We are here and at the condo in Gulf Shores. It is sooo nice here!

The trip down was almost uneventful. My parents are staying at their campground in their pop up camper. Their van was completely maxed out on space between their stuff and some of our stuff. A tire wasn't working right.....a bearing or something on the camper trailer. So, we stopped for quite a while to get it fixed. Luckily we stopped at a McD's with a play place and a tire place next to it.

The first night was spent at Oak Mountain State Park in a 2 bedroom cabin. It had a kitchen, bath, etc. It was a very nice place. We fixed a hot dog dinner in the kitchen there and then played some games. Logan and my Dad tried to get a boat to toodle around in, but for some reason the oars were actually 2 x 4's or something and was too hard to paddle. The bugs there were terrible. We are watching Anna like a hawk. She gets one bug bite and it turns into a 3-4 inch around welt/spot. Then the fever follows. Unfortunately she has one bite already and the area is huge. Poor thing. Hoping for no fever.

We got up and made breakfast and headed to the Petting Zoo area of the State Park. Neat place.
We were hoping for an uneventful 5 hour ride to Gulf Shores from there, but the camper got a flat tire. After that, it was smooth sailing to the Gulf. The camper got set up and them unloaded and then we all headed to the condo and unloaded here.

The boys and Barry and Dad went to the ocean to play while Mom, Anna and I got groceries. Then Anna got to go play a bit, too. The rip tides are bad, so we aren't sure how much you can get in the water each day. There was a PURPLE flag, which means dangerous water life....SHARKS AND JELLY FISH. We think it was for just the jelly fish. The boys and the BIG boys had a good time. Logan had a jelly fish brush up against his face......guess that happens when you lay down in the ocean, huh?

The condo is gorgeous. It is perfect for us. It seems huge and very spread out inside. Barry made the comment that if he had to draw the layout, he couldn't do it. You are constantly getting turned around and lost. We can't even hear the boys argue if they are in their room and we are in the living room. It is really funny to have all these doors, etc. to go through. I am sure we will get the hang of it soon. I think it only has 8-10 floors. Not sure and we are on the 6th floor.There is a little over 1500 square feet and I chose this one because it was one of the bigger. There are 3 bedrooms, so the boys are sharing....just like at home. I can't stress how nice it is and it was affordable.

I will try to post pictures, but this connection is horrible.

Here you go, Aunt Gi!

Barry's sis was excited to learn that I can now post videos on this blog and keeps requesting this song. This is the boys' practice at our parents church. They usually are asked to sing there twice a year. Brandon usually needs a little persuading, as he gets pretty nervous. The ending is comical since it is a practice and Logan came in in the wrong spot. The boys also sang this song from Brandon's 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Swartz and Mrs. Johnson. Logan also had Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Johnson, so we thought it was fitting for Teacher Appreciation Week for the boys to "give something back". My parents were there since Anna and I were at the dr. and there wasn't a dry eye in the room.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Yesterday Anna and I went to her Gymnastics class and then we had a picnic at the park before the Talent Show. She has NO idea that the bus isn't coming today to get her brothers! She will have a hard time sharing me with them again all summer. She will enjoy having the boys home for the summer, but really likes her "GIRL DAYS" as she calls them.

Logan at Talent Show

I am so proud of Logan! Today was the talent show and WOW...did he do a wonderful job! His Music teacher asked him to come sing at her church this summer, too. It is funny that he spent 10 minutes today contemplating the perfect shirt. Well, he had to wear the green shirt to sing in his Honor Choir, so....

Logan has had the most wonderful chorus teacher for the last 3 years. She has been such a blessing to her students. She is having some health issues, so say a little prayer for her to heal quickly. It sounds like the doctors are getting close to finding out why she has been so miserable.

Out of all the songs in the world, he chose "Amazing Grace/My Chains are Gone" by Chris Tomlin. How neat to sing this song in a public school. I love our district!

Anyway...I am so proud of myself for figuring out how to upload this video without any help from my hubby! Now when Logan is driving me crazy in the summer or torturing his siblings, I can just play this video when I want and remind myself that he really is a wonderful young man.

Anyone know why BLOGGER VIDEO is blurry? Also...WARNING....It was hard to video with a squirmy 4 year old who had already been sitting in the bleachers for over an hour. I am never a good video taper anyway, as Barry will attest to that! At one point you will see her fingers go across the screen. :0)

School is out until Mid August!

Piano Recital

The boys finished the year with their piano recital. Their teacher is also their choir teacher so the recital was held at our church. They both did a wonderful job. Brandon seems to get into piano more so than Logan, but that is probably because Brandon is younger and has more time. I can't imagine the HOURS my parents heard me pounding at the piano since I played since I was probably 4 or 5 until 18 and graduated. Plus playing piano for Show Choir! And so did my sister. YIKES! That is a TON of piano lessons and listening to our yearly recitals. Now as I make dinner while the boys are practicing (quite loudly!), I realize WHY my parents put the piano in my bedroom during the high school show choir years!

Flower pics

Happy 82nd Birthday, Grandma Weber!

My mom, Anna, Grandma Weber, Brandon and Aunt Elaine.

Barry, Dad, and Brandon played washers. It was a beautiful day outside.

I had told Anna that we were going down to my Grandma's for her birthday. She lives just 30 minutes away. Birthdays mean cake, but the cake part wasn't going to be until the following day, so Anna helped Grandma blow out candles on her famous apple pie. Happy Birthday, Grandma! We also went to a local winery. It was literally in the middle of nowhere and was quite a neat place.

Logan was gone Friday night until Sunday at Noon camping with Boy Scouts, so he missed all the fun at Grandma's.

Spring Season Soccer is now over. Brandon always enjoys soccer. I love how his shoe is untied in these pictures. He always seems to have one shoe untied on any given day! Soccer is the perfect sport for this active 9 year old!

Way to go Logan!

Logan tried out for next year's Jr. High Show Choir and he found out yesterday that he made it. His best buddies did, too, so he was very happy about that last night. He was starting to sweat about it since they usually have 2 Show Choirs and they were moving to just one next year. He has a great voice, though, so I wasn't worried.

Logan also tried out this week to sing at the talent show next week, so he is waiting to hear about that. Only 12 acts get to perform and he thought 36 were trying out. I still have confidence in him that he will make that, too. He only sang part of it and his teacher was in tears (for a good reason, I am sure!). He wants to sing "Amazing Grace/My Chains are Gone" by Chris Tomlin. I think it is great that in all the songs in the world, he chose to sing a Christian song. Logan isn't in to sports, so Music is his "thing" besides scouts. Way to go Logan!

Mother's Day

The kids today before school. Anna is feeling pretty good today, but was up a few times in the night. She is enjoying staying in her jammies all day.

Brandon and Barry made this adorable brown birdhouse with pink polka dots. Logan was thrilled to get me my much needed pot holders. My others were getting quite sad!

We didn't take any pictures on Mother's Day. It was a horrible day here outside. Windy, cold and rainy. Anna was feeling better, but is still sick, so I went to church with the boys. They sang in a group of 10 kids or so and I played the piano for the song. Then we had lunch with my sister and my parents. I am so lucky to have my mom still around and living close. She is a young almost 62 year old who is always more than willing to help out with the kids. She was a Godsend when I was pregnant with Brandon and was on bedrest and the pregnancy I lost before that. She is a wonderful woman. Thanks Mom....I love you. I know that there were many days of running me around to piano lessons and Show Choir things for soooo many years and now I realize just how much she did for us as kids and still does!

Anyway...After lunch the boys and I went to the Mall and then returned home to Barry and Anna. They had made a yummy cake and Anna made cards for me. It was a delicious cake.

Poor Little Punkin, etc.

Anna is sick. Poor thing. She has a high fever and a throat infection. The first test for STREP was negative, so we had to go to the hospital for the second test. I always wonder why they do that. She is on an antibiotic regardless, so it seems pointless to even have the second test. I guess it is good to just "know" what is actually wrong.

This week was teacher appreciation week. We are so lucky to live in such a wonderful school district. This is Brandon's last year at the Elementary School and I am sad about that. Plus I hate to see 4th graders at the BIG school. The Principal is wonderful and this is the school that I sub at the most. This principal just has a way with the students and teachers. All of the teachers get along and work as a team. It is the best! I can't really say that about the other Grade School, but I don't have a child there. The mood in that school is completely different when you work there and I really don't feel like the teachers are a cohesive unit like at Brandon's school. I do love the Special Ed room there, though. It will be different subbing at the school next year while not having a child there.

Anyway...Brandon has Mrs. Brown and Logan also had her the year we went to China. She is wonderful. Yesterday the boys went in and sang "I Can Only Imagine" for her and also the music teacher and Brandon's Social Studies teacher. I couldn't go since I was at the dr. with Anna, but my parents said that they did a wonderful job and that the teachers were in tears. It is just so nice having wonderful teachers for our children. They work hard there and always go the extra mile to make learning an adventure. I am sooo sad that Mrs. Brown will retire the year before Anna will be in 3rd Grade! I saw her last night at Walmart and she said how thrilled she was to see Logan and Brandon sing.

This was the first year, however, that I have even remotely been disappointed with a teacher in our district. Logan is in 6th grade and something changed this year. Logan had his first male teacher and for some reason there seemed to be no life in this classroom for the entire year. My mom and my mother in law warned me after going to the school for Grandparents day. They have never had a bad thing to say about the classrooms or teachers here either. There has been little science and Logan just hasn't enjoyed school while in this classroom. It is like they are all statues. Makes me very sad because I LOVE our schools here. My dad taught Physical Science in this district at the jr. high level for 34 years and he definately brought life to his classroom and a love for learning.

I haven't complained or anything. It is hard to go in and complain when your child gets all A's in the classes and doesn't cause problems. Well, he does get a B in Pre-Algebra, but he is taking that class a year early. Logan was able to go out of the class for Pre-Al, Social Studies (with another male teacher who LOVES with job),PE, Gifted and Chorus, so he really isn't in there that much, but..... It still makes me sad that his year went like this. Logan has a wonderful music teacher, though. She is the best! My boys have always been blessed with great music teachers at school and church!

Ok...enough rambling. Please say some prayers for little Anna to heal quickly.

Day at the Farm and WHERE ARE THE GLASSES?!?

Regan turned 2 in January.

What a fun day! First of all...the glasses.....Anna took them off in her Sunday School room last night and left the glasses on the floor. YIKES....another little girl came along and stepped on them and they needed fixed. So, we dropped them off before our trip to the farm and picked them up this afternoon. Anna seemed to enjoy the farm without them, but I just wonder if she could see very well!

I just love that little Mason!
Jenny and Regan

Farm Day. Anna is not in Preschool for the rest of the school year (Long Story). So, we went to a farm. A gal from Lifelink has Regan and her parents live there. She met us and I took Stacy and Mason. Mason has now been with the Oliver's for not even a week. He is really doing great! Such a cute little guy! Anna had the most fun getting the eggs from the chickens and feeding the goats. We had a blast visiting with Grandma Dyann and Jenny and Regan. What a beautiful day, too! Thank you Jenny and Dyann for a great time!

Weekend

 

 

 

Hard to believe that on Saturday we froze to death at Brandon's soccer game. It was down right cold and yucky! Then yesterday, we had beautiful weather!