Vows on Vilano Beach

My Hunter is no longer hunting - he caught me.

Reading the Introductory Prayer

Allow me to introduce my husband, whom until now I have called Hunter on the blog.  His name is Byron, and we got married on Friday.

Vilano Beach is a mixture of sand and coquina shells.
So pretty.

We've actually been engaged for a few months, and were planning a wedding at our home in May.  I planned to announce it here on the blog very soon.

But then Byron's Dad passed away, and my dad had a heart attack, and between that, wedding plans, trying to get our property in shape for a wedding, work, and life in general....we became overwhelmed.

I came home from work one morning last week and suggested we cancel all of our plans and elope on the beach.
Byron was TOTALLY on board.

Listening to the prayer.

So, that's exactly what we did!
And it's one of the best decisions either of us has ever made.

The weather was perfect.  We couldn't have chosen a better weekend.
Warm, breezy, and not a cloud in the sky.

I rounded up an officiant, rearranged my work schedule, booked a room, asked my best friend Danielle to join us, and we bought our outfits.
Once we got here to Vilano Beach, I grabbed a bouquet of fresh tulips (purple, of course), and we were on our way to our wedding!

Saying our Vows.

There were a few more details than that, but truly, not many.  We kept it as uncomplicated as possible.

Our Song was playing here -
 God Gave Me You by Blake Shelton

It was absolutely perfect.  Incredible, amazing, and beautiful.  I was able to hand-select every word that the officiant said.  We had two friends join us for the ceremony.  One videotaped the service, the other took pictures.

Pure happiness.

I mostly cried. LOL  It was just so beautiful, moving and romantic and perfect and did I mention BEAUTIFUL??

Danielle cried maybe even more than I did.  Byron and I are just so in love, and the sweet simplicity of it all was so emotional and moving.

I won't bore you with the entire ceremony but I am going to print the poem here, and bombard you with pictures.

I am a happy, happy girl!

From this day forward

I make a promise:

Whatever happens, 

You shall not walk alone.

I’ll stand by your side, 

And sleep in your arms.

I’ll be the joy in your heart,

And the food for your soul,

May you feel deeply loved,

For indeed you are.


Through our brightest days

And our darkest nights,

I take you into my heart. 

May God bless us

With a great light, 

Around our hearts

And around our home.

I see your beauty, 

Your innocence and light.

May it shine.


May the world see how beautiful you are

As I see how beautiful you are.

But may there be a special light

That only I can see.

I give you my heart.

May we feel this joy forever.




Visit Unknown Mami for more SIMC posts!!

Oh, no big deal, just riding around with my raccoon on my lap.

Just some random-in-my-city stuff......

This guy had one raccoon hanging out of the window,
and another one in his lap.
No joke.

Paisley nail art.  

Tim + Hayleigh = BFFs.

Me & my Hunter at a baseball game.

Baseball has become a big part of our life...
and I love it.

This is Shelbie and a friend of hers.
Beautiful girls.

CRAZY hair!

Darned Near Perfect

Today was basically, in my world, a darned near perfect day.
I worked last night and came home, fell into bed, and slept for a few hours.
Then it was time to pick up the girls.  Hunter's son T had a baseball game after school, so we went to watch him play.  My son came too - which I just loved.  He doesn't know H's son that well and it just warmed this Mama's heart for him to come to his baseball game.  Hunter's son's girlfriend was there too, along with her mother, and we all hung out.  It was a blast. Oh AND the team won.  Bonus!

Afterwards, we all went out for dinner and Hunter's mom met us there.  My son Tim got to the restaurant before we did so when we got there, he was sitting chatting with Hunter's mom, just the two of them.  So funny.  Hunter and I LOVED that.  Over dinner, Tim and Hunter's son bonded over making fun of me.  Thanks, guys!  And Shelbie and T's girlfriend talked more than they ever have before.  It's such a great group of kids!  I love teenagers....and my little pre-teen too, of course.  (and holy crap I just realized my son won't be a teenager any more as of next month!  Yikes!)

Dinner was a blast too, and delicious.  Latin food....YUM!
Tomorrow will be fun too - T has another game.  This one is out of town.  H and I are going, and taking Shelbie and T's girlfriend with us.  Poor Hunter will be totally outnumbered! Ha!


Speaking of Hunter.
I could write a whole blog about the stuff Hunter says.  Today we were buying plants from Walmart.  We got caladium bulbs, one of my very favorites.  H says, "What kind of plants are they again? Chlamydia?"
Um, no, babe.  BIG difference.  And just now about something on TV - "UGH.  That is GROTESQUE." I heart him.

I made these Cookies & Cream Cookies this week.  HIGHLY recommend.  I took some to work and everyone who tried them LOVED them.

We'll be planting trees and plants this weekend (LOTS of chlamydia).  AND...I'm getting CHICKENS!!  It's been many years since I've had chickens and I've wanted some more for so long.  I can't wait to finally get some!

We're also on a mission to take out some of the hogs that keep coming up in our yard.  Nasty, destructive critters - but delicious!

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

SIMC: Still in my Jammies Edition

I must say it's been a wonderful Sunday!

I woke up to noises in the kitchen.  I walked in to find my daughters saying "Dang it!  We were trying to surprise you and bring you breakfast in bed!"  I stayed up and helped very minimally as they made scrambled eggs, bacon, and cinnamon rolls.  Delicious!

Then, the girls, Hunter, and I bathed all three dogs.  I'd been procrastinating about this task for ages but it wasn't bad at all; they did so well and I am loving having three CLEAN dogs.

Patchy, the old man

Bo, the young whippersnapper

Mackenzie, the bossy little girl

The weekend has been as good as we planned.  Yesterday after the baseball game (which the kids' school won, 10-2), Hunter's mom and her best friend came over for dinner.  I gave his mom a copy of the photo of I took of the swamp here on our property (the one Unknown Mami insisted that I display!).  I also put mine in a frame and hung it on the wall.  I love it, and so did H's mom and her friend!

(beside one of SIX deer heads
 that adorn our living room
walls.)

Hope y'all are having a great weekend too!!

On Love

It's almost Valentine's Day, so what better time to talk about the Love Thang?

I have told you about the wonderful man in my life, who I call Hunter here on the blog.
I'm sure you've gathered that it's pretty serious and he and I now share a home.
But today I want to talk about Love.
I have known Hunter for over 25 years OHMYGODIAMOLD.
We went through Middle and High School together.  He was one grade ahead of me.  He was a HOTTIE and must have had 250 girlfriends.  There's just something about him.....
I wasn't one of them.  He was way too cute and cool for this chunky bookworm.  We ran in different crowds.
When I first met his Dad, he said "You know ever since Hunter was a kid he has brought the PRETTIEST girls home - and he's still doing it!  I don't know how he does it!"
"He's a charmer," I replied.

The girl he ended up marrying (and divorcing after 15 years) was in my Kindergarten class.  I saw him around town occasionally over the years, but didn't really talk to him until the last year, when we reconnected on Facebook.  We messaged off and on and then finally last year, met up in person.

I really have no words to explain how I felt that day when I first saw him again.  It kind of felt like fitting in the final piece of a puzzle.  It was like "Oh...ok.  THIS is what I've been searching and waiting for all of this time."  And he felt the same way.

We have been inseparable ever since.

(Holy Moly, while composing this post I saw this on another blog and cannot believe how perfect it is.)

I am going to try my best to explain the love I have for him.
He is my past, my present and my future.
My love for him is like the love I've ever had for any other man, multiplied by a million, and set on fire.

One of the things we say to each other a lot is "I love you more"; I even bought him a little wooden knick knack with that phrase painted on it. And while we tease that it means I love him more than he loves me (or vice versa), it has another meaning as well...I love him MORE than any other before him. I love him MORE than almost anything in the world (kids and other family being in another category entirely). I love him almost MORE than chocolate.  I love him MORE than money or any "thing" that money can buy.  I love him MORE than a fat kid loves cake.

I love him for who he is: strong, brave, tough, and fiercely protective of me.
He's also kind, sweet, generous, caring, tender, and loyal.
He has a very strong sense of right and wrong.
He's incredibly smart and knowledgeable about so many different things.
He is nowhere near perfect.  He drives me crazy.  I drive him crazy - and he doesn't put up with my shit.
He is quick to apologize when he is wrong - and quick to REFUSE to apologize when I'm just being a bitch.

Our relationship began when I was going through the worst time of my entire life.  He saved me.  He made me happy in a way that I never expected to feel again.  I truly have no idea what I would've done without him at that time.
We changed each others' lives.  He was also going through some hard times.  His friends and family tell me how different he is now that he's with me.  Happy.  Healthy.
He needs me.  I take care of him.  I need to be needed.  We fulfill each other.
When I'm with him I feel safe and loved.  He must tell me that he loves me at least 20 times a day, literally.  I've never felt so loved.
There are times that I stare at him and literally feel a physical sensation in my heart.  I ache with love for him. That's the only way I know to explain it.
I would walk through fire for him.  I would hold his hand and walk to the ends of the earth with this man.

The icing on the cake is that my kids and family love him, too.  And his family loves me.  His brother is one of my favorite people on earth.  His mother is kind and sweet, and LOVES me and my children.  She has called me an answer to her prayers.  His son is a miniature version of him.  His dad died knowing that he  is happy and has someone who loves him.

Of course there are no guarantees for what the future holds, but I am totally confident about our future together, and I know that right now, I am right where I need to be.

Extremely Random and Incredibly Fragmented

Hunter and I passed a thrift store today and he asked if I wanted to stop.

YES PLEASE!!!
He knows me so well.

I got a few little things, but these were my favorite: 

They're dinner plates! 

LOVE!

Hunter's mom told me a funny joke today.
A couple got married and unfortunately, after the wedding the wife changed her attitude and started complaining.
"I am tired of you going hunting and fishing all the time.  And I'm tired of all these deer heads, guns, and fishing poles all over the place.  You need to stop going hunting and sell all this junk!" she declared.
The husband responded, "You know, you sound an awful lot like my EX-wife!!"
"What?? I didn't know you were married before!" the bride exclaimed.
The husband replied, "I wasn't."

Tomorrow we are going to my great-niece's FIRST Birthday Party!!  I feel like she was born, I blinked, and here we are one year later.  Hayleigh just started walking and is at such a totally adorable stage!  I can't wait to celebrate her birthday.

I was tentatively diagosed with Fibromyalgia this week (pending test results to rule out other illnesses).  The diagnosis fits my symptoms to a T so I'm pretty sure it's accurate.  If you have fibromyalgia or know someone who does and have any tips or advice for me, please let me know!

Alrighty friends, I'm going to get off of this computer.  Hunter and I are watching Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and when it's over, I'm making a batch of brownies.

Hope y'all have a great weekend!  Visit Mrs 4444 for more Friday Fragments.
P.S. I added a pic to the post about Hunter's Dad's funeral - go check it out if you'd like.  

The Service

Hunter's father was laid to rest yesterday.

This was my children's first funeral.  My parents attended the funeral as well, and I was glad because that way the kids could sit with them; I was in the front row with Hunter in the family section.
Tim (my almost 20 year old son) was originally scheduled to have jury duty but it was cancelled, so he called me in the morning to let me know he was coming.
It meant a lot to me.

The service was very moving.  It was standing room only, and they even sat some people in the fellowship hall with a closed-circuit television.  They had a very long slide show which I especially appreciated, since I have not known him that long and he's been sick since before I met him.  It was great to see him healthy and active.

Hunter's son sat beside me and cried his heart out.  I was so sad for him.  He was very close with his Papa and clearly loved him.  There were many pictures of the two of them together in the slide show, hunting and fishing and playing baseball, and at one point I looked over at him and his face was twisted in pain.  I had to hunt down tissues for him because he was crying so hard and didn't want to wipe anything on his new suit.  He was literally holding his tears in his hands.  Heartbreaking.

It was a Law Enforcement funeral, which was a first for me.  Police officers guarded the casket during the viewing and funeral.  They do a very formal changing of guards and salute the casket.  Very moving.

Our county sheriff attended the funeral; a former sheriff was at the viewing.  Several judges were in attendance.

Many people got up and spoke about him.  Not just the typical funeral "he was a great guy" stuff, but specific stories and testimony of what a truly wonderful man he was, and of the many lives he touched in his 67 years.

The funeral was held at the church that they have attended for over 20 years.  It's a small church, but they are currently building a large new sanctuary.  Hunter's dad said many times that he wanted his funeral to be in the new sanctuary, and would tease the pastor that they needed to hurry up and get it done.  They contributed financially to that building, as well as donating materials.
It is nowhere near done still, but they wanted to do something special.  So after the service, they wheeled his casket into that building, and in the midst of steel beams and 2x4s and stacks of material, said a prayer.  It was great.  I believe he would have loved that.

I wish I could really convey the emotion of the funeral, and the obvious respect that so many people had for this man.  It was just so touching.  I'm so honored to have been welcomed into this wonderful family, and to have been truly liked and appreciated by such a wonderful man.  Every time he said Grace when we were all together, he thanked God for me and my children, and for bringing us into their lives.  That meant so much.

Now, for Hunter's mom, comes the hard part.  Everyone else will go back to their lives, while her life is left with a huge hole.  We will be spending a lot of time with her.  She is alone now, just her and their little dog.  But we will make sure she's not alone too much.  She also has many dear friends and of course her family who will be there for her.

Cancer stole away her husband, and stole a Papa away from four boys who clearly adored him.  And way too young; he was only 67 years old.  It's just not fair.

Pretty Little Tidbits

Well I'm late to the frag party, but that's something I do every once in a while.
Fashionably late, right?

They opened up a new Walmart in my town today.  Hunter was so excited he said it felt like Christmas.  Seriously, I can't make this stuff up.  I told him I hate Walmart, and he looked at me like I'd just said I hate Jesus.
The new Walmart is a nice one.  It's amazing how all four wheels actually turn on the shiny new carts, and they don't make that horrific banging noise.  They actually had more than two checkout lines open too - like 7 or 8!  Let's see how long it takes before this Walmart becomes yet another cesspool....

Have you ever met someone and just clicked?  You like the same things, finish each other's sentences, blurt out the same thing at the same time?
No, I'm not talking about Hunter -I'm talking about his BROTHER.  I just love him!  I met him at Christmas time and now he's back in town.  He is a nurse and came to be with his father and help him get set up for Hospice, but once he got down here he knew that his dad didn't have much time, so he has stayed.
I literally threatened to marry him last night, I just adore this guy.
(he's gay, so it's a safe joke.) ;-)

I've been updating my cooking blog lately.  Today I posted a recipe for Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers.  They're great  - check it out!

I don't know if I've mentioned any of this before, but a few random pieces of trivia:
I went to Kindergarten with Hunter's ex-wife and my first husband.  We were all three in the same class.  It's pretty funny to look at the class picture and see the three of us.
I also went to elementary school with Hunter's (step) brother and sister.  My mom worked at that school and we all remember each other quite well.  The other day when we went over to Hunter's parents house, his sister pulled out a picture from an elementary school performance.  I'm standing beside her.  So, for many years, there's been a picture of ME at Hunter's parents' house.
Hunter's sister married a guy who used to work with my first husband years ago.
Shelbie has went to school with Hunter's son since 7th grade.
Hunter's mom was Shelbie's 9th Grade Algebra Honors teacher.  (hell yeah I'm bragging throwing that "Honors" in there - I have no clue where she gets her Math skills!)

So, hanging out with all of them is not like hanging out with strangers; it's like being in a room of old friends.
One more interesting tidbit - my first husband's late mother (my kids' grandma) and Hunter's mom have the same first and middle names.

You may have noticed that I am using my actual name on my blog, in comments, Twitter, etc. I've noticed many bloggers lately have been using their name and dropping the blog-related nicknames and I've decided to do the same thing.  So if you see a comment from Cyndy Newsome - that's me!

Alright, amigos and amigas.  Hope you're having a great weekend.  

We are just spending time with Hunter's family.  

The viewing is tomorrow and the funeral service will be on Monday morning.
We expect packed houses both days; he was a very well liked and respected man.

Visit Mrs 4444 for more Friday Fragments!

The Fight is Over.

Hunter's Dad & Brother,  1/22/13

Yesterday Hunter's Dad's long battle with cancer 

finally came to an end.

He passed away at home in his bed.

My heart is full of love for this family, 

and full of sadness for their pain and loss.

Eventful Sunday in my City

As I mentioned before, we celebrate birthdays around here for at least a month week.

So this is really more of a "Weekend in my City" post.

• For our family birthday celebration on Saturday, we went to my parents' house. 

 I made Three Cheese Chicken Parmesan, with spinach and dinner rolls.  

For dessert, Shelbie and her BFF Ashlee made rainbow cupcakes, 

and Elayna chose Blue Bunny White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Ice Cream.  

It was ALL absolutely delicious!

• Hayleigh is walking now and we had a BLAST playing with her.

That's Tim on the couch.  Hayleigh is pretty much his shadow!
They are so cute together.

Hayleigh and Elayna

• This weekend we also got a new addition to our family.

Elayna & Bo

A little backstory here: 

Shelbie and Hunter's son, Tyler, have known each other and gone to school together for years.  

They are not close friends but they run in the same circles.  

Tyler has dated several of Shelbie's friends.

Anyway, one of their mutual friends found this gorgeous puppy a couple of months ago.  Her parents wouldn't let her keep him, so Tyler ended up with him.  He originally planned to give the pup to his girlfriend, but her parents vetoed that idea.  So Tyler tried to keep him himself, but between school and baseball and of course having a girlfriend, he just doesn't spend enough time with the pup.
In fact, we puppy-sat him for a weekend a while back, I blogged about it here.

So Tyler called Dear Old Dad.

Meet Bo, the newest resident at the Casa de Dysfunction!

He is beautiful, a truly gorgeous dog.  He is ALL puppy.  

Sweet, affectionate, playful, HIGH - ENERGY.

I get tired just watching him.

If you're counting, that brings the pet total to 3 dogs, one cat, and one rabbit.

And one tired Mama.

Zzzzzz.......

Visit not-so Unknown Mami for more Sundays in my City posts!