Tiger Spirit Day!

Every Friday is Spirit Day at the kids' schools, so they wear orange and black Tiger colors. Here's Lydia before school this morning. Mark thought she looked too cute in her braids so he took some pictures on their way out the door! She informed me that she needs some "pretty" Spirit day clothes. Not too sure where I'll find orange and black pretty clothes, but I'm on the hunt!

Welcome Baby Hope...

Proud big brothers Noah & Josiah with new baby sister Hope Louise!


We have a new baby girl in the Strickland family! No, we did NOT have a baby but Mark's sister Resa and her husband Wayne did! So we have a new niece and baby girl cousin. Lydia is thrilled with another girl since she and Abby are way outnumbered by a bunch of Strickland boys! Hope is the baby sister to Noah and Josiah and we can't wait to hold her. She was born Friday when my kids left for Kansas City for the holiday weekend and they all came home sick with croup and sinus junk so they haven't even been able to see her yet. Welcome Baby Hope! We are happy you are here!

Back to School 2009

Showing off their new backpacks stuffed full of supplies!



Lydia's first day of Kindergarten. Standing in line with her teacher.



Lydia's new locker. Lydia's school cubbie.



Ready to start the day and NO tears from Lydia or Mom or Dad!!!




Caleb is ready for 8th grade at the Jr. High. He had no idea we took this picture!



Levi started 5th grade at the Middle School. "No picture of me either, Dad!"


Wow! 3 kids in 3 different schools this year! I think it's going to be a full-time job running carpools and keeping everyone's schedules straight. We have 2 days down and everyone is off to a great start. The boys were ready to go back and Lydia is excited about Kindergarten. I've had a child home with me for 14 years straight so my house is about to become way too quiet. Although I've already been a lunch volunteer both days at her school and I have to sub 3 days this week, so I think I'll stay pretty busy. I've got a to-do list a mile long of projects around the house just in case I get bored!

I love writing on my blog so I'm hoping to do a bloggy make-over soon and update a little more often than once a month! So, stay tuned for a new look coming Fall 2009!

A Quick Hello!

I just looked at my blog for the first time in a few weeks and I'm wondering where are all my slideshows????? I checked slide.com and they are still saved there but for some weird reason they are not showing up on my blog. Who knows! Computers drive me crazy sometimes and my cute computer guy (Mark!) just happens to be busy for awhile and can't seem to get to my piddly little blog! Maybe it will fix itself, so please check back soon!

Our summer has been full of fun but very busy and it is flying by way too fast! The kids start school on August 13 and are begging to get their school supplies already. Here's a few things we're keeping busy with this summer:

***Mark & Caleb's World Changers Mission Trip
***Mark & Levi's Centri-Kid Church Camp
***Levi's Scout Day Camp
***Lydia & Levi's gymnastics classes
***Lydia's cheerleading camp
***Vacation Bible School
***Babysitting Cousins Ellie & Macie
***Eating boxes of popsicles in the hot afternoons
***Catching fireflies at night with neighbor friends
***Learning to do tricks and flips on Lydia's new trampoline
***Mom constantly doing laundry and packing someone to head out on their next adventure!!!

I'm looking forward to school starting soon--that's when this Mom's vacation starts! Woohoo!

Happy Birthday Lydia!

Lydia turned 5 last week and we had a teddy bear tea party in her honor. She invited 15 little girlfriends and they came in cute little summer dresses with their teddy bears and favorite stuffed animals. Lydia picked the menu which was peanut butter sandwich shapes, cheese cubes, goldfish crackers, cupcakes and a chocolate fountain for extra fun! We had strawberry tea to drink! It was lots of fun! It's hard to believe our baby girl is 5-she says she's a whole hand now! She's turned 5, had her shots and is all ready for Kindergarten in August. Just wish her Mama was! Enjoy our photos of our afternoon at tea!

Family Beach Trip 2009

For several years now, my parents have taken our family and my 2 brothers' families to the beach near Destin, FL. It's always such a fun week and no one ever wants to come back home. Between all the cameras of the different families we usually have hundreds of pictures, but I tried to pick out just a few of our favorites to share. People ask us if we have a photographer come to the beach to take the more formal pictures and we never have. Mark just brings his tri-pod, sets the timer on our little camera and runs like crazy to jump in the picture before it snaps! We always get some great smiles tho watching him try to make it in time. And some funny looks from people walking by! Thanks for enduring our little beach photo shoot!

Paradise!

We're back home after spending 8 beautiful days at Waterscape Resort in Ft. Walton Beach, FL with my family! We were all trying to figure out a way we could stay there all summer! We had a great time and I'll post some fun pictures soon, but for now I'm unloading sandy suitcases, doing laundry and repacking the boys who head off to camp this weekend!