The Five 4s

Christmas

2011-01-17T19:53:00.000-08:00

Maddie and her new ballet bar!

Alina and her Rapunzel castle!

Nicholas opening his Star Wars "monster!"

Nicholas and Santa at preschool.

The girls in the school Christmas play.

Halloween

2010-11-29T18:53:00.001-08:00

I am so sorry I haven't updated the blog in months! I'll start with Halloween pictures, and look for birthday and Thanksgiving pics in the coming weeks. Oh, and the song (Dynamite) is one of the kids' (and mine, too) favorite songs right now. It has no relevance to the photos! Anyway, the kids had a fantastic time trick-or-treating in their neighborhood and at their great-grandparents' home. We still have tons of candy! Alina was Elpheba and Maddie was Glinda (from Wicked) and Nicholas was a knight. I was so happy I got to stop by Nick's school for his Halloween party!

2010-11-29T18:44:00.000-08:00

More Summer, 2010

2010-09-09T19:21:00.001-07:00

Way behind on posting summer pics! Here are some "snapshots" of the summer.

Sleepover with Dani -

The girls acting debut - at The Mishler!

Nicholas golfing

Fourth of July

First Day of School, the Cabin, and the Water Park

2010-08-30T18:51:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've updated the blog!! I'll have to add more pics from the summer another night, but here are a few recent ones. The kids had a fantastic time at Pappy's cabin and at the water park with their friends. Maddie and Alina started 1st grade today! And Nicholas started preschool! Well, his official first day is Wednesday, but he we had an "open house" at his school today.

Surfside Beach!

2010-07-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

The whole family enjoyed the sun, sand, and surf (and the pool) at Surfside Beach (near Myrtle Beach) - as the photos illustrate!

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Curve game!

2010-06-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been a while since I updated the blog! We kicked off the start of summer with a Curve game (Learning Express night!) - the kids had fun hitting baseballs before the game, running the bases after the game, and of course, eating the awesome ballpark food. There were even a few fireworks after the game because the Curve won.

2010-06-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

Dance Recital

2010-06-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

Alina and Madeline danced beautifully in their dance recitals - they performed acro, jazz, and ballet dances, and loved being onstage!

2010-06-03T18:42:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten Graduation

2010-05-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

Maddie and Alina "graduated" from kindergarten last Friday! They helped lead the congregation in the hymns at Mass. Then the whole class sang songs and got diplomas. Then it was off to the Renaissance Fair!

2010-05-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

Run for the Rose 5K

2010-05-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

Me and the kiddos at the 5k to benefit the girls' school. I was so proud of my family - they jogged/walked the whole thing, and Ian pushed Nicholas the whole 3.1 miles in the stroller (Nicholas walked a little bit, too). And there were a lot of big hills! We had fun -

Easter!!

2010-04-10T14:22:00.001-07:00

What a wonderful Easter weekend! It was so nice that the weather was actually warm and sunny. These pics are out of order, but we had fun coloring Easter eggs and then visiting Gee, Pappy, Aunt Nat, and Uncle Matt on Saturday. Alina, Maddie, and Nicholas enjoyed finding their Easter baskets, playing outside, and taking a walk to see a donkey at a nearby farm. The kids were so excited to see what the Easter bunny left in their baskets Easter morning - lots of candy and some new "pets." After church on Sunday, we had a fun day at Aunt Judi's with Baba, Pappy, great-grandparents, cousins, and friends. The kids enjoyed their Easter egg hunt and got to help Dani celebrate her birthday. A great weekend!!

2010-04-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

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Nicholas' 3rd Birthday!!

2010-03-31T16:34:00.001-07:00

Nicholas had a wonderful, three day, birthday celebration (that's the way we like to do it!) for his 3rd birthday. He loves super heroes right now, so he had a Spiderman cake, a Superman banner (that the girls helped to make), and Batman and Spiderman plates and napkins. He loves playing with his new toys and wearing his new clothes and pajamas - thank you everyone! These pics are out of order, but they show what a good time he had!

2010-03-31T16:20:00.000-07:00

2010-03-31T16:13:00.000-07:00

Kelsey's Birthday Party!

2010-03-31T16:06:00.000-07:00

The kids had a great time at their friend Kelsey's birthday party - at Slinky! And Mommy had a great time catching up with her friends, too!

Snow and Valentines

2010-02-24T19:11:00.001-08:00

I haven't updated the blog in a while! These are some pics from the last big snow. The kids had a great time jumping and landing in the snow - that's about all they could do in it because it was so deep! Josie loved it, too. She kind of just tunneled through. We made some Valentine heart cookies that weekend. They were very yummy and the kiddos had fun decorating them. The girls liked their new bandanas for their hair - they look "springy" in them!

Philly

2010-02-06T13:35:00.000-08:00

We had an wonderful time in Philly last weekend at Dave and Vick's place! Kel was in D.C. for work, so she took a train to Philly, and we drove Pappy and Baba so we could all meet at Dave and Vick's. It was close to Kel's and Vick's birthdays, so we got to celebrate with them. The kids had fun at the museum checking out the dinosaur bones and digging for fossils. It ended up snowing quite a bit, but stopped by the time we left. We ate yummy pizza at a really nice little restaurant (I think Joey's on South Street - but I could be wrong!) that had recently opened. Thanks Dave and Vick for showing us a great time!

2010-02-06T12:33:00.000-08:00

Fun in the Snow

2010-01-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

2010-01-15T14:01:00.000-08:00

Christmas with Gee and Pappy F.

2010-01-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

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Christmas at Baba and Pappy Po's

2010-01-01T15:01:00.001-08:00

2010-01-01T14:51:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning!

2009-12-30T18:37:00.000-08:00

Santa was here!! Favorite Santa gifts for the girls included the Wii, American Girl Dolls, and Barbie dolls. Nicholas spent about one minute with his tool bench, which was not wrapped, before trying to find the dragon castle he wanted from Santa. He'd start to open a present and say, "maybe this be dragon castle." He did this a few times before skipping over the other presents and finding the biggest one in the back. And sure enough, it was the dragon castle. He played with it for an hour before opening the rest of his gifts. It was a wonderful morning - we loved seeing our kiddos' excited little faces!

2009-12-30T18:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve

2009-12-29T12:52:00.001-08:00

2009-12-29T12:26:00.000-08:00

Baking Cookies!

2009-12-28T13:50:00.001-08:00

The day before Christmas Eve, we got some last-minute baking done - oatmeal raisin cookies - an Alina, Nicholas, and Daddy favorite! The girls did a great job helping to break up the brown sugar clumps with their own wooden spoons. When Nicholas woke up from his nap, he helped, too - by tasting the dough to make sure it was good!

Aunt Nat and Uncle Matt Christmas!

2009-12-22T16:48:00.001-08:00

Christmas program and Nat and Matt Christmas

2009-12-22T16:33:00.000-08:00

Maddie and Alina did a great job at their school's Christmas program. All the kindergarten girls dressed as Mary and the boys as Joseph. After my girls were convinced that, to dress like Mary, you did not have to be in the latest fashions, they accepted their costumes. Although their veils had glitter. We had "Aunt Nat and Uncle Matt Christmas" on Saturday! The kids had fun playing hide and seek with their Aunt and Uncle and setting up the Christmas village under the tree with Gee and Pappy. Oh, and the girls got to wear Christmas socks with their uniforms to school on Monday. They had a carol sing-a-long, and Santa visited the school!!

Maddie and Alina's 6th Birthday - at Magic Kingdom!

2009-12-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

The girls spent their birthday at the Magic Kingdom - the last day of our wonderful trip to Disney World! They were transformed into beautiful princesses and ate lunch in Cinderella's castle with the "other" princesses. The best birthday ever. Nicholas had fun too!

Waiting for the bus to take us to the Magic Kingdom!

Maddie with Cinderella's step-sisters and step-mother - they were hilarious!

Maddie on stage during "Story Time with Belle." Maddie was Mrs. Potts.

Meeting Ariel!

Dancing to Cinderella's Castle for a meeting with the Fairy Godmothers in Training!

2009-12-08T19:56:00.000-08:00

The princesses receiving their magic pixie dust - from the Fairy Godmothers in Training.

A dream come true! Becoming actual princesses on your birthday!

With Cinderella in her castle!

Up the winding staircase in Cinderella's castle to the royal birthday lunch.

2009-12-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

Maddie and Alina using their wands to make a wish on their "wishing stars."

Nicholas got a sword at Cinderella's lunch!

The girls got birthday cards signed by the princesses!!!!

2009-12-08T19:01:00.000-08:00

Belle at lunch with Maddie and Alina.

The princesses making a wish at Cinderella's wishing well.

Nicholas and the statue of Walt.

The princesses and the castle.

2009-12-08T18:49:00.000-08:00

Daddy and the girls on Splash Mountain!

Nicholas' dream come true - a sword fight with a pirate!

The princesses on their last night in Disney World - goodbye to the most magical place on Earth - until next time.

Our sleepy little boy.

Animal Kingdom

2009-12-06T09:13:00.001-08:00

On Monday of our Disney trip, Ian took all three kids to Animal Kingdom - by himself! I spent the whole day in bed, trying to recover from my day of dizziness (the day before) and being sick all night. I was sad I missed Animal Kingdom, but I'm glad the kids and Ian still got to have fun that day - and they got some good pics. Ian deserves an award!! The kids enjoyed seeing the animals and riding in the open air truck on the safari. They got to meet Timon and some other characters, and they enjoyed seeing the dinosaur bones.

Epcot!

2009-12-03T18:30:00.000-08:00

On Sunday of our Disney trip, we went to Epcot. I wasn't sure the kids would like it as much as the other parks, but we had a really great time! They loved the Nemo ride in clam shells, and the girls got to ride on "Soarin'" with Ian while Nicholas played in the fountains. Then we got to have lunch with the princesses in a small castle in "Norway." So fun!!!

2009-12-03T18:25:00.000-08:00

Magic Kingdom!!

2009-11-30T12:02:00.001-08:00

On our 2nd full day at Disney, we went to the Magic Kingdom. The kids were soooo excited to see Cinderella's castle! As soon as we got there, we saw a show in front of the castle - complete with princesses, princes, Mickey, Minnie, Malificent, and other characters.

2009-11-30T11:53:00.000-08:00

After the show, we headed to Dumbo's ride, It's a Small World, and other rides. We also got to meet Peter Pan and talk to Tinkerbell in Pixie Hollow. Alina was especially excited!!

2009-11-30T11:47:00.000-08:00

We had fun touring Minnie's and Mickey's houses. The night-time parade and fireworks were fantastic, and Tinkerbell flew down from the castle! Then the Fairy Godmother magically decorated the castle in ice crystals for Christmas! Nicholas fell asleep on the bus ride back to the hotel and didn't wake up again until the next morning!

Chef Mickey's!

2009-11-29T19:28:00.001-08:00

Chef Mickey's was fabulous! Nicholas got to meet all of his favorite characters - and Minnie kissed his Mickey Mouse!

First Full Day in Disney World - Hollywood Studios!

2009-11-25T11:15:00.001-08:00

We spent our first full day in Disney at Hollywood studios. Highlights of the day included dancing along with the street parade; front row seats to a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show; a Little Mermaid show; Beauty and the Beast on stage; meeting Donald, Goofy, and Pluto; Fantasmic (a night time show with a fire breathing dragon and other mean Disney characters that Mickey and the other good characters must defeat - using their imaginations and dreams! It was a really cool show, but a little scary for Nicholas!); and an entire city lit up for Christmas - beautiful!

2009-11-25T11:09:00.000-08:00

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First Stop, Downtown Disney!

2009-11-21T14:00:00.000-08:00

After we arrived at our resort, we decided to get some lunch and then head to Downtown Disney for some shopping, and later, dinner. The toy store and Christmas stores were fabulous! We got most of our souvenirs here - each kiddo picked out a character and a special Christmas ornament. The girls were also sprinkled with pixie dust!

Posing with Silvermist, Mickey, and Princess Minnie - their new best friends!

The kiddos next to a giant sea serpent made entirely of Legos! The Lego store was cool.

All the kids, especially Nicholas, loved the Potato Head table in the huge toy store. He really liked the Star Wars and Pirate Potato Heads. He and Daddy had a great time! There was also a Little Pony dress up table that the girls enjoyed. Plus looking around the store for some ideas to give Santa, of course!

Posing with Pooh and friends. There were all kinds of character statues to get your pictures taken with. We told the kids they'd get to meet the "real" characters soon, but we got lots of pics anyway.

Disney World, Here We Come!!

2009-11-21T13:48:00.000-08:00

We were so proud of the kiddos in the airport! The girls wheeled their carry-ons all through the airport all by themselves, and all three kids did a great job with all the security checks. A big, big "thank you" to Aunt Nat and Uncle Matt for letting us spend the night with them the night before the flight and for dropping us off at the airport!!

Ian and Alina on the airplane ready to go!

Maddie and Nicholas all ready for take off!

Disney's Magical Express to our resort was wonderful! We didn't have to pick up our checked bags - they just "magically" appeared in our hotel room. We took the Magical Express to our hotel and got to watch a video about all the fun things we were going to get to do!

Trick-or-Treating with Grandparents and a November Picnic

2009-11-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

The kids had fun trick-or-treating at their grandparents' homes on Halloween. We couldn't believe how beautiful it was outside this past weekend, so we had our pasta for lunch out on the deck - dolls included!

Halloween Party!

2009-11-10T19:01:00.001-08:00

Shelby, Kelsey, and Kaitlyn hosted a very fun and festive Halloween party - which gave the kids another opportunity to wear their cute costumes! The kids decorated balloons, danced, and ate delicious cupcakes. Thank you Shelby, Kelsey, and Kaitlyn!

Trick-or-Treat Night!

2009-10-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun trick-or-treating last night! At first Nicholas thought you had to go up to all the other trick-or-treaters and ask them for candy! But he quickly caught on to going to the houses with lights on. They loved saying "trick-or-treat" this year and seeing all the other kids in their costumes. The girls got to see some classmates and neighborhood friends. Nicholas had been wanting all night to say "Trick-or-treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat. If you don't, I don't care, I'll pull down your underwear." Something he learned from the girls. But I made him wait until we got to our neighbor, Lou's house. He and his wife thought it was hilarious! When we got back, the girls emptied their buckets and then hit another street with Ian (who had been handing out candy at the house). Nicholas and I stayed to pass out candy. It was wonderful that we had such nice weather!

A "princess witch," a dragon, and a black cat - ready for Halloween!

Carving Jack-o-Lanterns!

2009-10-29T13:57:00.001-07:00

Well, we never made it to the pumpkin patch this year because of the weather and other events, so we picked out a nice pumpkin at the local greenhouse to make our Jack-o-lantern. Maddie made the eyes, Nicholas made the nose, and Alina made the mouth. Daddy cleaned out the insides and Mommy carved, which Daddy found funny. Tonight is trick-or-treat night! So more pictures soon to come!

Dave and Vick's fabulous wedding and reception!

2009-10-09T18:50:00.002-07:00

We had a blast at Dave and Vick's wedding reception. Everything was beautiful and the band was awesome! I wish I had pics of Vick, Kel, and Meg on stage with the band and of Kel and Meg dancing on the chairs to Journey (the group that was playing when Dave and Vick met at Penn State), but we were too busy dancing, too! Even Ian!!

Dave and Vick's fabulous wedding and reception!

2009-10-09T18:41:00.001-07:00

Dave and Vick's fabulous wedding and reception!

2009-10-09T18:38:00.001-07:00

Dave and Vick's fabulous wedding and reception!

2009-10-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

Dave and Vick get married!!

2009-10-03T20:51:00.000-07:00

Getting Ready!

2009-10-03T20:40:00.001-07:00

Please check the "older posts" for additional pics of the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner! Many pics of the reception coming soon!!

The handsome ring bearer!

The beautiful bride!!

Nicholas with his new "puter" (computer) that he received at the rehearsal dinner!

Wedding Rehearsal and Dinner

2009-10-03T20:25:00.001-07:00

Uncle Dave and Nicholas at the rehearsal dinner.

Alina, Nicholas, Aunt Vicky, Nadia, and Madeline

The kiddos practicing taking up the gifts - Nicholas filled in for Dani at the rehearsal!

Hanging with Aunt Kelly

The girls strike a pose!

Masterpiece!

2009-09-28T18:56:00.001-07:00

Saturday was a rainy day, so we decided to finger paint. It was Nicholas' first experience with finger paint, and he really enjoyed himself. So did the girls! These photos were taken at the beginning of the activity, when Nicholas was using one finger to gently paint circles on the paper. I should have a taken some "after" photos - quite a different story! Messy, but fun, and we have beautiful artwork on display downstairs.

Gram's Birthday and Dance Class

2009-09-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Gram's 77th birthday last weekend at Aunt Judi's house!

The girls (and Nicholas) outside of dance class. They started acro this year and they really enjoy it! They're also taking Ballet and Jazz - and learning some really cool dance moves!

Andrew's wedding

2009-09-12T07:32:00.001-07:00

Sorry I'm a little behind! Last Saturday we had a really fun time at Andrew's wedding (Ian's cousin). Andrew and Laura's wedding was beautiful! And the kiddos had fun dancing and eating cookies at the reception. They got tired out pretty quickly!

Matt, Nat, Ian, Andrew, Laura, and me and the kids.

Pappy and Nicholas enjoying some Skittles. The favors were awesome - M&M's and Skittles - two of our favorite candies!

Random Pics!

2009-09-06T18:31:00.001-07:00

Nicholas in his "big boy bed!" He really wanted a bed that he could climb in and out of himself, but we weren't quite ready to make the move to a twin bed yet. Fortunately, our friend Michael was done with his Thomas the Train bed, and offered to let us borrow it! Nicholas was so excited!! He's been sleeping very well like a "big boy!"

It got a little chillier one day last week, so the girls got to wear their knee socks to school.

Cheryl's Picnic

2009-09-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

Cheryl hosted a very fun end of summer picnic last weekend. It was great to see all the L. Exp. people!! The kids had a blast playing hide and seek and a peanut game.

Kelsey, Nicholas, Alina, and Madeline enjoying some delicious food with some friends.

Maddie, Bella, Nicholas, and Alina (Kelsey in the background)- the kiddos absolutely love "Baby Bella," and Bella seemed like she was having a good time, too!

Nicholas and Kaitlyn helping themselves to some marshmallows. Nicholas did not want his toasted.

Yay! Let's roast some hot dogs!

That lasted about two minutes. Then Shelby and I were left to roast the hot dogs (Well, O.K., Bob and Ian helped a little bit, too). We had to eventually give up and throw them on the grill. They still tasted good!

Girls' First Day of Kindergarten!

2009-08-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

Alina and Madeline had a great first day of Kindergarten! Ian did a great job getting them ready for school (I had inservice, so I had to leave at 7:00 am - which I was not too happy about). But I am really happy they had such a good day! Maddie's favorite part was riding the bus (Ian takes them to school and they ride the bus home). They weren't thrilled that their classroom seats were not beside each other, but I think it's better that way. Their poor teacher has 4 sets of twins in one class! The girls ate the school lunch (hamburgers) and got to carry trays. They took a tour of the school and learned about apples. They practiced some prayers for Mass tomorrow and learned how to lower the kneelers in church (this was another highlight of the day)! I hope tomorrow goes just as well!

Last Day of Summer Vacation!

2009-08-27T18:04:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday, (my last day of summer vacation), we went to Legion Park and then swimming at Miss Cathy's. I great "end of summer" day! The evening before, we went to the Meadows. I realize we could potentially still do all these things once school starts, but for some reason, I felt we had to get them in now!

State College with Friends!

2009-08-01T13:35:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, we met our friends Erinn and Dan in State College for lunch. This was the first time we got to see their little girl, Ellie - because they live very far away now! The kids really enjoyed each other, and the grown-ups enjoyed catching up. Thanks Erinn, Dan, and Ellie!! We'll miss you!!

Nicholas, Maddie, Ellie, and Alina outside the restaurant.

The kiddos with Erinn outside the Creamery for some really yummy dessert!

Having fun in the restaurant...

Vicky's Shower, part I

2009-07-27T12:50:00.001-07:00

We had such a good time at Vicky's bridal shower yesterday! Everyone was so nice and welcoming, and the food was delicious! Maddie and Alina had a blast running around with Vick's niece, Nadia, and the other little girls. The shower was in the church hall - the church where Vick and Dave will be married, and it was beautiful!

The soon-to-be bride and groom!

Gram, Baba, me, Vick, Dave, Aunt Judi, Maddie, and Alina

The moms with Vicky

Nadia, Maddie, and Alina - immediate friends!

Vicky's Shower, part II

2009-07-27T12:38:00.001-07:00

Alina and Madeline with Aunt Vicky - three beautiful ladies!

All the girls were such good helpers while Vick was opening presents. Taking a break to pose for a picture in their lovely dresses!

Vick, laughing as she looks inside the box from her bridesmaids. And her sister Laura, also laughing. Hmm, I wonder why?

Vick's other sister, Cathy, helping her adjust her hat!

Family reunion, part 1

2009-07-19T12:49:00.001-07:00

Even though the weather was a little cool, we had a really fun time at our family reunion on Saturday at Aunt Judi's house. The kids played baseball and football, roasted marshmallows, swung at the pinata, and of course, ate some really delicious food! We missed Aunt Kelly and Dani, but luckily Steva and Ally were there for the girls to attach themselves to.

Nicholas and Daddy watching Uncle Mac start the fire.

Alina swinging at the pinata.

Maddie's turn!

And Nicholas' turn!

Daddy and Steva playing cornhole while Uncle Steve, Pappy Po, Uncle Mac, and Nittany watch. Matt and Ian were on a team and were pretty unstoppable.

Family reunion, part 2

2009-07-19T12:40:00.001-07:00

My turn at bat.

Alina on base!

Tag him out, buddy!!

The girls hanging out.

Matt and Maddie.

Family reunion, part 3

2009-07-19T12:13:00.001-07:00

Alina, Ally, Steva, Maddie.

Nicholas and Pap.

The kiddos with Ally.

Roasting marshmallows.

Maddie deciding whether or not to try it - she did! And she liked it!

Family reunion, part 4

2009-07-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

Nicholas running the bases!
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Alina at bat - look at that form!

Nickers pitching to Matt.

Uncle Dave using great skill to pitch to Nicholas while not spilling his beer. I think he managed to play the whole game that way!

Dave, Baba, Aunt Vick, and Uncle Steve. The countdown is on - only one month left for Uncle Dave's beard and long hair!

Lunch in State College

2009-07-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we headed up to State College to eat lunch at Champs where our cousin Dani works. She was the best server ever!! And, of course, Alina and Maddie now want to be servers with Dani at that restaurant. We thought about going downtown for Arts Fest, but decided against it because it was supposed to rain. We had a really delicious and fun lunch!

Gee's Birthday

2009-07-11T13:13:00.001-07:00

Thursday was Gee's birthday! Ian grilled delicious steaks on the grill, and then we had cake for dessert. The kids loved helping Gee open her present and blow out the candles!

Happy Fourth of July!

2009-07-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

Our Fourth of July festivities started on Friday when Gee, Pappy, and Grandma S. came over for a visit. We set off some small fireworks and the kids used sparklers. Actually, Maddie and Nicholas used the sparklers - Alina was a little scared. Maddie kept yelling, "I'm the queen of 4th of July!" They had a good time! A few days before, the kids helped me make an American flag cake. We're pretty big cake eaters, so it didn't last until the weekend!

Happy Fourth of July, Part 2!

2009-07-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we headed to J-town for the first of our two picnics - to Aunt Judi's house. We missed Dani!! But we still had a lot of fun! It was quite chilly, but that didn't stop the kids from getting in the pool and eating popsicles. Luckily, they didn't want to really "swim" - just play on the steps, so Mommy didn't have to get in!

Happy Fourth of July, Part 3!

2009-07-06T19:31:00.001-07:00

On Saturday evening, we headed to our second picnic, at Lilly's house! Maddie, Alina, and Nicholas really had fun playing with the other kids on Lilly's playground. Kelsey, Kaitlyn, and Lilly were there, and some new friends, too. Mommy and Daddy enjoyed the good food and drinks. Then we went home and set off some more fireworks - and Alina used sparklers!!! On Sunday evening, we went to Gram and Pap's to watch fireworks from their porch. It was a busy but wonderful holiday weekend!

"Base-a-ball Game"

2009-06-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

We went to a "base-a-ball" game (as Nicholas calls it) last night to see the Curve play, and the kids had a really good time. I think they enjoyed the food, music, and fireworks more than the actual game, but that's O.K.! Nicholas kept saying, "Watch, Mommy!" - he was pretty into the game, at least for the first inning!

The kids playing "Barbie Pool Party" and with cars on the deck on a beautiful sunny day!

Alina lost her second tooth!

Myrtle Beach, SC - Wonderful Week at the Beach!

2009-06-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

We spent a wonderful week at the beach with Pappy, Gee, Aunt Nat, and Uncle Matt. The kiddos had fun playing on the beach, swimming in the pool, playing mini-golf, and riding rides!

Maddie, Alina, and Nicholas with their light sticks before the fireworks show. The girls brought some money from their piggy-banks to buy something of their choice while we were shopping at Broadway. Maddie picked a sparkly pink crown and some bracelets, and Alina picked sparkly hair extensions and bracelets - all from a store called "Sparkle Girl" - very appropriate!

Out to a delicious dinner!

Playing mini-golf - Nicholas had a blast running after the ball and hitting it with his club like a hockey stick He couldn't resist throwing two balls into the waterfalls!

Me and Ian with our bibs on (to eat crab legs) - the kids thought this was pretty funny!

Myrtle Beach - Broadway at the Beach

2009-06-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

The kids wanted to spend every evening at Broadway at the Beach riding rides - they almost got their wish!

Pappy and Gee with the kiddos.

Uncle Matt, Ian, Maddie, Nicholas, Me, Alina, and Aunt Nat.

The kiddos posing by the fountain.

Pappy and Nicholas - Nicholas loved this ride!

The girls with Uncle Matt and Aunt Nat - riding horses!

Myrtle Beach - Fun in the Sun!!

2009-06-16T19:40:00.000-07:00

We had beautiful weather all week, and the kids had a blast jumping in the waves and playing in the sand!

Alina and Maddie doing moves from Miley's Hoedown Throwdown - "gliding" in the waves.

Beach Babe Alina!

Beach Boy Nicholas!

Beach Babe Maddie!

Racing to the waves!

Last Day of Preschool

2009-06-03T19:37:00.001-07:00

Today was Maddie and Alina's last day of preschool! They are really going to miss Mrs. Davis, their teacher, and their friends, but they're also excited for summer and for kindergarten in the fall. I'm going to miss them so much next school year when they're not in the same building as me anymore!! Keep scrolling down to see the girls on their FIRST day of preschool!

Maddie and Alina.

Michael, Alina, Maddie, and Matthew - good buddies!!

The girls with their wonderful teacher!

Look How Much We've Grown! First Day of Preschool

2009-06-03T19:28:00.001-07:00

I can't believe how little the girls looked on their first day of preschool two years ago! Alina did not want to get her picture taken; hence the frowning and refusal to stand next to her sister for a picture. She really disliked getting her picture taken back then. Then there's Maddie - always the poser!

Pappy Po's Birthday

2009-06-02T19:11:00.001-07:00

Baba and Pappy Po came over this weekend, and we celebrated Pappy's birthday. Ian grilled some delicious hamburgers and hotdogs, and we had cake, too. It was a nice evening, so we got to eat out on the deck!

The kiddos with Pappy.

Nicholas and Pappy playing basketball on the deck.

Baba, Nicholas and Maddie shooting hoops.

Grilling and enjoying some cold beverages.

Baba and the kiddos.

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-30T19:24:00.001-07:00

Sorry I'm about a week behind on my blog again! On Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, we got some stuff done around the house. On Sunday, we went to Aunt Judi's for lunch and then to Gee and Pappy's for steaks on the grill (and John Deere cake for dessert!!) for dinner. On Monday (my birthday - the big 3-1!), we just relaxed around the house, and I got to do a little shopping. By the way, the song playing right now is the kids' current favorite!

Opening birthday presents at Gee and Pappy's.

The kiddos with Pappy - doing their "work" on the computer!

Memorial Day Weekend, continued

2009-05-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

We went to Aunt Judi's on Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend for a lunch-time cook-out. it was a very nice day, and the pool was open, but the water was a little cool. That didn't stop the kiddos from wanting to go in, but they managed to just stay on the steps. Nicholas dunked his face right in! I think he's going to have a lot of fun at the beach! My mom brought a cake since my birthday was the following day. The kids liked singing Happy Birthday to Mommy and helping to blow out the candles!

Alina and Maddie styled Matt's hair.

Eating popsicles on the deck.

Hanging poolside with Dani.

Mommy's birthday!

Preschool Graduation and New Hair Cuts

2009-05-26T11:04:00.001-07:00

Maddie and Alina celebrated their preschool graduation last Thursday! I can't believe they'll be starting kindergarten in the fall - they are growing up too quickly! They looked beautiful and did a great job going up on stage to get their diplomas and to perform a song with their class.

New hair cuts for summer!

Canoe and Kayak to Conquer Cancer

2009-05-23T19:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry I'm a week behind on my blog! Pappy Po and some others organized a very successful fundraising event for the American Cancer Society last weekend - the "Canoe and Kayak to Conquer Cancer" event. They had over 200 boaters participate. It took about 6 hours for them to boat to the finish - and then you could make a donation to eat, drink, and listen to the live music at a pavilion by the river. Ian and I and the kids did not attempt the boat ride - Ian said he's going to next year - we had a really good time at the festivities following! It was warm and rained off and on, so the kids ran through puddles and got soaking wet. Aunt Kelly, Aunt Vic, Uncle Dave, and his friends Jeff and Robin were there, and Kel, Dave, and Jeff (whom the girls called the "rockin' man") performed. They sounded fabulous!!

The day after the event - Aunt Vic and Nicholas.

Aunt Kelly and Alina.