"Run, Alex, Run!"

Yesterday Alex had his first cross country meet. I could not believe how many kids were there. There must have been nearly 1,000 kids from grades 7-12. I was VERY proud of Alex. He has only been running for 2 weeks and he finished the race (7-8 kids dropped out half way). He was very happy he was not the last one to finish (there was one kid behind him). I think by watching the other races Alex learned that he should maybe be pushing himself a little harder. Regardless, I was SOOO proud of him!

Well, she looks smarter...

Abby got her new glasses today. This came just in time for her to get her braces off her teeth next week. She is amazed by how crisp and clear things are around her. This year she is in middle school and has been put in a class that will be a challenge for her. This is the 5th day of school and she has already forgotten 2 of her homework assignments as school. She looks good, though! It is always the teacher's kids!

Anyone want to place bets on how long it takes her to lose them?

My big girl!!

Well, its official. All 3 of my kids are in school. And although my childcare costs have cut dramatically, it was still very sad for me to have my last first day of kindergarten to get ready for this morning. She was up with the first sound in the hallway when Alex and Abby got ready. I was a little happy about this because I got to do her hair instead of Daddy. She decided to have Daddy drive her to school today so there are no getting on the bus pictures. She gets to ride the bus to the babysitters after school. When I asked her about her day she told us she ate all her lunch, colored a picture of an apple tree and played with boys named Thomas and Joey. What every girl wants from a first day of school!!!!

"Every Woman Should..."

I received this in an email recently and wanted to share it...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
enough
money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own,
even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
something
perfect to wear if the employer,
or date of her dreams
wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD
HAVE .
a youth she's content to leave behind....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a past juicy
enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her
old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
one friend who
always makes her laugh.. and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a good piece
of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her
family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
eight
matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
and a recipe for
a meal,
that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a feeling of
control over her destiny..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD
KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit
a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend
without;
ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN
SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK
AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her
childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she
would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....
how to live
alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table..
or a charming Inn in the woods....
when her soul needs
soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
What she can and can't accomplish in a day...a month...and a year...

Thanks Aunt Martha! I needed this one!

Race for the Cure

A much beloved teacher at CNE was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Although we can't help her fight her battle, we at CNE Elementary would like to support her by helping to fund cancer research. If you are interested in joining our team on September 14 or would like to contribute to our fundraising efforts, please click here.

Cruzin'

I am finally starting to recover from our great vacation last week. We spent a day in Fort Lauderdale on the beach before heading out on a 5 night cruise to Key West, Cozumel, and Belize. We traveled in a group of 31 people (we tend to travel in packs). We had an awesome day in Fort Lauderdale. Our hotel was right on the beach. We spent the afternoon splashing in the waves and lying on the beach. We closed out the evening with a great dinner at a local Italian restaurant.

The next day we headed for the boat, the Enchantment of the Seas. We sailed off just before dinner time. We had a nice evening walking around and getting acquainted with the ship. Our first stop in the trip was in Key West. Jaimie joined us for a trip to the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum. Chris and the kids had their fill of the heat, so headed back to the ship. Jaimie and I explored the town a little more before heading back to the ship. This was our formal night, so we all got dressed up and got our pictures taken. Gracie started making a habit of taking her naps at the dinner table. We ended our evening with a big group of us getting up and singing "We Are Family" during karaoke.

The next day took us to Cozumel. To say it was HOT would be an understatement! Chris and Gracie didn't leave the boat. Abby and Mom made it to the shops at the end of the pier before turning back. I went into town with a group of our friends. Most of them went back after a few minutes. I ended up walking around the town with our friend Connie. We went off the main road and look around in some smaller shops. I bought a dress for Gracie from a shop that had a pet monkey whose hand I held. I wish we would have gone to the beach here because the water was so beautiful. The heat got to me before I could do too much shopping and we headed back. We closed out this evening playing a crazy game called "Quest." We worked in teams and the cruise director would ask for things like a woman from the team holding a man's watch. Teams that got there first got the most points. By the end of the game, my husband had taken off his pants, Sam had ripped off Joey's pants, and Joey was in drag.

The next day took us to Belize. Because Belize is surrounded by coral reefs, we had a 5 mile tender into Belize City. Chris and Gracie decided to stay on the boat again. Abby and I went on a tour with some friends that took us on a tour of the city before going on a air boat tour of the mangrove. I learned so much about this small country. The people that we met were so amazing and happy to have us there. I am so glad Abby was able to see what it was like to live in a country not as fortunate as our own. Alex on the other hand had quite a different experience. He went zip lining and cave tubing in the rain forest with some of our friends. Apparently he had the time of his life. That was the great thing about going with such a large group. There was always someone to hang out with. I could have spent all day on the air boat. The area we explored was so beautiful. We saw baby crocodiles and exotic birds. But most fun was riding around at top speeds on the air boat!! This night we were treated to a dance from our waiters in the dining room. My son decided to join them. He proceeded to dance around the large dining room with them in front of over 1,000 people. I wonder where he gets it? My other star made her debut that night for the Pirate Night performance. She was a shy, but VERY cute pirate up on stage.

Our last day was a very relaxing day at sea. I spent a lot of time laying by the pool. We really needed the down time after the very busy week. I would have liked to have had another day at sea in the middle to not make things so crazy. We said goodbye to our waiters who had been so good to us. We enjoyed the 80's dance party. Perhaps the most fun was had when we closed down the Schooner Bar that night. The Schooner Bar was a piano bar. The player was a great guy who invited people to come up and sing and play with him. He came out into the audience and gave my mom the opportunity to do what it was she had been wanting to do all week, sing into a microphone. It was a wonderful ending to a great trip spent with people that we love. We we got home yesterday and finally settled, it felt good to be home. This last picture of Gracie and Rosie I think tells it all!

Mr. & Mrs. Pollitt

We got back today from helping Joe and Emily celebrate their honeymoon. We had a great time (more on that later). I wanted to post a few pics from their beautiful wedding.


More info later after my house quits rocking like a cruise ship!

Wedding day

Here is a quick post before things get really crazy. I have to wake up the girls for their hair appointment this morning and drop the dog off to Susan before our trip tomorrow.

Here are a few pics from the rehearsal on Thursday. As you can see, it will be VERY beautiful. Then we are all off to the islands!

Check back next week for wedding and vacation pics!