Proud Mom and Wife

It's only April 9th and I have so much to be excited about.  March ended with a huge success for McKayla.  She is now in 3rd grade and it has certainly taken it's toll on her.  This is the first year she has struggled in school and when I look back, I remember 3rd grade being difficult for me as well. Math and reading comprehension assignments and tests have proved to be a challenge for her.  We've worked hard with her and she is really starting to understand and appreciate the value of hard work.  In the last week of March she got her first A on a math test and she got an A on a big project she did on Rosa Parks.  Naturally, we were through the roof for her so we celebrated in a big way.  We went out to dinner to celebrate and after the opening day actitivities for t-ball, she and I went and got mani/pedis as a treat for her hard work.

 Drinking a Shirley Temple while getting her nails done

(Face paint courtesy of Opening Day at Tom Brown Park)

Happy Girl

That same weekend, Justin arranged for Seth's t-ball team to take the field with the FSU baseball team. Unfortunately, it started raining soon after the pictures below were taken so we didn't stay long.  It was still worth it to see those boys so excited to be on the field with "real" baseball players. 

Last week the kids got their report cards and Seth got straight E's (these are like A's in kindergarten) on his report card for the third time this year.  One more time and that will be straight E's for the whole school year.  He's working towards a pretty big prize.  McKayla also did well on her report card.  As I mentioned before, she's been struggling this year.  Her grades aren't quite where we would like them to be just yet but she does continue to work hard and improve all the time.  I am so proud of them. 

This year I decided that the kids needed nice easter baskets that they could keep forever.  I searched online and in the stores but I couldn't find something I really liked.  I decided that making them myself was the only way to go.  I went to Hobby Lobby and bought baskets, fabric, ribbon, and thread.  My mom got me a sewing machine for Christmas so I got it out and here's what I came up with. 

 I hand embroidered the names too.  I do not recommend this, it's a pain in the butt!!!

 After the Easter Bunny came!  The Easter Bunny filled Seth's too but my pregnant brain somehow forgot to take a picture. 

The title of my post says, "proud mom and wife" so now that I have bragged on the kids, I'm going to take a minute and brag on my husband. Here's just a few things that have happened recently that make my husband the great catch he is. 

1. After having three weeks with the kids it had been awhile since we had had a date night.  Not only did he take me to dinner and a movie, but he brought me flowers too! 

2. As you can probably imagine, being pregnant has given me some pretty serious aching feet and a back full of tight and knotted up muscles.  He gladly massages my feet and back whenever I request it and I should mention that these requests are coming pretty frequently now. 

3. He volunteers his free time to coach Seth's team and he's really good at it.  Each week he spends 2-5 hours at practices and games for the kids and another 1-2 hours planning for practices and coming up with new drills. 

4. No matter the hour or what else he has to get done, he always plays with the kids.  He spends countless hours shooting baskets with the kids, playing catch with Seth, watching them do tricks on their scooters, playing soccer in the yard, playing board games, and reading books.  He really and truly always grants requests for these kinds of activities with the kids.  I am amazed by his energy to keep up with them daily.

5. Justin got me an Easter present.  I was so focused on the kids stuff that I didn't even think to get my sweet husband anything.   Sunday morning he surprised me with a card and a book by one of my favorite authors.  He is always so thoughtful.

6. Huck's room is amazing and it's mostly thanks to Justin.  He has created 3 different projects for his room that involved lots of time drawing and painting.  I don't want to give away too much just yet, but he is truly talented in the art department.

7. Justin has a new job.  I mentioned awhile ago that Justin took a trip to Chicago to get a special certification.  He became a certified exit planning advisor and he is the only one in the North Florida area.  This week he starts his new job as Director of Blackthorne Group, a company started by his father that provides several different services to private capital markets such as exit planning strategies and business valuations. 



I'm sure I could come up with more but I'll stop for now.  I'm one lucky lady and I'm so grateful for my amazing family.