sunday, and a lot of little menial things I could pretend are too good to pass up)..

but the weekend was good, just right even... some time well-spent with my family and Bible and the beloved outdoors..

charleston for a day.. (Sat.4.11.09)

Charles Towne Landing, Sir.

What a glorious day it was!

..the weather was absolutely perfect and each stop was just right! (thrift stores, the state park, campus & downtown..)

..It was so nice to spend the day walking (more than we realized until we finally sat down for the drive home!!), photoing, oooing & ahhing.. eating, and enjoying.. very very nice indeed!

...a few more photos for you.. (b/c one is not enough!! ;)....


more state park fun...


J's new favorite store & one of many picturesque churches..


peeling paint.. .......and beloved CofC! <3

on the road again.. (wed.2.18.09)

final fill-up (for the way home).

i just liked this green 11. my bday's the 11th... a very fine number.

upon returning to work and filling out the 'expense report' for the trip i realized just how quickly mileage payback adds up... gas doesn't count, but mileage does. that works out nicely.

ode to corporate.. (tues.2.17.09)

b&n, pineville... impressive.

two stories.. with an escalator.. very nice.. (see business trip.. a few stories down:)

city lights.. (Mon.2.16.09)

trying to capture the night-lights of charlotte while i was there for b&n training..

(happy presidents' day!)

business trip...

B&N at Pineville, NC.

weird but good..

weird to be sent to train for work but great to be invested in by a company.. as if to say 'we believe in you and we're willing to give you the training/equiptment you need to get the job done..'

this position is multi-level, exciting, and slightly intimidating..

not only will i be responsible for planning and executing several store events each year, i will be graded on my sales, essentially 'the bottom line' of what i bring in..

slightly scary/overwhelming (especially to this missionary-heart!!) but i'm convinced i'm in this place for a reason...

so... all to say... i'm really looking forward to the challenge and adventure before me...

thankfully exhausted...

this has been a terribly busy, wonderfully exhausting couple of days!!!


first we had thanksgiving dinner at j's gma's (my fam went to my mom's mom's) and j's fam decided to wrap things up early -so j. and i took a [somewhat spontaneous] roadtrip to charlotte to see my cousin katie!!



glad for the chance before she moves back to NY..



great to get to see amanda and her finace' troy while we were at it!



..and J's college roommate Jeremy..

(not only do they have the same name, jeremy l. is dating a kim (who teaches), their brothers and dads have the same names, and their moms' are cheryl and carol!!! :)

really fun times!!! ...we got up early and hurried home today so i could make it to my friend lynn's wedding...

we're both exhausted, but i'd say it was totally worth it! :)

ro-de-o...

so last weekend was my granny's 79th birthday... and our first trip to the rodeo!! ....here are the highlights...


..at 'old mcdonald farm restaurant'


(where we go pretty much every time)...


...granny and papa were really not feeling up to the rodeo, so it was just us with my mom's sister robin, her husband buddy, and their grandson dalton...


cutest cousins ever!!


...it took us about 30 minutes to do all the pre-show fun stuff...


...and then we waited ...and waited and waited and waited... :)



ropin' the calf...



this was the best event by far... the stay-on-the-bull-for-at-least-8-seconds-challenge! ...the show was totally worth the wait! glad for the experience! <3