gonna try to get this typed real quick before i have to start my day. it's 5:30 on Tuesday, the second to the last day of school for the kids. i'm going to relish the routine and order for two more days. though i am really looking forward to having the kids home and all the fun things we have planned  - we have a lot planned - i do best when outside structure is imposed upon me.

we had a lovely holiday weekend. Friday night we stayed home and cleaned up the house and yard, made a birthday cake, and cooked food for the boys' birthday party the next day. then we sat down and watched Ratatouille together.

we were up extra early on Saturday to get more stuff done before the party at 11:30. i went over to Mueller while it was still cool out and walked 4 or so miles, when ran to Target just as it was opening. I ended up running over there again a little while later. by 8:45 am. i had already walked 4 miles and been to Target twice.

the party went well. we had a lot of the relatives and then some school friends. none of the cousins were able to make it though.

^my great uncle and his sister, my grandmother

after the party Brian and i packed a few things and drove down to Daddy's and picked up the trailer for a weekend getaway out in the hill country. my wonderful inlaws had insisted that we go away while they stay at our house and watch the kids. i had the hardest time finding an RV spot since it was a holiday weekend, but finally found a place that had just had a cancellation and i jumped on it.

after we got to the place and hooked up, we drove the short drive to Bee Caves and did a little grocery shopping, something we never do together. we came back and had a nice dinner of salmon, blue cheese, walnut, spinach salad. we sat out late listening to music and enjoying the breezy night. it was really just too perfect.

we slept in Sunday until 8:30, which is unheard of for us. we packed a lunch and drove to Wimberley and walked around town for awhile before we had our lunch. then we drove to Sattler near Canyon Lake and toobed down the Guadalupe. the river was a lot lower than the last time we'd done that, but still floatable.

when we were done toobing, we went back to the trailer and took a nap. i think we had a lot of sleep we needed to catch up on. in the evening we went over to a mexican restaurant in Bee Caves. that night we sat outside again and read books. i've made my way through several books recenlty. this week i read House Rules by Jodi Piccoult, The Walk by Richard Paul Evans, a history of the 1900 Galveston hurricane, and another general history of Galveston. still working on the last book. yes, i'm a voracious reader.

we lounged around Monday morning and took our time packing up the trailer. we dropped the trailer back off at Daddy's and, at his bidding, we dug in his garden a bit and brought home some onions and potatoes.

the kids had school yesterday even though it was a holiday, but Brian's parents had taken care of all that for us. Brian and i had a little time to get things done before i went to get them, so he worked out in the storage building and i went and exercised.

the kids seemed happy to see us though they all said they had a great time with Nonny and GB. i am so grateful for such fabulous inlaws. i just can't say enough good things about them.

tonight is Margaret's 6th grade graduation. they do a grad ceremony for 6th at Maplewood since that is the highest grade they offer. there will be a commencement and a potluck dinner, and then a dance. then tomorrow is the last day of school. we're going to celebrate summer's arrival and John's 7th birthday by going to Schlitterbahn on Friday. Saturday we're hosting a going away party for our friends, the Raders, who are moving to Houston. we have some other things on the near horizon, too, like a trip up to Kilgore to visit Brian's parents since we haven't made it up there in so long (though they've been down here several times in the last few months). lots of fun things to look forward to!

well, it's time to start the day rolling. hopefully i'll be back before too long.