ross bridge

 we took a mini vacation over to birmingham and spent some time at ross bridge right before school started.  we played a few courses, swam a ton, ate lots of good food, found the food trucks at the farmer's market, and played a tennis tournament at the met.  it was fun to get away not far from home.  we drug poppa and kakki with us to hang out, although i'm not sure how relaxing it is for them to hang out with us!

my kids do love a hotel, and this "fancy" one did not disappoint.  it was an easy and fun long weekend!  we'll definitely be back!   

lake time

 we spent a weekend at the lake with the daileys.  it was william's birthday and their daughter, sarah's, birthday.  so, we had lots of time on the water along with burgers, cake, and ice cream.  everybody skied, knee boarded, and got hurled off of the inner tube!  and, mama proved that she can still slalom and is better than the little people behind a boat.  :)  they are all ready to move to the lake!  

school is back!

 it's been since march since these people have seen the inside of the classroom.  they started at different times, but they all got back into the swing of things.  it's different this year with masks and spaced out desks and one way hallways, but they are making it work.  william lasted three days before getting quarantined because of a positive case in his geometry class, but he weathered it at home and is back in person learning all the good stuff!  here's to hoping that we make it through flu season in one piece! 

william on wheels

 william turned 15, aced the driving test for his permit, and got a bunch of guitar stuff that i don't understand!!  but, he's one happy 15 year old!

This weekend, William turned 15. He went from a toddler in a carseat telling me to change the songs to a skinny, taller than me teenager providing the music. He loves ALL the music and spends hours a day in the music room playing guitar and piano. Country rock and church music tend to be his favorites these days, but you never know what’s going to come out of there. He fries three eggs for his breakfast every morning with bacon, toast, fruit, yogurt, and a spoonful of peanut butter. He still makes a PB and J every day for his lunch at school. He likes to keep his nose in a book. His stringing business is going strong, and he is closing in on 300 rackets. He still gets up early, but getting out of his pjs is not a priority. Tennis and golf are still his favorites. If he had to choose today, engineering is at the top of his list or maybe something medical. Dessert is a must. He outgrows shoes faster than we can keep them ordered. He loves watermelon and spicy, thai curry dishes. Actually, he likes all things spicy. He lives in his own world and does life at his own pace (all the while the rest of us are hollering at him to hurry up)! He is fluent in sarcasm. He doesn’t like Dr. Pepper. He knows his bible and loves youth group. He is enjoying Spanish and wants to take 4 years of it. He loved quarantine and did not want it to end. And, today….he got his permit! It was a nightmare trying to get it because corona has messed everything up. I couldn’t get his social security card out of our lock box because the bank branch where the lock boxes are was closed for an “undetermined amount of time.” (Let’s just say that it’s good to know people!) The DMV only lets you come one day a week now based on your last name. We were first in line at the DMV at 630am this morning since Tuesday is our day. At 745, they came out and told us that a toilet overflowed so they were shutting down. We tried again this afternoon, and they had resolved the toilet issue! So, I know this birthday post is late, but THIS is the picture that I wanted as a reminder of William at 15! Happy birthday, slow poke! Mama calls shotgun!