Bucket List X's

Slowly but surely.

Soap Carving - X
Dollar Store Shopping - X

Tropical Storm Downer Debby

Tropical storms kind of suck. But they suck less (and less frequently) than the 9 months of frigid temperatures and massive snow I remember from my childhood up north.

But it's getting crazy. Yesterday I got off work at 4 and home at 7. I tries to leave at 430 after an all clear from the tornado 6 miles away was issued. But after trying every spoke leading out of the parking lot only to find flooding I went back in. Below are a few pictures of the flooding.

You have to love Pasco county. Can I just tell you that while some people had tragic losses yesterday and some buckled down in safer areas there were literally dozens upon dozens of people declaring this Gods free swimming pool. Bathing suits, towels and even some adult beverages made Debbie more party than problem for many residents.

And because I work in good old Pasco ...how I got home ... Someone came by with a big old metal cutter and yanked down some chains on the old hospital parking lot so we could drive thru the shut down area to a higher surrounding road.

Glad it's passing soon!!!

Look carefully in the second picture. Yep that's a car in the middle with just the top peaking out. This was within walking distance of my office in the hospital.

Super Nerds & $1 Night

Tori is off to middle school camp for the week. In this high tech world in which we live parents get updates on the fun via twitter. Encouraging kids to be a part of all that is going on cell phones are not permitted and so these tweets are the only updates we get! The theme of camp is good vs evil - superheroes! So the kiss has to prepare their own costumes. Tori and her friends teamed up to be Super Nerds.

Meanwhile back home Tristan is going to baseball camp while Todd and I work. He is loving it. And then yesterday we came home and went to another game. Compliments of living in the baseball Mecca of the free of world we have a zillion farm teams locally. And Tuesday's happen to be $1 night at the Clearwater Threshers games. So seats, hot dogs, popcorn, drinks, and ice cream for 3 all less than $20! Now that's some good cheap fun. Add to that some friends and perfect weather and it was a good night!!

Summer Love

A week into summer I am reminded why it's my favorite season and the one in which i am at my best ... As a mother, as a wife and as a person in general. I have to be creative to keep everyone entertained on our minimal budget. I sleep better. And honestly the sun, and the water and sand that often accompany said sun, somehow make me a happier person. Now I am not going to lie - the laid back schedule and pared down work hours also go a long way.

We needed some haircuts Wednesday and the stylist that has been cutting my hair for a decade now is oh so conveniently located on Clearwater Beach these days. So after some quick trimming we headed out to the beach. Tristan skim boarded. Tori jumped waves. They played together happily. I repeat, these are magical words that need much emphasis and repeating, played together happily. And as every mother knows that makes me so so happy.

We also started the summer bucket list - VBS is in full swing, water balloon fight has been had and the first day of two Harry Potter marathons took place while I worked Tuesday.

Add all that to a super fun weekend including pool time with Aunt Jenni and the boys, fathers day fun and maybe even drive in movies and summer is shaping up to be nothing but fantastic.

Hit like a Mack truck.

Just wanted to "jot" this down before I forget. This past Sunday was grad Sunday at our church so the youth students/leaders form a choir and band to lead worship. And both Todd and Tori were up there. No offense to Todd but I barely noticed him this morning. And why?

Because it hit me like a Mack truck that my baby girl is so grown up. She was standing singing side by side with people who can drive. Who are applying to college. Who have boyfriends and girlfriends and jobs.

And she was singing with all her heart. You could literally see the joy of worshiping in every part of her. Her entire body was moving and she sang "bless the lord oh my soul, worship his holy name, sing like never before oh my soul, worship his holy name. " and she literally sang like I have never seen her sing before and I lost it.

You hope your kids share your faith. And you teach them what you believe and you tell them why you believe what you do. You tell them that other people believe other things and you teach them those things too. You remind them some people don't believe in a God at all. But we do. And you live a life in front of them you truly hope reflects your beliefs. But you never really know what sinks in. What they absorb because its the mantra they have heard all their lives and what they actually feel and experience.

Today I watched as my baby girl experienced worship. You can't really teach that.

So proud to be her mom.

Last Day

So the kids last day of 3rd and 6th grade have come and gone. Yearbooks and tshirts were signed, teacher gifts were handed out and the last bell of the year signaled the start of summer.

And then it rained. And rained. And rained some more.

But in the spirit of tradition we headed out for ice cream despite the monsoon.

While it may not have been the sun soaked and sandy first weekend of summer I had imagined it was still nice. Tristan and I baked cookies while Tori hung out with a friend. We got a little pool time with some friends visiting from TN. Todd and Tori sang with the youth choir this am and we are enjoying an evening with neighbors tonight.

On this weeks agenda - begin checking off the bucket list items, attend VBS and meet the new pastors family!

Random Kid Stuff

I was trying to decide what to get Tristan's teacher for an end of the year gift. He suggested Outback, because its his favorite so of course it should be hers. When I said I was hoping to do something cuter than just a plain old gift card in a plain old card he said "Put a note on it that says hope you get to spend a lot of time out back with your kids this summer." LOL. I might have screwed him up already.

Tori had an awards ceremony last week. Much like a graduation they lined 'em all up alphabetically, announced them by name, they shook hands with the principal, the counselor and then took a pile of stuff from the random lady I did not know.

Victoria Maddex - Mighty Mu math team, Principal's List, Published Author

Then they handed her a trophy with her name spelled wrong, a certificate that had Principal's List "all year" written in the grading period section and she went back to her seat. I am SO proud of her. But why do they torture students and parents alike with these ceremonies? Just send it home with her! We'll celebrate for real here!

That's about it for now...tomorrow is the last day of school and then summer fun begins!