Monday, January 26, 2009

How Was Your Weekend?
Here's proof that mine was pretty GREAT!!


Starting on Friday afternoon, we had a very busy weekend. It was filled with all sorts of activities....but not the activities that make you wish you were hiding in bed under covers, but all sorts of good activities!

On Friday, I headed down to Tuscaloosa to watch McKenna's concert band perform in the Alabama Music Educators Assocation conference. They were one of just three bands from the state invited to play and they were AWESOME! Got a standing O and some wonderful complimentary words from the "experts" down there. McKenna is not really a musician first-and-foremost--the band is not her first love, because she has so many different things that she's interested in--but she really enjoyed this experience. (I doubt if you can spot her in this picture, but she's in the second row from the back and the fourth in. She's playing the french horn and her hair's pulled back. Nope, didn't think you could spot her.)

Sydney got all dressed up to watch the concert (and then promptly enjoyed one song, then said loudly between songs "How many songs are left?" and then fell asleep for the last three songs) and we met my parents for the performance. They'd never heard McKenna's band in concert, and I think they were impressed with them.

On Friday evening, Gary headed out with his Dad for their big, annual hunting trip together. As he left, I headed out to my favorite local Mexican restaurant to help celebrate my friend Miranda's 3oth birthday. This picture of Miranda and Allison investigating something on the ceiling (lights? a bug? splattered margarita?) just makes me laugh.

I spent Saturday morning at a team meeting for the spiritual retreat I'm working next month and, while I don't have pictures of anything there, suffice it to say that it was a wonderful time. I had to practice the talk I'll be giving and everyone was so complimentary and sweet about it. They gave me some good suggestions and just made me feel good about how I did. (All I can say is...God gave me the words and I'm doing my best to communicate them!)

On Saturday evening, the big event was McKenna's band banquet. This is a semi-formal/formal deal and the girls really take advantage of it as a chance to dress up!

Of course, we had to take a ton of pictures. Of McKenna and her friend Christine...


Of McKenna and her boyfriend, Brett...


Of Sawyer and Christine...

And of all of them together...


(Awww, to be young again. Right?)

And, of course, Sydney had to have her picture taken too.

On Sunday at church, we celebrated the "grand opening" of a new children's classroom area. We're calling it the Round Up Room and Sydney is SO excited about it. She talks about it all the time (if you can possibly imagine Sydney talking about anything incessantly...). I tried to get a few pictures of all the kids together, but they were running in so many different directions that I wasn't able to. But I did get one of Sydney with her friends Olivia and Maggie (as she left Sunday School that morning she said, "I have got so many BFFs.")

And enjoying the new room...


After church, we headed over to my sister-in-law's house for a birthday lunch for my niece. I was asked to make the birthday cake and, if I do say so myself, it turned out DELICIOUS!! It was milk chocolate cake and homemade chocolate buttercream frosting. (Now, you may notice that there is a slight "rip" in the cake at the bottom left. That rip became a huge crater by the time we served it. It had become a Chocolate Earthquake Cake and it looked awful...but it tasted good, and I guess that's what matters.)

We got to hang out with my great niece, Kelsey, while we were there. She's just learning to walk, and she's so cute!

After we left there, I took Delaney to softball practice (no pictures of that. Sorry, I was slacking!), and then I headed home to make food for the nighttime children's activities at church. I made a huge batch of macaroni and cheese and transported it to church...


There was a little bit left after all the kids ate, but then a couple of McKenna's friends came over after church to hang out for awhile. Let's just say that teenagers can wipe out some food, and it was all gone before long!

After all of that activity, I was ready to just crash by Sunday evening. And by the time Gary got home from his hunting trip, that was exactly what I'd done. I vaguely remember him coming home or leaving for work this morning (Hey, Gary!! if you're reading this!).

I hope you all had a great weekend! I'm gonna do my best to stop by everyone's blogs sometime today!

(And, oh...don't let me forget...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
today to my mother-in-law, Clara. To read a perfect post about her birthday, check out Gary's blog today. I hope you have a WONDERFUL day!!! We all love you!! )

21 comments:

Monogram Queen said...

Happy Birthday Miss Clara!

Great week-end Cheryl, I love McKenna's boyfriends NAME *eyebrow wiggle* :)
Those girls are gorgeous but no, I do not wish to be a teen again.

So... did Gary kill anything?

hippo chick said...

Happy birthday, Miss Clara! Have a wonderful day.

What a fun and busy weekend you had. I am salivating over the cake and the mac and cheese. I love both things. And I can't eat this morning as I'm having a test at noon.

Have a great day. And belated Happy Anniversary to your folks. Is this their 41st? We were 40 this past year. They sound like wonderful people. Bet I'd like them.

~hippo hugs~

Anonymous said...

These are great pictures. I love those girls dresses (and the cake. Ha!).

Linda said...

girl, you are just the absolute best blogger I know...There's a new update all of the time with tons of great pics. Looks like a great weekend. Hope Gary had fun on the hunting trip. My weekend was very wet, but it gave me an absolutely wonderful chance to scrap. I get to post that sometime this week. Hugs.

Cheryl Wray said...

Queen--I'm with you. I would not want to be a teenager again. A college student, maybe...that was a great time! But not 16 years old!

Hippo--You would love my parents and I think you guys would get along great! Mmmm...I'm wanting more mac n cheese right n ow.

Anon--LOL The cake was GOOD!

Linda--I'm jealous that you scrapped. Hoping to do some this week!

Adrienne said...

Goodness! McKenna looks GORGEOUS!!!!!
They grow up SOOOOOOOO fast!

Andy said...

looks like it was a good weekend. mckenna looks so pretty. i'm sure she had fun and the mac in cheese looked yummy

Nina Diane said...

sounds like a busy and fun weekend.....I'm tired just from reading it! Oh Cheryl, I know you can relate but good grief, no football on Sunday!! I felt lost....

Cheryl Wray said...

Adrienne--Yes, they DO!!!! It's crazy.

Andy--It was a great weekend!

Nina--LOL Oh, I know...I'm ready for the Super Bowl next weekend. (and I wish it was college football again already! LOL)

Gretchen said...

McKenna has such beautiful eyes! They all looked so lovely.

Your mac and cheese recipe, sil vous plait!

Love to rest on the weekend, but the ones which are chock full of fun are also nice. I just like to avoid weekends which are full of chores. :)

Anonymous said...

wow girl you must have been uploading forever!! Great pics!!

Kimberly said...

Can I just say that I am already tried and reading that made me even more tired..lol! You have been busy..chick! That cake looks so yummy! I love me so chocolate cake! Who cares how it looks if it tastes divine! Have a great week!

cinnibonbon said...

Yaaaa... I loved all these pictures..you look amazing!!!

Teenagers are the best aren't they, seems like our kiddo are about the same age.

Cheryl Wray said...

Gretchen--I know! Sometimes I don't know if I like fun or rest better. Both are good, but I usually go with the Fun! LOL I will absolutely send you my mac n cheese recipe. It's easy, but good!

Heather--Not so bad! lol

K--The cake tasted SO good. The frosting--if you're a frosting girl--was divine!

Cinni--I really do love teenagers. I was dreading those years, but it turns out to be just about my favorite years (well, aside from 4, which is pretty great too!).

Anonymous said...

I love McKenna's pictures. They look like they are having so much fun.

Anonymous said...

Wow...what a marvellous weekend! I agree --you are the best blogger ever! I love the picture updates! :D

Dawn Bibbs said...

Wow, ya'll are some BUSY folks!!!

I left a comment on FB...but I have to say it again...I am SOOO loving McKenna's purple dress. She's so cute!

The cake and mac & cheese look YUMMY!!!

Auburn Kat said...

Looks like another busy weekend in your household!

I used to play the french horn. I never really enjoyed it but looking back on it, it was a great learning experience for me. It also taught me to be appreciative of all of the hard work it takes to play an instrument.

Cheryl Wray said...

Gin--They had so much fun!

Maria--You're so sweet! Great to "see" you! (And I LOVE your blogging too. You're awesome!)

Dawn--Aww, thanks! I loved the purple too (and I know much you love purple!).

Kat--French horn is actually supposed to be one of the harder instruments to learn. McKenna likes band, but she doesn't LOVE it like a lot of the other kids do. But I'm just proud she does it; I really like to encourage any sort of musical pursuits.

Delia said...

What a busy weekend, but it sounds like a GREAT busy weekend!

[i gave you an award on my blog]

Cheryl Wray said...

Delia--Hey girl!! I'll come check out my award. Fun!