Living the Life and Loving It!

Friday, September 7, 2012

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Brody C. Campbell

My Cousin, Brody, married the girl of his dreams, Samantha, this past weekend! It was a beautiful ceremony and even though it was hot and humid the weather really did cooperate with them perfectly! Everything was so beautifully put together from the music to the tables to their vows that they wrote for each other to the food! We were so share their special day with them and we wish them a life time of happy memories together!! Marriage is one of the best, hardest, most exciting, most rewarding things that our Father in Heaven has blessed us with the opportunity of having!!! Make Each Day Count!! We love you both!

The Amazing Musician!! I can't remember the name of this instrument, but it played the most beautiful music!!

Brody walking his proud Mom down the hill!

He got a glimpse of his bride-to-be!

Samantha being escorted by her Dad!

Tenderness!!

This moment is finally here for them!

Can't believe that Brody and Sam are so grown up!! I remember them when they were 14 and had just met!!

The Kiss!

A Video of Sam coming down the isle!

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

My Best Friend in the Whole Wide World Turned 37!!

This past Friday, August 31, Micah turned 37 Years Old! It was so exciting to celebrate him and who he is to us!! And a double bonus that life worked out and he was able to have a FIVE day weekend!!! Because when he gets a 5 Day weekend, we all get a 5 day weekend and WE LOVED it!! His sister, Rachel, was here for a little while in the morning on his birthday and was able to have a birthday breakfast with us! I made french toast and eggs and we had some fruit too! That in itself was a present for my Micah, because usually if we have a hot breakfast he takes care of it, because that is just one of the things that I don't do. But today, for his birthday, an exception was made:) And then Rachel was kind enough to hang in there and come to Whole Foods with me and the kiddos to pick up a Fruit Tart for Micah's birthday lunch, while he got to hang out at home ALONE and watch an episode of The Hulk on DVD!!

Rachel left shortly after we got back so that she could make it back to NOVA in time to take care of a few things! But Dooders was able to make it by to celebrate Micah's Birthday Lunch with us!! Micah's request for lunch was Pea Soup and Grilled Cheese sandwiches and a fruit tart! So that is what we had along with tomato soup (just as an added bonus). We all enjoyed eating, trying the tart and watching Micah open birthday gifts!!!

That night Mimmi and Dooders took the girls for the night and they even watched Ethan for a few hours too, so that Micah and I could go out to dinner together to celebrate!! We had a discount coupon so we headed for Ruby Tuesdays!! It was really yummy and also just nice to get away for a little while, just the two of us!! It was fun to talk and to reminisce about past birthdays and the highlights!!! Good Times!!

We rounded out the evening as we picked up Ethan, came home, we got all ready for bed and put Ethan down and then Micah and I got to watch Condor Man together!! He really enjoyed it and really that is what was important!! He was kind enough to give me a nice long back scratch so we were all happy!! A Great Birthday celebration for my best friend in the entire world!! I am so grateful for him and who he is and what he stands for!! Micah Cordon I am so happy to have you by my side for an eternity of birthdays!!

Aunt Rachel with the girls, just before she left!! I LOVE this picture!

Getting Ready to Blow out the Candles!!

There he Goes!

Enjoying Birthday Lunch as a Family!

The Fruit Tart.....Compliments of Whole Foods!

Another Shot, just before we dug in!

Time to Open Presents....And EVERYONE is ready!

It's CONDOR MAN from Mimmi and Dooders.....Yay!

CUTE CUTE CUTE!!!

One More Trip to Busch Gardens to Round out our Summer! Plus 2 VIDEOS!

On Thursday, we embarked on our LAST TRIP to Busch Gardens for the year!! We took Aunt Rachel (Micah's Sister) along for some added fun and excitement!! It was a bittersweet day for me. I was so blessed to be there with Micah, Rachel and my kiddos and see all of the fun that they were having together, but just a bit sad to think that it was our last time at this wonderful and beautiful amusement park for the year and maybe for a few years! For the last 2 years we have gotten season passes to Busch Gardens and making several trips in the summer as our yearly family vacation for 2 reasons: one because it's REALLY fun and two because it is a trip that we can leave our house in the morning having a BLAST all day and then return home to sleep in our beds that same night!! Definitely a bonus for us with 3 small children:)

And even though we have been to each part of that park and seen each one of their shows several times, I will still miss it! It is one of those places for me where you can go and leave all your worries behind and JUST HAVE FUN all day long and that is what I truly love (along with the looks of pure excitement on each one of our children's faces with each ride that they go on, which each show that they watch, and with each animal that they are brave enough to pet!!). Busch Gardens will live in our memories forever and has filled our family with so many stories to share with our kiddos as they grow!! Once again, I am so grateful for that great birthday present that Micah gave me for my birthday LAST year of season passes!! It was truly the beginning of this fun 2 year journey!!

Almost to Busch Gardens and what do we see? A truck carrying a POOL!!

Our 3 Musketeers ready for a Day of Fun!

Family Photo to Start the Day!

Our Kiddos were Definitely Excited and ready to have some fun with Aunt Rachel!

Me and My Girls and the Famous Busch Gardens Tree!

E Buddy Loves to Stretch out his feet, no matter where he is!

Our Silly Emily, Exploring her little Heart out at our picnic!

This is what Ethan looks like when he gets sun in his eyes!

Emily admiring the 3 bears!

Of course, they had to have a picture with Little Red Riding Hood, the Wolf and the Gnome!

Haley needed some back up with these folks! But we LOVED Goldie Locks hair!!

Rachel and I just Escaped Pompeii!

And now we are ready for a picture together:)

During our picnic, Emily's Explorations skills really kicked in!

Our Picnic Lunch! (Although we forgot to take a picture until we were half way packed up! We actually did have quite a nice spread....Mimmi and Dooders would have been proud!

I got in a picture right after the previous one and some how there was even less sign of our picnic!!

After lunch, the girls set off on a cable car ride with Aunt Rachel!

We love all of the wild life we get to see at Busch Gardens, this owl was so cool!

A Close Up!

Ethan enjoying a nice "stroller nap!"

While Haley enjoyed a nice "Nola Bar"!

Emily and Aunt Rachel walking the rope bridge!

The funnest little dinosaur! Sometimes you could stick your hand in his mouth and he would make the craziest dinosaur sound and other times....not so much:)