Birthday party for Maddox

Maddox turned four a few days ago, and since Tony has him this weekend we had our own birthday celebration for him tonight. He was so excited when he came home from the pool with Brian and Erin to see a birthday cake and lots of presents waiting for him.

I feel bad because I didn't have time to make a birthday cake for him. I always make homemade birthday cakes for my family.

These two of Maddox with his cake are dark, but I still love his expression in the one of Tony lighting the candles, and have to laugh at the one of him with his head down while we sang to him.

When he's here he is always riding Erin's scooter, so I got him one of his own. He was so excited.

Play-Doh!!!

Sean and one of his best friends, Taylor. She came over (lives a few houses down from us) to have cake with us.

Riding his new scooter in the house.

Game #2

After being down 1-9 the Angels came back and won 11-9! Bren had an awesome double, and played great despite the heat (it was 99º today-unusually hot for us).

Erin had a blast dancing and singing to Taylor Swift on the way home (we have a convertible Volvo for our rental while my BMW is having service this weekend), and after the heat during the game Sean enjoyed the breeze, too.

Four at once

A mouth full of missing (4) teeth. This makes 6 total lost so far, but having four at once seems like a lot missing.

A gift

I got a package from Pam today (see below). Included with the two gifts was a note that made me cry, and reminded me of how blessed I am to have her in my life. It took me 32 years of my life to find a friend like her, but it was worth the wait.

Thank you, Pam. I love you.

Back to baseball

First game of the season, and they beat the highest rated team in the district 12-3! Brendan had three amazing hits, and earned four RBI's. He advanced to the Juniors this year (t-ball, A, AA, AAA, Majors, Juniors, and Seniors from youngest/least experienced to oldest/most experienced). It's a larger field, and much more strict guidelines for play. He loves it.

This ball was GONE!

I'm so happy that baseball is back. I love watching my boy play.

Sean in the bleachers watching his brother play.

Jaguars vs. Colts

Love to see the Jaguars play (no matter how good or bad they are), and I am so excited that Pam is coming down to go to the Jaguars vs. Colts game with me on Thursday, December 17th! We were planning a trip in January, but decided to bump it up a bit so that we can watch our respective teams (yeah, she's a Colts fan) play one another in Jacksonville. I'm so excited! I get to spend four days with her just the week before Christmas...that's all the Christmas I need this year!

Lazy day

Erin and I were both home alone today, and she spent the entire day writing a story or doing this:

She had two chairs pushed together in front of the sliding glass door to make a bed so that she was "comfy" while she read. Love this girl.

Catching up

I'll have more to post soon, but for now I'm just trying to catch up in school, help the boys catch up (they each stayed home with me for three days last week), and continue to recover.

Be back soon.

Oh my aching back

In 2005 I herniated two of my lumbar vertebrate, underwent spinal decompression, and have been just fine for the past four years. Just over a week ago I lifted a box, and apparently completely ruptured one of those two disks. I'm unable to sit, stand or walk. I have five prescriptions to try to relieve some of the pain, swelling, etc. until later this week. I'll be having back surgery on Thursday or Friday (I'll know after I meet with the surgeon on Thursday).

So I'll be right here in my bed where I've been for two days now. I'll be here studying and reading so that I don't get behind in my classes, and then I'll be back in my regular routine on Monday.

My cool girl

We were out with Sean and his two best friends, Aspen and Taylor, looking for Jonas Brothers stuff, and Erin tried on this hat. Love this picture.

School days

Everyone here is back in school. We all started back yesterday, and it was a great day. I have six classes this semester, Sean is in high school (9th grade), Brendan in middle school (7th grade), and Erin is in 1st grade. This is the first time that all three of my kiddos have been in separate schools, although the middle and high schools are on the same campus (less than 2 miles from our house).

Sean is in all honors courses, Brendan has committed to himself to make straight A's "at least one quarter this year", and Erin will undoubtedly excel as she always does. She is actually being tested this week to try and determine a course of action/education plan that will be able to challenge her, and keep her challenged.

So we are back to our routines, and excited about the adventures that the next few months will bring.

Anah Belle

I took this picture of Anah about a year ago, and just found it in iPhoto. It's so cute, and so indicative of the way that she likes to sleep with her head on the pillow. Doesn't she look comfortable?

Blonde Sean

Yep, he's "expressing" himself. Love the teenage years.

School

First day of school last year,

and first day of school this year.

Love my sweet girl.

Erin

Sunset

I took these two pictures from our balcony the last night we were at the condo. Both were taken as the sun was setting.

Home

We're home, we've unpacked, and already been out and about. The boys both had school registration this afternoon (7th and 9th grade), and I had to go get my annual TB shot (required to work in the hospital), so we were up at their schools within an hour of getting home.

It was so nice to be away from here. I loved being with my kiddos, and spending the relaxing time with them. We all go back to school on Monday so it is quickly going to become the chaos that I know and love. Add into that the fact that we have to start looking for new homes, and we are in for a good time.

Day #4 at the beach

Our last full day here. We check out of the condo tomorrow morning, and head back home (a whole 35 minutes north).

Last night Erin sorted all of her shells on the dining room table. She absolutely loves finding and collecting shells. She also loves (as I've already mentioned) snuggling with her Uncle Tony. They spent some time laying together in the recliner this morning.

This afternoon we were out on the beach, and we noticed a huge storm about 30 miles out in the Gulf. If you look at the right hand side of the picture below you can see the beginning of a water spout that formed as we watched. It almost got completely down to the water before it broke up.

Brendan doing some more snorkeling. He and Tony found another 10 sand dollars.

Bren with a live conch. We threw all of them back.

Erin and Zaye.

We found a small sea star that was regenerating one of its appendages. He was alive so we let him go.

The Jonas Brothers are here in concert (Tampa) tomorrow night, and they are staying at a hotel just two blocks from our condo. We saw their tour bus parked in front of the hotel so Erin and I walked down there to get a picture.

And finally another swim in the pool.

Day #3 at the beach

With the tropical storm nearby the morning started off extremely windy and gray, but still beautiful. Earlier this afternoon I spent a bit of time with Zaye, Bren and Erin in the jacuzzi and pool.

Later in the afternoon while the boys went with Papa, Tony, Erin and I watched tv for a little bit (and just relaxed). Erin LOVES her Uncle Tony, and she especially loves snuggling with him every chance she can.

This evening Tony, Zaye and I went for a walk down the beach for a couple of hours, looking for shells and sharks teeth. Brendan and Erin joined us on our way back.