Catching you up

I can't believe I haven't blogged since Monday. It has been non-stop. Pour yourself another cup of coffee or tea, this is going to be a long entry.

We are going to Mississippi, but not to a memorial service (although that's what we're telling our employers because it is easier to explain). My cousins decided not to do a funeral or memorial, but they did want us to come spend some time with them. This was decided on Wednesday. Since we weren't having an official anything we could set the dates. After a bunch of phone calls we came up with leaving Tuesday morning, returning Sunday. It will take us two days to drive each way. My parents and another aunt (from my dad's side) are going and returning one day earlier than we are.

We have hotel reservations for while we are there (again, more negotiations so we could all stay at the same place that met everyone's demands: high speed internet, a pool, near my cousin's house, and queen sized beds so certain tall people don't hang off the end). But we don't have the drive there and back figured out yet.

We aren't doing a ceremony, instead we are all visiting and going to some of my aunt's favorite places. It will be a quasi-vacation, with a mission. The cousins will do a private burial of the ashes. I'm not sure when they are doing it. If it is while we are there, we'll entertain ourselves during it so they can have their time alone with their mom. The cousin from China is supposed to arrive on Monday. I keep forgetting to ask if his wife is able to come with.

Besides countless phone calls the last 2 days have been filled with preparations. Grocery store, bank, finding people to cover work assignments for me, etc. I got the Girl Scout registrations wrapped up and turned in. No volunteer work to hang over my head.

Then there was all the "life goes on" stuff to do. We bought Violet's bronze award. She got herself a cute Girl Scout gorilla as a little gift to herself for finishing the project (with Juliette-Bucks). We got her certificate back from Council (they send out really nice certificates if you fill out some simple paperwork). We were pleased to see it has the name of our Council as it is now, before the realignment takes place this fall. We hadn't thought of that. If she'd waited until next year to work on the Bronze it would have been under the new name.

Violet's birthday is in early July, so she's been busily planning her celebration. She decided she wanted to take Red and Butterfly out for a girl's afternoon out of miniature golf and ice cream. On Wednesday we tested out a mini golf course near here, it was really nice. But there are 2 more courses Violet would like to test before she decides which one. I smell a scam. Ice cream will be at a nicer sit down ice cream place. Once we know which mini golf course it will be easier to pick the ice cream parlor nearest it. I contacted Red's and Butterfly's moms and we were even able to find a date when none of the three girls will be at camp, in class, or otherwise tied up. No easy feat with their busy summer schedules.

Violet and I made a cute little trellis today out of sticks (like a tripod but with 4 legs) and planted some sweet pea seeds underneath it. We're hoping 1. the seeds grow, and 2. when they do they will climb up the trellis. I'll get some pictures posted.

I'm really glad we still have 3 days before we leave. We briefly discussed leaving as early as Saturday. I couldn't have made it. I'll still be preparing up until we pull out of the driveway, but at least I'll get to sleep in the meantime.