142 of 365 memories...that's all folks

Stephanie and me

some HOT preschool teachers :)

I am not going back to the preschool next year. I will sub when they need me but I'm going to try and really get my head straight for college, OH YEAH, I was ACCEPTED!! I got off my butt and send it in my application, no RETURN TO SENDER happened and I had no more crazy dreams :) I did get my acceptance letter this week, so now I have to register for my classes!!

I was very sad to say good bye to the teacher that I have worked with the last 2 years, she was also Hannah's 3 year old teacher when we first moved to Georgia. I love this lady. I have learned so much from her. And am going to miss spending sweet tea moments with her.

I m excited about starting this new chapter in my life, whether I finish writing it or not at least I know that I tried. That's all I want, is to try and hopefully not fall flat on my face. But I know that if I do I have a handsome, supportive, bald headed man waiting to help me up.

Thanks Brian for supporting my decisions good and bad and for always being my sane voice of reason.

141 of 365 memories....Memorial Day on the lake

my paddle man

Mindy and Matthew

Hannah, Kaitlyn and Emily

my crazy water baby!!

sorry if our white NESS blinds you :)

my 2 little men

my beauty

2 crazy old ladies having a BLAST!

look at those smiles, I LOVE IT!!

She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes

This right here is my 700th post. 700th PEOPLE, and I have not a poetic thing inside of me to share. I have some love and kind words, that honestly will probably end up with me weepy and really its like 12:15 in the morning and I'm not in the mood to cry.

Yes I said the old lady is up at 12:15, OH I forgot to mention that my alarm clock is on SUMMER VACATION BABY, WHOOP WHOOP!!

So back to the weepy and not so much in the mood sorry honey....

My very bestest (I know it's not really a word but I'm using it) friend in the whole world is coming to visit this week. Stacey (who doesn't read my blog and I still love her ) will be with us from Tuesday til Sunday and then the kids and I are driving back to Louisiana with her for a few days.

I have known this girl since I was a beached whale 7 months pregnant with my first child, so almost 14 years. We have been like sister's ever since the first day we met.

We are 2 totally different people, her being, single, blonde, tan and cute and me being NOT but we have had a friendship that I could write a book about (with most of the royalty's going to her because I live vicariously through her :)

She has been with me through some of the worst times in my adult life and ALL of the best.

When we decided to move away from Louisiana, I had so many reasons why I wanted to stay. My family and then my other family.

I was never worried though that our friendship would be any less meaningful just because I was 8 hours away. I would no longer be available for drive bys ( I told you, a NOVEL people) but I would always be available to listen.

To say that I'm happy to have her all to my self for 6 days is an understatement. We see her every time we go into Louisiana but she hasn't been here in 2 years.

We often laugh while were on the phone because she starts to tell me a story about something that has happened to her and I can usually finish her conversation for her and then I always end it with GIRL what'cha gonna do??!!

Well GIRL, I can tell you that we are going to be playing this week (oh and did I mention my hubby is out of town all week:) so the kids and I will have not a care in the world!

Playing, laughs, more chapters for the book and good memories, that's what were gonna do!

Ramblings of thankfulness

We are in countdown mode for the last week of school. I had my last "official day" on Friday and this week is just cleaning out the classrooms. The kids have until FRIDAY!!!

The end of the year is always so EXCITING, as is the beginning and then all the holidays and EVERYTHING in between. I guess I'm always just looking forward to each day that God gives me. Whether difficult, fun, sad, lost, energizing or boring. I'm just happy to be able to feel them and process those emotions as different as they all are.

I heard a commercial the other day and the beginning of it said, "sometimes you have to leave everything you know, in order to find yourself". I wish I would of had one of those fancy Tivo things, to rewind it. Because I could of listened to it over and over again.
I loved it and really those are the words that I have been feeling for sometime now and just haven't been able to put them to paper (or keyboard:)

I have been writing down little tid bits for my kids and 2 of them I hope (god forbid if anything ever happened to me) I would want them to remember more than anything...

DON'T BE AFRAID TO TRY SOMETHING, ANYTHING.....
and
LIVE HAPPILY......

what more could a mother want??

Each school year that closes and then opens up another chapter in our lives, makes me even more thankful to be these 3 little creatures mother and share in their journey to greatness.

And every year that passes is a little sad wrapped up in a whole lot happy.
Sad that our time together seems to be running faster than the tooth brushing timer I set for my daughter in the mornings but happy that Brian and I get to share in the wonderfulness of our 3 big footed offspring.

I hope everyone can find one thing, just one, each and everyday to be happy for.
I mean because really just waking up is a blessing :)

OH YEAH and 3 MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!!

140 of 365 memories...happy days for a 13 year old

Yes, we did it! Alex is now the proud owner of a cell phone.
WHY? you ask does a 13 year old need a cell phone? I know, I think it is really silly myself.
But I also thought it was time :)
Alex has had an AMAZING year at school. He has been accepted into the gifted program for his 8th grade year, with 2 9th grade classes also. He has (on his own) lined up a few babysitting jobs for the summer, will be volunteering at the local elementary school with their safety town program and be helping me 3 weeks at bible camp.


Let's just say that he has proved LOTS of things this school year. And one of them is that he is very comfortable with who he is turning into and he is not easily derailed....YEAH!!!
At this age, he has been tempted to go off his path and he has 1) talked to me about these issues and 2) used his own judgement into how to handle himself.

PROUD, can not even begin to tell you how I feel about my teenage son....

KEEP ON KEEPING ON SON, WE ARE SO VERY PROUD OF YOU!!!

139 of 365 memories...so you want to be a rock star!

During our week of "creative dressing" for the fundraiser, the last day was 80's rock star. Hannah was a much cuter version of Cyndi Lauper and Jakob was Rick James. I know I know, I allowed my son to be a pimp singing drug addict, but really he didn't know any of that! He just wanted to wear Alex's afro :)

PARTY ON!!

138 of 365 memories...play that funky music white boy!

I take whatever I can get!!
play it boys!!

my babies!

proud momma and daddy!

The proud grandparents that he has officially passed up in height!

Alex had his end of the year music concert this week. He has come so far on his Trombone and we were all so proud of him!!

GOOD JOB SON, keep on ROCKING on!!

137 of 365 memories...peace dude!

Last week our school did a fundraiser for the National Cancer Society. The kids paid 5 bucks and they got to dress as a different thing each day.

The second day was HIPPIE FUN!

The 60's would of SO fitted my daughter. Her laid back personality and free spirit. And not to mention she has that wonderfully beautiful go anywhere hair. She can just wake up and go!

136 of 365 memories...a waxy build up

Jakob's class put on an interactive wax museum this week. Each child had to research and do a report on a person that helped shape the future of our country. Then they had to dress the part and act as if they were really that person. In order to get the person to come to life you had to drop a penny in their cup, the money that was raised is going to the local human society....LOVE IT!!

Jakob was Jesse Owens, Jesse Owens was the first American to win four Olympic gold medals in track and field. Jakob enjoyed learning about this very special man who helped change the sport of Track and Field. And of course I enjoyed watching my boy tell me what he learned!

135 of 365 memories...at least they were cute shoes.

daddy and his girl

don't even let this angelic face fool you, this smile is because I threatened bodily harm :)

Jakob was fading fast!

Strike 1

Strike 2
So I ask my son, "son what can I take a picture of ?"

"our feet " he tells me with a bit of a smart mouth, so I did just that!!
"Seriously mom did you just take a picture of our feet?"
Seriously son I did :)

he was gone by the 7th inning stretch!!

After Jakob's track meet on Saturday we took the kids to a Braves game. This was our first one of the season. They lost horribly, like REALLY horribly. Poor Alex, he loves the Braves and gets so upset when they lose. And not to mention there was this crazy lady who tried to take a few pictures of him and finally gave up and took pictures of his shoes, hopefully she won't be there next time :)

134 of 365 memories...track meet # 20,010

SUPER STARS!!
run Jakey run!!

peek a boo

that's a wrap!!

OK so it hasn't been quite that many, but when you get up at 5 something in the morning on a Saturday, you feel like its Groundhog day all over again!

Jakob has been doing wonderfully in all his events. They added an 800 meter to him this past Saturday, so my boy ended up doing the 3000 meter, 1500 meter and the 800 meter. And placed in the top 2 for all 3 races!

He simply amazes me.

133 of 365 memories....field day!!

When field day arrives you know that school is about to be OVER!! Jakob and Hannah both had there's last week. Alex is having his today, but GET THIS the parents weren't invited! Well I will just take my camera and go home, Thank you very much!!

6 MORE DAYS!!

132 of 365 memories...take 2!

us again, just a different day!
the rest of the fans!

he was having a BLAST!

maybe a little too much fun :)

Jakob and one of our AMAZING Music teachers!

On Jakob's 1st performance night Alex had a band party to attend, so Brian took Hannah and him to the party. On the second night's performance it was a family affair! The good thing for me was I sat through 3 of the 4 productions, so I got pictures from every angle!

131 0f 365 memories...take 1!!

Jakob's skit!

me and my boy

Peyton and Jakob (Lena we could use this one :)

posing with his fans, maw maw and paw paw!!

THE SHADOW!!

his alter ego, Lamont Cranston

Amongst all the crazy end of the year stuff, Jakob's Music Makers group at school put on an Old Time Radio show. It was all skits from actual radio broadcasts from the 30's and 40's!

These kids have been practing for 2 months for this production and it showed. They all did a great job. Jakob's character was the "good bad guy" The Shadow but the Shadow was also Lamont Cranston a detective in real life.

They did 2 performances for the school and 2 night performances for the families. So at the end of the last performance they were all DONE!!