the weekend and a few other things

I love the weekend.  Who doesn't?  I love the (mostly) easy, relaxed pace, and I love the extra time with the six of us under this roof.  It doesn't happen that often these days.  (However, after this week, Graham's life will slow down considerably.)  We got our weekend kicked off by going to my dad's house for lunch on Friday.  We ate his yummy barbecue-slathered hot dogs that he burns on the grill, and chips and dip.  Shortly after lunch, Drew had to leave for a haircut, and Noah went with him.  Jonah and I stayed, and while I caught up with Dad and Sandy, Jonah cleaned San's car. 

She was so excited about him doing that, and he was in his happy place. 

I love this room in their house.  It's filled with treasures they've collected from traveling over the years.  They've been to so many places, but my dad's favorite is anywhere out west.  He loves Route 66, and was once inspired by the movie Cars when he and I watched it with the kids.  (I'm not even kidding!  That movie inspired a huge trip they made that way.)  Dad also loves a good beach, preferably Destin, though he is not one to sit and watch for long.  One day will do it for him.  He loves Hot Springs, Arkansas, and D.C., as well. 

On a side note, I loved traveling with him, when I was young.  We went on three cruises together, and those took us to the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Jamaica.  I've eaten crazy foods that he talked me into trying, one of which was frog legs and snails, and I've hiked up and back (partially) a waterfall.  When I was about seven and in the throes of my Annie days (I wore the red wig everywhere and when people commented, I would break out in song for them), he, my sister Trish and I flew to California and drove all the way up the coast.  It seemed like it was two weeks, but I'm sure that's not the case.  I remember being mesmerized by San Francisco and Carmel.  We went to MGM and rode the ride that took us by where part of the movie Jaws was filmed, and I almost DIED when said shark jumped out of the water at me.  Unfortunately, I was the one sitting closest to the water.   We spent one week every summer in Jacksonville, Florida, and about a weekend or two a month in Hot Springs, Arkansas. 

But my FAVORITE trip was when he  took me to Hawaii when I was in seventh grade.  We were gone over a week for that trip, and we stayed at the Ka'Anapali Beach Resort on the island of Maui.  The ocean was right outside of our window, it seemed, and it seriously kept San awake all night.  I remember discovering that I loved the mahi mahi fish, guava juice and jam, and pineapple everything and anything.  We were down the road from a Haagen Dazs ice cream shop, and we probably went every night after dinner.  I attended a luau and was enthralled from the very first gong of the drums that came in off of the water.  (They rode in from boats in the ocean for the performance.)  I did NOT love poi, which was a gray looking sauce they ate on things.  I discovered, perhaps for the first time, how insanely car sick I become when traveling in the backseat on mountain roads.  We went to Hana on that trip, and though the ride was gorgeous and laden with tropical rain forests, I have NEVER in my life been so glad to have arrived at a destination. 

Y'all, as I've been writing this, I've been looking at Google images for that resort, and holy cow.  It's still every bit as nice and beautiful as it was sometime in the early nineties.  It looks exactly the same! 

Anyway, back to this blog post. 

That night, Graham and Drew went to a concert with some of their friends, so Todd, Jonah, Noah and I went out for dinner.  Noah was dropped off at a friend's house later on in the night, and Todd and Jonah stayed upstairs and played Fortnight on the X-Box while I sat and watched When Calls the Heart on Netflix.  I was in bed at nine thirty. 

Saturday was beautiful, so even though I hate to shop, I went out and shopped for tops.  I had great success and bought several, including the cutest dress ever, and then I came home and prepared for dinner that night.  Todd rode with the sheriff's department and the kids all stayed in for dinner (well, minus Noah, who ate with his friend).  I also started and finished this delightful book.

And proceeded to laugh out loud through the whole thing.  Lincee is my age, and I could have written the entire thing myself.  No joke.  If you're a memoir type gal, I highly recommend this book.  The fact that you don't know who she is is irrelevant, because she is hilarious and now I want to be her best friend. 

I was in bed early again, and up at dawn the next day with Chip.  We had church most of the day (for me, anyway, with choir practice) and then I came home and ate leftover pasta for dinner afterward.  I was in bed at nine last night, because Sunday's are rough on this girl.  Singing WEARS ME OUT.  I have no idea why, but I cannot sing quietly.  When our choir director says, "Sing!", I go at it with gusto.  And even though I'm tired afterward and have practically no voice left, I still sing like a fool during praise and worship in church a half hour after practice has ended.  It is physically impossible for me NOT to sing during praise and worship at church.  That's why if I'm sick, I don't go.  I can't just sit there and listen.

It was a great weekend.  This week is slightly crazy, busy wise, and I have since started a rough draft of a list of things I cannot forget.  My Drew finishes high school this week.  I turn in his grades on Friday.  I know it'll be that day before I can even blink.  (Insert crying face emoji here.)

Thanks for reading!  Love to all.