Departure, packing, Spring Carnival and just plain old life

So after we took mom and dad to the airport on Thursday afternoon, this was the view from our house:

(Ella cried a lot after we said our good- byes and mamaie and tataie went through security... . Of course, that made me cry too. We drove home sad knowing that we'll miss them for a long time until we get to see them again in Romania.)

Friday, after finishing up some work projects, I drove myself to the Coppell Irving Surgical Center at Baylor for a cervical spinal MRI. It just so seemed that the pain reached its peak on that day... ughh... I waited for two hours past my appointment time to get in. Not fun when you're in pain. Really, not fun ever to have to wait that long. Good thing I had a nice tech who did the MRI and got me out of there with the images on a CD, when I was initially told that it would take at least a couple of days for the films and readings to be available.  But then too bad that I couldn't get an appointment with the doctor to read those images before next Thursday! Duh!! Frustrating to say the least.  After that, I got home to my sweethearts, did some paperwork to put the house back on the market, got our popcorn and
mom's "check" and headed out to the see "The Lorax." Great movie, so glad we went! It sure made me smile and even laugh out loud and I so needed that.

Then on to Saturday.... after waking up bright and early due to the almost unbearable pain from overnight, I started off the day with breakfast pizza, a family favorite. After breakfast, I cooked lunch (pork stew, and lentil/black bean soup,) cleaned up the kitchen (as the agent was coming to take pictures to put the house back on the market), sew a pair of pants and a shirt for Ella's horse, spoke with my sweet parents, and then went shopping with the family at Kohls, our favorite affordable store. :) We picked up some nice clothes for daddy for his new job, a few Spring/Summer outfits for Ella and a hot pair of shoes for myself. Now, I really need to get that pedicure done! Ha-ha!

After shopping and lunch, Ella and I went to the Spring Carnival at school, as Hrishi had to run some errands in preparation for his departure tomorrow. She had a ton of fun and so did I, watching her get excited and play with classroom friends. After the carnival we went to see horses across the street but they're not out and Ella wanted to walk all the way down the street to another neighbor's ranch. We did but with no luck as their horses weren't out either...  must have been too warm or something. So instead, we enjoyed the walk/scooter ride back home.

Lots of fun games and lots of little prizes:

(Face painting with her dear friend from church and school, Lindsay.)

(This was by far the most favorite ride. They went down three or four times!!)

My awesome model!! (She had me model for her and I had to hold the crane's neck, lol! ;))

(very silly, but wonderful to be loved and wanted in pictures, lol!! :))

And even plain old life is better when you are loved.