Blogging

Does anyone even blog anymore? I have thought about this blog on and off for years, and yet here I am today trying to decide what to do with it. There are SO many things that have happened, good and bad, since my last real post. Do I update this? Do I put on my new medical issues? I'd definitely like to vent somewhere, not really caring if anyone else ever reads, just like to get my thoughts down to possibly look at again later to see how far I have come. I'm not so good at actual journal writing as I hate when I misspell words and make a mess of paper. I guess I leave it all here for now and contemplate what I want to do. If someone actually does read this, make a comment and let me know what you think. (Haaa, like anyone will read or follows this.)

Summertime

Summertime for me, for now...

Overly hot temperatures, over the 100 degree mark. Constant running of the air conditioner, trying not to worry how high the power bill will be because of it or how we will pay for for it. Trying to keep cool other ways too. Turning on the sprinklers for the kids in the late evening, going to the community splash pad all fun. Sunburned from forgetting to put sunscreen on myself at the splash pad. Wanting to take the kids to Lagoon, for swimming and rides but wishing for cooler temps to make it all bearable.

Absent

So today I got to thinking about my blog here and realized it has be an extremely long time since I have made a post. A lot of things have happened. in the last 8-9 months since I made my last post, some good and some bad but mostly good thankfully. Right now I don't feel like sharing the any of the bad most is still to fresh and just want to not think about it. So on to the good!

This past weekend our oldest son turned 15! Wait?! What?! 15?? Yep, 15! I can hardly believe it myself. He has grown so much in the past year, physically and mentally. I know everyone thinks their kids are the best and or the greatest, but I really do think I am lucky to have such a great young man. He is respectful, loves his mom :), very helpful, has wonderful standards and just an all around great kid. Now of course that isn't saying he doesn't have his moments but all in all he is wonderful and he IS one of my pride and joys.

Catching up

KT and some of her friends

I thought I would dedicate this post to catching up on a few mile stones that happened a few months ago or so. Back in February the elementary held its annual sixth grade dance. For weeks the kids practiced and learned dances. All the kids had dance cards and listed were the songs they were assigned to dance to as well as who they were to dance with. Katie, having no pockets and not wanting to carry her dance card around had a great idea of taping it to the bottom of her shoe. It actually work quite well. She had a great time and enjoyed dancing, even though she was taller than all her partners.

Dance card

one of her dance partners

all pretty in her new dress

The next event we celebrated was Ethan's 14th birthday.  Unfortunately he
was quite sick over his birthday and didn't feel like celebrating much. He had a horrible infection that took a couple of weeks for him to heal. He lost over 10 pounds while being sick, since it caused him pain to eat. I wish I had pictures, but while he was sick he begged me not too. As we celebrated his birthday the only picture he allowed me to take was with his eyes peering over the top of a gift.

Next we had Easter, luckily Ethan was feeling better by then. The kids colored eggs and seemed to fun doing so. The next day they woke up to find their Easter baskets hidden. Then the hunting began. First they looked for their baskets. Taylor's was behind the couch chair, Katie's was is the washer pedestal, Ethan's was under the couch and Ben's was in the closet where the vacuum is kept. Next they went on the hunt for plastic eggs filled with candy.

Next came Taylors Spring dance show. This year her class danced to Uptown Girl by Billy Joel. They did a great job.

I believe our next event was DARE graduation. DARE is a program that is offered by the police to teach children the importance of saying no to drugs and alcohol.  At my kids school it is only offered to the children who are in 6th grade.

The next events were really just one after the other. It started with the sixth grade play known as "Dig It". The play follows two explorers that end up learning about Ancient Greece, China and Egypt.

Then came Legacy does Glee, which was a dinner theater that the Junior High put  

on for their year end project. By this time of the year the kids start loosing interest in their classes and are really just counting down the days for school to be out. But even with the year ending looming in the close distance the kids did really well. I enjoyed it more than I like the school musical that they put on earlier in the year. Ethan was getting tired of singing the songs and practicing, but he pulled it together in the end.

Our next event was sixth grade graduation. I could hardly believe that Katie has hit the age of moving on to Junior High. Katie received an

award for reading and her teacher also gave out individual awards for
special talents the teacher had noticed throughout the year. It has been a busy time and I really grateful for the summer break and also for having great kids.