Kidd's Ring

...chocolate muffins courtesy of Liz Baker (thanks!)... ...swimming with the Cooks... ...good talks and prayers... ...socks'n'shoes (the game)... ...another movie night with Leanna - Laura and Leanna gave me netflix for the summer, so we all have been enjoying it! :) ...

Today was a really good day. I was able to have final goodbyes with various people and enjoy Leanna all evening while Nathan worked. The day started off kinda rough though, because Toby (the dog of Nathan's parents) is scared of storms and a storm was going on at midnight...so I had pity and brought him to my "room"/computer room/tv room/basement. I went to bed around 1ish and couldn't really have the good sleep until after 4:30 or so when I finally kicked Toby out and back into his kennel (no real kicking was done though and no dog was harmed in the process!). Then I went back to sleep for another 4ish hours...ahhh...I hope the storm that we had earlier has truly passed and Toby is quiet for the rest of the night! Laura Laird picked me up at 9:30 and we took Toby for a 3 mile walk and enjoyed each other's company - the first and last time that we will see each other this summer. Sad! After coming back and skyping for a short bit, my long-time friend, Vonne

...dinner and a movie with Joanna (gotta love having a friend to hang out with both in Europe AND America - although who knows when the next Europe hangout will be, sad!!).... ...successfully running errands with Danielle... ...laughing together friends... ...stirfry... ...meaningful conversations... check here for pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2236235&id=55712248&l=e263ffd089

- hiking with friends - feet to bring me up and down the mountain - a shower after a long sticky hike - homemade pizza - relaxing with Danielle I wanted to upload pics, but unfortunately it's not working .... another time ...another place!

1) a day with Danielle (one of my roommates from Portugal)!!! 2) playing the Wii with Leanna and Danielle and laughing at ourselves 3) meeting Cindi at Dairy Queen and eating a blizzard 4) movie time with Danielle 5) allergy medicine!

...a beautiful wedding and a new dress... ...sleeping in... ...seeing a dear friend after not having seen her for a year... ...unexpected connections... ...cream soda... Here is a picture of Leanna and me with the House sister bridesmaids: (Jenny, Kim, and Heather)

playing Carcasonne homemade pizza with a best friend an empty Wal-Mart in the morning (7:30ish - why am I awake this early? excellent question) internet that allows me to skype with Vienna ;) great talks with college buds Today marks three weeks before I embark on the next long travel across the big pond. Very mixed feelings about this ...

Leanna's internet is still not working as it should, so I am currently at church and will blog my GST for the day and yesterday now .... dumb internet!! lol Yesterday's GST: - a day with Laura and Leanna and Julienne. We ran errands together, played games and just enjoyed each other. - being able to share about my ministry in Austria with a group from church and getting compliments on how it went - laugh with my sisters! - sweet baby kisses and hugs Today's GST (some are in advance): - more baby times, Julienne is soooo precious! - painting toenails with Laura - a dinner with old friends - internet at church! - sleeping in (sort of!)

So in the hustle and buslte of the day yesterday, I totally forgot to blog! So sorry! My apologies to all you faithful/daily readers!! I'm back in Virginia after a wonderful 2 weeks with my Grandparents. It's good being back with my sisters and in VA. It also means one step closer to being back in Vienna(which I have very mixed feelings about!). :) 1. Safe travels, despite having to get up at 3:45 to make my flight! 2. Rather speedy lines for the security check 3. A good book to accompany me on the flight 4. Being back with my sisters and Julienne!! 5. Movie with my sisters at night

- a wonderful last evening with Grandaddy, Reiley and Deb - great food, great view, great company! - facebook pictures of my niece's 1st Birthday!! Happy Birthday, Julienne!! - sweet words from Grandaddy - talks with friends (new and old ones) - driving a Prius Toyota, soooo smooth and quiet!

...having the dogs snuggle up to me or sit on my lap on their own accord! ...hearing Grandaddy say "Your breakfast was good, I didn't know you could cook!" ...napping and reading this afternoon ...watching Martian Child tonight with Reiley and Deb and GD ...the internet!!!

- feeling the wind, hearing the wind chime and seeing the stars out tonight, such a beautiful world God has blessed us with - having the puppies snuggle up next to me - another day with Grandaddy - skype chats - bbq ribs for dinner

- time with Grandaddy - being able to help Reiley and Deb - chats with Vienna friends and Felix ;) - a nap - catching up with a college friend!!

- safe travels to Seattle and no problems with anything along the way (minus not being able to connect to the free airport internet in Salt Lake City) - finishing two good books, one I had already started and the other I read the whole thing during my travels - "only" getting orange juice spilled on my shoulder as opposed to my whole body, the stewardess lost her balance and I was the recepient of the tippy OJ ... brrr ... - Jack 'n' Jill Doughnuts as my final meal in Texas - having a kind soul offer their internet to me :) a few more - puppies waiting in the car to greet me - cooler weather in Seattle - a comfy bed beckoning me to climb in after a long day of traveling (12 hours +!)

...washing Grandaddy and Pat's cars on the back lawn - for some reason, I really like doing that here... ...good laughs and teasing at the dinner table w/ Grandaddy and Pat... ...an unexpected skype with Felix for a nice long time... ...final goodbyes from Aunt Gaye and Uncle Kermitt... ...sleeping in...

* being able to read in the car on our way to the lake...not getting carsick is amazing! * having a grand ole time on the waverunner on the lake with no one around...oh, the memories of past times on the waverunner w/ the fam!! * feeling the spray of the water on my face and arms...amazing! * a shower to get off the sunscreen and lake...LOVE the clean feeling!! * getting stranded on the waverunner in the cove and not the middle of the LAKE !! So here's the story to go w/ this one: After taking the waverunner out for my final spin (tear!), I drove back into the cove and Grandaddy gave me the sign that he was on his way down to the ramp to load up the waverunner. At first, I was just waiting around with the motor on and finally was like, I might as well turn it off and save some gas. WELL, little did I know, that it would not start back up again!! [And in my defense, it was a battery problem, not because I ran out of gas! :)] SO, I had to swim and pull the waverunner back to the

The day today started off to a normal start, but I should have guessed something would be amiss as I woke up at all kinds of crazy hours throughout the night. Pat and I went to the Wellhealth Center, basically a gym for older people - they get their pulse taken every so often there during their workout, etc. So I'm the youngest one there, of course! We started talking to one of the gentleman there and he asked how old I was and was surprised when I told him. He said it was a good thing. Then he went on to inform me that I had my smile going for me - just like his late wife did. He got cards of regret and people said how they would remember her smile and laugh. I decided that this is one of the things I want to be remembered by as well! Well, here is where the day starts to go downhill...we got home and I went to get my clean clothes and hop in the shower, when I saw a gazillion of ants crawling around all my clothes in my suitcase .... the trail continued into the closet and

- going to church with my Grandparents - watching a favorite movie with my cousins - having dinner and fellowship with the entire family from Abilene - skyping with mom and dad and talking on the phone with Lysann - new pictures of my nieces!

1. skyping with my sweetheart after a week of only emails 2. breakfast at the country club - omelette, waffle, fruit 3. seeing all my cousins 4. talking to my sisters and hearing how they miss me :) 5. watching home movies of my mom and family from when she was little

- having time with Aunt Gaye and Uncle Kermitt, some of my favs - - showing Aunt Gaye T9 (which makes texting SO much easier and faster!)and seeing how excited she was about it - - a night out on the town with GD and Pat, we went out for dinner and then went to the old movie theater downtown, the Paramont (one of the coolest theaters there is! it has an arabian style to it, stars in the sky, blue sky and arabian houses around the stage! I wanted to take a picture, but my battery died!!) and watched Cassablanca - - sleeping in and then a brief nap in the late afternoon - - being able to help GD with his computer and set him up with gmail -

...laughing with Luke while quizzing each other on movie quotes and singing with the radio... ...SONIC... ...watching the filmed Broadway theater musical of Forever Plaid with Luke in the movie theater... ...safe travels... ...email from a special someone :) ...

1) spending the whole day with cousin Luke 2) meeting my cousin's wife and having sometime to get to know her 3) Double Chocolate Chip Frappucino (no idea how you spell that...) 4) using Luke's iPhone in the car - checking emails and writing one 5) Strawberry Limeade

* having someone ask Pat who that pretty little girl was (aka me! lol) * swinging with Cousin Luke and talking * working out with Pat * yummy steak and baked potatoes for dinner * sleeping in!!!

- safe travels to Texas and seeing Grandaddy and Pat - finishing a book (I read the whole thing today!) - My favorite flavor of Blue Bell Ice Cream - Homemade Peaches & Cream (YUM!) - having a lady tell me that she LOVED my hair :D - not losing any luggage: I waited and waited on my bag and finally went to the counter to say it was lost or not on the flight and there it was waiting for me! :)

- safe trip to M-ville and back - good visit with Laura, Andrew and Julienne - a nap! - hearing Andrew preach - soft baby skin

...having time alone with Leanna... ...long skype chats with Felix (today is our last day to talk for 3 weeks!)... ...finding comfy and cheap yoga pants for Leanna + me... ...pancakes with fruit for breakfast... ...low-key day - all day...

Today marks the third week of the official begin of my relationship with Felix Ring. God has blessed me with an amazing man of God. I'm excited to see what God will do with us. Please pray that His will will be done in our lives and that we will bring Him glory! So for those of you out there that guessed this based on what I was writing, WAY to go on the context clues! :) lol Questions are very welcome!! GST for today: - Felix and three wonderful weeks of together with him, but apart from him! - finding kid's books at Barnes&Noble...I love kid's books! - laughing and talking with Michelle tonight - leftover Thai Chicken - Leanna letting me use her car ALL day! THANKS, Lea!!!!!!

...making Julienne laugh by throwing her in the air... ...good night with friends (dinner and a movie!)... ...skype - great tool to talk with family and friends AND see them... ...brief nap... ...chocolate chip bar... Today, Laura and Julienne went back to M-ville. It was sad to see them go, but I'll be with them on Sunday - so we have that to look forward to. Sister time over the past two weeks has been great! I wish we could do more of it over the year and not just in the summer!! I'm so thankful for wonderful sisters to laugh with, talk to about big and small things, watch movies with, shop with, cook with, ... sisters just make life better!!

1) watching Baby Julienne while her mommy ran errands 2) Julienne copying my sniffle and laughing with me! 3) getting skype to work and rediscovering a presentation 4) German food for dinner :) 5) oodles of sister time

* Baby Julienne and Laura coming to the Burg :) * visiting with one of my mom's best friends * two encouraging talks about support! Praise God!! * fried apple pie * movie with my sisters