The day started out very warm and bright with a cloud-speckled sky.  I went to my early HOA meeting, healthy banana muffins in tow (huge hit!), then came home in time for MBFF to drop off her kiddos.  I completed and submitted my FAFSA and applied for this other working moms scholarship.  Then, took the kids outside and we grilled hot dogs for lunch. 

Finally, 1 pm arrives.  A nearby waterfront park was having its ribbon cutting and opening celebration - face painting, free ice cream, TONS of relay races and games for kids.  All free.  Perfect!  I pack up six children and we make it down there without any major catastrophes.  Kids hit the ice cream tent first (shocker) and I agreed because I figured that later the lines would be awful.  We go sign up for our first game, and at the stage a man starts the ribbon cutting ceremony because the sky to the north was looking pretty angry.  We are just about to start the first game and rain drops begin to fall.  We hang out for twenty minutes longer, stillll raining.  The women under the tents were very nice, trying to keep kids occupied, but that only lasts so long, lol.  Finally I decide we will have to head home.  If it clears up soon, perhaps we will try to get back there.  It really was a great way for the kids to burn energy.  Oh well.

The hip is still sore today.  It feels better than Thursday, but not much improvement since yesterday.  At first, waking up and walking around, it was a little less sore.  But then by the time I was leaving for me meeting, less than an hour after waking, it was back.  It’s still sore now, but again, only when I step down.  It probably didn’t help that I had to sprint to the car in the rain in peep-toe flats.  Well, at this point I have resigned to the fact that it needs a little more rest.  I did some tests on my feet - lol - like the wet foot stamp test to determine my arch, etc. and read several articles, and finally decided what type of shoe I need.  So then I purchased these.  I am really excited, it should be here Monday.  So if I rest, I am hoping hoping HOPING that I am fine by then so I can test them out!

At the board mtg this AM, I learned that a neighbor’s daughter has Stage 3A (?) breast cancer.  She had a double masectomy and needs radiation too.  She is 34 years old.  THIRTY-FOUR.  Cancer is horrible at any age, I understand that … but gosh, 34 years old with a 5 year old daughter.  She is having a very rough time emotionally.  At first she was determined to fight it, and now she has almost given up, mentally.  She needs to talk to someone who has been through this and fought it.  So, another board member (there are only 4 of us) told us that he battled cancer for seven years - and it was such an amazing eye opening things and one of the best things that has happened to him.  Now, I doubt very many people would call it “the best thing that has ever happened” to them - but the way he explained it was simply amazing.  And what an amazing person to come through that with a renewed sense of life, a different view of EVERYthing.  To hear his take on it was very inspiring.

Many of us could take that position and apply it to whatever the bad stage in our life was.

Can you believe - the rain just stopped and the SUN is shining??  We have been home 20 minutes! Lol

We probably will head back out in a bit, try this again!  DS6 is sleeping over MBFF’s with the boys because they are going to see Transformers, and I am keeping her DD6 with my DD for a sleepover.  I am looking forward to a little more quiet later on today. :-)

hugs to you all … embrace today!