Happy 65th Birthday Daddy!

We headed out late this afternoon to meet Mom and Dad to celebrate Daddy's 65th birthday and to give them Lauklan for a few days. Lauklan took this picture of Chris and I before we left.

My dad is an amazing man! He has always been dedicated to my mother, my brothers and me and for that I am eternally grateful! I was thankful that he and Mom could meet up with us for an hour or so this afternoon to celebrate his birthday.

Here are a few pictures from our visit.

Family. Forever.

Happy Birthday Daddy! We all love you very much!

What we do at the beach.

I'm short on time right now, but here are a few pictures from beach week.

Beach fun

Ghost Tour in Saint Augustine

Dad and Kenney took the kids and me to Saint Augustine tonight for a ghost tour. We rode in a hearse and were hot as all get out. The adults were less than amused with our mono-tone tour guide, but the kids had a good time. Here are a few pictures that you are supposed to be able to see a ghost in. Hmm, I don't see one...

We were all super tired when it was over. It didn't start until 8 and ended about 10. So, the younger kids especially were DONE!

I'm glad we went, but I was glad to get back to the condo, that is for sure.

Bunnell Ward and Father's Day

We all got up this morning and attended the Bunnell Ward. I must just say that getting to church at 9 is quite an interesting task, especially when 10 people have to take showers before you leave.

But, we got there and had a wonderful time.

Following church, we continued celebrating Father's Day with Chris and Ryck and just did whatever it is you do at the beach.

It was a great day. I feel blessed that I have the father that I have and Chris to be the father of our children. They are certainly not perfect, but they try and that is all you can ask. I am glad that they can put up with me. ;)

Let beach week begin!

We arrived at Cinnamon Beach around 2:30. The condo wasn't ready yet, so we scoped out the pools and beach. It looks like we're going to have a LOT of fun here!

Cinnamon Beach is a private beach in Palm Coast. Palm Coast is about 45 minutes south of Jacksonville and absolutely beautiful!

He lived to tell about it

The kids and I picked him up a little before 4:30. He still loved us even after sending him to Eagle Encampment which made him wake up at 6 every morning and had him in classes until 10 at night.

I know he will sleep well tonight!

We sure missed him.

Happy 5th Birthday Aislinn!

My baby is 5 today!

How did that happen?

She is an amazing spirit. She loves people. She has a very inquisitive mind. She is thoughtful and observant.

I feel blessed to be able to watch her grow.

Last day and a great visit

We ended up driving home today. I let myself get upset after a conversation with Chris and I loaded up and left. I am a 'fixer' and I thought I needed to come home. I could have stayed, but at least I got to spend the time that I did with Mom and Mam-Mom and also the other family that I have up in Kentucky.

Below is a picture that I took of the kids eating breakfast. Aislinn was still asleep.

Yesterday, I drove to Clarksville with the kids and visited Norm. He was a student of Mom's in 6th grade and his dad was my 6th grade teacher. Anyway, we grew up together. I think he always looked at me as a little sister. I haven't seen him since before I got married. So, a visit was VERY overdue. The kids loved playing together too.

Me, Norm and his wonderful wife Robyn

Church in Hopkinsville with Mom and Mam-Mom

We all got up this morning and got ready to go to church. I'm glad that I snapped some pictures before we went.

It was really nice to get to be together at church this morning.

Time to play

Reed's two children that live in Kentucky came over to play today and we decided to go to the YMCA pool for some fun.

Seems like no matter where I go, I find a pool. It is really quite relaxing.

Following our fun day at the pool, I took the kids to Farrell's for some seriously great cheeseburgers! They LOVED it!

Mam-Mom's 95th Birthday

The 4 youngest kids and I drove up to Kentucky to celebrate my grandmother's 95th birthday. We were really glad to be there with her to celebrate. It could have only been better for us if Chris and Brennan could have been there too.

We all went to eat at Cracker Barrel to celebrate. In the picture below is Mam-Mom, her sister Flossie who will be 98 next month, a nephew of Mam-Mom, then our cousin Randy and Mom.

There were 3 tables of us there to celebrate.

Below is my cousin Amy's family.

This was the table I sat at with my other cousin Lori and her family along with her mother, my cousin Becky.

It was a wonderful day!

Kerstyn's Elementary School Graduation

The school had a grand graduation ceremony for the 5th graders. Kerstyn beamed through the whole thing.

Chris and I are so proud of her!

Immediately following the ceremony, we took her to eat lunch then she and I headed off to pick up the boys from school and then get Aislinn and head to Kentucky.

We left the house for Kentucky at 1 p.m.

We arrived in Kentucky at 11:10 central time. I made record time!

Lauklan's Awards Day

Today wrapped up an amazing year for an amazing boy.

He was voted "Best Smile for a boy" by his classmates.

He received an award for turning in his homework every day this school year.

He also received an award for being on the A/B honor roll all year.

I'm proud of you Lauklan! You've worked so hard and Mrs. Gronlund is super proud of you too.

Melody and Elieen, All Grown Up!

All dressed up and ready for church!

I loved every minute of my visit with Eileen and I sure hope that we don't go another 16 years before we meet again.

Visit from Eileen

Eileen was an AMAZING clarinet player back in the day when I could play the bassoon. We met our freshman year at FSU, both of us were music majors.

I was in the dorm, she was in an apartment our freshman year, and we knew not long after meeting, that we would be great roommates.

In May 1993, we got an apartment.

We laughed. A LOT!

We ate.

We went to school. But Eileen didn't really want to do that, she just wanted to play that clarinet.

We practiced.

We sang.

We did whatever we wanted, but we had fun!

However, in September 1993, Chris and I had our first date. As you know, one month later, we were engaged. Three months after that, it was no longer Eileen and Melody, it was Chris and Melody...
But, it was great while it lasted!

Chris and I hadn't seen Eileen since a few months after we our wedding. She moved from Tallahassee to New York City to study up there.

But, thanks to email and Facebook, we kept up. She was in Florida for work and we were lucky enough for her to be able to come up here and spend the weekend with us.

Just like old times...

Friday fun

Since it is the end of the school year AND a Friday, the kids are relaxing to one of their favorite shows, Aaron Stone, with two of their friends from the neighborhood. Aislinn is messing with Shelby, taking her collar off and on.

I need to work with Shelby on posing for pictures, she just doesn't get it.

A little calmer picture of television watching.

I'm looking forward to 4:30 when Janie is arriving to babysit... Date night, take me away!

A special treat after some ground rules

I felt like I needed to spend some additional time with the kids today, so I skipped the gym and took them to dinner after we made some Family/House rules.

We went to Lampu and we haven't been there in quite a while. They were all really well behaved and had full tummies after our meal. It was nice.

Here are our rules, that we all talked about at length as we sat at the kitchen table:

1. Obey your parents and/or anyone else that is in charge of you. For example, your babysitters, gym workers and teachers. Always!

2. No yelling.

3. Help each other.

4. Stay out of each other's room without permission. No girls on the boys side and no boys on the girl side.

4. No locking inside doors!

I'll keep you posted on our quest to keep these rules. I am certainly hopeful.

A few numbers

131 - The amount of money that I spent today on pool chemicals!

322 - The amount of money that I spent at Target on a bunch of nothing.

0 - patience left at the end of the day.

Happy June! I can't believe it is already here.

We had our Relief Society meeting last night and had 4 mini classes. The best part for me was sitting in Chris' class watching and listening to him do his 'thing'.

After the meeting, Katie, Frances, Nashua, Nellie, Kristen and I headed to Chili's.

I was hungry and it was fun.