Weekend Fun!

I had a fabulous weekend. 2 wonderful things happened- Four Ball Tournament at PVCC and Connor and Kelli came to Little Rock!! (I think that from here on out, since I am equally excited about seeing Connor and Kelli that I am going to give them a name like Brangelina. And I was thinking that name should be Connelli. So from here on out Kelli and Connor will be referred to as Connelli on my blog.)

First, the Four Ball Tournament! The men play golf in this incredibly complicated Flight bracket. I believe there were 9 flights and a Championship flight. I may be wrong! They play a qualifying round Thursday and that determines the flight in which they will compete. Matt and Jonathon qualified for the 1st Flight. They are wonderful golfers! Just ask me and Rachel- we'll tell you! Anyhoo, after they qualified, we met for the SEAFOOD EXTRAVAGANZA. It is a seafood feast the likes of which I have never partaken. Matt and I love seafood so we were incredibly excited in the time coming up to it. King Crab Legs, Lobster Pot Pie, Salmon, Seared Tuna, Shrimp, Lobster Tail- with butter to dip it in :). We were in heaven. Actually though, Rachel and I thought the cheese cake was the best thing. Yum.

Friday, they lost to the team they played. Boo :(. However, the team they played, I think, contained a professional tennis player and some other dude who played golf all day long all week long. So they were ok with it. This put them in the consolation bracket so they still got to play Saturday. Friday night was Mexican Fiesta which was delicious.

Saturday, they played in the afternoon and won. Then Rachel and I joined them for the Italian Feast. My favorite part was the Shrimp Scampi and Goat Cheese Polenta... YUUUUM.

Sunday, they won again! After the LONGEST round of golf in the history of the game. They teed off at I believe 7:45 and were finished around 1:30. LONG. And I think they were hot. So, they won 2nd place in the consolation bracket for the 1st Flight! I am mighty proud. No delicious food for the wives Sunday. Matt said they played 81 holes of golf this weekend. CRAZY. Then he said he was ready to go back to work because they had air conditioning and he didn't get tired there. Haha.

Anyhoo, Saturday Connelli came to visit! OOOOOOOH that sweet baby! I got to burp him! I don't think he really burped though. It was so fun to see him and hold him and smell him and kiss him! It's really fun to see all of our friends play with him too. Really, I have to remind myself that he is a wee baby and that squeezing him would not be good. But I want to just squeeeeeeeeeze him and love on him. He's such a ham! He smiles real big at you. And he LOVES Kelli! He will just look at her and smile so big! I took pictures but don't have my camera to down load them. Side note: I've got to get better about taking pictures!

Anyhoo, I had just a marvelous weekend. And our anniversary is Thursday! And book club is tonight! To Kill a Mockingbird- definitely one of my favorite books of all time. Atticus Finch is my hero... If we have a son, we may have to name him Atticus.

UPDATE

So, to update you on my blog post from last night.

I left for work this morning. In the EXACT same spot that Mr. Bunny was terminated, Mr Squirrel decided to meet the same fate... my tires :(

Why?

Stop running out in front of me!!!

Boo.

Not my favorite way to start out the day.

Close Encounters

I had 5 close encounters with nature this weekend. I will share them all with you now.

1. I've run almost every Saturday morning at Lake Willistein in Maumelle for probably 9 months now. If you are at all familiar with Maumelle, you are familiar with the geese who live around the lake and fly across the street to Kroger frequently. They poop every where. I leap and jump and tip toe around the poop. We coexist. I was running Saturday in the 90 degree weather and was slowly approaching a group of "teenage" geese. The mom was hanging out with them and they were digging around in the grass for whatever they eat- not really sure... worms? Anyhoo, the mommy looked up and hissed at me! I guess I was getting too close. I've always left them alone, though. Don't they remember me? Thought it was strange.

2. Also at Willistein, I have been wondering when I would cross paths with a snake. I know they are in the water because Matt and I have seen them while fishing. I hate snakes. I realize that they are docile creatures, but to me they are so gross and creepy. Anything with no legs and arms that lives on land... that's just not right. I'm sorry for those who do not hate snakes, but I do hate snakes. Just being reminded of their existence gives me nightmares- I know that sounds dramatic, but it's true. I was running and had just waved to a sweet old man walking. When I looked down there was a 5 foot long snake making his wake across the path. Totally freaked me out of course. We stopped and talked (the old man and I) and waited for him to make his way across. As we were waiting, this cute girl is jogging by and we try to warn her about the snake and she being clueless keeps on going until she is about to step on the snake and then promptly freaks out and screams. Snake crossed the path, day went on, no harm done.

3. I was on the way to church Sunday morning and I noticed a little bunny poking his head on to the street. He made a couple of hops and I slowed down to let him pass. He looked like he wasn't going to pass so I kept going- and at that EXACT time he decided to run out in front of me and I hit that precious baby bunny!!!! OH it broke my heart! I made the mistake of looking through the rear view mirror and there he was, on his side, kicking his legs. When I came back home in the afternoon, he was crow food. We have lots of crows in our neighborhood. Circle of life and all that.

4. We have these flowers- no idea what kind- right by our porch that honey bees love. I realize they are docile creatures as well, and I leave them alone and truly they don't scare me. UNTIL, I am trying to water said flowers and the bees LITERALLY dive bombed my face when I was watering tonight and then flew away. Repeatedly. Are they threatening me? Are they just trying to scare me? Can honey bees sting? I don't even know, but you know I dropped the water hose and ran away! I'm just trying to keep their pretty flowers alive!

5. Came into the office this morning and there was a HUGE I am not kidding HUGE centipede laying on the floor in the break room. We have centipedes and roaches and ants and other various sorts of bugs but mostly these centipede things. It was about the size of an NBA player's thumb rolled up into a rolly polly on the floor. Disgusting. Thank goodness Ms. Donna took it out and I didn't have to. Wish I took a picture. Bleck.

Watch Fiasco

So, I don't save my receipts. I just don't. I LOVE to throw things away. I give things to Goodwill every 6 months. I just don't like excess. If I don't need it, I don't want it. Clean is good. Less is more. I don't save receipts.

I bought a watch 10 days ago at the Benton Target. It was a Mossimo watch and it was the only purchase I made that day. So, I immediately put it on my wrist and promptly threw away the receipt and box and other packaging. Watch is the one job that a watch has in life? To keep time! This watch did NOT keep time. Incidentally, I do believe I did purchase a man's watch. But that's another story. It was primarily meant to be an accessory anyway, but still. So, Matt talked me in to attempting to exchange the watch at Target. I also hate exchanging things. Really, really hate it.

So, I run in to the West Little Rock Target very quickly this morning. I find the same watch and I ask the nice man behind the counter if I can exchange with out my receipt. He says yes if I have the card I purchased it on. Of course I do! It's my Visa debit card- and I never leave home with out it! (Remember those commercials? Was that even Visa?) Anyhoo, I hand it to him. He scans it. I ask, "Did it come up in the system?" He says no. (I can only assume this is because I bought the watch in Benton.) So I give him my drivers license. He scans that. We move on. THEN, he picks up the watch that I wanted to buy instead of the Mossimo watch. Underneath the box is ANOTHER box. EMPTY. Someone had STOLEN a watch and put this watch box inside that watch box- make sense? So the nice man looks at me funny and says, "There is the box for the watch you bought!" Haha. I said, "Nope! I don't know where that box came from." He is quite suspicious of me at this point I'm sure. The new watch was also $5 cheaper, so I know he thinks that was my goal. Steal a watch, get a free watch, AND a $5 gift card. Believe me, I'm not smart enough to think of this whole scheme on my own. Anyhoo, I quickly finish the transaction and run to the door because I know at this point he's about to call security. And wouldn't you know, I left my debit card! He screams, "Ma'am! Your card!" I am so embarrassed.

Look people, none of this would have happened if I just had infinite funds and could purchase the exact same watch that Sandra Bullock wore in The Blind Side. It's what I remember most about that movie! And this is my second attempt to copy it. LOOOOVED it. That's all I wanted. My new $14 watch is a little bit closer to hers, but way big and I can't figure out how to take out the links. Help!

PVCC Book Club and Other Nonsense

Matt's dreams have all come true! Besides marrying me of course, Matt's dream in life has been to be a member of a country club mainly for the purpose of playing as much golf as possible. His dreams came true in April when we joined Pleasant Valley Country Club.

I've played golf probably 4 times in my life. Each of those times were during our college years (4 years ago) and hadn't picked up a club since. Anyhoo, we picked up a set of starter clubs for me and I've been learning how to use them from him. It's really fun! I am starting to make contact with the ball MOST of the time which is obviously a good thing. No one likes to swing and miss, you know.

They have a wonderful gym too. That's what I have used the most. My previous gym in Maumelle was a bunch of meat head men who would stare at me while I trained for the half marathon on the treadmill. (The previous sentence is no statement about the way I look or anything, but I imagine in a room full of men, staring at the one woman who is running on a treadmill is a natural reaction.) Anyhoo I say all this to say that I was completely embarrassed in there every day and I probably lifted weights 10 times in the year that I was a member because it was so STINKING embarrassing to go over there with them all. I LOVE my new gym. They built it last year and it is clean and no one cares what you're doing and I can lift weights and do squats and abs and stretch and life is good. On another note, why can I not make a muscle appear on my left arm? I should flex for you sometime, 3 Summitt Family blog followers. It's pretty amusing.

But, my FAVORITE part about the club is the book club. It's a group of women who meet once a month and talk about the book they read the previous month and have cosmos and eat dinner. Everyone is in their 50's and up so it was really neat to get their perspective on the book we read. Last month was A Movable Feast by Ernest Hemingway about his time in Paris from 1921-1926. It was really good. This month is To Kill A Mockingbird which I still need to pick up. But the month BEFORE was The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. It is an AMAZING BOOK. In fact, tonight, I am going to watch the Swedish version with subtitles and I am super excited. I am going to attempt to make my way through the list of books they have already read- minus An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore. Had I been a member of the group that month, I would have read it- borrowed from the library of course. But no way am I reading that bologna.

Anyhoo, I hope to catch up with them on this...

AN AMAZON KINDLE!!! I am pleading with my husband to purchase for me this precious (think Gollum from Lord of the Rings when reading "precious". Ew! Maybe I could read those books on my new Kindle!) for our anniversary so that I can download books and read from it. Favorite feature? That it can read to you- while getting ready in the morning or driving or whatever I may need to do. We threw around the idea of getting the ipad, but I really just want to read from it. I don't need another computer. The laptop I have had for 4 years that doesn't close and the screen is breaking and the wireless has to be disabled and reactivated just to get on the Internet works perfectly fine. :)

Ok, to sum it up, love PVCC- especially book club- love Matt -especially if he buys me a Kindle- and can't wait to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in Swedish tonight.

That is all.

26th Birthday

2010 is the year that I have turned 26. How do I feel about that? I am not really sure.

You know, I know that I am happy and thankful to be here. I have a wonderful life- more than I ever dreamed possible really.

• I have the best, sweetest, hardest working husband in the world. He is my best friend and I can call him during his busiest time of year (rough estimate 8 times during the work day) and he always stops and talks to me. Or at least calls me back promptly. He has worked incredibly hard the last several months and it is all for us. I am so proud of him. I wish I had the words to express to him how much I appreciate his sacrifice.
• I have a wonderful family (both biological and in-law) and we are all healthy and happy. I am so excited this summer because we get to go on vacations with both of them!
• I have a home that I am proud of, that we worked hard to save and have the money to put down on. I work hard (after working all day) to keep it clean and neat and presentable and I am proud of it. I love that I am able to serve through hospitality and host our Lifegroup every Wednesday.
• I have the 2 best dogs on the planet. They have been my constant companions the last 3 months. They have kept me sane. They let me talk to them and rub them and play with them. They are ALWAYS happy to see me when I come home. Honestly, I would rather spend time with them than some people. Ok, maybe a lot of people. :)
• I have a job that allows us to save for our future and provides great benefits for me should something happen to me. And as I am getting older, I am realizing that it would be ok if something happens to me. I remember after September 11, my sense of being "invincible" went away. I am scared to fly, I worry when in high places, and I am nervous in general. As I am aging though, I see that these things are all ok. That this isn't my home anyway.

As I reflect on the last 26 years, I can see that it is truly God who has put me in this place. I am humbled and thankful for the blessings that He has given me, and I hope that the next 26 years I can use them to bless others.

Do I LOVE or HATE Facebook?

Let me preface this blog post by saying that I am the first one to admit that I, Lana Summitt, am addicted to Facebook. I have an app on my crackberry that if I am realistic I will admit that I probably check at least twice an hour. For the 16 hours a day that I am awake. That's a lot. I scroll through, I read status updates, I look at pictures, I "like" a few status updates, I write on a wall, respond to a message, etc. Here are my issues with Facebook.

Do we know too much about each other?
For instance, I went the Kojie Reunion at Harding Homecoming (and blogged about it a few months ago), and I felt like I already knew EVERYTHING about most of the girls I spoke to that morning. I knew who had babies. I knew who was expecting. I knew who got married and to whom. I knew who was still single. I knew about jobs and haircuts and new cars and going back to school. I knew it all. I can't remember one thing I "learned" about any of my friends that day. And some of them, I have not seen since graduation four years ago! And there are maybe some people that I know that I don't want to know everything about me. But I put it out there for anyone to comment on or "like". I put everything on Facebook and I don't even know what my privacy settings are. There is no telling who reads the stuff I put on there. *Note to self, check privacy settings after publishing post.

Should this be our main form of communication?
For instance, (and what prompted this post), Matt checked Facebook a few weekends ago only to find out that his brother, Joe, had become engaged! Now we knew he was planning the engagment (which he had asked us to be present for) and we absolutely love Tiffany so it wasn't a shock or disappointment to find out this information. Shouldn't they have talked to each other on the phone or in person or at least through text? And if I am making plans with someone, should it be through a Facebook message? (Big groups excluded. It may be just easier to do through Facebook message.) What happened to a phone call? And will we never write letters again? I realize that email is probably more to blame for that one, but who doesn't love receiving a letter in their mailbox? And HANDWRITTEN to boot. LOVE a good handwritten note.

As a blogger and a tweeter and a Facebook user, I guess bottom line I put myself out there. Things I don't like about Facebook, I also do regularly whether it be group messages or looking at pictures. I will say it is so helpful to be able to get on and look at pictures of friends who live in other cities (some 5 hours away in Nashville with a new baby boy I want to regularly see pictures of) and it's so easy, since I am on there all the time, to send a message or write on a wall to get a message across. I'm guilty too and I am an offender. I just wonder if personal forms of communication are gone with the wind...