The Mailbox

I had to let ya’ll know that my friend, Marybeth Whalen has her first NOVEL coming out next week!!  It’s called The Mailbox.

Here is a short review of it….

Nonfiction author Whalen pens her first novel, centered on an actual landmark mailbox in Sunset Beach, N.C. Over a span of some 20 years, Lindsey Adams makes summer visits to the Kindred Spirit mailbox and deposits an annual written update on her life. When her husband divorces her, Lindsey makes the trek again and meets up with long-lost love, Campbell Forrester, whose own marriage dissolved years earlier. Unsure they can rekindle their youthful love, both Lindsey and Campbell struggle to make the leap from teenage infatuation to a lasting adult commitment. Whalen's use of a mailbox as the tie between people, memories, and romantic love is intriguing, and she makes it work more effectively than a reader might expect. (June)

HOW EXCITING AND COOL IS THIS?  i am so incredibly thrilled for her- she is actually working on novel number 2!!!!  She is such an gifted writer – and for as long as I have known her, allllll the way back to 7th grade at Carmel Junior High, she WAS going to be a writer!!! 

So, I celebrate her and her dream!  She goes to prove that even at (gag) 40, married and SIX (yes, she and Curt have 6 kids) you can still accomplish your dreams!!!!   Here she is with her sweet family. 

Make sure you buy your copy at Barnes and Noble or Amazon!!  This is the PERFECT summertime read!!!!!!  Check out her website at www.marybethwhalen.com 

Congrats Marybeth!!!!!! 

The Wedding!!!

So back on Friday April 30th, we had a really busy day!  First, Hubby and Crash- both of their birthdays.  Then, Pootie’s club soccer team end of season party…and one of my long time best friends was getting married.  Up in Greensboro.  I felt so torn leaving my Crash on his birthday…but there was no way on god’s green earth I was NOT going to the wedding.  I had helped her look for her dress for goodness sakes!! 

So I distributed kids as needed and Hubby and I headed out to Greensboro to be there for Cutts and her hubby to be Grimmer. 

The ceremony was at 6 and she asked us to hang out with her and the family prior to the ceremony…so we of course obliged. 

Here we are before the big moment.  just a note, I was in 4 inch heels and she was still dipping down to be at my level.  I don't’ even think she had her heels on yet..geez I’m short!!

And here we are again with another one of her best friend’s, Lorna. 

And with her sweet daddy.  Mr. Cutts always called me the noisy one back in high school.  Back in high school, when anyone would come over to pick Kelly up, you came thru the back door and headed up the stairs, quickly, past Mr. Cutts sitting in his chair.  Not me, I’d always go and plop my butt on the sofa and talk to Mr. Cutts.  He cracked me up…….

And this is the Groom and his sweet little girl.  Cutts is going to be a great step mom to her.  Isn’t she adorable?

And Cutts and her brothers.  Kenneth on the left and Kevin on the right.  Kevin was still in elementary school when we were in high school – and now he is all grown up and married with a new baby!

So, after the ceremony, we hung out for about 30 minutes, then drove like mad to get back to the baby (remember, I am still nursing, so my boobs were about to explode!) and then raced out to spend the last few minutes with Pootie and his soccer team.

Crash was a great sport about us not being there for his birthday…he said since it was Cutts I could bribe him, which I did with a new World Cup Soccer game for the PS3..it’s what he wanted…..

From Betsy’s Blog

I copied and pasted this super yummy recipe from Betsy’s blog – try it – I made it last night for dinner and it was really good!  The kids LOVED it, and even Hubby, who does not typically like spinach ate it and enjoyed it.  (That or he is a good liar?)

 

While we're on the subject of good food...I wanted to share a reeaaallly good recipe I tried this week from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Comfort Table by Katie Lee Joel.

It was her Mediterranean Pasta and it was so good. Very light with lots of flavor and that's what I like this time of year!
Here is the recipe if you are interested...

Meditteranean Pasta
Boil 12 oz. linguine for @8-10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 c. cooking water.
Meanwhile, heat 3 T. olive oil over medium heat and sautee 1 medium red onion (thinly sliced) and 3 garlic cloves until tender. Add in 1 1/2 pints grape tomatoes (halved) and 1/2 cup pitted black olives. (I left off the olives just because I don't like olives.) Sautee until tomatoes are wilted (about 5 minutes). Add 1 lb. large shrimp, pitted and deveined.
Return pasta to the large pot with 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water. Add the tomato and shrimp mixture. Stir in 3 cups loosely packed baby spinach, 1 T. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, and 8 oz. feta cheese. Toss until spinach wilts. If needed, add more water until pasta is moist and saucy. Transfer to a plate and drizzle with olive oil.
De-lish!!

News Flash

Rowdy has been sleeping thru the night for ONE week now and WOW, I feel like a new person. 

And that would be thru the night.  In HIS crib.  In HIS room!

Amazing! 

Hilarious!

Look at this sweet face.  He was so happy.  Sitting in the front yard, playing with the soccer ball.  Laughing.  Clapping…. and watching something

And what was he laughing at….that would be his older brother and his father doing handstands in the front yard.

Retards. 

News Flash!!!!

27 days until SUMMER VACATION!

Here are some snapshots of past summers at the beach!!!!  Nags Head, we’re comin’!!!!! 

This is one of my favorite pictures of Lola.  She’s about 4 and her hair was still super curly…..

And Crash (left) and Pooite (right)…and I don’t have a clue if we are going to bleach the hair again this summer…..

This is from 4 summers ago, that’s Pootie, Hannah, and Crash in the fiber optic pool! :-)

 

This is me and Lola, we were at Uncle Billy’s and Aunt Marty’s place over on the sound for the day with jet ski’s and the boat.  I hate the water, so of course, I stayed in the boat. (Water is only like waste deep but totally creeps me out!)

Hubby looking so cute with his hat on…. 

 

This is his other look at the beach – nose deep in a game of cards.

Oh and here are the girls in their matching outfits…..aren’t they the cutest things ever.  All of these girls will be together…and they are all 4 years older!!!!  Scary!!!!!!  Wait until they are teenagers!!!!