Memorial Day Weekend

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend.  Ours was both relaxing and productive, which as you all know if my very favorite kind, and although my weekend was a 4-day weekend, it went by way too fast.

On Friday, my family came over for burgers so that we could all spend a little bit of time with Audrey before she leaves for Peru for a 6-month fellowship with Vittana {a non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing access to education for students in developing countries}.

After dinner, we headed out to the back patio to enjoy our new patio furniture and the cool breeze.  We had a great time sitting around and talking, and it wasn't long before someone noticed Ben's BB gun target hanging on the back fence, and of course, everyone wanted to give Ben's childhood Red Ryder a try.  Holly went first.  It was her first time to ever shoot a gun {if a Red Ryder can actually be considered a gun}, so she was a little nervous, which was apparent by the face she made as soon as she shot it.

She was a pro by the next shot though.

Audrey looked like a pro from the very start.

Mom needed a little help at first, but she was pretty good, too.

Nelson was another pro from the very start.

Even G took a turn...with her best friend sitting right beside her.

I hope that I'm as cool of grandmother one day as she is.  She is never afraid to try anything new.  Water slides, bouncy hopper balls, BB guns.  You name it, she's tried it.

Unfortunately, Amos is somewhat of a baby when it comes to guns, so Ben had the job of keeping him calm.

Audrey hit the closest to the bullseye -- although I don't think that qualifies her for any African safari anytime soon.

Thanks again, Audrey, for taking the time to get together with us before you leave.  We are definitely going to miss you but are so excited to see what God has in store for you over the next few months.  You are so smart and have such a great heart, and I know that you're going to have a wonderful time.

On Saturday, I woke up early to run 7 miles with the running group and then went over to my mom's house to help her with some yard work {a belated Mother's Day present}.  Holly and I helped her pull out vines that we decided had been there for years based on the fact that their roots were the size of tree limbs, and Ben was lucky enough to get to go to both Home Depot and Lowe's on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, so in addition to his projects, he got to spend over 40 minutes just waiting in line at Lowe's.  Needless to say, my mom was very appreciative.  That evening, we went over to Scott and Amanda's to see their new house, and then we all went to dinner at Mandola's.  I'm not gonna lie -- I pretty much always fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, but I have a feeling Saturday night might have been a record for even me.

We slept in on Sunday and then met Ben's family for lunch at Chuy's on Barton Springs to see Josh before he headed back to NYC.  Unfortunately, the restaurant was super crowded, and I completely forgot to take any pictures, but the food was delicious, and we had a lot of fun.  Afterwards, Ben and I ran a few errands around town.  One of our stops was to pick out a baby present at Target, and while we were there, we found the perfect shirt for Bubbs.  So cute, and so fitting.

 

After all of our errands, we went to the Liggetts' house to swim and for dinner.  The water felt great, and it really was such a nice way to relax and unwind.

On Monday, Ben with golfing with Paul at Barton Creek Country Club, and I went shopping with my mom.  That evening, Jason, Cheryl, and Miles came over for fajitas.  Cheryl made her infamous pico, Jason made some awesome guacamole, and needless to say, I consumed a lot of calories.  Miles sat with us at the table, and after dinner, we decided to have an impromptu photo session -- because how can you not take pictures of such an adorable smile?

This past weekend really was wonderful.  I feel so incredibly blessed to live in a free country and am so thankful for all of the men and women who serve to keep it that way.