Beachy Days and Warm Nights

I collect the white shells obsessively....jars of them around my house to prove it....the shark's teeth, just a normal thing here at the beach. I am having so much fun playing with kid's in the water and laying in the sun with my sister, Heather.
Olivia, my niece. Just a stunning, smart child whom I adore.

(l to r, Chantz, Alec, Meghan, Olivia)

Chantz and Olivia are my nephew and niece, Alec and Meghan are my cousins kid's, they have a blast together and all of them are little water bugs.

I have to say my little break from the blog has been good, there are things that I miss, like checking in on all of you....I've missed being a part of your lives and can't wait to check up and check in. I also miss posting my pictures and talking about what I am up to. There is another part to this....I have been lured into Facebook....it's true. I was trying to ignore it but then there was an app for it on my iPhone and I caved. I got myself an account and I post there.....every day, multiple times a day. Mostly because I can do it from my phone and it is so quick and easy to check in.

Here's the other part to the Facebook debacle, I am super private on it....I don't even have it under my real name. After I graduated high school I dated a guy, not a great guy....he treated me badly, very badly and having him find me now would be enough to send me into hiding for good.

If you are on Facebook and would like to have access, just shoot me an email to kikbee at yahoo dot com, I'd be happy to let the readers I have known for some time now into my little beachy life...of course there are the regular Gap updates too....

I'm not abandoning the blog, though... in two weeks we are off to a wedding in NY and I CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT!!! I am so homesick for NY and being with family will be awesome!!! So, it will be some time still before I get regular with the updates....I hope that's okay?!?

Well I'm off to check in on all of you, then the rest of this week I'll be with Heather (my sister) and the kids until Saturday, when they leave (boo). More soon. Pinkieswear.

Happy Fourth of July

Still here. Just been travelling (a lot) for work and now 2 of my sisters are here visiting us at the beach! It's wonderful and I am having so much fun being with them and enjoying my summer.....I hope you all are too!!!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Attitude of Gratitude

I was nominated by the wonderful Mrs. News Readin' who is truly a gifted writer and thoughtful blogger. I found my way to her blog through another and have since stuck around to read her adventures of being married to her "News Worthy" husband!!! If you haven't been by her place yet....get there. Now.

The Rules of Accepting and Sharing this Award

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 10 blogs that show an attitude of gratitude.

3. Link to your nominees within your post.

4. Comment on their blogs to let them know they've received this award.

5. Share the love and link to this post and the person who nominated you for the award. Tell us how you've come to have an attitude of gratitude.

My ten people who may or may not play:

1. Heather, who coined "Greedy or Grateful", my mantra.

2. Lauren

3. April, my sisters take the first three spots....because without them....I am lost.

4. Kenady, because she always finds the good. In everything.

5. Mrs. Furious, because she always finds the humor. In everything. And the good.

6. One Fabulous Mom, because she reminds me everyday to have hope in the unseen.

7. MommyK, she has always welcomed me and my opinion, she is truly kind hearted.

8. Angel, Jenna and Lindsay, my Gap Girls who get it. And me.

9. Mrs. LSL, she has not been around, but on the off chance she is checking in, I keep you in my thoughts and prayers, tough times never last and aren't we grateful for that!?

10. My mommy. Because she taught us that life isn't fair and that we have a choice everyday to be grateful for what we have.

Just Got back

Was in Charleston for a meeting but went a day early to play with Erin and hang with her awesome kids!!! Next week I'm off to Charlotte and then she comes with the lovelies for Fourth of July....busy days and I'm having too much fun. Hope you are too!!!

More soon, pinkieswear.

So Last Night

I was at my store until 3:30-ish this morning watching paint dry literally.

My store is a design that the company called New Store Experience, after they designed my store though, they realized that there were some things they didn't like about it and they came out with another design called L & C. Both of these designs include walls that were periodically painted in accordance with the color story of our newest line or the season....it was kind of fun, but it has become expensive and time consuming. Not only do they have to pay the painters but a manager and a sales associate have to be in the store the whole time they are there. Enter the decision to stop painting and return to all white walls and my effort to fly under the radar and hope we didn't have to participate in this lunacy....but last night, I did it. My sales associate and I camped out in the stockroom, I, in the office trying to ignore the HORRIBLE fumes, that I am currently blaming for my pervasive MIGRAINE today.....I completed schedules and worked on the employee reviews, got some organizing done and let the guys out for what I assume is their union mandated 500 million cigarette breaks. (Wow, snark flows easily when irritated by migraine.)

They finally finished, Sally Sales Associate and I loaded the walls after sufficient drying and despite sweat dripping off the end of my nose....I arrived home only to suffer intolerable INSOMNIA, so I stayed up even later watching DVRed Sex and the City, finally falling asleep.

Checking into adoption, private and government assisted (i.e troubled situations), met a woman who gave me the name of her adoption lawyer and recounted her incredibly successful experience with adoption...its a big deal and I'm not jumping into anything yet. I do wish it was easier....it feels like everything in my life has been a test and sometimes I want to scream, "Aren't I refined enough yet?????" Of course I'm not and there is something to learn from every situation...its just exhausting.

Why

....are all the bad driver's always in front of me?

....can't using my cell phone service provider's (AT&T) website, be easier to use?

My big questions of the day....what a gripping life I lead.

Summer Loving

I was recently tagged by One Fabulous Mom to share the things I am looking forward to this summer. This is one of them, we will be taking a trip North to attend a wedding and spending time in my favorite place in the whole world....New York City.

Summer Loving

The annual Fourth of July visit from my sister and her family.

Olivia

Chantz

Lots of time with my favorite person in the whole world. Ken.

Summer Loving

Unfortunately the boat is going to be sold, but we are working on buying a new house....but spending time with my Nana/Mormor, Auntie and Mommy is always something I look forward to.

The beach. Duh.

Summer Loving

Visiting Caed in D.C

The twins too.