Thursday, December 27, 2012

Friday Fun

For a little baseball fun, check out:
Great Names in Baseball

Greetings!

I hope your holiday season has been joyful!

I'm sorry I haven't blogged in almost 2 weeks. Work has been draining and I don't have the will to sit in front of the computer when I'm home.

I will get back to blogging soon!  Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Monday, December 17, 2012

Monday gratitudes!

*A fun weekend with my three favorite people
*Hugs & kisses
*Amazing theatre productions
*A week of holiday excitement ahead
*A place of employment that gives holiday bonuses
*Starting a new program at our local library
*Emails from "lost" friends
*Christmas cards
*Watching DD enjoy White Christmas for the first time
*My blog readers & comments
*The strength DH & I have found to encourage our kids to continue on with their days even in the wake of senseless events

Wishing you all a week with many things to be grateful for!

Friday, December 14, 2012

My heart aches!

Praying for those affected directly by the horrific school shooting in Connecticut!  Our thoughts are with you all!

Our district sent out a message tonight reminding parents to monitor their children's news viewing and that they would hve counselors on hand next week.  Our daughter (who's 8) overheard it and told us they had just practices their drill for this a couple of weeks ago.  I am sure there are questions coming and I pray we handle them well.

God bless all those children, teachers, faculty and their families!

Friday Fun

My favorite Christmas movie. The official trailer...enjoy!
Now go watch the movie!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Is it Friday yet?

It has been a long, slow, stressful, complain filled (mostly from me) week.  Is it over? Is it over?  I think working 12 days in a row, really does take its toll.  Sigh!

We did go see Christmas lights the other night and despite the fact that I came home in a crummy mood, it made me happy.  AND - it was an enjoyable evening with my husband and kids.

This weekend, DD & I are off to the theat-ahh (said in my snooty voice...) to see "Cinderella". She is super excited! And I enjoy your girls outings - here's hoping the Chicago precipitation will hold off.  I'm hoping to finish our Christmas shopping too.

What are your weekend plans?

Monday, December 10, 2012

Monday gratitudes

Good morning!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Mine was filled with work at the library, but I guess that's ok.

This last week, I have been grateful for:
*My family and their silliness (it's a stress reliever)
*My jobs
*An evening with DH & DD that was a lot of fun
*A compliment from a client at work

I hope you all have much to be grateful for.
Have a great week!

Saturday, December 08, 2012

Book review - The Autobiography of Santa

The Autobiography of Santa ClausThe Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Fun Chrstmas-y read.  A lot of background on Santa's history written in a fun way. I was leery about this at first but was entertained and read it quickly.

To all who celebrate...

Friday, December 07, 2012

Friday Fun - Movies

DH and I are looking forward to this movie coming out (Dec 25)

DH &I have seen a couple of Cirque shows (and they're AMAZING!) and hope this movie does them justice....


What movies are you looking forward to seeing?

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Happy December!

I hope this post finds you all well!

I'm sorry I've been bad about posting the past couple of weeks. I can't promise I will be posting a lot this month. It's a busy month, anyway.  Work is CRAZY busy and I come home exhausted.  Please know that I appreciate you all stopping by and commenting!

We have our cards out, house decorated and almost all our shopping done, which is a relief! We might actually be a little "ahead" this year...

In college sporting news...our Huskies are headed for the Orange Bowl!!!!! Our household (and most of town) is ecstatic. Poo poo to the critics!  I hope they at least make a game of it and if they win - all the better! Hubby and the kids are off to the pep rally tonight.    GOOOOOOOOOO HUSKIES!!!!!

How are your holiday preparations coming? I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season!

Friday, November 30, 2012

Friday Fun - Christmas edition

Sorry my blog has been lifeless the past 10 days. I decided to unplug last week with the holiday and just haven't found time to blog much this week.

So...without further ado - Friday Fun with Straight No Chaser

Have a great weekend!

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Our tree is up!

Other than a couple of snowmen we set out, this is about all the room we have for decorations.





Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you much to be thankful for and people to be thankful with!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Guest blogging

Greetings, readers!  Today, I am guest blogging (for the first time, ever....) over at The B's on Thanksgiving.

Go say hi and check out Amanda's blog - it's AMAZING and she is a great gal!!!!!!!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

#15!

15 years ago, I said "I do" to my best friend!

We've been through a lot (what marriage hasn't?) in those 15 years, but I wouldn't change any of it! No, not even the bad stuff - we're stronger together because of it.

15 years ago last night, it started to snow as we got to our rehearsal dinner - pretty pictures tomorrow, right? [thinks the bride determined not to panic!] When I woke up the next morning, I found almost a foot of snow on the ground. I swore I wasn't going to panic! Alas, not panicking lasted until we went to decorate for the reception and to get our hair done when I realized just how crappy the roads were.  No one would come! Who would risk their life to attend our wedding? By the time We left for the ceremony, there was almost a foot and a half of snow and a very cold wind blowing.

Let me tell you who would risk their lives for us - our family and friends! It meant so much to us that EVERYONE who said they were coming, came. (Ok - except for my brother who ended up in the ditch and missed the ceremony - but we can laugh about it now.)

In 15 years, we have lived in 3 different houses (all in the same town); added to our family; traveled I don't know how many miles together; watched self-employment bloom; watched our son graduate high school and countless other "little" milestones. One of the many things I love about our relationship is, we still hold hands when we walk together - and I hope that never changes!

To those who helped us celebrate our wedding day and celebrate each of our anniversaries, THANK YOU! It means so much!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

A little scrapping

A little layout from our trip to WDW a few years ago.  The background paper is my design. The embellishments are all from misc. free digital element blogs.

Just because

This is how I have felt the last 24 hours....

Monday, November 12, 2012

Monday gratitudes

As I wake up to a very cold morning after a beautiful weather weekend, I have a lot to be grateful for.

*Veterans, military personnel and their families
*Our healthy family
*A little sewing time
*DD spening an afternoon with a couple of friends from her old school
*Watching DIY shows and thankful my husband finishes projects he starts
*Finishing a book
*Getting my knitting project finished that I hoped to get done
*I get to have lunch with my husband today

I hope you have many things to be grateful for too!
Have a great week.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Book review - A Little Bit....

A Little Bit of Déjà Vu (Book One of The Return to Redemption series )A Little Bit of Déjà Vu by Laurie Kellogg

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Romance
Publisher summary: Margie Bradford is picking up the pieces of her shattered life following her husband's death. When her cousin encourages her to make a fresh start with her teenage daughter, unsuspecting Margie takes a reading specialist job in the small town of Redemption, PA. The last person she expects to encounter is Rocket Manion, the ex-NFL quarterback and Dr. Phil wannabe who broke her heart nineteen years ago. Strangling her meddling cousin is now at the top of Margie's to-do list.

Divorced teacher and head football coach Jake Manion experiences an eerie sense of déjà vu when his son announces he's gotten his girlfriend pregnant. The feeling simply grows stronger when Jake learns the girl's mother is Maggie, the same woman on whom he's wasted nearly two decades of bitterness.

While planning their kids' wedding and helping them grow up too soon, Jake attempts to pick up right where he left off--in Margie's bed. But no matter how irresistible his kisses are, she isn't stupid enough to let him hurt her again. Or is she?

My review:
This is the first book I have read by Ms. Kellogg and I truly enjoyed it.

This book sucked me in from the start! The characters are well written and believable. The storyline is touching, sexy, funny and a joy to read.

I can't wait to read further books by her.

My inner nerd

I have been LOVING catching up on the podcasts for, Stuff You Missed in History Class.   Their website is great too!

Makes you think and wonder...

Friday, November 09, 2012

Friday Fun

I think is the perfect way to start a weekend!
Happy Friday!

And because I have a Beach Boys theme going and was blown away by the OSU Marching Band....check this out!

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Book reviews

The Sugar QueenThe Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Genre: Southern fiction

Sarah Addison Allen is one of my favorite authors. Her book blend romance and magic perfectly.
I loved this book! The characters and storyline are believable AND magical!

A Kiss at Midnight (Fairy Tales, #1)A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Romance

This the first book I have read by Ms. James.
I really enjoyed the first book of this series. It's a fun spin on the classic Cinderella fairytale. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.

And this recent book review: Beyond Belief

Happy Election Day!

Make sure you exercise your right to vote!

Monday, November 05, 2012

Monday gratitudes

I hope you all had a nice weekend!

My family and friends
A "girls day" with DD - see previous post
Clean laundry - who doesn't love the smell of clean laundry?
Bears win - Woo hoo!
Finishing a fun book
A beautiful fall day yesterday and a cheery walk - to the library
My blog readers and comments - I love your comments!
The encouragement I have received to keep writing - those of you who have cheered me on knowing or unknowingly - THANK YOU!!!!!!

I hope you have many things to be grateful for this week!

Sunday, November 04, 2012

A day at the theatre

DD & I went to the theatre yesterday. If you live in the Chicago area (or are visiting) and have kids between the ages of 3 and 10 - you have to check out the productions by Emerald City Theatre. They are amazing!!!!!!
 DD meets "Trixie"
  
 DD meets "Alice"

We had a great time - with lunch at America's Dog. It was pretty good - not a real big location but the food was good and plentiful.

Friday, November 02, 2012

Friday Fun - Election version

Seeing as election day is right around the corner (don't forget to vote Tuesday...). I found a couple of my older blog posts about voting.  Enjoy!

From November 8, 2006 post:
In other "news" - I DID vote yesterday. It was an agonizing process. I had to take DD with me so that was an adventure in in itself. She LOUDLY proclaimed as we walked in that the people were "hiding". Everyone in the place was rolling.... So I get my ballot and take her in the booth with me and she insists that she wants to "play your game with you". I explain quietly that it is for big people and that it's not a game, it's voting. She looked at me and said "We are boating?" and begins to sing "Row Row Row your Boat". UGH!!!!!!! I am ready to die of embarassment at this point because she is NOT quiet. When I finally finished, everyone in the place was watching us and a few of the ladies were crying they were laughing so hard. I'll probably have my voters card revoked.
(our DD was 2 1/2)

From my November 8, 2008 "recap" post:
Mon., November 3 - One day until election day. DD told us how the election works....
DD: John McCain and Rock Abomber want to win. People go into the little house (voting booth) and pick who gets to be re-present. I think it comes in a box.
Me: What?
DD: Re-present. You know, like you open.
Me: It's president, not present. President, it's a person.
DD: Ooooohhhh. Well, whoever wins gets to live in a big, white house.
If only 4 year olds ran the world...I'm sure we'd all laugh a lot more!

Tues., November 4 - ELECTION DAY! I hope you all voiced your vote - whatever it may have been. Good for you! We took DD with us to vote so she could see how it was set up - she was very quiet and got her very own "I voted" sticker. She was quite impressed with herself. Her class held it's own election that day between Mrs. Fox (DD), Mrs. Beaver and Mr. Bear. When I picked her up she proudly proclaimed "I voted for myself!" She lost by a landslide but I think everyone was ok with it. :-)

Wed., November 5 - DD's opening question in the kitchen.... "Who got bought for President, John McCain or Bara Obama (getting closer)?" After DH almost picked himself up off the floor - sorry, we both had to laugh over that comment. We told her that Barak Obama was going to be the next president. Her response "Oh. Can I have my cereal now?" Life goes on....
I hope this election will be just as much fun...
Happy Friday!

Thursday, November 01, 2012

Book review - Beyond Belief

Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come BackBeyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back by Josh Hamilton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


WOW! That's all I have to say. This was an interesting and inspiring read. I was riveted to his story and inspired by his courage. I cried through the last quarter of it.

READ THIS!!!!

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween


Have fun and stay safe!

Monday, October 29, 2012

Monday gratitudes

Happy Monday!  Wishing all of you on the east coast safety. I hope Sandy isn't too harsh on you!

This past weekend, I have been grateful for:
*My family & friends
*Dancing
*A fun day with DD & my sister at the museum
*DH & DS got to see a Bears win at Soldier Field!
*My job
*Beautiful fall weather

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

Friday, October 26, 2012

Friday fun

Friday fun for Halloween




Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Come on Friday...

It's almost here... We have a full weekend and I'm praying to come out of it in one piece.
2 nights of dance recital
Work
A trip to "the city"
Hopefully catching up a little more on my 52 in 52 project

What do your weekend plans look like?

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Tales from the library, part 6

Dear Library Patrons, our CDs and DVDs are not your coasters our puppies' chew toy. Please do not treat them so.

So let me tell you how my day went at the library this past Sunday. It was one of those days where you wonder where all the strange questions and requests are coming from.  It also made me wonder why we don't charge for babysitting.  I had forgotten how many parents "drop and run" on Sundays! So in addition to all the kids we were trying to keep reins on; school projects to find materials for and patrons in and out to check in and out, especially the last half hour....we forgot there was someone in the bathroom when we closed!

I can laugh now but I was mortified when I was told!  Anyway, this gentleman, called the police when he discovered we were no longer there.  The police called our head mainenance man (who is on vaca), who called our director.  Oh yeah, the director.... (Insert crimson face here)  I apologized to her, she said he was pleasant about it and she was laughing too.

Oy! I tell ya!   Note to self...check bathrooms VERY thoroughly!

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Yea!

We love DD's school pics this year!  (For a change)
The thing she is most upset about....they hid her hearing aids with her hair.
I think it's wonderful that she is confident enough in her 'disability' that she is upset that part of 'her' wasn't showing in her picture.

I assured her we would take pictures at home so her aids would show.


Friday, October 19, 2012

Friday Fun

I'm going to try a new "segment" - Friday Fun...
Maybe it's a joke, comic, something I've enjoyed recently.

I'm loving this video. Fun, fun song!

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

The one with "the movie"

Not THAT kind of movie...get your minds out of the gutter!

Let me set this for you... Summer, 2011 - Illinois

The community we live in, is constantly on the look out for Hollywood stars (Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron, Heather Graham...) in our town.  And they did show up here and there...
Anyway, our brush with fame happened.  DH is STILL gloating about Heather Graham sitting on our couch. You can read about the filming here in This post.  It was very cool!

We finally found a clip on you tube for the movie - titled At Any Price. It has been shown at a few film festivals (Venice; Toronto). Here is a review/synoposis of the film: At Any Price.  And here is a clip from the film:
I really hope they at least show it in the theaters around here. I'd like to see if our house made it into the movie...

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Get to know Jen, part 2

Thank you for the questions you posted.
I will "intro" myself a little first for some of my newer readers

I'm Jen. I'm a 30-something mom of two (a college age son and an elementary age daughter) and wife.

The cast of characters here on my blog (besides me...):
Hubby (DH)
Son (DS)
Daughter (DD)

Things to know about me:
*I work full time for an agriculture lending company and part time at our local library.
*I grew up on a farm and didn't live in town until I married my husband (almost 15 years ago). Someday I hope to live in the country again.

*We live in a nice college town (although I do enjoy it when the students are gone).
*I enjoy reading, scrapbooking, crocheting, knitting and sewing.
*I am an aspiring photographer who is slowly building my portfolio.  You can check it out here: Photos by Jen
*I am a die hard Chicago Cubs fan. They break my heart every year, but there's always next year. I cheer for all the Chicago sports teams, though.
*My favorite color is royal blue (pink is a close second!).
*I love music! (not a big fan of rap and blues, but...) {I'm pretty partial to a male wearing a hat and cowboy boots...}
*I am NOT a good housekeeper or cook! (ask my family!)
*My favorite candy bars are Milky Way and Snickers. But I LOVE chocolate chip cookies and cupcakes!
*My dream vacation would be sitting on a beach for a LONG time with an endless supply of fruity umbrella drinks and a stack of good books (or Kindle).

Tanya from
Creative Endeavors asked: 1. What inspires you first - products or photos? 2. Do you listen to music (or anything?) while your work? If so, what? 3. What are your Top 3 Favorite all-time movies?
Fun questions, Tanya! 
1. Photos are usually my inspiration when I start a scrapbook layout. I pick my papers and embellishments based on them.
2. Yes, I usually have music on while I'm scrapping. Now that I think about it, I have music on most of the day...at work, in the van... I am not real particular about music.  My favorite is country and 80s pop but unless it's hard rap or blues, I'll at least give it a listen.
3. My favorite 3 movies...oooo, tough one!  Let's see:  Wizard of Oz; Grease (I can recite every line and sing every song); Disney's Beauty & the Beast.

Lisa from Remember the Good Times asked: What is your favorite page of all that you have created?
This one is really hard. I don't think I can pick just one right now.
Here's my favorite digital one I've done lately:
 These two traditional paper layouts are probably two favorites


 I like how this card turned out.
Thank you for stopping by!
I love all your comments.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Monday gratitudes

Happy Monday!

Let's start the week off on a positive note.
*My family
*A roof over my head
*Food on my table
*That I can go to work each day
*A good book
*Beautiful fall weather and colors
*A Bears bye week
*DD winning a new bike at the fun run

I found this on Pinterest it was posted by Michelle Reis
Have a wonderful week!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Sunday breakfast

I'm not much of a cook (probably if I had more time, I would cook more, but...)
Anyway, I usually make Sunday breakfast. One of our favorites is the following coffee cake recipe
It is from Madison County Cookbook (which also has some other great recipes)

 COFFEE CAKE
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons margarine or shortening
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
(I also add 1 - 2 teaspoons of cinnamon for a little extra flavor)

TOPPING
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons margarine
Chopped nuts, optional

Mix cake ingredients together and beat for 3 minutes on high speed. Pour in a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with topping.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until it tests done.

ENJOY!!!!

Saturday, October 13, 2012

It's the weekend!

It's Saturday night...8:30 p.m.   I am listening to hubby snore on the couch and contemplating going to bed.  How lame am I?

I worked today, I think I got a lot done...  Hubby and son went to the university's football game with my dad and cousin.  My mom stayed with our daughter. And much to my surprise and delight, she had done the dishes for me. THANKS, MOM!!!!  You're the best!

I got a scrapbook layout started last night but I'm not really liking it.  It may be a "driveby" layout for a couple of days. I did a little knitting this evening too.

Thank you to those who posted a get to know me question.  Watch for that post this coming week.

I am looking for some new tunes for my ipod.  Any suggestions?  What are you listening to these days?

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Friday, October 12, 2012

TGIF!

It's been such a long week, I have no idea what day of the week it is.  The MLB postseason is in full swing.  The Giants and the Tigers are moving on to their Division Championship series.  We'll see what happens for the other two spots.  I was sad to see that Yankees' manager Joe Girardi lost his father last weekend. My condolences to he and his family. (He's always been one of my favorites...)

We saw this last night and thought it was hilarious...



Work for me tomorrow - Sunday is a fun run for DD's school. Other than that, I am hoping to get some reading and crafty stuff done.

What are you up to this weekend?

Have a super day!

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Time again...

To start a "get to know Jen" segment...

Here is the previous segment: It's Me!

Please post your question for this segment in the comments section by Friday, October 12.  I will get the post up answering your questions next week.  Go ahead, ask anything!

Monday, October 08, 2012

Monday gratitudes

To start my week on a positive note....
I am grateful for:
My family
Another year of wedded bliss for my parents
Getting a couple of good books read
Homemade chili and bread
Our 8 year old looking at me with pleading eyes asking me to make breakfast in the morning
Our 19 year old attending his first viewing of Rocky Horror Picture Show - he had a GREAT time!
Red and orange leaves all over the ground (yes, I know that means winter is coming...but it is pretty!)
My van back up and running
I have 20 blog followers now! (thank you all - your 'visits' and comments mean so much to me)

Saturday, October 06, 2012

Book review. Where We Belong

Where We Belong by Emily Giffin

Publisher's excerpt
Marian Caldwell is a thirty-six year old television producer, living her dream in New York City. With a fulfilling career and satisfying relationship, she has convinced everyone, including herself, that her life is just as she wants it to be. But one night, Marian answers a knock on the door . . . only to find Kirby Rose, an eighteen-year-old girl with a key to a past that Marian thought she had sealed off forever. From the moment Kirby appears on her doorstep, Marian’s perfectly constructed world—and her very identity—will be shaken to its core, resurrecting ghosts and memories of a passionate young love affair that threaten everything that has come to define her.
For the precocious and determined Kirby, the encounter will spur a process of discovery that ushers her across the threshold of adulthood, forcing her to re-evaluate her family and future in a wise and bittersweet light. As the two women embark on a journey to find the one thing missing in their lives, each will come to recognize that where we belong is often where we least expect to find ourselves—a place that we may have willed ourselves to forget, but that the heart remembers forever.


My review:
5 out of 5 stars
I loved everything about this book!
The characters were lovable and believable.
It has a wonderful, well written (as usual) storyline.
Thank you, Ms. Giffin for another great book!


Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Fall bucket list

My blogging friend Carrie (check out her blog here: Carrie's Little World) posted her autumn bucket list. That got me thinking about what I wanted to get done this fall (sept-Nov)

Make it to an orchard
Bake an apple pie or cobbler
Finish one of my started yarn projects
Read
Blog at least twice a week
Catch up on my 52 in 52 photos

What's on YOUR autumn bucket list?
Happy Autumn!

Happy October!

WOW! I can't believe we are now in the "Halloween month"!

I am thrilled by all the blog visitors I've had the past couple of months. If you leave me a comment - I will visit your blog!  I am always looking for new blogs.  Thank you all for your kind comments!

My week has been up and down - hoping for an up swing here real soon and that it stays that way!

DS went golfing with my dad and one of my dad's friends over last weekend. He had a FANTASTIC time! We took DD to see Hotel Transylvania on Sunday. It is a really cute movie and I would recommend it! (4 stars from me)

Monday was an ok day - crazy at work (but I survived). Storytime went well at the library that night too - not bad for Monday after a full moon!

Yesterday...let the huge fall down the roller coaster begin! A co-worker questioned my integrity and loyalty, which was completely not right. I had done nothing but she assumed.... So I was ignored from 9:30 on (probably for the better). PS: Her desk is right next to mine...

Today, back to work with a smile on my face and to do my job. These are the situations that make it hard to get up in the morning...

On a positive note - I won an Amazon gift card from a blog hop I participated in over the weekend. Thank you, Laura!  I'll be shopping soon!!!!

Today is the last day of the MLB regular season. My Cubbies did not fare well this year, AT ALL!!!!!  On another baseball note, this story came to my attention last week and I have been watching it. Very heartwarming and puts a smile on my face to see his dream come true - I hope it didn't really matter to him how the at-bat ended! I wish Adam Greenberg the best in his future endeavors.

Happy Hump Day!

Friday, September 28, 2012

The Tourists, Sites, Sand & Sea Edition

Part 5, Days 6-9  Beachy Days
This is a VERY picture heavy post!
This trip was taken in June, I am just getting around to posting more now...
We checked out of Pensacola and headed to Perdido Key for our full beach/sand day.  The water was rough.  The "funniest" thing on this beach was the squeaky sand - DD LOVED that she could run on it and it sounded like really loud courdoroy pants.
 The heron just hung out and watched the kids play in the sand. He wasn't bothered at all!

 We enjoyed lunch at the Shrimp Basket - it was quite tasty! No frills but good food.
 We drove to Orange Beach, Alabama (yes, we'd go back...). We stayed at the Hampton Inn & Suites - it was a great resort and we wish we'd spent a little more time there.

We started off with daquiris for all (virgin for the kids!)
We rented beach chairs and umbrellas for a couple of hours. It was wonderful to relax and enjoy!


 In the entertaining category for this stop....First up - These two ladies sat in the water, each with a beer and were going to do EVERYTHING in their power to keep the saltwater out of it. We were dying laughing watching them.
 Second - the WalMart parking lot. Yes....you're not seeing things - it IS a golf cart!
We ordered pizza for dinner - hubby and kids were in bed by 8. I sat out on our balcony absorbing the last of the surf I would hear on this trip. It was heavenly!
DH & I got up at sunrise and took a walk on the beach (sunburned and all...)
It was a gorgeous morning!
We had breakfast at the hotel and headed for Fort Morgan then took the Mobile Bay Ferry
We stopped at The Shed for lunch then drove on to Canton, Mississippi for the night.

Day 8: We headed north toward Tupelo via part of the Natchez Trace Parkway. I was the only one of the four of us who enjoyed this part.

We stopped in Tupelo to see the Civil War Memorial
 and Elvis' birthplace
We headed into Tennessee to Shiloh National Military Park
The funniest thing we heard was a visitor talking to a park ranger:
"It's so hot out there that I saw a dog chasing a cat. They were both walking"
He had summed up the heat very well!  WHEW!

 We headed further north for the night - Sikeston, Missouri

For those of you with weak stomaches....scroll fast!



Yes, that is armadillo roadkill. But let me tell you a story about this picture. My husband had wanted to see an armadillo SO bad. So we were driving down the road and he literally locks up tthe brakes, backs up so I can take this picture... So - I guess he got his souvenier photo!


Onto a cheerier note - food!

Day 9 - We had a quick breakfast and headed into St. Louis (YEA!!!!). We had lunch at Pappy's Smokehouse.  YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!! (if you're ever in St. L - make it a stop!)

 This is the "Big Ben" at Pappy's - it feeds all 4 of us.
We made it home by mid-afternoon and got started on:
Mount Dirty Laundry

We all had a great time!

Just the stats:
We drove 2,834 miles through 7 different states
The most expensive gas we saw was when we left home: $3.68
The cheapest gas we saw was near Canton, MS: $2.89
One of the things that surprised us most was all the pine trees in Mississippi

I mentioned this southern gentleman from our tour of Beauvoir in Biloxi
DS dubbed him "Sean Connery" because he kept flirting with all the ladies on our tour in what we can only assume was his impression of Sean Connery. It was somewhat entertaining.

Thank you all for going along on our vacation with us.
(IF you are interested in seeing the other segments, click on the 'travel' tag to the left)