End of September Everyday Images

I really enjoy the photo prompts Kym posts every couple of weeks on her blog (A Fresh Cup Of Coffee). I'm not sure if we're supposed to go looking for something that meets the prompt, or if we're supposed to scroll through the photos we've already taken and see what works. I guess either way is probably fine. 

I tend to look at the prompts when she posts them, and that helps me notice little things throughout the week that might work. I also like to add words to my pictures and make it more of a blog post because I'm better at words than pictures. 

Usually. The fonts in this post are all over the place and I could not seem to correct that. C'est la blog. 

Some weeks I get mine in just under the wire, and I missed last week's altogether, but I'm sharing the most recent here today. Kym posts new prompts every two weeks so you have some time to play. I'm also linking today with Joanne at Slices of Life for her weekly Talking About It Tuesday hop. 

Okay, here's what we're working with this time around-

neighborhood spot~ink~smooth~checked~sunrise and/or sunset~at home~ 

Neighborhood spot...

Not right in my neighborhood, but nearby and a place for neighbors to gather-

We've spent some time here recently, watching the Mancub play baseball and his brother Max on the soccer pitch. We were there Monday evening as the sun was setting, watching the six and under set play their hearts out, ever hopeful of a goal.  

Ink...

I'm not tattooed so I went with the other obvious choice-

Books, which are full of my favorite kind of ink-the written word. This is my current stash just waiting to be read. 

smooth.... 

I try to think out of the box on some of these and this is one of those times. That first cup of morning coffee is smooth, as is the lake early morning. Here's a shot of both-

checked....

I'm finally pulling out a few fall themed items for the house, and on Monday I switched out some pillows on the couch-

It only took me an hour to remember where I'd stashed the covers, but I finally found them in a big box in the attic labeled 'holiday pillows'. Who'd have thought it? 

The pillows are about as much as I've done because I got distracted by some of the other attic boxes I've started going through. I spent all of Monday washing Bitty Baby clothes that have been stored for thirty+ years along with two huge bags of dress up clothes I want my granddaughters to be able to play with one day soon.  I also discovered a stash of letters, cards, and assorted loose and framed photos which are always my downfall.  It's hard to stay focused when you land on a picture like this one- 

Look at that little cutie. I haven't seen this photo in years, and I know it doesn't fit the prompt, but it does make me smile. When I look at this picture today I see how much Daughter2's little Sugar looks like her momma. Her momma was three here, so a little older than Sugar is now, but that face! It's the same. 

Sunrise and/or sunset....

Well if you read here you know I'm never without a sunrise photo-

And lastly, at home.... 

When you live on a lake the water is home. 

Hello Monday, So Long September

September has been a whirlwind of activity, appointments and celebrations, and now somehow we've reached the end of one of my favorite months of the year. 

We had a nice weekend and Mondays are when we link up with Holly (Pink Lady Blog) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books) to chat about them. Here's how ours looked-

Friday morning hubs had a couple of errands to run and I went to Publix to pick up a few groceries and subs for lunch. We took them to Daughter1's house and spent a couple of hours there eating, checking out her new built-in shelves we hadn't seen in person yet, listening to Max read us a book (a new skill for him) and the Mancub play the piano, followed by a fun (yes, it actually was fun) math game with the Mancub called Corners. 

Late Friday afternoon I went to a friend's house with three other girls to catch up and play Mexican Train Dominoes. We had a lot of fun and I'd say time flew, but how many times can I say time is flying without sounding like a granny. 

Which I am, but still. What's up with time? 

Friday night my son-in-law was going to the high school football game and the boys sometimes go with him, but the weather was questionable so everyone came to our house instead. Hubs grilled burgers and then my son-in-law went on to the game and the rest of us strolled down memory lane going through two big boxes of VHS tapes and books I've been saving for decades. 

When we first mentioned to the girls that we had these two huge boxes of VHS tapes they were quick to say might as well get rid of them. Then daughter1 got her hands on the actual movie cases and said we couldn't possibly get rid of them lol. She's talked hubs into buying a tv for one of the guest rooms that we can connect a player too so the kids can watch the classics. She's including herself in the term 'kids' because once she saw The King and I, My Fair Lady, and The Little Princess she was down the rabbit hole of her childhood. 

Saturday I made another quick run to the library to pick up yet another book I'd put on hold that had arrived. When it rains it pours I guess. I've been a reading machine this month and I'm not mad about it. We left about 12:30 to drive into the nearby city for a surprise birthday party for Daughter1's mother-in-law. 

It was an afternoon gathering on a rooftop venue and the surprise was a success. We also had a bird's eye view of the spot where Daughter1's wedding reception was held ten years ago. 

The birthday party venue was in a hotel with a Ruth's Chris steakhouse in the lobby and hubs and I thought why not? 

So after the party we popped in and sat at the bar for dinner. We split a steak and lobster tail and a delicious caesar salad before heading for home. We hadn't eaten in a Ruth's Chris in many years, but the food was very good and the service was excellent. 

We caught the tail end of the TN football game and in true Volunteer fashion they kept us on pins and needles until the very last overtime minute. Whew this team can take years off your life, but a win is a win and we'll take it. 

Sunday morning dawned bright and clear without the humidity we've been having lately. So nice! We went to church and while we normally go to brunch with the kids right after, hubs and I decided it was too nice not to take the boat for a spin. 

I made lunch and we tooled around the lake for a while, had our lunch in a quiet cove, then more motoring around before coming home to watch football. I made a pot of chili and we went back to church for their evening service. We haven't been to the evening service since we started going to this church, but they're doing a study of C.S. Lewis's book -Mere Christianity, and since it's one of my all time favorite reads, I wanted to attend.  

And then it was home for a bowl of chili and more football. 'Tis the season, right? If you want to join the Monday recap party, hop over to the host blogs and add your link there. 

Have a great week everyone! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 622

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (10/1)  to add your link to the party. See you there! 

1. What's your favorite fall scent? Would we find this in or around your home right now? 

2. October is Country Music Month...are you a fan of country music? Do you have a favorite country artist? Ever been to Nashville? In terms of lifestyle are you more country mouse or city mouse? 

3. How about 'country cooking'? (loosely defined as rich flavors, familiar foods, large portions, often fried, and often associated with the southern region of the US of A)? 

chicken and dumplings-fried chicken-shrimp and grits-biscuits and gravy-mac and cheese-fried green tomatoes-cornbread-collard or turnip greens-deviled eggs-'barbecue'-gumbo-banana pudding 

Which of the foods listed is your favorite? Any on the list you haven't tried or would say a firm no thank you to if offered? 

4. What's something that always has a positive impact on your mood? 

5. As we say so long to September share a noun, a verb, and an adjective that tells us something about how that month looked for you. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Autumn Leaves And The Hodgepodge Please

Hello Autumn, and hello Hodgepodgers. If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger there before you. Here we go-

1. Fall officially rolls into the Northern Hemisphere on Monday (9/22)...what's your favorite thing about fall? 

I like how thoughts turn reflective and home feels warm and cozy. I like the comforting foods and comfy clothes that are part of it too. 

2. What's one thing on your real or proverbial autumn bucket list? 

A drive into a nearby mountain town for lunch and leaf peeping. I posted my very simple fall bucket list in Tuesday's post if you're curious (Grading On The Curve)

3. Apples, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and cranberries are some of the top fall foods. Which one is your favorite and how do you like it prepared? Any on the list you don't eat? Which one have you had most recently? 

I love them all but I guess apples would be my favorite, and that's the one I've had most recently. I like them all ways...right off the tree, in a pie, a tart, a crumble, applesauce, baked with a little cinnamon and butter. There are none on the list I wouldn't eat. 

4. 'Fall is proof that change is beautiful' is a popular sentiment. Would you agree or no? Elaborate. 

I think I'd be more inclined to agree if it read '...change can be beautiful'.  Changing seasons I think are beautiful, but there are times in living life where change is messy and unwelcome. In my personal experience I have found change to best be assessed in hind sight. It's often in looking back at a change we didn't ask for that we're able to find the beauty in it.  

5. Is there a spot near you where people go to see the leaves change color? Will you try to leaf peep somewhere this fall? Lonely Planet lists the following ten places as the best for leaf peeping...of those listed which would you most like to visit? 

Stowe, Vermont~Shenandoah National Park, Virginia~Columbia River Gorge, Oregon~Zion National Park, Utah~Tennessee/North Carolina border~West Virgina~Northwestern Wyoming~Wisconsin Northwoods~Northern Nevada~Ozark Highlands Scenic Byway, Arkansas

There are a lot of great spots nearby to see color, because the Blue Ridge is just a hop skip and a jump from here. I want to take a drive that direction one day soon and we'll make that happen I'm sure. As far as the list goes there are many there I'd enjoy seeing. 

I have been on the Tennessee/North Carolina border many times and it's a beauty...

This wasn't taken in the fall obviously, but it's beautiful in every season...

I also think the Shenandoah National Park is one of the prettiest places in America. I've been to New England, but never to Stowe and that one definitely sounds appealing this time of year, so I pick Stowe. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

This time of year I always like to pull out some pictures from my yard in New Jersey. 

We lived there before moving south,  and while the outrageous taxes and the seemingly never ending winter could get old...

...the glorious color in my own backyard never did. Happy fall y'all! 

Grading On The Curve

Joining Joanne's Talking About It Tuesday today and The Quarterly Bucket List Bloggers

Summer is officially at an end (on paper anyway) and fall is upon us. I've put off revisiting my summer bucket list because it's a bit of a disappointment, but I also don't like to leave things undone so let's go ahead and discuss. 

I wanted an active summer and instead declared it the summer of the slug. While most of it was spent in a boot I still enjoyed lots of porch time, let hubs wait on me hand and (literally) foot, read books, went for boat rides wearing my 'accessory', wore a wrap to hang on a raft in the water, and spent time with family and friends which always makes for a nice summer. 

Sometimes you have to roll with what life brings, and this summer was one of those times. In case you've forgotten my overly ambitious bucket list, here's what it looked like-

I actually did quite a few things under what I consider the most important category-Family and Friend Gatherings. We had a wonderful family beach trip...

Dined al fresco with the grands here for outdoor griddle breakfasts. 

Had the most fun with college girlfriends here for a weekend. 

And we of course celebrated the mancub's birthday. 

I still haven't managed to get it together for a smashburger/corn hole party but I also haven't given up on the idea. We didn't have a low country boil either, but there's always next summer for that one. 

Under outdoor adventure we did fly kites while at the beach, but I didn't fish one time or play any mini golf. And I really dropped the ball under culinary creations. I mean we had some really good meals, just none of the dishes I thought I'd try. 

My daughter1 brought dessert on the 4th of July and it was patriotic but I didn't make it. I made peach bars instead of a cobbler and they were a big hit with everyone. We didn't attempt pizza on the green egg, but maybe this fall? 

Forget about health and fitness. I wasn't walking, wasn't allowed to swim, and standing on a paddle board didn't seem like a good idea either. We didn't visit a single Farmer's Market this summer, but since they run into October I hope to still get to that one. The lower patio is still artless, and while we had a nice dinner out to celebrate our anniversary we didn't do an overnight trip. 

A lot of things felt overwhelming to me this summer, and because walking wasn't enjoyable we mostly stuck close to home and hubs was a trooper. 

Onward to autumn..

Keeping my expectations at a manageable level this fall. If I can do a 5 K I will, but it's not going on the list-ha! I love the beauty this season brings, the way it invites coziness and contemplation and hot tea sipped in the waning afternoon sun. Fall is my favorite and I plan to savor it.  

'There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been."~Percy Bysshe Shelley  

Falling Into Monday

Hello on this first Monday in fall. It was 90 degrees here on Saturday, but the calendar says fall so fall it is. We had a great weekend with (mostly) beautiful weather and lots of birthday celebration. Let's back up to Thursday, aka my birthday, and recap it all. 

The day started with a beautiful sunrise, which is always a favorite. 

I had an early morning appointment with the orthopedist, and I'm just gonna say nothing makes you feel your age like starting your birthday with a trip to the doctor. My ankle is still a problem and he can't figure out why since the fracture appears to be healed. I'm going for a closer look with an MRI next week.

Hubs drove me so we could go to breakfast right after. We met Daughter1 and her little miss at a local spot and had cappuccinos and a bacon/egg/cheese croissant which was delish. She and I could gab because hubs keeps little miss entertained. She's got him so wrapped there aren't enough words to say how much. 

Completely pretty much covers it. 

This time last year she and I were having tea in Cambridge, but coffee in tiny town is fun too. 

We got home close to noon and I opened gifts, then grabbed my book and made myself at home on the comfy couch on the lower patio. I read most of the afternoon and then eventually hubs and I headed into the nearby city for dinner. 

We started at one of our favorite venues for a celebratory cocktail, then moved to a seafood place just a few buildings down the road. 

Dinner was outstanding. We hadn't been to this particular venue before but we'd heard good things, and it did not disappoint. 

They had a special appetizer which was an octopus carpaccio-thinly sliced octopus, roasted tomato chutney, chili garlic crunch, jalapeno, chimichurri oil, cilantro, pickled corn salsa and drop peppers. This dish had so much flavor and we loved every bite. 

Hubs bought me a chocolate cake with raspberry filling because that's what he does every year on my birthday, but we were so full from dinner we decided to save it and have that on Friday. The restaurant couldn't let the day go unmarked though, and I appreciated the gesture. And the chocolate. 

Friday morning situation...

Cake. It's what's for breakfast. 

Hubs ordered me a new iphone for my birthday and it was supposed to arrive at the Verizon store sometime Friday. I had a couple of library books to return and a package to mail so we did that, then came home and I did some laundry and read more of my book until the salesman called about coming in. At this point it was late afternoon and hubs had evening plans so we made our appointment for Saturday morning thinking it would be less crazy. Hometown team had a hometown game so everyone would be there and not in the phone store. 

My son-in-law attends the high school football games most Friday nights as he's the doctor on the field, and this week hubs took the grandboys to the game so they could watch. They had a great time and winning always makes a game more fun. I caught up on the show I've been binging-Bones. Did you watch this when it came out? I loved the books and never watched the show, but am enjoying it now. 

Saturday morning we navigated game day traffic and picked up my new phone. My phone is about nine generations old so yeah, it was time. I thought about getting a 'real' camera but instead opted for an iphone with a quality camera built in because I know it's more practical. 

We came home and watched our Vols win and our hometown team get whooped in an agonizing game interrupted for the second week in a row by lightning.  Hubs grilled steaks for dinner and the whole weekend just felt super relaxing. We were overdue and feel recharged after a busy few weeks, with lots on the calendar still. 

Sunday we went to church, then out to brunch with daughter1 and her family, an extended birthday celebration. We came home and watched the Charlie Kirk memorial service. Wow. Or maybe hallelujah and amen ! would be better words to use. If you missed it I'm sure you can find it online somewhere, and it's so worth watching. Inspiring on so many levels and a testimony to the absolute goodness of God even in the most tragic of circumstances. 

Wishing you all a week filled with the beauty of fall. 

To read more weekend recaps hop over to the Hello Monday link up hosted by Holly (Pink Lady) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books). 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 621

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (September 24th) to share your answers. See you there!

1. Fall officially rolls into the Northern Hemisphere on Monday (9/22)...what's your favorite thing about fall? 

2. What's one thing on your real or proverbial autumn bucket list? 

3. Apples, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and cranberries are some of the top fall foods. Which one is your favorite and how do you like it prepared? Any on the list you don't eat? Which one have you had most recently? 

4. 'Fall is proof that change is beautiful' is a popular sentiment. Would you agree or no? Elaborate. 

5. Is there a spot near you where people go to see the leaves change color? Will you try to leaf peep somewhere this fall? Lonely Planet lists the following ten places as the best for leaf peeping...of those listed which would you most like to visit? 

Stowe, Vermont~Shenandoah National Park, Virginia~Columbia River Gorge, Oregon~Zion National Park, Utah~Tennessee/North Carolina border~West Virgina~Northwestern Wyoming~Wisconsin Northwoods~Northern Nevada~Ozark Highlands Scenic Byway, Arkansas

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Things I Know

When my birthday comes around each year I like to put something on my blog to mark the passing of time.  It's been a strange year. There's been a lot of heartache, but there's always beauty too. As I begin another trip around the sun here are ten things I know right now.  

1. God doesn't worry about age. He has a plan for every season of my life including this one, and I don't want to simply coast to the finish line. I want to run my race well, daily seek His will, and ask Him what I should be doing with my life today. Then I want to do that thing whole heartedly. 

2. I have fewer years ahead of me than behind me. 

3. A long marriage is a worthwhile commitment. In the timeline of marriage there's no tick mark that says once you've made it to here, 10 years, 20 years, 41 years, you can quit trying and it will all just magically continue working. Marriage is a daily proposition. 

The world tells us it's our own happiness that is of paramount importance, but I think in marriage the opposite is true. Tamping down our own desire to be right...choosing not to stack up all the little irritations into what can then become a not so little pile...putting the other person's needs ahead of our own... these are the things that grow a marriage.  

Life ebbs and flows and so does marriage. I want to keep that list of things I love about my husband in the forefront of my brain and put that other list to the side. You know the one, right? 

4. Guacamole is life. 

5. When the world's on fire get off social media and head for the hills. Or the woods. Sit beside the ocean, hike to a mountaintop, watch the sun rise, count the stars. Time spent in nature connects us to the Creator, and is the very best way to reset a tilted life. 

6. The things I want most in life now are not things. 

7. A cup of tea makes life better. Upset stomach? Disagreement with your spouse? Agonizing over a decision you need to make? Have some tea. Brewed not microwaved. In a real cup. 

8. One of the greatest pleasures in life is reading a book

9. Little things mean a lot. 

10. Life is fragile. Handle with prayer. 

Par-tay In The Hodgepodge

Welcome to another edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then hop over and leave a comment for the blogger there before you. Here we go-

1.  Are you more life of the party or more party pooper? If your answer is somewhere in the middle which side of the middle do you lean towards more? 

Birthday party, beach party, cocktail party, dinner party, charity fundraiser, surprise party, costume party, garden party, Christmas party, reunion...what's your favorite kind of party? 

I'm married to the life of the party and there can't be two. I'm not a party pooper though, and would say I land somewhere in the middle. If I'm in the mood for a party then I lean more toward the fun side. If we've had too much socializing and not enough at home time, then I'm going to lean the other way. I prefer smaller gatherings to huge parties. My favorite is probably a dinner party...table for 8 please. 

2. Cheese, wine, and balsamic vinegar all improve with age. What would you personally add to the list? 

perspective, wisdom, and blue jeans

3. How do you feel about your birthday? How do you want to be celebrated? Or don't you? 

I love my birthday. I want to always embrace the gift of a new year. There's not any special way it needs to be celebrated...mostly I want to feel like the people I love took some time to think about me and to tell me so. It might be just a phone call, text, or a card in the mail. I don't need big splashy gifts, but something small that says 'me' to them means a lot. 

4. What remarkable feat, interesting piece of trivia, or historical event occurred on your birth day and month? Not necessarily your same birth year, just the same date/month. 

In 1793, President George Washington laid the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol building. I read something interesting George is quoted as saying -

'...however, political parties may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion." 

Words to ponder, yes? 

5. Share two good things about your life right now. 

• grandchildren 
• my sister and brother-in-law taking such good care of my mom is an honest to goodness answer to prayer...I don't write about it a lot, but my mom lives with them and that is such a blessing. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The world is a lot right now, isn't it? 

I want to point to Jesus, the light of the world, and say He's the answer to every question we're asking in our efforts to make sense of something so senseless. 

Maybe you don't know Him and this latest tragedy has done you in and you're seeking relief. If that's the case feel free to reach out. Maybe you knew Him as a child, but have drifted away because life has come at you hard and now, in the midst of these troubling times, you want to find your way back. Do that. Open a Bible. Talk to God in your own words, and with sincerity. He will hear you. He can handle our anger, confusion, and sadness. His love for you and me is enormous...bottomless...sure. 

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

Monday, Monday

Good Monday morning friends. We've had a fun and busy weekend, really the whole week was full and here's how that looked. 

Hubs and I drove over to Daughter2's house in Tennessee on Wednesday. Her hubs planned a special getaway for the two of them for her birthday and we were in charge of their littles. We arrived just as Sugar did a face plant onto the concrete patio so lots of commotion. She was fine, but for the rest of the weekend looked like she'd been in a street fight. 

She's both beautiful and fearless. 

I baked a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing for my girl's birthday, and toted it all the way to Tennessee, but alas the birthday girl didn't get a piece before leaving town. 

Instead she was in the pediatric Urgent Care having Sugar's wrist x-rayed. Not from the face plant. This was incident number two. 

Sugar is her mother's daughter is all I'm gonna say. I made three trips to the ER with her momma before she turned three so I can relate. Thankfully her little wrist wasn't broken but they did send her home in the teeniest tiniest splint you've ever seen. Once they confirmed no break the splint came off and everyone eventually went to bed. We were all ready. 

The parents left before the sun rose on Thursday and after breakfast we took the kids to a nearby playground to play, followed by a stop at Publix where we grandparent-ed like a boss. We bought two kinds of cookies and some strawberry milk. Hubs happened to spy the milk and it made him nostalgic for his childhood so we threw it in the cart. In our defense the strawberry milk was white not pink, so at least no artificial colors?

Hubs brother and sister-in-law drove over from Knoxville to hang out and they arrived about 2. It was so nice to have some extra hands and laps in the house and we always enjoy time spent together. My son-in-law put the bounce house out in the yard before they left town, and we inflated it and let them play in that for the rest of the afternoon. The weather was fabulous. 

My daughter and her hubs bought the bounce house before sweet baby J's 2nd birthday and have used it for three parties and as extra entertainment whenever grandparents are left in charge. It's a nice distraction. 

We ordered Chinese food for dinner and had it Door Dashed. We don't have Door Dash at the lake so this was a treat. After baths and getting the kids to bed we sat on the porch and chatted. It was a heavy week and it was good to decompress with family. I will likely have more to say about the tragic events of the past week once we're back home and I have space to find my words. 

Friday morning I actually ducked out for a couple of hours for something fun...breakfast with another blogger. It's always so nice to put an actual person with the online version, and Marilyn (Memphis Bridges) is as sweet in real life as she seems online. 

She has a daughter who lives very near my daughter2, and she happened to be spending Thursday evening with her, so we made Friday morning work. 

She's adorable and exactly as I thought she would be. While it would have been nice to have more time, the morning we had together was really nice. We could have talked a lot longer, but I left hubs manning the fort and didn't want to push it. Hopefully we can make another meet up happen one day in the future. 

I went back to the house and all was well. We took the kids to the park to play and enjoy the sunshine (did I mention the fabulous weather?!) and then home for lunch and naps. We decided to order pizza for dinner because the dinner hour can be a minefield of emotion and exhaustion and pizza seemed easy. 

Saturday morning we were up and out early for a visit to the zoo. This anteater was especially fascinating and we happened to stop by his area while the zookeeper was there to give him his morning guacamole. Technically it was pureed avocado, but still it was interesting watching him chow down. 

We try to get out with the kids in the morning and then make it home for lunch without anyone falling asleep in the car (that's a trick), so we don't miss that afternoon nap window. We watched our Vols lose to Georgia in overtime (sob) while the kids played in the yard and bounce house. That bounce house was a good purchase!

I'd made spaghetti and meatballs at my house before heading over to Tennessee, so we heated that up for dinner, and then of course there were baths because toddlers can't eat spaghetti without wearing it too.  

We did not attempt church on Sunday since I wasn't sure if the little ones would happily go in to their normal nursery class,  but we'll listen to our pastor's sermon later on. I know he will have some wisdom to share this week especially. 

Instead we went to the Riverwalk Park and played on yet another playground and ran around the field beside it. We got Firehouse subs for lunch then it was home for more of the usual napping and outdoor play.  

The parents got home just after we'd put the kids to bed. They had a really enjoyable getaway and I'm glad my girl was celebrated in a big way for her birthday. I think it's good for parents of young children to have some time to reconnect, away from the busy-ness of parenting, and we get to spend time with our grands. That's always a win-win kind of weekend. 

Linking today with Holly and Sarah for their Hello Monday weekend recap hop. If you'd like to join the fun visit Pink Lady Blog or Sunshine and Books and add your own weekend happenings there. Have a nic week everyone!