Hubby and I had a great time this past weekend on our mini-vacation.  The weather was great most of the time, with a few little showers, but nothing bad.  Our main reason for going was so hubby could attend a seminar at the martial arts school he used to train at.  He had a wonderful time and was promoted by his old instructor.  He's now 1 level away from a black belt.

I'm going to be snotty now.  The style he studies is not one with all the showy spinning high kicks and 50 different belt colors.  Those styles have their purpose, and I could totally get my little ass kicked by someone who studies them, but the style hubby studes is truly hard core.  Low kicks, grappling, lots of bone breaking techniches, and lots of soft tissue and joint techniques.  The style also teaches use of weapons ranging from traditional swords and chains to knives and handguns.   With very little effort, he can lay on a big hurt.  I've been practiced on enough to know.  And I've been able to use some of them very effectively on hubby - who's twice my weight and a lot more skilled than I am.   I'm very proud of him - he's been at this on and off for about 15 years now.  It's not a popular style, so he's often lived far from a school and gone for spells without training.  He's really pumped now, knowing he's almost a black belt, and knowing there's a lot more to learn.

I had a great time with his mom and sister while he was away at the seminar.  We tooled around town and hung out with SIL's little girl (who is adorable and cracks me up).  A family member has a horse pastured above MIL's house, and little girl would yell for the horse, and the horse would canter right on over to the fence.   Little girl would point and giggle.

We went out to a Mexican restaurant for dinner with FIL, stepmom, and the sisters-in-law.  That was an interesting experience.  I keep forgetting that anything other than country-style home cookin' is fairly new to them.  Hubby and I started dating long before that restaurant even opened.  So hubby had to order for his parents as they had no clue  to what anything was.  Luckily theyenjoyed the meal.

We also discovered that hubby is going to be deeded 3 acres of his mom's property.  We knew she was divvying it up among the kids, but had no idea she had such a chunk.  Someday we'd love to put a cabin there for a weekend/retirement home.   I can imagine a veggie garden, a few chickens, and a goat to keep the weeds down.  And of course, a pumpkin patch.

One can dream!