I drove middle school carpool this week then late to HIIT class on Monday (I had to go in another room bc it was so full!) then popped in to visit dad before tennis clinic (late to that, too). I had a Read USA Assesor refresher training (which turns out to be very much necessary). Then I picked up Ellie from school and Marly from swim and then first round of kids to dance. I hosted book club making a clam bake and discussing The Latecomer. I had to have Phil drop off a few more bottles of wine. Conversation went late and kept going. Great turn out! Anna and I got to play again together, this time at Atlantic Beach. We won but it got a little dicey with a comment about me "staying on the westside". Ouch. Marly had her first swim meet of the season. I'm glad she's doing this season. I went to MOCA with April after HIIT class. We had lunch on the rooftop at Estrella. It was so nice to catch up! I drove to Sawgrass for a tennis match that night but my partner fell so we ended up forfeiting. Bummer. At least I got road time listening to Madonna. We had MOPS on Thursday. I was busy holding babies. Marly's swim meet on Thursday was all the way out at Sandlewood and then their bus was an hour late getting them out there. Friday I went to HIIT, adoration with my mom for a bit and then to a Nutcracker board meeting. I picked up Ellie from school then my brother from the airport. A full week of dad in the home. I've been going by to visit for about an hour in the afternoons. It's such a range of emotions. I couldn't stop crying during one of the entertainment sessions with a guy playing songs on the ukulele that my dad used to sing to me and then right after was laughing at dad and two friends just talking and they are all so nuts I just had to laugh. It's all just so strange. The older girls both babysat, Voss had a Birthday party then baseball. Phil picked up CFA. I stayed up late watching Breaking Bad. Phil played in the Tennis 4 Cancer tournament this weekend. He and Vaughan won their division. I got to see them Saturday afternoon. Voss had a baseball game. Mom and Matt came to watch, too. It's getting so hot! No hits but some great steals! We celebrated Ella's Confirmation. Matt took us on the boat to FYC for dinner. SQ, Matt and I (and Phil) had a nightcap with some live music at the gastro pub. This morning I took the kids to mass (they got to bring up the gifts), CCD then we met Phil at TCC for pool time. It turned into a Sunday Funday. The girls and I did a quick WD run while Phil stopped at Southern Steer. Burgers and Caesar salad for dinner. Now some DEAR time for all. Here are the pics of the week.
It took me a few days to adjust after the weekend away. Monday morning's HIIT class about did me in; my legs were sore all week. Clinic was pretty good and then a WD run. We watched the solar eclipse after school in the field with glasses we borrowed from friends. I was so not ready like last time with Moon pies. I rode with Vanessa on Tuesday to Oakleaf for a tennis match. Sally and I won pretty easily despite this one chick's nutty serve. Marly had an ortho appointment that afternoon. It's dance picture week so lots of different pick up times. The older girls get themselves ready these days. I just have to help Abby with her bun. It's not this big production anymore like it once was. I got to play at USTA match on Tuesday night. Elizabeth and I played up in the 3.5 level and won! We played so well together. It felt awesome! Wednesday was a big day. I went with my mom to take my dad to an assisted living facility. This is a move I've been fighting for months. Now that it's happened I am at peace with it and know it was the right decision. It was much easier than I thought it was going to be. Dad's caregiver came with us and chilled with dad while mom and I set up his room. Then we said our goodbyes and headed out. I don't think he knows he's there to stay. There's so many distractions with new/old friends, activities and exploring that he seems very happy there. I spent the afternoon with my mom, to make sure she was okay: lunch and errands so for now it's okay. I'm like an emotional pendulum. One minute I'm boosting up a sibling being Positive Pete...the other minute I'm laying face down on the living room floor crying. So there's that. I got to drive home the swim gang (no car trouble this time) and then pick Ellie up from a Confirmation lead team meeting on the other side of town. I drove to Ponte Vedra Thursday morning for a windy, rainy tennis match with Kerri. The first set was a joke with the weather but the second set was great once the rain started and the wind dyed down. We ended up loosing 7-9 in the tie breaker. I spent the afternoon eating sour patch kids and watching All the Light we Cannot See. It was the perfect thing to do on a rainy afternoon. Jenny met me out at Lillians that night after Voss' baseball game for a nightcap. That was also good for my soul. Friday I sweat it out at HIIT class then hosted the elementary school nominating committee for a Caesar salad from scratch lunch. We successfully chose the slate. We hosted wine club that night so I cleaned up one party to prepare for the next! So much fun tasting the wines of South America with an excellent turn out and late night. Saturday I took Ellie to dance, visited my sister then went to see Voss' game. He hasn't had a good hit in a few games but has been great in center field and super fast running bases. They won on Thursday and lost on Saturday. He went to a friend's Birthday party. I spent the day cleaning up and listening to this book I'm sucked into. Ellie babysat Friday and Saturday night then spent the night out after her gig. Marly babysat Friday then spent 24 hours with the Freemans getting to ride on their new boat today. Abby had a sleepover on Friday and tried to sleep on their trampoline to no avail. We had a sushi date with the littes on Saturday night then a nightcap with Keith & Chris. This morning the littles and I went to mass and CCD. We met Phil and Ellie for TCC bfast. I did a WD run then the girls and I went to see Tabby in the middle school art school production of Annie. We did make your own salads for dinner and plan to all go to bed early. Here are the pics of the week.
Ellie turned 15 on Monday! I pulled her out of school at lunch and we had CFA with the Fredlands and she got her learners permit! I was nervous about the whole ordeal because her birth certificate is still being sent away for her passport but her passport card worked just fine. Voss went to Will's Birthday party. After dance the girls, Phil and I went to a Birthday dinner for Ellie at Biscotti's. It was late and folks were crabby but it was still nice. I got to play tennis again. Kerri and I beat Hugenot, I almost drove out to the beach but double checked the address after dropping Ellie at school. It allowed me time to meet the electrical inspector to check our new panel. My car died while waiting to pick up the swim gang from middle school. It was embarrassing. I called road side for a jump Phil had my battery checked and it was fine. Although I had it running all during Voss' baseball game. He struck out 3 times and was bummed even though his team won. I told Phil that night about my big weekend plans of seeing Madonna. He wasn't thrilled with it but my last minute plan worked in my opinion. Anna and I got to sub up and play together in PV on the B team. It felt so good to win with a donut in the second set! I did a successful thrifting run to prep for Madonna and then picked Ellie up early from school. They all had a writing state test. That night I saw SIX with Rachael, Katie and Tracy. It was a short show but really good. Abby got to go to Universal with the patrols on Thursday, so that was an early drop off. It was pretty crowded so they didn't get to do much. She didn't seem to mind and loved the butter beer! We had a relaxation sound bowl meeting for MOPS. I packed and then went to watch some tennis at the Steeg that afternoon. Friday morning I was off! I ubered to the airport and met up with Stephanie, Jamie and their friend, Shaara to fly to Miami! We checked into the W in Brickell and walked to a fun lunch spot on the water. Fun fact, Crazy About You ended up donating a portion of my lunch cost to the elementary school PTA! We then met up with Stephanie's college friends, Margo and Teana and spent the afternoon relaxing by the amazing rooftop infinity pool! We got ready for dinner and headed to Amara for a waterside seafood dinner: empanadas and octopus. After a fierce political dinner we hit the scene and tried to get into a few bars and clubs. We even went to south beach and did not get into a place. We did finally get into a club back in Brickell and did bottle service at the table. I was responsible and went right to sleep when we got back. I got up and walked, listening to the Madonna book. It felt great to move around, see the sights and enjoy the perfect weather. Margo came and met me and we discussed care giving. We went to a Greek restaurant for lunch near the mall and split a bunch of apps. Shaara stayed to shop. We all headed back to the pool. Teana, Jame and I snoozed listening to my book. It was the perfect way to spend the concert day! We got ready for dinner. Embarrassing enough, my shoe broke on the walk so Teana walked back with me and we ubered back to meet up with the others at Sexy Fish. It was so good and had such a fun vibe! We went back to the suite to get ready for the concert. We heard Madonna doesn't go on until 10pm so we took our time. She ended up going on around 10:30 and was amazing. She went until after 1am and hardly stopped. She played so many favorites! She looked great and was such an awesome entertainer! The whole concert was like a broadway show. Just wow! I was in awe! We had burgers and a nightcap back in the suite. What a night! Teana left bright and early. I went walking again. Margo left soon after. We took it easy packing up and enjoying the late check out. We went to a brunch place before ubering to the airport and enjoying the Amex lounge! Then, back to Jax to go back to reality! The team held down the fort at home. Abby was with the Cutlips for Abigail's Birthday. Voss had a baseball game then a party on Saturday and another Birthday party on Sunday. Marly babysat and had a sleepover with the Kanes. Ellie babysat, got a ride to dance and they all watched Phil play in the big tennis tournament. No wins, but lots of fun. Here are the pics from the epic week.
This week nearly did me in. Just comparing today to last Monday; my head was spinning. My turn to drive middle school carpool so off I went. Then flag raising, then HIIT class with a quick run in WD before tennis clinic. Grateful for the cool afternoon to keep my groceries cold in the trunk! I brought a welcome basket to the Danes hotel room then to Steph's for Jess' Birthday party. That evening we welcomed the Danes to Jacksonville with a steak dinner at my parent's. Phil grilled then we raced to dance for a pick up. Friends helped with swim practice and baseball. I then popped in book club for the end of the conversation of Hello Beautiful (I read it so long ago, I needed a refresher). I just had to brag about my new friend, Judy! Tuesday I went to SAC then DCCPTA, a dermatologist check up and then to take the Danes on a boat ride to lunch. Unfortunately, Aunt Hanne decided to try to be a mermaid and FELL INTO THE RIVER hitting her head and breaking her arm. Thankfully the tide was high and we were able to get her on the low dock but I ended up calling 911 because we couldn't move her after that. A team of 7 EMTs used a sling to get her into a gurney and then via ambulance to the hospital. After an MRI, xrays and 6 hour visit she was released. No fancy lunch. Preban and Dad came with us to Voss' baseball game. Of course the concession stand was closed so no dinner- slushies on the way home. Voss got a great, timely hit and ended up getting home. It was a great game with a narrow win! Phil and I snuck in a late night dinner date and it was so perfect. Metallica, good wine a delicious pizza at Moon River. Yes, please. This little nugget was key to getting through the week. Wednesday was our 20th wedding anniversary! This is what I wrote on social media to celebrate:
"I really wanted to post a picture of Hottie Phil and I on a Greek isle celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary. But, we are not in Greece today. We are squished in this season of life where getting away for a dinner for two is going to be complicated enough. (I still have my fingers crossed for Greece this year, though.) My love language is acts of service. These days, helping me by driving one of my children in one leg of their various rotations makes my heart happy. So this is the photo of realistic LOVE today. How do you stay married to someone for 20 years when the newness wares off and you’ve heard all the jokes, you discover they don’t like to do your favorite thing (travel), you are members of opposite political parties, you score the same “authoritative extrovert” on personality tests and life gets hard? My guess is it’s a combination of luck, forgiveness, faith and the group of supporters cheering us on. I’m thankful for the friends and family modeling healthy relationships and offers to support us doing this whole parenting thing. Yes, the help driving kids but also walking with us out of those hard days. The tools we’ve learned in MOPS and Engaged Encounter have been daily mantras we recite about “turning on the crockpot” and being “life giving”. It’s no fairy tale but I am still living the dream. Cheers to twenty, Hottie Phil!" We made it two decades! I did a HIIT class then checked in on the Danes again. They were understandably slow moving after the previous day. I brought the kids over to visit and said our good-byes to half of them. Hanne and Henrik ended up upgrading their flight (to accommodate for the broken arm) and extended their stay. So we said Farevel to Kirsten and Preban. Phil and I snuck out for a happy hour date night at OrSay before a late night dance pick up. Thursday, I took Ellie to school early, while my saint of a neighbor took Marly to Campaigners and then picked up my parents to drive to Gainesville to see a neurologist associated with UF Health. Our Jax neurologist wanted a second opinion on the type of dementia dad has. Turns out after a fairly short assessment, she agrees with the primary progressive aphasia. It presents as Alzheimer's due to his lack of language skills. She's on mom's side for pro home so I am trying to wrap my head around that piece. We listened to Madonna's book, got dad's prescription, swung by McDonalds then I headed to high school to pick up a minivan of 9th graders. We did that #pickone social media challenge for her Birthday party. She chose Dreamette then swimming at TCC. I dropped a minivan load off at TCC then took Abby to dance, picked up Marly from swim and Voss to baseball. I picked up the swimmers to get ready for the next choice, fancy dinner at TCC. They were so excited to get dolled up! I picked up a carpool of dancers, Marly and Voss thankfully got a ride home from the ball park then I did dinner and bed for them. I picked up the 9th graders and took them to Walmart for dollar candy (dollar store was closed) then home for the candy and a movie. I put ear plugs in and went to sleep! For Good Friday, Abby help me set out the stations of the cross on our street. Ellie did a great job cleaning up from the party! The Fredlands came over with a cross to carry for the stations. My saintly neighbor took all my kids out to lunch for their Birthdays. I walked down to visit my parents and the Danes. We had the 3rd grade parent night out and no one showed! Well, after an hour another couple joined us and then a third. We ended up on another late night at Lillians not meeting any new 3rd grade parents like I had hoped. On Holy Saturday, Phil took Ellie to dance. I took the younger three to the Losco Park egg hunt. My college roomie met up with us and we had a catch up sesh during the hunt. They were kicking off their spring break from VA! We dropped Marly at Sophie's manicure Birthday party then met Phil and Ellie for a Firehouse lunch. We said another farvel to the second round of Danes, Henrik and Hanne before their drive to Orlando to catch an upgraded flight back to Denmark. I picked up Marly then got Ellie ready for a quinceañera. Phil and I took she and Charlotte out to the beach for the party then we had a date night while out there. Neptune Beach has so many fun places that we never go to. We began at Sliders for oysters and cocktails then walked on the beach before going to Meza Luna then capped it off at Pete's Bar. It was a fun night but ran later than I would have liked. The Easter Bunny had to get to work! Easter Sunday came bright and early. The kids were excited with the loot and did a hunt in the front yard. We all served at mass then helped with the egg hunt and brunch at church. We went to the Freemans for a linner, dyed eggs and Jess set up another fun egg hunt. I took my parents on a sunset boat ride (after a not so pleasant beginning getting the boat started). But, it ended well. Here are the pics of the week. Monday was the day to walk around downtown Key West. We chose the most humid day and Abby lost her shoes. That made things interesting. At one point, I was walking barefoot downtown. We began at Books & Books, Judy Blume's book store. We spent time stalking then bought books and moved along. She didn't come to work that day. We walked to the cemetery then drove to the other sights: Truman's White House, Mallory Square, Hemmingway's house, the light house and Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. Cheeseburgers! Everyone was hot and crabby so we went back to the boat for a break. Some napped, some read and others went paddleboarding. We went to Salute! on the beach for dinner and a nice, buggy sunset. There was a crazy storm in the night, but it was cozy on the boat. The next morning we went to the book store again, for a drive by really...and Judy was there! We got to meet her, take photos and she signed Abby's book. She's so personable, just like you'd expect. I told her about the challenge we did last spring, the book summit and talked to her about joining the group. She asked the kids about what they liked to read and asked about our trip in Key West. It was surreal! I thanked her for all she's done for young readers. Next we went to Dante's a restaurant on the water with a pool. That was perfect! We should have done that on Monday, but we didn't know. The storm brought about a nice breeze so it was pleasant to sit out and relax. We were supposed to go on a sunset cruise on the catamaran but the boat captain got his finger stuck in a propeller and had to go to Miami for surgery. We went to Ft. Zachary Taylor beach and had a picnic dinner. This beach had neat rocks to snorkel around. I walked and listened to my book. The next morning we packed up and went to Long Key, about halfway up to keys. We were able to enjoy the amenities at Lime Tree Bay resort before our room was ready. That was super nice! Swimming, biking, laying in a hammock, ping pong all right on the gulf. We went to lunch on Fiesta Key at a place in an RV camp right on the water. Our room was right in the middle with a gorgeous view. We watched Minions and enjoyed the hotel stay. Everyone loved the free breakfast (with even gluten free options...we think Ellie might have a gluten allergy so we're trying it out). It was delightful. We drove back up to Miami and went with Vane and Izzy to the Pinecrest Gardens. We loved seeing the peacocks! Abu made a delicious dinner. The next day we took it easy. It poured rain! Michelle and Georgette finally made it up to visit! We had a Birthday party for all the spring Birthdays. Then, I drove us back to Jacksonville and listened to the end of my book. The last half was much better! All in all, I think it was one of our better spring breaks. Key West was just easy. Lots of R&R. I took Ellie to dance on Saturday morning and went on a run with Suzanne. We celebrated Alex' Birthday. We met Phil and the others for Firehouse lunch then I took a crew to the library. We picked up a fresh stack of SSYRA books. Ellie babysat Koda. We went on a double date with the Strassers to their restaurant and had a nice time. This morning was Palm Sunday. We got there early to altar serve but they had so many. Trying to get back to normal and get ready for a busy week back to school. Sunday Funday soccer and a Southern Steer dinner. Here are our pics of the week.
The weather has been perfectly spring, a beautiful time to be in Jacksonville. As part of this season, I begin dashing around more than usual. I spent the day on Tuesday unpacking and getting back to normal. I went to barre class, had dad for a visit and picked up Marly from swim team try outs (yes! She made the middle school swim team. Yay for more juggling!). I dropped off Papa then the kids and I went to the Penance Service. Lots of crabbiness. I said to my friend, Ann Marie as we walked in, that this was the MOST PERFECT place for us to be going! Wednesday I got to sub up for B and play with Maggie at Atlantic Beach. Listening to Peter Attia on the way. It wasn’t an easy win that first set like I was hoping. It took a bit for us to click. But it sure was a nice win 6-4, 6-3. Turns out we were the only line who won! I dashed home and took the boat with my mom to TCC for lunch. It was so great to see her smile! Ellie took she and dad on an afternoon boat ride after that. I dashed to the store to get ready for my #colortraychallenge MOPS girls night. I did a last minute green. Thursday was play day at elementary school and Pi Day at middle school. I dashed from one to the other with lots of quality time with teachers. Ellie and I went on a quick thrift trip after school. We packed for spring break and met the Johnson Hardison’s for dinner at Lillian’s. Then met Jenny, Lauren and Anne Marie. The next morning we packed up and drove to Miami. I ended up doing most of the driving, which I wasn’t really prepared for. I downloaded a book last minute and it’s just okay. The Latecomer by Korelitz. We had a gas station lunch and a delicious dinner with the Abus of tilapia and salmon. Hair cuts for all and an early bedtime. The next morning we drove down to Key West stopping at Robbie’s to feed the tarpon on our way. My Expedia parameters are set on unique experiences after my roadtrips. Last September, I booked a catamaran for us for the week. Technically we are on Big Coppitt Key, which is the next key over from Key West. Turns out the catamaran is docked in someone’s backyard, not a marina like I thought. So that’s a little awkward. We stopped for a delicious lunch at Geiger Key marina, where they cleaned the fish right there after catching them. So fresh! We saw a iguana going for a swim! Once getting situated on the catamaran, we took paddle boards and kayaks to explore the area around, Halfmoon Key. Later, we went to Hogfish Grill for more fresh hogfish! Sunday morning we woke up and went to mass downtown Key West at the Basilica of the St. Mary Star of the Sea. We got a picnic lunch and went to Smathers beach. We convinced Phil to let us all go parasailing! I still can’t believe he got up there, too! It was so fun! We saw a huge sea turtle, too! We capped it off at Blue Heaven for shrimp, Crazy Lady beer and key lime pie! Another amazing sleep on the catamaran! It was hard to get up! Here are the pics of the week.
The first week of March and it’s already feeling like spring…in the FL that is. The beginning of the week was pretty stressful. Just so much going on and I don’t know how to slow it down. Lots of juggling to prep for a teenage Birthday bash and being gone for the weekend. I began the week with a PTA meeting after middle school drop off. I nominated myself for nominating committee and got a good team voted in. I went to tennis clinic and got to be on a fun misfit court. Tuesday, I went with Voss on a field trip to a STEM lab where he coded a robot and learned simple physics with legos. It was pretty cool. Dad came to hang for the afternoon. I got to sub in for the B team on Wednesday and play with my ole MOPS pal, Allison. We smoked them which was so nice. That night I met the girls for dinner and we saw the Tina Turner musical. Wow! That voice! It was so good; like a concert! Our outings seem to be so perfectly timed. I needed a breather. Thursday we had MOPS with my pal, Mae as the speaker. I’m already half way through the book she suggested. From there I brought CFA lunch to the Birthday girl at school. Marly is so excited to be thirteen! For me, it feels like she’s been a teen for years. I did some GORT assessing and then dashed around being late to everything for the afternoon. Papa came over for a bit and FaceTimed his friend. The girls had dance, Voss had baseball, Phil had a tennis tournament so Marly and I had a date night for her Birthday. I told her she got her wish of being an only child. But of course I got heat for dipping out for the weekend. Friday, I went with Voss on another field trip- this time a gifted only trip to the Cade Museum in Gainesville. It was a neat trip, but I did feel bad for the others classes of 3rd graders who didn’t get to go. That afternoon was Marly’s Swifty party. Abby helped me put together the album bedding decor. The girls sang their hearts out along with a YouTube concert. I’m not sure how long they stayed up, but I went to bed. I was up and out early. My parents and I Ubered to the airport and flew to Chicago to meet Erik’s baby, Logan. His inlaws wined and dined us. They really made the whole trip so much easier for us; I can’t even begin. Erik picked us up from Midway. We had a nice lunch and got situated staying at their neighbor’s house. I went back with Erik to pick up Matt at OHare. We had a delicious baptism pre-party lasagna dinner. Spending time with the family (and Erik’s family) and taking turns snuggling 3 month Logan was so awesome! Sunday morning we headed to St. Timothy’s Lutheran church. It was so welcoming with name tags and a coffee station. The service was beautiful. Logan slept through the whole thing then woke up smiling after his Baptism. It was awesome! The Losiks hosted a delicious reception afterwards. That carrot cake: wow! We sat around the living room passing the baby and sharing stories. It was really nice. I went with Erik again to bring Matt back to the airport. The Losiks hosted yet another delicious dinner…this time with gumbo and shrimp etouffee. I stayed up filling them in on dementia dad drama. This morning we’ve had a relaxing day packing up and watching the chaos of Erik and Kelley prepare to fly with a baby back to CA. I’m now on the flight back to Jacksonville and just finished The Choice. It was such a nice visit. I’m grateful they made the trip to meet us half way. So much easier getting to Chicago than San Francisco! Here are the pics of the week.
I feel the need to brag on the village; the group of people who help me mom. I think teen uber is included in this village. On Monday I got to go to both HIIT and tennis and then the store to get all the stuff for the movie night on Friday. So fun planning a party with no budget or RSVPs. Tuesday we had the SAC stakeholders meeting at JWJ. We turned that into the principal coffee chat, too. My pal Angela did all the work for that, which I am forever grateful for. With the looming movie night, that would have just pushed me over the edge. I had a dentist appointment that afternoon then brought my dad over to hang for a few hours. I got to play in a USTA match that night with a new friend, Elizabeth who is a beast at the net. It was so fun playing with her. We lost steam in the second set but then won the tie breaker so it was a good match (against two chicks from Beachwalk who play on the B team). Wednesday I went to HIIT and then got my windshield repaired (from a rock that hit us on the way back from Navarre). I walked around the parking lot listening to Unsheltered during the repair. It was an early release day so the kids just fend for themselves. I had to just laugh, after me hanging out all afternoon the windshield cracked when they installed it. Apparently the pressure? So, I got to come back again. I rushed home in time for our long awaited dinner date with the Krishnamurthies. It was so fun to finally catch up with them and enjoy the apps at 13 Gypsies. We kept going to mussels and oysters at OrSay and ran into the Agrestis. Also, I had a little high school reunion with one ole pal on a date and another as our server. Thank you to the Parks for taking Abby after school and Christie for taking Abby home from dance. Love that Village! Thursday I field tripped with Abby to Starbase. It was kina boring but I loved catching up with Tilley in the back of the room. Marly has been doing this 7th grade young life group before school on Thursday mornings. The teen leading the group happens to live down the street and picks up Marly and then takes her to school! Wow! What a saint! I had dad for a few hours after the field trip, ordered a pizza dinner for a MOPS friend who just had her 4th baby (C-section) and her husband is flighting pancreatic cancer! Friday I went to HIIT class and then spent the day prepping for the movie night. I unloaded all the drinks and spent the afternoon figuring out how to get a movie to play in the gym (not outdoors thanks to the rain). I ended up using a hot spot on my phone and a projector I borrowed from a MOPS mom. Ryan helped me rig a microphone to the speaker. SO MANY people came! I was overwhelmed! The pizza was late so then we were in a frenzy slinging it! An old MOPS mom, Elise saved my day by helping physically and emotionally. My kids were working hard, too! It was a great turn out but I'm wiped! I came late to Patrick's surprise party at Lillians. We stayed up too late but had a great time. Saturday, Ellie had dance. My sister, SQ made me run 3 miles with her (high aspirations to do the river run next year). Meanwhile, my hip is still hurting from that run! My parents took Marly on a shopping spree for her Birthday. She got so many nice. things! We met up for Firehouse subs then I took a snuggle snooze with Phil. The Fredlands took the older girls to Rise Up. Phil and I went to my ole pal, Sandy's house for a reunion. It was good for my brain to recall names, dates and stories from high school! Sunday was a marathon of a day! At 8am the whole family took my van in for the windshield repair. Then we went to mass. For CCD we took a field trip to the Eucharistic Miracles expo. Phil and I headed out to the Landtrust brunch. The Englands took the older two and the Martin's took Abby later to the winter concert rehearsal. We picked up my parents and headed to Bolles for the recital. I was not very impressed with the choreography but of course my daughters were amazing. We all went to dinner at Mellow along with the Hogans and Fields so cap off a Sunday Funday. Here are the pics of the week.
I had lots of feel good soulful moments this week. I’m feeling at peace and very grateful. Kerri and I had a great match way out at Sherwater on Tuesday. They are always so nice to play against and even toasted our win with Prosecco. I met Jamie for lunch afterwards enjoying my fav raw salmon bowl. For the cherry on top, I met my high school pals for drinks and apps, Chrissy and Jacy talking about our parents and aging…also planning a girls trip to Africa! I did a HIIT class and errands on Wednesday. My dad came over for dinner while mom hosted book club. He was in great spirits and we had delicious Southern Steer chicken and Brussel sprouts. Thursday, my sweet neighbor took Marly to a breakfast Bible study with Young Life. Kerri and I had a long match at Julington Creek and lost in a 3rd set tie breaker. I was wiped out after that! With the help of a bottle of wine, 2 hrs of Delta online chat and woozy texting with Phil from Lillian’s, I finally booked our flights to Ecuador for the summer! Now I can breathe easier and skip in my steps! Friday morning, I drove carpool, packed up and went to tennis clinic (windy day made it wacky). Kerri whisked me away for another beach weekend, this time on the Atlantic Ocean in Fernandina. I was so flattered to be included on Kerri’s beach girls weekend; wined, dined and chauffeured! I followed them around while shopping downtown. We had drinks and apps then back to the condo for more. Night walk on the beach, lots of laughs and a few debates. Two nights of fabulous sleep listening to the waves crash. Bloody Mary’s and lunch out. We walked to the Ritz for hot tub time. I finished listening to Democracy Awakening while walking on the beach. Saturday was a gorgeous day. Phil held down the fort and raced all over town: babysitting gigs for the girls, Voss’ first baseball practice of the season, dance class for Ellie, cake making party for Marly, two sleepovers and a play date for Abby. Aunt Suzanne also jumped in to help get Ellie to a Birthday party. Whew! And I got to tap out of it all! Today we are getting everything back to normal. A Birthday party for Voss, mass and CCD, homework, Target run and family soccer. Here are the pics of the week.
I’ve been hacking this cough all week. Sounds like I have tuberculosis. I even lost my voice for a few days. I got my days of carpool mixed up and was a hot mess on Monday. Ellie had to get a cavity filled that morning. I got to see Abby get reader of the month at flag raising. I joined Vanessa for a lesson since I missed clinic. Our match on Tuesday got rescheduled so I went to a barre class instead. Phil and I went to a Valentine’s Day live ball Tuesday night. It was fun, but I was feeling crappy. Valentines Day fell on Ash Wednesday this year. I took the kids to 6:30 mass and then dropped them all off at school. Then I hopped in the car and tagged along with Phil to a business meeting in Orlando. I walked the streets of the gorgeous downtown while listening to The Women, powering through my fast and cough. That afternoon we checked into our hotel and hit the scene at Disney Springs. So much live music and tasty drinks. We even saw a Cirque du Soleil show that was amazing! We had a great night of sleep and then enjoyed coffee in the hot tub. It was a fabulous get away. The village showed up to hold down the fort at home. My amazing neighbor took Marly to get her braces! Rides to and from dance and school. I went to tennis clinic and a Nutcracker board meeting on Friday. We had a family sushi dinner that night. On Saturday morning we got up too early and headed across Florida. We had a long weekend minivacay in Navarre. The weather was crap but the gulf coast is still so gorgeous. The Mallette cousins came out that Saturday afternoon. The cold didn’t slow the girls down from a polar plunge. The rest of us loved the hot tub and heated pool. We went to our fave, Old Bay Steamer for dinner. So delicious! We went to church on the beach and then tried to check out the outdoor market in Ft. Walton but it was too cold. We bought hot chocolate and soup and went back to the condo. It was a wonderful afternoon reading The Queen of Dirt Island, working on a puzzle, napping and just relaxing. I walked on the beach listening to my book. We went to Juana’s for dinner. Later, I braved it with the girls and did a night polar plunge then hit up the pool and hot tub. Another great night of sleep then a relaxing morning with coffee and Marly making breakfast. Another quick walk, polar plunge and then soak in the hot tub. Now we are driving back to Jax. I’m ready for book club tonight to discuss The Queen of Dirt Island. Here are the pics of the week.
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