Turning 9!

Last week we celebrated Mckenna turning 9! She gathered with the girls from her third grade class at school for a night of bowling.

Ready to party...considering it was a rainy night I'm glad we went with bowling instead of a swim party!

Singing happy birthday...

All the girls in her class (minus 1)...

Back To School!

Despite the fact it's only ten days into the month of August...we're starting school in the south! This northern can't get used to the 90 degree tempertures combined with new shoes and packing lunches! It was a fun summer and I always have mixed emotions on the first day of school...the organizer in me enjoys a schedule but I also miss those lazy mornings in our pjs snuggling on the couch.

Miss Morgan...ready for preschool and MORE then excited!

Brooke...cute new bob that she has been asking for...minus a tooth after our summer adventures and ready to conquer first grade!

I know Mckenna is ready for third grade...just not sure that third grade is ready for her!

The sign says fith grade...her height and shoe size says she is fifteen! Starting off the year at 5'1 and she size 8.5...wonder what she will be like at the end of the year...I think I may be looking up at her!

Michigan Trip

We just got back from 17 fun filled days in Michigan with friends...here are some pictures of our fun!

Sweet Morgan...

Sleeping Bear Dunes...

All the kids...Joe, Quinn, Blake, my girls and Elizabeth

Liz and Baileigh

The family in Lake Charlevoix

Mckenna on Lake Huron

On the Parpart's boat enjoying tubing...

On the boat waiting for the 4th of July fireworks

My sweetie...

So sweet...Daddy and one of his girls

Tubing fun...all 4!

At Aunt Tricia's pool

We got a chance to stop by Taylor!

Even Ranger had a fun vacation!

Baileigh is getting so grown up looking!

My brown eyed girl

Time with Aunt Laurie in Port Huron

One of my highlights...getting lots of time with my sweet friends Shelly and Tricia

Father's Day 2012

We had a great day celebrating daddy!  Last year Brad was in the "sandbox" so it was a bittersweet day as we didn't get to enjoy his company. As I took pictures of the girls with Brad today I recalled our photo from two years prior and thought I would compare.

2010...my girls were only 8, 6, 4 and 15 months.

2012...now they are 10, 8, 6 and 3. It's going WAY too fast!

The Olympics...2020?

I think often about the parents of Olympic athletes. That may sound funny...but I wonder if I have what it takes to be the parent of an Olympian.

Usually when we think of the Olympics, we just think of the athletes themselves. But behind every one of those athletes was a person that loved them enough to sacrifice a lot of their own life to sit on bleachers and endure hours of practices each day so that a future Olympian could emerge.

My eight year old is a natural athlete and a gifted gymnast. She has been on a hiatus now for almost a year from competing that stems from our move to Texas in the fall and our mid year move to Mississippi. Unfortunately the closest gym to our current house is 45 minutes away. And practice at her level is already close to 12 hours a week! It seems like a nice gym and a pretty good program. My biggest hesitation now is figuring out how I make it fair to my other 3 children who also have their own interests that I want to consider and support. If I was just sacrificing my own schedule it would be another situation...but we're a large family and all my kids have a lot of potential that I want to be able to help cultivate.

This commercial brings me to tears every time. It's the blond haired blue eyed gymnast...I just see my 8 year old when they show her little face.  I just wish I knew...what is her future as far as gymnastics?  Should we make the drive and sacrifice time so this could be her future. I realize the odds are like winning the lottery, but you don't have a chance of winning the lotto if you don't buy a ticket...she'll never have a shot at any future in gymnastics, even a college scholarship, if she doesn't start training.

So I pray.  And I look at my calendar.  And I look into other activities for my other kids.  And I stress.  And I wonder.  And I pray. And I ask my daughter, "are you SURE you're wanting to do this"...and I watch commercials like this and I wonder if I have what it takes!

 

"Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable"

In March I accompanied Brad to a week long course designed to prepare commanders and their spouse for their new leadership role.  We had the privilege of spending the week with several Generals and their spouses.       Of all the things I took away with me from the week, it was a comment made by the spouse of one of the few 4 Star Generals in the Air Force.   As this seasoned military wife shared stories of her experiences she said that one of the biggest things she has had to learn was to "get comfortable being uncomfortable!"   Now her stories of being uncomfortable included state dinners, meeting the President, speaking in front of thousands, etc.  My uncomfortable world is smaller...and this fact gave me the perspective that there is always someone out there who is probably just as uncomfortable as me if not more.

This entire post may surprise some who assume I'm rarely uncomfortable.  That was my exact thought about Mrs. Rice, the wife of the 4 Star...she seemed very confident and secure.  I admit that I try hard to give that same persona...and often it isn't a huge stretch in the sense that I don't mind groups or public speaking...but I confess that I have had to smile and walk into a room of strangers that seem to know what is going on several times this past month and pretend that it doesn't phase me one bit. I have seriously whispered to myself "get comfortable being uncomfortable" as I opened the door and stepped through into a room where I was truly not comfortable.

Just yesterday one of my girls was being shy and hesitant about socializing with some other kids in the neighborhood.  We were sitting on the curb talking about the situation when I found myself saying to her, "you need to get comfortable being uncomfortable".  After elaborating about that saying she thought about it and said, "ok"...then she got up and went off to play with the kids she didn't know that well.  It made me ponder that perhaps if I had learned to be comfortable being uncomfortable as a kid then I wouldn't truly ever be uncomfortable as an adult.

Memorial Day

Take time to remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice...

An Opportunity to Command...

Yesterday was a special day for our family...Brad took command of the 48th Flying Training Squadron Possum Town Alleycats at Columbus Air Force Base, MS.   This is a phenomenal opportunity for Brad and a real honor.   I'm so proud of him and I know he'll do a great job in this role.  I inherit some of my own responsibilities as a Commander's spouse.   I'm fortunate to be in the midst of a great group of spouses that have things running well already.

The ceremony itself was very patriotic and a neat experience for the girls to witness...

The actual handing over of command to Brad...

Addressing the airman of the 48th...

Making his welcoming remarks...

Afterwards in a reception line...the girls did a great job with the entire morning

Pretty fun to have daddy's name on a plane...

It was nice that Grandma and Grandpa and Nana were able to attend

A new favorite picture...

Another picture I like a lot...

What is there to say about this...4 cute girls in red white and blue sitting on the wing of daddy's plane...it speaks for itself.

Kindergarten Graduation

Brooke's school had a cute kindergarten graduation to celebrate the end of the school year...cap and gown and all!  She was all smiles...SO excited!

Waving hello to her sisters!  Can you tell she is proud!

                                              Her class saying the Lord's Prayer...too cute.

                                         Receiving her diploma from Mrs. Howell...her teacher.

This was a great half of year for Brooke...considering she we did home school in the fall she did a great job making friends and getting all caught up with her classmates.   She is very excited for First Grade!