No Excuses

No, there are no excuses for the huge gap between postings except that life has made MANY unexpected twists and turns in the last 6 months - some good but others I wished didn't happen. I will skip the unhappy and unwanted moments and head straight into the good (as there is nothing we can do about the bad except to keep moving forward). First, the boys are all great. They have had an excellent year at school. All are healthy. All are happy. As we are just a few days from the last days of school....though we will not be going on an exciting trip to Space Camp or Memphis (which I would do anything to do again and of course, our church mission group is going to Memphis in August!!). But alas, this summer is close to home. There are lots of camps, vacation bible school days and mission work ahead. As for me, there are more changes then you can imagine. But the two that stand out - I am full time job hunting and will also be having open heart surgery in July. There will be more info to come on that and many of the other life changing moments but for now, life is moving forward whether we want it to or not. There will be rough times ahead but also some amazing new adventures just waiting. I have seen a renewal in my faith, of others and of God when I had started to doubt it the most. I have felt the most blessed during a time when I felt the world was crashing down around me, lonely and lost. Most of all, have felt more love than I ever thought possible. So on that note, I will stop this entry. There will be many to come over the summer. The boys have 3 VBS camps in the first 2 weeks of summer vacation! A perfect way to praise God and all that he has to share with us. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. - Psalm 51:12  

The Last Year

It's the last year of single digits. Wow. Seems like yesterday my babies were still in diapers. Now they are independent, funny, smart and very energetic 9 year olds. There is never a dull moment. This year, the boys wanted an ice skating party at the local rink. Dylan loves ice skating and is capable of doing spins and small jumps. Connor has been fearful of skating since a concussion after a fall left him nervous being on the ice. But after attending ice skating camp this past summer, he has regains his confidence and decided he loves it again. They were excited to have friends join them for a fun afternoon. Happy Birthday my babies....may you have a blessed year ahead as we work our way towards double digits!

Back to school

This time of year rolls around so fast. Here we are again, another grade older. We had a great summer with a lot of lounging around. I love summers home with the boys. This summer the boys themselves had a lot of bonding time. With Austin being older, having other interests and friends...the twins become disconnected from him as the school rolls along. The summer time allows for them to spend quality time together. There were so many afternoons that the 3 of them just hung out in Austin's room, playing Wii together and having lots of conversation. It was so beautiful. The twins enjoyed a couple weeks of camp - being outside, running with nature and swimming. We got to see 2 shows this summer - Riverdance and the King and I. Lots of firsts took place....I took Connor to his first "rock" concert to see Big Time Rush. He was thrilled! Austin went on his first camping trip and tubing. Dylan learned how to dive and drive a golf cart! But as the last several summers have gone...it also required a trip to the emergency room, though this time it was at the beginning of summer instead of days before school started. Thankfully, Connor's elbow injury was more swelling than anything else and NOT broken. But he got a lot of sympathy for his huge cast he got to wear for 2 days! All in all, it was a good summer. Now its back to school. Austin's in 8th grade and the twins are in 3rd. Where did the years go?

Big Time Rush

I remember my first concert. I was in high school - 10th grade I think. Got to see Linda Ronstadt. But that was years and years ago. Now Disney is creating singing sensations for the young and young at heart. One show the boys totally love is Big Time Rush. If you are old enough to remember The Monkees....well, then Big Time Rush (BTR as it is referred too) is the 21st century version! Connor totally loves this group and wanted to see them in concert. Being the mom that I am, I secured us some tickets off a resale website - amazing cheap price and great seats. Believe it or not, the adults were enjoying the concert as much as the kids. The group was GREAT! They put on such an entertaining show.....I would go see them again. Highlight of the evening....Connor got to shake hands with Carlos as they ran up the side aisle and our seats were on the end. Great seats in deed!

As you can see from the picture below, he was passed out by the time we got on the highway. A successful outing! Thanks BTR!

 

Play Posse strikes again!

It's been a long overdue play posse week! We started calling our little gang the "Play Posse" when they were little and all looked the same size. Now they are growing up and going in various directions of interest, but we are blessed that they all love each other and still love sharing their time together. My sister took 4 days off from work this week and it allowed us to make a week of road trips. Woohoo!! First day we went to Monster Mini Golf (always fun), then a fun filled day at Chesapeake Beach (a summer tradition with the kids), and last but not least, Rock and  Roll Bowling!! Sadly, Austin was on his mission retreat and was missing from the outings. It definitely felt un-balanced without him along and he was missed. At least in a few weeks, they get to go to camp together for a whole week (another summer tradition). Oh the memories!

Shout out to Memphis

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We loved our visit to Memphis, even though it was a 4 hour drive from Alabama. The boys loved the fact they got to visit three states (as we drove most of the time through Mississippi getting to Tennessee). What made this trip so special was getting to visit with Linda and John Blankenship! The sweetest friends ever! They let me and the boys stay with them for a few days and showed us a wonderful time. We spent 4th of July at the Memphis Zoo...wow, since Memphis is named after a place in Egypt, the zoo has an Egyptian design. Wish we had exhibits like that at our National Zoo. The boys wore their bathing suits and played in fountains, there were air conditioned buildings to cool off your walk, up close and personal exhibits with the animals. We spent 4 hours at the zoo and only touched on a little bit of it but it was great. Watching the grizzlies play and rub noses with the boys - only plexiglass between them, touching hand to paw of a polar bear, sitting right next to a Panda as he chews his bamboo or watching a sea lion show. Plus, they have a tram that picks up at stops so you don't have to walk as much, especially in the horrible heat. It was 106 the day we were at the zoo. Yes, call us crazy but the Memphis Zoo knows how to cool you down and make it fun! Then it was off to the fireworks! As if all that wasn't great...we got to go to John's family farm and visit his Bees too. Austin got to get in on the action by being up close and personal with the bees. We couldn't believe it because he is really scared of bees but he put the suit on and, off he went. The twins got to play on a trampoline and take rides through the woods in a golf cart...even got to drive it! Thanks Aunt Linda and Uncle John for the most awesome time! We love you and miss you!

Hunk Hunk of Burning Love

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It only took me a life time but I finally made it to Graceland. I have loved Elvis from the time I was little. My childhood friend Barbara and I loved him together and I remember when she got to go to Graceland...I was in awe. of course, Elvis was still living then and all she got to do was stand outside a closed date. But I always remembered that picture. I finally got to have my picture taken in front of that gate. We loved seeing inside the house and talking to the employees. I know that many people say that Graceland is tacky but I strongly have to disagree. First of all, if you grew up in the 60's, many of our homes may have looked like this. I loved his living room and dining room. He had beautiful stain glass windows and designs. It wasn't that big of a house - with today's standards of homes. I wondered as I walked through his house what he may have changed had he continued to live there...or whether he would have sold it at some point. Believe it or not, the boys really liked it. The twins were fascinated by the "old" stuff and that I kept saying "look - thats what we had in our home when I was a kid"...boy was I feeling old!! Austin was in awe of how many awards and gold records Elvis received in his short life time and by the number of TVs in the house. Of course, remember, in the 60's and 70's...having more than 1 TV was a big deal...but to have one or more in every room of your house...now that was living big! The boys got to listen to lots of Elvis music, as they broadcast live from a satellite music booth...Elvis music all day long. We had a 4 hr drive from Huntsville, AL to Memphis, TN. I owe them big time because my guys never complained once listening to the music or while at Graceland (ok so Connor had a meltdown afterwards because he was so hot after leaving Graceland...but it just looked like he was crying over Elvis!! hahaha). It was extra special that day too because I got to share this experience with one of my dearest friends from childhood (church, confirmation, choir, school) who lives in Memphis, Linda. We shared the day together. We spent a wonderful few days in Memphis with Linda and husband John. We were sad to say goodbye. But hopefully this won't be our last visit. One of my favorite moments was driving down Elvis Presley Blvd and his song Rubberneckin' came on - we were singing the song and hanging our heads out the window. The boys asked "whats rubberneckin".....

Space Camp and Beyond

We finally got to go on vacation this year...its been a long time in the making. What to do, what to do??? As you know, we usually head to Disney World, but this year, we took a turn westward and headed to Huntsville, AL for Space Camp. Most people would say "what is space camp"...well, it started 30 years ago to give regular people like us, a chance to learn about science, the space program and experience some of the journey our astronauts have taken. Believe it or not, I actually attended Space Camp in 1986 when they first offered an adult only program. I was in my very early 20's and had always loved space exploration so it was perfect. I often thought I would love to go back with my kids. Just so happens they now offer a family space camp and the twins were just old enough to attend. So we did, 4 days of rising at 6:30 a.m. and going nonstop until lights out at 9:30 p.m. It was grueling....VERY GRUELING...but an awesome experience. The adults learned and enjoyed as much a the kids. To top off this trip, Alabama hit a record high for heat...it was between 107 and 110 degrees while we were there. Though lucky for us, we missed our own home being without power during 100 plus temps while gone. Thankfully, it was back on when Brett returned home after space camp. The boys and myself continued on our journey....where to next....Graceland!

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Traveling to Babylon

When you need help, God is with you.

  "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble." (Psalm 46:1)

We kicked off summer with a trip to Babylon by way of Vacation Bible School. It was a busy crazy week of learning about the adventures of Daniel and believing in the one true God. We had 115 kids enrolled and though it is always the most exhausting week ever, it's just as fun. Austin was a storyteller and helped out with snacks. I was a tribe leader for a group of 3 year olds. It was wonderful to see the transformation from the first day that was filled with tears and looking like deer caught in headlights...by the end of the week they are singing and dancing to the songs, engaged in the stories of Daniel and being funny! This year Austin wanted to be on the VBS planning committee. He was involved in picking the theme, reviewing materials available, planning, decorating and then teaching. I was very proud of his involvement - by his own choosing. Vacation Bible School is always the perfect start for our summer and a wonderful tradition!

Hogwarts Fun!

This has taken me a while to post as I just found my pictures. An annual event in the Glasser-Hill families is my niece Juliet's birthday party in January. Being of a very creative mind, Juliet loves themed parties. This year for her 8th birthday, she chose Harry Potter...and we all got into the act. We knew most of the guests would come as Harry Potter so we decided to come as other characters. It was a grand time as we made wands and potions, played bewitching games and sang Happy Birthday! It was held at night with lots of little lights in a small stoned building...Tammy thought of it all and it was a fabulous event!

Tranported into the world of Harry Potter...Austin was Dumbledore, I was Moaning Myrtle, Connor was the ghost Nearly Headless Sir Nick, Dylan was Ron (you can't really see his red hair and freckles well in the picture), and Brett was Hagrid. It was so much fun!

Sister Act....Tammy was Professor Sybill Trelawney with me as Moaning Myrtle

It's a Small World afterall...

As anyone who knows me..such as my sister...will tell you that growing up I loved two things (among many)...dolls and Disney. So you can imagine my awe when arriving in Disney World in 1973 and riding "It's a Small World". I could have rode it over and over. Singing that song made my sister crazy. When we were grown and in our early 20's, we went to Disney once again. I couldn't wait for this ride. My sister and godsister, Sheila both cringed at the thought. They were troopers and all aboard we went. I was singing my heart out...off key,of course. Then it happened...the boat got stuck. There was a huge backup of boats in the tunnel and there we sat...and sat...and sat. And guess what? The song just kept on playing! My sister swore that would be her last ride ever (she later recanted when having to ride with her daughters many years later). On March 5th, the writer of "Its a Small World" and many other Disney songs passed away. Thank you Robert Sherman for giving me such amazing memories and that I can return to those memories over and over on each visit to Disney World. Thanks for the memories!

it's a world of laughter, a world or tears
its a world of hopes, its a world of fear
theres so much that we share
that its time we're aware
its a small world after all

Buzzing for the alphabet

Yesterday, we gave a go at our first Spelling Bee. Niece Natalie had participated last year so we figured we would give it a go this year. Connor and Dylan both signed on....attempting to learn 800 words. We didn't get quite that far....do you know what its like to review hundreds of words night after night? Yeah...exactly! We did the best we could. All in all, the twins studied and learned 400 words from the list...pronounciations, how to use in a sentence....in the end, it just took one word to take them out of the game. The very first word. A word that from the first day we started practicing...they got wrong. Probably the most practiced words...we came up with stratgies to trigger the correct spelling. But in the end....what was the first word they received...yep, it was THAT word. Once Connor was out, it freaked Dylan out and he faultered on his first word and was out. Alas, the "cricket" and the "crutch" had done them in. I guess thats why they call it a spelling bee, you just never know what word you will get or what will throw you off course. But thats totally ok. There were no tears, they were a bit disappointed. I was proud that they put so much effort in over a week period. They studied 400 words from 1st grade through 4th grade. No matter what, it had to enhance their spelling techniques and reading. We came home exhausted from a long day, laid on the couch and watched...what else? Akeelah and the Bee! Another busy day down...plenty more to come.

Makes no sense

It's February already...how, I really don't know. I do know we have had ZERO snow. No sledding. No closed school days. No watching the beautiful white stuff fall from the sky. Just nothing. However, my daffodils and crocus are about to bloom. Yes, its just the beginning of February. This last month has been a slight fog, realizing that life has changed with dad's passing. I feel out of sync. We've been having lots of weekends in our pjs, lots of comfort food (chinese, chocolate and coke...the 3 c's I love the most), and just hanging out with the kids. This week was especially difficult as a young mother of 2 sweet little boys left this world too soon. She lost her battle with inflammatory breast cancer. She blogged about science, kids and science, and women in science. She had a great passion. Its shocking how someone so brilliant, so amazing, so life changing to everyone she met....would leave this life. I ponder the thoughts of why my dad lived to be 84 despite his mental illness, yet Susan had to go so soon. Doesn't make sense and I can't explain it to myself. So all I can say or do....is spend a little extra time with my boys, sharing moments, giving extra hugs and kisses and soak in as much of life I can...be excited for the moments to come. Prayers to the Niebur family.

It's a new year

I apologize, it seems I've fallen off the blogging horse AGAIN! I was doing so much better. Since dad's passing on December 6th, its been kind of a blur. Trying to arrange a funeral, prepare for Christmas, school winter break and then my niece's birthday. PLUS we all were sick with some sort of cold and cough thing that just hung on for weeks (lots of people had this). Whew, its been busy and exhausting. Thankfully, there have been several 3 day weekends so the kids and I just laid around in our pjs, watched movies and chilled out. I'm starting to come out of the fog now, been gutting out closets, have a ton of clothes and books to donate and get out of the house. Starting to feel like I'm making a dent now so I will keep moving forward. My New Year's resolution...to get rid of stuff and sticking to simplicity. Also, to go through and start organizing the family photos and organize baby books.

So far, the cleaning out of stuff is going good. I have been slowed down a few times by a stiff back but then I was able to switch to going through piles of papers (ugh). I finally sat down, went through all the stuff I have kept for the boys. I have memory boxes for all 3. I went through their memory boxes and wrote notes on index cards on why I kept certain things or the history behind it...attached it to the item. Everything in all 3 boxes are now complete. All 3 have baby books (you know the ones, where you write down all their firsts and accomplishments)....been through them and they are all complete with pictures added. All that is left is to finish an ABC book I had made Austin (it had a few blank areas)and update a Disney album I have for each boy (with pics and memories from each Disney trip...with space for ones to come!). So as you can see, I have made alot of progress - I am proud of myself for sticking to you and it's still January! Once all that is done, then it will be to conquer ALL THE PHOTOS....ok, this could be a very long ordeal! Good luck to everyone who made their New Year resolutions and hope you can stick with them. Happy New Years and may the new year bring you many blessings, good health and much happiness!

Saying Goodbye

Sadly, on Tuesday, December 6th at 11:01 p.m., my dad, Floyd Franklin Best....aka "Pete" passed from this world. He was 84 years old. I've tried to think of something to write...84 years is alot of years to combine. He worked hard, he loved to play music, ride rollercoasters, have the perfect lawn, grow tomatoes, and go to his farm. But most of all, he loved his grandchildren. I think that says it all. Bye dad, until we meet again....

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