Live for the Weekend

After our fabulous trip to Bermuda, we returned home to have a very eventful month. Similar to many folks, the majority of our good times occur over the weekend. I get to spend valuable time with my family and friends, make new memories, and travel. Working feeds our bellies, but memories feed our souls.

My Mimi (my grandmother) had her total hip replacement while we were gone, and it went very well. I stopped in to visit her while she was in the hospital. She was in great spirits and already able to walk down the hall. She has been having issues since last July and finally was diagnosed and repaired. I am happy to report that she is doing extremely well and now only needs to walk with a cane. I'm so proud of her achievements.

My Mimi and Poppy <3

Shortly after her surgery on May 10th, Mimi celebrated her 75th birthday. She got to do one of her most favorite things, gambling (We call it "going to the boats" - In Biloxi, they were required to be over water at first). Craig and I surprised her there, and I think we made her pretty happy. Plus, Craig won $70 playing roulette!

I had a couple of friends stop by to say hello. Tina, Drew and Tristan called me up after work and wanted to meet up with us for dinner. They were passing through on their way back from Mississippi, and of course I jumped on the opportunity to see them. Tristan is such a ham. Kati and Luke called me up after work a week later. They were running errands in the area, so I met up with them for dinner as well. I love my friends. I wish we all didn't live so far apart, but I'm so glad that they called even if the visit was brief.

Craig and I were able to finally make it down to Gulf Shores. We live relatively close to the beach (only 45 minutes away), but our schedules never seem to line up. And of course, the Hangout Festival was this weekend as well making the traffic unbearable. So, we decided to go around to Perdido Key instead. Our friends, Raven and Ruth, met up with us, and we enjoyed a lazy day relaxing on the beach, laying out, and having some cold ones. These girls are always a ton of fun. We took the Jeep down there also, so she got a bath afterwards and was looking so fine.

The following weekend, my parents and I got to take the boat to Horn Island for the first time this year. My mom's birthday was on the 22nd, and this is one of the things she wanted to do. (May is a good month for her - anniversary, mother's day and birthday - I would hate the combo gifts!) The weather was perfect, and the water was even warm enough for swimming. The island has changed a lot since last season, but it is still just as beautiful as ever. This is one of my most favorite places. I am looking forward to many more trips there this summer.

I was also lucky enough to be able to attend my niece's first birthday after work on Sunday (the 26th). My favorite part was her digging into her cake. We bought her a swimming pool and pool toys, and she seemed to enjoy it even without water. She is getting so big, and she is such a good little girl. We will get to spend a lot more time this coming week because we are headed to Virginia for our family vacation.

Craig and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary on the 29th. Craig got me one of my favorite flowers (and our wedding flowers), hydrangeas, and he cooked a delicious dinner of stuffed chicken breasts and veggies. We watched our wedding video and reminisced about that amazing day. The next day we travelled to Gulf Shores for our traditional dinner (and drinks) at LuLu's after enjoying a beach sunset. Seriously, the time has flown by so fast. We are growing and learning every day together and are more in love now than ever before. Don't get me wrong. Things aren't always roses and rainbows, but we work on us every day. We are stronger because of the tough times. There is no one in the world that I would rather go through life with, and I am confident the feeling is mutual. And, that feeling, is immeasurable.

Cheers!
Tara