Memorial Day 2009.

I have been accused of being a compulsive planner so naturally, I had plans for us.

We were to have an early breakfast at Ruth's Diner and then take the kids to the Zoo. Sounded great until I remembered that Quinn would be spending all Memorial Day morning (not to mention all day Saturday and Sunday night prior)repairing and assembling flags for the Scout Fundraiser.

What is that adage about the best laid plans...nevermind.

We ended up sleeping late...ha!!! We slept until 6:00. Then Quinn hung around in the garage with flags and scouts while I got yelled at by Jillian Michaels and then took my babies to browse the yard sale next door.

Since we all had the day off together we decided we had to go somewhere and ended up at C-A-L Ranch where Quinn got himself a cowboy hat (he-llo). Hot Honky Tonk Hubby needed some sunglasses so our next stop was the mall. After we checked out the sunglass collection and ate lunch Quinn pulled us all into the photo booth in the food court. We giggled as we tried to get everyone's face in each picture then waited impatiently for the machine to dispense our prints. We waited....and waited....and waited. They never came.

I was heartbroken. I hadn't realized how much fun I actually had just bumming around with Quinn and the kids. I wanted those pictures so badly. I wanted them so I could remember how precious the day was that we spent together as a family. I get so caught up in everything that is going on sometimes I forget that these days are fleeting.

Life is funny, it's hard for me to enjoy the present and at the same time not be sad about it being so....temporary.

Here's to health, optimism, love, and trying to squeeze every last drop out of every minute we are blessed with on this earth.

Thelma and Louise?

Nope. Just me and my mom ready to embark on an adventure.

Let's go through a few of the differences between Thelma and Louise's idea of an adventure and our idea of an adventure.

For starters, Mae and Mom didn't spend all night drinking, dancing, and then murder somebody.

Mae and Mom didn't meet or make whoopee with Brad Pitt only so he could rob us blind.

Incidentally, Thelma and Louise didn't sing along at the top of their lungs to the Julie Andrews- wannabe nursery rhymes CD.

I also don't remember Thelma and Louise cleaning carsick-kid puke off the carsick kid, carseat, and car.

I guess our adventures were a tad, well, maybe a lot more tame than Thelma and Louise's. We spent a few days at the Cherokee Ranch. Here are some highlights:

Loly (who spent pretty much the entire time shoveling rocks into her mouth).


Here is Daddy on the enormous tractor they rented to level out a spot for the trailer. He is a manly man.


Forr liked the tractor too.



What did Daddy find?


Aww, cute.


A picture of Forr after he was stripped of his pukey clothes.


Thelma and Louise's adventure ended with them holding hands while driving Thelma's 1966 Thunderbird convertable over a cliff.

Our adventure ended with us each riding home with our respective husbands, holding hands, and looking forward to another week.

Please don't grow up and hate me for this.

It's just too funny not to share.

Quinn, please forgive me for posting these pictures. I know you think they are not funny.

But they are.

My cousin Sara (who was so quick with her camera)and I were upstairs at Dillards browsing the shoes trying to get the attention of a salesman (impossible because their service sucks).

We notice that Forrest is also browsing the shoes. A pair of lime green Jessica Simpson high heels call out to him and he proceeds to remove them from the display table. He sets them down on the floor, careful to keep them upright, and promptly squats down and starts unstrapping his sandals.

As you can see here, he had a bit of trouble getting them on:



But he eventually managed. Nice pose, little man.



And away he goes.



p.s. Forrest, I still think you are a manly little guy. Your love of tractors, guns, tools, and pumps just makes you well rounded.