Updates

Got my computer and printer fixed!  Actually had to get a new printer, but it is really COOL!  All that to say, I uploaded all my pics and have added quite a few new blog entries!  Be sure to scroll down thru June to catch-up on our wild and crazy summer fun!

Welcome Home

Well, kinda...we closed on our new-house-to-be this afternoon.  We are excited to begin this journey.  It will be a great location-close to JMs work and the kids schools-and a great friendly neighborhood!  The house will undergo quite a transformation before we move in so I went over today to take some BEFORE pics.  The kids went to see the house in May.  They quickly picked out their bedrooms, but we kept telling them that things would change before we moved into the house.  We are going to be adding on a master suite and a breakfast area downstairs, demolishing the current carports in the back to create a large open backyard with a pool,  and then we are finishing out the upstairs area with another bedroom, bathroom and media room.  Can you believe that where you see the beautiful dormer windows it is actually unfinished attic space?  It is a huge area that will double the upstairs space!  This should keep me busy over the next school year!!!  We have been meeting with an architect over the last month.  Hopefully we will have our schematic plan finished this month.  Then we can move on to the next phase!

JM just looked at the posting and said I should start taking pics for the realtors because my pics make this kitchen look really good! All of you who have actually seen this house in person know just how BAD it really is!!! Tricky, tricky, tricky --leave out the other half of the kitchen where the microwave is hanging by a thread and strange walls jut out to hide the refrig! In my pics the living area even looks good. The trick is to leave out the wall where the drywall has big holes and the molding is falling down and the 70s light fixtures mounted to the wall! Ahhhh...

At the Lake

We went back out to the lake this weekend.  I had to meet an A/C repairman on Friday afternoon, so we decided to just stay the weekend.  We had a great time as always.

  

Dad took Lyndsey for an early morning kayak ride.  JM said she was a slave driver!  Every time he slowed down to just rest a few minutes, she would quickly yell "faster, Daddy, faster"!

Lyndsey took her swimming lessons to a new level this weekend.  While the big kids were swimming in the middle of the lake, Lyndsey stood up and jumped into the water.  She had a blast swimming around with the big kids.  She will not be left behind!!

On Saturday evening, JM took us on a sunset boat ride!  It was beautiful, relaxing and not too hot!  

We finished off the evening by roasting marshmallows over the fire and making s'mores!  Of course, Lyndsey had to roast her own marshmallow!  That was scary!!!

A good laugh...

I know it has been a while but we have been very busy!  We are having computer difficulties so I can not upload any pics from our recent excursions.  I have a computer geek coming out in the morning, so I hope he fixes all our issues!!!!  Meanwhile, I just have one funny from last week to share.

On the day following the death of Michael Jackson, Tyler came downstairs and said "Mom, why are they making such a big deal about MJ's death.  Did anybody really like him?"

Me:  Well...yes he sang really good.  I remember enjoying quite a few of his songs when I was younger.  He used to be really cool and normal!  He just made a lot of bad decisions over the last few years.

Tyler:  Mom, he is a white man who thinks he is black.  

That is where I started laughing, and Tyler did not get it!  I tried to explain that things are not always how they appear!!!  When one of the many shows recapping MJs life was on this weekend, we made a point of showing Tyler videos of MJ in his younger days!  Tyler was shocked!  We enjoyed hearing the music from the past and exposing the kids to the MOONWALK!!!

Team Vaughn Forest Basketball Camp

Tyler, Corynne and Lauren attended the first ever Team Vaughn Forest Basketball Camp at our church this week.  They all had a great time.  Tyler received the offensive award for his age group.  Imagine that!  His coach loved his competitive spirit and drive to WIN!  Corynne was actually the only girl on her team, but I did not even hear about that until closing ceremony.  Why did she not mention that to me? Hmmmm...  Her coach praised her on how well she hung with the boys and was so tough!  Lauren had so much fun, made a few new friends, and improved her dribbling!  It was a great week for all

Swim lessons

This week the girls are taking swim lessons in the afternoon.  Lauren and Corynne are in one class perfecting their strokes and diving, and Lyndsey is in her own class learning all about swimming!  

This was actually Lyndsey's first time in a pool without some type of floatation devise.  She was so excited to be a big girl!  She started off the week a little timid.   At one point, she refused to get back in the pool when Mrs. Karen started taking kids down to the big diving board.  I really thought that Mrs. Karen had met her match.  Then Lyndsey said okay, got back in the pool, and actually went down to the diving board.  WOW!  How did she do that????  On the first jump, she required Mrs. Karen to hold her hand.  By the 3rd day, Lyndsey was jumping off by herself and making her way to the stairs (tredding water not really swimming yet)!  She did awesome, and we are all so proud of her!

Happy Father's Day!

We celebrated Father's Day at the lake with JM's birthday/father's day/anniversary/christmas gift 2009!  If you don't understand, that gift was a boat!!!  JM actually took off Thursday-Sunday.  We went to B'ham on Thursday to take Corynne to the ENT for a follow-up.  Afterwards, we braved the heat and went to the zoo.  We had a great time!  Then on Friday, we went to the McWane Science Center!  It was 4 stories of FUN!  By Friday night, the parents were exhausted!!  Saturday morning we drove back to the lake for a slower pace couple of days!

I gave JM a whirl in the tube.  He actually let me drive the boat!  He might of had reason to worry since I do not have a boaters' license, and he did put a deep dent in my car on Mother's Day!  Anyway, we were accident free!   I did a good job pulling him in and out of the wake --no pics of that since I was driving!  I really try not to do to many things at one time!!!

I think JM had a great weekend, but he is a little sick now!  4 days with the 4 kids completely wiped him out (and Lyndsey who had a cough continually swiping a drink from his cup)!  Hope you feel better soon, sweetheart!  We love you!

"Open up!"

Tyler started brushing his teeth last week to get ready for today!  HaHAHa!  This is a running joke in our house because Tyler-just like his Uncle Michael-never brushes his teeth but always has excellent dentist visits.  Today was like all visits in the past went I got Tyler's report - "Tyler is doing a great job!  Keep up the good work!"

Lauren has to come back tomorrow for sealants on those new 6 year molars.  Corynne looks good this visit! Yeah, 3 good reports!  3 down 1 to go...

That's right-1 to go!  Lyndsey had her first dentist appointment today.  It went surprisingly well!  She let them examine, x-ray, clean and apply floride!  WOW!  The dental assistant took some pics for me since parents are not allowed in the back.  She did a great job!  She must be a mom!!

"little girls" morning

Dad decided to give the little girls some extra special attention this morning.  (This was possible for 2 reasons.  Tyler had a friend over to entertain him, and Corynne was at a sleepover.)  They started out the morning with a stop by Starbucks!  Dad got Lyndsey an apple juice, but Lyndsey drank Dad's coffee instead!

Lyndsey was very upset every morning last week because she wanted her "wacket" to play tennis with the big kids.  When Lyndsey plays tennis, her swing looks more like a golf swing!  So JM decided to take her to the driving range.  She enjoyed hitting the ball a few times.  

Then she decided to make a circle of balls--every ball she could find!  She would not let anybody have any balls from her circle!  Golf ended shortly after that!

Next, it was over to the pool.  That was the other thing that upset Lyndsey last week!  The big kids got to go down the slide at the "wynwakes pool"!  Today was Lyndsey's day to slide with Daddy!  Actually, Lyndsey can do the big slide ALL BY HERSELF!  She likes Dad to be at the bottom to get her up out of the water FAST!!!  Lauren even gave the slide a try for the FIRST time.  She said she liked it and was going to do it again, but it started lightening!  

Lightening, thunder, rain is approaching...POOL CLOSED.  Lyndsey came home crying because her special morning did not end under HER terms!  

Hmmmm..this account makes Lyndsey sound like a spoiled 2 1/2 year old who always gets her way....hmmmm!!!!

All good things must come to an end...

We found out tonight that Tyler did not make the all-star team.  Right now he is having a great time with some friends at the Biscuits game, but I am sure that his disappointment will surface this weekend.   He had such a great season.  He had the best batting average for his team, yet he always batted 3rd behind the 2 coaches sons.  He was an awesome first baseman who only had a few errors, and most of those were from sloppy throws to first base by previously mentioned coaches son.  He played 3rd base a few times without complaint and did a great job, and he pitched 1 inning (which wasn't so great).  He worked all season improving his batting consistency (which was GOOD to begin with) and pitching.  He actually has been pitching really good for the last month.  His pitching coach was shocked that he was not being used, but his coach would never give him a 2nd chance.  

Don't get me wrong - I did NOT want to do the "all-star" thing again this summer.  I am more than ready for the season to end.  I do not want to spend the next month (at a minimum) out at the ballpark in the blazing heat.  On the other hand, he has worked so hard not to get the reward he has been working toward.  All of this would not bother me if I had not found out WHO made the All-Star team----or should we call it the COACHES SONS AFTER SEASON TEAM!   I am a little upset because I know for a FACT that 3 of the players who made the team are not as good as TYLER.  That is a STAT sheet fact and not just a prejudge mom observation.  

As I have told my kids often, "life is not fair.  Sometimes we just have to play the cards we are dealt."  Next year, JM will have to coach!  HA!HA!HA!  ((That was truly a joke!  The last team JM coached (an Upward basketball team)--- I ended up coaching and we agreed NEVER again!!!))

Okay, I will get off my soapbox!  I just needed to vent a little before Tyler gets home and I have to keep emphasizing that there is next year...and all good things do NOT have to come to an end...just a summer time break...a break for more trips out to the lake...a break for a family weekend in B'ham...a break for a family trip to Texas...a break for a break!!!!  Okay, I am pumping myself up now!

We are the Champions!

Tyler's baseball team, The Braves, played tonight for the AUM Major League championship!  They won 6-3!  Tyler played an awesome game.  He was 3 of 4 at bat with 4 RBIs, and he made some great plays at First Base!  He was on a roll tonight!  It was a great game to watch.  We ended the evening with the Major League Closing Ceremony where they received their 1st place trophies!  Way to go Braves!  What an awesome season!

Tennis Anyone?

The kids are going to tennis camp this week at Wynlakes.  Actually, it is just the 3 older kids, but Lyndsey always wants to be a part of the big kids!  She was screaming as we left the courts yesterday because she wanted her "wacket" to play tennis!  Today she noticed that the big kids were packing swimsuits, so she went and got her "wimsuit" so she could "go down the big slide with Dad at Wynlakes".  

Yes, Mom, Tyler is barefooted!  He was going inside to get new shoes since he has worn holes in his old pair!  He went non-stop yesterday - 4 hour tennis camp, 2 hour tennis clinic,  1 hour break for piano lesson, 1 hour batting practice (I am including travel time on that one), then 1.5 hours back at the tennis court with friends playing matches.  He exhausts me, and all I do is run him around!!!  Honestly, I think he quickly found friends to play tennis with last night because he saw what was for dinner and he wanted to get away!!!  Since he came back well after we had cleaned up the kitchen, he GOT to fix himself a sandwich instead of pasta which he does not like!

We've been down under!

I can not believe that we are two weeks into summer, because time is flying by.  JM and I took a week long trip to Jamaica with some of his work friends.  I hope to load the pics this afternoon and give an account of our trip!  Since we got back to town on Friday evening, we have had baseball games, a tennis tournament, and VBS!

This year we headed to the land down under for VBS--Australia!  Our kids hopped on the Boomerang Express for a week full of fun.  I was the lead teacher for one of the 3 post-Kindergarten groups at our church.  Our class had 30 kids most days, and the other two classes had the same #.  For such a big group of kids, we had an amazingly well behaved group of kiddos.   I was blessed with two wonderful teacher, Mrs. Kelly and Mrs. Maxie, who helped lead the class a few days.  We also had two teenage girls who were helpful, responsible, and ready to work!  Lauren and all her friends from school were in my class this year.  We studied 5 stories about Peter this year, and Peter came to worship rally everyday to talk to the kids (aka retell the Bible story)!  It was a great week, but I am exhausted and ready for some down time.

As you can see, Tyler was not in any of these pictures at VBS!  He decided to go to a baseball camp  while we were at VBS (and there really was not a class for rising 6th graders) and tennis clinic every afternoon!  This presented our big transportation issue for the week since I was tied down at church all morning and dad was working.  Ms. Roberta, our housekeeper/our laundry woman/all-purpose helper/Misty #2, came to the rescue!  Tyler was very greatful everyday because he knew that without her he would not be at baseball camp, or get lunch, or make it to tennis clinic in the afternoon!  

I might add that we had cousins in town this week  which is always fun and the kids love to spend time with them!  And we showed our house 2 times this week, we continued piano lessons, I returned to my 3 times a week workouts, and we had a full week of baseball games!

Did I say, "I am exhausted?" If I didn't say it, I AM!