I am sixteen going on seventenn

 Wow- Sixteen years ago we completed our quiver. So hard to believe sweet Caroline turned 16 this year. Being the youngest has its advantages (like lots of eating out) but then the down side is that all your older siblings are now working...

 But after work surprises.......

 Homemade with Love....

And when all other siblings are not available, then you take your stand in for breakfast brunch. Thanks Laura Bean!

 

Red Velvet Waffle Cake Anyone?

 Have you ever put red velvet cake mix in a waffle iron and made 40+ waffles, food color, cream cheese icing and a creative birthday girl at a kitchen table with a crowd to observe? Me either. This is what happen and after Happy Birthday was sung, there was no cutting the cake. Just handing out waffles. Katie Ann turned 19 this year.

A Few of My Favorite things......

Simple things make me happy the older I get. I love an umbrella and a good chair at the beach. Give me a water bottle and a book and I can sit for hours. Just ask my kids....

one of my favorite places....

It is one of my favorite places. Where heat is not sweaty. There is always a breeze and it is even fun to watch a storm come. Blue Mountain Beach is now one of my favorite places to be. And when I mean be...I mean just that. Nothing fancy. Books, suntan lotion, peanut butter and jelly.

 The girls decided to have some official beach pictures that did not include khakis and white shirts.

Freshman Year done.........Home for the summer to babysit and just be here. Birmingham Southern is a good fit for KA so far. Glad to have her home. The summers with college kids home get shorter and shorter. Plus having another driver is nice.

Mama Does not always know Best

 When it comes to not doing the norm, Stephen can always attempt it. When he was little, we would go to the gym to shoot basketball. Instead of free throws, he would practice half court shots. He even shot a few half court shots in middle school basketball. I don't think any went in. But at the age of 20, he was selected to attempt a lay up, a free throw, a 3 pointer and a half court shot for $5000. The catch was it had to be in less than 30 seconds. Little did Golden Flake know that they had chosen a boy who spend a lot of time shooting and getting  his own rebounds. Little did they know they chose a boy who knew his own shots and when he knew it was a bad shot, he had already began to rebound it when it left his hand. Little did they know, that this boy had played many "games" with the half court shot being the last shot, and lastly, little did they know, that this boy had been waiting his whole life for this 30 seconds. Stephen was chosen. He made the lay up and free throw with now trouble. He shot an air ball but he did not give up and when he made the three point after two tries, he turned around and shot the half court shot at the other end. A play I know he had done many times while shooting around.

 Here he is receiving his check for  $5000. He was ESPN and a few radio shows. He 30 seconds of fame lasted about a week. His mom did not know best. She always said he should have been practicing free throws instead of half court shots. And now Stephen is a little richer.

Turning 20

Stephen turns 20........And having another 20 something year old in the family makes me wonder where did time go. Over the last twenty years, we have seen this boy do some amazing basketball shots, soccer plays, ride a unicycle, ride a unicycle backwards and stand on his head while watching TV. We have also seen his grow. We have seen him struggle with death of friends, life, schoolwork and close games. We are excited to see where his journey of life takes him after 20 years.