365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 30 The End

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 29 Delight

Not! Caleb was not thrilled with his first trip to a cornfield.

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 28 Bed

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 27 Loving

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 26 Dreaming

178 days to Disney

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 25 Sun Flare

This is a new skill I obviously haven't mastered yet.  Still working on editing too.

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 24 What June Looks Like

At our house that means playing in the yard and eating popsicles.

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 23 In the Moment

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 22  Growing

Our boys are growing and getting stronger every day.  Two months ago they didn't have the strength to make this Jeep go.  They were so excited!

Day 365 Photo Challenge

Day 21 Here I Am

Drawing by Gracie of the two of us

ECU Freshman Orientation

Wednesday and Thursday Dallas and I had the pleasure of taking our second oldest son to ECU's Freshman Orientation.  It brought back so many memories of when my parents took me twenty eight years ago.  The campus has changed in so many ways but there are lots of things that are the same too.

They kept us very busy those two days.  We walked, we listened, we laughed, we cried, and we ate. There are so many opportunities for Nicholas there.  I pray he takes advantage of them and makes wise choices.

Nicholas' plan is to major in physical education.  He wants to teach elementary age kids to start. We have always known Nicholas would not do well in a desk job or anything having to do with a computer.  That just isn't him.  I doubt he will change his major but if he does there is no doubt it will be in the sports field.  Nicholas has little interests outside of sports.

We started the day with a photo-op with Pee Dee the Pirate.

Greene Dorm- The dorm I lived my first 3 years in college.

We were sitting in Joyner library waiting for Nicholas.  Dallas said maybe I should read a book. Dallas never reads a book.  He skims the newspaper but that is about it.  He looks up and what does he see but Duck Dynasty books.  Duck Dynasty is one of his favorite shows.

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 20 Yay!

Zachary is learning how to use my old manual camera.  Mini me but much smarter.

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 19 Habit
 
Jacob will spend as long as we let him looking at movie boxes. 

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 18 Quirky

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 17 Peaceful

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 16  In the Shadows

Not a photo I took today but a photo I reedited today.  I have posted it previously on the blog but the color tones were different.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to one of the best dads I know.  Dallas and Nicholas spent the day at the U.S. Open.  I know they had a great day together. The rest of us ran Zachary around to various activities and had a nice day together.

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 15 Lovely

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 14 Cross

Julia

Yesterday was Julia 's last day of public school possibly ever.  She completed fifth grade.

It was not a difficult decision to pull Julia out of public school but it was not necessarily our first choice.  Julia struggles with the academic aspects of school. This year we have also began to notice a huge difference in her maturity level compared to her peers.  The gap is large therefore she no longer has friends in the general classroom.

While the special education services at Julia's elementary were excellent the time spent in the regular classroom was not ideal.  It was very unrealistic and unfair to Julia to expect her to perform satisfactory in a regular classroom 51% of her day. 

If we kept her in the public school she would be in the regular classroom 25% of her day next year. Emotionally, physically, and socially we do not feel this would in any way be an appropriate environment for Julia.  She would be going to a middle school that few of her friends would be attending.  It would be a year around school with a start day of July 7.  

It greatly saddens us that the public school system is not equipping special education students with what they need to succeed in society.  There is definitely some anger there.  My special needs child's education should be just important as my straight A overachiever's education.  It is not the special education teachers at fault.  I believe most of them truly care about their students and try to get children the services they need.  The system has failed Julia and I am confident she is not the only one.

So a new chapter in our lives will begin.  While I am nervous about Julia's future and my ability to teach her I am excited about the opportunity.  At last Julia's education will be geared just for her. There will no longer be hours of listening to teachers talk about subjects way above her comprehension level or teachers expecting her to perform way above her abilities. It is time for Julia to succeed!

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 13 Simply

Last Week of School

This week was the last week of school for Zachary, Grace, Julia, Jacob and Caleb.  Alyssa's last day was May 23.  Today we are enjoying our official first day of summer.  It is going to be a take it easy kind of day.  Julia's photo isn't included in these photos because I am going to do a separate post about her.














Caleb will be in the Pre-K program at the elementary school again next year.

Gracie will be in fourth grade at the same school as the boys.

Jacob will be in the Pre-K program at the elementary school.

Alyssa will be in the 4 year old class at the same preschool she went to last year.

Zachary will be in tenth grade at the same high school as last year.

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 12 Pastels

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 11 The Beginning

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 10 - Flying

This photo didn't come out like I wanted due to my having the settings on the camera set wrong but I thought it was still cute.  It was Zachary's idea to put on his camouflage morphsuit.  His thought being no one could see him if he was wearing it.

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 9 - We live here

365 Day Photo Challenge

Day 8 -  T is for...Twins

Nicholas

What an amazing journey it has been.  It has been fun watching Nicholas grow up and become the man he is today.  Have to admit it is bittersweet now that he is graduating.  Wish I could turn back time a little.

It all began November 1, 1995 in Richmond, Virginia.  Nicholas came home from the hospital to a big brother that was fascinated by him.

Still remember that first day of preschool in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.





















Thankful that he had two wonderful teachers.

Before we knew it Nicholas graduated from preschool.

He completed Kindergarten through fourth grade in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl.

Many first days of school.

In 2006 we moved to North Carolina.  Many more first days of school.

Then came Nicholas' last day of school.