September 27, 2019

What We've Been Up To Lately

So, I haven't really talked about what we've generally been up to since summer break. I've blogged about Bri's birthday, her birthday party, the Queen concert and Autumn Moon Festival, but not really about the "day to day" stuff.

I guess I'll start with a quick school update...

Briana is doing awesome so far in 8th grade. This is the best group of teachers she's had in middle school. They are really all fantastic. I'm kind a stickler for great communication and they all seem to have a good handle on that. I am in denial that 9th grade/high school is around the corner, and I am trying to remain in my ignorant happy bubble for a few more months.

Bri has gone to a couple of Junior Beta Club meetings already this year. She is back to visiting the adorable dogs at the local doggie shelter for volunteer hours...

Running club has not started back up yet. I really wish it would soon. It might be because it has been so stinking HOT here in Georgia the entire month of September...

 Hotter than August - no kidding. I think it's going the hottest September on record in GA. It has been in the high 90's every day. We had like a two or three day reprieve where temps were in the 80's with no humidity and it was heaven. But then the heat and humidity slapped us back in the face again. Oh well...

On a lighter note, I did a little mama bragging on FB recently about Miss B. Here is what I wrote...

She's a really great kid. She drives me nuts sometimes, but honestly, she's a good kid. And come to find out, she's been getting points every day for helping this student out. She's pretty happy about that.

And Briana's last year's milestones results (standardized testing) came back a couple of weeks ago, and she rocked her english and math exams - subjects she gets flustered in sometimes. So dang proud of her...

Level 4 is the highest level you can get. Pretty cool huh?

School yearbook pictures were taken last week, but I am going to post Bri's when I get the final copy (the proofs were not cropped properly, edited, etc). I wish she would smile bigger for school photos, but I take what I can get!

Briana is still really enjoying her guitar lessons. Doug was so inspired by Bri playing guitar now, he went and bought an electric guitar for himself so he can play along with Bri. Bri had to check it out before we bought it...

A few weeks ago, we went to the Pioneer Days Festival with one of our favorite families (we went together last year too). It was Year 10 for us! It always lands on Labor Day weekend, so it's a nice (hypothetical) farewell to summer (because it stays hot in GA until October!)...

The beginning of autumn means that Halloween is around the corner! We LOVE Halloween! We have visited two Spirit Halloween stores already this year...

Briana informed me that she doesn't want to trick-or-treat this year (ugh - knife plunge to my heart). But, we are being invited to a Halloween party this year, so Bri was able to get a costume for that. Mum's the word on what she's going to be until closer to Halloween!!

Several weeks ago, we found out that one of our very favorite restaurants was closing down for good. We ate there quite a bit over the years, and we were so sad about it. Rumor is that rent rates went up really high in the shopping complex. We went one more time a week before it closed...

Miss Mei Mei is still as spoiled as she can be. She is still super clingy attached and wants love all the time. She doesn't like when any one of us leaves the house - she whines even when there is still someone in the house with her. She cries, looks out the front window and grabs her angry bird "babies" for comfort...

Mei had some issues with throwing up food a few weeks ago, so I took her to the vet. The doctor thought she might be dealing with some acid reflux (and she is already on special gastrointestinal food). Lovely. I had to give her a pill once a day for her tummy. She seems to be doing better now.

Doug is loving his new job - though he is super busy. Start up companies are no joke. But he is so much happier now than he was at his former company. So, it's all good.

So, what about me? I'm doing ok. Still dealing with some anxiety unfortunately - but I know it's never going to go away completely. I'm doing my "mom thing" and still doing it pretty well (though I do fall down sometimes). I'm feeling a little stagnant in my life right now, and I'm looking to find something new to spark my interest and keep me busy. Let's say I'm a work in progress.

Bri is currently on fall break this week and we are "staycationing"...

Bri is actually loving just chilling at home. As much as I dislike Bri having to go back to school August 1st, when fall break comes around, I end up being really happy that she has this break time to get rejuvenated.

I'll blog about our fall break in the not so distant future.

Thanks for reading!

September 26, 2019

Autumn Moon Festival 2019

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival landed on September 13th this year and once again, it was a quiet holiday for us...

We decided to make our traditional "mooncake" cookies the day before so we could enjoy snacking on them Friday...



They really are yummy...

I bought a few books from this book series for Briana to enjoy during Autumn Moon Festival...

 The moon was actually a waxing gibbous Friday evening, but around 4 am Saturday morning, it became full...


We tried to gaze at the moon on Friday evening, but it rained. So no moon. Honestly, I don't think it has rained at my house since that evening. We are having a nice drought in GA right now.

We moon gaze each year on Autumn Moon Festival...

Last year, the clouds didn't cooperate with us (see below left). This year on Friday, once again the clouds didn't cooperate. But Saturday night (below right), it was perfectly clear, and we got a perfect view of the moon...

We couldn't see the moon behind the trees at our house, so we had to drive a short distance to a better open space. But we saw it. And my sometimes sweet Briana obliged me by letting me take a photo...

I don't think I will beg ask Bri take a photo with the moon next year. She will be 14 then, and she was nice enough to allow me to do it this year. But I just had to have a teenager + moon picture!

Whether or not we get a moon picture next year, we still continue to make our cookies because baking is fun and the cookies are so delish!

Hope you all had a great Mid-Autumn Moon Festival!

August 30, 2019

Queen + Adam Lambert Concert

WOW. 

This is really the best word I can come up with regarding the Queen + Adam Lambert concert. Doug, Bri and I went to the concert last week. I always seem to come out of a concert saying "Well, that is the best concert I've ever been too." But this time, I think it's going to stick. I mean - we saw freakin' Queen. It's hard to beat that.

Doug and I have been Queen fans forever. I remember listening to Queen as a kid. I remember hearing "Another One Bites The Dust" on the car radio when I was 7 years old. I remember watching Queen videos on MTV. I remember when the "Bohemian Rhapsody" resurgence happened in 1992 when the "Wayne's World" movie came out (Doug and I had only been dating about 8 months at that time). Doug has played Queen music for Briana since she was little. And Doug and I are big Adam Lambert fans too. I voted for Adam each week when he was on American Idol (and was so mad when he didn't win). I remember that finale night he performed with Queen on stage for the first time - and I remember thinking what a special performance that was (and knowing that Kris Allen wasn't even in Adam's league)...



We've seen the movie "Bohemian Rhapsody" numerous times and Briana absolutely loves it. I am not even sure how many times she has watched it now. So, seeing this concert was kind of a big deal for our family.

I've been to so many amazing concerts - P!nk, Mraz, Gaga, Ed Sheeran, but there was something really special about this one. I think it's a mix of nostalgia and timeless songwriting.

We counted down the days to this amazing concert...

Doug managed to score us second row seats...

We headed to downtown Atlanta early that day so we could grab some dinner before the concert. We ate at the Hudson Grille. Unbeknownst to us, the first preseason Falcons game was happening at the same time at the stadium next door. It was pretty much a traffic nightmare in that part of town (luckily we missed the worst of it by getting there really early).

The Falcons were playing the Redskins - and this guy behind Bri was definitely rooting for the Redskins...

My buffalo chicken wrap was so good...

Once in the arena, we had to get some shirts (of course)...

We headed down to the stage (we were so close!!!)...

My high school bestie Julie and her daughter were also at the concert, but between traffic and us sitting in completely different places in the venue, we weren't able to meet up in person (such a bummer!!). We did a lot of texting though - LOL!

Doug, Bri and I had to take some selfies...



This guy below putting his hands through his hair was part of the Queen/Adam Lambert fan club. He looked a bit like Adam Lambert (and seemed pretty proud of it). People were actually asking him to take pictures with them (LOL!)...

And there was a lady sitting directly in front of us who had seen the concert NINE times!! That's dedication!!!

Then the show started (no opening act - Queen doesn't need one!)...

A big thank you to my hubby who recorded/videoed almost all of the songs (my phone was low on battery) and did an amazing job...










Being up so close was really amazing...


I love "Killer Queen"...




Bri with the band right behind her...

Doug so excited to be there...


Love when Adam says "I'm a queen!"...







Then it was time for a costume change.

Adam rose up on the stage on this motorcycle...









Then it was time for a Brian solo.

He was so appreciative of everyone being there...

This part of the concert made me tear up...




All the lights and Freddie's special song "Love Of My Life" - it was quite emotional...

Freddie on the screen finishing the song...


Then Adam and Roger joined him back on stage (another costume change)...












Adam was amazing on "Who Wants To Live Forever"...




Then Brian had a long guitar solo - it was so cool...





Another costume change...











Hands up for "Radio Gaga"...




It was finally "Bohemian Rhapsody" time...









Then it was time for the encore.

Freddie on the screen singing "Ay-oh"...




Adam in a crown for the finale...






Confetti at the end...




Thank you and goodnight...



I am SO, SO, SO happy we got to see this concert. The concert was so respectful of Freddie Mercury's memory - and Adam told everyone that he was a fan of Freddie too. He just hoped he would make him proud. I think he did.

Who knows how much longer Queen will be able to keep this momentum up. Brian and Roger are in their 70's and they are still rocking - absolutely amazing.

This is definitely one concert I will never forget.
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