The Core Retreat '08

We spent this past weekend with some really "quality" friends. (Long story--ask Brenda, maybe she'll blog about it.) We took Brenda, Sammy, their kids-Isabela and Crystal, and Anna and "Crazy" Mark to Stephen's parents house in Grand Saline. The original idea was for the girl's to do First Monday Trade Days in Canton.

We left Houston Thursday night and after meeting up at a Chick-Fil-A in Conroe, we headed on up. The drive was without a hitch. When we arrived it was quite humid and there was some lightning. We slept with the windows and doors open until 3 am when we had a full blown storm with tons of rain. This was good news for the boys, as the following morning the they went down to Neil Lake for some muddy Jeep riding while the girls plus Kendrick went to Canton for First Monday Trade Days. We ate lunch at the corner cafe at the downtown square and then proceeded to walk the grounds for quite some time. There were a few purchases made including 3 purses, home decor stuff and some jewelry, but nothing major. Just good girl time.

Friday night we went to the local Mexican restaurant, Papadale's to celebrate Anna's birthday. After waiting outside in the cold for 45 minutes we were finally able to get a table, somewhat together. You'd think for a town of 3,000, it wouldn't be so busy. Food was ok, but the memorable moment was Sammy calling the waitress "sweetie". It was just odd--had to be there. At home we had birthday cake with sliding icing (from the drive up) and sang to the birthday girl.

Saturday had to have been the best of all. Fishing in the morning, a BBQ picnic lunch, picking flowers in the meadow, shooting guns at the range by the lake while the girls sipped ice tea under the trees and 2 kids napped, mudding in the Pug and the Jeep with the kids at Neil lake and to top it off--crawfish for dinner! As you can see by the pictures, the weather on Saturday was GORGEOUS and everything was so green and beautiful.

I don't think I could pick a better way to spend a spring weekend-visiting with family and friends in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Thanks Grandmama and Grandaddy for letting us share your house and land with our friends. And, thanks to the Alexanders and Falcones for being BFF!!!!! Love you all.

P.S.- All the pictures we took are now posted at our photo gallery on our website. I didn't do so good at taking many this weekend, but the others have some good ones I hope to get copies of. Hint, hint. ;)