is overwhelmingly pressing for me to write about, so I’ll just give a little recap of my past, present &
future. I’ve had some really fun times over the last couple months....and I'm looking forward to a couple of upcoming things as well.
Past:
- Launch Party -- At the end of March, the company my sister works for expanded into the DFW area. To celebrate this growth, they had a “Launch Party”. Caleb and I attended, and had a pretty darn fun night with friends, drinks, appetizers and music. Excellent time.
- Camping -- At the end of April, (Easter weekend) we went camping. To celebrate the holiday, Caleb got the creative idea to made Peep Smores. (that sounds a little racy…but I’m actually just referring to the little sugary marshmallow treats that come out every Easter season). We ran to the store and got pink Peeps, a chocolate bunny and graham crackers. Everything was going fine until one of the little peeps on the skewer began to flop and presumably fall right off the poker. Caleb reached out and grabbed it to push it back up (which you could totally do with a regular marshmallow) and it instantly stuck on his finger and could not be wiped off. No, seriously, the sugar just makes a hard shell coating on your flesh as it scorches. I believe he described it as “molten lava being caked on his finger”. Needless to say, this clever idea turned ugly and kinda ruined his mood for the rest of the evening. The rest of the trip was a good time. Weather was nice, and we were able to relax. The bugs (and ticks….omg, kill me now) were plentiful, but I handled it like a champ, if I do say so myself.
- Girls Weekend -- The very last weekend of April was a girls trip to Fredericksburg with the girls from church. I had a really good time. We stayed at an old farmhouse and just had a good time touring the wineries and laughing at each other. We laughed hysterically, had great wine, shopped, and did a lot of dancing in the car. (goofy girls) The first night (after several vineyards and tastings) I gracefully and elegantly fell down the very steep stairs of the farmhouse. I don’t exactly know how I did it, but I ended up with symmetrical ugly bruises on my forearms. My guess is that I caught myself on my arms? Who really knows. This pic doesn’t really do it justice. It got darker and bigger. Classy.
- Fishing – Caleb and I fish! It’s true. We got fishing licenses and equipment and I hope this becomes something we do regularly cuz I really enjoy it. He already had a fishing rod, but I went and purchased myself a PINK fishing pole….and I love it. We have yet to catch anything, but I’m certain that with some research regarding where to go and what bait to use, our catches will be plentiful! Stay tuned….
- Road Trip -- We spent Memorial Day in Agra, Kansas…..and as you know from my previous blog about Agra, I’m a fan of the place! The weather was really nice, and we spent a lot of time on his parents’ back patio. His brother's family was there too so I got to meet his sister-in-law, and niece & nephew for the first time. (this was not the first time to meet his brother). The kids were neat little people and it was fun to watch them and interact with them. It was even neater to watch UNCLE CALEB. This guy truly has a gift! Children LOVE him. My nephew is pretty much obsessed with him (even to the point of wearing his cap backwards like Caleb does) and I believe that his brother’s children adored him in the exact same way. Right away, he was on the ground playing games, and talking and joking with them. He’s truly a natural. I love this pic below. I mean, really…..this guy is just cool……
- I also got to see Agra’s Memorial Day service at the cemetery as well as partake in the family/friend annual fish fry. Talk about NICE PEOPLE….. I totally enjoyed seeing them, talking to them, and how receptive they were to a new person. Just good, old fashioned, nice, kind, welcoming people. This visit reinforced my positive perception of Agra, KS.
- Shelby -- I got some upsetting news about my dog a couple weeks ago. She had an accident on the floor (which has not happened in about six years....I mean, she NEVER has accidents) and was drinking literally BOWLS of water every night. The excessive thirst went on for maybe 1.5 days... I emailed my vet and asked if this meant anything, and he wrote back that at her age, I needed to bring her in to be evaluated. I didn't really think I needed to, but certainly didn't want to risk anything....so we went. The urinalysis came back that she has compromised kidneys, and the vet recommended taking her to Texas A&M vet school clinic to have the "best of the best" look at her. Needless to say this did not result in a calmness in me. I pretty much freaked out.....sobbing..... Keep in mind that about 15 years ago, we had the same recommendation when my Cuddles got sick. The Austin area vets were perplexed and sent us to TAMU for more examinations. Long story short, Dad and I did not come back from TAMU with my beloved Cuddles.....so to hear "you need to take her to A&M" does not result in warm fuzzy feelings for me. This time, the alternative to this very expensive trip to Aggieland was to wait a couple days and have do another urinalysis. I opted for that path. A couple days later the peeing and drinking was back to completely normal, and I was trying to convince myself that there was nothing wrong with this dog, and there would be no trip to Texas A&M (although I do love College Station, TX with every ounce of my being....Gig Em, Ags). After urinalysis #2, the results were again not what we were hoping. However, since she was showing no symptoms of a larger problem, my vet suggested I take her home, watch her, and bring her back in a month to compare the levels again. Praise the Lord....we still are not having any symptoms....she acts totally fine....so I'm hoping that maybe there is not an issue that needs to be dealt with right now. I know that the older she gets, the bigger problem this will be, but for now, my job is to love her (check), and keep her as healthy (check), safe (check) and happy (check) as I can. Please say some prayers that there is nothing seriously wrong with this dog.
Present:
- Work -- Work is pretty much the same as it has been. I'm staying busy, and I like that, and I'm getting some really good projects. I'm meeting new people, working on a variety of different initiatives, and getting some good exposure. We have recently been informed that there is an organization-wide reorganization, and our current boss will no longer be our boss. This is TERRIBLE news, as I totally love and respect my current boss. No word yet on who exactly will take her place....only rumors. I don't care how good the new boss is, I doubt s/he will be as awesome as Mary (current boss)
- Ranger Baseball -- Caleb and I are heading to the Rangers game tomorrow. They're playing the Detroit Tigers, and although I haven't lived in Michigan in forever, my family was always big Tiger fans, so I don't get the fiesty "hope-we-embarrass-you-tonight" feeling when the Rangers play the Tigers. I remember a long time ago my oldest sister loved Tiger Kirk Gibson.... Awwww..... Should be a good time and I do hope the Rangers win (but not embarrassingly kicking some tiger tail)
Future
- This coming weekend -- Kristi and the kids are coming up on Friday and I'm super excited. We have a trip to the children's museum and some playtime at the park planned. We're planning movies and popcorn, and I'm extremely excited to host several of my most favorite people in the world. While Kristi and I are having a kid-friendly visit here in DFW, our "significants" will be having what I bet will be a not-so-kid-friendly weekend in Minneapolis. This is brother-in-law's (BIL) yearly trip with his buddies to go to a MLB game somewhere, and they happen to be playing the rangers, so BIL invited Caleb. I totally love that they are friends and have a good time together, but I'm a little nervous to be quite honest. (I have visions of the movie "The Hangover"). No, really, I'm so glad they enjoy hanging out together and I hope they have an awesome trip.....(and don't come back sick, hurt, or with police charges)..... Here's hoping. :-)
- Vacation -- we leave for the Cayman Islands at the end of the month, and I AM READY. I honestly want to just chill out, sleep on the beach, get an awesome tan, and enjoy turning my brain OFF for a little bit. I'm stoked that Caleb will be on this trip, and I'm excited that we are going to get to experience this gorgeous island together. Good times ahead, I'm positive!
