Twins

Mama, Daddy and Olivia in front of her lovely beach-side home

Barry and I traveled to Destin last weekend with my parents to celebrate the marriage our my cousin Josh to his lovely new bride Christine. We had a great time stopping at produce stands up and down Hwy 49 South, picking up Chilton County Peaches and pretty red tomatoes for our weekend at the beach. Mama's friend, Olivia Walker, welcomed us into her home (just one block from the beautiful beach!) where we ate so much good food we could barely fit into our swimming suites.

Josh and Christine got married on the beach, so the dress was a bit more casual than your typical church wedding. Lo and behold, wouldn't you know that Barry and Daddy arrived sporting the same exact attire: seersucker pants and a white button down shirt. They looked too cute, so I had to get a picture.

We Passed!

Part of getting married in the Catholic Church is attending a marriage preparation course. Barry and I spent the first weekend in June alongside 10 other couples taking part in the Jackson Catholic Charities "When Families Marry" retreat. We had a great experience, and truly learned a lot about marriage, family and faith. Needless to say, we are pretty proud of this little certificate.

Tuzzi & Cash

For those of you who have yet to meet my future mother-in-law, this is a picture of Frances (better known as Tuzzi), and her grand-dog, Cash. Tuzzi has the best sense of humor. Even her nickname comes from her light hearted nature: "Tuzzipots," I'm told, means "crazy in the head" in Italian... a nickname a family friend gave her at an early age! Barry gets his outgoing nature from Tuzzi, and his love for animals. Neither of them ever meet a stranger and have a good time everywhere they go. Y'all are going to love getting to know Tuzzi a bit better over the next few months, and especially during the wedding festivities!

Steak Night

Barry and I make a good team when it comes to household chores. I do most of the cooking and he does most of the cleaning. Last week, however, there was a nice change to our usual routine. I was in Washington DC Monday through Thursday for work, and when I got home from the airport Barry was grilling salmon and squash, and putting together a fresh tomato salad from ingredients he purchased at our local farmer's market. I thought that was great, but lo and behold, the very next night he cooked an amazing steak! He also grilled my favorite dish, stuffed portabellas, and made a lovely spinach salad with homemade dressing. Sorry if this post makes you hungry, but I just had to share this amazing meal!