Friday Things!

1. My mama heart might just explode with pride . . . this kid.  He is so awesome.  

He got new glasses this week . . . he said he wore them to look smarter!  Nice!

He completed his Eagle Scout Board of Review on Tuesday night and as soon as the paperwork is processed, he will be an official Eagle Scout!  

Can we talk about how much taller Ryan has gotten in the last 3 years ?
I'm wearing flats in both pictures!  Wow!

I now understand why the rank of Eagle Scout is so revered . . . it's a heck of a lot of work, time and effort.  For the Boy Scout and the parents . . . who do you think drove him to everything and paid for all the "fun?"  

2.  I had a physical this week.  I'm sad to say it's been probably 3-4 years since my last one . . . mostly because I didn't like the doctor's office, which I know is a super lame excuse.  Seriously though, you have to find a practice you like, and I think I found a winner . . . I even scheduled next year's physical!  Boom! 

Not my finest picture . . . it was a crazy windy day!

I say it's better to know so it's time to face the music, whatever that may be.  They took 7 vials of blood so I guess we shall see what happens!  

3.  Anybody else out there doing Weight Watchers?  It's really the only program that works for me . . . when I actually follow it.  

Let me tell you that getting and keeping weight off after 40 is no joke so several of my friends and I make social hour out of the meeting.  Dieting (or a healthy lifestyle, as we should say) is best served with others!

4.  I always thought it was cheating to make "fake" mashed potatoes.   So basically we never have them because it's a pain in the rear to peel and boil actual potatoes and let's face it, we all know they aren't the healthiest choice.  

Amanda loves mashed potatoes so I got these and tried them last night . . . whoa, mind blown.  It's like 2 minutes to tasty mashed potatoes.  And for the judgy, they were 4 WW points! 

5.  I'm going to continue to chat about Zeus like business as usual until he leaves for bigger and better things.  There are so many things I will miss about him . . . but not necessarily these things!

Actually I tend to find this stuff funny because he's just a puppy, and if he messes something up then it's our fault for not keeping an eye on him.

No, he's not supposed to be in the chair, so I keep towels on it for when he opens the back door himself and let's his dirty feet back in the house.  If I have anyone over, I'm very careful to double lock the doors, but if it's just me, then I don't bother.  Apparently I need to start because I put him out while I was taking a shower this week.  Well, mid-shower he zips through the bathroom with dirt on his face.   He not only opened the back door, he also opened the door to the garage looking for me.  You gotta high five him for being so clever though!

Well, that's what I know this week . . . cheers to the weekend everyone!

Oh hey there . . . miss me?

Should we just pretend that I didn't take a 5 month break?  I never mean to be away for so long, but like most things that require time and effort, once you stop it's sometimes hard to start again. If I equated it to an exercise routine, then I think you'd get it.

I suppose life has gotten the best of me and blogging gets shoved to the very bottom of the to do list.  House updates, the holidays, Zeus, kids, Netflix, blah, blah, blah . . . I always turn back up though.

I also give up reading blogs because like social media, it turns into a major time suck when I'm already feeling a time crunch . . . just know, my blog friends, that I do occasionally lurk and try to keep up even if I don't comment. 

So what's been going on lately?  Well, lots of things really.  Sit back, relax, and be nosy . . . this is my attempt at catching up so I can just start fresh!

My Ryan is rocking the whole high school freshman thing.  He was invited to join the Beta Club which makes a mama proud.  This week he sits for his Eagle Board of Review (whoa!), and he just earned his 2nd degree black belt in Choi Kwang Do.  Get.  It.  Done.  Son.

Kyle, (snaps fingers at him) over here!
Amanda, you knew we were taking a picture, right?
And yes, I need to diet.  

That is over 6 years of training, lots of hard work and about a million nights of our life.  Ryan is done with training so while it is a bit sad to close this chapter, it's time.  

Want to know a super weird feeling?  Have your oldest child drive your car while you are helpless in the passenger seat. 

He studied and passed the first time . . . this kid is just awesome.

Perhaps helpless isn't the best word, but as a known control freak, it's hard to sit passively without a break pedal and steering wheel.  I have to say that Ryan really is a good driver.  It makes me giggle that he constantly has to wipe his sweaty palms . . . he told me he thought it would be easier . . . I'm assuming based on his vast knowledge from video games and an assortment of wheeled driving toys throughout his life.

What a fun group of friends!  They said it was the best time ever!

This blue eyed sweetie went to his 8th grade Winter Ball with a bunch of his friends!  He sort of, kind of, but not really had a date . . . just a friend and obviously no pictures were allowed of him and a girl.  

#18 is Kyle . . . it was a yuck day but they won!

Kyle is nearing the end of his middle school years and keeping me on my toes.  He's cruising his way through his second season of lacrosse which is made better by having his 3 best friends playing too!  I cannot believe that sweet boy is going to high school next year . . . someone hold me.  

We had two days off school for an ice storm this year in January, and Amanda was the only one who was committed to playing outside.  Later in January, my Girl Scouts had a weekend in the woods where they worked on a "journey" and stayed in a cabin . . . fun times!  

Y'all, that cotton candy/hat combo was $14.  Ridiculous.

We also went to see the last year of the Ringling Bros. circus . . . we had great seats at the Girl Scout discount!  And honestly, it's time for it to go . . . it's not like I remember from years ago.  And while the animals are fascinating, I'm glad they won't be used in this way anymore.  The remaining animals in this show were horses, camels, tigers and poodles.  And if you want to make a bunch of tween girls happy, take them on a late night Starbuck's run . . .  because duh, Starbucks is life (according to them).

They have mutual love for each other . . . so sweet considering
he's got several pounds on her now!

So in summary, little Miss Amanda is so full of sass, but I still can't get enough of her!  She is all about her Zeus, hanging out with her friends, and organizing her endlessly messy room . . . oh, and being on her phone way too much.

I die of the cuteness . . . the head tilt, the tail tuck, the regal poses . . . love it all!

Speaking of Zeus, isn't he gorgeous?  I mean, like whoa . . . so freaking handsome.  And he for sure loves my children . . . and Getzy, but most of all . . . me!  We basically spend 24/7 together so he doesn't really have a choice.  

Guess who he doesn't love? EVERYONE else.  It's a big, long story that I hope to write about soon, but Zeus will hopefully become a working police K-9 in the near future.  While we love him so, he is too much of a liability to have as a family pet . . . since no one but us can actually pet him anyway. While I know I seem to be making light of this, it has been a huge part of why I have been absent. It's been very stressful and sad, especially since he's my little (well, not really so little) buddy.  

For the holidays, Getzy and the boys went to visit his family in Florida (because we promised the boys they would get to see their cousins) and Amanda and I stayed home with the dogs . . . for the sole reason that it would be too stressful to deal with Zeus away from home.  So Amanda and I spent Thanksgiving with some of our favorite people . . . these folks for lunch.  

And you're welcome . . . Christmas card photo creds to me! 

And for dinner we went ate with my friend Lake and her family.  Amanda is best pals with her daughter, and Lake and I have been Girl Scout co-leaders since our girls were in Kindergarten. Sadly I don't have a picture (remember I wasn't in blog picture taking mode), but I can honestly say I have never seen so much food in all my life . . . and it was delicious!

They will have to see Santa until they move out . . . mom's rule!

Christmas was fabulous, as always.  My decorating was lacking this year because my house was finally being put back together by then, and I couldn't bear to drag out all the holiday decor.  I had 3 and a half trees decorated . . . I simply didn't finish the basement one . . . and not much else out this year.  But Santa still showed up and all was well!

It's not often we dress up fancy!  

We headed home to Virginia for my brother's wedding.  I was super happy for him and his new wife . . . it's a sweet story because they were friends as teenagers and then reconnected all these years later!  

The wedding was lovely and it was amazing to all be together as a family . . . that doesn't happen too often!

I finally got my mama upgraded to an iPhone from the kind where if you want to text someone you have to hit the buttons a certain number of times to get the letter you want.  Yeah, it was time!  Her world was officially rocked when she realized she could connect to the Internet AND play solitaire from her phone.  

My mom's sweet husband kicked cancer's butt last year and is doing great!  We are so thankful he's healthy and on the other side of that nasty disease!  And here is a lovely photo of his dog Molly . . . we call that her "smile" but there really isn't anything nice about her.  She loves him so that's what matters.  She's one mean girl for sure.  Her and Zeus should hang out together.  Ha!

I love a girls trip and my poker mamas did a local Stone Mountain weekend last fall.  We had a blast . . . we shopped, spa'd, snacked, drank, played poker and adventured . . . that's a perfect recipe for a good time.  These ladies make my life so much better . . . I am so thankful for each and every one of them!

I also had a fabulous girls' weekend this past fall with my college friends.  Y'all, these are my people.  I love them to the moon and back.  I am ever so grateful for each of them and our lasting friendships.  We laugh, we cry, we confess . . . and then we drink and eat cheese.  The best. 

And then there are these girls . . . I love them long time too and oh how they make me laugh! We each did a big celebration trip for our 40th birthdays and this was the last of the big 4-0 milestones for us.  We got a great deal on a Royal Caribbean 4 night cruise to Cozumel . . . and a discount on the drink package.  Jokes on them though .  . . they were losing money on us by 10 a.m. because . . . mimosas for breakfast.  

Some of my local friends and I hit up the Fifty Shades Darker movie the day it opened in the "extreme" theater.  So yeah, we basically watched porn together.  Y'all, it was naughty.  And I was fine with it!  I was also fine with my friends bringing me "snacks" to the theater!  

OMG . . . I think that's it.  Well, enough for now anyway.  It's weird to end it on the dirty movie, but I've run out of pictures and stories.  Missed you all.  Mean it!  Let's hope I can get my crap together to show up more often!