Vacation

*Sigh* That was blissful!

We went to Outer Banks for a week and did simply nothing.

We rented the nicest little condo.

The perfect part about a condo is that the kitchen comes fully stocked and you can go for a week of vacation, but really not have to eat out at all if you wish. And we're weird like that so we mostly packed our own food. Including fruit loops. Just like our first honey moon.

 Except we skipped the chocolate milk this time.

Maybe that is the real difference between 19 and 24 yr olds.

The beach was awesome but the highlight of our trip was the segway tour that we took. Segways are fantastic and if you ever get the chance to ride one, take the opportunity!

The tour was of a historic village and our tour guide told stories of the family who built this house during the prohibition. Apparently they were a wealthy family of duck hunters, the wife of whom was a fairly outspoken woman!

The story goes that they had a large party one Saturday night and everyone was there, enjoying the beverages that were offered, including the preacher who got quite hammered. The next morning there was the preacher, boldly preaching in church on the horrors of alcohol and how everyone ought to abstain from it. This Mrs. caught wind of what he was speaking on and although she never graced the doors of the church normally, she marched right in, still in her nightgown, to line him out for being a hypocrite. 

I thought the house was beautiful and unique.

 And the surrounding village that built up there was quaint and fun to see.The one room school house is still in use today by the few locals who live in Corolla county. 

 Lighthouses...

And Beaches...

Miles and Miles of beaches to be exact. And best of all, most of them had very few people. 

My husband does have a love for history, just like me, so we toured a ton of the islands, searched for a few old shipwrecks, and studied up on some of the fun history of the place. We were too late to watch the play of The Lost Colony but we went to Roanoke Island and toured the state park that tells the bits and pieces of what happened and what John White did when he returned to find them all gone. 

Roanoke Island was also home to a colony for freed slaves during the Civil War. 

The Wright Brothers Museum was intriguing. 

The monument:

One of the original motors that they used is on display.

 Or what is left of it because it is from one of their crashes. 

Those two brothers sure were determined! And when you think about the history of air travel and how quickly it moved, it really is amazing! Realize that 1903 was when the brothers finally flew 600 feet and in 1910-1915 range a few more people built airplanes of their own and by WWII bomber planes were used in war.

 My favorite of all the pilots recognized at the museum was Calbraith Perry Rodgers. He was the first man to fly across the country. In case you can't read his little plaque, I will tell you about him because I liked him. 

 

In 1912 a publisher offered $50,000 to the first person who could fly across the country in 30 days or less. Calbraith paid one of the Wright brothers' technicians $70/day to come along with him by train as his mechanic. He made thirty stops across the country, nineteen of which were crashes and the plane was virtually rebuilt by the time he arrived. Although he missed the deadline by 19 days, he still received the award for being the first person to fly from NY to CA and he landed in front of 20,000 spectators. 

A few months later, right near where he landed in California originally, he was making an exhibition flight and flew into a flock of birds, severely crashing his plane into the ocean. He died shortly, making him the 127th airplane fatality in the nine years of aviation history, but the first to die as a result of a flock of birds.

On our last night there, we sat on the beach till well after dark.

I am pretty sure that the ocean is the most magnificent force that God created. It is fascinating and bold, yet so relaxing at the same time. I'm pretty sure that Blake enjoyed sitting on the beach or walking through the waves as much or possibly even more than I did. :)

I'm so thankful that we got to go. It was definitely our the best anniversary ever! 

5 Years to Us!

 2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Oh how I like this guy!

 Love you babe!

Summertime

It has been wonderful. 

Short & Fast. 

Refreshing & Encouraging. 

 Fun & Tiring.

Seriously last winter was awful. Spring was fast. And now it's September, which means fair time, which means leaves change colors, which means fall already. It's ok. At least there is actually fall here.

We have spent so much time trying to clean our place up, but we've also done some really fun things so all in all, I'd say we've had one awesome summer. 

(Side note: I've only gone to one truck pull this whole summer and I'm not even very sad about that! There are so many other things to do on those Saturday nights....)

My friend Sandra lived with us for four months and recently moved to her own place. 

Blake has really enjoyed mowing the lawn with his big mower. 

I tried, but that day I needed a bit of an attitude adjustment anyway, so we just came to the agreement that as long as he has time to mow, he can take that job. 

Besides, he loves it because it's relaxing--- and he can't hear his phone ring!

We got our stumps ground after removing all those trees in May when Dad was out here. 

Slowly but surely I'm turning that back disaster into a back yard. There is still a section of it that I need to haul more dirt into and then just rototill the whole area. 

Josh helped me rip out all the half dead hedges in front of  my house. 

I planted a couple new plants and hopefully next year I can plant a couple more. Anything is better than what was there!!!

We've also burned lots of brush but there still is a lot to get to... at some point.

We've had a couple big fun birthday parties. I like those kind of things.

I've done a little corn and some berries went in the freezer, but I'm thankful that I didn't try to tackle a garden this year. There just was too much going on for me to try to add that one in too!

I got my ASE certification as Service Consultant. I'm rather proud of myself because a few years ago, I truly had no concept of holding a job, never mind managing a business and billing stuff about vehicles!

Side note: I've always thought that ASE certifications are a bit of a money making scheme, but we wanted to get on a Napa Auto Care program and that was the one requirement that we'd never met. Only one person in the shop had to have a number, so I got the first ASE number, but since then we sent all the guys to take the light diesel test. I'm not the only one with a certification now. :)

Some friends of ours rented a pontoon boat with us one Sunday and we spent the whole blissful day cruising on the lake. That was fun! 

I polyed my pantry and got it all shiny and useable weeks after my dad so sweetly built it for me! 

 (I still love it!)

I got to spend a little bit of time with my friend who I rarely see, even though I only live an hour away from her! Her kids are great though. :)

And one of the best things ever (Yes, I'm weird)... My husband got a dumpster for scrap metal! This.is.wonderful. Like big time wonderful. 

No more piles of stuff that I think might be junk but might not be. No more truck beds half falling apart and piled high with scrap, then the skid steer tipping forward while trying to load it on the trailer. No more loading the trailer like this,

using tons of straps, and still hoping that everything would stay on for the twenty miles to the scrap yard. No more A lot less unsightly stuff.  Just one big dumpster. I love it!

Summer is just wonderful! 

1 Year

As of September 1st last year, we had completely moved into our new place. Since today is one year, I'd say we have made it to an awesome mile marker. 

This is where I call home.This is where I've put down my roots. I love it.

And I am so, so thankful!

 I'm so glad that we can't see into the future or I might have wanted to give up. The work of the actual move last year was overwhelming, but the time and energy that has gone into organizing everything... plus just keeping up with the extra jobs that our new location has brought us... has been exhausting.

I've gone thru some real low times and some great highs over the year, but I have to say that I love life. I love where God has brought us. And I love all that is behind us because it will give me greater perspective for all that is to come. I don't know what all is next, but I'm ready. :)