Catch Up

Couple days of random activities...

Mark had Donuts with Dad at Lucas' preschool on Thursday. It's their Father's Day celebration basically, since Father's Day occurs during summer vacation. I got a message from the director mid-morning that there were a couple tears shed because it was our family's last Donuts for Dad celebration...unless we have another kid or adopt one quick! There will be a lot of "lasts" at preschool these next few months. It's bittersweet because we have absolutely LOVED this preschool and it's staff. After eight years - it will be so sad not to walk through those doors on a regular basis. 

I had my first mammogram because I'm 40 and that's what you do when you're 40. After horror stories and comic strips depicting it's sheer awfulness, I was relived to discover it was no big deal actually. (UPDATE: results came back normal.) 

In the evening, we had a Cub Scout Pack Meeting where Jacob was awarded his Webelos badge. Since he joined Scouts in the last year of Cub Scouts, he had to do twice as much work - earning his Webelos badge and his Arrow of Light badge in the same year. We are very proud of all the work he's done! 

While I was in Dallas last weekend, our amazing babysitter Eva called Mark and told him that she was coming over on Friday so that he could take me out to dinner and a movie for my birthday. She was going to bring pizza and make cookies with the kids and we were not to pay her. How could he turn that down?!? So we ended up having a great dinner at J. Alexanders, sharing a bottle of wine and skipping the movie.

Sarah played volleyball on Saturday. Her team has only lost one game since the winning streak started while I was in Dallas. It's been fun watching the girls improve. 

Saturday night, Ethan went to his buddy Phillip's birthday party. There was a magician who calls himself the Magic Dork who put on a great show that had the kids squealing, the parents laughing and Phillip levitating! I don't have any pictures, but we sure had a good time! 

The Big 4 - 0.

The day after I returned from Dallas market was my 40th Birthday. My terrific girlfriends took me to lunch at the TPC Clubhouse at the JW Marriott resort. We shared lots of laughs, a few tears, and more laughs. I love these girls! Lunch ended with a fab molten chocolate cake ('cuz my Cake Girls would want to know).

For dinner, the family went to Carino's Italian restaurant. We've been going there for my birthday for the last four years because the kids think it's my favorite. It works out just fine - since they actually eat the food served there - as opposed to fighting with them at Sushi Zushi on my birthday.

When we got home, we played Hot/Cold to find my present. I started on the front hall rug and got spun around three times. Then I started walking and the kids would say warmer or colder if I was closer (or not closer) to finding it. The funniest part was that Ethan was right in front of me, walking backwards and thoroughly enjoying the game, not realizing that he was making turns and room choices for me, leading me right in to the master bathroom where my new MacBook laptop was hidden! Note to self...make the kids walk behind Mark in March!

Turning 40 isn't a big deal because of the number... I mean, forty is fabulous, right? But I do think people have a hard time with big birthdays because they cause you to evaluate when you are in your life and maybe things don't match up like you thought they would by now. I certainly thought I would have lost my pregnancy pounds by now. Not so much. My thirties were a blur raising children. Did I document it enough? I still don't need glasses, but I have a hip-replacement on the horizon...how fast will it get here? I have two really interesting jobs - a multi-faceted job for a jewelry designer and I'm social media manager for a tomato company. Who would have thought?

I'm excited to see what the next decade holds...

Volleyball Sarah

Last week was a blur getting ready to go to Dallas Market with the jewelry company I work for, Jennifer Massey Designs. We go every January and June to the temporary FINDS part of market called Cash & Carry. Which means we have to have A LOT of jewelry made before we go because people pay for it and expect to take it with them (hence the "carry") instead of placing an order like you would in a showroom.  We also had a show in Atlanta the weekend before and this weekend is a show in New Orleans! Like I said ... a lot of jewelry, and paperwork, order forms, signage, etc. 

Saturday morning, Sarah had an 8 AM volleyball game. Her 0-6 team won all three games and of course I missed it since I was out of town. In fact, at that moment, we were busy exchanging insurance information with the lady in the Lexus crossover that Jennifer ran into on the way to market that morning. Her tank of a Chevy Silverado Texas Edition had barely a scratch but the other lady's car was damaged pretty badly. Luckily nobody was hurt. The lady told Jennifer that she had a feeling that morning that she was going to get into an accident...how weird is that? Even though the accident was Jenn's fault, it makes me wonder if this lady could have swerved or stopped in time but didn't because she felt it was predestined - or maybe that she wanted it to happen so all her friends would believe she was psychic. Or maybe she really is psychic. Guess we'll never know. 

Anyway, here's Sarah on the volleyball court. She's in the front row, middle. Go Hornets!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Friday the 13th again...lucky you! For your birthday, I've hired a lovely singing trio called The Bernardinos to sing their #1 hit "Happy Bi-RUFF-day!"

 Then we'll have cake...

Good thing you like big dogs so there's enough to go around. LOL!

Have a great day, Mom!

Suntan?

No. Just dirt. 

Deedee's 50th Birthday

A friend of mine turned 50 this weekend and I was asked to make the birthday cake for her surprise party. About two weeks ago, the hostess asked me if I knew how to make a slide show. Since I did (sort of) I said yes. She said she'd get the husband to order a cake instead, so I didn't have to do both (thank goodness). After scanning over 100 photos and editing and tweaking and syncing up music, I was thinking I should have just made the cake! Ha... I ended up with a slide show almost 15 minutes long. We watched it at the party last night and I got a ton of compliments on it. And suggestions for going into business and offering slide show production as a service! Haha...just what I need. Another job! I also enjoyed playing with my new Christmas present/camera and was able to snap a bunch of party photos.

SURPRISE!

Jon and Ken (DeeDee's husband) explaining a close call right before the party!

The cake...because I know some of you would want to know. White cake with raspberry filling with buttercream frosting and white chocolate chips from the Ultimate Cheesecake Bakery in Alamo Heights. So good!!

The hostesses with the mostess. Robyn and Lisa.

The accomplices... Ken and Brian (Lisa's husband).

DeeDee blowing out her candle with mom and daughters.

Visit from Grandpa

Grandpa Nault stopped by for a visit this week. We were able to enjoy dinner - meat and potato pasties made by Mark - and share a few hours with him before he caught an early flight out Friday morning. The kids (OK, Lucas) were shy at first, but by the end of the night were showing off and throwing themselves at him for goodnight hugs. 

Sea World

Special thanks to our friend Sea World Suzanne for the five free passes! The day before New Year's Eve was a wonderful "Texas Winter" day ... sunny with highs in the 70s ... and the park was hoppin'. We spent a lot of time on the big Sesame Street playground, walking from show to show - dolphins, Shamu, Elmo - and enjoying a few rides and exhibits.

Kissing Asian otters...so cute!

 Rockin' River ride! Lucas barely made the height requirement, but he loved it! 

Shamu!

Jacob's favorite ... the SHARKS!