Labor Day Weekend....

And it is so appropriately named...in my case at least! This weekend I labored.
Before I proceed, let me say that this is by choice. We have a beautiful lake house that calls my name on a regular basis. I can easily turn my back and leave what mess is behind, go relax and not feel one bit guilty. This weekend was different however. Our air conditioner went out at the lake and they thought it would take the length of the weekend to restore it. That did not sound like too much fun so I made other plans in my mind. Those plans were to really dig into the dust and mess...laundry, closets, yard ect. I usually do this in June when school gets out and I have the enthusiasm to restore order. I just did not care in June. I had other things in mind...like sewing, working on a scrapbook, lunch with friends, and sleeping late. So everything got put on the back burner. Things were orderly enough to not cause embarrassment if there were surprise visitors but I knew there was underlying mess. But...I went back to work in August with the mess still there. This was my weekend. YEA! I am going to clean.

Who gets excited about this ??...me. The air conditioner at the lake was fixed by Friday night. The whole crew....Jimmy, Sara, Drew and the two dogs packed up and went to enjoy the last weekend of summer near water. No one here but me. Do not get me wrong, I LOVE the lake. This weekend, however was for me. My weekend to feel like I had some control over mess. I washed, moped, cleaned windows, washed sheets, cleaned bathrooms, and so on...and does it feel good. The whole place is clean. Not one room a week but the whole place. It smells good and feels good. This afternoon when the fam returns the dog will come in and start shedding hair all over and the sink will once again be filled with dishes. This may be the last time it is like this for months but today it feels good. Sometimes a little order is in order!!!

P.S. So no one feels totally sorry for me because I labored while my family played for three days...I did find time to go shop for a new table for my perfectly cleaned kitchen. The space deserved it!!! Nope...no coupons but it was on sale and I love it!!!!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane.....

They are off... headed back to California...mom and dad-to-be and baby Shubzda. It is a bit of a relief. I really worried about the pace the kids kept while they were home. I guess parents always worry...even when your kids are not kids anymore.

It is the last time they will visit Dallas as a couple. Next time they will be bringing a baby along. It was great to watch the development and growth of the baby even in the 10 days they were here. How quickly things happen right in front of your eyes. From a microscopic cell nine months ago to this.

Sara spent a lot of time with tears in her eyes. I guess this is the closest she has been to the miracle of a baby in someones tummy. When she watched it move the tears welled up...wait until she sees him/her!!! Wait until I do!

This has not been the ideal situation for readying yourself for your first child, but both Tim and Mandy have just gone with the flow and that baby will be more than loved..real nursery to come home to or not. A baby soon...a cross country move. Born in California and living in Florida by the time you are two months old. What great material for a scrapbook!

On our end here we just wait.... and look forward to that exciting flight to Cali soon!

My Dancing Queen.....

What a fun musical! Sara and I celebrated an evening together by going to the Music Hall at Fair Park to see MAMMA MIA. It was a great night...starting with the fact that I managed to find my way to the music hall in the first place! You see my comfort zone in an automobile is not much outside the boundaries of Garland, Texas. Oh, once again I am so my mother! She would not drive anywhere either.

We not only arrived safely but a young lady I had know for years just happened to be working at the valet parking garage. She so kindly took my keys, parked our car at the front door of the music hall and gave me the keys back so I could just jump in my car and leave as soon as the play was over. Check.....another successful part of our solo venture. I think this is going well!!!

The musical was awesome. We laughed and sang and enjoyed the whole experience. It was not quite the New York musical I had seen this summer but it was an opportunity to expose Sara to something besides our local AMC movie theater. Culture never hurts!

Getting out of the musical hall was perfect! We beat the crowd, got in the car, and followed my husbands instructions...just push "GO HOME" on the GPS. I can do that..or not! Go home was not what I expected. The route was down I30 and I do not do freeways. Must have missed a turn because all of a sudden I was headed toward Waco...get off the freeway...GPS is recalculating. It recalculated me through the worst parts of downtown Dallas. I have never even ventured here in daylight hours so in the dead of the night was not a good thing. Call my husband who is out at the lake....I am soooo lost. His reaction..."quit crying". At this point I was beyond tears and into nervous breakdown mode. I had to hang up and regroup. Now I am totally out of downtown and into some industrial part of nowhere. Again...not good. Oh YEA! I see a policeman. I can just follow him and get his attention and beg for directions. After all he surely knows my husband who has been with the PD for 40 years. He will have sympathy for me and Sara. He was not acknowledging me so I thought I better honk at him...for two miles. Are you kidding me??? They arrest people like me and he will not even pull over. So I continue to follow and honk...all the way to the underground entrance of the Lew Sterrett Justice Center (i.e. the jail). Apparently his prisoner in the back seat took precedence over me!!! I thought I had better back out and devise another plan. Maybe just heading back toward the lights of downtown is a good idea. At this point my poor daughter who is trying not to jump out of the car to escape my hysteria thought it would be a good idea to stop at a gas station and ask for help. She really had no idea that you just do not do this at 11:30 pm where we were. There were people sitting on the curb with all of their worldly possessions in a backpack. Stop??...but I really had no choice. After telling her to stay put and not open her car door no matter what, I ventured into the Stop and Go and begged..."please, someone get me back to Garland". The kindest two men sensed my pain and one even offered to fill his gas tank and lead me home. Thank you whoever you were!! No, I did not need that much help but they carefully guided me to the right place from which I was able to get home...one hour and 10 minutes later.

Final thought on this...My faith is now restored in humanity and I am proud of myself. I am not willing to repeat this experience but I did it. I was alone late at night and I did it! And people are good and kind and I trust strangers now....because I had to.

Edit: This bizarre story can all be verified by my poor daughter who was along for the ride!!

Beautiful shower, Beautiful Friends.....

There was a shower for baby Shubzda today, given by two VERY special people, and attended by special friends.... all to celebrate the fact that the family is finally having a baby!!! It is occasions like this that you realize how blessed you are to be surrounded by people who mean so much to you and whos lives have been bonded with yours for so many years. My friend Sharon who cohosted this shower gave a shower for me when I had Sara 27 years ago...and now we are celebrating my grandchild as we have celebrated theirs. Our kids grew up together. We have lived through great times and not great times...and they have been there and I love them for all the times we can go back and remember.

Chris's son Jeff was one of Matt's best friends forever. Jeff hates me to retell the story of the time he started our backyard on fire and then rode home quickly on his bike!!! I love it. It makes me laugh! It is those times that we love to reminisce about and will continue too when we get old...or maybe we are old! Maybe it is all part of the fact that we have been together for about 30 years. The time has flown by but our love for each other is a constant....and it is such a gift. I am so emotional about all of this.There were so many amazing and wonderful gifts. There was a cookie jar from Sharon's mom who has known Tim for a lifetime. It came from her collection and she picked it out just for them. Can you even thank someone enough for something like this?

It was such a great weekend. No thank you note to these friends will be sufficient. When we are older and greyer and the story of our lives is different than it is today we will be able to look at pictures and tell stories and know how special all of this time has been to us.

We Showered......

Mandy had a family shower this morning. What fun! There are an amazing array of wonderful baby things on the market now. How did we raise kids with the minimal accessories we had back in the day?! Swings cuddle so you do not have to roll up kitchen towels to keep your child from sliding aroung in the sling. Car seats are a work of art and forget rolling the newborn baby up in a receiving blanket, there are garments made to swaddle and keep the child secure. What a world for all of the new moms and dads. If only they could remember the basics they were raised with!

Mandy's aunts had great food and fantastic desserts! Baby gifts are great but food is a wonderful benefit of the celebration!

Not knowing what they are expecting, the mom-to-be has lots of choices when Brooklynn or Matthew arrive. Guess they can save the other gender specific clothing for baby #2!!!

It was a fantastic morning celebrating, visiting, and enjoying the anticipation of what is to be.

My iphone a Friend.....

The phone rang today and it made me think about my mother. Mom had a friend...Mrs. Brennner. She and my mom talked on the phone each afternoon at 5:00. It was regular as clockwork. Never failed. If mom did not call her, she called my mom. It was always curious to me that they had that much to say. I mean, how much can happen in your day as a housewife that you have converse about each evening??? Neither worked so what in the world did they talk about...cobwebs, dust bunnies, new furniture polish, or the price of milk??? I pretty much accepted it as fact and just knew when the phone rang at 5 that it was not for me. This continued until my moms friend passed away. I knew my mom missed her but I never thought about how lonely her late afternoons must be without her "phone a friend".

I have a "phone a friend". I actually come home from work each day and pretty much know Debbie will call. We hardly ever see each other because we do not even live in the same town, but I do not know what I would do without her phone calls. We connect. Something about our lives intertwines, and we never lack for conversation. She has so many of the same issues that I have....she gets it. She has been my Mrs. Brenner. Do my kids think it is strange? I do not know. I do not ask...but I never asked my mom about it either. I just knew how important it was to her.

Do we become our mothers? Is that need for female companionship that great? Yes. I cannot talk to my own husband like I talk to her or my other girl friends. I am so blessed to have many great friends. Not all of my special friends are the ones I talk to the most on the phone. I love them all equally. Each one has a special place in my life. Those bonds are the things that keep us sane. Debbies afternoon calls are very important to me, if for no other reason than it is a constant in my crazy world. I know my mom missed her friend so much. I wish now I had called my mom more in the afternoon after Mrs. Brenner died. We learn these things too late.

We Are so Close....

Just six more weeks. Today it seems like an eternity, but it is almost here! Mandy and Tim came in this weekend. It is their last trip home before the arrival of their "Little Buddy". There is a lot that has been accomplished in the two days since they arrived and still more to do in the next ten days before they leave but, more on that later! Yes, this is my grandbaby. I could not stop watching him/her move around in Mandy's belly. It has been 24 years since I carried a baby but I remember the miracle each time of that being growing and developing inside. Even after four babies it was such a joy to have that little human with me each day. The wonder of what they will be like, what color hair will they have, is the chin like mom or dad...just so many things to anticipate.My birthday present from the kids was a book...the best book ever. As I looked through it so many of those childrens verses and rhymes came back to mind. Those great things that we read our babies and then forgot all about because we were busy dealing with the other things we faced as kids grew. I laughed as I read the following rhyme...

The Peanut Song

Oh, a peanut sat on a railroad track,

His heart was all a flutter.

Along came the five-fifteen,

Uh-oh peanut butter!

How many times I read that! I am not sure I thought it was as funny to me then as it is now. I cannot wait to read it to my grandchild!
I got another awesome gift but I have to wait until it is hanging to post a picture...it is the best!!!

Gotta Love Green....

When I first decided I needed an outlet for my thoughts and a Blog seemed like a reasonable idea, I was faced with concerns that I might not be able to find many things that I needed to address. I was wrong!!!! Having no shortage of ideas that stray through my cluttered mind, I am always finding something I want to say.

Today it is green lights! The older I get, the slower I get. I am consistently running late for work. I get up in plenty of time. I just can't move very fast anymore!!! I have to check email, empty the dryer, and maybe look at the food section in the paper...before I can brush my teeth and put on makeup. So when the workday begins at 7 am, I am usually just jumping in the car at 6:50 am...and it is a 20 minute drive. Today was no different...late again! But today every single traffic light was green...all 5 of them!!! I was in the parking lot on time with a grin on my face that made people wonder. I mean it is three days until students arrive so why am I so happy...simply, ALL GREEN LIGHTS!!! Yes, the whole staff thought I was crazy but maybe I am on to something. If you can find pleasure in green lights then it is easy to have a good day. I had a great day.

I Have a Disease.....

Yes, I admit it. I have a disease. I call it a coupon fetish. I blame it on advertising, junk mail, newspapers and other forms of paper that arrive at my house. I simply cannot resist a coupon. Even if I do not shop at a particular store, I go there anyway if they send me a coupon. If a store is going to give me 20% off of something, I need to shop. I may not want anything but I still go. I WILL find something there to purchase and then I will figure out what to do with it.

I have been to Buy Buy Baby twice in a week because I had a coupon. I not only had the one they sent me...I went and got my neighbors. Yes, she has four small children but I am sure I needed it worse than she did!! Heaven forbid I get a really rare 30% off coupon from Kohls. They are in the black for the year after I leave! I bought a new computer because Dell sent me a coupon for $100 off. How can you pass that up? Yes, our computer was old and yes, I told my husband (which I don't always do) but I would not have bought it if there was not a coupon to use.

I feel like I should stand up like they do at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and say " My name is Patti and I have a problem. I am a couponaholic." There are groups for people who suffer. Mentors who will help you find a path to healing. I think there is a place for overeaters so why not for poor souls like me? I think I need to research and find others who buy only with a coupon in hand...actually, who buy needlessly when they are holding a paper that says 15% off. I wonder if Oprah can help?

Havin' a Zoe Weekend......

It has been way too long since we have had a Zoe weekend. That is what we call it when we get to hang out with our friend. She is very special to us...because, she was very special to Matt. Zoe was the flower girl in Matt's wedding seven years ago but she was near and dear to his heart way before then. From a very early age Zoe had Matt wrapped around her little finger. So this weekend, because it has been way too long since we have hung out with her we decided to take her along with us to the lake.

We got out the hot dog and exposed Zoe to being drug along behind the boat in a not so gentle manner. What we found out was the faster we went the happier she was. We taught her all the signals...faster, slower, and STOP! The only signal she ever used was "faster"! What a little daredevil she is! Maybe they all are at that age and I have just forgotten!

Mighty Max, our fearless Boston Terrier will not let us out on the boat without jumping in for the ride. He is positioned in his spot long before we crawl in. I do not know why he does not fly off the boat but he never has. He thinks he is our hood ornament. He loves the wind in his face and the sun on his back. Zoe recommended we buy him a a doggie life jacket as she was sure he was going to fall in several times. Not sure he would wear it. It might mess up his hair!

The crew is off to take a last spin around the lake before heading home. We are always a little sad on Sundays. I think we get out there and quickly forget we have another life in the city. It is so low key and relaxing and makes us forget traffic jams, work stress, telephones, and laundry. It is the ultimate blood pressure medication.

While we were locking up today one of our neighbors had a visitor. Forget traffic jams! This guy just flew in and landed on the lake. As we stood there watching he did a U-turn in front of our house and parked two doors down. We have seen all sorts of fancy boats and jet skis but in the last eleven years we have not seen anyone arrive by aircraft. It was entertaining to say the least.

Doors locked and car loaded and we are off. Driving away is hard...but getting to go is awesome!!!!

A Family Affair.....

Does this look like fun???? The summer of 2009 once again brought the Shubzda clan together to celebrate our annual Lake Olympics. I guess we are blessed to have the entire family live in the area and be able to gather at Cedar Creek Lake for a weekend of friendly competition and lots of laughs. Seems like all of the other holidays we assemble, eat, open presents, visit quickly and rush to get home. So....planning an event where we are together with nowhere to run to and no time limit on hanging out just seemed like the thing to do.

Each year it is each families duty to come up with a new game for Olympic competition. How about "shaving cream squash" and the "smartee suck"??? Are we really digging that deep in our game bag? You have to get the workings of the great minds in our large family to know that you never know what you might be up against in the race for the coveted trophy.

It is way too much food, squashed sleeping quarters (23 bodies in a not so big lake house), laughs, 100 degree plus temperatures, and complete chaos but we are creating memories that will last forever.

Between olympic events there is time to fish and swim and ski and just float in the lake. Did I mention how blessed we are?? We look forward to this time all year long. Where else can you gather and just enjoy each other for 30 hours and no one has to leave to go anywhere. We have all wed, had babies, lost siblings, lost sons, been through cancer, watched our babies grow and now are watching these babies get married and have their own kids. We laugh together, cry together, celebrate together, support each other, and love each other. Our family keeps getting bigger and stronger together and just that much more fun.

At the end of the summer when I look back at these pictures I know how lucky I have been to become part of such a special family. Next year we will add two new members to our growing clan. A grandbaby will join us (mine!) and a new wife for my nephew Ben. So...we will squash 25 people into an overcrowded lakehouse and be so glad we can because there is nothing better than this.

Finding Treasure.....

Yes, I know this is random. The reason I started writing this blog was to have a reason to actually write down not just events but the things I find each day to be grateful for. With the summer heat, and madly scrambling to complete everything that is still undone around the house before school starts, I am afraid that I have not given much thought to the good things around me. As I was heading to bed last night (early, so I can get back in work hour mode) I was craving something sweet. I have basically gotten rid of all of the junk in the house after this last doctor visit. With the news that I have elevated cholesterol and high tryglycerides that make me borderline diabetic I knew the bad stuff HAD to go. Oh no :( can I do it??? Guess when given a choice between better health or sugar...the sugar had to go. So, before bed I was scavanging the pantry for a cereal bar or something when I found hidden away a small bag of M&M's!!! It was like gold!! What a find! There were not many....just a few. But those few M&M's were a treasure! Never before have I found such happiness in a small bag of chocolate. There are indeed so many things to be grateful for today!

This Says It All....

With only about 7 weeks to go until baby Shubzda's arrival, it is hard to not be anxious. It is also hard NOT to shop!!! Sara and I ran some errands today and of course we are drawn to the baby department in each and every store we visit!!! Sara is definitely thinking "pink"!!! I am just thinking...GET HERE! Mandy and Tim do not want to know what they are having. It is a choice they made before the baby was ever even conceived. Why do we all think that is odd? Technology gives us insight into everything now, even the sex of our children as early as 14 weeks into a pregnancy. I did not know what any one of the four I was carrying were and they arrived with clothes to wear and a place to sleep just the same. The nursery did not have to be pink or blue or have a sports theme or a pink crib set. Yellow and green worked for us. There are so few real surprises left in life and this is a huge one, and will be for everyone. So instead of calling and saying "she is here" or "he is here" they will call everyone and say.."guess what we have"!!! It makes the anticipation on my end even more exciting. I am eager to see Tim walk out of the delivery room with new baby in tow and say "look guys...Matthew is here, or Brooklynn is here". What a day that will be. Do I have a preference? I might have in the beginning but now I am just wanting a safe and healthy birth and the gift of being able to be there when the baby comes. Pink, blue???? Does not matter. I will be the happiest person on the planet whichever arrives. And after he or she is here....then I can shop!!!!!

Thinking Back....

With summer winding down and another school year on the horizon, I have been thinking back on how quickly the summer has passed and how much fun it has been. After spending last summer recovering from knee replacement surgery, it was a treat to be able to just plan fun things for my free time. The best part...NEW YORK!!!! Some very good friends rented an apartment for the month of July in the big city and I was so blessed to be on their guest list for four days. What a great time!!! I do not know what I liked the most....but a carriage ride through Central Park was something I never imagined I would be able to do.I was able to get up close and personal with Rascal Flatts, one of my favorite groups, at the Today Show summer concert series. I loved it. Sorry, Mickey and Sandra. I hate that I had to leave you all in the coffee shop!!! ,Wow, I could not believe I was standing there. Meredith Viera was so real! It was a treat to shake her hand and see her after all the years of watching her on TV.

I became obsessed with fire escapes. The architecture and the variety of fire escapes all through the city just amazed me....like about 60 photos worth of amazed me. The apartment buildings were unique and colorful and had such character. It was more than I ever imagined. I could not help but picture everyday life in one of those buildings. Another thing I was continually aware of was the lack of insects...like NO flys anywhere. All outdoor restaurants and food setting out and NO bugs....did they all migrate to Texas????? I have plenty right here in my kitchen I can ship to the city...can I sell them????

I guess I took pictures of anything and everything that said New York on it. Maybe I will never get back, who knows, but I have so many great pictures and memories that I can live vicariously through them if I need to. Favorite things....oh my...I know church on Sunday morning at St. Patricks Cathedral was an experience I will not soon forget, the Statue of Liberty at night, Ground Zero, a musical, wonderful food....just too many to even register here.

I just know that this was the greatest gift my husband could have bestowed on me. Just "me" time with great friends, in a place I have dreamed of going, with picture perfect weather, and no plan in mind. Just days of glorious adventure. I was in heaven!!!!!!

Letting Go....

735 Birch is "Sold"

Tim and Mandy have sold their house and as of this weekend are residing at 735 Birch no more. Their new home is an apartment in Lemoore that will be where they live until after the birth of their baby....not quite ideal but considering the economy they are very glad to have sold their house.

I guess this is a bit sad for me. Matt built the house in 2002 for he and Kim before they were married. This is where they lived until his accident in 2002. The house was Matt's pride and joy. He worked tirelessly to make it as unique as he was in the short time he lived there. As fate would have it, the Navy sent Tim to the same duty station after he got his wings. He bought the house from Matt's wife and moved in December of 2002. The house remained much as Matt had left it, except for Tim's own additions....including his new wife.

It is hard to let that part of Matt go. It was the last place he lived and left his mark not only in the design of the house but in his initials he carved in the wet cement in the driveway. That was so totally my son. I was only there to visit several times while Tim was there but each time I could still feel so much of my son in that house. I am so glad that Tim had the years he had there...but now it is time to move on. And it is time for me to let go of that link that was left also. It is not easy. No part of loosing your son is, but there are new things on the horizon and those new things include my first grandbaby.

So I will pack those memories away with the other ones that are so near and dear to my heart and look forward to what the next months will bring.