we liked it so much we went back

My dad has a name for it. He calls it, "The Keys Disease". I have it bad. I wrote the message below in the sand and at the time I wasn't sure if I was speaking it to my husband or to that sweet, salt air and soft sand.





We went back with my sister and her husband. We arrived just in time for sunset and it was beautiful.










Each day we hung out on the beach and in the sand bar. Each night we played games and watched the beginnings of Shark Week {which seemed appropriate, but not at the same time given our surroundings during the day}.

I learned that my brother-in-law could do this...



and that my sister has the teeniest bit of a mean streak...




One morning we went to this adorable place called the Midway Cafe for breakfast. Midway because while you dine or shop you will be 80 miles from Miami and 80 miles from Key West. It was delicious, and the ambiance was fabulous. I wanted to go there {still want to} every single day for breakfast. If you find yourself near Mile Marker 80 you should definitely check it out.



Kellie tried their coffee and thought it was delish. They roast their own beans!











Did I also mention that I wanted every single thing I saw in the gift shop including the art on the walls!?  And this sweet, little sign...

On our way down to the house we passed a used bookstore and I was dying to go in! So we took a few minutes to meander through the shelves and shelves of old books. I found quite the treasure! A teen romance novel from 1948. Jean Craig Finds Romance. I cannot wait to read it and see how the times have changed! I'll have to post a picture of the book. 

We then went back to the house and got out to the water where we spent the rest of the day. The guys threw the Frisbee around for a bit while Kellie and I read.



We found several hermit crabs and I just loved checking them out. I am sure it was not a shared affection. I made sure they were put right back where I found them.




Then we found this guy...



and I screamed a bit and laughed at myself a lot.



He was really quite beautiful, and I instantly regretted that one time I ate crab legs and vowed never to do it again.



The next morning was perfection. Serene, gorgeous bliss. Andrew and I enjoyed the quiet company as we sat out there together with our books. I don't think anything could make me more happy or content then to be on the beach with a book.



That particular morning happened to be Kellie's birthday so we wrote a message for her in the sand.








Then while she and Jorge enjoyed the quiet morning, Andrew and I went inside to whip up a batch of birthday cinnamon rolls.







We had a wonderful weekend. I am so sad we aren't there right now. Keys Disease indeed!

i've watched her grow in grace and stature

When I was a little girl I had a bedtime routine. Every night I would get in bed. My mom and I would read a Bible story and then we would pray. My prayers were consistent. I always prayed for a little sister. One day my mom said we had to pick up some cupcakes from Publix to celebrate, but she wouldn’t tell me what we were celebrating until my dad got home. We were sitting in our teeny tiny kitchen and I was bursting at the seams with excitement. WHAT WERE WE CELEBRATING!? Then my mom said the words I had been longing to hear…”You’re going to be a big sister!”

Kellie arrived July 31, 1989 and I could not have been more excited about it! I prepared for her arrival right along with my parents. They went to birthing classes and I went to big sister class 101, where the nurses at the hospital taught me how to swaddle, feed, change, and hold babies. She and I are 8 years apart. We were never really the age where we could play together, but I was happy to care for her and just be with her. As she got older I, I took joy in bossing her around guiding her and being the big sister.






I left home at 18 to go to college. Kellie was 10 and it was sad to not be able to see her grow up. She did homeschooling which was great because it allowed her to come up and spend time with me several weeks at a time while I lived 4 1/2 hours away. We had a great time whenever she came up and I will never forget some of the memories we made. {Or how painfully thin I was when we made them.}












Pretty sure this picture was my idea, but Kellie is a good sport and she humored me.


Kellie was the first person I talked to about Andrew and I. In fact, I woke her up at 2 am to tell her all about his confession of love for me. And she recalled the story when she gave a speech at our wedding, something that I was so proud of her and honored by her for doing.

She is my sister and my best friend. A sounding board where I can go to and talk without receiving judgment, maybe a strange look, but never judgment. She is always honest, but never harsh. I treasure her more than she knows.

Kellie is the kindest person I have ever met. She is always putting others first. There have been many a moment when I have thought of her and looked up to her even though I am the older one. She loves the Lord deeply and she serves Him well. She has traveled the world on mission trip after mission trip. She is quiet and reserved and I am loud and obnoxious unabashed, yet we get along great and she is still willing to be seen in public with me. She is a fabulous daughter, sister, wife, and friend. All who know her well and see her often are blessed!

{This picture pretty much sums it all up.}

I am late in posting this because we were in the Keys celebrating yesterday. Kellie, I hope you felt loved and celebrated. Happiest of birthdays to you! May this year be one of the very best years yet! I love you!

back from the keys

With a view like that you can imagine how hard it was for us to leave! Andrew's family allowed us to stay at their home in the Keys for the weekend and it was the perfect get away! We had an awesome time with our friends!

The first night we were there we all cooked dinner together. Julie and I played it safe and followed a recipe for stuffed peppers that was D-to-the-licious. The boys on the other hand decided to play Bobby Flay and worked up their own concoction for their chicken. It all worked out splendidly and we ate to our hearts content and had left overs.






We also caught the sunset that night and it was beautiful! The sun literally set right in front of us on our own private beach. Incredible!









Friday morning we got up and headed south. We stopped at Bahia Honda State Park and did a little sight seeing and snorkeling. I am pretty certain Julie and I are the only individuals on the entire planet who could make friends with fish and become emotionally attached to them; therefore, it was entirely perfect that we were together making friends with our fish while the boys snorkeled into deeper waters that we were certain were shark infested deep waters. {At one point a family nearby saw a blue crab and started yelling to each other about it. Julie and I nearly had cardiac arrest because we thought they were yelling about a shark sighting and the guys were two little dots somewhere along the horizon. Oh my!}

After a morning at Bahia Honda, we headed down to Key West. I had never been and was so excited to go and see what the hype was all about. We had plans to spend all afternoon and into the night there. However, we had not accounted for the heat index spiking to over 100 degrees! We walked around quite a bit. Ate lunch. Checked out Peter Lik's art gallery. I got a picture at the Southern Most Point of the Continental U.S.A. {Something I've always wanted to do.} Ate some frozen chocolate covered key lime pie. Sweated more than I ever have in my life. Then called it a day because we were all so darn hot and uncomfortable. Next time we will go back down there in the Fall or Winter so that we can enjoy it more.



That night we enjoyed a Leo movie. Julie and I share a "love" for Leo that goes all the way back to his Growing Pains days. {Thank you to our dear sweet husbands who are confident in our love for them and allow us to watch our Leo and talk about him. We appreciate that. And we love you for it.}

The next day we just hung out on our beach and in the water for the entire day and it was wonderful!



Andrew deserved and needed this, and I was happy to look over and see him relaxing.







Vic and Andrew had a lot of time for catching up and talking while Julie and I had a lot of time for girl talk and getting to know each other better.



There was a lot of this over the weekend...






On our last night we played some Taboo and Scategories. Guys vs. the Girls. We shook on it and the playful competitive banter commenced. The guys won Taboo, but we totally creamed them in Scategories so we are even.



We had a great time and we made some great memories! Lyn Family, thank you for opening your home to us and allowing us to have such a good time in such a beautiful place. We can't express how much we appreciate it!

some things can only begin to heal with sun and friends

This morning Andrew and I drove Sonia, Al, and Lisa to the airport.


{Please excuse the lack of make-up here. Just focus on the cute baby.}









They will be taking her back to God’s Littlest Angels, the orphanage that she came from 3 months ago. They will stay with her for a few days to help her transition. The morning was fun. Andrew, Al, Lisa, and I joked around and talked quite a bit, while Sonia babbled, cooed, and smiled. We helped them to the boarding pass/luggage-check line. It seemed like a really long trek from the parking lot to the terminal. As we walked Sonia was all smiles and coos in my arms. I had trouble walking because I couldn’t take my eyes from hers. Somewhere along the way she fell asleep in my arms and I am so thankful she did. I think it made it so much easier to say goodbye. Al, Lisa, Sonia, and all their luggage got in line. We all hugged. I kissed the sleeping babe’s perfectly beautiful cheek. I turned around and practically sped through the crowd because I am not one of the lucky few who manage to cry pretty and the tears were coming quick and relentless.


I can’t wait to see the pictures and videos they bring back so that I can see what Sonia’s life is like in Haiti. I know the staff at the orphanage loves her and will take very good care of her; that is a huge comfort to me. I feel like crying constantly, but I keep talking myself out of it. I need to keep busy.

It just so happens that Andrew managed to work out a weekend get away with some of our best friends. It couldn’t have come at a more necessary time! We leave in a couple of hours and I am so excited. Vic and Andrew have been friends for years. {Most would say they are B.F.F., but guys don’t say that sort of thing.} Vic married Julie a year ago in Aruba and we were there to celebrate with them (pictured below). Julie is fabulous and I told Vic he had to marry her after sitting down with her for the first 5 minutes of our friendship several years ago.




 

Isn’t her dress amazing!? Just stunning. Vic, you done good.



I feel very blessed to call them friends and I love them both dearly. We have talked about going on a vacation together for some time now, and this weekend we finally get to do it!



I need a distraction from Sonia's departure. I am sure I will still have my moments when we get down to the Keys, but I think friends, sun, and some good old-fashioned fun and laughter will certainly help to begin to mend my heart.

absences and updates

I have not been blogging much lately because I have been playing with these two…








Cutie Pie and Little Man are down for a few weeks and we have been busy, busy, busy!!!

I have not taken nearly enough pictures, but rest assured I will still post several.

In other news, Sonia is out of the hospital and doing so much better. We have had picnics in the park, Starbucks dates, and hang out time.











She is healing well and has grown up quite a bit since she first arrived. She is a lot stronger, cutting her first tooth, and waving hello and bye-bye. I had the honor of caring for her during the church service last Sunday and I was on cloud nine. I love that baby girl! She has to go back to Haiti in 2 weeks and I am so sad about it. Keep her in your prayers! Pray for her continued progress with her health. Pray for her safety and protection. Pray for her future. Pray for her adoption and for her adoptive family. I know God is taking care of her. It’s very evident that His plans for her are based upon His timing and His resources for her good and His glory. I trust that she will be adopted into a loving home that is perfect for her and that was planned for long ago. My heart will still ache when she is gone and I stop and wonder often how I came to love her so knowing she’d go back. The thought crosses my mind…maybe I should have guarded my heart a bit more. But I know that’s just the part of me that doesn’t like to hurt. Caring for her and loving her was exactly what she needed and doing so has taught me a few things about life, babies, and myself.