dianegclark

I had a wild hair to go visit old friends Alexis and Jeff and I am so glad I did.

Left Manhappiness Thursday evening and spent the night on Joel and Kayla’s couch. They were on a trip. I accidentally stepped on the cat when I arrived so he left me alone. I woke up and left the house at 4am and drove to MCI (beautiful new airport! Must see!) and managed all the flight and airport stuff well, transfer Dallas to Houston.

Jeff picked my up in his giant truck and treated me like a queen. He is such a sweetheart. We went for an amazing brunch at a bougie private airport and watched the Bentley’s and jets and the little kids delight while eating yummy eggs, bacon, potatoes and English muffins with jam AND cinnamon roll French toast and sipping mimosas. I was soooo tired.

Jeff then gave me a driving tour of their housing development which I was very impressed with. Gorgeous houses of various reasonable price points set amongst trees and trails perfectly landscaped. There were several pools and play areas and a splash park, full gym and event space, outdoor yoga and gathering spaces and an outdoor theater.

Alexis and Jeff have a gorgeous, fancy yet comfortable home with a screened in porch, large fenced yard, luxury kitchen with a giant island, a spiral staircase, game room, theater, and luxury guest accommodations. Again, I was treated like a queen. I think the guest bed was more comfortable than mine at home. I slept and ate like a queen.

Friday night we went out to eat and I had a yummy steak and drink. A walk and bed early.

Saturday we went over Lake Conroe to a farmer’s market where I bought CBD for Scott and we walked over a cute pond. We went to the marina and fed giant catfish. Alexis and I laid out in the sun all afternoon at the pool. 81 degrees lovely. We ate pizza and had a driveway party. All the neighbors are close, the girls in a group text, and hang out every weekend on each other’s driveways, drinking and talking and watching the kids and dogs play. I loved it and their friends.

Sunday Alexis and I walked down and toured the model homes for decorating ideas. Fun. We then went for a massage (me, amazing) and Alexis (facial) at a nearby spa.

We drove all together over to the Woodlands to a downtown area that reminded me so much of the San Antonio Riverwalk. We ate at an Irish pub. It was chilly so we didn’t walk the riverwalk but it was beautiful.

The trip home was hurried as I made it just in time to see clients but the flights and drive home went off again without a hitch.

I am so happy for Alexis and Jeff and the life they’ve created. They are hopeful about having a baby after losing Avery. They like their jobs and love their home and neighborhood. This will be a regular place to visit. I am so glad I went.

Sunday, January 2, 2023, we had a birthday party to celebrate my amazing Mamacita turning 92 years young. All four nephews, including JC and Kristi from LA and all of their children, all 10 of them, came. Leah drove her 3 kids here. That made 13 kids under the age of 11 at our house.

I was absolutely thrilled with how it went. It was the first time Leah’s kids had met their second cousins. They hit it off so well, played together all day.

We all took photos and ate and had cake and ice cream. The kids made a video saying their ages, grades, parents and favorite things to do. It was so cut to see who was brave to speak up and who wasn’t. Even Eleanor stood up and spoke.

I turned 60 this year. It was a good year after a pile of years with so much loss. I did lose my Dad this year but he was so ready to go.

Emmet turned six, Henry 4 and Eleanor 2 this year. Mom turned 91.

Baby June was born. What a joy.

I qualified for and bought my own car this year, Lexi the Lexus.

Had covid a second time.

Started singing here and there again.

Chose friendships carefully and closed down my trust circle.

Ended a 10 year stint volunteering for Homestead.

Lost a dear friend to cancer.

Grew my therapy practice, hired my bestie Jamie and then three more therapists.

Finished Chauna’s clinical supervision and started with Jamie and Derek’s.

Learned a lot and grew as a therapist and a leader.

Settled into a good place with the coffee shop.

Set and lived by my personal values. Feeling healed and balanced.

38 years married and settled into a happy contentment.

2022 in the books.

The plan was for all the kids to come home after Christmas but Hannah had to work and I didn’t want to do Christmas without the kids so… we drove to Denver on Friday before Christmas and spent Christmas Eve and Christmas with Hannah, Kent and baby June then drove home on Monday.

The drive there was perfect. It had been crazy weather the day before and there were trucks all over the sides of the road in various wrecked states but it was sunny though cold for our drive. We listened to JD Robb again which is fun and I drove most of the way. Wilson is such a good car rider.

It was so amazing to see Junie. I love her so much. She’s 8 months old. She still mostly observes the world and looks in your eyes Ike she’s trying to read you. Food gets her excited but otherwise she’s content to squiggle in your arms and play with toys. She’s a snuggly baby, snuggles for naps. I took care of her both mornings while Hannah worked, one so Kent could go to the store and one so he could sleep in.

The kids made a fabulous meal and Scott helped. We had short ribs, garlic mashed potatoes, ricotta dip with brioche and a fancy salad. I made Christmas crack that we made ourselves sick on all weekend.

We did our gift exchange and drove to Lookout mountain and attempted to go to a light show that was sold out. I took Junie for a walk in her stroller along the creek. Otherwise we just visited and played with June. I loved every single minute of it.

The drive home went quickly as we finished our book and then sang karaoke the rest of the way. And Scott drove more.

Part Two

The next day, Joel and Kayla and Leah and her family came. What a whirlwind! The kids bring a noise and activity and mess level that is a lot but fills the house with joy. We did presents, so fun and the boys loved their scavenger hunt for their bikes then ate ham and scalloped potatoes and salad and rolls then played and played and watched Christmas movies. Elf of course.

Wednesday Leah and I took the kids to MHK Play Studio and they loved it. Larry and Jo came over and I took a 2 1/2 hour nap. We did stockings and the kids loved those things too. Joel and Kayla headed home. We let the kids sleep in Thursday morning and then they headed home.

A lovely holiday.

We went to KC Wednesday night to meet friends Eric and Vicky and watch the Eagles at Sprint Center. We drove into town and checked into the Hotel Phillips. It’s a beautiful, old hotel right downtown, surrounded by high rises. Joel met us in our room then walked us to the streetcar and joined us for dinner. We had yummy queso and tacos at KC Taco Company. Joel then walked us back to the streetcar and accompanied us to The Power and Light district. We got a kick out of him helping us old folks.

The concert was amazing. Our seats were way up in the nosebleed section but we could see the whole stage and all the screens. They played the entire Hotel California album then two more hours. Vince Gill is amazing. The harmonies, the guitars, the drums…. So impressive. And then….they were joined by a full orchestra and choir. There is nothing like singing along with 17,000 people.

After the concert, we met friends of Vicky and Eric’s and stayed out late. The hotel was lovely. We had breakfast and drove home. A lovely evening.

What a beautiful and relaxing weekend!

Scott and I left Friday morning and drove to Denver. We listened to the latest book by my favorite author, JD Robb on the way which made it go so much faster. I also loved sharing her with Scott.

We got to the Kuni Lexus to get my car’s complimentary 20,000 mile service and ended up waiting for it rather than jumping in a loaner for the weekend. If you haven’t ever owned a luxury car, do it! We were pampered and spoiled even with Wilson while we waiting. We sat on a large outdoor patio overlooking a Mountain View while sipping cappacino. I went inside for a bit and could have sat in the massage chair or in the theater or played the grand piano by the fireplace but I decided to shoot some billiards instead. When they gave the car back to me, after cleaning it inside and out, they sent me a video of all they had done. All free of charge.

We arrived and met Hannah, Kent and June (and Oscar and Sierra) at our mountain airbnb Friday early evening. It was spacious and nice and had a large wall of windows and a patio that overlooked a beautiful snow topped Mountain View. We cooked a couple of Blue Apron meals the kids had and played with Junie then turned in early.

It was so precious to spend time with June. We hadn’t seen her in two months and she has grown and changed so much! In pictures, it doesn’t look like she smiles a lot but she does! You can tell she is a thinker as she gets a contemplative look on her face and just watches intently. She loves to look at her hands and moves them in front of her face almost like a dance. Of course, she kicks and squeals and mouths her toys, too. We each got a lot of sweet smiles meant just for us. I love her rolls and pudge. Her skin is so soft. When I said goodbye to her this morning, she grabbed my face then bent her head to my neck and kissed and licked me! It was so sweet.

Saturday we got up and sat outside on the patio in the sun and Hannah and I journaled and we talked and drank coffee. The boys ran to get local breakfast burritos and Hannah and I took Oscar for a short walk. We then gathered the pups up and drove through a fun dirt road lined with birch (or poplar?) trees to a trail that ran alongside a stream. When we returned, I sat in the hot tub and looked over the mountains while the others watched the KSU game. We made dinner then all of us sat in the hot tub. I also unplugged almost completely for the whole weekend.

Sunday we got around slowly and drove to another hiking site and walked around a bit before loading up and heading back to Denver. On the way, we drove by the home that Hannah and Kent have an offer on. Its in a really nice area. We got back to the house and had delicious pizza.

We spent the second evening in a row just holding a very content Junie while she played with toys and snuggled. Another long drive home and we finished our book right as we pulled into the driveway.

Emmet apparently scored his first goal. Leah sent us this amazing photo. It brought back memories of the kids’ first and later experiences with soccer.

Joel played kindergarten soccer, better known as “bunch ball” or “amoeba ball” because no matter how you teach them or practice staying in positions, in kindergarten, its all about the ball, so they all go in one big clump for the ball and move as a group around the field. Joel, tinier than most, was afraid of the bunch, so his strategy, which turned out to be genius, was to stay outside of the bunch near the goal. When the ball popped out, boom, he kicked it into the goal.

Leah, also tinier than most, and who had horrible asthma, couldn’t keep up with the bunch. She ran about 10 feet behind the bunch, as happy as she could be, and never, ever even put a foot on the ball the entire season. She loved it.

Hannah, a year older and about a foot taller than most, stayed in her outside mid position and would steal the ball and dribble it expertly down the field along the sidelines. She couldn’t yet, however, turn or pass the ball, so she’d continue running out the end of the field.

Hannah went on to play on a little team her dad, who played football all his life, not soccer, decided to coach. She attended a summer workshop and ended up having her entire team and her dad recruited into a soccer club. Scott went on to a lifetime of coaching. Hannah went on to big club teams, Olympic Development camps, starting varsity as a freshman, and starting all four years of high school soccer, then getting injured but attending Baker University on a partial soccer scholarship.

Joel went on to play club soccer on a traveling team through 8th grade. I went to every single game he played except one, in which he was moved from his defensive spot to forward and scored 4 goals. I did get to watch him score a goal from the back half once.

Leah overcame her asthma and played soccer through her sophomore year, starting each game and was team captain. She finished her high school sport career running cross country.

I have so many memories and loved watching my kids play soccer. I remember 3 v 3 soccer in 106 degrees. I remember sitting in a full sleeping bag due to freezing weather. I remember standing at the corner of three fields watching all three kids playing three different games simultaneously. I remember watching more than a dozen games in a single weekend, running from one game to another.

I can’t wait to get to Newton to watch Leah’s kids play soccer. Henry has already started apparently, also. And Eleanor could also dribble the ball before she was two.

Dave has been super sick, in the hospital for three weeks and out of the shop for more, back only part time. In addition to running my own practice, I worked at the coffee shop over 40 hours this week. I have making coffee, food and running the register down. I enjoyed chatting with the customers. But I am not a retail person. I was exhausted and I did not enjoy the few customers who complained. Erg. My friend Kathy was a giant help.

I was going to get to take care of June this weekend in Denver, for three whole days all by myself. But Kent, Hannah and June have covid. Their trip was cancelled and so was mine. I miss her!

Emmet started Kindergarten. I got to be in Newton for his first day. He loved it although his best friend broke his arm at morning recess. He quickly answered all our questions then had a tiny emotional melt down so we all settled in and watched TV for awhile. After dinner, Emmet sat down in a chair and said, “Grandma, ask me any questions about Kindergarten you want.” His favorite part was lunch.

Last weekend Mom, Scott and I drove to Newton to celebrate Eleanor turning two. Joel and Kayla were there also.

Eleanor wore a sweet, longish pink backless dress with cross cross straps. Her sweet little arms were bare. She danced and pranced around in it. Her hair was in pigtails with bangs.

The party was Sesame Street. There were red cookies with eyes and cookies with tiny cookies on them and a big strawberry cake.

Mom gave Eleanor a stuffed cat named Faye Faye and cried when she gave it to her. We gave her a yellow checked bucket hat and a white bonnet with a puff ball on top. Joel and Kayla gave her a toy baking kit. Hannah gave her a tiny mouse family for her dollhouse.

This was the birthday that Leah gave Eleanor her pink miniature dollhouse that she carefully decorated. Eleanor loved it. She opened and closed the door repeatedly and tucked the mice into the beds and said, “Everyone asleep.”

Terri and Greg, Aaron and Hannah, and Joel G. Joined the party. After, Dave made dinner for all of us—pulled pork he had smoked all day, homemade slaw and homemade French fries—all amazingly delicious.

Happy birthday, Eleanor. You are so loved.

Or in this case, Gramma.

A couple weekends ago I took a class on riding a three wheel motorcycle called a Spyder. I thought it would be a bit less instructional and a bit more adventurous but it was fun. Mostly we rode around cones in the parking lot, ok, that’s all we did, working on stopping and turning and swerving. It was waaaaay easier than I thought because we didn’t have to change gears at all as the bikes were automatic and we only had to deal with a foot brake, no hand brakes. And the bikes were set on instruction mode so we could only take it up to 29 miles per hour. Which felt fast in a parking lot.

I also got to ride on the back of a bigger three wheel with the instructor. His bike had all the bells and whistles. We rode out on the street and through the lot, going about 45 mph.

I came out of the class with a card that allows me to get my license for riding three wheelers. Not sure when I’m ever going to do that but I’ll fee like a bit of a badass having it.