JCS Homecoming

Homecoming looked a little different this year, as it was Trace's first Homecoming. He decided to invite his friend, Addison and she said "yes". They went with a bunch of friends and met at the Admiral Cove's Clubhouse for pictures and dinner before the dance. One of the mom's organized it and did a fabulous job. Not only did the kids have fun, but the parents got to meet each other and the kids for the first time. There were quite a few kids that were new to the school, so it was fun to meet them and their parents. The kids seemed to have a wonderful time. Trace came home a sweaty mess, which did not surprise us...

Kianna's plans changed at the last minute and we were proud of her that she rolled with it. She was supposed to go with Jessica Backlayan, but Jessica got in trouble and wasn't allowed to go to the dance. Kianna then ended up going with this lovely group of kids and had a wonderful time. 

Halloween Horror Nights

Kaylee and Kianna decided to do a redo of Halloween Horror Nights. This time Kianna invited her friend, Jessica Backlayan and Kaylee met up with Izzy Gomes, who is attending UCF in Orlando. I invited Jessica's mom, Rosie to join me. We met for lunch at Cowfish and I got to see my girl for three hours. We had a nice lunch and then wandered around City Walk. 

The girls got into the park at 3 pm and we picked them up at 2 am. This year they got through all 10 haunted houses and had a great time! All smiles and no panic attacks! 

While they were having their fun, I was having my own fun with Rosie. We hung out by the hotel pool and then had a nice dinner at Cedar's Restaurant, a local Middle Eastern restaurant that Rosie recommended. She ordered for us and we had a wonderful meal and time together. 

Trace's New Soccer Team

Trace tried out and made a new soccer team. He is now playing for the Predators 2009 National (ECNL) soccer team. His team is very competitive and he is one of three goalies that made the team. This team practices four nights per week, plus an extra one or two goalie practices each week. It's a lot more intense. They focus more on league play vs tournament play. They play league games most weekends and then have three tournaments scheduled throughout the season. The level of play is significantly faster and more competitive that his Rise FC team. It has been a good challenge for him. He has been working especially hard to improve his level of play. We're very proud of him. 

Kaylee's Home

 

We had an unexpected visitor! We were all prepped to go six weeks without seeing our Kiki bear and then a hurricane decided to head straight towards Tallahassee. The school closed down for a week, so Kaylee and her friends hopped in the car and headed home for Labor Day Weekend. Kaylee dropped Veronica off along the way and brought Lauren home with her, since the hurricane was also headed towards Bradenton, making it unsafe for her to go home. We teased Kaylee that she could only make it nine days without us!

Paddleboarding

One of my goals this summer was to start paddle boarding again. I had to take a break due to a bad elbow injury in January. I was so excited to get back on the water. The first time back out, I took Bella with me. I'm not sure it was her favorite, but she was a trooper. She whined at least half the time and seemed to want off the board, so I let her get off and swim in the water a few times. She did a great job.

The next time I took Kaylee with me. She didn't whine at all, so it was a lot more peaceful. We saw a couple manatees and a few sting rays, which was super fun. We had a great time!

I also took Shelli out with me. She had only been out once before so was pretty green. When we were just getting started, I thought I saw a shadow under her board, so moved a little closer. Right then, her board started to shake and she screamed. A moment later, we discovered there was a manatee under her board as we saw it swim by. There were two actually. They were so fun to see up close. It gave Shelli quite the scare, but we were excited to see them, so it was worth it. Fun times!

Kaylee's 1st Day at FSU

 

Today was Kaylee's first day of class at Florida State. She only has one class on Monday's so it was an easy first day. So far so good...

We dropped her off eight days ago, so in the meantime she's been focused on trying to meet new people and get familiar with campus. The college ministry, SALT, had activities each night. They had flag football, lawn games, sand volleyball, pickle ball and a movie night. She reconnected with Lauren, a gal she met at orientation, and they have been spending a lot of time together. Her roommate, Veronica has been busy rushing, so hasn't been around much. She also connected with a few other people and many more to come I'm sure. Our college girl is off to a great start!

Game Night

 

Pre-College Catan

Post College Catan

I love games. Kaylee loves games. Trevor and Trace are willing participants. Kianna hates games. The four of us were playing Settlers of Catan pretty regularly before she left. We miss our Kiki Bear. I think she misses it too. She said she got homesick when we sent her this picture. It's weird not having her around on a daily basis...