My Incredible Family

It's taken me quite awhile to write this post because I really wanted to use the right words to tell you just how much my family means to me and how incredibly blessed I am to have them in my life.

I often wonder what I have done to deserve such incredible people in my life.  I'm just an ordinary person doing ordinary things.  Actually, there is definitely room for improvement.  So, why me?  Why am I the one that God chose?

One thing I do know for sure; not a day goes by that I don't thank Him for blessing me so greatly.

Mark and I were married 24 years back on October 8th. That was one of the happiest days of my life back then.  Little did I know how much more incredible it was going to get.  My love for that man grows exponentially every single minute.  He is my rock, my love, my spiritual advisor and most importantly my best friend.  We are true BFFs.

Joshua Christian Kay.  My first born. My #1 son.  My confidant. I always say to him, "until you have kids of your own you will never know the depths of my love for you".  No truer words have ever been spoken.  He is the sweetest, kindest and most loving 19 year old I know.  He makes me smile everyday.  The shot above was not posed and the photographer just snapped the picture.  It's perfect!

Above two images from etsy.com

I have the above two images on my "Words to Live by" board on Pinterest.  They are two of my favorites.  I couldn't have said it better myself.

This is my Chlobie Joykins.  Chloe Joy Kay.  Her name couldn't have been more perfect.  She brings such Joy to my life.  I certainly don't know what I would do without her.  She's spunky, witty, and very opinionated.  She brings laughter into my life just when I need it the most.  I wouldn't want her any other way.  

They are the love of my life.  I couldn't be more proud of these two extra special kids.  I am a better person because of them.  They truly are gifts from above.  Deep down inside I know that they are not mine to keep forever.  They belong to God.....children of God.  My heart is overflowing with gratitude towards God for allowing me to raise His children.  My only hope is that he approves so far.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father.....who does not change like shifting shadows. 

James 1:17

Thank you all for allowing me this platform to humbly talk about my family.  They mean the world to me and I would be no one without them.

Blessings,

Holly

All photographs are by Dominique

The Bloggers Unite

Surprise, surprise!!!!! We are together again (well, at least for  one week).  It was been about three months since we last saw each other.  Chloe and I made the "extremely far" trip down to Hilton Head to visit with Mom and Dad.  

Although vacations are suppose to be relaxing, we have a very full itinerary.  Mentally, we'll say, we are on relaxation mode, but physically we are constantly on the go.

So, for this post, it will be a combined effort on both our parts.

Our first outing the very next morning after our 15.5 hour drive in was to visit the local farmer's market.  We saw great food, crafts and friends.

The next big thing that Chloe and I did was at Zip Line Hilton Head.  How courageous am I?  It really wasn't that scary so don't feel too bad for me.  I actually had a blast!  The best part was spending quality time with Chloe.

Moving through our week there is one stop that is always on our list.  The little town of Beaufort, S.C.  The quaintness, history and the fact it is right on the water is a must see for everyone.  We started off with visits to some of our favorite shops and then on to lunch at Barbara Jeans for their famous crab cakes.  We then knew we had to bring home some fresh shrimp for our dinner that night.

You cannot go to Hilton Head and not plan a day in Savannah Ga., or Charleston, S.C.  This trip, we Choose Savannah.  If time were not a factor we certainly would of choose both.  Of course like the rest of the country we are definitely in a heat wave, so traveling the streets of Savannah was a bit steamy (blistering HOT!!!!!)

FIRST WE FIND THE RIGHT SHADES.....

Then you HAVE TO visit the candy shops, especially the homemade Pralines.....Yummo.

River Street in Savannah is a must.  Filled with cute shops, restaurants and Cobblestone Streets.

You can sometimes see a container ship pulling into one of the largest seaports on the east coast.  This one was from Hong Kong.

We then took a small drive (30min) to Tybee Island.  Cute coastal town on the ocean with famous homes, lighthouses, delicious restaurants all with an eclectic flair.

Chloe and Holly enjoying the ocean breezes on Tybee.

No visit to Tybee would be complete without dinner at the Crab Shack.  Bring your appetite!  "Go big or go home."

Last, but certainly not least, we ended our vacation with dinner out with some really great friends, The Greenwells.

When Mom and Dad first moved down to Hilton Head from Buffalo, one of the first jobs Mom got was working for the Greenwells.  Over the years and many visits later, we have all  become such good friends.  I couldn't imagine a visit without seeing them.

Chloe and Katie

John and Chrissy

Hunter and Mary

Tom and Granny Claire

John, Holly and Chrissy

Chloe and my visit down to Hilton Head this summer was amazing.  We did so many things, made so many memories and had the best time.  We have been visiting Mom and Dad there for at least the past 10 years (if not more, I think I've lost count).  This is the first time that just Chloe and I went together and it was the first time that we drove down in just one day.  Coming home was a nightmare - 18 HOURS!  But that couldn't even dampen the incredible time we had.

Not sure when we will see each other again;  possibly at Christmas time.  You'll just have to keep visiting us here and wait for the updates.

Chrissy & Holly