Adulting

 I looked over from the computer and saw Savannah intently working on something this afternoon . . .when I asked what she was doing she replied "opening and funding my Roth IRA".  Well, ok then.  I then asked a lot of questions about her research and apparently, she has done a lot and knew exactly what she was doing.  So since getting back from vacation she opened her first credit card AND started a Roth IRA!  She is going to be just fine in college . . . I think :)

Punta Cana Family Vaca

Our long-awaited family adventure began at 3am . . . and we managed to get everything out of the house, loaded in the car, and were on the way to the airport by 4am!  Preston and I waited in line at the airport CFA for over an HOUR to get chicken minis so we could have some breakfast before boarding. Thankfully despite all of the airline chaos of the past week, our flight was perfectly on time and we boarded without any issues . . .  well other than the stupid eticket for customs we didn't know we needed to complete.

 

Preston's favorite part (possibly of the entire trip other than the daiquiris) was being able to check out the cockpit once we landed.  The pilots were super excited to let him sit in the captain's seat and show him all of the panels.  

After a 50 minute mini van ride we finally arrived at the resort . . and the adventure began.  Here is a big photo dump with a few explanations.  

The first of MANY strawberry daiquiris.

Stand up paddle boarding for the kids and a canoe adventure for dad

Savannah and I spent a LOT of time reading in the shade.  I loved just hanging with my girl!

One night they had what we thought was a family competition, but it ended up being all about Michael Jackson.  Preston was a sport and ventured on stage without even knowing what he was going to have to do.  He had to do a MJ impersonation, which was hilarious.  Although he didn't win, he was a crowd favorite!

We thought the kids would be able to snorkel off the beach, but the water just wasn't clear enough . . so we had to pay for a small adventure to go by boat out deeper. It ended up being our own personal excursion with their own guide around.  It lasted over an hour and the leader would go deep and pull up exciting things for them to see, like a big conch shell with a creature still living in it.

This kid practically lived at the pizza shack . . no less than 5 slices a day!

It was such a fun adventure and a great time to unwind and just enjoy time together as a family before Savannah heads to college.  The beach/sand/water/service/food definitely wasn't the same as Turks and Caicos, but it was still pretty nice. :)  But as always, it's nice to be back home!

Toby Mac Concert

We were so excited to be able to see Toby Mac perform at Carowinds tonight!!  The concert was part of their summer series and included as part of the season pass, so FREE!  The weather was perfect and we had a fabulous time in the outdoor amphitheater. The boys were even able to squeeze in a few rides before the show . . and of course a slushie. :)

Another Week of Camp for the Kiddos

One of Savannah's favorite weeks of the summer is serving as a counselor for our church's kids camp.  She left Monday morning for a week of fun.  It also worked out that Preston was away this week at another church camp with his friend Henry so Dave and I had the week alone to catch up.
 

Savannah with Rachel sporting their UNC shirts

Both kids had a fabulous week away, but this mama was super glad to have everyone back at home tonight!

Preston's Driving . . . Watch out Charlotte!

This week Preston had behind the wheel for driver's education.  We were a bit panicked when his instructor called in sick on the second day because appointments are booked 3 months out and we had it timed perfectly to go to the DMV the day after he was supposed to finish the class.  Thankfully the teacher thought he was good enough and just signed off on the paperwork without making him complete the missed class. Lord help me!

So, as planned, he was able to get his permit today!!!  And of course, he wanted to make his maiden voyage to get icecream to celebrate after dinner. :)  I agreed to go to the place without a coupon because it was closer to home (hello, less driving).

It may or may not have taken us 10 minutes to back out of the parking spot, but not all of that was his fault.  We safely made it there and back.  All I have to say is watch out Charlotte and please pray for us!

Chuck E Cheese Tradition Continues

We were determined to keep the tradition of going to Chuck E Cheese for Preston's birthday!  With everyone's crazy schedule it took us a bit longer to get there (as he was actually at camp on his birthday) but we made it happen.  It was SO frustrating that so many games were broken and out of order, but we made the best of it!  This year the kids seemed to focus on the claw game to retrieve as many of the balls as they could . . and then gave a few away before leaving. :)

I sort of had to take things into my own hands when my absolute favorite game was broken.  I climbed onto the skee ball to retrieve the bean bags needed for my game. :)

Never-the-less, it was another memorable, fun adventure at the local Chuck E Cheese.  I'm grateful that we kept the tradition AND that I had a Groupon so it wasn't that much money out of pocket for a broken dump Chuck E Cheese. LOL

Total Frustration

You can't really tell in this picture, but online registration for Chapel Hill was SO frustrating for Savannah today!  We were at Orthocarolina with Preston FOREVER this morning and got home just as the chaos was going down.  She was only able to get one class that she really needed, so we are just praying seats become available during open registration in August.  

And then there was more family frustration as we tried to put together Preston's new bed from IKEA.  Let's just say now we all understand why people hate IKEA so much!

After all of the choas, madness, and frustration we needed a break so I begged the kids to come to a pilates class at the YMCA this week. :)  Savannah, after all, needed to see what Pilates was since she already registered for it at Chapel Hill (as her PE).   It was such a treat to workout with them both!

July 4th Fun

July has been miserably hot so far . . . but that didn't stop Preston and his buddy Colin from hitting Carowinds all day on Wednesday.  He is making good use of his season pass and unlimited drink/slushie pass.  Dave had the day off on Thursday for the 4th so we decided to try Activate again as a family.  We grabbed BBQ on the way home and enjoyed a yummy dinner before going to a local fireworks display at the grand Food Lion. :)