To My Daughter On Her Graduation Day

"For this child I have prayed and the Lord has granted the desires of my heart."  1 Samuel 1:27

 

To my daughter, Katelyn, on her graduation day:

 I can’t believe we’re finally here.  Having already gone through this once before, I find myself a little better prepared for the emotions of this day, but it’s still hard to believe that you’re graduating today.  Didn’t we just bring you home from the hospital yesterday?  “There are only 940 Saturdays between birth and when they leave for college.  Use them wisely.”  And now those 940 Saturdays are memories.  “You only get 18 summers, 18 birthdays, 18 Christmases.  Make them count.” Those 18 summers, 18 birthdays and 18 Christmases flew by so incredibly fast.  “The days are long, but the years are short.”  That is still so very true.

When I look at you now, I see a beautiful, stubborn, smarter than she realizes young woman, but I also still see that bright-eyed, dark haired little girl who loved her dolls and her mommy.  You’ve always marched to the beat of your own drum.  It’s one of the many things I love about you.  I have also never met a more stubborn kid, which I also love and which also drove me a little crazy and caused more than a few grey hairs.  But I know you can absolutely do anything you set your mind to.  I know because I’ve watched you do it your whole life.  You taught yourself to ride a bicycle just because you wanted to.  You taught yourself how to swim because you saw other kids doing it.  I am fully convinced that you could take over the world if you were so inclined.  Have that same confidence in yourself.  Never doubt what you are capable of achieving if you really try.  You CAN do it, whatever it is.  Go change the world for the better.

I will ask the same thing of you that I did your brother - forgive me for all of the things I did so incredibly wrong.  I messed up A LOT.  And I am so sorry for my shortcomings as a mom.  You deserved the best, but you got me.  Just know I really tried.  I tried to make birthdays and Christmases special.  I tried to make more of your childhood memories happy than sad.  No one could have loved you more.  My hope is that when you look back on those years, you smile and say you had a good childhood with a mom who loved you more than life.  I hope you don’t remember the times I screwed up.  I hope you remember the times I got it right.  I obviously did something right because you are you.  Maybe that’s in spite of me but I hope it’s just a little because of me.

Even though we don’t always see eye to eye, I hope you will always know that I am your biggest fan.  Always have been.  Always will be.  I have reveled in your victories and cried in your defeats.  Not a single second was wasted watching you grow up and do the things you loved.  Every late night driving home from a game, every night spent at a ball field (or a gym depending on the sport), every afternoon spent watching a practice, every hour spent burning DVDs of various games or school events, every trip to the mall or Ulta, every moment spent trying on dresses to find the perfect one – it was all worth it.  And I will miss it.  I will miss watching you do what you love with your friends.  I know you will still do some of these things, but it won’t be exactly the same.  Watching a child, or even a teenager, do something they really love is a special experience.  Thank you for that experience.

I am beyond proud of you and all you’ve accomplished so far.  It hasn’t always been easy, but you’ve done a lot more than you give yourself credit for.  And I know that you will accomplish so much more.  Always try to have a little fun but know that you have to put in the work sometimes to get where you need to be.  I have faith that whatever you do, you will do it well.  Have faith in yourself.  You really can do anything you put your mind to.  There is a world of possibilities before you.  Embrace it.  Take a few chances.  You may fail, but you may not.  You’ll never know until you try.  Don’t be afraid to fail.  Everyone does.  Just make sure you learn from it.  Pick yourself back up and try again.  You will get it if you just keep your focus. Trust your instincts. They will be right 99% of the time.  Just listen to them. MAKE GOOD CHOICES!

I’m sure I will think of a million other things I’ll wish I had written as soon as I post this, but for now I think I’ll end with a few simple words.  CONGRATULATIONS on your high school graduation and I LOVE YOU. 

Mom

 

To My Son On His Graduation Day

"For this child I have prayed and the Lord has granted the desires of my heart."  1 Samuel 1:27

To my son, Hunter, on his graduation day:

I don’t even know where to start.  I recently saw something that said “There are only 940 Saturdays between birth and when they leave for college.  Use them wisely.”  940 seems like a lot.  I’ve also heard the saying “You only get 18 summers, 18 birthdays, 18 Christmases.  Make them count.”  18 sounds like a lot less.  It felt like a lot less.  My mom always said that time flew by.  I didn’t really believe that until now.  Now I know exactly what she meant.  When you’re young, time drags.  A week is 7 excruciatingly long days.  A month is forever.  And a year??  That’s an eternity.  As you get older, you find that’s not exactly the case.  Time is funny thing.  When you want it to go by fast, it is so painfully slow.  When you want it to slow down, it is so painfully fast.  These last (almost) 18 years have gone by so painfully fast.  “The days are long, but the years are short.”  No truer words have ever been spoken. 

Knowing that, forgive me for a few things.  Forgive me if I stare at you just a few seconds too long.  When I look at you, I see more than the incredible young man you’ve become.  I also see that sweet, smiley little boy who so loved his mommy.  The little boy whose face would light up at just the sound of my voice.  The little boy who would run to me with arms wide open ready for a hug.  That little boy and that young man have my heart.  So if you see me looking at you with a smile and a far-away expression, that’s why.

Forgive me for reminiscing too often.  I have so many wonderful memories of my life with you. I can’t help but share them.  And I know that you’ve heard these same stories hundreds of times, but to me there are no better stories.  The absolute best moments of my life have you in them.  So just smile and nod and let me remember.

Finally, forgive me for all of the things I did so incredibly wrong.  I messed up A LOT.  And I am so sorry for my shortcomings as a mom.  You deserved the best, but you got me.  Just know I really tried.  I tried to make birthdays and Christmases special.  I tried to make more of your childhood memories happy than sad.  No one could have loved you more.  My hope is that when you look back on those years, you smile and say you had a good childhood with a mom who loved you more than life.  I hope you don’t remember the times I screwed up.  I hope you remember the times I got it right.  I obviously did something right because you are you.  Maybe that’s in spite of me but I hope it’s just a little because of me.

I hope you will always know that I am your biggest fan.  Always have been.  Always will be.  I have reveled in your victories and cried in your defeats.  Not a single second was wasted watching you grow up and do the things you loved.  Every late night driving home from a game (usually with half of the team in the car with us), every night spent at a ball field (or a gym depending on the sport), every afternoon spent watching a practice, every hour spent burning DVDs of various games or school events – it was all worth it.  And I will miss it.  I will miss watching you do what you love with your friends.  I know you will still do some of these things, but it won’t be exactly the same.  Watching a child, or even a teenager, do something they really love is a special experience.  Thank you for that experience.

I am beyond proud of you and all you’ve accomplished so far.  And I know that you will accomplish so much more.  Just remember not to take life too seriously.  Always try to have a little fun.  It’s ok to laugh at yourself.  Life will be much easier if you can do that.  Trust me.  I have faith that whatever you do, you will do it well.  Have faith in yourself.  You really can do anything you put your mind to.  There is a world of possibilities before you.  Embrace it.  Take a few chances.  You may fail, but you may not.  You’ll never know until you try.  Don’t be afraid to fail.  Everyone does.  Just make sure you learn from it.  Pick yourself back up and try again.  You will get it if you just keep your focus. 

I’m sure I will think of a million other things I’ll wish I had written as soon as I post this, but for now I think I’ll end with a few simple words.  CONGRATULATIONS on your high school graduation and I LOVE YOU. 

Mom

It's Been A Long Time....

Wow.  It's been a long time since I've posted.  Longer than I remembered honestly.  Life has kept me pretty busy.  If I'm being honest, that's only part of the reason I haven't posted though.  The other part is denial.  You see, Hunter is a Senior in high school.  He will graduate on Friday, May 27th.  And while I desperately wanted to capture every memory, every moment, I also desperately wanted to slow everything down.  That's where the denial comes in.  I am so very proud of everything Hunter has accomplished so far.  He really is the best son.  I couldn't have dreamed him any better.  But this letting go thing is so much harder than I imagined.  And even though he will follow in my footsteps and attend the University of Alabama this fall (ROLL TIDE!!), it doesn't change the fact that my baby boy is growing up.  He will be 18 in August and that just doesn't seem possible.  So I'm finding myself reminiscing ALL THE TIME.  It's wonderful and painful all at the same time.  So, there you have it.  My reasons for ignoring this blog for so long.

I have missed updating you on Christmases, football games, volleyball games, basketball games, baseball games, cheerleading, getting driver's licenses, having a first wreck, getting a new(er) car, an entire Senior year including a cruise for a Senior trip, birthdays, and so so much more.  I promise to try to go back and fill in the gaps after I get through this graduation.  Look for a very special post on Friday.  Until then.....

September & October - Our Favorite Season...FOOTBALL SEASON!

September started quietly. Hunter didn’t have a football game until the second week of the month since the team we were scheduled to play on the 6th cancelled the game. Alabama also had an off week that week, but we were back at it on the 10th. The JV Chargers travelled to Montevallo to play again Evangel Christian Academy. It was a close game, but we came up short. The final score was 20-16 and the first loss for the JV team.

On the 13th, we travelled to Calhoun City, MS (literally the middle of nowhere) to watch the varsity Chargers play Calhoun Academy. The Chargers took a beating that game losing 50-6. It was a long ride home that night, but we stopped in Starkville, MS to get something to eat. We passed right by the stadium for Mississippi State and the kids enjoyed seeing that.

On the 14th, Alabama played Texas A&M at College Station. This was the rematch everyone had been waiting for. Alabama’s only loss last season was at the hands of Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M. The game was a nail-biter but in the end the good guys won. Bama walked away with a 49-42 victory and set themselves up for another fantastic season.

On the 19th, I took Hunter to take the test to get his driver’s permit. He was nervous but I knew if he took his time he’d do just fine. And I was right. He passed it with no problem. I offered to let him drive us back to the school but he didn’t like that idea very much. I stopped at Hardee’s and we got a celebratory breakfast before taking him to school. Look out Tuscaloosa. He can legally drive now (if I can convince him to try).

On the 20th, we were back at Charger Field to watch the varsity team play Evangel Christian Academy. The varsity team didn’t have as much luck as the JV team did and lost 55-0. I know we can’t every game, but I sure do wish we’d win just one. Those boys have worked so hard this season. It breaks my heart to see them get beat like that every week. I have to give them credit though for keeping their heads up and not quitting. I am so proud of them for that.

Alabama played their first home game of the season on the 21st against Colorado State. I love spending a Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in the fall. There is nothing quite like Tuscaloosa on game day. We committed to selling radios again for a fund raiser for the school, so we were out there at 1:00 pm. It was great seeing and talking to all of the fans before the game. Alabama won big (31-6) as expected. I sure hope they keep this up for the rest of the season.

On the 23rd, the JV Chargers played Evangel Family Christian in Montgomery. The team looked good in their 28-8 win. The varsity team played the same school at home that following Friday, the 27th. Unfortunately the outcome wasn’t the same and we lost 49-28. That was the most points the varsity team had scored in a game so far, so maybe that’s a good sign.

On the 28th, Alabama played Ole Miss at home. We were there again selling radios before the game. Bama won big again, shutting Ole Miss out 25-0. I am LOVING this season so far. The Tide is on track for another SEC Championship and (maybe) another National Championship. It’s great to be a Bama fan right now! That pretty much ended our September.

October started right where September left off with more football. On the 4th, the varsity Chargers played Hope Christian at home. We came up short again, losing 61-6. At least we had Homecoming at UA to look forward to the next day. We were at the stadium early to sell radios before the game. There was a great crowd, and Alabama beat Georgia State 45-3.

The JV Chargers played Ezekial Academy at home on the 7th. We walked away with another win 30-16. The JV team is having a really good season so far. I hope they keep it up.

I spent the afternoon of the 10th at the doctor’s office with Hunter. He had hit his head in practice a couple of days earlier and was still complaining with a headache. Anyone who knows Hunter knows that he is not a complainer. So for him to even say his head hurt meant that it really hurt. We have had several kids at the school get concussions this year in various sports and I wanted to get him checked out just to be safe. The doctor ordered a head CT and he did have a mild concussion. We got some pain medication and an order for no football for at least a week. He was disappointed about having to miss at least one game, but he understood the need to be careful.

The 12th was a double football day. The JV Chargers played Evangel Family Christian at home and Alabama played Kentucky on the road. We watched the Bama game in the press box while the JV Chargers played. Hunter had to sit this game out due to his concussion but we were still there to cheer his teammates on. Both team won! The JV Chargers won 36-28 and Alabama won 48-7. It was a good day for fans of both teams!

On the 18th, the varsity Chargers headed to Montgomery to play Evangel Family Christian yet again. We didn’t make the trip this time due to Hunter having a nasty stomach bug. From what I heard, I’m almost glad we missed this game. We lost 55-12 but the other team played with terrible sportsmanship. It’s sad when that happens but I’m proud of our boys for keeping their cool and rising above it.

On the 19th, Katelyn and I headed to Bryant-Denny Stadium without Hunter for the Alabama-Arkansas game. He was still recovering from the stomach bug. Alabama won big again 52-0. I hope we have boring, blow out games like this all season.

On the 21st, we went car shopping. Byron’s truck bit the dust a few weeks back and only have one working vehicle has not been fun. We decided to buy something relatively inexpensive and give it to Hunter when he gets his license. I’ll be needing a newer one myself in the next couple of years too. After a very long afternoon of shopping around, we found a 2005 Jeep Liberty that we liked. We took it home and Hunter approved of our choice. Maybe now he’ll be a little more excited about the prospect of driving.

Since so many of our football players were injured, the JV game against Evangel Family Christian on the 22nd was cancelled. I hated for the JV season to send that way but since our only remaining football game was Homecoming on November 1st, we couldn’t afford to risk anyone else getting hurt and having to cancel the Homecoming game.

NRCA’s Fall Festival was on the 25th. The kids all had fun playing games and getting candy, and the school raised some money with the silent auction. I won some gift cards to Dipping Dots in the auction (like I really need to eat Dipping Dots, but those things are so stinking good). After the Fall Festival, I loaded up 6 of the NRCA Sophomores and we headed to Sloss Furnace to have a little Halloween fun. We had pre-purchased our tickets which wound up being great. We didn’t have to wait in line AT ALL. We went through the Woods trail first, then the Outbreak (Zombie) trail, and we finished with the Furnace trail. The kids (and the parents) all had a great time. I decided that we need to switch it up and go to Atrox next year though since the kids didn’t scream nearly as much this time.

We were up bright and early on the 26th to sell radios before the Alabama-Tennessee game. I was tired but still had a great time watching Alabama beat Tennessee 45-10. I pulled out the camera and got some fantastic pictures during the game too.

On the 27th, we took Hunter out and let him drive the Jeep for the first time. We went to an empty parking lot where he couldn't do much damage. It took him a little while, but before we left he seemed to be a lot more comfortable behind the wheel. I think with a little more practice he'll do just fine.

We ended the month with the NRCA Clash of the Classes for Homecoming on the 31st. The high school classes competed in several games to earn points for the class competition. The games ended with the Freshmen and Sophomores in a close race for the win. The winner of the float competition will determine the overall winner, but you’ll have to wait until next time to find out who that is. It wound up being a rainy night so we didn’t get to go trick-or-treating this year. I was as bummed about that as the kids were. We love Halloween. Hopefully next year the weather will cooperate a little more.

We only have one more Charger football game and a few more Alabama games before football comes to an end. It’s our favorite season of the year though so we intend to thoroughly enjoy these last few games. Go Chargers and Roll Tide!

August - The End of Summer, the Beginning of School, a Big Birthday, and FOOTBALL

August started with the Crimson Tide’s Fan Day at Bryant-Denny Stadium on the 4th. We got there at around 2:30 and watched the first hour of the team’s practice. Then we lined up outside of the stadium for autographs. Once we got onto the field, we made our way around and got several autographs from the players. We love Fan Day and have made it a yearly tradition to go every year.

We had orientation night at the kids’ school on the 8th. We picked up schedules and got locker combinations in addition to talking to all of the teachers. Katelyn got her first locker this year and was so excited! She caught on pretty quick and had her locker combination memorized before we left that night.

We spent the 10th at one of Hunter’s friend’s house to celebrate his birthday. A few of their classmates joined us and the kids had a great day of swimming and playing video games.

I can’t believe that my kids are in 5th and 10th grades this year, but on the 13th they both started school. I tried not to be too embarrassing this year, but I did cry again as I left them that morning. I thought this first day of school stuff was supposed to get easier as they got older, but now I find myself realizing that Hunter only has 2 more first days of high school and that gets me. Watching them grow up has been the most wonderfully heartbreaking experience. I don’t know how else to describe it. It’s amazing and sad at the same time. I read something recently that said we only have 18 birthdays, 18 summers, 18 Christmases, etc. with them. I am becoming painfully aware of just how true that is. More on that later…

On the 14th, Katelyn went back to her ENT to get her nose checked from the chemical cauterization she had done a couple of weeks earlier. Thankfully everything looked good and the nosebleeds have stopped. Hopefully she won’t have that problem again.

With the beginning of school comes the beginning of our favorite season – football season. On the 17th, the NRCA Chargers had a party to celebrate just that. Since we left the conference we were a part of last year and decided to play independent this year, homeschoolers joined our team. The party was a way for the NRCA families and the homeschool families to get to know one another before the season started. The kids had a great time playing games and the parents socialized. We also had a special treat. Daniel Geddes, a cornerback for the Tide, gave his testimony and spoke to the kids. His story is a great one, the only walk-on to ever be cut from the team twice, and the boys really listened to his message about perseverance and never giving up. Most importantly, he emphasized the power of prayer and faith as he told them how he eventually made the team and even got to play in the National Championship game. Afterward, he stayed and talked to the boys (and parents) individually and took pictures with them. He really is a fantastic young man and we will be watching for him during the Tide’s games this fall. All in all, it was a great night and we are all looking forward to watching our boys hit the field this season.

The Chargers had their first game on the 23rd. We travelled to Montgomery to play Ezekiel Academy. The Chargers were picked to win, but unfortunately it didn’t go our way. The boys played hard, but they definitely need to improve in some areas. Hopefully they will take what they learned from this game and come back stronger next week.

Hunter’s birthday was on Monday the 26th. Since we knew he would be in school all day and then have football practice until at least 7:00 that night, we decided to celebrate a little early. On Saturday night, he decided he wanted to go to Hokkaido for his birthday dinner. We ate (too much) delicious food and then the staff sang Happy Birthday to him and served him his birthday dessert. The next day, I gave him his present – a brand new laptop. Since he has a computer class at school this year, I thought that would be the perfect gift. He LOVED it. Mom did good.  On Monday, he officially turned 15. 15! How is that possible? He should still be that sweet little smiling boy running around the house with his toy football. Instead he’s now running down the field with a real football. 15 of my 18 birthdays have come and gone in the blink of an eye. When he was little, it felt like we had so much time and now I am amazed that it has gone by so very quickly. Don’t get me wrong. I have LOVED every second of watching him become the incredible young man that he is. I just wish time would slow down. Just a little. But I know it won’t, so I have to make the most of it. And hope that I haven’t totally messed it all up. That’s every mother’s fear I think. In spite of what I have messed up, I could not be more proud of my son. He really is a great kid and I know he has a bright future ahead.

On the 27th, the JV Chargers played Hope Christian at home. This will be Hunter’s last year of playing JV. Next year will be Varsity only. The JV team came out strong and won the game. Hunter had a great catch and ran for about 15 yards. Unfortunately, it was called back due to a holding penalty but he did his job. He really is becoming quite a good player. Katelyn also got to cheer with the NRCA Jr. Cheerleaders at this game. They will be cheering at all of the home games this year. They did a great job as usual. Since Katelyn is the oldest member of the squad this year, she’s the captain and gets to call out all of the cheers. She’s done a great job so far and has become quite a leader by teaching the cheers to the younger ones. I have 2 athletes to be proud of!

We ended the month with the Chargers second varsity game of the season on the 30th. We travelled to Birmingham to play Hope Christian. We had high hopes since the JV won their game against them, but the varsity didn’t have the same luck. We lost (big), but Hunter had another great catch for a first down. And this one wasn’t called back. Hopefully the season will get better from here.

And on the 31st, the Crimson Tide opened their season in Atlanta against Virginia Tech. We didn’t make the trip for the season opener this year. We just watched it on TV. The Tide won, but it wasn’t a pretty win. A lot of work needs to be done before the next game, but I have faith in my team. They will come back looking better than ever on the 14th. Wait and see.

Football is just getting started, so September will be a very busy month for us. Hopefully I have many wins to tell you all about next time. Until then, Go Chargers and Roll Tide!!

June and July - Oh How We Love Summer

Since I waited so late to post, I’ll do June and July updates together.

June started out relatively quiet. Work was busy but the kids were not for a change. Katelyn had tutoring sessions 2 days a week, but that was about it. Until basketball and football workout started. Then life got a little more hectic. Hunter started workouts with the Chargers the week of the 17th. Basketball workouts are on Monday and Wednesdays from 8:00 – 10:30am and football workouts are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:00 – 8:00pm. Guess who provides transportation to these workouts most of the time? Yep, you guessed it. Mom’s Taxi Service is back in business. I must admit that I was enjoying not having to worry about getting everyone wherever they needed to go but all good things must come to an end. Between running kids here and there and the extra craziness at work lately, I stay pretty busy.

On the 20th, we had a meeting at the kids’ school about the sports program and some changes that were recently made. We decided to leave the conference we were competing in and go independent. This opened up the opportunity for the local home schooled kids to play on our teams. We are very excited about this for a few reasons. The meeting was for NRCA parents as well as the home school parents to ask questions and get an idea of what to expect. Overall I think it went well, and we already have some of the home school kids joining our kids for summer workouts.

That pretty much sums up our June. We went from slightly lazy to being on the go more often than not.

July started with a bang. Literally. The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. I love fireworks. I was off of work on the 4th and the 5th which was good because we were also packing for our trip to Panama City Beach. The kids and I decided to go to the movies and watch Despicable Me 2 on the 4th. It was a great movie and we all laughed a lot. Since it was kind of a crappy day weather-wise, I wasn’t really expecting to see a big fireworks show that night. But the rain stopped and Katelyn and I headed downtown. We parked in office parking lot and watched the fireworks show from there. We had a great view and didn’t have to fight a lot of traffic afterward. The next day we went shopping for our beach trip. We hit the fireworks stand and bought a ton of stuff since it was on sale. Then we spent a small fortune at Wal-Mart on junk food and beach essentials. When we finally got back home, we packed up all of stuff and loaded up the car. We were all so excited, we could barely sleep.

We got up early on the 6th and headed south. My brother Randall, his wife Gwen, and their daughter and her family, Rebecca, Anthony, Breanna and Lexie got there about an hour and a half before we did. The weather was awful. It poured rain on us all the way to Panama City Beach so I had to drive slower than normal because there were several times when I could barely see enough to stay on the road. But just after we got there and got settled in our condo, the rain stopped and we got to see a beautiful sunset. Our condo was on the west side of the beach toward the bay and St. Andrews State Park. The balcony on our condo wrapped around the side of the building so we had views of both the beach and the bay. It was incredible. We stood on the corner and watched fantastic fireworks shows both up the beach and on the bay at the same time.

Sunday morning we woke up to perfect beach weather. The sun was shining and it wasn’t too hot. We spent most of the day Sunday and Monday just enjoying the beach and playing in the ocean. The kids had to visit the pool a few times too. By Monday night, the girls were starting to get a little pink from being in the sun so much so we decided to spend Tuesday doing some other things. Rebecca, Anthony, Breanna and Lexie went on a pirate ship cruise. Me, Hunter and Katelyn headed to Pier Park and had lunch at Margaritaville. We love that place and we got there at just the right time and didn’t even have to wait to be seated. After a visit to the gift shop, of course, we went to Emerald Falls and rode go-karts, bumper boats and played putt putt. That night, we decided to shoot our fireworks on the beach since we didn’t get to spend any time on the beach that day. All of the kids had fun helping light the fireworks and we even wound up with an audience of people on their balconies watching us. After we finished, we walked along the beach hunting sand crabs. Hunter turned out to be quite the crab hunter and found a bunch of them. We didn’t keep any of them though. We’d just catch them and then let them go.

On Wednesday, the kids and I got up early and spent the WHOLE day at Gulf World. When I say the WHOLE day, I mean the WHOLE day. We were waiting in the parking lot when they opened the doors at 9:00am and we didn’t leave until after the magic show ended at around 9:30pm. We were worn out, but we had such a good time. We LOVE that place! If you’re ever in Panama City Beach, you should definitely plan on spending at least part of a day there. Rebecca, Anthony, Breanna and Lexie spent part of the day there with us, but they left a little after lunch and then came back for the magic show that night. While we were there, we saw 3 sea lion/rough-toothed dolphin shows (and Katelyn got kissed by a sea lion), 2 bottle-nosed dolphin shows which included 3 dolphin babies (and Hunter shook hands/fins with a dolphin), 2 reptile shows, 2 shark/sea turtle feedings, 2 feathered and furry friends shows, a sting ray feeding (and we got to pet the sting rays), a scuba show, and the magic show. And of course, we did a little shopping in the gift shop there as well. This is the 3rd time we’ve been to Gulf World and I think I like it more each time we go. We’ll definitely be going back again.

We spend Thursday and Friday being beach bums again. Nothing is more relaxing to me than sitting on the beach watching the waves on the ocean. We saw an ice cream boat, which was a first for us. The boat would anchor just off of the beach and the kids would go up and get their ice cream. It was pretty neat. We also saw a guy on a “floating” surf board. I called him the Silver Surfer. His board was propelled into the air by water and he would do tricks in the air. It was the coolest looking thing. I have some video that I’ll post on YouTube and add a link here so you can see it.

Unfortunately Rebecca and Anthony had to cut their vacation short due to a death in the family, so they left on Friday morning. The girls stayed with us though. We all went out to eat at Angelo’s Steak Pit on Friday night. It was so good! We were all in food comas but still managed to get a little last-minute souvenir shopping in. Hunter and Katelyn both got air-brushed shirts which they thought were so cool. We loaded up most of our stuff that night so we wouldn’t be too rushed on Saturday morning to get checked out. We left the condo around 9:00 on Saturday the 13th. We all hated to leave. Thankfully the weather was much better for our trip home and we got to our house around 3:30. As soon as we got everything unloaded, I started unpacking and doing laundry so I could re-pack the kids for their trip to The Wilds on Monday the 15th. I’m not so sure that back-to-back trips was the best idea, but I managed to get everything packed in time for us to get to bed at a decent time on Sunday night.

We met our friends at City Café for breakfast at 5:00am on Monday morning. Those of you who know me know that I am NOT a morning person. At all. So getting myself as well as 2 kids up and moving that early in the morning was a feat. We made it, though. After a delicious breakfast and transferring of luggage, the kids and their friends hit the road for North Carolina and I (somewhat reluctantly) headed back to work. My house was entirely too quiet with the kids gone all week. And Byron was working nights most of the week too, so I had the house all to myself. What did I do with my week of peace and quiet? Caught up on my DVR’d shows and wondered what the kids were doing. Yeah, I’m a party animal. Work was pretty busy so I wound up working late every night anyway. I sure was happy to see Hunter and Katelyn on Saturday though. It was nice to have noise in the house again. And hearing about their week at camp made me smile non-stop.

On Monday the 22nd, Katelyn started Jr. Cheer Camp. She was a Jr. Cheerleader last year and loved it. So, of course, she wanted to cheer again this year. She had camp from 9-12 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On Wednesday, she won the Spirit Stick! She was so excited! She brought it home and we decorated it that night. Hunter also started back to basketball and football workouts. After a nice two-week break, he was pretty tired every day. It didn’t take him long to get back in the swing of things though. He also had an orthodontist appointment on Monday afternoon to get his braces tightened. I have to brag on him a little bit. He has handled having braces very well. He hasn’t really complained at all except for saying his mouth hurt a little after each appointment. He must have my high pain tolerance because he’s only taken a couple of Aleve each time. I know he’ll be happy when the braces finally come off, but he seems to be making the best of it until then.

We ended the month with a trip to Katelyn’s ENT on the 31st. She had been having nosebleeds every day for over a week. They weren’t bad nosebleeds and we had been able to stop them relatively easy, but the fact that they just kept happening bothered me. The ENT doctor took a look and said the blood vessels in both nostrils had burst. He numbed her nose and packed it with wet cotton for a few minutes. Then he took what looked like a match stick and rubbed the inside of both sides of her nose. This was silver nitrate that caused a slight chemical burn. Chemical cauterization is used quite often to treat frequent nosebleeds. The burn causes the blood vessels to scab over and thicken which usually cures the nosebleeds. We’ll go back in two weeks for him to check and see how it’s healing up. Katelyn did phenomenally well during the procedure and didn’t even cry. I hope this puts a stop to the nosebleeds. I don’t want her to have issues once school starts back.

I can’t believe summer is almost over! It has gone by much too quickly. I have enjoyed sleeping a little later and spending more time with the kids. I loved our week at the beach and wish we could go back more often. But I’m also looking forward to the things the school year will bring – football, basketball and cheering, lots of good stories about the kids and their friends, and many, many more adventures. Get ready to hear a few keys phrases from us over the next few months – Go Chargers and Roll Tide!!

May - Mother's Day, School Field Trips, Awards Day, Sports Banquet, and The End of 4th and 9th Grades

May began with Katelyn being sick. She had a slight fever when I picked her up from school on Tuesday, April 30th, but she had no other complaints. The next morning, May 1st, she had a 101 fever so we stayed home. This was the day of the school-wide field trip to Rainey Ranch. One of the workers at the school and her husband have a ranch with lots of animals and they just recently opened it up to the public as kind of a petting zoo type attraction. Hunter got to go, but Katelyn missed it. She was so upset, but she really didn’t feel well at all. She spent most of the day in bed, which is unlike her. When I checked her temperature later that night, it was 103.8. Needless to say, I was concerned. After some Motrin, it slowly came down, but I made her sleep in my room that night so I could keep a close eye on her. She woke up around 2 am and it was back up to 101, so we took some more Motrin. I had already decided that a trip to the doctor was in order on the 2nd because her fever was so high. When she woke up at around 8:30 that morning, it was back up to 101. I gave her some more Motrin and we headed out to see Dr. Parker. When we finally got called back, her fever was still almost 101 so they gave her some Tylenol and took a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia. They also gave her a strep test which came back negative. Dr. Parker said she had some mucus in her lungs but no pneumonia. He felt like this was just the beginning of step/bronchitis though because her fever had been so high. We left with a prescription for some antibiotics and after a quick stop at the pharmacy, we went back home. By that afternoon, she seemed to be feeling better, but the doctor wanted her to stay home again on Friday to give the antibiotics time to work before she went back to school. Byron was off that day so I went back to work. She was back to her old self by the time I got home on Friday.

We took it easy the next week and then headed to Russellville on the 11th for Mother’s Day. We have always spent Mother’s Day there since that’s when they have decoration at the cemetery where Byron’s father’s family is buried. His father’s side of the family usually comes over for lunch that day, but the crowd has dwindled over the years. It was just us, his parents, his sister’s family, and one of his cousins’ family this year. We still had a good time visiting with family that we don’t get to see often enough.

On the 13th, I took the day off of work and went to the Montgomery Zoo with Hunter’s class. They are such a great group of kids and we had fun walking around the zoo looking at all of the animals. We rode the sky lift over the zoo and then we rode the train through the zoo. We saw a black panther get mad and growl at a cougar. We fed giraffes too. The kids (and the adults who chaperoned) all enjoyed spending the day away from school and work. Katelyn went to DeSoto Caverns the next day with a group but I didn’t get to go on that trip. She loved it though and came back with lots of great stories about what all she saw and did. Maybe I’ll get to go on a trip with her next year.

Awards Day at NRCA was on the 20th. Katelyn got Most Improved in Spelling in the 4th grade! If any of you know what a struggle we have had with spelling this year, you’ll know how important that award was to her. Hunter got awards for being inducted into the National Senior Beta Club and the Senior National Honor Society. He also received recognition for completing the Presidential Physical Fitness program in PE. That afternoon, Hunter went to the orthodontist to have his braces tightened. He picked navy blue for his O-rings this time so he would be ready for football workouts at school this summer. Gotta love his school spirit! He did great again and didn’t complain at all about his mouth hurting after we were done. I confirmed that I am still as blind as a bat with the optometrist on the 21st, but I also confirmed that my laser surgery last year to repair the tears in my retinas was a success.

School ended with semester exams on the 22nd and 23rd. Both kids got out of school at 11:00 on the 22nd and Katelyn didn’t even have to go to school at all on the 23rd. She came to work with me that day since Hunter went ice skating with his class after their last exam that day. That night we all went to the NRCA Sports Banquet and watched all of our Charger athletes get recognized for the outstanding jobs they did in their various sports this year. Hunter got certificates for participating in football and basketball, and Katelyn got a certificate for being a Jr cheerleader. I made a point of telling both of our new basketball coaches what a fantastic job they both did this past year. I hope a lot more parents did the same. What they were both able to accomplish in their first year as coaches was excellent and I look forward to seeing what they do in the years to come.

On the 24th, we went to watch graduation at NRCA. I had the pleasure of getting to know most of the seniors this past year and they are a great group with a bright future. Just to give you an idea of how great they are, the 13 of them had over half a million dollars in scholarship money awarded. I found myself sitting there thinking how I would be the parent of a senior graduating in just 3 short years. I won’t be able to wear any makeup to the graduation ceremony because I’ll just cry it all off if I do. These next 3 years will surely go by far too quickly, but I intend to enjoy every second of them.

We spent the 3-day Memorial Day weekend doing some much needed spring cleaning around the house. We finished out May with an end of the year party for the NRCA Jr Cheerleaders on the 28th. We ate pizza and cookies and cake and lots of other yummy junk food and sized everyone for uniforms for next year. Most of the girls will be returning to cheer again (along with a few new ones) and I can’t wait to see them in action again in the fall.

The end of May brought the end of 4th and 9th grades for us. I now officially have a 5th grader and a sophomore in high school. That still doesn’t seem possible. At any rate, we are ALL ready for some summer fun!