Update

Wednesday was the last day of second grade for Samuel and as we walked down the halls of Northport Elementary I had tears in my eyes. Third grade already? For some reason third grade just seems so "big" and I can't believe we are there. I very distinctly remember my third grade school year. I remember it being a tough year academically but I also remember experiencing a lot of difficult growing pains. I also remember my teacher, Ms. May, who I would have sworn was 80 years old then but just recently retired so I guess she really wasn't that old. But boy was she GRUMPY! I pray that Samuel's third grade experience will be better and he will have lots of wonderful memories to reflect upon when he is my age. So far we have been SO wonderfully blessed with teachers. Case in point... just last night, the first night of summer vacation, I walk into the bathroom where Samuel is taking his bath, and he is just boo-hooing. I asked what in the world was wrong and he said that he missed Mrs. Sparks already. He went on to say that he didn't even want to think about a whole summer of no school and not getting to see her every day. I love it! And, I remember tears and similar conversations after kindergarten and first grade. He has LOVED his teachers which has turned into a love for school in general. I feel I should pass last nights conversation on to Mrs. Sparks who has obviously meant so much to our son for the past 10 months. Baseball - Well, the regular season is over and Samuel's team, the Pirates, came in 1st place with only ONE loss the entire season. How exciting is that? AND, we are in the final 2 days of tournament and have not lost a game yet. If they win tonight at 5:30 they will play in the championship game tomorrow. It was been a great season not only because of the winning but because we have a great group of boys and parents. We have all enjoyed it soooo much and are so proud of our boys for always rising to the occasion and for always conducting themselves like true winners. They are an awesome group of 8 year old boys. So, I will update on how the tournament turns out after tomorrow. Go Pirates! John Michael will be two in less than a month now! I can't believe that my baby is turning two just as much as I can't believe Samuel will soon be turning nine. They are growing up tooo fast. The saying "the days are long but the years are short" is so true. He is moving up to the two-year/toddler classroom this summer. I think he will enjoy this class even more because of the structure and the level of activities he will be able to participate in. He is so smart and is a constant source of entertainment around our house. And, boy does he keep us on our toes! He loves going to the ballpark. Only problem is, he thinks he should be playing baseball too! Forget that stroller, he is NOT keeping his little bottom in there. SO after depleting all of the snacks, drinks, and whatever other tricks I can muster, I chase him around while trying to watch as much of the game as possible. Joseph is the official "book-keeper" for our team so it's up to me to do the chasing. Oh well, it's all part of the fun! We are planning an "Old Macdonald" themed birthday party for John Michael. He loves all things related to the farm. Particularly horses, cows, tractors, and most anything else so it is the perfect choice for his 2nd birthday party. I love planning birthday partys especially at this age. We actually did this same theme for Samuel's 2nd birthday and it was one of my favorites. I can't wait - He is going to love it! More Later...

Update

Well the camping trip was a huge success. In Samuel's words... IT WAS AWE-SOME! And according to his buddies parents, that was the same reaction they got. Despite the 38 degree overnight temperature, there were no complaints from any of the boys. Thanks Joseph! Memories they will never forget! Meanwhile, John Michael & I spent a nice weekend at my parents with my sisters and their kids. John Michael got lots of love and attention since he is the only "baby" in the family now. We hid easter eggs, played outside, blew bubbles and more bubbles which is a current favorite pasttime. Samuel and Joseph even made it downtown to see the Blue Angels on Saturday afternoon, even though they were dead tired, and I'm so glad they did since the show was cancelled on Sunday. They were really impressed and Samuel can't wait until they come back. One more school day until Spring Break! We are looking forward to doing some fun things around town. Some things we have in mind are a movie for Samuel and myself, library story time with John Michael, visiting the park and CHOM, and even a lunch picnic with dad. Of course there will be ballgames which we always enjoy! OH... something I am really looking forward to for myself is attending "My Monet" with my good friend Karen on Thursday night. I am so excited about that!

Camping Trip

Samuel is so glad that today has finally arrived. For about three weeks now, he and his dad have been planning an overnight camping trip. This afternoon around 3:00 Samuel, his dad, and four of his buddies are headed to Fayette County to the Jennings hunting land/family farm to begin their camping adventure. I can't even begin to describe how excited Samuel has been about this. They have been making lists, making plans, shopping, and getting things ready for this trip for days and the anticipation has just been building with excitement. The plans are to hike, fish, play in the crystal clear creek that runs through the property, build a campfire, and of course sleep outside in a tent. They will be cooking dinner tonight and breakfast in the morning over a campfire including monkey bread and bacon and eggs. In the morning after breakfast the plan is to hike to the top of a "mountain" (hill) and have a devotional centered around friendships. Yes, Joseph is quite the outdoorsman and I have to give him complete credit for all of this. Of course there will be all kinds of other spontanious "boy stuff" going on and I'm sure, without a doubt, there will not be a clean article of clothing coming home with them tomorrow afternoon. I pray they are all safe and no emergency room trips are necessary. Otherwise, I hope they have a great time! Meanwhile, John Michael and I are heading to Winfield to my mom and dad's to enjoy some time with my family. We will also enjoy a nice warm bed to sleep in tonight while the big boys are enjoying the great outdoors. More on the trip next week.....

Baseball has Begun

Go Pirates!! Baseball has begun with the Jamboree taking place this past Saturday. Samuel is on the Pirates team this season and their colors are black and gold. The fun thing about this is, my highschool was/is the pirates and our colors were also black and gold. Lots of good memories of cheering for the Pirates so this will be a fun season if nothing else for that reason. However, we have high hopes for a really good season for this little team. They looked really good at their first game this weekend and beat what was expected to be the best team 12 - 3. They were so excited! We are all excited actually about this upcoming season and we are looking forward to a great time. I'm taking bets on how long it will take for John Michael to actually flip over the railing down about 5 feet to the ground below. Way too much excitement down in the dugout that he just wants to be a part of! We will keep you posted on that and on how the Pirates are doing!

Snow Much Fun

What a fun day! Sledding, snow ball fights, snowman building, hot coffee, and just a lot of fun! We even made Snow Cream! And it was really good... Thanks Joseph!