Marvelous weekend Moments!

Hope everyone had a sweet Valentine's day!
Joining in with Ms. Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday 's "M" posts...

Like I mentioned in my last post, this past Sunday, Feb 12th, was our 30th Anniversary.  With all the upcoming and exciting family celebrations we have (Girly~Twirly's baby's (aka our grandbaby;'s) due date is March 13th...Girly-Whirly's graduation from dental school in May and then her wedding two weeks later, my hubby and I didnt go on a trip to celebrate this anniversary.

But we did have a Marvelous weekend when our dear friends from Virginia drove down to visit with us.  So much fun...love the time spent laughing and catching up with each other!

We've been family friends since 1989, when the guys flew helicopters out of Hawaii.

Saturday, we all went to a Matinee and stopped by my hubby's office... and then, they treated us to eat out in Savannah. This was at the Crystal Beer Garden...operated since 1933...love all the old photos on the wall, the Big Band era music playing, and the good food and awesome fellowship.

I took a very quick picture of my selection of a Greek "taco" (Gyro style meat with Tzakziki sauce, feta cheese, tomatoes, lettuce) and sweet potato fries...

They had to leave the next morning...their visit seemed to pass too quickly, but we were so happy that they were able to drive down our way.

But the Marvelous Moments didn't end...

My handsome hubby surprised me when we got home with an unexpected surprise! He had a gift for me... (My eyes are closed in the first photo, cuz I didnt like the photo with my eyes open! haha ...Oh, and don't mind all my white hair...I have never colored my hair and want to see what I look like "au naturale" :o)

My gift to him was a card with some money to go towards passports for the two us, so I felt a little bad that my gift to him was not an exclusively "his" gift.  

They are sooo beautiful! The diamond earrings are set in a "Martini setting".  I have always admired diamond studs, but never expected these.  (usually, I have some clue, but nope, not even a hint!)

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Here are some other orders completed, sent and received. (I try to wait until I am sure that they have been given, before posting).

This Monogram celebrates a Marriage ~

This email was sent: ...I am in need of sketch for my best friend.  We will be heading back home to Alabama after Christmas and was hoping to give here this sketch as a present.  Please let me know if there is enough time!!!

I would like to have their wedding information sketched.  I just love the one you did for my cousin Kara in Texas.  

Thank you Clare for yet another order!

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This celebrates a Military service.

Thank you Jenn for your order and your comments:
"This was just amazing! I had seen a fellow milspouse order one for her husband's retirement ceremony and knew I wanted one for my husband. He loved it and it was such an easy process to get the image I wanted. Thank you!!"

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This one celebrates a Marriage and a Military commitment.

 Thank you Melanie for your request:
"Hi Maria. I've purchased several wonderful artworks from you and I have another request. I would like a Basic EOD badge with the name LAWTON, A Panther with the name ERIN and a heart in the middle with the name DRAKE. On the bottom Id like is to read September 24, 2011."

Fantastic Friends and Memorable Moments

Over the years throughout our military moves, our family has been blessed with awesome friendships.  Growing up as an Air Force dependent daughter, I moved with my family about every 2 years.  And with my hubby in the military, we moved about every 3 years.  Because I have not done better with corresponding, sadly, I have lost track of some very dear friends.

Thankfully, not every friendship has been lost.  No matter how many miles away or how long it has been...when we are given the opportunity to get together, it is like no time has passed!  Of course, when we talk about times where we first met and where our kids are now, it is amazing to realize just how time has flown!

This past Friday and Saturday, Mr. B and I were very, very blessed to have our dear friends T and K fly down to spend some time with us!  T and Mr. B flew helicopters in Hawaii together and we lived across the street from each other on Schoffield Barracks, Hawaii. They took care of our girls when I went to the hospital to have our son. And we took care of their two girls when K had their 3rd daughter.

Oh, how wonderful the fellowship was! Laughter over memories, current moments, and future plans :o) (Our heartbreaker and their beauty that were born in Hawaii, can't get away from the parents' dreams and schemes of an arranged marriage haha... the workings of getting the stallions and dowery, etc are brought up during phone convos or whenever we get the chance to be together :o)  Of course, we don't talk exclusively about the combining of our families, but the two young 'uns know that at some point this is enthusiastically discussed amongst the parents :o)

The time was short, but so sweet and greatly appreciated!  Here is a video clip of some photos with these dear friends...

And this one is of some more special times shared over the years with the L family...

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And here are some photos of some completed orders that I have meaning to post.

This Personalized Sketches artwork was ordered for a wedding gift.  It was a monogram that was from the wedding announcement of Erin & Keith Nacis.  A happy celebration to a new life together as one.

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The next one was given in memorial of a little one that went on to be with the Lord.  A sweet little one,  dearly loved and in her short time on earth became such a big part of her family's heart.

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The couple was done for Nancy from BacardiMama as a Christmas gift for her in-laws. Sh-h-h...it's a surprise ;o)

These cute dachshunds belong to Suzanne from Coloradolady. You can see some photos of her precious pups on her blog.

Thank you all for your orders! I have enjoyed drawing them and appreciate your interest!  I do have quite a number of others that are completed and I will be posting them the next time.

I do appreciate each and everyone of you that come by and also thank you for your comments.

Blessings & Aloha!

Steamy night in Georgia...First official... then dinner with dear friends

Steamy night in Georgia! (actually, this steaminess was in our camera and our glasses from coming out of the air-conditioned restaurant and into the Georgia heat.) Father's day dinner that Heartbreaker treated us to at Love's Seafood. (One of the scenes from Forrest Gump was filmed here).

..so Monday was "heartbreaker's" (I decided to use the nick names that my daughter "theluckiestmrs." bestowed upon her siblings. "heartbreaker" aka her little brother aka our son. To which, when he first heard that, said, "heartbreaker, me??? nah, I'm the heartbreak-ee!")

back to... so Monday was "heartbreaker's" first official day of work. He had been waiting for a couple of weeks to hear back from Kroger after a very promising interview-but summer jobs arent that plentiful-they want long term employers.

So, Heartbreaker volunteered for 5 days as a camp counselor for the church elementary sumer camp about an hour and a half away. He did this last year and was blessed. Prior to the camp, he was offered a great position doing records for a very prominent and sought after gastro-intestinal doctor. Dr. C told him that he would also have him observe, which he is looking forward to. (He's interested in med school and Dr. C is great, long time friends with the dean of UK's Med school. How awesome God is for putting the perfect person in our paths and the perfect timing!)

Dr. C was very flexible with the camp commitment and said to come in the Monday after & to work as much hours as he wants! Heartbreaker thought *Awesome! I'll be there from open to close!*

Here's a few texts from Heartbreaker sent to me: Im on my first official lunch break.

First official work sandwich...

First official day of work-done...

Here, I made him stand still for his first official return from his first official day of work:

(I did this with the kids on their first day of school). haha thankyou, son for humoring your mama.

When Mr. B got home, we all left to meet up with dear friends that we have known for 8 or more years! First at Ft Campbell, KY. both our girls babysat their two girls then and also here. We didnt know it intially, but we ended up living in the same neighborhood here in Georgia!

This time only M and their youngest, but it was, as always, fun. Their little one is full of surprises and we have told them they need to blog about a day in the life of this little princess! She keeps us cracking up.

so it was a great day :o)

Tuesday: Heartbreaker had to go to a doctor's appt at Urgent Care (the military clinic was full, so we were referred to this great clinic-everyone there was wonderful... one of the nurses shared her stash of chocolate mmm)

....2 breathing tx, one steroid shot in his backside, antibiotics, and cough medicine. He did not get to go to work. ended up resting.

Ever since he came back last June from a mission trip to Nicaragua, he has had cough, congestion, something going on. While in college, it was 3 separate issues of bronchitis, walking pneumonia...

He arrived from Nicaragua with a cough, so had an appt with chest xrays and a TB test. All came back normal- thank the Lord.

He had a annual check with full CBC with his doctors' from Backus Children's Medical (even though he is 19 and bigger than the nurses, they have said they would love to continue to see him). All that was good. So, it is just this past year of new episodes of coughs, colds, infections, etc.

I know that our trust and Faith in the Lord is what we draw our strength from. And I know his healing is a done deal! I do have to say I understand what was said by someone we met on staff at today's clinic. (Her son, 16 yrs old, is also a cancer survivor. He had been treated from age 5 to 9.) Well, she mentioned that after having gone through those 4 years, she doesnt like when her son comes down with a fever or cough, etc.

I said I understand. And again, I do know with my heart, mind and spirit that our son is healed, strong and continues to be a walking testimony of God's healing and grace. His story has blessed many in many ways. But I understand her comments, because prior to his diagnosis and treatments, coughs and sniffles weren't anything to even think a second about. After the diagnosis and treatments, if ever there is cough, sniffle, aches or pains... from any of our children, I have in my heart to want to just say "ENOUGH!" "There is no room in our lives for any of that!" I can not stand any of that!

So, yes, I understand.

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Thought I would also post the 6 drawings that were ordered by a wonderful unit up at Ft Campbell. They always write a thank you to me for my support to their Soldiers. I am humbled and honored to do these drawings that they have purchased over the years.

Thank YOU!