Island Beach State Park

Tom and I went to Island Beach State Park, NJ today. It was my first time there and Tom's second. I enjoyed everything about this beach, especially that it was generally empty as it isn't a NJ summer hot spot. We did normal beach stuff - swimming, tanning, playing games, etc - but Tom, as he always does, took an instant liking to the few dogs on the beach. He really bonded with a yellow lab, Daisy, who was a little feisty (ran off over the dunes with a fellow beach-goer's snack) and very cute. Tom introduced himself to Daisy's family while I grabbed a towel and got comfortable with my book. I glanced up a few times to see that Tom was still chatting. Then I glanced up again and saw that the mother in the family was putting sunscreen on Daisy's nose. I immediately laughed because I knew this was a result of something Tom said. He's full of fun and interesting knowledge. Apparently, the lesson of this action was that a dog can get sunburn on its nose if it's not completely black. Good to know... I guess.

We'll be returning to this beach very soon!

a bridal shower for dana

The party favors I made turned out so nicely






AU Friends



showing off their "gowns"



Dana wearing her decorated hat

My New Gadget

I did it! I bought an iPhone! I had some pre-purchase nerves knowing that it is a complete WANT and not a need. All of my doubts flew out the window as soon as I bought it. This phone is beyond cool - it's amazing! The applications available for download are unlimited; many of them are free, too. Also, the integration of Internet browsing, texting, e-mail, and basic phone functions make this smart phone very fun and easy to use. No buyer's remorse for me!


In this picture, I used the Maps feature to find my parent's house in Satellite view

What's on your Shelf of Constant Reproach?

I just came across this article, Shelf of Constant Reproach: Best Books You Never Read, on NPR.org about books on your shelf that you mean to get around to reading, but never do. Anyway, I thought I would share that one of the few books on my version of this shelf is Anna Karenina.

A Weekend to Remember

*Correction

I do know how to spell... sometimes! I just noticed that I spelled "mussels" incorrectly in my previous post! I spelled it "muscles" but just corrected it. I've been laughing for about 5 minutes. Tom is looking at me like I'm crazy, but I'm too embarrassed to tell him what I'm laughing about. I guess he isn't a daily subscriber to my blog!

a really great day

I spent my birthday with my mom and Carter. We had a lot fun and managed to squeeze in many activities in 24 hours. Carter and I played outside, took a bike ride, enjoyed a game of Monopoly, and took pictures of his many crazy faces. My mom got me gifts from her recent trip to Martha's Vineyard, and Ivy made me a tote bag that will replace my other one that broke last month. In the evening, Tom made me a 3 course dinner: mussels in garlic butter sauce, a german-style main course with beef and dumplings in sauce, and chocolate pudding for dessert. It was delicious!

Lauren & Gary got hitched!

Tom and I attended Lauren and Gary's wedding sunday evening. It was beautiful! They were married at the Lake House Inn on Lake Nockamixon. The ceremony was outside on the lawn overlooking the lake, and the reception took place a few feet away in a beautiful tent that also overlooks the lake. Lauren and Gary dated for 9 and 1/2 years and are truly special people that understand love's patience and kindness.

June: the name

I've always wanted my middle name to be June. I grew fond of it through characters in movies and books, and remember stories about a relative on my mom's side named June. It kind of stayed with me. When I was younger, I wanted my first name to be Mackenzie SO badly. It was just a phase, of course, because now when I think back to that time I wonder, "what was I thinking?!" I've grown into my name and even love it, but there is a part of me that just keeps going back to June.