A Good Tired It Is...

What a weekend! When the whole crew gets together, it is a wonderful craziness to be sure. Hopefully, everyone has recovered by now. This is the aftermath story where I would LOVE to post pictures if I knew how and if I had a digital camera. Surely one of the girls will do the honors. I took Friday off as the kids began to trickle in on Thursday evening with Beau, Sara, and Asher. So fun watching Asher laugh, growl, and toddle about. He gets more balanced and stronger every day I think. His Poppie lovingly calls him an orangutan since he kinda waddles while holding his arms out from his body like a monkey. The most delightful thing about Asher is that he almost always has a smile on his face and loves to be with just about anyone who will love on him. Friday morning there were errands to run, people to see, and an amazing afternoon with my oldest grandchild Miss Allie Jill Powell. I've always wanted to spend one-on-one time with each one of my grandchildren, especially as they get older, so this Friday was our day; a precious Gibbie/Allie afternoon to celebrate her 11th birthday. We started off with a very nice lunch at Amelia's in downtown Waco; browsed around Sironia a bit and then we both enjoyed Allie opening her first hint as to where she would shop first... a store that begins with the letter "T". She guessed right away that is was indeed Target; one of her favorite hangouts. She received gift cards for a couple places and ended up at a young girls' shop called Justice. After we shopped 'til we dropped, we headed out to our house where she carefully spread her loot on the living room floor to do a bit of 'show and tell' when her mama, Amy, and her aunt Sassy came out before the TCA football game. Allan, Emily, and claire joined us and we all loaded up and headed to the football field. What a crowd we brought! Coby is helping his daddy coach this year so he was already there on the sidelines. Adrielle and Skyler arrived before the rest of us and was asked to help sing an impromptu "National Anthem". Oh how I wish we had gotten there a few minutes earlier so we could have heard the beauty of it! Rounding up three carloads of folks, including two big kids, three toddlers and a baby; along with their parents is a slow-go sometimes. However, we all made it with everyone intact and accounted for. The game was exciting and we all had a great visit as we hearded kids and kept them from falling off the bleachers. TCA won against Brazos Christian Academy, so one more district win and we're off to the playoffs again. During half-time all the Senior athletes and their parents were recognized; then... this has never been done before, but Friday night the coaches along with their wives were also introduced and our hard working husbands were given cards with encouraging and honoring messages and gift cards for a meal at the Texas Roadhouse. So thoughtful of the parents who were involved in this gesture of gratitude. All the wives were given a rose for graciously supporting the men in our lives who give up so much energy and time from home during football season.

After the game, Amy and Cooper went to Coby and Adrielle's and Allie spent the night with us; along with the Waters and Kavalich's. Corey and Jack had gone hunting over close to Meridian at "The Place". They saw alot of deer but chose not to shoot. "Lucky deer", I thought. Saturday morning everyone but Poppie, Beau, and I went to the Baylor Homecoming parade. The three of us did a little decorating on our screened porch to make Allie's breakfast birthday more festive and then I 'cooked like rip', as Granny would have said. There were pretty flowers, gifts, and a string of 8X11 prints of Allie from the time she was little until now, hung with clothespins all around one corner of windows. Ten big balloons in shades of purple adorned the porch and there was food galore. We had so much fun honoring our little Allie who is growing up so fast. Such a beautiful young girl in every way. Later, some of us fixed sandwiches and lit candles placed on a big birthday cookie that had 'Happy Birthday Allie' written in icing through the middle. Instead of icecream, Allie had requested pudding. A funny memory of chocolate, butterscotch, and tapioca.

We donned our Baylor shirts and Beau's family joined us with their Texas Tech paraphernalia; bright red and black. We enjoyed so much visiting with all of them and wished we could get together much more than we do. Once a year or so is not nearly enough and I thought to myself... how blessed we are to be connected to such amazing families through the life choices of our children; every single one filled with good and Godly people! God has poured out incredible blessings in the people area and we are so thankful for each one.

As far as the Baylor Bears is concerned; the game did not go well, but the day itself could not have been more perfect with warm temperatures for November and lots of sunshine. Sadly, Claire Bear did not feel well so she and her mommy and daddy stayed at our house during the game to take care of her. We now know the fever was from a double ear infection and our sweet; normally happy Claire just did not feel "fit for nothin' " as Mamaw Selke would say. The nights were exhausting for her; and for Allan and Emily as well. Darrell and I stayed home from church to do what we could to keep Claire entertained while her daddy went to play golf with Coby Sunday morning and so that Emily could get a bit of extra sleep. Beau, Sara, and Asher left to have breakfast and visit with some close friends who live in Temple. Darrell went to pick up the Powell boys from Coby and Adrielle's so that Amy and Allie could take off for their Mommy/daughter retreat in Dallas. Jack and Cooper played football until their cheeks were red and Cooper was getting cranky from trying his best two-year-old tackling techniques on his big brother. They had so much fun and we had so much fun watching them. When Skyler arrived she got right in the middle with her cute little hair bow, twirly skirt and got the football. Cooper tackled her and it was so funny to watch such a girly-girl hold her own with a bruiser of one of her cousin buddies. A perfect afternoon it was; Claire started feeling better, the Waters got back from Temple; Coby and Allan finished a fun round of golf and when Corey got back, we could honestly say, "The gang's all here"... except for Amy and Allie. It was wild and crazy, but so much fun! As Skyler crawled up into my lap she pointed at my glasses and said, "I like your windows." Such a funny funny little girl! I guess she was trying to find something good to say since I hadn't taken the time to really brush my hair, put on make-up, or install my daily contacts. I love that my grandkids are affirming even when I'm at my worst.

Saying 'good-bye' as everyone decided to head home was another adventure. We don't just leave in our family; saying good-bye is a project. Loading, kids crying, squealing, running, unpacking, packing again, finding missing toys, shoes, diaper bags, etc. Folding up pack-n-plays, getting the dogs to quit licking babies in the face, brushing the dirt off clean clothes, holding, kissing good-bye once more, carseats; more screaming, calming, starting videos (what a great invention), going back in the house for sippy cups, travel snacks, a stray sock; more hugs, closing the doors, fastening seatbelts and they're off. We wave until they are out of sight, sadly sigh wishing they had trickled out more slowly. We go into our quiet house and straighten the mess of leftover love and laughter, and then crash.... at least for a little while. What a great weekend! I LOVED every minute of it.