4th of July at Compass Lake

Dr. Ashe vacuuming the lake.



It was pretty windy!

"In-House" Date Nights

Grant and I had a great weekend - reconnected after a busy week. We cooked two dinners together for some "in-house" date nights. Friday night was his idea - pizza on the green egg. Fabulous! It literally tasted like a pizza from Mellow Mushroom.

Sunday night we cooked french toast. They were massive slices! We could only eat one before we were stuffed. Another delicious dinner in the Faulk household.

A New Addiction

I have a new addiction - fatwallet.com. Its awesome. You can find all sorts of coupons on there, as well as internet deals and freebies. Basically people send in promo codes or websites that are offering specials.

Yesterday I received a sample of Nivea's newest lotion scent. Very nice orange smell.

Today I received a sample of some shaving cream. I'm not familiar with this brand. And to be honest, I don't even use shaving cream - just soap. But hey, its free. And its fun.

I'm currently waiting (patiently) for 3 new freebies.

I'm completely addicted.

But here's the key - you need an old email to give them when signing up. Otherwise, you'll be inundated with unwanted emails.

Dad's article this week - My great-grandmother's 100th birthday

http://www.thepostsearchlight.com/news/2010/jul/06/her-name-was-catharine/

Laura Do It

Over the 4th we got to spend time with my nephew Henry. He is getting so big. About 2 and a half now, he can talk so well and comes up with the cutest things to say. This morning I was reminded of him saying so often, "Henry do it."

Just a few minutes ago I felt like Laura was telling me, "Laura do it."

We sat down for her morning bottle. With Laura in my lap, I put the bottle between her legs so I could put on the bib. She's a messy eater. Laura immediately picked up the bottle and went to town. She's tried before, but never for the entire bottle. She even managed to hold it with one hand so that she could rub her eyes with her free hand.

"Laura do it."

I love it!

June Playdate

Last month Mikelyn and I started a new tradition - a monthly playdate for us to get together, catch up and just have some fun. We take turns picking the destination and this month it was my turn to pick. I did a little research online and decided on Eufaula after learning there would be a city music and arts festival going on today. We headed out at 8:30 this morning in order to make it there for a 10am tour of the old homes.

We pull into town and we are looking around. Where is everybody? There are no booths, no music and no art to be found. Hmp. Not really sure what's going on. We decide to just walk around and maybe we'll find it. We ended up at the Shorter Mansion just as they opened the doors at 10am.

The curator and president of the Eufaula Heritage Society has no clue what we're talking about when we mention the festival. Then another group walks in and asks the same question. So, the lady calls the chamber and there is a recording on the voicemail saying the festival has been cancelled.

Geez Louise.

Oh well. The trip is not about the destination or the events of the day anyway. The main purpose of our playdate is for two girlfriends to be together, having dedicated time with one another, and we find adventures wherever we go.

Shorter Mansion was very interesting and well worth the visit. The artifacts inside are not original to the house or family. Everything inside has been donated. So there is a random assortment of items. Upstairs, in a back room I come across a frame that has Robert E Lee in it. I stop because, well, he is the namesake of my university. In the frame it had Lee on the left, his wife Mary on the right and in the middle is a report card from Washington College, Virginia. That's where I went to school! And it is signed by the president at that time - Robert E Lee himself! How cool. It was only after he died that the college was renamed Washington and Lee University in his honor. A neat little find I thought.

After Shorter Mansion, we walk the oak-lined streets of Eufaula only to find just a few shops open. Unfortunately, the cute floral shop was closed for some local weddings and other stores closed earlier in the day.

But it didn't matter. Mikelyn and I had a great playdate. Our adventure in Eufaula was a success not because of the location, but because of the great company we shared with one another.

I look forward to July and Mikelyn's pick of the month.

How We Met

Five years ago about this time, I was fresh out of college with diploma in hand, no job in sight and moving to Atlanta. Dad hooked me up with Cathy Cox's campaign to volunteer for the summer. And there was a span of about 7 days when I was actually in Donalsonville before I made the move. It was during those 7 days that we first met.

Grant and I had never met before, however, our families have known each other for years. But Grant and I had never crossed paths.

Grant and his twin brother Kyle had started their landscaping business just a few months before I came home. And their first big job was my parents yard. I actually didn't even know that my parents were re-landscaping until they came up for a visit around Easter weekend. A visit where they met the guy I was dating at the time. It was on this visit that I first heard about Grant and Kyle. On the way to dinner, walking down Main Street, my mom starts going on and on about these two guys and how great they are and I just have to meet them. This is on the way to meet my boyfriend! Needless to say, he and I didn't last - thank goodness.

So, back to those seven days in D'ville. There were no sparks, no fireworks, no real interest (I don't think) for either of us. We met in the yard. Spoke in passing. And that was about it. And to be honest, I really couldn't tell the difference between the two of them at the time. With a hat and sunglasses on they really looked the same.

Days pass, I'm in Atlanta now. My summer weekends are pretty much booked with wedding parties for my sister who was getting married Labor Day weekend in the fall. Earlier that spring I had thought I was going to have a date to all these parties since I was dating that guy. But when he broke up with me I was pretty shaken up, mad, upset - you name it - about the whole thing. And somehow I thought that if I had a date to those parties, well I would show him! So...who to ask?? None of my high school friends were around anymore. And I couldn't ask anyone from school cause they all lived too far away. What about these Faulk boys that mom raved about so much? Well, Kyle had a girlfriend. So, I guess I'll call up Grant.

And that's how it all started. We spent the summer going to wedding parties. Driving back and forth. And after six months of dating we had our first conversation about spending the rest of our lives together.

Now, I feel like Grant has been in my life always. He is my best friend.

I'm so glad that guy broke up with me spring term senior year.