The day did not start out well...

When I got stopped by a policeman on the way to school yesterday morning (he was "camped" out on a side road and caught me for not stopping at a stop sign. He had three cars lined up in front of me and was writing every one of us a ticket for the same thing.) I know, I know...I was wrong and should be stopping at the stop sign, but couldn't he have just let me go with a warning? I started off with him with a smile--you know, smile and talk all friendly-like with him and he might be nice to me--but was severely Unhappy by the time he had me sit there for ten minutes while he wrote us all tickets, when I really needed to have Delaney at school already. I haven't had a ticket in years, and I am not real excited about this one.

And then it didn't get much better...

When I found myself running around most of the afternoon doing errands and heading off in directions I hadn't really planned. I had been searching, to no avail, for graph paper for McKenna for a week, so I finally had to go to Office Max across town to find it. And then I had to fill up a big cooler full of Powerade to take to McKenna's color guard practice. And then...after McKenna called to say that the cooler had spilled out all over her truck bed, I decided to be nice and go fill it up all over again for her and the girls (she told me later in the evening that it was so hot and they drank every sip of it, which made me feel really good). And then I had to rush home to do a few things and then go pick up Delaney from volleyball practice. (And, oh yeah, I worked all morning on some writing work that is quickly approaching deadline.)

And then it got even worse...

When I talked to Mom and she told me that my new little baby cousin, Haven Grace (she is my first cousin's daughter and was a long-anticipated birth, since mom Lacy and dad Brandon had a hard time getting pregnant), is in ICU in Dallas. She is having serious heart problems, and then yesterday her lung collapsed. It was such a joyous pregnancy and birth, and now it is just turning into a rough time. So please...say a prayer for little Haven and everyone in the family.

But then it started to get a little bit better...

When, while I was searching for graph paper, I decided to run into Hobby Lobby and look for some page protectors for my upcoming scrapbook pages. I had just ordered 746 prints from Dotphoto, so I will have a ton of pictures to do something with. I have a plan for designing and organizing my scrapbook pages that I think is going to work really well; hopefully, I can start on that next week. And, then, to cap it all off...Sydney and I left there and ate lunch at Taco Casa, my very favorite fast food restaurant in the whole world (the extra hot beef burrito quickly calmed my nerves).

And then it got a whole bunch better...

When I picked up Delaney from volleyball practice and she told me, "I think I might actually start some matches." The school volleyball team comprises of ten eighth graders and six seventh graders, and seventh graders rarely get playing time (it's really a great year for learning the system). But Delaney said the coach put her in once when the rest of the team was eighth graders, and that the college coach that's been helping the team said, "Here's your best passer" (referring to Delaney). Delaney told me, "It made me feel so good, to know that I'm working so hard." Even if she gets a little bit of playing time, I will be so excited. (Matches start against other schools on Monday, so you know I will give updates here for all of you!)

And then after McKenna got home from practice (they are getting ready for the high school scrimmage game tomorrow night), she told me that she'd been selected to be an Ambassador for her school (this is like a "hostess" that helps out at school functions) and she was really excited about it. And then she sat down and told me all about practice and had me quiz her with phrases from Spanish class. It's always nice to spend quality time with her!

And it looks like it's only good times ahead for this weekend...

With the ticket fading a bit from my mind (and prayers still focused on Haven), I'm thinking of the fun times we should have this weekend. We will have the football scrimmage tonight (the middle school teams will actually play first, and several of Delaney's good friends are cheerleaders and some guy friends are on the teams; and then the high school teams will play, with the band--and McKenna's color guard team--performing at halftime). Then tomorrow night we are having a Family Game Night at church; we're all bringing card and board games, along with potluck food, and hanging out together. We're all looking forward to that. (And then--let me be honest--I'm already anticipating the birthday fun up ahead in the next week for me. I'm anticipating...)

I hope all of you have had a good couple of days, and that you're anticipating good things coming up for you.

Have a fabulous weekend!

(Edited to Add: In case you need a fix of some studly manliness, go check out my Friday Afternoon Stud of the Week at TideChick!!)