Memorial Day Weekend

I think it's safe to say Memorial Day Weekend 2013 will go down as one that was epic. And will not be forgotten quickly. 

To start off the fun, my sweet friend, Candice, and I did our first (and possibly last) mud run. When we signed up, they said nothing about swimming, jumping off 15-foot towers, and sliding down the side of mountains.

Well played, Mudquest. Well. Played.

After recovering for a bit (and being hosed off in the front yard before being allowed to enter the house), we went to the movies and saw Hangover 3. Some of my friends have said they really didn't like it. I, however, LOVED it. Laughed until my stomach hurt.

On Sunday morning, we headed to Hawaiian Falls for the first time this season. They upgraded one of the slides with party lights and a playlist. You can literally pick the song you want to listen to while careening through darkness. It was sooooo much fun.

And Sunday evening we went to yet another movie. This time it was G.I. Joe and it was really good. Except for the fact that they killed off Channing Tatum. I mean, really?!?!

Monday afternoon we headed over to the house of one of the nurses Dave works with and reunited with our kickball peeps. It was soooo much fun. A great way to round out an amazing weekend with my fam.

And now I just need the end of school and official start of summer so we can rest, relax and enjoy life without commitments for a few months. :-)

Kickball (aka A Somewhat Poor Decision)

Once upon a time, a naive girl made a sarcastic comment in response to a Facebook status referencing adults playing kickball. Before said girl had any idea what had happened, she found herself in a random Woodway park playing this childhood game with a bunch of other adults.

It was amusing. Humiliating. Somewhat painful. And an all around good time.

Then we switched teams and the girl landed on the winning team. Life got better. Tons. Better.

There were injuries galore. And players dropped like flies. Some will require surgery in the coming weeks... :-(

There were many laughs. And new friends were made.

And, even if some found themselves downing pain pills that evening and took weeks to recover...

...it was totally worth it.

One day all these boys and girls will play kickball again.

But, once you're over 30, layoffs are built in for healing.

OBVIOUSLY. :-)

Last Volleybal Hurrah

Taylor's last volleyball tournament was about a month ago and, honestly, I'm not exactly sure why it's taken me so long to talk about it. But sometimes you just need a minute to recover from experiences that leave a mark. :-)

And I say that with love for the girl, the sport and her club. Truly. I think the first year of a traveling team is probably rough for everyone and it was, at times, for us. Most. Def. At the end of the day, though, I'm so glad she played. We learned a ton and and made some great friends. And we'll back next year. No doubt.

What I didn't realize throughout this process is that I would miss it once it was over. Every week was a constant barrage of activity. And email. And making plans. And mapping out new gyms where we would spend an entire day. And I hated it at the time.

But now I miss it.

What I also didn't realize is that the mom of one of T's teammates wouldn't be able to join us on the journey again next year. We were stunned to learn that sweet C's mom passed unexpectedly and VERY suddenly week before last. And to say we were heartbroken for this sweet family with whom we'd spent many hours is an understatement.

What I know is that we were blessed to have a chance to meet Karen. And to share so many laughs and passionate, spirited discussions about officiating. :-)

So I'm grateful. And can't wait until next season. When I will undoubtedly embarrass my girl all over again. And will treasure each moment because we seriously have no idea how many we have left at any given time.

Midway FFA Banquet

So it happened last night. My girl's first school banquet. Generally these types of things don't happen until high school (unless a lot has changed since I was that age) but because FFA spans both middle and high school students, the girl was invited (dare I say encouraged?) to go. And we were more than happy to oblige. :-)

The Floral Design class (I'm so hoping my girl takes this class but I dare not suggest it because she won't do it if I'm on board) made these sweet centerpieces and decorations. Love. Them. Of course, I am a sucker for a cowboy boot. In any and every form.

While the girl was dressed up, I took the opportunity to snap a few pics. Y'all. I was completely unprepared for her to look each and every bit of 18 years old.

Clearly Tonto was caught off guard as well.

Because not only does she look much older than she is, she also looks eight feet tall. Heaven. Help. Me.

He looks thrilled, no?

But it was super fun to see some of our favorite FFA peeps again. Like sweet Sarah. :-)

And my girl - to her complete surprise - even earned her Discovery degree.

Our bud, Dakota, earned his Chapter degree as well...

...along with a few of Taylor's other friends.

Dr. Cox, T's principal who we LOOOOOOVE, received an honorary membership. He has been soooo supportive of the kids. Seriously. Couldn't have happened for a more deserving person.

And, though my girl is only a 7th grader, the jacket retirement ceremony really got to this mama's heart. I'm already dreading her leaving the nest. She is absolutely my pride and joy and I know the next 5.5 years will fly by if the first 13 have been any indication.

I left the banquet with a sore back (hello, high school cafeteria seating) and a new appreciation for just how little time we have with these precious blessings. Absolutely committed to enjoying every second. And to picking out a new goat next weekend to begin the process anew. :-)

Let's Catch Up

You would think life after volleyball, track and goat wrangling would be calm. But, y'all, it's just as crazy as ever. So we're gonna play catch up really quick. With the hope (and prayer) that I will then be able to keep up. :-)

We got our West Trojans bracelets last week and they are amazing. In Tonto's defense, the reason it looks like he's clawing the girl in this pic is that she was being, um, somewhat difficult about the whole picture taking process.

Last week we had a press conference that included some announcements about Baylor Stadium and its construction. Which is where I met Lache Seastrunk and awkwardly asked him for a photo. Very nice guy, though. And he made some promises I certainly hope he's able to keep this fall.

Rambo went to school one day and, though he looks terrified in this pic, he was ecstatic to hang with his pups.

I was able to love on Mr. Reed and it was exactly what my heart needed after learning the mom of one of T's volleyball teammates passed away suddenly the day before. Which was compounded by the fact that one of my sorority sisters put her 2-year-old down for a nap last Monday from which she never woke. Hard, hard week. All the way around.

Friday afternoon I went home early from work because my allergies were AWFUL. After a several hours long nap, Tonto convinced me maybe I needed some fresh air. And we had promised to watch a Phillies game so that's where we landed. Totally lifted my spirits.

Saturday morning the girl and I attended her friend's mom's memorial service before the man and I went to play kickball. Yes. Kickball.  

Fun was had. Injuries were sustained. And we definitely felt our age the next day. But it was soooo much fun!

It has finally warmed up around here but it feels like it rains almost every other day. Rambo is definitely ready for summer, though.

Finals are wrapped and most of our students have headed out of town. But Commencement is this weekend so we were at the office late last night. Which could only mean one thing - late night shenanigans. This time they included RG3 (times two) and Coach Mulk.

Yes, I am a total nerd. And I'm ok with it.

So that's the synopsis. The girl is more than OVER school and is counting down the days until summer. But tonight is her FFA banquet so we're hoping to catch up with our farm friends. Will let you know how that goes... :-)

Because all I need on Mother's Day...

...is my mom and my girl.

And two men who aren't pictured but were very much present.

And also red velvet pazookie. Also not shown. :-)

The Color Run (aka Social Hour)

Last Saturday, Tonto and I headed south to Austin for The Color Run. This was actually the first one I registered before (prior to even beginning to run at all) so I was really excited. And, overall, it was fun. 

But here are a few things I learned:

1) The Color Run is a misnomer - very few people are running and it's so crowded that it's almost impossible to do so for the entire course.

2) People participating stop to take pictures CONSTANTLY. In fact, they'll even stop you while running and ask you to snap said pics.

3) The course goes off road. And I don't mean a nice, even dirt road. I mean rocks, some of which are so large that they make for treacherous running.

4) This is an awesome race to do with kids.

5) Young children think it's funny to watch adults run.

6) You will get very dirty.

7) The blue will not wash off and you may or may not end up looking like a Smurf.

8) We had the most awesome shirts there, in my opinion.

9) This was not the time to bust out new running shoes. Wowza!

10) I really don't need to take these things so seriously. Very few others do. :-)

Race to the Rescue

It's been almost two weeks (of course I'm running behind; it's how things work around here) but I finally ran (mostly) my first 5K. Those who know me realize that I am not a runner. But I am stubborn. Which means I'm determined to beat it. And, once I do, there's a strong possibility I will never run again. We'll see.

Thankfully, I have some super awesome friends who were willing to take on the challenge as well. Once I saw this, it hit me that there was no turning back. Of course, I also "Road ID" and was told there was a chip in the bib for timing purposes. But all I could really imagine is it being used to identify me once someone picked me up off the side of the road after collapsing.

That did not, in fact, end up being the case. And my super friend, Christy, even won a medal. Helllllo, overachiever!!!! :-)

Which brings me to tomorrow's task - The Color Run. Now I've heard this one is really fun and doesn't feel like an actual 5K because there's so much activity going on throughout the race. I will believe that when I see it, quite frankly. But one thing's for sure, it will be colorful. And we all know that's one of my favorite things in all the world. 

Happy weekend, y'all!