Let the games begin!

Well we had a great day-cation in Raleigh, it was as bit crazy and busy but we had so much fun! We didn't get to see Carl as much as I would have like but oh well there is always the next vacation right he hehee. We left on Thursday afternoon and hit the lego store. Caitlin and Nathan both got straight A's on their report cards and Owen did good in behavior which is always rewarded in these parts. We met Aunt Susan at the mall, we hit the lego store and then the kids let me shop for about 12 minutes before they started complaining that they were hungry.... Well money saving they are for sure. 12 minutes was just enough time for Aunt Susan to help me pick out three awesome outfits so it was a win for sure.  Here are some pictures of our trip!

 Everyone loves the Lego store, Caitlin was with Susan when I took this picture but she got a treat too.

 Dinner at the Cheesecake Factory! Yummy!

 Caitlin and I had to take our cheesecake to go we were too full and we had an aweseome hotel waiting for us.

 The most fun of any "cation" as Owen likes to call it.. opening the door!

 Oh did I mention the indoor pool was so warm, even mommy got to swim!

 Yummy breakfast!

 French toast my favorite

 Another fun part of the city, riding the escalators... so much fun to be had!

Our last stop was the museum of science in Raleigh....

Lots to say!

Its been a busy busy few weeks filled with so many things. First a few good things. The family got moved to naval medicine from our out in town PCM that we have had for 8 years. I was just so upset but I didn't really talk to anyone about it because I know ultimately it was only going to affect me. Me missing work, me waiting for long long hours at doctors appointments I had heard the horror stories and I was willing to give it a try but I knew in the end I would switch everyone to Standard and pay the extra cost like so many of my friends had.... but when your at specialist all the time I know it would hit our budget hard but I had one last chance.... to get an appeal, I talked to our doctor and she said she had heard it happened once. I had little hope but last Wednesday night I got our appeal back and we were approved... Tears tears of joy.. I know if you are reading this blog you are thinking what's the big deal. Trust me its huge huge....  I am so happy so so happy!!!

 I left this guy  in the Croatan National Forest at Camp Sam Hatcher this weekend. Well truth be told I pulled him out a day early. I am glad I did as a nasty cold front camp through with heavy rain and lightning last night. He had a great Friday night and Saturday.

 Sitting by the campfire. ... he loves loves Boyscouts.. he loves camping. Lets just say out of his peer group he was the last man standing.... my boy loves nature and I am one proud moma!

 Ready with his tent!

 I left him with a camera,.... the pictures well they leave something to be desired but here is a selfie!!!!

I put Owen, Audrey, and Caitlin in the car at 3pm headed to the camp and made everyone spaghetti dinner with all the fixings for smores! They played flashlight laser tag among the long leaf pines.... and then we came home and got in our warm beds!!!!

Halloween Fun

 Well it was a hit like always, mom was exhausted but it was fun fun fun!

 Loved the cheesy bread spider web.

 cute cupcakes.

 Some pumpkin carving!

 Got on our costumes ready for fun.

October Fest.... without the beer!

Caitlin got a reading award at school for reading a huge book 600 pages and getting 50 points on an Accelerated Reader test. She loves to read!

Owen and I headed to the beach while the big kids were at piano, the weather was perfect, but I didn't take to many pictures. There was so much trash on the beach we had to do a clean up instead of pictures.

Look at my little guy working on his homework. He really likes his school work.

A trip to our local church pumpkin patch lol! Good times had by all.

Our yearly bench picture, it was a warm day.... it is feeling more fall like now. The shorts have been replaced with jeans and flip flops will go away until next summer.

My three little pumpkins sitting on the steps....

We had a really cool solar eclipse a few weeks ago, its the first time I really saw something when I looked outside at the right time. Very cool.

Can you see my boys, look closely... oh how they love to play in the woods... and now we own the woods....

There is Nathan and Owen and the little tent, always playing airsoft or nerf or army games.... good times.

A few more beach pictures... out of order. Just look how tall he is getting he is growing up, up up!

In other very very exciting news. Look what we got last night. A brand new ... used piano. I love it , and the kids like it too.  We can now play piano downstairs and I have dreams of making Christmas cookies while the kids play carols on the piano.

I keep making them play me songs and they keep doing it. What good kids. Oh and they know that mom will cry if they don't hahaha no I think they really do enjoy the piano or at least they like that they can play music...

Rain Rain Go Away!

Sorry blog, I know its been a while but the last few weeks have been boring, don't worry the crazy train is back. October always proves to be our busiest month and this one appears to be no different than the rest. We started with the Rain ohhh the rain, for days and nights and days and nights it rained. The kids had an early release from school, one entire day off and two two hour delays yes for rain. We thought it would never stop. It has stopped the sun is shining, everything is still a muddy mess and boys oh boys,.... Their shoes if anyone on the blog would like to start a shoe fund for these boys, it seems like I spend my life buying shoes! Okay Nathan had his boyscout costume contest and pumpkin carving contest and Owen got third place in the costume contest and Nathan and Carl won the pumpkin carving.... now time to get back to sunny blue skies, soccer and Fall! 

So proud to be the winners!

Here is pumpkin in jail !

An entire box of clothes showed up thanks to Aunt Ali! yippeee!

The sun came out one day while a hurricane passed us by and we let the kids go down on the beach after a trip to the movies.

They went to the movies with Carlie and Grayson! Caren and Mom saw a different movie at the same time, it was heaven on earth!!! We will do it again very soon!

While it was raining G ma and me  headed to Wilmington, on the great piano hunt of 2015 more on that later....

We stopped for lunch and did some shopping ohh it was so so nice. I felt slightly guilty for not bringing kids but it was so so much fun just me and mom!