Yesterday Grampy came down to join us (YAY!!!) so Papa, Stockton and Rob went to the airport and Lowe’s for misc t.v. cable shopping on the pick-up trip.  While they were gone the girls hung out at the pool and Kaley, Mamie and Avalon went to the grocery AGAIN!!  Seriously, we need frequent shopper benefits to Publix!  On this trip our focus was entertaining food because we had invited Aunt Lucy, Uncle Jim, Jamie and her friend, Dan to join us for a poolside cookout.  We decided our menu would be burgers, brats, and hot dogs; tomato/cuc/ onion salad; sweet potato fries, and brownies.  Mmmmmmmm.  Our only concern was the 4:30 cloud cover and threatening skies.

Avalon and her Mom and Dad went on a long walk to Strawberry Corner at the same time that Mamie and Papa took the little boat for fuel and bait.  As soon as we were all on our way, it began to rain…DOWNPOUR rain!  Avalon thought it was great as she splashed in the puddles all the way home, but Mamie was not as amused in the little boat returning from Fish Tale.  Thank God for moisture wicking fabric!

Courtney, Stockton and Maddie were on their own adventure to Walmart for scrap booking materials.  They stayed dry (smarty pants!).  Today marked the first day that poor Courtney did not suffer from morning sickness so we are holding our breath that it will hold.

At any rate, the storms passed quickly and we were able to dine poolside as planned and had a great time with family and friends.  Since  he guys have plans to head out early a.m. for back bay fishing our evening activities wound down quickly and everyone retired after another big day.

Looking forward to another day of hard work tomorrrow:

Monday night everyone but Mamie and Avalon headed to the beach theatre to see Hangover 2.

Some of us, (we won’t mention names) found the theme to be rather influential and followed suit the next day on the beach!
On the way to the beach in our cabana on wheels!

Playing on the beach!

The “Hut” was a Hit!

And Miss Congeniality made friends on the dance floor:

There is a story to go with this picture and it wasn’t buckets of fun:(  But we won’t talk about it!!!

Until later, wishing you Buckets of Fun!!!! xo Mamie

On Day One we broke out the official camp Corn Hole game poolside where the Coors Light team beat the Michelob Ultras after a hair-raising challenge (Indy racing couldn’t come close to attracting our attention away from this competition!).  Maddie is training for tailgate season with supervision from the pros!!!!

We were graciously gifted a huge bouquet of fruit from GG and Grampy to celebrate our time here.  It couldn’t have been a more appropriate treat!  After a home cooked, gourmet meal of chicken and veggies it made the perfect centerpiece and dessert at the same time!  Mmmmmmmmmmm…Punkin was in fruit heaven!!!!

Day two was a little busier for the guys as they tackled the challenge of “hunting” the perfect flat screen tv for the new unit.  This required not only disassembling the old unit, moving it out of the condo, down the elevator and into a truck, but also deciding what cable/network/thing-a-ma-jobbies they needed to set up a new tv to work.  (I personally like an “on” and “off” switch with maybe three channels….ABC, CBS, and NBC.  I am more than basic cable:)

After a lively discussion at lunch about historical family discipline principles (spanking, mouth soap, wooden spoons, etc..)  the guys went on their hunt (three of them mind you) for 4 1/2 hours to make “the kill” to bring home a new TV.  I don’t know the specifics, but it is presently in a box in the middle of the living room waiting to be unleashed at the proper moment.  (No doubt that will take the majority of day 3).  Men!

Dinner tonight was at Charlie Brown’s, one of Avalon’s favorite joints where she chows on salad bar while watching her daddy’s Ipad featuring Baby Einstein videos.  How did we ever survive 20+ years ago…oh that’s right, spanking, mouth soap and wooden spoons!  Haha!!!

Wait til I get my hottie hubby in the back of the van!

All is quiet now as Avalon is asleep after cuddling and reading “Baby Dear” while the rest of the gang is out at the theater viewing Hangover 2.  No doubt tomorrow will be filled with never ending quotes from the film!

Another day of camp down and I am finding that it is going too fast already.  Love my family more than I can believe!  Ahhhhh.

On top of that Kaley has been working on a hatch of her own!  She is due with baby #2 the beginning of August!   Avalon has almost hit the “2′s” stage of life an Kaley and Rob won’t know what hit them when a newborn enters the picture.   We are so excited, knowing they will need extra hands and sanity in order to endure all of this love….Gosh! being Mamie is good!!!

So surprise, surprise!!!  On Easter Sunday Courtney and Stockton announced that they also were expecting a little bundle this year!   OMWOW!!!  We will have three grandbabies under foot by Christmas of 2011.  We can’t (and won’t) ask for more than that!  THAT MEANS YOU MADDIE!!!!  Please go to college, enjoy, learn, find yourself, explore, but please….you know:)

Anyway, the point of this post…sorry to be doing the 50 something thing where I can’t maintain a single thought past my nose.  WE ARE AT CAMP!!!!   Today was a big day of travel and we are all basically toasted, but I thought documentation was necessary…. so here are the basics:

We left our home to drive to Midway for departure…of course this required two cars..next year possible three:)  yikes….no major mishaps on the way (thank God no speeding tickets, Rob and Dad.)

I forgot to mention that Corby has also been a camper.

Service Dog Extraordinairre!!!

We actually got here fine, two cars and drivers to get us to our camp base WATERSIDE FORT MYERS BEACH, of course.  We ate dinner at our favorite greasy bar “Fish House” where Avalon went kind of into a sleep deprived “bonkers mode ” talking to strangers, rearranging the restaurant, and basically flexing her two year old muscles (much to her mother’s dismay).

Kaley loves to cook and loves to eat healthy so she really wanted to be in charge of the grocery shopping for this trip.  Unfortunately for her, after a few cocktails and having sent her home to put Avalon to bed, the”five forces”, Papa, Mamie, Maddie, Courtney and Stockton decided to do the shopping avec Kaley.   We each grabbed a cart and I designated the partners a category of food….Court and Maddie were in charge of carbs, snacks, etc….  Jeff and Stockton, beverages and lunch meat, and I made my way to the dairy aisle and fresh fruit and vegetables.   I know we all felt Kaley’s spirit with us as we passed Ho Ho’s, Frosted Flakes and Cinnamon Rolls.

FOOD!!!

It took all seven of us to put the food away before we retired to the “girls” room for post feeding/fooding conversation “a la the Kardashians”.  Thanks Rob for the pot of coffee…you might be a little too Keurig-ed.

Courtney and Stockton presented beautiful new beach towels… now we have lots!!!  Then came the official presentation of Camp shirts.  Now,  if you don’t have kids who attended camp, then you certainly can’t relate to this, but if you have, then you know this was a sacred event.   THE CAMP SHIRT 2011!!!  and the inaugural shirt, yet to boot!

More girl talk as the boys vegged out on some lame comedy TV, then the greasy food hit Kaley and she spent time with Courtney’s porcelain god.  No doubt Courtney will be there in the morning as usual.. Oh this preggo thing!!!!  I feel for these girls but there isn’t a thing I can do for them  Their bodies are their own and doing they’re doing their own  thing.  I guess that is why I am Mamie and am done with that part of life…hard to believe and  I miss it so much….but new opportunities arise with each day and I am so thankful!!!

All is quiet, all is well.  Day one is done and I can’t wait to see what God  has in store for us!!!

Camp, Day 2…stay tuned….

Kaley grew up, dancing, singing, and playing with numbers in college.  She changed boyfriends, hair color, met the man of her dreams and got married.  She even had a baby!  Avalon, the first granddaughter and niece!  Kaley was always a little “mother” caring for others with her common sense.  I always told Jeff if anything happened to me not to worry- Kaley would be in charge of everything!  She has always watched over her little sisters the same way.

Courtney also grew into a beautiful, young woman.  She played sports, sang her heart out at any given moment, and had many, many friends.  Proms, musicals and plays, serving at church and now, an entrepreneur humming away to success with a needle and thread.  Her husband is the man of her dreams and is a great brother-in-law.  As the middle child she has been the peace keeper between her sisters.

Maddie wasn’t even Maddie yet.  I always thought she was the gift of our perseverance from that day.  She  has become a beautiful, child of God!  She loves God more than I can even comprehend and whenever I need special prayers, I know she’s the one to call on.  Her faith is deep and wide and so very strong.  Her hair is lighter, she sunburns, and has Lake Michigan blue eyes.  She sings, dances, and loves with all her heart.  She is eagerly awaiting God’s choice for her placement in college.

Twenty years later I can’t help but wonder who this November baby would have been in our family tree.  I don’t see her as a baby any longer, she too, is a grown woman.  So if your life wouldn’t have ended when it had just begun, I wonder:

• What color would your eyes be?
• Hair color?
• Would you be the tallest, shortest or thinnest or thickest of the Helman girls?
• What sports would you play?
• Who would your first kiss go to?
• Favorite color?  Food?  Perfume?
• Would you be musical like the other girls?  Artistic like me?  Dad?
• Would you like dogs, cats, or both?
• Would you have a special song/game to play with Avalon?
• Would you fight with your sisters?
• How many pinky promises would there be between you 4 girls?
• Would you have a favorite subject?
• Where would you be attending college?
• Would you be obedient or rebellious?
• I know you would love God….He loved you so much that He spared you from all of the worlds’ sin.  You were/are THAT perfect.

I miss you so much and wish you could have stayed on that cold day.  I will never forget you for you will live forever in my heart.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is there your heart will be also”.

Matthew 6:20-21

It should really be easier than this.  Less complicated.  Less stressful.  Less emotional.  Still thinking.

Maybe tomorrow will be better.  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Going away.  That may help a bit.  Time alone.  Haven’t had that much and I usually need it.  Kind of a loner.  Yea, that’s me.

Really wanna be creative too.  No time.  Too busy.  With what?  I don’t even know.  Crazy.  Still Thinking.  Still praying.

Thoughts?

I don’t wanna fall apart. Just let me fall and then get back up.

Please?

Perhaps drivers in my neighborhood should wait to get on their cell phones after they turn onto major roads where it doesn’t matter!

I rant.

Courtney and Stockton have moved to Arizona and I miss her each and every single minute of the day.  We chat online several times a day, but the 3 hour lapse really messes things up.  It’s like we aren’t in sync…just a 2000 mile tic off. Maybe it will just take a little more time to figure it out, maybe this is God’s way of shaking me into the reality of her new life, maybe it will never be the same, and maybe that is the way it should be. Hmmmm.   I am settling into this.

Avalon turned one year old yesterday and marked the beginning of her weekend celebration!  Did I just say, “AVALON TURNED ONE YEAR OLD YESTERDAY!!!!!!!??????” Talk about a blur of a year!!!  Time does fly at the speed of light when you would like it to go just a little slower.  (I have determined the only time that a day is stretched to any reasonable length  is when confined to bed or cradling the porcelain base of the toilet while wrestling with a bug from hell). Kaley has been so incredibly busy planning what I am sure to be the second most elaborate birthday party of the season.  (Do you recall Kaley’s birthday in July???  Courtney sets the bar high)!  Of course, Avalon’s party will be a hit with the over 5 age group with Kaley’s gourmet picnic food, while the 0-4 group will be thrilled with the cake, ice cream and exotic collection of candy available.  Pediatric Dentists everywhere will thank you, Kaley!!! ( There is a very good reason that baby teeth fall out)!

Happy Birthday baby loo!

Maddie has started her senior year in high school…SENIOR YEAR!!!!  Gasp!  We were both sad when the first day rolled around, but with all the chaos that has surrounded our lives over the past 3 months, we agreed we needed a little structure in our lives.  We also agreed that we would try very, very hard to hang on to each moment and savor this year.  Good luck with that, you say.  I know.  I already feel like it ‘s time to order graduation announcements.  She is having her senior pictures taken next Sunday and I can’t believe my hallway will finally be complete with all three girls in represented in 16 x 20 format!  WAH!!!!  I guess I need to start a Grandbaby wall of fame next.

Maddie is running cross country and is performing in a Glee production at our church…She is a busy girl and I miss her already.   I will settle into this too.

Jeff and I celebrated our 28th anniversary a week after the wedding with the most fabulous dinner at Carriage House (Thank you Mom and Dad!!!!) We had planned an elaborate trip… St. Johns VI, Florida, New Buffalo, we finally settled on dinner.  Food is good!  There will be lots of time for trips in the future.  He is my rock and the one thing that I know will not change in my life!  We have settled into each other.

• “I have, in the past, seen settling down as a deterrent to growth. It doesn’t have to be, though. It can be the launching of new growth.”

I will grow!

My lovely saga began about 8 months ago when we thought we had found the perfect Bridesmaid dresses and MOB dress. It took us no more than 15 lovely minutes in Nordstrom and we said “sold” check. done.  WRONG.  Kaley was 3 months post-partum and within a few short months no longer had a BMI including any baby fat.  Those dresses went back two dresses ago. Ann Taylor was an option for 2 days and “poof” those went back too.  In total frustration Courtney ran to UPMall (yes, a Simon mall of all places) and picked up two dresses that were winners and which cost a fraction of the mulla that any of the others did.  I was elated!!!!  BUT WAIT!!! I  couldn’t possibly wear the dress that we originally purchased to (kind of ) coordinate.  Poof! Back to Nordstrom you go!

Hence, no MOB dress for me.

After stewing on this for a month or two I finally caved and ordered a lovely Teri Jon dress (way out of my ordinary budget) and when it arrived I loved it!  Thank you Jesus, you do understand women!

But alas, remember that I am 5’2″…shrimpy to say the least, and this dress was fitted for Mr. Giraffe’s wife (that happens to be a friend of Avalon).  A week before the wedding I finally realized that this dress had to be hemmed or I was going to look like Morticia Adams without the white highlights.  Not being a regular of alterations (I normally buy off the rack petites and call it a day) I thought the logical thing was to go to the most expensive, foreign tailor in the area and I would be well taken care of, whether I could understand his accent or not.

Thus enters Telly Savalas** the names have been changed to protect the guilty  (I mean innocent).  My “Telly” decided that he could, in fact, hem the dress and lift the straps (and maybe a little tweak in the bustline too).  There is where the problem began.

I returned 3 days before the wedding (I know, dumb move, but remember I don’t do alterations???).  I almost didn’t even try the dress at Telly’s joint, thinking surely he wouldn’t have done anything else to the dress.  WRONG.  Someone decided to take 2 inches from each side of the bodice and make scrap from the excess fabric.  It wouldn’t even come close to zipping.  I left.  Telly assured me in his most fluid Puss & Boots accent that he could fix it.  Seriously?

Went back about 5 times and he finally changed the back profile and I still had difficulty breathing let alone the ability to sob when the carriage and Courtney arrived!  By this point I was getting a little p—-off and it was Thursday and the wedding was Saturday.

On a whim Friday a.m. I chatted with some lovely internet lady at the Land of Nordstrom and ordered another dress with overnight shipping guaranteed (not just sure when within the next 24 hours it might arrive).  I have no doubt that Jesus is CEO at said “land” for,  lo and behold, it arrived at 10:00 Saturday (yes, wedding day).  But wait, alterations, remember? I did not grow 6 inches taller in 48 hours.  So Jesus also runs a dry cleaners in Granger…amazing!  I took the dress to them while getting my hair done and the dress arrived at the wedding site 15 minutes before photos began.

Now if your heart isn’t skipping a beat or two by now, you aren’t a mother, woman, and definitely not a MOB.

But Telly might be part of a mob.

Gone will be the hours on end of talk about life, fashion, periods, secrets, and anything else that might pop into our heads. Gone will be the late nights when she comes home to snuggle in bed between both Jeff and I to tell us of her evenings adventures and newest, juiciest gossip.  Gone will be our mornings sharing coffee and creamer and sharing the day’s upcoming adventures.  I won’t look up from my desk to find her curled in the chair waiting to get my attention or to just offer a sweet smile.  Oh! I will miss this so very much.

Buck up Mamie!  Seize the moment and changes and move with them!  I have learned to love Kaley’s new life with Rob, and dear sweet Avalon is the apple of my eye, and one more reason to look forward to each day.  I will also adjust to Courtney and Stockton’s new life.  HOWEVER…….I must hang on to what we have lived with for the past 17(Maddie)-26(Kaley) years and I won’t let go!!!!  Please don’t start thinking I am some whiny mother/mother- in-law who refuses accept their kids transition to marriage…you know, like Marie on Raymond?

I am bigger than that!  I will Excel!!  Overcome!!!!  Carpe Diem!!!! and all that jazz!

I do, officially on this date, July 13, 2010, declare a new Helman holiday to be observed annually from here to eternity (or until I am pushing up daisies).  GIRLS ANNUAL OUTING!!!  Kaley, Courtney, Madeline and myself alone, every year starting next year, the fourth weekend of June…Thursday -Sunday no matter when it falls!  Guys prepare to babysit, carpool, cook, clean, do laundry, etc.. for those 4 days.  We may go to a spa, New York, fly fishing or Wakarusa…shop, spend, work, play, or nothing….but we will be together to laugh, cry, eat, drink, joke, and relive the time we have had in the past and to celebrate the future. No men, dogs, cooking, cleaning or kids!  Call me Moses, Thomas Jefferson, or just a bossy Mamie!  This is in stone. No bending, breaking or changing the rules.

June 23-26, 2011.  Pack your bags!  We have some living and re-living to do girls!

xo Mamie