A Thorn Among Roses

one of the best friends i have ever had in this life is my fav miss stacy...she's got the southern flair...and in indiana, it's hard to find!  she is a precious little gem in this world i live in...{she does avoid the camera like no other though} for one...she makes the BEST derby pie you will ever eat.  i mean, knock you down and set you back, kinda derby pie. for two...she's got her life in order.  i mean, not like everything done and perfect, but her life in order.  her lord is first...and it shows.  her girlies are awesome...the kind of kids you want your kids to be friends with. three...well, she loves coffee.  loves to chat.  loves to think and create....and she's just a good friend.   but the other day, i discovered one more thing i love about my friend, stacy...she can put on a dinner party like no other. there were 4 couples...and stacy did it all up herself.  did we eat on paper or normal plates?  no way!  china! ...

with travel softball done for about 3 weeks, we totally are taking advantage of spending time with friends and just hanging out. we got together with 2 of our fav fams and just chilled...and laughed, a lot. joey is totally being preggers like his wife, darcy...he's almost got it, i think! the kids just played...and i can't tell you how awesome it was! what would hang out be without some awesome competition...major corn hole tournament! and in the end...me and karen were totally killing it and a thunderstorm came and made us quit and then brian and joey cheated and got "champion".  i don't know how that happened...i mean, girls have to chat and why can't they just hang out while we chat before starting another round. silly boys... anyway, good friends are a total treasure and so much fun!!

i got to meet my very first bloggy/twitter friend in person a few weeks ago...and i was so excited. so the deal was this...my hubs is certain that there are hot guys stalking me and my blog to meet me and steal me. so when heather from not a DIY life lived close to where me and hubs were, we met up! and as a bonus, i got to meet her ladybug!!! heather and i have prayed for each other and laughed together...and well, done a little bit of cyber life together. but a friend that prays with and for you, no matter where you meet them, is priceless.

there are some very important details that i have found essential for a great beachie vacay when the kiddos are not tagging along... since we left behind the diapers and the water wings, i got a few fun little details to make the adult vacation super fun... every single drink needs an umbrella...this is actually my water for the morning, but doesn't it look great with a beach umbrella in it??? i'm telling you...umbrella's make the drink better! mini skirts and bright shirts...they are fun and i can't pull them off at the park at home or the softball games because, well, everyone would see my business and that's just not good. but when there's no diapey's to change or little ones to pick up, i can pull it off. good friends...enough said!!! a super cute coppertone baby beach blanket...and my fav neon flip flops! ...one super hot hubs! sandy beaches... and honestly, just time....to talk and laugh...and to not be interrupted. and time for me to remember how mu...

good friends are life's pleasure!! jada and molly are too peas in a pod...both are brown girlies in vanilla families... they teach and learn from each other... molly was teaching jada the art of the cartwheel...so stinking cute and funny! {yes, her head is on the ground...and it's very similar to a somersault, but she did it!} then there's a little instruction...and jada tries again! and in the end, it's two girlfriends hanging out and having fun. no bad feelings or discussions about what one did and the other didn't...just girl friends. i love that...they just hang out and have fun. "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one." ~ C.S. Lewis

before you read about my fam...please, go and pray for this fam who has been sent home from the hospital with their 2 year old daughter, tuesday, to die with stage 4 cancer. i am aching over this...please, i beg you, pray for their peace and strength... _____________________________________ company {or paige use to call them customers} is such a wonderful thing. we love having people in and around us. we're a very loud house with a lot going on, so there aren't many brave peeps who brave our house, but the "U" fam love us...and we love them! and that always means pizza...yummy!! {this picture is in honor of my paige who says, "my mom will take pictures of anything. she takes pics of food we eat all the time" karen is my fab friend...we have really grown in so many ways together over the last 12 years since we met. karen is the best person in the world to rely on for prayer or support or to listen. she can cry a waterfall just thinking about how much s...