Counting my Blessings this Thanksgiving

I count my blessings daily, but Thanksgiving is a time to reflect upon all my blessing over the year and to say "Thank You" for all the great, just okay and even the bad. This has been one busy year,  between trotting across the globe traveling and helping buyers find new homes and sellers sell theirs, it was wonderful to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends this year, here in Texas. 

This is the first time {in 8 years} where someone on Ray's family {mothers side} has come to Texas, so I was excited that Ray's Uncle and Aunt made the trip for Thanksgiving. Being the first time they came, I had lots of places I wanted to take them and things to show them. But I was really counting the week down, until Friday...that was going to be the BEST saved for last! I prepared a Texas size snack basket for their hotel room, with Larry's favorite giant marshmallows (when I took them to Alaska I said they were Texas size marshmallow, since everything is bigger in Texas...that and Alaska has lots of wearables they sell making fun of the size of Texas)., popcorn, candy bars, trail mixes and lots of yummy snacks. We went early and preped their hotel suite, with mint smiley faces on the bed, thesnack basket in the kitchen, ice and cold drinks, Ray (as a joke) even put a picture of us on the nightstand. Larry and Edith were tickled at all the time put into their stay and asked if they could stay forever. I just wanted to show them some Southern hospitality...what Southern Belle wouldn't go all out for her guest!  (my momma raised me right, lol)

So Monday and Tuesday, I touted them around Lewisville and Flower Mound showing them our fabulous real estate, shopping and more. Then off to Dallas, so they could see the X where JFK was shot. Then we picked Ray up and wraped up the evening at Studio Movie Grill, our exciting movie theater with dinner! (This impressed them, plus "Unstopable" was a great thrilling movie).

Uncle Larry was estatic when Ray took them Wednesday, to the Winstar Casino in Oklahoma, while I stayed home baking in prepration for Thursday. I couldn't believe that he had never...ever....ever...been to a casino. I guess we are pretty lucky to have several only an hour or so away. (Not to mention we had them down the street when we lived in MS and MO). Ray made his donation to the casino, or as Ray's tells it...Cheif Snake Eyes, got him. lol....but I was glad that they all had a great time and Uncle Larry managed to get a "green gift" from the casino. I guess it was his beginners luck that helped him win. 

Thursday we drove out to Melissa to my moms for Thanksgiving dinner, and to celebrate her birthday. This year we had a full house, Lauren brought her boyfriend Tyler, we brought Ray's family plue two friends joined us,all together we ended up with 11. Dinner was so delicious and we were all stuffed...and sleepy afterwards. I did watch a little bit of the football game before having a wonderful nap. On the drive home, I couldn't help but think of all the fun tomorrow was going to bring. My grand surprise, the best (in my opinion) of Texas....or at least my favorite thing to do! 

Finally Friday morning came....with delight we headed out to Glen Rose to take Uncle Larry and Aunt Edith to our favorite thing in Texas...FOSSIL RIM. Fossil Rim is a wildlife center, {for any of you who have never been - shame on you - lol, you need to make plans to go right now} in Glen Rose, TX and I had booked us on a Family Tour. Everyone had an AMAZING time at Fossil Rim, it took us about four hours to go through the park with all of the stopping as we fed the animals. I got some amazing photos while on the tour. After our trip to Fossil Rim we enjoyed Buffalo Filet at Uncle Buck's in Grapevine.

 

 

Saturday morning we picked them up at the hotel, which they really hated to leave and took them to their final treat before going to the airport....breakfast at Ham & Eggs in Lewisville. This is a great place to take out of the area vistors, they order their breakfast, like biscuits and gravy or a short stack of pancakes. When their order is served they practicly fall out of their chairs at the size of the food. Ofcourse I had to milk the fact that everything is "bigger in Texas". lol. The pancakes are bigger than 12 inches and two biscuits are the size of a loaf of bread. Aunt Edith couldn't finish a quarter of one pancake. It was great!

I was sad to leave them at the airport, hated to see them go, we all had so much fun, but the weekend was ending and it was going to back to work on Monday. {bummer}

My greatest joy was sharing a unique experience or place with theme; places they had never been only to see the delight expressed in their faces. That wow factor of amazement, awe, excitment or shock, makes me giddy and the great time that they had makes it all worth it for me. I love having guest and look forward to next time. {Like three days, until Ray's dad arrives}

Wanted: Buyers and Sellers

Hey Friends!
The busy buying-and-selling real estate season is here, and I am now accepting new clients! That’s right! If you know of someone in the market to buy or sell a home, I can help.
Now is a great time to buy or sell a home, and I am in a good position to devote my experience and time to new buyers and sellers. I would appreciate your recommendation to anyone you know interested in buying or selling a home. Thank you!

I hope all is well with you, and I thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Tracy Perkins

Beat the Heat this Summer

Beat the Heat: How to Treat illnesses Caused by Too Much Sun



By Danielle Braff

RISMEDIA, June 8, 2010--(MCT)--Bring on the beach days and lazy picnics: Summer has arrived. But be careful. Too much of a good thing can be deadly.

More than 300 people die each year from heat-related diseases — and thousands get very sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The three most common heat problems can affect anyone at any age: heat rash, heat exhaustion and heat stroke — but they're 100 percent preventable.

Before you step into the sun, understand the dangers caused by heat.
HEAT RASH

This skin irritation is caused by excessive sweating during humid heat, said Anne Chapas, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at NYU, and dermatologist at the Laser and Skin Surgery Center of New York. Heat rash occurs when the sweat glands are blocked, which causes sweat to accumulate under the skin.

It looks like a cluster of small blisters or pimples — and tends to occur under the arm pits, in elbow creases, on the chest, neck or shoulders.

You can treat heat rash by keeping the area dry and using over-the-counter products such as baby powder and anti-fungal sprays or creams (look for anything used to treat athlete's foot or jock itch) to lessen the discomfort. If the blisters appear extreme or don't go away after a few days, you can contact your dermatologist, who may prescribe a topical antibacterial or oral antibiotic, said Joseph Fowler Jr., a dermatologist and clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Louisville.

To avoid heat rash when you're in the sun, wear breathable fabrics such as cotton or linen, and avoid using greasy gels or lotions, which may block sweat glands.



HEAT EXHAUSTION

A long day at an outdoor festival can do this to you.

Exposure to heat plus dehydration can lead to this nasty condition. Flulike symptoms plus a throbbing headache, cool skin, chills and a pale, weak pulse can all occur, said Dr. Bob McNamara, chairman of the department of emergency medicine at Temple University School of Medicine.
Treat it by drinking water and finding a cool area to sit.
Continue to stay out in the sun, and the relatively harmless heat exhaustion can turn into the deadly heat stroke.



HEAT STROKE

This is the mother of all heat-related diseases, and can cause death or serious disabilities.

It happens quickly when you ignore the symptoms of heat exhaustion, and your body is unable to cool down.

Quite simply, "it's a medical emergency," said Lawrence Armstrong, professor of exercise and environmental physiology at the University of Connecticut, and author of "Exertional Heat Illnesses."

Normally, your body floats around 98.6 degrees. But it rises to upwards of 103 if you're out in the sun — and especially if you're exercising in the heat. Your body simply can't dissipate all of its heat into the environment, so it starts storing the heat. All that warmth in your body is too much for your organs, which will start malfunctioning, and your body will lose its ability to sweat. Many people will start hallucinating, getting dizzy and even combative, said Rahul Khare, an emergency room physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

The biggest problem with heat stroke is that most people who have it have no idea they're in any danger, Khare said.

There are some immediate things you can do to get someone out of danger, however. First, call 911 and get them out of the heat. Next, grab a drink. Khare recommended a sports drink like Gatorade, because it would have electrolytes — sodium and potassium — that the body loses through sweating. If you don't have a sports drink handy, water will do.

Then, get them under cool water, and place ice packs on their armpits, groin, head and neck, Armstrong said.





(c) 2010, Chicago Tribune.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Awesome DIY Project and Contest

Ever go out of town and forget to water your potted plants? Maybe you are like me and don't even have to leave to forget. Or worry because you are not sure if you have over watered or not watered enough.

One of my new favorite magazines, Urban Farm, has a great Do-It-Yourself project in the current Summer 2010 magazine...How to Make a Self-Watering Container.

If you don't subscribe or haven't heard of them, you can get a copy at a Barnes & Noble store or visit Urban Farm's website.

The concept behind it is so simple yet brillant. You create a water reservoir at the bottom of the container and provide a wick to bring the water up to the soil, keeping it moist, continuously, which your plants will enjoy. This allows you to have peace of mind leaving town again, or if you watered too much or too little, before you left.

So could you use a planter that takes care of itself and looks nice, too?  

With just five easy steps.  you can create an attractive self-watering container.

So your saying five easy steps...right....how will you know if you don't try?

I'm willing to give it a try - Are you?

Don't think you have the time - what if I said this is your Summer Challenge?

A contest more or less...with a prize to help motivate you! I can't think of anyone that wouldn't want to win a prize, I'd like to win one.  

The Low Down:

Follow the directions for making a self-watering container and then post two photos with your email address in the comments section. The two photos need to be of your container upon completion of creating it. The second photo will be of the end results of your palnter, filled with your favorite summer plants. (Remember it is important to select plants that are compatible in their watering needs and sun preferences).

The contest will start today, May 27, 2010 and ends Thursday, June 10, 2010. 

ALL photos must be posted PRIOR to June 10th! A winner will be selected by random, using random.org generator and announced  Friday June 11, 2010.  Winner will receive a $20 Lowe's Gift Card.

Project Blueprints: How to Create a Self-Watering Container

To learn more about how to build self-watering containers in Laura Hill's "Wick It, Wick It Good" in the Summer 2010 issue of Urban Farm.

It Just Takes A Minute

It will only take a minute of your time to sign up and be apart of a life changing movement!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION!

5 Factors That Decide Your Credit Score

Credit scores range between 200 and 800, with scores above 620 considered desirable for obtaining a mortgage. The following factors affect your score:

1. Your payment history. Did you pay your credit card obligations on time? If they were late, then how late? Bankruptcy filing, liens, and collection activity also impact your history.

2. How much you owe. If you owe a great deal of money on numerous accounts, it can indicate that you are overextended. However, it’s a good thing if you have a good proportion of balances to total credit limits.

3. The length of your credit history. In general, the longer you have had accounts opened, the better. The average consumer's oldest obligation is 14 years old, indicating that he or she has been managing credit for some time, according to Fair Isaac Corp., and only one in 20 consumers have credit histories shorter than 2 years.

4. How much new credit you have. New credit, either installment payments or new credit cards, are considered more risky, even if you pay them promptly.

5. The types of credit you use. Generally, it’s desirable to have more than one type of credit — installment loans, credit cards, and a mortgage, for example.
For more on evaluating and understanding your credit score, visit http://www.myfico.com/.

Your Gen X Realtor

Tracy Perkins, Realtor
Certified Home Marketing Specialist

http://www.yourgenxrealtor.com/

972-874-1905 office

972-874-2107 fax

1211 E College Street, Princeton, TX | Powered by Postlets

1211 E College Street, Princeton, TX Powered by Postlets

Two Spirits LTD

My best friend and I stayed at Two Spirits LTD for a weekend of camping and floating about 9 years ago, so when a bunch of my girlfriend and I decide to have a girls camp out, I immediately thought of Two Spirts!

I was so glad to see it was still in business and booming 9 years later. They went from pitched tents to building cabins with electricity and air conditioning! 

If you don't have a lot of camping gear, or don't want to sleep on the ground in a tent, you should really check out Two Spirits LTD.

Their service and price are unbeatable. You will LOVE it so much, you will find yourself trying to find time off to go back!

Swimming with Whales at Sea World

With all the commotion over Shamu at Sea World, one would think my husband and I had lost our mind, want to swim with whales, let alone PAYING for it!

Well - that is exactly it. We are mad...stir crazy and have completely lost it. HA!

I was attending a Designation course, to become a Certified Home Marketing Specialist, and the course was in San Antonio. My husband had never been to San Antonio or Sea World, so we did some last minute researching and decided to make a weekend getway out of it.

I picked him up at the airport Thursday night around 9pm and we made it to San Antonio about 4am, just enough time for me to catch a few hours of sleep before attending my 9 hour course at 8am! I was so glad when it was over. (smiling)

I rushed back to the hotel and picked up my husband and drove over to The Riverwalk. We walked both sides, and he thought it was pretty cool. After the debate over what to eat and where...we settled on a Steakhouse on the Riverwalk. By the time dinner was over I was so tired, I didn't think I would even be able to make it to the car, I was ready to take "sleep walking" to a whole nother level.

Did I mention the horrible weather? How could I forget - Friday night it started with a major drop in temp. and gusty winds. And we were promised that was the best part of the weekend!

The weatherman was spot on. Saturday morning we woke up groggy at 7am ready to face our adventors with swimming with the Beluga Whales at Sea World. We ate some breakfast at the hotel, checked out and ran to the car...in the 37 degree rain storm; wearing flip flops, shorts and a t-shirt.

Yes, I packed for both Ray and I, and I didn't pack anything with legs or sleeves! A well learned lesson.

We arrived at Sea World, rain or shine per our confirmation, so for the price we paid we were intending on suffering thru the weather at least for a few hours and then heading home.

Front row parking was no race this morning, we had our pick. There were only five other crazy families hanging out in there car, too, waiting for Sea World to open.

We watched families all bundled up start to emerge from their vehicles and brave the rain and head to the big blue gates. We waited in the warthm of our truck and watched, the park was not opening for another 30 minutes. But I guess, regardless of the weather, there are some people who just can't stand the thought of not being the first to get in.          I am not one of those people. LOL!

Finally at about ten minutes later Ray and I had formulated a plan of attack. To hit the gift shops for winter clothes.  You know the ones that last week were probably on clearence, but today were going to be full price!

Our plan of attack worked, we ran through the gates and went to the first gift shop - ofcourse the sweatshirts and pullovers for the first thing when you walked in. I quickly grabed two - I didn't care what color or really what size, I would have squeezed into anything to stay warm.

We were really lucky, we were able to get pullovers (matching green ones) that fit and that was good - since they were $30 each. That was another donation from us to Sea World, to help pay for Shamu's rehab.

We checked out and bundled up, at least at this point we had some sleeves. We met up with the Interation Group and headed to the tanks following the trainer.

After introductions and a safety video we were seperated in to two groups, boys and girls and taken to seperate trailers were we were changed into wet suits. Which I later discovered why they were called "wet" suits. (Next time, I'll be asking for a "DRY" suit).

All suited up, we met out in front and headed over to the tanks, were they seperated us again, this time children went to one tank and adults (Ray and I were the only two) in the other tank. So here Ray and I with one of four trainers, standing in front of a huge tank, behind the stage and show area.
Our Beluga whale was named Martha, and we also played with one of her children, that now was 2 years old and was in training.

We sat on the edge of the tank following our trainers instructions....turn around and place your feet in the tank on the ledge.
Simple enough, right?
Awww, SOOOO freezing cold.
"Now slide in and sit on the ledge" - at this point up to my waist in freezing cold water, with high winds, I was starting to hate her.
"Okay, now walk out following me to the edge" - Oh wow! This must be what it felt like for all those that braved the water when the Titanic sunk. Shivering - so cold...

We had a full photo shoot with Martha, courtesy of Sea World. All was going well, until we had to lay in the water and swim with Martha and then lay on our backs, floating with Martha, while holding her flippers. NOT FUN!!! I struggled to keep my head above water and my hair dry.

After an hour of working with Martha it was time to say good bye, we gave Martha the command and she waived to us. Then the instructor gave us one last "waive" command....One in which Martha's fianal "waive" became WAVES of water that drenched us!!! So much for keeping my hair dry.

We went back to the trailers and peeled off our soaked suits. lol....and showered. I did NOT want to get out of the boiling hot water!!!

I was thankful for the hot water and blowdryer that they provided. Although with out a brush, my hair wasn't looking the greatest.

It was still freezing outside and very windy - but at least it stopped raining. We spent the rest of the day at Sea World and man was it an experience!

We went to a 4D Pirate show, a sea lion show - that ended quickly when the two stars of the show decided mating was more important than performing the skit they were trained and the coral reef / shark tank. Everything was wonderful....all day was great, despite the weather....

Everthing EXCEPT the Steel Eel rollercoaster.........I hate, hate, hate......hate rollercosters. Yet somehow my husband made me ride it - I had to buy the photo they took. Well I won't tell you, I'll let the photo tell you how much I enjoyed this ride!!!

Dallas World Aquarium

My husband asked…” what do you want to do today”, it was really cold and rainy, just gray outside in general. For me, the thought of being stuck inside on a Saturday all day is like fingernails on a chalk…not great! Without hesitation “Dallas World Aquarium” came blurting out of my mouth.

I love, love, LOVE aquariums! Each time I have the opportunity to travel along with my hubby, especially to a new place, I Google the city + aquariums, searching out the nearest aquarium from our hotel. While he is at work, I spend the day hanging out at the aquarium, sometimes they have two! I can stand for hours in front of some tanks, just in awe, enjoying all of the beauty God created. The underwater world just fascinates me.
The Dallas World Aquarium was getting a remodel, at the entrance, so it was temporarily relocated to the rear of the building. I should not have been too surprised, when rounding the corner to see a line of people hovering outside along the wall, wrapping around the rear corner and winding up the winding ramp to the ticket booth. So close yet so far away! I had to reassure my husband {and me for that matter}, that standing in the cold damp weather would be worth it. {At least I hoped} Once inside, my eyes started to glisten, and I didn’t care how cold I was, or how long I had stood in line shivering.

You see our DWA isn’t just any aquarium; the DWA is a two story, jungle themed open atrium. Winding bamboo bridges and beautiful species of birds flying freely un-caged is unlike anything I’ve been to. I am sure, I was there much longer than my husband, cared to be. I couldn't help it, the place was so packed, and I couldn't leave without taking some great shots. {I really needed to update my screen saver. LOL}

Thankful I married someone that knows my passion (or obsession), so he patiently waited on a bench seat with a great view of the underwater Manatee tank. Unfortunately, I didn't get any shots of either Manatee. Guess, I'll have to make a second trip. Oh darn! (wink, wink)
I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do! {And if you enjoy the Manatee, like me; check out the Manatee Cam! View their underwater actions in their large freshwater River exhibit.}

Until next time….

Train with Run On! Coppell

New 101, 201 & Speed Development classes begin Tuesday, February 23rd at 7pm. Sign up now online or at any Run On! store.

Yoga for Runners is back! It starts March 7th. Read more about it and other events at Run On! Coppell’s new store webpage.

New Laptop

After much research, I found a new laptop that I LOVE!!!
I recently purchased the Dell Inspiron 17.3” screen, i5, 500mb, 4GB and the best feature is the 10-key pad on the right, just like a regular keyboard.

 I’m in the process of setting up all of the cool shortcut features, including the one for Blogger!

 So this will be my test post and we’ll have to see how it turns out. But I have a lot going on…so there will be more post to come, about real estate, investments, new recipes, running 101 and English bulldogs…so check back often!

Home Spa Day

There is nothing more enjoyable than relaxing...and an at home spa day sounds perfect!

My best friend, gave me a large gift basket filled with delicious smelling Decadent de’Lights products (which she knows are my favorite - their candles too, hint...hint)! My basket was spilling over with fun and enjoyable products; an adorable pink and brown luggage tag for my travels, two logo mugs filled with yummy flavored cocoa, and a sassy hot pink rubber ducky, but the best things were: the Pink Sugar bubble bath, Elf Sweat shower gel (for my husband), Sun Ripened Raspberry body polish, Peppermint Fizzy foot soak, and a slice of Peppermint soap, all hand-made by Decadent de’Lights...plus a really cool foam poufy loofa.

It only took a little bit of the Pink Sugar bubble bath to fill my large garden bath tub full of bubbles! I love Decadent de’Lights bubble bath because you need only to use a little to get a ton of bubbles. The bubbles lasted longer than the hot water in the tub, even after I added more hot water, for the third time. Neither I nor my tub was left greasy afterwards and it smelled so delicious!

I used my body polish to exfoliate the winter blues I had which negatively affected my legs and arms, leaving my skin sad and dry. Rubbing it in a circular motion on my arms damp skin, instantly made them cheery again! I even used it to exfoliate my legs before shaving. My legs were extremely smooth, I was so impressed. (As I knew I would be, all their stuff is fabulous). It was better than my Mary Kay Satin Hands... I had Decadent legs!

The Avocado oil, in the body polish, left my arms and legs in LOVE with the new refreshing glow of smooth and happy skin. And still none of their products left my tub greasy, unlike past products I've used from expensive chain stores.

I highly recommend you purchase, Decadent de’Lights bath products (or candles) and enjoy your own relaxing at home spa day.

I can't wait to use my Peppermint fizzy foot soak. Tomorrow sounds perfect for an at home pedicure day!

2010 Bride's Choice Awards

Lewisville, TX – 01/20/2010 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced Tracy's Cakes has been selected to receive the WeddingWire 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for Wedding Cakes!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

Tracy's Cakes is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

We are happy to announce that Tracy's Cakes is among the very best Wedding Cakes within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards.
For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at www.weddingwire.com/tracyscakes


Photographer: Brandi Thompson

Savannah, Part 2

See our spooky Bonaventure Cemetery photos!

Savannah, Part 1

Check out my trip to Savannah and experience the rich history of the "First City" in Georgia.

A week in Savannah

My husband and I spent a week in Savannah, a potential location for our next move. I was thankful for the great room we had at the Hilton Garden Inn, as we spent a lot more time in it, than normal while on a vacation. The beginning of the week was supposed to provide rain and bad weather, while the channel 8 weatherman promised clear skies for the remainder of the week. With hope, that he would be right, Ray and I did our housing research first, in the rain, so that we could potentially enjoy the promised clear days, sight seeing and enjoying the historic Savannah area.

After two days of looking at houses in the rain, on day three we decided to throw in the towel and venture into the historic area and start our sight seeing early. We parked and then had enjoyed lunch at Five Guys, at Ellis Square, which has unbelievably delicious burgers, before wandering down to Riverstreet. We enjoyed checking out all the little shops along Riverstreet and we even toured a custom built Pirates ship for a gentleman that passed away before it was completed. My favorite custom feature on the ship was the stain glass panels in the doors, they were each different and so beautiful.

          

After touring Riverstreet we went back to the hotel and had the concierge book us for a day tour with Old Savannah Tours. We got up early the next day and went to Historic Savannah, to the visitor's center and boarded the trolley to begin our tour. We had a very entertaining tour guide that took a group of us on a 90-minute comprehensive look at Savannah’s fascinating past 275 years of history. We toured much of Savannah’s beautiful historic district, including the Victorian district, five of the historic squares, River Street and City Market, while our tour guide shared many fascinating facts and stories about Georgia’s “First City!”

Since we had so much fun on our Old Savannah tour we book another tour, Ghosts & Gravestones Frightseeing Tours for Sunday night. On Sunday we went back to the Historic district and enjoyed Sunday brunch at Paula Deans famous The Lady & Sons on Congress Street. The food was delicious! We ate hoecakes with syrup, fried chicken, bbq pulled pork, green beans, macaroni and cheese, collared greens and yummy banana pudding for dessert; served with an iced cold glass of Paula's Southern Sweet Tea!

Sunday night we started our tour by boarding the Trolley of Doom for our ghost tour. The trolley conductor, our tour guide, was dressed in full costume with a black lace fan and black veil; she was a Savannah black widow from the 1800's. Our haunting experience, included a does of humor, we stopped at several of the historic homes and the Colonial Park cemetery before ending at the River Street’s Perkins and Sons Ship Chandlery. It was quite an entertaining tour to say the least. We enjoyed dinner at Bone Fish before going back to the hotel.

We decided to leave a day early, taking two days to drive to Missouri instead of trying to push thru the 14 hour drive in one day. On Monday morning we checked out of the hotel and before leaving Savannah, we visited Bonaventure Cemetery, a great ending to our Savannah trip. This is the cemetery where Bird Girl was removed, and Little Gracie Watson, the Telfair family and many other historic person were buried.The cemetery was so amazing; we drove through most of it, with the top on the car down and the heater on high. We only got our and viewed certain grave sites, which we had learned about from our historic and ghost tours.

It was a great way to end our Savannah vacation, which while enjoyable, was not what I had hoped for. Going there with advanced expectations for what I might find, Savannah to offer, based on shared stories from friends. Friends, who raved of the beauty the city offered, I was only left disappointed and in the end, Savannah was removed from the list.

I took so many photos of the two main places we had visited, historic Savannah and Bonaventure Cemetery; I am splitting it up in two parts. Part 1 will be of the historic district and Part 2 will be the Bonaventure Cemetery tour. I hope you enjoy!

Big Freeze

For the last few days, we have had below freezing weather. The pools' waterfall had several places where the water has frozen over the rocks. I just had to get the camera out and take advantage of this rare photo op- in Texas.

Lazy days...

Today was a relaxing lazy day at the Perkins' house. We all slept in this morning and even after getting up and feeding the babies (two spoiled boxers), we all just laid around. It felt great not to be in a rush to get to the airport or running to get any errands completed before the week began. Everyone should take a day every now and then to do nothing. Now, if I just had a robot to make us dinner and clean the kitchen!

Oz takes my chair every time I get up! He loves to curl up on my electric throw.

Bella has my husband wraped around her paw! She loves to cuddle and be rocked to sleep.

They are so spoiled! But we love them anyway!