My senior year at Alabama was by far the best year in college for me. When I was a freshman, I didn’t live in Tutwiler like all the other freshman did and I really missed out! I lived off campus with my sister and her roommate she had had since she was a freshman. My sophomore year, I lived with some girls that were transferring to Alabama and still didn’t really get to know my pledge sisters. Then at a bar swap I met a guy and after a while we starting dating and I hung around his fraternity brothers and their girlfriends which were Chi O’s. My Junior year I lived with those girls and then at the end of my junior year the guy and me broke up! So, I decided the best thing for me to do was to move in the KD house. I met 14 of the most amazing girls and we became instant friends. We did everything together. The 2nd floor TV room was the place we all met up. Everyone was there for lunch, Days of our Lives was always on the TV and Thursday nights for Friends!! The sleeping porch was the best sleep I have ever gotten and I still some times dream I am there sleeping again! I learned while living in the KD house that if you get up the 1st time your alarm goes off you aren’t as tired as the day goes on. When you slept on the sleeping porch you weren’t allowed to hit snooze! I was so very sad when the year was over and we all had to go our different ways. It was so hard to move into an apartment with only 1 or 2 people living with you. I got so used to having someone with me all the time that I was lonely!! By the end of that summer we had all graduated and going on with our new lives. Some of us were getting married and others were still trying to decide what we were going to do with ourselves! We all met up at the 1st couple of weddings, in the Spring of 1996 we met up in New Orleans for the Jazz Fest, then a couple more weddings and then it stopped. No more weddings and we started having children. I think it had been at least 13 years since we had all been together until this weekend! 9 of us got together in New Orleans for a “reunion”. I was so hesitant about going, and almost didn’t but decided one night lying in bed that I was doing it. I was going to New Orleans to see my friends! I am so glad I made that decision. We had the best time. We stayed at Rebecca’s house and it was just like being back on the 2nd floor of the KD house! Just this time we were sharing stories of college but more interested in sharing stories of our families! I’ve always heard that you know you have a true friend when you can go for years with out speaking and then meet up and pick up right where you left off. And, true that saying is. Once we were all together, it seemed like it was just yesterday when we were all together. I am looking forward to our next get together; I just hope it is not 13 years!

Back to Pre-School for Kate

Kate began her 3rd year in pre-school today. I can hardly believe it. Since I didn't work when the boys were little, they just went part time to preschool. Kate started off doing the same thing and then I went to work. It was a huge decision as to what she would do. Another reason we are so fortunate to live in the same town with our parents is that Kate could continue to go to preschool part time. The other time she is with my mom. They have the most fun together! Since Kate doesn't have school on Friday, she spends the night with bibbie and stays with her all day on Friday! She is quite the spoiled little girl and I wouldn't have it any other way! She has all her "boy" friends in her class so she is more than thrilled about that! I know the year is going to fly by so I am going to enjoy it and I know she will too!!

Kate going to her Open House at school

Kate being shy

2 of her friends

Her main man

Kate with Miss G

Kate with her brothers on her 1st day of school and their 2nd

Going in to school

Back to School

Today was the first day back to school for the boys! Today Will started 5th grade. 5TH GRADE!!! Where has the time gone? I remember like it was yesterday, dropping him off at Kindergarten. Even as I cried as Jason drove off, I knew just for one year he was still my baby. It always seems once they hit 1st grade, it goes by in a flash and man has it. This year, he has his first man teacher! He was a little nervous but when he got back to my room after school, he said he had a great day and he really liked his teacher. Drew being in the 4th grade is just as harder to handle as Will being in 5th. Drew is still just so small and I guess that is what makes it hard. He has Jennifer this year and has his main man Mr. G for reading. The boy was so excited about the reading teacher, he just thinks Mr. G is the coolest thing in the whole world!!  Ben has moved his way across the cafeteria to the 3rd grade hall and has Mrs. E. They all have friends in their classes and are so happy! Which makes for a very happy mama!! I know the year is going to fly by, it always does!

Ben and Mrs. E

Ben and Walker are in the same class

Drew with Jennifer

Will with Mr. J

For the past 4 years we have been to see Ashley, we had to go back this year too!

Ben, 1st day of 3rd grade

Drew, 1st day of 4th grade

Will, 1st day of 5th grade and last 1st day of elementary school

Last Minute Summer Vacation

With 3 boys playing post season baseball, you never know what your summer really consists of. I can always count on the month of June being dedicated to nothing but baseball practice and then a tournament. With Drew and Ben this year, that was it. Their tournament were only a 1 time thing. But Will's team, if they win can go on to play all summer. As a matter of fact, the World Series for Dixie Youth Baseball begins this Saturday, August 13 in North Carolina! And our 1st day of school is Monday, August 15! Needless to say we didn't win and I can't say I was all that upset, because the night we got put out of the District tournament, which I think was July 8, I was on the phone with Disney Vacation Club making us reservations for the 1st week in August!!! You see, last year when Alabama went to the Citrus Bowl in Orlando this year we made last minute plans to take the kids to Disney and then to the game for Christmas gifts. Since we also knew we were going in October of 2011 for Fall Break, we decided it would be better if we bought annual passes. As Vacation Club Members we get a discount on annual passes so it only made sense to do it this way. Then, our school board decided we would not have a fall break and I had to cancel the rooms, but we still had the park tickets and it would have been a real waste of money had we not used them. So, I got us reservations at Saratoga Springs and I was even able to get us dinner reservations at all our favorite restaurants!! And finally, I was able to get Kate a reservation to eat in Cinderella's castle!! They are always booked up! I was so surprised that I got us in. I figured since we got that reservation that it wouldn't be too crowded. And it wasn't. The parks were great. We really didn't have to wait in a long line and well it was hot but no hotter than I would have been had we been watching Will play baseball!! We had a blast!! It is always so much more fun when we are able to go with Elizabeth and her family. I am so glad we are in the same town and able to vacation together. It makes for lots of great memories with our cousins!! We finally did a water park this time and it was great! The kids voted for Blizzard Beach so that was where we went. They had a ball! I bought a waterproof camera but I haven't gotten the pictures done yet but he are some of my favorite from our trip!