Friday vs. Mom (aka me.)

So glad to have my hubby and Emma home!!!

After starting a few loads of their dirty STINKY laundry it was time to head out in the gorgeous NW weather and do some yard work... 

This is something I really don't enjoy until AFTER when it all looks nice.  I am the person who likes to lay on the chaise lounge with a book and look at beautiful grounds... not make them beautiful.

Anyway.  Kids were pressure washing and helping load weeds, juniper shrubs, etc. etc.

When I walked up to the wheel barrow and step HARD on a rake and it came up and seriously whacked me in the face.

I now have a rather nice egg on my left temple...

This was after I ran into a low tree branch on the same side of my head.

After the tears began to flow Josh said why don't you quit and go get your parents at the airport?

Nice idea... until their Excursion decided to die in the MIDDLE of traffic and WOULD NOT START back up.

My awesome father had to get out and push the Excursion across 3 lanes of Friday afternoon Portland traffic to the smallest shoulder ever... we were hanging into traffic.  

For fun it was 90 degrees and AAA said it would be 90 minutes until they could get there.

Almost an hour into our wait Dad tried for the millionth time to start the car... 

and amazingly it started and we milked that sucker home.  

Simple blessings.  I am so glad we didn't get in a wreck our something.  

There is always something we can be thankful for when things don't go the way we hope.

In other news:

1.  After the car situation my thumb got smashed while getting my parent luggage out. :(  Good news is I hope to keep my thumbnail and it was my left hand instead of my right!  See... thankful!

2.  Allen and Bruce took McKenna and Sydney out to the lake and taught them both how to water ski - - Syd even going over the wakes and learned to wakeboard as well :)  Bad news about that is that Josh and I didn't go... Personally I was too busy smashing into things.  I think the lake would have been softer for sure.

3.  I enjoyed watching Emma and Jack and Libby run through the sprinklers.  The simple joys of summer!

4.  Cleaned out a HUGE area of weeds, shrubs, and my kids pressure washed the fencing in that area.  A huge relief and sense of accomplishment for me.  Do you know what I am talking about?  That feeling of pure exhausting yet the thrill of knowing that you actually accomplished something that makes a difference?  My feet, legs, FACE, arms are all showing their battle wounds!

5.  Tomorrow my hubby leaves again for Tennessee this time.  Teacher Convention.

I will miss him.  It is also the day that would have been my grandmothers 95th birthday.

I miss her too.

Goodnight.