Vacation Picture Scroll

I was promising a slideshow... but sparing you the long story here is a quick (long) scroll of vacation pics.

So Happy I could Cry

and p.s. in order to fully satisfy those waiting for vacay pictures... please be patient as I picasa and photobucket them!

Packed and mostly ready...

An anxiety ridden Oscar wondering if we are packing him too!

But he'll get to spend some quality time with his Uncle TT and his girlfriend Noel & her mom Nat!

Speaking of Natalie... her first design blog went live yesterday! Check it out: La Vie En Rose: Seeing Life's Beauty through Pretty Hues

Also, I say "mostly" ready because I am leaving behind a very sick friend. Veronica, a best friend from work, is in Vanderbilt ICU with the flu. Also, if you will remember from a previous post, her husband is still in prison awaiting deportation. Please please take her and her family up in your prayers! To read more about her husband's situation please click HERE.

Vacation Quests... add one!

I've been given some tasks to complete while on vacay.

• Catch a fish at Pike Fish Market --from dad
• Take pics. of EVERYTHING Pearl District --from nat
• Revel in my alone time in Portland (since as an ENFP I don't so much like alone time) and then for homework write a blog about it when I return --from kate, my boss

What else? Please leave a comment and add to my Vacation Quest! If you've been there... tell us where to go & what to do - or even if you haven't!

Vacation Itinerary

The Pool at the Silver Cloud Hotel in downtown Seattle! Daivd found an UNBELIEVABLE deal through pricline.com!

We plan to spend some definite tourist time!

We are spending Friday & Saturday night in Seattle. Sunday afternoon we are going to have lunch with my Great Aunt (who i have never met) and then head a couple hours north to stay on the coast in a cute little loft cabin.

The Cabin is on the skirts of a cute fishermen's town called La Conner. It has lots of cool little shops and restaurants.

We'll leave La Conner on Wednesday to catch the Coast Starlight Amtrack down to Portland! I can't wait for this scenery!

Wednesday night we are staying with Avery... which is the REASON for this trip - he is getting Married 7/25!! Then on Thursday I am on my own for the day and night while David baches it up with the boys. I plan to spend the day exploring the art Pearl District in Portland.

Where I am spending the night Thursday is yet to be determined. I have never stayed alone in a strange city. So this will be an adventure! Friday we'll head to Eugene, OR for the wedding festivities!

Stylish & Frugal Packing

I am super pumped to be heading for VACATION on Friday. Although David and I have made several small trips for weddings and lake weekends, this is really what we consider our first official vacation together! We are heading out West to Seattle and Portland and than on to Eugene, OR for our friend Avery's wedding!

Now normally, if I had not emptied out our budget on our fabulous new house, I would have gone shopping for some great vacationing garb. But since I wasn't in the position to do so, I came up with an even better solution -- borrow! And since I have a stylish friend like Natalie -- I was quickly set up with a week's worth of vacation fashion... three shirts, three dresses, a skirt, and jewelry! Thanks Nat! I LOVE you (& not just because you let me closet shop!)

I also got thrifty for a new skirt! My mom found a great dress at the church yard sale for me, but it was a bit to big. So... I cut off the top, took it in on the sides, hemmed it... and voila! a new skirt! (I'm pretty proud of myself!)

Before:

After:

I am a happy girl ready for vacation!

...so as not to lie by omission.. I did purchase a new white tank and sandals from Target!

Reveling in Nashville - Part 1

I've been reveling lately in how blessed I am and how much I love Nashville. I hope to each week or so to post a few of the reasons I feel this way - to share with you what I revel in. To get things started.... I will just say FRIENDS!

Just another Friday at work...

Would this be typical anywhere besides Siloam?

Bubbles the nurse in her tiara on a harley!... typical..

Why 6 was afraid of today...

because.... 7/8/9!!!

I can't believe I nearly missed this day after I've cheesily been joking about it for over a month!! I had all these plans of a grand party... but alas - I carelessly forgot about this monumental day when 9 was cannibalized by 7.

But today was still noteworthy nonetheless as I finished this book:

So I am now super pumped for this movie:

Melt my heart!

David and I spent Independence weekend in Birmingham with the McLeod clan. We spent a lot of our time entertaining ourselves by watching home videos. We rolled a lot on the floor laughing from early McLeod boy antics... this video (or video of a video that you will be viewing) had me in tears! This is David at 2 years 9 months singing the complete hymn of "Great is thy Faithfulness." I was just so touched to see at such a young age God was already calling David into the man he is today. I watched it several times! Sadly, my camera ran out of memory and it cuts out just a bit early...but you'll get the idea. Bruce was afraid the camera would scare David from singing, but you'll get a good glimpse at the end of my sweet almost 3-year-old husband! Please God let my kids look just like him!

Seriously...Is your workplace as cool as mine?

We like to celebrate at Siloam!... Especially big birthdays ending in the #0! And we aren't just talking about a cake and a balloon or two... but full out skits, songs, and dances! And don't expect your office to be clean either!

And while I'm talking about work - I've said it before, but the kids around here are definitely always a highlight!

I got a blog lift!

Finally!

(Its been a rough transition I must admit...)

What I finally settled on was making my own blog background using some digital scrapbook freebies from ShabbyPrincess.com. This site is great and she doesn't mind if you use her stuff on a blog as long as you don't sell anything or have links to something your are selling from your blog.

I found tips on how to make the background using CutestBlogontheBlock & GardenGnome. I widened the text space and everything by messing with the html. (Sorry Em.Geyer- no real advice but trial & error). I'm still working on link colors and what not.

Anywhoo.... not that the Blog Lift comes with promises of better blog content, but I would now like to keep up with my followers! So please jump on board if you ever find yourself checking in...

Its not hard - just look over to the right where it says Followers and click Follow! (you might have to scroll down just a bit). It will prompt you from there!