Answered Prayer

As most of you know.....we have NOT enjoyed Florida.  Not one teeny tiny little bit.  We are very happy to announce that we are OUT OF HERE!  Chris has been offered a new job and we are moving to North Alabama.  My wonderful husband leaves for Alabama this week and the rest of us will follow at the end of May.  Our prayer is that we find the perfect rental house in the perfect neighborhood with the perfect schools.  We aren't asking much, are we?  God is good and has taken care of us up to this point and I know He will continue to do just that.  His plan is always the best plan.

Our very good friends The Morgan's planned a Spring Break vacation at Panama City Beach and invited us to meet them down there.  Chris and Shane both had to work and Tucker got invited to go to a hunting lease with one of his friends....so that left Mason and me.  We hijacked their vacationed and spent two great days hanging out with some of your favorite people.  I was with Kara and Dan when we got the call about Chris' job....yippee!

 The kids playing in the VERY chilly water

Snacking

Kara and Dan took Mason and me to eat at The Donut Hole in Destin.  It was crazy busy with a line out of the door.  We got some donuts and made sure we had enough to take home for Chris and Shane...who never turn down sweets.  I had a red velvet cake donut.....the BEST donut I have ever had.

After that we went to Seaside....the town where The Truman Show was filmed.  Everything in the town was very pretty just like in the movie.  Then Mason and I loaded up to drive back to our house.  Mason cried on the way home because he never knows how long it will be until he sees Cannon again.  :(

 Seaside

They ride bikes everywhere!

Mason got his Orange Belt!!!!  We are really proud of our Karate Kid.

 Showing us his moves

Getting his orange belt from Mr.K

Chris just happened to have the Oak Mountain 50k scheduled in Pelham,Alabama, so we decided to make it a family weekend and check out our new town which was just about an hour away!  The boys and I went and checked out the mall in town and then went to the state park where the race was to wait for Chris.  It was a long wait...we were there about 3 hours.....the boys were happy to run in the woods and play in the creek.

I knew they were over it when Tucker hit Mason with a rock and then Mason bit Tucker.  Precious.  I did get some good pictures!

 Tucker is my happiest, most drama free child.  He is also the one who lives to aggravate his brothers.....that is what makes him happiest.  

 Not the best lighting in this picture...but I wanted you to see boys being boys.

 Mason fell in the creek...and now everything is wet.

 It looks like Tucker is falling backwards but he is actually jumping forward...he just hasn't landed yet.

 He's not mad....he is just posing for the camera.

 Do you like Farrah's wings?

 Firepower!!!!

 The boys met Chris at the end.  It was a rough race and Chris wasn't happy with his time.

The first night in town we stayed in the nastiest motel.  I am way too old and spoiled for that and we were lucky enough to stay at the Marriott in Huntsville the next night.  It was SO much better.  I still checked for bedbugs, though...you just never know.  

The very first thing I do when we get to a hotel is read the entire "instruction" book cover to cover.  I am not sure I need to know how to make long distance calls or reach the concierge for more towels, but it's what I do.  My heart was warmed when after we got in the room I looked over and my precious child was doing the very same thing!  I am happy to know that someone has inherited my love of knowledge, although that is not exactly what Chris would call it.

 The boys riding the luggage dolly.

 Mason was supposed to sleep with Tucker and ended up sleeping curled up in a ball.  Tucker had just gotten out of the shower but Mason was convinced that Tucker smelled.  I smelled him myself and he smelled like soap.  Tucker was also hogging the bed...that part is true.  After awhile Mason woke up and crawled back in bed with his smelly brother. 

Last weekend, my wild Tucker, broke his hand.  All he and his friends do is wrestle and punch each other...yes, for fun....and he finally broke something.  That is the first broken bone in our family....EVER.  I am impressed that a family of 5 with 3 boys can make it 17 years without a broken bone.  I am sure that is in part due to my amazing parenting skills ;-)  In 4 weeks he gets the cast off.  That is a very long time for Tucker to not be able to run and jump and fight.  I can't get the picture to load...so you will just have to take my word for it.
Shane does seem a little absent from this post.....but he is alive and well!  Publix is keeping him very busy...he works about 25 hours a week.  That on top of school and he doesn't have too much time for anything else.  He still doesn't know I have a blog and I am trying to keep pics of him down to a minimum.  When he finds out he won't be thrilled.  He isn't as big a fan of my "witty banter" as I am!

We are busy planning our big move right now. Shane and I are going to have to share the car for the next two months.  Chris gets to live in nice corporate housing with "housekeeping".  I am so jealous....I want a housekeeper!
Fortunately, our neighbors are proud members of the NRA, so we feel pretty safe.  

We will keep the updates coming!  Love you all!

Cat Scratch Fever

There has a been a stray cat in the neighborhood and Mason and his friends have been playing with this cat without an address.  Like any good mother I have told him half a trillion times not to touch or play with strange animals.  And like any 8 year old boy he doesn't listen unless the mood strikes him, which rarely happens.  Sunday afternoon he comes in with a big scratch on his arm.  Since I use scare tactics to parent my children, I say "I told you not to play with that cat, now you are gonna get cat scratch fever!"  He immediately starts crying and saying he doesn't want to die.  Here we go.  I calmly explain that he is not going to die that he just needs to stay away from strange animals.  Although, at this point the cat isn't necessarily strange, he has been hanging out in the neighborhood for a couple of months.  The rest of the night and the next morning he is his usual sweet self.
At about 10 am I get a call at work from his school nurse.  Mason is in the clinic and he says he doesn't feel good and that he has cat scratch fever.  Uh-oh.  The nurse was laughing and said she took his temperature and he doesn't have one.  I told her the story and all about what an awesome mom I am and she's still laughing.   After talking for a minute we agree that he is fine and she sends him back to class.
It's noon and Mason's teacher calls on my cell.  She said Mason was not happy, is convinced he has a fever and that it is cat scratch fever.  Fortunately, Ms. Wells has a very good sense of humor and says that she did notice some whiskers growing :)  Then Mason gets on the phone and I tell him that he is fine, the nurse said he doesn't have a fever and he can relax.  He says his body feels warm and he doesn't feel good.  Hearing how dramatic he was on the phone, and imagining how crazy he must be driving Ms. Wells, I tell him that I will be there to get him when I get off work....which was in an hour and a half.
When I picked him up from school early, he came home and willingly laid on the couch and watched movies all day.  When his friends came over to ask him to play, he told them "I can't.  I have cat scratch fever."  This kid is too much!