JUMPING BACK IN....

I'm still here. I think about blogging often and even have a little list of things I want wanted to blog about. But life gets in the way and then I get so far behind that it seems silly to post about things from two months ago. Do you really want to see pictures of an Arizona trip from August?










Well, I did post pictures on Facebook from our camping trip.  Oh yes, Facebook.....another interference with my blog. See, if I post pictures there I forget to type 'the story' here.

The story of one of my favorite pictures.....Sean teaching Ian how to skip rocks. A tender moment. Those are few and far between.

And I really need to do that because I'm trying to put these blog posts in a hard-bound book. Sorta like a journal since I don't journal or anything cool like that.

Anyway, here I am. Two months into the school year. And I never did post a photo of Maggie starting 8th grade b/c she started on a different day than my other school post. Here she is....growing up too fast......

She is playing the french horn in the symphonic band and loving it. Her grades are better but she still has room for improvement. Recently she finished up her role as Freida in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and she will be on Royal Court at Musical Theater Village this year (it's a teen group that does extra chores around the theater, helps with tasks like scrip distribution/ ticket-taking/and show welcome speeches). She is with a great group of kids. 

Sean is next. Poor Sean is going OUT OF HIS MIND! (and taking me with him) He is counting the days until his x-rays -- Nov. 15th. We are hoping and praying that his knee is healing on it's own and that he won't need surgery. AND hoping and praying he can ease back into some physical activity.....recess and PE would be a nice start. Batting practice would be a nice bonus. The break from organized sports has been nice (for our whole family) but it's been long enough. His teacher says he is a great kid and his grades are pretty good too so I'll take it! These days his hair is the longest it's ever been with blond curls in the back (I'll try to sneak a picture). He is loving LSU and Saints football while he manages his fantasy teams. He loves telling me ALL he knows about football players and helps with my team each week.



Then there's girlie. Miss Amanda. She's such a miracle. She just finished her part as Little Red-Haired Girl in Charlie Brown and is looking forward to starting some sort of martial arts class. She has been wanting to do it for a long time and it will help with her motor control, balance, and discipline. She is doing well in school especially since she has to work REALLY hard. She isn't super far behind and often works quickly (sometimes too quickly) so she can help her teacher with stuff. Here's her book report quilt on Little Women:

She makes sure that Fritz gets fed everyday and loves Skyping with her cousin, Sarah, at college. And at 10yrs. old wears a size 8 women's shoe. Not kidding.

And then there's Ian. He loves life basically. He loves anything to do with the outdoors.....fishing, shooting, bike-riding, swimming, the beach, sports, etc. He tolerates school.....doesn't love it, but doesn't hate it (because he likes the girls, shhhhh). His teacher knows him pretty well and appreciates him for his silliness while keeping him in check. His printing is beautiful; his math skills rock; his reading is his downfall, but we all have our crosses to bear. He loves having SHORT hair but had fun trying to make a water mohawk went we went camping (where doesn he think of this stuff?). Seven is an awesome age and I never want him to grow up.

And that brings you up to date with the kidlets.......oh, wait. Halloween.......one of our awesome jacks-o-lanterns....

and the kids all ready to go. Ian was a knight, Amanda was Punky Brewster, and Sean was some gross skeleton thing. Maggie was off with her friends (b/c that's what teenagers do).

Collin and I are plugging along. Just had our 16th anniversary. I still love my job; my co-workers are awesome and the kids keep us on our toes. Still doing Creative Memories and love taking pictures. I'm getting back into meal planning (shrimp stir-fry today!) and love cooking now that I have time with minimal sports and theater commitments. Collin is still working two jobs hoping the economy will turn at some point but he's not holding his breath. He's excited about going on a deer hunting trip that his buddy Dale got him a free ticket for.

And finally, I'm joining with a group of friends for the Game On! diet challenge starting this Wednesday. It goes until Dec. 9 with Thanksgiving day off. One of my goals is to blog at least twice a week so we'll see how that goes. I will certainly need the points of meeting that goal so I can back up the smack talk. Hoping to shed a few pounds while having some fun with friends. Oh wait, I think this involves exercise. Oh, no.