A New Start

I know, I know!  It has been well over a year since my last post and it was something that I had found and posted, not something I wrote.  I am always reading my sisters posts but never take the time to write my own.  Why, you may ask?  First of all, compared to their posts mine would be quite boring, so who would want to read mine?  Second, my computer crashed and I lost every picture I had taken the last 4 years, so I had/have no photos to post (no, I never backed anything up, stupid).  I know, I still cry about it, but it's time to move on.  I have the best I T person working on my hard drive trying to retrieve my data.  She has retrieved a few things but not all yet.  I have confidence in Dianna!!  Love you girl!  So, this is my day to start anew.  I am getting my camera back out and start snapping again (I want a new one by the way), and if no one reads it, oh well.  Their loss :)

This summer is going by sooooo fast!!  I don't want to blink anymore, I'm too scared to.  So far this summer, Caine spent several weeks at basketball practice for a Team Basketball Camp with North Lincoln Middle & High School at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC.  In four days, his team played 11 games and won all of them but three.  He didn't always get his play time, but when he did, he proved himself and the last two days, he was playing every game.  He earned his spot and I am proud of him for that.  It was hard for me to hear, "I set the bench" on text updates, but it is a part of learning and earning.  I am also proud of him because this was his first time away from home without parents/grandparents.  He did well!!  During this time of him being away I also began to realize...my baby is growing up!  I am having a hard time dealing with this now.  While he was gone, we received several text updates (when I text him first) but only 2, yes, 2 phone calls that we placed TO HIM.  Those phone calls went a little something like this...
Caine:  Hey
Kevin:  What are you doing?
Caine:   Having a dunking contest...I gotta go
Kevin:  Well are you having fun?
Caine:  Yes
Kevin:  How was your games today?
Kid in the background:  Caine is that your girlfriend?
Another kid in the background:  Caine loves you!
Caine:  Shut up!!  They were good.  I gotta go
Kevin:  Well, ok, I get it you don't want to talk to me
Caine:  I'm busy
Kevin:  Ok, well, Call your mom tomorrow
Caine:   Yeah, OK
Kevin:  I love you
Caine:  Luv ya too, Bye
Seriously?  Ok, so I thought it was rude of him and yes I understand he was really busy at 11pm at night when We called him.  I wasn't the only one who got the same treatment from their kid.  So I didn't feel quite as bad, but I did have to give him a speech on how not to be so rude to us.  Just another sign that the teenage years are upon us.

Tori has just been hanging out with me this summer.  She did have choreography for cheerleading for 3 days.  This is her 4th year with Cheer Xplosion Allstars.  She is a crossover this year so she will be on the Mini team and she got to move up to the Junior team.  She found the routine much more difficult, but that is good!  Her tumbling has improved the last month as well!  She is so stinkin close to a back handspring it isn't funny.  I can't wait till competitions begin.  That's when I am always surprised, seeing them perform is just amazing to me.  It always gives me cold chills!

As I write this, I am waiting on them to get home.  Sunday night, Kevin and I took them to Nana & Papaw Tom's.  Nana took them to Dollywood on Monday.  I have had 3 days alone and I have to say I miss them and can't wait for them to walk in the door!  The silence is deafening to me now.  I didn't realize how I had come to love the loudness and ruckus of our household.  I know they have had a blast and can't wait to hear about their adventures and see the pictures. 

Now that I have written a novel to catch you up, I'm signing off. 
Lots O' Love
Joy