Braylen's Band Trip, part 1

18 months ago we started planning Braylen's trip with the band to Philadelphia and New York City. May 25th, 2016 felt like a long ways away back then. Of course time always goes faster than we think it will, and here we are!

Band has been a great experience for Braylen. He's enjoyed playing percussion, and the drum line in high school was somewhat close-knit. It gave him a place to belong while adjusting to high school life. That being said, he's decided to end his band career at the conclusion of this trip. What a way to go out with a bang! :)

Since I didn't go along on the trip, this blog post will be mainly pictures. He sent us lots and lots of pictures every day he was gone. I loved it. When I went to Europe as a 17-almost-18-year-old-girl, my poor parents only heard from me once--when I used a phone card to call them from Paris. What a different world we live in now.

I saved Braylen's itinerary, and he shared lots of his experiences with us during the drive on our family vacation. So, here's the story of his trip from my view!

May 25th, 2016

Loading the buses at 3:30AM

Airport shuttle

Braylen photobombing his sponsor and her son

Passing the time at the airport

Great group!

Doing the dab of course!

First look at NYC skyline

May 26th, 2016

Today they visited a high school in New Jersey, where both bands played together. Braylen learned that kids in NJ don't get their drivers license until 17, and they go to school until June 24th. Ugh! Later on this day, they toured Princeton University. At night, they went bowling and played laser tag.

Braylen's standing in back in the white shirt, playing the bass drum I think.

At Princeton

The whole band and the sponsors

At the fun center

May 27th, 2016

Today they went to Philadelphia and visited the National Constitution Center, and then the Reading Terminal Market for lunch. Braylen had a Philly Cheesesteak, and he and his friends shared their table with a homeless man. This man shared parts of his story with the group, and they ended up giving him the food they weren't able to finish. In the afternoon, they toured the Kimmel Center of the Performing Arts, returned to Independence National Historical Park to play an afternoon concert, and had dinner at Ruby Tuesday's in Philadelphia. Braylen was pretty excited this his sponsor group was the only group that made time to visit the Liberty Bell after their concert. Since it closed at 5:00, they cut it close--and the other groups missed it! He worked up an appetite and had a rack of ribs, fries, and a sundae. Whew!

Philadelphia

2500 seats, $265 million, 32 ton organ, largest concert hall in USA, named after Sydney Kimmel

Lookin fly

Concert in Philly

Endings

Today is our last day of school. I know I never wrote about March, April, or May. I wish I did. But for today, I want to write about today.

Braylen is in his last day as a sophomore in high school. Our city is building a new high school, and when he returns as a junior, it will be in a brand new building, in a different part of town. It will be wonderful, I'm sure. But we have so many memories in this old high school. Derek and his siblings went there. Derek worked there for 7 years as the SRO. (Those were some challenging, yet fulfilling, years!) Braylen entered those doors as a brand new freshman, and exits them as our son who is exactly halfway through his high school years. It's surreal to think this is it for the good old KHS. Braylen's grown up so much in 2 years, with his 16th birthday being the dividing line between young son and young man. There's a definite distinction of dependence and independence around that time of his life. It took me a few months to adjust, and who am I kidding? I'm still adjusting to it.

Kaleb quietly zoomed through 3 years of middle school. How on earth? While I've been so enamored with Braylen's firsts and Aaron's lasts, Kaleb was living his present. Did I miss it? Was I present with him in his present? I hope so. He's excelled academically, no questions there. He's a friend to all, which has its blessings, but can sometimes be a lonely place to be. He's endured some hurts with friendships that I wish I could take away, but for whatever reasons, these experiences passed through God's hands and are shaping Kaleb's character. I'm so infinitely proud of Kaleb, I feel like I could just burst. He'll walk out of his middle school for the last time today, and begin his summer as an incoming high school freshman.

And then there's Aaron. I could write for hours about our elementary years. Oh, how I've loved them so. Aaron's first year in that school was the only year I had all 3 of my boys together in one building. It truly was a golden year for me as their mother. What a memorable kindergarten year Aaron had! Derek and I watched him swing on the swings at his 3:00 recess, and linger a little longer than most parents, because we knew this was our last one. I remember it like it was yesterday. And then...1st grade shocked us all with the hardest year ever--Aaron's seizure year. When I think of his 1st grade teacher, I think of the many times she reported to me how Aaron did each day--when he blanked out, when he lost his place reading aloud, when he struggled to learn the moves to his music program because his seizures kept making him lose his place, when he needed me to come and bring him a change of clothes. My heart broke for him as he struggled to adjust to countless medication changes and side effects and on and on it went. But his teacher was so patient, tender, and kind. Aaron's class was her first class, as she was a brand new teacher. And yet, she blessed me in ways she'll probably never know.

Thankfully, the rest of Aaron's elementary years were better. The seizures went away, his grades and test scores soared, and time flew by. I loved walking with him through each grade level, knowing this was our last time. With each class project, I remembered what his brothers did. And I loved watching Aaron do it his way. I said yes as often as I could, spent as much time at the school as I could. This was my last chance to soak up these years as a mom with a son in elementary school, and I wanted to have no regrets.

So here we are, saying goodbye to three schools today. So much is ending. Every year, on the last day of school, I pick out a song for the summer. I play it in the van when I pick the kids up. It's always a fun, upbeat song, because school's out and it's time to party!!! This year I picked, "God is on the Move" by 7th Time Down.

Here's to all of today's endings, and all the beginnings that lie ahead--God is on the move!!!

Aaron & Mr. Seeba

Aaron and his best buddies

They're all wearing their 5th grade shirts! :)

The real boys

Last day of 10th grade

Last day of 5th & 8th grades

The last award at a Meadowlark assembly

Aaron's Golden Birthday

Someday I hope to write about March and April. I'll probably call it that--March & April. But for today, it's all I can do to write about Aaron's birthday!

He's 12 on the 12th--my second golden birthday boy. Poor Kaleb has to wait until he's 30!

I started this tradition with Braylen when he turned 11 on the 11th, and figured it worked pretty well back then--I might as well carry it on now. 12 gold coins taped to 12 wrapped gifts for our golden birthday boy.

He opened one gift before going to school this morning, and his day was off to a great start! His teacher gave him a bag of candy and let him sit in a swivel chair at his desk for the day. Aaron liked that a lot. Derek ate lunch with him yesterday, since that's the day that worked best for our schedules. It ended up being a much-needed thing for Aaron, since recess time was especially frustrating for him. So at lunch today, I slipped a happy birthday note in his lunch box and called it the best I could do. :)

After school, I picked him up and told him I would take him anywhere he wanted to go for a birthday treat. I figured he would pick somewhere to get a chocolate shake, and I was right. He slurped up every single drop! He's always a chatterbox after school, so I really like to spend as much time with him as possible while he's willing to talk.

Derek planned to go in late to work tonight so we could have a family birthday dinner. Aaron wanted me to make his aunt's recipe of sesame ribs, so that is what I did. They were every bit as good as he hoped!

Of course he loved opening all of his presents, talking on the phone with our family, and eating cake. When Aaron and I spent a week together in San Diego, he discovered how much he likes churros. Well, I found a recipe for a cinnamon churro cake, and it was delicious! Derek put the candles in his cake--can you tell?

I love this picture, because he's not smiling for the camera. He's simply smiling!

I really can't believe my youngest son is 12. We live our lives day by day, and don't think much of the time going by. But then we reach milestones like birthdays, and everything seems to happen all at once. Like Aaron turned 12 years old all in one day, when in reality, he turned 12 one day at a time.

As a new 12 year old, Aaron is goofy. He's emotional. His moods are all over the place, and yet--he still picks a few dandelions for me and puts them in my vase. He's almost a middle schooler. If there's a way to get out of doing any work around the house, he will find it. He doesn't love responsibility. Not. At. All. He's such a youngest child--playful, lazy, and happy-go-lucky at times. At other times, he's Mr. Gloom and Doom. Like I said--his moods are all over the place.

I love him. I love him so much. Happy Birthday, Golden Boy. Today has been a golden day. I am tucking the memories of today in a corner of my heart where you will never grow up, and you will always bring me a dandelion in spring.

Two Months In

Today is Leap Day--wasn't it just New Year's Day?

Last time we had a 2/29 on the calendar, I spent it in San Diego with my friend Rachel. Sadly, on this Leap Day, I am not in California. It's just another Monday in February.

Or is it? 

On 2/21, I found out Heather, a friend of mine from college, died in her home, along with her husband and their 4 children. Carbon monoxide poisoning. I've spent the past week thinking of nothing else. I've prayed for her surviving family, especially my friend Rhonda, her husband Greg, and their 3 sons. Heather and Rhonda are twins. I can't imagine how Rhonda must feel. There are no words.

So, "just another day" here on this earth? I don't think so. I'm thankful for my life--in California with a friend, or at home with my family. I'm humbly grateful.

We're two months in to 2016. Derek's on nights now. We turned in Kaleb's class registration papers for high school. High School! Braylen's JUNIOR class registration happens next week. Aaron's flying towards the end of elementary school. Tonight in his prayer, he prayed for summer vacation to come soon. Umm, as much as I love summer, this 4th quarter of school can go by very slowly, thank you! 

We just spent this entire weekend processing deer meat from the fall and winter hunts. Saturday was the fun day, since Rebekah and Shawn and the kids came over for the day. Sunday was the not so fun day--cooking sausage and jerky all day. The smells were overpowering for me, and if I see another raw sausage link, it will be much too soon. And yet--we're thankful for the meat, the memories, and the together time!

Speaking of together time...here's a few pictures to help me remember January and February, 2016. Or maybe more than a few! ;)

A day at the cabin in January

Derek was a Watch D.O.G. dad for a day at Aaron's school.
Derek is such a great daddy! We're going to miss our elementary school.

A beautiful sunset with lots of pink and purple. My favorite!

Aaron's wearing the sweater Braylen used to love wearing to church.
They look like such nice brothers in this picture. Haha!

I found this drive-in movie set, created by Kaleb. It made me happy.
Someday soon I imagine I won't find these things around the house anymore.

Ginger looks like she's pouting, but she's leaning in for
a belly rub from Braylen.

Our Thin Blue Line family painting, since we're all part of the police family.

Finally raking leaves...on January 30th. A big storm is coming...

The kids had 3 snow days from this blizzard!

Our house on the day after the storm

Kaleb is King of the Mountain!

Ginger Girl

Pam and I both wore our NFL shirts to the Superbowl party.
Maybe someday we'll have a Bears-Colts rematch!

Every morning, Kaleb wears his robe and slippers to breakfast.
He's like a little old man in a 14 year old body. :)

Valentines Day party with our closest friends! We rented a 15 passenger van and
had a progressive dinner. Party games were included, and we had a BLAST!

Kaleb looks like Derek in this picture!!!

At the last home basketball game in The Old Barn.

I love 11 year old boys. They're so silly.

We came home and they played basketball in the dark. Aaron wore his headlight. :)

Kaleb played 8th grade basketball this year. He loved it!

He's almost as tall as me.

The 2016 meat party!

Happy Leap Day 2016! An extra day in our year. I love it. To celebrate, I chatted with my cousin Katherine on FaceTime for almost 2 hours, and let the kids play on the Wii and watch Netflix. It was great! We had lots to catch up on, and the kids never interrupted us. A win-win! And with that, I'll say goodnight. :)