Feb 29, 2012

Weird Things I Do

     I’m aware that most of my blog posts during 2012 have revolved around my photo-a-day project. Other than that, my blog posts this year have been lacking excitement or substance in both writing AND photography quality. I think that is a result of writer’s block & an in-between stage of life. I went to college, I got into photography, I planned a wedding, I wedded, I honeymooned, I work, Marcus works. Not much else happening here. And when not much else is happening here, I have a weird habit. I go into the dark recesses of my digital photography archives and find a picture that makes me feel nostalgic. And since you clicked on my blog today, you’ll have to accompany me into my strange habits

      I found this one in a 2007 folder. This me & my friend Sam having a dance lesson in the guard break room at Lagoon Water Park on the Norfolk Naval Base. 2007 was my second year as the head guard/on-scene manager for that pool. As you can see below, I was extremely professional and focused only on rescues and discipline. And funny enough, I remember this picture was taken on a cell phone of a guy that was fired maybe a few weeks later. Anyways, this was a happy, happy, happy carefree summer. I was a junior in college, probably taking summer classes-I did every summer, and still had every glimmer of being the best first grade teacher ever. I was living in my beachelorette pad, country line dancing with my friends at the Banque, teaching swim lessons, and dating a guy named Mike.  Sam wasn’t married yet, but enjoyed receiving flowers in her locker from Todd a couple times that summer. We were becoming BFF’s after working together the previous winter at the indoor pool. I loved my little job as Head Guard at a pool where I had worked for the three summers before. I knew all the patrons & families, babysat for quite a few of them even, and all most of my staff. Honestly, my years at Lagoon deserve a post of it’s own so I won’t sell it short here but every time I think of them, Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days” plays in my head.

Dancing! 

     And for nostalgia overload picture number two, let’s go with….

My OTHER BFF Sam & our friend Eric, breaking it down in a Wendy’s drive thru, vying for shotgun in my green Grand Prix. I was the judge. This oldie but goodie was taken in December of 2005, our first year of college. I had to choose this one because my friend Sam just announced she was pregnant last week!!!! And Erik? He’s only going to be in the next Twilight movie. No big deal, y’all. {!!!!!!} Not that I have read or seen any Twilight books/movies, but seeing as how the-shy-boy-who-moved-in-down-the-street-from-me-during-our-junior-year-of high-school-and-wouldn’t-talk-to-me-on-the-bus-but-later-became-a-good-friend is in it? I’ll be there.

I just love this picture. Love that is was probably 3 in the morning. Love that riding shotgun next to me was worth a impromptu dance contest in a dark parking lot of Wendy’s.

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Alright, now that I need a box of tissues, I’ll have to stop there. Happy Wednesday friends!

Feb 26, 2012

Week 8

     I’m not going to lie to you…my photo-a-day project was reeeeaally scrambling this week.

Monday~ Just a few short years ago I was just your average lukewarm, nominal, cafeteria Catholic. Then I prayed and asked God for just one Catholic friend. He answered by sending me a huge Catholic young adult community..not to mention an amazing Catholic husband. Now I would consider myself an on-fire, passionate Catholic. And it all started with Eucharistic Adoration. There was a young adult community in Virginia Beach that focused solely on this tradition. It did wonders for my faith-that weekly opportunity to sit at the feet of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Now it is an honor for me to be on the leadership of that same young adult community. One reason I love Monday evenings.

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Tuesday~ Lucy Grace’s baptism!!

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Wednesday~ When Marcus’ grandma came in town for our niece’s baptism, she brought a little ornament she had made for Marcus. Now I just need to paint in his number

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Thursday~ As you can see..I was not feeling well. The book under the tissue box, 3,000 degrees, kept me company as I nursed myself back to health. It was a really great book- a heroic but heartbreaking book, but not the smartest selection to read when your husband is in the throes of his “SCBA hell week” during Fire Academy

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Friday~ Marcus finishes SCBA hell week. Two of his classmates dropped out and all of the class is exhausted, sore and relieved it is over. To celebrate, we go to bed at 7:30 and watch old Sherlock Holmes movie. I’m not really into Sherlock Holmes, but after reading this book with my book club, I was intrigued and checked out some some movies from the library.     feb photo of the day 125

Saturday~ Okay, friends. I didn’t take a picture of the day on Saturday. I was too busy having an emotional meltdown. God bless Marcus. I have those things from time to time. After I got over myself, I realized I really should have taken a picture. Saturday afternoon we went and participated in 40 days for life {go sign up for an hour during Lent!!} and went on a date. But don’t worry! I won’t leave you picture-less! I snapped this incriminating picture on Tuesday morning…. looks like SOMEBODY was too worn out to put the new toilet paper roll where it goes! NOT COOL!

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Sunday~ Good thing that somebody is so stinkin’ cute {even when you have a cold so bad that you resort to wearing breathe-right strips!}

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So, I have to apologize for my half-hearted attempt at pictures last week. I’ll do better next week!

Feb 24, 2012

All my friends are dummies…

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but they sure make me look smart!**

**{as cleverly quipped by my mother when I showed her these pictures on my camera last week}

Feb 22, 2012

What I won’t be eating on Ash Wednesday

     Last Thursday I went to visit my friend Sam for a while before I headed into work.

Sam looks like this {she is the one in white in the middle}:

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Her & her handsome husband made a baby that looks like this:

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Here is what I look like with their baby:

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But that is not the point of today’s post.

When I was at Sam’s house she decided she was going on a diet & wanted to clean out her pantry & for me to take it out of her house. This is what she scrounged up:

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3 boxes of Teddy Grahams, 1/2 bag of peanut M & M’s, a box of snowcaps, 2 Luna Bars & 2 boxes of sugar cookie mix. The prenatal vitamins look a little out of place, but maybe she thought they would help balance my new teddy graham-sugar cookie-peanut M&M’s diet out.

Today, a week later, some or all of those foods may or may not be….uhhh…demolished. Taken care of. Eaten.

Sigh. I am such a good friend.

Feb 21, 2012

Lil Wayne

     I honestly don’t know much about about Lil Wayne or his music. Except that he is a rapper, been incarcerated, and {from the trustworthy source of Wikipedia he claims to be Catholic. While I am not sure he is the best poster boy for Catholicism..he did write a song called How To Love with a strong pro-life & love message/video. See it here.

     Last Weekend, Marcus showed me a parody of that song.  And I still can’t stop laughing…

 

Feb 20, 2012

It doesn’t take much to entertain me

     Despite my common usage of the word “y’all” & the  country music presets on my radio..let’s face it friends,  I am a city girl. I grew up in Norfolk, Virginia where the view of the starry nights is obscured by carriers, battleships, and downtown in all it’s Dominion tower height. I might add that I am a reluctant city girl. I love where I grew up- the culture & diversity of Hampton Roads, but I really, really love some things about my fake country life in Chesapeake. I call it a fake country life because Chesapeake is really suburbia with some leftover farms & wide open spaces. Nevertheless, when I drive out of my neighborhood I see horses! During the summer, I hit up the farmer’s market stands! I love the quiet drives on Mt. Pleasant, Elbow Road & Centerville! And I especially, especially LOVE the cows at Bergey’s! Every time I  go spend my life savings there invest in their amazing sandwiches and homemade ice cream, I always book it to the barn to look at the cows. Without fail, I usually squeal in delight at the sheer proximity of the cows to myself. When I am done squealing, I entertain myself by feeding them all the nearby grass and hay I can get my hands on. It. never.gets.old. I love a cow!!!

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Here I am, just chatting with these country folk..

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Here is the cow, chatting with Marcus. I don’t know what they were talking about, but Marcus looks kind of offended..   photo-a-day 183

We also took our friend Isaac out to see the cows, hoping he was as easily entertained as me. But then we remembered he was from the country {i.e Blacksburg, Va} where cows are a common occurrence. He humored me though, as I noisily encouraged him to talk to them & pet them

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Oh cows..you are so beautiful…

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……….except when you make faces like this and hog all the delicious grass from your brother cow…. photo-a-day 205 photo-a-day 206    

Chances are, if you come over to my house, I will take you to see these cows..all the while exclaiming things like “isn’t this AMAZING!!!!” and “These cows make me so happy!!” or “ Let’s go buy a farm!”

Don’t worry though…the ice cream at Bergey’s alone would make up for my odd & obnoxious affection for cows and all things country.

Feb 19, 2012

Week 7

Monday

I call this one ‘ St. Valentine’s Day Prep!’ After work I rushed home to make some spicy roasted almonds & A pack of 52 things I love about you playing cards as well as some other kindergartner-esque Valentines.

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Tuesday

After a morning helping out at Marcus’ mom’s flower shop {http://www.flowersbykings.com/} followed by an afternoon at work, I was so happy to come home to this on Tuesday night

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Wednesday

On Wednesday evening, I went to my little brother’s boy scout troop to teach CPR!

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Thursday

Hanging with baby Graham & his mama, Sam!  This boy is BEAUTIFUL!

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Friday

My little brother Patrick has been playing Violin since he was around 5. Last June, after he saw the movie Fiddler on the Roof, he decided he wanted to learn to play the intro violin part. And last Friday, he did…with Kathleen accompanying. So, so, so cool! It may or may not have made me cry.

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Saturday

Clearly, I’m not a shoe person. I will wear them until they fall apart. I finally retired these flip-flops..

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Sunday

While running errands in the miserable cold rain earlier today Marcus asked if I had any chapstick. I happily dug through my purse and offered him 5 different options. Turns out chapstick expires…

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That’s all folks! I know I’ve been a lame blogger this month but I promise lots of posts this week! Also, Marcus starts his Fire Dept “Hell Week” tomorrow…with a sore throat & other respiratory symptoms. Please offer up some prayers for him!

Feb 17, 2012

Sometimes

     Sometimes, bad days strike. Sometimes, you just don’t like yourself. On those sometimes, I remember that THEY like me!! WOOHOO!

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Then, sometimes I remember how stinkin’ blessed I am. Sometimes, I eat a piece of chocolate to reinforce all the blessings.

It works for me, y’all. I highly recommend the chocolate part at the end.

Feb 15, 2012

The ways we are loved

     I wanted to do a Valentine’s Day post just like every other blogger out there, but I also wanted to avoid a newlywed, mushy-gushy, blissful Valentines post. So here is my take on  St. Valentine’s Day this year~

     Thankfully, love has been no stranger to me. From the moment God created me out of love, My mom:

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and my dad:

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welcomed my colic-y little self into their crazy little world, already consisting of a 4 and a 2 year old, ebbing & flowing with the patterns of Navy Life. Little did I know on June 9, 1986, that God {and my parents} had already prepared two great sources of love & joy for me already at home.

My older sister Mindy:

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and my older brother Chris:

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When I was four years old, my parent’s brought home another blonde baby, who would become yet another best friend.

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Kathleen arrived when I was in the third grade….giving the girls a majority rule for a couple years..

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Patrick came last & stole everybody’s heart. He still does.

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So to my Mom & Dad,

     Thank you for my siblings. Every one of them is a gift & has taught me about love.

And to my siblings,

    For the way you’ve loved me. With unconditional, welcoming, protective, joyful, mischievous, partner-in-crime, forgiving, strong, supportive, encouraging, teaching, helpful, challenging, funny love. I can’t wait for many more years & many more memories with you all. Thanks for putting up with the girl in the middle!

Finally to God,

     “For {You} so loved the world, that {You} gave {Your} only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

Feb 13, 2012

Marcus’ Birthday {Part 2}

     We celebrated Marcus’ birthday with both sides of our family on Saturday night at Warrior’s Mongolian BBQ. Since both of us have big families AND busy families we are in awe that everybody made it out! We spent 3.5 hours there laughing, talking,  making multiple trips to the buffet, eating cupcakes AND demanding some of Warrior’s delicious cookies. A family of fatty’s :) I brought my camera along for the trip!

Some manly, undecorated cupcakes.

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A cutie pie!

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Some laughing

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friendly brother-in-law picture

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My Dad, Jillian, Isaac & Dad Croft

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Mom & Dad Croft

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Emily & Brock {with Lucy, hiding!}

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Patrick & Chris {we missed you, Brian}

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Marcus & I with Cecilia

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Thanks, Marcus, for having a birthday! I’m grateful for the unlimited sugar still circulating from the celebrations..chocolate chip cookies, cheesecake, cupcakes & about a pound of leftover icing! It feels like my birthday, too!

And a big thank you to our parent’s & siblings with busy schedules for coming together for Marcus!

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