music to my ears...

i had breakfast this morning with my friend susan. (love her!)

while chatting she told me she thought of me recently when she saw this headline:

Scientific Proof that Swearing Makes You Feel Better

well, let me tell ya, it makes a girl proud when her friends think of her at fine moments like this one.

anyway, i read the article, it is here.

and to these researchers i have only one thing to say: damn straight!

me and my potty mouth agree with you wholeheartedly!

ROCK ON with your bad self...

i had a terrific weekend! you know why? because i spent it with some really terrific people! my favorite family of j's came to b-town for a quick visit! we got out of the house a lot. which is really not like us! : )

friday night we headed down to the landing to see a billy*joel cover band. they were GREAT! loved the music, loved the location, loved the breeze when it kicked up, and loved the people i was with!we spent a lot of time at the pool. you can never go wrong with some fun in the sun. ALL the kids had a blast: then saturday night we got out AGAIN! i mean, really, look at us go! we went to see this show:

and it was really good. jan and i did get a good giggle out of the 'veteran tribute.' as my sister likes to say "it's always the 4th of july in branson." well, that proved true, even at a show about the british invasion! oh, i had to include this picture. we were reenacting a scene from friday night. cracking ourselves up is what we are doing. jenna would not join in on the fun. "what a shame," as she would say. i realized something about myself last week. i'm wired for long term. a true friendship in my life means you are stuck with me. nothing could be truer of my friend jan and her family. we are friends for life. and that fact makes my life all the sweeter!

play ball...

i spent some time at the ball fields this week watching this guy do his stuff! he is too cute...and growing up WAY too fast!
i also got to watch some other friends i know play. amazing to watch these kids grow up into semi adults right before my eyes. my friend zac (who i failed to get a picture of) was the pitcher on one of the teams and he just exuded confidence out there. very impressive!

one last pic...3 out of 5 of the browns. i love me some browns, let me tell ya!

too bad baseball season is almost over. sure is fun to watch and cheer!

a little walk down memory lane...

i love an old friend.

there is really nothing i value more in life than the history of long standing relationships.

there is a value to being known and loved by someone, over the long haul, that blesses in a way that is just plain good for my soul.

i am blessed to have quite a few friends like that. and one of them is my friend amy. we got to have lunch this week and it reminded me how grateful i am for friends who know me well, and love me anyway!

so, today a tribute to one of those friends.

here are amy and i - circa 1996! we enjoyed lots of fun evenings on the showboat back in the day: and here we are in florence. circa 2004.

and here we are at lunch this week:

so grateful for you amy!

and so grateful for other friends and family like you. through thick and thin - we're in life together!

okay, i admit it...

some of you know this already...but at heart...i'm a total dork! can you say "bookworm" and mean it? well, i can. and i proved it this past friday! to start my holiday weekend i read this book:

start to finish. cover to cover. beginning to end. (you get the idea.) oh yes, i read the whole thing ON FRIDAY! i'm a dork. but it sure made for a glorious afternoon of alone time lost in a cute story.

i got my "i'm fun i just sometimes forget it" groove back on saturday. the fun times at kaa are chronicled here but even before all that began i enjoyed a lovely breakfast with these ladies:

two of them have moved away from b-town and were in town visiting and one of them i just simply never see. so, it was so great to get to catch up with them a bit. i love it when you see people after a long stretch of not seeing them and can just pick up right where you left off! what a blessing!

then, sunday night the fun continued. i saw this movie:

with my friend karen and then we topped the evening off with dessert. it was so great to just visit and laugh. and laugh we did, by the way. because this movie is FUNNY! i recommend it! it is sweet and funny. my favorite kind of flick!

celebrating independence at kaa...

i spent the 4th of july holiday out at kaa with these fine folks:it was lots of laid back fun. including:

lots of swimming by the kids: homemade ice cream making by sparky and mk:

goggle wearing by cute little boys:i won't say whose feet these are but i will say they cracked us up!and i won't say whose bottom this is but it sure is cute!there was lots of fun hang out time with dear friends:

oh, and lots of chicken eating by everyone:there were also fireworks and sparklers, but, by that time i was too tired to take pictures. so, i'll leave you with this cute one, just for fun: good times with great people! i'm blessed, have i mentioned that lately?

my own little book review....

i finished this ADORABLE book last weekend: i can't recommend it highly enough. if you are looking for a light, fun, summer read pick this one up. this book is funny, whimsical, delightful and FULL OF HEART! i loved every minute of it. and i have a feeling you will too!