Our Terrific Kid;)

Last week, Corban came home from school declaring that he had experienced the WORST DAY EVER!!! My heart stopped and with my full attention focused on him, I asked him what in the world was wrong.

He reached into his book bag and pulled out his "take home" folder.

With a sly smirk on his face, he placed three papers on the counter--all with the big letter A written on the top of them.

Then he proceeded to pull out a letter from his teacher.

I opened it slowly, still not quite sure what to think. 

The letter was informing us that Corban had been voted by his classmates to be this months 

"TERRIFIC KID".

We were invited to celebrate with him at a special breakfast at school on Friday.

After I read the letter, I looked up at Cor and that sly smirk had turned into one big gigantic smile!

What a little turkey!

It wasn't the worst day ever...but instead THE BEST!!!

Corban immediately asked if he could call Shane at work and fill him in on his AWESOME news.

Shane was so excited for Cor too and told him that we definitely needed to go out dinner to celebrate!

Corban choose his favorite restaurant...Mario's pizza!!

We met Shane there and enjoyed celebrating our terrific kid over some yummy pizza!

Friday morning, we headed to the boys school bright and early for the terrific kids breakfast.

Each month, a different child is chosen to be the terrific kid based on a certain character trait they are studying.

Self-control was the focus of January...

 and I just LOVED what Cor's teacher wrote about him.

Terrific kid or not, I don't think Shane or I could be any prouder of the gentle-man this little guy is growing to be.

Love my Coco bean;)

Bobcats Game Day EXPERIENCE!

I cannot believe it's Friday already. Boy, did this week fly by! I'm so thankful that the weekend is just around the corner and that my sweet hubby will be home tonight after being gone all week!

I've been a little slack in my blogging lately, so I'm going to have to do some caching up.

On Monday, since my boys had the day off from school AND since Shane had the day off from work, we had something fun planned. My wonderful mom watched the two little ones while the rest of our crew spent the entire day at the Bobcats arena!

It was a day of nothin' but Bobcats, basketball and FUN!

A little boys day in paradise!
Over the years, our boys have been blessed to be a part of a group call Dynamic Performance Sports. DPS is a Christ centered organization that not only teaches kids the rules of the game, but also how to reach their God-given potential off the field as well. My boys have participated in their sports camps and  several of their mini-training camps. DPS is celebrating their 10th anniversary this year and as a way to commemorate the occasion they invited family's like ours, who have been a part of DPS, to join them for a day of fun at the Bobcats arena!

When we told the boys exactly WHAT their day would hold...they were ecstatic!! 

Jumping up and down, shrieks and screams, high-fives and chest bumps...yup, that's how we show our enthusiasm around here.

After arriving at the stadium, the kids were invited onto the court for some shooting practice.
Shot after shot, they aimed at that ten foot high goal. I was actually quite impressed at how many balls went in! They made it look easy, so I too decided to give it a try!
I did my best good- ole'- granny- shot but still missed the goal entirely.
I then had listen to my sweet little boys yell..."AIR-BALL"!
HA!

Once the shoot around was over, it was time for some organized games.
The boys competed in some speed drills, shoot outs, and relay races.

Just like the pro's, they practiced offense, defense, and how making shots under pressure.
After a FULL morning ON the court, it was time to head outside to re-fuel with a picnic lunch!

 Chi-fil-@ provided FREE chicken sandwiches to all who were there with DPS.
LOVE us some Chic-fil-@!!!
After lunch, we headed back inside where we enjoyed a brief tour of the stadium.

The boys even got a chance to help the camera crew direct a sports news clip which was being filmed while we were there!

Soooo cool!!!

Then with popcorn in one hand and cotton candy in the other,
it was time to find our seats!

 It was GAME TIME!!!

It was a CLOSE game, but unfortunately for us--
 our Bobcats couldn't pull through with the win!
And although we lost,  my boys were still smiling!
Not even a disappointing loss could wipe the joy and pure delight from their faces--
for they had just spent the day in little boy heaven;)

What does a football player and a scarecrow have in common?

 Well...not much, I guess...except for the fact that they both sure did look extra cute as they headed out the door this morning!!

Today, Corban and Riley had LOADS of pre-Halloween activities and parties going on at school!

Riley celebrated his day as an adorable scarecrow!

All kindergarten classes were asked to dress up like scarecrows and be ready for a day full of fall fun!

I love this little scarecrow!

Honestly though, could that sweet face really scare away any crows!?!?

My big guy, Corban, celebrated "Character Day" today.

Not only did he have to dress up like a character from his favorite book,  but he also had to do a presentation on it too!

Because it was such a fun-filled day at school today, and because everyone was going to be dressed up, we decided to join the boys for lunch and check out every one's costumes! 

My sweet mom and my sister Al called me up this morning and told me they wanted to come along for the fun too! 

We met up at the school and enjoyed a nice lunch with our Riley!

He was beyond thrilled to see everyone!

After we finished lunch with Ri, we headed back home for a few minutes.

During that time at home, my sister KK dropped by. She was in between classes and was able to join us back at school for round two of Halloween lunches!

Our football player was super excited to see all of us, and couldn't wait to tell us about

 how his big presentation went.

So proud of this little guy!

What a fun-filled day

 and I'm really looking forward to the great weekend ahead!

TGIF everyone!!!!

A sweet Wednesday!

Wednesday was just an all around sweet day for us.

After I got the boys out the door for school in the morning, the babies and I headed to the nursing home to visit Shane's precious grandma. 

Unfortunately, she fell about a week or so ago, and as a result had to have hip surgery. 

Bless her heart!

She's recovering now, but has a long road ahead of her. 

When we walked through the door of her room, Maw Maw's face lit up. She was beyond thrilled to see us, especially the babies, and I was so glad to see a smile on her face!

After our visit with Maw Maw, we headed to a play date at my friend, Erin's house.  Erin and her husband, and their two little ones,  just recently moved back to this area a few months ago. Believe it or not, but Erin and I have been friends since second grade!!! She graciously invited us over to their new home near uptown for lunch and to meet their newest addition, sweet baby Fletcher. He was sound asleep while we took this picture above though. 

We had THE BEST time visiting and catching up while our little ones played! I am SO EXCITED that Erin's back in town now and foresee MANY more fun play dates in our future!

I got home from our play date just in time to get my BIG boys off the bus. Wednesday was the much anticipated REPORT CARD DAY! I'll be honest, I was a little nervous about Corban's grades this quarter. Third grade has been an adjustment for Cor and we've really struggled through the first couple of weeks of school. It's definitely getting better though, but we have had a rocky start.  

Okay, so forgive me please, but I just have to brag on my sweet Corban for just a moment! Corban came home with a SUPER report record! All A's and B's! He even made the A/B honor roll!!!

How AWESOME is that!?!?!?

 He earned those grades through a lot of hard work and determination and

we couldn't be more proud of him!

Love that boy!!!

Third Grade and a Fresh Start!

Today my sweet Corban walked out of the house a Third Grader!

I don't know why, but third grade seems so BIG to me! Like at the beginning of anything new, I could tell Corban was nervous. We've talked and prayed over this upcoming school year so much, but as morning dawned, Corban's stomach was filled with butterflies. I know he's going to have a GREAT year and once we find our groove, it will all be good! 

Corban requested cinnamon rolls for his "back to school" breakfast and so that's exactly what we had.

  Shane was working from home today, so he could walk Cor to school in the morning, AND was able to see him get off the bus this afternoon! 

 This morning, our street was a sea of people, as everyone eagerly made their way to the start of a new year.

 

Our cool Gator mascot was on hand to welcome students as they made there way into the school building. 

Corban was excited to show his daddy his classroom and introduce him to his new teacher.  

After quick introductions, Corban found his seat and began his work. 

I was biting my lip and trying hard to hold back the tears as we waved goodbye! I don't know why, but it's always so hard for me to let go! 

At the beginning of every school year, the boys and I pick out a new devotional to read before they head out the door each morning. 

This year we chose the One Year Devotional for BOYS! 

I really liked this one because the lay out was simple, short, and applicable for their day ahead.  

Shane and I also chose a verse for Corban to meditate on this year too. 

 

During our devotions this morning, we shared that verse with him. 

 Joshua 1:9

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

I am so... proud of my little BIG guy and trust the Lord to use Corban mightily for HIS glory this year!

It's gonna be a SUPER year!!

(Y'all can start praying for me now...Riley starts kindergarten on Tuesday!) 

Our little triathlete!

The week before we headed to the beach, my BIG boys spent five fun-filed days at Y camp! Riley did an Outdoor Adventure camp and Corban participated in a Triathlon Camp! Each and every morning they jumped out of bed and were eager to get to camp for the day! (I just hope they exude that same amount of eagerness when school starts in a few weeks-ha!)

At the conclusion of Cor's tri camp, all the campers got to practice some of the skills they had learned during the week and participate in a mock triathlon.

 Parents and siblings were invited to come watch the race and cheer their camper on from the sidelines.

The first part of the race included SIX full laps in the pool! 

The kids lined up on the deck and waited patiently for the signal to start. As soon as the counselor shouted the word "GO!!" they dove into the pool and the race began!

Sophie took her role as a cheer leader VERY seriously.

 Each lap, she followed Corban back and forth from the edge of the pool, shouting for him the entire time. 

As soon as he completed his laps, he quickly dried off, slipped his shirt and shoes on(with a little help from KK) and jumped on his bike!

A TWO mile bike ride was up next! 

The kids and I stood on the edge of the road and cheered each camper on as they looped around the course!

KK and Al were there too and offered some sweet encouragement to our little triathlete as he competed in his race!

After his bike ride, it was time for the last part of the race...a ONE mile run! 

As we watched Cor complete the first half-a-mile, we could tell he was getting tired. He needed some EXTRA encouragement, so KK jumped right in and they ran the last half-a-mile together!!

Crossing the finish line!!!

Out of the 13 campers who participated in the race, Corban finished THIRD!!!!

WAY TO GO CORBAN!!!!

We are ALL so proud of you!

After the race, everyone was presented with a shiny gold medal for a job well done!!

Sophie thought Cor's medal was a beautiful "necklace" and BEGGED her bother for a chance to wear it! Corban, being the sweetest BIG brother EVER, allowed his little sister an opportunity to try it on for a while too! 

Sophie was so proud!

And to celebrate our little triathlete and the AMAZING job he did in his race, we headed out for (what else) ICE CREAM! 

A SWEET treat was the perfect way to end a SWEET victory!

So proud of my little man;)