Only One More Month

    I can't believe we are down to one more month of summer. July was a fun month even though it was so stinking hot! I love the summer, but when it starts getting in the mid to upper 90's, it is rough. We enjoyed the 4th, hanging out with our friends by their backyard pool. Jeremy went to see fireworks with his friend but Mike and I stayed home with the pets this time, to give them comfort during all the fireworks. Surprisingly, it is more terrifying for the cat than the dog.
    We had a great time at the beach. I thought a lot while we were on vacation about how long we have been going to Myrtle Beach and how much those trips have meant to us. Mike and I both went there growing up, and while we dated we would go a few times from spring through the summer because his mom had a camper there. He asked me to marry him while we were walking on the beach. And Jeremy has gone on vacations in Myrtle Beach almost every year since he was born. Maybe it will be a special place for him to bring his family, too.

Journey in Concert

    When I was a kid I went to see Journey in concert with my big sister, Dena. This was a huge deal for me because I loved the band so much, it was my first big concert, plus I got to experience it with my sister. We stood in line nearly 2 hours to get our tickets because you couldn't get tickets any other way back then. The concert was so good. I thought I was a big shot wearing my concert tee to school the next week. I wish I still had that shirt!
    When it comes to music, Jeremy differs from a lot from the kids his age. He loves guitar, and rock music from the 70's and 80's is his favorite. He started listening to Journey in the car with me and loved their music. When we found out they were having a concert in Charlotte, we jumped at the chance to take Jeremy. His sweet friend Cassidy joined us, and I think she had fun even though she was not as familiar with their songs.
    I always loved Steve Perry's voice but their lead singer, Arnel Pineda, does an excellent job and he is full of energy. The guitarist, Neal Schon, is so very talented - he is amazing to watch. Jeremy had such a blast. It was really cool to watch him enjoying a band that meant so much to me as a teenager. So great to experience that with my kid!

Oak Island Trip Part II

    While we were staying in Oak Island it was a great opportunity to visit Wilmington and Southport. We had not been there since Jeremy was a year old.  We took the ferry over to Fort Fisher and drove up to Wilmington. Fort Fisher has a cool aquarium, but since Jeremy and I had been there on his class trip a few years ago, we didn't visit it this time. I'm a huge fan of aquariums though, so it was hard not to!
    Wilmington has a pretty historic downtown right on the Cape Fear River. We strolled around and did a little bit of shopping. Wilmington is pretty cool because it is a college town with all the conveniences of a city (with heavy traffic), plus it's on a river and minutes from the beach.
    I have to say though, that if I had to pick a place to live it would be Southport. We spent a little bit of time in Southport one evening and went back the next day to walk around. It has grown a lot over the years, but a lot has stayed the same too. I love to drive around and look at the beautiful old houses. It has been the location of movies like Safe Haven, because it is such a quaint town. I don't know if I will ever get to experience living in a small town on the coast - - but at least I can visit!
 

There is a really cool area of live oaks in Fort Fisher.

You can see some of the Battleship NC behind Jeremy.

Love my guys!

The seagull tucked his foot so far under, it looked like he only had one foot.

Southport waterfront

Trip to Oak Island

   We were fortunate to recently take a weekend trip to Oak Island, NC. The last time we were there, Jeremy was just learning to walk, so it's been a long time. Mike always says I would get sick of the beach if I lived there. (He is a mountain boy.) When I stand down by the water, feel the breeze, listen to the waves, and look at the beautiful sunset - I just don't see how that's possible! Jeremy loves to take pictures and videos of the sunset and waves with his phone. It's cool that he has an artistic eye like his mom and dad.

Pro photographer at work.

I just loved this tree. It's kind of wicked looking.

I managed to get a shot of the marsh going across the bridge.

Spring Is Here

   It is amazing how quickly this winter has flown by. It is a really warm week here in Charlotte, but I try not to get too excited because we could have another cold snap before spring begins. I can't believe spring/Easter break is almost here. It seems like Jeremy just started school and now there are only three months left! The cherry tree blooms are so beautiful right now- I just wish they lasted longer.

Scenes from 2015

   Like every year, 2015 came and went in the blink of an eye. I started a new part-time job and I have gotten to know some of the sweetest people through my work, so that has been awesome. We took some family trips to the beach and mountains, which we always enjoy. There was no health crises this year and that is always something to be thankful for! Jeremy started driving and he gets his license next summer (and I'm going to be terrified). We shared so much goofiness and laughter together, just enjoying time as a family, which are the most memorable times for me.
  I love using Instagram and my cell phone is always handy to grab when my camera is not. These are some shots I took throughout 2015. Most of which are scenery and pets. But who can resist their pets?

The Farm Life

  Last November, I went to visit and old friend and she took me over to her uncles farm to walk around, because I wanted to take pictures. We had a great time catching up as we strolled around the barn, silos and through the pastures. I saw the cutest cows and one almost licked me threw the fence with her humongous tongue.
  I recently had another chance to visit a farm, because my sister and her husband put on craft fairs and they had one at Hodges Farm in Charlotte. I didn't get to see as much of the farm as I had hoped because there was also a wedding taking place in one of the barns, so we had to steer clear of that. My niece and I walked around the side, where we would be out of view, to look around.
  These pictures are from both last year at my friends family farm and from Hodges. They allow photographers to take portraits there, so maybe I will get an opportunity to go back and take some pics.