Our Week - The One with Labor Day, Sad News, HOCO Festivities, an Award, and a Concert Date Night

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If I had to sum up last week in just two words, I would say it was busy and bittersweet.  There were some high highs and some low lows and a little bit of everything in between.  It was quite a roller coaster.

Here’s the recap…

Monday, September 7

Monday, everyone was off for Labor Day, so I got out of bed just before 8:45 AM and headed downstairs to let Belle out.  She was just waking up in her crate when I got down there, and she stretched slowwwwly before I let her out.  She’s back to being accident-free in her crate every night, so we know for certain that all those accidents she had a couple of weeks ago were caused by the parvovirus. 

After I let her out, I unloaded the dishwasher and cleaned out the refrigerator, and then I had breakfast.  After that, I dusted the whole house and put the finishing touches on the fall décor.

Jacob was still on his retreat for Teen Advisors, so he wasn’t home, but Olivia was back from her sleepover Saturday night, and she had to catch up on her laundry and tidy her room.  She also pulled out a bunch of the fall décor I didn’t use so she could decorate her room.

After that, I worked on my blog post for Tuesday and Belle hung out in my office for a while and (mostly) behaved.

I did a load of laundry after that, and then Olivia and I folded our laundry and put it away together while Brian worked in the yard all morning.

The three of us had lunch together early in the afternoon and then Belle fell asleep since she’d been up for so long.

Olivia had some video game time after lunch, so I got showered and ready and then put away some laundry, and I listened to the newest episode of The Swiftie and the Scholar while I did all that. 

After I was ready for the day, I let Belle out to go to the bathroom, and she started barking at Brian in the back yard while he was finishing up with the yardwork.  She never barks, but twice now she’s barked at Brian for some weird reason.  It’s like he knows how to get her all riled up.  Haha.

When we came back inside, I made the meal plan and grocery list for the next couple of weeks and Bellie kept me company in the kitchen the whole time.  She was so good, too!

I headed to my office with a snack and some hot tea after that, and I finished my blog post for Tuesday and started and nearly finished my blog post for Wednesday, all while watching You’ve Got Mail in the background.  Belle slept in my office the whole time and it was just pure heaven having a little office buddy again + watching one of my favorite fall movies.  And, of course, Olivia wanted to take lots of pictures with her little buddy Monday.

Late in the afternoon, I watered the indoor and outdoor plants, and I got a Poshmark shipment ready, and then we put Belle in her crate while we went to pick up Jacob.  He was supposed to have been back home around 5:45 PM, but they left late, and they ended up getting home close to 7 PM.  Thankfully, we have Life 360 so we were able to stalk him all the way home, and we knew exactly when to leave to meet him there right on time.

I was soooo happy to hug his neck when they got off the bus!!  Gah, I miss him when he’s gone.  I just know I’m going to be a mess when he leaves for college.

He wanted to eat Mexican for dinner, so we drove to one of the restaurants close-ish to home, and he told us all about his retreat while we ate.  They’d played tons of games, had bonfires, done Bible studies, sang songs, and spent lots of time laying on their backs looking up at the stars.  He enjoyed every minute (aside from a couple of times when he got overheated since the weather was so awful) and he already can’t wait to go back next year.

By the time we got home, it was nearing 8 PM, so the kids went upstairs to get showered and ready for bed, and I spent some time with Belle outside while the sun was setting.  It was beautiful!  I took off my flip flops while I was running around with her, and at one point, she saw them sitting there in the yard and she started barking her head off at them.  Hahahaha.  It was the funniest thing!

When we went back inside, I did a stair stepper workout and then all four of us watched one episode of Friends before the kids went to bed.

 

Brian and I started the final season of Outer Banks after that, and then we went to bed.

 

Tuesday, September 8

Tuesday morning, I was up at 6 AM and I got the kids to school.  Tuesday was the start of Homecoming week, so the kids had themed dress-up days. Tuesday was twin day, so Olivia and Maren wore their Thing 1 and Thing 2 shirts they’d made over the long weekend.  I wish I could have gotten a picture of them because I know they looked cute!

I had a Home and School Advisory Board meeting after I dropped the kids off, and we went over all events through the end of the calendar year to make sure everything was rolling along as planned.  We also discussed some finishing touches for Grandparent’s Day that I’m chairing this week, and then I bolted out of there because I still had to go to Walmart before I got home to Belle.

I let her out right away when I got home, and then I got the groceries inside and put them away.  I fed her some breakfast and played with her for a bit, and then I grabbed a pumpkin streusel muffin that I’d just gotten from the Walmart bakery + a cup of caramel crème coffee, and I brought Belle to my office with the hope that she would behave so I didn’t have to put her back in her crate.

She was awesome the whole time – no accidents at all, and I only had to get on to her for chewing things a couple of times.  After about 45 minutes, I took her out for a potty break, and then when we went back to my office, she fell right to sleep!  I sent these pictures to Brian and he said it looks like she's drunk on bones.  Hahahaha.

While she slept, I went through all my emails, I sent a couple more emails regarding Grandparent’s Day, I finished my blog post for Wednesday, and I started and finished my blog post for Friday.  It was a productive morning even with Bellie in my office!  She’s making great progress!!

I woke her up to go outside around lunchtime, and then I ate lunch and fed her.  She ended up having two accidents in the kitchen during that time despite the fact that I’d let her outside several times, so I don’t know what that was all about, but I suppose it’s always two steps forward, one step back when you have a puppy!  Haha.

After lunch, I corrected some blog typos and then I freshened up a bit before letting Belle out one last time and getting her in her crate so I could pick up the kids.  I read my book while I waited, and I was so happy to finally have a good book to get into! 

We had a very busy afternoon ahead, so there was no time to go home.  Instead, we went through the Chick-Fil-A drive-through for milkshakes, and then we headed to a diagnostic center so Olivia could get an ultrasound on her thyroid that her ENT doctor had ordered.  We ended up waiting a long time before going back and then the ultrasound took about 25 minutes since the tech was so thorough.  After that, Olivia changed into her dance clothes, and we had to move quickly to get her to dance on time.  She had to eat something for dinner first, though, so we ran through the Chick-Fil-A drive-through again, this time for chicken nuggets and fries!

She ate them in the car on the way to dance, and she finished just as we rolled up to the dance studio.  Thankfully, she made it on time, so all was well!  It was a close one!

When we got home, it was already nearing 6 PM, and I was getting hangry since I didn’t have my afternoon snack (I didn’t partake in the milkshakes and I was starting to regret that, haha) so I dropped all my stuff and started cooking immediately.  Thankfully, I’d planned to cook sausage, peppers, and onions tacos, so it was quick and very easy.

Brian was already home with Belle, and she hung out with us in the kitchen while the three of us ate dinner together.

After the kitchen was clean, I went out for a walk, and even though it didn’t feel like it was sweltering for once (it was only 86!!), I was struggling because my neck and shoulders and everything hurt.

When I got home, Brian left to pick up Olivia from dance, and I brought Belle in the bathroom with me while I got showered and in my pjs.

I let her out when we got back downstairs and then she went back inside and peed on the floor again.  Sigh. 

After I cleaned that up, I lay down on the couch with her to read.  I had other things I’d wanted to do, but I felt so yucky Tuesday evening that I lay on the couch and let everything else wait.  Sometimes you just have to do that.

After Brian and Olivia got home, Olivia showered, and then the four of us watched an episode of Friends before the kids went to bed.  Brian and I finished the evening with Outer Banks (although, I mostly scrolled through social media because I’ve been bored with it for several seasons now).

 

Wednesday, September 9

Wednesday morning, I was up at 6 AM and the kids and I loaded up Belle and we hit the road.  I dropped the kids off at school (in their PJs… their favorite dress up day!), and then Belle and I headed to the vet so she could get the rest of her vaccines. 

We were in and out in ten minutes and she did great!  I didn’t even have to go back with her.  And they said that she now weighs 7.2 pounds, so she’s gained slightly more than a pound since we got her!  I was worried she’d lost weight with the parvovirus, but she didn’t at all!  She’s now clear to get groomed (and she needs it desperately!) and to go to dog parks and other public places.

When we got home, I let her outside and we played together for a while.  After that, I put her in her crate for a nap because she’d been out of her crate for three hours at that point.  I grabbed another pumpkin streusel muffin and a cup of coffee, and I headed to my office to work.

Wednesdays have become an admin day for me, so there was a lot on the list to tackle:

 

-       Catch up on blog reading

-       Do some blog housekeeping

-       Catch up on emails from both inboxes

-       Pay three bills

-       Catch up on blog comments

-       Catch up on a few things in my planner

-       Send a room parent email to start planning the school tailgate

-       Tidy my office

-       Start my blog post for Monday

 

After that, it was time for lunch, so I went downstairs to let Belle out, and then she and I ate together.  I took her back to my office after that, and she went right to sleep again (she was exhausted from her shots) so I was able to get a few more things done:

 

-       Send a couple of texts regarding Grandparent’s Day

-       Get an Amazon return ready

-       Work on my blog post for Monday some more

 

I woke Belle up after that, let her out, threw Jacob’s sleeping bag in the washing machine, did the dishes, and then put Belle in her crate so I could pick up the kids from school.

I read in the car line again, and then the kids and I swung through the CVS drive-through so I could pick up a prescription before we went to their orthodontist checkups.

Jacob got the good news that he should be able to get his braces off after two more checkups, so that should put him getting his off in January some time if things stay on track.  And the orthodontist said Olivia is coming along with her treatment and everything looks good!

After the ortho, we went home.  I grabbed a cup of hot tea and went to my office to do a quick Bible study and my devotional for the day, and then I headed right back downstairs to get started on dinner.  On the menu Wednesday evening was parmesan chicken, mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli with garlic cheese bread.  I also poured a glass of wine since we had two open bottles that needed to go.

I turned on some jazz and put my fall scents in the diffuser, and it was a cozy evening despite the weather outside.

We all ate dinner together when Brian got home, and then after we cleaned the kitchen I went for a walk/jog and crushed it.  I felt so much better Wednesday evening, and it made a tremendous difference in my pace. 

When I got back home, I showered and got in my pjs, and once the kids were ready for bed, we watched three episodes of Friends, leaving the kids on the season six cliffhanger.  IYKYK.  And random note, but I'm soooo happy to have pumpkins around the house again!

After they got in bed, I scrolled through some fun fall inspiration on Instagram while we watched some more of Outer Banks, and then I carried my warmer to bed because my feet were chilly (even though it was blazing hot outside).  I originally purchased it for my neck, but it works for anything, and it is particularly fantastic to have on hand in the winter!!

Thursday, September 10

Thursday morning, I was up at 6 AM as usual, and I go the kids to school.  When I got home, I hung out with Belle for a long time.  It was in the low 70s and there was a slight breeze, and it actually felt CHILLY outside.  And yes, I know low 70s is not chilly, but it actually felt that way since the temperature hadn’t dipped that low in so long.  This summer has been way too hot.

We played in the yard for a while, I tried to feed her breakfast (she wasn’t interested), and then I put the dishes away that had been air drying.  I did a couple of other things around the house, and then I put Belle in her crate for the rest of the morning so I could go to my office to work.

Thursday, I caught up on emails (again) and I started and started this blog post and got it caught up to present. 

We also received the news mid-Thursday morning that my cousin had finally succumbed to her cancer.  After nearly a decade-long fight, stupid cancer won, and I’ll hate cancer forever for that.  I’m just so grateful that we were able to make it to Denver and see Zoe one last time in June.

We are all relieved that she’s no longer suffering, but she is dearly missed already by everyone who loved her.  Please pray for her husband, her two children (who are Jacob’s and Olivia’s ages), her parents, her brother and sister-in-law (with whom she was incredibly close), her nieces, the rest of her family, her friends, and everyone else who loved her so dearly.  And please say some extra prayers for Mama Cass, too.  It can’t possibly be easy losing a grandchild. 

Rest well, sweet Zoe.

Around noon, I went to get Belle out of her crate, and I let her out and ate lunch.  We went back to my office after that, and she behaved while I started my blog post for Wednesday.  I had to snap this picture because she follows me all around the house constantly, and she always, always has to be touching me somehow.  When I'm in the kitchen cooking or doing dishes, she always plops herself down right on top of my feet and I love it so much.

After school, the kids had music lessons and I sat with Olivia.  She started working on a new song – Animal by Katseye – and then we headed home so she could change into her dance clothes.  While she changed, Jacob let Belle out, and I did my Bible study and devotional for the day. 

I dropped Olivia off at dance after that, and then I headed back home to prep all the things for Friday and to freshen up for the HOCO bonfire.  We originally weren’t going to attend the bonfire since the kids have music lessons and Olivia has dance for three hours on Thursdays, but someone from administration called me a few days prior to the bonfire to let me know that I was receiving the Volunteer of the Year award at the school, and they wanted us to be there for it.

Olivia wanted to miss dance to be there, so we picked her up at 6:45 PM and then we headed to the school.  They had food for everyone + a big inflatable for the kids + music, and of course, the bonfire.  The cheerleaders and the football team did presentations and then they presented me with my award before lighting the bonfire.

I’m honored to be the recipient this year, but even more so, I’m blessed for the opportunity to serve there.  Back when I worked at my corporate sales and marketing job, I was lucky if I could get away long enough to go to Jacob’s and Olivia’s class parties.  It was miserable not being able to be there for them the way I wanted to, and I had constant guilt every time I had to leave them.  Not to mention I also had guilt every time I had to leave work to go to one of their events. 

When Brian and I made the decision for me to leave my corporate job, it was a little scary, but I’ve never regretted that decision for even a second, and it has been the biggest blessing for our family.  Now I’m not only in attendance at every class party and event, I’m the one planning them!  <3

After they lit the bonfire, we hung around for a bit and then we headed home.  I was wiped emotionally and physically from all the things from the day, so I skipped my work out and got in pjs instead.  The kids showered and got into bed, and then Brian and I watched a little bit of Outer Banks before calling it a night.

 

Friday, September 11

Friday morning, I snoozed an extra time, and then it was up and at ‘em because we had a lot going on.  It was USA Day for HOCO week in honor 9/11, so the kids went to school in their best red, white, and blue. 

After I dropped them, I had just enough time to run home, grab a cup of coffee, and get a few things done in my office with Belle passed out right by my side.  I listened to all the 9/11 coverage while I worked, and it was a somber morning.  I don’t think there’s ever been a 9/11 that I didn’t shed lots of tears.

Mid-morning, I had to be back at the church for a funeral.  My Momma’s best friend passed away last week, and it was unexpected as she had been in good health prior to the sudden events that ultimately lead to her death.  I grew up with her kids, one of whom was in my class, and even though we haven’t been in touch in a long time, I wanted to be there for my mom. 

I met Momma and Daddy there for the funeral and then I hung around afterward to chat with some people we knew and give my condolences, and then I headed home.

On the way, I swung by the library to pick up a book that my friend, Jeannine, was holding for me, and then I stopped by UPS to send something back to Amazon.

By the time I got home, it was almost lunchtime, so Brian and I ate together, and then I brought Belle to my office, but she wouldn’t behave and she was trying to chew everything in sight.  I put her in her crate for a bit after that, and I worked on this blog post, I sent some emails regarding our school tailgate, and I worked some more on my blog post for Wednesday.

Before I knew it, it was time to pick up the kids from school.  It poured rain the whole way there and the whole way home, and even though that wasn’t ideal timing for my commute, we needed the rain desperately!

When we got home, the kids played video games and watched Belle, and I lay down and finished my book because my neck was bothering me once again and it was making me dizzy all day.

After I rested for a bit, I did my Bible study and devotional for the day and then I finished my blog post for Wednesday, tidied my office, and freshened up because it was time to head back to the school for the alumni social and homecoming football game.

The alumni social was in the auditorium this year again, which was a blessing since it has been so hot this year.  The school had barbecue and loads of sides and desserts for dinner, and we chatted with family and friends. 

I had to be at the football field by 7:05 PM because they had asked me to walk out for the coin toss after receiving my award, so we left the social a little early and headed that way.  I sat with our communications director on the golf cart on the field for a bit while we waited for the pre-game festivities to start, and then I walked out with both teams and the referees for the toss while they said a little blurb about my volunteer work. 

I had been told I would be asked to flip the coin or anything like that, but the referee did actually ask if I wanted to flip the coin.  Haha.  I was so nervous that I declined – I didn’t want that pressure, haha – so I let the ref do it, and we won the toss, ultimately winning the game later that night!  So, I guess it’s a good thing I declined.  ;o)

After the coin toss, we went back out to the sideline to watch the game, also chatting with various friends and family throughout the evening.  Here's a little photo from our school photographer since I didn't take any of my own.

At halftime, we headed home to Bellie, even though the kids weren’t ready to go, and we got home around 9PM, just in time to watch a couple more episodes of Friends.  ;o)  When we got home, we found that Belle had discovered the toilet paper that hangs right above her crate.  She had pulled it through the crate, unrolled it, and chewed a bunch of it up.  Lol.  THIS DOG!

After the kids went to bed, Brian and I made toasted marshmallow old fashioneds and then we caught up on Ted Lasso.  Gah, I love that show so much!!  We ended the evening with some college football, and then to bed we went!

Saturday, September 12

Saturday morning, I was the first one up at 8:30 AM, so I went downstairs to let Belle out.  Olivia was awake and hanging out in her room, so she came downstairs with me.  I made waffles for breakfast, we turned on ESPN College GameDay, and then we cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast.  I put our fall scents in the diffuser, and it poured rain outside all morning, so it was a very cozy morning.  Bellie even snuggled on the couch with me while I sipped my coffee. 

Olivia had dance at 10:30 AM, so Brian and Jacob drove her there, and then they went to practice driving in a big parking lot again.  Jacob practiced parallel parking and Brian said he did a great job.  He said he thinks Jacob’s ready to drive on the real roads now, but man, that makes me nervous.  EEK!

While they were gone, I stayed on the couch being lazy, scrolling through social media, and watching GameDay while Bellie slept.  I also talked to Mama Cass on the phone and my Momma as well.

The boys got home later in the morning, and then Brian had to pick up Olivia at noon.  When they walked through the door, Bellie jumped up and put her little paws on the back of the couch and wagged her tail until Jacob came over to give her some pets.  She was so excited and so precious.

The dance studio ended up not releasing the kids until 12:30 PM, so Brian and Olivia didn’t get home until much later than planned.  Thank goodness we hadn’t made any plans.   

When they got home, we all ate lunch together… Jacob requested grilled cheese sandwiches, and I thought that was the perfect choice since it felt like an actual cozy fall day with the rain. 

After lunch, the kids got showered and did their laundry, and I lay on the floor and rolled my massage ball along the base of my head and up the back and side of my head while Brian and I watched the Georgia football game (and Bellie tried on Maui's old Georgia jersey, but she kept trying to rip it off, so she's not quite ready for shirts and sweaters yet, haha).  I had another migraine most of the day on Saturday and I just couldn’t kick it.  Finally, after a round of Tylenol, a round of Ibuprofen, some caffeine, my massage ball session, a neck and shoulder massage from Brian, and many hours, it finally went away late in the afternoon.

I felt well enough to delve into my planner mid-afternoon, and I got it ready for the week ahead and added some new events to it that had recently popped up.

After that game, I got showered and ready for the evening because Brian and I were going to dinner and a concert.  We have been seeing Paul Thorn in concert since 2003 (even before we technically started dating), and we still see him to this day every time he performs close by.  My favorite way to see Paul is acoustic solo (even though he’s still great with the band), and he played acoustic solo Saturday night for the first time in a long time.  I was so excited.

My mother-in-law came over to keep the kids company while we were gone, even though Jacob is technically old enough to stay home alone.  We don’t like leaving Olivia just yet, though, so we were grateful to her for hanging out with them the whole evening.

She arrived just before 5:30 PM, and after some date night pictures Brian and I headed downtown.  We had a dinner reservation at the restaurant right under the venue, and when we arrived, we were seated next to a bunch of ninth graders from the kids’ school who were there before their Homecoming dance.  We knew several of the kids, so I felt bad that we were right next to them, and I hoped that they didn’t think we were spying on them.  Hahahaha.

Brian and I started the evening with a round of old fashioneds, and then we had a yummy dinner.  We both ordered the filet medallions with mac n cheese, and I selected green beans as my second side while Brian opted for the brussels sprouts with bacon and hot honey.  And you better believe I tried one of those brussels sprouts!  ;o)  Everything was so delicious.

We grabbed a second round of drinks to kill some time since the concert didn’t start until 8 PM, but we still ended up finishing up earlier than expected.  We decided to walk up to the venue anyway, and I was glad we did because the place was packed, and people started lining up to wait for the doors to open shortly after we arrived. 

Brian saw one of his old classmates from high school, so we chatted with her and her husband while we waited for the doors to open, and then we ended up sharing a table with them inside.  Since we happened to walk in right as everyone was lining up, we managed to get a front row table which was excellent.

Brian grabbed us one last round of drinks from the bar before the show started, and then the next hour and a half was spent listening to Paul sing and tell stories.  He performed some of my most favorite songs in his whole catalog, so I was a happy camper.

After the show, we waited in line to say hi to him, and we chatted with him for a few minutes.  We’ve been to so many of his shows over the years that he knows us, so he asked us how the kids were doing and how we’ve been and it was so nice to see him.  I bought a koozie from his merch table, and he signed one of his artwork prints for me, too.

And this is so random and so gross, but while we were there, Olivia sent me this text, and I could not stop laughing.  SOS, y’all.

My MIL also sent this picture and that was a much cuter message than the one Olivia had sent about Belle eating her poop.  Hahahaha.

We said our goodbyes after that, and then we walked next door to one of the old nightclub/bars that’s been there foreverrrr because my friend, Shaun, was DJing there for the evening.  He told us to come up to the DJ booth, and we chatted with him for a minute.  He just lost his mom recently so I was happy to be able to see him in person and give him our condolences.  We chatted for a few short minutes and then we said goodbye because he had to get back to his DJ mixer.

It was funny being there again, too, because Brian and I spent soooo many nights at that place in our early dating years, and we hadn’t been in forever.  I had such a wave of nostalgia wash over me as we walked in, and we even got carded which was the icing on the cake.  Lol.  JK, they card everyone there no matter their age, but it was nice to get carded since I’m 44.

We got home a little after 10 PM, and we chatted with my MIL for a bit.  Then, the kids went to bed and Brian and I watched the last few minutes of that crazy Texas vs. Ohio State game.  Texas made a massive comeback and we couldn’t have been more excited!

Sunday, September 13

Sunday morning, Brian went out to get some pumpkin donuts, and I got out of bed at 8:30 AM right as he was getting home.  We all had breakfast, and then I took a cup of coffee to my office to get some stuff done since I hadn’t done any work Saturday.  Brian went outside to work in the yard, so I took Belle upstairs with me.  Since the kids were playing video games in the playroom, we let her go back and forth between our two rooms, and she did okay for a while.  She finally started getting into all the things after that, so I banished her to the kitchen for the last 30 minutes or so because I wasn’t getting anything done while she was upstairs.

I managed to transfer all photos from my phone to my computer and get them organized, and then all four of us Facetimed with my cousin and HER FIANCE because they got engaged Saturday evening!!  I was actually let in on the secret so I knew it was happening, and I couldn’t wait to see her and congratulate her… and Drew, of course.  Haha.  She is like the baby sister I never had and I’m soooo thrilled for her!!   

After we were done with that, I ran through some emails, made a to do list for Monday, and then it was time to get showered and ready for the day.

My mother-in-law and step-father-in-law made barbecue chicken, cheesy potatoes, carrots, broccoli, and a few other sides, and then we had carrot cake for dessert.  It was all so delicious, and that carrot cake was some of the best we’d ever had!

We headed home after lunch, and I worked on this blog post for a bit while I had my You’ve Got Mail happy background noise playing.  The kids played video games for a bit and Brian watched football and hung out with Bellie.

I only had a few minutes to spend in my office and then I moved a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer (that I’d forgotten about – LOL), I threw a load of towels in the washer, and then I sorted all the dirty laundry before we left to pick up Mama Cass for church.

We have a railroad crossing a couple of miles down the road from our house, and there was a train blocking the intersection so we couldn’t get to the highway, which meant that we had to take an alternate route.  Well, we got to the second crossing to find that the train was so long that it was blocking that crossing, too.  The train wasn’t moving, and everyone was turning around in the middle of the road, so we knew there was a problem.  There have been times when the train blocked both of those crossings for hours, so we didn’t bother to wait around.

Since we couldn’t get to the highway, we had to backtrack and head back towards our neighborhood and take the backroads, which added loads of time to our commute.  Thankfully, we were able to get Mama Cass to church right before it started, but I felt bad because she likes to get there early.  We also didn’t get “our spot” since we arrived so late, and it was weird sitting in a totally different section.  Haha.

After Mass, we had to go pick up Bellie from our house and then head to Sunday dinner, and I’ll be danged if that train wasn’t still stuck there at the crossing blocking the intersection again.  We couldn’t get to our house from that route, so we had to backtrack again and go all the way back down the highway, which set us way back.  We were already late for dinner at that point, and we also desperately needed gas, so we just decided to go straight to Momma and Daddy’s and drop Mama Cass. 

Olivia begged to go get Belle, and Brian is a sucker for his girl, so he and Olivia loaded back up in the car to get gas and grab Belle, and then they came back to Momma and Daddy’s and started dinner late.

Momma had made a new recipe called “funeral chicken” and we all had a good laugh at the name because who wants to eat that?!  Haha.  But seriously, it’s called that because it’s a casserole that’s great to take to families after a funeral and it was delicious.  It had chicken and hashbrowns and cheese and chives and some other stuff, and we all ate it up.  She also made some sauteed green beans that were amazing + bread + a brown sugar pound cake for dessert.  Her brown sugar pound cake is one of my favorite things, so it was an evening of good eating!

We hung out at their house for a bit and helped clean up, and then we left around 8 PM to head home.  Once the kids were ready for bed, we watched one episode of Friends, and then they went to bed.  Please enjoy this picture of Bellie in Jacob's bed.  I swear, she looks like a cartoon.  Lol.

Brian and I started another episode of Outer Banks, I started a new book, and then we went to bed.

And that was our week.  A death, an award, a funeral, a somber 9/11 remembrance, a homecoming celebration, a date night, a concert, and an engagement.  So many tears.  So much joy.  All proof that joy and sadness coexist every single day.  You just have to try to focus on the good.

Happy Tuesday, y’all.