We DID It!!!

I have been waiting a VERY and do I mean a VERY LONG time to make this blog post. Yesterday, Michael graduated from Nursing Anesthesia school at Union University. And what an awesome feeling it is to FINALLY be done!! He still needs to take the dreaded boards to officially certify, but that wont take place for another week or so.

This weekend has been full of graduation festivities. Friday night (07/29/2011)...Mike's Anesthesia class had a private party/ceremony. Mike's dad was able to come down and attend that with us. Also my parents were able to drive in from Charlotte, along with Mike's mom and step dad for the weekend to also attend the graduation festivities.

Kim, Mike, Lynz

Mike and his dad in front of Union's Bell Tower

Mike pictured with his buddy, Chuck. They survived the program together!!

Me and Amy (Chuck's wife)...happy that its FINALLY over!!!

Friday night's ceremony was a fancy event. They had 2 of these cakes made with all the people's graduating from the program pictures printed on it.

Mike is on the very bottom right...it was a pretty good cake, and we even got to eat his "face"

All the students...again, bottom right is Mike.

At the ceremony, they highlighted everyone personally in the class. There's my handsome man having his moment.

On Saturday, the actual graduation took place. It took place at this huge Baptist Church here in town. It was one of the best college graduations I have been to. 1) My man was graduating, but 2) the ceremony was done and over with all within an hour and 10 minutes. It was AWESOME!! It really was a very nice ceremony.

Yes...that is the inside of the church! HUGE!

Mike amongst the crowd...I was annoyed b/c he was sitting by this big ole' dude who was TALL and blocking my view

After receiving his diploma...yeah, he was just a tad bit excited! I took a video of him actually walking across the stage.....

Me and my Graduate

Mike with his buddy Chuck

The whole gang... Ladd, Sally, Lynz Mike, Sharon, Ray

Mike with his mom and step dad, Ray

Us pictured with the girls afterward....

We are so glad that these 31 months are OVER. I am ever so proud of Michael. He has worked so so hard these past 31 months...and he continues to do so. HAPPY GRADUATION, Baby. WE DID IT!!!!!!!

I have some news...

but I cant officially announce it yet. I know...the suspense is probably killing you, GOOD!! You are just gonna have to wait a bit.

I apologize that I have been slack lately about blogging. But my life right now consist of packing, packing, and more packing. We leave Tennessee in about a week! CRAZY!!! Life is good. I have my brother, Nicholas here helping me watch the girls and pack up our house while Mike studies for his boards since he graduates THIS SATURDAY!! HAL-LE-FLIPPIN-LU-JAH!!! I will update soon. PROMISE PROMISE!

Its Pretty Much A Done Deal

I have already posted this on Facebook, so for you facebookers out there, you get to hear it twice (get over it).

Movers are set, a place is found to rent, a start date for Michael has been set. Its pretty much a done deal, we are FINALLY graduating school and MOVING!! Starting the real world. We are actually going to be having an income (whats that??)!!! After a LONG LONG and I mean LONG 31 months, we are moving on. Where might you be asking?? Michael has gotten a job at a Surgery Center in Rochester, New York and we are more than thrilled about it! Sure, it snows there, they actually have 4 seasons--whatever those are, and worse of all its Yankee Country--we will do our best not to convert. But we are so thrilled about this new opportunity we have to go up there and to start our new lives. Rochester is a GREAT area with lots to do, nice people, and some great tourist sites! Feel free to come visit us and stay a bit! We are 25 minutes from Palmyra, New York for all my LDS peoples out there (and non LDS people). We are about 65 miles from Niagra Falls, right on Lake Ontario, about 10 - 15 miles from the gorgeous Finger Lakes, and just a few short hours from the Adirondack Mountains. Goodness, we are gonna have to look into getting us a boat!

So as you can see, lots of things to do and lots of places to see. Again, we are more than thrilled to get on up there. We are moving out of Tennessee the first week of August, although I have mixed emotions about leaving Jackson....I am more than anxious to move on. Jackson has been great to us---even though I have complained about it a lot. I love the people here, our little Zoey was born here, and the hubs was able to go to school here so that he can provide a better life for us. Thank you Tennessee for being so great to us. We will surely miss you. But HELLLLLOOOOOO New York!! Bring it!!

Proud To Be an American

What an awesome day to be an American...of course every day is, but today it is super awesome! I absolutely love the 4th of July. I love the BBQ's, the fireworks, and the coming together of everyone. What an awesome country we live in! Although Obama is running our country into the ground---we wont get into that. (sorry Democrats, but you kind of suck right now). ANYWAYS, I am so grateful to live in this great Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. Thank you to those of you serving or who have served for our country. We are forever grateful for you. Hope everyone has had a great 4th of July. We sure did!

Our small festivities started out the night of July 3rd--- 4th of July Eve. We busted out some sparklers for Addison which she LOVED! What kid doesnt love sparklers?? I still love them! Addison had a blast running around the yard and dancing with them until she tripped and landed RIGHT on her sparkler and got a pretty nasty burn on her neck...WHOOPS! We were just glad that her hair didnt start on fire :/ YIKES!

Addie with her Sparkler

This picture defines Addison's personality....

More twirling...obviously before her fall

The morning of the 4th of July...we headed over to our Church for a Pancake Breakfast. We were greeted by decent food and the humidity. After eating breakfast, they had a kid's parade where all the kids were able to ride their bikes around the parking lot. The kids were supposed to decorate their bikes for the "parade" and I must say, Addison's totally rocked the house!! She totally had the best decorated bike...too bad there was no judging going on b/c we would have for sure won it! Anyways....

Here's Zoey wishing she could be in the parade...it was kind of a chaotic parade with kids racing around on their bikes in the parking lot, Zoey would have gotten ran over! So she got to sit on the sidelines cheering for her sister.

Here's Addison riding her bike in the parade...she was oh so adorable!

After the Church Pancake breakfast, we headed home to chill out for a bit before heading over to our friends Chuck and Amy's house to grill out and do some fireworks....before we left, we had some photo-ops going on.

Arent they cutest???? I sure think so!!

Zoey showing off her American Pride

Addison with her American Pride and "blankey"

Zoey hanging out "redneck" style at Chuck and Amy's

The girls got to do some more sparklers....their favorite part of the night

Zoey with her first sparkler....with a little help from Mom of course

Her face says it all!

Happy 4th of July, everybody! God Bless America!!

Chuck E Cheeses (again)

So we may another trip to Chuck E Cheeses last week...it really has been awhile since we have been. I had some pretty good coupons to use up so we went and just played games. We didnt feel like wasting money on their pizza b/c 1) its overpriced and 2) its gross and really isnt worth the high cost.

SOOOooo we took the girls in, played some games, and scored some sweet prizes---thank you to the nice chuck e cheese worker who really could careless and kept giving the girls extra toys just b/c she could....they got WAY beyond what their tickets were worth. It was a pretty sweet score for us.

I got some cute pictures of the girls, so here they are:

Both girls riding in the car with Chuck

Addison on her FAVORITE ride! I think she uses more than half the tokens on this darn horse

Zoey wasnt too sure about the bus

She started to like it towards the end of the ride, THAT or she was like get me off of this thing! I wasnt sure, I am just gonna go with that "she started to like it at the end" option

Addison and her skeet ball skills....they were pretty scary, yet entertaining

Zoey was obessed with the dancing Chuck E Cheese...it was pretty cute. She was running to him to give him hugs...

Heres both girls checking him out...

Thanks Chuck for yet, another good time!! Until next time!!!



**PS: did anybody else notice it was already JULY today???? HOLY COW!!!