A Tribe Called Whitlock

18 Years and Counting

2012-01-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

My husband is really good at doing romance. He has always had the best ideas and surprises for our anniversary. This year was no different. We spent the day walking around down town Tampa and hanging out at the Black Arts Festival. That night we had a great time on a dinner cruise. The hotel he chose for us was gorgeous and we were able to enjoy a wonderful breakfast together on our balcony overlooking the bay. He is such a stud.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T19:28:00.000-08:00

We were soooo excited to be able to light off fireworks for the first time at our own home! Living on military installations individuals were never allowed to have fireworks. Growing up I remember Roman Candle fights with my cousins and seeing how many black cats we could string together to make the biggest boom. Natalie and Journey were a little dramatic about the loud sounds so they spent quite a bit of time in the car. Two drama queens in a pod. The picture of Kobe with no shoe or sock on one foot, that's the norm. How many parents have to tell their 6 year old to go inside and put shoes on, hopefully MATCHING shoes? Happens here daily. I pray this New Year brings much joy and laughter to all our friends and family!

Game On!

2011-12-30T18:48:00.000-08:00

The Hunt family has quickly become very dear friends. Besides walking through the serious issues we face daily that come with having differently abled children, we also always have an amazing amount of fun when our families get together. Especially when we throw in a little Wii competition. I thought we were competitive! It is nice walking with another family in a common desire to change the current misconceptions about differently abled people. We are becoming more comfortable with words like inclusion, advocacy and disability rights. We have know these terms but like many found it easier to skate around them. We are learning to live within the possibilities that each of those terms can bring. Life has a way of demanding that we make the decision to move forward or stay still and remain a part of the problem. We are choosing to be change agents.

Tres REAL Birthday

2011-12-29T09:22:00.000-08:00

Tres woke up at the crack of dawn on his birthday requesting to unwrap his gift. He asked for an Playstation 3. He already knew what he was getting it and had stated buying the games the week before. LOL. Pretty confident about his request being granted...lol. Once he started playing he did not get off. Not even to eat. I brought his food to him all day. He is hilarious. Since we already threw him a big shin dig, that night we had a quiet dinner, cake and ice cream with just our family.

Stepping Towards Greater Independence

2011-12-27T08:12:00.000-08:00

Our neighbors threw a neighborhood Christmas party a few days after Christmas. We are still getting to know everyone so it was the perfect time to hang out with the whole block in one spot. One moment was definitely a highlight. Normally at parties or group events I stay close to Tres to make sure his feels apart of the festivities. I had gone into the kitchen and started to get a drink and looked up to see Tres surrounded by a group of people. He was showing them how is ipad worked and then they all got into a discussion about Tres schooling and activities he participates in. I walked over to add to the conversation and they said " Oh, he already told us about that." It was a BIG moment for me. He was able to navigate and engage great conversation without me. I am so grateful for the technology that allows these moments. With his ipad he truly is becoming independent.

Christmas Dinner

2011-12-25T08:06:00.000-08:00

The hubster made the traditional dinner of ham, homemade macaroni and mashed potatoes. I made the greens and desserts. Tori's roommates came over to have Christmas dinner with us.

Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T07:48:00.000-08:00

Oh how I LOVE Christmas mornings! I love listening to my kids whisper outside my door to figure out which one will be designated to wake mom and dad up and hearing their excitement as they see their presents under the tree. I love the gusto displayed as gifts are unwrapped, trying to keep up with taking pictures at just the moment when they realize what was in the box. Tori made yummy home made banana pancakes for us for breakfast. Later, we went on a bike ride. It was lovely.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T20:48:00.000-08:00

After Christmas Eve service we went to Buca De Beppo. We LOVE this restaurant. It is one of the rare places we can go to eat and 1. have left overs and 2. be in a loud enough environment that our kids voices just blend right in. Later after babysitting Tori met us back at the house. The kids were excited about getting to open up an early gift from Aunt Keanna...P.J.'s!

The Children's Home

2011-12-21T19:45:00.000-08:00

Natalie and Jordan accompanied me to a volunteer event at The Children's Home that was sponsored by my job. There was a large amount of volunteers so they got off pretty darn easy handing out treats and hot chocolate. Natalie made sure she found the time to do some crafts and take a pic with Santa.

Feeling Special

2011-12-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

I left my birthday morning to run some errands and when I came back The Tribe greeted me at the door with a "Surprise!" and birthday decorations splashed around the house. So sweet.

Making Soap

2011-12-18T17:30:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year we decided to do home made gifts. I can't sew or knit. I had to find an activity that Natalie and Kobe could help with. We ended up making soap. I went to Micheal's and picked up the soap base, oils and perfumes. The steps were pretty simple and we had fun figuring out what kinds of scents and oil mixtures we liked best. We ended up making Sweet Almond Goats Milk bars and Stress Relieving Cucumber Melon and Olive Oil bars. Tori created the beautiful labels.

The BIG 18!

2011-12-17T17:09:00.000-08:00

Tres has had some great birthday parties. This year's 18th Birthday Bash topped them all. He invited his friends from Best Buddies, the Challengers, and the Hunt family. Dance competitions on the WII won out as the favorite activity. Tres and his friends all had a blast, definitely a party to remember.

To Have a Voice and FINALLY be heard!

2011-12-16T08:20:00.000-08:00

Amazing, God driven events have been unfolding in Tres education. As I referred to here we have had some recent frustrations with a charter school we tried to get Tres enrolled in. Good friends of ours were recently at a restaurant were they over heard a reporter discussing research that his company was doing on Charter Schools in Florida. Our friends shared in the struggles their family as well as ours have had with Charter schools. The journalist, John, was a reporter for NPR. After getting our contact info he gave us a call and came over to interview us concerning our experiences with the charter school. It was so scary putting our story out and I have to say that the negative comments were so hard to take. Overall though the experience opened HUGE doors for Tres and I would do it again if need be. If enough people understand the struggle families with disabilities have trying to get their children a good education, than maybe more will be done about it. I know the story touched and effected many people because of the amazing amount of feedback and encouragement we received. Many times during difficult situations I feel like I could shout until I am hoarse and no one would really hear me. To have a national radio station desire to share our struggle and finally have a voice in the big world today still has me in awe. I am so grateful to the people who do desire to be world the world's motivation for change especially when it comes to helping those who could not bring about those changes themselves. Below are the articles.

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/14/143659449/florida-charter-schools-failing-disabled-students

http://stateimpact.npr.org/florida/2011/12/21/can-charter-schools-legally-turn-away-kids-with-severe-disabilities/

http://stateimpact.npr.org/florida/tag/disabled-in-florida-charters/

http://stateimpact.npr.org/florida/2011/12/20/why-everyone-learns-more-when-students-with-disabilities-are-included/

Magic Tree House Bowl

2011-12-15T05:23:00.000-08:00

The media teacher at Nat's school is always finding the greatest ways to get kids excited about reading. This past week Nat participated in the Magic Tree House Bowl. The 3rd graders were given written test on different Magic Tree House books and the three that scored the highest in each class got to compete against the other classes in the bowl. There are seven 3rd grade classes in Nat's school which made for fun competition. She loves Magic Tree House so this was way up her alley. All the kids had a great time and all were rewarded with medals and treats. Today the school dressed up in jammies and the kids get to watch Polar Express and drink hot chocolate.

Dinner with Friends

2011-12-14T05:24:00.000-08:00

I am still working from home so I don't get many opportunities to see the other nurses I work with. Sunday a few of us met for dinner and catch up time. Had a great time with these lovely ladies and their spouses.

Easiest Fondue Ever!

2011-12-13T19:05:00.000-08:00

12 oz bag of Chocolate Chips. (we used ghiradelli)
8 oz. whipping cream
dash of salt

Warm whipping cream and salt till it just starts to bubble. Slowly add the chips. Once completely chocolaty ( hmmmm not sure that's a word) pour into your fondue pot and enjoy.

Deck the Halls!

2011-12-13T18:46:00.000-08:00

Saturday we dug out the Christmas decorations and decorated our little fern that sits outside the door as well as the Christmas Tree. Normally we have the tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving but Tori's finals did not end until this week and she had no breathing room until they were over. As the kids get older and take on more responsibilities it will be hard to set dates to decorate. I have decided that we will start a new tradition next year of putting up the tree after Thanksgiving dinner while everyone is gathered together. I pulled out the fondue set and we had way too many marshmallows, pretzels and strawberries dipped in chocolate. That tradition is definitely a keeper. The beautiful centerpiece above was a surprise I got in the mail from my mom. She knows how much I love setting the table for the holidays. The room seems so warm and inviting with the candle lit and the fresh flowers make the room smell wonderful!

Best Buddies Dance

2011-12-05T14:03:00.000-08:00

Could not decide on just one picture....he is so handsome!

This handsome young man went to the Best Buddies Dance this past weekend. There were way more girls than boys which put Tres in the very happy position of having to dance with lots of girls at one time. He kept a grin on his face the whole night. lol We were very excited to get reunited with some good friends from his Bishop Eaton days and look forward to staying in contact with them. Hopefully they will all be able to come to his 18th birthday party. We are already getting excited about his party. Everybody say whoo whoo! lol

Black Friday

2011-11-25T13:50:00.000-08:00

Maurice and I used to enjoy getting up at 4 am to go shopping on black friday. The past few years have not been so great. If you are not one of the insane people in line 24 hours before the sale starts...you really can't get the best deals. Tori, Maurice and I went to the Walmart sale Thanksgiving night to pick up some electronic items. We got there at 10 pm thinking that was a good time because the sale did not start until 12. Well we got there and all the items we wanted had already been sold out. How can you be sold out before the sale starts? That was enough for us to call it quits. On Black Friday morning after sleeping in, Tori, Nat and I went shopping at the mall. Masses of people and amazing sales, we were in heaven. That is until we could not remember what entrance of what store I parked my car at. Always and adventure with us.

The Gingerbread House

2011-11-25T13:17:00.000-08:00

This is the fantastically creative Gingerbread House Victoria and Natalie made together.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T13:08:00.000-08:00

We had an blessed and full Thanksgiving this year. My grandma was able to fly down and spent the holiday with us and my cousin Tabitha. She taught Jordan how to make glass ornaments with pictures in them. He is going to show me how to do it so I can make ornaments with all the kids baby pictures in them. Thanksgiving Day was stress free and full of family time. Grandma, Tab and my gang spent time together as Maurice put his finishing Chef like touches to the food. Once Tori walked in the door we were ready to feast. The food was amazing. Grandma got a nice break from cooking....well except for her famous peach cobbler, it was sooo good. You can't see me but my eyes are rolling like Paula Dean's.

Thanksgiving Feast

2011-11-15T13:04:00.000-08:00

Kobe's class had a pretty elaborate Thanksgiving feast this year. All the regular fixens were laid out for the 1st graders to enjoy. Man, did they enjoy the food. I thought some of those kids were going to bust. It just made me anticipate my hubbies dressing that much more!

Makin' Pumpkin Cake

2011-11-10T12:45:00.000-08:00

We make everything out of pumpkin we can think of during the fall season. Pumpkin cake, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin milkshakes ( our favorite!)and pumpkin cookies are all on high demand. We LOVE pumpkin.I have been wanting to try pumpkin soup but have not done so yet. I will put that on the list. By the way, Kobe did not lick that spoon in the second picture. LOL

Air Show 2011

2011-11-08T12:28:00.000-08:00

We went to the air show this year to see the Blue Angels. The kids were fascinated by all their tricks and extremely daring moves. It doesn't matter how many times I have seen a show I still hold my breath as they dive and twist praying no one gets hurt. I can't slow my nurses mindset down no matter where I am. After the show all the airmen signed autographs for the spectators. It was definitely a long day and the kidos were ready to go by the time I took the last picture. Jordan was gone for FDA with band and missed out on the show. The band did great though...ending up with a superior rating!

No more lonely...or quiet days

2011-11-07T12:10:00.000-08:00

We are having such a great time in our new neighborhood. The kids have made wonderful friends and it is rich to open my door and hear all the laughing voices as they ride their bikes or climb trees. It is neat to know they will be able to grow up with this group and maybe even go to high school with them. A much different life than growing up on the military bases were people move every few years. I will forever love and cherish all the friends we met along the way on various bases. There will never be neighborhoods as culturally diverse as those you will find on military bases. Big things to miss. Still there is something to be said about the peaceful stability I have now being in our own home.

Proud Recipients

2011-11-02T12:53:00.000-07:00

Natalie and Kobe both received awards this month at school. Natalie received the Terrific Student award for Cooperation. In the top picture that is her principal standing behind her. The crazy star shirt was an assignment for that day. She had to come up with an outfit for the word constellation. She ended up being the big dipper. Below is Natalie and her teachers after she received a certificate for principals honor roll. The last picture is Kobe and his teacher after he received his award for honor roll.

Happy Pumpkin Day!

2011-10-31T12:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Chief!

2011-10-30T05:07:00.000-07:00

My hubby had only one request for his birthday, to spend all day on roller coasters. We went to Busch Gardens and had a blast. Maurice is not satisfied with just getting on the roller coaster. No, we have to be in the front seat of the darn thing. He does not mind waiting longer in line...for every ride. It's a good thing that I have a strong stomach! We did have great fun together and I love that we can still act like kids on our dates. We laugh with/at each other all the time. We have daily crazy moments that no one else would get. No one else is quite as interested in my frequent emotional (good/bad) episodes or something funny one of the kids had done. (even if he is not always interested he pretends to be which still gets points) I guess that's a few reasons why I love him so much! We ended his birthday celebration at Kobe's Restaurant, a family favorite. Happy Birthday to my Fun Loving, Roller Coaster Riding Hubby. You still Rock.

Best Buddies

2011-10-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

After new IEP meetings and a week long enrollment process we finally got Tres into high school. He is going to the same school as Jordan which is great. He is still upset about not getting into the charter but understands the need to get his classes started. One of the clubs offered at his school is Best Buddies. Best Buddies brings togther kids with and without disabilites to hang out in a social environment. He has already made some great friends through various club events. This picture is at a park where they met to eat breakfast and do hands on activities as a group. The second picture is of Tres and one if his favorite teachers Mrs. Armstrong.

Ikea anybody?

2011-10-19T20:55:00.000-07:00

I am not sure what you do at Ikea....we like to glide our carts down the aisles.

Tip of the Day

2011-10-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

Nothing makes multipication facts and spelling words more fun then shaving cream on a dry erase board.

Fall is in the Air

2011-10-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

The happy, expectant feeling I get every October is washing right over me. Not that I can feel fall in the air cause it's still 80 degrees outside and my palm trees don't change colors. So I had to go to visit the crafts store to bring autumn to my door. Mission accomplished!

Eat it or Lose it

2011-10-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

We couldn't figure out what to do with banana's dangerously close to being over ripe. Sunday's became the solution. I am sure I could have thought of something healthier....it wouldn't have been as much fun.

Just Dance

2011-10-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

Natalie and Kobe's elementary school put on a school dance. It was so cute and a great idea. At this age the kids were uninhibited and had a great time cutting loose. So sad to think by middle school they will probably all be standing up against the wall.

Facing the Giants

2011-10-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

Anyone who reads my blog knows about the many transitions and adjustments we have had to made concerning Tres education. His elementary school years were wonderful. Middle school was great. Our first IEP for high school was a disaster. There were at least 5 people in the room and only 1 addressed Tres the whole meeting. The lead teacher who we had just met told me in the meeting in front of Tres that he would fail if we attempted to put him in any classes on the"normal" diploma track. I was in shock first that an educator would speak that way in front of a student, and second she did not even know him or even attempt to address him. This was a kid that got A's in biology on test for cell mitosis. I was done. They wanted to set up goals. I realized that they had already made up their minds about his ability's and future progress. What goals were needed. So we home schooled for two years. Now here we are in a new environment with new school options. Tres was tired of being at home and wanted friends. He wanted to feel like he was in high school. We found a charter school on line very near our home. The amazing thing was everything was computerized and the classes were only in session half days. Perfect for Tres because of the fatigue factor and because he is the most independent on a computer. We wouldn't have to worry about pencils or turning pages in books or blowing up the font to make it easier for him to read. We immediately called and set up a meeting with the principal. The initial meeting went well and concluded with both the principal and I being in agreement that the school would fit Tres unique needs. I emailed a copy of his IEP to the school and a week before school started went down to drop of our application. At that time I was told by the principal that after reading his IEP they no longer felt the school would be a good fit for Tres and we should send him to our neighborhood school. When I asked why the change all of a sudden she confirmed that it was because he could not use the bathroom by himself. I was floored, and angry. Not for me, but for Tres. He was soo excited to go to school at this charter. We had subsequent meetings and ended up even involving an advocacy group. What came from it all is that even though charter schools are paid with government funds, they reserve the right to accept/deny students with few laws or mandates stating otherwise. Charters are considered schools of choice and if we don't like what they have to say we go to a different school. My question is then who are they a choice for? Do kids with disabilities who require what's considered too much hands on really have a choice? If the monies that are taken from public schools to fund charter schools to create more choices for families are not intended for kids with disabilities what choices are they left with? Public schools with little funding.

Saying Goodbye

2011-10-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

Our leapard gecko Joey passed away in October. The kids held a special service for her outside. Maurice prepared a spot and we planted a flowering bush over her grave. It started to lightly rain just before we went inside and the kids spotted this rainbow. The felt for sure it was a sign from God letting them know He now had Joey. Talking about the death even of a leapard gecko is a hard concept for a 6 and 8 year old. I love the analogy of a butterfly. When it is a catapillar it's just like our human body. When goes into a cacoon it undergoes a deep sleep. When it opens its eyes it more beautifull and amazing than when it had started out. At the right time, it pushes from the cacoon and flies into the heavens.

iCarly Spagetti

2011-09-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

The kids love watching iCarly on Nickelodeon. On the show Carly's brother is always making spaghetti tacos. We decided to try them out. I just made regular spaghetti and put it in a taco shell. It was ok but we decided it was a little dry and missing some key ingredients. After heaping on salsa, extra cheese and guacamole it was pretty good. Then again, those toppings would make just about anything better. If you don't like all those extras, double the spaghetti sauce in your recipe.

Drum Line

2011-09-29T05:48:00.000-07:00

Jordan decided to join his high school band this year to be on the drumline. He was tired of the violin and wanted to do something different. Unfortunately as a freshman he has to play in the "pit" and is unable to march with the band. He gets pretty impatient about that but he is very impressed with the drum line at the school and is willing to put in his time in order to get to the next step.

Back to School

2011-09-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

The first day of school was pretty big this year. Starting new schools and learning their way around new environments was pretty intimidating for the kids. Why no pic of Tres. He did not start school at the same time as everyone else. More on that story to come. My cousin Tabby took Jordan to his high school a few days before the first day to walk him around and help him feel confident about were to go for each class. I took Natalie and Kobe to meet -your-teacher night and they were both so excited to finally get an opportunity to know more kids in our surrounding neighborhood. After school we had cupcakes and talked about how well the day went.

All Airforce Baseball!

2011-09-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

After 2 full weeks of tryouts and watching 50 men get cut throughout Maurice was relieved and ecstatic to find out he had been selected to be on the All Air force Baseball team. This was his second time being selected. The first time was three years ago and they ended up coming home with the silver medal. He was pumped knowing he had an opportunity this time to bring home the gold. They played in the armed forces tournament featuring the Navy, Army and Marines. You can guess by the picture what he came home with this time. Gold Baby! He cracked me all the pics he took of himself with his gold medal. I was pretty proud of him too.

Volunteer Opportunities

2011-09-06T06:03:00.000-07:00

I am involved in my jobs volunteer organization and Jordan recently started coming with me to help. This is a picture of us sorting clothes for Metropolitan Ministries. He also came with me to Hope Lodge at the Moffit Center to serve meals to patients and families dealing with cancer treatments. In December we will be going to The Children's Home and hosting a Christmas party. It's been fun spending this time with him. I have learned that his favorite service activities are those that involve face to face interactions. I think he was suprised to learn that about himself. Stay tuned for December pics.

Tori is 19!

2011-08-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

I had an aha moment on Tori's birthday this year. I had asked her in the weeks prior what she wanted to do for her birthday. Finally after a little badgering she said a birthday party. She invited friends over, Maurice barbecued and they pulled out the Wii and watched a movie. Afterwards I set down to watch the video of her blowing out the candles and realized.....I think we are past the birthday party phase. LOL. She allowed the moment just for me, I am sure to not hurt my feelings. Its good all this learning to adapt to the college years and beyond stuff comes in small increments. Baby steps....that''s what I'm taking.

Tori has grown up so much this year. She has taken on more responsibilities as a leader in Intervarsity, gone on a missions trip, moved into a small house with friends and learned to budget her life around a small income. I often have moments as I am listening to her talk where I stop and wonder how she grew to be so logical and wise. I am so proud of her. I pray in the next year she follows God's lead and continues to embrace life, love and fellowship.

Quick Dessert

2011-08-10T05:13:00.000-07:00

The craziness of our day to day routines demand QUICK recipes. Honestly, I don't want to make dessert if I can't do it in 3-5 steps or less. This one is a keeper.

1. Graham cracker pie crust.
2. Warm apple pie filling
3. Ice cream

Pool Time

2011-07-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

A smorgasbord of pool fun with all the people we were blessed to make memories with! The device in Tres hand is a remote control. He enjoyed chasing people with his remote control boat while they were in the water. LOL

Kobe's 6th Birthday

2011-07-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

Kobe was so excited to have his cousin's here for his birthday. He invited his best friend Jadyn's family over and along w/ our family we had a big barbecue. The kids had a blast just hanging out in the pool all day. Maurice and I bought him a bike for his big day and he spent the evening of his birthday trying to learn how to ride. By the next day....he had it down. I just know those Wii balance games are helping him with his coordination and sequencing skills.

Streetcars!

2011-07-26T19:17:00.000-07:00

The Big Big Ships

2011-07-26T18:16:00.000-07:00

A highlight for the kids was a trip down to the Bay to see some Japanese War ships that had come in and were docked for the day.

The Looooooong Road Trip

2011-07-25T16:29:00.000-07:00

My mom, step dad Booker and their 3 boys Devon, Teshawn and Diondre along with my niece Aja drove from Kansas to visit us in our new home. That is a 22 hour drive. Of course this does not include bathroom breaks, meal times and stretch your leg cause you've got cramps times. It was a long drive but they all made it safe and in good spirits. It was wonderful having them all visit. I love having my mom near and chatting with her during quiet times. Sitting next to each other, just being in her presence. The kids had an amazing time hanging out with cousins. We had a Mandatory Family Fun Movie Night were we watched Narnia....again. Lots of pool time, adventures in downtown Channel side and eating whole, fresh, football size avocados purchased from a food stand provided for some great moments of fun and yumm! Poor Booker spent his time recuperating from the drive. The next few blogs will be of their visit with us.

Jordan's 14th Birthday

2011-07-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

Jordan has never been a big birthday party kid. This year he had two of his good friends Christian and Jake come over and just hang out in the pool. They were water logged from being there all day and came out for food and drinks only. I took them to get snacks and each one of them came out with 2 Liter sodas, beef jerky and candy. Who can drink a 2 Liter of soda in one setting my themselves? Needless to say they were up all night. I can't believe he is a high school freshman. He has changed so much over the years from my competitive, strong willed and quiet little boy to deep thinking and surprisingly conservative young man. One of my favorite memories of him is as a toddler he would walk around with a bat that weighed more than he did and two pacifiers in his mouth. He had this funny dance he would do and he would sing" I'm shaking my booty" lol. Luckily he has grown out of that. He is so serious that it is fun to remind myself of that silly little boy. Sometimes I have to remind him now that it is okay to still be silly. By the way, he doesn't read my blog so no one mention that tid bit I included about his booty song. Happy Birthday to my J Mann.

The Scooters

2011-07-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

In all the stories Tori told me about of her Mexico trip experiences one in particular stayed on my mind. One of the missions students name is Jessica. On a trip of exploring the city the group stopped at the Pyramids in Mexico City. Everyone started climbing to the top to see the view. Jessica has Cerebral Palsy and made it up the steps successfully only to realize the steps were to narrow to safely walk back down. After brainstorming safe alternatives the group decided the best thing to do would be to have her scoot down the steps. In order for her to not have to do this alone and be embarrassed the whole group decided to scoot back down with her. They were there to serve the people of Mexico. I loved to hear about the heart they had to serve and love on each other as well. Here is the pic of them scooting down the pyramid together.

Tori's Mexico Trip

2011-07-15T19:48:00.000-07:00

Tori Lynn got back from her Mexico trip safe and sound. She also came back with a huge smile on her face and a love in her heart for the people of Santa Cruz. Below is the letter she shared about her trip.

I am home from Mexico! Thank you so much for your prayers and support for my teammates and I during our missions trip. I learned so much about the character and heart of God and how that shapes the call for my life. I also made many friends, learned a bit more Spanish, and got to experience and amazing community that reflects the love of Jesus.

During our trip my teammates and I helped run a summer camp for kids at a community center in Santa Cruz with an organization called Armonia. It was founded by Senor Saul and Senora Pilar out of God's calling on their lives to walk along side the poor and through Jesus transform poverty into life.

At the Santa Cruz community centre we worked with children from Santa Cruz itself and two other nearby slums. In the indigenous tribes, education often is not available past elementary school. So many of the older students were from the tribes in the mountains and came to the city on Armonia scholarships to study middle and high school, and to on to the University. Hearing their testimonies was an amazing reminder of of who our Father is, and how precious we all are to Him. It was also a challenge to myself and the other 29 college students around me to not be a generation of apathy of the injustice going on in our own neighborhoods and worldwide but instead a generation rising up against it. Through the scriptures I saw just how heavy God's heart is for the marginalized, the widowed, the sick and the poor. I learned that they are the heart of Jesus and in loving and serving the poor in Mexico and the marginalized in my own neighborhood at home I am loving and serving my Papa God. Love in Jesus, Tori Lynn.

We are all moved in...finally.

2011-07-06T18:23:00.000-07:00

Now what to do with all of these boxes!

Independence Day 2011

2011-07-04T18:08:00.000-07:00

We watched fire works at a ridiculously over crowded mall. It was quite an adventure finding a parking spot but we had a great time once we were settled. Well, everyone but Natalie. She has still not gotten into the thrill of the loud crashing noises. When we got back home we had ice cream cones and hung out by the pool.

Auntie Nan

2011-07-03T17:54:00.000-07:00

Keanna came just in the nick of time too! LOL We could not have been blessed with more hands to help with the kids and keep them occupied. From helping to build Lego's, talking smack with Jordan, giving lessons on catching popcorn mid air and watching John Cena on WWE...what a great auntie.

Moving is Painful!

2011-07-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

Our second day moving I was pushing a dolly with about four overloaded boxes onto it out to the truck. I am not sure how it happened but the dolly fell back and the tip dropped on top of my left big toe. Holy Smokes was it painful! Maurice and his friends from the lab were right next to me so of course I couldn't start crying like a girl. Boy did I want to. They came over to look at the injury and one of them had to walk the other direction after seeing the quickening pile of blood build up under my toe. I told myself that I would wait a couple of hours to see if it slowed down. No one has ever hemorrhaged from the toe, right? I was still bleeding two hours later and decided I should probably get it looked at. Melinda had to drive me to the nearest walk in clinic because the base clinic was already closed. I had never had an injury before so first we had to figure out were to go. I was so grateful Melinda was there with me....until they got me into the room. She proceeds to pull out her camera to document ever step in the process! The doctor walked in and she was like "one sec I am taking a picture"! The look on his face was priceless. She did make the moments lighter and took my mind of the pain. A little bit.

Tori leaving for her Mexico Trip

2011-07-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

Cookin' with Grandma Rocha

2011-06-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

During Grandma Rocha's stay she taught Natalie to make one of her absolute favorite meals....Scrambled Eggs! Nat now considers herself an expert.

Moving is Exhausting!

2011-06-22T17:16:00.000-07:00

Moving out of base housing was such an exhausting process. Boxing up everyone's items and still taking into consideration things they would need during the last week in the house was trying. Even with the best planning there was someone not happy at the end of the day. We tried hard initially to make sure the boxes were organized by room but honestly that last day we had at least 4 boxes marked "stuff"! We rented a U Haul thinking it would take us about 2 full days of going back and forth to get everything out of one house and into another. Well, it actually took us 4 days to get everything moved. I have never seen my husband work sooo darn hard. I felt so bad because I could not keep up with him! We did have the help of Keanna, Melinda, my cousin Tab and some of Maurice's friends from work. Even still there were nights that we were loading the Uhaul well past 1:00 am and unloading once we got to the house. It was unreal. I pray it never has to happen again!

We are Moving!

2011-06-20T17:03:00.000-07:00

The Tribe is moving it's base of headquarters! We are very excited. We have lived on base housing for the last 17 years. Maurice is close to retirement and felt it was a safe time to buy our own house. Yeah! There are so many things we will miss about the base community. Safety is high on the list. The kids are sad about leaving schools and friends but our new home is not far and play dates are already getting set on the calendar. We have read books about moving to Natalie and Kobe and are trying to prepare them for the process. I love how The Bernstein Bears have a book on any transition you could possibly think of. We will not be as close to the water anymore, the nearest beach will be about 45 minutes away. Sniff. The compensation is that we will have a pool! Lot's of change is headed our way. The sense of adventure is catching though and everyone is excited.

Grandma Rocha

2011-06-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

I always get excited as school draws to an end because I know that my mother-in-love Melinda will be visiting soon! This summer we got her for 3 whole weeks. Such a blessing with the chaos of a new move, new summer routines and my work schedule. Thank you, thank you Grandma Rocha for being there.

Wretches and Jabberers

2011-06-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

Pictured above: (top) Lilly, Henry, Larry, Lauri and Tracy

Bottom: Tres, Tracy, Larry and I at the premier

Our new friends from Challengers baseball Lauri and her son Henry have introduced us to the most amazing film. Wretchers and Jabberes challenges everything we think about Autism. The films stars are Tracy Thresher and Larry Bissonnette. Now in there 40's and 50's both men grew up without an ability to community verbally with the world around them. Growing up it was assumed that they were not intelligent. Sadly, Larry grew up in an institution. In the early 90's both men began communicating by typing. What flowed from their writing was amazing brilliance of thought that shocked everyone around them. Guess what, as trainers began working with more and more individuals with Autism (even those considered to have severe cases) the results were the same. While at the premier of the film we were blessed to be able to see even more vividly typing in action. Tres, Maurice and I were sitting toward the back of the room in the theatre. On the other side of the isle was a mother trying to keep her tween daughter quiet throughout the presentation. My eyes kept going to their corner whenever the young girl had an outburst. Eventually during the question and answer segment the girl broke free from her mom and ran up to the table in front of the audience. One of the trainers stilled the very embarrassed mom and told her "this child is what we are here for". The trainer then proceeded to allow the girl to use Tracy's speech device. Her hands moved swiftly over the keys. " I am so excited to meet you." she typed. The little girl who couldn't stay in her seat, who no one understood, had desperately wanted to say something. She just needed to be heard. I was floored. My family had the privilege of meeting Larry and Tracy after the premier of the film. Tres typed with Tracy for a short time. I believe that EVERYONE should see this film. Tracy and Henry take you on a journey and when it is over, your conceptions of the face of autism will never be the same. For more information: http://www.wretchesandjabberers.org/

End of Season for Challengers 2011

2011-05-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

Today Tres played his last baseball game for this season with the Challengers. After the game they were given gorgeous trophies supplied to them by the Yankees.

Sleepover!

2011-05-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

The weekend after Natalie's birthday we had a sleepover with the friends she plays with in our neighborhood. We made pizza, took a late night walk along the bay and even went as a group to Walmart. It was quite funny seeing people's faces as I walked in at 10:30 p.m. with my entourage. We needed more snacks and that was the only place still open! They partied hard and did not go to bed until....sigh...about 3:30 a.m. It will probably take until next year for me to be ready for the next slumber party.

I Wont Stop Fighting

2011-05-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

I serve the most amazing God. He knows where I am. He knows what I need. I have been in a slump when it comes to my Tres. He is 17 now and I feel that the battles we have had to go through with the education system and general inculsion have worn me down. Recently I have met new families through Tres Challenger games that have given me inspiration and encouragement to not step down from this post that God has placed me at. He is always right on time. Today I came across this video. It spoke so much to my heart. It is hard to have a child with a disabilty. Even harder is to climb over the obstacles that well intentioned systems put before us. Harder still is to not allow the negatives to penetrate the heart of my child. To keep him believing that he CAN do all that his heart desires. We may have to be creative and find other ways to accomplish his goals...but we can and we will. There are so many families that are finding the way to hurdle over barriers. Thank you for your inspiration. We will not stop fighting. We will not give up. They are depending on us.

Happy Mother's Day/Happy Birthday Natalie!

2011-05-08T15:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Day Mint Mother's Day 5x7 folded card

Make Mother's Day special with Shutterfly cards for mom.

View the entire collection of cards.

Happy Birthday Natalie!

My Mother's Day gift

Natalie turned 8 on Mother's Day and she got to share the day with me! She had conveniently climbed into our bed the night before so when we woke up Maurice had made us both breakfast in bed and gotten us both flowers! So sweet. She could not wait to get up and open her presents. Because it was Mother's Day we had to schedule her birthday party for the next weekend after. I had a sweet Mother's Day. I was called to the front of the church with two other moms and given a gift certificate for having the most kids. lol. The men in the church prepared a scrumptious dinner for us after service. After church Victoria, Natalie and I went shopping for Natalie some sparkly clothes. (her requested present) We had fun looking for the most sequined and bedazzled items to add to Ms. Diva's wardrobe. I ended the day once again grateful for the gift of my family. Above is the card Keanna sent me for Mother's Day. Had to share since it had some of my favorite pics!

Jungle Book!

2011-05-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

Natalie's Jungle Book performance was fantastic! She did such a great job. Her loud mouth while annoying to her siblings was perfect for the stage. I loved watching her perform. I can not believe how easily she walks on stage with not an ounce of inhibition, whole face just lights up and she "turns on". Maurice nudged me during the performance to remind me that she was his daughter. LOL. Afterwards people walked up to us telling us how much they loved watching her play the various characters. She was Kaa #4, a voulcher, King Lewey's monkey and apart of the jungle. The pictures are not great because we were not allowed to use flash photography. I will let you know when the video comes in!

Breakfast with Tori

2011-05-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

I picked up Tori and her very good friend Jordan from school and spent time with them both over breakfast. I listened to them talk and was so impressed with how focused they both seemed to be. Our talk was centered around their walk with Christ and both their plans for this summer. Tori has established herself within a circle of friends who are all walking in the same direction which is soo important in the days and times that we live in. I am greatly encouraged by that. Campus life of course is not all serious work though and I enjoyed listening to talk of swing dance classes, late night man hut games and outfits they were wearing to that nights 80's event.

Clearwater Beach

2011-05-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

The last night of spring break we stayed at a hotel in Clearwater. It was so beautiful. Tori came up and spent the night with us. We hung out at the pool. The next day we went to the beach. Poor Tori had to go back to school to study for finals. It was an amazingly perfect day with great weather and plenty of sunshine. I spent most of the day reading a book beside Tres who slept most of the time. The day before was his Challenger tournament and he was tuckered out. Jordan had fun burying his brother and sister. We had a hard time coaxing Maurice out of the water when we were tired and ready to go.

Challenger Baseball

2011-05-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

The weekend of Spring Break Tres Challenger baseball team had a tournament in Clearwater. Teams from all over our county came together to play. The atmosphere was so exciting with bounce houses, face painting, pop corn stands and snow cones. Tres just loves this team. Each child is paired with a partner who helps them make the plays for the game. They cheer each other on and it is such a positive experience. He grins and laughs through the whole game and loves all the high fives from his coach and team and "Go Tres Man!" hollers coming from the crowd. The best benefit for me is being around other parents who have a child with a disability and sharing ideas and resources. I am so grateful for the Challengers.

Kindergarten Coloring Fun!

2011-04-29T14:21:00.000-07:00

The Friday before Easter Kobe's teacher asked me if I would come in to dye eggs with the kids in the class. You would think with 24 students it would be crazy with all that dye and spill potential. Nope. They were great and we had a good time. We dyed the eggs and then decorated them with crazy faces and wild hair. Kobe is in a classroom with 2 teachers who co-teach. Ms. Brown and Ms. Bell are pictured above.

Happy Resurrection Day 2011

2011-04-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

What a blessed weekend we had leading up to this Resurrection Day. Yesterday we dyed eggs and had the traditional pink and blue fingers to match our Sunday clothes this morning. Woke up to a big breakfast and lots of running around getting everyone into their Easter duds. The boys are actually asking to wear button up shirts and ties to church now which is so much fun! After service Maurice pulled out the grill and made burgers and his famous beef filled baked beans. Yummy. I made carrot cake cupcakes and we spent the day napping and hanging out outside. We hid eggs for the kids but Tori, Tres and Jordan were only interested in the money egg. (Jordan found it) They were cracking me up in their prep for looking for the egg. Doing stretches and warming up for the dash. LOL Tonight we had communion together and had a great discussion on Christ and Calvary. So many cute questions from Natalie and Kobe. Maurice was reading scripture and as we took the bread Kobe said, "Your eating Jesus!" Nat did a great job of explaining about sin and how Christ blood erases our sin. She went over all of Kobe's recent sins and how grateful he should be of the cross. I am gratefull for the laughter, Tori's big hugs, love and lazy days.

Bahama Friends Weekend

2011-04-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

We had a full house over the weekend. Our friends Jennifer and Kwame teach at a Christian School in the Bahamas. They brought 28 students over to the states and we were able to host a group in our home for the weekend. Teens from the Bahamas are exactly the same as the teens I have spent time with here. They giggle and laugh into the middle of the night at sleep overs. The boys rough house around and love to play video games. This particular group however can sing your socks off. They gave a spontaneous performance to the gait personal at 1:00 in the a.m. one night! We had a good time and great conversations while they were here and I look forward to their next visit.

Visiting Mom

2011-04-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

For the first time in about 10 years I flew by myself to Kansas to visit my mom. What a crazy feeling to just have myself to worry about. It didn't matter though because while was home I always had someone else's child trailing behind me. Tab was there and we took turns making sure mom was not doing too much. (We never REALLY succeeded) At night mom and I watched movies and talked and in the morning we woke up and talked around her coffee table. I already miss that. I wish I had her here ever morning to just talk about life with her. A few mornings Grandma and Tab joined us which made for some very interesting convo since we are all highly oppinionated ladies! On Saturday we had brunch and I got to hang out with some of my favorite ladies in whe whole world. Mom, Melinda my mom in love, my sister Brandy, cousins Rachel, Summer, Brittany and Chasity all shared lots of calories, coffee and girl time with me. That night I had to get reaclimated to Kansas storms. I forgot how scary hail sounded comming down on top of a rooftop. Once I got to the airport for the trip back home Melinda and Gregg suprised me with lunch while I waited for my plane. I needed that love and distraction before hopping on a plane. I am not so crazy about them. The trip was a good time for reflecting on my role as a mom and how I feel my current routine is working for us. I made some new goals and new resolutions that I have slowly implemented and came up with some new ideas that have helped. More on those soon. New goals:
1. Find new recipes and enjoy my time cooking. Encourage the kids to cook more with me.
2. Relax/plan more for our outings ie.. store/pharmacy/MD trips without rushing them from point A to point B.
3. Have the kids learn a bible verse each week.

Georgia Aquarium

2011-04-05T21:48:00.000-07:00

We were told the Georgia Aquarium was a must see, the biggest aquarium in the United States. Well the hype is true. We were mesmerized. I think the sharks were the kids hands down favorite but I loved the grace of the Beluga Whale. Every exhibit was jam packed with learning fun. A definite new favorite. The food court was a pleasant surprise. The food was actually tasty and there was a huge selection so everyone walked out full and happy.

Out and About in Atlanta

2011-04-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

Atlanta is one of our favorite places to visit. Our Uncle Phil lives there which always makes the trip extra special. There is always so much going on downtown, its hard to take it all in. The kids had a great time listening to the corner musicians (they gave us a CD!), watching the man on stilts juggling and playing at Centennial Olympic Park. Of course every time we passed a WWE advertisment Tres would about jump out of his chair.

Wrestle Mania

2011-04-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

When Tres turned 16 we told him he could pick a place he would like to take a trip too. We did the same thing with Tori who chose to go here. We thought it was a neat tradition we could start that the kids could look forward to. Well Tres knew immediately were he wanted to go. He loves John Cenna. He knows the exact days WWE comes on and rarely misses a show. He wanted to go to Wrestle Mania. He went online and found out that Atlanta would be hosting the event in 2011. He left the paper on my computer desk where I would be sure to find it. Starting in January he began counting down the days. By the time we got to the week before he almost could not contain his excitement. Maurice and I felt so blessed to be able to allow such an exciting moment to happen for him. The big weekend came and we traveled to Atlanta and stayed with our Uncle Phil. The night before Tres could not sleep. It was all too cute. Finally the day arrived and Tres, Daddy, Jordan and Uncle Phil headed off to the Atlanta Dome. Natalie, Kobe and I stayed behind and watched movies. The gang came back very animated and loud. The Rock took down John Cenna and poor Tres had to hear about it in detail over and over again. He had an amazing time and here are a few videos to prove just how much fun he had.

Georgia Beauty

2011-04-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

Every time we visit Uncle Phil we have to spend time walking by the lake near his home. It is so picturesque. Next time we are bringing the fishing poles.

Tres we are not even in Kansas anymore

2011-03-31T19:21:00.000-07:00

March 31 was one crazy day for those of us in Tampa. We had been told very early by our Meteorologist that a nasty storm would be heading our way. It is so erie how they can tell you almost the exact minute that a storm is going to hit your area. So the morning started as we watched the news and tracked the storm. Tori is 45 minutes away and we talked on the phone as the storm passed her school. She was standing with other students in front of a huge window watching it. "This is the scariest storm I have ever seen Mom! You should see the trees bending." Nice. Right as I heard Mr. Weatherman announce that the storm should be hitting Tampa with in the next few minutes I heard the howling of the winds. As I ran in the bathroom to throw pillows into the tub just in case we needed them I was sending out prayers of protection for all my babies at school and Maurice at work. I can not stand to be apart during situations like this. The hubster called telling me a funnel was spotted nearby and we should get to the bathroom. I got to Tres room, hauled him out of bed and put him in the tub. Once it seemed to calm down I pulled Tres out of the tub and placed him in his wheelchair for breakfast. Right as I placed his plate on his tray we heard the tornado sirens. Whisking him out of his chair we headed for the bathroom again. Way too much strenuous activity within a few hours. Later as we watched the news we seen the pictures of the damage that was caused by the storm. Pictured above is poor Tres sitting in the bathtub he visited a little to much that morning.

Hungry Catapillars

2011-03-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

Stopped by Learning Express and picked up the Butterfly kit for the kids. The kit came with the butterfly habitat and a coupon code for live caterpillars. We went on line to order our 5 larvae and waited ....and waited...and waited for them to get here. It actually only took a week but if felt like longer with the "our they here yet?" daily questions. You would have thought it was Christmas when the mail man delivered the little box to the door. The whole process takes about 25 days. So much great learning material and fun introduction of the science behind their growth. Stay tuned for the video presentation by Natalie and Kobe!

Goodnight Moon

2011-03-19T18:07:00.000-07:00

Our family and about half the neighborhood kids walked out to the pier to observe the super moon tonight. It was absolutely gorgeous. My camera did not capture the beauty or size of the moon's appearance. Hope you got a chance to check it out as well. Goodnight super moon, see ya in another 18 years.

The Book currently on my Bedside Table

2011-03-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

I have been reading Power in Weakness by Marty Wooten for about 6 months. The book is about the Ministry of Paul and his letter of Second Corinthians. I have gotten sooooo much meat from this book. I normally can never stay committed to a book this long but every page holds a powerful message. Paul's ability to not lose heart by the way the Corinthians's judge him after all he did for them is so inspiring. He knew the bigger picture. The author says, "It takes a great deal of humility in such situations to be open and to continue to love when the response is unloving and disloyal". His ability to deal with hunger, being thrown in jail and even stoning while encouraging and truly loving on the Corinthians is humbling. How do I act when people falsely accuse me of wrong doing? I am pretty sure loving on them is not the first thought in my mind. There were so many lifting paragraphs on suffering as well. Wooten said, "Suffering helps us recognize the true nature of our existence." There is so so much more. I could not begin to cover all the topics listed. This book has helped me to view my own trials differently and push through even day to day weakness that sometimes seem to be just too hard. Paul was an amazing example of dying to self to be used by our mighty God.

2 Corinthians 4: 17 For our light afflictions, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18. While we look not at the things which are seen, but the things that are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Happy St. Patricks Day

2011-03-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

Natalie and Kobe were excited to be able to wear green today to school instead of their traditional uniform. Natalie wore green p.j.'s to bed last night just in case someone got up earlier than her and tried to get in a pinch. The day was just what I needed after a busy week. After work I chose to ignore the fact that my house looks like a tornado hit it and headed right out the front door refusing to look back. Watched the kids eat cupcakes with gusto that only they can muster up. Went to Kobe's game, check out those socks. Took a night time walk with Tres on his new bike. Here is to ignoring the messes that will be there when you get home and cherishing the moments that will be gone too soon.

Ms. Dramatic at Theatre Class

2011-03-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

Natalie recently started taking Performance Theatre classes. She is learning vocal, dance and acting techniques. In May they will be performing The Jungle Book. Natalie is Kaa the python as well as a tree and an elephant in the marching band. Her teacher told me she cracks him up. No surprise there. At home we are constantly serenaded by her. She sang all the time before theatre....she has taken it toa new level now and with much more dramatic arms and spins for flair. She has been listening to the CD to learn her lines and the music in the car. The last time we loaded up in the car and Kobe heard the music he put his head down in his hands and groaned. "Not again!" Well, we have a long way till May...pray for Kobe. LOL

Awareness

2011-03-15T19:34:00.000-07:00

Last year we read a book called Gideons Gift. I wrote about it here. It made a big impact on our family and we thought about it this year as we started heading into the colder months for Florida. The book was about a man who had lost what he felt was everything worth living for. He gave up his life and lived on the streets with nothing to hold on to but a pair of red gloves. Hold that thought. Tori came home with a trifold poster she had made for one of her classes and her subject was the homeless population of Tampa. Seeing how many homeless we had right here in our community was shockingly sad. What could we do to feel like we were helping? I was walking in Old Navy and everything came together. In a big ben next to me was a sign for 2 for $1 gloves. Bingo! I grabbed the ones they had and went home to share my idea. I thought it would be great to put gift cards in the gloves and let the kids help me hand them out to the people we passed on a daily basis holding signs and sleeping on benches. Our first day out and about the kids were looking everywhere for someone to give the gloves too. We pulled up at MacDonald's and Jordan seen a man being asked to leave who had been setting in the building for warmth and could not buy anything. That moment created a stirring conversation on the limited amount of shelters and the overwhelming amount of people and some families who have to deal with the different weather conditions. As the days went by and we handed out the gloves I realized that something happened with my clan that I was not expecting. When they were looking for people to hand their gloves to they were also becoming increasingly aware of the gentleman on the bench, or a woman pushing a cart or even the man sitting under the tree. I am not sure they would have ever noticed them before. They also learned that we may not have much, but we CAN make a difference is small ways. What a great lesson, and one that I could have never taught at home.

Families on the go!

2011-03-14T19:40:00.000-07:00

We were sitting at Jordans baseball game and got the news through facebook that our cover was out! We were soooo excited! Here it is. If you would like to read the family description I wrote for the magazine you can view it here http://www.familiesonthego.org/

Trust Me, It Works!

2011-03-08T19:53:00.000-08:00

Kobe seen me heading out the door with my roller blades and ran to grab the old ones that have been in the garage since who knows when. Please, please, please could I teach him. Lookin at that face I didn't feel quite so bad about forgoing my anticipated workout for a quick lesson. (or maybe I didn't want to work out that badly :) I learned how to roller blade by holding on to a baby stroller and going up and down the sidewalk until I felt steady on my feet and understood the stride needed to stay balanced. I pulled out our old stroller, grabbed a helmet and set him loose. After spending about 20 minutes behind the stroller he was brave enough to let go. Guess what? He had it! He was free wheelin after that. Natalie, seeing her brother's success grabbed my blades and tried it out. My size 10 skates made things a tad bit harder but she caught on as well. We made it through the learning process with just a few falls and not one band aid. Big accomplishment for two kids who know the names of their favorite antiseptics in the medicine cabinet.

Victory Picnic

2011-03-05T19:05:00.000-08:00

Victory is a small baptist church we were blessed to find two years ago. This weekend we attended the annual church picnic and I have to say it was an amazing way to welcome in the feel of spring. The weather was amazing. I am not sure there is any outside force that can still my spirit like the ocean. So much was happening I had a hard time getting my camera from one place to another. Tres and Jordan enjoyed playing chess and checkers with the teens. There was kick ball, volleyball, and dodge ball. Nat and Kobe had a blast playing with all the kids on the beach. We seen a family flying a kite next to our tables. I couldn't remember the last time I had flew a kite. Why not? What an easy and cheap family activity. I made a mental tally to add that to the next family day. To my delight as the family was leaving they came up and asked if we would like to use the kite since they would not be back out to the beach for awhile. Yeah! We flew the kite, it was so exhilarating running to keep it up in the air. Standing in the sand, watching the sail boats go bye, hearing the laughs of my kids behind me.....priceless.

Sunday School Suprise

2011-02-27T17:24:00.000-08:00

Sunday I got the best surprise from the Meek brothers that go to our church. They bought me a cake to show their appreciation for my helping in Sunday school. I love gestures out of the blue just because. Made me smile all day. Looking at the adorable faces in our Sunday school class would make me smile with or without cake. Thanks so much for a super sweet Sunday.

In His Blood

2011-02-26T17:09:00.000-08:00

Kobe had his first baseball game Saturday. Tres and I cheered him on and laughed as daddy tried to help the players be in the right place at the right time....and stay there. I love watching this age play. Tab and Journey joined us. Best moment...watching Kobe have an extensive conversation with the a kid on the other team at third base. They were so animated and at one point the little boy pointed at his rear and raised his hands dramatically. What in the world! After the game I asked Kobe what was going on at third base. He rolled his eyes and said, "He was just talking smack!" Trash talk at five. Wow.

Cravin Coldstone

2011-02-21T12:38:00.000-08:00

Nothing gets the kids dressed and running out the door faster than some promised Coldstone Ice Cream. Eyes bulged with the promise of chocolate, Carmel, and candied toppings dripping down the sides of the cups. Of course their eyes were bigger than their stomachs and no one (except Jordan) could finish their treats.

Florida State Fair

2011-02-21T11:56:00.000-08:00

Saturday we all piled into the Burb to go to the State Fair. There was so many rides to choose from and sooooo many food booths to try. We had funnel cake as usual but this year we tried the fried Oreo's. Mmmmmmm. Kobe (my future roller coaster rider) went on the Ferris wheel with Maurice and complained it did not go fast enough. Keanna and I rode a ride that almost made my stomach flip out. Maurice used his big muscles to win the kids lost of prizes. Jordan reaffirmed that any ride that required his feet to leave the ground was not the ride for him. Tres of course wanted to ride every dangerous ride in the park. We had a blast!

A Visit...Just Because

2011-02-20T11:41:00.000-08:00

Keanna flew down from D.C. to spend the weekend with us. No special reason, she just missed us. She made the mistake of telling us she was coming down before she bought her ticket. Natalie put it on her calendar, Tori rescheduled activities. That's it! Done deal, Nan has to come. Thankfully she was able to get a decent ticket just in time. Our time was spent watching movies, going to the state fair, making cupcakes and wrestling (that would be Jordan and Keanna). Quite a lot bunched in to two days. She is here packing up and getting ready to go to the airport. Sniff...Already miss her!

Adaptive Basketball

2011-02-16T17:01:00.000-08:00

We have found a new program called Adaptive Basketball. Children w/ varies abilities meet and socialize over basketball games, kick ball, crafts and WII games. Tres had a great time. The group, put on by a local church, was the most organized we have seen. There were plenty of basketball goals, balls and activities that catered to every level of play. Natalie and Kobe came and I wish I had pictures of them helping the athletes out with the various centers. They did a great job. We are excited about future meetings with this big hearted team of people. For anyone in the Hillsborough County area interested in learning about activities for your child a great resource is www.fdlrs.mysdhc.org.

Happy Valentines 2011!

2011-02-14T17:42:00.000-08:00

For some reason having Valentines on Monday threw me for a loop. It should have been easier since we had all weekend to decorate boxes for school and prepare treats. Nope, still felt discombobulated. I had to work and since I did not do my baking for the kids ahead of time...ahheemm, I had to try to get it done before they got home for school. The day ended well. Natalie and Kobe were soooo excited to get home and read through EVERY valentine. Natalie took each one personal, "Oh that's so sweet of her!" or "Mom read this one, he even gave Me a tattoo." Didn't want to crush her by telling her everyone else probably got the same thing. LOL The heart brownies where a big hit as well as the Love bags filled with books and chocolate. My sweetheart was frustrated with me because I told him not to buy me anything. One, I like to pick out my own gifts...terrible I know, and two I am not a "I need a diamond" kind of girl. He ended up giving up on me and bringing me a dozen roses. How sweet is that!

Lessons Learned at a Baseball game

2011-02-10T16:19:00.000-08:00

Spring ball has started in full swing. Last year our major focus was on character. Not pouting when things don't go your way. The outcomes that affect the team are more important than individual desires. Don't give up on yourself when your on the mound. You can help set the tone to the mood of the dugout, etc. When the new season started we were ecstatic to see how much Jordan has stepped up in these areas. Team sports can be such powerful life lesson makers. I am still amazed and how much they learn and grow from being apart of organized sports. Here are some lessons we learned at the last ball game.

1. When eating sunflowers, you ONLY eat the seed.

2. You don't put your hand out to cute dogs you don't know....they may snap.

3. Don't get excited after 6 innings and think the game is over.....there are 7 innings in Juniors. (he was in Majors)

4. Don't scream and cheer for an ultra shy brother when he is up to bat....he gets annoyed.

Winter and the Photo Shoot

2011-01-25T12:41:00.000-08:00

The kids were chosen to be on the cover of one of Tampa's family magazines. The magazine will be the camp edition and will be out just before summer. For the photo shoot we went to Clearwater Marine Aquarium. What an amazing experience! The location was chosen because of a very special dolphin named Winter. Winter lost her tail and her story of hope and survival is inspiring people all over the world. Winter swims with a prosthetic tail made just for her. Read more about Winter here: http://www.seewinter.com/. A movie about Winter had just finished tapping starring Ashley Judd. The aquarium is filled with rescued sick or injured marine animals. We fell in love with Winter and a cute otter named Cooper who was hit by a car and is currently in rehab. I was so inspired by the very needy animals and the hearts of the extraordinary people who save them.

Bahamas

2011-01-20T12:21:00.000-08:00

Maurice and I were blessed to be able to go back to Nassau for our wedding anniversary. 17 years and counting. We absolutely love cruises. We have just as much fun together running around on the boat as we do on the island. We have been there a few times so this trip was less touring and more relaxing. We did go on an excursion to The Blue Lagoon. This is were the movie was filmed with Brooke Shields. I was expecting a natural island experience but it was very touristy and the areas that were secluded where taped off. We did have fun watching the dolphins and relaxing on the hammocks. The people we meet on our cruises are always interesting and we had great conversations with people who live all over the world. Some of the most interesting was the wisdom filled bar attendant from Jamaica who had been married over 50 years, the very educated sisters who live in Boston but were raised in Haiti, and our entertainment director from Croatia. I am so grateful for the time we had to be stress free and worry free for four full days.

Ms. USF

2011-01-12T07:15:00.000-08:00

Giving you an update on how Tori's first semester of college went. Living in the dorms with girls from much different backgrounds was an interesting transition but she adapted and gets along well with her roommates. She got through her first experience with finals week and survived on little sleep and Starbucks. She did well on her exams and finished the semester with 4 A's and 1 B. She wanted me to be specific on the grades. lol She joined InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and now leads a bible study at the school. She is extremely excited to be going on a missions trip to Mexico this summer. Her major is psychology and she wants to get her Masters in Applied Behavioral Analysis. ABA therapist work with children who are autistic. She has three families that she babysits for that have children who are autistic and feels this is the area she is being called to. We are very proud of our college girl. Go Tori!

Weedon Island

2011-01-10T20:38:00.000-08:00

Mangrove tree crabs

Salt on the Mangrove tree leaves

We visited a state park near our home called Weedon Island Preserve with cousin Tabitha and Journey and my friend Kiesha and her children. It is a great place to learn about the native plants and animals in Florida. They had trails and boardwalks that made it easy for Tres to get around in his chair. It was a hot day and we only had a few hours to explore. I can't wait to take the kids back. While we were eating lunch we seen people in canoe's go bye and the kids stood at the edge of the water shouting greetings to them. The ground is covered in foliage which made for excitement when you would see grass move and knew something was crawling underneath. Here are the highlights of the trip.

1. Tasting the salt from the leaves of Mangrove trees

2. Watching the huge Mangrove tree crabs that looked like spiders.

3. Learning that animal poop is called scat. (and using the term all day.....)

4. Looking for the different types of animal prints

5. Watching the pools of fish swim under the pier

Holiday Pictures

2011-01-07T12:08:00.000-08:00

For the first time in about 3 years we decided to take studio pictures of the family. We were reminding during the long wait times, cramped studio and restless, bored, whining voices about why we decided to only do outside natural shots for the past few years. Even through all the angst the pictures turned out great. Here are some shots of the family I took with my phone while waiting for our turn. They are not as clear as I would like but they tell the story.