Holiday Wishes

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Happy Easter

I hope everyone had a very happy Easter weekend. Ours was very nice. Crazy as usual, but wonderfully traditional at the same time.

We spent much of Saturday at Adventure Landing for Easter egg hunts and other fun. Alex made out like a bandit and Cullen had alot fun running around.

We had Easter brunch out with family and then went back to grandma's house for a hunt. The kids scurried around the yard gathering eggs and the men later gathered round for the annual "scratch-off hunt". Yes, this is actually the most comically fun part of the day. Mom hides a couple dozen scratch off tickets througout the house and the guys have to hunt for them. Between Shawn, Roger and Chris...laughs are plentiful! And only because Grandma is so evil and chooses the most ridiculously hard hiding spots.

Unfortunatley we never made it to my mom's (sorry mom). Alex was saying she didn't feel well all of the sudden and we thought it was becuase she didn't want to leave her cousins. We later learned she was indeed sick as she exploded with the force of Mt. Etna all over the van. So two days later, she is still recovering and I am finally catching up on all the wash she has created over the last three days.

Before the "incident" I was able to capture many photos. They can be found here through Shutterfly.

Holiday Fun

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We've Arrived

Whether it is success or an event taking place, I think everyone has a little place in which they measure life. I have a friend who felt that way about a car. To her X car would mean that she had arrived.

I am no different. I had that little thing in which I measured my life. The point at which I'd know that I "had arrived". That life was exactly where I would want it to be. As you can probably guess, it wouldn't come from career success or making oodles of money. It was the place in which I would feel whole. The point where my life was full and complete. And that, of course, occured with the arrival of our son.

Which brings me to a far less profound achievement. Pottery Barn Kids Christmas Stockings. Although I have had my eye on them for years. It never felt right. To me that stocking said, I'd arrived. But I hadn't. And one day when I had, I would buy a PAIR of them. Get them embroidered. The whole shabang. So here they are for their holiday debut.

My family, my heart and my holiday is now complete!

Jewelry Store Kick-Off

Two of my talented friends have recently kicked off their jewelry businesses. Lisa of La Bella Bling and Laurel of Swishes, Swirls and Pearls will be participating in this year Crafters Bazaar as well as displaying their creations online for all to view. As you will discover, their designs are quite different from one another. So I would hope that one or the other caters to your style.


With the holiday season upon us, it's a wonderful time to check out their creations. And even if you are unable to attend the sale, I would invite you to check out their websites. Both have provided information to purchase products online. Good luck ladies!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

Well we are home and nearly all unpacked which was no small feat. Kids are back on track and we have jumped right into the holiday spirit. On Saturday, we payed a visit to Santa.

Then Gabi spent the night and Shawn went out and bought the girls each their own Gingerbread houses to make. It's so much fun to watch their creativity in action!

Happy Halloween

The kids had a great Halloween. We all met at my inlaws for dinner and then the cousins were all able to go out trick-or-treating together.

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Pumpkin Carving and More

Here are a few snapshots from this past week. We carved Alex's pumpkin on Monday. She picked out the shapes. I did the carving. Cullen did the supervising. We also enjoyed some tasty treats. Roasted pumpkin seeds for me and homemade pumpkin babyfood for Cullen.


The next day Cullen went for a ride. Grandma and Grandpa bought him his first set of wheels!

Happy 4th!

July 4th is one of my favorite days of the year! It was always filled with tradition as a child. My uncle lived on the parade route, so we would get to his house early in the morning before they closed the roads. The entire family would spend the day camping out in his yard, watching the parade, kids running around, burgers grilling. It always ended with the town firework display that could be seen from his backyard. Although my uncle has long passed, the house has been sold, we have moved out of the area...we come back every year for the parade. It is the best one in town!


Then afternoons and evenings are spent at The Spirit of America, which our church hosts. You stake your claim on a plot of grass and spend the night listening to music, eating 50 cent cotton candies and snow cones and catching up with old friends. The kids enjoy pouncing on a vast array of inflatables and getting their faces painted. And of of course, ending the night with the best fire works in town. There is nothing like watching an explosive display of colorful fireworks accompanied by moving partiotic music. Makes me so proud to live in this country we call the US of A!


Go Red, White and Blue!!!!

Happy Easter

Getting ready for Easter

The eggs are colored and the new outfits purchased. Now it's just time to hide the baskets.

Santa Clause is Comin' to Town

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know many of you have a lot to be thankful for this year!!! Here's to the "kick off" of a fabulous holiday season.

K, off to roast my turkey now. Family will be here in a few hours!

Happy Hallowen

It has been a whole month of Fall and Halloween fun. From parties to farms, October has seen Alex as multiple princesses, Dorothy, a cheerleader and now the grande finale as Little Red Riding Hood. She is so in her element!

Tonight we'll attend a party at Taekwondo and then it will be off to trick-or-treat.

Happy and Safe Halloween wishes to all!

Happy 4th of July

So I know it has been dry lately and we have needed rain for a couple of weeks now...but did we really need to get it all dumped on us in one day...and for the holiday? Geesh!

Although we never made it to the parade and the festival was mostly a bust, we did manage to get in a few hours of celebrating. Friends of ours came over for dinner. Alex turned into a wild banchee (sp?) chasing Emma around the house. Tyler just looked on like they were crazy. After dinner we got over to the sports park just as they were beginning to take down the inflatables. Luckily Alex was still able to have 3 or 4 turns on different ones before they put them down for the night. We then met up with my sisiter-in-law and the kids. All of the kids enjoyed playing around the field while singing and dancing with glow sticks. The best part of the evening was watching Emma and Alex as they watched the fireworks. The amazement on their faces was so refreshing. I guess it was a good day afterall!

Happy Easter

Happy New Year!

Kaitlin, Nicholas and Alex ringing in the new year!

Happy Hanukkah!!!!

Since there isn't much news on the house or baby front, I thought I would share a bit about what Alex has been up to recently.....

On Friday, December 15th Alex had her first official sleepover. She stayed with good friend Gabi while Mommy was at a party and Daddy was in California. Alex enjoyed celebrating the second night of Hanukkah and learning a few new holiday traditions. I hear she mastered the dreidle pretty quickly! After lighting the menorah....



enjoying a festival meal,



and playing some games,



...it was time for bed. After nearly two hours, the girls finally passed out!