My first attempt at a friendship bracelet in 80 years.

Okay, the title isn't accurate. I'm not 80 yet.

But here's my first attempt at making a friendship bracelet since I was a wee-little gal. Also, it's really hard to take a picture with one hand using this Droid 3 phone... which, unlike the 1st gen Droid, has no physical button -- only a touch screen. Maybe it's time for me to invest in a regular camera?

Wow my arm looks much hairier in pics than it does IRL.

Really this was supposed to be my version of a DIY armband for the cheap watch I bought on the cruise. The poor strap fell apart in less than a week. But my little suede rope creation just didn't look right with the watch face. #FAIL

So voila -- my new bracelet!  I have a feeling I'll be at the craft store this weekend buying embroidery floss. I forgot how much fun it is to zone out making a Chevron pattern. 

Exploring My Roots: A Trip to Alabama

A slice of sweet life...


Last year, Charles and I drove from NC to Alabama to visit my grandmother. My mom took us on a tour of the property and shared some history with us as well. It's a slice of life we don't hear often, and such a refreshing reminder of my heritage. 


On the video below, she describes growing up in the country, including how family and neighbors lived off the land, how she learned to drive at age 13, and the little store her parents used to run right in front of the house. AND I finally got to see a real salt lick... as opposed to the Salt Lick BBQ restaurant, which you simply must visit if you're in Central Texas. 





Want to know more about this trip? Read more, right after the jump...

It's our anniversary :-)

Should I feel guilty about not blogging for the last three weeks?  Absolutely not!

I really need to stop beating myself up about not writing as much as I want. Life is MOVING and I'm enjoying it, so blogging about it takes a backseat to... well, to living it.

At port in Grand Cayman
with our ship, Carnival Freedom, in the background

So over the past few weeks, a lot of wonderful things transpired. Charles and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary -- YAAAAAY!  We boarded a big 'ol fancy Carnival cruise ship with some good friends of ours and sailed the Western Caribbean -- Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios, Jamaica. It was so beautiful! I captured moments from our trip and whittled them down into a 14-minute video, which you can view right here:



What are some things I've learned after being married for ten years?

• Being righteous is more important than being right.
• As a Christian wife, I am ordained to help my husband meet God. This means I need to always speak the truth to him in love and not out of hurt, fear, insecurity, tit-for-tat, etc., to help him mature and be the man God called him to be.
• Stay rooted and grounded in God. When our marriage was on the rocks, God was the only thing on which we could agree, and I fully believe this is the reason why we're still together today. Also, get Christian, biblically-based counseling when you need it, and don't wait until you're at your wit's end. Find a counselor who will challenge you to grow up.
• Smile at each other, show affection, and be kind and gentle. Be a refuge for your spouse, a safe place to land.
• Have fun together! Go on dates, take trips, try new things -- keeping it clean, of course. Celebrate your romance as often as you can.
• Pray together by the leading of the Holy Spirit and pray for each other. It's less about having a ritual, and more about having a real, intimate relationship with God and with each other.
• See your spouse through God's eyes.

Love and peace,

Shoni