What now???

Hmmmmmm........ well, the school year ended with greatness....  My kids are not only beautiful, but love school and do extremely well in school.  I am proud to say that both kids had straight A's for the year AND Micah tested into the Academically Gifted Program.  I don't know why I brag reluctantly about grades and academic achievements.  I think it is because I don't want other people to feel bad or think I am being arrogant.  But, I am so proud.  I won't scream it on FB, but I will on this blog.  :)  They get it from their dad, I think. Although growing up, I drove my parents CRAZY with being more worried about social events than studying.  My dad, who is a PhD and career teacher/administrator always told me I was so smart.  I truly applied my self when I went back to school before Jon Robert was born.  I made straight A's and figured out that I do love school.  I love teaching and learning.  I am glad that my children have figured out to love to learn in their early years.  I am making it seem like I almost failed.  HA!  I did not almost fail and made good grades, but I do think if I had listened to my parents, I would have achieved way more academically. 

Now Nathan, he is what I call a "closet nerd."  When I look at what he has to do dealing with the chemicals in his job and balancing them, I am overwhelmed, my eyes glaze over, I am confused.  :)  His genes are where my kids get their smarts from..... I am convinced.

So school is out, dance is over..... see previous blog post for that beautiful dancing girl.... baseball is over.... there is NO better way to wrap up baseball that immediately heading to the beach!!  Seriously, it couldn't have been better.  Our team placed 3rd (I think, maybe 4th) on our side of the bracket so the boys made it to the final part of the district all star tournament.  I was SO proud of all of them!  The guys stayed and played ball the last day, and the girls plus Jon Robert headed to the beach!!

PANAMA CITY HERE WE COME!!!  Traveling with kids is always interesting, right.  Traveling with pre-adolescent girl and 2 five year old is on a different level of interesting.  Shavon and I call Maribeth and Jon Robert the old grouchy married couple.  They are something!  But we hunkered down and DROVE announcing loudly arrival in each state until we saw the sign.....

It was late and we were tired, but we were in FLORIDA!  The drive suddenly became easier.  I remember vacationing with my parents.  I especially remember the vacation every time I said or was tempted to say "DO I need to turn around???"  "We can go home if you don't want to go on vacation"  I suppose parents have said the same thing for generations and will continue to do in the future......

We finally arrived and could not resist running to the beach.  We unpacked ALL by ourselves.  YAY for us.... with NO luggage cart!  Nevermind the fact that I didn't quite realize that when parked on the fourth floor, I was a tiny bit close to the roof..... Top luggage carriers add a little more than I accounted for!  Who knew that the white pipe little thing on chains swings back and forth when you are too tall when you drive under them???? I think the ceiling got shorter and shorter the higher up we went, so we parked on the bottom floor.

The next morning was glorious.....  the boys were headed to the beach after losing 2 ballgames!  Yay!  What a reward for playing hard!  This view NEVER gets old waking up to.

With boogie boards in tow, we hit the beach.

Deep conversations between the 5 year olds..... when they aren't fighting, they have lots of fun together.  Though I must say, I would LOVE to be a fly on the wall and hear some of these convos!!!!

The guys finally got there and our vacation began...... This was the first really long vacation that we have gone on as a family.  I grew up taking vacations, and I love the memories that I have from those trips.  Vacations, whether you take a STAYcation at home, or travel should be a priority.  Building memories.  My kids will remember this trip for a lifetime.  We decided to go high rise condo instead of the original plan of finding a house with a private beach!  What a great choice!!!  We loved our condo.  It was just big enough for both families.  Plenty enough privacy, though one more bedroom would have been nice.  The price reasonable and the WEATHER WAS UNBELIEVEABLE!  We watched the forecast with great fear that our vacation was going to be a bust.  Not so much a bust for me because I could get used to heading to shop when it rained, but the kids would have been bored..... Heres what all the chances of rain looked like....

Give me this weather ANY day!!  This is how it looked ALL week.  One thunderstorm passed through in the evening, but that was it!

So, to sum it all up..... we cooked in the condo, grilled on the grill, had a shrimp boil that was fantastic--- THANK YOU SHANE!!  We went to the waterpark for a break from the beach, we enjoyed the condo pool parties, we layed by the beach, layed by the pool, sat on the balcony, rode go karts, and ate at great restaurants. 

One of the greatest things about our trip was making some new friends.  The Parettes had friends coming that same week, Shane and Mandy.  Don't you love when new friends feel like old friends????  What a sweet family!!!!  We are already looking forward to next year!

Madison fell in LOVE with Luke and she and Katelyn got along great!! 



And of course there was "Beach picture night"  I am sure everyone recognized the cliche when all 3 families dressed in white and khaki walked onto the beach.  I suppose it never crossed my mind that once you sit sideways in the sad, the sand would stick to my legs.  I guess it never crossed my mind that the little kids would want to LAY in the sand before pics and jump in the water in their good clothes.  My alter personality arouses when it is family picture time.  Others seem so calm.  I feel ready to EXPLODE!!!  Doesn't Jon Robert know that I want this picture size 16x20 in my living room?????  Doesn't Micah know that you can't slouch in a picture????  Doesn't my family know that I am aiming for professional just don't want to pay for it???? ha!  They turned out great!  I have a gorgeous family.  I laugh at the end of the photo session because JR is just rebelling against the camera.  The sand that has creeped in his underwear after LAYING in the sand has him in a fit.  I threatened his life to smile..... that didn't work.... so I moved on to the next best thing..... NO shark tooth necklace if he didn't smile.  NO souvenirs..... that didn't work.  So I resorted to the bribe of what he WILL get.  Yes, bad VERY bad parenting skills.... that WORKED!  So he stopped fussing and through frowning he was still gorgeous.  I did go get him some new shorts after stomping my way to the car.  I am sure the people that saw him trailing behind me are not going to vote me Mom of the Year.  But, I settled down, he said "sorry mom.  I had sand in my underwear."  His face had sorry written all over it, so I calmed down.  The beach pictures were a success and a great dinner at Margaritaville was LOTS of fun. 

After the beach pics we went to Margaritaville.... NO I didn't take the kids to a bar, it is a FUN family restaurant..... The kids had so much fun getting balloon hats from a pirate on stilts and the whole restaurant singing Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville while standing up and on chairs.  Gauge and Madison had the lost shakers of salt and they thought that was fun!



  I don't have anything witty or an amusing story..... I keep trying to remember something.  I guess the overall theme of this amazing week was good friends and good memories.  I take for granted sometimes all of the many blessings I have in my life.  I get down when friends come and go, I focus on too little money, or thinking about the kids growing up.  Then I remember how God has blessed my life beyond measure.  I truly have immeasureably more than I can ask or imagine in this life. I am so thankful so my great friends and family.

If you count Nathan and Matt entering a hoola hoop contest as a witty story, you have your witty story!!!!  LAUGH.OUT.LOUD!!!!  I LOVE that Nathan will try and do ANYTHING without shame.  He and Matt had fun.... that's all that matters, right????  Hilarious!



Jon Robert was SO sad when everyone except him got to do the really big, really fun go kart track.  But was so excited when he could do this by himself.  He started off LAST place and put the pedal down and beat everybody.  It was so funny.  Granted, I am PRETTY sure that the workers put him in the fastest car against all the bigger kids, but I won't tell him that.... I guess he will eventually find out if he reads this blog someday!  :)  YOU were the best Jon Robert!  :)  That car didn't mean a thing! 

Matt's sand castle on the last day..... very impressive!

GOOD-BYE PANAMA CITY!!!  SEE YA NEXT YEAR!!!!!!