"I've found my twin!"

Last Thursday when I picked Madison up, she skipped all the way to the car...was excited about something. Once we got in the car she looked at me and said "Mom, I've found my twin!" Then without skipping a beat, cocked her head sideways as if she were thinking and continued to say, "Well, except she has green eyes, blonde hair and she's taller than me!" :) --Other than that they must have been identical!!

The first week...

Well, we have officially completed the first week of school. Madison loves it so much! I get to take her and walk her to her class every morning and then I use my lunch hour to go and pick her up. It's special time that she and I have together. Normally on the way home from school we turn on Zach's CD and sing as loud as we can "If I could give you the world..." Very fun!! :)
I'm sure that as the year progresses there will be many stories to tell!

First day of 1st Grade!!

Well, the day that Madison claimed (this morning) she "had been waiting all her life for" has arrived. We woke up at 6:15 and Madison took a shower all by herself "because that's what first graders do, ya know." (Or so I was informed.) We ate breakfast, got dressed in her new school clothes and shoes and we headed off to school! Everything went very smooth and Madison was excited to get there. Once we arrived there were many parents doing the same thing I was- taking pictures, kissing and doting over their children. All of the children were doing the same thing- wishing we would stop! :)
Once we got Madison into her class, put her book bag away and found her seat- which is in the very front of the class, she was ready for Braylon and I to leave. She kept whispering under her breath, "Okay mom, bye...bye mom!" I guess I would rather have it that way than have to peel her off my leg.
We had a wonderful start to a great school year!

Above: Of course Braylon had to jump in there!

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School Open House

Today was Madison's open house at her new school. We toured the (huge) facility and saw Madison's classroom, the library, the cafeteria, the gym, and the music suite. Below are some pictures of our visit. She is so excited to start school. Thursday we go for orientation and to actually meet Miss Jones, her teacher.

Above: Madison's classroom

Above: Mommy and Madison is her classroom

One of the four major music rooms in the music suite. (Very impressive!)

Only Madison can say that she had a palm tree in the middle of her school that was two stories high!

Above: The cafeteria

Above: Daddy and Madison in the library

Looking around the library

This is the atrium. (looking from the front to the back)

The atrium (looking from the back to the front)

Our favorite way to spend a Saturday...

Life in Florida!!

Well, it’s been 5 weeks now that we have lived in Pensacola…we’re Floridians!! :) I don’t even know where to begin, so many wonderful events have transpired in our lives.

Matt loves his job and the people he works with ( a bunch of good ole’ boys who love to hunt and fish ), plus he is off of third shift for the first time in three years! Next week he will start his 4 day- 10 hour shifts with all the OT he would like to work. That schedule was exactly what he was hoping for. Now he can take a three day weekend anytime he needs to or work that Friday and be paid time and a half!
Before we left Ohio, we sold our Grand Jeep Cherokee that he drove, we all miss “Jeepie” as Madison lovingly called him. Once we got here, we were able to get Matt the vehicle that he’s wanted for the last two and a half years…a Toyota Scion XB, his third child! :)

Madison loves to go swimming. Our apartment complex has a very nice pool and she is a frequent visitor to it. She is becoming a little fish! We have enrolled her at a very nice, very large private school. This Sunday is her open house and August 20th is her first day, she is ecstatic! They are not required to wear uniforms, however she does have to wear a dress or a skirt everyday which is heaven for her- she loves her dresses!

Braylon is infatuated with all the water around us. Outside our apartment we have a lily pad pond with a dock going out over it. If you look out his bedroom window there is another small pond with a fountain and then there’s this little thing called the Gulf of Mexico 15 minutes away. Every time he sees any of those he gets excited and starts screaming “Water, water, Hi water!!” He is really starting to talk so much now!

I am working from home and so far there have been minor hiccups but it is working out great! I have our third bedroom set up as a home office and my desk faces a big window that overlooks the pond I mentioned above. It’s a wonderful view to look at all day, especially coming from a gray office cubicle!

Chelsea (my cousin) is in the process of moving down here as well. She has been with us for a little over three weeks, it’s a joy to have her. I have hired her to watch the kids for me during the day while I am working. She takes them swimming, to the park, builds tents in their room…they love it! Chels put her application in at Kohls for a part time job in the evenings and should be starting that very soon.

That is a basic recap of things down here…I promise to do a better job in keeping all of you updated on our lives down here in Pensacola!

Stay tuned for more!!! :)