A great Fall Break!

Fall Break is over and it's back to the grind. Our Fall Break was wonderful and we were able to get away and have some fun together as a family. Chad and I took the kids to Gatlinburg and rented a cabin for a few days. I've never been to the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area before so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was just glad to have some time away.

It was gorgeous down there! The trees were bursting with the colors of Fall. A myriad of pinks, golds, reds, oranges, and yellows covered the mountians and the winding roads up hills and down gulleys was breathtaking! Our cabin was very nice and came equipped with a hot tub and pool table which the kids loved.

Noah insisted on "swimming" in the hot tub which was not very relaxing for Chad and I but we sure laughed a lot at him. Sydney wanted us to count at how long she could hold her head under the water. Elijah did a lot of eye rolling at his siblings. It won't be long when they will be "mature" and not do such silly things like that.

The scenery was GORGEOUS! The colors were bright and vibrant and the mountains were beautiful! We spent an afternoon taking a couple mile hike up a mountain to a breathtaking waterfall. Here is just a taste of what we saw each day.



We did some sightseeing in Gatlinburg and also got to do some shopping too. We went on the chairlift and that was a total blast. Sydney and I were a bit nervous with the steep incline of the ride but the scenery made it totally worth it.

It was a good place to go for a short getaway. We all had a blast and it was so fun to hang out together. We mined for jewels, went on a magic wand scavenger hunt, experienced a very cool mirror maze, played Pirate Glow-in-the-Dark putt putt, and even got to see several black bears up close and more personal than I was comfortable with.

Good times! Can't wait to go back....

Beautiful, Beautiful Girl

This picture was taken last year and I ran across it while doing some computer house cleaning. I just had to share! I will post more recent pics soon!

Been a long, long time

Okay, so I haven't blogged in...well....let's see...ummmm...FOREVER.

School has started back up and things are as busy as ever. Elijah is dancing competitive tap and hip hop again this year. He is also a FRESHMAN IN HIGH SCHOOL now so life has changed once again for him. He didn't enjoy it much at first but I think now that he's used to it, things are improving. He always has LOTS of homework but continues to maintain amazing grades. He still has great friends and enjoys going to football games and dances. He will be FIFTEEN in November and driving will be coming up in NO TIME! Where does the time go?

Noah is doing great. He is in eighth grade and in his last year at the Middle School. He has all A's this year and continues to "wow" us with his love of all things educational! Noah is involved in PeaceMakers and was inducted last Spring into the National Junior Honors Society. Needless to say he keeps busy. His new love is AirSoft wars with friends. He purchased his first AirSoft gun this month and is loving every single second of it. I have a feeling that Chad and I are going to get shot a lot!!! :)

Sydney is at the Middle School this year. She's a big SIXTH grader! What happened to my babies...they are growing up super duper fast!!! School is a constant struggle for Sydney. Social Studies is causing her quite a bit of angst right now but we are determined to get her on the right path. Syd is still very social and is on the phone quite a bit and now has her own email address so she is keeping "in contact" with EVERYONE! Sydney continues to melt us daily with her silly sense of humor and the ditziness that seems to encapsulate our daughter. She is such a peach!

Chad is doing well. His job continues to be on the stressful side of things and he struggles at times with all the changes and responsibilities that continues to be given to him. Chad is incredibly patient and continues to thrive and do well in his position. He was recently promoted to Accounts Manager and is learning all the ins and outs of his new job all the while doing his other job too. LOTS of stuff going on with him but he continues to maintain that amazing daddy/provider/husband role. :)

I am still working at the school in the library. This is my sixth year working for Delaware Community Schools. We've added a third Kindergarten class due to our increasing enrollment. While it is great for our school, it adds more responsibility for those that teach specials. I do enjoy being with the students and we continue to have a great staff.

All in all...we are great! We are heading to Gatlinburg for Fall Break and we can't wait to get away. I'm sure there will be lots and lots of pictures of that coming soon so be on the lookout!

Blessings to you and yours as we enter this season of Fall and Thanksgiving.