Thursday, March 15, 2012

Well, hello there blogger world! What's up?

I can't believe I haven't blogged in MONTHS. I have no excuses. My life really is a highway.

I have lots to update (which is why I haven't blogged). First, Liz is home from UF. She moved back home in December, for good (well for awhile anyway). She got an internship with the Tampa Bay times her last semester. She's a business writer. Best of all she's getting paid to write! Everything she has worked hard for is finally paying off. She's interned for the past few summers, but they have all been unpaid. I am so excited that she is getting paid to write! She has loved writing stories ever since she learned how to write. I am so glad I saved all her "stories" from when she was young. She was a writer on the middle school paper and was a write and Editor in Chief of the high school paper. She continued that all the way through college and even became Editor in Chief of The Independent Florida Alligator at UF. Words cannot describe how proud we are. She will become a college graduate on May 6th. YIKES.

Greg is doing AWESOME at USF. He's in his second year working on a degree in Exercise Sciences. He is currently working as a personal trainer. He's also working on a certification for being a personal trainer on his own in addition to this class load. Again. so proud. Now if he only had the extra time to get his mom in shape. :)

Emily graduates on June 5th. I will have ANOTHER high school graduate! I'm too young to have my kids so grown up. She got accepted into USF as well but unfortunately not until the Spring session in 2013. So, she was really sad but hey, she got in. She is going to do her first semester at the community college and then transfer over the 2nd semester. So proud of her. She has the worst case of "senioritis" since school started so it's been a long school year trying to keep her on track. Too many changes at the school and it's just not the same. I will not be sad to be finished with the high school. After 8 years, it's time to say goodbye.

We found a middle school for Mark!!!!! Yeah. That is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. The public school system hasn't worked for him. They are so focused on their stupid FCAT scores. I've never been quiet about how I fell about that. So, we've decided to go private. It's going to be tough with 2 in college and then him in private, but we all do what we have to for our kids. If I have to eat top ramen, I will. It's very hard as a parent to see your child struggle. It's hard when you hear the parents of the "smart" kids complain about the "not as smart" kids. Everything is such a competition these days. Regardless if they are at the top of the class or the bottom of the class, they are all kids and they just learn different. I've been blessed to have some great teachers who recognize that. Sadly, it came a little too late for him with his previous school, but he seems to be on track now. He is really excited about this new school and that it won't be as near as big. I feel really good about this.

Steve and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary in October. Hard to believe. So we are planning a nice trip just the two of us. Something we have never done before. Seems like whenever we celebrated a milestone anniversary, we were always moving. So, we are hoping to go on an Alaskan cruise. If that doesn't work out, then I would love to go to New York City. Never been there. I would love to go see show on Broadway and take a stroll through Central Park. I'll keep you posted on what we decide.

I promise not to disappear again for months. I have more news to hopefully share soon. Don't want to jinx it if it doesn't work out.

Happy Thursday!