Hiking and Relaxation is always fun!

Schools out and mom is home from the travel nursing gig, so we wanted to go on a little "mini-vacay" to celebrate the end of the year and the kick off to summer. We started out the trip by doing some hiking in the Bankhead National Forrest in Alabama. 4 out of the 5 really enjoyed it!! I'll let you guess which family did not enjoy the hiking!! LOL- Kendall is not a huge fan of outdoor activity when it involves moving your body! We survived and she actually got in the waterfall, only because her daddy said he would give her $5 to do it! We proceeded to Florence/Muscle Shoals, AL to the Marriott hotel and spa for 2 nights. We enjoyed the pool, even though it was a little cool for the kids. They spent a good deal of time in the hot tub! They have a great park that has a playground and a huge splash pad. We had a great week spending time together and making memories!!

Memorial Day Fun at Moon Lake

Each year, we join the Holders and the McCarras at Moon Lake for Memorial Day weekend. This year, the McCarras were out of town, but we still had a great time on the lake. The kids come home begging for a boat each time we go! We are always thankful for our time with our besties!

A Busy May!!

May is always full of busy "end of the year activities"! This year was no different, especially since my travel nursing had me away every other week for 6 nights. We did a lot of juggling, but it worked and for that, I am SO grateful! 

Kendall had her year end Orchestra concert. She learned so much this year and really excelled in playing the Violin. I was thrilled that she enjoyed learning something new. I'm hoping she sticks with it and continues to learn and perfect the Violin. Of course, we left there and went straight to the ballfield to watch Kat play T-ball. 

Kendall also had her final piano performance of the season. She played "Wondering" and it was beautiful. She did so well, and I was so proud of her performance. She loves Mrs. Tricia and really the fun that they have! Sam and Chet were in New Albany at the ball tournament, so when we finished the recital, we hauled it to New Albany to watch Sam's team place 2nd in the tournament. 

 

Kat's Time to Shine

Kat finally has gotten her chance to shine!! This is her first year to play T-ball and she is loving it! She is #9 (wanted to be like Sam) on the Thundercats! She is the biggest hitter and hustles hard! She says each game that she scored a homerun and her team won (even though they don't keep score)! She has learned a lot from Sam and definitely shows it out on the field! 

 

See You Later, Helena!

So, in May, I completed my 18 week contract in Helena, AR. I started there in January and made some great friends while I was there. We had a blast working in that little tiny hospital... we had tons of slow nights, but we had a few very interesting and crazy nights as well. Tabby and I made sure to have a sonic slush every night, along with coffee talk at 2 am (Chris joined a few times as well). Chet sent me some gorgeous flowers for Mother's day and I was thrilled!! And I had a flat tire on my BRAND new van, only 2 weeks after I got it! Thankfully, a sweet co-workers husband rescued me off the side of the road. It's been a long 5 months away from my family, but I'm so thankful for the sweet co-workers that I've had the privelege of working with during this time! It sure makes it easier when you like the people you work with! But for now, I'm looking forward to a few months at home with my crew!