Soul Food

You know those people in your life whose presence can completely revitalize you? For me, those people are my college friends. We all met this weekend in KCMO for another friend's wedding. Our visit lasted roughly 24 hours, and we had the very best time. When we're together, I laugh hard, maybe cry a little, and really just feel as though my soul has been heartily fed. I love, love, love these girls -- and I love the fact that we can always just be us when we're together. Case in point: we had to take this dorky banister picture at Craig and Lisa's house!
Can you believe it's Birthday Week at our house?! Right now Sara enjoys playing with the magnet letters on the fridge, pointing at everything she sees (and doing the "no-no" finger point/shake), using her sign-language to say "more" and "all done", walking with the help of furniture, looking at the Christmas tree, brushing her teeth, and dancing. She also loves going to school and has recently started throwing fits when it's time to go home. Her favorite friend at school is Will, and her favorite teacher is Ms. Rekha. I'm thrilled that she's so happy at school; almost daily we discover something new she's learned, and it's just so fun to see her developing socially and intellectually. I guess the only bad part about it is just that she's growing so ... fast. (You all told me it would happen that way!)

Stay tuned this week for more Big Birthday Girl updates!

Steppin' Out

It's hard to believe that Christmas Eve is just three weeks away. Between Sara's birthday and the holidays, my to-do list keeps growing and my time within which to-do is dwindling. Last weekend we were in MN for my 10-year high school reunion. It was fun to catch up with friends and gossip about what had become of certain people. You can't judge me for the latter part; you know you did the same thing at your reunion (or you will in the future). That's just the way it is.

On Saturday I'm flying to KCMO sans hubby and child for a college friend's wedding. I missed out on the rendezvous with my Alpha Gam sisters last year because I was very, very pregnant, and I c-a-n-n-o-t wait to catch up with them this weekend.

Mother Nature must have known that I need a little winter to go along with my Christmas season because yesterday she made it snow in North Texas. And she's supposed to do it again tomorrow! Yesterday's flakes didn't stick for long, but they were big and thick and so beautiful. My students were appalled that we had the audacity to make them go to class. I'd have been just as happy to send everyone home, but I don't get to make those kinds of decisions.

While we've been busy with travel, work, and ... well, life, Sara has been busy working on some tricks of her own. Here she is steppin' out (with a little help from a friend)!

The Best of Times

That was then.

This is now.

Forever Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kisses for You

Ninety-Nine

My 10-year high school reunion is coming up in a couple of weeks. In preparation, I made my way up into the attic and pulled out my yearbook (for a few much-needed study sessions before the big event) and some pictures from my senior year. After sorting through stacks and albums, I scanned in some of my pre-digital pics. I figured you'd enjoy seeing what life was like for us in ninety-nine, ninety-nine, ninety-ninety-ninety-nine!

Senior Girls. We were very intimidating.

We were huge fans of the parking lot tailgate.

And of the front row at every football game.

Also among our favorites were themed-dress weeks. We spent many an hour shopping at thrift stores and preparing the perfect outfit on a variety of different occasions.

We loved Garth. We sat front row at his concert and everything was right with the world for at least a week afterwards.
And we loved the ever-popular prom garter shot. Really, who didn't?

I'm sure at this point you can't stop yourself from thinking about how cool I must have been in high school. I guess it won't do anybody any harm to let you keep thinking that way, for a little while anyway ...

Fly Me to MN

Sara and I just returned from another whirlwind weekend trip to Minnesota for my cousin Tim's wedding. He and Toni actually had their ceremony a couple of weeks ago in her MO hometown, and the reception was last night at the MN Landscape Arboretum. I'd post a picture of the happy couple but -- go figure -- I didn't take one.

The weather this weekend in MN was beautiful! We enjoyed a walk to the park on Saturday morning. Here's a picture of Grandma and Sara, who enjoyed the swing, a blue bouncy car thing, and a couple of good runs down the slide before needing to call it quits. She was a little overdressed compared to the MN-native kids at the park, but I have been so anxious for her to have an opportunity to wear this adorable winter hat I got at Old Navy a few weeks back. As you can imagine, I love it more than she does.
Saturday night we headed to the Arboretum for cocktails, dinner, and dancing in honor of Tim and Toni. One of Grandpa's bands, Foggy Notion, provided the evening's entertainment. Sara loved the music, and she managed to stay awake for almost the entire evening. Here she is with Grandpa before he hit the drums.

Finally, here is a picture of Aunt Melissa, Sara, and me. I wish that whomever was taking the picture had mentioned the unfortunate placement of my arm, but - alas - there it is in all its glory. I'm going to have to work on my poses before I wear this dress again.

Now I'm exhausted. Traveling so far over the span of 48 hours is tiring as it is, but putting a kid and a wedding in the mix brings the exhaustion to a whole new level. I'm pleased to say, though, that our flights went much more smoothly than last time. Only minor meltdowns ensued (on Sara's part; no meltdowns for me, thank you), and she slept for a good 90 minutes or more on the flight home. We're making progress! With two more trips planned between now and the end of December, Sara should be a plane-riding pro by the arrival of twenty-ten.