Turning 34 and other highlights!

In front of the USS Alabama

A couple of weeks ago I had another birthday. I turned 34 to be exact. Jeff went all out this year and made my birthday an extra special one. When I woke up on my birthday, I didn't know that it was going to be all that special of a day. When you are a mom, birthdays just seem to be another day...get the kids ready for school, run errands, go to doctor's appointments, chores, etc. And I had all of those things planned for my birthday. Jeff and I had decided to meet for lunch, because I had a mystery shopping gig so that was going to be my big treat. My good friend Amanda, kept Adison for me so that Jeff and I could enjoy our lunch rather than fight with a toddler. After lunch Jeff totally surprised me by kidnapping me and taking me to a nearby mall. He said I had 30 minutes to buy a new swimsuit and that I wasn't to look at the price (you think this guy knows me??). After that he had arranged a manicure/pedicure which fell through at the last minute (it was the thought that counted) and then he sent me on my way with my new suit to the spa at Ross Bridge. At the spa he had scheduled me for a massage and scalp treatment and then after that I was given a couple of hours to relax by the pool. Meanwhile Jeff took care of picking up the kids, taking them to doctor's appointments, and then he and the kids met me at Olive Garden for dinner. It was an AWESOME birthday and a very special treat. I kidded with him that I will turn 34 every year if this is how it is going to be!

The past couple of week have been packed with events and a lot of fun. Kendal and Trey finished up their softball and T-ball seasons. Kendal had a great last week and was a superstar in the field for her little team. They didn't do so hot in the tournament, but at 7 you don't really care as long as you get a cool trophy. Trey is catching onto some of the concepts of T-ball. The league was very relaxed on rules and organization which was a good introduction for our little guy. The best thing Trey has going for him right now is that he has an older sister who loves playing ball so when she is playing he usually will jump in and want to give it a shot. I think our little driveway play is probably just as beneficial as any league at this point.

Trey at bat

Playing pitcher...I am impressed he is looking in the right direction!

The girls have a couple of more weeks before their dance recital. Like I have said before Kendal is ready to be done. Bayley still loves dance, but is trying to find the right fit. She wants to be with the older girls, but the more competitive it gets the harder it is to "dance up" so to speak. I am excited to watch the girls perform and see all that hard work, and monthly dance payments pay off.

As school winds down we are making plans for our summer. The kids are excited to have season passes to Alabama Adventures again. It is nice that the park is only 20 minutes away and has a little bit of everything for all of my kiddos. Between that and the library I have a feeling that is where we will spend most of our weekdays. On weekends we are planning on spending a lot of time at the lake. We are headed there this weekend and are very excited! It should be a good warm up for the next week when the Griffeth families roll into town for our annual Griffeth Family Lake Vacation.

Last weekend our family accompanied Jeff on one of his work trips to Point Clear, Alabama. Jeff had to work the days that we were there for about 1/2 of the day and the rest of the day was able to join us all for some fun. It was a great resort with lots of fun activites. We swam, rode bikes, kayaked, flew kites, played volleyball, played in the ocean water, partcipated in the cannon firing at the resort, and visited the USS Alabama (an old navy war ship that has been turned into a museum). It was a fun family vacation and we survived sleeping in one hotel room together.
Water fight between Jeff and Adison and the rest of the kids
Adison was not a fan of the water at first, but it didn't take her long to love it!
Volleyball on the beach
Adison loved the bike carriage...I loved it too. I wish we had more places to ride here at home.
Trey flying his kite!
Jeff and Kendal getting ready for their bike ride!
Bayley loved kayaking!
The sand and water brought hours of entertainment.
Inside the museum...it was a lot of climbing stairs. It definitely didn't make any of my kids ready to sign up for the Navy anytime soon.

Another highlight from the last couple of weeks was Jeff's annual company party at the Barons Baseball game. The kids always love going and visiting with new people, eat good food, and watching some of the baseball game. This year was extra special though because Kendal got to be one of the people who threw out the first pitch at the game. She was so excited and nervous even though I don't think she really understands how cool of an opportunity that really was. She loved not only throwing out the pitch, but loved watching the game. It was a unseasonably cold night so we left early, but I am sure we will try to catch a couple more games before the summer is over.

Kendal before throwing out the first pitch!