June 20th. Are you kidding me?

What a whirlwind this month has been!

There are so many highlights, I would probably feel overwhelmed if I thought too hard about it.

Tyler, Nicole and Nelly all graduated from their current grades with the A/B honor roll. Wow. And I mean, WOW!! Now I house a freshman, 8th grader and 7th grader!!

Tara finished her year on a high note, and moves to the "big" school now. She has done so well and we are entering the 3rd grade without an IEP. Another HUGE WOW!

Mere' is excited to be going into her first grade, full day year in the fall. Sans her "twin", and protector, Tommy. It will be the first year they will be going separate directions. First grade. It hardly seems possible that my "dinky" baby and my brilliant boy are going to school all day this next year. Mere' is a bit unsure how she will manage "on her own," but Tommy assures her she can do it. He has such a confidence in his abilities that he shows no fear like she does. However, she has grown so much and makes a friend whereever we go. I know they will have a great year.

And the baby...Bella is sooooo excited to go to school in the fall, her first time without momma. I do believe she will handle it far better than I. There is something that brews in my heart (separation anxiety!) that makes my knees shake and my head ache!! She will do great and is so ready for school.

Hopefully, by the time school starts, I will have the boys home from Liberia. What a long journey this has been. Mike and I tell each other it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen! Right now, the hold up is our fingerprints expiring. Another slooooooowwwww process, but praying for God's favor and expediant government workers as the papers pass along the way.

I was blessed to spend my birthday in Jersey with those beautiful grandsons. The kids treated me special and it is a birthday I will never forget!! Scott and Britt bought me my first pair of TOMS shoes, which I LOVE!!! The neat thing about them is that for every pair you buy, they donate a pair to a third world country. How cool is that? We had brunch at OC Cafe in Ocean City, and went to a bunch of garage sales!! We walked downtown with their friend Adrianna, whom I adore, and for dinner Scotty grilled Bison and Shrimp Kabobs! Fabulous! My sugars were doing so well that my birthday treat was a piece of cheese cake with fresh strawberries on top. What a great day!

While I was there, Keegan became my new best friend. Kaiden was busy with Mere and Keegy decided gramma was kinda fun. I love his dimples and impish smile. It was so sweet to see Kaid and Mere run to each other each morning with a huge hug and start their days as best buds. I loved it. Keane was so fun with his new sounds and silly faces. He kept me laughing every day. They are all so precious. When we are apart I feel like part of my heart it hanging in the air, waiting for one of them to catch it and keep me alive. They mean so much to me. They really handled the move much better than I expected, and we return this weekend to bring them here. They hope their crates will be in Puerto Rico by July 20th, since Scott has to report by the 15th. Who knows?? They will be welcome here as long as they can stay, and we hope to build on more summer memories before they head out to their new adventures in PR. I know I will miss them terribly until we meet again.

Kaiden finished preschool just before I got to New Jersey. I can hardly believe that first blonde that captured my heart and soul is now going to kindergarten!! He will be attending a school run by the military, and even learning spanish!! What a gift to have the experiences in Bayamon, PR. I will look forward to hearing all that he will be learning, and watching him grow. He has become a good little surfer in Jersey, and I imagine that will be his big focus for a while. He LOVES the water.

Keegy took off on his bike early this summer, without training wheels!! Go, Keegy!! He goes so fast it was hard to video!! He will be home with Mommy and Keane this fall, but that's just fine with him.

Keano continues to amaze me with how much he learns and how funny he is. He is quite the corker, and very amusing!! Too fun!! I know Britt will keep sending me videos and pictures to keep up with their new lives on the Island!

Getting on the plane, Mere could hardly contain her excitement. She wanted a window seat so she could take it all in. She buckled, listened to the safety instructions intently, and positioned herself with the best view.

As the plane took off, Mere braced herself, grinning ear to ear.
"Listen, Mom. We are blasting off!!"
"Oh, oh, look, we are flying!! We are flying!!"

It was worth everything to see her excitement. To watch her face light up and remember the doctor telling us when we left the hospital 7 years ago, not to be discouraged if she "didn't make it." She was flying!! I couldn't have been more excited for her.

It seems like we are all flying these days. Busy times ahead, but we are soaring high and watching the clouds below us.

Life is good.