sidewindin' tales

** This may be a very random blog

due to random occurences

over the weekend **

Friday night was a much needed girl's night out (GNO). I hired a sitter because Jared is in South Texas dove hunting - I am pretty sure there are dove in our own yard but that's beside the point - and my mom was busy. One of my students from my first year of teaching, now a senior, has been anxiously awaiting this opportunity and was happy to help me out. I ordered pizza for them and left confident knowing that they were in good hands for the evening. Rhonda, Sharon, Cindy and I had planned to go to Snuffers but ended up at Texas Land and Cattle where Jenny Jou met us later. They had a "live band" on the patio and we looked forward to being out on the lake and enjoying the fall weather. We had a nice dinner, enjoyed the two-man-band and decided that dessert from Cold Stone was a must. Off to the harbor we went. We got our ice cream and walked around taking pictures, laughing and enjoying our grown-up time. I got home at about 11:45 and the house was spotless. That's a huge benefit. The kids were all in bed and there was nothing for me to do but crawl up in the bed and catch up on Young and the Restless.

Saturday was crazy busy. For some reason, none of my kids sleep late anymore. They were all up by 8:30 this morning. It is nice that they are self-sufficient because I did not get out of the bed that early. When I did get up it was laundry and house cleaning that had to be dealt with. I did a little bit of this and a little bit of that before meeting Jennifer so that she could take Ashlyn with her and Allison's gang to Rockwall while I supported my little football player at his game. Football games are not what Ashlyn enjoys most. Spending time with her A friends is top priority.

I get Clayson to his game and realize that it is his snack day so Trey and I make a mad dash to Wal-Mart for the snacks and other items on my shopping list. Got that out of the way and made it to Clayson's game on time. He did excellent on defense. Go # 44! After the game, we went to Old Navy at the outlet mall. I have become so tired of the t-shirts, shorts and flip flops that the kids have been wearing since April. It may be eighty degrees outside but it is time to get into some fall styles and out of the summer wear. I think I accomplished that by the looks of my receipt. Now, what can I return...

Jenn, Allison and the five children met up with the boys and I at Old Navy and it was fifteen minutes getting from the car to the store and once inside I think I heard or felt the tune of "Who Let the Dogs Out". There were loud kids everywhere, six belonging to us. We grabbed, doted, looked for sales, put kids back into the strollers, realized we were hungry, paid and left. We went to Fat Catz for dinner. They sat us in the main room at first but we asked for a different location so we would not disrupt everyone there. They sent us to a 'fancy' room where we joined a table of four - no kids. Poor table of four. Our group of 9 came in with a bang! There was sneezing, shouting, smacking, spanking and 'organized chaos' going on. It's never dull when we get together but really, would we want it any other way?

Once at home, after many hours away, we were all settled in for the night when my mom calls and says that my brother has had a wreck. Her and my dad are with their friends and without a car so they need me to meet up with them so that we can go and pick up my brother and his friend. Jason and the friend were able to walk away from this drunk driving accident without one stitch of an injury or ache while the other driver walked off in handcuffs. This man cut them off on the highway and got the front of Jason's Tahoe which spun him around and into a guard rail where he thought they were going over. By the grace of God, they did not go over or get hit by any other cars going down highway 80. This is not the first bridge on which our family has encountered God's grace - it made me think of how my life was spared 15 years ago and how we need to be forever grateful for the daily blessings and those moments that could have changed our lives if it had not been for such a loving God.

I'm home now and will hug my kids a little tighter tonight.