Chet and Ashley and Four Little Admirals: Mary Kay Monday (and those Texas pictures I promised!)

GOOD Monday morning!!!

We had a great weekend, mostly because the weather was gorgeous (I probably shouldn't let the weather have so much control over my mood). We went to Annapolis on Saturday, and then took it easy at home after church on Sunday. Pictures to come from Annapolis!

It's Mary Kay Monday again, so I'm going to give you a super fast synopsis of the annual Mary Kay seminar I attended in Dallas last month, and then share details of the sale I'm having on summer products (because by holding this sale, perhaps summer will get the hint that I'm over it).

Anyway, I flew to Dallas July 21st for the seminar (the kids stayed at Didi and Papa Dave's house). This particular annual event (Mary Kay has more than one annual event, held at different times throughout the year) is mostly a recognition ceremony. So there was lot of that, with as much as (if not more) pomp and circumstance than a Miss America Pageant and the Grammys combined. For example:

This was at 8:30 a.m. Indoors. Mary Kay doesn't mess around.

It was impossible for me to capture the grandeur of the auditorium/arena with my iPhone, so just trust me when I say it was huge and spectacular. Oh, and Jordin Sparks performed the last night we were there.

In addition to recognition, there was also motivational speeches/training, which was great. I really do love this family-owned company, which puts more money back into its sales force than it keeps for its corporate employees, and gives women (and men!) all the tools and support they need to be as successful as they choose in this company. The sky really is the limit.

We were also able to tour the Mary Kay corporate headquarters, which were gorgeous.

This is Mary Kay Ash's office, which has not been used or rearranged since she passed away in 2001:

On on of our free nights I got to have dinner with my my bestie Angela. That alone made the Dallas trip worth it!

Also worth it was the kids' excitement when I returned:

(Lorelei not pictured because I was holding her.)

I'm glad that I took the time to attend the seminar, and am especially thankful to Didi and Papa Dave for keeping the kiddos!

On to the sale! Through Sunday (8/16) the four products below will be 40% off!

SPF 30 Sunscreen
(I've never met a sunscreen I love more than this one. And I've always loved the smell of sunscreen, but have never liked the feel. I don't get that I-have-a-thin-layer-of-grime feel on top of my skin when I wear this sunscreen. $10.20 with the discount.)

SPF 50 Sunscreen
(I don't personally wear the SPF 50, but it feels just like the SPF 30 in my opinion. $12 with the discount.)

SPF 15 Lip Balm
(I love this product because when you're not in the mood -- or in the outfit -- to wear actual lip color, this still gives your lips the moisture and protection they need when that hot, summer sun is beating down on you. $4.80 with the discount -- you can't beat that!)

Subtle Tanning Lotion
(I've realized that my arms tan before my legs. Probably because I'm rarely actually laying out in the sun. So I love the hint of color this lotion gives my legs, also without feeling grimy and without turning my legs or hands orange. I also personally love the smell. $10.20 with the discount.)

I had to make some temporary changes on my website regarding online ordering, so please call, text, e-mail (ashleywyckoff@marykay.com or ashley.n.wyckoff@gmail.com), or comment on this blog if you are interested in any of these products!

On to the Texas pictures! I'm only posting about half of the pictures from our trip, because the girls are already awake and Bubby is soon to follow...and I still need to shower. So in the interest of time...

We had quite a long layover in Houston on our trip from D.C. to San Antonio, but the kids did great: