Not so Family Vacation…

It’s very weird to call going to my old home a vacation…and even if I did consider Southern California a vacation spot, Justin would have to be with us to really call it a family vacation. The kids and I had a great time but I have to admit…we missed our dad and husband. 

Day 1: Driving

Day 2: Driving, Hanging with Linsey and her adorable kids, Haley and Colin. Linsey is like a sister to me and those kids are like my niece and nephew…I love them even though I don’t know them completely. I love Linsey and so I love them.

Day 3: More driving, and then to Corona to hang with the “old” crowd from the “old” hood. We had a great time. The kids really enjoyed hanging with their old buddies. Jeremy even got to go to a birthday party while he was there so he got to see A LOT of friends from his old school.

Day 4: More Driving, back to my mom’s house to enjoy her GORGEOUS new pool and guest house. We had a great time with them. Especially the boys…I can not believe how big and mature Adam and Jonathan are. Christopher is so funny!! He still has those cute dimples that are irresistibly cute! Timothy and Benjamin are always such good friends, and uncles, to my kids…I never see much of them because they are off doing “boy stuff”.

Day 5: More driving… Down to Escondido to see Chris, Ashley, Brenlyn and Grayson. My kids were in HEAVEN!! With 5 acres, a beautiful pool and a gorgeous house, there was no shortage of things to do. A special thanks to Uncle Chris for teaching my boys to love GUNS!!! (ok…pellet guns) Wow, they had a blast!

              

               

Day6: More driving…to Redondo Beach!! Justin’s dad lives on a BOAT!! Yep, that’s right. Let me just say…we had front row seats for a great fireworks show! Happy 4th of July!

Day 7: Drive HOME!!!

As you can see, we did A LOT of driving. Despite all the time in the car, the kids were great and we really enjoyed seeing all of our friends and family!

Friends Forever

Jeremy and Dallas have been friends since the 1st grade. They like the same things…scooters, skate parks, Flip Video and YouTube.

When we moved away, Dallas always made the effort to keep in touch with Jeremy. I will always cherish hearing that little voice over the phone…”Hi Mandee, it’s Dallas. Is Jeremy there?”

Dallas’ 12th birthday was in June and all he asked for was an ailine ticket to go and see Jeremy…So that’s what he got. His mom and dad came through and granted him that wish. I think it might have been a bigger gift for Jeremy. He was so excited to show Dallas around Northern California.

I took them to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom the first day and Justin took them to a couple skate parks and did “guy stuff” They had a blast! I time that neither of them will soon forget!

Summer is Here…

I couldn’t wait for summer to be here…now Im ready for it to be over. It’s only been 1 week!! I’m so weak!!  HAHA!!

Here is is what we have been doing this week…

           

        

               

         

As you can see, summer is not as relaxing as we had hoped. Its a crazy fun life! We wouldn’t have it any other way!

  HAPPY SUMMER TO ALL!!!!

My Hero

“Some kids say that hero has a bunch of super powers, but for me would be a lot easier for my hero if he had super powers. My hero doesn’t save lives or hang out with celebrities on a regular basis. Do you know even one movie star that cares for you as much as your dad does?…Yeah, that’s what I thought. Although most kids dream of meeting their role model, I dream under the same roof as mine.

My dad and I spend all the time we can outside. From mountain biking to driving r/c trucks. Mountain biking with my dad is the ultimate adrenaline rush. Once we went when it was pouring down rain. We didn’t turn back no matter how hard we got pelted. After riding 7 miles, we ended up laughing, covered in mud from head to toe and freezing in our garage.

Driving r/c trucks with my dad is so much fun. When we race, the mood gets tense. Squinting against the blazing sun to keep our trucks on course. Even if we both lose, we still come home laughing.

If somebody could make dirt bikes that don’t cause injuries, we would have had them a long time ago. Just one problem…they don’t. Injuries and dirt bikes hold my dad and I together. Every time we go dirt biking we come home with ice packs and lots of laughs.

When we can’t be outside, we like to play video games. We don’t play Mario or Zelda. Dirt biking and skateboarding games are hardly ever taken out of the console. We laugh at every bail, fail and win.

TV is another laugh machine. We have NCIS recorded and Survivor brings out the rival in all of us. Movie night is a big hit in our house. We have a TV in every room except for the one that my dad and I spend the most time in. The garage.

Our garage is our sanctuary. Sawdust is flying everywhere when we are woodworking. Making works of art? No. We make useful contraptions for everyday use. Our mountain bikes take a lot of abuse. Without the garage, they would be in pieces. My dad also helps me fix my scooter with a plethora of tools.

All in all, my dad can’t fly and luckily he doesn’t wear tights. My dad and I come out laughing in all that we do. He is my superhero and that’s what counts. “

By Jeremy Neal

 Receiving the award from the District Superintendent  and the Principle.

 

                                 My Hero Award

 

                            Jeremy and his Hero

So proud of my boy! He writes beautifully and with so much heart.

It’s Official!

 

             Kindergarten                        6th Grade

 

My little boy is entering the first step toward being a young man. Jeremy graduated 6th grade and is off to Junior High. I am so excited, yet, at the same time, so sad. I know that there is so much to look forward to in junior high and high school. Yet, it’s hard for me to let him go.

Jeremy is precious. He has so much to offer the world. His positive energy can be felt from the other side of the room and he always has a silver lining for any circumstance.  He loves to learn new things, and has the brains to retain it all. I am so proud of all that he has already accomplished and I can not wait to see what is to come in his incredible life.

Congratulations Jeremy…Enjoy SWEET SUCCESS!

 

The walk to the stage

 

Jeremy with Mrs. Wolmuth

 

Jeremy and Mom

 

 

Jeremy and Dad

 

 

Handsome

 

Cute!

 

 

And…my personal favorites!!

Silly Jeremy!

 

A Day out on the Ranch

 

It’s almost the last day of 3rd grade and Kaitlyn’s class had a field trip to their teacher’s HOUSE! Now how often does that happen? Mrs. Johnson and her husband live on a Ranch with rolling hills, a barn, a tractor, donkeys and horses. She invited her whole class for an entire day of farm fun. The kids had a blast. What an amazing opportunity, not to mention the absolutely gorgeous weather.

 

Getting Better all the Time

 

We were young and optimistic. What could possibly go wrong? After all, we had a plan…we were going to get married, get an apartment and start a family. Everything was going to be perfect.

 

                 

Right?

Well, lets just say that it is a really good thing that we were so naive.  It hasn’t always been easy, but, it has always been worth it.

                 

I don’t like to share. I have a strong opinion about, well, everything and I’m an awful roommate before 10am. But he loves me anyway and I love him too. We have had so much fun in the last 13 years and I can’t wait for what will come our way in the future. Happy Anniversary Mr. Neal!