Week in Review: First Time at Costco, Fritters on Demand and Friends in Holy Places

After spending my first three years of this job saving my paid time off, I have some personal days and vacation days that I need to use or lose this year so I decided to take a bunch of half-day Fridays on weeks that don't already include a holiday.  My goal is to not work a full week for the rest of the fiscal year (ending June 30) .  I really sound like a government employee now :)  

On my first half-day Friday, JP and I went with my parents to Costco for the first time ever.  My parents have the Costco membership, but we have a BJ's membership because it's much closer.  Anyway, JP and I were like kids in a candy store and somehow spent $690!  

We shopped separately from my parents but when we were checking out, my mom and I realized we both bought the exact same sweater in the same color and we were cracking up.  When we got to the register, the elderly male cashier happens to  mention "nice sweater!" as he scans it and the giggles returned.  What are the odds to pick the same article of clothing in a giant warehouse?

 

We woke up to a freezing cold on Saturday morning, which also happened to be the last of the soccer games for our Declan boy.  It was worth braving the cold to watch every minute because at the very end he scored!!  He was so proud of himself and it was such a much-needed boost to his confidence.  He played a lot of defense this year and came close to scoring on his chances as forward.  We thought the season might end without a goal, but he pulled it off...phew!

Cheerleaders for life.

To everything turn, turn, turn

There is a season, turn, turn, turn...

...and so we now turn, turn, turn our attention to his basketball season.  We sponsored a team in this league, and the coach who selected Declan at tryouts made sure that their team got the name of The Ice Cream Cottage:

Our #2 scored 2 points in the game this week.  Maybe he should have picked a higher number?

Work it, work it

Xander and Brendan both competed in a swim meet on Saturday and beat their best times, always a great goal each meet.  The meet was almost an hour from our house and lasted 4.5 hours so you can do the math to realize it was a long day.  We need to rethink swim team for next year when it's only Brendan on the team (maybe move him down to the practice-but-no-meets level?) because Xander will be on the high school team and swim team is a very time demanding sport for littles who can't drive.

Brendan (in bottom lane) came in 2nd place in this race

I found this photo on the high school's website of my Maggie (left) and her friend Maggie (center) looking like they discovered a scientific cure in their AP Bio lab:

Also from the middle school's social media this week, I found these glimpses of a work of mercy (visiting the dead) featuring Alexander as the thurifer (the altar server who carries the thurible, which holds the burning incense):

On Monday morning we had a small Veteran's Day parade go past our house and Phil made apple fritters after hearing me say "You know what would be so good right now with this coffee?  An apple fritter."  Who knew I could just speak things into existence?  I could become very dangerous now :)

Right now Andrew is visiting Hungary, but these are photos from his weekend in Medjugorje, where he said it was so cool to see so many Catholics from around the world all together:

Mary, protect and guide him always

He hiked the pilgrimages barefoot!

JP had his first med school interview this week, for a new DO school in Maryland and said it went really well, the school is very close to Phil's parents house and his brother's family and JP's girlfriend's family, so logistically it would be great if that's where he ended up.

Lucy Doodle got her haircut and as always was ashamed to wear the bandana:

The Maggies (and the other Maggie's mom) went to a Toby Mac concert last night and had the best time.  I was so nicely invited to join but concerts + my age + my hearing + introvert + crowds + school night = not my thing anymore.  Their youth is not wasted on them!

This weekend will include prep for my first colonoscopy on Monday, which you know I will write up in a detailed blog post like this one that has helped me prepare mentally...I already bought a huge bag of mango gummy bears :)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!