Aloha!

View outside of our window in Maui, Lanai in the distance

Marcus playing golf at Kapalua, site of the Mercedes Championship
On the beach in front of our hotel in Maui
Right next to out hotel, our favorite restaurant looking out from our table
View from our room
On the beach in Lahaina at the luau

View from our hotel on Oahu with Diamond Head in the distance
View from our hike to the top of Diamond Head
Our favorite snorkeling adventure on Oahu
USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor
Marcus at Kapalua

We made it back in one piece! How did I ever do a flight to China, by the way? The traveling was very long, but very worth it! We had a great time on Oahu and Maui. I wanted to see Pearl Harbor, and the WWII memorial was very moving. I couldn't help having Bachelor flashbacks, though, feeling a little like Tessa looking out over the water. It was all in all a very moving experience for us.

We drove to the North Shore and ate shave ice and shrimp at a shack on the road.

Maui was truly paradise. I used to think nothing could be better than Phi Phi Island. Well, I was wrong! It was so beautiful, literally breathtaking at parts. From our hotel, you could look out and see two islands in the distance. Hawaii is so amazing with mountains and beaches all mixed together. Marcus played a few rounds of golf, we snorkeled with a sea turtle, got massages, ate a ton, tried to exercise, ate some more... went to a luau, on a helicopter ride, and just hung around by the pool. It was exactly what I needed, and now I am glad to be back with sweet Neely!!

Aloha!

Lyons and Alstons and Bears, Oh My!

Our trip to Highlands, NC was a blast! We got to spend time with Travis, Melanie, Tate, and Miller as well as G-ma and Pop! My aunt Jane and uncle Kenny live up there for part of the year, so we got to spend time with them, too!

Neely started walking everywhere, and we even found a dog with the same color hair as Neely! If anyone ever wants to get away for a long weekend, Highlands is the place. The weather is great (in the summer), fun stuff to do, and nice places to eat and stay. We have been up there a lot starting as young kids, and it is always fun to go back!

Amen and Aloha!

We have been in and out of town and all over the place the last few weeks. Marcus stopped working on August 1st but has several weeks of vacation...so he will actually be off until mid-September. Can I get an Amen?

Unfortunately, Marcus' mom has to have triple by-pass surger on her heart. The surgery will be at Piedmont August 13th. It was originally scheduled for August 2nd, but because of an internal infection, they cancelled it literally at the last minute. Here are a few pictures of our time with Marcus' family and Neely in the pool in Hamilton on the non-surgery weekend. We would appreciate your prayers for his mom and her quick healing.

Also, we are headed to Hawaii in September, so we welcome tips from anyone who has been!

Aloha!

Change Gonna Come

Neely took her first series of steps last night. She has been taking one here or there, but she took 5-6 steps in a row several times! It was so much fun to see her get excited. Maybe she will graduate to the "walkers" class at church by next week!
Here are a few pictures of her walking with her "car." It is a sight I have grown accustomed to seeing all around the house. I wil be sad when the car has seen its last day. In these pictures, she figured out that she could push her "baby" and the car at the same time. She likes to rub "baby's" corners on her nose.

On a sidenote, Marcus resigned from his job 2 weeks ago. He has decided to accept a position with Hotel & Restaurant Supply, his best friend Mason Greene's family business. For now, he will be doing sales here, so we will not be moving.
It is a bittersweet time for us as Marcus says goodbye to an 11 year career in tennis. It has been a joy to watch him teach so many kids over the years and make a real difference in their lives. He is truly so gifted at teaching the game and passionate about his job...the decision was motivated mainly by a desire to have better hours to devote to our family and for the opportunity to work with Mason!
We have truly been so blessed over the past years, and God has provided for all of our needs. We know He will continue to do so. I am so grateful to have a husband who puts our family first! He is the hardest worker I know, hands down, and he is sacrificing a lot to make this change. We are excited about what God has planned next for us in the great adventure of following Him!

It rained so hard we almost floated away,
But it still turned out to be a “one”derful day!

We talked and laughed and blew some bubbles,
We wrestled and tickled and tossed and tumbled,

The soaking wet chef cooked burgers and dogs,

With cupcakes galore we all ate like hogs!

The birthday hat was almost the end,

But icing turned out to be a girl’s best friend,

With a first taste of something sweet,
Neely finished it off with a fresh bite of feet,

We got to celebrate the sweet blessing of our child,
Even if having a one-year-old can be woolly and wild!

Thanks for the toys, the dolls, and the cash,
We already look forward to the next birthday bash.

Father's Day pics

Here are a few recent pictures of Neely, a few from Father's Day. Marcus is such an amazing dad! I am constantly in awe of how much he loves Neely and how great he is with her! I am truly blessed with a wonderful husband who is also a fabulous dad.

Oh yeah, her green t-shirt says "Daddy's Caddy."

Contempt for Contempt

I played tennis yesterday for the first time in a long time. I was keenly aware that many of the attitudes around me were filled with complaints, or to put it more bluntly, they were drunk on entitlement. What is it about Americans in general (myself included in this) that makes us feel like we are entitled to so much- or really anything at all? The person in the drivethru is taking WAY too long to take my order, or this car in front of me is really slowing me down, or where are the towels and cups that should be out on the courts and why should I have to walk all the way inside to get them? You get the picture.
So, I was reading Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas ( highly recommend) and he talks about having contempt for contempt. One way to do this is to cultivate an attitude of praise and thanksgiving. Doesn't that sound fantastic? My first effort in this is to list

10 Things I am Happy About Today:

1. Marcus watched Neely this morning so I could go for a run-- without the jogging stroller! I seriously forgot what that feels like!

2. Having lunch with my dear friend Melanie today. I have missed her!

3. You. I have friends who are actually willing to read my ramblings on my blog, many of whom are mothers who can absolutely relate to what I am talking about.

4. Summer TV shows to replace the void American Idol and the Bachelor left when the season ended. A new show is on Monday night with Mark Philopusis (sp?). He is a tennis player on the tour and he is looking for love. It is like the Bachelor on the tennis court! I seriously can not wait. And "So you Think You Can Dance." Yes, Sarah, I love it too!

5. T-town. I can say that after 4 years, I finally feel like this is home, and I like it here. I am super thankful for our home. It suits our needs perfectly!

6. Longer t-shirts. After the low rise pants craze, I have been waiting for longer t-shirts to make up for the crack gap when you bend over. And I have finally found some. Now Marcus does not sound the "white back" alert every time I bend over to get Neely.

7. Great books. I am finally reading "Shepherding a Child's Heart" and "Honey for a Child's Heart" along with "Sacred Marriage." There are too many great books!

8. Neely's first birthday rapidly approaching. The theme will be Strawberry Shortcake. Remember her, girls?

9. Vacation. Marcus and I have been throwing around some fun vacation plans- Hawaii is in the mix. Wow, that would be so fun! But just the thought of getting away is very exciting.

10. I am going to take a nap. Peace! SO thankful for this.

Have a blessed day!