Good-bye 2013!

2013 has been quite the whirlwind for us overall. I thought I would take some time and make a video montage of our year. I am happy to report that I accomplished TWO of my New Year's resolutions from January.....I did take a photo a day (sometimes capturing the mundane things like dirty dishes but I did it) AND I managed to blog more than I have in almost four years. I will admit to shedding a few tears while I created, edited, rearranged, and added pics to this year in review. Tears of joy shed that remind me how blessed we are with great friends and family whether near or far. Tears of happiness for fond memories traveling many, many miles (and blocking out the random meltdowns after many, many hours of road-tripping).
Our Year in Review (via One True Media)

Looking forward to more travel and memory making in 2014.....hoping to add Mardi Gras and Virginia to our lists along with visiting family in Georgia and an extended CA visit (maybe) in the summer. My new camera is ready for lots of use; I hope to share more our craziness with you in 2014.

All good things must come to an end

Our Ohio vacation is nearing it's end....a visit to Grandma's house always involves lots of time visiting with family, fishing, swimming, and go-cart riding.

And for the past 15yrs, it includes a trek up to Cedar Point if it happens to be a summer visit. We have seen the childrens' area evolve from Berenstein Bear country to Camp Snoopy over the years. And this trip has proven to be bittersweet. I think this is the last time that we will need to visit Camp Snoopy

 

because Ian is the caboose on the family train. While the old coal train is mostly my speed, the kids are all venturing on to bigger (and scarier) things.  Although Ian and I did bail on the GateKeeper at the last minute Even though I didn't make my 9yr old ride the insanely intimidating GateKeeper, he did ride the Raptor. He may have panicked on the way up the click-clacking-climb-of-death, but he admitted that he loved it. I told him that if he paid attention, I did my fair share of screaming and that the Raptor is my LIMIT. There was no GateKeeper,  Millenium Force, Gemini, Wicked Twister, Maverick or the like going to happen for me. He was very happy about that and was pleased to spend his time in Camp Snoopy while adding the Iron Dragon to his risk taking ventures. The 'big' kids are independent, brave, and coaster crazy. Maggie was highly disappointed by the fact that the Dragster broke down. Where have my babies gone? The time flew faster than a speeding coaster.


Yesterday, I ventured over to the Ohio State Reformatory with my sister-in-law and two oldest nieces. It was built in 1886. It looks like a majestic castle.

It is also the sight of where several movies and music videos have been filmed. Specifically, one of my all time favorites - Shawshank Redemption. The Reformatory itself was amazing; yet creepy. To think that 1,000s of prisoners, guards, wardens (and their families) lived here was unbelievable.

The temperature was hot and it was very icky, sticky in there. Contrast that to the bitter cold winters and this place must have been wicked. The ceilings are brick and the walls are THICK.

The 7x9 cells (for two people) were TINY. It is said that many parts of the place are haunted and I can tell you when I wandered away from the family to grab this picture, you better believe I quickly walked ran back to the area where the family was. It's the Shawshank safe!!! So cool.

But THIS gave me goosebumps.....

I know......it's a movie prop. And they had Andy's escape tunnel too. But in this setting with the REAL jail all around, it was awesome. We had a really nice time and it was topped off by a grown-up dinner at Olive Garden. Sarah and Ann head to college soon; Sarah- a junior at College of Wooster who will soon be doing a semester in Russia! and Ann - a freshman at Dartmouth. Gone are their years at Camp Snoopy too.

 

Today we made our traditional visit to Downtown Mansfield for a ride on the historic carousel and a meal at Coney Island Diner.

They may get older, more independent and sillier but I'm hoping that there are some things they will never outgrow. Good times with family never come to an end.

 

If you can't bet 'em, join 'em :)

Aaaaahhhhh, vacation in Ohio. It's really green.

And it's unusually cool too. Slight breeze and not much humidity. This year the farmer's field is soybeans and not corn so we have a really good view of the deer that come out to graze daily.

 

I've been fishing in the neighbor's pond with the boys and caught a bass :)

They are liking the fireflies too. Now, they are anxiously waiting for the grass to dry out some more so they can enjoy Grandma's go-cart without destroying the grass.

 

We went to a rib fest (small town rib fest but nevertheless delicious) and tonight we are probably going to hit the drive-in. Because there isn't much to do in small town Ohio. Except relax. And be on your computers.....

Sarah is working on her internship writing; Annie is wondering where her tranquilty went and where all these crazy cousins appeared from; and Kim is exploring all of the options for the most cost efficient way to get us to Cedar Point.

 

Really? I have to get in the car for an hour ride to a crowded amusement park in the heart of summer. Yes, I do - because we can't wait to hear "enjoy your ride at Cedar Point, America's Roller Coast" one more time. I can't promise that I'll attempt the Dragster

but I might be brave enough for the GateKeeper.

Keyword: might......don't count on it.

 

Maybe I need to go with what Sean says all the time, YOLO! Or, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

 

On the road again......

How is it possible that I haven't blogged yet in July? Well, I've been busy. Busier than usual. You know, summer busy that involves juggling kid schedules/ working your part-time job/ and keeping them from getting too booooorrrreeeed. We had friends visit near the end of June and then shortly thereafter we hit the road to New Orleans. We spent the 4th of July weekend with tons of friends (and some family visiting too). If someone had told me last 4th of July that I would be spending 2013's celebration in a campground in Covington, LA with my best friend and her family I would have told you that the notion was impossible. I'm learning nothing is impossible. We shared lots of laughter; enjoyed plenty of food; cooled off in the waters of a Bouga Falaya tributary; and loved every minute. Golf cart ride anyone?

Now that Maggie is finishing off her summer testing, we are heading toward family in Mansfield, Ohio. Yep, another road trip. Just me, four kids and the dog.....oil change, check; tire pressure, check; wash and detail, check; full gas tank, check. There is more laughter to share; food to enjoy; and cool waters of Grandma's pool -- along with cousins to hang with; a pond to fish in; and go-cart rides. So while affording a trip to Hawaii or the like is impossible at this point (much to the kids dismay), vacations and memory-making are possible.

Praying for safe travels as we add three more states to the ones we have navigated --- adding Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky. First Stop - Jackson, TN here we come

Jumping into Summer

The hustle and bustle that the end of the school year brings has ended. Here is a taste of our last few weeks as we roll into summer. We really enjoyed our mini-vacation to Las Vegas and now we look forward to finishing All Star baseball, VBS with Good Shepherd, and lots of time at the pool and the beach. All too soon it will be time to shop for school supplies, new shoes, and bedtime at a reasonable hour. For now, I'll treasure sleeping in and quiet mornings.

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END of the road.......our journey comes to a close --

On Tuesday, we hit the movies with the Caludas. Toy Story 3 --- go see it. Entertaining, funny, and touching all wrapped in one. Then we headed to Bud's Broiler; YUMMY FOOD once again. (although my kids didn't really like it, the heathens) If you ever get a chance to visit one, get a #4 with sauce :)

We returned to my brother's house and I got ready for an evening out with friends from high school. We went to a place called Corks n' Canvas where you paint while you enjoy appetizers and wine. Yes, I said paint. Me. The non-artistic one. It was a blast!!!!! Such good company and fun to catch up with old friends. My painting turned out pretty good. I think Collin & Ron need to add this service to the wine bar on Sunday afternoons.

Then, it was our last day....sob! I retrieved Sean from the Caludas even though he wants them to adopt him. Then we hit the Black & Gold Store.....or should I say, SAINTS FAN HEAVEN. THANK YOU Grandma Hall for the vacation money which helped off-set the cost of their goodies. It's a good thing we live so far away from this store (I know they have a web-site, but I'm not telling that info. to the kids). Then we headed to my Mom's for some Popeyes and a little family time before heading to the airport. We spent some time playing outside together and enjoying some watermelon.

Then, cue homesickness. We headed to the airport. Landed smoothly at LAX. And immediately felt the rat race of SoCal. The weather is the happy ending.

(pictures updated on facebook)

Day Five & Six--
A quiet morning (if you want to call it that with eight kids in the house) at my brother's house. We attended a b-day party with them and the kids had fun. After enjoying another afternoon thunderstorm we made our way across the Causeway to the Northshore......Mandeville to be exact. And then it was adventures in BOY-LAND. Boys everywhere -- Kathlynn's four, my two, and lots of assorted neighbors. How does the old saying go? "It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt"......well, that someone would be Ian. He took a baseball bat to the head; scared the bejeeebers out of us, but he was just fine. With a nasty mark on his forehead. My homesick meter went up a few notches when I got to see the AMAZING homes in the area and the neighborhoods with tons of kids, no fences, and pick-up games galore. Just how it should be. Add in some sweat and a few bugs. Popeyes for dinner was the icing on the cake.

Sunday was more of the same but even better. Woke up to the kids sharing some Beatles RockBand. Add in some home cookin'--BLTs for lunch and Joe's awesome grilled burgers for dinner. Loads of soccer for the boys; Sean was even so busy he skipped dinner. Yes, skipped dinner. Maggie savored every moment at the piano that she could; we REALLY need to get her lessons; she is such a natural. After dinner we took the kids for a quick dip in the pool and then shared watermelon by moonlight.

Can you say perfect summer days! (except for Ian's sore head)

(side note: Sean has asked to move to New Orleans; he said he didn't even mind the humidity!)

Day Four - Part Deaux --

So we arrived at my brother's Sat. evening. My Mom was there and she was able to enjoy seeing all eight grandkids together for the first time. A little crazy, but mostly just plain fun. We got take out from R&O's; heaven on wrapped in white paper, I tell ya........R&O's special = roast beef, ham and swiss, DRESSED, lot's o' gravy. I was just a tad happy. It wasn't ALL about the food, but it was certainly a highlight.

Seeing the cousins together and spending time as a family was really nice. My brother and sister-in-law are so welcoming. That's not easy when you are adding four kids to their four -- kids ages 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 3, 2. So taking a picture was a little crazy.

See, the pictures on facebook b/c blogger is still being a PAIN.

Where was I? Oh, yeah -- Day FOUR, Part One

Cajun country continued -- we headed to Vermillionville near Lafayette, LA. It is a cultural center celebrating southern Louisiana history. It has quiant little buildings showing us what life was like many years ago from the kitchen to the schoolhouse to the church and more. (For all you CA folk, it's like doing a field trip about the gold rush.) We meandered the grounds and mid-way through a spectacular thunderstrom blew in. It was fantastic; complete with pouring rain ("it's raining side-ways") and loud, booming thunder. The kids didn't care. The water was warm and perfect to run in; jump in puddles; and try to catch a raindrop or two. My kids sampled fresh figs right off the tree and we were treated to an old-fashioned Cajun Jam on the way out. Lots of toe tappin' and hand clappin'; we absolutely loved it. Completely soaked, we headed to lunch at Prejean's (pronounced Pray-zhon) for the BEST LUNCH EVER. Sean tasted fried frog's legs and fried alligator; loved it! I had crawfish etoufee and a crawfish pie; holy cow, SO GOOD!

On the road again, Saturday afternoon we bid a fond farewell to the Poynot family and headed back to Metairie to visit my brother and his family. More cousin time. Day Four, part two to come soon.

(sorry Blogger isn't letting me add, yet again, GRRRR!) Check the Facebook album for pics ;)

Day Two -- It's COUSIN time!!!!!!
Did I mention it's HOT.....like sweat dripping down the back of your legs while you are sitting in the shade. Oh, sorry, too much information. I'll move on to the pictures.
the three girl cousins (on my side of the family).....absolutely precious bonding through City Park

this is Dominic, my brother's 7yr. old.......trying not to melt as we waited for the train.

the eight Moore cousins (ages 12,10,8,7,6,6,3,2)...the first time they have all been together. It was really cool to just watch them smoosh together and go with it; Maggie is wondering if we can fit 3yr. old Daphne into her backpack to take her home.

Beautiful City Park---lots of green trees, spanish moss, and a little breeze (well, from the train ride at least). We pretty much closed down the amusement park at 3pm but not without grabbing sno-balls first! Maggie's first cherry sno-ball.......she is already asking for a root beer one next.

We headed to Cajun Country aka Broussard; where the Poynots live. Kelda is my long lost Southern sister. I am so glad we made this trek. And so are the kids. Amanda and Mia are attached at the hip; the boys are in heaven.

Day Three photos to come soon.

Home again, home again, jiggety jig!
We're back from a camping adventure to Bass Lake (near Yosemite). Really dirty. Tired. but life goes on......
The boys are off and running to the first day of football (who needs a shower anyway?)and the rest of us are off to the theatre for their first night of Seussical. I'm working on coffee and adrenaline at this point, but I will pride myself on starting laundry and taking a shower before we head off for the evening.
We had a really great weekend despite the fact that we had a few mishaps; I believe that is to be expected with eight kids and four adults (and I was the lone female/Mom figure). I took pictures until my camera battery died, so I will share those soon. There are no pictures to prove it but I will shout it from the rooftops --- I GOT UP ON WATER SKIS. Yes, Yes, I did!!!!!!!!! Not for longer than 10 seconds, but that is an improvement over last year.
Now, for the dirty, rotten pigs who stole one of our ice chests from the camp last night (the ranger said they were probably looking for beer), I hope you choke on the stupid hamburger buns, graham crackers and Doritoes that you found. Wait -- that wasn't nice; I hope enjoyed every bite and needed the food. Maybe you were hungry and/or your Momma didn't teach you right from wrong. Karma is all I can say. Beware of the critters out there because you are a filthy critter yourself!
There, I'm done. I'm looking forward to my shower and my bed later on.

So, HAPPY 4th of July....a little late. We ventured to Ohio for a week of family mayhem. Seven kids. Lots of fun that was topped off with practically perfect weather. As mentioned in my post while I was away, there was loads of go-cart riding, swimming, and outside time. When the kids weren't on the tire swing they were painting (sorry about the table, Grandma), playing with water balloons, fishing, catching fireflies and doing whatever kept them busy. My nieces and I finished two puzzles; I finished Recovering Charles by Jason Wright and almost finished another book too. There was plenty of relaxing to be had topped off with battling a few ticks (eeeeewwww!) that freaked me out. AND I walked two miles with my sister-in-law every day.



We finished the trip with an adventure to Cedar Point. All of the kids have stepped up their bravery and will ride things that I won't. I can't do spinning stuff but they sure can. Maggie even did the Power Tower (no, thanks) and Sean rode some wicked thing called Skyhawk with his cousin Sarah. They did a few roller coasters too. I was shocked and stunned; I'll probably be the resident roller-coaster 'chicken' soon. Poor Ian is braver than most but not tall enough just yet. In a couple of years he will be unstoppable. I see the Dragster in his future. This video of it 'not making it over'/a roll-back and having to get launched again just makes my skin crawl; 120 mph and 420ft., makes my hands sweat just typing it.

Enjoy the pictures that are long overdue..........

All about vacation...........
staying up late, sleeping in, reading, working on puzzles with nieces, go-cart rides, kids in freezing pool, daily walks, blackberry picking, homemade blackberry desserts, fireflies, LOTS of pictures.
Happy 4th of July!

School is off to a great start. I think we are on our 10th day and my kids have been on time everyday so far, so I'm patting myself on the back. Here are the some assorted pictures from August.

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Ian starts our last year at the preschool tomorrow. We've been there since Fall 2001 consecutively. He has one of my all-time favorite teachers so I couldn't be happier. He can't wait.

Took me a while to put this together but the kids think it is cool and I hope you do too.....

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

For the record--- I tried to waterski, but that was a no go; we didn't catch any fish except for the one sick one we happened upon while it was trying to beach itself; we all slept in one tent (including the dog) and used the small one for changing, clothes and food storage; in the picture of Sean by the tree, he isn't going to the bathroom - he is collecting one of his 328 pine cones.

Egads! (isn't that a great cartoon expression?) Well, I sorta feel like I'm living at a cartoon/zany/fast-paced speed. Let's see in the last three weeks --- we've had two dance recitals; out of town guests (waving to the Poynots; we MISS you!); numerous baseball games; several play rehearsals; tutoring for Mag; swim lessons; 4th of July; more swim lessons; Vacation Bible School; and WAY TOO MUCH food on-the-go. I'll admit I love fast food (mostly) but the thought of eating drive-thru or in my car makes me want to gag. I honestly would rather starve.

Of course, I have tons of pictures. But no time to upload them and share the joy so you'll have to use your imagination until I can get back to you. Here's a picture from our camping trip to Bass Lake; it will have to hold you over......

I'm just a bloggin' fool aren't I. I'm trying to get back in the swing of it; it IS really hard to get back into the groove when you become a slacker.

Rewinding a bit -- I took the kids to AZ for Spring Break. We went to the Botanical Gardens. The kids played this little desert detective game that keep them entertained and paying attention. The Gardens were really beautiful with lots of cool stuff to see. The butterfly garden was a huge hit; we could have stayed in there for hours. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the day:


giant saguaro

butterfly on bottlebrush plant

A couple of weeks ago, I took a roadtrip to AZ to visit my dear friend Sandee and her two kids. Sean stayed back with Collin for football and some one-on-one Dad time of camping. AZ was HOT, but we had a blast. We hiked to the natural bridge in the Tonto National Forest. Over rocks & boulders/across the stream/at one point I had to slid down a rock with Amanda & Ian behind me b/c it was so steep. It was AWESOME and so worth the effort. We all were pooped, but would do it again.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A little taste of our summer vacation (minus the stress of an overflowed toilet; my Suburban getting towed; NO fish being caught on the overnight fishing adventure)

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A little LOVE Thursday, 24 minutes late, but this is still one of my most loved family times.........

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