I just had a conversation with myself. It went something like this...
"Self...I would just like to know what normal, healthy, soul would choose to live in a climate such as this one - shown above and below? By choice?"
What on earth possesses me to put up with this torturous Indiana environment? I have a husband that would move south - to Florida in an instant - the second I said the word. However, I choose to continue basking in the gray, dark, dreary, cold, skies of an Indiana winter/early Spring. What possesses me to keep enduring this? Who possesses me to keep enduring this is more like it. Yes, you all know who...! It's my lovely parents that keep my soul grounded here in Indiana. It is they who beacon my heart and to whom which I could never bare the thought of trading this...
For this...
or even this...
Yes, it is my parents whom I give up this...
and this...
and him...
and her...
for.
I willingly give all of it and all of "them" up for my parents. Why? Because I'd be like a light house without a light, a beach without waves, like sand without sea shells, or like a palm tree without leaves. Simply put...I'd be 'a life without life' if my parents weren't within driving range of me. Not just any driving range either but no more than a 45 minute driving range at that. Even a span of 45 minutes is technically too far. Too distant for my health. Too gapped for my comfort level. Therefore, I know that unless they pack up and ever come with us, I'll always be giving up this...
and them...
and beach access #5 with the lost glasses...
for this...
Thankfully though...in less than 36 hours...we'll once again be back in our home away from home. The place that makes Indiana "doable." The place where doing this...
makes "Hoosier Life" livable.
The place where I hope to find and shoot many more new and interesting beach shots for all of you - my treasured AGD blog readers - in the coming week. The place that makes the word "vacation" cause heart palpitations. Especially for me.
Thanks for always putting up with my count downs as we approach our family beach get-a-ways. I know it must get old, boring, and monotonous for most of my readers. However, it is a part of me that cannot be tamed. My love for the beach always overflows within me to the point where it's uncontainable. I truly appreciate how each of you allow me to share my love for the sea here - on the blog - no matter how many times you must see me write/post/photograph it. In a nutshell, thanks for allowing me to "rub it in" so to speak and yet have you still love me. :) Bottom line, just want to give ya'll a big, HUGE, thanks for letting me share my obsession with each of you so very often.
Until the 24 hour countdown begins tomorrow, thank you. Thank you. Thank you! xoxo, Angie
PS...And just in case you were wondering...my parents are wayyyyyyyy worth the trade off. :)
I am not much of a country music fan. I like all varieties of music but country is just one of those arenas where I only like a select few artists. And those artists have to be darn near perfect or they don't keep my attention span at all! I've never really been able to feel like I could "rock it out" with most country music singers. In fact, most times I feel like country can drag me down - rather than pep me up. It's that slow swagger or twang in most country songs that make me want to put my hands over my ears and scream out loud just to make it all stop. Almost like being in a dirty, smoky, bar with loud music that you just can't escape. Ya know what I mean? Surely some of you do. However, if there is one country singer that does allow me to "rock it out," it would be Martina McBride. On my bucket list in life is the dream of seeing her live in and in concert. She released a new CD last week and within her collection of new songs, I've discovered my new theme song in life. It's called RIDE! If you haven't heard it or seen the video for it yet, click HERE. Also, if you aren't very familiar with Martina, go HERE and take a listen to this new interview with her. The woman has eyes to die for and she really knows how to grip your heart strings with the words to her songs. This new theme song of mine (RIDE) makes you want to propel yourself onto the Pacific Coast highway or route 66 - all while rolling down your convertible top, throwing your hat to the wind, and steering with one hand while the other is stretched high into the sky with the wind racing thru your fingers at mach 25. The song RIDE has juicy - soul gripping lyrics like...
"Faith is believing you can close your eyes and touch the sky
To shine while you have the chance to shine
Laugh even when you want to cry
Hold on tight to what you feel inside and ride."
Then, my favorite of favorite songs on her new CD would be LIES. Break out a box of Kleenex's for that one because it will crumble your knees instantly and have you on the floor 60 seconds into the song itself. Breaks your heart! And lastly, my other fav on the CD is one I'd dedicate to my husband if ever given the chance. It's called "I just call you mine." It reminds me so much of Brent, how I feel about him, and how others view him. One of the best lines in that song is "You are a standing ovation - everyone calls you amazing - I just call you mine!" LOVE IT! If you'd like to hear her sing it, go to this linkand fast forward to about 4:20 on the video.
All in all, this new CD of Martina's rocks the house! I soaked it up over and over again with the windows down and my sunroof rolled back today - all the while pretending I was driving down the Pacific Coast highway, one hand on the wheel, and the other stretched high into the sky with the wind racing thru my fingers at mach 25. It was a superb day and this new CD made it even better. For now, I'm off to go finish stuffing suitcases with beach goods and then we are headed out to have dinner with my Dad and Cathy. They want to ladle up those grandkids of theirs one more time before we fly out Thursday morning. Can't say that I blame them! :) Hope you are all enjoying your Monday and that your week is off to a spectacular start!
Last night...I was in the kitchen throwing out things from the fridge that I didn't think we were going to finish in time. Amongst those things were these strawberries. They were a bit wilted and I didn't see us consuming them in the next few days. However, when I sat them on the counter and went to put them in my "pitch" pile, Kenidi had a fit and wanted some of them. She was fresh out of the tub and began diving into them. I began placing them on a platter to rinse off and cut the stems from. She was eating them as fast as I could clean them. It was hysterical. She goes through phases like this. One minute she'll eat something - the next minute she detests it. Last night though, strawberries were clearly on her "fav" list.
She had me cracking up as she woofed down all that I put out there. I decided to grab Big Papa (of course) and practice with my new Nikon SB-900 Speedlight Flash. This flash needs a photography course all for itself. Just another new thing for me to soak up and learn about. In the meantime, it sure is fun to practice with all of the colored gels and the diffuser it came with. Big Papa just got a bit "bigger" so to speak. ;)
This 1960's overlay above is great - even with strawberries in the teeth...
And below...just me, her, the strawberries and the camera...
She was loving it!
This one below is a perfect depiction of the "excited Kenidi." She does this whenever she is really beaming about something. LOVE THAT!
Oh come on Mommy...I'll take some more - even the ones without the stems cut off yet...
Never fear...this last one was a clean and shaved one. Hee hee!
And for all you twilight fans out there...How about a little strawberry rather than an apple...? HA!
Too fun! Just enjoying the small things this morning. That includes the sweet, bright colored, strawberry moments with my daughter. And as for Brennen? Nope, he doesn't eat strawberries. Imagine that. He isn't a fruit child at all. I keep trying to tell him that he is really missing out. What...no wilted strawberries for my little Rockstar? Nooooooo! Nevah!
Off to my hair appointment now. Time for Jason to ROCK the "do" as he always does - just in time for vacay! Then, on to the start of a superb weekend fo' sho'! Moments spent with good friends - and many, many, good times to be had in the next 48-72 hours. Enjoy your weekend. Be back soon... Hugs, Angie
PS...I know, I know. Don't make fun of me...! I realize that only me, myself, and I could scope out zebra pottery/dishware at a local art fair. Believe it or not, that zebra pottery collection of ours is about 15 years old. Funny how things come back in style all these years later (i.e. zebra prints). I found that thru an artist at an event right about the time that we first got married. I collected many of his pieces in the years to follow. No matter what I put on it, it makes it look better than it really is. Thank goodness because my cooking needs all the help it can get. To this day, its still one of my all time favorite collections though. Imagine that! Ha ha! I know you ladies are shocked beyond belief. It makes even the most wilted of strawberries look divine, doesn't it? Love me some zebra! :)
Last week, our builders wife (Wendy), had called and asked me if there was any way she could bring one of their customers through our home. Apparently the customer had been through their home-a-rama house that they built and loved it. The home-a-rama house was replicated after our home and has just a slight bit different exterior look, different color scheme on the inside, a bit larger, etc. Their customer was curious to see ours and any differences in the lay out before making decisions regarding their own build. We love the builder of our home and truly feel like his designs ROCK! Wendy, his wife, is also a very gifted interior designer so together...they REALLY ROCK! The family, their realtor, and Wendy all came by this morning to take a look at our home. The wife was so sweet, so adorable, and very complimentary of our house as was her realtor. We love our home so very much but it was strange to hear someone else echo all of the same things about it that Brent and I do day in and day out. Strange in a "great" way that is. I heard her telling Wendy at one point how she loved the light, airy, open feel to it and that she loved how she could see out every window. I told Brent later that I truly appreciated all of the compliments as well as her interpretation of the house. Honestly, it felt good to hear all of that. The wife said to me at one point..."Your home is just gorgeous, don't you just love it?" I replied "YES" to her and told her how I love coming home and feeling like I've been propelled somewhere else - like on a vacation. This house -its interior and exterior - are an exact reflection of all that Brent and I love. The Nantucket and Hampton-esque feel allow us to feel like we are always at the beach and for that we are thankful. Especially after a hard Indiana winter like the one we've just had. Once Wendy finished showing the customer through our house, she came back up and brought me this adorable paisley aqua/turquoise gift bag. Guess what was inside it?
Yeap...you guessed it! It was this incredible book on Audrey Hepburn's life. I was so happy I could have cried. Wendy, like I told you earlier, you are such a sweetheart and really shouldn't have. But since you did, please know how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book. With over 550 pages in all, I've read through the entire thing all day long. It is so fun to thumb thru it and see all of the rich and stunning photographs of Audrey's life. Many of the photos I haven't ever seen before which is odd. Really...I just cannot begin to thank you enough.
I told Wendy that I was going to have to fight Kenidi for this. Technically, it would go great in her room. However, for now...it sits perched atop my office desk in our upstairs den. It is me. Makes me giddy with delight. Did I tell you that our builder and his wife ROCK? If I haven't ( I know I have) then let me just say it again...they ROCK!
And Wendy...lets get that dinner amongst the four of us planned again soon. Last time was too much fun and we are looking forward to the next one. Have your people call my people and we'll get it set in stone. Better yet...you just call me and we'll get it planned. Ha ha! :)
Thanks again for this book my friend. You know me too well! We are so very blessed to have met you guys. Your friendship means the world to Brent and I. Big, huge, hugs...
Now that we are down to the final 10 for the 2009 American Idol season, I thought it would be fun to post my fav's up to this point. (in no particular order) First up, Kris Allen. He has that face that every girl loves and has the voice to back it up as well. His smile would make you melt not to mention the fact that he is an incredible ballad singer. Love his shy and shaky demeanor. I also love that funky thing he does when holding the microphone up top with his thumb. You guys all know what I mean - you've seen it, right? Rumor has it, he is from Arkansas and recently married about 5 months ago. What a sweetheart. Love the "do" too.
Next up, Allison Iraheta. This girl is a mixture of Pat Benatar and Janis Joplin. Two of my all time fav's! She reminds me of Amanda from last year. Love her funky style - love the way she rocks it out like no one is watching and I love that raspy tone to her voice. She definitely has sass and I just adore her music. She sounds just like something I'd have playing on my ipod day in and day out.
And lastly...but definitely not least...Adam Lambert. Adam reminds me of a souped up version of David Cook from last season. Little edgier, little more out there. Way over the top in a good way. It's his out of the box style that I'm crazy about. I'm not overly crazy about the jet black hair but I like that he dares to be different. Take that black out of his hair and I guarantee you that there are some "looks" to him too. His smile and his eyes prove that. And...if you watch him close enough, he even does a lip thing with the corner of his mouth that exudes "Elvis Presley." Too fun!
So...there you have it. My three fav's for the season. Who are your favorites? Who do you think will win this year? I'm off to our old stomping grounds (Center Grove territory) tonight for a quick errand with Brent and the kids after a very busy two days. (Alas my absence yesterday and most of today) I'll jump back into the swing of things tomorrow here on the blog. Completed AGD orders going out and preparations for our vacation departure next Thursday are kicking my butt. I'll be back shortly though...
Enjoy Idol tonight. We can't wait to get back home this evening and watch. xoxoxo, Angie PS...I'm extremely behind on emails. Please bare with me. I hope to get caught up by the end of the week. If you've emailed me recently, I'm not ignoring you. Look for a reply from me very soon. :)
Thought I'd share some more images of Kenidi during her hippotherapy sessions this past week. Ironically, we got into another hippotherapy clinic for PT on Friday while we await an opening on the waiting list at the place she is currently getting OT hippotherapy from. This 2nd place was a bit different - much dirtier - like a barn would be on the inside - and definitely colder. It was an indoor barn but didn't have the heat factor going for us like her new place does where she gets OT from. Either way, we threw on some heavy coats and took it like big girls and big boys (Brennen was with us). Kenidi had a full hour on the horse this time and loved every moment of it. I didn't get a lot of shots because this barn was so dusty that I was literally shaking at the thought of bringing out my camera and lenses while in there. The last thing you want to do to a digital camera is take it around dust. It can really dirty up your sensor and cause major headaches if it does. The first therapy clinic actually wets down their dust on the ground of the arena so it wasn't as bad. This 2nd place however, was DDUUUSSSTTTYYY!So...please just bare with what I got. Again, it was a challenge even though we had more light coming into this barn than we did the first indoor arena. Never fails!
The above image is of Kenidi tossing weighted rings into colored hoolah-hoops. She had to walk the horse around to each colored hoop and then drop the appropriate/matching weight into that specific hoolah-hoop.
Meet Buddy! (shown above) Her horse on this day was wwwayyyyyyyyy larger than that first one she road. Scared Mommy to pieces! He was as calm as calm could be though. The trainers and side walkers stated that he was "bomb proof." When I asked what that meant, they said that if a bomb were to go off in here, Buddy would continue standing still - not moving at all. Somehow though...I find that very hard to believe. Ha ha!
These horses have been trained to handle any and all kids - pinches, pokes, prods, mane pulling, etc. It's amazing to watch what they are willing to endure for these children. Trainers at their hoofs, people leaning toys over them, placing toys on top of them, etc. It's crazy what they will put up with.
In the image above, Kenidi is getting a high five from one of her side walkers for a job well done. You can tell by her smile that she doesn't consider this type of therapy "work." She is having a ball with it.
Above, shooting some hoops while on top of Buddy. Buddy didn't mind the goal at his side whatsoever.
And above...she is riding backwards again...
This next shot below is one of my all time favorite pictures - EVAH! I love the dust being kicked up by the horses hooves as the daylight sun shines in on the floor of the barn. I love the stride of the horse at that moment as well as Kenidi's facial expression as she looks down to enjoy it all and take it all in.
With that said...while on the topic of therapy and special needs...won't you help us spread the word to end the r-word.
As many of you know, we had a great and somewhat heated debate last week here on the ol' AGD blog regarding Obama's off the cuff remarks regarding the Special Olympics and his bowling skills. Well just this weekend, I was invited via Facebook to join a group that is promoting awareness in regards to this topic and the slang term of "retard" when joking with others in life. I'm sure we've all heard someone say at some point..."You are such a retard!" (or something similar) It is because of that term that I've chosen to join forces with the Special Olympics to help promote the deletion of that terminology in every day language. It is hurtful and offenseful! As you view the photos of my daughter above and think about the daily grind she goes through as well as the hours of therapy sessions she endures just to attempt to be somewhat normal - like the rest of her peers - will you also consider her feelings and the feelings of others when that slang (the r-word) as well as other insensitive comments such as President Obama's are used? Will you help us by sharing the banners shown above and below by placing them on your blogs as a topic or at least as a side banner? The more people who are willing to place this logo on their blogs, the more awareness we will bring to the pain caused by those who choose to so loosely use these terms in their every day lives - as jokes. Disabilities are not a joke. They are real. They rob my child and other children like her in this world of a normal life. Disabilities do not have a conscience. They feel no remorse. Disabilities just are! Please help us turn such a negative ordeal (in regards to Obama's insensitive words) into a HUGE positive by promoting this pledge and the awareness of the pain inflected when "joking" about those with disabilities. Whether your words are meant to be a joke or not, they are painful to those who suffer day in and day out from the life that a disability stole from them.
Thanks in advance for all of your support! And many thanks to all of my facebook friends who accepted my invitation to join this pledge and this group via facebook. There are no words that can express my gratitude for your compassion. I thank you and Kenidi Grace thanks you as well.
Do you hear them? They are calling for us. Our beach B/F/F's.
Yes, it is time for another photo shoot. They are holding our spot as always.
Only 10 days to go and counting down...
We are ready for that salty breeze to tickle the skin. We must obey its call. As cottage style says..."We are going to roll up our pant legs, slip on a pair of shades, and trek barefoot through the warm sand. Like a stroll in the surf, the serene haven of the beach and all its glory are guaranteed to satisfy."
Seen these? If you haven't, you need to. We started on the new look to Brennen's room this week and I got these for the room as well as for our basement. They are Wii and XBox gaming tower stations. They hold and organize all of the games and controllers so that you don't have a strung out mess everywhere. For someone like me who is an organizational freak, they are a must. I tried to purchase these back at Christmas time but they were sold out and on back order for months afterwards. I just now found them back in stock and had to grab them. Brennen's freshly painted room looks a 100% better with this in the corner helping to keep everything clean now. They make it for the Wii and for an XBox version. They've been a life saver for us and my sanity in general. JC Pennyhas them both on sale right now as well. Can't beat that! Just a new favorite find that I wanted to share with ya'll.
As the parent of a "SPECIAL" needs child and the niece to a "SPECIAL" needs aunt, this hurts! Although meant to be a joke, it was at the expense of many others in this world who weren't given a choice in the matter. Thus...another reason why I feel it totally unprofessional and inappropriate for our President of the United States to be kicking back, chillin', and making jokes about his lack of bowling skills being a comparison to one in the Special Olympics on Jay Leno's couch during his presidency. How convenient that he now would like to invite some special needs children to the White House for some bowling. If this isn't confirmation that his staff should keep him off late night talk shows while he serves as our President of the United States, I don't know what is. Amazing the type person you can reveal you are without a scripted teleprompter in your face to coach you along. Transparency at its finest! Sorry friends. I find this appalling. And for those of you who think I'm jumping the gun and being over dramatic, come watch my daughter not be able to pedal her new bicycle or throw a ball because of her "SPECIAL" needs. Walk a mile in her shoes and then we'll talk about how using the Special Olympics in the presidents jokes are belittling and humiliating to her and many other disabled children and adults in this world. Shame on you President Obama. Shame on you! Don't you have something else more important you could be doing? Like maybe running the country in a professional manner - from the white house???
I'm just sayin...
Yes, just a bit peeved, Angie
PS...Can you imagine how many heads would have rolled if President Bush would have said this or something similar back when he was in office?
They make it for the Wii and for an XBox version. They've been a life saver for us and my sanity in general. 
