Favorite Things: F

FRIENDS:

Seriously, one of the funniest TV shows ever created. I watched every single week on Thursday nights with the rest of America. I cried when Ross & Rachel broke up, got back together, then broke up again, and waited with bated breath in that final episode wishing they would just get back together finally! I fell in love with Chandler and Monica while seeing myself and all my little perfectionistic quirks in her cleaning/organizing/controlling fits of craziness. I laughed my head off at Phoebe's spaceyness and Joey's stupidness. Then, I went out and bought the collector's edition of the entire series when it was over. And I still, to this day, quote all 6 of them like no one business. In fact, just the other day, my mom walked up to me in her kitchen and, in jest, I looked over at her, tilted my head up and said in true Joey fashion, "Hey, 'ow YOU doin?" :) And just like everyone else in America, they felt like family to me and my family. Thank goodness for DVD's and the ability I have to pop one in when I'm missing my FRIENDS.

Farkle:

I LOVE this game! And I love that the people in my life love this game. I can play it with my dad and Des, with Ann, with the Vickerys. Love it. I'm one of the most unlucky people on the planet, so mostly I just help everyone else I play with win. Unless I'm playing the special rules with the Vickery's, then whomever has to take the turn after me, gets toasted by my inept luck. Oops. :)

 

Fishing:

I love to fish. I grew up fishing with my dad and always having to go to his fishing tournaments. I love how relaxing it is. I love finally getting that hook and then battling to reel the fish in. I love the feeling of accomplishment when I have caught more than other people in my fishing party, especially the guys. LOL ;) I also love to eat the fish that I catch, which is why I mostly like to fish for trout. I will fish year round if I have someone to go with. I'm not a solo fisherwoman. I like to have others with me. I really love to ice fish and consider it one of my favorite past times with my dad.



Falling Slowly:

One of my favorite songs. I don't know why, it just is. Give it a listen. You'll like it too. This is the best version I've heard yet. Although, I've found that it's also quite nice in Spanish.

Fall:

My favorite season! I love the crispness in the air, the smell of fireplace smoke, the fact that it's just cool enough in the mornings to wear a jacket, but warm enough in the afternoons to not have to. I love the colors of the trees and the newness that only comes from the excitement in the air of the children getting ready to go back to school or just starting a new year of school. I love school supplies and Fall equates to school to me. The smell of a freshly sharpened #2 pencil just does something to me. I love to walk down the sidewalk and hear the crunch of fallen leaves under my feet. I just love everything about Fall. It's the best time of the year.



Fridays:

It's the best day in any week because you still have all the promise of the weekend ahead of you. I especially love about 5:30 pm on Fridays because then you are off work and you have that feeling of excitement in your heart that can only mean a bright hope for a fun and productive weekend. Love it!

Favorite Things: E

Emmie:

Emmelyn Dawn (after me!) was born in December of 2008. She is the sweetest, sassiest, cutest, and most wonderfully weird little gal on this planet. And I'm the lucky lady who gets to be called "Aunt Heather". This one is hard for me to write about. Mostly because I just love her so much that I can barely beginning to explain it. She's not even mine, but she might as well be. I look at her and her brother and worry that it will be impossible for me to love my own kids as much. But, luckily, I know for a fact that your heart doesn't just expand to make room for more kiddos to love, it's like you actually grow a whole new one to love them with. I just hope someday, she will know how much I love her.

England (and all things British):

The United Kingdom, and especially England, have held a special facination with me for what seems like my entire life. Their customs, their food, their castles, their history, their culture in general are the most interesting and facinating things I can find to learn about. I'm like a sponge when it comes to any and all information I can glean about England. I soak it up and store it forever! Someday, I will cross "the Big Pond" and visit, but for now, I will just have to make due with reading, writing and learning about this country.



Escargot:

Yes, folks, I said snails... YUMMO!!! I had this for the first time about 2 years ago on my birthday. And I'll tell you, I eat them whenever I have the opportunity! The snails actually melt in your mouth! And they come served traditionally in this garlicly buttery sauce that is to die for! Give it a try. Don't think about the snail factor. Just try them. They are delicious!!!



Eggs:

Any way you can serve these bad boys... delicioso! MMM! Scrambled, over easy, poached, whatever... Eggs make the world go round! I LOVE eggs! From my head, down through my legs, I LOVE EGGS!!



English:

My favorite subject all the way through school. English just makes sense, you know? There are blatant rules and once you know the rules, they can be stretched sometimes. ;) I love a really good adverb or adjective. I love to see the correct use of their, there and they're, too, two and to, your and you're... you get the picture! And don't even get me started on coma usage!!! I love a good coma! :) lol

We Went A'Crusin...

So my littlest sister, Laura, my momma and I went on a cruise in February to the Southern Caribbean. It was incredible!! I can't even believe it actually happened. Thank goodness for photos and videos, otherwise I would have thought I dreamed it all up.

Unfortunately, because it was 10 worth of amazing experiences, they are not going to be documented. Instead, I will try to show you some pictures and put a little info with each. Suffice it to say, if you have never been on a cruise, or have never been to the southern Caribbean on a cruise, DO IT!! You will NEVER, EVER regret it. Ever.

Laura and I on our flight over the Gulf of Mexico on our way to San Juan, Puerto Rico

Mom and Laura on the plane

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Feeding the birds in a pavillion in San Juan

Laura feeding the birds

Regan, Laura and Sierra at the Old Fort in San Juan

Kenny is a pirate on San Juan! Arr!

Me in the Old Fort

Steph, Brockle Berry, Regan, Jess and Brad in the Old Fort

Laura and Mom in the Old Fort

The Princess in her tower of the Old Fort

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Shopping in San Juan... Brad entertained himself

Me on the ship with San Juan behind me

The ship ALWAYS had fresh fruit and fruit sculptures

The Promanade of the Ship

Me ready for our first day on our first island, St. Thomas!

Our crew on the bus on St. Thomas

The beach on St. Thomas

A real crab they found while snorkling in the ocean on St. Thomas

Lizard just hanging out on the beach with us in St. Thomas

St. Thomas

St. Thomas

Me on St. Thomas

They had the most beautiful flowers on the islands

Formal Night on the ship! Sierra, Regan and Laura

Me on formal night. It was so humid, the curl and body fell out of my hair within 15 minutes. Sad!

Jess and Brock on formal night

Betty and Kenny on formal night

Jess and Justin on formal night

On St. Kitts, we paid $5 and got to hold baby monkeys

I wanted to buy them and bring them home!! Look at those little diapers!

Laura with a baby monkey on St. Kitts

Extinct volcano on St. Kitts

I look so gross but it was raining that day. I'm eating lemongrass that was plucked off the side of the road. It grows wild there. Along with basil and thyme. AWESOME!

This was a wild puppy that I made friends with. She was so skinny and little that I decided to give her a cracker out of my pack. She took the cracker gently from me, put it on the ground, licked my hand and went back to eating. So sweet! I wanted to bring her home too!

She had an itch

Rainforest hike on St. Kitts

St. Kitts

Beach on St. Kitts~ The water was so cold!

Stateroom on the ship. My bed was the top left

Favorite restaurant on the ship

Regan, Sierra, Jess and Brock at Johnny Rockets

My milkshake from Johnny Rockets

Wes, Betty, Justin and Jess at Johnny Rockets

Laura's hamburger

Laura, Mom, KJ and Me at Johnny Rockets

Brad at Johnny Rockets

Steph at Johnny Rockets

I may or may not have been trying to shove the straw wrapper up KJ's nose  :)

The waitstaff and customers all get up and dance

Justin decided to dance in his booth

Laura has pretty eyes

We rented Jeeps to go all over Aruba

A beach in Aruba

Me in Aruba

I climbed down the side of this mountain through lava rocks to get get to this natural arch. I stepped wrong and gouged my leg pretty good. I still have a good scar. Picture of my leg coming below.

The surf on Aruba

Another natural arch in Aruba

Laura, Regan, Sierra and KJ getting ready to parasail on Aruba

My cut up leg from rock climbing. Yay.

We went parasailing!!!

It was sorta scary, but really cool too!

Parasailing in Aruba

The beach in Curacao

Another beach in Curacao

The crew on the busride back to the ship in Curacao

Curacao

Ah, Justin... he's so pretty!!

And the greatest cruise director that ever lived... RICHARD SPACEY!!!

Every single night after the show, he would tell us how much he appreciated us coming to the show and joining in the fun. They would start closing the curtain on him, but he would just end up laying down on the floor so that he could keep talking to us. Finally, the curtain would go down and you could just hear him and he would say, "I love you". On one of the last nights, I screamed back "I love you too!" His reply you may ask....

"I love you more Darling!" Super funny.

All in all, this was one of the greatest things I've ever done. I loved it. I would never go back to Aruba (too expensive) or St. Kitts (too poverty stricken). I would love to go back to St. Thomas and Curacao though. The beaches were great, the water was warm and the people were fantastic!