The week began with a Birthday for Abigail. We had CFA for lunch and then cupcakes for the class. Tuesday we went to tour middle school. It was impressive, even the third time around! And then Wednesday was art day and I volunteered in the 5th grade with Aborigines dot art. So, Abby and I had 3 days in a row together (but no tennis or work outs for me this week) on her Birthday week. We had a Chinese medicine expert and a new location for MOPS on Thursday, questionable, yes. I had lots of soul enriching time with friends this week. Gotta love that! My high school pal, Alex and I had lunch at the Brick on Tuesday. Kathleen and I went to Mrs. Crosby's viewing on Wednesday night. (My dad came, too). April and I had lunch and walked around the Cummer on Thursday afternoon then Laurie and I walked during dance that evening. Hilary and I met in St. Augustine for coffee on Friday. Then, Steph hosted a 'Dryanuary is over' lunch on Friday. I got in trouble for not being home on time according to Phil so I got to enjoy Chinese Food and Lessons in Chemistry on a Friday night while the family went out for pizza. Ellie went to Saturday dance class with Ms. Natalia. She is committed now! Abby and I walked and enjoyed dangerous donuts! More Abby and I time. Marly babysat all morning. Phil took Voss to practice baseball. That afternoon we took the boat to the Grace Note grand opening. Perfect day with live music and craft beer. I finished off the last week of January so well with a 36 hour fast and blood work for my annual. Yay! Marly babysat that night. Ellie took all the kids home (including dropping Marly off for her babysitting gig) and then ubered back to join us. This morning we were a bit late to mass then CCD and bfast at TCC. I took a Valentine pic and now it's a rainy Sunday. Perfect day for a bunch of nothing. Phil and I are going to a Young Lives benefit dinner tonight. Voss said he's making baked potatoes for dinner. Here are our photos of the week.
We had a full week of festivities to celebrate Vossy Boy. I'm still hurting a week later from the HIIT class on Monday. I snuck out of clinic early to bring cupcakes to Voss' class and McD's for lunch. He was so bummed his Birthday fell on a Monday this year. "Why did they do that, Mom?!" I had to laugh and explain that the days change every year and that he could celebrate all week! That means I also ate way too much cake this week! To kickoff literacy week, I read in Voss and Abby's class (Magic Treehouse and then Double Fudge). We had Voss' favorite lasangna and blue cake for dinner. On Tuesday I skipped tennis for a SAC and DCCPTA meeting, only to find out the DCCPTA meeting was moved to Thursday. So it turned into a weird morning where I just spend way too much time editing the summer road trip video. I think I finally finished it today, though. Mom checked out the TCC bridge group and dad hung with me for the afternoon. Wednesday we had a PTSA coffee meeting and then I ran errands, took Spot for a walk then had a recall appointment with Honda for something electronic. Dad came over while mom went to book club. We listened to Ian's Cutco sales pitch and bought another knife. Thursday, Kerri and I got to play together at Jax Golf (and win!). I got some amazing book recs for next month from Hillary, my new friend. I met Jess and Steph for a catch up lunch at Bodrum. Friday I took my parents to the WJCT Lunch & Learn, the current landscape of Alzheimer's. We had Tidbits and enjoyed the presentation. I'm so glad mom was open to going! My biggest take away is that memory loss is not a normal sign of aging like I thought it was. My dad was mad I wouldn't let him take the mic during the Q&A. Mom was mad they were not further along in the treatments. So, it was a rough afternoon. I didn't get much of a break before the super sleepover to celebrate Voss and Abby's Birthdays. Phil luckily took the boys to play laser tag. Ellie sat with the girls at the TCC pool (we had two gorgeous days of weather!) while Marly and I went to WD. I whipped up a batch of chili for Abby and hotdogs for Voss. More cake and candy! I was very much ready for bedtime that came too late. Phil set up a family zip lining date at UNF to celebrate the Birthday kids. It was so much fun! We had burgers for lunch then had a chill afternoon. Marly saw a movie with Addy. Ellie had a dinner date with friends. Phil and I went to our friend's change of command at FYC and then the Nutcracker board dinner. This morning we served at mass and now we're taking it easy. After all the Alzheimers talk this week, I am trying to do a 18hr fast. Ugh today is no fun for that. Here are the pics of the week.
It was a rainy, cold week and so no tennis for me. I drove the Korean carpool to Landon on Tuesday where the kids got to skyway to the mayors office for a visit. I checked out a barre class at TCC. For our last night with Jisan, she made us classic Korean ramen. The next morning I bid farewell and took them to Landon where they later went to the airport. All in all, it was a wonderful visit. Bruce Almighty took a full time job so we had to bid farewell to him, too. I helped with dad to give mom a break this week. He came with us to the kids dentist. Two kids with cavities and one kid referred for braces. My parents came over for dinner where I made minestrone soup. It was perfect for this cold weather with great veggies. We ate it all week. I helped with the caffeine cart for teachers at the middle school. Then we had Noelle talk to us at MOPS. She is so good! I am having the worst sweet tooth! We celebrated Paul’s Birthday early with cake at Lillian’s on Thursday night. I took my parents to adoration on Friday after a run with Spot. Phil and I had a date lunch to Trent’s. That night we surprised Ashley turning 40 at the Lark. It was a fun mix of people! I took Ellie to her dance class on Saturday morning. Suzanne made me breakfast and we had a nice visit. I then took Ellie to meet a friend at the town center. You know how I feel about that place. I listened to my book, A Song Flung Up to Heaven while walking around. It was SO COLD! Ellie and Marly went to Panera and Chamblins to do homework, Phil and I went to Laurie's Hygge party then Paul's 60th Birthday party. This morning we were a bit late to mass and got to experience the service from the back. We had a full religion class then took the middle two to brunch at TCC. Marly and I went to WD. We had a soccer Sunday match and then Tijuana Flats and Charlie Brown movie night. Here are our photos of the week.
We're having fun learning about Korea and introducing Jisan to all things America. On Monday, I snuck out for the morning to HIIT and tennis clinic then took the kids to the beach. It was a teacher planning day so still no school. The Kuders called the gate to get us into Sawgrass so we were able to use the club amenities and our TCC number still works there for lunch. It was cold. At first I was questioning my judgement to take the group out there. We had lunch huddled by the heat lamp and then headed down to the beach. It turned out to be a great afternoon out there. Ellie went polar bear and took a plunge first. Abby and Voss eventually followed her. I think Jisan loved putting her toes in the Atlantic and admiring the sea foam and the violent waves. We warmed up in the heated pool and then headed home. On the drive back we heard school was canceled for the following day due to severe weather. Ugh. It was windy and rainy but nothing crazier than our typical thunderstorm. My mom's friends came early to head out to Ameila Island for their girls trip so I was on Papa duty. He loved hanging out in the middle of the chaos. The kids all went to Target in the morning before the rain came. That afternoon they baked cookies, we TikTok'd and prepared for the next day. I made dad get up early for carpool duty on Wednesday. THEY FINALLY WENT BACK TO SCHOOL! Dad came with me to take my car in for a much needed tune up. We walked to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast then waited another 2 hours. Dad loved watching the cars being repaired and I made a good dent on our book club book. Jisan went to dance class with the girls that night. The girls had a field trip to some type of hydroponic garden at FSCJ. My dad's friend came for a visit while Kerri and I got spanked by Ponte Vedra (4-6, 0-6). I'd love a rematch. I'm hoping dad can get roped in a bit with Rotary again. We Facetimed his friend in CA and baked more cookies. Dryanuary is going fine but I'm having major sugar cravings which might be just as bad as the alcohol. Phil spent the night with Papa that night for a sleepover. They had a fire and stayed up watching the office. That made it easier for me to do carpool and let dad sleep in. He had physical therapy then we went to WD and picked up mom (back from her trip) for adoration. That afternoon I hosted a river play date (pretending like it's summertime) with hotdogs for dinner. We lucked out with a flat, clear afternoon on the river. Phil and I met the Georges for a late dinner out. Delicious Italian at Josephines. The girls went to Universal the next day. I took Ellie to a dance class in Fruitcove with her Nutcracker teacher (to try something different). She then had two babysitting gigs that afternoon and evening. We went to 5pm mass with my parents. Then went out for sushi with the younger two (sitting at the bar and watching them make sushi was very cool). I picked up the girls from Landon around 10pm after a fun day in Orlando. We all went right to bed. Ellie ubered home from her babysitting gig. Sunday we had a down day. Abby and I rode bikes and went orange picking with Papa. Abby juiced a whole bunch of them. Yum! Phil set up a Sunday Funday family soccer match again. We had a huge group and a huge field! We raced to Mandarin for dinner at Kim's Korean BBQ. It was neat to try all the Korean foods family style. Beth graciously took all the girls to a friend's house on the southside for a girls night. Angela went back and picked them up later. Loving all the carpooling and hang out support! No school on Monday to celebrate Dr. King. I snuck out again for HIIT and tennis clinic. Abby went to Michelle's. I took the other kids downtown for the parade. We then went to the town center to meet up with Ellie's friends for an escape room and Korean friends. Voss and I basically stayed in the book store so I could keep reading. I've been busting it to finish the Books of Jacob. I do not recommend. Marly threw a tantrum that we left the town center too early but the rest of us were done. Phil took the kids to KFC, I escaped to book club. Heather did an amazing job hosting us making all types of Eastern European cuisine. I got to rock my Turkmen clothing. Here are the photos of the week.
Our first week of January was similar to the last week of December. Lots of down time, screen time, no schedule. I did get to play a lot of tennis. Kerri set up fun matches for us to get back into the swing of things (see what I did there) and then we had a match on Thursday. We redeemed ourselves against Boone Park, even if we were on line 3. I got to sub in to B on Friday and Diane and I won against Eagle Harbor. I spent lots of time with my parents, trying to give my mom breaks because she is done caregiving and ready to put dad in a home. That's been all the drama of the week. We had a busy day on Wednesday with a primary care check up for dad on his torn rotator cuff (due to severe arthritis), then lunch date with mom at Trents then we all went to dinner in St. Augustine to see the Nights of Lights. It was rainy but still ended up being a nice time together. We celebrated the Strassor brothers buying Lillians on Thursday night (me with my soda water and lime). The girls had a sisters shopping day at the Town Center to spend all their babysitting cash. My brother, Matt took Voss, Dad and I to Firehouse then to see planes on base. Voss helped clean the boat while I had a counseling sesh with Bruce Almighty. That night we headed to the airport to meet Jisan, our Korean exchange student for the next two weeks! Marly made a sign and we got balloons. I think we lucked out. Her English is very good and she's open to trying new things and likes to ask questions and be involved. She brought us a whole suitcase of gifts and Korean foods to try! We met the other families from our school with students at Mellow for dinner. Poor Jisan was falling asleep at the table! She slept in until 11:30 on Saturday. Voss and I went down the street to celebrate Jack's Birthday bounce house party. Phil took the girls to CFA and the TCC dock to see the city by water. That evening, I took the girls for an early dinner at Five Guys then to Cotillion. Thankful I brought my ear plugs! This one seemed to last longer. Our group was not as excited about dancing but I love how they stay together. It was a huge dance! This morning I was so impressed Jisan was ready to go by 8:10. We made it just in time for mass to hear about the Feast of the Epiphany. High hopes for all of us following the star to a better relationship with God this year. Our first religion class back was really good talking about the wise men and the term humility. We went home to change then met the other exchange students for a BBQ picnic. We stopped by Lillians for Jisan to try gator tail and see the Jags make some awful plays. We met the gang at the park for family soccer. We had a huge group! Suzanne stopped by along with the Hollands and Dr. Agresti in addition to the usuals: Fredlands, Nixons and Cummings. We all went out for Dreamette after, a belated Birthday treat by the Fredlands. Ramen to warm up after by a smoky fire then everyone was ready for bed. Here are our photos of the week.
I almost like the 12 Days of Christmas better because I'm so wiped out. It's an awesome time to chill and lay around. On the second day of Christmas we went to the downtown post office to get passports! Yay! You know this makes me so happy! Abby and Voss registered for their first passports. Ellie registered for a replacement passport (since hers is in a garbage dump in Miami somewhere) and while doing all the paperwork for these appointments, I noticed Mr. Bravo's stampless passport expires next month! So, we did that, too. I drove away with a huge smile. Phil did the opposite ($!$). We got Voss' new laptop from Santa replaced at Urban Mining then had lunch at The French Pantry. On the 3rd day we went to the Ritz Carlton in Ameila Island while the maids cleaned our house (I mean how swaggor is that?!). We saw the gingerbread ship, Ellie and Abby bravely did a polar plunge, we had a nice lunch and warmed up in the hot tub. I'm not sure what happened the next three days. It was a haze of kids sleeping over here and there, 5 o'clock martinis with the Georges, family soccer, the older girls doing a bunch of babysitting, reading and listening to The Books of Jacob at the same time because it's such a bear to get through! We got a great group to watch the seminoles get a spanking in the Orange Bowl. We drank away our sorrows at Grace Note. Last minute, my brother, mom and I decided to go to the Jags game. Phil was not feeling well. Grateful it was a 24 hour thing and not a week long thing that's going around! We ubered right there to the front gate about 10 minutes after the game started. Matt got us great seats in the lower bowl. It felt so great to get a win after the loss the day before. A chamber of commerce day for Jacksonville football! Just what we needed. Ellie's babysitting plans changed last minute so I took her as my date to the NYE party at TCC that night. We got gussied up and dropped Marly for her babysitting gig (girl killed it that day in babysitting!) It was a sweet party but I was done and ready to start January after all the December debauchery! I've played tennis the last two days to get back into it. I made a beef Wellington for dinner last night with black eyes peas and collard greens to ring in 2024. Trying to get the kids back on some kind of schedule with less screen time, but ugh! Happy New Year! Here are the pics from the last week of the year!
Another week of festivities! On Monday I hosted a party I call Women Supporting Women. Women carry the heavy load usually this time of year: gift buying, wrapping, cooking, planning, hosting and coordinating- on top of everything else we normally do. So I invite every woman I know to come over and eat, drink and be merry. We even did a TikTok with my mom and Nutcracker friends. That evening, I went to the MOPS cookie swap. I was wiped from my party but kept the party train going. Grateful I made the decision to make the 5 dozen cookies on Friday because I have no idea when else I would have done that! The games played at the cookie swap were awesome! Tuesday, I spent the day at Stanton for the teacher soup swap. I got up early to start on the chicken soup; turmeric and garlic were perfect additions with this funk going around town. That PTA is off the chain with how much they do! Ellie and I did some quick thrifting on the way home. I was happy to have leftover soup (with fresh bread from Kerri) on a perfect soup dinner day! My dad came over to hang that evening, too. I went to Walmart, HIIT holiday class then April’s gift wrapping party on Wednesday. It was a great time to get myself organized. And then I ran around getting all the teacher gifts squared away. That is no joke! Embroidered pashmenias and gift cards all over town, oh my! Marly made panko chicken for dinner. My parents had a friend’s Christmas party so they didn’t join us. Thursday I took my parents to dad’s neurology appointment downtown. He still has Dementia but the neurologist suggested trying UF’s memory disorders clinic in Gainesville for a second opinion. Not that the type of Dementia matters but why not. Maybe there’s a cool study we can be a part of? I rushed to the elementary school after to help run Abby’s class party. I’m grateful Phil got there early to cover for me until I could get there. We ended up getting plenty of volunteers and donations and it was a great party! I re-used the jingle bell game from Monday night. It was the kids last day of school for the year. Ellie went to Charlotte’s for a gift exchange party. Phil and I picked her up then stayed for a drink with the Bentons. Friday morning, Marly and I spent the morning with my dad while my mom ran errands. Bruce, the caregiver is in the hospital with pneumonia and a collapsed lung! Last minute we threw out an all call and got a great group to go caroling at the nursing home, like old times! It was the perfect way to get in the spirit! We had lunch at Firehouse. That evening was our neighbor progressive dinner. This was one of the better ones. I failed on the luminaries but the turn out was good and my chocolate peppermint martini was delish! We had apps at the Sassers, soup & salad at the Langstons. Linda brought over rolls and smoked turkey for our house then Monica and Elmer ended with dessert. We met the Strassers for a nightcap at Orsay. Poor Lauren is feeling awful this week. Saturday was a lazy morning. I did some last minute gift gathering; printing coupons for my mom’s gift and laminated photos for dad’s wallet. Ellie came with me and my parents to mass at Sacred Heart for the 4th Sunday of Advent. We met the Johnson Hardisons at High Tide then Gracenote. Christmas Eve we played soccer with the Fredlands then went to the kids mass. I’m so proud of all my children for serving! Ellie read the first reading. The 3 other kids altar served. It was special. Phil and I made a delicious surf and turf dinner with our family. It was nice to have just us together. We opened gifts and watched Christmas Vacation. Santa seemed to have a much easier time this year. I can’t put my finger on why. It just seemed to go much smoother with a decent bedtime. The deal was 7am but Voss started around 3:30 to start Christmas. We eventually went downstairs together at 6:30. There were happy screams all around. We had a lazy morning with the kids playing with their gifts. I watched It's a Wonderful Life. Marly made Jesus' Birthday cake. We went to my sister's around 3 for supper. We had dueling crockpots of beef stroganoff. The fact that I came home with almost a full crockpot means SQ won. Hers was so good! I brought raw oysters and we had multiple cocktails. We did the white elephant gift exchange and just had family fun. It was a nice Christmas. Here are the pics of the week.
What even happened last week? I don't even know. I'm kina like a zombie after that Nutcracker week. But the apocalypse did not happen; Christmas is still coming. I drove middle school carpool then went to flag raising on Monday to see Voss receive the student of the month award. Whoop! Whoop! The character trait was Patriotism (of course). I slipped out early to be late to the HIIT class, then clinic. I ran around and did some Christmas shopping. Elizabeth and Sunny hosted book club to start the discussion on The Books of Jacob. We had a book themed item gift exchange. Meredith was my DD. Lots of laughs! Tuesday, Kerri and I won against Atlantic Beach in a third set. I came home and vegged and watched Christmas as Usual on Netflix, which was a kina bad re-do of Meet the Parents. We had our tennis party that night. Delicious sushi, catching up with tennis friends I don't see as often and another gift exchange. I stole napkins (again) this year. Wednesday was STEM day in the morning at the elementary school. It began as terrifying because I received a text from Ellie on my drive to the elementary school after leaving the middle school with an "I love you, mamma" and then heard there was a code red at the high school. I think I held my breath for half the drive and then was in a state of terror for the beginning of the prep for the 3rd grade activity. I finally got a call that it was actually a code YELLOW (meaning shooter in the neighborhood, not IN the school like a code red....still awful, yes). I'm grateful the mom I was volunteering with took over running the experiment on sound while I stayed glued to my phone receiving all the updates. It was sweet to be there with Voss' class and pop in to see Abby. I went from there to the middle school for the teacher cookie swap. Always fun chilling with middle school teachers with lots of sugar in the new lounge they have over there. My parents came over for dinner. I was late putting in the pot roast so it wasn't as good as I was hoping. Thursday, Kerri and I lost in the third set against Boone Park. It stung because we both really felt like we should have won. Too many mistakes. I finally zonked that night with a decent bedtime. Friday morning I went to a HIIT class, the post office and more shopping. I drove Ellie and Addison to the other side of town for a basketball game (not either of their schools) like a crazy mother of teens. We went to our first Hanukkah party that night. Sunny was so sweet to include us. We tried latkes, played with dreidels and got to participate in the candle lighting ceremony. We went to VDub's Pub for a nightcap after. Saturday morning, I took Marly and Addison to Target (crazy teen mom again) then went on a run with Abby and Voss. The girls and I went to the Freemans Mother Daughter gingerbread party. It's such a sweet tradition and so nice to visit with friends. We came home with 3 giant gingerbread houses which none of us need. Can you hear Voss screaming from the screen?! Phil and Voss went to a meeting for the hosts of exchange students because we are getting a friend for a few weeks in January from South Korea! We all went to Confession that afternoon- getting our souls tidy in preparation for Christmas. The rain starting coming that afternoon. Crazy storm, my goodness! Ellie babysat. Marly and Abby went to a Taylor Swift viewing party at the Harmons. Phil and I got a date and then met the Johnson Hardisons at the Bierhall. Sunday morning, Ellie and I red at mass. The middle girls and Voss (first time!) altar served! My patience wore thin in religion class. We had breakfast at TCC which was very nice. Still raining! We finally had a down day with a bunch of nothing. Well, not for me. I was polishing silver and getting ready for my party the next day. That night was the Cogent Bank holiday party at TCC. Power was knocked out in the club for most of the day, but they were able to recover for the party. I'm proud of banker Phil. Here are our photos of the week.
Wow. We did it! I feel like I'm in a fog after the week but it was a dream, everything I'd hoped it would be! All six of us were in the Community Nutcracker! What a whirlwind of a week! On Monday I went to a HIIT class then dashed downtown to help with load in at the theatre. I filled the minivan with props after the last practice so it was good to get everything out. I ended up getting a parking ticket. Ugh. I met my mom for manis & pedis as an early Birthday gift for me. I did a lot of running around prep for the week. Tuesday was my Birthday. I woke up way too early, ready to start the day! I got a Birthday spanking on the tennis court, Maureen and I couldn't figure out how to pull us out of there. 0-6, 3-6. After Christmas shopping at Walmart (again) I retreated to Sherry for a Birthday massage. It was amazing! Soon after, I got a text that Erik and Kelley had their baby, Logan James! We had Act I dress rehearsal but I made the girls come, too for a photo. Due to costume delays that photo didn't happen until 9pm but we got it done! We made it to Biscottis just in time for a Birthday dinner and lots of cake! It was a great day! Wednesday was much calmer. After HIIT class I watched I Believe in Santa on Netflix and ate leftover cake. The girls and I went back to the theatre for Act II dress rehearsal. I loved getting to see them, especially since I didn't see the older two's rehearsals. Thursday morning was the first day of shows. We had a school show in the morning (Phil and Voss left after Act I. The girls and I did a Starbucks run on the way home for a quick break before coming back again for round II. I was the Community Service Night chair and reached out to charity organizations to donate tickets. That's the super cool thing about this Nutcracker is that it's a non-profit. All the tickets to that one night were donated. I was a little bummed with the un-used tickets and people leaving at intermission (and missing MY GIRLS dancing). It still was a good turn out and great to see everyone there. We met the Hogans for a nightcap at Lillians that night (stupid idea but so fun). Friday, the girls went back to school. Phil, Voss and I took it easy and went up to the theatre for the school show. It was odd not having the girls there (they were all in Cast A, the guys and I were double casted). We left after intermission and had a late breakfast at Maple Street. That evening, Marly and Ellie went to babysit and the guys and I headed back to the theatre. After Act I we came home. Abby and I watched Christmas Karen and ate pizza. Saturday morning I let half the family sleep in. The other half went to the patrol Fun Run. It was a sweet one mile run by the school. The guys and I went to the theatre for the matinee show. My fake hair slipped out right at the end of our scene! I felt it slipping and then pulled it out while putting on my bonnet at the end. That's what I get for putting it in myself! I'm impressed with myself for repurposing Abby's hair from the Bippity Boppity Botique! Marly did an awesome job with my eye make up all week. Anne Marie let me use her magnetic eye lashes. The girls got a ride to the theater in time for the cast party after the matinee show. It was a fun party with CFA and a DJ. Phil took a snooze while the girls and I danced. We went to the Hyatt to refresh in the lobby then back to the theatre for the final show. It was a good one! Lots of bonding with the other party adults, family photo in the stairwell and gifts for fellow cast members. I think it was such an awesome experience for our family. I know the kids all loved it. The big questions is, will we do it again? My answer: let's just enjoy this year first. And we did! We kept going with the patron party after the show. Way too late at night but still a fun party and neat to see the seniors get scholarships (yes, this Nutcracker does that, too!) Sunday we slept in a bit. I took the younger two to CCD class. Phil and the older two met us for mass after. Voss and Abby had their last soccer game, tied 1-1. They were excited for trophies and the coach said nice things about them both. The bike light parade was rained out, which worked out in our favor. We all just needed soup and grilled cheese and an early bedtime. I finished reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night and Listening to the Many Lives of Mama Love. They were good but not mind blowing . I gave them both 3 stars. Here are the photos from the week.
Here are the professional photos from Jim Moore at Aikophoto You may recall that I waited until the week before Christmas to do any shopping. I am much better this year. I actually went to the town center 3 times this week, Walmart and another thrifting run. I drove carpool this week. I made it to HIIT and then tennis clinic on Monday. Kerri and I won in tennis on Tuesday- took a third set but Joe told us to aim for the backhand and we won that last set 6-0. I met Phil for lunch. I took my dad up to the Angels for Allison open house. Chilly evening was perfect for hot chocolate. Wednesday was another HIIT class, a church evangelical meeting and then the TCC open house party. I'm so proud we were home and in bed by 11. That might be a record for that party! Thursday Liz and I played together and had an epic tennis match. We won the first tie breaker in the first set 7-4, they won the second match 7-5 then we won the third set with a 7-5 tie breaker. Short dinky shots for the win and 4 hours of tennis! Wow! We had a MOPS party at Ashley's that night. I haven't been sleeping well this week. Stress over my parents, fab 5 phone call and getting things in line. We have a wonderful new caregiver, Bruce. He took dad to Target and out to lunch and a ferry ride. He even bakes cookies!I took mom to a therapy appointment and out to lunch on Friday. I drove Abby to her last bonbon rehearsal that evening. Ellie and Addison hung at the town center that night. We did a family movie night with pizza (not deep dish) and Best Christmas Ever. Saturday I took Marly and Addy to Target, dropped off a pair of mouse shoes then Phil, Sadie, Voss and I went to our last party scene rehearsal. Abby had to hop along so I could get her to her grand finale rehearsal. Marly luckily got a ride to hers and Ellie to hers. My mom's uncles came in town for a visit. I had them over for a cocktail before they met my parents for dinner. A crazy storm with tornado warning rolled in. It washed out Christmas in Avondale but we still popped in for the ending and to watch the FSU game. We stayed up too late to watch. Getting up early for mass was tough. I taught the Circle of Grace lesson in CCD. Voss and Abby played their soccer match in the rain. Voss beefed it up as a forward and almost scored twice. They ended up loosing 2-5 but no one seemed to mind. We had supper with Santa tonight at TCC. Moods were not in line with the holiday spirit. It was still a nice supper and we snagged the perfect table. We stopped by Jack's Lights then started decorating for Christmas around our house. We still have a ways to go. Here are the pics of the week.
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