September 30, 2008
The Queen of Thirteen
Although this is how Rachel began her 13th birthday (with the traditional birthday cinnamon roll and always at least one small package to open), she actually began her celebration weeks ago when Tracy & Nate were here.
Tracy primed her well:
I had also done a little priming four years ago when Sarah turned 13, so the expectations had been building for four years that Rachel would also get to skip school for a mother-daughter shopping spree. (Fortunately, Rachel has LOTS of shoes to help deal with the stress of anticipation.)
So............when I delivered lunch to the girls on Thursday like I usually do, BOTH were stunned, surprised and speechless when I told Rachel to pack up her things to leave. The expected still came unexpected!
We made it to Chicago in time to do a little shopping before Rachel's birthday dinner of coconut shrimp and lobster followed by "Wicked."
After a good night's sleep and a Carmel Macchiato from Starbuck's, Rachel shopped 'til she dropped while I got shopper's elbow from carrying packages and swooshing my credit card all day long.
Bubby, you better start getting ready for Sweet 16 . . . you have a lot to live up to!
September 18, 2008
An Early Thanksgiving
Tracy and Nate made their first pilgrimage back to Indiana as a married couple.
Nate is obviously a very tolerant young gentleman. Not only did he endure that drive from Atlanta, but then 5 days of Indiana rain and gloom, sleeping in his teenage little sister-in-law's room, sharing the bathroom with three blondes and NOT having access to cable or satellite TV. He even watched one of Sarah's volleyball matches, two chick flicks and sat around the table with twenty of us to share an early Thanksgiving of togetherness even though there was no after-dinner football game as a reward his patience and perserverence. Whew!
Obviously, this guy is in love..........and as the photo attests, marriage looks good on both of them.
Nate even spent an afternoon shopping with the in-laws and Tracy.
(In Nate's own words: Happy wife..........Happy life.)
How refreshing to know there are still a few good men left: intelligent, charming and cute!
Thankfully there was also Rock Band and indoor go-cart racing! (He even got to watch a little college football that came through on our rabbit ears.)
A lot to be thankful for . . . .
