Monday Morning Coffee

Good Monday morning, my friends! How was your weekend? Autumn weekends are my favorite, and this one was no exception. Friday night was free, so Flynn had friends over to hang out and visit. They had fun playing Brain Games and Worst Case Scenario, which are beyond my capabilities. When I was her age, my friends and I sat around and ate chocolate chip cookie dough. Oh...the 80's. Good times.

Saturday we attended the wedding of our lovely niece, Rachel. She is Steve's brother, Todd's daughter, and Madison's closest cousin. It was a gorgeous wedding and the most fun reception. In fact, I stayed the entire time! Steve and Todd are very close, working together for their whole adult lives, as well as being best friends. 

Flynn and I were so happy to have Madison as our personal hair, makeup, and clothing stylist for the day!

Steve took this as Rhett was taking pictures. If you look behind them, you can see their pup, Draper, in the picture!

Christopher played for the cocktail hour, and it was beautiful.

The reception was perfect, with lots of food, family, and fun!

Sunday, we drove down to visit my mother and had a wonderful visit! She was tired but still her happy, funny self. She ate, we talked and laughed, and then we played Go Fish. I keep a deck of cards in my purse, just in case I need them! This is my beautiful mom and my awesome sister Margie. She takes the best care of Mom, visiting with her every single day. After we got home, I threw in a load of laundry, changed into my cozy clothes, and snuggled on the couch to watch some Twilight Zone episodes. I promptly fell asleep before I could even turn the TV on!

There are some sure signs of fall around here, which makes me very happy! Pumpkin Spice scones for breakfast, colorful leaves on a dew-covered deck, and Mocha in her fall attire all mean autumn is in the air. The weather is cooling off, too! We are supposed to see temperatures in the high 60s this week. My favorite. 

Well, that was the weekend. As for the week ahead, Flynn and I will do school today and tomorrow; some of the guys are heading to the Steeler game tonight, we are taking a final boat ride of the summer, and we all need to get organized and packed for some time at the ocean. We leave Wednesday afternoon and will be there for several weeks, so I need to make sure I have all the things we need. 

It is time to get up, get some more coffee, and get started on this beautiful September day. If you are a praying person, please add Steve's brother to your prayers. If not, good wishes are appreciated, as he has some health issues, and as it is not my story to tell, I do say thank you for your prayers for healing.

I will leave you with a picture of us from the wedding photo booth. When I talk about our family, this is what I mean. We love being together and doing things together. For any mom out there worrying about her little ones growing up, don't. I remember that feeling.  And I am here to tell you that the gift of family doesn't have to end. Grown-up kids are a whole new kind of fun!

Have a wonderful day!

BillieJo