Day 15: I am thankful for Deer season. We were able to put some meat in the freezer to help feed our family through the winter. I love not having to spend money on meat!!
Day 16: I am thankful for our vehicles. We may not have brand new sparkly cars but they are reliable and get us where we need to be.
Day 17: I am thankful for my nieces and nephews. All of these little buggers bring so much joy to my life and my children's lives. To see all the kids grow up together and be friends is awesome!
Day 18: I am thankful for my friend Natalie and her 2 girls. These 3 ladies are the most amazing, fun filled girls. We enjoy spending our time with them and we miss them like crazy since they have moved to New York but I am so excited for the new adventures in their life.
Day 19: I am thankful my niece J who is almost done with her chemotherapy, and feeling great! She is such an amazing trooper and has kicked Cancer's butt!! We love you J!!
Day 20: I am thankful for our best friends L & R. We may not talk every week, we may not see each other every week but we know that they are always there. We think of them often and pray that things are well with them. When we do get together we enjoy every second and respect each others views and decisions. I am so thankful that 6 years ago we came into close contact with them again (somehow we lost contact between Mack being born and Brax being born, but just 3 months later we were hanging out again).
Day 21: I am thankful for my sweet little Godson Charlie. Charlie was a blessing to our family this year and I am honored to be his Godmother. I love the little turkey to bits and pieces. He brings a smile to my face and I love when I can make him smile.
Day 22: I am thankful for being close to my family, and that my family accepts every in law (daughter in laws, son in laws, sister in laws, brother in laws) as if they are their own blood. My two brothers and myself are married and all 3 in laws have been accepted into the family with open arms. We don't always see eye to eye with each other but we respect each other and accept our differences. On this Thanksgiving day all of us spent time together (with 9 kids included), my 96 year old grandmother joined us and my Aunt. We had so much fun prepping for dinner, eating dinner, and playing games afterwards.
Day 23: I am thankful for my 96 year old grandmother. She is the most caring, kind hearted woman ever. She has taught my mom how to be an amazing woman as well. I pray that my genes are just like my grandmas. At 96 she is still living in her own home, she is healthy, and happy. She is a true inspiration.
The everyday life that consists of triumphs and defeats. Raising three children sure lets me see lots of these...
Friday, November 23, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
5 more Days
The next 5 days of being thankful
Day 11
I am so thankful for my parents. My mom and dad are amazing examples of kind, caring, Christian individuals. I will start with my dad. He has always been there, he has worked jobs that weren't his favorite to make sure his wife and kids had what they needed. He taught us kids that just because we want it doesn't mean we need it, and that you may have to wait for things. He loves all 9 of his grandkids and has taught each of them amazing things. I am so thankful for him. My mom, she is a type of person who will give up all of her plans to help somebody else out. She was by our side through all 3 of my HORRIBLE pregnancies, leaving work early every day to come take care of me, take me to my doctor appointments (since I couldn't drive, move, or lay down without vomiting). She watches the grandkids at any moment one of us needs help with them. She goes to events that the grandkids are in and trust me there is a lot of those with 9 grandkids (football games, wrestling meets, swim meets, dance recitals, cheer competitions). She is always giving, and we are so thankful she is in our lives.
Day 12
I am very thankful for Pepsi. Pepsi carries me through the days sometimes.
Day 13
I am thankful for the internet. If I didn't have the internet and internet classes I would be at college way more than I ever should be. Plus the internet provides a lot of entertainment at night when I am laying around.
Day 14
I am thankful for my husbands job. This job provides us with health insurance (something this family can NEVER go without), money so we can put food on the table, clothes on our backs, a roof over our head, heat to stay warm and to pay our bills. It also is nice because the husband makes it home everyday to see us!!
Day 11
I am so thankful for my parents. My mom and dad are amazing examples of kind, caring, Christian individuals. I will start with my dad. He has always been there, he has worked jobs that weren't his favorite to make sure his wife and kids had what they needed. He taught us kids that just because we want it doesn't mean we need it, and that you may have to wait for things. He loves all 9 of his grandkids and has taught each of them amazing things. I am so thankful for him. My mom, she is a type of person who will give up all of her plans to help somebody else out. She was by our side through all 3 of my HORRIBLE pregnancies, leaving work early every day to come take care of me, take me to my doctor appointments (since I couldn't drive, move, or lay down without vomiting). She watches the grandkids at any moment one of us needs help with them. She goes to events that the grandkids are in and trust me there is a lot of those with 9 grandkids (football games, wrestling meets, swim meets, dance recitals, cheer competitions). She is always giving, and we are so thankful she is in our lives.
Day 12
I am very thankful for Pepsi. Pepsi carries me through the days sometimes.
Day 13
I am thankful for the internet. If I didn't have the internet and internet classes I would be at college way more than I ever should be. Plus the internet provides a lot of entertainment at night when I am laying around.
Day 14
I am thankful for my husbands job. This job provides us with health insurance (something this family can NEVER go without), money so we can put food on the table, clothes on our backs, a roof over our head, heat to stay warm and to pay our bills. It also is nice because the husband makes it home everyday to see us!!
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Thankful Days
A few more days of being thankful!
Day 8
I am so thankful for friends. This week I had minor van trouble where the vehicle didn't want to start but nothing was found wrong at the mechanic. So we decided to try it out around home. Saturday Makenzi was going to have a swim meet in St. Johns (an hour from home) and I hated the thought of getting stranded there. Well a great friend came to our aide and gave us a ride to and from! She even had to travel an extra 15 minutes to get to us and then back track to get back home. Friends rock!
Day 9
I am so thankful for my kids teachers. Makenzi really likes her teacher and her teacher thinks she is a great student. Braxton's teacher is amazing and has the patience of a saint. She works so hard with all of her students and she can't talk high enough of Braxton. It is great. Arianna has a brand new preschool teacher and she is so nice. Arianna really likes her as well.
Day 10
I am thankful for Makenzi and Arianna's swim team. The girls love swimming and work so hard at it. Their coaches are great with both of them. It is so great for them to be a part of a team. They all support each other, but they also have to be accountable to themselves.
Day 8
I am so thankful for friends. This week I had minor van trouble where the vehicle didn't want to start but nothing was found wrong at the mechanic. So we decided to try it out around home. Saturday Makenzi was going to have a swim meet in St. Johns (an hour from home) and I hated the thought of getting stranded there. Well a great friend came to our aide and gave us a ride to and from! She even had to travel an extra 15 minutes to get to us and then back track to get back home. Friends rock!
Day 9
I am so thankful for my kids teachers. Makenzi really likes her teacher and her teacher thinks she is a great student. Braxton's teacher is amazing and has the patience of a saint. She works so hard with all of her students and she can't talk high enough of Braxton. It is great. Arianna has a brand new preschool teacher and she is so nice. Arianna really likes her as well.
Day 10
I am thankful for Makenzi and Arianna's swim team. The girls love swimming and work so hard at it. Their coaches are great with both of them. It is so great for them to be a part of a team. They all support each other, but they also have to be accountable to themselves.
Kenzi's first Swim meet 2012
Makenzi had her first swim meet of the season today. The OST team headed to St. Johns. The excitement was high today, and Makenzi and Hope were awake at 5am. We had to be there at 8am so warm ups could start. Makenzi swam the first part of the day and she looked amazing in the water.
Her first race was a 100 yard medley relay. She was the first leg of the relay and was doing the backstroke. The next girl did the breaststroke, then next was the butterfly, and then freestyle. The relay team took 1st place. A great way to start the day!
The next race was a 50 yard freestyle. Makenzi placed 2nd in the 8 & under group. She cut 11 seconds off her personal best. When she swam this race, she looked amazing. She just glided through the water.
The third race was the 25 yard backstroke. There were 40 girls in this race and Makenzi placed 8th. Last year it took us all year to get her to qualify for 8 & under state time of 26.50 and she barely made it with 26.44. On her first try this year she got a time of 26.72. This is awesome, but now for state she has to qualify for 9/10 year old times.
The last race was another relay and the girls placed 2nd. This was a 100 yard freestyle relay so each girl did a 25 yard jot. The girls did really good.
Hope (my 11 year old niece) did very well too. She was in 3 races.
In her first race she got 23rd out of 72 girls in the 50 yard freestyle. This is an amazing accomplishment. In the 2nd race of hers she got 24th out of 36 girls. She did great. The last race was a 200 yard relay where they placed 5th. Each girl did a 50 yard jot. It was a lot of fun to watch her swim.
Her first race was a 100 yard medley relay. She was the first leg of the relay and was doing the backstroke. The next girl did the breaststroke, then next was the butterfly, and then freestyle. The relay team took 1st place. A great way to start the day!
The next race was a 50 yard freestyle. Makenzi placed 2nd in the 8 & under group. She cut 11 seconds off her personal best. When she swam this race, she looked amazing. She just glided through the water.
The third race was the 25 yard backstroke. There were 40 girls in this race and Makenzi placed 8th. Last year it took us all year to get her to qualify for 8 & under state time of 26.50 and she barely made it with 26.44. On her first try this year she got a time of 26.72. This is awesome, but now for state she has to qualify for 9/10 year old times.
The last race was another relay and the girls placed 2nd. This was a 100 yard freestyle relay so each girl did a 25 yard jot. The girls did really good.
Hope (my 11 year old niece) did very well too. She was in 3 races.
In her first race she got 23rd out of 72 girls in the 50 yard freestyle. This is an amazing accomplishment. In the 2nd race of hers she got 24th out of 36 girls. She did great. The last race was a 200 yard relay where they placed 5th. Each girl did a 50 yard jot. It was a lot of fun to watch her swim.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
First Week Of Thankfuls
Instead of trying to get on here every day, or waiting until the end of the month, I am going to do weekly posts of what I am thankful for.
Day 1
I am so thankful for my husband. He works so hard to support this family. He has changed jobs a couple times in the last year just to make things better for all of us. He is a wonderful father to our children, he helps around the house and supports me through everything! I sure do love him more and more.
Day 2
Oh Miss Makenzi! Makenzi is a beautiful, caring, understanding, blessing of a little girl. Kenzi is the child that will drop everything she is doing to help somebody else out. She loves school and works hard at her practices. She loves to swim and is so excited about her first swim meet coming up. She is a blessing that I am so thankful for. It took a lot of strength and peoples help to bring her into this world healthy, but we did it and have blessed ever since. Love you Kenzi Anne!
Day 3
Little Boy Braxton! This little guy brought so much life and chaos to our home the day he was born. For being little he sure knew how to get a room of people to move. He has always been quick to fight, but if he hurts somebody accidentally he is so sorry and loving to them. He has a stubborn side that will come in handy some day if he can channel it for success. The smile he has that shows his personality is amazing. He is a such a lovey boy. I could not ask for a better son! Love you Bracky Charles!!
Day 4
Sweet Little Arianna! This little girl came into our world 4 weeks and had her dad rushing room to beat the birth. I can say she has continued to rush her daddy home from work on several occasions. I think she likes to stress him out. Arianna has been given back to us multiple times in her short little life and I thank God for that everyday. 2 times she has been in an accident and 2 times she has come out just fine. I am so thankful for her guardian angels (Uncle Vince and Great Grandpa W and Great Grandpa B are working hard). Arianna is a spit fire, she has an attitude like no other 4 year old should have. She is a smart little girl that loves life. My 3rd little blessing. Love you Ahna Mary!
Day 5
I am so thankful for the house I live in. Scott and I were blessed with this house. We live in the country just like we wanted, we landed in an area with an excellent school district, are close to my family, and in community that pulls together in a time of need. Our house is perfect size for the 5 of us. It is warm, beautiful, and clean. It is supplied with everything the 5 of us could ever need.
Day 6
I am so thankful for my parents. My parents are the most amazing people ever. They would give up everything they have to help us kids out. My parents have been by all 3 of our sides helping us with our families. They love their 9 grandkids to the end of the world and back. They spend so much time with all of us. They are an example that I have learned great things from, and I hope my children learn from them as well as us. Family is so important and I love mine.
Day 7
I am thankful for a great mechanic. Yes I had car trouble today. I dropped the car off at the mechanic right before he closed and he said no problem I will get right to it in the morning. We can trust him and know that he isn't going to say things need to be fixed that don't even though I am female, we know that he has reasonable prices and he is quick about his work. So thankful that he can get my car back up and running so I can run my kids around the county to where they need to be.
Day 1
I am so thankful for my husband. He works so hard to support this family. He has changed jobs a couple times in the last year just to make things better for all of us. He is a wonderful father to our children, he helps around the house and supports me through everything! I sure do love him more and more.
Day 2
Oh Miss Makenzi! Makenzi is a beautiful, caring, understanding, blessing of a little girl. Kenzi is the child that will drop everything she is doing to help somebody else out. She loves school and works hard at her practices. She loves to swim and is so excited about her first swim meet coming up. She is a blessing that I am so thankful for. It took a lot of strength and peoples help to bring her into this world healthy, but we did it and have blessed ever since. Love you Kenzi Anne!
Day 3
Little Boy Braxton! This little guy brought so much life and chaos to our home the day he was born. For being little he sure knew how to get a room of people to move. He has always been quick to fight, but if he hurts somebody accidentally he is so sorry and loving to them. He has a stubborn side that will come in handy some day if he can channel it for success. The smile he has that shows his personality is amazing. He is a such a lovey boy. I could not ask for a better son! Love you Bracky Charles!!
Day 4
Sweet Little Arianna! This little girl came into our world 4 weeks and had her dad rushing room to beat the birth. I can say she has continued to rush her daddy home from work on several occasions. I think she likes to stress him out. Arianna has been given back to us multiple times in her short little life and I thank God for that everyday. 2 times she has been in an accident and 2 times she has come out just fine. I am so thankful for her guardian angels (Uncle Vince and Great Grandpa W and Great Grandpa B are working hard). Arianna is a spit fire, she has an attitude like no other 4 year old should have. She is a smart little girl that loves life. My 3rd little blessing. Love you Ahna Mary!
Day 5
I am so thankful for the house I live in. Scott and I were blessed with this house. We live in the country just like we wanted, we landed in an area with an excellent school district, are close to my family, and in community that pulls together in a time of need. Our house is perfect size for the 5 of us. It is warm, beautiful, and clean. It is supplied with everything the 5 of us could ever need.
Day 6
I am so thankful for my parents. My parents are the most amazing people ever. They would give up everything they have to help us kids out. My parents have been by all 3 of our sides helping us with our families. They love their 9 grandkids to the end of the world and back. They spend so much time with all of us. They are an example that I have learned great things from, and I hope my children learn from them as well as us. Family is so important and I love mine.
Day 7
I am thankful for a great mechanic. Yes I had car trouble today. I dropped the car off at the mechanic right before he closed and he said no problem I will get right to it in the morning. We can trust him and know that he isn't going to say things need to be fixed that don't even though I am female, we know that he has reasonable prices and he is quick about his work. So thankful that he can get my car back up and running so I can run my kids around the county to where they need to be.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Disney World Trip
We spent a week in Florida. We went to Disney World 4 days and we did Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party.
Just a few days before we left, sickness hit our house. Braxton (it is always Braxton) came home from school on Tuesday and complained of a belly ache. He went into my bedroom and feel asleep at 330 and didn't wake up until 630 the next morning. He was still complaining that his belly hurt so I kept him home and decided to take him to the doctor. The doctor did a Strep test and that came back negative, but they sent it out for a culture. Wednesday night at 11pm Arianna came down stairs vomiting. At that point I figured the kids had the stomach flu. The next morning Braxton's culture was back and it was negative. Confirmed that it was the stomach flu. I just kept praying that Makenzi, Scott and I stayed healthy.
Saturday when we all woke up and were healthy I was so happy. I had decided that no matter what we were boarding that plane and would deal with it as we went. I figured benadryl would knock them out to get to Florida.
My mom took us to the airport so we wouldn't have our van sitting there for a week. We arrived and the kids said goodbye and in we went. We went to check in and were told that they didn't have 5 seats together. All they had open were 3 seats in the front row for the kids and 2 seats in the emergency row for Scott and I. The guy was great and checked our bag for free and told us he would work on getting us seats together. He didn't want the kids to have to sit alone on their first flight for sure. We went through security and got to our gate. The kids were watching all of the planes, but we were able to get some of their homework accomplished. We found out right before boarding that we were able to get seats together. We boarded the plane and had a smooth flight. The kids did great, Arianna took a short nap, Braxton sat with Scott and they had a a lot of fun together and Makenzi drew pictures, ate enough pretzels and drank enough pop to carry her through the day. The kids loved our rental car, but I think Scott was more excited about it than anybody else.
We arrived at our rental house around 4pm and the kids ran straight to the pool. They couldn't wait to start swimming. They swam while I went grocery shopping. I hate shopping at a store that I am not familiar with. It takes so much longer than it should. We spent the night eating and relaxing.
Sunday came around and we were headed to Disney World. We decided we would go to Hollywood Studios. The kids were anxious to see what Disney World was all about but it faded fast. They really disliked Hollywood Studios. Braxton wasn't right from the moment we woke up but he said he felt fine, he ate breakfast and seemed ok. When we arrived at Hollywood Studios he didn't want to ride on any rides, he didn't want to meet any characters, he refused to eat lunch, and he just was wearing down extremely fast. Makenzi and Scott wanted to ride a rollercoaster so they took off over there and I decided to leave the park with Braxton and Arianna. As we exited the tram to head to the van Braxton just couldn't go anymore. When we finally got to the van I cranked on the ac and Braxton said he was feeling better. Scott and Makenzi arrived not long after and decided we would go for a car ride and see what was around. Well poor Braxton ended up getting sick in the car (thank goodness for Disney plastic bags) so we headed home. Braxton felt better immediately, so I questioned if he didn't have strep. I looked in his throat and the white puss sacks were all over, so I called the on call pediatrician, who told me to take him to Urgent care for a Mono test and strep test. So here we sit in Florida and now we have to find an urgent care on a Sunday night. Thankfully I found a list in the house and Scott took him to Dr. D. Dr. D checked Braxton out and informed Scott that the kid has strep and ordered an antibiotic...which was another obstacle because pharmacies all closed at 5/6pm and it was 730 now. Dr. D finally found a CVS not to far away that was open until 9. Antibiotics were started that night and by Monday night he was feeling better.
Monday came and we decided to not go to Disney again like we had planned because we wanted Braxton to rest. We hung out at the house and the kids swam on and off through out the day. Monday morning Arianna started complaining of a sore throat. I checked out her throat and sure enough covered in puss sacks. I decided to call her pediatrician and they called in a script for her. We started the antibiotic.
Tuesday came and we were out of days to push our Disney days back any so we headed off to Magic Kingdom. We figured Arianna could rest in the stroller. Poor Arianna was miserable for the first part of the day though...her belly hurt yet she was eating and drinking fine. Finally we seen her perk up and she was good to go. She was riding rides, chasing characters, and smiling from ear to ear. Magic Kingdom was so much fun for the kids. Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Railroad, Dumbo, Barnstormer, meeting Mickey (according to the kids the real one because he was wearing the right outfit), the Princesses, and Pluto.
Wednesday we headed to Animal Kingdom. We got to go on the Safari ride, rode the train to Rafiki's place, Camp Minnie & Mickey, Tree of Life, Kali River Rapids, Mt. Everest, and seeing the apes (the kids favorite part...I was beginning to think a Zoo would have been cheaper and made them just as happy).
Thursday morning we went back to Magic Kingdom for about 3.5 hours. We got to do some of the things we had missed the last time. We went to Adventure land. We rode Aladdin's Magic carpet, we seen Aladdin and Jasmine, Riverboat ride, and walked through the treehouse. I went and made reservations at the Pirate League for the kids for that afternoon when we would be back for the Halloween Party.
Thursday afternoon we got back and made it to our reservation. Braxton picked to be Jake, Makenzi a mermaid and Arianna an Empress. The Halloween party was a lot of fun but the crowd was unbearable...yet the funny part was you could walk onto any ride you wanted with no wait. I didn't find the trick or treating that special. We enjoyed the parade and fireworks show. It was great to meet the princesses and their princes. Seeing the villians was pretty cool too.
Friday we headed to Cocoa Beach. The kids have never seen the ocean before and they couldn't believe how big it was. Braxton was concerned about going into the water where the sharks are, but he went in and had a blast swimming through the big waves. Makenzi swam and swam. She loved the ocean. Arianna wasn't as big of a fan because she couldn't really swim through the waves. They all had one complaint though...salt water tastes bad. They looked for shells, and made sand castles. We got back home around 330 and they swam until about 9pm. We packed up the house and were ready to come home Saturday morning.
Our flight home was great too but we were all glad to land and be back home. The kids could not wait to get home to see Sam and Jack (our dogs).
Just a few days before we left, sickness hit our house. Braxton (it is always Braxton) came home from school on Tuesday and complained of a belly ache. He went into my bedroom and feel asleep at 330 and didn't wake up until 630 the next morning. He was still complaining that his belly hurt so I kept him home and decided to take him to the doctor. The doctor did a Strep test and that came back negative, but they sent it out for a culture. Wednesday night at 11pm Arianna came down stairs vomiting. At that point I figured the kids had the stomach flu. The next morning Braxton's culture was back and it was negative. Confirmed that it was the stomach flu. I just kept praying that Makenzi, Scott and I stayed healthy.
Saturday when we all woke up and were healthy I was so happy. I had decided that no matter what we were boarding that plane and would deal with it as we went. I figured benadryl would knock them out to get to Florida.
My mom took us to the airport so we wouldn't have our van sitting there for a week. We arrived and the kids said goodbye and in we went. We went to check in and were told that they didn't have 5 seats together. All they had open were 3 seats in the front row for the kids and 2 seats in the emergency row for Scott and I. The guy was great and checked our bag for free and told us he would work on getting us seats together. He didn't want the kids to have to sit alone on their first flight for sure. We went through security and got to our gate. The kids were watching all of the planes, but we were able to get some of their homework accomplished. We found out right before boarding that we were able to get seats together. We boarded the plane and had a smooth flight. The kids did great, Arianna took a short nap, Braxton sat with Scott and they had a a lot of fun together and Makenzi drew pictures, ate enough pretzels and drank enough pop to carry her through the day. The kids loved our rental car, but I think Scott was more excited about it than anybody else.
We arrived at our rental house around 4pm and the kids ran straight to the pool. They couldn't wait to start swimming. They swam while I went grocery shopping. I hate shopping at a store that I am not familiar with. It takes so much longer than it should. We spent the night eating and relaxing.
Sunday came around and we were headed to Disney World. We decided we would go to Hollywood Studios. The kids were anxious to see what Disney World was all about but it faded fast. They really disliked Hollywood Studios. Braxton wasn't right from the moment we woke up but he said he felt fine, he ate breakfast and seemed ok. When we arrived at Hollywood Studios he didn't want to ride on any rides, he didn't want to meet any characters, he refused to eat lunch, and he just was wearing down extremely fast. Makenzi and Scott wanted to ride a rollercoaster so they took off over there and I decided to leave the park with Braxton and Arianna. As we exited the tram to head to the van Braxton just couldn't go anymore. When we finally got to the van I cranked on the ac and Braxton said he was feeling better. Scott and Makenzi arrived not long after and decided we would go for a car ride and see what was around. Well poor Braxton ended up getting sick in the car (thank goodness for Disney plastic bags) so we headed home. Braxton felt better immediately, so I questioned if he didn't have strep. I looked in his throat and the white puss sacks were all over, so I called the on call pediatrician, who told me to take him to Urgent care for a Mono test and strep test. So here we sit in Florida and now we have to find an urgent care on a Sunday night. Thankfully I found a list in the house and Scott took him to Dr. D. Dr. D checked Braxton out and informed Scott that the kid has strep and ordered an antibiotic...which was another obstacle because pharmacies all closed at 5/6pm and it was 730 now. Dr. D finally found a CVS not to far away that was open until 9. Antibiotics were started that night and by Monday night he was feeling better.
Monday came and we decided to not go to Disney again like we had planned because we wanted Braxton to rest. We hung out at the house and the kids swam on and off through out the day. Monday morning Arianna started complaining of a sore throat. I checked out her throat and sure enough covered in puss sacks. I decided to call her pediatrician and they called in a script for her. We started the antibiotic.
Tuesday came and we were out of days to push our Disney days back any so we headed off to Magic Kingdom. We figured Arianna could rest in the stroller. Poor Arianna was miserable for the first part of the day though...her belly hurt yet she was eating and drinking fine. Finally we seen her perk up and she was good to go. She was riding rides, chasing characters, and smiling from ear to ear. Magic Kingdom was so much fun for the kids. Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Railroad, Dumbo, Barnstormer, meeting Mickey (according to the kids the real one because he was wearing the right outfit), the Princesses, and Pluto.
Wednesday we headed to Animal Kingdom. We got to go on the Safari ride, rode the train to Rafiki's place, Camp Minnie & Mickey, Tree of Life, Kali River Rapids, Mt. Everest, and seeing the apes (the kids favorite part...I was beginning to think a Zoo would have been cheaper and made them just as happy).
Thursday morning we went back to Magic Kingdom for about 3.5 hours. We got to do some of the things we had missed the last time. We went to Adventure land. We rode Aladdin's Magic carpet, we seen Aladdin and Jasmine, Riverboat ride, and walked through the treehouse. I went and made reservations at the Pirate League for the kids for that afternoon when we would be back for the Halloween Party.
Thursday afternoon we got back and made it to our reservation. Braxton picked to be Jake, Makenzi a mermaid and Arianna an Empress. The Halloween party was a lot of fun but the crowd was unbearable...yet the funny part was you could walk onto any ride you wanted with no wait. I didn't find the trick or treating that special. We enjoyed the parade and fireworks show. It was great to meet the princesses and their princes. Seeing the villians was pretty cool too.
Friday we headed to Cocoa Beach. The kids have never seen the ocean before and they couldn't believe how big it was. Braxton was concerned about going into the water where the sharks are, but he went in and had a blast swimming through the big waves. Makenzi swam and swam. She loved the ocean. Arianna wasn't as big of a fan because she couldn't really swim through the waves. They all had one complaint though...salt water tastes bad. They looked for shells, and made sand castles. We got back home around 330 and they swam until about 9pm. We packed up the house and were ready to come home Saturday morning.
Our flight home was great too but we were all glad to land and be back home. The kids could not wait to get home to see Sam and Jack (our dogs).
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Another school year
As the new school year approaches the excitement and anxiety peak in the house. My first class started on Saturday and it is going to be a crazy work load but I am determined to stay ahead. My second class starts tomorrow and I am nervous about this class. Pharmacology is a class that everybody seems to complain about but I hope to overcome the anxiety of the unknown.
Makenzi is headed into 3rd grade this year. She is very excited to be headed back to school. I am not as excited because there will be 30 kids in her classroom and she got a teacher that I HOPE can handle that many students. I have to keep reminding myself that Makenzi is a well behaved child, that is a self starter and stays on track so she will be just fine.
Braxton is going into a new program at our school. It is a transitional first grade. I am excited about this program because it is a step forward from kindergarten but not a full first grade either. Last year reading and writing were extremely hard for Braxton so we decided he needs some extra time and help with it. We have worked with Braxton all summer on writing and reading journal entries and I can see a BIG improvement. He has developed more confidence as well. Last year Braxton hated school and tried to hide in the garage in the mornings so he wouldn't have to get on the bus. This year he is all excited and the bonus is he is going to have the same teacher as last year and he really liked her.
Sweet little Arianna is growing up. She is headed to preschool this year. I took her in yesterday to meet her teacher and see her classroom. She hasn't stopped talking about school since. I am excited for her but I am going to miss having her home with. I might actually get some projects done though!
SPORTS
Well September comes and the kids start thinking about sports. Makenzi has known for the last year that she was going to be on the Swim Team this year. She has never thought anything else. Well this year I am on the board for the Owosso Sea Turtles so that will be a change too. Because I am sure I needed one more thing on my plate but I am excited about it! Arianna had talked about doing Swim Team this year and the coaches were willing to try it out but now she has decided not to. Instead she is going to do Dance. So it is time to learn something new for me. I am so thankful for Arianna's curly hair for the recital though!!
Braxton has debated between sports this year as well (soccer, swim team and wrestling). Well we have a pretty strict rule that only one sport per season for each child. So Scott and I sat down and talked to Braxton to work him through his choices. Braxton eliminated soccer within seconds, and then swim team was eliminated quickly too because he doesn't want to go 3 nights a week for 6 months, so wrestling wins. Braxton wrestled last year and absolutely loved it, so we expect the same this year.
DISNEY
I think I have decided how to surprise the kids about our trip. I bought pins and lanyards for the trip for each of them. I plan to wrap them up and have them sitting on the table in the dining room. The pins will be attached to the lanyards and inside the lanyard will be a note from Mickey telling them he will see them soon! Oh I can't wait to tell them. I will be videotaping them.
Makenzi is headed into 3rd grade this year. She is very excited to be headed back to school. I am not as excited because there will be 30 kids in her classroom and she got a teacher that I HOPE can handle that many students. I have to keep reminding myself that Makenzi is a well behaved child, that is a self starter and stays on track so she will be just fine.
Braxton is going into a new program at our school. It is a transitional first grade. I am excited about this program because it is a step forward from kindergarten but not a full first grade either. Last year reading and writing were extremely hard for Braxton so we decided he needs some extra time and help with it. We have worked with Braxton all summer on writing and reading journal entries and I can see a BIG improvement. He has developed more confidence as well. Last year Braxton hated school and tried to hide in the garage in the mornings so he wouldn't have to get on the bus. This year he is all excited and the bonus is he is going to have the same teacher as last year and he really liked her.
Sweet little Arianna is growing up. She is headed to preschool this year. I took her in yesterday to meet her teacher and see her classroom. She hasn't stopped talking about school since. I am excited for her but I am going to miss having her home with. I might actually get some projects done though!
SPORTS
Well September comes and the kids start thinking about sports. Makenzi has known for the last year that she was going to be on the Swim Team this year. She has never thought anything else. Well this year I am on the board for the Owosso Sea Turtles so that will be a change too. Because I am sure I needed one more thing on my plate but I am excited about it! Arianna had talked about doing Swim Team this year and the coaches were willing to try it out but now she has decided not to. Instead she is going to do Dance. So it is time to learn something new for me. I am so thankful for Arianna's curly hair for the recital though!!
Braxton has debated between sports this year as well (soccer, swim team and wrestling). Well we have a pretty strict rule that only one sport per season for each child. So Scott and I sat down and talked to Braxton to work him through his choices. Braxton eliminated soccer within seconds, and then swim team was eliminated quickly too because he doesn't want to go 3 nights a week for 6 months, so wrestling wins. Braxton wrestled last year and absolutely loved it, so we expect the same this year.
DISNEY
I think I have decided how to surprise the kids about our trip. I bought pins and lanyards for the trip for each of them. I plan to wrap them up and have them sitting on the table in the dining room. The pins will be attached to the lanyards and inside the lanyard will be a note from Mickey telling them he will see them soon! Oh I can't wait to tell them. I will be videotaping them.
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