Busy Summer

Usually, I try to write one blog once a month but failed to do so in July. Fortunately, I have a lot of material since this summer has been very eventful. There have been a few life changes as well but more on that later. My last blog was right before the Smith family trip to Williamsburg, Virginia in early June. That adventure deserves a blog all on its own, so that will be your next slice of blog pie.

We went out to Horn Island for Father’s Day as this is definitely what my Dad would want to do on his day. A brief summer shower passed through while we were there. This was the first time we’ve been out there when it has rained. He enjoyed himself and caught a couple of fish too.

I was able to take the pups to a dog beach in Pensacola on a day off. It’s a nice, little area called Bayview Park that contains a fenced in “beach.” (It’s really just a sandbar on Bayou Texor.) Bella and Asher made some new friends and had a blast. Well, at least until Princess Bella Brat came out to play and picked a fight. I’m not really sure why she does this or what sets her off. She grew up with tons of dogs of all shapes and sizes (I was in vet school when she was a pup and if you didn’t have a dog, well, then you couldn’t be in the club) and never had any problems until she got about 4 years old. It’s actually quite embarrassing when you can’t control your dog and me being a vet only compounds that fact. I suppose it’s a lot like having a child that throws a temper tantrum or acts out around others. At least, that’s how I will relate it. We were there a little over an hour, so maybe she was just tired and cranky? Anyhow, I’m sure we will be back and next time I will bring my swimsuit so that I can swim with them.

Craig and I decided to take an impromptu trip to Atlanta to meet up with Craig’s buddy, Davo, and watch a Braves game. This game was particularly important to Craig because they retired Chipper Jones’ number (Craig’s favorite player of all time). We ended up having one too many but thankfully had a sober driver to take us back to our hotel, which by the way was very chic and reasonable. If you need a place to stay in the ATL, we recommend the Indigo Hotel. 

We’ve been to Horn Island several times this summer, but the next trip was a bit more special. I brought Raven (my friend and beach buddy) with me. It was her first time to go, and she seemed pretty excited. My Dad was also extremely excited as well. He caught a baby bonnet head shark! Definitely, one for the books!

 

Craig and I got to spend some time with our nieces at the pool just before the fourth of July, which was nice. We celebrated by going to our subdivision’s yacht club and watching the fireworks over the bay. We were able to see Fairhope’s show, Mobile’s show at Battleship Parkway, Dauphin Island’s show, and even towards Pascagoula there were some really large fireworks (not really sure what city). We enjoyed the cookout also. I think next year we are going to try to take the boat out and get up close to the battleship to watch the show.

 

Asher turned 8 years old on July 5^th. I can’t believe he is getting up there. He surely doesn’t act his age and is still very spry. Craig and I made it back down to Gulf Shores once again and partook in beach activities the first weekend in July. I love the beach, but Craig is not too fond so we typically sit under the umbrella. I try to bring an ample supply of booze, which seems to help Craig’s tolerance of “sunburn and sand in the ass crack.” It’s nice to have a beach within 45 minutes, but I could always live closer!

My parents and I travelled up to Indianapolis the second weekend in July to visit with my sister and celebrate my Dad’s birthday. This trip also deserves a blog to itself, so more on that later. When I returned, I was able to go to Tristan’s 1^st birthday party in Florida. Tina did an amazing job with the decorations and theme. I think first year birthdays are more for the parents. It’s a celebration for the parents keeping a human being alive for an entire year, right? Although he won’t remember it, he had fun swimming, eating, and playing, and that’s the most important thing. My favorite part was of course the smash cake!

Recently, we made it to the sandbar also. There’s a small place up the river, north of the bay that we go take the dogs to. Bella loves to swim, so she is able to get her fix safely. I used to take her to Bayfront Park but have seen several rather large alligators swimming nearby so those trips were postponed indefinitely. The pups LOVE this trip and always sleep for at least two days straight afterwards.

The last weekend in July we attend the Cumbest family reunion. Craig has A LOT of relatives. It was nice to see so many folks gathered together to celebrate family. There was so much food, and we got to see our nieces again. Kaleigh is upright and running around like a mad woman. Nothing’s stopping her now.

See! I told you it’s been busy. By now if you’ve read to this point, you are probably thinking, “where does she have the time to do all of this?” Well, this is the “life change” I was talking about earlier. Shortly after returning from Bermuda, my boss unexpectedly approached me. She told me that she had hired an older, more experience doctor whom had a good client following. He would need a “normal” schedule, so she would need me to work every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Now, this caught me completely off guard, and I was a bit upset. I’ve been in this place before and did not want to go there again. Several things were wrong with this proposition, but basically it boils down to this… my hours were cut, my pay was cut, and I would have to work every weekend. Um… no thank you. Bump this! I’m out! So, for the past month and a week, I’ve been unemployed once again. Staying busy has helped keep my mind off my two failed first jobs. It’s quite depressing actually. But, unlike last time, I am in a better place in all facets. God has provided, and he will lead me to next path. I just have to think positive thoughts.

Cheers!
Tara

Live for the Weekend

After our fabulous trip to Bermuda, we returned home to have a very eventful month. Similar to many folks, the majority of our good times occur over the weekend. I get to spend valuable time with my family and friends, make new memories, and travel. Working feeds our bellies, but memories feed our souls.

My Mimi (my grandmother) had her total hip replacement while we were gone, and it went very well. I stopped in to visit her while she was in the hospital. She was in great spirits and already able to walk down the hall. She has been having issues since last July and finally was diagnosed and repaired. I am happy to report that she is doing extremely well and now only needs to walk with a cane. I'm so proud of her achievements.

My Mimi and Poppy <3

Shortly after her surgery on May 10th, Mimi celebrated her 75th birthday. She got to do one of her most favorite things, gambling (We call it "going to the boats" - In Biloxi, they were required to be over water at first). Craig and I surprised her there, and I think we made her pretty happy. Plus, Craig won $70 playing roulette!

I had a couple of friends stop by to say hello. Tina, Drew and Tristan called me up after work and wanted to meet up with us for dinner. They were passing through on their way back from Mississippi, and of course I jumped on the opportunity to see them. Tristan is such a ham. Kati and Luke called me up after work a week later. They were running errands in the area, so I met up with them for dinner as well. I love my friends. I wish we all didn't live so far apart, but I'm so glad that they called even if the visit was brief.

Craig and I were able to finally make it down to Gulf Shores. We live relatively close to the beach (only 45 minutes away), but our schedules never seem to line up. And of course, the Hangout Festival was this weekend as well making the traffic unbearable. So, we decided to go around to Perdido Key instead. Our friends, Raven and Ruth, met up with us, and we enjoyed a lazy day relaxing on the beach, laying out, and having some cold ones. These girls are always a ton of fun. We took the Jeep down there also, so she got a bath afterwards and was looking so fine.

The following weekend, my parents and I got to take the boat to Horn Island for the first time this year. My mom's birthday was on the 22nd, and this is one of the things she wanted to do. (May is a good month for her - anniversary, mother's day and birthday - I would hate the combo gifts!) The weather was perfect, and the water was even warm enough for swimming. The island has changed a lot since last season, but it is still just as beautiful as ever. This is one of my most favorite places. I am looking forward to many more trips there this summer.

I was also lucky enough to be able to attend my niece's first birthday after work on Sunday (the 26th). My favorite part was her digging into her cake. We bought her a swimming pool and pool toys, and she seemed to enjoy it even without water. She is getting so big, and she is such a good little girl. We will get to spend a lot more time this coming week because we are headed to Virginia for our family vacation.

Craig and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary on the 29th. Craig got me one of my favorite flowers (and our wedding flowers), hydrangeas, and he cooked a delicious dinner of stuffed chicken breasts and veggies. We watched our wedding video and reminisced about that amazing day. The next day we travelled to Gulf Shores for our traditional dinner (and drinks) at LuLu's after enjoying a beach sunset. Seriously, the time has flown by so fast. We are growing and learning every day together and are more in love now than ever before. Don't get me wrong. Things aren't always roses and rainbows, but we work on us every day. We are stronger because of the tough times. There is no one in the world that I would rather go through life with, and I am confident the feeling is mutual. And, that feeling, is immeasurable.

Cheers!
Tara