Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Memorial Day Weekend '09

I think we had the best Memorial Day Weekend of all time. For the life of me I can't remember what we did on Friday night. We must have done nothing, which we probably needed. We had a lazy Saturday morning and then Curtis and Jackson took a Man Trip to Bass Pro Shop. Annabeth and I prepared to make a Target run. While I was getting ready, we got an invitation via text message to join some friends at Lake Conroe for Memorial Day. Okay, how fast can I type "Yes please!" on my little phone? Woo hoo! I called Curtis right away, told him the news, and asked him to pick up a boat-worthy life jacket - excuse me, a PFD - for the boy. He came back with said PFD, a little kid fishing pole, and some worms. Or "rerms" as we say in the Moore home.

After rest time, we went to visit our friends Drew and Kristy and their 3 boys. All the boys swam while Kristy and I stayed dry and talked a million miles an hour. Then we had homemade pizza and cookies and IBC rootbeer. Poor us. Kristy is a great cook and baker and I've now made it my mission never to turn down an invitation to eat at her house. We had the best time. Jackson loves playing with Sage (whom he calls "Stage") and Kolby. When I see him with other boys I feel sad that he doesn't have a brother to romp around with. But when I look down at the sweet baby girl in my arms, I'm so happy I have a daughter. No outing is complete without something strange happening. That night we got mixed up and took one of their cell phones home with us (it's the same one that CJ has). I even called my mom on it and she asked if we had gotten a new number. Uh, no. It didn't register with me until I saw the picture of Sage and Kolby on the wallpaper. Nice move, Brilliance.

On Sunday morning we dropped off Beckham with my parents and went to church very early. Curtis and I signed up to help in the preschool ministry once every 6 weeks and that was to be our first day. The kids we were with were about 18 months old. I had kind of forgotten how to relate to them, but it came back. I think I am better with boys at that age, but I enjoyed playing with the girls and wondering what Annabeth will be like when she gets there. They were all so cute. Poor little girls though. They just want to play and climb but their dresses do not help things. Will that keep me from putting my daughter in dresses? Probably not. Then we went to the service, which was wonderful. Our worship peeps sang an acoustic version of "None But Jesus" and it was awesome.

After church we set out for Lake Conroe. There was some traffic on I45 and I realized people were slowing down to look at the Gallery Furniture store that had just suffered a huge fire in its warehouse. You couldn't really see anything from the freeway. Curt and I talked about how successful that business must be that everyone driving by knew about the fire. Mattress Mack has done quite well for himself.

We finally arrived at the lakehouse. It was absolutely gorgeous. My heart was doing backflips within me. We hung out for a bit and then took the boat to Five Guys Burgers. Please, let's observe a moment of silence for those burgers. I can't even talk about how good they were because they left me speechless. Then, adding fat to cholesterol, we walked to Marble Slab and partook of even more yumminess. After all, it had started thundering and we needed to let it pass before getting back in the boat. After the kids went to bed that night, we stayed up playing a game called Loaded Questions. It was hilarious and I think I might have to buy it.

The next morning we went out on the boat before the masses could get the water all choppy. Jackson got to tube for the first time with his daddy. He had a blast. Then Jenn amazed us all with her wakeboarding prowess. After that we had some incredible French toast back at the house that I will be making very soon. We basically spent the day eating, taking turns getting pulled behind the boat, and swimming in the lake in front of the house. There was much happiness and laughter.

One thing I will never forget is looking up and seeing my son swinging a golf club around his head, dangerously close to some enormous picture windows that the Jones family cannot afford to replace. Everyone was like, "Oh, he's fine! It's a toy golf club!" I ran up there and while there were toy golf clubs sitting right there (that looked very real), my son had grabbed the driver that Mr. Erin found in the lake (the house was on a golf course). I nearly had a heart attack. Anyway, who throws a driver in the lake? Well, people like me and that is why I do not ever play golf. Or other frustrating sports like putt putt.

At lunchtime, Jenn and Tammie mentored me in the cooking department. I now have mad skills for grilling corn on the cob, making easy peach cobbler, and baking French toast for a large group. I really, really need to spend more time with those girls.

We had one final boat ride before it was time to get cleaned up and head home. This time I got to tube with Jackson. I used to love tubing when I was a kid, so it was a highlight for me.

When we got back to the house, Annabeth was uncharacteristically fussy. She was warm, but I thought it was just because it was hot outside. Way to go again, Brilliance! When we went to pick up Beckham, my mom said "Honey, she has a temperature and it's 99-point-something-high." Sure enough, when I got her home and took her temp, she had a 99.7 degree fever. My sweet baby had her first fever! I'm sure she has the cold I had last week and I know how crummy she feels. Her little eyes are constantly watering and forming little tears. Bless her heart.

Aside from Annabeth's little cold, the weekend was just so much fun. When I was feeling really bad one day last week and both my kids were really needy, I was about to explode. I felt like I had lost all my coping skills and I desperately wanted to get away to somewhere beautiful. (Hello, hormones. I wasn't really missing you.) I knew how ridiculous these feelings were, but I couldn't shake them. In light of how I felt that day, I considered this mini-vacay to Conroe, this wonderful and unexpected blessing, to be a very undeserved gift from my Father. What a great shot in the arm. Thank you Jennifer and family. We are still smiling from all the fun we had!

This is serious business.



Wheeeee!



Boys.



Sabrina, did you ever imagine this outfit you made being accessorized with a PFD?



Here's that cute outfit without the lifesaving device attached. So cute! Annabeth loved Miss Kimmie.



Bless Clumsy the Worm's heart. It's hard to be at the bottom of the food chain.



I love this pic of my Hubs.



Look what Mr. Erin found!



Jackson's first fishing pole.



If anyone can look manly with a kids "Cars" fishing pole, it's my husband.

43 comments:

Ashli said...

I love it when I get invited somewhere awesome inexpectedly! We went to a friends and had a blast that day, too!
My kids LOVE the lake! Tubing, fishing, swimming... I wish we had a house on the lake!

MITZI said...

Annabeth looks so much like you Amanda. you can call her Mini-me.

C:M:W said...

Oh, it sounds like yall had an amazing weekend. How fun for Jackson to be able to tube, he face was glowing!!!!
Let me just add that Andy and I ate at Five Guys Burgers two weeks ago for lunch which we found ourselves there for dinner also. Andy loved it!!!!! And I gained 10 lbs after it!

Tara G. said...

How fun! We were able to meet up with some of my favorite people from my Atlanta days and it was so encouraging albeit a short visit.

Unknown said...

I absolutely love that God gave you the gift you needed, but also the gift you wanted! Praise Him!

By the way, my little girl has a barbie fishing pole and she is the one who always catches the most fish! :)

Your children are so beautiful! Love Annabeth's outfit!

Jessie said...

oh, I hear you about the hormone thing - I am a monster right now and constantly having to check my irritability and temper toward my kids. I am hopefully getting a mommy break very soon. the lake trip looked like the perfect antidote! :0)

Marla Taviano said...

So tickled for you, Amanda!
I've had a few can't-cope-any-longer moments this week.
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Five Guys!

Anonymous said...

Clumsy the Worm. *sigh* I love kids.

CAROL LIVIN FOR GOD said...

Amanda glad you all got away for the weekend and had fun at the lake. Everybody needs some r&r thats why I am praying for the Jan. memory team Lpm scripture verse team for me to be able to go to get away for awhile I take care of my elderly mother and it is very challenging at times and plus work a full time job that can be stressful so I am in need of some r&r and the LORD WILL PROVIDE!!!
Thanks Amanda for the sweet pictures and that grin on Jackson face is priceless. Love to the Jones and Moore And Fitzpatrick's
Keep doing what you all do
Carol Albuq.NM

bethany said...

How funny...my friend Julie and I went to Bass Pro Shop on Saturday too! (just in California) I was in Manteca purchasing a new laptop (thank you God!) and the BPS was right next to the Best Buy where I got the lappy. That is an amazing store! I loved it....decided that I need to take my 3yr old nephew Cole there...he will go crazy!

Rachel www.jackandcoledesigns.com said...

Amanda!!

GOTTA know where Anna Beth's shoes came from!! So cute!! And her outfit if you don't mind sharing! LOVE them!

Rachel www.jackandcoledesigns.com said...

GOTTA know where Anna Beth's shoes came from!! Her outfit too.. So cute!!

Amy Beth @ Ministry So Fabulous! said...

Oh, how much FUN you had!!!

I love the phone thing... for the last three phones, Katie and I have had the EXACT same phone as each other. When we lived together (and when we were in the office together) we'd get them confused all the time. :)

Suz said...

Cute pics! Sounds like a wonderful weekend!

MamaBear said...

Sounds like a really fun weekend! But you know if you're going to be talking about things like grilled corn and easy peach cobber on your blog, you MUST post recipes for the rest of us. When you get them, of course!

Great pics!

Moose Mama said...

It just makes me smile to see you all, I mean y'all having so much fun. Yay for good friends!

Melana in Wyoming

Lauren said...

HOW FUN!!!!!!!! What a GREAT weekend :)

Deidre said...

What a blessing you all had! Looks like such fun and so refreshing for you.

Vanessa said...

I can safely say as a mother of a small child it makes my whole year when we actually get invited somewhere! haha. Most of our friends are single or without small children so it is a rare treat!

Sunni at The Flying Mum said...

Five Guys is SO good! We have one in the Town Square, and it will be the death of me.

So jealous of your Memorial Day Weekend...Xavier had to work that day so our's was business as usual.

Kiki said...

That weekend sounds wonderful!

And now we must go to Five Guys, Drew is so loyal to Sam's Deli.

Kristi said...

Oh, it looks like you had so much fun! Now you know you are going to have to post those recipes/tips...the suspense is killing me :).

Tara said...

What a fun Memorial Day! I'm so glad that you got to do that, especially after such a hard week last week! I love the picture of Annabeth all dressed up, and Curtis and Jackson in the tube. What a fun day!

PS. Isn't it just like Moms to be able to feel and know our kids have fevers? My mom does that all the time... Maybe it's "temp wisdom" that comes with experience?!?

Big Mama said...

We just got a Five Guys right by our house but haven't tried it yet. I'm thinking we need to remedy that situation immediately.

Heather's House said...

How fun! Is that a golf club they found? Too funny! Looks like you all had a blast...what a great Memorial Day!

Keri said...

Love every single thing about this post.....especially the moment of silence for the burger - that was classic!!

I have to tell you that sweet Annabeth is just so stinkin' adorable! I know you've heard that 1,000 times, but us "boy moms" just really love cute little girls with bows and pretty dresses!

Bobbie said...

What a great weekend y'all had!! The weather looks wonderful, I tho't we missed a rainy weekend, looks like we got some bad info! We were at Disneyland Sat. thru Mon. and had so much fun with our family.

Love the 'cars' fishing pole!

Callie said...

what a fun weekend and what a small world! Chris and I totally know Kim from our single life days at First Bapt. That girl is great! We met there in the Lighthouse class with Mike Cabiro teaching...I so miss those days!

Dionna said...

I'm glad you all had such a refreshing/memorable weekend.
We got "Loaded Questions" for Christmas - such a great game to add to your collection!

Lysa TerKeurst said...

What fun catching up with you and your fam this morning.

I love it when my lake friends invite us along--- especially when tubing is involved!

Now, do share your new found kitchen skills with those of us that remain sadly challenged~

mhutsell said...

Yes, you MUST post your new recipes for cobbler and french toast and corn. Hello...some of us need as much help as you! ;D

Jen said...

I so feel ya about feeling about to explode! We're in the same boat w/ the potty issues that you had a few months ago. I do not like it all! My mini-vacay came in the form of LPL in Laramie w/ your momma...talk about a gift from the Lord!!!!

Kim Smith said...

Miss Kimmie loved Annabeth! and the rest of the Jones' family. =) I enjoyed spending the weekend with yall!!

connorcolesmom said...

That sounds wonderful - minus the hormones and sick baby girl
We are hanging with my parents for 10 days for summer vacation - there is nothing like home cooking :)
And I got to meet up with some GREAT B'ham siestas - they just make my heart so happy :)
I love them so much and am so grateful that God has used this internet for His glory and my joy :)
Many blessings
Kim

JayCee said...

Love the adorable outfit Sabrina made....how special!

Holly Mathis Interiors said...

i love the one of your friend holding the baby..so sweet..and love her little SHOES!

so glad yall had a good time..i can totally relate to that "needing to see beauty" thing..God SOOO made us women!

Lauren said...

Your mom's assessment of Annabeth's fever cracks me up. Just like an experienced mom. My mom can tell if I have fever by looking at me. She says my eyes look a certain way if I'm running a fever.

Tammie Head said...

We had SO much fun, too!!!! Yay for the new mad skills!!

Love you ♥,
tammie

The Schmidt Family said...

Hey sister. Annabeth changes every time I see her! She is SO cute! Love the outfit and shoes.

Lindsee said...

The minute I read this post, I texted Jen (the newleywed and my BFF) to express to her the sadness in my heart. Her family had a lake house on Lake Conroe our whole Jr. High through College life and it was literally like our second home. We were out there with all our peeps at least monthly, doing anything and everything you can do on the lake!

Needless to say, they sold the house last year so now our lake days our over! So, this made me miss the house. But, I am so glad y'all got to enjoy such a fun weekend! Thank you for letting me live vicariously through you. I know Jen feels the same way!

katiegfromtennessee said...

Alright! A well-needed day of fun:) I liked reading about it, the golf club in the lake is funny:) I am not so good of a cook either, but I am always open to trying new recipes:) We have a five guys, burgers and fries here too! It is good stuff! That sounds good:) Your kiddles are always super cute!

Blessed day to you,

katiegfromtennessee

Kelly @ Love Well said...

For the record, your Memorial Day weekend is EVERY weekend in Minnesota. :-)

There's nothing better than some time "Up North," tubing and skiing and relaxing with friends.

I dearly pray my mansion will be lakeside someday.

Missy said...

Whoa - in that picture of her with Kimmie, she looks JUST like you!!