a cup of tea with a side of football & an extra helping of family

last weekend, we had the opportunity to spend an extended weekend in alabama. we flew in just in time to enjoy a nice cool weather weekend...a welcomed change from the 90 degree weather we were having here in houston.

friday was a big day for all of us. lee and hunter played golf and enjoyed moe's for lunch (a delicious place we miss dearly in tx). i met two friends from high school at a tea house for lunch. yes, it was as girly as it sounds but so fun. these girls are my oldest friends. i have known erin since kindergarten and kimberly since 7th grade. we never skip a beat when we see each other and have supported each other over the years through relationships, college, death, and birth (for erin, anyway). i treasure the friendships i have with these girls and love any opportunity we get to meet up. here is our food tray of scones, sandwiches, brownies, cookies, and cheese straws. yum yum. even the hot tea was tasty, and i am not a hot tea drinker!the rest of friday was all about tyler. i still cannot believe he is already a senior in high school. even though a concussion prevented him from playing the last three games, he still participated in senior festivities. the senior night pep rally has included a special ceremony that (i think) began when i was a senior in high school. the youngest students in the school are paired with each of the seniors for a time of recognition for the seniors and encouragement to the youngest group of students. tyler was paired with some of my friends' son who is too adorable for words. tyler also has some longtime friends who have grown into nice young men themselves so it was special to catch this shot of the three of them.prior to the football game, they again recognized the senior football players and cheerleaders and had their parents stand on the field beside them. my parents are still getting used to the fact that this year is the last time they will participate in all of these events as tyler is the baby of the family.saturday, my cousin hannah and i celebrated our birthdays together with our extended family. ever since her first birthday, hannah and i have shared our "family birthday parties" with each other. my aunt makes the most amazing cakes of anyone i know, and for the first time, i had a big special request. she MORE THAN came through for me! this was an AMAZING cake! if you know anything about me, you probably know my love for peanut butter so you can see why i am so excited about this cake. i even had a piece for breakfast before we left for birmingham sunday morning.we also decided to take some family pictures since the times we are altogether are somewhat rare but oh so special. aren't we a good looking bunch?!