Boating

Boating this year has been kind of a bummer for me. There's not much you can do when your 6-7 months pregnant, other than swim around the boat. But it was fun to see Braxton's progression with his wakeboarding. It seems like he went from getting up to jumping the wake overnight. Oh to be young again! Braxton doin his stuff.While Jarom and Liina were here we were able to go out on the boat a couple of times. Jarom and Mike Crosby getting ready to tube......I don't know who has more fun, those out on the tube or Mike trying to make them crash...

Jarom getting some wakeboarding in, not to shabby.

Swett little Hailey

Independance Day

4th of July, Mike's favorite holiday. This year was no different than past years....food, friends, family and fireworks. We made the trip up to South Carolina to pick fireworks for Mike's show. It's sickening how much money Mike puts out for this, year after year. It's so funny how excited he becomes, it's like a kid at Christmas.

Jarom, Liina and Hannele were able to get away from their busy lives in South Carolina and come up for the weekend and witness the show. We had our good friends, the Maddox's my sister Kristine and her family join us as well. It was a lot of fun for the kids as well as the adults. Only one mishap this year, when a firework tipped over just before igniting and shooting at a neighbors car.....................it just wouldn't be the same if some kind of close call didn't occur. Jarom showing his American spirit and his cougar allegiance.

This is my favorite picture....Mike helping Noah shoot off a roman candle.....it almost looks like a small cannon going off.

This is another good picture....yes, it's still light outside. The kids had been pestering all night to do sparkler, so Mike gave in and let them do some of them. In the picture is Mike Maddox, who is very cautious about things, so he made the kids line up with their sparklers and wouldn't let them move for fear they would either burn themselves or someone else, it was pretty funny.

Hailey and Hannele enjoying a Popsicle. Hailey loved spending time with Hannele, it was like having a little sister....not sure if it was reciprocated.

A sample of Mike's show.

Visitors from the West....

Well, miracle of miracles.....my sister Stacy and her family finally came out to the South to visit. I've lived in Georgia for 11 years now and Stacy has never been able to come out and see where I live, so we were excited that they were able to come. Being pregnant, I was worried that I wasn't going to be the best hostess, but hopefully they had a good time. We were able to tube down the Chattahoochee, do some boating (until the boat brokedown) and even make a trip out to Charleston, to visit Jarom and Liina. Braxton and Hailey had so much fun spending time with all of their cousins. All in all it was a fun filled week. Hanging out at the beach in SC
Zach, Anna, Amanda, Braxton, Kayla and Hailey

A little shark, a fisherman caught in the harbor.

Hailey and Amanda boogie boarding.

Zach, Braxton and Anna.

We were also able to have another one of my sister's, Kerry and her daughter, Elsa come out and visit for a week. Kristine's son, Noah was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the beginning of the summer, and Kerry, being the sweet sister she is, wanted to come out and try to alleviate some of the stress and chaos for her. Between all of that, we were able to do some fun things; lots of time at the pool, boating (Kerry even got up on the wake board), and stone mountain. I realize that we live on the other side of the country from most of my family and that it's not so easy to come out here, so we appreciate and enjoy the times when they can.

Scout Camp

Every summer is started off with Scout camp. Braxton looks forward to this week filled with sports, crafts and scouting activities and just hanging out with his buddies. When I first put him in scout camp the person in charge accidentally put him in a den a year ahead, so he's always been with the older boys and because of that, this year was his last year. He was sad, but ready to move on. I am just happy I don't have to go to another closing program of cheesey songs and super long skits. Brax in all his garb.
Getting his awards.

Learning to ride a bike.

Hailey has decided that it's time for the training wheels to be removed and to learn to ride her bike, "like a big girl". So Mike took her out and they practiced over and over out on the front lawn. It was so hot and humid that by the time they came inside they were both dripping wet. After that training episode, both of the tires on her bike went flat and we decided that her bike is too small for her. So, until we get her a new bike, the lessons are on hold. Thank goodness, cause it's too hot to teach her now anyway. Yay, Hailey!
Even when she falls, she's still smiling.

Look at that concentration!

Preschool Graduation

She did it! Hailey is now officially done with preschool...........YAY!! She is so excited to go to the "big school" with Braxton. Because of the age difference, this will be the only year that they ever go to the same school. I'm just excited to not have to pay tuition anymore............well for a few years. Hailey and some of her class mates singing at their graduation program. Which was about 1 hr 45min long. Mike LOVED it! She was able to do the "graduation walk" and receive her graduation certificate.

Growing up too fast!

Grandma's visit

Grandma Cheryl came down for a week, to visit and see the kids in their various activities. They were so excited to have her here. They always enjoy it when grandparents come and visit.

Dance recital and gymnastics jubilee

End of the school year means dance recitals and the gymnastics jubilee. First came the dance recital, this year's theme was "Alice in Wonderland". Hailey was so excited to "dance on the big stage", it was all she could talk about for weeks. Grandma Hanson was able to see her practice her numbers, before the show and Grandma Cheryl was able to come down to the performance. She had a ballet number and a tap number this year and she actually looked like she knew what she was doing. The cast....Hailey is all the way to the right.

Braxton giving her "good job" flowers.

Grandma Cheryl and Hailey

On the drive home, all tuckered out.

And now to the gymnastics jubilee. This is Hailey's 3rd year in gymnastics and this year it seems like she's starting to be able to do things on her own, so it was fun to watch her show us what she's learned.

Hailey and Gabby

Go Mini-team!

Baseball

This spring Braxton was part of the Marlin's baseball team. In the past, Braxton's always been a little rusty at the beginning of the season, but by the middle he really get's his groove. This year it really didn't take that long before he got the hang of things. The coach put him on third and he rocked! Braxton became a pro at getting the kids out at third. Very rarely did a ball get past him. And he has such a good arm, and can throw far and hard. It was really fun to watch him play. He was awarded the "game" ball three times this season. Baseball ready
Braxton is always one of the bigger kids on the team, and he has such upper body strength, that when he connects with the ball, look out.......he got a double with this hit.

Spring Break 2010

Spring Break was once again spent down in West Palm, Florida. We always love going down there. It's warm, sunny and the beaches are beautiful. Grandma Cheryl and Grandpa Dave were unable to go down this year, so we met up with our friends the Maddox's. We had a great time relaxing and playing on the beach. I still had my "morning sickness" which kind of put a damper on things, but it was still very enjoyable.

Braxton starting to build a sandcastle

Hailey enjoying her candy

Braxton and Mike

Mike worked on his sand castle for about an hour. Which became a hill of sand with a moat around it. There were jelly fish all over the beach, so he thought it would be funny to put one on top of the sandcastle to "guard" it. Well, hailey ended up touching the jelly fish and was stung, Dads......

Two of the days, we took a ferry out to "peanut Island". When the tide goes out you can walk out a ways to a large sand bar and find all kinds of sea creatures. Braxton would collect them and then make a little aquarium, to he could observe them.

Hailey and I on the ferry on our way back to the main land.

Braxton in the ferry
Mike Braxton and Hailey on the sand bar.....Mike is lounging on a beach chair and the kids are exploring.

We did a little bit of snorkeling while we were there....there isn't really much to see, but Mike did find this tiny octopus. It was about half the size of my hand and as you can see the color of sand, so how he found it, beats me.

Easter 2010

This year we did things a little different.....we had the Easter bunny visit the day before Easter. That way we could fully focus on what Easter is really about on Sunday. The kids woke up to Easter baskets and eggs hidden around the house. They were very excited to what the bunny had brought and had a good time looking for the eggs. Brax and Hailey with the goods

Hailey's preschool class had an Easter party and an easter egg hunt, before the holiday break.

Hailey and Gabby find several uses for their baskets.....