Point made. Loud and clear.

Yesterday was a fun day. We ate lunch with Stephanie and her kids at McAlister's Deli... my very favorite local lunch spot. Stephanie and I frequent McAlister's Belly (as all my kids call it) so often that we are "in" with the managers and the people that work there. They give us stacks of surveys to call in and get $ off our meals, and we often get extra cookies, chips, etc. just because they like us. Not sure why, since we always come dragging our 5 little wild and crazy kids with us, but they do! In fact, this week we didn't make it in until Friday, and they said they were wondering where we had been all week. Ahhh. The things we do to get through the day sometimes. Eating lunch out is my sanity. I think we only eat lunch at home maybe once a week. Someday if/when that slows down, I suppose I'll find myself with quite a bit of extra $ in my pocket.

Last night we ate out too (okay, it usually doesn't happen that we eat out twice in one day). It was Friday night! We met my Dad, my Grandparents, my cousins Jennifer, Heather, Becky, Brad, and all the families. We went to Chimi's to get together before Heather and Jim flew home to Atlanta. We ate and visited for a couple hours. Since Mom has died we have tried to do better about getting together more often with extended family. It has been fun. I have got to know my cousin Becky a little better. She has such a bright, smiley personality. The thing that intrigues me the most about her is her ability to laugh at herself... and to laugh along with everyone even if they are teasing her. After dinner the guys all went to play pool at McGoo's (pool hall) again, and the girls went back to Jenny's house. My Grandpa Jim even went to play pool with them this time. Alan came home and told me that Grandpa used to be a die-hard pool player back in the day. He told them a story about when my Dad was little... Grandpa said he used to play pool all the time, and one day my Grandma walked in the pool hall with my Dad, set my Dad on the counter next to Grandpa, and walked out. Grandpa said it wasn't for about another 20 years until he picked up a pool stick again. Funny story! I guess she made her point pretty clear that day ~ ha!