Eureka!

Last weekend, D and I went to a little town outside of Eureka Springs to help a couple from our team move into their new place. We left a little early so that we could do a little sightseeing in Eureka before unloading their U-Haul. We went to Christ of the Ozarks first. It's this huge statue of Jesus that overlooks the beautiful Ozarks. It's a little creepy, but still neat to say you've seen it.

Outside of the entrance, there was an actual piece of the Berlin Wall. D knows what it says, so I'll have him remind me later.

For lunch, we stopped at this cute little sandwich shop. They had decorated everything in red, white, and black, and Coca-Cola. It was so cute! They had "old fashioned" ice cream and everything! Great lunch!

After lunch, we were off to help unload the U-Haul! Jeremy and Eliza, we're so glad that you're closer to us!

Happy Birthday to me

I've had the most wonderful birthday this year! I got the day off of work, which was a great start. I had a relaxing morning, with nothing to do. I was so lazy; it was great! Then in the afternoon, I went over to my friend Katie's house and worked on my scrapbook. I finished two 2-page layouts, which was a wonderful accomplishment! :) Then we went to my favorite pizza place to eat dinner. It was Daniel and I, Daniel and Amanda, Laura Jean, Josh and Katie, and Scott. We had a blast laughing and eating. Yum! Later that night, Daniel and I and Scott all went to see Harry Potter. I really enjoyed it!

The next day at work, my boss surprised me with a miniature cake and a gift certificate. So I spent the whole day "shopping". :) Then, on Friday, our small group from church got together for a cook out. They all surprised me by bringing cards and birthday cake! They're the best!

*I want to give a special shout-out to my hubby. He's been great with the birthday thing this year! He got me the new cd from Barlow Girl, with an autographed copy of the album cover!! He also got me a new dress! He also made the most amazing ice cream cake ever! He's the best hubby!*

So, a new wallet, dress, and CD, lots of money from family, 4 birthday cakes, and many cards later, I'm a wonderfully content lady! Thanks to all who helped make it that way! :D

You asked for it!

So I thought I'd post some pics taken while using my new lens. They're not the best ones cause I need to save something for my show coming up in October! But at least you'll get an idea of what it can do!! I'm so excited to have it! :D

The first one is of the hermit crab we've been pet-sitting. His name is Hermes. Isn't he cute?!! This picture was taken from across the room!

Next is of a butterfly on the rain gutter. Can you see the rain drops, and the nails in the wood? That gives you just a bit of perspective.

And last is of me. D thought he'd try his hand at photography! Wish he had a better subject to shoot, though! ;) Maybe next time!!

I have the BEST Dad in the whole world!

I love you, Daddy.

New Toy

I took photos for a friend in May. After meeting with her to show her the pictures, I was ecstatic to find a check for way more than I charged her in my purse. *Thanks, Mica!!* Guess what? It was enough to purchase a new addition to my photography equipment!

Yesterday, it came in the mail. My new lens. Ahh. It's SO beautiful! It's a telephoto lens that allows me to see so much from far away. I can't wait to go play and take some photos! Here's a link to the kind I got:

http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=5&productNr=2161

So what do you think?!

Your Blogging Type Is the Private Performer

Your blog is your stage - with your visitors your adoring fans. At least, that's how you write with your witty one liners. And while you like attention, you value your privacy. You're likely to have an anonymous blog - or turn off comments.

What's Your Blogging Personality?

...And the rocket's red glare...

Ahh. July the 4th. It's such a great day, right? Relaxing, grilling, family, and of course FIREWORKS! Usually, we go to the local community display of fireworks that play that cheesy music that we all love. But this year was different.

Daniel's family have introduced us to the annual "Fireworks War". Yes. You read right. A fireworks war! Imagine... saving your hard earned money all year so you can spend it on fireworks. Imagine 2,000 dollars worth of fireworks. Imagine that's wholesale pricing. That's a lot of fireworks. Imagine building a fort. And canons. Huge face shields that the Chicago police use. Lots of body protection. And of course, a fire extinguisher.

A bell rings, and suddenly there are fireworks being shot from both sides. The Mongoose and the Cobras fighting each other. Some of them have put hundreds of fireworks in big buckets and have lit them all... now THAT is quite a sight! Let me just post some pictures. Cause they're a LOT better than my words!! Keep in mind that these pictures are from the first half only. During the second half, there were some pretty awesome sights as well! But I didn't get any shots. Be sure and click on this post's title. There's a link to the official "Fireworks War" website. Bo is D's cousin. They've got tons of pics and even some video of previous wars!


Cobras Fort. Do you see the canon?


Mongoose Fort. GO MONGOOSE!!! (or is it "monGEESE"?)


The small stash at Mongoose. Those tubs are FULL of fireworks! They even had a "secret" stash, probably about the same size! And of course the fire extinguisher. Safety first!

Transform Your Life

We're doing a new series at our church about transforming our lives. Here is a little video to help promote the new series. If any of you are in the area, you should come by and check it out! Today's lesson was great!