Saying Goodbye to Terri and Molly

On our walk this morning we spotted another Scissortail Flycatcher, and this time Ken managed to get a shot. The tail is just improbably long for such a small bird. Ken called into question my bona fides as a birdwatcher after I identified a grackle at the top of a pine tree as a ragged piece of black plastic! My eyes just aren't what they used to be.

We spent some time looking at our plans for next November, largely because we want to make a reservation here before we leave. We're also anticipating needing to have reservations for the Thanksgiving weekend, when we'll be in the Austin area.

Today was Terri and Molly's last day in Texas. They spent the day in Denton with Kelley and got back to Ed and Julie's around 4 p.m. Terri and Kelley and Julie went to the Verizon store, where Kelley picked out her new phone, an LG enV. She also moved from Ed and Julie's plan to her parents', since they are back in the states.

Then all of us went to Parma Pasta & Pizza for dinner. Our server, Gregory, was very friendly and helpful--even entertaining. He and Ed talked like old buddies, even though Ed and Julie say they only go there maybe three times a year.

The food was delicious. We were so full when we finished that we ordered dessert to go.

Back at the house, the kids got ready for bed and then Cate got to open her birthday present from Aunt Terri. It included several things, but Cate's favorite appeared to be the nail polish and lip gloss. She is definitely a "girly girl."

Molly worked on straightening Kelley's hair with an electric flat iron while Terri played with Jesse for one last evening and we chatted while watching the Final Four game. We gave Terri and Molly one last hug before heading home. They have to be at the airport early for their flight tomorrow, so we won't be seeing them in the morning.

We washed the new sheets and then promptly donated them to Julie as a spare set for Cate's bed. They are beautiful sheets, but just too heavy for us.

I helped Kelley with her income tax return, which was fairly straightforward. We used the free online Turbo Tax program since I wasn't very familiar with how to deal with scholarship money. She got a huge tax refund--the whole $8 that American Eagle Outfitters had withheld from her pay, woohoo!