Spring Break Beach Photos

Santa Rosa Beach 2010
My little boy is now a young man....

Love her hands and starfish! I bought the sweet little pearl bracelet at Crewcuts just for these photos.

It worked I loved shooting these right before sunset, such a warm look to them. My sweet man before he became injured!
My updated photo of my little darlings on the beach hand in hand. We never take photos of ourselves, I wish my cute little haircut would have cooperated, my hair turns super curly in a few minutes when we are near the salt water, this is all I could do with it while we were there.
I have always wanted a picture like this, I think I am going to get a big one made up of this one.
I am addicted to kissing cheeks, I just had to take this one!

We got home last week from a gorgeous vacation and I took a gazillion photos while we were there! I will try to keep my photos at a reasonable amount but expect my next few posts to be all about our trip! We had a wonderful time up until the last hour when Mark started to load up our car and pullled his back out badly, so mom and I came to the rescue and finished packing and did the driving. We had planned a stop over in Nashville but bless Mark's heart he just wanted to get to a hospital, so I visited the lovely Vanderbilt University ER and got him some good drugs to keep him comfortable for the rest of the 8 hour drive. ( And to knock him out so he could not complain about my driving!). Bless my mom's heart, I think we talked about every topic under the sun to keep me awake! I know every area of Europe that they visited and stayed while Dad was in the service. We also stopped by the Grand Ole Opry for a few pictures and had just enough time to run in and grab Myah a little red cowboy hat that says Grand Ole Opry on it, she has lived in since we bought it, she even wore it into the ER and every gas station that we visited on the way home. Our trip was fabulous and was filled with lots of laughs, great friends, old and new, and gorgeous weather.

I am so anxious to edit these photos but I just have not had time this week and wanted to post them so you could enjoy them! It is good to be home but I would love to go back tomorrow!

** I have had a few of you ask about Myah's dress, I got very lucky and found it at Old Navy Outlet the week before we left for $8 on clearance!! Her headband was made by my talented sister Melanie and her pearl bracelet was from CrewCuts (J Crew kids) for $10****

Heavy Hearts

Photos of Chippy courtesy of Special Olympics.

I really feel like my blog is becoming one big obituary notice lately, and frankly, enough is enough. My heart cannot take much more sadness. My Aunt Mary and Cousin Tammy read my blog faithfully, they are my biggest blog fans without a doubt. Aunt Mary used to print off my blog pages and take them to my Grandma who did not have internet access, she is so sweet that way. My heart goes out to them and their immediate family this week, my cousin Johnny's son Johnny Jr. passed away suddenly at school on Monday. He was 14 years old, the same age as my Dayton. My Aunt Mary just lost her sister (my grandma) 2 weeks ago and now she has lost her grandson. Little Johnny (Chippy) was involved in the special olympics, they did a very nice tribute to him on their website this week. Chippy's visitation is today and his funeral is tomorrow, would you please hold this family up in your prayers, I know it will be very difficult for everyone. My heart is so heavy lately, so much tragedy. On Sunday we are going to spread my Dad's ashes in his favorite places, I am preparing myself for an emotional weekend. I am loving the new song by Mat Kearney, Closer to Love, I feel like it is my theme song for my life right now. We all are one phone call away from hitting our knees. I feel like every time the phone rings lately it is with more bad news. I am trying to see the good in all of this, I know our loved ones are in a much better place, I am so thankful that I have that comfort.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Mom turns 62 today! She is just the sweetest person I know! I know that it will be hard for her today, her first with Dad gone, but she will keep on smiling the way she always does. She is my inspiration and my best friend. The kids think she is an awesome Grandma as well. Happy Birthday Mom! We love you!

Way Behind!

Baseball, baseball, baseball.

Dayton's job shadow day.
Dayton's class on the Capital steps in D.C. We didn't know it but at this exact moment a small plane was flying over this area and was being escorted by military jets and helicopters, the Capital was being evacuated for fear that this plane meant trouble. Glad I didn't know until afterwards.

Our monthly girls night out at Olive Garden. I didn't get the whole group. Our friend Jeanne (the red head) had a grease fire at her house and had nothing but a sweatshirt and capris to wear so we surprised her and all wore sweats, it was fun and she loved it!
My good buddies Linda, me and Kym.

Kortney's prom, so pretty!
Kortney is my youngest cousin, she graduates this weekend and also turns 18!

Dayton's birthday dinner at Rainforest Cafe with Myah and Brandon. We embarrassed him by having a Volcano dessert sent over, it was hilarious!

I will try to give a shorthand version of what has been keeping us busy!

-Dayton has been working on his huge portfolio project, just this morning it was turned in! We have been working on this since November. Whew!

-Myah is in an instructional soccer class, she loves it but really likes to hang out in the goal area!

-Dayton's baseball games have finally started, the weather plus the D.C. trip were the reason for the delay.

- I have been going to the chiropractor for my back and am seeing great results, I am so grateful to get relief from pain!

-My energy is coming back and I am trying to get caught up on things around the house. Things have been piling up and I need to weed out big time!

-Mother's Day I was up at 5:45 for a baseball game at 8 am! I made a tray of chocolate covered strawberries and croissants and o.j. for the moms! Spent the day working on Dayton's project, fun times!

-The kids allergies are terrible right now, I love that we are in full bloom right now but it is not fun for my family.

-My cousin Kortney had her senior prom and I went and took a few pictures, Myah loved seeing all of the pretty girls and Dayton thought the girls were "hot".

-The orthodontist told us this morning that Dayton's teeth are looking great and maybe after the next visit we will talk about removing his braces! Yippee!

-Myah's dance class is over and the recital is this weekend, it should be crazy, Dayton has a tournament this weekend too!

-School will be out in less than a month. Wow, high school is on the horizon!

-Dayton had to job shadow for a day, last week he rode along with one of Mark's officers all day, he had a fun time and I think he had a few eye opening moments. He was excited because he had to be 14 in order to ride along and he had just turned 14 a few days prior. He said he was amazed at all of the people who don't wear their seatbelts. Funny, I feel naked without mine on I can't imagine riding around without it on. He still wants to be an anesthesiologist but a police officer is in his top 5.

-Mark started working days again, we are trying to adjust once more but hopefully he will be on this shift for a few years.

Well, that is about it for now, we are super busy but I like it that way. Keeps us out of trouble! Ha ha!

Lion King, Snow Joke and Go Spartans

Yesterday Myah and I joined my sister and the girls at the Lion King Broadway production. Mel had bought us the tickets for Christmas. It was so beautiful and we had a super nice time. We cracked up when Mel took the girls to the potty during the show and as soon as she got up a huge "heard" of animals came running down the aisles so she had to duck into an aisle and almost into a womans lap. And we also lost our cars in the parking ramp, literally. We were like the last people to find our cars. But we were on the campus of MSU so it was exciting being there! Thanks Mel for the best gift!

Today starts spring break, did you hear me? Spring Break, not winter break and this is what I woke up to 6" of fresh fallen snow! YUK!! I am already having a hard time with not going anywhere warm for the break but pl-ease!
Myah has been wearing her head and wristbands from the final four games since we got it, she puts it on herself so I just had to share her "spirit" wear with all of you! She is really hoping that MSU wins tonight!!

Final Four Festivities!!! Go MSU!!!

Here we are outside of Hoop CityHere is Miss Myah decked out in her head and wristbands with her new basketball.

Building her little baskeball hoop, being ever so careful.
Dayton Myah and me at the huge pep rally.

At the pep rally Sparty or "Smarty" as Myah calls him, is revving up the crowd! Would you believe my cousin is married to a man who actually was "Sparty" at MSU!

On the riverfront, Detroit was very festive!

The Ren Cen was bustling with activity, this is the headquarters for General Motors, it was nice to see happy times here, it surely is a bad time for Motor City.

The big bracket!

On the roof of Chelis the MSU fans had taken over!

Here is Ford Field where they broke a NCAA record last night for game attendance, 75,00 fans packed the stadium, mostly wearing green and white! What a great time to be a Michigander!

Here is the team headed to the stadium, not a very good picture but it is all I could get!

We spent the day in downtown Detroit taking in all the festivities. We never have tickets to get into any of the big events that come to Detroit but we sure enjoy walking around the city and enjoy all of the activities that the events bring in. Yesterday we went to Cobo where "Hoop City" was going on. The kids had a great time and got lots of little trinkets from the NCAA for participating. Myah got to build a really cute little wooden basketball hoop from Lowes, she got to keep her goggles and apron and even as I type, she is wearing them. She also would not take off her Final Four headband and wristbands. The news even taped her on top of Mark's shoulders dancing while MSU was on the stage during the Pep Rally with all of the Final Four teams. The weather was perfect and we walked along the riverfront, it was great to see so many people wearing green and white! The fact that MSU is in the final game for the championship is the cherry on top, being that the games are in Detroit, I kind of felt bad for the other teams because they were swarmed by green and white, ok, I felt bad for like half a second!!! We left just in time to get home to watch the game! Probably the coolest part of the day was as we were leaving Detroit, we were amazed at the amount of traffic backed up trying to get into the city, we were glad we were headed out, we saw several emergency vehicles and noticed that they were escorting three MSU team busses headed to Ford Field for the game! So exciting! We were biting our nails during the game and were so excited that they won! We have a friendly competition going on in our household, we always fill out our brackets when the tournaments begin for March Madness, I being the huge basketball fan (yeah right) that I am always pretty much guess at who is going to win, and to my family's dismay, I usually do pretty good. This year I am dead on, I picked MSU and NC to go into the finals and of course I picked MSU to win! Duh! I blew my boys out of the water! They are cracking up and just roll their eyes when I rub it in a little bit! Hee hee! Mark says I probably could have won some major money if I had entered a pool but I am not a gambling woman so I just settle for the title of the winner in my household! Now tomorrow night is the final game and we are supposed to get snow, yes snow, like 6 inches, hellloooo, it is spring break and we are gettting snow?!!! Yuk!! So hopefully the crowds will still come out to support our Spartans! Mark has a friend with "connections" so he may be getting in to the game, we are not sure just yet but that would be wonderful if he could be there! Go Spartans!!! Go green, go white!!! All the way!

Dayton's Last Basketball Game

This is not the best quality picture but it is the first one of our family without Dad taken after D's game. Still doesn't seem real.

On Saturday my family came down for Dayton's last basketball game. He was so excited to have family come and watch him. The season started the weekend that my Dad passed away so we have missed a few games and practices but it was good for him and us to have something to keep us social during these long winter months. We love seeing all of our friends each week. My mom, sister and her family came down so I made dinner for all of them afterwards. It was the first time that my family has been down to my house minus my Dad. It was sad I will admit, he would have loved to watch Dayton play. There have been alot of firsts and I know this is only the beginning.

Next on the calendar is baseball, we have our first outdoor practice next week, can you say brrrrrr! And Miss Myah is now signed up for an instructional soccer team. She is very excited!

Praying for a Special Mission

My sister in law Lora and my niece Rachel are leaving on Monday for a mission trip to Uganda, Africa for 2 weeks. They are going to be volunteering at the Amani Baby Cottage, taking care of the babies and toddlers at the orphanage. Many of the babies were abandoned as infants or their parents have died from AIDS. This is their first mission trip and although they are very eager to get there they still have some fears. Please keep them in your prayers as they travel, Rachel is 14 years old and has a heart for missions, she wants to be a missionary when she grows up, I have to say I think this is a pretty "grown up" thing to do. For a while she was sleeping on a cot in her room to get herself used to living without luxuries. God is sure working through that young lady. I cannot wait to hear about their trip and see how their lives will be changed. Lora showed me some very special videos by going on You Tu*be and searching Amani Baby Cottage. So sweet! It is a very remote area in Uganda, the airport is only 45 minutes from the Cottage but it is 3 hours by car because the roads and terrain are so bad. Please pray for their health, safety and travel as they carry out God's work.