The Sheridan Tribe

I decided to choose a few pics from each month to describe our year...and soon after starting, I realized why I am always exhausted...we NEVER SLOW down...but LIFE IS GOOD!!!!

Here is Part One...December 2011-June 2012

December 2011

Last December, all I wanted for Christmas was a picture of all four of my grandchildren.hey didn't cooperate but I love the photos anyway..and especially love that my children went to such lengths to give me what I wanted...on their own they worked out a way to get them together (from 3 different cities) and made it happen! I love my children.

Do you recognize Santa's helper?

We LOVED having Andrew and Tiffany for Christmas!!!

We bought a new tree and tried to make it look bigger by putting it on a box!!!

Kalib always loves guns of any kind!

Andrew LOVED the guns his Daddy Tom gave him!!!

Heather loves holding Kinsley but Nolan wasn't too sure about that...

I love that Walker and Kinsley are growing up so close!

January - March 2012

Sarah Beth had to have oral surgery in January...she took this extremely seriously and during the pre-surgery appointment, she presented her doctor with a list of questions...that's my girl!!! I have a friend who is a surgeon and he asked for a copy to put in his office. Gotta love SB!!

Questions
1. Will you put me to sleep?
2. How long will I be out of school?
3. What kind of care will I need after? (ummm...your mama is a pediatric nurse...)
4. When will I get to eat again? seriously love this one!!!
5. What kind of food can I eat after? (is she kin to me or WHAT???)
6. Will you give me medicine for pain?
7. How long will I be in pain?
8. Will I have stitches?
9. Will I be bleeding a lot after?
10. Will I have cotton in my mouth?
11. Will I be a sleep when it is over and when I get home?
12. How long until I’m back to normal?
13. How many people have you done this to that are my age?
14. How long is the surgery going to take?
15. Will I wake up during the surgery?

February means girlfriend trip...and we get silly!! Here is Brenda 'pole dancing'...okokok...she was trying to take a pic of a Palmetto Fabricator's jobsite...but we had so much fun teasing her...I love my girlfriends...Jackie, Lauralan, Brenda, Lyn, and Pamelia. It's killing me that I probably will not have enough PTO to take off for the 2013 trip...but I keep hoping I can work it out!! The trip means the world to me and I look forward to hanging out with these girls all year!!

Peter came in February and oversaw a scout campout so Connor could get his tenderfoot. I love having 5 1/2 acres to allow us to have all kinds of backyard activities! Peter made each boy put up and take down that huge tent...and I was really glad about that on another camping trip when none of the adults had a clue how to set it up so Connor took over and had it up in no time!

Speaking of Peter, we found out in February that he won a total of 3 "Cali" awards in his first semester of law school...it's a big deal in law school and means you had the top grade in your class! My lawyer friends tell me earning even one during your whole three years is a major accomplishment..woot woot Peter!

Connor played rec BB and even though he was tiny, he was according to his coach, a "scrappy" player...always appearing out of nowhere exactly where the ball was...comes from years of playing with grown brothers who cut you NO SLACK.

I LOVE being a counselor in Young Women. Here are some of my sweet girls as we hiked the dam over Lake Murray. LOVE these girls!

My sweet hubby sent me gorgeous flowers for Valentine's day. If you know him, you know he squeezes every penny and would never pay a florist to deliver roses on Valentine's Day...but he wanted me to have them at work so he brought them up very early and talked someone into taking them to my office so they would be there when I came in and everyone would THINK they were delivered by a florist...gotta love my man!! and I do!

We had fun at a Lexington County Clemson Club rally. These coaches were a hoot!!

We took a trip to Charleston to visit Peter, Ellen, and Walker. We shopped and spent some time at one of Charleston's many parks!! I LOVE how my girls all love each other (missing Heather and Tiff!)

Sarah Beth had her first cheer competition...LOVE how LaNelle and Kinsley showed their support! Hate that she looks so grown up! When we saw this pic, we all realized for the first time how very much SB looks like LaNelle!

As always, we all got involved in the political process and even though our candidate lost, I am proud that we tried so hard to bring real change. Love these two kids!!

I bought a new car in March...it was really hard for me to NOT buy a minivan but we drive 50+ miles to and from work each day and needed a vehicle with better gas mileage. I had put off making the decision for 2 years but when we were offered such an AWESOME deal on this brand new Sonata, I happily gave in...don't you just love it????? Can you see the oil stains from my old clunking van??

Sarah Beth and Connor's elementary school held etiquette classes followed by a formal dinner. Can you tell that LaNelle had a hand in the hair and makeup??

Sarah Beth had a cheer competition in Columbia and since LaNelle had just had surgery, my friend Jackie and her girls came to support SB. Mazeigh is so dang cute!!

Patti came too...love my girls!!

Sweet Mary Beth rocked SB's team colors and even pitched in and did hair for some of the girls

The first quarter of 2012 ended with a birthday celebration for our sweet Kinsley! It is hard to believe she is a year old and even harder to imagine our lives with out her in it! Starting out like her Mama, we celebrated all week...first with a Minnie cake on her actual birthday and then a huge party!!

LaNelle made a banner with a pic for every month of Kinsley's life!

BFFs with future BFFs

so many friends came to celebrate!

April - June 2012

Love this photo of me and my sweet husband on Easter Sunday! I was and am a LOT bigger than I look in this picture but hey! I will take it!!! We left after Church for Charleston!

Now that's a good looking group of kids!! Wish Heather and Andrew and their families could have joined us but was so happy to have most of my family together for Easter...especially in beautiful Charleston which will always be one of my favorite places on earth!

Ellen cooked an awesome Easter Dinner!!! (love the chickadee deviled eggs)

This photo of Walker should be on a magazine cover!

Again, it melts my heart that Ellen and LaNelle are BFF and are actually as close as sisters...which of course they are! Their bond reminds me so much of the relationship my mama had with my aunt Sissie. LOVE IT and love these two girls!

SB's final cheer competition was in Myrtle Beach over Spring Break...we had so much fun at Springmaid

SB worked on her handstand

LaNelle proving she can still do a whatever this is...

Kinsley worked on her tan...

Connor spent every second he could fishing!

and the dynamic duo loved playing together!!!

a small portion of SB's fan club

After the competition we visited my sister Kim and my great nephew Thomas joined the fun!

Peter and Jacob have always been buddies...it was good to see them enjoy each other and their sons!

Okay this is a very bad picture but the story is great. Connor's teacher was nominated for teacher of the year and when he was announced the district winner, his entire class stormed the stage and there wasn't a dry eye in the audience.

The 5th grade at RBES took a field trip to the Isle of Palms and I was excited to join SB and J Conn on their last elementary field trip. It was an eco tour of the barrier islands and it was AWESOME!!!!

Connor's best bud William who had to move as soon as school was over...we miss him! After lunch, we went to Ft Moultrie on Sullivan's Island. So many of the children were in awe of the islands and the boat and the crab pots and shells...normal beach stuff but so many of the children had never seen a beach...made me so grateful for the opportunity to grow up in and near the lowcountry!

SB ignored me most of the day (LaNelle was the chaperon for her class). I did get one pic of her class

In May, Pete and I joined Mama and Gramps for a weekend trip to Charleston. It was one of the most FUN weekends I have ever had! This will be a yearly tradition!!

I LOVED spending adult time with my mom!!

Gramps loved visiting the Yorktown

The Vietnam area was sobering...

On the way to Fort Sumter...a little kid came up and asked if he could shake Gramps' hand and thanked him for his military service...we both cried!!

Love this view from Ft Sumter

Gramps kept us laughing!!

We hated checking out of our swanky suite at Church Street Inn

Gramps and Pete waiting patiently while we shopped at the market

No trip to Charleston is complete without a carriage ride!

We celebrated Patti's birthday in May with a sugar free trifle (her choice)

I know it's almost summer when we clean up the back porch,

plant a garden,

celebrate Mother's Day

and OPEN the POOL!!!!!

Connor ran in his first 5K

which meant his Dad reverted to race day pacing...

but all was well because he ran like Andrew Sheridan

won his age division

and loaded up on doughnuts for the ride home!

Kalib graduated from kindergarten

Connor won the special "Coach Mark Gerald Award" for leadership and "NEVER EVER giving up"

and the twins graduated from RBES

I finished formal schooling forever when I earned my MSN and won the "Outstanding Student" award and got to speak at my graduation...FUN!!!!

After much thought (and many pleas), I gave in and we added "Bowers' (as in Daquan Bowers...Tiger Defensive End) to our family which brought GREAT joy to Connor!!