In Loving Memory

Mary Frances Lee

September 26, 1920 - March 29, 2011

My sweet grandmother, Mary Frances passed away yesterday morning. While I'm not too sure of what I want to write about her (just yet); I found a significant amount of comfort today while praying.

My grandmother lived a long life, and was 90 years old upon her passing. She was a fun spirited woman, and truly an inspiration to all of the lives she touched.

I am so incredibly thankful to know that she is in heaven. She is perfect - truly in her soul, body, and mind. She is renewed - no longer sick, or tired. What an amazing gift from the Lord! Life here is just temporary, and our true reward waits for us in heaven, alongside God. There is nothing more comforting to me right now, than knowing this truth. How can I not be happy for her? Praise God!

"Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

Psalm 16:9-11

Grandma and I, "beach bums" - 1980.

Ol' Blue Eyes

Image by J. Postma

Miscellany Monday

Well, here it is - almost 9pm on Monday night, but hey! It's still Monday, and gosh darn it, I'm doing my first ever Miscellany Monday post. A few of my favorite bloggers participate in this weekly link-up, and it's just a great excuse to be completely random. And, quite frankly, I am tired, and this post is going to be totally random (and, picture-less)... Sorry, folks.

So, here goes:

1) After five months of living under a rock (a.k.a. not having cable); we are getting satellite tomorrow! Oh my gosh, I am so ecstatic! How pathetic am I? I miss watching any sport on TV, my trashy Real Housewives show, my soap opera - General Hospital, and all our of sitcoms! I can't wait to finish watching last season's Dexter, and Boardwalk Empire. Oh, and Big Brother (my obsession) will be starting in a few months. Yes, I am officially pathetic. But, YOU try living without cable.

2) We have been busy trying to finish the DIY project from H-E-Double Hockey Stick. We started what we thought would be an easy, no-brainer project two weeks ago. Our project? Installing backsplash in our kitchen. While there really is a whole separate post to do on this project, I will say that it is almost complete. We'll finish it up finally this weekend w/ pictures to come. Let's just say we had a little "issue" with the grout.

3) Bobby's doing more and more each day. He's now big enough to climb in and out of the bath tub. Big milestone... yeah, I know. (wink, wink). He's talking more, and his little voice is just so cute. I love hearing him speak new words. He does still shriek "huh?" at the top of his lungs though, each time we are in public. Wow. It can be death to my ear drums! His "huh?" is his way of asking who, what, when, where, why, how. You get the picture...

4) The weather has warmed up quite a bit. We have been playing a lot outside each day. We spend a lot of time between our neighborhood park, and train park/trail. We have eaten dinner the past three nights on our patio too. I love warm weather. (Remind me of this when it is hotter than you know what, in August).

5) Bob is now studying for his Series 7 test. Once he has his Series 7 license, he'll be able to help his clients with their investment options. I expect to see him in about a month or so. Fun. At least we'll have satellite though for my nightly entertainment.

Well, friends. That's about it for now. A brief update on the doings of the Ross family. Sorry for the random, rushed, and boring post.

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the week!

Lexy's Baby Shower

A few weekends ago, my friend Lexy had a surprise baby shower thrown for her. It was a morning shower at our neighborhood resort. The food was delicious, and the company - even better.

We had a private room in the restaurant.

Here are some of my neighborhood friends, from left to right: Volree, Brooke, Jenny, and Beth.

Surprise!

Lots of friends to celebrate:

Sweet Lexy had a ton of gifts to open for baby #2!

I heart these girls.

Baby sister arrives next month!

First Date

Bobby had his first date a couple of weeks ago (supervised, of course...)!

Check out the details of what went down with his gal, Ryen.

First, they started off with a delicious dinner.

After dinner, they caught a movie.

Next, they went dancing!

At first, they were pretty shy, and just boogied by themselves...

Finally, they grabbed hands, and danced together. {My heart melts.}

After a long sweaty night in da club (I mean kitchen), they headed to the bathtub.

Bobby thought that it was a bit on the fast side, but went with it.

And that my friends, is Bobby and Ryen's first date.

(some photos courtesy of RJR #1)

Duke's Birthday

Bob's dad (also known as Duke) celebrated a birthday on Saturday. We packed up our car, and headed over to Peachtree City on Friday night - for a surprise visit! While the weather could have been better (it wasn't great here either); it was still a beautiful weekend, sharing special memories with family. Bob's sister, JoJo, came up with the idea for us each to write a poem for Duke. We even wrote one from Bobby. He loved them all, and they were pretty humorous. We are thinking that may be a new Ross family birthday tradition!

Duke's tripod came in handy this weekend!

Bob's dad chose to have crab legs for his birthday dinner - YUM!

From left to right: Melissa, JoJo, Me, Bobby, Bob, Joye, and Bob.

Also, we were blindsided with colder weather this weekend. I stupidly forgot to pack a coat for Bobby. So, we had to improvise for some outdoor play time on Sunday. Here he is wearing Grandma's hat and jacket. Isn't this picture to die for? It is so hilarious to me!

Happy Birthday Duke!