Returning

You probably gathered from my sporadic, short posts last week that I was on vacation.

It. Was. Lovely.

But now I'm back in this thing they call "reality." So as I catch up on work and blogs and all the things that DIDN'T stop moving while I was taking a break from life, I just want to leave you with this.

Will you go visit Summer? Leave her some love? And maybe help her daddy, too? This girl has a heart full of more gold than a Saints' home game, and she'd go to the moon and back to help a friend in need. She's also volunteering one hour of her time for every dollar sent to her daddy. See what I mean? Heart. Of. Gold. Just click here, then click on the PayPal button on the right to donate, or send a card to the address in the post. Thanks, friends.

Happy Monday, loves!

Juxtaposition...

Fresh shrimp, anyone?

My New Friend...

Glorious...

I'm back!

Hello my loves!

I missed you so while I was gone, but I just know that Julie, Beth and CJ took excellent care of you! And if you're new around here (thanks to these fabulous women, no doubt!) WELCOME! I'm so glad you're here!

The Sonshine Choir (youth choir) from my church had an AWESOME trip to Texas last week--and let me tell you--it was HOT! There are pretty much zero pictures of me because I was the definition of a hot mess the whole time! But, I did want to share a few shots from the week. I plan on a full-tour recap soon, but for now, I hope these will tide you over!

{art at one of the places the kids sang}

{the choir}

{welcome sign at our hotel in Bryant, Arkansas}

{Texas Rangers baseball game}

Happy Monday!

Colorful Vaycay Kick-off

I’m traveling through Texas today, but I wanted to stop by and start off the Colorful Vaycay week here at The Start of the Alphabet.

Today’s color? Well, here’s where I tell you I’m breaking my own rules…and I’m posting some fabulous damask. I guess you could say the colors I’m choosing are black and white…but they will be in a particular pattern. Hope you enjoy!

{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11}

Come back later this week for some guest posts by a few of my favorites! Have a great week!

A colorful vaycay

Tomorrow morning I'm hopping on a charter bus with 26 high schoolers, six other adults and one bus driver. And we're going to take this state by storm:

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(Doesn't that just make you hungry? Yumm!)

It's choir tour time, and this will be my first year chaperoning the trip. I went all 4 years of high school--and no, I can't sing a lick, but the choir was much bigger back then, and I could blend in no problem--and it was always one of my favorite parts of summer. My senior year we took Texas by storm, so I know it will be a lot fun to go back!

We'll visit Dallas, Georgetown, Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi and Houston. We'll also stop in Memphis and Mobile on either end of the trip. The youth choir will sing in rescue missions, nursing homes, and downtown ministries in various cities. They'll get the chance to serve meals and to minister to folks who are, for one reason or another, in these various situations. I'm so excited to see what God is going to do in the next week!

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And, even though it's been a little quiet around here lately, I at least had the forethought to ask three lovely ladies if they would stop by next week to keep you all company, and they graciously accepted! It will be a week of colorful vacation, and if you don't already know the three girls who will be hanging out here, I just know it will be love at first sight! They'll be sharing their favorite colors with you, and it's sure to be a fun week!

I'll start things off on Monday morning, then turn it over to my gracious guest-posters for the rest of the week! I Want One! Friday will go on as planned.

Have a great weekend, and get excited for a colorful vaycay next week!

What did you do this weekend?

This weekend I went to Nashville for a youth rally called Acquire the Fire. I think the kids had a good time, plus we got to stay in the Opryland Hotel! (most of these photos are from Gaylord's website, so please excuse the cheese in the models...)

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If you've never been there before, the atria alone are worth a visit. Carter & I stood and watched the choreographed water show in the Cascades Atrium for a good 15 minutes. It was mesmerizing.

My sister used to work for Gaylord, and she told me some fun facts about the hotel. There are 3 atria (Cascades, Delta and Garden Conservatory) and they cover over 9 acres.

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At Christmas time, they decorate the entire hotel, including the atria, for the holidays. It's BEAUTIFUL.

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You can visit the hotel and even take an audio tour of the property, though I believe you have to pay to park. And when you go, be sure to wear your walking shoes, as there are over 25 MILES of corridors. That's HUGE! There are almost 3,000 guest rooms!

There are also more restaurant and shopping choices inside the hotel than some small towns.

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A river runs through the the atria, and when they built that part of the hotel, the brought water in from rivers and lakes from all 50 states and several countries. There's even a riverboat ride that will take you all around the Delta Atrium!

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We had a great time just wandering around the hotel and taking it all in.

And while we were in Nashville, Carter & I met up with my sister and brother-in-law for lunch and a little shopping. They're expecting their first baby in just a few months, and while we were out, they found a baby carrier for their soon-to-be little girl. They promptly took it home and put the dog in it.

That's normal, right?

Happy Monday!