Hello

Well, it is hard to believe that my last post was almost a year ago. Much too long of a time to wait and share what has been happening in the Batts family. 2010 was a good year but went very very fast. I will briefly speak of some of our family highlights. This will help it be a shorter post. (yeah right, LOL!!!)

Of course my last post spoke of our fantastic trip to NC in February where we saw snow. We actually went back again for the July 4th week to celebrate my husband's sister, Glenda's 50 birthday. We had an awesome time. Glenda even announced that she and her boyfriend, Hugh, were now engaged. They are getting married this year on September 10th.

Glenda with her fiance Hugh.

With work, schooling, and several trips to NC in 2010; we were only able to fit one camping trip in this year. We went to the Sebastian Inlet State Park for 3 days in late March for spring break. It was a great time away with the kids. We did fishing of course but did not catch much too speak about. It wasn't snook season but a lot of people were catching snook all around us. (Surprising with the loss of over 10,000 snook during the 10 day freeze that killed so many) We were so excited when Ashley our 13 year old hooked her very first snook, reeled it up to the dock, but it flipped off right before we could grab it. So of course no picture, just another fish tale. Oh well, at least we had some fun fishing with the kids.




During the summer we were able to enjoy attending our youngest son's, Dalton, basketball games. He finally reached the age of joining the pee wee league with the city. He did well for his first year. He was a little nervous during play time and would freeze up sometimes but he still did a great job. I can not wait until he joins another team. It is exciting watching your child play on a team.
Dalton's team photo


With the start of another school year we had some changes come about. My family wanted me back home instead of working. So with a farewell to my job at the church, I came home to focus 100% on schooling again. Even though I truly miss my job and being with the best staff around, it was actually the best move I could make for our family. My eldest son, Devin, was starting 10th grade but as a dual en-roller at the IRSC college; How proud we are of him. Ashley is starting 8th grade...last year before High School...where does the time go. Dalton is now in 3rd grade and he is my main focus for coming home. We are going to have a fun year with home schooling.

September brought around the birthdays of our two older children, Devin and Ashley. This was a big year due to Devin hitting 16 years old. You know what that means!!! Yes. The dreaded teenage driving juncture. October 1st was his official license day and the beginning of our pacing the floors while he's away phase of our lives. Devin had already gotten a fixer upper car the year before and him and his dad had used the year to get the car ready. Well, it was done and Devin was raring to go. Driving himself to college, how proud we are. (A little secret...I cried the first day that Devin went to the college for his classes. You probably are thinking a lot of parents do that, but it is usually when your child is leaving home to go and live on the campus. He comes home every day. I cried because it was his first time going to school out of the house. I was acting just like a mommy putting her kindergartner in school.LOL)
Devin gets his new car home on September 4, 2009
This is Devin's car in January 2010 after getting new interior done.
This is Devin's finished car with new paint job and decal on hood.


On October 29th, we our proud to announce the new addition in to our family. Please meet Thaira (pronounced like Tyra) our new puppy. She was 7 mths old when we adopted her from the Palm City Humane Society. A little on the hyper side and very stubborn but she is learning a lot and very fast. We love our new little girl.


At the close of the year of course we had a few gatherings with our families, one of which, included another trip to Mike's parents house in NC. We usually try to go for the turn of the New Year but this time we left early in December on the 10th. On the way up we stopped by the U.S.S. North Carolina Battleship located in Wilmington,N.C. This same ship was toured by the Ghost Hunters team and we were so excited to be able to see this ship. Even though it rained all day and we did not see any ghost during our tour; we still enjoyed the day of sightseeing.

After our stop over at the ghost ship we head to Granny and Grandpa's home. It was so freezing cold from a storm that came through with high winds for about three days. But, after it was gone we got to enjoy some beautiful snow. Snow this early in the winter for this area is very rare but so very welcomed by us. Mike and Ashley also made an old family recipe for us. Snow Cream made from the fresh snow. It tasted just like vanilla ice cream. Nice little treat and a reminder for Mike from his childhood. Our dog, Thaira, enjoyed the snow tremendously, she wanted to stay outside all day. Our trip was wonderful and we made it home safely and just in time for Christmas.


Well that pretty much sums up our 2010 year, but of course there were so many other things that filled the other days. Too many things to mention. 2010 was fun, fast, and forever filled with special memories. Now it is time for 2011.

This is my family portrait taken on Christmas Day at my mom's house in Port St Lucie, Florida.

Spring Break Camping

Devin caught a toad fish; my friend Julie with her son Chris; Ashley,Dalton, & Chris found a load of starfish, the kids playing at the swimming hole, Smores time


Kicking off our Spring Break week with some camping is just what we all needed. A good break away from schooling. We booked a camp site at the Sebastian Inlet State Park for the last weekend of March. It was a time of camping with my closest friend Julie and her two boys, Alex and Christopher. Needless to say the kids were so excited to be camping with their friends. This was also Julie and her boys first time camping.

Mike, was so sweet, he hooked up the camper and towed it up to Sebastian and set up every thing for us and then returned four days later to pack it all up and tow it home. I am sure he was excited about his break at home too.

The weather was a little rough, very windy. We did not even attempt to go to the beach because of all the rip currents. But,that did not damper our vacation at all. There were plenty of things to do in the state park. The kids swam, there was a playground, and we did plenty of fishing. We also got our fill of wildlife. There was a pod of dolphins that lingered all weekend by the parks fishing dock. They were so beautiful and fun to watch. The sea turtles were plentiful, seeing their little heads popping up for air every so often. On our last day, the kids and I had a manatee come right up to the rocks where we were fishing.

This was an excellent spring break trip that was very inexpensive for both Julie and I. Sharing the expense and getting away from home to have fun with the kids. We could not have asked for a better time.


One of the dolphins passing by, the kids taking a break during our walk, Dalton found a crab claw, Me and the kids right before Mike came back to pick us up, Ashley fishing