Buffet & Birthdays

Still in catch up mode, but I think we are making progress...finally to May!  May is always hectic.  We celebrate Mother's Day, my birthday and Kerry's birthday.  It is also Memorial Day weekend, so we are opening up the lake house for the first time, and it is typically tornado month for Arkansas (and much of the country).  This year was no different.

The weekend before our birthday celebration, John had to go to Dallas for some business.  He invited Kerry to come along and took us to see Jimmy Buffet.  Such fun!  It was my first Buffet concert, and I am so impressed at the amount of effort the true parrot heads go through on concert day.  Tailgating and costumes...oh my.

Only picture I got of our Buffet trip to Dallas! 

The weekend of May 10 was my birthday and Mother's Day weekend.  We went to Shreveport and celebrated.  Kerry came too, and we celebrated her birthday as well!  Dad/Suzanne took us to Superior Grill on Friday night, and they cooked lobster on Saturday.  As Granny would say...we were "eating high on the hog" all weekend!

Happy Birthday to ME--May 10 @ Superior Grill

After a tough day lounging in the pool, we are having appetizers on the porch.

Ok, fine...we are celebrating Kerry too :)!

Oh my...blue cheese crostini with onions.

In the meantime, supper was being prepared by the chefs.

Performing surgery on the lobsters

Making them pretty

Pommes Anna

Plated Goodness

The dinner table

This is what it looked like before the food was plated.

Did I say HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME???

I had more pictures, but can't seem to make them upload to the blog.

We are so thankful we enjoyed every minute of the weekend, because the house was hit by a tornado the very next Thursday.  It damaged the house pretty bad, so the rest of the summer looks like it is going to be spent managing construction crews.  They are getting a new roof, a new back wall, new furniture, a new piano, new carpet, new windows, new gutters, and lots of new landscaping.  No lives were lost, so it is really hard to complain.  Regardless, it is putting a damper on the summer season for them!

The tornado that hit Dad's house in Shreveport!

The back wall of the house was literally pushed out by the pressure.  Needless to say, we are so thankful nobody was home!

Finally, we went to The Bee Hive for Memorial Day Weekend.  Kerry got another little birthday celebration, and we had lots of good R & R.  John and I bought our new favorite lake toy at Sam's Club this year.  We are thrilled with our purchase!

There really are no words to describe the joy that this seats 6 adults lake toy has brought to us!!!

Bush Library Dedication

I'm still catching up from a very busy spring!  At the end of April, we attended President George W. Bush's library dedication in Dallas, TX.  There really are no words to describe how great of a time we had.  John and I met in DC working in the Bush Administration, so this was special for us.  Also special was seeing many of our friends and former colleagues.  There are lots of pictures from this trip...so let's get to it!

First night--Executive Office of the President, Reunion Party Hosted by the former Chiefs/Deputy Chiefs of Staff

Luke Frans and Lori & David Raad--riding to dinner and the party in our fancy stretched SUV/Limo

John & I with Luke--in above mentioned fancy stretched SUV/Limo

The next morning we were up early and in line for the buses.  It was chilly in the morning and we all walked away with sunburns.  Mother nature can be so deceiving when it is cold outside coupled with major sunshine.  Of course, some things never change and with all five living/current Presidents attending, security was tight and so we had to get there extra early...and wait.  It was worth it!

Surreal!  

The program for the dedication

John & I waiting in line for our shuttle bus

John & Luke 

Sarah Beth & Mitchell

Ran into Chad Barth after the main event...of course, he was helping out and making sure everything was running smoothly!

John and I snuck a ride after the event on the "Ritz Carlton" bus.  We did not stay there, but we certainly played the part.  I was nervous, but John made me loosen up and hop on with the diplomats and other mega donors.  Good move, Mr. Eddy.  We attended an Office of Political Affairs lunch afterwards and saw even more old friends.  Food was good and the conversation better!  Later in the evening, there was a Bush-Cheney Alumni BBQ complete with a little Pat Green.  It was for everyone who worked in the Administration and/or on the campaign.  Oh my...very fun.  

Dave McMaster, one of John's great friends (and a groomsman in our wedding) taking a picture of the flags welcoming the Bush Presidential Center on the SMU campus.

John & I at the BBQ 

Super fun surprise that President & Mrs. Bush came by AND VP Cheney!

Both the President and VP were in great spirits and were very funny.  So great to see the VP feeling and looking good--and as witty as ever.

LOVE!

Finally, the day after the dedication and BBQ, we were able to take tours of the library.  I'm not a library guru, but this was pretty awesome.  It is very interactive, and we were encouraged to touch, read, sit on, pick up et al anything that wasn't nailed down.  President Bush wanted people to get a sense of what it was like to be in his shoes while he was President.  The enormous weight of what he was facing on top of the intelligence and information he had at the time is pretty staggering.  I can't say enough good things about the library.

The front of the George W. Bush Presidential Center

John walking up the sidewalk--Beautiful Texas landscape

Holland and Momma Jan in the Freedom Tower (part of the Library)

The Freedom Tower had a special lighting ceremony after the BBQ.  The "art" is digital and is constantly changing.  You will see scenes, landscapes, people, words etc.  Very cool.  This is a photo looking up.  It is a very tall "tower" and makes an impact.  A great way to begin the library tour.

Father & Son

Children's Reading corner--guests are encouraged to grab a book and sit on a bench and read.  Literacy and education--hallmarks of the Bush Administration

Steel from the Twin Towers.  Again, they let you go right up and touch it.  So very moving--John is in the bottom left of the photo.  It takes your breath away.  Keeping America Safe--also hallmarks of the Bush Administration!

The famous bullhorn (the man who gave his bullhorn to the President also attended the dedication), clippings, program from the memorial service and his speech--History!

John using the interactive/touch screen displays.

John & I working on diplomacy in the Oval Office.

Holland & I also working on diplomacy!

TERRIBLE photo quality, but it had to be included...I gave a lot of West Wing tours during my tenure at The White House, so this was a must :).

A Texas version of the Rose Garden--TX landscaping!

Catch Up!

Oh my...no blog posts since Valentine's Day?  Ugh.  I have such good intentions, but then there is the part that takes effort.  That is where I lack.  Ok, over the course of the next week or so, I'm going to try and get caught up on where we've been lately.  We've been busy, as usual, so I want to make sure I have some photos documented...so when we are 90 and we wonder what we did with our lives, I can look back and remember.  Since my last entry, we have been to New Orleans for a surprise 40th birthday party, celebrated a new Pope being elected, Easter, the opening of President Bush's Presidential Library, John's cousin's wedding, mine and Kerry's birthdays, the inaugural weekend at the lake, my last day of work, and the sixth anniversary of losing Mom.  This is not a complete accounting of what all we have been up to, but it is a good start.

Let's start with a weekend trip in March for Michael Murphy's 40th Birthday!

This is AFTER a seven course meal with wine.  It was in the wine cellar at Commander's Palace.  Totally Fantastic!  Thank you for including us.

My honey!  We were the first to arrive because my love didn't want to be late.  He just knew we would "ruin the surprise."  Of course, we were almost an HOUR EARLY.

Not great photo quality...but this is for my "memories" in 50+ years.

They printed the menu on the back of this print.  I thought it was just fabby.

The Columns Hotel.  Looks charming and wonderful on the outside.  Rooms, not so much.  Great bar and patio...scary rooms.

Next, the exciting election of a new Pope!  What a joy to watch the process that is the Catholic Church in electing a new Pontiff to the See of Peter.  I kept being asked "who I was for"...and I found such humor in that.  "I'm for whoever is elected," was my usual response.  Anyhow, our prayers are with Pope Benedict who made the most selfless decision by stepping aside as Pope.  Everyone is saying how Pope Francis is "leading by example!"  Not that it is a competition, but I think that award goes to Pope Benedict.  Never the less, Pope Francis has already been a wonderful Pope.  He is carrying on the  works of Blessed JP II and Pope Emeritus Benedict.  We are a blessed people.

Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.

Finally, we had a very fun time over Easter.  I had Good Friday off as did John.  We went to Shreveport to spend a night with Dad and Suzanne and then all headed up to Little Rock for Easter Brunch at YaYa's.  Uncle Sirini has started this tradition, and we think it is a good one.  Sadly, I don't have photos of the cousins or Dad/Suzanne.  We did take some photos, but they are so dark, all you see are teeth.  I promise we celebrated this holy day with family!

Dad and I at Cush's in Shreveport.

Suzanne's Easter tulips.

My Easter date.

John & Clay at Brunch

Our "end" of the table.

This is re-cap one.  There are more to come!!