We started southbound to attend a craw fish boil at White Rock Lake (one of my favorite places) hosted by my friend, Ross (one of my favorite people.) Four of the kids tagged along to see what this Cajun tradition was all about and two were brave enough to try some tasty mud rats for the first time. And to no surprise, they loved 'em! If it weren't for the frigid temperatures and our tardy start into the day, I think the other two would have eventually tried them too.
Thanks so much, Ross, for inviting us to such a feast and also to your sister, Ashley (who, after meeting, confirms my assumption that Blackstone is synonymous with beautiful) and her cute beau for bringing the fresh catch down from Louisiana.
Just up the road, we visited with our used-to-be neighbors, the Blanton's. It was so, so great to see them. Of course, when we shared a zip code, we gave a holler nearly everyday, so needless to say, it has been quite an adjustment not seeing them for months at a time. Oh, but we did get a sneak peek of their sprouting vegetable garden. Y-U-M-M-Y! Maybe I should mark my calendar now for another drop-in visit near harvest time, huh, Grammy? :)
Sure love y'all.
Next stop was to finally celebrate the 89th birthday of our wonderful, Floy. Her special day was actually in January, but our lives inexcusably didn't allow us to gather until March. She didn't seem to mind too much though, love her heart.
And her favorite red velvet cake may have helped forgive our absence a little too.
Later in the evening, we rounded up nine of the ten family members and enjoyed some game time at the local putt putt. That was Sam's idea and I gave him a big kiss for it. The kids had a blast and it was incredibly affordable. After that we made a quick Blockbuster run for a movie and called it a day.
As we closed our eyes that night, I have a feeling that many of us dreamt of all the fabulous food, friends, family and fellowship we experienced simply because days like that leave the tank gauge of our souls, bellies and home no longer on empty. As a matter of fact, on days like that, the needle gets pushed to beyond full.
