Surprise!

Surprise...we are going to Disney World!  Well this isn't a surprise to me and Scott but it will be to our children.  They have no idea we are going to be heading to Disney world within a few months. 

I have been scouring the internet for cool ways to surprise them.  We want to surprise them the morning we are leaving...I am trying to avoid the "is today the day, when do you leave for Disney" stuff.  I want to tell them and then board the plane! 

My plan is to have all the suitcases, carry on, packed and ready to go.  Thank goodness they are all in school so I can get stuff done during the day while they are gone. 

Now onto my ideas:

I have none....anybody have any fun awesome ideas! 

Rolling with the Punches

It seems once one punch is delivered a bunch more follow.  Well in the last few years I have learned to roll with the punches, laugh at the crazy things that happen, ask friends for prayers and support and just make the best decisions I can make.

In the beginning of June my husband applied for a new job, did the road test for the new job and schedule the physical and drug test for the new job before ever telling me of the new job.  He knew I would not be on board.  I hate change, I hate the thought of no health insurance again because who can afford 1,400.00 a month for Cobra?  Well I did my research and decided to apply for medicaid for the kids for the next 90 days.  Scott started the new job July 2nd.  It has been a challenge getting used to the new job and the new schedule.  Scott is home every day but his training schedule was wacky.  Today he started the his schedule 5pm to 5am.  We will see how it goes for him.  So I applied for medicaid on July 1st/2nd for the kids.

On July 2nd we made an Urgent Care visit with Arianna.  She was breaking out in red bumps all over her skin.  Turns out it was swimmers itch.  On July 16th we made an ER visit with the one and only Arianna.  She found a penny at bedtime and swallowed it.  So at 945pm I was told by the on call physician to head to the ER for xrays.  I arrived there after dropping off Makenzi and Braxton at my parents house.  At 1040 I walked in to an ER waiting room packed solid, one man screaming at the nurses and staff, only to find out every room in the ER was full and people were waiting 2 to 5 hours to get a ER bed.  I was not happy.  I got our pager and waited.  At 11:22 we had our room (thank goodness they have a pediatric wing of the ER).  We had an xray done at 1145pm in our room and at 12:05am we were walking out of the hospital.  I was so glad it was quick.  Arianna should pass the penny with no problems.  She is all excited because they sent a picture of her penny in her belly, so she can show everybody! 

Scott and I just roll with all the punches, we just keep pushing through and we will come out on the other end with flying colors. 

Swim Lessons

Arianna has gone to swim lessons the last 5 days.  This is a different experience for me because my other two never went.  They both learned to swim in the pond and were taught by my mom and I.  Well Makenzi's swim team team coach was offering swim lessons this summer.  They are doing 30 minute one on one sessions.  I signed Arianna up for 2 weeks and Braxton is going 1 week (just to reinforce the freestyle stroke).  Arianna was all excited about swim lessons until the morning of.  She just wasn't sure on what to expect. 

Well we got there and her instructor Miss Caylee (who Arianna knows very well from Swim Team) came and got her and took her into the pool.  Arianna was very happy and doing great.  She swam on the kickboard, a noodle and then by herself for a short distance.  Then they wanted her to jump in..and Arianna panicked.  Kicking, screaming etc.  Well she went in anyways with Miss Caylee jumping with her and holding on to her. 

Tuesday she improved as well and tolerated jumping in the deep better as long as Caylee was going with her.  Wednesday she did wonderful.  She swam across 3 lanes of the 6 lane pool all by herself multiple times.  She was just enjoying the water.  She jumped in with Caylee again with no tears or fits.  On Thursday I took the video camera to capture it all on tape and she didn't want to perform.  She had a different instructor since Caylee had to help a little boy that was terrified of the water.  Well Arianna didn't trust the new instructor.  She swam the length of 2 lanes and grumbled every time he wanted her to do something saying it was too far.  At the end I did get to video tape her jumping into the shallow end (holding onto Caylee's hands) and then jumping into the deep end with Caylee.  On Friday, she had Caylee again and showed off big time.  She swam half the pool again, swam in the deep end by herself, jumped off the diving board with Caylee, and worked on floating on her back. 

I am so impressed with everything she has learned.  I can't wait to see what she accomplishes next week.

First Communion

Makenzi made her First Communion on April 22nd.  She was so excited to make this sacrament.  She had an amazing day and enjoyed her family gathering afterwards. 

Family Vacation

Scott and I have finally decided it is time for a Family Vacation!  The last time we took a family vacation where we left Michigan was January 2007.  We went to Texas at that time to see Scott's sister and her family.  Well at that time Makenzi was 3, and Braxton was 11 months old.  Not much memory there for either of them.

So we are heading to Disney World this year.  We figure our kids are at great ages (8,6,4).  Arianna loves Mickey and Minnie.  All the kids have been talking about going for a couple years but it just
 never worked.  We want them to some what remember it.  We are planning to surprise the kids with the trip...mainly because I do not want to listen to them talk about it for months and months.  They would drive me crazy. 

We decided to stay off site.  We rented a house with a private pool and bedrooms for everybody.  We planned to drive but once we discovered Arianna gets car sick that was a no go so now we are flying.  Plus it will give us more time in Florida to enjoy instead of traveling to get there and home.  We will see how Arianna does on the plane...thankfully she is old enough to take medicines to hopefully combat it.

Our park plan...Magic Kingdom (2 days), Animal Kingdom and MGM (if that is what it is still called).  We have been to Epcot a couple times ourselves and have never really enjoyed it.  So we plan to skip it this time and maybe hit it when the kids are older.  I looked up the ride information for the 3 parks and it looks like Braxton and Makenzi will be able to ride whatever they want and since Arianna makes the 40" requirement she will be able to ride tons of stuff too!

I am hoping to get a Chef Mickey dinner reservation for the one night we are there as well.  Hopefully they don't fill too fast!

Oh I can't wait to see the excitement in my kids eyes the morning we leave when they find out we are going to the airport to go see Mickey!

A busy busy weekend

has come to a screeching halt.  This weekend didn't go quite like I had it planned but we survived. 

Friday the kids got off the bus at 315pm.  I had the van packed and we were ready to head to Midland after we had to drop the dog off at my parents barn.  Well I got delayed there because the puppy freaked out and cried like a baby, which led to Braxton crying because he didn't want to leave the puppy behind.  Finally I was able to pull Braxton away.  It was 4pm by this point.  I called Scott to see where he was and what time he would be meeting us at the hotel to find out he wouldn't be anymore.  He had another run to do and he was going right into a major snow storm.  Thank you employer.  So then we were hoping he would at least make it to the hotel by Saturday morning to go to Makenzi's South League Championship.

We made it to the hotel in Midland safe and sound but I was a >little< stressed.  I fed the kids dinner and we headed to the pool to relax.  We met some swim friends and hung out.  I finally got the kids to bed after a serious battle but man it was finally quiet.  I was praying the snow storm we were predicted to get would miss us.  Well we decided we would met up and leave at 6am.  Which meant I had to wake 4 kids up at 515am.  That was loads of fun but we survived. 

Makenzi was in 4 events at this meet.  She did the 25 yard freestyle, the 25 yard breaststroke, the 50 yard freestyle and the 200 yard freestyle relay with 3 other girls.  She placed 3rd in her 25 yard freestyle, 10th in her breaststroke, 8th in the relay, and 7th in her 50 freestyle.  She was so much fun to watch.  This was the slowest run swim meet ever.  It didn't help that it was 100 degrees in the pool area and I had 3 kids in the stands with me...even though they were extremely well behaved.  We didn't get out of there until 1pm and by this point we were hungry and exhausted.  Well Scott was leaving Saginaw and headed to Midland to hang out with us. 

We ended up swimming and relaxing.  We met with some friends at their hotel and swam and had fun and joined them for dinner.  It was a lot of fun.  Around 830 Scott, Braxton, and Arianna took off so Braxton could go wrestling the next day.  The girls and I went to bed since we were having another early day.

Sunday we headed to state and it was a whirlwind.  Makenzi was in 3 events.  100 yard medley (Kenzi did the backstroke, 1 girl did the freestyle, another did the butterfly, and a fourth girl did the breaststroke), then a 100 yard freestyle relay, and the 25 backstroke.  The girls placed 6th place in both relays.  Makenzi had a total of 50 girls in her backstroke and Makenzi placed 42nd. 

The whole time Makenzi was competing I was getting updates on Braxton.  He lost his first match by points 14~4 and then lost his second match to a pin.  Braxton worked hard and had a fun year. 

Sunday, I could not wait to get home and relax.  That night I got a horrible migraine (coming down from all the stress???) and Braxton didn't tolerate the greasy pizza we had for dinner. 

I need another weekend please!

Makenzi is headed to STATE

At practice last week the coach came and talked to me and another mom about sending our girls to the state meet on a relay team.  This would give Makenzi the chance to go to state this year (her goal) and give her the experience of what it is like.  Plus it gave me a week to get a hotel booked.  So Makenzi is going to state for 2 relays.  She is so excited to be headed to state. 

At this point Makenzi had 2 more chances to qualify for state time in her individual events.  She needed the time of 21.50 seconds to qualify for her 25 yard freestyle.  She also needed the time of 26.50 seconds in her 25 yard backstroke.  Well I have said since the beginning that if she were to qualify for state it would probably be in her backstroke.  So this Sunday we headed to SVSU to a meet.  I was hopeful she would qualify but figured if not no big deal since she was headed to state anyway. 

Well her 25 freestyle came up first.  She did great.  She ended up getting 14th place.  Her time came in at 24.59 seconds.  3 seconds off from state time but she was having fun.  Her second event was a 50 yard freestyle.  She placed 9th in this event which was awesome for her.  Then came the backstroke.  I was nervous for her, she wanted to make state time so bad and I wanted to watch her do it.  Well the whistle blew for them to enter the water and I could see her shaking.  The official hit the buzzer and they were off and swimming.  I was cheering and so was her coach...telling her what to do every stroke even though she can't hear a word we say.  Well she finished and climbed out of the pool.  Then we wait for the results.  I clocked her at 25.89 seconds on my cell phone but it isn't reliable at all because I can't see when she hits the wall at the other end.  We had to wait about 45 minutes for the results.  Makenzi and her coach went to check.  Absolutely no emotion came from Makenzi or the coach and I just knew she didn't make it after all.  Kenzi came back over and said she didn't know.  I supported her and told her well you have next week to still try.  Her coach jumped into the stands and I asked her for the time.  She just looked at Kenzi, finally Kenzi says my time was 26.44 seconds.  My jaw dropped and screamed...you made State!  She squealed in delight.  She was so excited and had no idea she had made it.  She placed 6th.  She is so excited.  So Proud of Makenzi Anne!! 

Now we are praying she stays healthy.  Braxton came down with the norovirus a week ago and then on Saturday night Arianna came down with.  So please pray for health for Makenzi and me (since I am taking her).  We need to stay healthy and strong for this busy weekend.  Swim meet on Saturday and State meet on Sunday.

Braxton is headed to regionals for wrestling!  He will have some tough matches ahead of him but as long as he tries his hardest he has won!  So proud of my little guy!