Yay! Go team!

So our softball team isn't exactly the best in the league. BUT!!! Last night I actually hit the ball and got an RBI. I was really excited to be able to contribute to the game. All that training that John and Jeff have been helping with in practice is starting to pay off. Just had to tell everyone.

Also, updates for this coming weekend- the Strawberry Festival and Chili Cook-off are scheduled for this Saturday, Lord willing it won't rain and put a damper on the fun. I love this kind of stuff. I hope everyone is having a great Wednesday!

I'll leave you with this picture I took after the softball game last night.

A greeting from the Star City of the South...

Water...

A lot of people are confused when I tell them I am afraid of water. They don't understand how I can not want to be in it or splash around in it. Everyone wants to know if my mom dropped me in the pool or something when I was a little kid. The answer is no, there was no life altering moment when I decided I didn't like the water-that I know of. I just don't like getting it in my nose, or eyes, or ears or face. I do however think it is a beautiful thing. So I snapped a few pictures out at the lake. My artsy take on water.

Beautiful weather means we're at the lake

We have a great friend of ours, Andy...

who always invites us to the lake. He lives for having fun and friends to share his space with. This past weekend he invited us, other fellow employees that John works with, and some visiting engineers from Mexico, to come out and enjoy the water. The water was really cold but that didn't stop us. I took lots of fun pictures of everyone enjoying the festivities.

Me and Charlotte

Tyler on the tube

John pulling Tyler...

Jesus (pronounced hey-zoo-s)

Mike catching some fish...

John on the wake board...

Andy making some waves

The cove (out and to the right leads to the rest of (Smith Mountain Lake)

John pulling Jeff on the wake board

Rachel taking Ty for a spin on the jet ski...

Me and Charlotte again...

Charlotte and me.... note this is before she lost her hat and we had to try to pick it up on the water, ALMOST falling in and therefore soaking the two ladies who didn't want to be in the water.

Carlos in the kayak

Sam trying to figure it out....Jesus and Rocio...

Hernando, Hugo (pronounced who-go) and Andy... They were re-screwing the seat down after an adventurous ride where whoever was sitting there maybe flew threw the air. I wish I had been on the boat to see that.
Rocio and Jesus (Rocio is also not thrilled with the idea of being in the lake water-just like me. She is going to be a great friend. Her and her husband, Jesus, have only lived here for about 6 months. She is going to teach me how to make authentic Mexican food! I am going to help her in anyway I can here in America)

Tyler gliding in the kayak

Charlotte, Rachel and Rocio

John getting ready to stand up on his jet ski...

Mike and Crystal...

John docking his jet ski...

Jeff cruisin' the lake

Tyler...

At the end of the night, as always, we grilled out-burgers, hot dogs, brats, and chicken burritos- and ended the night with a movie outside. We watched Transformers (how appropriate for the men who all work at a company that makes Transformers.) John and Andy designed this little fixture last summer to hold up the sheet as the screen. It is so nice sitting out under the stars listening to the fish splash. It is the truest definition of enjoying summer.

#62 Make 3 frozen dinners to give to someone who could really use the break

A fellow designer that I work with, fell and broke her foot. She has to wear one of those boots and may still have to have surgery to repair the damage. I felt really bad for her as she has a daughter and her brother who lost a pet and all his belongings in a fire last year, who live with her. I knew that I had to help in some way. So #62 it is! I have to say I am proud of myself for fixing all these dinners in the time I did. I made 5 dinners from start to freezer in 3 hours! And while I was at it I made extra pasta and such for my dinner the next night.

The list:

-Beef Enchilada's

-Beef Enchilada's

-Shepherd's pie

-Penne Pasta Bake

-Penne Pasta Bake

I delivered them the next day. I made instruction cards on how to prepare. I left one out and ready to cook with her brother. She said he isn't much of a cook but I told her that he should be able to help. It felt so good to help out someone in need. I also took her the Nicholas Sparks book that I just finished reading, 'The Choice'.

the dinners being transported...

Softball time in VA!

Rachel and I recently jointed the softball team through the church that John and I attend. We kinda had no choice as I mentioned we had played in the past to one of the older ladies on our team, and consequently, we were recruited because of our experience from a decade ago and our age! And consequently John and Jeff got recruited as our coaches! So we are all getting out for a little exercise at games and practice. I thought I would share a few pictures from one of the games. Jeff took these and didn't know how to use some of the extra functions, but I think they turned out kinda artsy and cool! Thanks Jeff!

I've been playing 3rd base. It's going okay. I've only gotten plowed over once. And I think I have made 2 outs so far.

Rachel plays a couple different position but prefers 2nd. She has been involved in a couple plays/outs and even stepped on a lady. lol! It was an accident and the lady was fine (and out)!

This was one of the Artsy pictures I was talking about!

This is Rachel fielding a ball.

Rachel got to 1st, but I unfortunately, didn't get to 2nd fast enough. Running fast isn't what I'm known for but I tried. I am the blur behind Rachel in this picture.

That's all for now. I'm sure we will have more pictures to show off our "talent" as the season goes along.

#19 [Get] a new reusable water bottle!!!

Thank you Katherine! I love my new water bottle she got me. i am using it right this minute. I brought apple fruit punch with my lunch today! I was very excited to get it in the mail. John actually got it and thought it was a bomb! (not really but it was humerus at the time!!) In addition to the water bottle she also sent me an envelope of seeds from her flowers. I hope to get them in the ground this week! Thank you Katherine for the thoughtful gift! I will be sure to take pictures of the flowers when they bloom.

Note the seeds are for Orange Cosmos and the bottle is BPA free! Perfect gift right around Earth Day! I hope everyone took a moment to think about what they could do to help protect our planet!

This is what an orange cosmo looks like (image found through google images)

#81 Plant flowers in the yard!!!

This one has been very fun and time consuming. I would have never thought that starting a garden would be this involved. Ginette, John's mom, gave me her rose bushes from her yard, since she will not be home this summer to take care of them and will be moving in the fall. I was VERY excited, she is amazing with them. I was also very nervous because transplanting plants isn't always successful. I am still not out of the woods yet but they are looking better everyday! I plated some in the front and in the back. I also got some other plants to go with them. Here are some pictures of the new-to-me flowers!!!

this is the front area. The random circle was already there from the previous owner. That is where our flag pole will go one day.

A close up of one of the rose plants, with a marigold on the right and a purple-something-er-other on the left!
The back garden. Don't mind the flags, the guys are installing an underground fence and those are the markers.
this is a good example of how some are doing great and some are looking so good. The one at the top left is having to recover and the other two are much better, especially the one in the top right. I don't remember what the other little plants are called, I will come back and let you know. Since this picture I have put out more dirt and mulched the front. I will take more pictures once they start to bloom.

Enjoying the Spring/Summer!!!

John and I have been busy bees the past few weeks. I have been volunteering and even convinced John to go with me to the SPCA Pancake Breakfast hosted by Applebee's and staffed by the volunteers and staff of the SPCA. I of course served the food and drinks as I was already familiar with that task. John had never worked in food service so he decided to help in the kitchen with expo- a.k.a. collecting the orders from the kitchen and distributing to the servers. He did a great job at it. They even offered him a job, but he had to decline when they told him that he would also be responsible for cleaning the toilets. So generous of them. We had a great time and the good news is that we raised $1,200 in proceeds to help out the SPCA, thanks to Applebee's!

I also went back this past Saturday morning to help out with a micro-chip clinic. You can bring your pets in and get them micro-chipped for a reduced price. This helps shelters and the SPCA get your pet back to you if they are brought in because they got lost. This was a harmless process where they just inject the rice sized chip in between your pets shoulders. I was taking the pet from the owner to the vet and back and not once the whole morning did I hear a dog or cat whimper because it possibly hurt them. It is a smart way to protect your family pet!

After volunteering Saturday we went to the Vinton Dogwood Festival to get some bar-b-que. Our church had a tent there with bar-b-que. It was so delicious. The proceeds went to help out the youth group. So two great things in one- support our church and eat bar-b-que!!! It was close to 90 degrees out. It was a gorgeous day. God blessed them with great weather.

Here is a picture of the cute apron from the pancake breakfast.

Guests!!!

I love it when people come visit us here in VA. I love entertaining and cooking for people. The week before Easter, John's brother, Dan, was able to visit us on his way to PA. I made him meatloaf muffins and garlic fries. (sorry no pics). After dinner the guys decided to have a fire in our fire pit in the back yard. I snapped a couple pictures of the guys hanging out.

John and Dan...

Richie, Jeff, John, and Dan....

This weekend we had a couple of last minute guests, Tyler and Sam. Tyler is Rachel's brother and Sam is his friend from the marines. They came up to visit from Camp Lejeune, NC. I love it when he comes. He is a perfect gentleman and will make a great husband to a lucky lady one day. He also loves my cooking so they raid the refrigerator every time, and I had plenty of leftovers ready for them luckily!!!

This is a picture from the lake. Sam and Tyler...

(More pictures from the lake to come!)