So much to share, where do I begin...

 The last couple of months have been a whirlwind, or maybe I should say a rollercoaster as the boys would appreciate that analogy!  I haven't cared to share everything on Facebook as I am trying to detach from going on it as much, it is such a time sucker and somethings I read just bother me too much that it isn't worth it.  I know some people do care to keep up with what is going on in the Morrissey household though, so I will do my best to give an update through this blog.  Just be warned, there is a lot!  To make it easier to follow, I will go through and give an update on each of us and then the family as a whole. Sit back and get comfy, this may take awhile...

Let's begin with Chris, he is the easy one. Not too much going on with him to report.  The biggest thing

I guess would be that he is waiting to find out the results of the latest selection board to find out if he made Commander (O5). We are really hopeful, but as we know all too well nothing is guaranteed. Fingers crossed!!

Now we will move on to Jacob, again, another easy-ish one.  Jacob just completed his sophomore year in high school.  It was a pretty good year for him, while he struggled a bit in math he pulled it together and finished with a B on the final exam which earned him a C for his final grade. He didn't do too bad in his other classes, receiving all A's and B's!! Jacob has made some great friends this year and it is so wonderful to see him enjoying their company, especially after the last couple of years when social interactions were so limited.  In Scouts he is working towards his Eagle Scout, but time is ticking and he needs to get on it, he only has about a year and a half to get it done. This spring he played his last baseball season with Fleet Park, and possibly his last baseball season ever.  While Jacob LOVES the game and is so knowledgeable, his skill level isn't as high, and when you attend a high school with a superb team it is hard to make the cut.  He has talked about taking up tennis or golf next year, we shall see. This spring Jacob was also confirmed with 4 other of his temple classmates at a beautiful service at Ohef Sholom Temple. Jacob will continue at OST this coming year as a madrich (teacher assistant) in Hebrew and Religious School, taking Leia's spot helping in my mom's class. This summer Jacob will be assisting with Camp Einstein for the first time, and hopefully getting a job.

On to Elijah. Elijah was in a milestone year, so he has a bit more to share about. This was Elijah's final year in middle school, and our last child to be at ADL (Academy for Discovery at Lakewood) after having at least one Morrissey there for the last 7 years.  Elijah rocked 8th grade!!  Last year being virtual was a struggle, especially in math.  He was actually offered to retake Algebra I, even though he passed it in 7th grade.  We decided it was in his best interest to retake it so he could establish a better foundation of the materials.  This was the best decision ever, not only did he pass, but he got the highest grade he could in the class (32 out of 32 points).  I couldn't be more proud of his success.  His other classes he did amazing in as well.  Elijah was part of the scholastic bowl team this year and was often the team captain at meets.  His team placed 2nd at the district meet this past winter. At 8th grade promotion Elijah earned the Gold President's Education Award for educational excellence. Elijah continued Sail Nauticus, an after school sailing program. One of the highlights of being an 8th grader in the program is being able to go to the boat building workshop to work with the tools to build a boat. Elijah really enjoyed that aspect of the program and hopes to continue to be able to attend classes at the workshop next year. Elijah graduated Sail Nauticus and was presented his Mate card last weekend. At temple Elijah volunteered in the Hebrew class and will continue that next year. This summer Elijah will attend Breakthrough at Norfolk Academy for his final year in the program, and his first time in-person since last year it was held virtually and the year before it was cancelled all together.  It has been an exciting year for Elijah, he made new friends and connected with some old friends as well.  Next year he will be starting high school at Granby in the IB program, just like his brother and sister. 

Leia's turn... I feel like I share the most about her so some of what I share may already be known.  As we know she was a senior this year, so there was a lot that went on.  She applied to about 10-12 colleges this past fall.  She got into all of them except Northeastern and Carnegie Mellon, those were two reach schools so she wasn't that upset about it.  We were so excited in February when we found out she was accepted into her number 1 school, UVA. Leia was also nominated as a Jefferson Scholar but unfortunately did not get past the first round of interviews. Luckily she found out quickly after the first interview so we weren't waiting forever on that.  Leia also applied for many other local scholarships, including the Stein Scholarship, which is awarded to 1 Jewish high school senior in the Tidewater area of Virginia. On March 28th, Leia's 18th birthday, she received the call she was waiting for.  Leia found out she would be the recipient of the scholarship.  This was the best news, and the best birthday present Leia could dream of.  Receiving the Stein Scholarship solidified her decision to attend UVA.  With the college decision finally made we all felt like we could breath a bit easier.  April, May, and June were filled with lots of events, activities, and tests.  In April 25th, on my birthday, Leia and her confirmation class of 2020 finally were able to have their service. It was long awaited and lovely!  May was consumed with AP and IB tests.  Leia is hoping she did well enough on them to earn some college credits for UVA.  Towards the end of May Leia also performed in her last band concert at Granby High School. She sure is going to miss playing in the band but will be auditioning for an ensemble group at UVA so she can continue her love of playing the flute. Then came the big day, June 14th, graduation day!  I could not be more proud of Leia, she finished 3rd her in class with a GPA of 5.45. Leia had been sitting at number 2 since sophomore year but a last minute boost from someone behind her moved her into the 3rd spot at the very end. She was only a one hundredth of a point behind the salutatorian. To say it was a disappointment for Leia would be an understatement, she was really looking forward to giving a speech at graduation as she loves public speaking. I have no doubt Leia will have plenty of opportunities in her future to speak in front of a crowd!  Speaking of public speaking, the day after graduation Leia was awarded MVP and received her Letter for Forensics. And just this past weekend Leia performed in her last piano recital under the direction of Cathy Swaim. Leia played 3 songs and did a beautiful job.  Ms. Swaim showered her and the other senior, Lyric, with gifts and honors. Before Leia heads to Charlottesville in the middle of Aug to move in she has a packed summer ahead.  She will continue working at The Dirty Buffalo and do one final year volunteering with Ms. Swaim at Camp Einstein. We have one trip to UVA planned in July for orientation as well.  I am sure she will also pack in as much time as possible with friends. Boy will Leia be missed around here!! 

Now finally, me... This past week I finished my 4th year of teaching PE for Norfolk Public Schools. This year was a difficult year on so many levels, I wont get into it all... but if you know, you know!  So, when earlier this year I was approached by my temple and asked if I would like to be the director of the religious school I didn't have to think too long.  I have been involved at Ohef Sholom practically since the day we stepped foot in the religious school.  First as a volunteer, then I became a teacher, and finally the Hebrew Coordinator. I was honored to be asked to move into a role with more responsibility. So, I gladly accepted the position and was eager for the possibilities that lie ahead. While it was difficult to let my principal know, and my fellow teachers with whom I have formed such great friendships with, I knew this was the right decision for me and my family. As I end my time with NPS I will carry all the knowledge it gave me into my new role. My official title is Director of Lifelong Learning, this means I am responsible for all educational experiences that go on at our temple. This includes the religious school, Hebrew school, adult education, family education... you name it!  I could not be more excited.  I know it will be a lot, but I am always up for the challenge!

Last but not least, our family update! As if we haven't had enough going on individually. Memorial weekend was spent in Atlanta, where we got to check another baseball stadium off our list. We are at 17 now.  We also got to spend time with Chris' cousin who he hasn't seen in probably 20 years, and we got to meet up with a childhood friend of Chris' who again, he hasn't seen in 25+ years. While in Atlanta we visited the World of Coke, the Aquarium, the first Chick-Fil-A, and Six Flags over Georgia (for the boys). It was a packed, but great weekend! Now for our big news, before heading to Atlanta for the weekend we put our house on the market.  Yes, you read that right!  And no, we are not moving away from Norfolk, remember I am starting a new job.  So why did we put our house on the market you may wonder.  Well it all started when the house next to my best friend came available and we tried to get it, but sadly we were outbid. But after going through all of that we decided we wanted to sell our house since the market is so hot and buy a new house, or rent for awhile until the perfect house came available. Well, the house sold in 6 days which was great, but we needed to find a new house.  Houses are hard to come by these days, they are not staying on the market long at all and bidding wars are happening left and right.  We were having a hard time finding one so we considered renting and were ready to put in our application at the apartments my parents are at when a house in Ghent came on the market.  Chris finally saw a house he was interested in.  Chris and I went and saw it on a Saturday evening, just the two of us. Chris fell in love with it, as did I, but he is harder to please. We put an offer in that evening.  On Monday we learned we lost out on it, but determined to get this house we fought for it and in the end we got it!  We are scheduled to close on our house on the 20th of July and the new house on the 22nd of July.  We are still praying all goes smoothly so everything works out, otherwise we may be homeless, LOL!  So far everything is aligning just right. So, if you paid any attention earlier in this post you can see that this is happening at a very busy time. To add to the crazy we have Leia's big graduation trip starting on July 29th. We will be traveling for 2 weeks. We will first be in Tampa to visit Busch Gardens and catch a Rays game. Then we board the Disney Wish for a 4 night cruise. After we get off the cruise we will spend a couple of nights at Universal. Then finish off with 6 nights at Disney. Yes, we are crazy, we know! 

As you can see we have been busy and will continue to be busy for awhile. I don't think we know any other way to live except to live it to the fullest!!  

If you made it through this post, congrats!!  Thanks for following along!!

~The Morrissey Fab 5

Presidents and Vinyards and Caverns, OH MY!!!

This past 4th of July weekend we finally made it over to an area of Virginia I have anxiously been awaiting for, Charlottesville, home of one of our favorite presidents, Thomas Jefferson.  With it only being about a 2 1/2-3 hour drive from Norfolk (depending on traffic) I don't know why we hadn't gone yet.  Rest assure, we will be visiting more often... read on to get a day-by-day review of our amazing weekend (rain and all).

Day 1 (Friday): We left Norfolk closer to 5 since we had to wait for Leia to get home from Breakthrough.  Traffic wasn't that bad getting out surprisingly, just your typical back ups (rain didn't help either).  Once we made it over the water we stopped for dinner at Panera and then went on our way to the resort we would be staying at, Shenandoah Crossings, just outside of Charlottesville.  The drive over was uneventful, most of us slept since we had just finished a week at Day Camp.  As we got closer to the resort we all took in the beauty of the country side, we sure don't see anything like that in Norfolk.  All the farmland and the rolling hills and the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background... absolutely beautiful!!  We arrived shortly after 8 and checked in and went on to our cabin in the woods.  I wish I would have gotten pictures of the cabin, I will just use stock photos to illustrate where we stayed.  That evening we unpacked and rode up to the General Store to pick up some things for breakfast and some waters. We then settled in for the night since we would be having early wake ups the next 3 days!

Day 2 (Saturday): First up on our historical adventure was visiting the home of our 4th president, James Madison.  Montpelier, a 20ish minute drive from the resort, is just outside of Charlottesville in Orange, VA. The estate is situated on rolling hills and farm land with beautiful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Our tour was for 9:30 but we got there a bit early, so we looked around the gift shop and we found a trivia book on US History, Leia had fun quizzing Chris and me.  When the tour began it started as most tours like this do, with a short film on the history of the estate.  I actually learned quite a bit as I am not as familiar with James Madison outside of being the Father of the Constitution. We then proceeded to the mansion and enjoyed a guided tour through the main level and the second story. After the tour on of the mansion we were able to wander the grounds as desired.  We went to the archeology lab since I knew the kids, especially our aspiring archeologist (Leia), would enjoy that. Leia learned about an archeology camp they do there and is now eager to go! After that we made our way through the gardens and down to the grave site. After visiting the grave site we headed back to the visitors center and headed to lunch.

Before our trip, being the excellent planner I am, I did my research and learned of a fantastic BBQ place, BBQ Exchange, that was a must-do, so we did.  When we arrived the line was almost out the door, I couldn't believe how busy it was.  You stand in line and give your order to the ladies behind the counter and they serve it up for you, you then proceed down the line to pay.  Not all the food is ready by then so you find a seat and they bring out the rest to you.  It was all very efficient and oh so good!!  I decided to order a bit more than I normally eat because I wanted to try so much. I enjoyed BBQ beef brisket, coleslaw, hush puppies, and a pumpkin muffin. I was so full that I didn't even eat dinner that night!

After our yummy BBQ we headed out to our first cidery, Castle Hill Cider.  Chris and I are big cider drinkers, so when I learned there were cideries close to where we were visiting I knew we had to stop.  Boy am I glad we did.  We drove up to the cidery and were excited to see a big field with corn hole so the kids would be entertained while we enjoyed our samplings.  We went inside first because we weren't 100% sure what to expect, it was very inviting and had a checker set on the coffee table (another piece of entertainment for the kids, and my dad). They told us we could either do the tastings inside or outside.  It was such a beautiful day we chose outside.  My mom, Chris and I each enjoyed the premium tasting.  Everything was great but a few really stood out to us.  After we went through the tasting we decided to join their cider club and we brought a few bottles home with us, plus they comped Chris and my tastings:) Elise, our "bartender" if that is what she is called, was amazing!

After cider tasting we drove down the rode to the Keswick vineyards, this time we would be tasting wine.  Again, the atmosphere here was so inviting and they had things to keep kids entertained and a bunch of outdoor seating.  Again, my mom, Chris and I did the wine tasting and enjoyed about 7 different wines in all... we also left here with a few bottles of wine that we really loved.
At this point in the day it is almost 3:30 and we wanted to get back to the resort so the kids could go swimming and enjoy the amenities at the resort. So we headed back, got in our swim suites and headed to the main pool.  It was pretty crowded but we found some chairs and put our stuff down and the kids played in the pool for awhile while I just hung out on the side. Then we visited the hot tub and again, I hung out on the side... it was actually quite HOT! After the pool we went back and got cleaned up and hung out.  I had a raging headache so I laid down while everyone else went to get some dinner and watch the fireworks that the resort put on.  I was bummed I missed it but things happen.

Day 3 (Sunday): We woke early again so we could begin our hour and a half trip up to the Luray Caverns. The trip up was uneventful though it did bring back many memories of my summers when I was in Jr. High when I would come and stay with my brother back when he lived in this area.  It was very picturesque even if it was dreary. We arrived at the Caverns around 9:30 if I am not mistaken and the line wasn't too long but it still took us about 15-20 mins to get through. They snap a photo of your group with the green screen for you to purchase at the end of the tour, which we normally don't, but this time we did because it turned out pretty good (except Elijah's expression).  Once we got in to the caverns the guide gave us the run down on how it was discovered and what we will see during our hour tour.  It was fantastic and the kids LOVED it. Highly recommend this for any family.  When we were done with our tour, and our shopping at the gift shop, because if you know us, we love to shop, we headed to eat at the cafe quickly.  It was a good thing we got there when we did because there was no line really, but just after us the line came.  My mom and I enjoyed a fish sandwich, the boys got chicken tenders, Chris and Leia got cheeseburgers and my dad got a tuna sandwich... all of which were very good. There were a few other museums included on our ticket so we went to the carriage and car museum and the Luray History museum area. As we were going through to these other museums we noticed the line and I said to the kids... "this is why we always come early to things".  The line was crazy long!! 

After visiting the caverns and museums we hopped back in the van to head back to the resort, but we went Skyline Drive so we could enjoy some scenic views, unfortunately the weather wasn't the best for views, but we got some. Once we got back to the resort we chilled for awhile and then headed for dinner, we found a good Asian place not too far away that we all enjoyed... can never go wrong with Asian.

Day 4 (Monday, 4th of July): Early wake up was in order for today is the 4th of July, and at Monticello for over 70 people that means they will be come American Citizens.  When we finalized our plans for the 4th of July and picked Charlottesville I started planning our visit to Monticello.  What I didn't know was every year for over 50 years Monticello host a Naturalization Ceremony.  I was so excited to find this out and knew immediately what day we would visit.  We had to arrive early so we could get to the Community College next to Monticello where we would park and take a shuttle to the estate.  The rain was steady all morning but finally let up during the the ceremony and stayed away for most of it, only towards the very end did it start up again and then never really let up too much.  After the ceremony they served Coke floats, not sure why but I wasn't complaining:)   We then had a little while to our scheduled tour time for the house.  You see, for the 4th of July they do a Jeffersonian Open House, it is a free self guided walking tour of the first floor.  When walking into the mansion you knew immediately this was not your typical Founding Father's home... it was Thomas Jefferson's, he decorated his home in such a way to reflect his many interests and accomplishments.  One of the coolest features in the home was his bed that was on display, it was the exact bed that he passed away in on July 4th 1826.   The tour was great and we look forward to returning back one day to do the complete tour, hopefully minus the rain.   Before we headed to the shuttle to return to our car we visited Thomas Jefferson's grave site, which was kind of fitting considering it was the anniversary of his death.

We returned to our van to begin the journey back home, but first, a stop to eat at Michies Tavern, some shopping in the shops and Carters Mountain for some Bold Rock Cider!  We arrived home and were pretty exhausted so decided to forgo fireworks.

 I am sure I missed some things but this def outlines the highlights of our great weekend.  Charlottesville is an amazing area which offers so much to do, we can not wait to go back.  Another great adventure was had and wonderful memories made as we live our lives to the fullest!! 

School's out, scream and shout!!

Today the kids wrap up yet another successful year in school, I couldn't be more proud of their accomplishments this year.  Leia tacking her first year in middle school, Jacob changing schools and meeting new friends, and Elijah excelling in all he does (well, except handwriting).

We are so proud of Elijah this year, he made ALL A's except the first quarter he made 1 B (writing).  He has been challenged by doing higher level math, and spelling in school and he has challenged himself by starting the Harry Potter series this year (he is almost done with book 3).  Next year will be very exciting for him as he moves over to the Academy for Discovery at Lakewood, I know he is ready to tackle all they give him!

Jacob has had an amazing year as well.  Changing schools is never easy but he flourished, making new friends and being challenged with higher expectations. We are so proud of him being inducted into the National Elementary Honor Society last week.  All his hard work has paid off.  He finishes 4th grade with A honor roll and an A/B average for the year. He also received numerous awards at the 4th grade awards ceremony including the Citizenship award, Student of the Year in Science, attendance, and for receiving honor roll all year long.  I can not wait to see what 5th grade has in store for him.

Now to Leia, everyone told me "wait til middle school" whenever I would talk about how I love how Leia is so modest and conservative (with her looks and clothing) and has a great relationship with is.  I am proud to say that middle school has not changed her a bit.  She is her own person and does not follow the crowd.  She has transitioned into a middle-schooler beautifully. Her academics were stellar this year, receiving only 2 B+'s the entire year!  Leia was also inducted into the National Junior Honor Society last week. At the 6th grade awards ceremony Leia also received numerous awards including Student of the Year in Band, achieving pass advance on her English SOL, fitness award, attendance, and receiving honor roll all year long.  I hear 7th grade is quite different but I know Leia will achieve much success!!

In other news, some how I got roped in to becoming the new PTA president for the school next year.  I am very excited for it though and I have recruited two great friends who I also work with in scouts to be on the board.  We have big plans for the school next year, I can not wait to get to planning!
Also other news, since buying our house we have started tackling some projects.  We are rearranging where everyone stays and painting rooms, which is exciting... but more exciting is we are doing an entire kitchen remodel!!  It is so much more involved than I thought but I know the end result will be worth it.  Stay tuned for updates on that.  Goal is to have it finished before the end of the summer!!

We are very excited for summer break to be here, though we really never break, we are always going... but hey, that is how we live our lives to the fullest!!!

So much to share!!

So much has been going on at the Morrissey house over the last couple of month I don't know where to begin...  I guess I will just summarize by each member of the family:) Get comfortable, it is kind of long!

Elijah is up first... he has been rocking 2nd grade, making A honor roll yet again.  We also found out that he was accepted into The Academy for Discovery at Lakewood so he will be joining the rest of the family there. I can not even tell you how excited I am that all 3 will be at the same school and riding the bus together next year!!!  Elijah finished out another great year of religious school and will be starting Hebrew school next year, crazy how fast that happens.  He also has been taking piano all year and had his first recital just a couple of weeks ago, he did wonderful, I was so proud of him.  I hope he sticks with it (unlike Jacob).  This summer Elijah will be attending Camp Einstein again, we should be getting their schedules soon to see which classes they got.   Lastly, Elijah is now on the 3rd book of Harry Potter, he is loving it.  It is so great to have something that ALL 3 kids are so interested in and can enjoy together.

Elijah painting on the elephant farewell poster

Volcanoes 2016

Now for Jacob... Jacob has been playing baseball again this spring and has improved so much since last spring.  You will usually find him at 2nd, 3rd or shortstop.  He has made a lot of hits this season and runs.   I am a little worried about next year though, since he is 10 I think it puts him in the next level... I guess we shall see.  Jacob had a difficult 3rd quarter in school. He struggled with doing homework and then remembering to turn it in once he did do it.  Thank goodness he ended the quarter with all B's, it was close though.  I am happy to say, the 4th quarter is starting out much better, all A's and 1 B (so far).  Jacob was very lucky last month to tag along on a middle school STEM field trip with Leia to D.C.  We spent the day (mostly driving) going around the convention center checking out a bunch of cool science stuff.  He even got to control a SeaPerch which was cool since he has been building one but hasn't had a chance to submerge it yet. He also got to be the assistant in an experiment... he got to stand on a board that had nails on it while it was on someone's body.  He thought he was cool stuff! Jacob has also been enjoying helping man the supply cart at school, I believe he has been in charge of pencil sales:) Jacob is on book 5 of Harry Potter, only 2 more to go... well, until book 8 comes out this summer.  Jacob will also be attending Camp Einstein this summer and put down beginning violins as one of his top choices, he is hoping he gets in to that so he can test it out before doing orchestra in 5th grade next year.

Happy Birthday Leia

Student of the Month (Academics)

And lastly (for the kids), Leia...She is now 12, one more year and she will be a teen.. ahhhhh!!!!  We celebrated her birthday by seeing Zootopia and having dinner at No Frill Grill, we enjoyed both very much and had wonderful company as well, our Cantor's family, who actually shares a birthday with Leia (the Cantor that is).  In March Leia was also selected as Student of the Month for Academics for 6th grade.  As mentioned before, Leia got to go with her STEM Club to DC to the Science convention, I was so happy that it was on a Friday and I was able to attend.  Such a great experience, just wish we had more time to look around.  We will def go again as a family. Her band had their concert and Leia was awarded as one of Mrs. Waddell's "Rookie of the Year" students, I am so pleased with how Leia has taken to the flute this year.  We are very lucky to have Mrs. Waddell as her band teacher.  In just a couple of weeks her band will go to Busch Gardens on a field trip to celebrate a successful year, no playing their instruments at BG, just going for fun!  Of course we will be joining... it is on a Sat, during the Food and Wine Festival, so why not!  Leia is really looking forward to this summer, she applied and interviewed for a program called Breakthrough at Norfolk Academy, she was accepted!  It is normally a 6 week summer enrichment camp, but this year due to construction at Norfolk Academy it is only 5:( They take 5 classes and chose 2 electives.  So yeah, it is pretty much like school over the summer, but so much better!  It will prepare her for what it to come and she will gain so many experiences and meet new people.  She was the one who wanted to do it, no convincing her was needed!  It is also a 3 year commitment so we have her next 3 summers already planned out.  They also meet throughout the school year for Super Saturdays and do fun field trips and such.  It sounds amazing!  Oh wait, the best part... it is FREE! They get transported by bus, get fed breakfast, lunch and snacks as well... we feel so blessed to have this opportunity for Leia.  Leia also competed in her Robotic's team competition and her team won first place!  I was very impressed watching her control her teams robot and help her team to victory.  I am sure I missing stuff about Leia... oh yeah, track... so, she wanted to try out for track, me being the runner I am was excited, but the realist I am made me hold back some of that excitement, you see, Leia isn't that great of a runner.  Regardless, she tried out and made it through the two cuts (there were SOOOO many people that tried out).  Leia told me she made it as an alternate, I was very proud of her.  A few days later I ran in to her coach at school and she told me how Leia's determination got her the spot on the team and she would like her to get her in an event if Leia wanted to.  I was proud of Leia and especially grateful to Coach Beech to give Leia this opportunity, she knows what makes a great coach! Leia didn't run the first meet, but we all went to cheer on the team.  Leia did run in the next 3 meets though, she ran the 400 meter... that is not an easy event to run, but she went out there and gave it her all.  She was last in each race but it did not bother her one bit, she was proud of herself and all she cared about was beating her own times. My heart was happy:)  OK, I think I have said enough about Leia, as you can see she is a go getter and overachiever (I don't know where she gets that from, LOL).

Leia's birthday celebration with friends

March 31st 2016, last day of active duty

Receiving diploma

Now for Chris and I, as you know (if you are following our blog) Chris is now out of the Navy, at least active duty service, and is working for IPA (International Preparedness Associates) a contractor position doing exactly what he had been doing in the navy, so he has transitioned easily.  He is doing the reserves but has yet gone through INDOC with them, he is supposed to next month.  I think Chris likes not having to wear the uniform every day, he has gone a little crazy buying "work" clothes.  One of the biggest struggles I see in going to civilian life is vacation time, WOW has it changed drastically!!  Chris will not get nearly as much time off so we have to be a lot more careful with our vacation planning.  It isn't all that bad though because with my school schedule and the kids we aren't taking as much time away as we had just a couple of years ago.  We will make it work;)  Lots of long weekend vacations will be happening I am sure.  As for me, the last few months have been crazy with school.  I am so glad that I am done and I finished my Associate of Science degree with a 4.0 at TCC. I walked across that stage with the biggest smile, I was so proud of myself.  Now that I have the summer free I have been working on getting things done that I have pushed to the side.  One big one is organizing things with my business, I have come to a decision that it is time for me to step away from vacation planning and just focus on the agency duties along with my agents.  I have loved planning vacations for my friends and clients but I just do not have the time to dedicate fully to them.  I look forward to working on some of the things I have planned for my agency!  I am also getting ready for my trip to Israel, is just about 6 weeks or so!  I can not believe I am going to be going there, on my own (well, without my family) but I am so looking forward to it.  I just recently got our itinerary and I am beyond stoked and exhausted already, lol!  It is going to be one amazing trip.  Another thing I am working on is our home, next week we will close on it! Yes, we decided to purchase the house we have been living in the last two years.  We feel it is perfect for us and in a great location.  There are renovations we want to make and we are going to switch up rooms, so these will keep me busy for awhile.  I have a lot of goals for this summer before I start Old Dominion University in the fall, wish me luck on achieving them!!

Our lives, as you can see, are full.  Full of plans, full of running around, full of fun, full of stress (at times), but most importantly full of love and adventure... or maybe it is full of love of the adventure (life).

We live in busy, hectic times, sure we miss out on things because we have other things going on and it sucks, but we make sure that with everything we do we are living our lives to the fullest!!!