My Massive To-Do List for the Week . . .
and some Weekend Photos!!

Well, I feel like the Countdown to School has begun (about a week and a half until the kids go back) and along with it is our long-awaited vacation to the Beach. So, this week is going to be VERY busy!

My To-Do List for the week includes--
* Getting McKenna to Band Camp each day this week at 9 a.m. (and, because of that, trying to get the girls in bed much earlier than they've gotten used to!)
* Registering Delaney for school on Tuesday
* Buying a few more school clothes for the girls
* Buying school supplies
* Writing and submitting two articles before leaving on vacation
* Buying McKenna another copy of one of her summer reading books (which got soaked today in the torrential downpour we had and is now un-readable!)
* Washing clothes (still getting caught up from McKenna's DC trip, plus having to do smaller loads--so, I'm behind even worse!!--because our washer has decided to spring a leak!)
* Buying anything for our trip
* Packing for our trip
* Registering McKenna for school on Thursday (and praying that we can get it done QUICKLY, so we can be on the road to Savannah/Tybee Island by 10 a.m.!!)
* Doing all the other MANY tasks that I know will crop up on my list!!!!!

We had a good weekend--mostly filled with small events and activities (which I LOVE, because it means we really don't have any big things ruling our lives!), and we ended the weekend with a birthday gathering.

On Friday, we left Sydney with McKenna and Lori (Delaney was at a birthday sleepover) and went BY OURSELVES to Habaneros. Of course, who would we run into but Les and Lisa, and Greg and Karen? So, we had an impromptu margarita party with them! That was FUN!

On Saturday, we attempted to have Havoc tryouts--although a thunderstorm DELUGE attacked us and we only got about an hour of tryouts in.

On Saturday evening, on the way to picking up Lori and McKenna from VisionLand, I went and bought "King Kong" and "Must Love Dogs" on DVD from Walmart and picked up dinner from Zaxby's. I LOVE their chicken fingers and their ranch sauce!! YUM!! (And Sydney ended up keeping me awake until all hours of morning, since she went to sleep originally at 8:30, but decided that she needed to wake up again at 11:00, then stay awake AGAIN until about 3 in the morning. Yikes!)

On Sunday, enjoyed church and then headed to Tuscaloosa for a birthday gathering for Danielle. Had grilled hamburgers, yummy cake (chocolate with 7-minute frosting, which is Mom's signature cake creation!!), and homemade butterfinger ice cream. It was delicious! I made Danielle a framed layout, which I was really pleased with and she really seemed to like a lot! It was really fun doing that for her!

(ooh, that glare is really bad on that frame! sorry!)

(Sydney enjoyed blowing on the party noisemakers, although all she could really do was blow into it and make a humming sound. LOL) (I think that's just the sweetest picture. Danielle had the boys blow out her candles for her!)

In between these moments were the even smaller moments that make life fun and worthwhile!! Most of these revolved around the things that Sydney does to just crack us up. She definitely keeps life interesting for all of us!

(not really sure why she does this, but it sure is cute! she grabs her tongue and then makes funny faces! here, i caught her doing it!)

And things like--her telling us that she was seeing mommy, daddy, and sister dinosaurs out the car window (this was after seeing parts of "King Kong" with us, which, I'm sure, inspired the dinosaur "sightings"); singing "Dora the Explorer" for all of us at church, then bowing for us as we clapped; dressing up with the cutest pigtails in her hair and telling us, "I'm like a queen!"; her leaning over to Gary as she was drifting off to sleep and hearing their conversation ("I love you, Poppy," "I love you, Sydney," "I love you more, Poppy!").

On that note, and as you prepare for a Monday to begin yet ANOTHER week, I leave you with a Quote for the Day--

"Smile. It increases your face value."
(Dolly Parton, in "Steel Magnolias")