Clay turns 10

10...double digit's! I can hardly believe I have a 10 year son!! Where does the time go? This year Clay wanted to have a Captain America party, he also wanted to have a sleep over with some of his friends.
The day came, we had ordered the cake, got all the supplies, made the Captain America shields, pool was cleaned out, Josh was bringing home the pizza...everything was planned...
Then the kids came....and they all jumped into the pool...then the thunder came and they all jumped out of the pool...and then Josh called and says he's going to be late...and I can't put 9 kids in a van to get pizza, in the rain...OH NO!!


All was saved though, ordered pizza, sun came back out, kids ran and played and still didn't get to bed before midnight...but had a BLAST! And now I have an emotional, sensitive 10 year to deal with

Outerbanks

This year we were truely blessed we got to go to the ocean twice.

On our way back from Virginia Beach, we were already planning our next adventure to the beach. We planned this time to rent a house on the beach and go with Josh's brother and his family. It was a long trip down to Avon but once we got there we knew we had made the right choice in locations!

This town had 1 tiny hotel, a dairy queen and a food lion, everything else was locally owned and operated. The house we stayed in was in a cul de sac and we were about 3 house away from the bridge to the sand. So we were so close to the beach, we went early in the mornings and looked for shells which we found TONS and put our chairs and umbrella out, we'd go back in, have breakfast, hang out and then go to the beach, and then Josh and Ryan would fish in the evening.

One of the most relaxing vacations ever!

Virginia Beach

The Friday of Memorial Day weekend around 3:30pm, I ask Josh if he wants to go to Cedar Point the next day, "it's free." I say (for military). He says "do you have anything going on this weekend??"

Nope, nada, nothing planned.... this NEVER happens for us, one of us has something planned ALL THE TIME. He says "let's go to the beach", hmmmmm...."OK..."

We get on the horn, start calling hotels for the next night, we finally find something on the ocean and start packing. We drove until it got to late, stayed in a hotel and started out the next day. Traffic was AWFUL! everyone and their brother had the same idea I think! But we wrestled through and finally got to the beach, it was magical (as it always is). I love the ocean, the sand, the waves all of it!

Here's a view of the hotel to the right and down the beach -


The boys had NEVER BEEN to the ocean, had NEVER knocked over by the waves, had NEVER tasted that salt water, had NEVER built real, honest-to-goodness sandcastles, had NEVER seen a sun rise on the ocean or seen dolphins in the water but that weekend we rectified all of that! We played for hours that first day and then went to an ALL YOU CAN EAT seafood buffet. It was mediocre, but that didn't even matter because we walked the beach after in the dark, and then walked the board walk.


The next day we did it all over again.... and the last morning we were up at 5:45 like everyother day, but this day we actually didn't go in for a while after the sun set, we stayed out in the ocean and played and played.


There was sand EVERYWHERE! and the kids were THROUGHLY BURNT! and the trip ride home was very, very LONG!! But it was worth every second, every moment to take them to Virginia Beach

Pinning

Well after many, many, many years, I finished Nursing school. It was a long, long, long road one that if I'd known from the beginning how hard it would be I wouldn't have taken it, but totally worth it!

The pinning ceremony was a really neat experience, it was more like a "mini" graduation with just the CSCC nursing department and family and friends. There were talks from the head of the department and the student presidency and then there was the actual "pinning" of the RN pin onto all the students and then the lighting of the ceremonial Florence Nightingale lamp.

Josh and the boys along with Leah (my mother in law) and Helen (my grandmother in law) were there. It was special to have them in the circle of all the nurses when we passed the Nightingale lamp. (both Leah and Helen are nurses). The boys were generally well behaved but to head off any nuisance I packed IPODs, Itouch, and Ipad and DSI and snacks!

Along with the family, I had 2 good friends come. It was wonderful to have Megan and Crystal there!

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Preschool Graduation

Collin graduated preschool today, it was adorable to see him all dressed up in his cap and gown, and looking like such a big boy. He sang songs and got a "diploma" and then we had a luncheon outside in the picnic area. Next year I'll be sending him to a different school but he has so enjoyed his time and I've enjoyed seeing his personality shining all by himself without the assistance of his older brothers. He really is so funny and happy all the time!

Changes

Times they are a changing, as much as I'd like to freeze my kids in the ages they are now, what with the snugging into bed and kisses given freely at any given moment, I realize that life is happening even if I don't want it too. The boys are getting bigger and bigger and more mature each day.

For example, last week I get into the car and here the end part of something not meant for my ears, Clay was teaching Cregan how to spell "fun" - Yes---- F.... U.... n - he was teaching him how to mini cuss ----!!!! You can imagine my horror at this and here's another example

Tonight, Cregan is on his big boy couch pitch team, this is the real league, everyone is on the field, in "ready position" which means hands on knees looking at the batter, nope not Cregan, he's kicking the dirt and picking his nose!

Yep, the joys of children growing up.... then there's Collin who really, really believes there is a Mario world and if we would just look at the yellow pages we could find it, I am apparanetly incompetent as a mother because I don't know how to get him there!!

Cinco de Mayo

Cregan had a Cinco de Mayo party at school and had to give a presentation, well the whole class had to and Mrs. Dapoz told them to give them "with expression". That is NO problem for Cregan, he gave an outstanding and expressive presentation on the volcano in Mexico. Here is a copy of his talk

Paricutin Volcano

by Cregan Hughes

There was a farmer and his son working in the corn field.

When the farmer was almost done, the plow went into the earth.

The earth cracked.

The farmer and his son ran away.

A volcano was born. Lava and ash shot out of the volcano.

They call it "The Monster".

This happened in 1943.

Health fair

We are at the VERY END of a long journey in our family. I'm just about done with school!! My final is done and I just finished my 2 healthfairs, and all I have left now is the pinning ceremony next week. Well actually I have to pass the state boards, that's kina a HUGE deal, but as far as Columbus State Community College goes it's over!!

The health fair was really nice, we had the first one at the college and it was nice and all but the one the next day was even better. We did the Health Fair in downtown and it was not the nice side of downtown if you get my drift. We were in a church that holds a free store, where people can come in and "shop" for clothes for free. As I looked around at the different people coming in, it really hit me these people need to see this health fair stuff more than anyone else. As I see a mother with 2 kids walk by and take some pamplets for Domestic Violence, or see an elderly man get screened for diabetes it makes it worthwhile! Also we got to go help with the free store and that was amazing! I will definetly be back and want to bring the boys and let them see how fortunate we are.

Last Day of School

Today was the last day of school and the kids and I have a mini tradition that we go to Tim Horton's and I get them all "sugared up" before school. I like to think of it as a fun last present to give the teachers before finishing out the school year. Something to really help them appreciate the summer that much more... I'm just a giver you know...

After Tim Horton's, I drop them off and plan for when they get home. I made a big banner this year (which I should have made a picture of before the boys came home because it was ruined pretty quickly after that, and I attacked them with water balloons! It was so fun!! and now I have officially a 4th graders, 2nd grader and a Pre-Ker...

Camping Out?

Cregan asked Josh if he could sleep on the trampoline a few weeks ago, It was a night on the colder side and a Saturday night, so I wasn't super thrilled about the idea. Josh forever was like "sure let's get ready", they got double PJ's on, double blankets and ofcourse the laptop to watch movies...
Clay and Collin went to and Collin almost made it through the whole night, but came in around 5:30. As for me and Laynie (the other female in this house, even though she's a dog) slept soundly in a quiet home, not too soundly though. I seriously had a hard time falling a sleep not having all my munchins in their own beds...