You only get so many...

I love summer. The days are longer, weather is warmer, and the schedule is a little less hectic. No school schedules to contend with and work is even a little slower... for a while. June is my favorite month of summer. The kids are finally out of school. They're not bored (yet). And I can take vacation time!

Bear Bottom Resort

We decided to spend our family vacation time at the lake. It was wonderful to get away and not have a schedule. We did whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. That meant spending a lot of time kicked back lying in the sun. It was pure bliss. We kicked a few drinks back too.

At the bottom of the water slides was a bar!

I told myself I wasn't going to check my email this week. Well, I made it until Thursday. Not bad, huh?!? I'm seriously addicted to technology, so I think this is REALLY good for me. While logged in I just cleaned out the list serve junk, the out of office updates, and the other stuff I didn't have to answer. I must point out that I didn't answer any of my email. In fact, I really didn't read most of them, so I still count that as meeting my goal. I have to tell you... I highly recommend it. Just log out and forget about what's waiting on the other side of vacation. It will definitely be there when you get back. Vacations are rare. Work is not.

On a boat with beer and good friends.

My favorite thing to do at the lake is watch one sunrise and one sunset from start to finish. I'm not really a morning person, but nothing beats watching the sunrise with a cup of coffee in hand on the dock. It's soooo peaceful. The boats aren't out yet, so the only sounds are the sounds of nature - fish flipping out of the water, birds flying, frogs croaking....you get the idea. But in case you don't, I made a couple of videos from the photos I took. They're posted below. Check them out, and you'll see what I mean.

We're headed back to the lake for the 4th of July annual celebration, so more posts are coming! Hope you are enjoying every moment of your summer. Your sunrises and sunsets are numbered, you know. Log off, get out there, and get lost in the moment. You won't regret it.

New Tunes Tuesday - Miranda Lambert

I have been looking forward to her new album ever since I heard the first single, Automatic. I have decided to write this review as a first response post. I'm going to write my first impressions during my first listen. The album is 16 tracks long, so stick with me, okay? Here we go.

1. Girls - Her vocals are superb on this song. It's got a country rock edge that I've come to love from Miranda. The song's about how very complicated we girls are. It's true, right? Can't live with us, can't live without us. Every girl, and probably every guy, is going to relate to this song.

2. Platinum - This is the playful Miranda. It's an anthemic song with a chorus of girls singing with her. "What doesn't kill you only makes you blonder..." Yep, when the going gets rough, touch up your roots. But it's a play on words too. "Something about platinum irrefutably / looks as good on records as it does on me." No argument there from me! This is the ultimate girls night out song. Love it!

3. Little Red Wagon - Oh, now this is a sassy fun one! This is the perfect "dance it out" kinda song (if you've ever watched Grey's Anatomy, you know what I mean). I would love to hear her sing this live.

4. Smokin' and Drinkin' - She collaborates with Little Big Town on this song. The mix of vocals is unexpected and wonderful! It has a wistful and nostalgic feel to it. Couldn't help but sway as I was listening to the chorus. "Smokin and drinkin on the weekend / like we did back in the day / Smokin and drinkin gets you thinkin about the one that got away / here's to all those nights all we felt was like smokin and drinkin"

5. Priscilla - "You and me share a unique position / Married to a man that's married to attention." You know, music allows you to work out your realities and sing what's on your heart. Miranda does just that on this perfect song drawing comparisons between her own marriage to Blake Shelton and Priscilla Presley's marriage to Elvis - a queen married to a king. Art imitating life.

6. Automatic - This is the first single off the album and still my favorite. The lyrics of this song are brilliant. It reminds us about the days we did things by hand like writing letters, driving a three-on-a-tree, windows with a crank, and photos you have to shake. I still have a Rand McNally map, and I definitely remember recording the music countdown on a cassette, do you? Take a trip down memory lane with this song.

7. Bathroom Sink - I put this song on repeat after the first listen. Written by Miranda herself, it's a raw emotional song about not focusing so much on the mundane things of life when there are bigger things out there. You put on the make-up, put off the hard stuff, and try not to see the rejection in the reflection. Thank God for the day and be on your way. Such a smart song - I love the metaphor throughout.

8. Old Sh!t - Oh yes she did! This is Miranda doing what Miranda wants to do. It's a sing-a-long campfire song all about the old "stuff" she loves. Full of twang, harmonicas, and guitars, it's a great little song. And hey, I love old sh!t too.

9. All That's Left - A Western Swing song about leaving. She teamed up with The Time Jumpers, and wow, I loved this! Old school with a modern twist.

10. Gravity Is a B**ch - It's a bluesy, barroom song about how getting old sucks. Her humor really shines through on this song. And it's something we will all have to face one day, right? I guess it's best to just make fun of it.

11. Babies Makin' Babies - Small towns always have couples like this. Barely out of high school, and they're having babies of their own. "Well it's a tried and true equation / maintains a small town population."

12. Somethin' Bad with Carrie Underwood - I saw them perform this on the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. It's honestly not the kind of song I thought they'd record together. I think it's the weakest track on the record. Maybe it will grow on me.

13. Holding On To You - Her vocals are so, so strong on this song. You can feel the emotion in every phrase, every note, every word. It's a beautiful track. It's one of my favorites.

14. Two Rings Shy - The song really reminds me of Sargent Pepper's. It has circus sounds throughout (no really) but very smart lyrics. "I don't wanna get dressed up just to be your clown."

15. Hard Staying Sober - the perfect tear in your beer song. The song begs the question... why do you think we all drink?!? Love the steel guitar. It has a really cool rocking end to the song too.

16. Another Sunday in the South - a nice laid back song to wrap the album up. She looks beyond the fame, the attention, and all the mean humors in the Tabloids to give us a little of who she is.

This album is as jam-packed as her life. It takes so many twists and turns. She's ambitious, playful and sassy. That's why I love this girl. Thank you for sharing your life with us, Miranda. I hope your album goes platinum. It's the best country album I've heard this year.