Ok, so this unplanned 3 month blog hiatus was glorious! I have had the opportunity to be a part of some very incredible (and fun!) events in the lives of family and friends.
The hiatus kicked off with Stephanie's annual Memorial Day visit to me! This year did not disappoint (as it never does). Well...ok, so there was a minor blip at the beginning of the weekend when my body decided to revolt and gave me a fever/chills/kidney infection. BUT thanks to the great team at my Dr's office, they got me feeling better in no time at all! Thanks Steph for putting up with my sick-self and making the rest of the weekend so much fun :) She was then off to interview for an amazing job in a new city so she can be a part of a church plant....of course she got the job! Who want this girl on their team?!
Next up was my nephew's pre-school graduation. Believe me. pre-k graduation was big news around here with most of his family living in our city AND he is the first grandkid/nephew on both sides of the family. Let me tell you, this boy is LOVED!
Of course I can't mention the nephew without mentioning the niece! You cannot deny her cuteness factor. You just cant. I mean, I will not allow you to deny it. She'll be 5 months this month and is lovingly nicknamed The Princess. She is turning into one girly little girl! The apple does not fall far from the "Auntie Tree" or so my sister in-law tells me ;)
Now, this next event is what really made this whole hiatus glorious. My best friend went and got married to the man of her dreams and I had the privilege of being her Maid of Honor! (Thankfully, those duties were shared with her Matron of Honor and my very dear friend, Amy.) The whole weekend was such a great reminder of expecting and waiting for God's best in all areas of life. Shelby and Tanner's wedding was probably the most emotional/God-filled wedding I have ever been to. You could not deny their love or that they are perfect for each other. Not to mention they're both absolutely beautiful people! You should seriously check out their photos here and then immediately hire Jen McDonald for your next event.
While at Shelby and Tanner's wedding (or affectionately known as Shanner) my brother turned the big 3-0! He is certainly handsome, a great husband and an amazing dad. Love you big-bro!
Just call me world-traveler because exactly 24 hours after I got home from Shelby and Tanner's wedding, I hopped on a plane for France. Yes, France! I went there for my step-sister's wedding. Talk about wedding-palooza. Two in one week, but I wasn't in this one. I just got to attend and enjoy the beauty that is Nice, France. It really was one of the most gorgeous places I have ever been in my life. While there I stayed in a villa (with views of the Mediterranean from my room), was a part of a wedding scavenger hunt that took us all over old town Nice and through some ruins, climbed to the top of Eze Village, walked the streets of Monaco, bought food in an Italian open air Market, dipped my toes in the Mediterranean Sea, spent some quality time with my Dad & family, ate some of the best food I have ever consumed, and witnessed my sister marry her man in one of the most beautiful settings ever. (you check out my photos on facebook)
Even though I had a spectacular time in France, I was thankful to come home and sleep in my own bed! Which is what I did as soon as I crossed the threshold of my room...fell head-first into bed and woke up the next morning for work. Yes, as crazy as it sounds, I actually went to work the morning after I returned from Europe. Would you believe me if I told you that I didn't have jet lag? Well, you should because it's true. I somehow missed out on the whole jet lag thing both going to and coming home from France. I think I'll take that as confirmation I should travel the world more often.
July 4th was something I was looking forward to because it meant a day off from work AND going to visit my good friend Angela in central Florida. We walked 3 miles (6 miles round trip) to and from the July 4th festival, ate lots of Tijuana Flats, visited with college buddies I haven't seen in a long time, shopped, and went to her church (her pastor is 7ft tall!).
Think I'm done? Not quite....my next adventure was tubing down the Ichetucknee River with a group from my church....highlight of the tubing adventure? Passing a woman in her tube that got the rear of swimsuit caught on something under the water...ha!
Alright, now to cap off the three month glorious adventure of a blog hiatus with a trip to my dad's for a quick weekend visit. We ate Thai food from Thai Nana (the BEST Thai food ever), went out on the boat, anchored at an island and swam for awhile, took the niece into the Gulf for the first time, looked for shells with the nephew, saw Mama Mia and sang Abba songs with several hundred other show-goers, and relaxed at the house before we had to make the trek back home.
I think I've done enough to fill a year, but I would do it all over again. For sure. I have no clue what the next 3 months holds other than family, friends, work, zumba, reading, church life and hoping in God. If that's all I get, I'll be full. Although, I have a feeling there is more to be had than that. We will see, wont we? :o)
-Ali
