Finally.... Some Updates!!!

My apologies to Claire, Erin, and their fan club for my negligence with this page lately.  The world of a first grade teacher nearing the close of the school year is exhausting, emotional, and waits for no one.  I truly cannot count the number of times I have thought about writing a post and just couldn't summon the energy to go find my lap top.  Truly, the dozen steps to retrieve it and the dozen back to my comfy perch in my recliner, have been just too much, and then to face the intense physical energy demand of actually typing, impossible!!!!  BUT, I have my laptop now and on with the update!

Erin met a huge milestone this week, she wrapped up her radiation visits!  YES!!!!  Somewhere in the middle of her 33 days of treatment, she was suffering from horrible looking burns.  She said it felt like a sunburn and a rash together and the look of it definitely made me cringe in sympathy.  I was shocked when I saw her this week and the intense blistering burns were completely healed.  We both were confident she was going to scar, but her skin is already looking so much healthier.  Her text to me yesterday, although not appropriate to share verbatim, might lead one to believe she could confidently head out in a bikini this summer, without any scar issues.  So, so happy for her!!!!

Claire is somewhere in the middle of her radiation treatments.  I think she has 2-3 more weeks to go, but I really am not sure.  My apologies to Claire, I know she told me, but my crowded brain let that detail slip right out.  Hopefully, she will progress through radiation without the worry or pain of burns.  Crossing my fingers here and hoping for a smooth ride for her.

Recently, Erin, her boys, my hubby, my boys, and I spent a weekend at Silver Mountain.  We stayed in a two bedroom suite in the lodge and spent many, many, many hours in the water park.  My son celebrated his tenth birthday in the beginning of May and opted for a weekend trip rather than a friend party.  His only request was that Erin and her boys could go with us.  We had to wait until the end of the month, as Erin was just beginning radiation and was unsure how she would handle it.  I couldn't have been prouder of my son when he, without any hesitation, agreed to wait for our dear friends.  Big step for my sometimes impatient ten-year-old.

Our four boys watching a movie on our first night.
Gavin, Quentin, Landon, and Morgan.

One of our many trips around the "lazy" river.
Love Landon's face and our oblivious
big boys.

While we were there, we were bombarded with gales of laughter, endless bodily function humor, many video games and movies, and some very happy boys in the water.  Erin was unable to swim with us, doctor's orders, so my hubbs and I found ourselves enjoying countless rounds in the lazy river with the two younger boys.  Although, after running through the water pushing two happy little men in a tube and singing "Yo Ho, Yo Ho," I am confident the term "lazy river" did not apply to our brood.  Thankfully, the kids got along beautifully, had a wonderful water adventure, and came back to our room exhausted.

The "big boys" - Gavin and Mo.

I think the best part of the whole weekend was waking up Erin with a pina colada or maybe the endless joking about being sister wives.  I really don't know how my sweet husband handled it all.  Oh yeah, two hot wives, four strapping young sons, and alcohol.... that would do it.  Speaking of alcohol.... back to the pina colada story....  The first day, we rented a cabana so our dear friend could relax while listening to the pounding sounds of the indoor park.  Erin curled up on the wicker sofa, reading her book, and eventually fell sound asleep.  Truly, I don't know how she did that.  The noise level in the park was not exactly sleep inducing, migraine inducing, possibly, sleep, NO.  All along, Erin had been telling us that the only thing she wanted to make sure and try was a pina colada.  So, exhausted and drippy, I wandered up to the bar.  Of course, I wouldn't want my sister wife to partake alone, so I made the ultimate friend sacrifice and found a margarita there for me.  Truly, I am a giver that way.  When I made it back to the cabana, booze in hand, I very loudly set her beverage down in front of her.  Erin's eyes sleepily fluttered open and the first thing she saw was a frosty coconut heaven.  All good.  We truly had an extremely memorable time.

The Hughes Men chilling in the cabana.

Exhausted boys at the end of the day with their hot cocoa.

The "Little Boys" - Q and Landy Lou and some tubes of candy powder.