Travels, friends, and back home

Thomas: water taxi driver

    SO sorry I haven't posted in awhile.  The boys & mom drove back to Lenoir City for 10 days to visit with friends and say goodbye to international ones.  Some highlights:

• Kids & mom visited Florida Natural History Museum (see Homeschool page)
• Thomas graduated from 8th grade and received the Advanced Band award.  He got to spend time with his friends (teenagers!).
• Matthew went to his old class and got his yearbook & said good-bye to teacher & friends
• Mom got  to visit with her friends.
• We enjoyed Rockin' the Docks in Lenoir City with friends - Matthew swam, gave friends rides on the peddle boat, and got a jet ski ride from his brother.  Our friends from Germany enjoyed the beautiful day on the lake boating as well.  Thomas drove guests back & forth from our friend's anchored boat to/from land. (see pic)  Fireworks put a nice finishing touch to the evening.   
• Mom & boys (+ friend) spent a wonderful day at Dollywood Splash Country
• We said goodbye to our friend (& her mother who came to visit) who was a foreign exchange student from Germany at our local high school - she will be missed by many!
• On the drive back to the boat, we stopped by Asheville to visit with Nana, then in Jacksonville to visit with some boating friends from Ft Loudon Marina.
• Dad went out of town to work, then spent a nice quiet week on the boat by himself.

We are all now back in Ft Lauderdale.  we look forward to getting some chores done on the boat, enjoying the local sights & sounds, and seeing friends and family in the area.