Well I made it back to Newburgh in time for Michael jr.'s birthday party. It is the first time I have been with him for his birthday since he was born 9 years ago. I arrived around 4 p.m. The boys all came out and helped me unload the car and carry in my luggage and stuff. Then we had the party and the boys all did their "face down in the cake and take a bite" tradition with Michael's chocolate cake with chocolate icing. This tradition includes the father. They all love it. I did not eat any of the cake and when one sees their grandson, Brendan, getting icing out of his nose, one does not really have an appetite for cake even if one is not trying to eat less food. Then Michael opened gifts. Since my gift had not arrived yet, I gave him a bit of money so he could open something from me. These boys are so much fun. Their daddy read them a story before bed time--actually a chapter out of their book-- and I go in and sit with them until they go to sleep. This is such as sweet time. We always talk way too much before bed and we pray--Brendan and Iare the only ones to pray out loud, but the boys hear me every night thank God for allowing me to be their grandmother and asking Him to help me to be a great grandmother for them and they get to hear me praise Him for all He has done in our lives and in creating this beautiful world. Sometimes Aidan prays, but he usually says something inappropriate that I feel the need to interrupt his prayer and let him know that what he has said should not be said. Anyway, I am unable to really express the beauty of this time of day with my precious grandsons.

This morning Michael went to work at 5:30 for the 6 to 3 shift. I will pick up the boys from school, but Michael will be home for the afternoon activities. I will fix supper, which means that I will have to go to the store since there is absolutely no food in the house. Men! I guess they still think even after they are grown, that "Momma is coming home and she will take care of our nourishment". My work is cut out for me. I think only one load of wash was done while I was gone and I have already put out two washes and the rest of the clothes await me. I am sort of excited to get back in the groove of what I do here. I am feeling more energetic as the days progress. Bit by bit, not leaps and bounds but bit by bit and I am glad for that.

The trip was uneventful. I did not get as far as I had planned on Sunday and stopped short of my goal of getting to Memphis. I didnt even get to Little Rock. I was literally falling asleep at the wheel and it was about 3p.m. So I stopped in Melvern, Ark which is about 30 miles west of Little Rock. Went to bed and slept like a rock and still left later than I had originally planned. I was on the road at 7a.m. I had more energy and when I felt tired I called one of the following: Ramona, who is always great to talk to because she has news about Karsen and Matt and about her school which is winding down to her receiving her degree inDecember from U of H and we all know how frenetic this last semester is and especially for her since she has a precious little boy to take care of and a precious young man who depends on her too. I am speaking of Matthew,of course. Then I was able to speak with Suzy and with the new bride, Mrs. Brian Wick, whom I will continue to call "Catherine" or "CC". Lastly, I spoke with Lyndsey, who is one of the most interesting people I know. She planned this whole wedding in addition to her other two or three jobs she has in NYC. With all of these jobs, she is still poor as a church mouse, but she is living the dream. How she did all of that and pull off the best wedding I have ever attended, I will never know. She is great and somehow has never learned how to say"no" or even "maybe" when asked to help out or plan such a huge event as this. I know Catherine had full confidence that with Lyndsey planning and having a part in this event, that it would be fantastic and a memory to last a lifetime for us all. Lyndsey also created a "blessing" book for cCtherine and presented it to her at the bridesmaids' luncheon at Neiman's in Dallas. At the fantastic evening after-the-wedding party, Lyndsey continued to see that things were flowing smoothly and I dont think this was even her job. She just has the desire to have things go smoothly and i know she didnt want her sister, the bride, to worry about anything, but to just be able to concentrate on having the time of her life. It was the most fun I have had in years and it even rivals riding the 4-wheelers with my sisters and holding the live rattlesnake at Baird. Lyndsey did come over and sit and visit with me and the others who were around and let me hold her feet. She is such a doll and is not only my neice, but, she is my friend. I love you, Lyndsey and I am so proud of how you are able to do such a tremendous amount of things and have them all be A-One, top notch. You were given a double measure of energy and a desire to serve with the gifts you have been given. I love you so much and loved being around you as my friend and watching you in your element. I really dont know how you do it, but the whole famiy is glad you do. I didn't call Vicki because she had to return to her libray substitue job.

It was great to see Suzy & Morton and Becky& Tony w/ Eden and Kelly & Randy w/ Jonathan, Tory and Lael. This week end was full of blessings.

Only one glitch. When I arrived in Houston on Wednesday I held my darling Karsen for just a bit. He felt so good in my arms and my arms had been aching to hold him. Then I was so tired that I lay down for a nap prior to my doctor's appt to get my bloodwork done. Well, when I got to the doctor my throat was hurting and he said I had a throat infection and I needed to stay away from Karsen because I was contagious. He gave me amoxycillan and sent me home. I did not get to hold Karsen again and his parents, especially his father, did not even want me anywhere near him. His mother, when the daddy was gone, did allow me to be in the same room with him. She was probably as nervous as could be, but she is too sweet to tell me to get out. I did not touch Karsen again. That was the only disappointment of the trip. I got a brief visit with Ramona and an even briefer one with Matthew, but brief is better than nothing. I don love that little family