A Day at the Beach

I woke up today (12/30/09) and decided that today was a beach day! It was a great decision. I had a wonderful afternoon at Daytona Beach. It has been awhile since I've been on Daytona Beach itself, we normally go to New Symrna or Cocoa Beach. We usually hit up Daytona for Bike week and Biketoberfest. But today, I chose Daytona. How lucky I am to even have that choice. I had a beautiful, peaceful, reflective day. The quotes below are from "do what you love." from Compendium Inc., Big Thoughts collection, pocket reminders. Here are my photos, I hope you enjoy them.

There are many wonderful things that will never be done if you do not do them.-Charles D. Gill

There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart. Pursue these.-Michael Nolan

If it doesn't absorb you, if it isn't any fun, don't do it.-D.H.Lawrence

When you hold back on life, life holds back on you.-Mary Mannin Morrissey

Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can ever go wrong.-Ella Fitzgerald

In a very real sense, we are the authors of our own lives.
-Mandy Aftel

We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.-Max De Pree

We live only part of the life we were given.-Michael Murphy

I dream for a living.-Steven Spielberg

What will you do today that will matter tomorrow?-Ralph Marston

Today I live in the quiet, joyous expectation of good.-Ernest Holmen

Do what you love. Kim was here!

Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; where your treasure, there is your heart; where your heart, there your happiness.-Augustine

At the end of our life our questions are simple: Did I live fully? Did I love well?-Jack Kornfield

Today is a beach day

A beach day on December 30th... it's 64 degrees right now. I'm not going to hang out on the beach or swim, I am going to take pictures. Today I've decided to drive over to Daytona Beach to take pictures of the boardwalk and pier or anything else I find interesting. Hope everyone has a wonderful day. Check back for pictures later.

Peace & Love,
Kim

"8 Things" {Tuesday}

Over at Magpie Girl's blog -
Rachelle Mee Chapman created "8 Things."
She calls it a little game she made up for herself
in an attempt to quite down her "monkey mind."
To read more, check out her "8 Things" blog HERE.
So here are my "8 things" I learned in 2009.
(Only 8 is going to be tough!)

1. Friends are people that can forget about themselves for a moment when you are in need, if only to ask... "How are you?" and then LISTEN. I married my best friend.

2. How to be a mother of a deployed Marine.
(I'm still learning)

3. Being laid off from a job that there was no passion for is still tough on the psyche and takes some recovery time.

4. I love photography, digi-scrapbooking, and blogging.

5. NYC is exhilarating with friends and for a girl's weekend with my daughter! Anytime really.

6. Unravelling... I needed it and then some.

7. There is peace in the simple things. Life is short.

8. Making new friends and reconnecting with old ones is energizing.

Bonus: Learning lots about having a senior in high school. prepping for college and preparing for an "empty nest."
This is a 2009-2010 (& beyond) "initiative".

Happy Tuesday.
Peace & Love,
Kim

Just couldn't resist...

snapping a photo of Bebe eyeing Rich's ham sandwich!
Blue soon joined... & yes, Rich shared, although he might not admit it.




Peace & Love,
Kim

Black Point Wildlife Drive

Yesterday afternoon we went on a photography field trip to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. It is about 40 miles east of Orlando on the coast of Florida.
Six of us piled into our friend's HHR with our cameras at the ready.
It was a little cold for us Floridians who were in shorts and our Florida wildlife, it was in the 50s. However, I loved the cooler weather! We saw mostly birds, all kinds... Osprey, Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, and White Ibis. We also saw ducks (not sure what kind) and one gator for half a minute... it was just too chilly for gators to be out and about.
We drove and walked through the wildlife refuge taking pictures. We only set the car alarm off once, yea.. we weren't so popular with the other photographers and birdwatchers when that happened. After we toured the refuge we drove over to Cocoa to have a wonderful dinner at Florida Seafood Bar and Grill.
Excellent Day!

I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Peace & Love,
Kim

Roseate Spoonbills, rare sighting in the Winter months

Roseate Spoonbills

50% Color Burn Translucent Tones #9/Shadowhouse Creations

White Ibis

Color Burn Creative Commons/Shadowhouse Creations

Merry Christmas

Bekah Christmas morning 2009. She was trying on a new Steeler's hoodie and a vest.
I think she was still cold in our 75 degree weather.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas Day! Rich, Bekah and I had a great morning. (Although we were missing Zack terribly. We were hoping we would get an email at least today, but we didn't. It has been about 2 months now since we have heard from him. It is very difficult not hearing anything...but we know he is safe and working hard)
In the afternoon, family came over and we enjoyed Christmas dinner together. We were so happy that Craig, Tiffany and Marc and Marc's girlfriend, Kayla joined us from Jacksonville today. As some of you may know, Craig's wife, Tiffany and Marc's (and Richard) mother, passed away on Easter Sunday in a boating accident. I can't truly fathom what they go through on a daily basis, let alone the holidays. We just want to be there for them whenever they need us, to listen, for a hug, to just tell them we love them. Their courage and strength is amazing, reminding us to live our lives to the fullest each and every day as there is no certainty in the future.
A reminder to me to continue to live my life on purpose every single day and to tell those I love... how much.
So with love, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the blessings the season brings.

Peace,
Kim

Enjoying the holiday

...and taking time to spend with friends and family. Missing Zack a ton and hoping he is doing well, staying strong and positive. I can't imagine being more proud of him that I am right now.
Here at home we are having a wonderful time together, Rich, Bekah and I. We are reconnecting with old friends, spending time with friends and family, making cookies, shopping and just hanging out together. I am so grateful we have such a wonderful tribe of friends who have become part of our family.
To us, spending time with those we love is what the holidays are all about.

If you are wondering how a dinosaur became a symbol of Christmas, well... just flip a candy cane cookie over, ice it green and put a smile on it's face and there you go, a Christmas Dinosaur. (as pictured above)

Peace & Love,
Kim

Pictures only

I had the Lightroom trial for 30 days and loved it, but when it expired, I didn't purchase it right away. I just got it back and I'm excited to start using it again. So tonight I'm just posting pictures that I edited using Lightroom. All of these pictures were taking in St. Augustine Florida.
(For larger view click picture)

Order Here
Short Cut
The Conversation

My man
What do you dream about?

Love the look

Conch House Marina

At my feet along the sidewalk

Intrigue

Celebrating our 23rd Christmas Together

Taking a moment to reflect on 23 years of Christmases together. I remember opening our gifts at Rich's house, ordering Domino's Pizza for lunch and laying on the sofa listening to music. That was 1986. I bought Rich a yellow & black scarf (he was really into Stryper, the band) and the Better Off Dead Album. Yes, a record album soundtrack from the movie "Better off Dead". Yep, I had him hooked. Rich gave me a beautiful pair of pearl earrings. Unfortunately, he learned right away that I'm not very responsible with jewelery. (23 years later I still here him say.. "Honey, you left your rings on the ....") So the earrings I had to take off at work (I worked for Disney at the time) and put them in my smock pocket and lost one. I was heart broken, I still am.

There are so many wonderful memories. Our first Christmas in our own apartment, we made all of our own ornaments for our tree. Our first Christmas with Zack, then Bekah. Our first Christmas in our house, our first Christmas with Teddy, then Bebe and Blue...we have been very blessed throughout the years. I cherish the memories and I am excited about our future, there are more "firsts" to come.

Yesterday 23 years later, Rich and I spent the entire day alone in our kitchen baking cookies together. I have to say, we are really a good team. It was a fun day and we got so much done. Unfortunately we were so exhausted when we finished baking that the kitchen is still a mess... but that's okay, messes are good when they are a result of doing something fun, right? :)

I have a couple pictures of our baking extravaganza to add, but Rich went to meet up with is brother and father this morning and took the camera and memory card they are on... so stayed tuned!

Peace & Love,
Kim

I'm honored

when my children bring friends over, especially for dinner. Last night we had a wonderful evening with Bekah and Daniel. It is a rare occurrance when we can sit with teenagers and their friends at a dinner table and just talk. It is a wonderful privledge. I love being around teenagers... two things will happen. 1) They won't talk much and you have to ask lots of questions until you see the spark of interest (then keep talking about that) or 2. They will talk and provide more information that imaginable. We had good conversation, a yummy meal, and even dessert. And an added bonus, I got to take pictures of them. Aren't they cute!
Thanks Bekah & Daniel for a wonderful evening.




Bekah and Daniel are both Seniors in High School.
Class of 2010 - Bekah is 17 and Daniel is 18.

Photo treatments by Lynn Grieveson; worn photo treatments

It just seems hotter...

My poor husband, I don't know how many times I've asked him, isn't this Christmas (December) hotter than previous Decembers? Ugh! He patiently tells me "no, honey" it is about this way every year. Now I am a native Floridian, you would think I would know this. Deep down I do, I must right? Then all of a sudden I realized last year this time I spent the majority of my days in the snow and ice up in Louisville, KY and Jeffersonville, IN. It was the first time in my life (that I can actually remember) that I experienced the change of seasons. Beautiful! The winter can be dreary and beautiful at the same time, and boy does it have an impact on daily living. Being a Floridian, I was not used scraping ice off the windshield, waiting for the car to warm up before taking off and wearing socks for that matter! Sometimes I couldn't go anywhere and nothing was open. I would have starved to death if it hadn't been for a vending machine at a hotel I happen to be staying at during an ice storm. (maybe starving is pushing it... but I was hungry and I don't think Funyuns have any nutritional value)

So, no scarf, no gloves, and no wool coat this year. I'm back in the Florida sunshine and happy to be here with my family. I do wish it would get a little cold for Christmas week, that would be nice. Until that happens, maybe I will drive to the beach for a Christmas picnic.

This picture was taken in Jeffersonville, IN through my office window out into the parking lot.

I hope everyone is enjoying the Holiday Season in all kinds of weather.

Peace & Love,
Kim

Martha, Betty, The Pioneer Woman

I AM NOT! Yesterday I decided to bake. It sounded like a good idea at the time and if you go by the rule... it's the results that matter, then we are good. I make such a mess and I am quite a klutz in the kitchen! I ended up somehow spilling the evaporated milk. (and didn't realize it for sometime) It spilled on the counter top and was underneath all of my other ingredients including my cookbook. Which luckily was a grocery store aisle paperback. I can't be responsible for a real book. Then I picked up the can, thought it was empty, went to take off the label and spilled more on the floor! Oh there is more... picked up the recipe book, tore out the two pages I was working on, placed them on the counter and somehow one page fell in the sink in a pan of water! Really? The splatter of the cookie mix on the wall is nothing! Oh, did I mention that when I went to pop the butter in the mirowave to melt it, the microwave started sparking as if on fire? Yep! So I started cleaning up, then I thought I should take pictures of this mess. I had already started cleaning up, so it doesn't look as bad as it was... but you will get the idea. In case you are wondering, the Orange Pumpkin cookies taste wonderful and seem to be a family pleaser. I included pictures of the Chicken Penne Pasta Al Fresco that I made without any issues. Also included is Rich's cousin Jonathan who is visiting from Oregon, so wonderful to see him and spend some time together. Enjoy.

Orange Pumpkin Cookies


Chicken Penne Pasta Alfresco

Jonathan & Bekah

Jonathan & Bekah

Weekend recap and reflection

"Life is truly a ride. We are all strapped in and no one can stop it. When the doctor slaps your behind, he's ripping off your ticket and away you go. As you make each passage from youth to adulthood to maturity, sometimes you put your arms up and scream, sometimes you just hang onto that bar in front of you. But the RIDE is the THING. I think the most you can hope for at the end of life is that your hair is messed, you're out of breath and you didn't throw up." - Unknown

Recap and reflection of my weekend adventures:

* Thursday - (I started the weekend early) Girls night out. Susan, Tracey and I went to PRs Mexican Palace for yummy Mexican food and margaritas! Love spending time with the girls, it is good for my soul. We spontaneously planned an overnight at a Disney resort so we could be there to cheer on Tracey as she competes in the Disney marathon in January. I can't wait. I'm so proud of her and her accomplishments and am honored to be there to support my friend. After dinner with the girls, I decided to go meet Rich and Bekah at the Wing House in Altamonte to watch the 4th quarter of the Steeler Browns game. Not the outcome we wanted but the company was awesome.

* Friday- Girls night out #2! Whoo Hoo... Two in one week, awesome! I had an incredible time reconnecting with friends that I worked with from 1995-2003 @ AT&T Wireless at Outback. We had and still have such a special bond, we worked so well together and we played well together too. What a wonderful group of women, I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work and know each one of them. Some are still with AT&T while others have moved on, however, when we get together it is just like old times. Such a special group of friends. Thank you Barbara for coordinating our quarterly get togethers, it is always a special time.

* Saturday - Are you ready? Really? Hold on! - 7:30 AM left for Maitland to take pictures of Bekah competing in the Reindeer Run 5K. (She did awesome!! Completed in 32 minutes!! Way to go Bekah!!)- Had a fabulous lunch with Rich and his brother. - Carpooled EHS Cheerleaders to the downtown Holiday Sashay that they participated in. Ran around, finding the Marshall to turn in their paperwork, get them lined up and then took pictures! - After the parade, I had a wonderful dinner at Pannullos in Winter Park with Rich and Bekah, then a quick stroll on Park Ave. - Topped off the perfect day with my favorite movie, Love Actually. Rich and I watched as we laid together on the sofa. Yummy day!




* Sunday - You probably think I'm sleeping in today.. nope! No time for that. Sunday we were out of the house by 9:00 AM to participate in the Bikers for Toys Run benefiting the US Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. Rich strapped down the toys, got the bike all ready and off we went to the East Orlando Harley Davidson store, the start of the poker run. There were 3 stops on the run, Johnny's Fillin Station, Cowboys and Orlando Harley Davidson, which was the final stop. We rode with our friend Bill and met others along the way. I was so thrilled to see a high school friend from 25 years ago! So cool to have the opportunity to see him, get a hug and meet his son. Then lunch and nap time! Sunday night we relaxed at home, watching TV, eating Jimmy Johns subs for dinner and hanging out on the sofa!


A few plans for the week....
* Laugh
* Take Blue to the vet
* Check out volunteer Opportunities for Beta (feeling a calling here)
* Wrap presents
* Plan meals / Some cooking
* Bake cookies
* Tweet
* Wrap up my work project
* of course cleaning house, prepping for Christmas!
* Joke around
* Listen to music
* Buy the movie "Hangover"
* Christmas Shopping
* Watch the WE channel!
* Catch up on blogs, read Blogging for Bliss and write
* Take pictures
* Prepping for having friends over for dinner on Sunday
* .... and anything that might come up that sounds fun! :)

So what does your week look like? Make it an adventure! Do something in your day just because you feel like it at that moment... just because you're alive!
I would love to hear what you do so please share!
Make it an awesome week.

Peace & Love,
Kim