My Bestie Rocks!

My best friend since forever (high school) recently was kind enough to mention my blog on her blog. She got this neat-o award: the Kreativ Blogger Award. [Which kind of bothers me, because can you at least spell "creative" right?]

She is totally deserving of this award. Michelle, over at Dry Spell, is an AMAZING writer. She always has been. When we were in school, we would write these stories about our alternative selves, doing things we would never have the courage to do in real life. We all three wrote them, Mich, Suzy, and I. The Awesome Threesome. Smiling now at the memory.

Anyway, I thought I'd give her a shout back out, since she is so phenomenally wonderful. At being a friend. At being a mom. At being a daring cook. At being a photographer - seriously! And especially at being a writer. Because she is. A WRITER. She has been retelling our story from the Lake Austin Spa Resort trip, the one I tried to describe and couldn't. I just can't find the words. Michelle, on the other hand, is telling the story in the most beautiful prose imaginable. This was her first post about it: Tuna Cavatappi Be Damned. Start there, and tell me if you can't wait to read more. I was there, and I still can't wait to read. 


So, even though she didn't really nominate me, I wanted to say THANK YOU, Michelle. It is an honor to be mentioned in your top 10 blogs, even though I am a sporadic writer at best.


I'm not going to do all that other stuff, like telling you about myself or nominating other blogs. Mostly because I wouldn't know what to say about me or other blogs to send you to. I don't have time to be online reading anything, other than Michelle's blog. I do keep up with some of my favorite writers on their blogs, but not often enough. Darn kids. 


By the way, the silence this afternoon? Feels good! 


Ahhhhh! Bliss! 

Pictures with me and my friends

Okay, so it's time to put some faces with those names I've been dropping. These are the lovely folks that I have been hanging out with in Italy.

This is at the Hard Rock Cafe. It is me, our server Mossimo, Diana, and Carrie.

This is on the Appian Way. That's Jason, Chanda, Michael, and Greg. They've been my main crew through most of the trip.

This is at the Trevi Fountain. That's me, throwing in my coin. Carrie took the pic.

This is at the Domus Aurea. That's Kate and Sister Therese. Kate doesn't usually wear a hard hat. But they made us. Can't be too careful underground!

This is in our room in Pompeii. That's the back of Dawn's head. Kate and I did that cool braid.

This is on top of Mount Vesuvius. This is Allison.

Also on top of Vesuvius. This is James.

This is at the Cave of the Sibyl. That's Robin. She was channeling the Sibyl and prophesying. Not really, but she's pretty crazy most of the time.

There are about 20 other people that I spend my days with. They are all incredibly cool and incredibly strange all at the same time. I have often told my students that all Latin teachers are weird. I can now say that my statement is 100% true. BUT, they are also really neat. What an amazing opportunity, to spend so much time learning with others who have interests like mine. WOW!

So Excited!

I get to go see my friend Shannon! She is one of my buddies from our old church. We sang together, were in Sunday school together, our kids played together all the time. I haven't seen her since we left for PUMC. I know it's only been a month, but I have missed her a lot! She, with Bonnie, is my closest friend. The three of us started scrapbooking together, and now without them I don't do it at all! They are my buddies!!!!

We get to go swimming with her and FIVE of her SIX kids tomorrow too. Oh, Bliss!!! It'll be good to have girlfriend time again.

Edited at 10:06 PM:
Just got home from Shannon's. It was an awesome time! I feel like I hadn't had anyone to talk to lately. You know, really, girlfriend talk. Gigi, Mom, Nikki - they are all super people, and I love them dearly. But they're FAMILY. And you can't talk to FAMILY the way you talk to your best girlfriends! That's just the way it is.

Cheeseman and Shalee were so cute! That's Shannon's youngest. They are the same age, and the best buds. After dinner, most of the kids went out to play on the trampoline or swings, but Cheeseman wanted to play more video games (they had TMNT). So he asked Shalee to come play with him, and she RAN up the stairs! She even gave him a hug good-bye.

Bman had fun too. Their other girl, Cecelia, loves to boss him around. And he likes it. They drive around in her pink Jeep all over the yard. He just squeals and laughs! He tried to jump rope with Derek and Jonathan too. It was pretty funny, since Bman can only jump about an inch off the ground. He kept getting hit in the legs with the rope. But it didn't stop him from trying again and again. Then he wanted to turn the rope. Needless to say, his little 2 and 1/2 year old self could not turn the rope up high enough for those big kids! But he tried.

We all had a wonderful time. It was worth keeping the kids up till ten, just for all the fun they had. And we are going to the pool with them tomorrow as well! Love it!!!