I'm Still Here

In case anyone was wondering where I've been lately, well, I've been back to work.  Yep, the vacation (of 14 months) is finally over.  And can I say, it's about time, or I should say, it WAS time.

I am now the secretary in the dean's office/attendance office and secretary to the asst. principal of a local high school.  Not #5's, and he will say, thank goodness.

It is the school where my former principal is now.  So far it's been good.  Have been mostly helping with registration, and finally starting to do work for my department.  M, my asst. principal, seems to be awesome and I think this will be a great place to work.  Now, keep in mind that I will be in the dean's office with the naughty kids, and so I really don't have the big picture yet, but am certainly not going to be bored.

All of the staff really seems awesome, and works together and gets along well.  Alot of them have been there for many years. 

Wish me luck, and I'll try and keep up here. It's only been a little over a week, so I am hoping to get settled and back into a routine shortly.  Maybe when #5 goes back to school next week, we'll all settle in.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!!!

#5's Birthday Party

Yestserday, we celebrated #5's 16th birthday with alot of family and friends.  We also had a "shoe flickin" contest.  Something we started doing many years ago.  You get on a swing and see how far you can flick your shoe.  Over the fence is always what you shoot for.  Well, this probably being #5's last birthday party, we decided to needed to do one final flick.  Plus, the swing set is will probaly come down soon.  There is even a trophy.  Of  course my brother-in-law, M, who had the trophy from the last flick, won again.

It was a fun time.

The birthday boy

These pics are of the cake.    I had Jewel make the cake with the grass, trees and road and I did the rest. They are pics of our house, #5's  high school, and Wrigley Field, I even put the street sign from our corner and one from Waveland and Clark on it. I put Kenyon farm and the cows by the school too. The car has a little guy in it, (supposed to be #5), with his baseball hat on and glove and bat in the front seat.

Niece C, from FLA, with grandma, who she looks EXACTLY like!

Smart girl, she found my Coach purse and loved it.  Good taste.

#5 with his littlest cousins, watching Barney.

My special little niece, G

Flickers

One of my oldest, beautiful nieces, K, her boyfriend and one of my nephews, P

G and Grandma

Little ones playing and having fun

Good friend, J and daughter A.  Look at those beautiful eyes.

Me and G

The winners

ALOT of my husbands family together at one time.  Doesn't happen very often, just a few were missing.  This pic is going to Iraq where one of my nieces is serving in the Army.  It's almost her birthday too!

Everyday Things

Just a little prompt from the "Shutter Sisters" (see their awesome blog on my list), to capture something in your everyday life.

This is an everyday sight around here:

August 4, 1995; 8:27 am

August 4, 1995, 8:27 a.m.  Just another day to some people, but on this day, 16 years ago, #5 was born.  On this day my life and world changed.  On this day, I became a mommy, mom, mother, ma, etc.  Do I remember every detail?  No.  But do I remember this being the best day of my life, ABSOUTLEY!

So as I think about that day and every other day since then I ask,  "how do I feel that my baby boy is turning 16"?  I really still can't beleive it.  Some times there are days I can't even remember what it was like when he was a baby, then other days, it seems just like yesterday.  I think about the days when I would say, "I can't wait till he's older so he can do this or that", and now I long for those days when he was still a baby, and needed me for everything.  These days it may seem like he needs me for everything, just in different ways, i.e., rides, money, laundry done, food made, etc.

He's a great kid, I have to say, but yet he is still a teenager and lately there has been a little "head butting" between us.  I know it's just him growing and finding himself, but sometimes it's hard.  Or maybe I am just having hard time with him growing up.

Happy Birthday, #5.  LOVE YOU!

These two, he was a few days old.

couple of weeks old, Papa would come over, pick him up and stay like this till he woke up

By Nana's house

Happy to see his daddy home from work.

1st birthday pic

This year's high school baseball pic.