SOOOOOOOOOOOO TIRED!!!

We just returned from a one month visit to family. It was a nice trip. I'm glad we stayed so long (the kids and I--S. only got to stay for a week--SOMEBODY has to work around here!!) We got a chance to REALLY visit with everyone, instead of just dropping in for a day and saying hi. I got to catch up with my cousins that I have missed for years, spend some real time with my parents, and visit some friends from Germany who are now in my favorite city in the world!

We got to go to my family reunion too. That was wonderful. Sometimes I think that people who get to spend their whole lives close to family don't realize what a blessing it is. I know it is probably irritating sometimes, but it sure was nice to be able to call my sister and sister-in-law and say, "Hey we're going to the park in 15 minutes. Wanna go?" And theycould do it!! It was a great trip!

However, it was so EXHAUSTING!! We literally crossed the state several times--and it AIN'T Rhode Island, folks! Texas is a big place! I am SO glad we did it! But, I am also SO glad to be back in my own house, with my own bed, etc. I did laundry before we came back, so there weren't a lot of projects to do to get settled back in. Just unpack. I really don't like that. I love to pack, but not to unpack. I don't know why. I love unpacking when we move--it is fun. This is not. Oh well. A small price to pay.

A bunch of stuff happened while we were there.

I got to hang out for a few days with my cousin who is 11 months younger than me and his wife and kids. That was fun. We were close when we were small, and then life situations sort of prevented us from seeing each other much for a few years. But, I will always have a special connection to him in my heart, and I was glad to get to spend some time with them. His wife is also really fun, so that was cool. I hope we will get to see each other more. They are moving close to the rest of the family soon, so I guess at least when I go home to visit I'll get to see them. They travel more than a lot of my family, though, so maybe they'll come see me??

My brother and sister-in-law had their second baby. She's gorgeous. I don't know if it is because she was a c-section baby or what, but really the kid is beautiful. About a month before her birth, they moved to a new place. So, their family is making a bunch of adjustments at once. Fortunately, they are all GOOD adjustments.

My grandfather found out he will have to have a hip replacement on Aug. 28th. Although it stinks to have to have surgery, this is also good news, because he will feel SO much better after it is over! He has had "arthritis" for so long, and it really limits him. This is NOT a man who is used to limits! He has always been able to do ANYTHING he wanted, to this was NOT making him happy. And really, no matter how many pills you take, arthritis just doesn't stop hurting. So, it is actually GOOD to know he will have this surgery. It will finally STOP HURTING! He seemed in much better spirits when he found that out!

My cousin had a baby, and he was born with the valve in his heart closed. They rushed him to the hospital in Little Rock (a fabulous children's hospital there) and they did a surgery and fixed it. Amazing! Praise God for medical science. Can you imagine being J. (the mommy)? She had a C-section and had to stay at the hospital while they took him away. Awful. She only stayed a day and a half, loaded up on pain pills and got to Little Rock! Good news is, baby M. is doing great (he is also GORGEOUS!)

My grandmother took care of big brother, and everyone else was able to go be with them at the hospital. I was about to say that that was another benefit of living near family, but as I write it, I realize that I DO have that family (not at this assignment--but usually). The army is that family for each other. We may not be releated, but we totally are there for each other in those situations! Remember when PA had to go to the hospital during Iraq? All the "girls on the hill" had it handled! I remember once V.N. said to me "The army is the only place where someone will come take care of your kids at 3am no questions asked--even if she hates your guts." That is so true! (I don't know if you can tell, but I have definitely reached a turning point in my feelings about the army. I will write more about that later, but it is still a "tear jerker" issue for me, since it also involves a turning point in my relationship with my husband.)

What else happened. . .
My mother had eye surgery--on her birthday! What a way to spend a birthday. But, I guess for someone who hasn't been able to see without glasses or contacts for 50 years, it was a good gift. Her retina seperated months ago (scary scary awful) and eventually was repaired, but this was lens replacement. Now, she can see better in that eye than she ever could with contacts! She is a little lopsided, since she hasn't had the other eye done yet, but she is soon! Yeah mom!

My brother had the "biggest presentation of his career," and he GOT the account. Understand that I have no idea what he does--it is too complicated for me--all I know is that they just bought some land to build a house, and this can't hurt! Yeah!

I am trying to convince my sister to get married here where we are at the beach. Now, there is the small detail of the fact that her boyfriend has not yet proposed to her, but that does not concern me at all! I am an event planner at heart and I want to do this wedding!! Ha ha! Seriously--if you two are reading this--this is a beautiful place, what more do you want??

Well, that's it for catch up. There are a couple of other things I want to talk about, but they are big, so they will be their own posts. That's it for now!