Seems like it's been a while . . .

And it really has! It's been a full, exciting, fun, busy, stressful, happy, (add your own adjective, and it will probably apply!) couple of months. I'll try to catch up:

Fathers' Day weekend, I was excited to be off of work so that I could go to my parents' & visit with everyone. They were hosting a cookout for the dads that Saturday night, so I got to see two grandpas and other relatives - not to mention getting to spend some quality time with my own dad! Here, he's displaying a set of cuff links. There's a funny story behind these...

For Christmas, dad asked for a new, white dress shirt. (a Christmas 'staple') Well, wanting to get him what he asked for, I went out in search of a nice shirt. I was excited to find one for a great price AND in his size, so I grabbed it and ran to the cash register. As I was checking out, the sales associate asked if I would be needing any cuff links that day. In my head, I was thinking, "What a strange thing to ask someone!" Audibly, though, I just smiled and said, "No, thank you." (In my defense, I work night shift and am sleep deprived most days. So, I often miss putting 2 & 2 together to come up with 4!) =) I'm sure you see where this is going. Christmas morning, he opens the shirt and says, "Great! I'll have a shirt to wear with my cuff links." Hmmm...again with mentioning cuff links? Then he explained to me that the shirt required them. I guess the sales associate wasn't so strange for asking me that after all!! A few months later, as dad's birthday & Fathers' Day were approaching, he told me that he didn't have his cuff links anymore. So ... Happy Fathers' Day to you! Here's part 2 of your Christmas gift! =) (hooray for the special kid!) It was a fun weekend.

While I was home, my dad noticed that my car had been hit & had a nice dent in the rear. He asked when that had happened, and I had NO idea. Good times. So, I got to have a rental car for a couple of weeks while Roony (my car) had some work done. The back looks as good as new, so that made me very happy! Also during this time, my long awaited furniture arrived!!!! It is BEAUTIFUL and exactly what I wanted. The man in charge of the delivery was just laughing at me because I was SO EXCITED with each piece that was brought in. There may have been a little squealing and clapping, but I'm proud to say that the jumping up & down while squealing & clapping was contained until they were gone! :-) At one point, he looked at me and asked if this was my "first big girl bedroom furniture". I asked him, "Is it obvious?" I was just so happy to see the right stuff in perfect condition sitting in my apartment! It took a lot for this to happen.

I was lucky enough to get July 4th off this year! After sleeping for a while, (I worked the night of the 3rd) Marshall and I went to a carnival in downtown Fort Worth that he had read about online. It was pretty fun. They had huge pieces of cardboard & plastic that we could use to ride down a big hill. It was like sledding . . . but on grass when it's hot outside. =) We did this for a while. It was fun and challenging. The challenging part was trying to dodge all the little kids climbing the hill we were sledding down. Good times! We walked around for a while, and then had our picnic while we waited for the fireworks to start. And, I don't use the term "waited" loosely! The fireworks were to start once the baseball game finished. Well, that game went LONG, and the fireworks didn't get started until around 11:30!! They were well worth the wait, though. Beautiful, and not too loud for the most part. There were a couple that made me jump, but it was fun. It was a fun evening celebrating our Great Nation's freedom!!

Next thing I knew, it was my birthday weekend. I'd requested days off and made trades with people at work so that I could have several days off at that time. I think I ended up being off 5 or 6 days!! WHOOP!! :) Friday night, Marshall took me to dinner & surprised me with a bouquet of tulips and a dozen long stem, white roses! WOW!! When we got back to my apartment, my parents had arrived in from Tyler, and we got to visit with them a little while. Saturday morning, I met my parents for breakfast at IHOP. YUMMY pancakes!! =) We went to Target to get a couple things that they had forgotten to pack. What better way to start my birthday?!? IHOP & Target!! We came back to my apartment, and I put them to work . . . hanging heavy stuff on my walls. :~) That evening, Amy & Ronnie joined us for supper. It was a great time joking around with each other. After we finished eating, we went to see the musical "Little Shop of Horrors" in downtown Fort Worth. I love the music in it! I've always been a sucker for tight harmonies, and this performance was NOT a disappointment!! They did a phenomenal job. =) I had a spectacular birthday! Mom & Dad went home Sunday evening after we went to church, had a big lunch, and all had a nice Sunday afternoon nap. What an amazing weekend!!

A couple weeks later, we went to visit Sam and his foster parents. I don't think I've been out there since before Christmas, and WOW!, what a difference 7-8 months can make!! =) A couple of years ago, he started trying to talk & babble. Then, he got really sick, and that was the end of talking. Recently, though, he's just come alive with words, and it was so precious to hear that sweet little (sometimes "growly") voice! Honestly, it made me get a little teary at one point. He's such a miracle, and God has given us so much more time than we ever thought we'd have to enjoy Sam. I'm so grateful that I get to watch him grow up, and I praise God for providing such incredible foster parents! What a privilege to be able to sit back and watch God perform miracle after miracle!!

My Papa Art had his 80th birthday last week, and his party was last Saturday night at my parents' house. We went out there Saturday evening for the celebration. It was so much fun to visit with everyone again - especially since some of my cousins who I haven't seen in close to a year (or more?) were able to come. I didn't get my camera out because my dad was snapping pictures. So, I don't have any to post yet. We came back to the DFW area Sunday night after a day of playing in Tyler with my parents.

Yesterday, I met a good friend of mine & her 2 boys for lunch. We used to do stuff together all the time, but with the hour + commute between our homes now, we don't get to see each other much anymore. It was so much fun to catch up with her and play with the boys for a few hours this afternoon!! After lunch, we went to the Rangers' Ballpark & took the tour. It was a lot of fun, and we got to go in places that I'd never get to see otherwise.

Rangers' Locker Room

View from the dugout

Great president & lover of baseball!!

So, that's my life for the past two months in a nut shell. (Anyone else having an "Austin Powers" flashback?!?)

I hope you have a wonderful day!!