We had an awesome summer break. We went on a cruise to Grand Cayman and Cozymel. The kids had a great time! We swam with dolphins...such a fun experience that we will never forget. We also took a camping trip to Ft. DeSoto park where we had some fun, quality family time.
So, I am officially the worst blogger ever. No updates since October? Well, we have been busy for sure. There is no way to go into detail over all the Swan activities, but I assure you it was non-stop action! I will give a brief rundown of the highlights, although I am sure there will be alot overlooked!
EmilyKate is enjoying highschool, doing very well in the IB program. Still doing gymnastics. Just finished a great season, placing 1st in state on floor, 2nd on vault, and 4th on beam. She had some fun meets this year: Cancun, South Carolina, LSU, and a few local. She also attended her first homecoming dance in the fall, and is 2 inches taller than her mama.
Caroline is tolerating 7th grade. She is a great student, really likes to socialize. She is still taking theater class and has several parts in the upcoming spring play "Beauty and the Beast." I have 2 official teens since she was 13 in November, and she has passed me in height as well.
Jacob loves baseball! He looks forward to his games every week and is a great player! He usually wakes up around 6am on Saturday so that he won't be late for his 6pm game. It is 5 minutes away from our house. He is doing well in school this year, got new glasses, loves playing with his cars, riding his bike, and driving his truck.
Wyatt is also having a great school year. He is playing flag football, turned 9 in February, and is a madman with the computer and video games.
Anabelle is rocking the 1st grade. She turned 7 in November. No more babies at my house! She played soccer in the fall, competed gymnastics and had a fantastic season! She has begun training for the next level now.
So, now the kids are caught up. My cousin Preston got married in November, so we travelled to Bristol, VA for the wedding. Anabelle was a flower girl with her cousin Chloe, and Quinn was the ring bearer. Too cute! We spent Thanksgiving moving to a house about 1/2 block away. That was fun. Not really. I turned into an old lady in November as well, but we don't need to mention anymore about that. We took a camping trip to Cocoa Beach for spring break. Steve and the kids surfed and did great while me and Jake manned the cooler. We had a great time at the campsite. Steve wants to move in the RV (I mean really live in it.) Yes, I am a little concerned, but lets move on.
So, to add to the crazy household, the kids wanted a pet. Since Daddy says he has enough mouths to feed, the pet has to contribute something. Yes, I now have 5 kids and 5 chickens. It is pretty exciting to look for eggs everyday. Anabelle carries her chicken around like a babydoll and talks to it nonstop. We have 1 Poland and 4 Rhode Island Reds. I never imagined being the owner of a chicken coop or making a trip to the feed store. My how things change!
I will post some pictures, but they will be in random order. One day I will learn to be technically savvy, but for now I got to tend to the chickens, garden, kids, laundry, house, carpool, etc....
Happy birthday EmilyKate! My baby girl turned 15! Crazy how time is flying! I surely am not old enough to have a 15 year old. I love you MK! You are a beautiful lady!
Jacob is very athletic, but we have not found a sports team that works out with him until now! We were introduced to the Challenger Little League this fall. Jacob is loving playing baseball! The organization is wonderful and the environment is so sweet to be around. These kids all go out and have a great time. Jacob is hitting the ball great, and he played 1st base last week! He loves to slide in to all the bases too! He has a buddy that stays with him throughout the game to encourage him on. Even EmilyKate has joined in on the action as a buddy for the team. We are so thankful to be a part of the Challenger team!
My Jacob is growing up! I cannot believe he is 11! He went to the Bucs game on his birthday with his daddy and they had a great time. Jake, you are a sweet blessing to our family!
The summer has come to an end, according to the calendar anyway, and another year of school has begun. Along with that means alot of lunches to pack, homework to do, and alot of driving. We have kiddos in 4 schools this year! That means we load the car at 7am. That is way too early for me, but we are managing. EmilyKate started high school this year, crazy I know. We don't do things the easy way around here though, the neighborhood school 1 mile away was not good enough for my over-achiever daughter. She was accepted in the IB program (International Baccalaureate) because she likes the challenge of a large amount of work and still work out at the gym 4 hours every evening. Thats just how the Swan's roll. But, all joking aside, it was an honor to get into the program and we are so proud of her accomplishments.
Caroline attended a film camp and a drama camp over the summer. She really wants to act, doesn't really need any lessons in my opinion. She went with a friend and they had a blast! They are both very dramatic, and could probably have taught the program themselves. Not a joke. They put on a really cute performance. It should be a fun year for Caroline. She is enrolled in a performance theater class and Glee club class. She will have a holiday show and a production of Beauty and the Beast in the spring. She has already attended an audition workshop to prepare for the auditions in the fall. She may be famous :)
