The Big D!
My friend Pam and I went to market in Dallas and had a fantastic time. We always travel well together and know the process well. We went straight to the World Trade Center and shopped for 6 hours. We stayed at The Stoneleigh and were treated to one of the most wonderful experiences I have ever had. That says a lot because I travel so much and it takes something special to impress me. When we got there we were greeted by the concierge, Anthony. He was inviting, funny and very helpful. He even helped us with our bags and gave us the history of the historical building and the renovation process. He made us reservations for dinner. When we got to our room we were very happy with our accommodations, especially considering we got the deal of a life time. The rate was $103 for a 4.5 star hotel. The price on the back of the door was $695. Holla! We got ready and went downstairs. We opted to have the hotel's car take us so we wouldn't have to drive. It was then that we met Cliff. They have a really wonderful Mercedes that will take you where ever you want to go and Cliff is the nicest chauffeur you could ever meet. He was so nice and charming and he made us both feel very special. He was 70+ and did his job to perfection. He dropped us off at a restaurant called Bella and let me tell you, that was some prime people watching! We saw just about all you could imagine seeing there. It was a swanky, upscale establishment but there was some rich trash there. Seriously, the clothes...or lack thereof...were jaw dropping. I am certainly not a prude but it was shocking even for me. The food was great and the atmosphere was really fun. We had a great time there. We called Cliff back and he was back in a flash to pick us up. After he made a store run for me(I know, I'm not high maintenance at all!) he dropped us back off at the hotel and we sat there in a beautiful lobby/bar and talked for a little while longer. It had a great feel to it and it was impeccably done.
I love great ambiance and attention to detail!!
The next day we went back to market and were there for 12 hours. 12 hours I tell you! I was absolutely beat! We went back to the hotel to be greeted by Anthony once again and he made a few dinner suggestions. We went back up to the room and we got dressed and headed back out again. I asked him about the famous Penthouse Suite and he offered to give us a tour of it. The view from the terrace was nothing short of spectacular. We got the full tour and history of it and it was so interesting. We got to see where the secret doors and passage ways were and the panic room. It was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. After the tour, Cliff took us to this really neat restaurant called Sambucca. It had live music and the most amazing menu. We were joined by a friend of mine who is also in the lighting business and we got a table full of appetizers and side dishes. We were stuffed by the time we rolled out of there.
We saw and bought so many wonderful things this trip. We left Saturday afternoon and rolled in that evening. I was so glad to be able to get away with one of my best friends and relax. Of course, Landry was in great hands with the Barnharts. They took her to the Tomato Festival in Crystal Springs and even had her in the children's parade. I sent her with a red shirt and a green bow so she could be the MADER QUEEN. I was going to make her a sash but I ran out of time. Maybe next year.
Anyway, it was a great trip and it was very fruitful. I missed my girl...and guy something fierce but the trip was worth the effort.

Money Money Money!
I just looked at the Department of Treasury notice that came out in the paper on Sunday and Mike and I both have money due to us!! What an unexpected treat :). Between the both of us we had over $700 dollars to absolutely blow!!! We are going to really splurge when we go to Hawaii now. That will get us an extra excursion and maybe a nice dinner to boot. I love found money!!

Father's Day!
Mike was going over his day today and he said and meant that it just couldn't be any better. His list included:
1. Being able to sleep in till 9:30---his sweet wife had Landry in the other room on the other side of the house.
2. Going to church with his family. He took Landry to the alter and we both laughed at her when she tried to get his bread after she had already taken her own. She needed a double dose of the Lord today!
3. Pizza for lunch and Landry was so good and ate like a champ. :)
4. She took a great nap and let Mommy and Daddy get some things done.
5. We were invited to some neighborhood friends house and watched the US Open and ate a great dinner. They had leftovers from a family reunion yesterday so we ate like kings and queens...and no dishes!!!
6. He got a remote control helicopter to go along with his REAL helicopter ride when we go to Hawaii in July, a fishing rod and reel, and a his and hers matching golf glove. Not mine silly! Landry and Daddy have matching golf gloves. It is the cutest darn thing you have ever seen. The jury is still out on what hand is going to be dominant. Mommy is a lefty and Daddy is a righty.
6. Mommy gave Landry and Bella a bath...not at the same time, BTW.
7. Daddy and Landry relaxing with a cup of warm milk catching a little Dora before night night time.
8. The absolute TOPS of the day was when Landry was walking to her room and she grabbed his hand and then reached for mine and said 'hand, hand'. She wanted to walk with both of us and didn't want to go any farther until she had created a Landry sandwich. We just looked at each other. She steals the moment...so many times in a day. She walked between the of both of us to her bed happy as a clam. She got to her bed, reached up for her Daddy and he picked her up. She gave us our hugs and he laid her down. She clasped her hands together and we said our prayers and she said 'Night night'. We put her blanket on her and gave her her baby, we both looked down on her and told her we loved her. We told her night night and walked out....proud as two parents could ever be. In the grand scheme of things, does it get any better than a day like this?
Mike, I hope you had a great Father's Day. She is the epitome of a Daddy's Girl and I hope you know how much we love not just today but all year.

Prayers
I had one of the funniest things to ever happen to me today. I have been working with Landry on saying her prayers and when she figured out that we say them before meals and before nap and bed time, she has not since hesitated to remind me. She gets in her bed and clasps her hands together and says 'Prayers' and waits for me or her daddy to say them. She usually instigates it now and I can't tell you how proud I am to see her put those sweet little hands together.
Today, we went shopping at Academy Sports and I was standing there looking at some fishing rods and there were three managers nearby looking at a display. I asked them their opinion on which one I should get and was in the middle of a conversation when Landry grabbed my hands that were on the cart and pushed them together and looked me right in the eyes and said 'prayers'. Her eyebrows were cocked up and she looked like she meant business. I stopped my conversation with the managers and said 'Do you want Mama to say a prayer?' all the while chuckling to myself. Not only did she repeat herself, she looked at the managers and gave them the 'brow'. One by one, they all clasped their hands and bowed their heads. I am not kidding you!! This really happened and I am laughing out loud as I type this. I said 'Okay...God Bless ALLLL the people in Academy Sports. Amen!' Landry said 'Amen' and went on about her business. I told the managers that they didn't know they were going to go to church, did they?! I couldn't help but laugh and be so proud of my baby girl. She is really something. She was so funny yet also brought a message to these three men that even I could not do. They all had a good laugh about it but were so impressed with her that they just couldn't stop smiling and commenting on her.
When I told my Daddy about it today, he was so proud of her and THAT really makes this mama beam with joy. Landry, YOU are answer to so many of my prayers and I know that God lives because he truly lives in you, my child.

Reunion Recap
Where do I start?! I was so exhausted from all of the details of the reunion that some parts of it seem like a blur. Rhonda and Eric flew in on Thursday and we went straight to my Aunt Elaine's house. It was nice spending the evening with them and visiting. Landry always gets plenty of attention there and she feels right at home. On Friday, we decided to stay at the hotel where the Meet and Greet was being held so all we had to do was ride the elevator home. I really enjoyed seeing all of my old friends and was especially happy to see that everyone looked so happy and healthy. I wish more people had come but as much as I hate to say it, it was truly their loss. We had so much fun dancing and talking with everyone. We had a great turnout and Mike and I shut the place down!

My cousin, Mindy was sweet enough to watch Landry for the two evenings of my festivities and boy did she get spoiled ROTTEN! I knew that she was in great hands but never did I dream that she would be so loved and so happy there. She really took to her and her husband Jimmy and just made herself right at home. She waved bye-bye to me without batting an eye both nights I left her there. I was able to go and have a great time without any worries knowing that she was her care. Thank you, Mindy! We love you!

We picked Landry up for the family picnic and went to a park in Mobile. It was very nice but HOT...HOTTER than HOT...HOT HOT HOT!!!! We left there and went to my cousin Shawn's and enjoyed seeing his family and meeting his children for the first time. It was a short but nice visit. I went back to the hotel and started working on the final details of the video again.
I spent countless hours putting together over 230 images from our high school days to music that really put us back in the day! I asked people from our class to email me pictures of old and current pictures and several people sent in quite a few hilarious flashbacks. I laughed so hard looking at all of those pictures...especially all of my hair...I mean ALL of my hair. It was large and in charge. What the heck was I thinking?! When it came time to watch the video, we all sat there and watched the 17 minute trip down memory lane and we all laughed and oohhed and awwwed together as a group. I was pretty proud of it and everyone seemed to really enjoy it. We had a great venue for the actual reunion and I did most of the decorations for it. I also did the awards and MC'd that part of the night. It was a long night for me but well worth the effort. The funny thing is I never had time to take any pictures. Imagine that! Me without a camera! I just couldn't do it all so I had to let that part go. All in all it was a success and I really enjoyed myself. Landry and I got to spend the last night of Rhonda and Eric's visit in Biloxi with them. I couldn't have asked for a better visit. I hate that they couldn't bring the kids but it was really nice to see just her and Eric enjoying themselves for a change. She works so hard being a great mom that I really appreciated seeing her as my sister and a wife again. On my way back, I went by Julie's new house and saw one of the prettiest pieces of land I have ever seen. It is a little slice of heaven right there in Magee, MS! I am so happy for them. They have worked so hard to have this beautiful home and it's paid for!! I won't know feeling that for a while...what an accomplishment!
All in all, it was an unbelievable weekend. I was able to see friends...old and new and family that I haven't seen in a while. Life is nothing without God, Family and friends. Nothing that you have or wish for are more important than these. I am blessed with an abundance of all three.

20th Reunion
I know I was a slacker this past week but I was the busiest I have been in a long time. I was trying to get a project completed for the museum, get a video completed, awards purchased and pack us both for all of the weekend festivities. I will do a run down of the weekend tomorrow. I am just too beat to get it all in but I will tell you that it was an incredible weekend and I think that my contributions to the reunion went very well. The best part of all of it was that I got to see my sister, Rhonda. It wouldn't have been the same if she hadn't come so I am very thankful that she and Eric could be there. Here are a few sneak peaks....

SCARED!
Tonight I got the biggest scare! Landry was in the tub and she stood up and slipped. She started crying immediately and I knew something was really wrong. That girl is tough as nails and she brushed off some of the hardest spills I have ever seen without so much as a whimper. This time not so much. When I looked down the first thing I saw was blood coming from her mouth. I thought 'O My God..she's knocked a tooth out!' It took me a little while to make sure she hadn't jarred it loose but I think she ended up biting her lip more than anything. She was calmed down with in 3 or 4 minutes. I wish it only took me that long! I was a wreck after seeing blood pour from her little mouth. She didn't even know it was there. Don't you wish we were all that resilient?! I feel for any fella that tries to mess with her. I take odds on her any day.
This morning she got up to the altar and I stood her up right in front of me. I told her it was time to pray so she would fold her hands and she immediately did. She stood there so patiently. I noticed several people in the pews admiring her big girl skills and it made me so proud of her. Yesterday we had to take her to the doctor because she was getting hoarse. I was worried about her spiking a little fever too so we took her on in. It was mainly a teething thing. She tested negative for strep to that relieved us. We went to the Farmer's Market and got some veggies for dinner and came on home. It was so beautiful outside but I opted not to take her to the pool just in case. She is quite the fish so I want to get her out there as often as possible this summer. I can tell her to swim when she is in the bath tub and she'll turn on her stomach and say 'kickin kickin kickin! all the while thrashing those legs around like a true fish. She'll turn over on her back and try to float when I ask her if she wants to float. It is so funny. She fears nothing!
This week is going to be an extraordinarily busy week for me. I am heading to Mobile for my 20th high school reunion! I cannot believe it. How did all of the time pass? It will be a lot of fun catching up with old friends and seeing their families. My sister and her husband will be flying in too so I get to visit with her for several days...can't wait!
I have a few videos of Landry that I am dying to share with. I will upload them in the next few days.

Singing in the Rain...
Don't you love those extraordinary opportunities that life throws your way sometimes? For me it was such a sweet moment between me and the Bug today. I was sitting in the floor of my bedroom folding this mountain of laundry and all of the sudden I heard the back door fly open and Landry was jail breaking on me! Mike accidentally left it unlocked when he walked Bella this morning and she immediately found her way to the unmanned door. It was raining like crazy outside and all I saw was her little hand go out and reach for the rain drops. There is an area that pours out some water over the gutter and causes this sheet of rain to come down. Landry saw it and shrieked ' Shower! Shower! Shower!' I told her that WAS a shower but to come back to me. She wanted to get in it so badly...I could feel it in her bones! After less than a minute of thinking about it I finally just said go ahead and jump on in. She didn't waste any time getting under that waterfall. It was cool yet she still eased her way underneath the steady stream of water. I ran and got my camera and stood there while she just explored the situation and enjoyed her outside shower. She looked at me and said "Mommy...shower?" I told her to hold on hoping that she would get bored and want to get out of it before I had to go in. Landry was having none of it. She came over and picked up the bottom of my shirt and said 'OFF! OFF! OFF!' I guess since she knows that we don't usually have shirts on in the shower she thought that I needed to get prepared to get in! I told her that I had to keep mine on but I put my camera down, picked her up and we proceeded to have one of the best times I have ever had with her. She LOVED being in the outside shower with her mama and I really think she knew this was something kind of special. We danced around in the rain and I literally got soaking wet. It poured on us and I can't imagine not having taken advantage of that one precious moment with her. I am so thankful I did. It makes me appreciate the little things I share with her each and every day. If I had to miss a moment like that to make an extra buck, I would hate it. I know that most people these days don't have the luxury to make that choice but I thank God(and Mike) every day that I do. Singing in the rain today with my daughter has got to be on my Top 5 all time favorite things I have ever done. It just goes to show you that some of the most valuable things in life are absolutely free. We were....siiiiinging in the raaaain....just siiiiiinging in the raaaaain! What a glorious feeling...I'm so haaaappy again!

Do some thing out of the ordinary today...you'll be so glad you did.

Grandaddy and Grandma
I can't even begin to tell you how happy I was to see my Daddy and my stepmother during our trip to Florida. I don't know how it could be much better than spending time with Kelley, my sweet family and my Daddy all in one week! It was a blue ribbon week for me! When Mike came in last Monday we spent some time on the beach and in the pool with Landry. She is such an easily adaptable child. She just goes with the flow and nothing seems to faze her. I love that about her and I hope that is one characteristic that she holds on to. It will serve her well in so many ways.
When we were at my Daddy's, I noticed all of his medals framed and on the wall. I had never seen them before like that and I asked him what they all meant. While he was explaining them to me I began to get a little emotional. I didn't expect it to come on like that but it did. I stood there in awe as he to explained all of them(and there were many) and I felt myself well up with pride for a man that has already been my hero my whole life. The one medal that was especially important to me was the one he received for the work he did in at Tan Mai Orphanage in Vietnam. It kind of took my breath away to think of all the things that our soldiers do and have done to give us all this life we live. There are so many components to our military, war and freedom. Those that don't have a history with the military could not possibly understand what the cost of FREEDOM really is. I know this sounds like a Memorial Day post and maybe it is a belated one but seeing those ribbons and metal all strategically placed in a case made me think a little longer and little harder about how and and why I am here. My story is a fairy tale and I am one lucky princess.