About a month ago a new restaurant opened here in Birmingham.

Yes, Texans. I just heard you squeal.

And listen. We couldn’t wait to try the Chuy’s. I feel like I’ve heard people talking about the Chuy-liciousness (GET IT?) for a sweet forever, and I originally had every intention of being there opening weekend and knocking on the door until they let me in and agreed to pour cheese dip into a glass so that I could drink it through a straw.

But things have been a little cuckoo around here with our various and sundry end-of-summer funtime activities, and our inaugural trip to Chuy’s kept getting pushed farther down the list. But this past Friday night we agreed that Chuy’s was a must-do for Saturday lunch, and then we held a solemn candlelight ceremony so that we could affirm our love for homemade tortillas and really good pico de gallo.

Or maybe we just fell asleep watching TV. Regardless, it was a terribly exciting evening.

So Saturday morning we pulled into a parking spot at Chuy’s at 10:55 IN THE A.M. because we wanted to beat the crowd. And it’s a good thing that we did, because I’ll have you know that by 11:20 that place was packed.

I’ll also have you know that by 11:20, we were in the midst of a serious Tex-Mex blessing.

Because oh my goodness. The salsa. And the jalapeno ranch. And the deluxe tomatillo sauce. And the everything. It was just. divine. And the little man was so fascinated by the tortilla-making that was going on next to our table that the sweet ladies behind the counter gave him his own little piece of tortilla dough.

Sorry for the glare. But I wanted to capture the fact that the tortilla dough seemed to make him thoughtful. Analytical. Consumed by tortilla-related possibilities.

We had a great lunch, and I’m sure we’ll go back an embarrassing number of times. Because in addition to the food being great, there are two other decided benefits to Chuy’s: 1) it’s next door to Charming Charlie, and 2) OH MY WORD THE VIEW.

I’m actually considering moving to Chuy’s patio this fall. Just so I can sit there all day long and look at the pretty leaves.

Welcome to Birmingham, Chuy’s.

We’re mighty glad you’re here.

I wasn’t kidding about overdoing it on the chips and crackers.

Oh, it looks harmless enough at first. A few two-liters of Cokes, some Veggie Sticks, a bag of tortilla chips, an economy-sized Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

But as you work your way up the shelves, you start to notice a the abundance of All The Chips & Such.

What you can’t see are the new Lay’s Tangy Carolina Barbecue chips – have y’all tried them? They sneak up on you with their tastiness. Because at first I was all, “I don’t really think I like these,” and then within five minutes I had developed a WHITE HOT CRAVING for that chip and that chip only.

Imagine that you cross a regular barbecue chip with a salt & vinegar chip. That is the tangy barbecue chip. And oh, it is tasty.

And by the way, that’s a bag of Peppercorn Ranch Sun Chips on the bottom right. It’s on the edge of the shelf so that it doesn’t make quite as much racket when you’re reaching for something else.

I LOATHE THE SUN CHIPS BAGS.

And finally, our cracker collection.

The Chex Mix, mini-Nutter Butters and mini-Oreos are behind all of the crackers. We think it’s better to keep the more nutritional offerings – like, you know, Nilla Wafers – front and center so that we can make smart food choices.

But in our defense, we have really cut back on our Cheez-It consumption this year. And please make sure you notice that Paige’s Cheese Nips are reduced fat.

Or as we like to call them: health food.

I don’t really think there’s any point pretending that I can string words into sentences right now. I have passed regular tired and arrived at silly tired. And that is why, at the pool tonight, my cousin Paige and I were hysterical talking about all the acrobatic maneuvers we used to perform in the water when we were kids. And then we even tried a few of them. You can imagine how delighted I am to tell you that Paige can still do a mean handstand with a lightning-fast scissor split.

And I may or may not still be able to do a super-awesome back flip. It all just depends on whether or not my back cramps mid-way through and I have to abandon the flip for more of a twist-type effect.

Oddly enough this was not a problem that I faced when I was 11.

Anyway, this week is our annual Cousins’ Beach Trip. Today was Day One. We got here at 4 this afternoon, and we left the pool at 10:45 tonight.

And while I can’t say for sure that I’m at an all-time end-of-summer high in terms of being completely dried out by chlorine, I’m prone to think that I am since it took approximately 1/2 cup of Eucerin to get my skin feeling even remotely moisturized after my post-pool shower. I also think that my hair has passed the point of no return. There is no amount of conditioner that can revitalize its texture. I think I just need to get it cut really short and then scatter it in some sort of wagon and then tell the kids we’re going on a hayride.

Or perhaps I could use it for mulch considering that it currently has the consistency of pine straw.

But beauty issues aside, I am just tickled to be here. This is always such a fun week for our family, and this year is going to be better than ever because even more of the family is joining the fun. Wacky hijinks are sure to be had by all.

There is also a very large quantity of snack food that is sure to be enjoyed by all. I am tempted to show you a picture of what’s in our cabinets right now, but I’d be way too embarrassed. Apparently this is the year when we decided we’d err on the side of ridiculous in the “chips and crackers” category. You won’t find a whole lot of protein in this condo right now unless it’s in the form of peanut butter or string cheese.

But you will definitely find four different kinds of potato chips, cheese balls, Whales, Triscuits (two kinds), tortilla chips, Chex Mix, pita chips, pretzel sticks and Sun Chips. And if we break into the Sun Chips, HEAVEN KNOWS you’ll hear us – that new bag leaves no Sun Chip snacking unpunished. Sweet mercy it’s noisy.

So that’s all that’s going on here. Some loud, happy children and some tired, happy grown-ups. Lots of potential for overloading on empty carbs. And – my favorite – a whole bunch of laughter.

Have a great Monday, y’all.

No matter how much I vow and declare that our summers are going to be laid back and calm, by the time July rolls around we have turned into the Clampetts. That is not to say that we have loaded up the car and moved to Beverly (Hills, that is), but we are definitely spend our fair share of time on the road. This probably has something to do with the fact that I have never met a road trip that I didn’t just love to pieces, so when we’re not on a schedule, I’m ready to fill ‘er up and hit the highway.

This week, however, the road trip came to us. My cousin Paige brought her little boy to our house Saturday afternoon so that he could spend a few days at what we like to call Cousin Camp. We started this tradition a couple of years ago – when Paige was under the weather and J stayed with us for about a week – and it’s become one of our favorite parts of summer.

We’ve had a great time so far, even if I’ve had to ask the boys to slow down a time or forty because MAMAW CAN’T MOVE SO FAST ON HER BUSTED ANKLE. The good news, however, is that the pool has been the great equalizer. Because do you know who’s still the fastest one in the pool? ME. And that is why we stayed in the pool for approximately three hours today, only pausing to reapply sunscreen and eat a quick lunch at the snack bar.

By the way, today at lunch I ordered sandwiches for the boys and a salad for me, and when I picked up our food a few minutes later, I didn’t see a fork on my tray. So I asked for a fork, and one of the girls behind the counter smiled and said, “Um? We’re out of forks?”

And I said, “You’re out of forks?”

And she said, “Yeah?”

And so I ate my salad with a plastic spoon.

For some reason that makes me very tickled.

Anyway, the cousins had a most excellent day of swimming, and Alex continued to show his strong and unwavering allegiance to goggles.

The child loves him some goggles. He even wears them when he jumps off the diving board. It makes me so happy.

After we wrapped up our pool time, we came home and had some book time. There was also some light saber battle time, but I didn’t get any pictures of that because I was afeared of getting in the middle of the light saber action. MY ANKLE, you know.

Now that I think about it, maybe it would be wise and prudent to milk the “my ankle” excuse as much as I can over the next couple of weeks.

I’m just as sorry as I can be that I wasn’t able to fold all that laundry. MY ANKLE, you know.

Well, I had no choice but to watch fourteen episodes of “House Hunters” in a row. MY ANKLE, you know.

Oh, of course I’ll have that extra piece of chocolate pie. MY ANKLE, you know.

I think this idea has some real promise!

I’ll be certain to keep you posted on my progress.

Our weekend was filled with all manner of wedding-related fun, mainly because the bride-to-be was Mary Allison, a very special friend who’s been a big part of our family’s life since, well, she looked like this.

I have such fun memories of Mary Allison and her brother when they were little. I babysat them whenever I was home from college, and they were such sweet children. Now they’re all grown up and don’t really let me take them to the library or put them in the kiddie pool or feed them pot pies for lunch anymore, but they’re still just as sweet as ever. So when Mary Allison got engaged last year and set her wedding date, there was no question where we would be on June 12th. And since every child in our extended family was in the wedding party, it made the day even more special.

The wedding was at Mary Allison’s parents’ house, which also happens to be where my husband and I had our wedding reception thirteen years ago. Over the last few months Mama has updated me on what Mary Allison’s mother, Robbie, has been doing to get ready for the big day, but I don’t think anything could have prepared me for how absolutely gorgeous the setting would be.

It was breathtaking, really. Mary Allison and Robbie thought of everything, including monogrammed fans wrapped in coordinating ribbon and a lemonade table at the entrance to the backyard so that guests could enjoy a cool drink after they found their seats. Hydrangeas were in full bloom, pots were overflowing with calladiums, daisies and impatiens, and arrangements of fresh flowers were everywhere.

My cousin Benji’s daughters were precious as flower girls. Not to mention that the fellas in bow ties – my little man, my nephews, and my cousin Paige’s little boy – were so proud to stand with Mary Allison on her big day. They just adore her. And I think that my parents and my aunt were tickled to have all of the grandchildren in one place.

It was a sweltering day – one of the hottest I can remember – but Mary Allison never lost her cool. She was a gracious, beautiful bride.

And we’re thrilled for the new Mr. and Mrs. as they start their life together.

Here’s to their happily ever after.

Amen.