Lily's last day of 8th grade!

 Today marked Lily's last day in 8th grade!

She is SUPER excited about Summer!

And........SUPER excited to be a Freshman coming up! (She just thinks that is so 'big!')

She has had a great year and we have been so proud of her hard work and how much she has grown this year!

AND..................shocking...............I KNOW..................shocking..............she wanted me to take a picture of her with her book.........because she is matching it!

Let me just SAY.............she was fighting me.................I mean, literally saying how she would never read and how that is NOT fun and allllll the things...............

so for her to have THIS picture.....just no words!

But I love that she has found that she loves books and she and her friends talk about books and read them together too! (In fact, that book is borrowed from Pearson!)

It makes me happy because I love reading! (and when we curl up together reading our books, I love!) :)

Yearbook findings!

 The girls got their yearbooks in and I just love to look through it and then also spot them among the pages!

I found this...

Lily-8th!

And, Alexis-SENIOR!

Senior Awards day!

 Whew, there were a lot of awards and scholarships and we were there way longer than I thought we would....sitting on those bleachers! ha! I should have brought  my good stadium chair! :)

But it was so awesome to see all the graduating class shine and see Alexis up there on the stage being honored each time her name was called!

I actually lost track of all she received!

The AOD scholarship 

The Gamecock Achievement scholarship

The Dual Enrollment award for over 24 hours and a high GPA

The National Honor Society 

The JHS Academic sash

So proud of her and it made my heart burst today watching her!

Each Senior walked it. I loved this because everyone got to watch each of them!

The graduating class! Class of 2026, 130 of them!

I didnt get a picture of all the times she was up there but this was one JAX State time! Lined up and ready!

Look at her!

Up there again!

This was the JHS Academic sash! This was special because it is an honor to receive this!

She wouldnt stop and smile! ha!

Her last walk out of the gym forever!

Then they made their way to their last ever walk through Kittystone so all the elementary kids could see them shine!

It was a very special day for her!

Senior Powder Puff

 Last night marked the Junior vs Senior Powder Puff game!

Yeah, spent $25.00 on a t-shirt.............she played 2 minutes of the game. Said Seniors won 35-1 (think that was a drastic answer) :)

But memories were made and it is just adding to another 'Senior' thing that is taking place!

She sure did look cute though!

Wordless Wednesday!

 

Her last ever school picture!

 Mark it down.

Her LAST ever school picture............

right here!

There Senior shirt and her Senior jeans she made! So cute!

Gosh, it has flown. Excited for her next chapter!

Mother's Day and the rest of the weekend!

 We had a low-key but great weekend! Filled with being outside and cooking out to end for my Mother's Day!

This is the only picture I got......of Sam Parker's Graduation party. The food was so good and glad we went and celebrated him!

Then Lily and I enjoyed the school's theater performance of Frozen! Seeing Pearson and Calleigh was my favorite!

We found her at the end so had to take a picture! She looked beautiful on stage and did so good!

My Mother's Day treats!

And snagged this gem once we got home from Church! Thankful to be her and Alexis' Mom.........even on the hard days! :)

As this was being taken......................she is literally saying........yeah, I am way taller than you! ugh! :)

Her LAST DD event ever!

 Alexis officially had her last DD event on Friday night and I would say by the pictures, they made the most of it!

DD pick up night is always a blast and this time around, MY gracious at all the confetti and silly string and shaving cream!

I know one thing.

When Lily does it next year................

there will be NO shaving cream let into my house! FACTS!

Sweet Littles and Bigs!

She loves these girls!

Last memory!

And the confetti! 

Senior things winding down!

 Alexis' final day of school (full day) was yesterday and it was 'Wear your College plans' day!

So, I got this picture of her supporting and wearing her JAX State gear!

Then last night, the Senior class did their Senior Prank which consisted of rolling the trees and moving furniture within the school (not sure how they gained access to inside the school. I may not want to know too) so when I was taking Lily to school this morning....

I got to see some of their work!

Supporting our friend!

 Nick and Parker had a big moment the other day and the girl's and I were happy to support them as they had their signing to play baseball at Talladega College!

What I get with these two!

 So, we had a girl's dinner since Tyler had to work and had other dinner plans.

They both sit across from me.

They both are mean to me.

They both dont cooperate with anything I tell them.

This is what I have to deal with.

But, yeah I have to feed them....and pay for their meal....and drive them....and all the things! :)

One day................maybe they will be nice to me! :)

Etiquette lunch for the Seniors!

 All the Senior things are happening and one was the Senior Etiquette lunch that the community helps host for them.

Misty sent me this picture since she helped and it made my heart happy! I love that she loves Alexis like her own as do I with Cassell and Calhoun!

A STATE Track meet in the books!

 Whew, we are flying into May and it is already the 5th! Gracious it can slow down. And to think of all that I have coming up, whew, makes my head spin but its all fun and many memories to make!

Lily had her first Track meet as a Varsity track star and she loved every minute of it!

The team went down Wednesday and stayed together. Boys had a condo and girls had a condo. The place they stayed at (Phoenix II) and it was SO nice! Huge indoor pool with hot tub. Outdoor pool with hot tub and huge water slide and a lazy river, right on the beach.

So, she was with them the whole time and had to ride back with them because of all the day's events on Saturday. So, she didnt get home until 11:00 that night which made for a long church morning for her. She pushed through, with me having to bump her a couple of times, then took a long nap that afternoon. :)

I went down Thursday afternoon. Got there around 7:45 and checked out Lily's condo and hung with them for a bit before I got over kids. WHEW, there were a lot of kids! ha! That place had several teams staying there and there were clumps of kids everywhere! ha! So then Friday, I had all intentions of making the most of being close to the beach and finding me a spot but it was so cold and raining and dark that I just went to watch Lily and then ended up heading back home. It was a whirlwind but glad I was able to see her shine and watch her do what she loves!

So nice! I sat in this spot for about an hour before leaving to head to my hotel. So peaceful!

UP and READY! These three (and Willa Kate, though we couldnt find her during this picture) were a good team with each other!

Lily snagged her a STATE shirt!

Opening line up and spike check. Willa Kate ran first, then Ella, then MacKenzie and then Lily finished them off!

The field area and Gulf Shores High school was super nice!

She blew past this girl! She did great!

Despite the chill and the rain, this girl gave it her all. I was proud of her!

There she goes!

Wordless Wednesday!

 

STATE bound!

 And she is off!

Ella and her are ready to RIDE in a 'very nice' van per them! ha!

I know they are going to have the best time with the team!

STATE bound!

 Lily is SO pumped! Like, she's on cloud 9 about being qualified to go to STATE!

So proud and happy for her!

The team leaves tomorrow morning and are like royalty and how they all get to ride and stay together! I am excited for her!

A turkey!

 So, once a season or so I try and go hunting with Tyler. I know he loves it and I enjoy doing things with him that he loves.

Turkey hunting isnt for the weak!

I mean, I was up at 4:00am to be out before 4:30am to hike up half a mountain, through a creek and then back around......................

to catch a turkey! :)

But, once Tyler and I heard that gobble and then tracked where it was...................I know the thrill!

We set up shop two times...........and kept inching closer and then waited. 

It was so peaceful!

It had rained so the raindrops were hitting the leaves (but we werent getting wet) and then seeing the sunrise....it was just so nice!

Every time that Tyler would call that turkey, he would call back.

Every time!

BUT....he would NOT come off the roost. 

Well, two deer got spooked and made noises which then made him fly...............and was done.

He wouldnt gobble anymore.

It was SO COOL to see him fly right over us though! I have never seen that!

He was HUGE too!

So, Tyler will get him. I have a feeling!

Worth it to get to see this!

I was ready............well not really! ha! When Tyler realized that he was literally probably going to get the turkey...he asked me and wanted me to take the shot..........

I was then like...........nope, not ready! ha! I wanted him to do it anyways and so bummed he wasnt able to!

Do you see him! The turkey didnt! He tracked him well. The bird was right on up in the trees from him!

I love this picture!

Sectionals Track!

 Lily has made it FAR this season! She qualified for County, which she did not last year.........then made it on over to SECTIONALS where she got a PR in the 800 and her team (WK, MaKenzie, her and Ella) made it to STATE for their 4X800!

Just awesome for her!

So, her and I are packing up and heading to Gulf Shores in a couple of days..........and I am NOT mad about it! :)

It was a long Friday and Saturday in Lincoln, but she loved it all!

Her out there, yeah, dont know how she does it. Its hard and I know, I have tried! ha!

Whoo hoo!! Sectionals CHAMPS! The boy's team were champs too!

The ones that were still around! Yeah, we left. It was a long day so she didnt make the picture. About half of them didnt either but still so proud of them all!

Plaque or it didnt happen! :)