Dinner and Dominoes, Mother and the Quads! Our Weekend!

Friday morning Louis Dean and I got up early and drove over to Fort Worth to pick up Mother at the beauty salon just like old times! Only this time we were bringing her home with us to stay for a week! 

We went to Deanie's to get Mother's suitcase and I wanted to spend a little time with my sister.

She's been pretty sick for a week now and it did me good to get to visit and see her with my eyes!

She has been spending a lot of time on the couch and I love the way she keeps the candles burning here on her coffee table. We left her to rest and I took Mother and Louis Dean out to lunch at one of their favorite places! Golden Corral!!

Mother uses a walker now so this was the first time I have followed her around with a plate!

We sat right by the chocolate fountain and I knew exactly what she wanted for dessert!

I made Louis Dean get his own!

From there we went to one of MY favorite stores!

Trader Joe's! Mother went in with me using a basket in place of her walker.

She did a lap around the store - back in the day she would walk 3 or 4 laps! - before she came back to me and 'talked' or told me something. I wasn't sure what she said and when she walked away pushing her buggy, I thought she was going to go look at something. Then when I was ready to check out, I couldn't find her! She had walked out of the store and back to the car - after she finally FOUND it!!

Louis Dean came in to tell me she was in the car!!

Since he was already in there, I let him help me get all the groceries out!

I spent more than I meant to - but I was out of all the 'good stuff' to eat!

We came in the house at 3:00 and I didn't sit down until 7:15!

Our washer had gone out the night before and our neighbor - who just happens to be a distant cousin of mine (he is the nephew of my Aunt Irene's husband - both Aunt Irene and Uncle PR have passed away - small world, isn't it??) came over to look at it! I had to UNLOAD everything in the utility room - and that was a LOT!!! I was also preparing dinner and had sent Louis Dean to Sam's for a good long list of things, plus getting Mother in and settled! Whew!!! I was buzzing like a bee!!

Our guests were due at 7:30 and by 7:15 everything was ready!!

Cutting it a little close but I had to clean up and move all the debris from the utility room to the couch in the living room, since the washer needs a new pump, that must be ordered!

The party went on as planned!!!

I served a pot roast with veggies and a really good garden salad!

Then there was THIS for dessert!!!

Brenda and Billy brought it and was it GOOD!!!!

That was the DINNER part!!

Then we went out in the den for the DOMINO part of the party!!!

Good times!!!

Girls against boys!

Boys LOST!!!

It was a fun evening and I am so happy Brenda and I planned this weeks and weeks ago!!

They have remarkable patience in teaching us how to play 42!!

This was my ONE winning hand where I actually BID!

Thanks to Billy for walking me through it and then playing his hand 'pretending' he didn't know what I had!!!

Saturday was a slow day. We had stayed up late Friday night so it was 10:30 before I got up!

Mother and Louis Dean were already in the den drinking coffee by then!

I puttered around doing the odd chores - like taking down all the red and Valentine's things from the front porch including the last tree I had left up! I organized my Tupperware drawer and baked some Red Velvet Cake cookies to take to Amber's for dessert that night.

She and Mike had a small dinner party and had invited us as well.

Mother chose to stay home alone. I think she was tired from Friday, although, she went to bed right after dinner.

We had not been to Quadville in a long time!

The kids all greeted us at the door, giving us a warm welcome!!!

Logan always tells me, "MeeMaw!!! I'm your MINI ME!!!!"

Yes, she IS!!!!

Kailey whizzes around the room like a little tornado and then she'll stop and snuggle up to her Granddad - always under his right arm - and STAY there for a good little while!!!

Ah, that Harrison!!! He is SO much like his father and that is SUCH a GOOD thing!!!

I imagine this is exactly the way Mike looked when he was nearly 4 years old!

Kailey wanted to model her new dress!

Trystan and I played together! 

Everything from action heroes to dinosaurs to sticker books to doll babies!

Amber cooked a fabulous dinner and we all had a good time visiting with JoJo, Ben and Baby Crew Crew!!! I love how comfortable it is being with long time friends - both Friday night AND Saturday!!

We came home and went right straight to bed! Believe it or not, Mother was STILL UP when we got here!! She had been watching the debate on TV.

One of the perks of going to church where we do is that we get to see the quads!!

I went back to the nursery to pick them up with Amber and Mike while Granddad waited for us.

Everyone could hear all the squeals when they spied him!!!

We all walked to their car together and then went our separate ways.

Louis Dean told me that little Logan was crying and when he asked her why, she said, "I miss my MeeMaw!!!!" *Sigh* Makes my heart melt.....

Mother didn't go to church with us but she stayed busy while we were gone.

She took a shower all by herself - I didn't know she could do that but she did!

We brought back Arby's for lunch including a milkshake which she loves!

Then she sat out in the gazebo for an hour or more with the Sunday newspaper, her magnifying glass, and pocket talker. I think it did her good to be outside for a bit.

I haven't done a new needlework in awhile so this afternoon I started one!

If I can stick with it - I MAY have it done by Christmas! I started one some time back but can't find it anywhere! 

It was nice to sit out in the gazebo and read with all the birds singing in the background.

Louis Dean even built us a fire!

I love the sounds of a fireplace and a water fall.....

I can hear BOTH out here in our back yard!!

It was a good Valentine Weekend even though Louis Dean and I were so busy neither one of us got around to buying or making a card for each other.

He just told me a few minutes ago, "Linda, I do not want us to get used to not doing the sweet little things for each other like cards or candy or roses or special dates."

I am so blessed to be married to him!