Catch up

We have arrived safely back in Round Rock. We definitely left a trail of stuff in Mississippi.

Cass left his shaving kit (with meds) in Grenada. He left a pair of blue jeans in Starkville. I left a pair of boots and my beloved Chi in Waynesboro. So, there's your proof that we were actually there. (I'm going to have to run out and get a new Chi tomorrow - cannot go without it even a few days!)

I was very sad to get the news of Mr. Rhodes' passing the morning after we arrived in Indianola. But I was very thankful that we were already there, and that we could go pay our respects to Mar and Lo. I don't have many memories of him, but I remember him as probably the first adult to treat me more as an equal than as a child. No matter how infrequently I saw him and his family, they always welcome me with a smile and a hug. I know I'm mixing my tenses here, but it's just so hard to speak of him in the past tense.

I'm so sorry that Marcus and Lorraine lost her Dad, and that their kids lost their Poppa. I'm also sorry that we didn't get to see more of Mar, Lo, Jennie, Jennifer, Gene and Suzanne.

The Liberty Bowl was fun - thank the moon and stars that we won. I would have felt awful that I dragged all of us up to Memphis to watch a loss.

Cass's moment to shine was when his Garmin GPS routed us around all the stop-and-go traffic (more like stop-and-stop traffic) approaching the Liberty Bowl and got us to the parking lot in time for kickoff. We had to park in "secure parking" that consisted of a fenced in parking lot with razor wire on top. Our seats were in the corner of the endzone, but the entire stadium was covered in maroon, so it didn't really matter where your seats were. Cowbells were in abundance, and they actually served cold beer in the 40 degree weather. Cass only had 2, a Bud Light and a Yuengling, because I think that was about all he could stand. When the sun went down, it got cold. There's just something about the Liberty Bowl that is just frickin' cold - like sitting on an ice slab, I describe it. At some point, we were huddling under Sandra's brown poncho - then Cass decided to wear it. Mississippi State won 10-3 (take note Clarion Ledger - the score was not 10-7). Again, the magical GPS got us around the traffic and back to the hotel within about 30 minutes. God love the Garmin!

We got to go look around Southaven with Sandra and Dean, as well as cut-up and carry on with them in the van while driving around. :) Their potential neighborhood is really nice and pretty, and I can't wait to go visit them there.

We spent one night in Grenada at my parents' home-away-from-home - the trailer (or cabin, depending on who you ask). Dad and Uncle Bob just finished adding on a big sun room on the back, and I thought Cass was going to take up residence out there.

Then we were off to Waynesboro on New Year's Eve. Memrie and her whole crew (even Patrick!) were there. I got to see their new house plans, and we got to eat some of Memrie's taco soup, which I love and make all the time. Luke was the center of attention with the boys, and I know he loved every minute of that. We watched a lot of football and stayed inside, because it was down in the 20s while we were there.

Now we're back home, and we've got a few days before the kids go back to school. Luke's supposed to start Monday, and the girls go on Tuesday. I'm sure I'll give Luke Monday off as well, so he can hang out with us one last day. That's the beauty of preschool for him - this is his 2nd year in his class, so he can afford to miss. LOL! He'll be thrilled, because as he says "I don't like to be teached anymore!"

I know I'm late, but Happy New Year everyone.