When hubby was in the military, there was always at least one formal banquet each year. When I was pregnant with our third, we had just moved to DC. There was a banquet...that he was in charge of.
We had literally been there maybe two months. The only person I knew was a neighbor who was also pregnant and she watched my other two while I went to the banquet.
I spent the whole night standing then sitting by myself. Not knowing a single person. Once or twice he sent one of his Privates to check on me...but I did not see him at all until I was sitting and eating...he was sitting at the head table, but I had to sit at a different table next to an empty seat... I saw him get an award for organizing the banquet.
That was my first formal Army banquet...but not the last one i spent by myself! LOL... I am pretty used to it now...
Nini
I remember you telling me about that banquet... :/ I would have been sooo beyond annoyed.
So sad to hear about the banquet. It was a good thing V and Alli was there so you didn't have to be all by yourself.
I hope you have a good time at MOA.
Yah - Alli and V saved me, that's for sure.
We did have fun at the MOA, I will tell you about it below.
I have a lot of sympathy for Josh having to work the banquet. We just had our annual Agricultural Recognition Banquet on Thursday. We used to have it in January, but the last one we had then, we had a major snow storm (18+ inches) so we decided to move it to March - we almost had snow for it again this year. I'm president of the organization that puts the banquet on, and its a lot of work. I organize the silent auction, which amounts to deciding how much each item is listed for, which items to bunch together, etc. Then collecting the bid sheets and the money at the end of the evening. I did not get a chance to sit down and hear the guest speaker, except in bits and pieces.
With all that, our executive assistant does the majority of the work, thank goodness. She does get time to sit down to eat, but that is about it.
I wasn't trying to undermine his work there, for sure, I knew he was working hard. It was just frustrating for me, when we paid so much for our plates, and then he didn't get to sit down at all to eat.
Glad to hear you are home, safe and sound. Have a great birthday dinner with Gus.
Thanks!
We did.
Oh my goodness D - I am off the boards for a couple of weeks and I get about 10 pages behind - too much life - the boys had their Spring Break the week of the 10th - Tyler came in for about 5 days then had his own agenda - it was good to spend some time with him but both boys had a lot of appts and just stuff to catch up on - I had to work, especially long hours since the other secretary was out
Hi Carol! I've been wondering how you're doing. I am glad to hear you are well, just busy. I hope you were able to spend some time with the boys during spring break.
Lets see if my 50-years old brain can remember everything - absolutely love the pic of your Dad with all his bounty - I have his card and a little something all ready to mail tomorrow;
Awesome! Thank you so much!
Love the Mad Hatter bag!! AWESOME - like I have said the facial expressions on your bags are amazing;
Thanks! That was a fun bag to make!
the pics of you are so awesome, you look really, really healthy D;
Thank you - I am getting there. I am back to my heavy lifting today. I did have kind-of a crappy eating day yesterday, as I splurged on a couple things I shouldn't have. But, oh well...
love the glasses on V; Tyler had to get new glasses; holy moly our insurance didn't cover hardly anything because his last semester has only 9 hrs and he is considered part time; I had to fork over almost $300;
I feel your pain - truly, I do... We had to pay cash for Victoria's, because we didn't know she was having issues with her eyes until after the new year. Next year, she will be on our eye insurance plan.
I don't think I have commented on your Dis trip calendar!!!! Love all the restaurants; this will be a great trip for everyone; I understand about having to maybe push it back a little; Disney is definitely not cheap;
Thanks! I love making them, even if our lives are mostly digital these days, it's fun to make them and use them.
Yah - it's not cheap, and it's definately not getting any cheaper.
Love, love, love the road trip and Dis meets you were able to do; aren't our Dis friends the best? Of course, I would live way down here in Texas
if you are ever in the mood for a broiling summer you are welcome!
It was a great trip and great to see so many great friends. I just love my Dis friends so much! If I ever make it down towards Texas - you will be the first to know!
Alli's note was the best; you and Josh have instilled such wonderful values in your daughters; be proud of your job, its not easy by any means
Thank you... I love them to pieces and I am so proud of both of them!
I think I will stop blathering on for now; when I think of more I will chime in; hugs and prayers to your and your family and Dad!!
I never think of your posts as "blathering" LOL... I love reading what you write! My hugs and prayers go out to you and yours, as well.
Thank you for everything Carol!
Hi D~! I'm finally catching up and although I followed your adventure on FB it's great to get more of the background and stories behind your epic road trip/Dis meet trip!
Hi Brenda!!! It's great to see you... My apologies for falling way behind on your TR... I think yours is the last one over there that I need to catch up on, I hope to do that very soon.
I saw the girls' note on FB and that was hilarious! Gotta love those sweeties.
Yah - they crack me up... Speaking of girls... Sounds like congratulations are in order? I saw on FB that Em is engaged?
You are looking so awesome! Your body is being so wonderfully transformed. That's so great that you have such resolve and didn't bail on your "plan" and give in to convenience food/snacks on the road.
Thank you... Today is the BIG test... I have to begin lifting again, but my office is a disaster, so I need to clean it before I can lift - otherwise I don't have the room. LOL Should be a FUN day for me.
And finally, I can't brag enough about your creativity and again, that Mad Hatter bag is brilliant! (Yes, I had a lot of catching up to do!)
Thank you!
Take care and I hope you have a great week!
Thank you! Same to you!
Thanks!! And I'll agree I hate potty training!!! My daughter was the easiest of them so far!! She went to pre-school on her 3rd birthday. By the 3rd day of pre-school she was potty trained. Hasn't had an accident since. My oldest (now 7) took us a good month to train. And now James as long as we ask him he'll go but he hasn't quite got it down yet to tell us he has to go. I will say though the last 2 days he hasn't had a poop in a pull up/diaper so that is a good thing!!! That has happened in the potty!!!
Sounds like things are going well.
Well if it's meant to work out it will regardless of the timing. Hope he had an enjoyable birthday with your family!!
Yes, I agree!
Yes it is. And we kind of kept forgetting to ask him today so he had a few more accidents than he should have.
Oh no... I hope today goes better.
Glad you at least got to spend time with the girls. Sorry Josh wasn't ever able to sit down and relax and enjoy the time.
Yes, I did have fun with them, I am so glad they were there.
Hope your day was fun at the MOA. For some reason I really want to go there!!!!!!! I love to shop at times and I know from the shows I've seen and things I've looked at that I'd have a great time there!!!
We did have fun at the MOA! And if you ever do come, please let me know.
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So, the girls and I headed to the MOA right away yesterday morning. We were there just as the mall was opening - and we had to go further up in the ramp than we normally do, just to get a spot. I knew it would be busy...
So, Alli and I dropped V off at the movie theatre inside the MOA, and then we headed to Caribou... Sigh. I shouldn't have ordered, but it just sounded so good.
While Alli and I were sitting there chatting, killing time for Christy and clan to arrive, I checked in on FB... I had a message from Mike (MLBC... Or is it MBLC?? Gosh Mike - I can't remember, and I know there are numbers on the end of your Dis name too...) Anyways... The message from Mike said that he was in town, and if I happened to get the chance to meet him at the MOA over the next 2 days - that would be great. Seriously!!!! I nearly jumped out of my seat!
Dismeets are great... Impromptu Dismeets are better... And when they work out this perfectly - who can resist? LOL So, I sent him a message back - super excited - that I was already at the MOA and a Dismeet would work out perfectly. We planned to meet, as usual, at the
Disney store - which happened to be exactly 3 flights below me. So, Alli and I sat there, finished our coffee and waited for Mike to text me that he was at the mall. I expected it to take him a while, because it took us a while to find a spot, but he was there in record time, as it turns out - he was staying at the same hotel that Mo, Suzi and I stayed in last summer.
So, I was able to meet Mike and his entire family yesterday... His wife Billie is just a doll - super nice - and how nice (and tolerant) of her to let him do a Dismeet with a strange woman.
The kids were adorable... Little LG even gave me a hug when we were leaving... She must have thought me strange, because Mike had just finished telling me about her birthday surprise (her birthday is in Dec), I meant to ask her if she had a good birthday, but instead it came out as "So, you have a birthday coming up..." Hahaha... Yah - I am getting O.L.D. and my memory is slipping. I promise I know what month it is now. And his little guy is adorable too... Just a sweet, sweet family. I really enjoyed getting to meet them and getting to meet Mike - especially since he is the only male (that I know of) that follows my TRs/PTRs... You all may remember Mike, because he is the one who ordered the little purple "Peace Mickey" EPB for his dd last summer.
Anyways... With out a picture, and Dismeet didn't happen... Mike's dd was kind enough to take a picture for us...
Mike - it was awesome meeting you and your family... If you are ever up this way again, please let me know.
After meeting Mike - Alli and I did some shopping while waiting for Christy and clan to arrive... It didn't take them long to get there.
Once they arrived, we decided on a place to eat... Bubba Gump's... Alli wasn't too happy with that decision - but we were all hungry and didn't feel like fast food - we wanted to chat and catch up. Christy is here visiting her boyfriend Dave (who she went to high school with)... Just the sweetest couple ever. I loved seeing her so happy!
We all had a great lunch together, lots of chatting and catch up. V joined us right at the end, so we had to go find her food elsewhere... It pained me greatly to feed her McDonalds - but it was the only thing nearby.
Then we went down to Nickleodeon Universe - the girls were looking for a photobooth that they never found, so I opted to take pictures of them with NU in the background.
And it was time to go. We visited a little more, hugs all around...
The girls and I stopped on the way home to get supplies to make Gus' cake... V offered to make him her legendary rhubarb cake.
We arrived home to find our highway lined with sheriffs... we thought there was an accident. We'll find out later, it was far from that.
So, Gus came over, we had dinner... It was very good. I found out that Gus doesn't like asparagus... Oops. I requested a list of foods he doesn't like - I felt badly for making him asparagus on his birthday.
Then we all watched Frozen together... It was a good movie - but I am with Lois' dd (Jennifer) - it was not my favorite, at all. I can see why people like it, but for me, it wasn't that great. I certainly enjoyed a great story line, but I think my expectations were just too high.
I think Gus had a good birthday. I did thank him for spending it with us, as I am sure his family wanted to spend it with him too, but it sounds like they are celebrating next week. So, that's good.
Afterward Gus left, we found out why all the sheriffs were (and still were) in town... As it turns out, the girls' childhood friend's dad (they live 2 blocks away - but our town in small - everyone is our neighbor) had committed suicide sometime on Saturday/Sunday - in a very sad and graphic way. We don't know all of the details, and I hesitate to share them here. But please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers, it's such a sad, sad thing, and they are all in shock and just devistated. I did not know the man at all, I had never met him, but Alli had speant a bit of time at their house in the summers, and she is very upset and shaken, as much for her friend as for the loss.
I hate ending my updates on a sad note. But it just really makes you think about life and all of those around us. Many, many hugs and prayers go out to all of you.
D~
Gotta love those sweeties. 
That's so great that you have such resolve and didn't bail on your "plan" and give in to convenience food/snacks on the road. 
My daughter was the easiest of them so far!! She went to pre-school on her 3rd birthday. By the 3rd day of pre-school she was potty trained. Hasn't had an accident since. My oldest (now 7) took us a good month to train. And now James as long as we ask him he'll go but he hasn't quite got it down yet to tell us he has to go. I will say though the last 2 days he hasn't had a poop in a pull up/diaper so that is a good thing!!! That has happened in the potty!!! 
Not a fun way to spend the weekend but at least they are done for another year. Sunday we just ran errands all over the place. Sad when you spend more on dog food at Petsmart than you do at the grocery store! Guess that's the downside of having four dogs. 
what a Disney lover he has become.
