From PC, With Love

We are having a blast at the beach! We introduced Ava Sophia to the beach. She did okay with the sand... although she didn't understand why it stuck to her hands and kept trying to shake it off. I took her into the water and she was having none of it! She loves swimming in pools and adores baths, but the moving water was a no go for this little princess! :) She learned to deal with it being close by though and even tolerated me dipping her feet in to rinse off occassionally.

Bryant is my funny boy! He will go rinse off in the surf, and has gone out in the water with Hank a couple of times, but he prefers to hang out and play in the sand... building castles, playing with army men and cars, and digging with his Sophie girl. We have also discovered that he is our little model... he will sit and pose as long as we ask him to... and he takes darn good pics, if I do say so myself!

Tres L-O-V-E-S the water!! Once we hit the beach, he grabs a mask and runs head long into the water... he likes to hunt for shells and look at fish. He has also learned the joy of body surfing!

Hank and I are just enjoying seeing our kids explore and have fun this week. It's nice to know that they are seeing and doing new things. And it doesn't hurt that we're getting tans while we do! Ha!

The pics are in no certain order, so enjoy!














These are sweet to me... Sophie got tired on the beach one day and the boys weren't ready to go, so I wrapped her up in her Ariel towel and held her. She wanted me to sing to her, so I started singing 'Part of Your World' from "The Little Mermaid." She was so funny, she just studied me and mouthed the words... and made me sing it about 4 times! Even now, Sophie is walking around the condo singing "Ah, ah , ah" Ariel style! It's so funny!

Pictures from the Fourth

I don't know if you can tell from this picture or not, but Tres spent so much time int he pool, and therefore in his goggles, that he got a really nice case of 'raccoon eyes!' He also got a smidge of sunburn and, as previously discussed, a nice case of swimmers ear, but he loves to swim so much!

The boys with Donnie Mac. They were playing (what else) Pokemon on DS.

Does anyone else have trouble getting there kids to NOT stuff food in their mouths like this?? I cut it up for her, and she just proceeds to shove it all into her mouth at once. It's like she thinks she needs to store it up or something.

Jackie and I played some games of Wii bowling. She's a little camera shy... but I got enough to show you how it all ended...

In this victory dance! I rule... sorry Jackie... that means, you drool! I'll rematch you anytime! (Challenge on.)

Sophie likes to multi-task. She took a little break from the pool and pretending to be Flounder (This time we remembered the little swimmer, but forgot her swimsuit!) to play a little hockey.

Ava Sophia with one of her favorite people! She loves you, Maggie. She loves everyone else too, she just shows it a little differently!

Family Fun Night... and a trophy!!

We went to the Baron's game last night. The YMCA had organized a special family night for Bryant's t-ball season. We all got to go to the game for $7 (plus parking, plus concessions, plus this n that!). And the Barons gave all the kids a red jersey. The boys were thoroughly impressed with how hard and far the players could hit the ball! I caught Bry several times going "Whoa!" We watched the first five innings no problem. All three of my boys were busy hoping and praying for a foul ball, or asking for food or drink. Hank spent a lot of his time going back and forth between seats and concessions. It was a hot night, so we had a bunch of drinks between the five of us! (BTW, do you see the lady smiling at Sophie in the background? She kept talking to us and watching us the whole time we were around her. Not bad, I suppose, but it made me uncomfortable. She looked at us like that the WHOLE time.) Bryant was extremely exciited to get his trophy for the season... even with a couple of games to go. Hope that doesn't mean his motivation to complete the season is gone! :) We left shortly after that cause the kiddos were tired and Ms. Sophie is not feeling that well. It was a fun night though, and all the kids slept HARD!

Bittersweet Weekend

It felt a little surreal piling into Mom & Dad's SUV to head to Florida this past Friday. My Dad came and got me and Soph first, then we headed over and picked up Matt, Kayla and Brody.The babies did pretty darn well on the trip, I must say! Soph was a little thrilled to have me beside her, talking and playing with her instead of in front of her. We talked and laughed easily on the way. The whole trip seemed to be marked with fond and funny memories surrounding my grandmother. Christmases, birthdays, summers, weekends, get togethers... stratigically placed wigs, a back yard full of kittens, the Legend of Zelda, Hubba Bubba Bubble Gum, and a hand full of rings...

It was a ruinion of sorts for our family. It's been a long time since we've all been together.Aunt Debbie and her son StephenUncle Bobby aka Butch, his wife Anita and their daughter Ambre

It was a beautiful service. Aunt Debbie sang. Tonnie and I sang, with the help of our pastor and his wife who went with us too. We sang "Fields of Mercy" and "Made Me Glad." The little minister was sincere and sweet. And he recounted for everyone how Memaw Susan gave her heart to the Lord just before she passed away. It's never too late. Never. Thank you, God, for your mercy. We don't deserve it... but that's the nature of mercy, isn't it?


I was super proud of my Dad. He handled it all with a strong vulnerability. He kept saying he wanted to be strong, and we were all quick to remind him that we were there so he didn't have to be. I love my Daddy so much.
And he's a handsome cuss too, huh?? Here he is with my brother. I think we were all physically and emotionally drained from the weekend. My most fervent prayer is that someone was touched by Memaw Susan's decision to give her heart to the Lord, and as a result will do the same.

Memaw Susan

I don't remember when we started calling her 'Memaw,' but Mom told us that at first she hated it! I think we did it because we heard someone else call their grandmother Memaw. He name wasn't even Susan, but somehow she has remained, and will also remain, Memaw Susan to me.

My Grandmother, passed away Monday morning around 7:45 am. I'm sad. My Dad is devastated. I regret not seeing her more... not going with my parents around Christmas to see her. But at the end, my Dad was able to tell her for all of us that we loved her.

And her life was a good one. She had four children, 9 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren. I am thankful for who she was... because that helped shape the father I have today, and I will ALWAYS, ALWAYS be greatful for that.
The best part to me is, because of a simple prayer, and the fervant belief that she knew and accepted the Truth, I will see her again.

I love you Memaw Susan. You made the best breakfast, and you could make it so fast! I remember coming to Florida for visits and getting to camp out in your camper with the cousins in the backyard, and swimming, and watching Star Search, and loving the fact that I could drink coke at your house! I remember playing Atari with you, and how you put about a million icicles (each individually placed) on your tree at Christmas time. I remember sitting out on the front porch and swinging with the cousins in the rain. I remember kittens and puppies, and go-karts, and fun. I'll miss you and I can't wait to see you again.

Grandmother Update

My dad has been keeping the roads hot between here and Florida. I know it's super stressful for him. He knows he needs to be here for his business. But he wants to be present for his mom.

Last weekend, when my grandmother was eating she couldn't swallow and nearly choked to death. They were able to run a camera down her throat (sounds painful to me) and saw she has some sort of growth. Again, she is not a candidate for surgery. So she is now on an all liquid diet.

Her doctor's are talking about releasing her today, so they prescribed an oxygen tank for her at home.

My dad and his brother and sister's have been working to get her home clean, aired out (remember she was a smoker), and get her A/C fixed. The last one is why my Dad is headed back to Florida today even though he just got home on Monday night.

I know he's scared that something will happen when he isn't there.

She refuses to be placed in a nursing home and her kid's want to abide by her wishes. So please pray for all of them. Their names are Debbie, Steve (my Dad), Bobby, and Gayla. One of my cousins (Racheal) also lives nearby and will be helping.

I love them all but am obviously more concerned about my Daddy.

Sabbatical Sunday

Today was sabbatical Sunday for our church... a church-wide day of rest and restoration. And man did we enjoy it! We had a family day, and made the most of our time!

We started off with everyone sleeping in, then having a big breakfast... pancakes, bacon, eggs, and fruit. After that, we all got ready and headed over to the boys' favorite park that has a huge sand pit. Well heading to that park put me in the vicinity of my favorite CVS and since I had gotten to clip some coupons while the kiddos slept, I was ready! No pic, but I did pretty good.

Then we hit the park for an hour or so.

After that, we went and met my Mom and sister, Jennie at Olive Garden for lunch. It was so good! And we had the best waiter. Then we made a few stops at TJ Maxx, Ross, Wal-Mart, and Books-A-Million and made a few purchases. Then we headed over to my Mom's house to swim for a while!

Mom & Jennie had gone to see a movie, so they called on their way home and said they were bringing home cookie dough. So we waited and made some cookies and clipped coupons together! :)

I love these kind of days. My kids had fun... we had fun... and we just enjoyed being a family!

Family Fun Weekend!

This was such a fun weekend to me! Sophie and I got up early and made a run to CVS to get the end of the week sales. Look who we saw when we got there! It's Crystal and her mom,Vickie!!

We came home with (I didn't take a picture):
(2) pkg Playskool diapers
(2) Dawn dish washing soaps
(2) 1 liter Scope
(3) Ragu
(1) personal care items
(2) 20 oz. Aquafina Water
(2) bags pretzels 2/.99

Subtotal: approx. $50
ECB's spent: $6.99
OOP: $3.80
ECB's earned: $10

I also got to scope out the June deals that started the next day. When I got home, I did some housework, and Hank went to run.
Then we got a call from my parents who had my sister's kids, Luke and Sierra. They wanted us to go see a movie with them, so we loaded up and met them around 2. The boys all went and saw Speedracer and the girls all went and saw Narnia. I HIGHLY recommend Narnia!! So good! I didn't think I would be so into these, but I am!
After that, we went to swim. Our boys swam with their cousins for OVER THREE HOURS!! (I know I have pictures of them swimming, but I can't seem to locate them right now. Maybe they are on our video camera.) Then we headed home, and got everyone in bed early.
Sunday morning, I woke up early... I suppose from the early night. Tres was up, so he and I went to the convenient store just down the road and picked up the Sunday paper. Hank and I got the boys up, fed, and dressed for church. I got lunch going in the crock pot, and then got myself and Sophie ready.

We had a great worship service at church! I mean, it was so good! Sophie wasn't doing too good in the nursery, and the boys both fell asleep during worship, so we left shortly after the worship service was over. We made a stop at Academy Sports and Hank ran and in and picked up some new running shoes. Then we headed over to CVS so I could pick up the June deals. Hank and the kids stayed in the car, which was good, cause it cut my shopping time down BIG time! I was in and out in about 15 minutes. And here is what I got:

(3) Listerine Smart Rinse
(3) Huggies Hair & Body Wash
(2) 500 ct. CVS q-tips
(2) 40 ct. CVS band-aids
(2) 2-pk. Oral B Crossaction Toothbrushes
(1) Gillette Phenom Razor
(2) 4-pk. CVS D batteries
(2) Dawn Dish washing Soap
(4) Caramel Kit Kats (on clearance for $.20 ea)
(2) bags of Smart Pop (request from waiting children in car!)
(2) Push Pops (on clearance for $.20 ea)

Now... are you ready for this?

Subtotal: approx. $80
ECB's spent: $17.99
OOP: $1.33
ECB's earned: $43.43

So after that, we headed home, ate our crock pot meal and chilled around the house for a little while. We had plans to go to the drive-in to see a double feature of "Indian Jones and the Crystal Skull" and "Iron Man", but it started raining, so we checked the weather and saw we could still go cause it was moving on through. So we packed up our snacks (purchased as transaction fillers at CVS!) and headed out. Our kids love camping out in the back of the van at the Drive-in! They all came in pj's cause we knew it would be a late night, and more than likely end in just Mom & Dad watching the movie. Sophie was just about ready for bed when we first got there! She was delirious and wiggley for about 30 minutes, then passed out.

It was such a fulfilling weekend. Easy going and relaxing... perfect for making memories!

At Long Last: Our Disney Trip!

I know it's taken me forever to finally sit down and blog about it, but we had a wonderful time on our vacation this year.

We left on a Saturday morning, and got to Hank's parent's house about lunch time. We spent some good family time Saturday and Sunday... swimming at Grammy & Pop Pop's house, family bar-b-ques, and shopping. That is a Boemer women tradition, shopping!Here Sophie is rockin' a bikini that was passed down from her cousins Ashton and Heather! Isn't she adorable?

Early Monday morning, we loaded up the sleeping kids and headed to Disney! It was quite different this time going with Sophie, since she is a bit more active and a lot more VOCAL since we were last at Disney for Christmas. When we got there, we were lucky enough that our room was already ready for us! So we unloaded all of our bags into our room first thing, got all sunscreened up and headed into the parks!

The boys really enjoyed introducing Sophie to all the new exciting, and stimulating things that Disney has to offer for kids! Playhouse Disney was a huge hit for all of them! They all three watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse together at home, so seeing it at Disney was just as enthralling!
We enjoyed our time in the park, and since we knew we had to take breaks for Sophie girl, we also enjoyed our time back at our room. Every day we took time out for naps, swimming, and eating... then we would head back into the parks for another round!

Tres was so funny. The first night, we got one of the pizzas, and Tres was so hungry he dug in and didn't realize he had a huge glob of pizza sauce on his nose. We just said, 'say cheese,' and he's so well trained, that he did!

While we were in the parks, it was so hot, that we took every opportunity to be around water! We visited every fountain, every sprinkling thing, and tried out best to get them to ride on the water rides... to no avail.These timed fountains in Epcot jump from one side to the other in a series and were a lot of fun to watch. The kids had a blast trying to catch the water! Even Sophie got in on the fun! Hank had a good time getting Sophie cooled down at the Bone Yard in the Animal Kingdom. This wall had water flowing down in. A great place to get cool! And while Sophie cooled down, our own monkey boy, Bryant, climbed all over!He would get all hot again, and have to come cool down. A vicious cycle, I tell ya!But you couldn't get these boys around a fountain without them getting their feet wet!

We did a character breakfast at the Polynesian Resort, it was called the 'Ohona Breakfast.'
Sophie got up close and personal with characters for the first time. She was okay with Lilo, but not Stitch!

We rode all of the boys favorite ride... Dumbo, Magic Carpets, Teacups, Buzz Spin. We even got to try out the soon-to-be-open "Toy Story Mania" that was open for passholders to preview!

We couldn't take pictures in the ride, but here we are while we waited for our turn. The line was about as entertaining as the ride itself! See the big Mr. Potato Head in the background? He was interactive and had Sophie's full attention!

The boys took me on a spin in the teacups in Magic Kingdom.I was okay at first... but before long......I just wanted off! Yuck that made me feel sick! Hank was laughing at me. I can handle roller coasters and thrill rides, but please don't spin me so fast!!

The boys each rode a ride that they never had before and we were so proud of them for conquering their fears and trying something new! Tres rode Soarin' in Epcot and LOVED it! He rode it twice and got a pin for it! Bryant rode Pirates and hated it. But, hey, he tried it and he also got a pin.

The last day of our trip, we let the boys decide on a souvenir from our trip. They decided that they wanted to build a light saber, so we took them over to Hollywood Studios and got down to it!And here are my Jedi Knights! Don't they look fierce?

We had a great trip! This was only our second time to do a 'Our Family Only' trip and we loved every minute of it! There is something to be said for being able to focus on your children and making new memories with them when you aren't focused on everyday things.

On Thursday, after a full day in the parks, we packed up and headed back to Hank's parent's house. We spent Friday and Saturday with family and then headed back to Bama.