Shelllady

Shelllady

Monday, June 17, 2013

Finally...Summer Vacation in paradise!

Vacation used to be a luxury, but in today's world it has become a necessity.  ~Author Unknown

Greetings from beautiful Sanibel Island! We finally made it!! It seemed to take so long to get here as we all needed this vacation so badly!! We hace been relaxing and getting settled in and it has been great!! Yesterday (Sunday-Father's Day) was our first full day here and we spent a lot of the day on the beach.  The tides aren't great yet and the shelling is not great but that's okay....it will improve!!  I was hoping to get the remnants from Andrea but alas we were too late!! :)

Jess and I snapped some pics to share! Enjoy being on the beach with us!!


Jess ran across these mini sand dollars while digging with hubby Brad (in background).  Of course they all went back after this photo shoot!!

This light guy looked like he might be dead, but he was still moving the little hairs around!



I found this little guy up on the beach, he was obviously dead and dried out!
 Our "home" this week, Island Beach Club.

Ibis
Coquina digging in after the wave

of Course Lily is with us!! :)
Turtle nests

We Love the beach!! <3
The pool at Island Beach Club

Lily with her stick.....She loves to collect them then chew them on the towel!
Hubby on Father's Day!!
Hubby's Father's Day Pineapple cake!!
Here are Brad's shells for the day.....notice the circle at the top!! Yep....that's a Junonia piece!!
Jess' shells

We had Father's Day breakfast at Jerry's and dinner at Sanibel Fish house!! We really enjoyed them both, and the Fish House will very likely become a new favorite!!

Like I said, the shelling is not that great YET! But hopefully we will have some great shell reports to share soon!! We will keep you posted!! : )

::Hugs::

Cheri

Sunday, May 19, 2013

YES...There is a Doctor in the house!!

I hope your dreams take you to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities, and to the most special places your heart has ever known.  ~Author Unknown

We spent an amazing day in Blacksburg Virginia at Virginia Tech and the   Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM), watching our daughter graduate as a DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine)!! She graduated in the top 25% of her class which earned her a place in the National Veterinary Honor Society, Phi Zeta.."recognizes high scholarship, stands for constant advancement of the veterinary profession, and promotes research in matters pertaining to the welfare and diseases of animals."

No, we're not proud...not at all!! :)  She graduated with a 3.699999!!! From Vet School!! 

She has wanted this since she was about 5 years old, and every job, volunteer or paid has been toward that goal. She has never wavered or  questioned it, even through the tough classes and rotations during her internships. She starts a new job on July 1st as a Veterinarian at a clinic in Roanoke. I cannot express to you how proud I am!
Here she is with her hood ( it is unofficial at this point, but she has to wear it to the Main VT graduation)
When she graduated from undergrad, we all noted the DVM graduates in their fancy gowns and what I called 'Pillows' on their heads, she said then that would soon be her, and she would have a 'pillow' on her head!  She even sent me a preview earlier this week with her very own pillow on her head!
Jess' "pillow"

Bob, Jess' father in law and I decided we would make enough food to keep the 10 people in our party happy and fed during the day's events, and we had a great time, he also had a cake custom made for her that we decorated with animals!!



 We had two graduation ceremonies and a reception to go to during the day....the main VT ceremony was to be at noon with a reception for the Vet School at 4:30 then the Vet School graduation, hooding ceremony at 7:00.
VT main graduation in the football stadium
Here she is taking our picture!!
Here we are in the crowd (yellow circle)!
The DVM graduates with their gloves blown up!
Jess in front of the Vet School prior to the VMRCVM reception
Jess with hubby Brad (Teacher of the year this year at Blacksburg High School!!!)
Here is Hubby, Jess and I......So proud!!! 


(L to R) Bob (Brad's Dad), Jess, Brad and Matt (Brad's Brother)
The DVM and Teacher of the Year!!
With Brad's Grandma, Elizabeth

Jess' Dad, Tim  and Ree in front of the new addition of the Vet School

Between the reception and the Vet School ceremony, Jess took us on a tour of the Vet School hospital, we got to see the new addition also!

We believe this is a dolphin, (or whale)
One of the operating rooms! Very cool!!
After the reception and the tour we headed over to the Vet School Ceremony where it all became 'Official'!

Jess just received her hood
Taking her oath
Bob, Brad and Jess looking at her certificate of DVM!!
Yes!! There is now a Doctor in the house!!!...And I'm the Mother of a Doctor!!! :D

It was a wonderful day for us all, Jess has worked her whole life for this and now gets to do what she has always wanted! She is such an exceptional person and I have no doubt she will excel and be the best Vet there ever was!! Congratulations to you Baby Girl! You have done it!! Now it's time to relax and enjoy!!

Bob and Stacey, (Brad's parents) are taking them to Nappa Valley CA for a few days to celebrate with some wine tasting. When Brad's School is out, we are taking the Doctor and Teacher of the year to a much deserved vacation to Sanibel Island for 2 weeks in June, where they can just sit back with their feet in the sand and turn off those amazing brains for a while!!

I know this is a LONG post, but I am so proud!!

::Hugs::

Cheri

Monday, May 13, 2013

Mother's Day 2013

"When you are a Mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child." ~Sophia Loren


Happy Mother's Day!
 The local babies are growing like weeds! These are the babies I showed you a couple of posts ago. We call them the 'teenagers' now because they are nearly as big as their Mothers!!




It was a nice sunny weekend here and Lily enjoyed napping in the sun too! (as she does most mornings!)


Spring is definitely in full swing here! The hummingbirds are here!

I just did catch this guy...he flew as I snapped the pic!!
My gardens are blooming like crazy due to the many rainy days we've had!




Of Course you know I have to have hibiscus in honor of Florida!! They don't make it through the winter here so I plant new ones every year!!


Here is my mom enjoying lunch outside in the beautiful weather!

She lives in an assisted living facility here and made me this beautiful wreath which I have proudly displayed on my front door in honor of Mother's Day!

 Mom and I spent the weekend together, I cooked her some of her favorites!

Seared Scallops, Sauted Shrimp and roasted asparagus for lunch and Steaks on the grill for Dinner!!!
 Remember this pic? Pam from I love Shelling took this of us the day we closed on our house in Florida.  I framed it for Mom and added coquinas as butterflies since my Mom LOVES butterflies!! How many do you find?

I hope all you Mothers out there had a pretty spring day to celebrate!!

Next weekend our Baby Girl graduates from Virginia Tech Vet School!!!! I am so excited and so very proud of her! Bet you know what the next post will be!!!!

Dr. Jessica Kraft, DVM......it has such a great sound to it ...doesn't it?!!!!!

Hope you all had a great day!!

::Hugs::

Cheri