Coming home and getting busy.

I'm usually the first show up at the big box store buying flowers but this year I knew we were going to be going out of town so I didn't want to burden my father in law with a bunch of watering. So, as soon as we got home I headed out and got some flowers to spruce things up and distract me from being back home.

We're supposed to replace our front porch this year so I'd been formulating a new color scheme, especially because it's been, what, 2 or 3 years since I've painted the shutters and doors. So I replaced the dark green wicker of last year with a couple of bright red things (I'm thinking charcoal for both the door and shutters). Then good friends gave me their fab primitive cabinet to either sell for them or for free if I decided to keep it...

...oh boy! I thought that I had no where to put it so I'd be selling it. Then I decided that, since our garage is still full of furniture and treasures from Uncle Robbie, we would just stick it on the front porch until I had a place to sell it. Well, oopsy, doesn't it look happy there? I thought so too. So more fun rearranging and decorating!

Side view with my daddy's pelican center stage.

Our builder hated the "greenhouse" I'd made as therapy, when Michael Jackson passed away, out of scrap windows and doors and sat out front in the yard. The glass kept breaking whenever we had a storm, loved it anyway but finally decided to let someone else "adopt" it at the shop. The chair I had inside it still remains with a fresh plant inside.

One of my little "funnies" I put together.

Still a "before", the front door...

...shutters still "befores". We'll see what happens over the summer...

What a great time and I'm not as big as you think.

Friends told me that I should shop until I had a fabulous outfit to wear to my 35th high school reunion. I told them that all I cared about was seeing friends and staying as cool as possible in 100 degree Texas heat. Well, I was somewhat wrong. Looking at the photos after the reunion, I might as well have worn a muumuu. I was always made fun of all through school for being too skinny...a problem I no longer struggle with...but still. I hadn't seen a lot of people in 35 years and won't see them again for who knows how long so you really want to feel good about yourself. I didn't panic until we had gone to the hotel where we were staying that night and I tried on what I was going to wear. I had barely payed attention at home when I was packing; now I think of all the cute, smaller-looking outfits I could have worn. Okay, OVER THAT. It was fabulous. No. 1 is above-having my family all together at one time is rare, maybe once a year if we are lucky. So, while this party is going on I just let go and enjoyed it all-soaked it in.

Sans "The Girl", we took this our last day out by Becky's pool.

Justin has a history with goggles...

...Lucas has a history of looking like Tom Cruise.

Bros.

The plaque honoring my dad at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, the church I grew up in. And I saw a couple of VIP's while there who tickled me pink!

Not exactly No. 2 because I consider these folks like family. Probably better because we don't have to live with each other; we are together by choice not by chance! Bro Tim and Sista Becky above.

This is the band who played at the reunion. Three of the guys are from the original Sweetbriar Band from when we were in high school. You would never guess that they are old farts when you hear how they rock. They played so hard and we danced so hard I started thinking that it might have been a good idea to have an ambulance parked nearby like they have at sporting events. That's one of the wonderful things about being our age; we are more interested in seeing each other and having a great time than how we look (we rocked without any dorkiness at all!).

So many memories that are priceless-growing up together in a special place. We are Lord and Lady of Bristol, above.

False starts and not able to agree on a time or place for a class photo...we were as I said, "BHS Class of 1976 A.D....D. It was like herding cats. There were even a couple of white plastic chairs we didn't take the time to move out of the way that I photoshopped out of these.

Just one of our many class clowns!!!!

There are so many more photos that I couldn't download from my Facebook profile onto here...many, many more brothers and sisters. Go here to see a lot more great pics.

No. 3? The food! Jamba Juice and What-A-Burger at least once every day. My heart is full but still alway have the longing...