Summed Up

So let me tell you what has been going on down here on the Gulf Coast these last couple of weeks. As I wrote previously we started with a Labor Day weekend trip to Horseshoe Bay, Texas to spend some time with my grandparents and extended family. Three of us cousins had our first children within 4 months of each other, then proceeded to have our second children in as many months. So we all have children close in age which keeps us on our toes and also creates the ideal recipe for well-entertained, but very fatigued children after a few days. See what I mean....

This picture brought back so many childhood memories knowing this is what we all must have looked like after playing hard all weekend. All intertwined and so precious. Sadly we were missing one cousin who also has a son quickly approaching two. I'm sure he'll be in the mix soon!

We had a wonderful visit with my grandparents who are truly and inspiration to all of us. They just celebrated their 60th Anniversary in May. We are so blessed to have them in our lives and they just love seeing all these Great-Grandchildren around. They might even be snickering a little as they see these precious children do to us what we did to their daughters :).

We came home on Monday only to leave on Wednesday for an anesthesia conference at the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort. We had made the decision to not take the kiddos a long time ago. This always produces a little anxiety on my part, but I knew some rest would do some good. I got my last "travel" permission slip from my doctor and we headed out dropping Mary Ella and Addy Scott at my mother's on the way out. Another point of anxiety. You see, my mother has her house filled with all sorts of special things that little hands could easily break. I just knew I'd return to a few stories about precious heirlooms lost and I didn't. However, I'm sure my mother wouldn't tell me anyways. I may never know.

On to the trip....it was SOOOO nice and relaxing. Remember my fantasy "coffee experience"? Well, this came pretty darn close. I'd get up in the mornings, Scott would go to his meetings, and I would go get the newspaper and Starbucks. I would sit on the porch in a rocking chair reading for two hours. Ahhhhh! Of course, I took advantage of the spa to get a manicure and pedicure. My doctor said "no" to the massage...bummer! By afternoon I was sitting poolside next to a continuous waterfall. Ahhhhhh! The looks you get has a pregnant person in a bathing suit are humorous. Fortunately the relaxation time totally trumped any insecurities I had about being in a bathing suit. Scott did join me in the afternoons.

I definitely think I deserve "brave points" posting the picture above. Only 4 1/2 weeks to go, so the countdown is on! While I was poolside, I had some time to reflect. Although I was at the "adult only" pool most of the time, it was very clear I was a veteran mom on vacation.

1. I skipped over the gossip and fashion magazines to buy the Good Housekeeping, Southern Living and Family Circle.

2. I was the only one without an iPod. I think I've missed about 10 years of technology advancements. I'm glad I didn't show up with my Sony radio headphones. That might have been really embarrassing.

3. The fact that I didn't care about looking like a drowning sea turtle in order to get sun on my back.

I know I thought of more, but right now my brain is doing well to retrieve those tidbits.

Bottom line is that Scott and I really enjoyed the down time, but reality is, we missed our kids like crazy. We left Sunday morning after a great breakfast and hugged our kids by 12:30pm. Addy usually tries to pretend like she's not smiling to tease us, but she couldn't hold it in. She was grinning ear to ear and we got a big "MOMMY...DADDY" from Mary Ella. Ahhh, safely back in our arms thanks to grandparents. Sure, we spent all week breaking Addy from waking up at 5:45 am (normal wake-up is 7-7:30am) and we had our fair share of "grandparent syndrome" moments, but it sure was nice to have some rest and relaxation.

Yes, we did dodge a rapidly formed hurricane on Wednesday. I went to drop the kids off at school and there was a note about "inclement weather" on the sign-in sheet, so I went on to my doctor appointment and did the big weigh in after my hog adventures over these last two weeks. I quickly went home vowing to leave the cookies off the menu and made myself a turkey sandwich. I sat down and decided I'd actually watch the noon news. I rarely turn the tv on during the day. Anyways, "Tropical Storm Warning" flashed across the screen so I made a few phone calls to others who were just as clueless as me, then headed to the store. We only got a few bands, but nothing severe...thank goodness. Otherwise, the laundry is as "done" as it is going to get and our children are back to their somewhat predictable selves. So things are good.

Scott is on call tonight and I don't want to stay up late like a usually do (for no worthy reason), so I think I'll say night-night to all and try to catch some zzzz's.

By the way Geaux Tigers and Houston Texans! I love watching most sports, but this time of year is always my favorite!