Trip to CR, Aunt Betty's Benefit and a very long week!

Betty and Mom
I started this post at the beginning of this last week, but worked most hours of the day and evening throughout this past week...so am just getting it out today.

Last Friday night I left Steve and the manimals at home and headed for CR.
On the way, I stopped and had the chance to visit with one of my very best friends Jen and her new little one Owen. I guess he is not so little anymore, they grow SO fast, but he did wake up long enough to give Aunt Lori some good smiles and cuddle time:)

On Saturday Mom, Dad, sister Julie and niece Samantha headed to Wisconsin for a cancer benefit in honor of my Aunt Betty Bird. Cathy, Kobe and Zoey came as well. The benefit had a great turn out and we got to see a lot of family we don't get the chance to see often.

cousins Brianna and Kayla

Jeanie and Sharron

Cathy and Zoe

Some of our Feye cousins

Therese and Dan

Even a few of our cousins from California were able to be at the event Diane showed above, and Don in the center below with Bob and Greg (more cousins:)

Karly, Zoe and Bella

Some of us stayed around for some dancing and Karaoke later on in the evening

Starbucks Wisdom for the day...

Every once in a while Starbucks has more to offer than a Pumpkin Spiced Latte;) Though found on the cup of my Starbucks today, this is a good reminder for me, I think I am losing ground on this skill as I get older, I don’t know if it has to do with this Adult A.D.D. I seem to be developing or what. I am going to have to work on that…..

“You can learn a lot more from listening than you can from talking.
Find someone with whom you don’t agree in the slightest and ask them to explain themselves at length. Then take a seat, shut your mouth, and don’t argue back. It’s physically impossible to listen with your mouth open.”
-John Moe

It's Ollie's First Birthday:)

He Used to be SO little!

Gully's Oktoberfest

"Let us so live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry."
- Mark Twain

Friday night was our friend Gully's yearly Oktoberfest. He tries to find a lot of different seasonal Oktoberfest beers from all over, including smaller breweries in the US and of course the German ones as well (since it is their "holiday" - it is only right;). He generously shares his finds with many friends that have come to make this tradition.

Obviously this generosity of Gully's extends to more than just his "human" friends

This party was a special treat since most all of the classmates from school that we met with every Thursday night during college for pizza and beer, a night we affectionately call: "Thursday Night Therapy" were there, which is a fairly rare occurrence. We have been done with school for a little over 5 years and though we don't all see everyone all of the time we have never lost touch.

"Thursday Night Therapy" Group

Even Webster was wondering when we were going to leave:)