weekending and catching up {again}

I was so tired on Friday last week, that I couldn't even with a Friday Favorites post.  I slept until six forty, and woke up in a panic thinking for sure that Drew had overslept and was late to work.  That was not the case.  I promptly fell right back to sleep in my recliner downstairs.  I did manage to wake up and pull myself together, and I asked my mom if she wanted to go run errands with me.  I needed hand soap for the downstairs bathroom, and some other things from Walmart, and then we ate lunch and just enjoyed each other's company.  Todd stayed home all day and thoroughly enjoyed himself.  He was sore from the day before, from playing around on the lake.

But that was what I wanted to write about.  We joined some sweet friends who are like family at their camper at a lake a couple of hours away for the whole day.  It was one of those magical days that you never think will turn out quite the way you think, and everyone had the best time.  {We KNEW we would have fun, the boys weren't excited about going, because of not having anyone there that was their age.  Once we got there, though, they asked if we could stay until later that night, when the original plan had been to leave around seven.}

I always appreciate friends who let us tag along.  We weren't in a hurry to leave our house that day, and after dropping off Chip with my best friend {who is literally THE BEST EVER}, we started heading toward Lexington, Tennessee.

This was the view that greeted us.  It was our friends, the Essarys, Tiffany's dad and stepmom, her brother, his wife and their son, a friend from church who also has a camper there named Tom, and the six of us.  The guys all immediately jumped into the lake.

I mean...I had forgotten how beautiful it is here.  A few years ago, Jeremy and Tiffany invited us here for an adults only weekend, so this was our second time there.  We're going back in a couple of weeks, this time on a Saturday.

They all played on tubes on the lake, and they swam until they were exhausted, because they all snoozed in the back seat in the car on the way home, while Todd and I were grumpy together and argued over coffee.  {Jesus intervened, though, no worries.}  I almost just spit out my coffee as I wrote that.

I ended up not swimming because of my foot, and because Jonah warned me that the ladder getting out of the lake would kill it, so I heeded that advice and just enjoyed talking to Tiffany's dad most of the day.  I was a little bummed about that, but I still had a lot of fun.  This is when you know you're a parenting adult...when you just have fun watching all the people you love having fun.

At one point, we all thought the sky was about to fall, so we started cleaning up hurriedly.  It never rained a drop, though, despite what that dark sky looks like.  While half my family sat at the end you see above, I was at the other end with my feet up and hanging with these two who came to join me.

These were the only pictures I took of them the whole day.  They were cracking me up.  Drew kept on kissing Noah's cheek and they were laughing so hard.  Drew had come over to sit by me and talk, which NEVER HAPPENS, so I was soaking it up.  We ate dinner soon after this, then they swam a little more.

After dinner, they all went and anchored down to watch the fireworks.  I stayed behind and helped with clean up and then FINALLY sat down with my friend Tiffany, who has the hardest time sitting and relaxing.  It was the only real chance we got all day to sit and chat.

Part of me dreaded going that day, because of the intense heat we'd been experiencing all week, but under the shade and trees on their deck and with a fan by me, it was so pleasant.  Not much can beat great friends, good food, and just being together.  It was a really fun day, and one I will remember for a long time to come.  The older the boys get, the fewer times like this we have.

Another Christmas miracle occurred, and the SIX OF US also went to eat dinner with my mom and stepdad on Saturday night.  That never happens either!  It was a great weekend, after this lake day, and I enjoyed having my husband around nonstop.  We even had a date night on Friday night, and went to Red Lobster to eat.  We spent the morning at church on Sunday, and I was back there by three for choir practice, then I came home and ate dinner and watched a show on Hulu while Todd worked a shift with the sheriff's department.  Today I am swimming with my mom in love, and I can't wait.  Grocery shopping will have to wait until tomorrow...and tonight pizza is for dinner.

Well, I need to run, but have a great day!  Thanks for reading, and love to all.