Ssshhh...

I have had way too many things in my head lately, the most recent of which being news that: 1) my sister's boyfriend was going to propose and 2) mom was going to come out and surprise her after the announcement.

Whoever thinks I am no good at keeping secrets has just learned a valuable lesson! (Though please don't tell me any more secrets. I think I have used up my allotment of keep-it-quiet skills for awhile. My brain still hurts from remembering who I could and couldn't talk to.)

Mom decided to come out here on Thursday and flew out Friday night. We had a great weekend of shopping, eating, and hanging around (and the weather was perfect!). Last night, we took mom to dinner and then headed to one of our favorite restaurants for a cocktail. Nick was planning to bring Janice by for a glass of champagne after he proposed somewhere along the National Mall. They both arrived just beaming and it was so fun to celebrate with them. (We drug out the surprise a little by having mom watch from afar before appearing.)

It was one of those weekends that, in retrospect, will have seemed like a lot longer than 48 hours -- one of those times you're not trying to forget about work and chores and bills and life in general...it just happens.

Congratulations to Janice and my future brother-in-law Nick! The guys will officially outnumber the girls in my family for the first time in 30 years. Here's hoping we don't suffer too much retribution after three decades of choosing movies, restaurant locations, dinner menus, etc.

Janice and Nick

So fun that mom could join us!

Chad was recuperating from food poisoning (not my cooking,
by the way) and earlier played a softball double-header
then 18 holes of golf which is why he looks thin, sunburned
and tired. But he wouldn't have missed this celebration!