High School - Homecoming Week

Homecoming week was last week for Glynn Academy. They like to do fun things for the kids, so each day was a different themed day. The first day was wear your PJ's to school day....I think it was by far the most comfortable day....I wonder if I could talk the bank into a wear your PJ's to work day???

Pictured below is decade day, Peace Out Baby....

Tacky day!

Twin day, she and her friend Danielle dressed alike! You'll have to trust me on that one, I don't actually have a picture of Danielle!


Finally, spirit day! Friday evening was the homecoming game, unfortunately Glynn lost....but the game was fun! Tomorrow is the big dance!

Next.......JENNY LEFT US! One last trip to the roots

Well, summer is coming to a close and school is getting ready to begin, Jenny decided to hang around to see Kait off on her first day of high school, and then.....SHE LEFT US......can you believe it? I'm so proud of her! She has put plans in motion to follow a dream of hers that she has had for a long time......when was the last time YOU pursued your dream?

So, this is the Beach Monster, no, go back and read that again, with a scaryyyyyy voice, ok.....Beaaachhh Monnnster...... doesn't it look like something out of Pirates of the Carribean? Any minute now it is going to jump up and SUCK ON TO YOUR FACE..... hey it could happen!

For as long as I can remember living in the Golden Isles, I have been going to the 'roots' on Jekyll island. It is a unique area of coast line here in the Golden Isles. Kevin and I used to Hummmm, well, lets just say walk hand in hand when we were dating, after we were married we would take Kaitlyn over and let her play, as she has grown we keep going back for walks. Jenny has her own memories of Jekyll Island with her family. It's just one of those special places.

Little, tiny sand crab......don't worry he would never jump up and suck onto your face, bite your toes maybe.....

The Roots, are covered with the driftwood of fallen trees, you can take some very beautiful pictures there.

Bye Bye Jenny, we sure are going to miss you!

See, already Kaitlyn has given in to main stream America and become an Abercrombie model.....Todd....cover your eyes!

We had a really fun summer, who knows what we will be up to next year!!!! Our next adventure is High School!

Cumberland Island

Back to what we did over the summer! While Kaitlyn was in Michigan Jenny and I went to Cumberland Island for my birthday trip! I had not been over there in about 18 years and Jenny had never been. (not much has changed!) So I can't really figure out how to arrange pictures, so these are just a rumble tumble of ones I took. I had never seen a live star fish before, so that was kinda cool! Jenny was brave enough to pick one up and hold it in her hand, I was afraid it would jump on my face and suck on like in finding Nemo.......hey, it could happen......

This grave stone is from the late 1700's, the cemetary is blocked off with an iron gate, while Jenny and I were looking around we saw a couple of wild horses roaming around, these cars have been sitting and rusting since I was on Cumberland last! (really makes you think about recycling! or maybe that is just Jenny's influence!!) Cumberland is a beautiful natural island, I am glad it is a part of the national sea shore, my tax dollars at work! I would recommend going if you can, although probably not in July if you can help it!

Angels in the clouds September 19

Can you see my angel? This is what greated me this morning as I went outside to get ready for my day. Psalm 91: 9-11, "You have the Lord for your refuge, you have made the Most High your stronghold. No evil shall befall you, no affliction come near you. For God commands the angels to guard you in all your ways. " Today and everyday, know that you have angels guarding and watching over you.

September 19, 2008 I miss Kevin

We miss you more than we can say. Kaitlyn misses you. I miss you. I miss your sense of humor, I miss that twinkle in your eye, I miss your smile, I miss listening to your heartbeat. I know your with God, I know I will see you again someday instead of only in my dreams. You touched our lives, you left an impression on our hearts, you left the world a better place for having had you in it. You made me a better person. 5/20/1961 - 9/19/2006. It's all about the 'dash' and oh how you filled in that dash! I just know since you've gotten to heaven you haven't been out of the water, surfing, kayaking, canoeing, sailing.....that's how I picture you now, in a kayak, running white water with the paddle over your head and a big ole smile on your face....shouting I can't wait for you to come join me! I love you.

Happy Birthday to ME!

So, next on our summer adventure Kaitlyn LEFT me and went to Michigan! No really, she and Nanny and Pa planned a trip up to see the Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island and visit with Aunt Jackie, (Pa's sister) and her family. While I really really really missed her I did have a fun Birthday! This is me blowing out my birthday candle! Yes I am 29 again! Ok would you believe 35? No, how about 40?

Hair Cuts!

Ok, next on our summer 'o fun...New Hair Cuts for All! (and Kait got her ears pierced!) I wanted a new look, so I went to the salon and said basically cut my hair off! I always wear it pulled back, so I told him to cut it short enough so that I could no longer just pull it back, (ok I will admit 2 months later I really wish I could pull it back!!!) But it was fun and I like my new 'do. While we were there Mr. Farrow (the salon owner) takes a look at Kait and says you know your hair would look really good layered a bit with some summer sun hightlights.....well...next thing you know SHE is getting her hair cut.....then Jenny...who just came along for the ride..is sitting watching all the fun and Mr. Farrow asks her if she wants her hair cut too! So Jenny, who is always up for an adventure...says sure! Five, yes 5, hours later we emerged looking faboulous!

Jenny's Birthday!

So, ok, I don't have a lot of pictures of Jenny's big adventure, mainly because I can't find the stupid disk, but that's another story....Lets just say it was loads and loads of fun and I am really glad she allowed us to tag along on one of her big adventures!
This is Jenny and Kait...can't you just see the anticipation in their eyes? No, well ok, but you do have to admit Kait looks cool! She put this on-som together, looked in the mirror and said..."Dad would love this look!"

Jenny and I.....well lets just say we were glad to find something that fit and we didn't mind getting wet! Jenny's big adventure was to go jet sking! You can check out her entry on her blog. It was alot of fun.....although I still think one of them (Kait or Jenny) should have gotten the guides phone number!!!!

West Quoddy Head Lighthouse

The West Quoddy Head Lighthouse was just down the road from where we were staying. You could hear the fog horn all night and all morning until the fog burned off, some days it didn't! You kinda got used to it!

Because this is right on the coast, it is always very cold at the light house, but there is a nice picnic area and paths that lead into a bog and down to the ocean.

Kait was sitting right next to the fog horn, don't ask me why the park folks thought a picnic table next to a fog horn was a good idea!

We had a great day at the lighthouse!

East Quoddy Lighthouse

We actually visited two lighthouses while we were in Maine. One in Maine and one in Canada. The one in Canada is the East Quoddy Head Light House, This is actually one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world.

This is one of the most photographed kids in the world!!!!

When the tide is in, this lighthouse is an island. You have to be very careful to watch the tide when you visit or you could get stuck for 6 hours! According to Kaitlyn the stairs were 'Sketchy' but we climbed them anyway!

After visiting the lighthouse we stopped for dinner at a local inn, they were having live music that night to raise money for the local school, a lobster roll and fried dough for $5.00...what a deal! However I do have to say those Canadians don't know how to make 'fried dough' they got nothing on the Southern Funnel Cake!

Maine flowers

Did I mention Maine is a beautiful state? We were there over the 4th of July. Talk about home town America, they had boat races, watermelon eating contests, and a parade that included kids in wagons waving flags....it just doesn't get any better than that! Here are some pictures of the wild flowers that were growing all around the house we stayed in.

These are lilacs, they smell like honeysuckle. When I was a kid we used to pull the flowers out and you could suck on the ends and get a little bit of nectar!!

To the right is a picture taken from underneath an evergreen tree. They grow to tremendous heights, like the Georgia pines, but the branches grow all around the tree, not just at the top, imagine a Christmas tree on steriods! We used to have one of these trees near a bus stop when I was a kid, when it snowed the snow would blanket the tree, if you dug out a little tunnel you could get up underneath the tree and you would have a really cool fort!

Wild rose and some Butter Cups, if you put the butter cups under your chin, if your chin reflects a yellow color .... well they you like butter! (ok it made sense when I was 8)

Thistles, don't they remind you of Horton Hears a Who!

Lupine, this flower grows wild all over the state, it ranges in color from white, to pink, to cream and lavendar to a deep purple.

This is Indian paintbrush, I'm sure there is a story in there somewhere, but I don't know it!

This is an old fishing shack that I passed each morning on my walk down to the beach, it was surrounded by all of the flowers I mentioned above, you can even see my cool fort pine trees in the background! The smell of flowers, pine and ocean air is not one I can describe, you just have to experience it for yourself.