Happy Father's Day, Dad!

How do I thank you for the father that you have always been?

For showing me what the most unconditional love on the planet looks like?

For making sure I grew up knowing what truly good music sounds like?

For fixing everything that has ever been broken - bikes and hearts and everything in between?

For teaching me that, in the South, College Football is to be treated as the sacred experience that it is?

For always being my favorite dance partner?

For never hesitating to drop everything and come running whenever I have ever needed you?

You are the reason that I have such strong Prince Charming standards.

I Love You!

65 Years Ago Today...

My grandparents - "Nanny & GanGan" - got married.He left right after they got married - the day after - to go off to war with the Marines. So many people back then got married right before the man headed off to war. It may have seemed impulsive, it might not have been something everyone agreed with (GanGan's mother didn't even come to their wedding) but they were a true love story. One that lasted for 56 years until my grandfather passed away in 2000.

They did everything together - they loved to golf and loved the mountains, loved to travel and saw the world together. My grandfather built his world around her, and later they built their world around the whole family. They raised my mom and her two sisters and doted on me, my sister and our five cousins left and right. They were fortunate to enjoy some of the finer things in life - rewards for a life of hard, hard work - but still valued nothing more than family.
Today I'm wearing a ring that holds Nanny's engagement diamond in the center. It was reset years upon years ago, but the stone is the one GanGan gave her when he asked her to marry him. It means the world to me that I have it - it always will.

Happy Anniversary, Nanny & GanGan. And GanGan, as you would have said,
"Glad We Got You"

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday!

These little heartbreakers are all celebrating birthdays. Jack turned 8 - EIGHT! - yesterday, and Will and Ford are 6 today. I will spare you all of my "How are they getting so big?!" ranting and raving. But I mean really: Stud, Stud, Stud.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Morrow Boys! I love you!

Happy 27th!

So way back a million years ago in high school (a million, ten, whatever...) this sweet boy that I know knew he was going to marry my best friend.

And he did.

And today is his birthday. :)

But he's way way more than my best friend's husband. He's one of the best, greatest people that I know. That anyone knows.

Happy Birthday, T! I love you!

It's Business Time...Georgia Style

Well, we all made it home alive after going to Sea Island, Georgia for Katie and Michael's wedding. I had never been, and let me tell you, it is GORGEOUS there. I'm fairly certain the oak trees and all of their Spanish moss could tell stories. It was just amazing. Nine of us had the best little house "next door" on St. Simons Island and had a big time. A wedding that is easily made into a beach trip is always fine by this girl.
There was plenty of fun planned and plenty of time for doing whatever we wanted. It was the perfect mix. Parties on Thursday and Friday nights, playtime during the days, and of course the wedding, THE WEDDING, on Saturday night. The boys played a lot lot lot of cornhole. People on the beach were fascinated. And they were all seasoned pros (more than they were already) by the time we left.The wedding was ridiculously perfect. The weather was amazing, the little church was picturesque, to put it lightly, and Katie and Michael radiated happiness. We all clean up okay, if you ask me...

The reception was phenomenal, nothing was left out. I possibly had (read: did have) more fun than I've ever had at a wedding. The "Winston Crew" - as we were affectionately referred to all weekend - is a group that enjoys cutting quite a rug, and we made the most of a big dance floor and great band. We didn't mess around.

The whole thing was a fairytale, complete with Katie and Michael driving away through fireworks leaving the wedding.Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Baddour! We love you!

I Know 3 Big Sisters-To-Be...

Each of these girls! Yay!!!I'm so excited that I may just explode. :) Come on November!

Fun with Sutton and Sam

My cousin Tom and his wife Sara have two boys - Sutton and Sam. Over Memorial Day weekend, my mom and I offered to have them come up for the weekend from Greenville, SC while their mom recovered from some surgery - we thought they could really use a weekend to just rest. Mom picked the boys up half way on Friday and they stayed until Monday when I met Tom in Charlotte to hand them back off.
The boys are a hoot. Sutton is 6 1/2 and knows everything about pretty much everything. Mom said she got an extensive lesson in rare jellyfish on the way from Hickory to Winston on Friday. I don't doubt it. Sam is 2 1/2 and often goes by the nickname "Trouble". He was obsessed with my dad, "Wee Wah" (a name my cousins gave my dad well before I came along) and was also found asleep under the desk in my sister's room one night at 11:45. We thought we had lost him....oops... :)

We had a great weekend. I had made a $5 investment in some sidewalk chalk before they got here that ended up being some of the best money I've ever spent. I wondered if boys would even really care, and if they did, if it would be fun that would last at all. Turns out, Sutton is quite the driveway artist, and Wee Wah's perfect yard was flanked by chalk art galore. Even flags and all of the branches of service in honor of Memorial Day.

Sam had more fun than anyone ever would have imagined in the sprinkler (wearing his PJs, thank you) and Dad helped the boys make s'mores in the fireplace. Under an umbrella. In the rain. Promises must be kept! I think fun was had by all!