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! 

Ab Fab

Such an absolutely fabulous weekend!  Didn't want it to end!  The weather was pure perfection, mid-to-high 80's, nothing but blue skies, not a cloud to be seen.

Saturday Coach and KJ made their way to Baltimore for the NCAA Division I lax semi-finals where they were to meet up with my brother and nephew.  Cosmo pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car only to hear, "Cos??  Is that you??"  Sure enough, it was a guy Cosmo played pee-wee, middle-school and high school football with.  I think Tommy moved to Florida our sophomore year but they guys were buds on FB.  Cosmo was the center, Tommy was the QB.  Tommy was there with his boys and their high school team from NJ and they had a big tailgate spread.  Naturally, Cosmo and KJ are not ones to pass up a tailgate so they visited with Tommy and his fam for a while.  And then, oddly enough, they rain into a girl who played Hoover middle school lax with KJ and her brothers also play or have played lax for Coach.

KJ had a great time getting her picture taken with various players, autographs and swag.  She came home with lanyards, sunglasses, Tervis tumblers and t-shirts.  They had great seats and were able to stay out of the direct sun and avoid a sunburn.  My brother's seats were in a different section but they were still able to meet up with each other and do all the fun fan zone stuff for the kids.  My sister-in-law and C spent the day at the aquarium and everyone met back at my house in the evening.  The kids were exhausted and we watched Frozen before we went to bed.  Loved listening to my niece sing "Let it Go."

Sunday morning the kids were in the pool by 10:30 AM and we had to drag them out around 7 PM.  I think they only time they got out of the pool was to eat and (hopefully) use the bathroom!  Uncle Chris had the heater on all week and the water was perfect!  It was like bath water!  Al and Z came over around 1 PM and we grilled and chilled.  Around 5 PM our B'ham friends came over for dinner on their way back from DC.  They were in Baltimore for the lax games too and it was so wonderful to spend some time with them.  The boys had a good time in the pool and I think Mr. B was happy to have some boys to play with instead of C.  KJ's "friend" Connor came over for the day and ate with us, threw the rock around a bit and played some cornhole.

Monday KJ and Coach went back to Baltimore for the finals and the kids had to get one last swim in before they headed back home.  After everyone left I had a great day catching up on laundry (I love pool towels hanging off the back deck or the pool railing -- it just screams summer!), catching up on my tan and catching up on my book.  As much as I love being surrounded by family and friends, I also covet my quiet time.  The weather was spectacular and I spent quite a long time just floating on my pool raft.  No noise.  No one yelling "Aunt Valerie!!!  Watch this!"  No one doing a cannonball.  Just some good, quality, peace and quiet.  Aaaaahhhh......

Memorial Day

According to Wikipedia, "Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday which occurs every year on the final Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces."

Also according to Wikipedia, "Veterans Day is an official United States holiday which honors people who have served in armed service also known as veterans.  It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the end of World War I." 

Wikipedia also goes on to state:  Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day; Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving.

 

 

While there does seem to be a distinct difference in the holidays, I do think it's important to honor, respect and remember ALL of our service men and women. 

We had a very nice couple of days and loved having a 3-day weekend.  Coach flew in from Baltimore Friday afternoon and we had a nice family night.  Saturday morning Coach made bacon and eggs for breakfast, T worked at the lax store and had a couple of graduation parties to attend to while KJ and I got pedicures so we could be "sandal worthy."  Saturday night we joined friends for their weekly steak dinner.  The last time we were at their house, a huge possum walked by their front door and scared the heck out of all of us so the big joke was "were we eating steak or are we eating possum?" 

Sunday Cosmo made French toast for breakfast and Sunday he got Bagels.  Love when the
bagel boy is home!  Monday Coach and KJ went to TreeTops out on 280 for some father/daughter bonding time and then we all had Outback. 

 

Coach's flight back to BWI left BHM at 6 AM.  Daughter #1 got up at 4 AM and drove him to the airport.  Such a good girl.  She worked at the lax store this afternoon and took KJ with her.  After work, they headed downtown to the Baron's gamel  Some good, quality sisterly bonding time. 

SPF it UP

Believe me, I truly believe in growing old gracefully but certainly not before I'm damn good and ready.  I'll fight time to the very bitter end but as of right now I have no plans to be injected with anything or go under the knife. 

Take care of your skin!  Drink lots of water, take vitamins but please, please, please also remember to wear sunscreen!  I love laugh lines, a face with character and a healthy, natural glow.  However, you don't want to look like this, do you (see photos below)???  In all seriousness, it is SO important to take care of your skin.  Champ learned his lesson the hard way after being diagnosed with melanoma this past Spring. 

 

 

Recently, we ran into a friend that we hadn't see in a long, long time and later in the car KJ asked who was older -- me or the friend?  When I said that the friend was about 6 or 7 years younger than me, KJ was kind of shocked and said she thought the other lady was at least 5 years older than me. (way to score some brownie points KJ!).  Our friend smokes, drinks a lot and tans hardcore.  And it's starting to catch up to her.