HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!!!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO ALL!!

Today being the 4th of July, I took a minute to reflect on what this day really means. For most of us, it usually means, picnics, barbeques, spending the day with friends and family while swimming, grilling, sipping cocktails.... but hopefully, somewhere in there, while doing all of those fun things, we have all taken at least a moment to reflect on how fortunate we all are to live in the USA, where we can enjoy such things and have the freedom to do them. I love this country and like Lee Greenwood says, "I am proud to be an American - where at least I know I'm free!" Hats off to all the veterans out there too and THANK YOU and GOD BLESS YOU for all you have done for all of us!

We spent a nice, relaxing lazy day. After sleeping in rather late today, we got up, had lunch, then headed down to my mom and stepfather's house and spent some time lounging by the pool in the sun. Then the dark clouds rolled in and the thunder started, so we went inside and hung out for awhile, made daquiris, and then headed back out to the covered porch, where we sat sipping banana daquiris and enjoying the nice, soaking rainfall. After awhile, once the rain stopped, we fired up the grill, and we grilled hot dogs and brats. We enjoyed a traditional 4th of July feast - hot dogs, brats, homemade potato salad, baked beans, cole slaw - and cold beer!

Later, we went back out and sat around the Jacuzzi for awhile, then had our watermelon for dessert - what is the 4th of July without watermelon? Then home to settle in for the evening before the fireworks start popping - had to get home and get the dogs inside before that starts - the fireworks terrify them!

Today has felt like Saturday all day to me - I know I will be confused for days to come. Now that tomorrow is REALLY Saturday, I guess it's back to housework, laundry, yard work, and all those other "fun" things!

I forgot to post last night about the new car... Dennis FINALLY bought a new car last week! Yay! On Monday, June 23 we went to the dealership and looked around - and decided on a new Hyundai Santa Fe SUV... it's a great vehicle! Dennis picked it up on June 25 and met me at Capital City Club, and we rode home together in it. After 12 and a half years of driving his Honda, it was time. So now we are enjoying the new vehicle and loving it! As soon as I get some pictures of the new car, I'll post them. Hopefully soon.

I did figure out late last night how to add links to other people's blogs - and to post a few pictures.. so I posted some pictures of my installation as President of Junior Woman's Club of Columbia, which took place on Thursday, May 8 @ Capital City Club. Those were the only ones I could still find on my computer, although I know I had others. But at least it got some pics on my new blog!

Happy 4th everyone - what's left of it - be safe doing fireworks!

REFLECTIONS

I guess maybe because this is a BRAND NEW blog and I'm like a child with a new toy - but I'm going to go ahead and make ANOTHER post tonight... technically, since it is after midnight, it's now really DAY TWO of my blog! haha!

I've read other friends' blogs quite a bit the past few months, since I first started being introduced to blogging - and it's really quite enlightening to read what others write about on their blogs. One friend of mine recently wrote about how much her family and friends mean to her. So I thought I'd take a moment to share with all of you, my friends, what mine mean to ME.

So many people that I know frequently ask me "how do you do all that you do?" Everyone who knows me knows how absurdly involved I am in the community - and - well, EVERYTHING! Sometimes I jokingly reply that I don't really sleep! Actually, I do - but the answer is really quite simple- I MAKE time for what is important to me.

I started my girls' night out group (GNO) about five years ago - and it's grown into the most amazing group of women - bigger than I ever imagined it would be. People ask me all the time how many people on the e-mail list for that group - well, I don't really know - I haven't counted.. BUT it's quite a few. I'm also asked how/why I started the group. Why? Because I feel that other than family, there is nothing more important than making time for FRIENDS... After family, friends are the most important people to me. I love meeting people and making friends. I love spending time with friends. I'm happiest in my life when I'm with my family or my friends. And when I'm with BOTH life can't get any better.

I love spending time with my husband, my mother and stepfather and other family members.. and I love to spend time with my friends from GNO and JWC.. I've been a member of Junior Woman's Club for several years now, and I've met some of the best people in the world in that club. I've made lasting friendships in both groups that I hope I will continue to have for years to come. I think sometimes we all get so caught up in our daily lives that we forget what's important.. we are so busy running from meeting to meetnig, from one function to another, or from one work project to another, that we forget about PEOPLE. It's easy to do. But I try really hard to remember what's important. If I forget, sometimes something happens to remind me, and get me back on track.

So my hat's off to all of YOU - my family.. my friends.. those who mean the most to me in the world. YOU ALL have made my life what it is!

I hope everyone enjoys my posts - I'll try to update daily, for awhile - and then maybe every couple/few days once things get going! And as SOON as I figure out how to add links to friends' blogs and add pictures, I'll start doing that too - hopefully in the not-too-distant future! In the meantime, please enjoy the posts! And add your comments - let me know what you think!

HAPPY 4th!!!

HAPPY 4th EVERYONE! It's the start of a long, three-day weekend... This week has been slow workwise for me... but I'm enjoying it.. have spent a couple days lounging by the pool at my mom's house - for those of you who don't know, she lives three houses down from me! So it's a short walk (and an even shorter drive) to her house, and to the pool! I had lunch with my friend, Renee, on Tuesday - we had an early lunch at Applebee's, and then I spent about 3 hours by the pool, after which I went home and changed and did a little work.. .every now and then, I DO have to find time to sneak in a little work! More time by the pool Wednesday for a couple hours, then back to work again!

Tonight, Thursday night, Dennis and I had dinner up at Capital City Club with my mom and stepdad, then came home and watched some TV. SO nice to think of being able to sleep in in the morning and then go back down for MORE lounging by the pool, then grilling out! Looking forward to a nice, lazy 4th of July holiday!

Day 1 of Blog!!!

WOW.. I can't believe I finally created a blog - several of my friends have one - and I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon! This is a totally new thing for me. First I had to figure out how to create a gmail account - then I went from there!

Of course, I already have the GNO blog! But this one is just MINE.. I will post on this blog about ME.. MY life...MY family, and everything I am up to!

Can't wait to start filling it up!