unbelievably touched....

seriously,

from the bottom of my heart

and

all the spaces in between,

thank you

~

the prayers and warm fuzzies that all of you sent yesterday to sophie

{and to me} are more appreciated then you'll ever know

*

my little lover's liver....

sophie has been sick. 

after catching kennel cough {at the kennel} she had an allergic reaction to the antibiotic she was taking...or at least they're hoping that's all that it is.

 it has affected her liver. 

she'll be back in for more lab work this friday. if her levels haven't changed, then it will be determined that it wasn't an allergic reaction and something else is going on in her body.

at fifteen, that could be almost anything.

in the mean time she has been on fluid treatments and a liver detoxing vitamin and we've been dealing with constant potty breaks, throw up, yucky poops and no appetite.

on a good day, she'll eat a pop-tart and some chicken for me, followed by a doggie treat.

on a bad day, she'll eat nothing but a handful of cheerios, but still wants her doggie treat as a dessert.

~

so we're taking it a day at a time.

watching her one minute, act like a puppy and the next, like a little old lady 

who just can't get comfortable.

~

thank you, all of you, for the wonderful comments yesterday, 

both here and on the finally me blog.

you truly made me feel special.

*

oh lordy....

today
{even though i feel scattered and would kill for a full night's sleep}

i'm front and center 

{which is always a bit uncomfortable for me}

at
 "finally me"

~

if you want to know a little bit more about me, come on over.

i'll have an amaretto slush in one hand and a cupcake in the other,

with lots more to share with all of you, of course. then we'll talk about life and laugh

at each other's jokes.
but if learning more about me sounds rather dull, no worries,
i completely understand, and instead

i'll catch you tomorrow, right here, where i'll be talking about our rather sickly puppy.

*

because i've been very precise lately....

RANDOMNESS RUNS AMUCK

it's funny how the moment you walk in the door after vacation, your real life is sitting there waiting for you. granted it has a bit of "oh really, back so soon" attitude written all over it, but deep down, it's doing a happy dance with a little bit of the "sprinkler and the grocery cart" mixed in and is wildly ecstatic that you're home.

technically, i'm a home body. 

i'm in no way introverted and am normally considered extroverted squared, but i like my house.

well not really this house so much {as we'd love to build something new} but i love the feel of home.

and my true, hug it to death and french kiss it, love....my bed, my sheets and my pillow.

the farmer's markets have started and this weekend....wait for it....

pick your own strawberries!!!

i've told you before i love doing laundry. 

seriously, gather up all the other things that need to be done, squash and mash them up into a tiny ball and let your dog slobber and chew all over it. but let me do the laundry.

right after we got home, a friend of mine had a "girl's lunch" with an amazing chicken salad 

and we talked about 

"fifty shades of grey." did you read the trilogy yet?

okay fine, we also talked about our kids and hubbys and plans for the summer, all while taking turns, since five of us seem to run all over each other with our conversations {in a good way} 

but fifty shades was the 

juiciest, maybe i can't make total eye contact with you when saying "red room of pain," part.

i'm still stuck on and still using lightroom 3,

but wow, did the picmonkey boys ever do an amazing job. i mean really, picnik who?

happy early weekend everyone

*

i promise.....

these are absolutely the last of the family photos from our seaside vacation. 

i promise.

{but i do have some random beach photos that just might show up every now and then. sorry}

we declared our last day in seaside a full beach day.

the kids snorkeled and boogie boarded. shells and sand dollars were rescued.

my camera was accidentally covered in sand. his iphone accidentally drowned.

shoulders and legs got sunburned. laughter was everywhere. 

and best of all, smiles were huge.

the kids got bored late in the day and built us a sand castle. 

no they didn't.

a professional did and this is only part of it.

seaside, florida. 

it's simple...

you are truly loved.

*

getting off the ground.....

maybe by now you've all gone running from my blog, covering your eyes and screaming,

"nooooo, not more beach photos."

that's why i started with this flower. just to reel you in....snort.

those of you who follow me or know me, truly know my love of finding and talking to strangers. 

and if i can get them to jump for me, ohhhhh, then that's a perfect day.

this family was beyond what i could ask for. 

they were sweet and smiley and didn't roll their eyes when i said,

"just one more."

but getting them all off the ground at the same time, just wasn't going to happen.

so in the photo above and the one below i had them take turns.

first the kids jumped. then just the parents. 

i mean, why not.

and then alone, one by one, the girls did their super jumps for me.

thank you-thank you-thank you-amazing family from louisiana.

you made my day.

i have a fascination with seaweed.

unless i'm standing in the ocean and it continues to wrap itself around me.

then i'm kind of grossed out.

we were sitting at the seaside sushi restaurant, whose eating area is literally in the parking lot, when this jeep drove by. i had been taking photos of the flowers on our table, so my camera was ready. 

i looked over at him, smiled and i got this in return.

under those foster grants, i know he's winking at me.

i mean really, you can't do the "finger gun thingy" without making a little clicking noise in your mouth

and winking. right?

~

and now honestly, you just did the "finger gun thingy" to see if i'm right, didn't you?

even in the darkness....

you can take photos at night. i did. 

we were down on the beach and after the sun, ever so gently, set itself down behind the dunes, 

darkness, like an old quilt worn thin from years of loving, fell over us. 

our son had picked up this hat at the "take it now or it's gone in the morning" lost and found and we laughed at his resemblance to huck finn. if only he'd had a fishing pole.

too soon, i was out of light. 

i moved my iso up to 12800. it worked. i captured huck finn.

my hubby is always my pack mule.

when we're together, he carries whatever bag my camera goodies are in and never complains...

even if it's a floral beach bag.

the night this was taken, he was still carrying my daughter's purse. i'm sure he hadn't even paid any attention to the extra weight, as he's so used it.

i don't know what i'd ever do without this man in my life. 

he's pretty much my everything.

this is part three of our beach vacation.

i hope you have a chance to go back a few posts and catch up.

~

happy weekend

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