Summer, Summer, Summer Time!!!

I LOVE SUMMER!!!  It is officially here and in full swing.  I feel like I have been blowing and going ever since school was out...but I am loving my summer vacay so far!  Even though I have been busy, and summer seems to be going by so fast, I have had so much fun and have gotten to go and do some really fun stuff.  It's so nice being done with my Master's too.  I don't have to spend my days reading, writing papers, doing assignments, or posting in group forums.  I get to do what I want and also spend more time with Cody, my family, and our friends.  Because I'm done with school, I'm also working a couple of days a week for some fun money.  It's nice because I still have most of the week where I can do the things I want to do, but also have those other days where I get out of the house for the entire day and have an excuse to actually put on make-up!  I really hate wearing make-up.  But, in the summer it's even worse because it's so hot.  However, it's also nice to have to get completely ready...I also get to talk with lots of people throughout the day which I love.  I can't complain about the extra money either...and it's so much fun!

Other than working a couple of days a week, I spend most of my days at home with our loves.  I typically take all three of them for a walk before it gets to hot in the morning, then go work-out after that.  It's so nice to have the time to get all three of them out of the house and let them get some exercise before it gets too hot in the afternoon.  I take both the girls at the same time, because they want to run, not walk.  So, I run them for a mile, then walk another mile with them.  Sarge moves a little slower.  After the girls and I are done running and walking, I drop them off at the house, then pick-up Sarge and we go for our nice little walk.  It's a cool down for me, which is nice because he just loves to take it easy.  He's not much for being hot, so one mile is perfect for him!  The girls always beg to go swimming after our run/walk, but I save that for the evenings when my parents are off work and their dogs can swim with ours.  Sarge hates the pool, so we usually leave him at home to take a cat nap!  The first time Cody ever brought Sarge over to my parents house when we were dating, he had never been around a pool before and had no idea what it was.  He was walking around it looking at it and all of a sudden decided he would try to walk on top of it.  We call him our "Jesus" dog when we refer to this story!  He simply tried to walk on the water and had absolutely no luck.  Poor guy...he didn't know what hit him!  As soon as he stepped forward, he went head first into the water.  It was a few seconds before he came up.  When he did, he was snorting and spurting water out everywhere.  He had no idea where the steps were and was trying to climb out one of the corners.   To this day, he won't get anywhere near the pool.  We've tried holding him and walking in with him and he stiffens up so tight and then tries to fight you as soon as you're in the pool.  So, we figure that walking him is just fine for his exercise...no swimming for that good ole boy!  So, after all that, I get ready for the day and just hang out around the house.  It's nice to have the time to go to the store, clean, cook, and run other errands during the day if I need to so that when Cody comes home, we can just hang out and relax together.  During the school year, all those things take up so much time and get done during the week at night and on the weekend, so we don't have as much time to just hang out together.  Let's see...I've also gotten to babysit sweet Jansen Hadley a couple of times!  She is so much fun to be around.  She just laughs and coos...it's amazing to see how much she has grown in these 5 months.  She just gets more and more beautiful.  It's fun to go in her room just when she's woken up.  You can hear her on the monitor getting fussy and as soon as you walk in her room, she gets the biggest smile on her sweet face.  I love getting to love on her...she's so snuggly!  Brent and Bria are truly blessed to have this precious angel...such a sweet family!

Cody and I have also gone on a couple of last minute weekend trips with friends.  In fact, just last weekend we headed to Ft. Worth with Josh and Abbie.  The boys went to a Rangers game...they sat behind the Ranger's dugout...and were on TV!!!  Abbie and I met up with Jen at Joe T. Garcia's for dinner and their famous margaritas.  We had a blast sitting on the patio eating fajitas and sipping on our margaritas!  The weather wasn't too terribly hot and we have so much fun together just talking and catching up.  After dinner, we met up with the boys in downtown and went to a couple of other places, then headed back to the Harrison's.  We stayed up for a bit longer then all headed to bed.  When we woke up that morning, Sandra was already in the kitchen getting breakfast ready.  She had made some delicious Dunkin' Donuts coffee...and we top it off with Italian Sweet Cream coffee creamer...to die for!  I've tried making it at  home...and it's just never as good.  I think it's because she has that mother's touch...nothing gets better than when a mom makes something with love behind it! After breakfast, we sat around in our PJ's and just chatted with Josh, Abbie, Ladell, Sandra, and Ryder (the first grand baby in the fam).  Jen had to leave pretty early to go run some errands, so she wasn't around...and we sure missed her!  I think that Ryder found a new best friend in Cody!  We had so much fun playing with him and catching up with the Harrison's.  We both feel like part of their family...they are some of the sweetest people I have ever known in my entire life.  I have secretly adopted Sandra and Ladell as another set of parents!!!  I love the fact that we have our precious parents here in Abilene with is, but when we go out of town, we have another set of parents that love us, and we love them, that are in another town.  It makes going to visit feel like home.  Around 11...we packed up our stuff and headed back home.  It was a quick...but super fun trip!  We're already planning to go back soon!  Here in a couple of weeks, we're going to see Amie, Ryan, and Gavin in Lewisville.  Gavin turns ONE on the 12th!  I can't believe it.  I'm so sad we won't be at his party...but we'll be there that weekend...so we'll just have to celebrate again!  I always look forward to going to see Amie in the summer's...and Cody's coming this year too!  The girls are going to spend the day at the mall while the boys play some golf and do other manly things!  I'm so excited!!!  We also have a trip planned...in Jamaica!  We're super excited about it...and especially about getting away together on a beach with Josh and  Abbie!!!  More on that in another post after we're home!  I also just got back a couple of weeks ago from Albuquerque with my parents and Mimi (post soon to come)!  I'm also going to go see my Mimi this weekend.  Of course Faith will be taking that trip with my mom and I!  I'm going to buy her a kiddie pool when we get down there.  She's a little fish and loves to swim in my parents pool...I'll have to let you know how she likes it!  Well, I love summer time and all the fun that comes along with it!  I also love getting to spend the days with my three love bugs, having extra time with Cody, and getting to do so many fun things with family and friends!!!

The girls after we had gotten back from a 3 mile run...they were pooped!!!

Sweet boy!  Look at that sweet face!!!  Of course...he was begging for a cookie from his Bella!

Trigger...sacked out!

My sweet Faith.  These doggies get so worn out during the summer time!  We play all day long!

Oh Sarge!  I sit on the floor 90% of the time...the doggies steal all our seats!

Spoiled rotten!!!

Bria and me hugging Josh before he and Abbie's wedding!  I love this picture...such sweet friends!!!

Faith, Trigger, and Sarge playing in the backyard while Cody and I hung out on the patio...perfect night for being outside!

Cody bought a golf cart that he's turning into a hunting rig.  When he got it, he took Faith for a ride.  In this pic...she looks very unsure.  Now...she begs to go for rides!  When we go to my parents...the girls ride on the golf cart with Cody and I walk Sarge across the street.  Our dogs are spoiled...it may be a little ridiculous!

Me and sweet JJ!!!

Precious baby girl!  Such a big smile...I love her to pieces!!!

At the Ranger's game and on TV!  Just chilling behind the Ranger's dugout watching the game...no big deal!

The boys on TV again...looking at something in the outfield.  The guy sitting right behind them in the blue shirt and gray Ranger's hat is Abbie's dad!  Fun times with great friends!!!

Cody and Josh...two of my favorite boys!!!

Me and my love!!!

Me, Abbie, and Jen...love these girls so, so much!!!

The Terrible Two's!!!

Our little baby, Trigger, turned 2 years old on June 18th!!!  I can't believe this little love bug is already two years old!  I feel  like it was just the other day when we brought her home.  Time goes by so fast!!!  She is so much fun and really does complete our little family.  However, she is a big mess!!!  We call her our little "sassy girl."  She is a big talker and anytime you say anything to her she either yips at you or has this little playful growl that she does.  It's hilarious!  She also loves to play with her bone.  And, when she has it in her mouth, she is constantly making noises trying to get you to play with her or chase her around the house with it.  But you can't ever catch her because she is so quick!  Faith just watches her when ever she and Sarge play.  She has to make sure that their both ok...she's our little momma bear!  Sarge and Trigger also play like crazy out in the backyard.  They chase each other and will run around for hours if we let them.  Sometimes, they sound like their fighting because they'll roll around on the grass and growl at each other, then the next time you look out their giving each other sugars!  Too cute!  All the while Faith is watching attentively from the back porch.  There were a few times when Trigger was younger, Faith thought Sarge had hurt her and she ran out there and got in between them, then licked Trigger until she realized that Trigger was being a tease!  For Trigger's birthday, we decided to let her play and play and play all day long.  I also made her some birthday cookies that she shared with her brother and sister...and even gave a couple to her cousins!  This little diddle was tuckered out after a full day of going for a run, playing all day, and stuffing herself with several b-day cookies!  I'll explain the "little diddle" nickname.  I'm honestly not sure when I started calling her this...but one day I said it to her and it just stuck.  She's really pretty small for a lab...she only weighs 55 pounds.  So, since she's so petite and little, we always make comments to her about how small she is.  I guess one day I just said to her that she was so little...diddle kinda rhymes with little...so there you go!  We love our three doggies so much and have so much fun spoiling them (even more than normal) on their birthdays!  Our little Trigger is one special girl.  There is no other puppy that could compare to her sweet and fun personality.  Her little tail is always wagging, she always wants to give love and sugars, and she can make you feel so much better when you've had a bad day.  All of our doggies do that, they great us at the door with their tails wagging...wiggly butts!!!  But, there is something about her...she just has so much love in her eyes and wants to give love all the time.  She also wants to get lovin all the time!  She will sit on top of you, paw at your hand when you're not loving on her so that you will love on her, and crawl up in your lap to snuggle.  Even when she's sound asleep, she'll wake-up when you get close to her and give you a little sugar.  She's full of life and love!  We love you Triggy!!!

Two years old and just as sweet as she can be!!!

Our sweet Faithy girl!  I had just put Trigger's birthday cookies in the oven...so she was keeping really close to the kitchen!

All our lovies!!!

Little cutie!  Look at those eyes!  She gets whatever she wants with that look!

Playing fetch.  We have to switch off between Faith and Trigger going to get the ball.  Otherwise, Trigger would go and steal it from Faith every time.  So, we have to tell one of them to stay while the other one goes to get the ball.  It was Faith's turn this time...Trigger can hardly stand it!

Wanting to go inside for those birthday cookies!!!

Begging for something...as usual!

Happy little girl!!!

Triggy's Birthday Cookies!!!  She loved them!  She was also kind enough to share some with her brother and sister and also her cousins!

One pooped pup!!!  She was busy from the time she got up until the time that she crashed on our bed!  Happy 2nd Birthday Trigger!!!

A day for Daddy's...

I LOVE  my daddy!!!  I have been a daddy's girl ever since I was born and we have had a special relationship for my entire life.  We are so much alike and enjoy so many of the same things, so it's always fun spending time with him.  We work-out together, share books, cook together, and just sit and watch tv and movies together.  There have also been times when we go on family vacations together and he and I will go out and explore the towns while everyone else does their own thing!  Ever since I married Cody, we have stayed just as close and still enjoy spending quality time together.  Cody and my dad also have such a close relationship.  They go hunting together, shooting together, they go on occasional Academy runs to buy hunting equipment for the ranch, play the occasional golf game, and just hang out.  Michael is of course in on all of this too!  He also has a close bond and relationship with my dad...they are big buddies!  My dad has taught both of us how to shoot a gun and hunt...and we have both spent numerous hours in the deer blind with him.  It's something that is so near and dear to my heart and something that I will always remember.  Cody and his dad are also super close.  They are best friends and not a day goes by where they don't talk  to each other.  Cody's dad was there for every moment of his life and made him the man he is today.  Rick is so caring, generous, sensitive, giving, and was just a great role model for Cody.  I couldn't ask for a better father-in-law.  Needless to say, Cody and I both have two great men in our lives who have played significant roles in raising us and are still our best friends as adults.

When Father's Day was getting close, we started talking about what we were going to do for our dad's.  We decided to ask them if they would want to come over and we would cook them dinner.  They said yes, and so we started planning what we were going to have so that we could serve them and make sure they had full bellies!  The day of Father's Day, my parents and brother came to church with us at Beltway and then we went to Texas Roadhouse for lunch.  Church was amazing and we had such a wonderful time worshiping with our family.  Lunch was also good.  Texas Roadhouse isn't exactly one of my favorites...but I have to say that lunch was good and I enjoyed what I had.  My dad also loved it...and that's all that really matters!!!  For dinner that night, we decided to grill chicken and have veggies with quinoa and baked sweet potato fries as sides.  I marinated the chicken in a honey lime marinade and Cody grilled out on the grill.  I also made a marinade for the veggies that was a balsamic and garlic marinade.  I have a cast iron grill for inside, so I grilled the veggies on that while Cody used the outside grill for the meat.  We had  to open the two back doors to let out all the smoke in the house though!  That marinade for the veggies was smokey when it hit that cast iron grill!  After they were done cooking, I made the quinoa and tossed the veggies with that and topped it with the extra marinade.  I cut the sweet potato fries into mildly thin strips, tossed them with olive oil, and then baked them until they were nice and crispy.  Oh my...dinner was so, so good!  Everything tasted so good and Cody cooked the chicken perfectly!  My man knows how to use that grill!!!  For dessert I made a peanut butter/chocolate cheesecake and it seriously melted in my mouth!  The best part...it was healthy!  Only 190 calories for one huge slice!  My dad and Cody's dad also really enjoyed the food...and that meant so much to me.  I love being able to cook for them and let them just relax and not have to worry about dinner.  I also made a lime-a-rita to drink...which was so yummy!  After dinner, we went outside and played with the pups for a bit and then they headed home!  It was a great Father's Day!!!  I love you daddy...thank you for all you do and for who you are!!!

Mr. and Mrs. Harrison!!!

Josh and Abbie got hitched!!!  This precious couple had the most beautiful wedding on June 9th at Perini Ranch in Buffalo Gap, TX.  It was so beautiful, so much fun, and just simply perfect.  These two have such history.  Their love story began in 2004 and ended once in 2006.  But, God had bigger plans for them and brought them back together 2011 so that they would be united as one for the rest of their lives.  I have known both of these two precious people for several years and I couldn't imagine them without the other.  They are best friends and complete one another so perfectly.  Both of them have the biggest hearts, are dear friends, and just the kind of people that you are thankful for everday to share life with.  So, their wedding day was long awaited and worth every second of that wait!!!

The ceremony began at 6:00 under mesquite trees in West Texas.  When you walked into the venue, there was a sign-in table with some of their engagement pictures blown up to large poster prints and you could just see the love in both of their faces.  After the sign-in table, you walked into the ceremony entrance where they had made doors to walk through that looked like the entrance to a sweet old church chapel.  On one side of those doors, were their vows that they had written to one another for their wedding.  They were also blown up to poster size and are going to hang them up in their house so that they can look at them everyday.  How sweet is that?!?!  I love this idea!  Once you walked through the doors, the seating was old church pews along with some sweet white chairs.  It was all so beautiful.  The ceremony started with the groomsmen walking in along with Josh.  Josh's dad officiated the wedding, and it was the most precious thing.  I love that each of their family members played such a big role in every aspect of their wedding.  After the groomsment were in place, it was time to seat the family.  The bridesmaids were next to walk down.  Their dresses were made out of vintage slips and lace.  Abbie found the vintage slips and lace on Etsy and then had a girl make them that she also found through Etsy.  They were so pretty...all unique and all different.  The sweet little flower girls walked down next, followed by the ring bearer.  The ring bearer was Josh's nephew, Ryder, and he walked down the isle hold a sign that said, "Uncle Josh, here comes your girl."  OMG...LOVE!!!  The sign was made out of old fence pieces and the lettering was hand written in white paint.  Then...it was time for Abbie to walk down the isle with her daddy.  WOW!!!  That's really all I can say about how stunning she looked!  Abbie is beautiful all the time, but the look on her face was angelic.  I had seen her dress before, but seeing her walk down the isle with her daddy with that look on her face was breathtaking.  After her mom and dad gave her away, Josh's dad started the ceremony.  I loved how personable their ceremony was.  Their entire love story was told from the beginning and the way that they looked at each other was precious.  The presence of God throughout the ceremony was also so very present.  Ladell (Josh's dad) talked so much about how important it is to put God as the center of your marriage as well as talked about how wonderful it is to have truly found the person that God created just for you.  I loved that he talked so personally about each one of them.  We laughed and cried throughout the ceremony.  When it was time to do the unity candle, they did something I've never seen before.  They had two pieces of wood that when nailed together made a cross.  Together, they put those pieces together and then hung it on the backdrop of the alter that was behind them during the ceremony.  Then, they both walked over to both sides of the isle where their family was sitting and gave them all hugs and talked to them for just a moment before going back up to the alter.  Then, it was time to kiss the bride!!!  They were presented for the first time as Mr. and  Mrs. Harrison and it was time for the reception to begin!

Let me just say that this was probably the most fun I've ever had at a wedding!  The food was amazing, the music and dancing was a blast, and the company was even better!  The reception set-up was also under mesquite trees, with white lights and sweet lanterns strung throughout them.  They had a few couches and chairs set-up in various places with sweet pillows with their name on them.  There was some time before dinner was served after the ceremony, so they had a trail mix bar set-up so you could snack on something before dinner.  It was so cute...and so good!  They had so many different choices to choose from.  Anything from nuts, dried fruit, cereal, teddy grahams, cereal, etc!  Our little group wondered over there and filled baggies full of lots of goodies so we would have snacks before dinner was served!  Shortly after, the food began coming out and we all lined up to fill our plates!  Perini's catered and we had fried chicken, smoked ham, salad, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and their famous bread pudding.  It was delicious!  Under our plates at the table were chargers made out of old mesquite tree trunks.  It fit in perfectly with the scenery and the amazing Texas food!  You really can't get much better than Perini's food...no matter what you ordered!  The first dance between Josh and Abbie was held during dinner, which was so precious!  Those two have some serious moves!!!  After that, the father/daughter dance and the mother/son dance took place and then it was time to cut the cake!  The cake was beautiful and had beautiful hand-made roses made out of vintage material placed all over the cake.  It was also so good!  After we were full of food and cake, we all began to make our way to the dance floor.  We danced the night away until it was time to see the Harrison's off to their honeymoon!  It was a beautiful, perfect wedding for one amazing couple.  We couldn't be happier for them and are truly blessed to have them as our friends and our family!  We love you Josh and Abbie...congratulations on starting your life together!!!