EIGHT is GREAT...Part 3

Spend your Dollar City! Woo hoo! We hadn't been in so long! It was just five of us and we had a blast! Sheridan screamed and screamed on the biggest roller coasters...and then turned and said "That was AWESOME!" She loved the water rides and we rode everything and tasted everything in the park! HUGE SUCCESS!

EIGHT is GREAT... Part 2

The main event on Sheridan's actual Bday was that I invited two of her closest friends over for the day. She didn't know they were coming after church...and that made it even more fun! These are two sweet and fun girls and they exclaimed over their FRIENDSHIP SHIRTS. (so funny, they came up with that name!)

Activities included swimming, hamburgers for lunch on the patio, a quick gift opening from Ryan (before he headed off to Boy's State), chocolate dipping dessert (BIG HIT), trampoline time, and lots of laughter. It was a BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY and a wonderful way to celebrate Sheridan's birthday!

Sheridan had thought about having a chocolate themed party for a few months. I don't have a fondue pot (nor do they sell those in my small town), I didn't want to splurge on a chocolate fountain, and so we simply melted almond bark in small bowls and let them dip to their hearts' content! Strawberries, pretzel rods, graham crackers, wafer cookies and grapes were dipped, as well as a few fingers for good measure. It was fun!

EIGHT is GREAT

We had a little fun this morning with her first two gifts before church. The first was a great outfit she could wear to church from Grandma and Grandpa. The second was a clue that led to 3 more clues, that led to a note that told her we were going to Silver Dollar City for her birthday tomorrow!

We haven't been to SDC in about 6 years. The only time Sheridan has gone, she was in a stroller. We aimed to correct this obvious oversight and get her to an amusement park! We used to take the kiddos when they were little...but competitve baseball, band camps, and other things have kept us away...tomorrow it is Sheridan's turn! Richard will take Ryan to Boy's State today in Conway. He won't be with us, bummer.

Last weeks of school

Erin and Sydney at the LAST band concert for Erin. She has decided not to be in band anymore. We have talked about it at length and the truth is, she doesn't enjoy it at all. She has so many other things that she likes ("LOOOVVEEESS") and so it's a wise choice for her to pursue the things she excels and enjoys. We have no doubt music will be a huge part of her life, so we're not worried about her giving that up!

Junior High Talent Show: She sang Francesca Battistelli's "This is the Stuff" and did an excellent job! Ryan and Lauren were both able to come over to the fine arts center and I checked Sheridan out of school to watch. (Small town living at it's best) WOW! we were all highly impressed and proud.

LOVE these two college girls, Melody on the ukulele and Naima on the acoustic guitar. These girls accompanied her and it was really good! She didn't "win" but she was great!

Last year we were in Hawaii when Erin was in her first CJH talent show. Our teacher friend kept us up to date. It was a good memory, and yet I was so glad to be there in person to clap this year!

I was the class leader during Sheridan's WATER DAY! It's a really fun day where the kids are encouraged to wear clothes to get wet in, and there are lots of parent volunteers to oversee the 11 stations of games. What makes water day so fun is that it is typically SO HOT during the last days of May. Unfortunately, it was about 48 on our water day and chilly! The kids shivered their way through the games and it was still fun!


Other events the last two weeks of school:
High School Choir Concert - Ryan
Junior High Choir Concert - Erin
State Soccer Tournament - Lauren
Try Outs for American Legion Baseball - Ryan
Softball games - Sheridan
CHS graduation - Ryan & Lauren
Band trip to Magic Springs - Erin
Choir trip to Branson - Ryan
Boy's State - Ryan
AND...a tornado came through our town.

Time

Friday night Ryan was an usher for the high school graduation. Next year he'll be graduating. I'm not sure if we're ready for the next 12 months.

Thinking a lot

Yesterday I had my first mammogram. The dr has encouraged me to do this since I became 40, however, if I didn't think about it, I didn't feel too bad about not following her directive.

Two weeks ago my cousin was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her mother, my only aunt, is a breast cancer survivor and as close as we are by blood, I just always assumed cancer was on "their" side of the family.

Kayren's diagnosis made me call for my appointment. Yesterday, while I was at the hospital, Kayren was having the lymph nodes removed. The tests will tell us more. Kayren will have to do radiation. She is the mother of 4, a homeschooler and very involved in her church. Her husband is retired military and they have settled in Michigan.

I've been melancholy for the last 48 hours. I don't know if it's because I was nervous about my appointment, or if I'm just having a melancholy day. I don't much like growing up sometimes. My teens are making some huge decisions about their summer and their senior and junior years in school and it seems like time is moving pretty quickly.

Help me Lord to number my days and not miss Your opportunities.

Wordless Wednesday

Pine Sol

I am so not enjoying the packing and cleaning part of selling our house. I'm trying to expose baseboards and carpet space and we've manipulated every room for 15 years making the most of those two things with crates, baskets and cute plastic tubs!

The realtors are touring this morning. My prayer evolved this week into "Please let us sell as fast as possible so I won't have to clean like this every time someone comes to look at the house!" Call me selfish, but 6 of us live here, spit toothpaste in the sinks and have dirty clothes. There are always some crumbs under the table and grass is tracked in at the least twice a day when the dogs are fed.

I am venting. So sorry for those of you who actually read this and aren't my mother (who might have stopped after the first whiny paragraph).

I have a home, Pine Sol, Comet for the tubs, a mop and a pretty power-washed deck to enjoy. I need to keep the children who don't have any of that in the front of my mind.

Mother's Day

Last year I was in a plane on Mother's Day...headed to Hawaii. This year, after several color-full Mother's Day cards from Sheridan, a mushy note from Richard and a jewelry gift...I took a gloriously long Sunday nap at home.




For dinner we drove to Conway to meet up with Richard's sisters and their families to treat Mimi. The long wait at Marketplace Grill was worth it. Oh, how I enjoy good food!




Mimi treated me to some beautiful striped petunias. She used to give me flowers every mother's day because she knew I loved them, and wouldn't buy them for myself. I planted them today in my front-door pots.