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Day Forty-Three (Friday, March 26)
As I always am when this is the case, I was grateful to have the day off. As it turned out, both Liz and Allison had it off too, so we all decided to go apartment hunting. Oh my gosh! It was soooo fun!!! We all have a really good chemistry together and had fun laughing like mad at various things. Among my favorites was our conversation about those washing machines with glass that you can see the laundry through. (Hopefully no one spends anytime watching this process though.)
We visited quite a few buildings and got a kick out of some of the REALLY bad deals out there. Our "favorite" was the one where you pay $2000 (I think it was) for 2 bedrooms and a room without a closet. They only allow 2 guests per resident, don't like a lot of visitors (if any) to use the pool, parking is an outrageous con-job, and don't even ask about the hilarious pet fees. LOL so comical.
Another memorable moment was when we were TRYING to get into one building complex with VERY little road/room to drive around on the pathway. We rapidly changed our minds about going to the leasing office (which wasn't even clearly marked), so we started to make our way out of there. On our way out though, someone was approaching the gate we were trying to get past. I thought it was one of those gates that opened out (towards us), rather than sliding out to the side. I actually screamed, while Liz calmly assured me that it wasn't going to hit us. Ally goes, "I can't believe you actually screamed," then did the funniest imitation of my scream which literally has me laughing hard at the memory right now.
We had so much fun joking around about our various experiences that day. We fell in love with the idea of going to IKEA to buy some furniture as well too. Overall, it was just really fun being with these 2 lovely ladies. I really adore them both! I knew that before, but I also appreciated our chemistry together on top of it all! Oh my gosh so fun! I love seeing the various people God's brings into our lives.
Later that day, I drove to Plantation to pick my friend Rebecca up! I was so excited to spend the next 3 days together and went to pick her up at 7:00.
When I got out of the car to help her with her luggage, we ran into each other's arms and hugged for sooo long!! It'd been about 2 years since we last saw each other! The best part is that we picked up where we left off so easily! Oh man, did we ever! In fact, I think from second one, our interactions were even better than they had been before! (I think we're both in better places in our lives, you know?) And I can honestly say that by the end of our time together (and actually, by the end of our first 8 hours together) we were better friends than we had been before.
For dinner we decided to eat at Joe's Crab Shack just down the road from her hotel. We had THE best waiter named Edwaard. (Emphasis on the a's.) He was so attentive, fun, and cute!
Becs hadn't ever been there before and I'd only been there one time before (awhile back when visiting family in Peoria, IL). She and I shared a meal, which was the cheaper and more fun route. FYI, there is NO way to discreetly or elegantly eat your food there. Crab meat flew everywhere, lol. Besides a great entree, I very much enjoyed my virgin pina colada. (I've never tried the alcoholic version because I can't imagine it possibly tasting better!)
We wanted to get a picture with our waiter but put it off too long. Soon, things picked up for the restaurant and he was too busy with his other customers, so we didn't want to intrude for a mere picture. So instead of creepily waiting around for him, the way we started to do, we left.
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The servers had to "dance" to YMCA every 45 minutes. LOL too bad that when they said "dance" or "perform" they really meant, We're-Going-to-Stand-Here-and-Sometimes-Move-Our-Arms-for-the-YMCA-Part. Though we never got one with him, there Edwaard is on the far left. He's the Black guy in orange.
When we did leave the building, we spotted a playground and both agreed at lightning speed that we needed to have a mini photoshoot there. I'm not honestly sure who likes taking pictures more; her or me? Who cares?!?!?! I'm just so glad she does!!!!
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On our way through the parking garage, she spotted some of her dream cars, including a Ferrari and Astin Martin.
When we finally made it upstairs, she and my parents caught up for a few minutes. Soon after, we decided to take a tour of the building. We went out to the beach for awhile and had a romantic stroll lol.
Then we spent some time in the workout room, where she showed me her impressive dance moves! I had always known she liked dancing and that she did it a lot, but I had never actually seen her in action! Oh my gosh! She is so graceful and beautiful when she dances. (And otherwise of course!) I've never really done the waltz, which is one of her (many) specialties. To help me become a better follower, she told me to close my eyes while she led me where she wanted me to go. It really did help too!!
Oh, and our night was JUST beginning at that point really. We went back upstairs, got on our laptops, and uploaded all our pictures. We posted them on facebook and commented back and forth with each other up the wazoo. Hahahaha we're total dorks but I wouldn't have changed a thing about that night!
One of the reasons this is true is that we had a series of long conversations deep into the night. We talked about EVERYTHING and just grew so close to each other from the sheer vulnerability of it all.
As if that weren't enough for one day, we decided to go pick up a movie from Redbox down the street. So we jumped in my dad's white convertible, and blasted Lady Gaga while we drove the short distance there. We chose "I Hate Valentine's Day" with the 2 lead actors from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and though I know it could have stunk, I actually enjoyed it overall! Haha, maybe it was the late hour. LOL because of all our shenanigans, we stayed up until about 3am.
Day Forty-Four (Saturday, March 27)
We leisurely woke up around 10am and had breakfast on the balcony together. I'm actually pretty surprised we were up THAT soon. But we woke up to a PERFECT day outside, and I was definitely looking forward to some beach time. It was absolutely gorgeous out!
After that, we made plans to meet up with Jim and go to Commercial Beach. We picked him up, then met up with some other people too. Rebecca and I had a blast in the water together, even though she shoved me in the water when I wasn't looking LOL. But don't worry, I got her back later ;)
While we were lounging on the sand, Brent and Jim went to get some drinks. We didn't put in any requests, so when they came back with some Miami Vice's for everyone, I was touched. (Ummmm so good! How have I never tried one before???) Unfortunately, Becs is only 18, so she had to pass. (Good girl!) People often think she's at least 3 years older than she is, if not more like 5-8. Anyway, that was so sweet of the guys not to leave anyone out! I appreciate people like them who try to make everyone around them feel welcomed and comfortable.
We three had been kinda hungry for awhile but didn't really want to buy anything while we were out. So, when we went back to Jim's place, we fixed up some sandwiches and talked for about 30 minutes. It was fun uniting 2 cool people that day.
Back up to before Rebecca arrived in Florida. While things were still in the planning stages, she begged me to plan a dance night out on the town. (Not that it required begging because I love going dancing anyway.) So I put together a smallish group of people to go to a nice Miami salsa dance club that Andrea told me about. However, there was a MAJOR event going on there which usually involved cocaine and lots of alcohol, so it wasn't very safe. Thanks to Andrea's warning, we opted to just stick around Fort Lauderdale. We later met up at Jim's again. In the meantime, Rebecca and I had fun having our own personal "spa" beforehand to get cute.
While we were uploading more pics and posting on facebook, I saw that my friend Danny had left me a wallpost asking why he had been taken off the so-called "Mass text blast" list. I called him shortly after to see if he wanted to come out dancing with us, which he did.
Fast forward back to Jim's place. While we waited for Danny to get there, Rebecca showed Ryan and Erin some dance moves, which was seriously fun to watch! It's so mesmerizing to watch her do her thing! After I got over my protests, she demonstrated with me too, making me once more close my eyes. That sort of thing honestly makes me a little nervous, lol, but I'm glad I did it anyway. (But, they say it's always good to face your fears.)
So, it ended up being just Rebecca, Erin, Danny, and me for the night. We went downtown in my car, aware that the clubs might turn Becs down since she's underage. And sadly, our plans fell apart. The clubs did indeed turn Rebecca down since she wasn't 21. So, since Erin was hosting a party at her house the next day for lunch, she decided to opt out of the rest of the night's activities. It was sad to part ways with her, but at least we had some time out together before she did. (I love that woman!)
Rebecca and I were still up for a full night, and we asked Danny if he wanted to come along too. So, we all hung out until about 2am? Something like that.
First, we tried for another salsa dance club. I knew Congas would let her in, so we three drove there together, getting to know each other better in the car. LOL leave it to Rebecca to ask the deep questions that I would never really ask a guy. And he responded well to it, so I'm glad she did! It was amazing how well we all clicked so well.
We didn't stay there long because it was couples' night. We did have 1 or 2 dances, but that was it. Our futile efforts mostly made us get over the whole dancing endeavor. We ended the night by chatting at Bru's Room. (I had never been there before that, so it was nice to finally go, though I didn't eat or drink there.)
Before we even went inside Congas though, we had another mini photoshoot with Danny in the parking lot. He's such a trooper to tolerate us LOL.
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Day Forty-Five (Sunday, March 28)
Oh man, I'm pretty sure I have NEVER taken or had taken so many pictures in one day LOL. (Maybe prom or my high school graduation day, but that's highly disputable.) I have 232 pictures from this day, no exaggeration. And those are just the ones I KEPT!! (Oh yeah, and I have 61 "favorites" that I'm going to have to pick and choose from to post in this segment. Yeah, even I don't want to take THAT much time to post all those pics.)
It really was a perfect day in just about every regard. We went to Calvary church with the Holmes and heard an amazing sermon/illustration about God being the Potter. A married couple teamed up to sing and actually MAKE the pottery in front of us! I love when people successfully turn a cliche into something meaningful! Afterwards, we drove back to our place for a delicious lunch that my Mom prepared. After getting the okay with my Mom, I texted Danny to see if he wanted to come over for some lunch as well.
Before he got there though, we Dunns and Holmes all hung out. Oh my gosh, I love that family! I enjoyed myself THOROUGHLY hanging out with those 4 sisters. They are so sweet, fun, and polite! And so easy to laugh with too! How I wish we all lived closer to each other! Nope, instead they had to selfishly go back to Missouri in the following days. Boo.
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When I got the call from Danny that he was just about there, we all went down to meet him. And of course, we documented even that mundane activity. It wouldn't have been natural if we didn't ;)
As soon as he got there, my Mom raced over to feed him silly. When we finally finished lunch, dessert, and saw some pictures in my room, the Holmes, Danny, and I all went down to the beach and pool area. Despite the plethora of man-o-war on the beach (which I have NEVER seen so many of, and never on this beach!) and not so great weather, we had a great time taking pictures, playing Monkey in the Middle, and so forth.
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I have to take a time-out from pictures to say that I was super touched by what Danny said about me. (As written above, he was analyzing everyone for fun.) One of the things he said about me was that I'm friendly AND outgoing. Those were the first adjectives he used to describe me.
This is something of note to me personally because I'm naturally shy and intimidated by EVERYONE. Not just in the past, but now too. I just make myself talk to people and I almost always enjoy doing so. But years ago, I used to walk with my head down in the hallways. That was in junior high and below. I only started to get better the week that I asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart and take control of my life, at the end of 8th grade. Since then, I've slowly worked on it (and been worked on). So, when he said that about me, it meant a lot. (He's not the only one to tell me this, which makes it that much more touching whenever I hear it.)
Danny had to leave shortly after this picture was taken. He went up to say goodbye to our parents and then took off around 5pm or so. After he left, our folks came down to the beach and pool. They too joined in on the picture taking frenzy. (Have I mentioned that I think another legit love language should exist, and that it's picture-taking? That's my main love language, for real.)
We went up after these pictures were taken and hung out some more, eating dinner and more dessert before they took off around 10pm. Sadly, Rebecca didn't spend the night with me, but met up with other friends from her college, who happened to be in town for their shared Spring Break. Not to worry though; she joined up with me again the next day.
I can't tell you how fulfilling that day was hanging out with old (and new) friend(s)! I always love seeing friends from back home. And honestly, I can definitely say I grew closer to ALL those girls this time around moreso than any other time when we actually lived near each other! Grrr, it's crazy how that happens, huh?
FYI, I posted 48 pictures from Sunday LOL. It was tough to leave any out!
Day Forty-Six (Monday, March 29)
Ugh, I can't believe I took both sets of keys with me to work! My dad texted me when I had been at work for 30 or so minutes, asking if I had indeed done so. Yes I had...So, he had to take a cab to work. Oh. My. Gosh. I was truly mortified. He was so forgiving though and very kind to me about it (as he tends to be in general). Let me tell ya though, I will NOT be doing that to him again!
A few weeks prior to this day, I got a facebook message from my friend Young-Jin. She said that she and her husband Justin would be in town for awhile and wondered if I would be able to meet up with them.
To back up, I met Young-Jin when I lived in Chicago and went to The Moody Church. We were in the same small group (called Salt). She got married a few months after I moved out of the area, so I unfortunately couldn't make it to their wedding. (Their pictures were gorgeous!) So, I knew nothing about her other half and was curious about their story, for sure.
Once we finally agreed on a good spot to eat (our first few tries didn't feel right to us), I met them after work in Plantation. Haha, we had decided on Joe's Crab Shack, at the same one Rebecca and I had gone to the Friday before then. We talked easily for the next hour and a half, and it for sure just was not enough time!!!
Almost immediately, I asked for their story as a couple. She wanted Justin to tell it and I loved how animated and happy he looked when telling their story, which was 5 years in the making. God had His hand in it from DAY ONE! From the day Young-Jin met Justin, she felt like God wanted her to pray for him. (He told her his amazing story of how he went from being a drug addict to a clean cut, on-fire Christian.) She prayed for him from the beginning, but not because she had any idea that they'd end up together. Wow. That's so beautiful to me.
I appreciated how open they were about their story and backgrounds. They have such a beautiful and inspiring story! I was so blessed by that time together with them, to say the least. It was an ENORMOUS encouragement to me as a single Christian woman not wanting to settle (in any regard, whether marriage, career, etc.). They didn't just inspire and challenge my ideals about my (future) love life, but in almost every aspect of life! Not kidding. I'm getting excited just remembering it!
Another thing I was just so inspired about was how they've been roadtriping around the country for awhile and will continue to do so. A short time ago, they decided to uproot from the States and move to South Korea!
Whoa. (That awoke something inside me, to be honest, and made me do some thinking.) Justin said he wants to learn Korean so he can talk to his father-in-law. That's not the only reason they're going, but it's definitely a cool reason.
I love the support system they form together, and I love that they're about to embark on this adventure! I know I've said this many times already, but it deserves being re-said: My time with them really REALLY inspired me and made me re-evaluate some things in my own life and in my relationship with Jesus. It also reminded me how important a partnership with your spouse is when considering who you will spend the rest of your life with.
After we parted ways, I drove once again to Rebecca's hotel to pick her up. She and I decided to fit in another day/night before she and her family left for Jupiter to spend a couple days with the Shoemakers.
We made a stop at Target to get batteries for my camera, and then she touched up my makeup in the car before we went inside the Stained Glass Pub to meet friends. Among others, we saw Danny and Erin again. Unfortunately, neither Jim nor Ryan - who she enjoyed meeting - were there to say goodbye to. She also briefly met Liz, Zach, Andrea, Pete, and some others.
We didn't bust out the camera that time. Well, that is, not when we were sitting with everyone else. We went to the bathroom together and took pictures in there LOLOL. Yes yes I know, we verge, okay...go soaring off the edge of crazy with our obnoxious picture-taking ways.
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Sadly, that was the last set of pictures together. We left the Pub shortly afterwards and hung out at home for our last night together before she left me for awhile. (Sad face.) It was fun just chillin' in my room, discovering New Kids on the Block (for me), getting married on facebook, exchanging pictures, etc.
I can't thank God enough for bringing her into my life. I'm so grateful for Rebecca and am glad that our 7-year age difference hasn't played a part in how good of friends we are with each other. I can hardly wait to see her again and make more (photo, etc.) memories!
Another memorable moment was when we were TRYING to get into one building complex with VERY little road/room to drive around on the pathway. We rapidly changed our minds about going to the leasing office (which wasn't even clearly marked), so we started to make our way out of there. On our way out though, someone was approaching the gate we were trying to get past. I thought it was one of those gates that opened out (towards us), rather than sliding out to the side. I actually screamed, while Liz calmly assured me that it wasn't going to hit us. Ally goes, "I can't believe you actually screamed," then did the funniest imitation of my scream which literally has me laughing hard at the memory right now.
We had so much fun joking around about our various experiences that day. We fell in love with the idea of going to IKEA to buy some furniture as well too. Overall, it was just really fun being with these 2 lovely ladies. I really adore them both! I knew that before, but I also appreciated our chemistry together on top of it all! Oh my gosh so fun! I love seeing the various people God's brings into our lives.
Later that day, I drove to Plantation to pick my friend Rebecca up! I was so excited to spend the next 3 days together and went to pick her up at 7:00.
When I got out of the car to help her with her luggage, we ran into each other's arms and hugged for sooo long!! It'd been about 2 years since we last saw each other! The best part is that we picked up where we left off so easily! Oh man, did we ever! In fact, I think from second one, our interactions were even better than they had been before! (I think we're both in better places in our lives, you know?) And I can honestly say that by the end of our time together (and actually, by the end of our first 8 hours together) we were better friends than we had been before.
For dinner we decided to eat at Joe's Crab Shack just down the road from her hotel. We had THE best waiter named Edwaard. (Emphasis on the a's.) He was so attentive, fun, and cute!
Becs hadn't ever been there before and I'd only been there one time before (awhile back when visiting family in Peoria, IL). She and I shared a meal, which was the cheaper and more fun route. FYI, there is NO way to discreetly or elegantly eat your food there. Crab meat flew everywhere, lol. Besides a great entree, I very much enjoyed my virgin pina colada. (I've never tried the alcoholic version because I can't imagine it possibly tasting better!)
We wanted to get a picture with our waiter but put it off too long. Soon, things picked up for the restaurant and he was too busy with his other customers, so we didn't want to intrude for a mere picture. So instead of creepily waiting around for him, the way we started to do, we left.
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We make these bibs look good.
This (above picture) is the start of self-taken pictures that actually turn out well. These sorts of shots were some of my consistent favorites with her! (And I usually hate how these sort turn out.)
When we did leave the building, we spotted a playground and both agreed at lightning speed that we needed to have a mini photoshoot there. I'm not honestly sure who likes taking pictures more; her or me? Who cares?!?!?! I'm just so glad she does!!!!
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"How can I serve you?"
"Sucka! My shift is over."
After we finally stopped snapping pictures, we got in the car, turned up the volume, and car-danced to the music on the entire drive home. We especially enjoyed jamming to Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, and Jason Derulo. While we were car-dancing at stoplights, we got some funny reactions (and interactions) and hellos from people in their cars. Oh man, it was so fun! From the moment Rebecca and I met up, I could tell it was going to be a great time with her. (And it wasn't nearly long enough!)On our way through the parking garage, she spotted some of her dream cars, including a Ferrari and Astin Martin.
It was soooo dark out! But the ocean looked that much more beautiful at night.
Oh, and our night was JUST beginning at that point really. We went back upstairs, got on our laptops, and uploaded all our pictures. We posted them on facebook and commented back and forth with each other up the wazoo. Hahahaha we're total dorks but I wouldn't have changed a thing about that night!
One of the reasons this is true is that we had a series of long conversations deep into the night. We talked about EVERYTHING and just grew so close to each other from the sheer vulnerability of it all.
As if that weren't enough for one day, we decided to go pick up a movie from Redbox down the street. So we jumped in my dad's white convertible, and blasted Lady Gaga while we drove the short distance there. We chose "I Hate Valentine's Day" with the 2 lead actors from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and though I know it could have stunk, I actually enjoyed it overall! Haha, maybe it was the late hour. LOL because of all our shenanigans, we stayed up until about 3am.
Day Forty-Four (Saturday, March 27)
We leisurely woke up around 10am and had breakfast on the balcony together. I'm actually pretty surprised we were up THAT soon. But we woke up to a PERFECT day outside, and I was definitely looking forward to some beach time. It was absolutely gorgeous out!
After that, we made plans to meet up with Jim and go to Commercial Beach. We picked him up, then met up with some other people too. Rebecca and I had a blast in the water together, even though she shoved me in the water when I wasn't looking LOL. But don't worry, I got her back later ;)
Not entirely sure what's going on here, but I like it.
LOL my favorite is Rebecca and Jim's pose.
I'm pretty sure I will never get tired of ocean/beach pictures. Is there a better backdrop?!?!??!?! No.
While we were lounging on the sand, Brent and Jim went to get some drinks. We didn't put in any requests, so when they came back with some Miami Vice's for everyone, I was touched. (Ummmm so good! How have I never tried one before???) Unfortunately, Becs is only 18, so she had to pass. (Good girl!) People often think she's at least 3 years older than she is, if not more like 5-8. Anyway, that was so sweet of the guys not to leave anyone out! I appreciate people like them who try to make everyone around them feel welcomed and comfortable.
We three had been kinda hungry for awhile but didn't really want to buy anything while we were out. So, when we went back to Jim's place, we fixed up some sandwiches and talked for about 30 minutes. It was fun uniting 2 cool people that day.
Back up to before Rebecca arrived in Florida. While things were still in the planning stages, she begged me to plan a dance night out on the town. (Not that it required begging because I love going dancing anyway.) So I put together a smallish group of people to go to a nice Miami salsa dance club that Andrea told me about. However, there was a MAJOR event going on there which usually involved cocaine and lots of alcohol, so it wasn't very safe. Thanks to Andrea's warning, we opted to just stick around Fort Lauderdale. We later met up at Jim's again. In the meantime, Rebecca and I had fun having our own personal "spa" beforehand to get cute.
This is my absolute favorite one of us! She did my hair and makeup and I absolutely LOVED it! Rebecca is one talented young woman!
Even I have no explanation for this one.
While we were uploading more pics and posting on facebook, I saw that my friend Danny had left me a wallpost asking why he had been taken off the so-called "Mass text blast" list. I called him shortly after to see if he wanted to come out dancing with us, which he did.
Fast forward back to Jim's place. While we waited for Danny to get there, Rebecca showed Ryan and Erin some dance moves, which was seriously fun to watch! It's so mesmerizing to watch her do her thing! After I got over my protests, she demonstrated with me too, making me once more close my eyes. That sort of thing honestly makes me a little nervous, lol, but I'm glad I did it anyway. (But, they say it's always good to face your fears.)
So, it ended up being just Rebecca, Erin, Danny, and me for the night. We went downtown in my car, aware that the clubs might turn Becs down since she's underage. And sadly, our plans fell apart. The clubs did indeed turn Rebecca down since she wasn't 21. So, since Erin was hosting a party at her house the next day for lunch, she decided to opt out of the rest of the night's activities. It was sad to part ways with her, but at least we had some time out together before she did. (I love that woman!)
Rebecca and I were still up for a full night, and we asked Danny if he wanted to come along too. So, we all hung out until about 2am? Something like that.
First, we tried for another salsa dance club. I knew Congas would let her in, so we three drove there together, getting to know each other better in the car. LOL leave it to Rebecca to ask the deep questions that I would never really ask a guy. And he responded well to it, so I'm glad she did! It was amazing how well we all clicked so well.
Inside Congas
We didn't stay there long because it was couples' night. We did have 1 or 2 dances, but that was it. Our futile efforts mostly made us get over the whole dancing endeavor. We ended the night by chatting at Bru's Room. (I had never been there before that, so it was nice to finally go, though I didn't eat or drink there.)
Before we even went inside Congas though, we had another mini photoshoot with Danny in the parking lot. He's such a trooper to tolerate us LOL.
I love this! It totally sums up how much we all (three) laughed together and got along.
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Nice version.
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Goofy Laura and Rebecca - only - version. (Danny didn't get the memo to be semi-goofy.)
Day Forty-Five (Sunday, March 28)
Oh man, I'm pretty sure I have NEVER taken or had taken so many pictures in one day LOL. (Maybe prom or my high school graduation day, but that's highly disputable.) I have 232 pictures from this day, no exaggeration. And those are just the ones I KEPT!! (Oh yeah, and I have 61 "favorites" that I'm going to have to pick and choose from to post in this segment. Yeah, even I don't want to take THAT much time to post all those pics.)
It really was a perfect day in just about every regard. We went to Calvary church with the Holmes and heard an amazing sermon/illustration about God being the Potter. A married couple teamed up to sing and actually MAKE the pottery in front of us! I love when people successfully turn a cliche into something meaningful! Afterwards, we drove back to our place for a delicious lunch that my Mom prepared. After getting the okay with my Mom, I texted Danny to see if he wanted to come over for some lunch as well.
Before he got there though, we Dunns and Holmes all hung out. Oh my gosh, I love that family! I enjoyed myself THOROUGHLY hanging out with those 4 sisters. They are so sweet, fun, and polite! And so easy to laugh with too! How I wish we all lived closer to each other! Nope, instead they had to selfishly go back to Missouri in the following days. Boo.
This was taken after she yet again did my hair and makeup.
(Ugh, I dreaded my hair and makeup guru leaving!)
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One of the last serious pictures they took together :)
Fighting to make Sophia let them kiss her.
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Next was cute little Olivia.
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Classic face from Amanda LOL. Love it.
LOL I love everyone's faces in this one!
I woulda been so jealous if I hadn't gotten one too!
Christmas card!
When I got the call from Danny that he was just about there, we all went down to meet him. And of course, we documented even that mundane activity. It wouldn't have been natural if we didn't ;)
As soon as he got there, my Mom raced over to feed him silly. When we finally finished lunch, dessert, and saw some pictures in my room, the Holmes, Danny, and I all went down to the beach and pool area. Despite the plethora of man-o-war on the beach (which I have NEVER seen so many of, and never on this beach!) and not so great weather, we had a great time taking pictures, playing Monkey in the Middle, and so forth.
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I can't get enough of how adorable these four sisters are together!
LOL it looks like a family portrait.
The pink swimsuit club.
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Self-timer action. I *love* this sand angle!
Pool chats - Danny analyzed all of us.
This is something of note to me personally because I'm naturally shy and intimidated by EVERYONE. Not just in the past, but now too. I just make myself talk to people and I almost always enjoy doing so. But years ago, I used to walk with my head down in the hallways. That was in junior high and below. I only started to get better the week that I asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart and take control of my life, at the end of 8th grade. Since then, I've slowly worked on it (and been worked on). So, when he said that about me, it meant a lot. (He's not the only one to tell me this, which makes it that much more touching whenever I hear it.)
This was the first time I'd been to the kiddie pool.
Olivia is so adorable and I love how into the pictures she gets!!!
While Rebecca rested by the pool, we all played Monkey in the Middle. Right now though, this is Olivia in the middle of an impromptu talent show, coming out of a flip.
A perfect Monkey in the Middle lineup!
Team Olivia and Danny.
Amanda and I acting...ferocious maybe? (I'll go with we were making interpretive art...)
Olivia was workin' it and I wanted in on it :) Thankfully she's no Diva and she let me!
LOL look how joyous he looks.
"I'm sorry Danny; we don't allow joy to happen around here. How dare you try to shake things up."
Ahhhh! I can't handle how much I love this one! Olivia added a nice touch in the background with her peace sign.
Our cute moms.
Our dads spent a lot of time talking by the ocean. I caught their attention from the pool balcony area and snapped this picture. They're so cute :)
They finally joined us near the end of our time by the pool.
Everyone looks so good here!!!
We went up after these pictures were taken and hung out some more, eating dinner and more dessert before they took off around 10pm. Sadly, Rebecca didn't spend the night with me, but met up with other friends from her college, who happened to be in town for their shared Spring Break. Not to worry though; she joined up with me again the next day.
One last picture before my battery ran out!
FYI, I posted 48 pictures from Sunday LOL. It was tough to leave any out!
Day Forty-Six (Monday, March 29)
Ugh, I can't believe I took both sets of keys with me to work! My dad texted me when I had been at work for 30 or so minutes, asking if I had indeed done so. Yes I had...So, he had to take a cab to work. Oh. My. Gosh. I was truly mortified. He was so forgiving though and very kind to me about it (as he tends to be in general). Let me tell ya though, I will NOT be doing that to him again!
A few weeks prior to this day, I got a facebook message from my friend Young-Jin. She said that she and her husband Justin would be in town for awhile and wondered if I would be able to meet up with them.
To back up, I met Young-Jin when I lived in Chicago and went to The Moody Church. We were in the same small group (called Salt). She got married a few months after I moved out of the area, so I unfortunately couldn't make it to their wedding. (Their pictures were gorgeous!) So, I knew nothing about her other half and was curious about their story, for sure.
Once we finally agreed on a good spot to eat (our first few tries didn't feel right to us), I met them after work in Plantation. Haha, we had decided on Joe's Crab Shack, at the same one Rebecca and I had gone to the Friday before then. We talked easily for the next hour and a half, and it for sure just was not enough time!!!
Almost immediately, I asked for their story as a couple. She wanted Justin to tell it and I loved how animated and happy he looked when telling their story, which was 5 years in the making. God had His hand in it from DAY ONE! From the day Young-Jin met Justin, she felt like God wanted her to pray for him. (He told her his amazing story of how he went from being a drug addict to a clean cut, on-fire Christian.) She prayed for him from the beginning, but not because she had any idea that they'd end up together. Wow. That's so beautiful to me.
Another thing I was just so inspired about was how they've been roadtriping around the country for awhile and will continue to do so. A short time ago, they decided to uproot from the States and move to South Korea!
Whoa. (That awoke something inside me, to be honest, and made me do some thinking.) Justin said he wants to learn Korean so he can talk to his father-in-law. That's not the only reason they're going, but it's definitely a cool reason.
I love the support system they form together, and I love that they're about to embark on this adventure! I know I've said this many times already, but it deserves being re-said: My time with them really REALLY inspired me and made me re-evaluate some things in my own life and in my relationship with Jesus. It also reminded me how important a partnership with your spouse is when considering who you will spend the rest of your life with.
After we parted ways, I drove once again to Rebecca's hotel to pick her up. She and I decided to fit in another day/night before she and her family left for Jupiter to spend a couple days with the Shoemakers.
We made a stop at Target to get batteries for my camera, and then she touched up my makeup in the car before we went inside the Stained Glass Pub to meet friends. Among others, we saw Danny and Erin again. Unfortunately, neither Jim nor Ryan - who she enjoyed meeting - were there to say goodbye to. She also briefly met Liz, Zach, Andrea, Pete, and some others.
We didn't bust out the camera that time. Well, that is, not when we were sitting with everyone else. We went to the bathroom together and took pictures in there LOLOL. Yes yes I know, we verge, okay...go soaring off the edge of crazy with our obnoxious picture-taking ways.
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I can't thank God enough for bringing her into my life. I'm so grateful for Rebecca and am glad that our 7-year age difference hasn't played a part in how good of friends we are with each other. I can hardly wait to see her again and make more (photo, etc.) memories!
