The Kite Runner: Revisited

Remember THIS post, where I told you I had just seen the movie, and was beginning the book The Kite Runner, and promised to discuss more after I completed it? Well, last night I finished the book, and it was amazing. 500 times better than the movie! If you have seen the movie, but NOT read the book, I highly reccomend reading it! It is much more detailed and goes so much more in depth, that the entire movie just feels like a trailor for the book. Merely a sneak preview. The movie barely even tells the story. My cousin Braegan read the book first, and then saw the movie, and disliked the movie because it was nothing like the book. I can see how if you did it in that order, you might feel that way. But the movie is still good, just think of it as something seperate altogether, and try not to compare it to the book. Either way, this story (whether you get it through reading or viewing) is remarkable. I didn't want the book to end, and then I wanted a sequel. I really insist that you read the book. If you don't have time or don't like to read, then watch the movie, but I bet you will like it and want to know more and then you will read the book! You will thank me! :)

UPDATE: I just rented the movie again. I want to watch it again, to compare it to the book, and to my first impressions of the movie. I know...I'm a dork. What else am I supposed to do?...I'm sick! I just left the doctor and I have an upper respitory infection. When I went to Walgreens to turn in my perscription for Augmentin (basically Amoxicillin), I saw that the Walgreens RIGHT BY our house now has a Red Box! Zac and I love Red Box (you rent a movie for $1, and its just a $1/day so if you turn it in late...who cares?) but the only one was inside Wal-Mart, across town from us. It was always a pain to go to that one because you have to park and go in and blah blah blah, but this one is so close and convenient, and its on the outside of the store, so no going in! Yay! Well, I am about to lie down (with lots of pillows under my head so it can drain) and prepare to be depressed/amazed.

Baby on the Brain...

So you can guess by the title, but I have been thinking about babies and pregnancy SO much lately. In fact, the past few nights, I have had this very real feeling dream that I was pregnant. I cant explain, but it was the happiest, most joyful feeling. Zac and I felt so close, and all of our family was so excited. In my dream, Zac and I were laying in bed. I was on my side with a big swollen belly. Zac was behind me, also on his side, spooning me. His right arm under my neck, between my head and shoulders, and his left resting on my belly, waiting for a kick. We were not asleep, and it was not night time, we were just enjoying being close and soaking up the moment. It was the biggest high. For awhile after I awoke, I still had that rush of emotions and happiness, but as I realized it was a dream, it slowly went away. I tried to fall back asleep and willed myself to continue that same dream, but of course it didn't happen.
Tonight, Zac and I went to Cedar Hill to do some shopping. We walked over to Barnes and Noble, and parted ways. This is a normal thing for us when we go to the bookstore, since we have different tastes in reading material. (although we have read several of the same books and enjoyed those...we're just not good at reading the same book at the same time...that causes some conflict!) Anyways, back to tonight...I saw a book called "The Everything Dad To Be Book." It had chapters like 'her changing body' and 'how to put together a crib' and 'baby and your finances' etc. I picked it up and took it over to Zac, as a joke, thinking he would push it away. (He usually makes jokes about us having kids in "6 years" when I bring it up), Tonight though, was different. Tonight he told me that WHEN I get pregnant, IF I buy him that book, he will read it. A BREAK THROUGH!!!!!!!! :)
Anyways, thats not much of a topic for a blog, but I have been thinking about it alot and just thought I would share. But speaking of future children...are my grandkids going to ask me one day what it was like to live during this time of economic hardship? Sheeze, these are scary times. I hope we can get it together and not enter another Great Depression, like my grandparents went through! That is so weird to even think about!

Tatem and Ellie's visit...

We had a great time when Tatem and Eliza came to stay with us over the weekend. I know having a child can be stressful and all that jazz, but this might have been one of the most relazing weekends we have had in a long time. We are usually running, running, running, but this weekend we got to just sit around, nap, relax, and watch Ellie. It was quite pleasant! Being around family is always so refreshing! Tatem, thanks for coming to see us! I hope you had a good time, and you will come back to see us again! :)
I uploaded several videos to my ProudAuntJules account, and pictures to my Picasa account, but here are my faves...

The People Spoke...

Only seven people voted in my last poll, but 42% of voters (3 people) asked me to do another Pink October, and 57% of voters (4 people) requested that I wait until March and do something for Colon Cancer Awareness Month. So obviously, Colorectal Cancer wins! I have to say I am a little relieved, since October is right around the corner and I am so busy and overwhelmed with everything I've got going, posting a pic of me wearing pink every single day sounded a little hard. But I will do it again sometime, I promise you that! And I will find a way to make Colon Cancer Awareness Month interesting and fun too! (Maybe I will release publicly, for the first time, snippets of my journals from high school when I was really sick!?..who knows!)

Anyways, thanks to those of you who voted and BOO! to those of you who didn't. It isn't hard, you don't have to fill out your address or social security number or anything, simply click the little button next to the statement you most agree with. I plan on doing more polls in the future, so VOTE, my friends and family! (I would like to think that over a two week span, I have more than 7 visitors, hopefully, haha!)

they did it again...

Happy Birthday ZAC!!!

To my darling husband, roommate, best friend...Happy 28th birthday! I am so proud of you, and all that you are doing. I admire you and can't wait for our lives to unfold together. Thanks for being such an amazing husband, and especially for being there for me, over the past few weeks! I love you now more than ever! PS-Sorry I didn't make you a cake, and I could not find an Oklahoma State cake, but I thought you might like these...

Eliza's 1st Football Game

Since Scott was going to be at the Austin City Limits Music Festival all weekend, Tatem and Eliza came to visit us for the weekend. Of course, every Friday night in our life includes a high school football game, so Tatem and Ellie joined me for the occasion. Eliza loved watching all the kids in our section playing, and also danced to the band music at half time.

Here is a pic of Zac's fan club in the stands... his number one fan waiting for him after the game...

and the group after the game. We lost, but Zac was so happy to have a sweet little distraction!

Me and The Boys

Eli, Ryan, and Danny came into town this weekend, so Zac and I met them for dinner at Uncle Julio's in Dallas. It was so fun, despite some drama with these dumb drunk people acting like idiots, banging the table, and cussing (the worst words!) really loudly. This family sitting next to them had to move their kids to the other side of their table because these people were falling out of their chairs and rambunctious! We had finally had enough and Ryan asked them to quiet down. This only made them angrier, so the situation escalated, but within minutes, the managers escorted them out of the building. Thank Goodness! I am not a big fan of confrontation, but I was proud to be with people who stood up for perfect strangers! :)

After dinner, the guys were going out, and of course I wanted to too! Zac went home, but I went out with the guys. It was SO fun! We took Ryan's camera, so I dont have many pics from the club, but I'm gonna get them from Rye. The next day we went to the Parade, which was hot but really neat. I was so glad I went. Here are a few pics from it...

I love my family! I feel so blessed to have so many cool, fun, good people in my life! :)

Nati's Birthday

Saturday afternoon was Nati's 5th birthday party. I always love going up to McKinney to see my family, but today was extra fun! :) Nati was the most gracious and thankful child I have ever seen! I worked ALOT of birthday parties at the gym when I was in Austin, and I have been to my own friends kid's parties, and I have never seen such sweetness at a birthday party! He welcomed everyone who walking in the door with a big genuine hug, as if he knew we came JUST for him! He opened his gifts slowly, studying each one with amazement and appreciation, then he gently set it aside so he could go hug the person who gave it to him. It was so cute! Alot of kids rush through gifts, opening one, chunking it aside and going for the next one in a greedy way (heck, I probably did the same thing...they are kids its almost expected) but Nati took time to enjoy each present and thank the person. It made it so fun to watch him. What a truly special child! God has blessed Ellen and Breagan with a very compassionate and caring young man!

Here he is, showing me his Nemo cake. He was very proud of it!

Nati with three of his aunts enjoying some cake...

Nati opening gifts, carefully and very appreciative.

Nati, Kuri, and Claire checking out his new scooter. Claire wanted to ride it. Most siblings would push their little brother or sister off, or tell them "no, its mine" or something, but Nati patiently just turned to Ellen and said "Mom" and then waited for an adult to help him out. Gian came over and picked up Claire and everything was fine. Nati is so sweet to her!

Nati and Kuri...they lived together in Ethiopia for a while. Now, here they are in Texas, going to each other's birthday parties! Such a neat and beautiful story!

My new favorite song...

This is not a music video, but at least you can hear the song. It is Rihanna and T.I. and its called Life Your Life, and it is infectious! They performed it at the VMA's but I like the radio edit better. The only bad thing is that its not on iTunes, so I can't buy it. So instead I bought "Whatever You Like" by T.I. Its another good one! Enjoy...

I also heard THIS song for the first time today (Ellen danced to it on her show!) and have been loving it, too! It is Eve ft. SwizzBeats, and its called Tambourine.

The Dark Knight

Wow...its almost midnight and I am pretty proud of myself for coming up with that Title! Haha, in case you don't know, my high school mascot was the Knights, and this post refers to me dying my hair dark, so "The Dark Knight" seemed so fitting! (A joke is not as good if you have to explain, but some people might not even realize its a joke if I don't explain it.) Anyways, here is the long anticipated picture(haha, were any of you even curious or wandering?? I might be flattering myself, huh?) Anyways this is the NEW me...

(I shouldn't tuck hair behind my ears, but it's just habit. Also, this was the day after I had it done and I hadn't washed it yet, because I was still trying to keep it the way she styled it, haha.)

Like it? Let me know what you think...

Few Words, Several Pics

Last week was a really stressful week when it came to work, but luckily we had alot of fun too! Here are a few pics from last week...

Monday night we went to a restaurant with some friends to watch the Dallas Cowboys game... Zac was hiding behind the napkins just to annoy me, haha.

Wednesday night we met Rheanna and Cody for dinner in Waxahachie at our favorite...Johnny Carino's! :) Have you tried their Italian Nachos? If not, you totally should! Check out Colt's shirt...if you can't tell, its Oklahoma State! Zac loved it. Rheanna and Zac have the whole Oklahoma thing in common. (Ok State, Eskimo Joe's, etc...)
Thursday night we went to Mansfield for Zac's freshmen game. They won and it was a fun and exciting game thanks to the coach calling lots of trick plays! ;) I was hoping it was going to be chilly, but it was very HOT and bright and sunny. Here is a cool shot I got at the end of the game as the sun was setting. Can you even see Zac? You might need to click on it to make it bigger.

Friday I went to Rockwall and had my hair done. YAY...finally! :) I love it! I had a nice visit with Meagan, like I always do, and we even got to go to lunch afterwards and talk about life. We went to the Cotton Patch, which I thought was funny since both of our hubbies worked there together in college! :) If any of my blog readers live near McKinney, I highly recommend Meagan as a stylist. I am always really happy when I leave! I will put pics of my new DARK hair in the next post. We didn't have a football game that night because it was Varsity's Bye week. Zac's parents came in though, and we had a nice dinner out and then came back home and played Mexican Dominos. For the record, Dad and I won. The best part was that Zac and Mom thought they were going to win the whole game, but we rallied at the end for the victory! :) They spent the night and Saturday we were pretty lazy in the morning, watching football and talking, and eating cinnamon rolls. (My specialty when we have company, haha!)

Back to Black...

(well more like a dark auburnish-brownish-black)

Ladies and Gentlemen, the time has come. I have gotten that itch to change my hair. It is kindof unhealthy right now and I get tired of having to keep up with highlights. (haha, you're laughing because I haven't been keeping up with my highlights...its been over 3 months since I had my hair done!!!) Anyways, sometimes in the winter I like to go dark, but I have to do it every other winter, since its hard on my hair to get it back blonde again come spring. (Dark gets boring after awhile, and I like to return to the more fun, blonde version of myself!) Anyways, its been two years, so I am going to go dark. But last time, it was just brown. This isn't the best pic, but it looked like this: (nothing special, right?)

I don't like it "mouse-y" brown, and I think it kinda washes me out, so I am going to do what I did four years ago (which was actually an accident, but I liked it), by going dark auburn. This was the day I had it done...

and this was like three months later...(still looking good)

THOUGHTS? What do y'all think? I have until Friday to decide. Opinions??? Leave me a comment and tell me what you think. Oh, and whatever I decide to do on Friday, I will post a picture! :)

Perfect Practice

Today my cheer squad had after school practice, for the first time so far this year. It was awesome! All the girls were so focused and I think we accomplished more in the thirty minutes we stayed extra after school today, than we did the whole week of class (5 hours total) last week! We worked on stunts and got several new stunts, that I am excited about showing off at games. I have freshmen, so the stunting is not as elite as the Varsity girls I worked with last year. It was hard to go from doing bigtime stuff, back down to working on the basics, but maybe that is why I am so excited about things today! I know that a very small percentage of the population (and the people who read my blog) are cheerleaders, so let me explain something...Stunting is not just about strength for the bases, and balance and flexibility for the flyers (the girls on top). It is about trust, teamwork, and it's a huge mental thing too. Emotions are always high and the mood is usually tense. It is so exciting to get a new stunt and see it hit consistently! I won't say that it feels better as a coach than a cheerleader, beacuse I remember those practices when I wanted to run out because things weren't working and then all of a sudden, everything clicked and it worked, and then it worked again, and then we were hugging and bouncing up and down hugging, because it was the best feeling! Today, I was pumped, but not that kind of pumped. I will say though, that watching stunting and working on new stunts as a coach is MORE nerve-racking. The girls know I take it really seriously, and luckily they have been too.
Here are a few of our new stunts...(I will be posting pics of MY girls doing them, as soon as I take pictures! YAY!)
Arabesque

Liberty

Scorpion

Scale

And we are working towards...a heel stretch,

and a basket toss.

Haha, if you look closely, that is ME in the air in the Basket Toss, and in the Liberty! :) Sigh...back in the good ole college days. Oh wait, I am still in college. I mean, back in my "younger, cooler" college days!

Anyways, I know that I probably vent alot about being a cheer coach, and sometimes maybe even whine or complain. However, today was one of those days that makes the moms, and the drama, and the gossip, and the administration all fade away. The girls left practice on Cloud Nine, and so did I. It was this indescribable feeling. Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling, on this magic carpet ride. (haha, I got sidetracked by that Aladdin song when I said "indescribable feeling." Sorry, it's late.) But it was just the best, and this day made all the bad days worthwhile! :) BIG PROUD COACH SMILE.

Lizzie is 28!!?!

A cool pic of Liz doing Sparklers on the 4th of July, in Austin.

Happy Birthday Big Sister! I love you! Have a wonderful day off of work! (She lives in Houston and they are still off work since alot of her coworkers still do not have power!) I wish I was there to help you celebrate! I love you, and I can not believe how old you are!

Like picking out your birthday presents every year, I had a hard time finding the "ONE perfect" thing. I couldn't find just one cake that I liked enough, so here are three cakes I thought you might like...(since you love Paris and shoes and Tech.) Only the best for my big sis!

PS-Readers, September is a big birthday month in our family. It's kinda like Christmas, because we are buying so many gifts! :)

Happy Birthday Nati!

Happy Birthday to a very very special boy...Nati! I can not believe I didn't even know him just six months ago! My love for him is so deep and so special, you would think I have known him forever! Happy Birthday Nati. Can't wait to see you at your party next weekend!

Here is a video of Nati and Claire dancing. So funny. He is a great dancer!

PS-Anyone (Ellen?) have any cool gift ideas for an active and smart five year old? I want the present I give him to be the best one he gets, haha! :)

Good evening my fellow Americans...

Tina Fey nailed Palin's accent on Saturday Night Live last night! Sooo hilarious! I remember watching SNL as a kid and seeing Darrell Hammond impersonate Bill Clinton, and then later a plethora of comedians played G-Dub. I guess with the elections, we enter the new generation of comedians mocking presidents/vice presidents/almost presidents. :) Too funny!

No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed!

After my neice Madeline stayed with us last weekend, I added 5 new videos to my "Proud Aunt Jules" YouTube channel. Here is my favorite one though... Enjoy!!!

Tatem and Eliza are coming in two weeks to visit, and I can't wait! Ellie is in such a fun stage, and I am sure I will have lots of pics and vids from that weekend too! :) Yay for having awesome neices!

Political Opinions...

We all have our opinions and we are all unique in our views and ideas. We all disagree on things at some point, and I think that is one reason I am ready for the campaign to be over. In the meantime, I'll try to stay in the loop, as a good citizen should. I will say though, that I am tired of the gossip and name calling. Let's pick our leaders based on their plans for our nation, not whether they are supposedly Muslim, or smoked pot in college, or if they have a child who had premarital sex! I JUST WANT TO KNOW how they plan on getting us out of some of the situations we are in now, and what actions they will put in place to do so. Here is one video I came across, of a celebrity voicing their opinion. Makes you think...

Fashion Rocks

"Great Music and Great Fashion go hand in hand." Did any of you watch Fashion Rocks Tuesday night? I thought it was pretty good. I love shows like this. (Sorta reminded me of the Victoria's Secret runway show, but way better.) It's divided into musical genres (Disco, Motown, Hip Hop, Punk, Rock, etc) and then has songs and outfits to match the genre. Pretty cool. It was a real treat for the eyes and ears! Very well planned and produced! It is so cool because its all these famous people singing these classic hits, instead of their own songs. AND, all the proceeds from the night benefit the Stand Up To Cancer foundation, kinda like on Idol Gives Back!! Here were a few of my favorite parts...

-Rihanna opening the show with "Vogue" or "Strike a Pose"...haha, whatever that song is called!

-Beyonce's salute to Etta James (WELL DONE!! "At Last" is one of my favorite songs!)

-Chris Brown's performance was my favorite part of the whole show! I think I rewound it and watched it like 5 times! He is the total package...looks, voice, and my word, can he DANCE! What an amazing performer! Soo talented!

-Fergie's duet with Blondie "Call Me"

-Charlize Theron's jacket and necklace

-Duffy!! I really like her! Have y'all heard of her?

-Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, and Kid Rock's tribute to Motown. (Is it bad that I used to think JT was the best, but now I think that Chris Brown has him beat?)

-Mariah Carey singing Disco songs. I was proud of her for dressing appropriately. Let's face it, sometimes she forgets she is not 14!

-Pussycat Dolls dancing (and lipsynching) to "When I Grow Up." How do they dance in those high high heels? I can barely walk in shoes like that, much less bust a move!

-Solange (yep, thats right...Beyonce's little sister!) I have been majorly loving her lately! Watch this video.

-Black Eyed Peas singing The Rolling Stones

-I got emotional during the performance of STAND UP!

I wouldn't say I cried, but I did choke up a little and felt sad and proud at the same time. Sad at the thought of what a devastating thing cancer is, and proud that we are joining together to do what we can to make it go away! Here are the ladies who sing. (Some of the singers are Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, Rihanna, Carrie Underwood, Natasha Bedingfeld, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and more!) To donate, click HERE, or you can buy/listen to the song on iTunes!

See? Aren't you sad you missed it? Did anyone watch it? Thoughts? If they replay it, you should definitely watch it! I think I liked it more than I liked the VMA's!! And that is saying alot! Oh, and I can not wait until The Emmy's in two weeks! :)

Gossip-Lil Wayne refused to let them search his bags, so he left. he was supposed to perform, but had to leave because he would not let the security people check his bags!!! Weird!

It is completely possible...

that the same piece of information could be both the best and worst news I received for the day. In this case, it happened when I went to my trusty DVR and saw that THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW is back on!!! It's obvious that this is awesome news. If you know me, you know that I tivo and watch her show EVERY single day! If I am out of town, I catch up when I get home. I can not stand to miss her. Alot of days, watching her show really is the best part of my day! She makes me so happy, and she is the most beautiful person. She has this very sensitive, caring, vulnerable spirit, and I think the world of her! How, you ask, could her new season starting be bad news? Well, I already stay up too late (It is 11:55pm right now) doing homework and cheer stuff and blogging. I feel like I am already trying to do three days worth of stuff every single day, so it's probably not a good thing that now I have an extra hour that I can't give up! I usually watch it at night, after Zac has already gone to bed (he doesnt care to watch it, unless he likes whoever the guest is) while I am winding down. I need to practice self-control and discipline and if its too late, I just need to catch up on the weekends. Sigh...does that make me a loser that I have to schedule time to watch TV? I just know that if I could only have one show, it would be Ellen's. I love her. I cant say that enough or explain it as well as I want to, but just know that I do.

Ellen...congrats on your summer nuptials! I am so happy for you and Portia. May your life together be blessed and merry!

Y'all check out THIS video of Michelle Obama on her show today. It was priceless. I love her and I want her to be our first lady, as badly as I want Barack to be our Prez! (After the first video, watch THIS...it's the second part. It also has a side by side comparison of Michelle and Barack dancing on the Ellen Show.)

Happy Birthday Papa!

To Papa...

You tied my shoes and made my pigtails.

You taught me how to cook and change a flat tire.

(Although I am not half as good at either as you are!)

You texted me "I love you", after you swore you would never text.

You taught me manners and stressed the value of education.

You have made me who I am today, and I am grateful.

I could not repay you, if I wanted to. I can only say:

THANK YOU

I love you Pops! Happy Birthday! I hope you had a wonderful & special day! You are an amazing man, and I am proud you are MY father! Here is the cake I should have made you this weekend...


And just for fun, here are a bunch of cool cakes I found. Some of them are pretty cool!

My Amazing Family (and weekend)

After my horrible day Thursday, things could only get better. And they did...quickly! (Thank Goodness!)

Friday morning we (my parents and I) woke up and had some breakfast and hung out. We were originally going to go shopping in Cedar Hill, but decided to have lunch with Zac, so we didn't have time to leave town. Instead, we went to a local shop called Claire Lynn's and got Madeline a cute shirt to wear to the game that night. We had lunch with Zac at Jimmy's, and my mom got a dish I have never had before. It was Penne Vodka with chicken, and it was soo good! I am always hesitant to try new things at restaurants, so I was pumped she ordered it, so I could try it. After lunch I showed Mom and Pops my school, and then came home and changed for the Pep Rally. It was Hawaiian day, so we decorated the gym to look like a big tiki hut. Liz and Andy and Madeline got to town in time for the pep rally, so it was cool to look over and see them in the stands with Mama and Papa. Madeline was not sure what she thought of it. She didn't like the loud niose very much, and was scared of the Panther mascot. But Liz said that she would dance a little bit every time a new song came on. :) Here are a few pics from after the pep rally...

After the pep rally, Madeline needed to run around a bit (due to being in the car all day). We thought about taking her to a park, but it was so hot outside, and she seemed to be having fun in the arena, so we let her run around in there. The A/C was a plus for the adults, and the wide open spaces and plentiful stairs were a plus for Madeline. Win/Win! When we finally left the school, we headed home and hung out for a bit. We were originally going to order pizza before going to the Varisty game, but changed our minds after we were given tickets to the "End Zone Club" at the stadium where the FFA serves Bar-B-Q. We had fun there, and then headed to the stadium for the game. Even though the Panthers lost, it was a great night. Madeline would even yell "Go Panthers!" except one time she accidentally yelled "Go USA!" It was so funny. Do you think her parents watched the Olympics? We had fun in the stands, and after the game went down on the field and let Madeline run around again. It was neat to see Zac and Madeline interacting, running, catching, kicking, and throwing the ball. He is going to be such an amazing father!

When we got home from the game we celebrated (for the first time) all the September birthdays, which was Papa's, Liz's and Zac's. Liz brought cupcakes from Katy, and they were awesome! Not only were they pretty, but they tasted great too! Thanks Liz! Mom also gave Zac some pickle juice popsicles, which he was thrilled about. I think the exact quote was "this is the most thoughtful gift I have ever been given!" It was cute! Here are the cool cupcakes (each was a different flavor), and Zac showing off his Bob's Pickle Pop...

Saturday morning, Liz and Andy left to go spend the weekend with her college roommate Jennifer in Dallas. They left Madeline with us for the weekend, which was super exciting. Mom and Papa and Madeline and I left around 11 to go meet my cousins and Granny in Dallas for lunch. We met at Chuy's and had a great lunch. We had a big table, and our own little corner, which was nice, since we had three young kiddos with us. The highlight of the meal was my cousin Robin's announcements. The first was pretty exciting...she was nominated for "Best Actress" for her role in Blood on the Highway at a film festival in Syracuse, New York. The film fest is in October, so I will let you know if she won when I find out. Go Robin! Her next piece of good news was the best though! She won a scholarship to go study abroad for a year. She will be getting her Masters in film production (or something like that...Robin, help me out here) at Napier University in Edinburgh, Scotland! What an amazing opportunity. I am so proud of all of my cousins! You all know that Ellen has two neat kids kids and opened my eyes to the process of adoption. Amy just left a job she was not completely happy with the start over as a teacher. Matt is living out his dreams in London, and now Robin is getting to pursue her dreams too! I have the best family! :) Here are some pics from lunch.

After lunch, Granny came back to Midlo with us. I was excited because I had to share her at lunch, so I wanted some Granny time all to myself! :) When we got home, Madeline and Zac and I took a nap and then woke up to more company. Family that I have not seen since I was probably 10 years old came over. Who knew...they live in Burleson! My Granny has always stressed the importance of family and sticking together, even as we get older. I love that she emphasized that, and I am glad she called Paula and Meredith to come over and visit. It was fun to compare childhood memories and rekindle that old bond. (We used to make up synchronized swimming routines, and put on shows for our parents when we were younger.) Saturday night my dad made fajitas (have I ever told you that my dad is the BEST cook ever?!) and we had a delicious feast. Robin stayed until about midnight and we had a wonderful talk on the front lawn. (She tried to leave around 11ish, but I walked her out and it turned into a long heart-to-heart. The kind that you don't get very often, but you are so grateful when it comes!)

Sunday morning Liz and Andy came back over to get Madeline and have the real birthday lunch. Robin surprised us and came back over again! I made my first brisket (it was delicious and pretty easy...it just cooked all night long) and we made mashed potatoes, baked beans, and a yummy birthday cake. (Yellow cake with chocolate icing...the best!) We put the leaves into the table and all 9 of us sat around the table for lunch. It made me so happy to set the table in my own house, for NINE people! We have had alot of people over for dinner before, but it was always burgers or fajitas or something, and everyone kind of spread out through the backyard and living room and kitchen and dining room. To have everyone in one place, all sitting together to eat, made it feel like a special meal. AND IT WAS! :) I can't wait to be a "grown up" and host a holiday at my house sometime. I love hosting. I love family. Life is good. It is amazing what family can do to refresh me and revive me. My soul is smiling after this weekend.