The McCarty's Adventures

Friday, July 30, 2010

Happy Kids!

Taylor, Hunter and Claire are living the life! This opportunity of living overseas has given us many extras; my children have the best of BOTH worlds! They get to live and experience another country, and get a "real" USA summer filled with laughter and happiness! Among the list of things they did were: playing with friends, playing with cousins, going to Disney World, going to the beach, fishing, swimming, playing tennis, playing baseball, meeting a new cousin, going to a wedding, going to a professional baseball game, going to a water park, staying up late, sleeping in, and just being happy kids!
Here are a few of my favorite pictures of the kids over the last month and a half that we were away!
Claire was the flower girl in my sister's wedding!

Taylor and Claire acting silly at the wedding!

Hunter and Claire on the golf cart, ready to go to the pool! Hunter learned how to drive the golf cart this year, Mimi said he "passed" his drivers test!

Needless to say, Claire did not pass hers!

A must on every trip to Florida, The Florida Gator Stadium!

I love this one, he would die to be a "Florida Gator"!

Claire!

Ofcourse, the kids at Disney! (Lots more Disney pics to come in another post!)

Taylor and Mickey!

Hunter and Mickey!

Claire, getting ready to go have afternoon "tea"!

The Best Part of Our Trip!

The most important reason we had for going to the USA was to see family! We had not been home for two years, two very long years; and I was ready to see everyone I love! This trip was filled with so many things; but my favorite moments are the simple ones, the best ones...my time with family! I got to be a part of the birth of my niece and the wedding of my sister; I was so thankful to be able to be there for that! I feel as if the time home was "full"; I was there long enough to get to spend good quality time with everyone!
A few of my favorite pictures of the family.....
Mom and Dad!

Cousins!

New baby, Cailyn!

Grandma Lou and Claire, going to tea!

I also got to spend some time with my friends, times that will be treasured! Taylor was quite the social butterfly, and was invited to spend time with several different friends while he was home! Hunter also got to see all of his close buddies...memories made!
A few of my favorite pictures of our friends...
Drinking margaritas and eating Mexican food...

The younger half of the group!

Swimming with buddies!

My friend, Lisa and Claire. Claire saw Lisa and immediately asked if she went to her school! LOL!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Back!

Our last few weeks of our FANTASTIC trip was spent in Louisiana, home to my family! We eventually had to say "Good Bye" but only After a sweet baby girl was born, after a beautiful wedding ceremony, after sunburned skin and chlorine filled hair, after many sweaty baseball games, after spend the nights and laughing with friends missed, after shopping every TJ Maxx known to man, after 8 suitcases filled, after teary eyes and filled hearts....we arrived "home"!
I can honestly say that we had a GREAT time, a full time, a happy time! But unfortunately all things must come to an end; and I traveled with three kids by myself to the other side of the world to a happy husband and daddy who REALLY missed us! (We missed him too!)
Home is where your heart is, and Thank God I have two homes! The one where my family is that I grew up with, and the one that I am watching my kids grow up! So I said "good bye" to hot, sunny and lazy days; and "hello" to cold, rainy, BUSY days filled with homework and sports!

Monday, June 28, 2010

Home!

We have been home, the US, for three weeks now and we have not stopped! After a very long flight we arrived in Louisiana safe and sound, and so excited to be on solid ground! We spent our first week catching up with my family, and had a couple of great nights with old friends! The first night with our buddies we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant and drank margaritas; then finished the night at our friends house! I kept thinking the whole night..."It feels like just last week I saw these girls"; I guess that's a good thing to fit right back in! The next night our buddies threw us a Crawfish boil, and invited more of our old buddies!
It was awesome seeing everyone again, very bittersweet as I kept thinking I wish this could happen all of the time! The connections we have made here in Louisiana are some of the very best, I hope to always have them in my life no matter where we are!
After a great weekend with friends we spent some good quality time with my family!
After a week, we hit the road again and headed for Florida! On our way, we made a pit stop at Florida Gator land and Taylor took some of the grass for a keepsake! We finally made our way to see Pat's parents in Florida, after three days we headed to the best place in the world! Disney World! What can I say...we had the best time ever! Four days of happy family time, I love that place. Unfortunately after spending a few more days in Florida with Pat's parents we bid farewell to Pat. He headed back to go to work, and catch a few of the World Cup Games! I miss him very much, as our family is incomplete without him!
The kids and I spent another week in Florida, and headed back to Louisiana for a few more weeks of family and friend time!
I am exhausted and shopped out! I think we have hit every TJ Maxx and Target from Louisiana to Florida, and any other favorites along the way!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Sad....

(Just like Erin is carrying Claire, Kim has carried me...hypothetically of course!)
My dear friend is leaving. Another American here on our SA journey is saying Good Bye! Kim and her family have been such a huge part of our lives here, it is amazing the bonds that we have created in the short time we have been here. She has served as such a support system for me; someone who understands the sadness of being so far away and someone who understands the heartache of having a child with special needs.
Kim, I will miss you more than you will ever know!
(This is the best pic I could find...shows Kim giving advice to newly pregnant friend Kristie, as she so often does)

Group shot of kids at local resort!

Good bye my sweet friend!

Monday, May 17, 2010

Helping....

Taylor and Hunter with a truck full of books!

Pat recently had an opportunity to help out this country that we live in; which needs it so desperately! Through work they where given the opportunity to participate in "Rally for Reading", a local gentleman has started this program here in South Africa. Basically through donations, they provide some needed schools with books and even some with computers.
Pat was able to take our boys, Taylor and Hunter. What an experience! They left on a Friday, and spent the weekend with the team! They visited two schools in a very rural area, delivered the goods and spent some time with the children!
Both schools welcomed them with open arms and ceremonies!
The following descriptions are from Taylor, age 12.
The first school was much better off than the second; the community has rallied around this school. The mommas encourage the children, and the fathers help out with security....How normal, you say? No, unfortunately many of the schools here in South Africa do not function this way and the children usually have no parental support. The children are usually lucky just to be able to afford or get a uniform to go to school. At first this school seemed OK, but after the visit to the second school...the first school was much better off.
The second school had holes in the roof, the preschool room also served as a garden shed and kitchen. On windy days, the teachers take the children outside in fear of the walls falling.
After the presentation of the books, and a tour of the school the kids got to play with the school children. There where 5 kids in this group, so to be able to go outside and interact with the kids was so important. In Taylor's words.."Kid's should not take anything for granted, these kids play soccer with a popped ball." They played soccer together, took pictures. The school children loved seeing the kids(some had never seen a white child before), one school was chanting "Hunter" as the cars pulled away!
I was unable to go on this trip, but I know that it moved my kids! They where so proud of being able to help, in fact the last night on the trip they had the opportunity to give a speech. Both boys willingly spoke of their experience; as a mom I hope that they carry this forever! Not only do the children who where visited gain, but my boys gained! What? They gained a love for the unfortunate, a love for helping; and the insight to know they have MUCH better!
I often get sad to be away from home and experience the things that are going on there, but then I listen to my boys retelling these stories and look at these pictures....and I know I am raising children that may make a difference. Children that have been witnesses to injustice, but have been given the tools to help! Then I think... what school book could teach this?
Cars loaded and ready to deliver!