Fab 5 Friday...

Besides having a horrible head cold this week, I have to say that this has been a pretty good week. I felt relaxed and settled back into my routine. The kids have fallen quickly back into the school, homework, then play mode. Blaine is busy at work and getting ready for a quick trip back to the States at the end of September. Baseball starts back up this weekend and soccer will soon follow. Everyone is ready after the summer of fun - it's now time to work - and play a little, too!

But, you're not here to read all of that junk...it's Friday and it's time for Fab 5 Friday! Without any further delay...

1. Driving Range. Last Sunday the whole family headed over to KLGCC to hit the driving range. Yup, I haven't touched a club since I was teaching in Ticonderoga many, many years ago. And, well, I didn't see much improvement with my swing! Hahaha! That's what lessons are for, I guess. I have a definite slice to the right. Blaine says this is because I'm compensating to get my club around my boobs. (Yes, I just wrote that! The boobs are not helping my golf swing!) But, Blaine also said this should provide my golf pro a unique teaching opportunity! Yeah, let's go with that! Anyways, it was loads of fun. I think the boys would have stayed and hit hundreds and hundreds of balls if we had let them. I can see this becoming a weekly family event.

2. Betsy and Kirk Coming To Visit. Before I left the States I chatted with Betsy briefly and she thinks that she and Kirk will be coming to visit us in Malaysia! Woohoo!!! So excited! I can't tell you how great it would be to have visitors this year. She's aiming for early February - which is the perfect time to get out of the cold Wisconsin winter and come to the tropics. Anyways, our door is always open to those who might want to make the long trip to Kuala Lumpur.

3. Trip Planning. And while others are planning to come visit us, I'm busy planning trips for our family. Next weekend we're taking the long weekend and heading to Johor Bahru (LEGOLAND) and Singapore (Universal Studios) with the kids. I've got October break planned with a trip to Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh City. Christmas will be spent in Phuket, Thailand and my parents come to visit us in March - which will have us traveling to Australia. Throw in an extended weekend in Cambodia (in December) and I  think I've done a pretty good job of tackling the 2014-2015 school year.

4. Coffee and Lunch Dates. This week has been filled with lots of "let's catch up" dates for coffee and lunch. Some planned, some impromptu and all filled with lots of laughs and smiles and heartfelt welcome backs. Good friends make being abroad not only tolerable, they make being abroad worthwhile. These are the people you depend on when you're having a bad day or share your excitement with when something great happens. So...all I can say is thank you friends.

5. Saying Yes and Saying No. So...I'm practicing saying no lately and still trying to figure out where I want to say yes. I'm saying yes to writing more and searching for a photography class(es). I'm saying yes to fitness and friends. And, I'm still trying to figure out where or what or even if  I'll take on a role at the kids' school this year. I'm saying no to any major leadership roles at school, but my heart has a hard time not seeing some of the things we worked on last year flourish or at least continue this year. If anyone has any great words of advice on the saying yes and saying no thing, I'd really appreciate it. Catholic guilt often overtakes me and I find myself saying yes to more things than I probably should. (And, if I didn't have perfectionist/OCD tendencies - it might be okay to say yes to a whole bunch of things, but we all know that those tendencies can really only create unneeded/unwanted stress.) Oh, what to do?!

All right! TGIF peeps! Hope everyone is happy and healthy wherever you are! Smile and enjoy the weekend!