It’s just a tad bit windy but perfectly nice otherwise at the Lodge today, which is why I was able to capture a teensy video from my poolside perch. Look & listen closely to this clip and you’ll see my favorite Jamaican Jammer playing a funky tune from behind that water umbrella:

Summer just doesn’t get much better than this! Ok minus the wind, of course.

On my way back home from helping the lovely nuns with email, internet & printer issues, Office Depot channeled me. It said, ‘You know you want to stop over for a visit. Admit it, woman - you were just talking to that Catholic Family of yours about picking up the latest version of Family Tree Maker.’ So I caved and found myself pulling right into the store parking lot, walking all zombie-like down the aisle until I actually found the software I’d mentioned to the family just a couple of days ago. And now it’s here in my hot little hands. Pretty strong channeling there, eh?

So now what. Hmmm, exactly.

Well, now’s when I get started documenting all those crazy ancestors my family has been alluding to over the course of my lifetime. Relatives mostly whom I’ve never met, because I’ve grown up in an Air Force family and rarely (if ever) met any of them. Only now maybe I’ll be able to find some truth in those gossipy stories about how I’ve descended from royal British people - heck, they even say George W. Bush has a branch in the tree somewhere in there. Perhaps I’ll find one of those long lost relatives from Italy who gave me my dark hair and Italian nose. Or maybe I’ll learn about some of the Lutheran Pennsylvania Dutch ancestors from my maternal grandmother’s side of the family. I hope so on all counts - this could really get interesting.

So now I’m off to open the box and get started. What’s the worst that could happen? I mean, if anything, the Catholic Kids will get to know some family history out of all the research, right? Nothing wrong with that. Meanwhile, I have a sneaky feeling we’re only at the tip of a big huge iceberg.

Last week, the Catholic Family and I trekked ourselves to Las Vegas, Nevada and had the time of our lives. The reason? To get together with extended family while enjoying the sites in a fun new location outside of our usual digs. And after all was said and done, I must say that we accomplished that goal to the fullest, leaving me to blog about our favorite events of the week in Vegas listed by each of us individually:

ITCM (me): By far, the biggest WOWEE! moment for me happened when we stepped into the Forum Shops in Caesars Palace and witnessed the sky ceiling. Amazing. Given more time, I could’ve wandered through that place all day (and night) long. The fountains, sculptures and shops actually made my heart skip a beat as I walked around in complete awe. Next time, if there ever is one, I’ll be sure to add more time to my personal agenda dedicated to the Forum.

CS (Catholic Son): Never had we seen CS light up as much as he did when we found the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. Up until that point in our vacation, we thought Vegas was completely lost on CS, then we entered the elaborate aquarium where we viewed rare and exciting sea creatures never to be seen before. All wide-eyed, CS looked at us and said, “I’m really having fun now!” His comment was made even before purchasing a stuffed shark at the gift shop, so you know he was being sincere about it.

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Who would’ve thought my last blog would be an omen of more severe weather to come? And that it was for us in the wee morning hours. The Catholic Family and I were rudely awakened by howling winds, bolts of lightening and booming thunder @2:30 a.m.

It was then that I jumped out of bed and turned on the television, just in time to find out we were in a tornado warning, with sirens starting up in the near distance. Within seconds the family and I made our way to the basement where we turned on the television to see weather maps with little swirling tornado images directly on top of our location. Yet the whole adrenaline rush turned into dread after we peered outside and found our favorite pear tree snapped from the ground and lying in the front yard.

I’m counting our blessings today as I recall hand-selecting that tree with the family 8 years ago, the tree with perfect pear-like shape and gorgeous white flowers that we grew to admire every spring.

RIP