on their way to Temple...

Last week while down in Miami Beach visiting "Grammy", aka Aunt Judy, in rehab we had a Fulton "funny" occur. It was a Saturday almost noon and we were searching ALL over downtown Miami for a place that sold soup. I never thought soup would be so hard to find but it was. Apparently it's too hot in Miami Beach for them to sell soup during the day. LOL! Well during our trek around town Linz notices these people by a bridge all dressed up. She proceeds to say "Look Mom they are getting married!". I am a sucker for a wedding so I looked up from playing "Bejeweled Blitz" on my iPhone (love that game!). Do I see a bride & groom? No. I sort of chuckle to myself and then proceed to explain that these people that are all dressed up were not getting married but walking to church. Yes you guessed it they were orthodox Jews...

on their way to Temple...

year of being 5...

The #5 has many meanings in our home. It's their Mamas favorite #, it also happens to be the # of children in our tribe and most importantly it's how old our four little fultons just turned. Yes, they turned the ripe 'ol age of FIVE! Can you believe that they are FIVE already?! Time sure has flown by now hasn't it?! It's been a WILD ride that I am so very grateful for even if I do have a few more gray hairs for it! LOL! Each and every day they give me plenty of strife but also a TON to smile over. Life just wouldn't be the same without them. I cannot wait to see what sort of adventures they allow to me tag along with them on in their...

year of being 5...

CHRISTmas 2011...

CHRISTmas 2011...

MIA in 2011...

SO much has happened in the Fulton house over the last 4 months or so. The biggest being that we have not had a computer! I know what is a momma to do without a computer right?! I think it bothered me more that everyone else since I had to use my phone to do pretty much everything. sigh... I know that is not an excuse to not blog but it is what it is. So before Momma posted a 2011 CHRISTmas pic she thought she should at least explain where we've been. The tribe started PK4 in October at a new school & in a new town. Since Grandma fell & broke her leg on Father's Day we have basically uprooted our lives to take care of her. It's been an adjustment but we would not have it any other way! The tribe LOVES their new school. Just when we were sort of getting used to a schedule or what one would look like Momma's work changed. She had to go back FULL time a week after they started school. If we did not adjust before we did after that. Arranging people to take them to & from school was CrAzY! Let's just say it truly does take a village to raise a tribe!! We thank all that make that possible! In November we traveled back up to GA to attend their cousin Mikes wedding. Not only did we get to see Mike & April get married but the tribe participated in the wedding! VERY cool! For the first time in what I think was forever we had Thanksgiving away from home & stayed up in GA to celebrate with the GA Mechtly's. It was a real "adventure" not just for us but for them too! These are just a few of the reasons we were...

MIA in 2011...

a kiss on the head before bed...

I'm sure having three sisters can be quite challenging for anyone & probably even more so when you are the lone brother! Our boy Brendan sure does put up with a lot in that dept. but in the end he has such love for the little ladies, aka sisters, in his life. He has such a sweet side to him that I get to witness it almost every night. You see each night just before bed, before actually getting under the covers himself he walks around their bed & gives each one of his sisters a kiss. He does have "rules" because he makes sure they are in bed when he does it, maybe so they cannot swat the kiss away. LOL! On occasion I have seen him chase them down & make them lay down just so he can give them...

a kiss on the head before bed...

way down yonder on the Chattahoochee...

This was a SUPER fun time of our 10 day adventure. We took an hour or so ride from Atlanta N to the cool German town of Helen, GA. It is SO quaint & VERY German! One of the best attractions there tubing down the Chattahoochee River.

 
I definitely think tubing in July is WAY under rated! The river may have been a little low but it was SO much fun! There was a bunch of us so each child had a "chaperone" which they LOVED!  

 

Good think Uncle Jim brought along his river sticks aka old golf club poles, to help steer us through the low parts of the river. ** NOTE ** if they sell sticks where you go tubing BUY THEM! They truly come in handy! ** I think the entire ride took us about 2 1/2 hours give or take. We even enjoyed a rainstorm in the middle which really helped cool us off because it was HOT out!! Here's some of the photos I took that day!

They had theses decorated trees. One named the tree of "lost soles"! I'm sure it was given it's name for every lost shoe they found floating down the river! {There was a TON!} LOL! 

And they had a tree decorated with of all things GUM! It was disgusting yet interesting all the same! Being able to get yourself over to this tree just to stick your ABC gum has to be a feat within itself. Take a look at that creation! =] I wonder how old the oldest piece of gum there actually is. YUCK!

Somehow we all lost each other that day so once I got to the end, second behind the hubby, I took pic's of everyone as they had it to the "finish line"! It was funny to see my scrawny children standing up on their tubes! Good thing the tubes had bottoms in them! =]

 

 

I will definitely make another trip up to Helen to go tubing...



way down yonder on the Chattahoochee...

Lake Toxaway adventure 2011...

We are SO lucky to have such WONDERFUL relatives that allowed us to invade their home over the summer. Invading is just what a tribe like ours does! My cousin Lori has a second home in Lake Toxaway, a beautiful place in the NC mountains. It's on a lake, so beautiful & most of all PEACEFUL! That is when the tribe behaved & didn't argue! LOL! I'm SO very blessed to get to spend any time with Lori away from our "normal" lives. It just meant a lot to get to visit in the first place! It truly was just what the Doctor ordered, away from the "rat race" & some peace & quiet! With all the drama that we have been dealing with back in FL this was pure Heaven! She took us out tubing on the lake, hiking in the woods & even took in a little shopping in downtown Brevard. LOVE LOVE LOVE that town! The tribe thoroughly enjoyed themselves as did our "helper" Caitlynn. This was her first time in NC. Her first time tubing on a lake, first time hiking to see a waterfall, heck it was just a week full of "firsts" for her! SO happy to be able to be there for that!

 

and that was our...

Lake Toxaway adventure 2011...