And Another Surprise!

So over Easter I was the one surprised but the following weekend it was my parent's turn!  They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and my brother and I threw them a fantastic party (actually, not so much me.  and not so much my brother.  More like, "my wonderful sister-in-law threw them a fantastic party!").  I couldn't do much being so far away so she organized everything and I wrote a couple of checks.  My parents were positively floored and we had a wonderful time! 

The month of May was pretty busy with typical end of year stuff -- end of year lax games, end of year lax tournament, KJ played in the Junior vs. Senior powder puff football game, she was inducted into the Spanish National Honor Society, our beautiful niece extended her business trip and stayed with us a couple of days, KJ had a blast at prom and my hotel was the host property for the Texas Elvis Festival over Memorial Day weekend! 

June is just as busy -- Coach starts men's league this week, he flew to Denver last week to visit w/ his college buds and they went to a Rockies game and the Metallica concert.  This weekend we're going to the Texas Rangers game.  I'm not sure who they're playing.  While KJ's been in Costa Rica, Coach and I have been tooling around town in her cute little convertible and spent Sunday at the local lake.  Of course, now Coach wants a boat.  I'm not opposed to a boat, I just don't know much about them. 

KJ left for Costa Rica on Thursday and is having the time of her life!  They've been white water rafting, zip lining, they hiked to a waterfall and swam, kayaked, went to a pineapple farm, visited a coffee plantation and also went to a chocolate farm.  One night they did a late night rain forest tour and she said it was wild!  She has seen SO much wildlife -- she said howler monkeys were on their bungalow roof one day, lizards and iguanas are everywhere, frogs (poisonous ones!), a bunch of different birds, etc. 

T and Johnny Frat Boy are going out west for a hiking/camping trip the end of June.  On there way back they are stopping in Dallas and taking KJ back with them for a week.  I think they have plans to go to Sloss Fest and then she'll fly home the day after.  And a few days after she gets back home, I am scheduled for a hysterectomy.  I haven't been feeling well at all the last couple of months and had an ultrasound in February.  At the time they found several little fibroids that were about 1 to 1 1/2 cm each.  They have grown rapidly and now are over 3 cm each.  And I have a cyst on my left ovary.  And severe endometreosis.  And scar tissue from my two C-sections.  So.  Go me! 

Surprise!!!

Had such a wonderful Easter weekend!  All of my chicks were in the nest for the first time since Christmas!  And it was wonderful! 

T was originally supposed to be going to Savannah for Easter w/ friends but plans fell through so she hopped on a plane to Dallas instead!  Coach and I were both at work but KJ was home for the Good Friday holiday.  T called her around 9 AM and said, "come pick me up!  I'm at DFW!!"  Now, for anyone who knows KJ knows:  #1 the kid likes to sleep.  I'm shocked she even answered her phone at 9 AM on her day off from school.  #2 the kid hates to drive on the highway.  Seriously.  It scares the heck out of her and for her to drive to DFW and navigate her way around the arrivals/departures is pretty impressive.  So after KJ picked up T she called me at work and said, "Let's have lunch together."  My response was, "You know you'd have to drive on the interstate to get here, don't you???"  They had one of the girls at the Front Desk call me when they arrived and when I walked out to the Lobby, KJ was standing there and then T walked around the corner!  I was SHOCKED!!!!  Coach still didn't know at this point but KJ had asked him to meet for lunch, too.  I didn't go to lunch w/ them because I was so dang busy.  Unfortunately, she kind of spoiled the surprise for him because she texted him "we're here" at the restaurant and he knew something was up. 

The weather was gorgeous and we had such a nice weekend while T was here.  Friday Coach made a delicious shrimp scampi and we all just kind of chilled and caught up with T.  Saturday morning she & I went down to the Dallas Farmer's Market www.dallasfarmersmarket.org and sampled a bunch of goodies and bought a bunch of fun random things . . . macaroons, candles, cucumbers, hummus and pita chips, a cutting board (T is so proud of herself for "adulting"!).  We then drove over to Klyde Warren Park www.klydewarrenpark.org and had lunch from the food trucks.  T had the lobster grilled cheese and I had the most incredible shrimp tacos from Cousins Maine Lobster www.cousinsmainelobster.com (as seen on Shark Tank).  We parked at the Museum of Art www.dma.org and walked around for a bit.  We wanted to tour the Frida Kahlo exhibit but the line was super long. 

KJ had to work Saturday afternoon until closing so when she got home they all went to Top Golf and apparently T has missed her calling.  Coach said she had incredible form and was super accurate.  She said it must have been all those times she watched her friend Will practice at the range. 

 

Sunday we had Easter brunch at the Westin at the Galleria.  This is the 3rd year we've been there and we love that we have a new tradition in Dallas!  As always, we had a great time and I like that they change the menu up every year.  Except for the Peeps S'mores.  I hope they never change those!   http://www.thewestingalleriadallas.com/dallas-private-dining

 

 

After brunch we checked out our excursion choices for our cruise and booked a couple of fun trips that I think everyone will like!  In Cozumel, we're climbing some pyramids and then going swimming in an underground cenote (swimming hole).  I can't remember what the heck we're doing in the Caymans (snorkeling?  taking a catamaran?  sting rays?  dolphin encounter?  taking a catamaran to a snorkeling location where they keep the dolphins and sting rays???) but I do know in Jamaica we're going to climb Dunn's River Falls.  I wanted to just sit on the beach and drink Red Stripes but KJ didn't think that was a good idea. 

 

And then we took T to the airport and she headed back to B'ham and we all cried.  



Tulips and Bluebonnets

Last year KJ and I spent a wonderful day at the tulip farm cutting our own stems for a bouquet.  This year the tulips were peak during Spring Break and since I'm working and she was in San Antonio for break we kind of missed it.  However, I found out there's a bluebonnet field near my office so I might have to go check it out!  We teased KJ terribly when we were moving here that it's a right of passage to have your picture taken in a bluebonnet field.  She declined. 



Speaking of the office and work . . . holy hell!  (As my pappy used to say) "I am busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger!"  But seriously!  The phone DOES NOT STOP.  It's wonderful to sell two gorgeous, popular properties but sometimes I just want to shut my office door and put my head on my desk for a nappy.  I love having a career vs. a job and love what I do.  And I can't wait to spend my bonus. 


Lax season is kinda sorta but not really winding down.  Both Coach and KJ still have games but there is light at the end of the tunnel.  TCU has already had their end of year banquet and KJ's is at the beginning of May.  This time of year seems to go by in a blur --- all that end of year stuff gets smushed in.  She's got prom mid-May and leaves for Costa Rica the beginning of June. 


This past weekend was absolutely gorgeous!  One of the most beautiful weekends I can remember.  Both days were sunny, warm and bright blue skies.  Coach had a game @ SMU Saturday and afterward we went downtown for a little Mexican on the patio.  Sunday he had a game @ TCU but I didn't go.  I've been having a cleaning lady come on Sunday's (since I don't know her well enough to leave a key for her I prefer to be home). 


We've got our Easter brunch reservations made.  This will be our 3rd year in a row at this restaurant.  T and her sorority little are having a girls weekend is Savannah so it's just going to be the 3 Cos's. 


We've been getting the pool and the backyard ready and Coach is thinking about buying some wave runners so we can spend some time at the lake, too.  I don't care about the wave runners, I just want a paddleboard.  I'd probably have to stick it out my sunroof since I don't think a paddleboard would fit on my car.  I love, love, love to paddleboard and really need to try paddleboard yoga, too! 

Spring Break 2017

Had a really nice couple of weekends in the Casa de Cos.  This past weekend was the first weekend in a couple that Coach was home.  His last couple of weekends had been with lax trips and one of the weekends KJ accompanied him to Arkansas (each time she visits she loves it more and more but on the drive home she told Coach, "you know I'm going to go to Ole Miss, don't you dad???). 

The weekend they were both gone was rainy and dreary but I had scheduled a facial and a massage on Sunday so I was pretty content.  I had my books and my comfy blanket all weekend and when I came home from the spa treatments I was a very relaxed puddle.  Although I take incredible care of my skin, I hadn't had a facial since I worked at Ross Bridge!  This weekend is a mani and pedi.  I've been doing just a regular pedi but KJ got me hooked on those gel mani's.  They last SOOO long! 

This most recent weekend was great, too!  Cosmo had been in meetings all week in Dallas and one of his vendor's paid for the hotel through the weekend so I met him at the Anatole Friday night
http://www.hiltonanatolehotel.com/ and we had one of the most incredible dining experiences I've ever had at Nick and Sam's http://www.nick-sams.com/  Apparently it is THE place to be seen and it did not disappoint.  Cosmo swears Donald Trump Jr. was there.  I personally did not see him but there were some type of bodyguards / Secret Service wandering around the whole night (earpieces and everything).  I found out yesterday morning that Junior was indeed in Dallas over the weekend so Cosmo may have been right.  The caviar was incredible, my filet was perfection, service was outstanding and the drinks were flowing.  It was a super fun night!

Saturday we got planted some flowers and did some yard work.  Before Christmas we had our railroad tie retaining wall removed and the 6ft fence taken down.  We had a new brick wall put up and an 8ft. fence installed.  The landscapers also laid sod around the pool and planted some trees and flowers in the new retaining wall area and put down mulch.  We just added some more flowers and puttered around the yard.  My roses are already blooming nicely and several plants from last year are starting to come in so everything will look great in a week or two.  I can't wait to put out my patio cushions and relax outside with a Moscow Mule in hand! 

Sunday we had a new cleaning lady come out and deep clean from top to bottom.  She was GREAT and we will definitely be getting on her regular schedule.  I actually enjoying doing laundry and having fresh linens on the bed so I never expect a cleaning lady to do that.  That just seems so personal.  She kept saying, "I shouldn't be saying this but your house is so clean and organized!  Why am I here???" 

Haven't seen daughter #1 since Christmas and I'm not sure exactly when we'll see her again.  She and Johnny Frat Boy are going to Chicago this weekend to spend St. Patrick's Day with friends and her sorority little doesn't go home to VA for Easter so they are having a girls weekend in Savannah.  I don't think we'll have any special plans as it's just the 3 of us for Easter.  The past two years we've done the Easter Brunch at the Westin http://www.thewestingalleriadallas.com/north-dallas-restaurants and I'd be happy if that became our "go-to" Easter tradition!

Tomorrow we'll have some celebrities in the house and when they make it really big, we can say "The Burning Peppermints slept here!" kind of like George Washington!  The band is on their way to South by Southwest in Austin and crashing on our couch on there way to/from Birmingham. 
http://schedule.sxsw.com/2017/events/MS40087  South by Southwest is a HUGE deal and the guys are going to do incredible!  So proud of Jake!  He is INCREDIBLY talented and I expect nothing but greatness! 

Has it really been almost a month since I last blogged?  Wow?  Well, let's see . . . As usual, it's been a busy couple of weeks!  

KJ's lax season is winding down but volleyball is in full swing.  It feels like this travel volleyball season has gone on FOREVER.  We were supposed to participated in a tournament at the U of Delaware last weekend but at the last minute the team decided to do a tournament closer to home and the girls ended up winning it all.  KJ, like T, has had a difficult time juggling the two sports (T had to juggle dance team and lax in high school).  Actually, I shouldn't say that.  She's been very clear on what she needs to do to be a contributing member of each squad and has to make some tough decisions.  I think she's done a great job (especially maintaining her grades!  Honor Roll again baby!!!).  It's been her coaches who have had a harder time.  She's had to miss some lax for volleyball and vice versa.  The weekend they won the volleyball tournament she had to miss a lax game and her lax coach was a little upset with her.  On the flip side, she's had to miss volleyball for lax.  Fortunately, she's playing great on both both squads and has had two lax goals this season so far and numerous assists!  Big Daddy is SO proud!!!

Easter in Dallas was a ton of fun and we had such a great time at Six Flags with T-bone and Pony Boy!  Johnny Frat-Boy had never been on extreme roller coasters before and I think he had a thrilling time!  We had a wonderful brunch at the Westin and after T and Fratty headed back to Oxford, KJ, Cosmo and I spent the afternoon exploring downtown and did the tour at the Book Depository at Dealy Square.  Fascinating exhibit and the history nerd in me loved it!  We also walked around the campus SMU.  Monday, while Cosmo was at the office, KJ did some shopping at Grapevine Mills and had a fun lunch at the Rainforest Cafe and walked around the quaint town of Grapevine.  We fond the new Steel City Pops and chilled with some pops and had lunch at a great Mexican restaurant before KJ and I flew back to Baltimore.  Cosmo likes the Dallas branch and his apartment is very cool, kinda feels like an upscale New York loft -- HUGE bathroom, granite counters, chef's kitchen, etc.

Cosmo flew home this weekend and my parents were also here for a few days on their way back to PA from wintering in FL.  It was a nice, low-key weekend.  The weather was nice, but only in the low 60's w/ lots of sunshine,  We had Jimmie Cone for the first time this season on our way to dropping Cosmo off at the airport.

Gotta busy week coming up -- lots of landscaping going on and we're going to open the pool soon.  KJ has lax and volleyball this week and I've got to get my car registered in Maryland since my Alabama registration is about to expire.

So Happy It's Friday

So, So Happy It's Friday!  It's been a lllloooooonnnnngggg week. KJ is supposed to have her very first official high school lax game today but it looks like this freaky Spring storm may cancel it.  They had a great scrimmage Tuesday afternoon and I know she's really looking forward to getting the season underway!  She played great -- a little attack, a little defense (she likes attack better) and, of course, Daddy's been warming up the goalie for the team.  I knew he couldn't stay away.  Lacrosse, to him, is like the Mafia.  It pulls him back in.  It's like crack.

Really looking forward to the weekend -- we have absolutely nothing to do!  No where to be, no games to sit at, no commitments.  Unfortunately, KJ does have a viewing to attend at some point this weekend.  One of the girls from her volleyball team's father passed away suddenly Wednesday night.  Very nice family and my heart just breaks for Jenna.  She's a very sweet, very quiet young lady and her parents were at every game, every event and always held hands.

I think it's time for Cosmo to stary looking for a new car.  He has my old Lexus (which has 250K+ miles on it!).  It's time to say good bye.  I loved driving the Lexus and hope he gets something similar.  We definitely need some type of SUV for our "stuff."  The Lexus got great gas mileage and I don't think we need to get a big rig or anything like that.  We're down to one kid so it's not like we're carpooling and doing a bunch of stuff like that.  We're beyond that.

Easter is fast approaching and I'm so glad the four of us (possibly 5 of us!) will all be together!  Last year T flew home but because of the limited number of direct flights from BWI to Memphis, she had to fly out early in the morning and didn't even have Easter dinner with us.  Matt and Kristen came for dinner so that was nice.  This year I think we're going to have brunch at the Gaylord or something.  IDK.  Cosmo is handling it.  Although I don't mind cooking, it will be nice to have someone else doing it.  And cleaning up!  :-)

We received some additional info about our cruise to Europe and couldn't be more excited!  Rome, Florence/Pisa, Cannes, Barcelona and Naples.  Whoop!  Whoop!  T and I have been to Rome, Florence and Pisa but I am SO looking forward to experiencing those cities with Cosmo!  This will be a different trip -- definitely more romantic than when I traveled with my high school freshman!

All the Chicks

Had all the chicks in the nest for a very brief moment on Easter Sunday!  Which was great because neither one of them were supposed to be home.  T texted us Friday night that she was planning to come home Saturday afternoon and KJ got home from the beach a little ahead of schedule so they were able to see each other before T drove back to Oxford. 

KJ had a GREAT time at the beach!  She came home with a little bit of a cold and a lot of laundry.  I wouldn't say she's tan by any means but she does have a nice little glow.  It was a low key, laid back trip but she had fun at the Track in Destin and enjoyed kayaking. 

T got home Saturday around 2 PM and we had to hit the mall.  She was invited to a fraternity formal at the end of April and needed to find a dress.  The mall was positively insane but thankfully daughter #1 is a "one and done" kind of girl.  I had been at the mall earlier in the week and saw some cute dresses at Cache.  We walked in, she took several things into the dressing room, tried one dress on, loved it and walked out with it.  Absolutely gorgeous silver sequin cocktail dress with an open back -- makes her legs look a mile long!  Went to Belk for shoes, tried on one pair, walked out with them.  One and done baby.  That's how we roll.

We had Easter dinner with friends and had such a good time!  They have two boys who play lacrosse for Coach and had just gotten home from SB'13 the day before.  She was in no mood to cook and since we originally thought it was just going to be me and Coach, I wasn't planning on cooking either.  We decided to have dinner at the hotel instead.  How awesome is that -- no cooking, no cleaning the house before, no clean-up after and someone else did the dishes.  My kind of holiday!

So it's the beginning of April and as far as I'm concerned, it's over with already.  This time of year gets so hectic.  We have plans for every weekend in April and it's going to be insane.  Lacrosse, volleyball, Double-decker festival/sorority parents weekend and my parents are coming for the weekend on their way from FL back to PA for the summer.  I will be living out of a suitcase for most of April. 

I couldn't be any more relaxed

KJ's finishing up her last full day at the beach.  She's had a great time and I'm not sure if she's going to want to come home tomorrow!  That kid loves the water.  And the sand.  Always has. 

Had such a wonderful, easy-breezy week with Coach.  I couldn't be more relaxed unless I was on some kind of meds or something.  Just such a nice, quiet week.  No lacrosse, no volleyball, no traffic on the way to the hotel.  Just a nice quiet week.  Coach and I went out to dinner a couple of nights, stayed in a couple of nights.  Caught up on some movies.  Did a few things around the house, cleaned out my closet last weekend and a couple of dresser drawers, threw away some stuff, donated some stuff.  Went to bed early, slept a little later each morning since there was no traffic. This morning we were both up early and went to breakfast.  Did some shopping and finally bought frames for over the fireplace in the family room. 

We had our family photos done back in December and I didn't want to order photos because I wanted to find "the" perfect frame.  I knew what I wanted and didn't want to settle.  We popped into Wrapsody this morning and I brought home two gorgeous frames -- one is for an 11 x 14 family pic and the other is long and vertical and will hold (3) 5 x 7's (photos of the girls and a photo of just me and Coach).  I love that store and they are so easy to work with.  Blair said to take them home, see how they look and if I'm not feeling the frames in a week or two to just return them.  I dropped almost $300 on these frames, I think I'll like them!

Got a nice little surprise last night.  T texted me and said she wanted to come home for Easter.  She was originally going to stay in Oxford and have Easter dinner at her lax coach's house and come home next weekend for the Dave Matthews concert.  But she said she a bunch of her Alabama friends were home and since they were on a different Spring Break schedule she hasn't seen any of them since Christmas.  So, she wants to come home.  Hey, I'm not complaining!  I'm still not cooking though!!!  ;-)

It's OK Thursday !!!

...to be footloose and fancy free this week!  KJ is at the beach w/ friends for Spring Break so Coach and I have been enjoying date week!

...to have my 13-year old tell me that driving in the car with me is like being in a music video -- sunroof open, music blaring, cruising down the highway. 

...that I will not be cooking for Easter!  Whoop!  Whoop!  Having brunch with friends! 

...that I work with a total and complete Debbie Downer.  Her problem.  Not mine.  I refuse to allow her negativity to bring me down and have started to avoid her at all costs. 

..that Coach and I watched Rock of Ages the other night and I knew the words to every song.