It's Been A Couple Weeks

One week from today and our  girl comes home from France! I am so excited! She sent me a text this afternoon and said that the going away party last night was fun but also sad. She has formed such a great bond with her french 'family', I know she is sad to leave them! 

I am still working on painting and getting her room ready for her. I just absolutely hate to paint and can find a million other things to keep me busy.

Last Tuesday we had a run-off election as a result of the primary that was on the 10th. Of course I worked, I love doing it! But, it was really disappointing how few came out to vote. That night after I got home at around 7:30 husband came in from TKD and wanted to know if I wanted to ride over to Shem Creek and go to Red's Icehouse because some up and coming country singer was playing there. I was pretty tired, but he seemed so excited to go, I said sure, plus there was bound to be beer involved! It was a beautiful night and we enjoyed the music and the sights, and a few beers for me! We ended up getting home around 11:00 and after I read for awhile it was after 11:30 before I went to sleep. The next morning he sent me an email from work and said "are you tired this morning? I don't know how people do this all the time!" I told him I think "they" can do it because they are half our age!

Not a great photo, but I took it with my phone and lightened it up, it was pretty dark when it was taken!
I guess I had better  get to work painting! The final countdown is on!

Family Girls Weekend

I am in major overhaul mode, trying to get daughter's room done before she gets home from France! I have less than 3 weeks..... eek!

But, I wanted to quickly write about my weekend:

Last weekend my mom, two sisters and I got together for a girls weekend to celebrate my youngest sister turning 40. Mom so graciously offered to take us to their condo near Lake  Junaluska in NC. 

So, I drove up to my hometown on Friday afternoon and met my mom. We then scooped up my sister and headed for the hills! 

I found the photo above hilarious, that is the stuff we took for two nights and you don't even see the back seat that was filled on one side! My sister and I kept asking my mom if she was planning to stay for a week.

The weather was beautiful while we were there. I am so used to 90 degree days and lots of humidity. It was in the low 80's and no humidity and it was in the 50's at night! That's my kind of summer. Husband and I own some property about 20 miles from where my parent's condo is located and I am seriously thinking we should build a house on it!

Of course we had to make sure we had enough wine! There were two bottles of white already in the fridge.

On Saturday we went into Waynesville for lunch and to walk around the town. There was an Appalachian Lifestyle Festival going on and it was fun looking at all the booths that were set up. 

Saturday night we took the birthday girl out to the Sweet Onion for dinner. It was so good! We ordered a bottle of wine that I had heard good things about:

It was really good! I noticed that Harris Teeter carries it around here.

We enjoyed some really good food! 

After dinner we went back to the condo for cake and presents!

My new gift I am giving all the women in my life is Thrive by Ariana Huffington, it's great!

The birthday girl and my other sister. All the photos of me are on everyone else's phones!

We ended the night sitting on the balcony drinking wine and talking and laughing hysterically!

Sunday I got back to hometown and spent some time with my dad. He's 82 and I know one of these days he will be gone so I'd better take advantage of the time we have left.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Heartbreak

Yesterday was Primary Day in our good 'ole state. I worked at the polls again: got there at 6:15 a.m. and left at 7:20 p.m.! That's a long day. Happy with the results, but we will have a runoff in two weeks and I will be working that day as well!

Remember back in March when college son was home and one young man he knew died? Well, Friday night another kid he knew was killed in a car crash! 19 years old and had such a wonderful life. He made one bad choice, in my opinion, and it cost him his life! College son went to the 2nd funeral, in two months,  for a young person  yesterday. I didn't know the young man other than remembering him from middle school and the pick up line, but this has made me extremely sad. I can't fathom what his parents must be going through! I really hope this is making those young people rethink some of their behaviors. Unfortunately I think it will have only a short term effect. I remember when I was the same age as college son and one of my dear friends from my hometown was killed in a car crash along with her boyfriend. They had been drinking and it was actually a friend of theirs that hit their car! We all were careful about our alcohol consumption for about a week or so, and then we were back to our old ways. Because you know, we were young, and nothing was going to happen to us! 

I have a girls weekend this weekend with my mom and two sisters. We are heading to my parent's condo up near Asheville NC to celebrate my youngest sister's 40th birthday. It should be fun and nice to getaway. I am hoping for some nice weather.

We talked with our daughter on Sunday afternoon. She will be home in less than 4 weeks! I am so excited to see her! Though, when husband asked her if she was excited to be coming home, she said, not really! I know it is going to be hard for her to leave her host family. They have become really close, but I told her they will be her second family now for the rest of her life! And, I would really like to try to plan for our family to go to France during winter break and meet them!

Hope you are enjoying these long summer days!
 If you are on instagram, follow me and you can get a better glimpse into what is going on in my life, I am nancybinsc. It's so much easier to post a quick photo there!