Having traveled four out of the last five weekends, attended 5 graduation ceremonies (from fifth graders to fabulous mamas who get their Masters!), returned to Virginia for a five-year reunion celebration, I have a photo of just about everything minus the kitchen sink that I am dying to upload, crop and caption for everyone.
**If you read this entire post there might be a prize awaiting you at the end.**
(Ok, there's no prize, but I had you for a second, right?)
May was such a whirlwind for me - trying to finish my last weeks of school, so many family celebrations going on, trying to put on my "summer hat" and get into relaxation mode, starting up new summer employment, completely forgetting about laundry, organization, and sanity in the meantime. Can you tell why it took me two weeks to write about it?
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What a joy to see my baby sister graduate in Arizona! I say baby, but she's going to graduate school - you would think I'd take a hint....
We were (mostly) all together for Mother's Day (even my grandparents on both sides AND my Tia) and a little mini-escape from Dallas, report cards, and spring fever were such a nice reprieve. Not to mention I am still cherishing my first children's book all about cactus that I purchased at the airport to read to my students. :)
I love traveling with my family - mostly because the six of us can't get enough of each other. What fun to get to lay my hands on Kathleen - the first time I saw her since she got engaged! There aren't many more family trips where this little lady and I will get to share a bed, tangled up in the covers, swapping girly stories and keeping each other up. We laughed until we cried when we decided to try to "get into bars" at 6 a.m. on graduation morning something I never thought I would try after 2007. :) HA!
Arizona is such a pretty place and it makes me sad that it took me 4 years to finally see the campus in the flesh. I loved seeing Laura (the FIRST LADY of Chi Omega) at "the house," and getting to spend more time with her fabulous boyfriend Blake while getting to know his family better. I cannot WAIT to see where life takes these two (and all of the other 2012 graduates I love). We ate pizza galore, enjoyed delicious margaritas in the desert-y weather, toasted with champagne at every turn...it was a regular family vacation - full of food and fun! I am SO excited to have Laura moving back to Texas. She and I will get to see a lot more of each other - as we fulfill out co-MOH duties in the wedding, have weekend visits up and down I-35, and cheer on our Longhorns!
The next weekend I spent in glorious Lubbock, boyfriend in tow, to celebrate our second graduate - my lovely mama. We squeezed in every second of family time possible yet again - whether it was on the couch, on the makeshift dance floor in the kitchen, sitting on the back porch sipping coffee, or holding hands and holding back tears of joy as we watched our proud Red Raider walk the stage rocking her 'hood.' There's something special about going home and I can never seem to get enough. There's also something special about seeing your guy fit right in with your loved ones. We had celebratory bagels and lox (Thanks Ash!) in true family tradition, soaked up some rays while we slurped on watermelon poolside (Thanks Norton family!) and C and I toasted to our first (of many) roadtrip with (what else?) DQ Blizzards, a great book to read together, some new jams, and the worst roadside-cafe fried alligator I have ever had. So many memories!
Obviously we didn't get enough West Texas the first time because we headed back less than a week later with BBQ ribs, sour candy and cupcakes in the backseat. (Are you sensing the food-theme of this entry?)
To say we were sad to leave was an understatement - and we even debated turning back around once we hit some Texas summer storms on the highway. :(
From fresh-picked blueberries toppling down a stack of french toast to a crunch Bodo's bagel surrounded by friends from your freshman dorm,
from beer breweries to scenic winery tours, corn hole on the Lawn and Christians pizza after midnight,
from glow-stick dance parties to photo shoots with a TJ cardboard cutout,
from sleepovers in bed with Dev and O to roaming Grounds,
it's hard to describe.
I cried the whole way home. And I'm not ashamed to admit it. You would too.
Highlight of the weekend?
Finding my name on the sidewalk of the new Education School Building. AMC'08 Baby!
So where does that leave me?
Other than surrounded by dirty clothes, unopened mail, and staring (challengingly) at an empty June calendar?
How can I have a true summer vacation and still get all of the things done that I put off all year? How can I continue to explore this great, big, beautiful city and still relax and put in my hours poolside?
How do you start your bridesmaids diet when you keep finding so many delicious summer-comfort-food recipes? :)
I am about to find out.
I will let you know how it goes.
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