The End before the Beginning....

So, we just got back last night from a week of traveling. Our end of the summer trip, just before school starts again. Off we went, almost exactly as planned after Korey got out of work. We drove straight through to Louisville, KY to see his baby sister, Noelle and her family. Noelle's little girl has Leigh's disease, so I really felt it important to go and see them on our way down to Tennessee. Korey was a bit nervous, not wanting to see Taylor sick. We had a blast with them. I am so glad that we made this our first stop.




Our next leg of the trip was to visit Covie's brother. Covie is a "grandpa" figure to us. He passed away in January. Before he passed away, he told us how much his brother wanted to meet us. We told Covie we would visit him. We kept our promise and were able to visit and had a great time with him.



The final leg of our trip....2 more hours of driving to mom and dad's or "grandma and grandpa's". We got there late, but of course we stayed up later talking to mom and dad. Finally off to bed.....for a good nights sleep. We had a lot of fun while there. We went to Cades Cove...missed seeing the bears at least 2 times, by just minutes. The boys were disappointed. But we did see lots of deer and turkey. (Not just the turkeys I was travelling with....couldn't resist.) We also went to Gatlinburg, walked around, ate, took the ski lift up to the top and what a great view it was. Korey does not like heights, but he took it like a man, sucked it up and seemed to be having a good time.




On little Korey's 13th birthday we went horse back riding and into a cavern. It was a blast riding through a trail and then on the mountain. The cavern we walked in after the ride was the mountain that we rode on. It was really fun to do this as a family together. I knew that big Korey would like the cavern lots as well as little Korey. When we got back to grandma's and grandpa's we went out to dinner to celebrate lil Korey's birthday and had ice cream cake to top it off. We also went to Sevierville and Pigeon Forge. We went to the Nascar Speedpark. There my competitiveness came out and I was racing to win, no matter who I was racing against. I had to teach my newly 13 year old son, that I could kick is butt. Friend or foe, I was out to win. It was a blast. Racing against the boys and grandpa. I may not have "won" every time, but I was a TOUGH competitor. There were these other teens that were racing to win, and this was probably my favorite part of the day...seeing big Korey's face every time I would pass by him watching me race, him laughing cause I had 2 boys on my tail the entire time, trying to get past....they had faster cars than I did, but I out maneuvered them. Not allowing them to get pass me. Looking to my left, and quick to my right....trying to know their move before they did...oh, what a rush and what a blast! Korey could not believe that I would not just let them pass me. Had he not learned anything in nearly the 15 years we have been married. I am competitive. Yes, you may say that it is immature for an adult to go for blood on the track with a bunch of teens, but I wanted to let them know, I may be getting old, but not to count me out~ yes, Korey would have let them by eventually. I was going to,really I was, but then at the last minute, I couldn't do it. I wouldn't do it. I came in first, and then I retired. We all left that track laughing so hard, little Korey, proud of his mom for beating those boys. Giving me a high five, Jacob and Jordan waiting for me with the same high five of approval....that is how we roll. All for one, one for all. (Well, big Korey shook his head, laughing, but I knew what he was thinking.)


We had lots of fun with each other, and loved being at grandma's and grandpa's. It was sad to leave them, sadder to know it would be a while before we could see them again.

Typical Me....

So, yeah...this is why I am not good at the typical journal writing...I don't update my journal in real life. Lets see if I get this one posted....my last one is lost in my drafts.
Saturday Korey started days....wow, this is going to be great! We will have more opportunities to spend time together as a family! The down side, is that he misses Church. He will only be able to attend on his rotation, since it is 4 days on, 2 days off....he will be off 1 to 2 times a month. Since he is on a new shift, a new platoon, he had to wait to request time off. We have been wanting to go to Tennessee to see mom and dad, and go as a complete family this time. I am excited to show the two Korey's everything that Tennessee has to offer us, there is so much to do there. So, now Korey has to work the OT baby (over time) to earn us some extra cash for the trip. He has not been able to work OT or the security job in 8 months, due to his foot surgery. Almost three years ago he was shopping at a Home Depot type home improvement store. He was buying sheet rock, and the person loading the truck, on the fork truck, dropped the forks down, and one of them right on Korey's foot. Long story short, this nearly completely severed his tendon in his foot. So, after a couple of years, and having the severe pain, they opted to do surgery on the foot to try to clean up the scar tissue on the tendon. He has not had on his police boots in 8 months, when he was on light duty he wore sandals. So, Saturday evening when he returned home from his first day on he was icing his foot. I worry about the long lasting problems he will have especially with the job he has.
Day 2 on the job, today, he was so excited to call home saying he was going to be late because he "just got a gun off the street, baby!!" So he was feeling the rush of the job again, pain in the foot and all.

Below are a couple of pics from a "Night Out" with the fire and police departments in Brockport. They don't relate to this post so much, but they are in a jail cell....so I tried to relate it to the post a little. They better NEVER find themselves in there with the door shut! (And yes, they all need hair cuts, but I am waiting a little closer to school to start....)
This one below was too cool to be in there with his brothers.....so he did it alone! He was too cool for everything....

Above are Jordan and Jacob with the 911 fox....forget what his real name is....

4 Wheeler Fun!

We went for a bike ride today, we did not go too far today, my bike repair man (AKA Big Korey) fixed my flat, but now my brakes are dragging...anyway, we rode down the road, little Korey with fishing pole in hand to where they are replacing a bridge so the road is closed. This is where little Korey wanted to fish. So, while he did that, Jordan, Jacob and I rode around in a road that is normally very busy, but we could ride down the center of the road, and do circles. It was really cool, but yet, I still felt like I was doing something I should not be.....Last time we went down that road, big Korey insisted that we could make it across the work area, and he ended up with a flat tire and had to walk home, but this time, I decided it was to difficult with all the stone that we would stay on our side of the bridge. We didn't stay long anyway due to the bike brakes and the fact that lil Korey lost part of his fishing pole, well the bait.... So, we came home and little Korey got the 4 wheeler out and Jacob and him had the first ride. Jacob was having a blast! I reminded little Korey that he could not go too fast, he had Jakie with him, he of course said he knew...but Jacob insisted that he COULD go fast that he can HANG on!! A few trips around the yard and Jacob wanted to drive it ALL himself. I see little Korey keep raising his hands as to say, "look ma, no hands!"

So, Jakie was driving! Well, as much as a 3 year old could. He pressed on the gas too much and would jerk faster and then little Korey would pull him back and again, he wanted to go faster, and I would yell to slow down. It was good fun.

Then little Korey wanted to show off a little, being bet he could not do a wheelie by one of his cousins, he was up for the challenge and going past me on his feet, then popping it he would make it up on two wheels, at one point flipping too much, off he went. OK, that was enough for me. Jordan was next, not wanting to be outdone for braveness, he was whipping around fast, he does not know how to do wheelies, so he was just trying to spin out, and ended up taking a spill, hurting his bum....when I said, "OK, lets put it away!" Jordan insisted he was not one of those kids who gets hurt and does not want to try it again.

Jacob is now counting the turns the other boys have had telling them they have one more turn around....then it was HIS turn, it was funny to watch him run down the hill and tell them "MY TURN NOW" and as they got closer he would run for it!

Getting hungry, I yell, "Quiero Taco Bell!" (I want Taco Bell, in Spanish ). Little Korey knew what I meant and he made a run for the car, so after all toys were put back off we went for a late dinner run at 7:30 pm. The planned porkchop dinner will be post poned for a another night.....because we were busy making great memories.

They're Back......

Today ended up really being a good day, I was able to get a lot accomplished thanks to my oldest niece Hilary coming over to take Jordan to Browns Berry Patch to pick berries, and of course spoil him. (Hilary is 5 years younger than me.) and she has a great relationship with Jordan. Jacob went with Aunt Bonnie to pick up Victoria from work. (Jacobs cousin) And of course, he was spoiled too, and the two Korey's were not home yet, I mowed the lawn , the weeded garden picked the strawberries, finished up the little bit of laundry that I had, put it away, had the house in decent order.
Then the first words I heard from the camper....little Korey, yelling from out side...."We're Back...." So, of course we headed out. Big Korey did not look happy at all. He announces he is in a mood. OK, so wow, nice welcome, right? I was really looking forward to him coming home, but right at that moment, we needed to rewind. So, we unloaded all the yucky camping mess....straight down to basement. Had the washer ready and waiting for them to come home. Two loads of dirty camping clothes down, probably 4 more to go. But, at least there is no mess in the main house, just the basement, so I am all good. Little Korey said it was great to be home. He told me that I looked great! I was wondering if he had gotten him self in trouble and was trying to butter me up, because if you seen me, you would not say I looked great. I had just got done mowing the lawn, weeding the garden and picking strawberries....my hair was pulled back all funky. Then I really thought he was buttering me up, when he said, "really mom, you look great, you look like you are smaller too!" Jordan chimed in, yeah you do mom....well I know that camp must have made Korey delusional, not sure what caused Jordan's delusions because I could not have with not working out very much this week. Only 2 days of biking and one Zumba class and the intake was much more than normal due to eating on the go a lot this week as well, but it made me feel better for just a moment...
Glad they are home, and after a nice shower, Big Korey was feeling much better and was not so grumpy. He is the one who LOVES to camp.....with a bunch of Boy Scouts....really, he says he does....crazy I know. My kind of camping is at a hotel.

So, back to normal we are, all together again.