My parents arrived in Parker around dinnertime last night.  They woke up early and drove straight through.  The mapquest said it should take 14 1/2 hours, and by goodness, my dad wasn’t going to be outdone.  He can even tell you how many times my mom had to got to the bathroom!!  They came with gifts and big hugs for the kids.  Carson knew they were almost here, but William, Kitty, and Jia expected them on Sunday evening.  They were so surprised, and we’re all excited that they’re here.  We’re looking forward to the next two weeks of lots of fun times.

I’ve had lots of experiences with my mom.  We’ve cried together, laughed a lot together, fought with each other, made up with each other, shopped together, traveled together….  Today, we had a new experience.  At 60, my momma entered the tanning bed for the first time.  I went in with her and showed her how to turn on the bed, change the fan level, and turn the music up and down.  I explained to her that she would have to lie down on the bed and pull down the “lid” before turning on the bed. I told her to be sure to cover up her face with a towel so that she didn’t get a red nose and assured her that 5 minutes wouldn’t burn her to a crisp.  The girl who was working at the tanning salon was so patient with us and put us in rooms next to each other so that we could talk back and forth.  We laughed and talked back and forth as we undressed and got into the bed.  At one point, the front door opened, and the buzzer rang.  Mom hollered, asking what the buzzer was.  I’m sure the other people in the salon thought we were nuts.  Finally, when I was just too hot, I told her that I was turning up my fan, and the conversation ended.

After we were dressed and back in the lobby, I asked her what she thought, and all she could say was that it was hot.  At 60 and 41, we created yet another memory that I will never forget.  What a sight we must have been!  Not many people can say that they go tanning with their mommas!!  Thank you, God, for giving me a momma with a sense of humor who’s always ready to try something new!!  Maybe I’ll convince her to get a tattoo while she’s here!!