Our two older boys have had braces for a little time now - and our younger two have gone on and on about how they wished they had them, as well. (Crazy, I know.)  
     We thought they were too young, but little did we know after a consultation with the orthodontist, they were ready to go.  It was a big day with their older brothers, grandparents and even our daughter's bestie coming to surprise her and hold her hand.  No normal family does this, (we know) but their orthodontist and staff are just about the most fabulous people on earth - and allowed all of our wild crew to be there...

     Love and Thanks to Dr. Gladwell and his Wonderful staff and to Sweet Saleece for surprising Lauren Elizabeth with your visit.  It's going to be a fun few years of silvery smiles - and we just can't wait to see them in the end.

    They say you marry your parents.  This has always seemed crazy to me and completely illogical until times like last week take place on our trip to Washington D.C.
     To watch both my husband and my dad become completely giddy over all the history and "teachable moments" while walking and talking with the kids, would be an understatement.  From the White House to just about every museum and monument known to mankind, it was truly something to behold.       

     So, this is how I felt after walking 8,530 miles in a day, but it was worth it.  The kids learned a lot and seemed to enjoy the time with Adam and Dad.  Mom and I tried to keep up, but nothing compared to those two.  
     There's no telling what adventure we'll embark on next...and as amazing as D.C. was, I can only imagine what history will take place in the future.

     Having three boys in a row is a wonderful thing.  Boys love, fight, play and make pretty much every minute of the day action packed.  I used to wonder (scratch that) dream of what it would be like to have a little girl, though.  Giggles and braiding hair, dresses and bows...I thought we'd never get to experience the joy of it all.
    Then, nine years ago, she arrived...bringing more than we ever could've imagined.  She's found the greatest and sweetest friends and truly lives life to the fullest.
     Just recently she went to a cheer team sleepover that took my breath as soon as we walked in the door.  If you could've taken every girl's dream and made them all come true, this is what the night entailed.  I can't imagine what amount of work the team mom put into it, but it was one of the best times of Lauren Elizabeth's life as she played and danced the night away.
     Thank You, Kristie and everyone who made the night such an incredible time.  It meant more than you'll ever know.  

    People have said it all along, but they're right.  I thought about this as I pressed the iron to our son's starched white shirt, realizing the sleeve alone was longer than he was when he was born.
    They grow up so fast.  
    It was Christian's first dance.  He's fifteen, but only yesterday his gummy grin would burst into giggles as I danced around the room with him in my arms...and now he's deciding what tie he should wear.
     What a wonderful thing it was to see though.
     His heart was happy as he knew he'd see the best of friends and share the night with the sweetest and most beautiful girl, inside and out.  
     Dropping him off at the dance, we knew it was only one of many milestones.  It was a big one though.  
     Yes, I was the nerd mom who took too many pictures and I may or may not have stalked him even from outside of the dance as we left.
     When we returned three hours later however, we were met with laughs, endless stories on the car ride home and a son who was a little older, starving as usual, and forever our boy.

       Love You, Chrissy and Matthew!  You're the Best!!!

   Life can pass you by with busy days that'll one day be difficult to remember.  Sprinkle amazing memories in as often as you can, making it a journey simply too impossible to forget.  

    It was my 13th birthday.  One of my favorite and most cherished presents of my entire life...and I never could've known how much I'd value it to this day.  My Garfield phone. 
​(Hello 80's.) 

    Full disclosure, I had completely forgotten about Garfield until Adam brought him upstairs with a comfortable smile.  "I found this - we can use it if we lose power."  Yes, we still have an old school land line which we never use, but are thankful for now.  Almost as thankful as I am for Garfield.
    Being raised in Ohio, we don't "do" hurricanes.  My husband grew up in the military, spending most of his childhood in the south.  He's much more experienced in such natural occurrences.  Give me snow all day long, but hurricanes?  
     That in mind, I've taken in as much information from North Carolina natives as humanly possible, coming to the conclusion there are three main categories of people.
    1. We've prepared the house, weatherproofed everything and we're evacuating immediately.
    2. We've done all we can, stocked up with a few weeks supply of food, necessities, water, filled the bathtubs with water and we're going to hunker down and stick it out.
    3. Hurricane Party.
    We fall more into the second category, worrying more about having what we need to take care of the kids and pets than anything else.  It's hard to drive to work however, seeing thousands of people evacuating, only to wonder if you should do the same.

    We're hoping everything will be okay though and especially praying for those along the coast.  There's a peace of mind in keeping in contact with family and friends back home and I'm especially thankful to be married to Adam who has been nothing but the MacDaddy in preparing for the storm.
    I marvel at the thought, wondering how people throughout history could've dealt with such powerful forces.  There were no warnings, no "News Channel 5" to give you up to the minute details.  The craziest part, is if you'd go outside as of this morning, it's an absolutely beautiful day.  Who would believe that, knowing what a beast of a storm is right around the corner? 
    It will be an experience for sure.  One I hope that'll be less exciting than not.  
    All there is to do now is send love and prayers to everyone in the path, hope she passes through quickly and wish for the best.  Here we go-     

     It was a 1979 Ford truck.  All green, stick shift and ugly as sin, but man, my dad loved that truck. Putting phone books behind my back, I was fifteen years old in the dead of an Ohio winter when he took me to our high school parking lot to learn how to drive.  "If you can learn how to drive in this, you'll be able to drive anything", were his exact words.
​     Hours of trying to figure out how to work the menacing clutch with gear grinding torture, eventually the days turned into two cases of mild whiplash and a shiny new license on my 16th birthday.
​    Fifteen years later, I never would've imagined holding a baby boy in my arms...and fifteen years after that, doing the same with him.
    We're in the state of North Carolina now where kids don't begin at the age of fifteen, but fourteen and a half.  FOURTEEN and a half.  It doesn't seem right, but sure enough that's what they do.  
    Nervously and excitedly, we signed Christian up for his driver's education courses, then his six hours behind the wheel.  To see our son, that same little one we held a minute ago, get behind the wheel was surreal.  Why is it that when I was learning to drive, I felt so old, but to look at him he's still a baby?
    His fifteenth birthday came along, bringing with it the three and a half day wait in the DMV line, resulting with a driving permit in hand and a smile on his face.
     It's next to impossible to believe how fast time is flying.  Just yesterday I was in that truck with my dad and now I watch as Christian drives off with Adam, my heart hurting and leaping at the same time.              

    I know it'll be another second before he drives off alone, but we'll hold onto this while we can.  Nothing prepares you for it all.  No books, research, online searches...you just go through and hang on as much as possible...all while thanking God for automatics.  

    Can you imagine?  Think of the experiences you'd have from the year 1918.
     You would've been born before the Empire State Building was built.  You'd have lived through the Great Depression, Prohibition, World War II, First man in space...Can you begin to think of the stories you'd have? 
     My Mom's entire side of the family is from New Jersey.  I spent my life traveling from Ohio to Point Pleasant Beach, NJ to find myself surrounded by the greatest amounts of big, fun, Jersey Love complete with countless hugs, squished cheeks and the strongest accents that to this day, make my heart smile.
    My Grandpa was the oldest of four, having three younger sisters.  Two of which are still with us, Aunt Dottie and Aunt Eleanor with Aunt Eleanor, just turning one hundred years old.  
     My parents, Adam and I gathered our North Carolina kids into the car and I began to prep.  "This is a whole different world.  You have a huge family you're about to see, but your "Yes Ma'ams and No Sirs" might get a few strange looks.  Also, it might be hard to keep up with the speed of conversation - especially with an accent you're not used to."
     They nodded in nervous excitement and we were off.  
    The party was wonderful.  Aunt Eleanor's daughter, Judy, Granddaughter, Rachel and son, Bobby along with several others put on a celebration to beat the band.  The family and food were beyond compare and taking it all in - the best memories from the past flooded back.
     Aunt Eleanor was stunning.  At 100 years old, she was as royal as a Queen.  Sharp as a tack and as kind and Wonderful as my childhood days remember.  Giving her secret to a long life, she stated it took good faith, good family and friends - along with a healthy lifestyle - always taking her vitamins.          

    It was an amazing time with an even more Amazing person.  Aunt Eleanor epitomizes the definition of a Beautiful person inside and out with such a wonderful life and I'm thankful to be lucky enough to be in her family.  
    Driving home, a quick stop to the "shore" was a must as the kids soaked in the summer salty air with sand between their toes. 

    Piling back in the car, I couldn't wait to hear their thoughts about it all.  On and on they went about the people they met, family, different foods and how their Great, Great Aunt Eleanor was so nice and pretty.  
    That's when our youngest son chimed in, "You know, everything was great, but there was only one thing." My parents, Adam and I looked back at him...
​    "The sweet tea in New Jersey sure doesn't taste the same."
    Happiest 100th Birthday to the Fabulous, Aunt Eleanor.  You're Sweeter than all the tea in the world.      

    You know those crazy people who have daughters that decorate their school lockers with everything but the glittery kitchen sink?  Well...you might want to stop reading right here...
    It might help if I go back a little.  (Like, five years) ago when our first son was given the combination to his very first school locker.  Looking around and hearing squeals, I didn't realize how much fun there was for girl lockers - as chandeliers and fuzzy throw rugs were flying around the fourth grade hallway.  Normal boy moms rolled their eyes in unison as they all nonverbally agreed of how thankful they were not to be going through the same misery.
​     Turning back to our son's locker with his sad, sorry pencils and glue stick on the top shelf, I on the other hand, felt a lump in my throat.
     "Should we put some pictures on your door? Maybe a magnet or two?"  I hoped.
     "Mom, no.  It's good.  Let's go."
     humph.
     One son, two sons then three sons consisted of year after year of the same.  It began to feel the way it would every time we'd look for Christmas or Easter outfits for the boys before our daughter was born. The huuuuge option of navy or khaki pants gutted me every time while I forced myself not to turn and go through countless dresses dancing with ribbons and bows.
     Then...just like that first dress, it was time...even though I never thought the day would come. 
     Our daughter and I spent hours going through websites, gathering ideas, planning a theme, studying row after row of store shelves looking for the perfect accessories.  My husband thought we had lost our minds and we did a little, but it was more than I could've hoped for.  I knew to love every minute of it, not being naïve enough to realize how quickly decorating a locker for a fourth grade girl with sparkles will all too quickly turn into middle school (ahem) independence.
    So, we began.  A rainbow unicorn world was the theme and Thank You, Lord Jesus we found a locker chandelier, unicorn accessories and yes, even a fuzzy rainbow locker carpet.        

    The icing on the unicorn cake?  One of her best friends from the BFFs of all times is right. next. door.  Their lockers are side by side and it was all we could do to wonder how we could remove the separating wall.  
    The middle school principal even came around the corner to see what all the giggling was about before he helped the girls with locker combinations.
     It was more fun than we could've hoped for and for you 80's fans?...We even found an old school locker answering machine worthy of a "Saved by the Bell" episode, so her brothers and friends can leave messages.
     As over the top as we may have gone, I considered a glitter confetti gun and jokingly told my husband we could try to fit an easy bake oven inside so she could make cupcakes between class.  He didn't laugh.
    In the end, it's so beyond wonderful having boys and there's nothing better than a son's heart, even though their lockers could be the most boring things on earth. On the other hand, it's our daughter's first taste of her own little space apart from all of her brothers and it ended up being more fun than we knew what to do with. 
    I know the boy locker and unicorn years will be gone all too quickly and through each day of the back to school madness I'll try to cherish and appreciate each one while they last.  From glue sticks to rainbows and everything in between.  Here's to a great new year. 
    Sparkle cupcake anyone?     

   It was the summer of my ninth birthday.  The movie E.T. was all the rage and everyone, I mean, eeeveryone couldn't wait to see it.  Everyone that was, except for me.
   You see, back home in Ohio, we were lucky enough to have a real drive-in movie theatre.  Growing up, I actually thought it was the normal way to watch a movie until I left home and realized half the people I met didn't know what I was talking about. 
   It was amazing though.  Movies like Top Gun, Raiders of the Lost Ark...and yes, even E.T. were somehow magically brought to life when you watched them surrounded by fireflies under the summer stars.
   You can imagine then, when you're only nine and for some reason don't think E.T. is cute, but scary.  We didn't have the internet or Google back then to see what the movie was about.  As a kid, all I knew was he was an alien and he came to earth.  Pair that with your big brother scratching the window in the back seat of the car before the movie starts, telling you E.T. was outside trying to get in...and you have yourself a certified nightmare.
    Little did I know, within about ten minutes of watching the movie through laced fingers, I'd grow to fall in love with every aspect of the film, even crying towards the end.
     All this being said, having a nine year old little girl myself now, I was able to pull from that experience when she went through the scariest. Drive-in. Experience of her life. Only this time it was legitimate.  
    All four kids have been begging to see the new "Teen Titans Go" movie which in and of itself makes me want to bang my head against a wall.  
    Regardless, we're lucky enough to have a real Drive-In movie here in Carolina and every summer I regret not taking advantage of it.  How many kids in this generation have the opportunity to experience that, on top of the fact that it's in our own back yard?
    This summer, we wouldn't pass it by.
    Gathering the kids, blankets, pillows...we eagerly made our way, then nestled our place into a perfect spot.  Getting popcorn and snacks to enjoy, it was the best of all worlds.  
    The Drive-In is updated, so the sound of the movie goes through a radio station allowing you to sit in your car with the windows up - not getting eaten by bugs.  Awesome.
     You know what's not awesome?  Six people stuck in a car in North Carolina, in August, with the windows rolled up.  
     Adam warned me about killing the battery if I turned the car on the wrong notch, but I figured it wouldn't be that bad.  Besides, the movie was making my ears bleed, yo? and if you've ever watched an episode of Teen Titans Go, you know what I mean.
      Ahhhh, sweet air.  Turning the key, not only did I blast the air conditioner, I also charged my cell phone and was able to catch up on emails and texts while the kids were mesmerized with every second of the film.         

     It was a wonderful night and a memory they'd surely keep.  Especially when the movie was over and we couldn't get the car to start.  Whatever I did, it killed everything. 
    "Are we stuck here? Do we have to sleep here all night?"  Excitement raced through the boys as our daughter didn't seem all too thrilled with the idea. 
    "No, we're not stuck here guys.  We'll find someone to jump us, hang on."
     This is where I should probably mention there was another movie which was about to begin.  After a kid's movie, common sense would tell you it'd be another film of that genre, but what Adam and I both knew was that it was, "The Meg".  Yes, short for "Megalodon" as in the biggest, meanest, prehistoric shark that ever lived.  Kind of like our version of "Jaws" mixed with "Jurassic Park". Obviously a kid friendly movie, especially when stranded in the middle of nowhere outside in the pitch dark, at the drive-in.  
    What could possibly go wrong?
    "THIS IS AWESOME!!!" The boys cheered.  Flashbacks of E.T. came rushing in as I faintly saw the terror in our daughter's eyes by the light of my now dying phone. 
    "I want to go home.  Can we go home?"  Her little voice began to shake. 
     I quickly began to google reviews of the movie only to find images like this -       

     Oh good, she's going to love it. 
     "Adam, we have to get out of here.  She's going to end up in the fetal position until she's 11 years old."
      He frantically looked for jumper cables to no avail.
      The movie began and the boys opened the doors to hear the sound from other car speakers and were loving it.  My brilliant husband grabbed his phone and a pair of earbuds from the boys and quickly wrapped her in a blanket then faced her the other way.
     "Watch something on my phone until we figure out what to do", he assured her.
     She tried to peek over her shoulder as the movie continued, only to lower herself back into the seat. 
     In all honesty, it wasn't as bad as I feared and we actually found ourselves getting into the plotline. 
     We eventually found someone to jump us as soon as the movie ended, let the battery charge back up and found our way home, unscathed for the most part.
     The night made me wonder what her version of a nine year old drive-in movie theatre experience will be like compared to mine.  A huge killing prehistoric shark is a far cry from E.T. and I question if she'll ever go into the water again.  At least I hope it was less traumatic for her than it could've been, however. 
    We definitely won't be winning any parent of the year awards for that night, but like they say, the best laid plans.  
    Maybe next summer we'll be lucky enough for them to come out with a new "Friday the 13th".