What a weekend!

Wow!  What a weekend!  I'm just glad I lived through it.

Friday night after working all day, the big girls and I decided to go get fro-yo, Mads favorite food, and take in "Babes in Arms" at the Lamar High School.  May I just say that they really did a fine job.  Anna Long as "Susie" was fantastic and yes, I might be biased because I know her but she was still good.

Then Saturday I ran all day.  And I mean ALL day!  First, to Madeline's baseball practice and while she did that Sadie and I ran down to the school for the arts and crafts fair then back to the practice field where we made our grocery list while waiting for Mads to finish.  Then, off to see a friend in the hospital, she was in good spirits so that was nice.  Then back up close to home for groceries which took FOREVER because I hadn't been in a while.  Then home long enough to unload the car and then back down to a friend's house who gave us a lovely couch and ottoman.  Then, back home to unload it but even before I could help Conrad do that Mads asked to go to the mall with some friends.  So, off I go down to the mall.  On the way back, I stopped to get everyone some food, got home, ate and then back down to the mall to pick up Mads.  By the time I got home, I was pooped!

Sunday, church then a birthday brunch for a friend then a little jaunt through the woods and up a hill for a picnic with the family.  I've never hurt so bad after a walk in my life.  Granted, I didn't have on proper footwear, I was wearing sandles but still, am I that old?

We took the puppy dogs with us.  We asked the cats if they wanted to go but they just looked at us like we'd grown a new head.  The dogs ran and romped.  They were some tired babies when we got home.

Conrad then made cowboy stew.  A specialty of his.  We might, in fact, have it again tonight. 

Oh, then today I got some really good news.  A friend of mine found out she does NOT have cancer!  It's a time to celebrate for sure.  So, when you're saying your prayers tonight, give an extra shout out of thanks for my friend.  We are all so happy for her!

Oops, some trouble!

I got into big trouble (well, any trouble I get into I think is big) for updating my blog during work hours.  As well I should have but gosh darn, those cookies had to be shared!

This weekend should be a relatively docile one.  Anna does have a friend coming to spend the night tonight but other than that, not much going on.

Since I've last posted, we've gotten a new puppy.  Maybe two since I can't remember if we had Paco when I last posted.  We are now on an equal playing field with the animals.  Two dogs and three cats.  One cat stays in the attic because he hates the dogs.  Comes down only to eat (and hopefully do his business).  The other two cats don't like the dogs but don't care enough to go so far as the attic.  

Paco is a mixed mutt.  Hank is a chocolate lab.  Still a puppy even though he's a 1 1/2 yrs. old.  Yes, yes, I have heard the whole two years for puppy-dom for labs.  We're enduring but looking forward to the settled down Hank.  I love that dog, even in his puppy prime.  Paco tolerates Hank because he's the only other canine in the house to play with.  So they play and growl and bark and growl and play and, in general, drive me crazy.  Some days it's a zoo in the house and the house isn't really big enough to house a zoo plus humans.  But, I wouldn't have it any other way.  It makes life exciting.

A very sweet treat.

I can't believe how long it's been since I last wrote here!

I will catch y'all up later on what everyone's been doing.  Right now I want to tell y'all about a new thing someone introduced me to...Gingerbread Oreos!  Oh MY goodness, they are delicious.

Nabisco - you've outdone yourself.  I didn't really think you could improve on the oreo, then you came up with the vanilla oreo with chocolate innerds.  THEN you come up with vanilla oreos with flippin' gingerbread flavored cream in them?  I think I'm happy they won't be around all year.  I would be big as a house.

Just in case you needed to know what they look like.

I've been thinking a lot about my blog lately.  Madeline even asked me why I haven't updated in awhile.  I think I will begin anew.  So much stuff goes on around here.  You might (or might not) find it amusing.

So, I'll give it a whirl and see what I can come up with.  See y'all soon!

I don't understand

Since I started this blog, y'all have been through the good the bad and the ugly. This post will be one of the latter.

A week ago tomorrow one of my dear friends took his life. I went home to be at his funeral. I have been sad since I found out. I found out a work by a text from a friend who thought I already knew. What a shock. Not the place to find out. I had a hard time keeping it together and how I got through the next day and a half at work, I don't know. It's a blur.

I got to the funeral home and saw many old friends and their spouses. I saw my friend in the casket looking very unlike himself. Just lifeless. You may laugh at that but it's true. I was used to seeing him smiling and cracking jokes and being full of life. Him just lying there with bad makeup on and hands just as lifeless as they can be was just not him.

Then the funeral. Many friends from the night before and some different ones, again, great to see, just not under those conditions. Another friend from childhood gave a eulogy. He said he didn't want to be there. Neither did I. I don't think anyone did. No one ever wants to be at a funeral, but, I don't think people are as sad when it was a life long lived and comes to an end from natural causes or even when an illness is involved. At least you know they are at long last free from the bonds of the illness and whole again, in heaven. To me, this was unnatural, preventable. But was it?

I may have just answered my own questions. I wasn't understanding. I wasn't angry. I was just sad.

I guess if I look at this as though it were a physical illness, I should be happy for my friend. He's no longer in such a black place that even the light of his children couldn't get through. The light of friendships long standing, the light of a mother, sister, wife's love, the light Jesus himself couldn't shine through.

I know God has him. I know he doesn't hold it against him that he took his life. That kind of illness had such a hold on him and he hid it so well, most of the time, that no one could know the blackness that was his depression. I've often heard that depressed people can hide it well. While I don't think there are any of us who knew him who didn't know of his depression, I don't think any of us thought that "now" was the time for him. And, granted, I hadn't talked to him in the last couple of weeks but, I had no idea. Perhaps those closest to him had an inkling, that may be what caused them to send the sheriff out to find him when they couldn't reach him. But, on the whole, I think it caught all of us by surprise.

I think - no - I know that he could have called anyone who was in that chapel yesterday and any one of us would have been more than happy to drop what we were doing to help him. He who had for so long brought us joy and laughter. If only he had reached out. I know that's part of the darkness of depression. Thinking no one understands, not wanting to bother people. It's wrong.


If I ever thought for a second someone I knew was close to doing harm to themselves, I would do anything in my power to stop it. I realize that is me "traveling by bubble", thinking I can change the world or even one person by trying to help. Well, maybe I could. Maybe he just needed one person to say "your life is worth living". I guess maybe I think his blackness was so deep that even that wouldn't help and this was his answer. Being in the light of Jesus sure sounds preferable to that dark hole he had to have been in and I'm not even suicidal.


I guess I have written myself into feeling a bit better. Working out that now my friend is finally in a bright place. A place where he can finally be happy and at peace. I'm still sad. I still miss my friend but, I know at least he can finally smile and mean it.

Rest in peace my friend. At last.

Ok, I have downloaded these pictures twice and lost them the first time and can't move them into the right order. There is NO rhyme or reason to the downloading of photos on this blog. Perhaps this summer I can spend some time figuring it out. Anyone out there reading this who has already figured it out, please feel free to enlighten me.

Anyhow...Today, the baby of my babies graduated pre-school. She is officially a Kindergartner now. They did a really good job of their little graduation at Brennan Academy. She graduated cum laud (with honors) because she turned in ALL her homework assignments (one every month). They were family projects so perhaps we all got honors today, along with her.

Everybody came out for the occasion, Even Nonnie. Thank you, Nonnie! And thanks for dinner at our favorite celebration place...El Chicos!

This is Anna and Tate. He'll be going to ACA next year, too. When he asked the teacher who was testing him if Anna would be going to ACA, too, and she said "yes", he said "oh, you know I'm going to want to talk to her". He's a cutie!

Here's all my babies...big and small!

They sang a bunch of songs before the graduation. She actually sang all of them!




I didn't even cry! I probably will when she graduates Kindergarten. For sure will when she graduates High School. But, that's a blog for another day.

I can't believe all my girls will be in one school next year for the only year that will happen. But, it should make it a heck of alot easier. WOOHOO!

Congratulations, Anna. We're all so proud of you.

Look who's coming to dinner

We had dinner at jon and Tyler....

Happy admin prof day

So, today was the official holiday known as administrative professional's day. I walked in this morning to a lively potted arrangement that will find it's way to my garden eventually. Then the cookie that I stuck in the arrangement as you can see in the picture. I was treated to lunch, chocolate covered strawberries, a Joann's gift card and two dozen roses. Not a bad for a holiday I totally forgot about.