So much catching up to do. You better grab a cup of joe and a comfy chair for this entry! I feel like July has been so wonderfully busy and it is only half way over.
Zach and I headed to Athens, TX for the 4th of July weekend to see our family. Every year the group seems to grow larger and we have so much fun catching up! We missed having Sabrina there this year but we had three special guests...Grandma Marilyn, Cory, and Cory's brand new friend Joe! There are 4 things you can always count on out at the lake.... 1) The 4th of July BBQ feast where everyone makes something and nobody leaves hungry. In fact nobody leaves without that uncomfortably full feeling...stuffed with burgers, hot dogs, potato salads, chips and queso, baked beans...the works! My contribution to the feast was a Lemon Curd Trifle with Fresh Berries! Yummy. It takes time to make the lemon curd (I missed Zach's debut on the wakeboard) but it was worth the wait. It was fantastic and you could even use the lemon drizzle alone as a dip for berries.. Dwayne and I did as we snacked while making. 2) During the massive food-a-thon, we always have the musically inclined family members play guitars and sing. It is so much fun and the highlight of all 4th of July weekends. My favorite is "Grandma's featherbed" or as I sing it "Ebby's Waterbed". It is so much fun to sing old songs and I am constantly amazed at how talented my family is. My cousin, uncle, grandfather, and husband are all amazing on the guitar and to get them together is a treat!(that is my cousin Adam in the video...yeah he is pretty amazing especially when we sings the songs he writes!)
3) As the sun sets, we turn our chairs toward the lake and enjoy the fireworks show at the marina. Even better are the front row seats we have for our own fireworks show from the beach area. I think Cory decided just to watch this year after last years "incident". Let's just say there was a big spark and then he ended up in the water and so did his wallet and his phone. They were great and Papa Leroy was pleased when nobody caught themselves or the dock on fire!
4) Last and not least, you can count on fun in the lake. Although muscles I didn't know I had were sore for 3 days after water skiing on the choppy lake...we always have a blast on the water! Zach could ride for days on the jet skis and he also wake boarded this year! We got toasty noses and shoulders from the hours of beach volleyball. It makes it easy to volley when there are 10 people per side! I had a great morning workout and chat session kayaking with Lynette.
What a great weekend. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family and weekends with them are always full of love and laughter!
Next, it was on to Houston for a weekend of Baby Talk! Mom and I spent Saturday with Lauren and friends at her baby shower. She was showered with beautiful gifts for Hunter Alexandra! I cannot wait to see Hunter sporting the Pink Baby Uggs, Mink coat, Ralph Lauren Dresses, and all those cute shoes! She will be one sassy Manhattan baby! Lauren looks beautiful and the term "glowing" is so fitting. She has always been beautiful but there is something about seeing your best friend 6mo. pregnant and sharing all of her new baby wisdom that warms my heart. She is going to be such a fun, loving, creative, and intelligent mother. Not to mention Hunter will be the most spoiled child alive thanks to Lauren and Deb!
Speaking of amazing mothers, I spent Sunday with some of my favorite people in this world..Lisha, Lee, Elle, and the Beyers. When I am around Lisha I quickly revert back to a nutty college kid. I am so glad she got pregnant first because she is that friend that isn't scared to tell me the "E True Hollywood story" of birth, babies, relationships, and all that "cool" stuff that happens to your body! I was belly laughing all day! In fact I took some pictures that she made me swear not to blog about. he he he. But seeing her with Elle was amazing, she is a natural and Elle is so happy in the presence of her mommy and daddy (and Aunt Shay of course!) I always think to myself when I leave my girls, "wouldn't it be great to all live in the same city"...and the answer is yes, but there is something to be said for us all having these amazing lives custom tailored to each of us. The Big City Mommy, the Ski Bum Chef, the Small Town Artist.....you get my drift.
Other high points of my Houston trip: The theater with Mom & Dad to see Steel Magnolias---wonderful!!!! Amazing dinners- fresh tuna at Goode Co. Seafood and authentic interior Mexican cuisine at Tila's downtown. Shopping with M&D for furniture. Shopping with Mom for this, that, and the other. And a place called "The Dessert Bar"...amazing!
Finally, I ended my looooog weekend by hosting a baby shower for our dear friends Brian and Dianna Reeves. The challenge- host a shower for twins, in city where you don't live, 4 hours after you get off an airplane...piece of cake! It went great and they got some great gifts like Dr. Seuss Onesies that say "Thing 1" and "Thing 2". Twins are so fun! As my gift to them, a Shannon Jex Art & Design gift certificate for a nursery mural. We already spent time in the nursery planning the mural and the placement between the two cribs. I will start painting in August or September! Pictures coming soon from the shower.
Monday night I couldn't wait to get back to my little family! Z was awesome and spent all weekend painting the staircase! So back to work, back to the gym, and back to the house-o-projects. This weekend: Zach finishes the staircase and I embark on the middle guestroom!
